2023 April eBytes
The Best Phones for Seniors
The best Bluetooth trackers you can buy
I Told You So: 12 Years In, Chromebooks Are Still Thriving and Innovating
Stop Spending Money on Google Drive or Gmail With These Tricks
10 Things to Know Before You Buy Refurbished Electronics
5 Ways to Run Android Apps on Your PC for Free
The top cloud storage services
How does ChatGPT work?
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The Best Phones for Seniors
No matter your age, you can benefit from the simplicity of a voice phone or one with a big, bright screen. These are the best phones we've tested that make life easy.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-phones-for-seniors
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The best Bluetooth trackers you can buy
The best Bluetooth trackers can locate your pets, kids, and items while saving you time and energy. Here's how to choose.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-bluetooth-tracker
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I Told You So: 12 Years In, Chromebooks Are Still Thriving and Innovating
After more than a decade, Google's Chromebook model has clearly proven itself—just like I predicted it would many years ago.
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Stop Spending Money on Google Drive or Gmail With These Tricks
These steps can help you save money on extra digital storage.
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10 Things to Know Before You Buy Refurbished Electronics
Renewed devices are cheaper, but do some research first. These tips can help you get a deal and avoid being ripped off when buying refurbished laptops, TVs, phones, and other electronics.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-things-to-know-before-you-buy-refurbished-electronics
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5 Ways to Run Android Apps on Your PC for Free
Want to use Android apps on a PC? These are the apps, services, and OSes that can make it happen. Some tinkering may be required.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/3-free-ways-to-run-android-apps-on-your-pc
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The top cloud storage services
If you seek a reliable and secure place to store your files, the best cloud storage providers deliver in spades. They also offer desktop and mobile apps, file sharing, and much more.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-cloud-storage
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How does ChatGPT work?
We take a deep dive into the inner workings of the wildly popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. If you want to know how its generative AI magic happens, read on.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-does-chatgpt-work
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
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Stop using your browser's built-in password manager. Here's why - The choice between a browser password manager and a real password manager is clear.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/stop-using-your-browsers-built-in-password-manager
How to link your Android phone to your Windows 11 PC - By linking and syncing your Android with Windows 11, you can intercept phone calls, text messages, and more on your PC. Here's how.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-link-your-android-phone-to-your-windows-11-pc
How to Easily Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad - Is the storage full on your iOS device? Here's how to figure out what's taking up the most space on your iPhone and iPad so you can decide what to delete.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-free-up-space-on-your-iphone-or-ipad
23 Android Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most From Your Phone - Google’s feature-rich mobile operating system is packed with many useful tools that lie just beneath the surface. Use our nearly two dozen tips to improve your Android experience.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/best-android-tips-and-tricks
7 Easy Ways to Take Screenshots in Windows 11 - Windows 11 changes the way you take screenshots for the better. Learn all the best methods for capturing your PC's screen in Microsoft's operating system.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-take-screenshots-in-windows-11
How to Send Large Files Over the Internet - Trying to figure out how to send a large file to someone else? Gmail and Yahoo have a 25MB limit, but don't worry; there are other ways to transfer a big file.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-send-large-files-over-the-internet
How to Capture Video Clips in Windows - Need a free screen recorder? The Windows Game Bar and Windows 11 Snipping Tool can record your gaming sessions and screen activity.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-capture-video-clips-in-windows-10
How to replace Windows with Linux Mint on your PC - Sick of Windows? Want to try something different? Then it's time to try the best Linux desktop: Linux Mint 21.1.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-replace-windows-with-linux-mint-on-your-pc
Best Wi-Fi Routers for 2023 - From mesh to gaming to Wi-Fi 6, we've tested the best Wi-Fi routers on the market to bring you our top picks.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-wi-fi-router
Best Unlimited Internet Plans With No Data Caps - Don't let limited data limit your internet usage. Here are our picks for the best unlimited internet plans.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-internet-providers-with-no-data-caps
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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 - Do you have a HEIC to JPG convert that you trust?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. If you use Apple iCloud or have it on an iPhone you can convert/export without any package. In Win 10 or 11 you can use the Microsoft Photo app. Most photo packages work with HEIC and about 20 other formats. To do bulk conversions I use https://imazing.com/converter
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Q. From a PCC Member - How long can you use a Mac, when do you have to retire it?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. You can use it till the Mac is running a version of the OS that is no longer supported. Any version 10.15 or older should not be used. This is the same with Windows where the only supported versions are Win 10 and Win 11. A smartphone or tablet is the same. Do not run the device if the OS is not being upgraded.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Do you use Microsoft Lens? Do you use it with OneNote? What do you think of Lens?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. A good app for scanning text. I still use Adobe Scan. Try both and see which you like best.
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Q. From a PCC Member - For a todo list, do you prefer OneNote or MS Access, with more powerful sorting ability?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I have lists on OneNote, Excel, and Alexa. Depends on what I am doing and who I am doing it with. A database in access can give you more options with sorting, input, and reports.
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Q. From a PCC Member - What about the latest LastPass breach?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Several years ago when LastPass started to charge for multiple devices I changed my recommendation to Bidwarden. The latest breach may put an end to LastPass. The breach was only URLs, no accounts and passwords.
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Q. From the Mac SIG meeting - Can an Apple AirTag be used by someone else?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. You can not move it without the previous owner first removing it from the old account. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210982
I have found 4-5 AirPods and 2 AirTags and tried to find the owner on sites like NextDoor and Facebook. I have found 2 owners, but can never use it myself unless the owner removes it.
I also have run into this with smartphones I have found and could not connect to the owner. I return them to their provider like AT&T, Version, or T-Mobile and they can lookup and contact the owner. I have found three owners over the years of phones myself by charging, calling, etc.
Reply by Mike Griffin - Not sure how you stumble across so many Airtags. Most of my friends have them on lanyards or keyrings. That aside, there may not be a lot of interest in repurposing Airtags, but it is good they are so secure. I tried the reset while not in Lost Mode and it still locks to the ID (though that is not what is implied). Thanks for sharing your experiments.
There is one other nice feature if you find one tracking you: “ If the AirTag is suspicious and you feel you’re in danger by the AirTag being with you and reporting your location to an unknown owner, Apple has a way to easily disable the AirTag indefinitely. Follow these steps:
Locate the AirTag you wish to disable.
Push down and twist counterclockwise on the back of the AirTag.
Take the cover off and remove the battery.
After you do this, even if you replace the battery, the AirTag will no longer allow the user to track it; however, if the owner of the AirTag placed it in Lost Mode, the AirTag can only ever be re-registered with Find My by the original owner because once an AirTag is placed into Lost Mode, it is locked using Activation Lock similar to iOS.”
Reply from Tom Kreuzer - Apple designed their system well to prevent people from keeping found items or stealing them. I have only found 2 AirTags so far. They both fell off dogs the owners said. Over the years I have found everything under the sun from wallets, cash (multiple $20), glasses, gloves, hats, stolen Amazon packages, stolen backpacks, drugs, Credit Cards, Gift cards, Bus passes, garage door openers, iPods, keys, and much much more. I jog about 3 miles every day and walk 10,000+ steps a day. I also pickup trash at least once a week on my walk and could have filled multiple dumpsters with the junk I picked up. At one time I considered creating a website to try to match people up with lost items, but nothing yet.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I need to get a new pc and monitor soon. I just need a basic up to date pc…no gaming or other special needs. What would you recommend and from where?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Today many people do not need or buy a desktop. For some a tablet with a keyboard works great. Some use a Chromebook. If neither of those meet your needs, more people buy laptops than desktops.
Below are basic examples of a Chromebook and laptop from this weeks Target ad. If you are buying any Windows machine make sure it comes with Windows 11. Windows 10 end of life is 2025. The example below comes with Win 11 in S mode which does have some limits, but works for basic things.
You can check the past PCC Meeting from Nov 2021 on "PC Equipement Buying" on the web site.
https://sites.google.com/site/theminingpcc/future-meetings/past-meeting-files
Member responds - I'm not comfortable with laptops. I am going to look for a basic desktop and hope I can add my harddrives to it or transfer all my files to the new pc.
Tom responds - At the March 7 Q&A I talked about the desktop what I just bought, HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-2327c. It is a reconditioned 11th Gen Intel 6 core i5 @ 2.60GHz, 12GB RAM, 256 SSD, 1TB, DVD, from Walmart.com. Also for sale from NewEgg, eBay, and others for about $400-$450.
I have attached a handout I started that I will be giving at the May 17 PCC Meeting on Setting up a New PC. It talks about moving files and setting up. Setting up a new PC lets you know if your backups are working. You should have data and info on external drives and the cloud.
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