2022 February eBytes
Which devices will work with Matter? What we know so far
What makes a good budget phone?
Free antenna TV is getting an upgrade and it might be in your town already
Windows 11: Do these six things right away after you finish setup
Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream: Top 100 channels compared
The misinformation pandemic is out of control, but there's a fix
It's time to delete the scary amount of data Google has on you
How to Remove Malware From Your PC
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Which devices will work with Matter? What we know so far
Matter is designed to bring the smart home together, and big brands including Google, Amazon and Apple are making plans for compatibility.
https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/dozens-of-brands-pledge-support-for-matter-at-ces-2022/
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What makes a good budget phone?
These days, lower-cost phones are better than ever. But you still need to pick your priorities.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/what-makes-a-good-budget-phone/
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Free antenna TV is getting an upgrade and it might be in your town already
4K, HDR, 120Hz refresh rates and better indoor reception are coming to US airwaves for free thanks to ATSC 3.0, aka NextGen TV.
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Windows 11: Do these six things right away after you finish setup
Microsoft's default settings for Windows 11 are filled with tiny annoyances, including unnecessary taskbar icons and unwanted apps. Here's how to declutter your new setup and maximize your security settings.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/six-things-you-should-do-right-away-with-your-new-windows-11-pc/
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Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream: Top 100 channels compared
Networks like ABC, CNN, OWN, PBS and the Hallmark Channel can be streamed live, no cable required. Here's how to get each one.
Stop paying so much for cable TV. It's time to cut the cord - Tired of that pricey cable bill? Use this step-by-step guide to find the right streaming services and devices for you.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/how-to-cut-the-cord/
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The misinformation pandemic is out of control, but there's a fix
Here's why the war on facts will get worse, but there's also a way out of the madness.
https://www.cnet.com/news/misinformation-is-a-pandemic-that-doesnt-have-a-vaccine/
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It's time to delete the scary amount of data Google has on you
Google keeps tabs on what you search, what you watch and your location. We'll show you how to delete that info.
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How to Remove Malware From Your PC
Got virus problems on your Windows PC? Follow these steps, and you may be back in working order in no time.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-remove-malware-from-your-pc
How to Figure Out If Your Phone Has Malware - Has your phone been acting up? Here's how to check if malware is to blame, and what to do if it is.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-figure-out-if-your-phone-has-malware
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
How to Wipe Your Hard Drive -Planning to get rid of your Windows PC? Here's how to make sure all the personal files on your hard drive are erased and unrecoverable, whether you're running Windows 11, 10, 8.1, or 7.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-wipe-your-hard-drive
The Best Windows 11 Tips and Tricks - Windows 11 gives Microsoft's venerable OS a new look and adds a few features you'll want to tweak or customize.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/best-windows-11-tips-and-tricks
What you need to do to make that old laptop last longer - Don't buy a new laptop yet. We'll explain some ways to maximize the lifespan of your existing one.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/what-you-need-to-do-to-make-that-old-laptop-last-longer
Roundup of every Alexa command you can give your Amazon Echo device now - From media controls to coronavirus-related commands, here's everything your Amazon Echo smart speaker and display can do.
How to Block Robocalls and Spam Calls - Are you getting too many phone calls from spammers and telemarketers? Here are some steps you can take to battle those annoying, unknown callers.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/block-robocalls-and-spam-calls
How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files - Need a YouTube-to-MP3 converter to download your favorite songs to your computer? These programs can help.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/convert-youtube-videos-to-mp3-files
Best TV antenna for 2022 - Installing an over-the-air antenna is one of the easiest ways to get free TV. Here are our top recommendations for the best indoor antenna.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/best-tv-antenna/
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Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
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Q. From a PCC Member - Looking for recommendations for someone to troubleshoot Outlook issues.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I highly recommend you do not use Outlook. I would suggest on a Mac or PC you use a browser and go to: https://outlook.live.com/
On a phone or tablet use your mail app and add your hotmail or outlook account. The Outlook software on a PC or Mac has too many issues and does not sync well with other devices. Was good software 20 years ago when we only had one device.
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Q. From a PCC Member – From the PCC Survey where HP scored first in the Brand of computer members have. I think HP has the advantage because many 3Mers are using the 3M issued hardware as their main computer and it’s HP.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. HP is the 3M vendor, but also leads in the US for both desktops and laptops for about the last 10 years.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Do you consider a Chromebook a PC? (Maybe it’s considered in between a tablet and a PC)
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. A Chromebook is considered the same as laptop by the industry. If you search on any site they will show in the laptop section and are made by almost all the same vendors as Windows laptops. Most tablets do no come with a keyboard, large screen, USB and other ports that you see on a Chrombook.
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Q. From a PCC Member - The other comment from the PCC Survey was that 18% enter “unknown” for computer memory. I’m always in that camp. If someone made me, I suppose I could look up my memory, but I really don’t know what it is on my work laptop (3M). I do know (barely) what it is for my smartphone. Once I buy it or start using it, it is what it is!! You’re probably thinking “how can you not know”, whereas I’m thinking “how do all these people (besides Tom) know?”
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Your computer memory and other info like CPU and OS version can be found in Windows "Settings\About". This is important if you are running more software than you have memory and the OS then need to swap software in and out of memory. Your PC would appear to be slow or locked up. Windows 10 by itself uses almost 6 GB. Games, Video editing, and having 10 Browser tabs open take lots of RAM.
I would guess that 95% of the members do not know the RAM on their phone or tablet. You failed. RAM is memory used by the CPU to run your OS and software. You are thinking of the Storage\Memory that is used as a hard drive to store your photos, video, software, and OS. Most new phones have 4 GB RAM and 128+ GB Storage. The Storage memory when it is not a physical hard drive is also called SSD "Solid State Drive" memory because it is on chips with no moving parts.
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Q. From a PCC Membership person Paul Ebert- A bit of Android news from me. I recently upgraded my Motorola phone to Android 11. After I did so, WhatApp fails to download any pictures. Bummer. WhatApp is or should be a very common app, so I think this is happening to many people. It is a problem reported by many people. YouTube has several videos, but it's hard to fix stuff on your cellphone via a video. Instead I used the written article below, and it solved my problems.
https://www.reddit.com/r/motorola/comments/qugtjj/tricks_fix_android_11_whatsapp_media_bug/
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Thanks for the update. I do not use the app, so have not run into the issue. I would have expected with as popular as it is that a patch for it would have been made within a week or two of it being reported. Just shows how slow some apps are to getting patches. Glad you found a fix.
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Q. From a PCC Membership person Paul Ebert - 2-Step Verification for your Google account is worthy of mention in your next newsletter. It's the future, I suppose, and a good thing.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. You are correct. Your Gmail account is just as important and should be as secure as a Bank account. Since many sites use your email to reset a password you need to be protected. Use a strong password that is changed at least once a year. Use 2-Step/2FA to validate new connections. Also, check your Google to see which devices have access and remove any you do not know.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I've been getting a email “Invoice order ID: LL974863 Life lock Norton Order!!!!” regularly. I flag them as Spam. Should I/can I do anything else? Note: They come from different email addresses, so they don't go to Spam automatically.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Marking the email as spam is the right thing to do so that similar emails in the future will automatically be marked as spam. It can take months for it to automatically happen and most spammers are constantly changing the sender and content in the email so that their future emails do not get flagged. So this solution does not provide 100% relief.
In Gmail you can create your own filters to automatically delete emails. The most common uses are to block email from users, subjects, or that just contain certain words. If you wanted to block emails like this one, you could create a filter to look for the word "Norton Life Lock" anywhere in the email and delete the email. You can go to the Gmail settings, "Gear Icon" if you are using a PC or Mac, then select the tab for Filter and create a new one. If you have any question on filters or trouble creating one, let me know.