2025 July eBytes
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Cake End of Life Site is Bought Out
Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025
Social Media Feeds Full of Junk? How to Reset Your Algorithms
How you can get Microsoft 365 (formerly Office) for free - 3 easy ways
Want to save your old computer? Try one of these 8 Linux distros for free
Don't Overpay for Internet: 8 Ways to Slash Your Internet Bill
Apple, Google, and Microsoft offer free password managers - but should you use them?
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Cake End of Life Site is Bought Out
By Tom Kreuzer PCC Board member
In the past I have recommended people use Cake for End of Life “EOL” planning. It was a great site to plan, create, and store EOL decisions and documents with lots of features not found anywhere else. As of June 2025 Cake was bought out by the company Afterall. Not sure what the future plans are, but Afterall focus looks to be to sell funeral services. I see no plan to continue the great free services that Cake provided on the Afterall site. An email was sent to current Cake members in June to download any documents they have set up on Cake by June 14. It does not sound like Afterall has any plans to transition documents or accounts to Afterall. Sounds like Afterall just wanted to get access to the emails of the 100 million Cake members. Not sure when the Cake site will no longer function, but as of the end of June it is not working.
At this time I do not have a recommendation for a Cake replacement. There are many places where a person can store documents securely in the cloud. All the planning, creating, and features that Cake provided must all be done on your own using tools and templates from several sites. This may be a topic for a future PCC meeting.
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Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025
Your iPhone gets a visual overhaul and new features touch all of Apple's software systems from iOS to tvOS. Here's everything you need to know.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/wwdc-2025-everything-apple-announced-you-missed-liquid-glass-ios-26
5 Things to Get Excited About in iOS 26: Live Translation, a CarPlay Upgrade, and More - At WWDC, Apple gives us a sneak peek at a major visual redesign for the software running on your iPhone. But it's not all about looks, these five new iOS features are standouts.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-ios-26-5-best-new-features-wwdc-2025
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Social Media Feeds Full of Junk? How to Reset Your Algorithms
If your TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or other accounts show you excessive garbage, follow these easy steps to get a fresh start.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/feeds-full-of-junk-how-to-reset-your-social-media-algorithms
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How you can get Microsoft 365 (formerly Office) for free - 3 easy ways
Here are three ways you can access and use essential Microsoft apps for free. Sure, there's a small catch, but you likely won't care.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-you-can-get-microsoft-365-formerly-office-for-free-3-easy-ways/
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Want to save your old computer? Try one of these 8 Linux distros for free
Here's how to save money, reduce e-waste, and extend the life of your old hardware at the same time.
Can't upgrade to Windows 11? This Linux distro is the best alternative for your Windows 10 PC
SDesk is a lightweight Linux distro with a familiar interface, making it a great option for anyone transitioning from Windows 11.
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Don't Overpay for Internet: 8 Ways to Slash Your Internet Bill
Your internet bill doesn't have to be sky high. These tips can help to keep it manageable.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/dont-overpay-for-internet-8-ways-to-slash-your-internet-bill/
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Apple, Google, and Microsoft offer free password managers - but should you use them?
The three dominant computing platforms have each tried to build features that help you manage passwords without paying for third-party software. Are any of them worth your time and effort?
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
Bandwidth vs. Latency: We Chatted With an Internet Connectivity Expert to Understand the Difference - Bandwidth and latency are often confused, but they aren't the same thing. Though both can impact the speed and quality of your home internet experience.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/bandwidth-vs-latency-whats-the-difference/
Don't Trash That Tech: 7 Simple Ways to Recycle Electronics - Need to dispose of an old TV, laptop, phone, or other gadget? Here are the retailers that will take your gear, often for free, and the sites that will point you in the right direction.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-recycle-your-technology
I Chose to Buy My Own Router Instead of Renting From Xfinity: I Saved Nearly $1,000 - It may be an expensive up-front payment, but buying your own router will save you money. It can even improve your connection.
6 Simple Tricks I've Learned That Make My Windows PC Boot Faster - Does Windows take a long time to start up? Don't wait forever! I've learned six tips that will speed up your computer's boot process.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-your-windows-pc-boot-faster
How to Manage, Sync, and Share Files in Microsoft OneDrive - OneDrive lets you back up and sync your folders and files in the cloud, then share them with friends, family, and colleagues.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/manage-sync-and-share-files-in-microsoft-onedrive
Overwhelmed by Scammers? You're Not Alone. 96% of Americans Are Targeted Every Week -
Scam emails are the most common tactic criminals use to reach out to us, followed by phone calls, texts and social media messages.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/scams-survey-2025/
Does Wi-Fi Really Pass Through Walls? Our Experts Tell All - Are you experiencing internet trouble? CNET experts have the answers to improve your connection.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/does-wi-fi-travel-through-walls-our-experts-tell-all/
Don't Trust That Link? Here's How to Make Sure You're Not Falling for a Scam - We'll teach you how to identify phishing links from legitimate ones on your phone or inbox.
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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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