2023 September eBytes
New Phone and Service by Tom Kreuzer
RIP Republic Wireless: Dish Wireless Moves Subscribers to Boost Infinite
40% of workers will have to reskill in the next three years due to AI, says IBM study
Stream TV or Pay for Cable: Which Is the Better Choice?
How to organize your Google Drive: 5 tips and tricks to know
Our Top 100 Budget Buys: Affordable, Tested Tech That's Actually Worth It
Home Security Guide: 10 Essential Ways to Deter Burglars and Avoid Break-Ins
Chromebooks: Understand the Myths and Realities Before You Buy
Stop the Madness: How to Block Spam Calls and Robocalls
The Best Photo Editing Software for 2023
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New Phone and Service by Tom Kreuzer
By PC Club member Tom Kreuzer in June 2023 for the July 2023 Q&A meeting
I noticed that the back cover of my Moto G Stylus phone was separating from the case. The adhesive/tape was not holding down an edge next to the battery. Not sure if the battery had expanded or the tape gave way. Rather than risk a problem, I decided It was time for a new phone. The old phone was 4 years old, no 5G, no NFC, battery losing power, no more major Android updates, and other small issues. I paid $299 4 years ago for the phone and it has served me well.
I thought it was also a good time to switch my phone plan. I started with Republic Wireless about 10 years ago because of their $25 a month unlimited talk & text, and 1 GB data plan compared with the big three phone services charging $100-$200 a month. There have been a few issues with the Republic service that I have talked about in old PCC eBytes and the company is now part of Dish Network. I was currently paying about $15 a month with Republic because I was an old Republic customer. Now there are lots of plans and deals depending on what your needs are, my needs are thrifty basic.
I did online searching and checking out plans. I did not need an unlimited data plan, in the ten years with Republic I never ran out of my 1 GB data per month. Most of the time I am connected to WiFi and limit what I do and when I use cell data when I am not on WiFi. I download podcasts, upload photos/video, and do not steam video or music unless I am on WiFi. I only have one phone, so no friends or family discount plans would work for me. I just wanted thrifty basic service for less than $30 a month. I found the “Connect by T-Mobile plans plans” that seemed to fit: https://prepaid.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans/connect You will not find these plans listed on the regular T-Mobile site. I probably could have gotten by with $10 a month to be super thrifty, but what the heck spurge for the $15 a month with 3.5 GB looked good.
I did online searching and checking out phones. Because of my IT background in designing systems I always define requirements, needs versus wants, before looking to buy. My needs - Cost - $200-$500 (low to mid range), not too cheap and not too expensive. Memory - My old phone had 128 GB and I was only using 45 GB. Some phones only had 64 GB, but could add an SD. Other needs Fingerprint Scanner, 5G, and good camera. The Samsung A23 5G looked like a good fit and lists for $299 for the 64GB with 4GB Ram. I wanted the model with 128GB and 6GB Ram (thrifty not cheap) to get a slightly faster model and extra memory without using a SD card. I spent a total of 1 hour deciding what plan and phone, don’t waste your time looking all day or all week like some people I know do. In IT we call that “Analysis Paralysis”. Make a decision and move forward, strive for good enough and not perfect.
I was about to go online and place an order, but then remembered there was a T-Mobile store several blocks from me, that I could see if they would do the prepaid plans and help migrate the old phone. I went to the store at 10:30 AM and a person was available right away to help. I asked about the plan and they said “Yes they can help”. I asked about the phone, and they did not have the A23 and could not get it for me. They did have the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G on sale for $228. We checked the specs and looked like it would work ok for me. Not as good as the A23 and only 64GB memory and 4GB Ram. I could add a SD card if I run out of memory. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-android-phones
She started the process to setup the plan first. It required me to purchase a T-Mobile $10 SIM. They had a problem activating the SIM and tried 3 different ones and took 30 minutes before the SIM was set to my new T-Mobile account. I wanted to transfer my almost 50 year old phone number I was using at Republic to the new plan. She asked for my Republic Account number and a Transfer PIN. I did not know either, but she said “Call Republic”. I called Republic and in about 5 minutes I had my numbers. She entered the info into her screen and heard a bing and the number was moved to my new T-Mobile plan. I thought it would take days to move over, but no problem. I could not check the new phone/text, because the phone was not setup yet. Total cost for the first month plan $15 + $10 SIM (one time cost) + taxes = $27.81. Not bad and really smooth, thrifty basic.
She then started the process to setup the phone. She put the SIM in the new phone and powered up. I could have gone home and done it myself, but thought I would stay in case I ran into any problems. I did not tell her that in the past month I had helped two people move to their new phone. She asked if I wanted to transfer what I had on my old phone and I said yes. On the old Moto phone we installed the “Samsung Switch” app to connect the two phones. After installing the app it did not connect. After a few minutes of fiddling she remembered that the old phone needed to connect to the store's WiFi and she did that. We tried to connect again and it still did not connect. After several more attempts she had to connect the new phone to the same store’s WiFi. Success and it asked what we wanted to transfer and it started the transfer. With all apps, messages, photos, OS updates, Samsung apps, Microsoft apps, and other junk it ran for almost an hour. During the transfer I did not want to leave the store and have to start over, so I just waited for them to end at about 12 noon. Total time 1:30, not good, not bad, at least it was done and I did not have to wait for T-Mobile to ship the phone and do my own setup. I then turned off the power and turned it on before I left the store to make sure it was working.
I went home and continued checking and setting up the phone. I first used my Google Voice phone on my desktop PC to call and text my old phone number. The phone and text was working perfectly on the new phone. Just like with a new PC, I next uninstalled all the junk and extra apps on the new phone. This included about 30 apps from T-Mobile, Samsung, and Microsoft. Know what they do before you delete and remember that anything you remove can be added back if needed later. I also deleted a few apps that were installed from my old phone that I no longer needed. My apps, photos/videos, text messages, call log, accounts, and some settings got moved to the new phone.
I worked on my Home screen to get it organized like my old phone. I set the background (simple light color), grid icon size 6x5, style, and removed the default news screen. I checked the four accounts I use on my phone to set exactly what info to “Sync” for things like email, calendar, and contacts. I use the Google Mail, Contact, and Calendar apps instead of the standard Android/Samsung apps. It setup the four accounts and “Synced” the account to my new phone. I turned off syncing with 3 of the 4 accounts and deleted the contacts it had set on my phone. I then setup multiple fingerprints, and set my “Do not disturb” for when I sleep. I then opened up each app to set login using my password manager Bitwarden, fingerprint login if possible, and set permissions for location, camera, and contacts.
I setup an online T-Mobile account and setup monthly autopay. I had a previous Samsung account from a Samsung TV I setup that now is used to backup the phone and provides other services. My phone is also backed up to Google, so I have two backups. Like most new phones, I did not get a wall plug, just a USB-C cord. I have several high amp plugs for fast charging and lots of low amp plugs for slow charging. Only use the high amp plugs when you need a quick charge. The slow charge is better for the battery when doing overnight charging. I ordered a gel case on eBay for $7 and also a holster for $14. I had not used a holster before, but thought it might help protect the phone better, I shall see how well it works.
Later that day I got a phone call while presenting to a group and could not decline the phone call by swiping the decline phone. I had to wait till it went to voicemail and stopped ringing. Turns out the swipe and graphic feedback was not working the same as the old phone. I need to change to the new swipe. My old phone could take 4K video, but I never used it because of the large files. If I need it, I will get a new phone or just use my old phone. I went to the Samsung site and downloaded the 200+ page full manual which I read in the next few days. Always read the manual to see what you have. I found out many features like how to double click on the side key to quickly open the camera from anywhere.
The fingerprint reader is on the side of the phone which is not like my old phones where it was on the back of the phone or other models where it is on the front display. Seems to work fine, just a little harder to find and will take some practice.
The auto display brightness is a little funky and sometimes goes too dark. My old camera had more features and functions. This is OK, but not great.
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RIP Republic Wireless: Dish Wireless Moves Subscribers to Boost Infinite
Boost Infinite annexing Republic subscribers ends the story of a service that started life as a cheap, Wi-Fi-first reseller of Sprint’s network.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/rip-republic-wireless-dish-wireless-moves-subscribers-to-boost-infinite
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40% of workers will have to reskill in the next three years due to AI, says IBM study
Learn how to use AI or you'll be replaced by someone who does.
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Stream TV or Pay for Cable: Which Is the Better Choice?
We help you do the math to determine if it's cheaper to have Netflix or YouTube TV versus cable.
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How to organize your Google Drive: 5 tips and tricks to know
If you want to improve your daily Google Drive efficiency, these five tips can help.
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Our Top 100 Budget Buys: Affordable, Tested Tech That's Actually Worth It
Our experts review more than 1,500 technology products each year. Our mega-guide, updated monthly, scopes out the very best cost-conscious products across 15 key categories.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-pcmag-cheap-100-affordable-tested-tech-actually-worth-buying
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Home Security Guide: 10 Essential Ways to Deter Burglars and Avoid Break-Ins
There are practical (and affordable) ways to prevent porch pirates and intruders.
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Chromebooks: Understand the Myths and Realities Before You Buy
Do your research before investing in a Chromebook, but don't buy into these outdated warnings.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/chromebooks-sorting-out-the-myths-and-realities-before-you-buy/
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Stop the Madness: How to Block Spam Calls and Robocalls
Getting too many phone calls from spammers and telemarketers? Here are several steps you can take to stop spam calls and unknown callers.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/block-robocalls-and-spam-calls
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The Best Photo Editing Software for 2023
Whether you're a casual selfie shooter or a professional photographer, photo editing software lets you get the most out of your images. These are the top photo editing apps we've tested.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-photo-editing-software
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
The Best Security Keys for Multi-Factor Authentication - Protecting your online accounts from being taken over by bad guys is critical, and a hardware security key is one of the best defenses. We help you pick the top security key for keeping your information private.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-security-keys-for-multi-factor-authentication
Check your SSDs: What to know about the SanDisk/Western Digital data loss disaster - If you use an SSD made by SanDisk or Western Digital, here's what you need to know and do now.
Don't Start From Scratch: How to Back Up and Restore Your iPhone - You can back up your iPhone and restore all your data through iTunes, iCloud, Finder, or Google One. Here’s how to get it done.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/back-up-and-restore-your-iphone
What to Do if Windows Can't Connect to Your Printer - Adding a networked printer to your PC is usually a cinch, but what if Windows just won't play nice with it or can't find it at all? Here are a few quick solutions.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-to-do-if-windows-cannot-connect-to-the-printer
How to Clean Up Your Google Drive and Gmail to Save Space and Money - Don't spend money on digital storage again.
12 Simple Tips to Speed Up Windows - Make your Windows 11 (or Windows 10) PC run faster without compromising its interface or functionality.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/12-tips-to-speed-up-windows-10-windows-11
3 essential Windows tools for troubleshooting (and how to use them) - If your PC is misbehaving, there's a good chance that one of these free tools can help you figure out why. And they're all included with every Windows installation.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/3-essential-windows-tools-for-troubleshooting-and-how-to-use-them/
10 Things Every Parent With a Connected Kid Needs to Know - Protecting kids is harder today than it used to be, due in large part to technology. We tell you how to prepare children for the dangers they face online.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/things-every-parent-with-a-connected-kid-needs-to-know
The Best Apps in the Windows 11 Store for 2023 - You'll be surprised by how much excellent software is 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
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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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 - Did one of the past meetings cover VPNs? I don't think I have this protection? Seems like I should? Do I need one of these? I have AVG Free Antivirus and AVG Tuneup.?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I did a presentation in Mar 2021 that is out on the club site under Meetings\Past Meetings link.
2021 Mar - Do I need a VPN "Virtual Private Network" by Tom Kreuzer
* What is a VPN
* Pros
* Cons
https://sites.google.com/site/theminingpcc/future-meetings/past-meeting-files
I do not have a VPN and do not recommend them.
A VPN does nothing to prevent a virus or protect a user clicking on a link they should not.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Relates to iPad, so you may not be able to answer. My wife wants to replace her 10 year old one. Will the Apple store in Rosedale set it up for her if she buys it there? I don't know anything about Apple, so I cannot do it for her.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I have and recommend the iPad 9th generation. The iPad 10th gen costs too much for what you get and starts at $449. You can still buy a new 9th gen at places like Best Buy and others for about $269 saving yourself $180.
Just like setting up a phone, an iPad is easy to do, especially since by default your old iPad is backed up to the Apple iCloud. You can do it yourself or if you have any trouble or questions you can take to any apple store for help.
https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/turn-on-and-set-up-ipad-ipad995bb83d/ipados
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Q. From a PCC Member - My external drive worked fine for an automatic backup yesterday on HP WIN10 “Envy” laptop. Needed to do a backup on an older HP WIN10 Pavillion this morning. Computer tells me the External Drive “D” is not accessible or is corrupted. Other than going out and purchasing a fresh external drive for backup purposes, I am not sure of other options. Any thoughts? How did the drive become inaccessible overnight?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Try it again on the first laptop. Sounds like the last time you used it you did not "Safely Remove and Eject Media" from the "^" menu on the bottom right of Windows and select the USB icon and select your connected USB drive to disconnect. This is a function you should be doing whenever you remove a USB drive. If you just unplug a drive without doing the function your drive may not have completed writing to the drive and cause corrupted data. The corrupted data can be deleted. Usually the drive is fine, just some data on the drive is corrupted.
If the drive is accessible and corrupted you can run a Chkdsk to fix the problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN4UXApmgvk
The member ran Chkdsk and fixed the drive.
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Q. From a PCC Member - For $1.09 I found a nifty holder for a smartphone in a vehicle that will hold onto a vent blade. This design wants me to attach a magnet (provided) to the back of the phone. Is that safe to do?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Magnets are bad for the old floppy or hard drives we all had. Smartphones do not have either. If you have a soft cover on your phone it can usually be put under the cover on the phone.
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Q. From a PCC Member - This is a long shot question...have you ever looked into tv antennas that you would mount on a pole on your house roof? We have one that was put on our roof 42 years ago and that's what we use mostly for tv. Reception lately gets sketchy when it's hot and humid ? During the winter it is acceptable. If this area has never crossed your desk, do not worry about it. We will figure it out.?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I have an outside antenna. Your weak signal is most likely caused by a poor coax connection between the antenna and TV. Heat and humidity affect the coax connections both external to the house and internal. Start at the TV and work up to the antenna, take off the coax and reconnect then see if it improves. The connections should also be tightened with a pliers. This includes coax splitters, antenna grounding, and outside antenna. All of these connections are affected by changes in temp and humidity.
Other things to do or consider with an antenna:
1) Most TV will let you check your channel signal strength. Look under the settings for the TV. This lets you see exactly what the signal going into the TV is.
2) Depending on how old the antenna is new antenna or new location. Ideally the antenna should have no obstructions like trees and buildings between it and the transmitting antenna.
3) Point the antenna in the best direction. Depending on where you live the transmitters you want can be in multiple directions and you will have to decide what channels are most important to you. https://www.channelmaster.com/pages/tv-antenna-map.
4) Replace or buy a new signal booster and splitters if you have multiple TVs.
5) Coax cable. Most old cable is RG59 or even cheaper. If installing new or replacing coax use RG6 which is a thicker higher-quality shielding and thicker insulation.
6) Because channels change and do maintenance to their transmitters, at least once a year you should go to the settings on your TV and re-scan channels. Example for TPT 2 changes every year: https://www.tpt.org/post/antenna-2/
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