2023 August eBytes
Microsoft Windows 11 Review: An Evolutionary Update
6 Easy Steps That Will Ensure Optimal Home Security Camera Performance
Don't Waste Money on Extended Warranties for Your PCs and Electronics
Here's why everything on Temu is so cheap
Manage Your Chats: How to Share, Export, and Delete ChatGPT Conversations
These are my 4 favorite AI chatbot apps for Android
TP-Link Deco W7200 Mesh Router Review: The One You've Been Waiting For
Better Safe Than Sorry: How to Run a Security Checkup on Your Google Account
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Microsoft Windows 11 Review: An Evolutionary Update
A radically modernized, more consistent design for Windows 11 belies what is really more of an evolutionary update to the world's most popular desktop operating system.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-windows-11
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6 Easy Steps That Will Ensure Optimal Home Security Camera Performance
Get the most out of your home security cameras with these practical, simple tips.
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Don't Waste Money on Extended Warranties for Your PCs and Electronics
Here's how to protect your purchases without forking over extra cash.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/heres-why-an-extended-warranty-on-electronics-is-a-waste-of-money
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Here's why everything on Temu is so cheap
Have you ever wondered how everything on Temu can be so cheap? The answer lies in a US Customs loophole.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-why-everything-on-temu-is-so-cheap/
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Manage Your Chats: How to Share, Export, and Delete ChatGPT Conversations
Whether you want to rid your ChatGPT account of embarrassing queries or share what the chatbot served up, here's how to manage discussions you have with the AI tool.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/manage-chatgpt-how-to-share-export-delete-conversations
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These are my 4 favorite AI chatbot apps for Android
While there's no official ChatGPT app for Android yet, there are some handy alternatives. Here are the four I reach for and what you can do with them.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/these-are-my-4-favorite-ai-chatbot-apps-for-android/
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TP-Link Deco W7200 Mesh Router Review: The One You've Been Waiting For
Editor's Choice: TP-Link wins our Editors' Choice Award for offering fast speeds and terrific mesh performance at an unbeatable price.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/tp-link-deco-w7200-tri-band-wi-fi-6-mesh-router-review/
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Better Safe Than Sorry: How to Run a Security Checkup on Your Google Account
Concerned about the wrong person grabbing unauthorized access to your Google account? You can run a security check to make sure it's as safe and secure as possible.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-run-a-security-checkup-on-your-google-account
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
The Best Password Managers for 2023 - Stop spreading your kid's birthday and your pet's name across the web. Our top-rated password managers help you create strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts and alert you of potential data leaks.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-password-managers
Best Chromebook of 2023: 8 Options to Fit Any Budget - The best Chromebooks tested and reviewed by CNET editors for work, home or school.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/best-chromebook/
The Best Cheap Phone Plans - If you're looking to save money on your wireless bill, these lesser-known, lower-cost cell phone plans might be the ticket.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/best-cheap-phone-plans
What Are Raw Camera Files and Why Should You Use Them? - Using unprocessed raw camera files takes more work than shooting JPGs, but it also gives you better images and far more control in the editing stage.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-are-raw-camera-files-and-why-you-should-use-them
Tips for Editing Home Videos Like a Pro - Make videos that your friends and family will want to watch using these basic editing techniques.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-tips-for-editing-home-videos-like-a-pro
How to Quickly Change the Font Size on Your iPhone Apps - With the Text Size option in Control Center, you can stop squinting at your favorite apps.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-change-font-size-on-iphone-apps
When Should You Change Your Password? Not as Often as You Think - You don't need to update your passwords frequently to be secure online, but in a few specific instances, you should change your passwords immediately.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/when-should-you-change-your-password
Don't Throw It Out: 10 Everyday Uses for Your Old Smartphone - Don't let that old smartphone gather dust in a drawer or kill the environment in a landfill. In just a few steps, you can repurpose it as a security camera, alarm clock, media player, and more.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/uses-for-your-old-smartphone
The Best Android Phones for 2023 - Google’s Android platform is the dominant global mobile operating system for good reason. Here's how to find the right device for you, along with the best Android phones we've tested.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-android-phones
How to Combine PDF Files - Do you have multiple PDFs you need to merge into one? Making one PDF out of many is easier than you might think on both Windows PCs and Macs. Here's how to do it on each platform.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-combine-pdf-files
All the Amazon Echo Devices Compared: Which One Is Best for Your Smart Home? - Want to buy an Amazon Echo on Prime Day? We've reviewed them all, so before you spring for an Echo Show smart display or Echo smart speaker, check out this breakdown of the key differences between each device.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/amazons-echo-lineup-whats-the-difference
10 Common Problems With Microsoft OneDrive and How to Fix Them - Microsoft OneDrive doesn’t always behave itself, but you can get the file-backup and synchronization service back on track if you know the right tricks.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/common-problems-with-microsoft-onedrive-how-to-fix-them
Phasing Out Passwords: Apple To Automatically Assign Each User a Passkey - The change will arrive with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, which will automatically create a passkey and tie it to the user's Apple ID.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/phasing-out-passwords-apple-to-automatically-assign-each-user-a-passkey
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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 NextDoor Member - Does anybody know anywhere I can go to sell some vintage cigarette lighters? Have 2 of my dad's old ones. One is an old Ronson (probably not worth much), but the other is a Thorens of Switzerland, which might be valuable. Let me know-thanks! (p.s. already tried Moeller Jewelers and The Fixery)
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. First go to eBay and Search for the item using the advanced search for sold items. This will give you the real value of the items. I would then suggest you then post the item for free on FaceBook Marketplace and Craigslist for about 20% less than the price you saw on eBay. You could also post it on NextDoor in the "For Sale", but you will have better luck on the other sites. You can sell on eBay but it will take you more time, have the hassle of shipping, and the buyer might return the item. Selling locally means less problems. An option is to sell it to an Antique store,but you will only get about 10% what you could sell it for.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I am considering an HP model 24-cb 1017c which is a 24" desktop like my son has in AZ. It has an i5 Intel in it with 8Gb memory and 512 SSD. I was considering a laptop but the price at Sam's on July 28 will be $599 which is not that much different than the laptops I have been considering. What is your opinion? I noticed it has a wired keyboard and mouse but don't know if that matters?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I could not find the exact specs for that model, but it looks ok. Some of the HP models come with Win 10 that can be upgraded to Win 11. Your model may ship with Win 11. Some models come with wireless keyboard and mouse, not a big deal either way. It looks like a webcam of 720p instead of the better the 1080p, but it will work.
The all in one takes less space, the only drawback is the monitor is tied to the CPU, so if you want a new CPU in 3-4 years you need a new monitor.
If it comes with Win 10, upgrade right away to Win 11.
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Q. From a PCC Member - You had a presentation on Organizing Documents in Jun 2023.Did you have info on how long to keep documents?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I did not go into how long to keep documents. In general the answer varies greatly. Tax documents need to be kept at least 3 years and up to 7 if there is fraud involved on your part. Documents for your home should be kept as long as you have the home. Vital documents like birth, marriage, death, and others should be kept forever. Banks only keep records as long as you are a member or will charge you for documents.
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