2021 June eBytes
3M PCC Web Site Update
Microsoft Tips Generational Update for Windows 10
iOS 14.6 is out now: Every new feature to know about
Android 12: Google's major new revamp changes your phone from head to toe. Here's how
How to Prepare Your Digital Life for Your Death
Best laptop under $500 for 2021
How to set up a new Windows 10 PC perfectly in one hour or less
Stop suffering from a slow PC. Eight surefire ways to speed it up
PCMag Picks the Best Tablets for Kids
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3M PCC Web Site Update
By Tom Kreuzer
The end of April 2021 the 3M PCC web site was update from the original Google Classic web site tools to the new Google web site tools. The new tools don’t support as many widgets and options as the old. The simplified the tools to try to make it simpler/easier for people to create a site. The content of the PCC site is as follows:
Future Meetings
Past Meetings (if you miss a meeting or want to revisit the Video or Handout)
eBytes Newsletter
How to Join
Deal
Links
About Us (Officers with position descriptions, History of the PCC, Old eBytes, etc.)
Contact Us (Ask a question)
If you have any suggestions or comments for the site, let us know. The handouts and some of the other files are located on Google Drive which 3M blocks while at 3M or using a 3M Laptop. You need to use a non 3M device or use the Contact Us and I can send the file.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Tips Generational Update for Windows 10
At Build, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calls the update the 'next generation of Windows,' and promises to share more details soon.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/microsoft-tips-generational-update-for-windows-10
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella teases next version of Windows will be unveiled 'very soon' - Nadella promises major changes, though doesn't give many details. Rumors say it's coming later this year.
https://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-teases-next-version-of-windows-very-soon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iOS 14.6 is out now: Every new feature to know about
The latest update to Apple's iPhone software is out now with several buzzy new features.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/ios-14-6-is-out-now-every-new-feature-to-know-about
iOS 14.6 brings new tricks. Here are all the best iPhone and iPad features to try - Apple just released iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6, which boosts an already great bundle of tricks with even more features for your iPhone and iPad.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Android 12: Google's major new revamp changes your phone from head to toe. Here's how
This week Google showed off Android 12 and its new lock screen, notifications and color redesign. Here's what to know.
Android 12: 4 hidden features you're sure to love from day one - Here's what we've found looking through the current Android 12 beta so far.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/android-12-4-hidden-features-youre-sure-to-love-from-day-one
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Prepare Your Digital Life for Your Death
Death is inevitable. Don't make it harder on those you leave behind. Here's how to let loved ones manage passwords, sensitive data, and social media profiles after you die.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/prepare-your-digital-life-for-your-death
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best laptop under $500 for 2021
Wading through cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks is a chore, especially if you need one right now for work or remote learning. We're here to help.
https://www.cnet.com/news/best-laptop-under-500
Are Chromebooks worth it? Here's why they're great for most laptop buyers - Commentary: Chromebooks are a great alternative to Windows and Mac laptops.
https://www.cnet.com/news/are-chromebooks-worth-it
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to set up a new Windows 10 PC perfectly in one hour or less
Whether you're installing a brand-new PC, or renewing an older PC with a freshly formatted system drive, this clean install checklist will ensure you don't miss any key steps along the way.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-10-pc-perfectly-in-one-hour-or-less
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop suffering from a slow PC. Eight surefire ways to speed it up
You can fix a lot of issues on your own, for free. Here's what you need to do.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/stop-suffering-from-a-slow-pc-6-surefire-steps-to-speed-it-up-yourself
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PCMag Picks the Best Tablets for Kids
Kids love tablets, but which is the right one for them? Check out our top lab-tested picks for education and entertainment—and to keep your kids from stealing your iPad.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-kids-tablets
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
How to take your best ever photos with your iPhone or Android phone - Take amazing photos using just your phone with these tutorials from CNET's pro photographers.
18 Things You Didn't Know Your Google Chromecast Could Do - While Google's ultraportable media-streaming device is pretty much plug and play, there are a few tips and tricks that can make casting more magical.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/google-chromecast-tips-tricks
These Apps Drain Your Phone's Battery the Most - Ditching a few of these juice-guzzling apps could help increase your mobile battery life.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/these-apps-drain-your-phones-battery-the-most
10 Tips to Get the Most Out of Google Assistant - You can do a lot more with Google Assistant on your phone than you may think, even on iPhone.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/google-assistant-tips
How Good Could a $20 Smartwatch Be? Testing the Wyze Watch - The Wyze Watch lets you control the company's smart home devices for just $20, but it mostly falls short on fitness tracking and doesn't do much else.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/wyze-watch
Find your 'lost' money in 2 minutes with these tools - It takes only a moment to see if the government is holding unclaimed property or money that belongs to you or your family.
https://www.cnet.com/videos/find-your-lost-money-in-2-minutes-with-these-tools
File-sharing 101: How to actually share files in Google Drive and OneDrive - Share large files, photos and videos with co-workers and family members across the globe -- free. Here's how.
10 Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal - Check out these quick tips to boost your wireless signal from your router, extend and optimize your Wi-Fi coverage, and speed up your surfing.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-ways-to-boost-your-wi-fi-signal
The best free PC antivirus software in 2021 - Yes, you really can get third-party antivirus software for free, sometimes with a handful of extra features that can make a deal sound irresistible. Before you install one of these packages, check out our recommendations.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-free-antivirus
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
Q. From a PCC Member - When chromebook reaches "End of Life" date, what happens if I keep using it for just accessing internet and doing things like playing bridge, etc. Or is it best just to recycle the machine? What's the risk?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Many devices we own today like phones, tablets, chromebooks, etc. are no longer supported after 3-5 years. Even though the devices still work, it is not advisable to use them because of the issues below. Chromebooks are the first devices to publish an “End of Life” date to let users know when it will no longer be supported. Another example is the iPhone which comes out with a new version almost every year. We are currently on the iPhone 12 and iOS 14 which only supports iPhone 8 and above. If you have an iPhone 1 to iPhone 7 you should not be using it. Earlier phones running old iOS versions should not be used. This is also true of Andriod phones and tablets.
The main reason is when the devices OS is no longer being updated or patched; it is vulnerable to a virus or hacker who can exploit bugs. Software and Apps are also written and upgraded to support the most current OS so your software gets out of date. It costs vendors lots of money to support old devices with new OS patches, so at some point all vendors drop support. This benefits the vendor by getting people to buy new devices that use new OSs. It is also true that most of these devices have batteries. Most batteries only last about 3-5 years of charging. Newer devices usually have a faster CPU, more memory, better video, newer WiFi like 802.11ax, newer cell like 5G, newer Bluetooth, new battery, and many other improvements.
It is best to plan to replace these devices when they are no longer supported and not take the security risk.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - Adobe Acrobat is expensive ($13-$15 month subscription). Any suggestions for alternative software to enable editing of pdf files?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Depends on what your needs are working with PDF files. Most people with basic needs do not need the full version. To create a simple PDF file from any package does not require any software. Just use the “Print to PDF” that comes with Windows 10. If you need to add or change info in and PDF and save it as a PDF, you can usually copy the text out of most PDFs into a package like Word or Google Docs. You can then edit and save as a PDF. If your needs to create/modify a PDF are more advanced, there are a number of free or low cost options.
Member Jim Beardsley responds - I’ve used PDF Pro now Pro 2 $30 @Amazon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member – I have a laptop running Windows 7 where I use an old Cannon photo program. Should I upgrade the laptop to Windows 8?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. No do not upgrade the old laptop to Win 8. Win 8 will no longer be supported by Microsoft in a year or two. Most old software, even old DOS programs, can be configured to run in Win 10 if you configure it right. There are many settings to make Windows 10 look like old versions of Windows. I do not recommend running that old software, because there are thousands of newer software that are better and can do more. In most cases it is better to buy a new laptop because of all the issues in the question above (battery, CPU, ect.).
Member Jim Beardsley responds - For photos try Smart Photo Editor on PC and Snapseed on a phone. I also recommend FastStone Image Viewer as an image browser, converter and editor that supports all major graphic formats.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - Chips are apparently a big concern for the global EV manufacturers. Sounds like it will take at least 2 years to get up to speed with inventory to meet the need. How will the chip shortage impact computer and smart phone purchases?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. It is not as bad as the news makes it out to be. Costs have gone up for all devices and there are some shortages, but it should catch up soon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - The resort I visit is setup with “Roku TV”. I don’t subscribe to any streaming services. I am mainly interested in access to local channels (near Ely being broadcast from Duluth) using this Roku TV. Internet says Roku does provide free access to local channels (through the “Roku Channel”?), but my understanding would be that anything beyond those free offerings requires the user to be subscribed to a streaming service that can be accessed by the Roku TV OS. True? If I can get free access to local channels (with good reception), I would be delightfully happy with that. I do understand that a “Roku TV” IS different than a Smart TV, but not much beyond that…
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Usually the resort will provide over the air “OTA” “Live Channels” for free using their antenna and the Roku menu. In addition if you do subscribe to a service like Netflix you can access those using your account and password. There will also be free steaming services with old movies and shows you could view. You can check with them to see if they provide the local Duluth stations with an antenna or they may be so remote that there will be no local stations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member – On my Mac I downloaded the new version “OpenOffice” but it will not open.I get this message “OpenOffice” cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer. macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware.
A. From Mike Griffin, a PCC Board member. That means you downloaded the update from a site other than the App Store. It is a security feature. Here is guidance on how to get the update to open: Open System Preferences. Go to the Security & Privacy tab. Click on the lockand enter your password so you can make changes. Change the setting for 'Allow apps downloaded from' to 'App Store and identified developers' from just App Store.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member – How do I get a Free MyHeritage Account? I do not want the trial where I have to put in a Credit Card and then Cancel
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Below are instructions to create the account without doing a 14 day premium trial where you need to put in a Credit Card. https://www.ongenealogy.com/how-to-get-your-free-myheritage-account
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - Windows 10 has a built-in ransomware block, you just need to enable it. This seems to be new. Or at least I never heard of it. I just enabled it. Our users should learn of it.
https://www.pcgamer.com/windows-10-has-a-built-in-ransomware-block-you-just-need-to-enable-it
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I had not seen or heard of this before. I did try it on my desktop and laptop, but got a Windows message "Page not available Your IT administrator has limited access to some areas of this app, and the item you tried to access is not available. Contact IT helpdesk for more information." Since an IT administrator did not configure my PCs this is an example of a bad misleading message. It should read that this option is not available because you have other Anti-Virus/Security software installed. I have installed "CenturyLink Security by McAfee" so it replaces some Windows 10 security functions. If you can turn it on the Windows Ransomware Block, it makes sense to turn on. If you use other security, you may not be able to turn on.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member – Interesting article on Google Chrome: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2021/03/20/stop-using-google-chrome-on-apple-iphone-12-pro-max-ipad-and-macbook-pro. I’m just not a fan of Google or Android devices. It just comes down to personal preferences I guess. I had been a Windows user since Windows 3.1 and lost faith after Windows 8. Jumped ship I guess (I’m a Navy veteran).
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Thanks for the info, I will include in the next eBytes. Personally I will continue to use Chrome on my iPad because the features and functions it provides, You do have Incognito mode to provide a little help. Unless you plan to disconnect from the internet you are being tracked and recorded everywhere. Even the PCC website provides 100s of pieces of information about people who visit no matter what OS or Browser is used.
Like most everything in life there is the good and bad. There are some things I like about Apple and some things I like about Windows or Android. The more information we all know the better we all can make our own decisions on what works best for us.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - When you send out the meeting notice for PCC, is there a way for you to put a reminder on my calendar? I keep forgetting your meeting, like the one today. I have a IPhone. This problem goes away when I can attend in person like the good old days.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member - Below is info that I send out in most PCC emails to add to your calendar:
The PCC calendar can be added to your Outlook Calendar, or others, by going into your calendar in Outlook and from the menu selecting Open Calendar\From Internet and putting the following value below for General Meetings:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/theminingpcc%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics
Mac SIG calendar:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/c62jetmncggqdmje9086hpjg58%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
On an iPhone/iPad open your Calendar app and click the Calendar icon on the top left. From there click the lower left text "Add Calendar" and use the info above.