Embedded Files
2020 April eBytes
Convert B&W to Color Photos by Tom Kreuzer
Video Calling Selecting and Setup by Tom Kreuzer
Zoom Meetings by Paul Ebert PCC Membership Secretary
Everything You Need to Set Up an Ergonomic Home Office
Google keeps a frightening amount of data on you. Here's how to find and delete it
12 Tips to Speed Up Windows 10
The best cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks we've found under $500
Convert B&W to Color Photos by Tom Kreuzer
I received an email from MyHeritage a family tree/genealogy service that they were offering free unlimited access to a convert a B&W to a color photo till April 22, 2020. Colored photos usually look better and invoke more emotions than B&W because they appear natural. Sounded good and the example looked good. I have a free account on MyHeritage and use the PC program for my family tree. I converted my parents 1952 B&W Wedding photo and it looked great. I have thousands of old B&W photos, so before I committed my time and effort, I did a Google Search to see if I could find other free services. Turns out there are several and they have vastly improved over the last years.
How they work - Trained on millions of images, the services use Deep Learning to identify living and non-living objects and colorize them accordingly. You upload your image to the service, it works its magic in seconds, and they let you download your color image. The better the quality of the B&W photo, the better the color photo. I only used .JPG files.
Algorithmia - Pro - Upload from PC or URL. Con - Watermark, Random filename, Loss of detail, Slow https://demos.algorithmia.com/colorize-photos
ColoutiseSG - Pro - No watermark Con - Not as good as others, Loss of detail, Filename "colorized-image.jpg" https://colourise.sg/
Colorizephoto - Pro - Manual control over color. Con - Manually color image takes time and effort https://www.colorizephoto.com/converter
Lunapic - Pro - No watermark. Con - Can add only two colors manually https://www341.lunapic.com/editor/
MyHeritage - Pro Best of the services I tried, Maintains filename and adds "Colorized", Can drag and drop file, fast. Con- Watermark https://www.myheritage.com/
Con for all services - Do not save the EXIF/metadata in your file (gps location, tags, title, date taken, etc.)
I decided MyHeritage is the best to convert my photos during this free time. It is really fun to see what magic it can do. The services can even work magic on color photos that are tinted or other color problems. I can do about 2-3 per minute for the upload, work, and download. The uploaded photos are saved in your account on the server. A free account is limited in space, so you will need to Delete photos if you plan to convert 100s. Not every photo converts well.
Good example of my parents wedding in 1952.
Me, my sister, and brother.
Not so good color of just me. I have converted about 300 so far and only a handful do not convert well.
Click to see a larger image of the photo.
Video Calling Selecting and Setup by Tom Kreuzer
Video Calling Selecting and Setup by Tom Kreuzer
Below is some information on how to select and setup Video Calling to keep in touch with family and friends in these troubling times.
Requirements for both parties to call:
Newer device. If older than 3 years, inexpensive, or an old OS may have issues.
Smartphone, Tablet, or Laptop with built in camera, mike, and speaker.
Video Assistants $49-$300 Amazon Show, Facebook Portal, etc.
Desktop PC or Mac – May need an external camera, mike, and speaker.
App/Service listed below.
Fast Internet connection - 4 Mbps down and 512 Kbps up.
or Fast cellular connection – 4G or 5G. Cellular connection uses your mobile data.
All devices DO NOT work with all app/services. Best for:
Calling friends (All friends on Apple devices) – Apple FaceTime
Calling friends (All friends on mobile devices) – FaceBook WhatsApp
Group chats (Most devices) – Microsoft Skype
Facebook addicts (Most devices) - Facebook Messenger
Most Popular Apps/Services:
Apple FaceTime – Works on Apple iOS devices only. Max 32 people in call.
FaceBook WhatsApp - Works on Android and Apple iOS devices. Max 10 people in call.
Microsoft Skype – Works on PC, Android, and Apple iOS. Max 24 people in call.
Facebook Messenger - Works on PC, Max, Android, and Apple iOS. Max 4 person in call.
Google Duo - Replacing Hangouts. Works on Chrome browser, Android, and Apple iOS. Max 8 people in call.
Facebook Portal – Works with another Portal, Facebook Messenger, and FaceBook WhatsApp.
Amazon Echo Show – Works with another Show or one party needs to have a video-call-enabled smartphone/tablet with the Alexa app installed. Amazon Fire tablets, Android, iOS.
Most require all people to setup a free account. Some provide additional features for a monthly fee.
Connect by seeing who is online or send a notification.
Use your Contacts or add new people as needed. Your first time connecting is the hardest if you do not have good contact info with an email and phone number to find them. Both people must accept who can call them the first time.
My attempt below on some instructions for just the Skype install and setup on multiple devices. Other apps like WhatsApp, Duo, and Messenger are similar. Facetime is already on all Apple devices if they have current iOS. Smart Devices like Echo Show and Facebook Portal already have their software, the Show needs setup in the Alexa app Communications area.
Skype Install:
Windows 10 - From the Windows Start click “Microsoft Store”
Apple iOS – Open the “App Store”
Android – Open the Google “Play Store”
Search for “Skype”
Select the free ”Skype App” or “Skype – free IM & video” a blue circle with an S
Click the “Install” button
Close Microsoft Store, App Store, or Play Store after install completes
From the Windows Start click “Skype” or click on the icon to run Skype
If you already have a Skype account, you can log in with your Skype name, email, or phone number and skip through to the next steps.
To make a new Skype account, click “Create a new account”
You can sign up with an email address or phone number. It’s totally up to you which you would prefer to link with your new account. I suggest an email address.
The next windows will ask you to input personal information like age, name, and location. When asked for a verification code, check your corresponding email or phone number and input the code. If asked for a CAPTCHA code, input that and click “Create Account”.
The next windows and text very by device.
“Let Skype access your contacts” click “Yes”
“Update Your Profile Picture” click “Continue” or add one
“Let Skype access your microphone?” click “Yes”
“Test your audio” window you can “test” or “make a free test call” then click “Continue”
“Let Skype access your camera?” click “Yes”
“Notifications” click “Yes”
Done with install
Finding Contacts - friends or family
If you let Skype access your Contacts, you will see which of your contacts are on Skype. Your contacts that do not match a name, email, and phone on Skype will not show here.
To setup anyone else or a new person, select the Search Skype box in the top left-hand corner and search for their real name, Skype name, or email address.
If your friend has a common name, use their email or phone that they setup. Warning you can only find people who are already setup for Skype, so they need to have installed Skype.
If your friend is on Skype, click the “Invite Friends” to send an invite. They then need to “Accept” the invite before you can call.
Once setup and accepted you can click on a Contact.
You can now text or click the video camera button to make a video call to the contact.
Zoom Meetings by Paul Ebert PCC Membership Secretary
Since schools shutdown in Minnesota a week ago, I have heard authorities, and others, suggest two alternatives for online meetings. They are 1) Google Hangouts, and 2) Zoom. Zoom has recently been mentioned in several stories on the web, There has been so much demand for Zoom online meetings recently that their ratings have declined significantly (from 4 to 2), mostly by millennial's, I've heard.
I have used Zoom in the past week and found it easy to use. I created a free Zoom account, which enables me to start & host meetings. I have not yet made the commitment to purchase zoom beyond the free version (IE, I have not yet decided to pay the $15 per month which would allow me to host meetings of up to 100 people for essentially unlimited time (24 hours - who would do that!). I have noticed that Zoom seems to waive the 40 minute time limit when I have used it. That might be temporary.
I recently attended the 31 minute webinar on Getting Started with Zoom Meetings. The URL is below:
It gives very practical advice about how to use Zoom, including being a meeting host. I urge you to send this URL to 3M PC Club members, and let them make their own conclusions about Zoom. The main advantage of Zoom is that it works for everyone.
Paul Ebert
From Tom Kreuzer - Active 3M Employees should use Skype for Business for 3M Meetings. For Zoom only the person holding/starting the meeting needs to setup an account.
13 Zoom video chat tips, tricks and hidden features - Learn to change your background, your audio and video settings, and how to share your screen.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/13-zoom-video-chat-tips-tricks-and-hidden-features
Everything You Need to Set Up an Ergonomic Home Office
More of us than ever are working from home because of COVID-19, and that means we need to make our home offices safe and healthy places to work. These tips can help you make inexpensive adjustments to your work space to stay productive and injury-free.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/everything-you-need-to-set-up-an-ergonomic-home-office
Google keeps a frightening amount of data on you. Here's how to find and delete it
Everything you do online when you're signed into Google (and even some stuff when you aren't) becomes a part of your Google profile -- but you can wipe the slate clean with these steps.
12 Tips to Speed Up Windows 10
Windows 10 is speedier than the previous versions of Microsoft's OS, but you can still optimize its performance. Learn how to make your Windows 10 PC run faster with our tips.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/12-tips-to-speed-up-windows-10
The best cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks we've found under $500
Budget-friendly portables for home, school or office.
https://www.cnet.com/news/windows-laptops-and-chromebooks-for-under-500
Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
8 Tips for Better Video Conference Calls - If you're stuck at home because of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, you can still get work done by collaborating over video. Here's how to maximize your video chat time.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/8-tips-for-better-video-conference-calls
The best Wi-Fi extender for almost everybody - A range extender can help you eliminate those pesky dead zones -- and some are a lot better than others.
https://www.cnet.com/news/the-best-wi-fi-extender-for-almost-everybody
PCMag Picks the Best Wireless Range Extenders - Bring your home's Wi-Fi dead zones back to life with a wireless range extender. Here's what you need to know about boosting your network along with our top-rated reviews of desktop and plug-in extenders.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-wireless-range-extenders
Windows 10 upgrade failed? Use these 5 tools to find the problem and fix it fast - Most Windows 10 upgrades and feature updates succeed without incident. But if you're encountering problems, especially with an older PC, use these tools and techniques to figure out what's going wrong.
Best tablets in 2020: iPad Pro, Surface Go, Fire HD 10, and more - Whether you're looking for a tablet just to watch videos on, or one to replace your laptop -- 2020 is off to a promising start.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-tablets
22 Cool Tricks and Secret Gems Inside Facebook Messenger - Facebook Messenger is so much more than a mere chat app. Learn the best tips and tricks to turn yourself into a power user.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/25-cool-tricks-and-secret-gems-inside-facebook-messenger
PCMag Picks the Best Chromebooks - Budget-friendly, web-centric Chromebooks can save you money. But is it worth opting for one if you can find a capable Windows 10 laptop for well under $500? Here's what you need to know, along with the best Chromebook models we have tested.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-chromebooks
Best smart displays in 2020: Echo Show, Nest Hub, Facebook Portal, and more - We've hand-picked 11 smart displays that will satisfy a range of wants and needs.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-smart-displays
How to make sure your home Wi-Fi is up to speed - There's never been a better time to make sure that you're getting the best Wi-Fi speeds possible at home.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/working-from-home-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-wi-fi-is-up-to-speed
Microsoft Edge privacy settings to change right away - Microsoft's brand-new Edge browser lets you control how much data you share when browsing.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/microsoft-edge-privacy-settings-to-change-right-away
Best TV antennas for cord-cutters in 2020, starting at only $10 - Looking to cut your TV bill all the way down to free? We tested six antennas to find out which one works best.
https://www.cnet.com/news/best-tv-antenna-for-cord-cutters-for-2020
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