2024 April eBytes
How to Unsubscribe From Unwanted Email
DOJ Sues Apple, Arguing It's Making Third-Party Apps Worse
Microsoft PowerToys: 23 Ways to Enhance Windows For Free
The Best Password Managers for 2024
The 2 Simplest, Most Effective Ways to Organize Your Photos
How to Use Google Gemini AI: 14 Ways It Can Make Your Life Easier
No Photoshop? How to Generate AI Images in Microsoft Paint on Windows 11
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Unsubscribe From Unwanted Email
If you want off a mailing list, deleting messages won't be enough. Here's how to force unsolicited-but-legit email to stop bothering you.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-unsubscribe-from-unwanted-email
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ Sues Apple, Arguing It's Making Third-Party Apps Worse
The US Department of Justice argues Apple is violating antitrust laws with its iPhones by limiting third-party app functionality and performance (including those dreaded green chat bubbles).
https://www.pcmag.com/news/doj-sues-apple-arguing-its-making-third-party-apps-worse
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft PowerToys: 23 Ways to Enhance Windows For Free
Need to rename multiple files at once, find your mouse cursor, or quickly mute your audio during a virtual meeting? Microsoft’s free PowerToys utility will give your operating system a boost.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/enhance-windows-10-with-microsoft-powertoys
27 Windows 11 Tips and Tricks You Need to Know - Customize your Windows experience, learn about the best new features, and squeeze the most out of your desktop OS with these tips.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/best-windows-11-tips-and-tricks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Best Password Managers for 2024
Stop splashing your kid's birthday and your pets' names across the web. Our top-rated password managers help you create a unique, strong password for each of your online accounts and alert you of potential data leaks.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-password-managers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 2 Simplest, Most Effective Ways to Organize Your Photos
Want to combine your physical and digital pictures? We show you how to easily consolidate all of your photos in one place.
https://www.pcmag.com/articles/how-to-organize-photos
The Best Adobe Photoshop Alternatives - Photoshop is the best photo editing software we've tested, but its subscription price adds up. Here are some worthy replacements that could do what you need for less money.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Use Google Gemini AI: 14 Ways It Can Make Your Life Easier
Gemini can answer questions, provide information, generate content, and integrate with other Google apps and services. Here’s how to take advantage of Google’s AI.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-use-google-gemini-ai
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Photoshop? How to Generate AI Images in Microsoft Paint on Windows 11
The Windows 11 version of Paint has been spruced up with AI image skills and layers. Here’s how to use these features as a free alternative to premium generative AI tools.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-generate-ai-images-microsoft-paint-windows-11
How to Edit Images in the Windows Photos App (and Enhance Them With AI) - Looking for a free alternative to Photoshop? Microsoft's Photos app offers some helpful editing tools, including AI-powered features for Windows 11 users.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-edit-images-in-the-windows-photos-app-and-enhance-them-with-ai
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
The 11 Most Overrated (and Underrated) Laptop Features - Laptop makers aren't shy about touting fabulous enhancements. It's hard to impress PCMag's longest-serving laptop analyst, but he's full of advice around what's essential—and what's just hype.
https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/the-11-most-overrated-and-underrated-laptop-features
5 Ways to Keep Your Windows 10 PC Alive - You don’t have to abandon your trusty old computer just yet. We show you how to extend the life of your Windows 10 machine.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/keep-windows-10-pc-alive
5 reasons why I switched to a digital wallet, and you should too - 79% of Gen Zers use digital wallets. Here's why and how I survive without a physical wallet.
Chrome Privacy Update Blocks 25% More Phishing Attempts, Google Says - The browser will now warn users who visit an unsafe URL in real-time.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/chrome-privacy-update-blocks-25-more-phishing-attempts-google-says
Android tablet (especially the price) - Blackview's Mega 1 is an 11.5-inch Android 13 tablet with a 120Hz display, 256GB of storage, and 24GB of RAM. What's more, it comes at a great price.
How Much Internet Speed Do You Really Need? - Don't just automatically shell out for your ISP's fastest tier of service. The perfect balance of throughput and value in a home internet connection isn't easy to find, but our simple tips will help you figure it out.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/how-much-internet-speed-do-you-really-need
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
Excelling at Excel: 30 Expert Hacks & Tricks - Microsoft's program does just about everything one could ask for in a spreadsheet, but do you know it inside out? Become the office Excel guru in no time with our insider tips.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/excel-tips-for-becoming-a-spreadsheet-pro
Should You Charge Your Phone Overnight? Common Battery Myths Debunked - Does your phone's battery degrade if you leave it plugged in while you sleep? We dig into the science to find out.
https://www.pcmag.com/articles/charging-your-phone-overnight-battery-myths-debunked
Here's the fastest way to declutter your iPhone and free up gigabytes of space - From the makers of CleanMyMac, CleanMy®Phone is an AI-powered tool designed to quickly, carefully, and safely free up space on your iPhone and iPad.
The Best Cheap Desktop PCs for 2024 - You don't need to spend four figures to get a reliable home PC. Far from it—many of our budget desktop favorites are under $600. Check out our top labs-tested picks among conventional towers, gaming rigs, mini PCs, all-in-ones, and more.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-budget-desktop-computers
7 Bad Habits That Are Destroying Your PC - Want your computer to last longer? Stop doing these things immediately.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/bad-habits-that-are-destroying-your-pc
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
**********************************
Q. From a PCC Member - 5G Home WiFi.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. 5G stands for 5th generation. There are several ways to connect to 5G including using old 4G antennas and speeds. The fastest connection requires new antenna and devices to get max speed and that antenna need to be located 2 blocks or less from your device to the antenna. If you live near one that has been installed, good for you. You can be a block from someone with good speed and have slow speed. Over time new towers, devices and antennas will go up, but it will take about 5 years to cover most locations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - I have Sirius XM - how can I get it in my car?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. If the car has it built in, you should be able to go into the settings in the car and put in your account information or EIN number. If the car does not support Sirius, you can connect your phone to the car and run the Sirius app on the phone and play on the car speakers. See the old PCC Meeting on connecting your phone to your car.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - I have an outdoor camera that works most of the time, but seems to dropl at certain times of the day. Could my neighbor be blocking my camera?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Most of the cameras operate on 2.4 Ghz which can be affected by many devices like microwaves, cordless phones, ham radios, and hundreds or other electronics. You could have a weak signal that adds to the problem. In the Wyze app go into the settings and check the signal strength. Also if you have a WiFi router that is older than 3-4 years a new router should be faster and better. Wyze also comes out with better and faster cameras about every two years, so a new camera might solve the problem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - I have ATT. We were on vacation at an area that had decent coverage. We arrived and had excellent connection speeds, etc. when we arrived. Then the ATT fiasco. From then on, our service was terribly inconsistent for the rest of the stay (~5 days). I didn't call because we could get by (and who wants to talk to Cust Srvc?). Could this have been residual to their outage or would you suspect something else entirely? We were using two phones and a hot spot but seldom all at once.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. What speed you get depends on many variables based on your device, where is the cell tower, what connection is available, other traffic on the tower, things like if you hit a limit on your unlimited data plan for the month, and others. You may have exceeded the fast data limit for the month?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - Does anyone have a cell phone base station like Consumer Cellular sells? Can it be connected to the extension phones in the house?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Today you do not need a base station. Most cordless home phones sold in the last 10 years support connecting 1-2 cell phones to the system using Bluetooth. When you connect your and your wifes phone you can make and answer call from the cell phones on the home cordless phones. I can walk into my house and my phone connects. I recommend people try making and receiving calls when you setup these devices. I use a free phone number from Google Voice to call and text my different devices to check them out. Google Voice also allows you to call overseas numbers at a much lower rate!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - Can you be connected to more than one bluetooth device at the same time?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. In the old day phones only support a single Bluetooth at a time. Today they support multiple Bluetooth connections and you can control which device gets the sound or mike.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - Hi Tom, per your suggestion, I was hoping to download the Norton Antivirus software on my laptop from Xfinity website. Unfortunately, they don't offer it anymore. Any suggestions for the other source or buy directly from Norton?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. The Xfinity site still lists the install below in their support, but looks like some of the links do not work, so they may no longer support it.
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/downloading-the-norton-security-suite?view=app
Below is a link to PC Mag recommendations for free products. I personally use and recommend the free Microsoft Defender and other tools that come with Windows 10 and 11 and the browsers you use. When you uninstall your current antivirus like Norton, Windows will automatically turn on the Microsoft products.
The best sites for PC software reviews are PC Mag, CNet, and Tom's Guide.
PC Mag;.https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-free-antivirus-protection
CNet: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-antivirus/
Tom's: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588.html
None of the packages claim to give complete protection, because that is impossible for them to do. There are zero day viruses that none of the packages scan for because they do not know what to look for. Most DOS and ransom viruses infect machines that are running old versions of operating systems or software that is not up to date or that users give permission to. More people are affected by scams than a virus which antivirus scanning downloads and URLs will not stop or catch. Security is a combination of software and user working together. Myself and millions of people use Microsoft Defender. That is what I said I use and recommend.
Spyware comes in many forms, but most are blocked by any antivirus software. I recommend to people who think they have spyware to make sure their antivirus is updated and with current definitions that are updated almost daily. I tell them they can also download and run the free Malwarebytes to scan and then uninstall Malwarebytes so it is not slowing down the PC. I do not know anyone who found spyware with Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes will delete some cookies and other files, but in general they want to get you to pay for more advanced services like most of the antivirus suites.
Windows Defender does not need to be downloaded, it is already on all Windows PCs and will be turned on when you uninstall Bitdefender.
A. From Mike Griffin, a PCC Board member. Basic tutorial: https://www.baeldung.com/cs/antiviruses
Series of YouTube tutorials on installing and uninstalling different antivirus software:
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxJ3rd8EPr4LBvyp92ZNUt-kuhGsXx8d
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a Nextdoor - I was recently scammed supposedly by Microsoft, a warning not to turn off the computer and to call a number so it could be fixed. Being unsuspecting, I called and what a disaster!! To make a long story short when I would not give him my bank information, for a $200.00 owed me by Microsoft, which I did not believe. I told him to keep any money, that I did not want it. I then turned off the computer and , basically he killed it. So I now have a new computer. Just be very careful of everything these days and I would say never call any phone numbers on the computer screen. I learned a costly lesson.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. This scam is not a virus or malware so will not be detected or caught by anti-virus or malware scans and can happen on all versions of Windows and Macs. The scammer buys ads on valid sites like CNN and thousands of others. When you go to the site using your browser the ad/message will pop-up in a window with the warning and phone number. Close your browser window or turn off the power to the computer (hold the power button for 10-15 seconds). If you call the number the scammer will have you do commands that will give the scammer access to your computer and also try to get a credit card number from you. The latest version of this is the message window that also has audio saying the text "Your machine is infected. Do not turn it off or your data will be destroyed. Call 1-877...". It just keeps repeating and scares many of the people I help. Close the browser or turn off the machine.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - any recommendations for modem? Am giving up on CenturyLink and plan to switch to Comcast.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Check the Jan 2022 meeting on Home Networking. For a modem you can only use the models that Xfinity supports for your area. Some models are combo units that support modem, WiFi router, and phone service all in one device. I recommend a separate modem and WiFi router so you can upgrade and get the unit for your needs. The handout links to recommended WiFi routers.
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/list-of-approved-cable-modems
2022 Jan - Home Networking by Tom Kreuzer, Modem and Wi-Fi Router, Range Extender and Mesh networks, Router Setup and security. Video Handout
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member - I only get part of the screen in the PCC Q&A ---I see my photo but nothing else!
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. In Skype, usually in the top right, are "View" options where you can change the "View" to "Content" View to see when I share my entire screen. Otherwise you see small windows of every person "Grid" or you can see "Speaker" with only the active person speaker showing. You also want your Browser or Skype window to be it's maximum size by dragging it larger or double click an open spot in the title.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. From a PCC Member Paul Ebert - Has the 3M PC club done a presentation on Ring and Blink and similar doorbells and cameras? I searched the club website briefly, but found nothing. I'm considering buying and installing some. What do I need for it to work with my wifi? One thing stopping me is the infernal $10 per month subscription. Seems like we have to pay $10 per month for everything we do these days, and it adds up.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. The Dec 2023 presentation on "Smart Devices" has 4-5 slides on cameras along with what I do. I do not have a doorbell, but have cameras pointed at my doors and get notifications of activity for no monthly fee. If you need advanced features like detecting just people, identifying members of your family, online storage, and others pay a monthly fee. You need good coverage and high speed WiFi. Some use hubs that cost $20-$150. Security Camera video storage costs $0-$30 per month per camera or I use local SD cards for no fee.
Wyze had a server software upgrade about two weeks ago that exposed the wrong notifications to 12,000 subscribers. PC Mag has taken them off their recommended list due to this and other issues. I still recommend them. If you want to talk or see a demo of what I have, give a call or let me know. We will bring it up as a possible topic at the board meeting today.
https://www.pcmag.com/categories/home-security-cameras
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-video-doorbells
Info from the Dec 2023 presentation:
Video Camera – Indoor or outdoor, cloud vs local storage, security/notifications, sound, movement, face recognition, night vision, quality (1K, 2K, 4K), zoom, pan, 2 way audio, time lapse, or power (plug, battery, solar). Monitor doors, kids, pets, parents, etc. Price $20-$400 plus monthly cloud storage and features if needed.
I have had 4 Wyze $20 cameras for over 8 years. I get notifications of people and movements. I get false notifications from snow, rain, bugs, cats, raccoons, rabbits, etc. You can customize what notifications you see. I can view a live feed at any time online. Wyze provides free storage of 12 second notification clips for the last two weeks. Advanced features and storage starts at $2 a month per camera. I use a micro SD card for local storage that I can view at any time online for free. I put a Wyze camera in my Dads living room apartment to do safety checks and notifications. PC Mag review of Wyze Cam v3 - This weather-resistant camera stands out with solid performance, color night vision, and an extremely low price. The main limitation is 1080p (1K) resolution falls short of the ultra-sharp 2k or 4k offered by some pricier units. Price: $35.
Paul Ebert Responds -Thanks for info. I think I will proceed with Blink, Sync module 2, $35, and outdoor camera, 3rd Gen, $45. Wireless battery powered camera, and no mandatory monthly fee for sync module.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------