2022 May eBytes
Why a Chromebook Is Probably All You Need
Why You Seriously Need a Password Manager
The best free video editing software: Top 4 free apps
5 Ways to Make Your iPhone Less Annoying
Have an old laptop or computer? Give it new life with Chrome OS Flex
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best?
COVID Webinar at U of M
45 Years Ago, Apple Kickstarted the Personal Computer Industry
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Why a Chromebook Is Probably All You Need
Looking to buy a new laptop? Don't forget about the humble Chromebook.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/why-a-chromebook-is-probably-all-you-need
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Why You Seriously Need a Password Manager
It's one of the best ways to stay secure online. We'll explain how to set one up.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/why-you-seriously-need-a-password-manager
It's past time you started using a password manager (whether you like it or not) - Okay, my friends, time for a little tough love.
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The best free video editing software: Top 4 free apps
What is the best free video editing software? iMovie, of course. But if you're not an Apple user, you can still perfect your videos with any of the following free video editing apps. They're all solid options for beginners who don't want to pay for Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-free-video-editing-software
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5 Ways to Make Your iPhone Less Annoying
The iPhone offers a highly polished user experience, but iOS does have some quirks that you might find irritating. Our quick tips can help you shut down some of the biggest culprits.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/5-ways-to-make-your-iphone-less-annoying
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Have an old laptop or computer? Give it new life with Chrome OS Flex
Have an old laptop gathering dust on a shelf? Here's an easy way to give it new life.
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Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best?
Don't take your web browser for granted. We compare the top browsers on speed, privacy, and other important features.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/chrome-edge-firefox-opera-or-safari-which-browser-is-best
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COVID Webinar at U of M
This is a note from a PCC Member. The U of M periodically has these on a variety of topics - anyone can participate. In one I watched recently, Dr. Michael Osterholm was one of the presenters - he always seems to be very straight forward when discussing covid. As I mentioned, the webinars are usually subsequently posted on YouTube, but if you watch as they are going on, you can ask questions of the presenters. The website for the Mini Medical School is:
https://clinicalaffairs.umn.edu/mini-medical-school
Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJP0WxJ_01M
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45 Years Ago, Apple Kickstarted the Personal Computer Industry
The Altair 8800 was the first machine to bring computing to the people, but the Apple II was the first system even non-techies wanted.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/45-years-ago-apple-kickstarted-the-personal-computer-industry
From Mike Griffin PCC Mac SIG leader - Here is a good article from PC Magazine about the Apple II and the beginning of the broader Personal computer revolution. Hats off to our own PCC Apple II SIG for being there in the early days. Three cheers!
I remember programming intersegment jumps in the 8088 and waiting the ten clock cycles for execution. That’s when I went to the Motorola 68000 with a single memory space - good for graphics. Of course, engineering/hobbyist personal computer users like me are only a small fraction of the PC market and don’t represent the typical user.
While reminiscing, Jim Schenz was one of the heads of the PCC Apple II SIG back in the day. He is still around.
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From Tom Kreuzer PCC Member on the article: Trip down memory lane. Even back then I didn’t like the Apple due to the high price for what you got. I was a junior in College in 1978 and talked my Dad into buying a Exity Sorcerer for his store that could do a lot more for less money than Apple and other options. I still have the unit, it’s the only PC I ever kept and it still works. 8K $895 ($3,459 in 2018 dollars). It has an 8-Track slot cartridge to load hardware like Basic or a word processor. Basic programming. Load and save on cassette tapes with sounds like a modem made. Electrostatic Printer with silver paper roll that was very slow, loud, and paper curls.
Photo below from 1981 of my PC with little 9" B&W monitor and cassette to load and save programs/data. Also notice the 3M Video tapes that cost about $30 each back then. Things have come a long way. Link to past 3M PCC and computer history I put on the 3M Web site: https://sites.google.com/site/theminingpcc/about-us/pcc-history If you have anything to add, let me know.
In Oct 2018 I did a PCC Meeting of old tech and member show and tell. I showed my first PC and talked about history. Evelyn/Ed Jacobson showed an Altair 8800. Below info I presented when I bought my first IBM PC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6XNCeT8vMQ
1981-Aug Bought my first IBM PC. I had a Brother-In-Law working at IBM that got a 50% discount. I ordered the IBM with a Monochrome Display, printer, 64K RAM “Maxed out”, One 5 1/4" Single Sided drive, and DOS 2.0 all for the low price of $3,567 after 50% discount. A little over a year latter, I upgraded it to 256K RAM, Color Monitor, Two 5 1/4Double Sided drives, and DOS 2.1 for an additional $1,807 after 50% discount. That is a 50% discount total of $5,374 for that PC which adjusted for inflation is almost $15,000 in 2018 dollars. I much prefer the PCs and prices today. IBM used the 8088 CPU with a 8 bit processor. 8 bit has 64K max address. Memory above 64K could be used to speed things up for print spooling and ram drives.
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
How to Run Windows 11 on M1 Mac, for Free
https://osxdaily.com/2022/04/14/how-run-windows-11-m1-mac/
The best Windows laptops: Top notebooks, 2-in-1s, and ultraportables - What is the best Windows laptop? Our number one pick is the Dell XPS 15 (2021)! We analyzed and tested each laptop's CPU, storage, display, battery life, and more to narrow down the best laptops using Windows 10 and 11.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-windows-laptop
How to Set Up and Use Google Pay - Google’s mobile payment service works on the web and with both Android and iOS devices. Here's how to set up the service and pay for things from the app.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/set-up-and-use-google-pay
The Best Apps in the Windows 11 Store in 2022 - You'll be surprised by how much excellent software is now in Microsoft's store. These are the must-haves you should grab first.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/best-apps-in-the-windows-11-store
How to Free Up Space in Google Drive - Is your Google Drive always on the verge of being full? Google has a tool that helps you identify videos, large PDFs, and files people have shared with you that perhaps you no longer need so you can get rid of them and clean up your drive.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-free-up-space-in-google-drive
How to Use Safe Mode to Diagnose a Problem in Windows 10 or Windows 11 - Is Windows misbehaving? One diagnostic technique you can try is Safe Mode, which launches Windows in a barebones fashion by preventing certain drivers and other items from loading.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-start-windows-10-in-safe-mode
Take Better Pics With Your Phone - Sure, you use your phone's camera all the time, but do you get the most out of it? Well, you'll definitely get more from your camera thanks to today's helpful tips and guides. And if you want the best camera on a phone, we've got a list too.
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/what-is-an-air-fryer-buying-guide
How to Remove Annoying Ads From Windows 11 - Are unsolicited ads from third-party services and pop-up suggestions from Microsoft ruining your Windows 11 experience? Here's how to get rid of them.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-remove-annoying-ads-from-windows-11
The Best External Hard Drive and SSD Deals for April 2022 - There's no shortage of digital storage solutions available today, from plug-and-play external flash drives to massive multi-terabyte internal drives for your tower CPU.
https://www.pcmag.com/deals/best-external-hard-drive-ssd-deals
Google Is Banning Call-Recording Apps on Android
https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-is-banning-call-recording-apps-on-android
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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 - How serious was the Wyze problem that they hid for three years?
Wyze Didn't Completely Fix Flaws in Security Cameras for 3 Years - Manufacturer faulted for slow response and lack of transparency to customers
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I have highly recommended the Wyze cameras over the years and after reading the article will continue to support Wyze. Some of the issues were addressed with fixes right away and one took 3 years to address. All cameras have issues if users do not have secure accounts and passwords on their accounts and on their home network. After reading the article I feel that my access and data was never at risk since the hacker would have to have hacked into my home network and then connected to my cameras. I have a secure home network, so I never had vulnerability. If you have an unsecured home network, access to a camera is the least of your worry.
Wyze response: https://www.wyze.com/pages/response-to-3-29-22-security-report
I subscribe to Consumer Reports and have never been impressed with articles or comments for PCs, phones, or most complex devices. They usually are reporting on devices that are old models and have not tested current devices. Also, they usually don’t talk about one size does not fit all people.
Article from Cnet on the topic - It's Time to Treat Your Home Security Cameras as Compromised - Commentary: Wyze has taught us a valuable lesson.
https://www.cnet.com/home/security/your-home-security-camera-could-be-hacked-so-treat-it-that-way/
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Q. From a PCC Member - Recommendation for WiFi router purchase?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Take a look at the PCC Site for the Jan 2022 meeting on Home Networking. https://sites.google.com/site/theminingpcc/future-meetings/past-meeting-files
Just like not everyone can use the car, which router depends on your needs/home.
Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers of 2022
Want to upgrade your home network to 802.11ax, the newest and fastest version of Wi-Fi? You'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router. Here are the best ones.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/the-best-wi-fi-6-routers-of-2022
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Q. From a PCC Member - 3M Corp e-mailed me that they are moving my H files to OneDrive for Business. I have a handful of personal docs on there. What should I do with them? I can't save to a stick because they will be encrypted. I don't have my own PC, but I do have a new iPad.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Best to copy them up to the cloud to your personal account (Google iDrive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Apple iCloud). Once up in the cloud you can use Apps on a phone, tablet, or any device to access and edit with the right tools. I would suggest you create a personal Microsoft account since your files are most likely Word, Excel, etc.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Any suggestions for recycling an old laptop (for free)?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Check out the PCC Website https://sites.google.com/site/theminingpcc/deals and look for “Device Donations to Charity or Recycle”. I also take old working laptops and load Linux on and give to Seniors where my Dad lives. Contact me if it is working and you would like to donate.
You Can Recycle Your Old Phones, Laptops, Batteries and Cameras for Free. Here's How
Don't throw away your old electronics if you've upgraded to new devices. Here's what to do.
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Q. From a PCC Member – During the PCC Q&A we were talking about old records and the member said - I had thousands of CDs and LP records - When I moved, I had no place for all of them. I donated them to the Ramsey County Library. If you use "It's Deductable" to keep track of values of donated things, they assign 5 dollars for a CD, but 11 dollars for an LP!
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Sounds like a great deal. I highly recommend the use of "It's Deductable" if you do not use the standard tax deduction. You can use it for free at the Intuit web site and give defendable prices for donations. https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/itsdeductible/
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Q. From a PCC Member - We have both Google storage that we suddenly needed when we were on the road a couple of years ago and pay $1.99/mo. Don't know exactly why. Now we must be using icloud and have run out of storage space as well. Also not sure what it is backing up. Wondering if you use them and why do we need them. Can you explain?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. You can look at the PCC Meeting I did in Jan 21 "Cloud Storage" and watch the video and handout. I use both Google and Apple. You are in total control of what and how much data is up there. Only keep what you need and use.
The Google iDrive space is made up of all the Gmail emails you have, any Google Docs you have created, PC files you choose to backup, all the photos and videos you have backed up, and any SmartPhone Backup you set. Many people keep 1,000-250,000 emails and never delete any or have 30,000 of high resolution photos or video. Below is my Google, I am only using about 2.5 of the free17 GB I have. I have 20,000+ photos that I uploaded before they started to count photos a little over a year ago. I do not keep video on Google. Go to this site to see what you have: https://one.google.com/storage Scroll down and click to "Free up account Storage" to start deleting. Chances are you have emails and attachments going back 5-10 years that you have kept. If your Google Photos is large, maybe keep videos on your local drives and youtube and delete videos from Google Photos. Maybe only keep low resolution photos on Google Photos.
The Apple iCloud is the same way. If your wife has Apple mail, photo & video backup, iPhone backup, etc. it all takes space and you should do the same thing and delete items.
If you are backing up folders and files from you PC to Google or Apple, you can turn that off or control what exactly you need.
All of this is like filling a basement or attic with junk, time to clean house. The last thing you want to do is pay for off site storage for junk you do not use or need.
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