2024 May eBytes
Sending Messages on Your Phone Mess by Tom Kreuzer
How to Turn Off Political Ads on Social Media
What Is Copilot? Microsoft's AI Assistant Explained
How Much Internet Speed Do You Really Need?
10 Things to Know Before You Buy Refurbished Electronics
How to Make an Old Phone Faster
6 Apple Notes features I rely on to stay organized and save time
CNET Isn't Recommending Wyze Home Security Right Now: Here's Why
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How to Turn Off Political Ads on Social Media
As the 2024 election cycle amps up, political ads are more likely to infiltrate your social media feeds. Here's how to banish them from your Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) accounts.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-turn-off-political-ads-on-facebook-and-instagram
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What Is Copilot? Microsoft's AI Assistant Explained
Microsoft’s Copilot generative AI is popping up in Windows, Edge, Office apps, and Bing. But just what exactly is it? Here’s everything you need to know.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/what-is-microsoft-copilot
How to use Copilot Pro to compose, reply to, and summarize emails in Outlook - Copilot Pro's AI skills can help you get stuff done in Microsoft Outlook, but not the Outlook you're probably using.
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How Much Internet Speed Do You Really Need?
Even if you work from home, 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
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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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How to Make an Old Phone Faster
Your old phone can be almost as fast as a new one if you follow these tips.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-an-old-phone-faster
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6 Apple Notes features I rely on to stay organized and save time
If you depend on notes to keep your mind and your day organized, you might find that Apple Notes has a few tricks up its sleeve to make it even more effective.
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CNET Isn't Recommending Wyze Home Security Right Now: Here's Why
Our home security top picks have seen big changes lately: Here's why we're hitting pause on Wyze recommendations for now.
https://www.cnet.com/home/security/why-weve-removed-our-wyze-home-security-recommendations-at-cnet/
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Sending Messages on Your Phone Mess
by Tom Kreuzer
This is info from Tom Kreuzer presented to PCC members who attended the April 9 Q&A meeting.
Today we have a MESS with messages. There are many ways to communicate using our smartphone, including messaging apps such as Apple Messages, Google Messages, Facebook Messenger (Meta), WhatsApp (Meta), Telegram, Signal, and hundreds of others.
Next – How are messages sent…
SMS - Short Message Service: Original text service 25+ years old. Started on old flip phones with no Internet/data connection. Requires cell phone service with a phone number to send and receive. Used numeric keypad. In old days cost per text. 160 characters per text limit. No photos, videos, GIFs, or emojis. Vulnerabilities include not encrypted and can fake who sent message. No feedback if received, read, typing, or bad number. Still used today to send text on phones when you don’t have internet/data connection or from Apple to Android messages. Is an antiquated service, which will be obsoleted in a few years.
MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service: Introduced in 2002. Supports photos (3 MB), videos (50 MB), GIFs, and emojis. Requires cell phone service with a phone number to send and receive. 5,000 characters per text limit. Same issues as SMS: Vulnerabilities include not encrypted and can fake who sent message. No feedback if received, read, typing, or bad number. Still used today to send text on phones when you don’t have internet/data connection or from Apple to Android messages.Is an antiquated service, which will be obsoleted in a few years.
RCS – Rich Communication Services: Industry standard to replace SMS & MMS. On all Android devices since 2018 by all 4 US phone companies. Apple has never supported, but plans to in fall 2024. Requires internet (cell data or WiFi). Checks if both devices support RCS and have an internet connection, if not can queue messages or use SMS and MMS. RCS hit the billion user mark in 2023.
Features: End to end encrypted. Show you when someone is typing. Shows received and read receipts. File sharing, high-resolution photos and videos. Location sharing. Photomoji uses AI to convert photo into reactions. Voice Moods, plus improved audio quality. Screen Effects – symphony of colors and motion. Custom Bubbles for each contact. Reaction Effects. Animated Emoji. Profile name and picture can accompany your message. Suggested replies and actions
Messages/iMessage (Apple): Apple’s own instant messaging app for only Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, and Mac). Requires internet (mobile data or WiFi). History is stored on Apple iCloud. Contacts not on Apple Messages will be sent info using SMS and MMS. Messages uses a blue bubble for Apple contacts and green for SMS/MMS to note the difference. SMS/MMS messages into and out of Messages are not encrypted which makes the Apple to Android a joke. Apple plans to support RCS in fall 2024. The European Union and the US Department of Justice are encouraging Apple to change.
Beeper Mini, Nothing Chats, and others have tried to bring iMessage to Android and Apple shut them down by blocking them. Messages supports many of the RCS features, just not all of them.
Tips: Send links instead photos or videos using services like Google Photo and YouTube. Have higher quality images/video and do not take space on each user device. Save photos to your local device if you want to keep and organize them. On Windows and my iPad I use “Messages for the Web”, https://messages.google.com/ to send and receive messages from my Android phone. Many people use emoji reactions to respond, I am not a fan of emojis. Cave men and early Egyptians used pictures until languages were created that better reflected what you think. Use text if you want clarity.
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
Clear the Clutter: How to 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
How to Back Up and Restore Your Files, Apps, and Settings in Windows - File History automatically backs up important files and documents, while the Windows Backup Tool backs up core files, settings, and apps so you can copy them to a new PC.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-back-up-restore-your-documents-in-windows-10
I changed these 10 iPhone settings and improved battery life dramatically - If you're finding it hard to get through the day on a single iPhone charge, you might need to tweak some settings. Here's what to check.
Avoid the Trash Heap: 17 Creative Uses for an Old Computer - Don't junk that ancient laptop or desktop! With just a bit of extra effort, you can transform an old gaming PC into a NAS, experiment with a new OS, build your own security cam, and more.
https://www.pcmag.com/articles/avoid-the-trash-heap-creative-uses-for-an-old-computer
Don't Chuck That Tech: 7 Simple Ways to Recycle Electronics - Need to dispose of an old TV, laptop, phone, or other gadget? There are tons of easy (and often free) ways to recycle your old gear and make sure it doesn't end up in a landfill.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-recycle-your-technology
The Best VPN Services for 2024 - Using a VPN, or virtual private network, is one of the best ways to protect your online privacy. We've tested and reviewed dozens of them, and these are our top picks.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-vpn-services
The Best Free Antivirus Software for 2024 - Microsoft Defender isn't bad, but it's still not enough to fully protect your PC. You don't have to pay extra, though. We’ve tested and ranked the top free antivirus apps.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-free-antivirus-protection
IPhone Storage Tip: Eliminate Duplicate Photos Hassle-Free With This Hack - Memories are precious, but duplicate photos hog storage space. Learn how to effortlessly delete the duplicates.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-storage-tip-eliminate-duplicate-photos-with-this-tip/
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
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best? - We help you narrow your surfing options by comparing the best web browsers on speed, privacy, and other important features.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/chrome-edge-firefox-opera-or-safari-which-browser-is-best
Readers' Choice 2024: The Top Mobile Phones and Wireless Carriers in North America - After polling thousands of PCMag readers in the US and Canada, we're here to show you which phone manufacturers, operating systems, and cellular carriers are worth your money in 2024.
https://www.pcmag.com/articles/readers-choice-2024-mobile-phone-and-service-providers
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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 - My insurance company suggested than I would get a discount on my Home Insurance if I installed a free device called 'Ting'. Supposedly this is an early detection system for potential electrical 'shorts' and fires. Anybody have this installed and using it?
Initially I thought that this was a great idea and somewhat of a no-brainer, but after reading the enclosed documentation it almost sounded like if you had old wiring in any part of your home (even though it's working fine) or another potential fire hazard that it could flag this and that it would notify both you and your insurance company. And although it didn't come right out and say so in the documentation, it sounded like that if you didn't repair the issue that perhaps the cost of your policy would go up (or worse yet, that they could potentially drop you).?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Many people responded and gave false information about what it does. I have the Ting device that I got free from State Farm Insurance and recommend it. It is about 3 inches square and plugs into any outlet in a house or apartment. It connects to WiFi and reports Power Outages, Power Surges, Power Brownouts, and Voltage. There is a phone app where I get instant notification when power is out or voltages too high or low. I get an email once a week with graphs for the past week. The only thing this cheap little device does is check the voltage and report it to “Whisker Labs” that does the reports and notifications. It can not and is not recording any other information. It may help detect bad wiring or the bad supply of power to your house that is it. I was an IT person at 3M for 40+ years.
From the Ting email: Ting is an accurate high quality power quality monitor. Ting measures Voltage (V), a primary unit of measurement for electricity, 30,000,000 times every second. A small subset of those measurements are shown in the graphs for each day below. Normal Voltage is generally 120V ± 10%, or a range from 108V - 132V.
However, voltage can deviate from the 108V – 132V range for short periods and not be dangerous. Ting will provide Brownout or Surge notifications if the voltage could damage appliances or devices.
Occasional Brownout or Surges are power quality problems but are not of significant concern.
Recurring power brownouts (low voltage) can cause damage to your appliances and devices. Ting will specifically notify you if recurring power quality problems are deemed hazardous.
Q. Another NextDoor person asked about surge protectors
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. The Ting device is not a surge protector, it only monitors voltage. I have a surge protector that was sold and installed by Xcel 30+ years ago that fits on the outside of the house between the Meter and the house. At the time I think it was about $300 and cost was spread out over 2 years on my Xcel bill. I do not believe they sell or offer this device any more. It stops high voltages and lighting from entering the house at the meter. It never has to be reset. It has a status light, but that is all. There are many different types of surge protectors that include entire house or just a circuit and range in price from under $100 to thousands of dollars. I would recommend an entire house system and not just protecting a TV or Computer because almost everything in our houses contain electronics that can be damaged with a surge. Some people think they are the same as a GFI plug or circuit, but they are very different. Many of the cheap surge protector power strips actually have been tested to show they damage devices more than if you had not had the surge strips. I live in Highland Park in St Paul and we get frequent lighting which may not immediately knock out a device, but over time cause the electronics to fail.
CNet article on best power strip surge protectors: https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/why-you-need-a-surge-protector/
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Q. From a PCC Member - My Win 10 desktop is showing a message that the update has a problem. When I open the Settings/Windows Update it shows the message.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I have had the update list an error message with the problem, I have not seen the Windows Update just say it has a problem. Couple of things to try or look at:
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Q. From a PCC Member - I have several apps on my Android phone called Messages, why?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. See the article above I did on Messages. There are many apps that can be used to send and receive messages. Each has it’s own set of features and functions. If you have an Samsung Android phone, it comes with both Google Messages and Samsung Messages. If you use Facebook you also are going to have and use Messenger. Lots of options depending on who you are connecting with and what features you want.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Why not use eMail instead of Messages?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Today many people like myself only check my email 1-3 times a day, I have notifications for eMail turned off. Text messages I usually respond to almost immediately that are in my Contacts. eMails are not secure to send confidential information.
Do not expect an immediate reply to eMail, many people only read eMails once or twice a day.
Use a Text/SMS message instead of an eMail for short communications that can be done in one or two messages, to 1-4 people, and is time sensitive.
Use a phone call instead of an eMail for communication with 1-2 people and is time sensitive.
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Q. From a PCC Member - What is the best way to send text and images between PC and iPhone?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Today you can use Google Messages but until latter in 2024 when Apple support RCS understand it is not secure. You can use Facebook Messenger if both of you are on Facebook. You can also use apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, Zoom, and hundreds of others depending on the features and functions you need.
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Q. From a PCC Member with a Mac - What did you say was the reason I couldn’t bring up the attachment on the email I received? As usual, I can’t remember. It had to do with something missing that could be downloaded.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. The file you received in the eMail is a Microsoft PowerPoint file which ends in ".PPTX". In order to see the slides in the .PPTX file you need software on your Mac computer that can read and show a .PPTX file. One common free software for the Mac computer is KeyNote that can show the slides. There are lots of other software for the Mac that can show a .PPTX file. Some are free, others like Microsoft PowerPoint or Office cost money.
Usually software on the Mac is installed from the Mac App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id409183694?mt=12
I believe you will need your Apple account and password to install from the store.
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Q. From a PCC Member -The topic about end-to-end encryption is interesting related to Google Drive vs iCloud. Below is some info I found.
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/icloud-vs-google-drive/
https://www.makeuseof.com/icloud-drive-vs-google-one/
https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Thanks for the info. It is more complex than I thought. iCloud can be more secure if you do not use standard data protection and turn on Advanced Data Protection for end-to-end encryption. Sounds like Google has the option in some paid tiers. Otherwise they both encrypt in transit and at rest so you are 99.99999% safe. I agree with most basic recommendations that if you have Apple devices use iCloud. If you use Office 365 use One Drive. If you use Google software use Google Drive.
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