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Inhoud geleverd door Bill Blinn. Alle podcastinhoud, inclusief afleveringen, afbeeldingen en podcastbeschrijvingen, wordt rechtstreeks geüpload en geleverd door Bill Blinn of hun podcastplatformpartner. Als u denkt dat iemand uw auteursrechtelijk beschermde werk zonder uw toestemming gebruikt, kunt u het hier beschreven proces https://nl.player.fm/legal volgen.
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Windows Weekly is about more than Windows. Veteran Microsoft insiders Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell join Leo for a deep dive into the most valuable company in the world. From consumer to enterprise, AI to Xbox, Windows Weekly is the only Microsoft podcast you'll ever need. Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 18:00 UTC.
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SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast)
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SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast)
Johannes B. Ullrich
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Daily cybersecurity news for practitioners. Vulnerabilities, defenses, threats, network security insight, research and more to make you sound smarter as you get to the office in the morning. New each weekday.
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Android Backstage, a podcast by and for Android developers. Hosted by developers from the Android engineering team, this show covers topics of interest to Android programmers, with in-depth discussions and interviews with engineers on the Android team at Google. Subscribe to Android Developers YouTube → https://goo.gle/AndroidDevs
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Every week Linus and Luke discuss the most current happenings in the technology universe.
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Risky Business is a weekly information security podcast featuring news and in-depth interviews with industry luminaries. Launched in February 2007, Risky Business is a must-listen digest for information security pros. With a running time of approximately 50-60 minutes, Risky Business is pacy; a security podcast without the waffle.
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America is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the ...
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Technical interviews about software topics.
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A daily dose of irreverent, offbeat, and informative takes on business & tech news. Hosted by Jon Weigell, Juliet Bennett Rylah, Mark Dent, Ben Berkley, Sara Friedman, Matthew Brown, and Rob Litterst from The Hustle.
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Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things ...
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We're trying something different this week: a full post-show breakdown of every episode in the latest season of Black Mirror! Ari Romero is joined by Tudum's Black Mirror expert, Keisha Hatchett, to give you all the nuance, the insider commentary, and the details you might have missed in this incredible new season. Plus commentary from creator & showrunner Charlie Brooker! SPOILER ALERT: We're talking about the new season in detail and revealing key plot points. If you haven't watched yet, and you don't want to know what happens, turn back now! You can watch all seven seasons of Black Mirror now in your personalized virtual theater . Follow Netflix Podcasts and read more about Black Mirror on Tudum.com .…
TechByter Worldwide 2024-08-09: When You Can’t Find A Needed File, Summon Agent Ransack. Short Circuits.
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Inhoud geleverd door Bill Blinn. Alle podcastinhoud, inclusief afleveringen, afbeeldingen en podcastbeschrijvingen, wordt rechtstreeks geüpload en geleverd door Bill Blinn of hun podcastplatformpartner. Als u denkt dat iemand uw auteursrechtelijk beschermde werk zonder uw toestemming gebruikt, kunt u het hier beschreven proces https://nl.player.fm/legal volgen.
As our computers become repositories for ever increasing numbers of files, sometimes it’s hard to find the one you’re looking for even if you try to keep them organized. The free version of Agent Ransack can save the day. In Short Circuits: Although the risk of being victimized by a SIM-swap scam is small, the damage done by such an attack could be enormous. There’s a quick, easy way to eliminate the danger. • Have you tried using side tabs in the web browser on your computer? Some browsers have that functionality built in, and there are extensions for those that don’t.
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TechByter Worldwide 2024-08-09: When You Can’t Find A Needed File, Summon Agent Ransack. Short Circuits.
TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
DelenManage episode 433164569 series 49473
Inhoud geleverd door Bill Blinn. Alle podcastinhoud, inclusief afleveringen, afbeeldingen en podcastbeschrijvingen, wordt rechtstreeks geüpload en geleverd door Bill Blinn of hun podcastplatformpartner. Als u denkt dat iemand uw auteursrechtelijk beschermde werk zonder uw toestemming gebruikt, kunt u het hier beschreven proces https://nl.player.fm/legal volgen.
As our computers become repositories for ever increasing numbers of files, sometimes it’s hard to find the one you’re looking for even if you try to keep them organized. The free version of Agent Ransack can save the day. In Short Circuits: Although the risk of being victimized by a SIM-swap scam is small, the damage done by such an attack could be enormous. There’s a quick, easy way to eliminate the danger. • Have you tried using side tabs in the web browser on your computer? Some browsers have that functionality built in, and there are extensions for those that don’t.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Normally this would be an off week for TechByter Worldwide, two days after Christmas, and five days before the new year begins; so it’s mainly silence, but this is also the end.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-12-20: Are You Getting The Speed You’re Paying For? Short Circuits. 13:58
Internet service providers promise specific upload and download speeds. In most cases, these promises are stated as speeds “up to” whatever the promise is, which would allow the ISP to say 15Mbps is in the “up to 500Mbps” speed range they promised. That doesn’t happen much these days, but it’s still worth checking occasionally. In Short Circuits: There’s no cost for Adobe’s PDF Reader, but Adobe’s solutions start around $150 per year if you need to edit PDFs, even occasionally. There’s a free online service that might be more than sufficient. • Data breaches happen too often to be concerned about individual incidents. Instead, consider all of your relevant information is out there somewhere and instead develop a defense plan.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-12-13: Beware The Growing Threat Of SMS And RCS Scams. Short Circuits. 18:35
Text messages on our phones are so easy to use and so common that it’s all too easy to forget how useful they are to scammers. Every text message should be treated with suspicion. In Short Circuits: Recently I needed to format a 64GB thumb drive using FAT32, one of the older formatting types. The Windows formatting tool won’t allow it, so maybe you think the FAT32 limit is 32GB. It’s not and formatting the large drive turned out to be refreshingly easy. • Sometimes I wonder if Tim Berners-Lee or Marc Andreessen had any idea, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, that the browsers they were developing to view simple text files would expand and virtually take over the world.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-12-06: New And Improved For Photographers From Adobe For 2025. Short Circuits. 17:01
Some of Adobe’s improvements in Photoshop and the other photographic applications are little short of magic. Boring and cumbersome tasks can be handled by AI, giving photographers more time for creativity. In Short Circuits: If you’ve ever had your Facebook account stolen by thieves, or know someone who has been a victim, you understand how difficult it is to recover the account, if recovery is even possible. That’s why you should act now to enable security measures for your account, particularly two-factor authentication.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-11-29: There is no podcast this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. 16:23
Because there is no program during Thanksgiving week, here is a link to last week’s podcast.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Is there a key on the keyboard that you absolutely despise? Maybe the CapsLock key. Maybe some other key that causes trouble for you when you press it accidentally. There’s an easy and free way to banish keys like this. In Short Circuits: Maybe you wish you could convert a key you don’t use to perform a useful function, maybe even start an app you use all the time. There’s also an easy and free way to do that. • Many early users of computers mastered the skill of creating batch files to perform repetitive tasks. Forty years later, these skills can be useful even with Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the skills aren’t that hard to learn.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-11-15: Calling It “God Mode” Is Hyperbole, But It’s Worth Enabling. Short Circuits. 16:54
Windows seemingly has adjustments, settings, configurations, and modifications for just about everything. Despite a decade-long effort to finalize the Settings app, the Control Panel is still needed sometimes and finding the adjustment you’re seeking can be difficult. That’s one reason you might want to enable God Mode. In Short Circuits: One of the first things technicians want us to do when something goes wrong with a computer or other electronic device is turn it off and turn it back on again. This actually fixes a lot of problems, but why? • Do you use Wikipedia for research? Millions of people do every day and, despite the doubters, it’s usually quite accurate.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-11-08: “Always” And “Never” Belong In No Photographer’s Lexicon. Short Circuits. 15:32
Two words make my teeth itch when I hear them, particularly when I hear them from photographers. Someone who claims to be artistic and creative probably should use “always” and “never” rarely, if at all. In Short Circuits: Facebook seems to be the most annoying application on Earth, yet people rarely abandon it. There are ways to make it better, at least on computers, and I recently switched from one of the primary players to the other. • We need to get to the BIOS settings screen rarely, and getting there can be difficult. What if you could put an icon on your desktop to get there with just a click?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
No matter how much effort Microsoft expends on the Start Menu, it will never please everyone. The Start Menu does offer a lot of customizations, but if you really want to take control there’s Start 11 from Stardock. In Short Circuits: Updating to the latest version of Windows 24H2 created some significant problems on my primary computer, but the update worked flawlessly on the tablet computer. This is why every operating system update needs to be approached with caution. • Too many organizations still force users to change their passwords too frequently, mistakenly believing that doing so improves security. The opposite is true.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
I talk about libraries frequently because they are probably the best value provided for our tax dollars. If you’re looking for access to news media that are often behind a paywall, your local library may be able to help. In Short Circuits: Continuing with the topic of locating reliable, honest, unbiased news sources in the days leading up to this year’s presidential election, we’ll take a look at 1440 News. • Podcasts for the past two weeks were cancelled because Phyllis and I were both dealing with covid when I should have been preparing the report. You may already have had covid, perhaps more than once. For us, it was our inaugural voyage.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Here’s where I would mention the upcoming topics, but there aren’t any this week. That’s because Phyllis and I both contracted covid after avoiding it entirely for more than four years. I’m better now, but there’s not enough time to finish the program that would have been here. I’ll pick things up again next week.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-10-04: Your Browser’s Fingerprint Is All Over The Internet. Short Circuits. 17:41
Just as people have fingerprints, so do browsers. The fingerprint is what allows the browser to be tracked from site to site. If you find this disturbing, there are ways to fight back. In Short Circuits: If you’ve ever posted something to Facebook and immediately received a like or a friend request from someone you don’t know, it’s probably yet another scourge that Facebook can’t (or won’t) do anything about. • Chrono Quest is a game that requires placing six historical events in the correct chronological order. It’s amusing, but don’t expect to learn any useful history by playing.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-09-27: Learn About Yourself And Contribute To National Wellbeing. Short Circuits. 18:41
The National Institutes of Health would like to know more about you. Share some information with the All of Us project and you’ll help researchers understand more about disease treatment, control, and prevention. In Short Circuits: With the internet drowning in the proliferation of scams and fraud, staying safe involves treating any message from any source with more than a bit of skepticism. • When the plastic battery cover on my Bose TV speaker remote control broke, I contacted Bose to see if they sold replacements. What should have been a 5-minute chat went on for 40 minutes, required a 20-minute follow-up chat, and the problem involving a 5¢ part still hasn’t been resolved.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-09-20: VueScan Lets You Forget About Scanner Drivers. Short Circuits. 16:41
Regardless of what software came with your scanner, VueScan will do a better job and you’ll never have to worry about the scanner being orphaned by outdated drivers. In Short Circuits: Library Genesis, a source for downloading millions of books, articles, and academic papers, is controversial to say the least. Let’s consider the pros and cons. • I had a can of Stone Brewing’s FML hazy double IPA recently. Then I looked at the back of the can and learned more about those letters, which (in this case) mean “Fear Movie Lions”.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Is there a “best” browser? Of course there is, but your “best” browser may not be my “best” browser, and my “best” today at noon may not be my “best” browser this afternoon at 3. What’s “best” depends on a lot of variables. In Short Circuits: If paper sticky notes are all over your desk and computer, maybe it’s time to switch to the electronic version. • There are benefits to having an email address that obscures your identity and can be abandoned as needed without affecting your primary address.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
You’re going to die someday. As a eulogy I once heard put it, “The young may die and the old must.” Dying is as easy as it ever has been but the job for survivors can be difficult if the they have no access to user names and passwords for the services we’ve used to make our lives easier. In Short Circuits: Windows has lots of hidden little keystroke sequences that can improve your life as a computer user, but first you have to find them and remind yourself to use them. • Microsoft’s Power Toys has long been one of my favorite utilities and one of its components, Power Toys Run, recently received a major update.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
If you think sorting out differences between cellular plans is a challenge, try wading through information for the low-cost plans, particularly if the person who will use the plan has some unusual requirements. In Short Circuits: Microsoft has been talking about eliminating the Control Panel for about two decades and yet it remains. It may eventually be forgotten, but not gone. • A pleasant Friday afternoon was interrupted by two emails from my health insurance provider. The first said I had used the “forgot password” function and the second said my password had been changed. Stopping the scammer took only an hour, but it was an hour of frustration.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-08-23: When Weird Computer Problems Crop Up, Consider A New Account. Short Circuits. 15:15
Sometimes the fastest and most efficient way to diagnose a problem with a computer involves creating a new account. In Short Circuits: When I increased storage on a tablet computer with a 1.5TB MicroSDXC memory card, I was surprised by the 10-year warranty it came with. I shouldn’t have been. • When you’re looking for a new or replacement disk drive, a quarterly reliability summary from Backblaze can help with the decision.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Canva, especially with its acquisition of Affinity’s Photo, Design, and Publishing apps, is a powerful competitor for graphic design, but don’t expect it to unseat Adobe anytime soon, if ever. In Short Circuits: Artificial intelligence for visual tasks is advancing so fast that any examination of the current state of affairs is nearly pointless, but let’s take a look at what Adobe, Microsoft, and Canva are up to.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-08-09: When You Can’t Find A Needed File, Summon Agent Ransack. Short Circuits. 16:02
As our computers become repositories for ever increasing numbers of files, sometimes it’s hard to find the one you’re looking for even if you try to keep them organized. The free version of Agent Ransack can save the day. In Short Circuits: Although the risk of being victimized by a SIM-swap scam is small, the damage done by such an attack could be enormous. There’s a quick, easy way to eliminate the danger. • Have you tried using side tabs in the web browser on your computer? Some browsers have that functionality built in, and there are extensions for those that don’t.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Microsoft and Adobe are gigantic, but are they as evil as some would have us believe? Big doesn’t always mean bad, so let’s take a look. In Short Circuits: What might the prosecution say in making the case that Adobe, Microsoft, or both are evil. I tried to work out what cases might be made.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-07-26: Spotting Fake Images, Videos, and Information Is Harder Than Ever. Short Circuits. 21:39
Doctored images, deep-fake videos, and disinformation have us surrounded, so now it’s time to identify the ways we can protect ourselves from the lies. In Short Circuits: It’s still easy to spot some manipulated photos or videos, but increasingly we’re going to need artificial intelligence to help us identify the dreck that has been created by artificial intelligence. • And even AI analysis won’t protect us for very long. Just as we must be the final line of defense against malware, spyware, phishing, and social engineering, we need to learn how to deflect the lies being thrown at us.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-07-19: Aomei Backupper Pro Provides Comprehensive Backup. Short Circuits. 14:44
Even if you use an online backup service, it probably doesn’t capture the operating system and the Registry. An image backup application is needed if you want to avoid having to reinstall Windows and all applications if the disk drive fails. The free Aomei Backupper application may be sufficient. In Short Circuits: You can have absolute madness on your computer if you’re able to locate an old copy of Totally Mad from Broderbund Software, but there are tricks to getting it installed. • Everybody knows how to cut, copy, and paste text and images, but there’s a better option than Ctrl-V for pasting.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
No matter how long or complex a password is, it’s useless if a scammer gains access to it. One of the most beneficial aspects of passkeys is that they can be compromised only if the crook gains access to the computer or smart phone where they are stored. In Short Circuits: Microsoft Outlook is facing more competition than it has seen in quite some time, and some of the strongest competition comes from the newly renovated Thunderbird and its stable of more than two thousand add-ons. • Anyone who is displeased by Microsoft’s decision to add advertisements, which they call “recommendations”, to the Start Menu and elsewhere will welcome relief from two open-source apps that stifle them.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
The domain name service you use may have an effect on the speed with which web pages load, but there are other reasons to examine the DNS you use now and possibly change it. In Short Circuits: When you’re giving away or selling a computer or disk drive, think about the files that were on the computer. Just deleting them doesn’t really remove the data. How much more you need to do depends on how much you value privacy and security. • Excire, the company that makes the standalone Excire Foto and the Lightroom Classic plug-in Excire Search, is also helping law enforcement agencies evaluate photographic evidence.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-06-28: Artificial Intelligence Versus Real Stupidity. Short Circuits. 18:44
Panicking pundits pummel Photoshop prematurely. If you listen to or read some of what passes for thoughtful reporting, you might be convinced that Adobe is a demon that must be eliminated. I disagree. In Short Circuits: Windows 7 introduced a handy new way to share files with other local users, but HomeGroup wasn’t widely used and it was discontinued with Windows 10. A follow-up function is limited by working only with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, not Ethernet. Something better is needed. • Mozilla’s Pocket is a handy way to make references for articles you want to read available on any mobile device or computer that has a browser.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
When I noticed a disk drive problem early one Saturday, I decided it was time to replace an aging cabinet filled with aging disk drives. A significant performance boost was a welcome extra. In Short Circuits: Microsoft would like you not to use cleanup applications such as CCleaner because they might damage the Registry, but now they’re offering a CCleaner-like app called PC Manager. • Editing Environment variables is much easier today than it was 40 years ago with EDLIN on an early DOS computer, and an addition to Microsoft’s PowerToys makes it even better.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Despite having used CrashPlan for the past eight years and still feeling that it is a viable online backup service, I have switched to Backblaze. In Short Circuits: Starting in less that two weeks, Facebook will begin using your public posts, photos, and chatbot iterations to train its AI. • Libraries are among my favorite institutions because of their high-tech and low-tech solutions to today’s problems.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-06-07: Artificial Intelligence Is Suddenly Everywhere. Short Circuits. 17:59
This week is all about artificial intelligence, starting with the many ways AI can be used to improve images and sometimes create scenes that do not exist in real life. There are also applications for old and new motion pictures. In Short Circuits: We’ll move on to how AI might soon be used to help applications like Waze and Google Maps evaluate more conditions that affect your route. • Is the last place we should ever expect to find AI on the Desktop? Probably not. But is Stardock the last firm we’d ever expect to put it there? Let’s ponder that.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Many Windows 11 users will be offered an update to Windows 11 version 24H2 between now and the end of the year. As is usual with Windows, the update brings both useful new features and a certain number of annoyances. In Short Circuits: Actions by three states probably kept internet service providers from doing their worst when the FCC eliminated net neutrality rules in 2017. Now the rules are back, but for how long? • Portable Apps is a handy program that stores utilities, browsers, and games on a thumb drive so they can be used on any computer, but there’s also a good reason to install Portable Apps on a desktop or notebook computer.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-05-24: Excire Search’s April Update Adds Features Introduced In Excire Foto. Short Circuits. 17:39
An update to Excire Search brings the ability to look for photos using a text description, as introduced in Exicre Foto, to the company’s plug-in for Adobe Lightroom Classic. In Short Circuits: Fake reviews, scam products, and questionable sellers can all be made to look like real bargains. Fakespot by Mozilla helps you sort the truth from the lies. • One of the most important new capabilities coming to Windows 11 version 24H2 will be all but meaningless to many users.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-05-17: The Road To Secure Privacy: You Can’t Get There From Here. Short Circuits. 16:59
Ensuring that your computer is safe, private, and secure is easy enough, but doing so will make the computer virtually unusable. Let’s consider some options that help without hindering, at least not too much. In Short Circuits: Windows computers use the New Technology File System, which was new in 1993, but it’s not a good choice for devices that must also be used by MacOS computers or Android devices. • Thumbnail images shown on YouTube can help users decide whether they want to view the program, but all too often the thumbnails are little more than clickbait. There’s a browser extension that will help.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-05-10: Audacity Adds AI, But Sometimes It Becomes Confused. Short Circuits. 20:59
Some remarkable capabilities have been added to Audacity, but it’s still not a contender to take Audition’s place for audio productions. In Short Circuits: It’s not a good idea to skimp on the devices you use to interact with your computer. One or more properly placed monitors, a mouse that fits comfortably in your hand, and a keyboard that doesn’t result in wrecked wrists are all more important that we may think. • How close is your computer’s hard drive to failure? Some disk disasters can’t be predicted, but others can and a free utility program that watches the indicators provided by modern disk drives sounds early warnings.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
When something goes wrong with your computer, it may be easier, faster, and less frustrating to fix it yourself instead of dealing with tech support. In Short Circuits: Every computer screen is different and your vision is unique to your eyes. That’s why it’s a good idea to use Microsoft’s ClearType Text Tuner. • You’ll start to see computers being marketed with heavy AI claims soon, probably before the end of the year, but waiting for the next generation in late 2025 is probably wise.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-04-26: Has Your Facebook Account Been Hacked (Yet)? Short Circuits. 18:19
A surprising number of Facebook accounts are being stolen and recovering them is difficult, if not impossible. That’s why it’s better to avoid trouble in the first place. In Short Circuits: Although your internet service provider includes domain name services, there’s a good reason to use one of several alternate services. • Efforts by the federal government to eliminate junk fees have finally resulted in some changes that affect what service providers must tell you before you sign up.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-04-19: What Happens When Your Windows 10 Computer Expires Next Year? Short Circuits. 16:46
You still have about a year and a half to decide what you’ll do when Microsoft ends support for Windows 10. There are several choices, but not all options will work for all users. Let’s take a look at some that will keep the computer out of the trash. In Short Circuits: Although Microsoft has added a file renamer function to PowerToys, it won’t be sufficient when you need to apply complex names to a lot of files. A manual process becomes cumbersome when more than a few files are involved, absurd for hundreds or thousands of files. This is a job for the Bulk Rename Utility. • Newer keyboards have a special key to open the emoticon finder, but there’s a faster and easier way to insert bullets, fractions, currency symbols, and accented characters. It’s yet another utility built in to PowerToys.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Romania-based security company Bitdefender offers a comprehensive protective suite for Windows and MacOS computers, as well as IOS and Android phones. The package includes enough licenses for all devices used by everyone in the family unless you have an exceptionally large family or everyone has five or six devices. In Short Circuits: Your internet service provider would like you to continue renting a modem from them, but there are good reasons to buy your own and cost is just one of the reasons. • Scam offers appear like clockwork every couple of months for counterfeit US postage stamps that are often shipped from China. Facebook seemingly can’t (or won’t) do anything to stop them.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
The virtual desktops feature that was added to Windows 10 and improved in Windows 11 can help organize the computer when you need to work on more than one task at a time. In Short Circuits: Artificial intelligence is now being used to improve audio recordings by removing flaws such as background noise and room echo. Despite being new, the results are already astonishingly good. • Bugs are a simple fact of life for computer users. If you’re delaying a purchase until all the bugs have been eliminated, you’re going to wait for a very long time.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-03-29: Operating System Features You May Be Missing. Short Circuits. 19:04
If you regularly mutter to your computer that it doesn’t do something you want it to do or doesn’t do something the way you want it to, stop for a moment and investigate. There’s a good chance that the computer can accommodate your desires. In Short Circuits: Anyone who has trouble finding where TV programs they want to watch are streaming, or who forgets to watch new episodes, will find JustWatch useful. • The latest versions of Adobe’s photo editing applications are filled with useful features, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about applications such as SnapArt4.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
One of the most common ways that people are victimized online involves the victims failing to recognize social engineering and giving their login credentials to scammers. In Short Circuits: Facebook accounts are filled with gold that scammers like to mine. There’s a quick and easy way to view what crooks see so that you can modify your account to maximize security. • Europeans can remove Microsoft’s Edge browser because of European Union rules, but these rules don’t apply in the United States. There’s still a way to tame or remove Edge, and I’ll explain how.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
When a charge for a service I didn’t recognize showed up in an alert from my bank, I found that I had been signed up for a video streaming service I’d never heard of. Eliminating the service was easy enough, but a lot of people have reported terminating it was difficult. In Short Circuits: Even those of us who are not typographers, graphic designers, or publishers sometimes need to deal with typefaces. What most people think of as “fonts” aren’t fonts, but this may be a surprise: It doesn’t really matter. • Anyone who relies on Amazon’s ratings to make buying decisions isn’t getting the full story. A service that rates that ratings helps, but it’s still wise to proceed with caution.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Exposure hasn’t had an upgrade from the X7 version, which was released in 2021, but it’s still a good choice both as a standalone application and as a plug-in for Lightroom Classic. In Short Circuits: Speaking of golden oldies, I encountered a little connector that could be used to join lots of devices two years ago. It saved the day a week ago when I had to deal with an IPhone that had a low battery. • There’s a lot of concern about the dangers of artificial intelligence, so I went straight to the source and asked two AI engines about the dangers of AI.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
A hijacked Facebook account can be a lot of fun, but only if you have a most peculiar understanding of the term “fun”. It wasn’t my account, but I had to deal with the repercussions of a hack recently. In Short Circuits: The technology that powers GPS, Bluetooth devices, and other modern high technology was invented 83 years ago by someone considered to be “the most beautiful woman in the world.” Even now she doesn’t get the recognition she deserved in 1941. • Ever notice how technology someone doesn’t understand, doesn’t like, or fears is labeled as “bloatware”. That’s the term being used with AI today, along with a fair amount of faulty logic.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-02-23: Maybe It’s Time To Re-evaluate Streaming Services. Short Circuits. 16:02
Which is better, cable or streaming? There are lots of variables and cable is perfect for some people while streaming is the winner for others. After switching to streaming three years ago, now seemed a good time to re-evaluate. In Short Circuits: You might have some old digital photos that would benefit greatly from today’s AI-powered applications. I have a couple of examples. • “Warning: Your privacy settings can’t guarantee your privacy on Facebook.” That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
The more digital photos you have, the harder it is to find the one you’re looking for. Excire Search, a plug-in for Lightroom Classic, makes the process much easier. In Short Circuits: Libre Office is the ideal office suite for those who are unable or unwilling to pay a monthly subscription fee. The latest version, though, has a surprising number. • Microsoft wants to be the king of artificial intelligence and may well succeed, but do we really need a special AI key on our keyboards?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Free, open-source software is often viewed as being second rate when compared to commercial software, but sometimes the best application actually does cost nothing. In Short Circuits: When something starts with Windows, but you don’t want it to, finding a way to make it stop can be a challenge. Autoruns fixes that. • Phones no longer have dials, but we still say we’re dialing a number. Hardware, software, and processes are changing so fast that some arrive, flourish, and disappear seemingly in days.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-02-02: Adding Windows 11 To A Reluctant Windows 10 PC. Short Circuits. 20:54
Windows 11 cannot be installed on certain computers, mainly older models that lack sufficient hardware, but it is possible to force-install Windows 11 on computers that would fail otherwise because they lack hardware security features. In Short Circuits: With so many free email clients, you might wonder why anyone would be willing to pay $60 per year for one. Anyone who uses multiple mobile devices and wishes the same application was available for all portable and desktop systems might consider it. • If, like me, you’re someone who customizes the look and feel of Windows beyond what Microsoft allows, Stardock’s Icon Packager is a quick and easy way to make big changes.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-01-26: Maybe It’s Time To Upsample Some Of Your Old Digital Photos. Short Circuits. 22:52
Anyone who has digital photos that are more than a decade old could improve their quality substantially with an application that uses artificial intelligence to fill in details that don’t exist in the originals. In Short Circuits: Speaking of AI, if you’re trying to keep up with what’s new, you may suspect that it’s difficult and maybe impossible. Anything written more than a day or two ago is probably already outdated. • Have you ever needed to use a second computer near your primary computer only to find that making space for a second mouse and keyboard cramps your style? Multiplicity may be just what you need.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-01-19: Using Sysinternals Process Monitor and Process Explorer To Solve Problems. Short Circuits. 17:49
The Sysinternals suite of utilities has been around since the 1990s and has been part of Microsoft since 2006. More than 70 utilities make Sysinternals essential for all Windows computer users and today we’ll take a look at just two of them. In Short Circuits: Believable sound effects are essential for motion pictures and podcasts, but it’s not an easy process. The first step involves identifying and obtaining the right sounds. • Some Windows users like to keep all of their commonly used applications on the Desktop. That has never been my preferred method, but one of the applications included in Stardock’s Object Desktop suite has convinced me to make better use of the Desktop.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
We don’t run out of disk space as often now as we did in the early days, but you might wonder about discarding some old junk even if space isn’t a significant problem. Several utilities are available to help you identify the junk. In Short Circuits: Scammers work hard to earn your trust and then steal your money. A Washington Post article about a retired federal scientist who was bilked out of her life savings is a cautionary tale, and we all need to be on the lookout for thieves. • Microsoft’s built-in screen capture tool has improved, now including the ability to capture video sequences, but it still lags behind both commercial and open source applications.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2024-01-05: Use Microsoft’s PC Manager For Quick System Management Tasks. Short Circuits. 16:24
Microsoft’s new PC Manager takes the place of some other utilities such as CCleaner and offers quick, easy access to built-in Windows functions that are often several layers deep in Settings or the Control Panel. In Short Circuits: If you’ve ever wished you could unsend an email because you forgot to add an attachment or make an important point, SendLater will save the day, but only if you use Thunderbird. • Stardock’s SoundPackager makes it easy to add, change, or delete sounds that Windows plays to notify users of specific events, and it cost just $5.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-12-15: Excire Foto Finds Needles In Haystacks. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:04
Because digital photographs are free, we take a lot of them and that can be a problem when we want to find one particular image among tens of thousands on the computer. A new version of Excire Foto adds artificial intelligence that helps a lot. In Short Circuits: Anyone who operates a web domain on one of the big hosting services may occasionally have trouble with email messages being rejected as spam or just being quietly deleted. Using a separate, dedicated SMTP service can eliminate the problem, possibly without cost. • Stardock Software has applications that can make your Windows computer look better, some that can make the computer work better, and some that do both. We’ll take a look. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Was the 2003 version of Microsoft’s office suite just another pretty face? Compared to what we have today, the office suite was small and plain, but the growth pattern was obvious.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-12-01: How To Improve The Windows 11 Start Menu. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:12
Like the Windows 11 Start Menu or hate it, Start11 from Stardock can make it better. Maybe you’d like the start menu to work the way it did in Windows 7, 8, or 10. Maybe you like the Windows 11 approach, but would like to add some features. That’s the point of Start11. In Short Circuits: Python is a popular programming language. It’s powerful, but the basics are easy to learn. If you’ve looked at Python because it’s now supported by Excel, you’ve already started. Maybe this is a language most computer users should be familiar with. • The TechByter website was down for several hours on 8 November and getting a straight answer from the hosting service turned out to be much more difficult than it should have been. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Numerous “If Microsoft Made Automobiles” and “If Apple Was An Airline” pieces have circulated on the internet. In late 2003, I received a copy of “If Microsoft|Apple Made Elevators” and I included it on Technology Corner. Enjoy!…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-11-17: Turning Your Computer Into A Television. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:49
Playing DVDs and Blu-ray discs on a computer can sometimes be better than watching them on a television, but Microsoft doesn’t include a player with Windows, and the Media Player app is quite limited. Other options exist, but some are pricey. One is free. In Short Circuits: Even if you use just a single chat application, taking a look at Beeper is a good idea. And if you use multiple chat applications, I consider it essential. • Has your Facebook account ever been cloned by a crook? There’s one simple change you can make to your Facebook account that strongly discourages data thieves. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Apple was beginning the long transition from 32-bit processors to 64-bit processors with its new G5 Dual CPUs.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-11-10: Keeping A Computer Up To Date. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. Twenty Years Ago. 16:05
Development cycles for large applications once were frequently 18 months. Now it’s a rare day that we don’t receive a bug fix, security update, or feature release for at least one application. Keeping up is a challenge. In Short Circuits: Heat is the enemy of electronic devices and notebook computers are highly vulnerable. I recently added a device that places cooling fans below my primary notebook computer and it helps even more than expected. • I’ve been seeing articles about how to get Microsoft 365 for free. Although some of the suggestions will be successful, most of them seem like just too much work. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): AOL, in my estimation, did something right in 2003. What I offered was kind of a back-handed compliment, though.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-11-03: Adobe Firefly’s Amazing Artificial Intelligence. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:24
Artificial intelligence is something Adobe has been working on for several years and this year’s advances mark the beginning of what seems likely to be an explosion of advanced capabilities. In Short Circuits: Adobe pointed to some of its plans for future products at the annual Max conference in Los Angeles. The sneak peeks could easily be mistaken for pure magic. • If your Windows computer hasn’t yet updated to version 23H2 and you’d like it to, the process is both quick and easy. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Apple released another of its big cat operating systems, Panther, and I was quite impressed by what it could do.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-10-27: Use AeroAdmin To Help Others And For Remote Access. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 15:02
AeroAdmin is an excellent choice if you need to help friends or family solve problems with their computers and when you want to log onto your computer when you’re not in front of it. In Short Circuits: Artificial intelligence can create text for you, and it can paraphrase your text. Is it worth trying an application such as QuillBot to see how good an editor it is? • We’ve been able to synchronize the Windows clipboard between computers for a while now, but you can also synchronize the clipboard with your Android phone. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Most of us occasionally think about “The Good Old Days”, but if we really stop and think about it, it’s clear the the good old days really weren’t that good.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-10-20: Windows Copilot Is Live, So Are You Using It? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:57
Copilot is the most significant new feature in the Windows 11 Fall update, version 23H2. If your computer hasn’t been updated to 23H2, you can force the update or obtain some of the new features even without updating. In Short Circuits: Opera is a good browser that I’ve recommended several times in the past 25 years, and I still do recommend it, but only if you perform a fully manual installation to avoid some nasty “features”. • It’s hard to keep up with improvements in artificial intelligence imagery. I took a look at images from Adobe Firefly, Canva, and Microsoft’s Copilot, which uses DALL-E3. There’s one standout winner. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Some of the security fixes Microsoft patched in 2003 seem quite simple by today’s standards, but others are similar to issues that are fixed today, differing only in the affected components.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-10-13: Photoshop’s Newest Features Didn’t Wait For Max. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 14:24
Adobe didn’t wait for the annual Max conference to roll out some of the new features for Photoshop and other apps. Generative Fill and Generative Expand are still resolution limited, but they are already surprisingly useful. In Short Circuits: Printers have long been the bane of IT support, and Microsoft has plans to make printers a bit less vexing. Manufacturers will need to work with a universal printer subsystem instead of writing drivers for their devices. • If your browser and any other applications that can display WebP graphics are up to date, you’re safe from a nasty flaw. If not, now would be a good time to update them. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): It’s not unheard of for Windows computers to run for months between restarts these days, but it wasn’t common in 2003 and I was somewhat jealous of a Linux system that had been up for more than seven months.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-10-06: A Long Week Of Short Stories. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:30
The main article is really three short pieces: One about PowerToys Run, a quick and easy way to start an application or launch a search; the next about the now limited “unlimited” hosting plan from Bluehost; and finally a fond farewell to WordPad. In Short Circuits: Living like it’s 1983. If you loved WordStar, you can now install WordTsar and try to remember some of the obscure key sequences that made things happen. • If you’ve ever read either a privacy policy or a website’s terms of service, you’re in the minority. A service is available to show the important points without requiring the consumption of many pages of legalese. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Burning CDs and DVDs was a big thing in 2003, but few of today’s computers have optical disc readers, to say nothing of burners. It was a short era.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Even basic smart phones can create remarkably good videos and more people are editing videos at home. As a result, there are lots of applications, both free and paid, designed to take the place of editing suites that once cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build. In Short Circuits: New features in Adobe’s audio editor, Audition, are rare, but three improvements in the 2023 version will wow audio editors, while others will wonder why they’re such big deals. • Aptos is Microsoft’s new typeface for Microsoft 365 subscribers, but before going all in on Aptos, it’s a good idea to consider some of what Microsoft isn’t talking about and thinking about Microsoft’s motives. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): 2003 was the end of the line for TechXNY, previously called PC Expo. Once a show that filled New York City’s Javits Center, the final program was confined to a small corner.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-09-22: Jotti’s Malware Scan Averts Disasters. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:44
It’s a good idea to check out any file you receive as an attachment, even if the file seems to have come from someone you know. Jotti’s free malware scan will show the file to more than a dozen antivirus applications so you can make an informed decision. In Short Circuits: Sometimes modifying a computer setting fixes a problem even when you’re absolutely certain the setting cannot have any effect on the problem. I’ll tell you about one of those I encountered recently and, although it couldn’t possibly fix the problem, it did. • There’s a new and improved clock for Windows 11. It restores some features that were present in the Windows 10 clock and adds several new features, including the ability to display multiple clocks on multiple screens. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, I said your computer’s hard disk will fail. That’s less likely these days, even for mechanical drives, but complacency is still not your friend.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-09-15: Ground News Helps You Sort Fact From Fiction. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:16
Being able to tell the difference between truth and lies is increasingly difficult, especially on the internet, but also with organizations that claim to be presenting facts. We can’t escape bias, but we can at least try to be aware of it. In Short Circuits: Mouse Without Borders, a relatively new feature in Microsoft’s PowerToys utilities, solves a problem you may never have encountered. For those who have experienced this problem, the solution is absolute genius. • If you’ve ever wondered about your home’s risk from flooding, wildfire, wind, or heat, the RiskFactor website can answer the questions. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, I offered what I thought was a great solution to spam. Fortunately, nobody implemented the plan. It was shortsighted in the extreme.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-09-08: Adobe Express: Quick, Easy, and Fun. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:55
Whether you’re a graphic designer or not, Adobe Express has something for you. Professionals can use it to give themselves more time for custom creativity and non-designers can leverage Express to perform tasks they couldn’t do by themselves. In Short Circuits: Although Python has been available as a paid add-in for Excel, it will soon be included in the application. Currently it’s available only in the Beta channel for Microsoft 365 Insiders. • Installing and using more than one web browser can improve your experience because most browsers offer features not available in the others. How many browsers do you use? Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Corel was pinning its hopes for the future on an office suite that was based on WordPerfect.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-09-01: Thinking About Buying a New Computer? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:09
Buying a new computer includes some of the same processes and decisions needed when buying a new car, and it’s important to base the buying decision on facts instead of on emotions. In Short Circuits: Sometimes antique computer-users like me say old DOS computers seemed faster than today’s Windows machines. That’s not entirely inaccurate and the Windows Task Manager helps us understand why. • Safe Mode is useful when your computer has a problem, even if it can’t boot normally, but getting into Safe Mode is a little more complicated than it used to be. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, my preferred email client was The Bat, a remarkably advanced email application from Moldova that continued to be my favorite for many years.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-08-25: A Disk Partition Manager Can Be Helpful Even If You Think You Don’t Need One. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:34
Disk partition managers are essential tools for technicians, but they can also be useful for any computer user. Third-party partition managers include more features than the one that came with your computer and might be free. In Short Circuits: The Employee Retention Credit Act was established at the height of the covid pandemic to help businesses that paid their employees while the operation was shut down. The Internal Revenue Service warns about scammers who are now using the ERC to defraud companies. • The developers of the DuckDuckGo search engine are working on a browser and it’s currently available in beta for Windows and MacOS computers. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, some said the internet would save humanity and others said the internet is evil and will destroy us. Did we ever get that sorted out?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-08-18: Thunderbird’s Attractive Face Is Just Part Of What’s New. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:32
Mozilla has been working on a new version of Thunderbird for a while and the combination of improvements, new features, and ongoing debugging make it well worth looking at regardless of which email application you’re using now. In Short Circuits: Sometimes Microsoft does something so astonishingly ignorant that it’s hard to believe management was aware of it. I’ll describe what seems to be the dumb and petty decision to pull support for the OneNote Clipper from Firefox. • Usually I recommend against extended warranties, but sometimes they can be a good value, particularly with expensive mobile devices that can easily be damaged. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Spam was a big problem in 2003, but back then we had no idea how bad it could be.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-08-11: How Much Internet Speed You Need And How To Find Out If You’re Getting It. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 22:06
Internet access is slower and more expensive in the United States than in many other countries, so it’s important to figure out how much speed you need and then to confirm that you’re getting what you pay for. In Short Circuits: The Windows package manager, WinGet, provides access to more apps and utilities than the Microsoft Store does, but it’s a command line function that’s cumbersome to use. A graphical user interface, WinGetUI, makes it much easier. • Generative Expand has been added to Adobe’s Generative Fill in the beta version of Photoshop. Even in early days, these are powerful features that look like magic. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Scams have been around forever and this week we’ll take a look at one from 2003.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-08-04: The Files On Your Computer Are Probably Worth $120 Per Year. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:23
Sometimes saving money is a really bad idea. For example, doing without a backup system for the files on your computer because you don’t want to spend $100 to $200 per year. How much are your files worth to you? In Short Circuits: The utility CURL has been around since 1996, but it was just added to the Windows operating system this year. It’s a command-line function and it’s old, but it still performs some useful functions. • When it’s time to kick back and play with the computer, there are thousands of options. Let’s take a look at just a few. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, somebody floated the idea of a disposable digital camera. It failed to become a huge success.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-07-28: Scams That May Be New To You. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:12
Scammers are always trying to find new ways to extract money from people they can fool. New variants of old cons are common, and for the past several months phony feedback surveys have been big. Most scammers can be defeated by treating any offer with a bit of suspicion. In Short Circuits: Early personal computers had the command line and no graphical user interface until the mid 1980s. The command line is still useful and we’ll look at a few such instances. • When you need to copy text on paper, there’s a better option than using your smartphone’s camera app. It’s like having a scanner in your pocket. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): SCO, the Santa Cruz Operation, became one of the most hated high-tech companies in history. By 2003, its greed had upended the company, but its lawyers were still busy.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-07-21: How To Acquire A Better Nameserver. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:48
When pointing your browser at a website, the browser needs to find the site’s IP address, so it calls on a domain name service server. Using a better DNS server can improve the browser’s response time, but only by a bit. There are other reasons to use DNS not from your internet service provider. In Short Circuits: Adobe’s Firefly (generative fill) function, even in beta, has shown itself to be surprisingly good at some tasks. It can also be used to create an oil-painting effect on a photograph. • After working with Beeper, a universal chat application, I’m ready to talk about its advantages and (because it’s still a beta app) some of the areas that need refinement. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, hardware and software for video editing were still expensive, but the future was clear.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-07-14: What’s the Best Office Suite in 2023? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:54
Microsoft 365 might be the best office suite for you, or maybe Google’s offerings would be better. Or perhaps you don’t need a suite at all. Let’s ponder that. In Short Circuits: Correspondence today heavily favors email and text messages, but sometimes you might need to send a real paper letter in an envelope using the US Postal Service. You can, even if you don’t have a printer, an envelope, or a stamp—and without leaving your house. • Formulas can save time for spreadsheet users, but often the time saving is minimal. The primary benefits are better accuracy and reliability; and to increase comprehension, don’t neglect conditional formatting. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Digital cameras from 2003 often had noticeable delays between when the user pressed the shutter release and the camera captured an image. Digital SLRs eliminated that.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-07-07: Local Account Or Microsoft Account–Which Is Better? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 15:55
When you set up an account on a Windows 10 or 11 computer, it can be a Microsoft account or a local account. Some pundits maintain that Microsoft accounts should never be used, but I don’t like the word “never”. There are good reasons to use a local account and good reasons to use a Microsoft account, so let’s look. In Short Circuits: Scammers are finding that artificial intelligence is a marvelous tool they can use to hoodwink victims, but AI can also be used to identify scams. • There’s an easy way to modify Windows 11 settings and version 2 of the Windows 11 Fixer adds some options. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Scams have been around since the beginning of civilization and spams existed before the internet was created. Twenty Years Ago, only on the website, looks at attempts to eliminate spam in 2003.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-06-30: Selecting A Comfortable Screen Size, Number of Pixels, and Resolution. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:26
Whether you need to replace a notebook computer that has a built-in screen or find a new monitor for your desktop system, it’s important to think about screen size and resolution. In Short Circuits: Renaming one or two files is easy, but when you’re faced with hundreds of files that need to be renamed, it’s time to call for the Bulk File Renamer. • Generative Fill, which Adobe also refers to as “Firefly”, can make image modifications in seconds that previously would have taken hours. I have an example. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Microsoft had a security problem with version 9 of the Media Player.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-06-23: Choosing The Right Camera. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 14:50
Whether you need a huge camera with a lot of heavy and bulky lenses, just a smartphone, or something in between depends on how you approach photography. Let’s explore that. In Short Circuits: Most new computers come with solid-state drives. If you have an older computer that you’re not yet ready to retire, now would be a great time to upgrade the boot drive to an SSD. • Beeper is a new approach to messaging, whether you use Messenger, IMessage, Twitter, or one of the other services. Beeper puts them all in one location. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Scams are as old as the internet. In 2003, I was grumbling about scams of the day, an activity that has persisted for two decades.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-06-16: Advantages Of Using A Virtual Private Network. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:30
A VPN is essential whenever you use a mobile device with a public Wi-Fi hotspot, but it can also improve privacy and security at other times. It’s important to understand the trade-offs, though. In Short Circuits: Some internet crooks are stupid and I like to make fun of them, but there’s no shortage of crafty criminals. We all need to be aware that they exist and to beware of their tricks. In other words, be wary. • I’ve been trying to find time to talk about some of the enhancements Adobe has added to the Creative Cloud suite, but blockbuster additions to the photography programs kept getting in the way. Today some of the other apps take center stage. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Nikon loaned me a digital SLR camera. I had been using digital cameras since about 1999, but they were more like point-and-shoot cameras than the single-lens-reflex cameras I had used since the 1960s. The D100 was my first extended experience with the new breed of cameras and I was immediately sold.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-06-09: Fingerprinting Your Browser. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:07
Your browser blocks ads and pop-ups, you use incognito mode, and you don’t allow sites to access the computer’s hardware. Safe, right? Your browser can still be fingerprinted and you can still be tracked. In Short Circuits: Canary is an email application that runs on Windows, MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, and Android. In addition to artificial intelligence for creating or responding to messages, the app strengthens security and the versions work about the same on all platforms. • Artificial intelligence makes it possible for one person to sound exactly like another. The dangers should be apparent. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, legislators were wrestling with the effect the internet would have on intellectual property, and specifically how copyright would apply. I was still trying to figure it out.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-06-02: Make Life Easier With Nirsoft, SoftwareOK, And PowerToys. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 24:12
Small specialized apps generally known as “utilities” can solve problems and add capabilities not provided by the operating system. We’ll look at new functions in PowerToys utilities from Microsoft and from two individual developers. In Short Circuits: Adobe released Firefly a few weeks ago for people to try and now the AI component has been added to the beta version of Photoshop that’s available to Creative Cloud subscribers. • When testing files that might contain malware, maybe you’d like a second opinion. What about fourteen opinions without having to install anything? Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Kodak saw a future that did not need film and was attempting to rebrand itself as “the picture company”.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-05-26: Improve Computer Sound With An Equalizer. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:21
Instead of massive home stereo systems, most of us now listen to music on our computers. Adding a software equalizer can improve sound, even on less-than-perfect sound systems. In Short Circuits: Photoshop Camera is free and it may be the best way to have fun with the camera that's in your smartphone, but it's not compatible with every device. • Meta has agreed to a $725 million settlement to end a class-action suit. Any US citizen who has used Facebook in the past 16 years could get a piece of it, but it will be a small piece. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, a company named Webshots offered a way to put photos on phones. The company is still around, and it has expanded a bit.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-05-19: If You Own A Scanner, You Need VueScan. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:32
Even if your scanner came with a scanning application, using the scanner will be easier and more productive if you buy a copy of VueScan. In Short Circuits: I’ll tell you about some of Adobe’s new photo suite features soon, but one that stands out above all the others is a game changer called Denoise. • Geoffrey Hinton, Google’s former chief artificial intelligence scientist, retired abruptly and has begun warning us about a time when AI will be smarter than humans. Let’s consider that. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, I was preparing to buy my first digital single-lens reflex camera and was excited about its performance and features.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-05-12: Pick The Right Tool For Website Development. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:15
Anyone who wants to create a website needs to start by selecting either an application that edits website code or a service that offers site design tools. Many choices exist, but the two primary contenders are Dreamweaver and WordPress. In Short Circuits: A virtual private network on your computer is on the way to becoming essential, and Google’s VPN service that’s part of Google One might be sufficient. • The internet is full of useless attractions that are amusing. Among them are the ability to ride public transit systems online. Come along for a ride on New York City’s 7 train. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Is Linux an existential threat to Microsoft? Twenty years ago, it’s what Microsoft considered its number one danger.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-05-05: The Ultimate Windows Tweaker Fixes Not-Quite Annoyances. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:29
Windows has features that, while not quite annoyances, don’t work the way you’d like. The Ultimate Windows Tweaker fixes a lot of these not-quite annoyances, and it’s free. In Short Circuits: When I bought a new keyboard, I noticed a lot of extra keys. Some of them are surprisingly useful. • Trying to print a website page is often an exercise in frustration because website pages are rarely designed for printing. PrintFriendly is a clever website, and a browser extension, that makes website pages printable. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Iomega, the company that filled a storage gap with high-capacity Zip and Jaz disks tried online storage as the need for disks faded, but success eluded the project.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-04-28: Save Time And Improve Accuracy With MacroExpress. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:48
When I set up a new computer, MacroExpress Pro is one of the dozen programs that are installed immediately. Those who don’t need all the power of the pro version may find one of the three more basic options useful. In Short Circuits: DPReview has been an essential resource for anyone who uses digital photography, but Amazon has ended its quarter-century run and soon all traces of the site will be gone. • Although Google was an early leader in artificial intelligence, ChatGPT and others took the lead and Google is trying to reclaim its leadership position. So now we have Bard, by “invitation” only. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Unicode was fighting for recognition in 2003. The advantages were obvious, but it wasn’t catching on quickly. Today it’s everywhere.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-04-21: Fixing Oddball Windows Annoyances. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:22
Reinstalling Windows 11, as I did a few weeks ago, gave me the chance to rediscover some of the “features” Microsoft offers that don’t work quite the way I want them to. Let’s look at some annoyances that are easy to fix. In Short Circuits: Maybe you consider the seemingly never-ending announcements and notifications from Windows 11 to be an annoyance, too, and you have have more control than you may think. • Adobe has a free artificial-intelligence tool designed to fix less-than-perfect audio, making it possible to create a podcast even if the recording environment is noisy. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, light-emitting diodes were expensive, but they saved money with lower operating costs. Now even the initial expense is lower.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-04-14: Taming Windows 11’s Start Menu And Quick Settings. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:05
So many people complain about Windows, but then don't take the time to figure out how to fix what's bothering them. It's usually not difficult, so let's consider some of the annoyances that can be fixed with minimal effort. In Short Circuits: If you have a computer that's running slow and you've already replaced the mechanical hard drive with a solid-state drive, adding memory might help. • A common bit of humor has old people who need tech support calling on their six-year-old grandchildren for help, but it doesn't have to be that way. Some recent research says that we older folks are dealing with technology a bit better and the pandemic is part of the reason why. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): By 2003, manufacturers had managed to create cameras that were good enough to start the massive migration from film to digital.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-04-07: A Clean Machine Works Better. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:15
You probably already know about the importance of keeping your computer, notebook, or tablet clean and up to date just as you ensure that your car is maintained properly, but what about your smartphone? In Short Circuits: When you're on vacation with the kids, having some motion pictures along can make travel time easier, but nobody wants to carry a stack of discs. Legally it's a gray area, but you can rip DVDs and Blu-ray discs to smartphones and tablets. • The Kerbango internet radio was introduced at PC Expo in 2000, but the project was discontinued a year later before even one unit could be sold. Now internet radios are being manufactured by several companies. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): I've had only minimal success using Windows Restore points over the years, but it worked the way it was supposed to once in 2003.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-03-31: When The Windows Snipping Tool Is Too Little, ShareX. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:34
If you need to be able to capture screen shots, but the Windows Snipping Tool is insufficient and commercial applications are too expensive, there's ShareX. In Short Circuits: Anyone who has tried to schedule a Google Calendar event on the last day of each month has found that it's not possible. There's a workaround, though. • Does your Windows computer share too much information with Microsoft? You can tell it to shut up, but proceed with caution. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Windows XP users complained that their computers were much slower after they installed Service Pack 1.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-03-24: The Dangers Of ChatGPT And Other Artificial Intelligence. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:06
ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence applications are responsible for a lot of questions about the future. Will AI help us humans, create insurmountable problems, or be no big deal? In Short Circuits: Music lovers who have trouble finding a local station they like will be happy with StreamWriter, a free application that not only plays music from thousands of radio stations but also makes it easy to record streams for later listening. • It's easier than ever to run Android apps on a Windows 11 computer, so let's look at how it's done. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Before Microsoft captured desktop computers with Word, a small company in Utah built Wordperfect into a world class application. By 2003, the battle was essentially over.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-03-17: Working With A Single Monitor Is No Fun. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:21
Many businesses issue two or more computer monitors to each employee because they've discovered a modest hardware investment improves productivity. Maybe it's time for home users to have more than one monitor, too. In Short Circuits: Users of Adobe's Creative Cloud can download and test beta versions of more than a dozen applications. The betas run alongside the installed release versions. • A handy utility application from McAfee leaves behind some software that may slow your computer and how to get rid of the extra app isn't obvious. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Although most computers purchased today come from China, in 2003 the change was just beginning.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-03-10: Affinity Apps Are Two Good. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 22:44
Version 2 of Affinity's Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps give users surprisingly powerful features at a modest cost. In Short Circuits: PortableApps, one of my favorite programs, has recently added more applications including a lot of useful utilities and the ability to use specific typefaces wherever you are. • T-Mobile continues to be the poster child for accidentally exposing information from its clients -- this time 37 million of them. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, broadband was available to only about 10% of US families. Now it's around 80%.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-03-03: Lightroom's Multiple Mask Magic Pushes Into Photoshop Territory. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 22:51
Until now, Adobe's Lightroom and Lightroom Classic offered no way to add more than a single mask to an image. That's no longer the case and the change gives users the ability to make modifications that would previously have required using Photoshop. In Short Circuits: Netflix has been trying to find a way to limit password sharing and is testing one option in South America. • How long will the disk drive in your computer last? There's no way to tell for sure, but the annual disk drive report from cloud backup company Backblaze offers some useful clues. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, airlines were just beginning to introduce electronic tickets, but it wasn't until 2008 that the conversion was nearly complete.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-02-24: Internet Rabbit Holes That Are Worth Exploring. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:24
The internet has lots of rabbit holes that are good for passing time, enjoyment, and (sometimes) education. Let's take a look at a few. In Short Circuits: An email that appeared to be from a high school classmate asked for a favor. It's been several decades since we graduated and the request seemed odd. Then it got odder. • If you prefer to maintain a clean Desktop, you might find Microsoft's repeatedly adding an icon for Edge a bit annoying. I'll explain how you can make it stop. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Adding a photo to an email today is trivial, but 20 years ago it wasn't and a $40 program offered to help.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-02-17: OneNote Is The Organizer Everybody Needs. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:13
Microsoft OneNote has been around since 2003 and it's one of a small set of applications that I use every single day. OneNote stores all kinds of information and makes finding it easy when you need it. In Short Circuits: This seems to be the year of the phony prize. All you have to do is fill out a quick survey and you'll receive a $100 gift card or a $200 set of tools or the latest model IPhone. Sadly, they're all scams. • And speaking of scams, when 16TB solid-state drives are selling for more than $2000, you may be delighted to find one for just $60 on Amazon. You will regret that purchase, though. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): How about a computer that could run Windows XP and still fit in your pocket? That was big news in 2003.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-02-10: LastPass Out; 1Password In. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 25:48
After one too many breaches at LastPass, I started looking for a new password manager and decided to give 1Password a try. It works well and there's one feature that every password manager should have. In Short Circuits: DOS commands are old, many dating back to the early 1980s, but many are still useful. Spending a bit of time with the antiques now might save time later. • Although password managers are essential, the real solution to the password problem is eliminating passwords. It's been nearly 40 years since that was proposed and we're still not there. Maybe in another 40 years. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Many people had to format the hard drive and then reinstall Windows about once a year. In my case it was usually two or three times a year. I do not miss that little exercise in futility!…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-02-03: Technology Makes Hospital Stays Less Frustrating. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 15:32
Having "enjoyed" an extended hospital stay late last year and an even more extended period of starting the recovery process, I learned that hospitals have changed a lot in recent years and that one absolutely essential possession to take along is a smartphone. Sometimes system updates cause problems for users. Such was the case with an update for my Samsung smart watch, and it's apparently not the first time Samsung has pushed out a flawed smart watch update. • When Microsoft released Windows 11 version 22H2, tabs finally became a part of the File Explorer. While this is a welcome new feature, my preference is still for the third-party file explorer, Q-Dir. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Once Microsoft was a software company. Then they started making add-on devices such as keyboards. Today's Microsoft hasn't gone all-in on hardware, but it's a much larger part of the operation.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-01-27: The Duck Offers Free Email Protection. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:51
In addition to a search engine that doesn't track users, DuckDuckGo offers email protections such as the ability to provide someone you may not trust with a one-time address that can be eliminated. In Short Circuits: Being able to send an encrypted email message is helpful when you need to send sensitive or proprietary data, but the process is challenging. ProtonMail makes it much easier. • Microsoft eliminated the ability to boot to Safe mode by pressing the F8 key at boot time in Windows 8, but there's an easy way to restore that functionality. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): An information manager called Chandler looked promising in 2003, but the application never really caught on.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-01-20: Two-Factor Authentication Should Be The New Normal. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:41
Two-factor authentication isn't yet the new normal, but it should be. Some businesses that should provide better security for their customers are lagging, and many users seem more interested in saving a few seconds than in securing their finances. This must change. In Short Circuits: I've described my backup system so often that you may think recovering a file isn't a big deal, and that's true until it isn't. I'll tell you about the cause of my close call. No significant files were at risk, but I did manage to annoy myself. • Then I'll explain how I recovered some files and describe the steps I've taken to close a small hole in the backup system. Having an image backup of the boot drive is important, but it's not sufficient if you might need to recover individual files quickly. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Today we send and receive email with ease on our smart phones. That could be done in 2002, but it was much more difficult.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-01-13: Windows 11 Version 22H2 Improves Security and Adds Features. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:04
Version 22H2 of Windows 11 will catch your eye with numerous user interface enhancements, but the real reason to get the update sooner rather than later is the emphasis on security. In Short Circuits: Microsoft PowerToys adds some must-have features in version 6.2. If you haven't yet installed the free utility, these may be the extras that convince you. • Adobe is paying an enormous amount of cash and stock for a seven-year-old application called Figma. Twenty billion dollars. Wow. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, a company wanted people who had trailer hitches on their cars to shell out $30 for a lighted sign. It didn't work out well.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2023-01-06: Notebook Computers Are Pushing Desktop Computers Off Desks. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:51
Desktop computers are smaller than they used to be. Tower boxes are shorter, but if you really want to save space, consider a notebook computer, possibly with a dock. Notebook systems cost more and desktop systems still have certain advantages, but the trend it toward smaller devices. In Short Circuits: LastPass reported a "security incident" in late August and doomsayers made a lot of noise. As it turned out, the intrusion wasn't a big deal and I'll explain why. • Windows 10 and Windows 11 apps are not installed in the usual Program Files and Program Files (x86) directories. Instead they're in a hidden directory inside the Windows directory. If you want to examine the directory, it can be challenging. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, thinking that the cat or dog could eat your computer was a bit of hyperbole, but today we have watches that are essentially computers. Maybe the cat couldn't eat it, but the dog might.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-09-30: Don't Let Your Computer Lose Its Cool. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:11
You're careful not to drop your notebook computer into the ocean or down a flight of stairs, but heat is the insidious destroyer of all electronic devices. In Short Circuits: Ordering groceries online with curbside pickup or home delivery made big advances during the worst months of the Covid pandemic. Growth has slowed, but not stopped. Big chains have gone all in, and smaller stores are struggling to stay in the game. • Windows updates interrupt us. Sometimes they annoy us. But if you're tempted to skip the updates, think again. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Having a device that could hold 64MB of data and yet was about the size of a pack of gum seemed amazing in 2002, and it was. Floppy disks were still around and you'd need a huge pocket to carry 64MB of data on floppies.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-09-23: The End Of Perpetual Software Licenses Is Near. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:23
Maybe you love software as a service, but probably you don't. Regardless of your opinion or mine, it's the future and other industries are taking note. In Short Circuits: Microsoft is in the process of executing a nearly flawless flip-flop to correct problems created when they tried to force OneNote for Windows 10 on OneNote users. They relented following an outcry from fans of the standalone application and have now improved the standalone version and made it the primary OneNote application. • Low income households can receive a discount from the Federal Communications Commission for basic high-speed internet access. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, Corel released what would be the final version of Ventura Publisher, a star-crossed desktop typesetting application that was better than competing products but never quite caught on. Users had been waiting a long time for version 10.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-09-16: Protecting Your Pocket-Size Computer. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 22:44
Smart phones are ideal companions, but they're easy to lose and easy to steal. Taking preventive measures before something bad happens and preparing to deal with a missing device is well worth the relatively small amount of time required. In Short Circuits: We can't eliminate errors and stupidity, but we can ensure that we can recover from stupid events. What we need is something that will save our data when undo doesn't work or isn't available. • Say "Excel" and just about everyone will think "spreadsheet", "analysis", or "math". Certainly Excel is the right tool for calculations, budgets, and accounting, and even for creating a perpetual calendar. But Excel has some powerful text capabilities, too. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, Windows updates were often installed using a CD, but users had to pay for shipping. Some updates could be downloaded for free. Service Pack 1 weighed in at 40MB and Microsoft said that it corrected about 300 bugs.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-09-09: How To Fix Your PC's Sound System. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 15:41
Now that more people connect their computers to external sound systems, Windows needs a better way to modify its audio outputs. Fortunately, a couple of open-source applications are just what's needed. In Short Circuits: As good as Adobe Acrobat is for working with PDF documents, sometimes there's a better choice. You can obtain it for free. • Apple has ordered its employees to return to the office at least three days per week and, after enjoying two years of not commuting, many are pushing back. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, Walmart was offering astoundingly cheap computers, just $200. It wasn't exactly a powerhouse and it didn't exactly run Windows.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-09:02: Thunderbird 102 Comes With Major Improvements. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:35
Mozilla's Thunderbird email client version 102 has been released with important user interface updates, security measures, and improved features. If you haven't looked at Thunderbird in the past few years, now would be an excellent time to do so. In Short Circuits: Teen usage of Facebook has dropped substantially in the past five years and even Meta recognizes that this is just the beginning of a precipitous decline. • Since the very beginning, Kindle devices have been unable to read EPUB files. Later this year, the Kindle Documents Service will be able to convert EPUB files to AZW3 so that users can load those books onto their Kindle. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, Apple released the first major upgrade for OSX, Jaguar. Version 10.0 was barely functional. Version 10.1 helped, but it wasn't until version 10.2 that the operating system began to show its capabilities.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-08-26: Always Use Camera Raw Or Always Use JPEG? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:59
Opinions: Always shoot in raw mode! Never shoot in raw mode! JPEG is just as good as raw! JPEG severely degrades photos! Both modes exist for a reason and it's not an always-or-never decision. Let's consider the advantages of each format. In Short Circuits: If you've ever tried to tell someone where you are when no street address is available, you'll immediately see the advantages of using the What Three Words app on your mobile phone. • When you've grown tired of Ccleaner's constant requests for a $30 annual upgrade, you could pay up or you could choose to use an open-source program. Let's consider that second option. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, home and small office computer users were beginning to learn about green screen technology that's commonly used in broadcast television and motion pictures.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-08-19: Excire Foto Helps Users Manage Huge Photo Collections. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:11
One of the best things about digital photography is that individual images cost nothing, so even amateur photographers routinely amass tens of thousands of images. Excire Foto can help when you're looking for one specific image. In Short Circuits: When something goes wrong, don't panic. Until you're sure what's happening, the best action is often no action at all. As first responders say, "Be part of the solution, not part of the problem." Let's see how that applies with computers. • There are reasons for using third-party protective applications on Windows-based computers, but the built-in Windows Security along with protections that are included with most web browsers are sufficient for most users. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, we were beginning to contemplate not only editing video on our computers, but also the ability to make DVDs that could be played on standard TV disc players. The SCM Microsystems Dazzle DVD Creation Station was one of the players.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-08-12: Smart Watches Are Showing Up On More Wrists. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:09
Smart watches aren't exactly new because they've been around in one form or another since 2004. Apple's introduction of a smart watch in 2015 gave the market a kick start, but only one fifth of US adults currently own one. Women are more likely to have a smart watch than men are. In Short Circuits: Many crypto-currencies have lost significant value in the past several months, but they still have worth. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation says 244 investors lost nearly $43 million worth of crypto-currency in the past six month. The scam has been traced back to a fraudulent app. • Most Wi-Fi routers can transmit signals in the 2.4GHz range and 5GHz range. Some of the newer devices also can communicate in the 60GHz range. Although channel selection is largely automatic in the higher-frequency bands, it's fully manual in the 2.4GHz range. Selecting the wrong channel can reduce your link speeds and those of your neighbors. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): I was excited about bargain prices for CompactFlash memory cards that were used by some camera manufacturers, but have virtually disappeared now in favor of memory cards that are physically smaller. Twenty years ago, CF cards were the primary choice and 2002's "bargain" prices are laughable now.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-08-05: Linux Is The Future And Always Will Be. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:58
You're using Linux right now because it's what runs the TechByter Worldwide website. But you probably aren't using Linux on your desktop or notebook computer. Linux may never take over the desktop market, but let's take a look anyway. In Short Circuits: People who are looking for a new notebook computer may forget to examine the list of ports on the computer, and that would be a mistake. • Adobe Max is back as an in-person event for 2022, but there are still options to attend some of the events online and for free. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Setting up a home network wasn't as easy as it is today and one listener asked for help with her frustrating system.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-07-29: Camtasia 2022 Means Never Having To Say "Cursors! Foiled Again!" Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:52
Although the cursor may seem unimportant when creating a video to illustrate a computer-based procedure, Camtasia 2022 clearly shows that to be false and includes ways to improve your videos by enhancing the cursor. In Short Circuits: A heavy-duty cable with two types of USB connectors on each end can replace a lot of standard cables. One version is less than 6 inches long, the other nearly 5 feet. • Do you use COBOL? Although many people consider it to be an antique, outmoded programming language that's no longer needed, it is still being used by airlines, banks, government agencies, and a lot of big businesses. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Even with "huge" 40GB drives in our 2002 computers, there was a need for more storage.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-07-22: One Monitor Just Isn't Enough Any More. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:39
A single monitor was sufficient around the turn of the century, but that's no longer the case for enterprise users, and probably not for home users, either. In Short Circuits: DuckDuckGo is all about privacy and security, but there's more. Is it enough to justify dropping Google's search engine? If so, would you want to? • A clever utility called WhatRuns is for website developers, but it might be something any web user could benefit from. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): A proposed high-performance, low-power CPU dubbed "Crusoe" from Transmeta was running into headwinds in 2002.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-07-15: Social Fixer Reduces Facebook Frustrations. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:43
Facebook gives users a way to keep in contact with friends and relatives, but it also can be intensely frustrating. An add-on application for browsers can tame the beast. In Short Circuits: Cameras in mobile phones have capabilities that often go well beyond what even an expensive camera can do, and apps give mobile users the ability to perform tasks that were once limited to computer-based digital photography programs. • Nearly 10 years after researcher Aaron Swartz committed suicide when he was charged, many say unfairly, with computer espionage, the Department of Justice has made changes in how it will handle future cases. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): A Bit of hope remained for Ventura Publisher as Corel prepared to release what would become the program's final version.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-07-08: Microsoft OneNote Is The Essential Organizer For Everyone. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:30
Microsoft OneNote improves every year and continues to be an indispensable tool for keeping track of varied and disparate bits of information. Even better, it's free for anyone to use on Windows, MacOS, Android, or IOS devices -- as well as on the web. In Short Circuits: Although SnagIt is what I consider the best screen capture application, there's ShareX for those who can't justify SnagIt's cost. The open-source application is surprisingly robust, but it runs only on Windows. • A listener asked if I had a list of applications and services that have received five-cat ratings. I didn't, but now I do -- even though the list goes back only to the start of 2017. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Burning DVDs was time consuming, expensive, and prone to failure in 2002. Now it's none of those.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-07-01: Why GoodSync Is Indispensable At My House. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:34
Not losing computer files is important to me because replacing lost files would be difficult and, in many cases, impossible. That's why having a solid backup system is crucial. In Short Circuits: Scammers are out to steal your social media credentials. Modifying a few settings will help, but the best way to keep accounts safe involves a bit of suspicion and lot of common sense. • If you have more than one computer on your desk, you might find a mult-computer mouse to be a good investment. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Being able to use an office computer from home was still a relatively new concept in 2002, but it caught on fast.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-06-24: Maybe These Tools Belong In Your Graphics Toolbox. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:47
Those who must create flyers, web graphics, and posters even though they have no training in graphic design can use free and low-cost online services to avoid creating laughable, poorly executed results. In Short Circuits: Anyone who watches videos on a computer should have the VideoLAN Client. It's a strong competitor, even for players that cost $50 or $100, and it can perform some actions that even expensive players can't. • When the speed of your internet connection is disappointing, check with your internet service provider, but don't overlook possible problems that are closer to home. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Adobe had just released version 2 of InDesign and it was clearly a huge challenge to Quark XPress.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-06-17: Some Scammers Depend On The Appearance of Legitimacy. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:17
Some scammers are smart enough to create legitimate looking ploys, but even well made scams are usually apparent following only a brief inspection. In Short Circuits: The Windows File Explorer can display thumbnail images of some file types, but not Photoshop files. This is an absurd shortcoming and there's an easy fix. • Is there a digital camera gathering dust around your house? The ubiquitous single-lens reflex camera seems to be nearing the end of its almost 100-year run. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): TechX NY was about to open. We didn't know it then, but the 2002 show was to be its final gasp. The number of participants dropped, the Javits Center wasn't close to being full, and some companies pulled out at the last minute.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-06-10: Two Thumb Drives That Should Always Be Nearby. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:30
I'd like to tell you about a couple of thumb drives that belong, if not in your pocket, at least on the desk with your computer. In Short Circuits: We'll look at expanding one of those thumb drives to make it even more useful with utilities that are helpful when there's a problem with the computer, or you just need information about the computer. • Belarc Advisor, which is free for home use, is the equivalent of an annual physical exam, X-ray, CAT scan, and psychiatric evaluation for your computer. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002, the electronics sector was being affected by the overall economic problems and Intel's sales were down significantly.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-06-03: Ditching Cable Television, One Year Later. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:35
My wife and I decided to eliminate cable television about a year ago. We wanted to save money, but not lose content. So, did we succeed? In Short Circuits: Firefox isn't the force it once was, but there are good reasons for every computer user to have the browser installed even if it's not the primary browser. • Cheap thumb drives are everywhere. You'll pay just pennies per gigabyte, but are thumb drives still important? Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Criminals had figured out how to steal domain registrations and then sell them back to the owners.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-05-27: Lightroom Classic Has Become The Go-To Application For Photographers. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:49
If some company other than Adobe had created Lightroom Classic, Adobe would have to worry about the future of Photoshop. As it is, Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and some mobile apps from Adobe play exceedingly well together. In Short Circuits: Whether you love or loathe Windows 11, there are probably some annoyances you'd like to fix. Windows 11 Fixer 2.0 is a brilliant solution to many of the annoyances. • As handy as public Wi-Fi hotspots are, they can be dangerous. A few easy techniques can tilt the odds in our favor. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): "Stupid.com" had launched in 2002 and was offering for sale gifts that were decidedly unusual.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-05-20: Everybody Seems To Hate Facebook, But Few Walk Away. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:19
Facebook users seem to complain about the service frequently, but it's difficult to find a competing service that has all of Facebook's features. Perhaps it's impossible. In Short Circuits: Device drivers are essential. Without them, printers, mice, disc players, and keyboards would be nothing more than expensive paperweights. But device drivers are often the cause of problems, too. • The Windows 11 File Explorer sometimes stops responding. It' not a problem for everyone, but it is fairly common. The good news is that there's an easy fix. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2002 I was looking at computer prices from 1982, so let's look back 40 years.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-05-13: Eliminating The Scourge Of Scanned Negatives. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:46
Digitizing film negatives by scanning them will almost always reveal dust spots and may reveal scratches. Fortunately, there's a way to reduce or eliminate these if your scanner and your scanning software support infra-red scanning. In Short Circuits: When you're nervous about installing a new application, the Windows Sandbox offers a way to test the new application without concern, but only with Windows Pro or Enterprise editions. • Adobe Premiere Pro is used by professionals to create full-length motion pictures, but it's also a great choice when you're working with digitized home video tapes. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Batteries have always been a problem with mobile devices. In 2002, technicians were looking for answers.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-05-06: How To Use What's In The Windows System32 Directory To Your Advantage. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 22:27
Of the more than 4700 objects in the Windows System32 directory, around 650 are applications. Some of these are useful tools that that you can use to maintain a clean operating system. But which ones? In Short Circuits: Windows 11 offers organizational techniques that might work better than what you're doing now to find and start applications. • Some Android phones can take a series of photos when they sense motion. This can be helpful, but it can also be confusing. In Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Compaq, the king of portable computers, was being absorbed into Hewlett-packard in 2002.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-04-29: Help! My Router Has Run Out Of Ethernet Ports! Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 16:55
Most routers intended for home and small-office use have four ports. If that's not enough, you can add more with a hub or a switch. What's the difference and how much do these things cost? Let's look. In Short Circuits: Password managers are essential and LastPass offers a family plan that gives up to six family members their own separate accounts and the ability to share information between members, when desired. The most difficult part may be convincing people to use it. • The Vivaldi web browser, which is based on Chrome, has added some improved security features that I appreciate, and you may too. Like nearly all modern browsers, Vivaldi gives users control over cookies, trackers, and ads -- but Vivaldi now also reports results. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Video subsystems have changed much since 2002. Today's low-end graphics subsystems have two to four gigabytes of memory. In 2002, the top-end systems had much less.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-04-22: Three Helpful Hints For Using Windows 11 (Or Windows 10). Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:57
Windows seems to have an infinite number of settings and controls. We all know that the options aren't really infinite, but a lot of them exist. Sometimes making a change can eliminate an annoyance and we'll consider three examples this week. In Short Circuits: When you need to create a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, you can use the Windows Explorer. There's a better choice, though -- ImgBurn has been around since 2005 and was last updated in 2013, but it's still the best way to burn a disc. • If you're annoyed by the screen that appears before the Windows login screen, there's a easy way to make it go away permanently. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Few computer users had UPS units to protect their computers in 2002, and some found out the hard way that they could lose all their data in a flash.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-04-15: It's Time To Install Microsoft's Free, Useful Power Toys. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:56
The latest version of Microsoft's PowerToys is an ongoing project that receives new features regularly and adds useful functionality to Windows 10 and Windows 11. In Short Circuits: 1980s computers could run one program at a time. Then we got the ability to multitask programs and now it's easy to have so many applications running that we encounter the limit of human multitasking. • It's getting harder to tell truth from lies, but when Russia's former KGB agent and current president is seeing a lot of success in sowing distrust among Americans, searching for truth is important. Twenty Years Ago: Customer service is often the weak point for organizations, and I was encountering a lot of it in 2002.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-04-08: Buying A New Computer Is Like .... Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:01
It's a good thing that automobiles aren't sold like computers. Imagine bringing your new car home only to find that you'll need several aftermarket items just to make it work right. In Short Circuits: Microsoft 365 is what Microsoft wants you to use for word processing, number crunching, database operations, presentations, and email. It's the right choice for most people, but there are other options when it's not. • Being lazy is not a character fault. Laziness may help you find a better way to perform a repetitive task, and I do have a real-world example. Twenty Years Ago: The Federal Communications Commission had just proposed a schedule to convert television broadcasts from analog to digital. It was a seven-year process.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-04-01: Random Thoughts On Buying A New Computer. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:33
My wife and I both purchased new computers in March. Mine was 7 years old and ineligible for Windows 11. Hers was 5 years old, ineligible for Windows 11, and had a failing keyboard. The computers are both from the same manufacturer, but otherwise substantially different. In Short Circuits: A computer can be secure, but your privacy may still be at risk. You may be surprised by how little information is needed to uniquely identify an individual. • Usually I'm not a fan of percussive maintenance, but sometimes it gets the job done. Twenty Years Ago: VHS players and tapes weren't yet dead, but they were fading fast.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-03-25: How Fast Can Someone Crack Your Password? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 17:50
You may have seen articles that claim a 7-character password containing numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and symbols "could" be cracked in less than a minute. Longer passwords are better. Using upper- and lower-case letters along with numbers and symbols is also better. But less than a minute? Let's check the logic. In Short Circuits: When it's time to buy a new computer, you probably want it to have all of the programs and data from your old computer on the new one. The easy way to accomplish that is with LapLink's PCmover. • If you're the kind of person who enjoys sifting through population and demographic data, you're going to have fun on the World Population Review website. Twenty Years Ago: If you wanted a Bluetooth enabled device, you might be able to add the technology to an existing device, but it wasn't cheap.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-03-18: How To Scan Film Negatives With A Digital Camera. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:14
Today we'll revisit the process of converting film negatives to digital images, but this time the main focus (Sorry!) is medium-format film. Even if you don't have any medium-format negatives, there's information that works for 35mm negatives. In Short Circuits: Are you frustrated by Windows 11's inability to display the day on the Task Bar? Well, surprise! You can restore the day name if you want to. • If crooks can associate a SIM card they have access to with your phone, they can drain your bank account. This is a good problem to avoid. Twenty Years Ago: Nobody had a GPS unit in their pocket in 2002, but direction-finding applications were beginning to appear.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-03-11: Forcing Microsoft Word To Work The Way You Want It To. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:24
Whether you love Microsoft Word or detest it, you probably use it. It's possible to customize Word so that it works the way you want it to, but the settings aren't always obvious or easy to find. In Short Circuits: Just about everyone has seen the "we couldn't deliver your package" email scam that's usually intended to steal your login credentials or to install malware on your computer. There's now a multi-part scam that's intended to clean out your entire bank account. If you fall for it, there's no way to get your money back. • A Danish organization, the Human Library, says its goal is to eliminate stereotypes by making it possible for people to interact with others they might not normally encounter.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-03-04: Saving Facebook Posts And Conversations. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:14
Sometimes there's a post or an IM conversation on Facebook that you'd like to save on your own computer. It's not always easy, but it is always possible. Let's see how. In Short Circuits: The DuckDuckGo search engine doesn't collect or sell user information. Maybe you already use it instead of Google, but there's more from from the duck, including an extension that can be installed in any browser to warn about privacy issues. • Using multi-factor authentication is supposed to ensure that crooks can't steal your credentials because logging in requires a user name, a password, and a code that's delivered separately. Crooks have noticed and they're developing ways to defeat the technology. Twenty Years Ago: New media had encountered some bumpy roads. Ezines were failing and ebooks weren't as popular as many thought they should be. That has changed in the past two decades.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-02-25: System Explorer Gives Users An Inside View Of Windows Computers. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:59
A free utility called System Explorer is like a combination of the Windows Task Manager and System Resource Monitor with an application uninstaller, security monitor, startup manager, and more tossed in for good measure. In Short Circuits: Domains housed on shared servers can be added to email blacklists if there's just one bad actor on the server. This can affect people who use their internet service provider's email system, too. There's a way to avoid the problem and it costs nothing to implement. • Four and a half years ago, Equifax suffered the largest data breach in history. Recently victims who signed up for free credit monitoring finally received instructions for how to use it. Twenty Years Ago: The Foveon digital camera sensor was intended to change everything. The technology is still in use, but not as a major player.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-02-18: Do You (Still) Need A VPN? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 23:24
Virtual private networks can protect your computer and your data, but they can also lead to a false sense of security. So, do you really need one? In Short Circuits: If you read last week's post, you know how to find out what Amazon knows about you. This week, let's consider what Google knows about you. There's no single form to fill out to ask for the information, but there are lots of places you can look. • What do you think we'll see in 2022 other than more variants of covid? Several technologies that aren't exactly new look like they're bubbling toward general acceptance. Twenty Years Ago: It seemed that just about everyone with a Palm organizer had downloaded Bejeweled.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-02-11: Saving And Sharing Memories With Digitized Film, Photos, Video, And Audio. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 24:11
The pandemic may keep us isolated for a while yet, so if you have old negatives, prints, movies, video tapes, and even audio tapes around the house, now would be a great time to start digitizing and sharing them. In Short Circuits: If you've ever wondered what Amazon knows about you, you can find out by just asking. Beware that you'll be buried under a huge pile of data that's seemingly designed not to be helpful • Changes to the user interface for Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 are minor, but there are some hidden gems. It's also easy to switch between the old interface and the new, so you won't be locked in if you object to the changes. Twenty Years Ago: Speech recognition, which was last week's main topic, was also a topic in 2002. It was primitive by today's standards, but we were beginning to understand how a well-designed automated attendant system could handle routine issues.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-02-04: Speech Recognition — Who Does It Best? Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:18
Speech recognition is getting better and even the systems that are built in to Windows, the MacOS, and Android do a remarkably good job. I've been wondering if there's a clear winner among the three, so let's look. In Short Circuits: People who make advertisements, entertainment programs, and other media that keep us from going berserk during the pandemic are also affected by the pandemic. What are their attitudes in 2022? • Liker, launched in 2018 to compete with Facebook, was hacked and shut down in early 2021. It's finally back as "Tribel", but it has a long way to go to catch up with Facebook. Twenty Years Ago: In 2002, a 1GB CompactFlash card for professional photographers was exciting, even at $1000. Now you can buy a secure digital card that's more than 100 times larger at one-tenth the price.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-01-28: Vivaldi's Valiant Versatility Is Verifiably Vigorous. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 20:09
The Vivaldi web browser is perhaps the most customizable browser available. If you'd like a browser that can be adjusted to work the way you want it to, take a look. In Short Circuits: When you need to use Safe mode in Windows, getting there can be a challenge. Making a few changes to some settings will provide immediate access at boot time. • If you think IBM invented the business computer, you're wrong. The first business computer was put into service a little over 70 years ago in England, several years ahead of US business usage. Twenty Years Ago: In 2002, tech pundits were saying that WordPerfect 5.1, the best of the DOS-based word processors, couldn't be installed on Windows XP. They were wrong.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-10-08: Password Managers Versus Two-Factor Authentication. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:37
Security is becoming more important than ever. Using two-factor authentication is wise for any site that offers it. Microsoft enhances security by doing away with passwords, but password managers are still essential. In Short Circuits: If you have a slow internet connection, it might not be the service provider's fault. Modems, routers, cables, and even the computer's Ethernet adapter or Wi-Fi adapter can cause problems. • In addition to passwords as noted in this week's lead article, biometric authentication is being used more. That trend will continue. In Spare Parts (only on the website): How much time do you spend removing junk applications from a new computer? Probably more than you should, yet manufacturers insist on bundling unwanted bits with their new systems. • A bit less than 600 days ago, before we were aware of what would become the covid pandemic, government agencies at all levels had security problems. Today it's worse. • Twenty years ago: Many modem manufacturers had gone out of business, but MultiTech persisted by developing systems for the future.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-10-01: Picking A Central Processing Unit For Your New Computer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:49
The central processing unit is the single most important component in a computer. That's not to denigrate all the other components because they're essential, too, but selecting the right CPU is a good first step when you're planning to buy or build a new computer. In Short Circuits: Internet service providers include a modem with the service, but you'll pay $10 to $15 per month to rent it. It's possible to save money by installing a modem that you own, but there's also a small risk involved. • Scammers use email, instant messages, and phone calls to steal your identity and your money, but some of the attempts are so poor that it's hard to believe anyone would fall for them. Let's listen to one. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Linux turned 30 in August, but I have stopped asking if this is the year of Linux. Anyone who uses the internet uses Linux every day, but don't expect it to take over the desktop anytime soon. Or ever. • After weeks of research, tinkering, and muttering, I have definitively found the cause of the problem that caused my primary computer to crash repeatedly. I should have figured it out sooner. • Twenty years ago: If you think computers are frustrating today, I have a story from 2001 that you may find to be reminiscent of problems you faced back then.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Online searching can be more productive with the right search engine for the current task, and query options can narrow the search to return more accurate results. In Short Circuits: Scammers demanding payment like to use email messages that they claim have come from your computer. They're lying, of course. Let's see how. • Microsoft Word comes with a lot of built-in annoyances. Most of them are easy to fix, but one requires a lot more effort than it should. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft has a function that tries to prevent users from installing unwanted apps, but now it's turned on by default. • Command line functions may seem like remnants of the ancient past, but several are handy and even those who have never used a command line can benefit from them. • Twenty years ago: I was ecstatic when thinking about replacing an old-style CRT monitor with a "huge" 18-inch flat-panel monitor.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-09-17: Serif Boosts Performance For Affinity Apps. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:31
Affinity applications from Serif continue to improve and are good alternatives to Adobe applications for users who don't need the video, audio, animation, and numerous other applications that are part of Adobe's Creative Cloud. In Short Circuits: Heat is death to computers, and high CPU temperatures have been causing my primary computer to halt without warning. Having determined that the problem was heat, not something else, I've been looking for a solution. • Maybe you're thinking about buying a new camera. The mirrorless types are selling well and even Canon and Nikon have mirrorless models. What makes them so popular? Let's look. In Spare Parts (only on the website): It's official: Windows 11 will start being deployed to eligible computers on 5 October, but the phased process won't be complete until the middle of next year. • Readers can choose ebooks or printed books. Each choice has certain advantages and a lot of people plan to stick with physical books. • Twenty years ago: I was in Boston on 11 September 2001. Being unable to go anywhere, we continued with the Corel World conference and I tried to figure out how to get home when the event ended.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-09-10: Finding A Most Elusive Computer Problem. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:43
When a computer problem continues to re-emerge after each attempt to fix it, users have a couple of choices: Buy a new computer and all peripherals (a bit expensive) or keep looking for the cause of the issue (a bit time consuming). In Short Circuits: Heat kills electronics, but computer manufacturers keep cramming more components into smaller spaces and running them at faster speeds, so keeping a computer cool can be a challenge. • Are you looking forward to Windows 11 with anticipation or concern? Much remains the same, some changes appear to be based on the MacOS, and you'll undoubtedly find features you hate among those you like. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The dangers of supply chain attacks aren't limited to businesses; even home computer users can be caught in malware from scammers. • Virtual reality headsets. Facebook thinks users should wear them. Are you in or out? • Twenty years ago: Digital Equipment Corporation had been absorbed by Compaq in 1998, and I was wondering if anyone still remembered the one-time leader in minicomputers.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
If you're frustrated with the current crop of browsers, how about giving Vivaldi a try? It may be the most customizable browser available, and it has a lot of features that make it easy to use. In Short Circuits: Scammers run the gamut from just plain stupid to brilliant. Most are somewhere in the middle, capable of producing scams with clever ways to separate people from their money or their data, but not quite smart enough to make their attempts entirely convincing. • Users of Backup and Sync from Google are already seeing alerts about the upcoming Drive for Desktop. The new version can be installed now, and there are good reasons for doing it sooner rather than later. In Spare Parts (only on the website): There are several ways to store your vaccination record on a smart phone, and any of the options will be better than carrying the CDC card around. • Companies want more and more of our personal data, but we consumers are beginning to push back. • Twenty years ago: It looked like the "new media" would be driven by "old media", but a lot has changed since 2001.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-08-27: Delaying Startup Application Speeds Computer Startup. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:19
Many Microsoft processes start with Windows, some applications have settings to start them at boot time, and you may have added some of your own. Sometimes it's possible to decrease the time required to start the computer by delaying certain auto-start applications. There are apps for this. In Short Circuits: Using a search engine without looking carefully at the results can put your computer in danger, particularly when a "data void" exists. When only a few results are returned, beware. • Remember August 12, 1981? That's the day the IBM PC was released, and the process of changing just about everything began. Apple and others were selling home computers earlier, but IBM was the name that made it OK for businesses to welcome desktop computers into their offices. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The computer chip shortage that's affected automobile and computer manufacturing is now causing problems for smart phone makers. • I ordered a new computer in December 1988. It was a remarkable device, an 80286 computer that could be upgraded to use an 80386 processor. It was from Wells American. And it crashed, but not the way you think. There's a story behind that. • Twenty years ago: It looked like Bluetooth technology had a future, but it was off to a slow start.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
This week's podcast is all about replacing cable television with streaming options, starting with a look at over-the-air options, streaming devices, and streaming services. In Short Circuits: We'll continue by considering what's involved in setting up a streaming device, adding a streaming service to it, and establishing your preferred channels. • Then let's think about the hoops you'll have to jump through to convince you cable provider that you no longer want their television offerings. In Spare Parts (only on the website): There are lots of hidden features that come with video streaming, so I'll mention a few that seem useful. • Trying to avoid what seemed like a difficult project kept me connected to cable television for too long. If you're wary of the work involved, let me refer you to a few websites that can help. • Twenty years ago: Egghead, which closed all of its stores in 1998 and became Egghead.com, went out of business in 2001 and sold assets to Fry's.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-08-13: Dealing With Spam And Scams By Ignoring Them. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:18
Spams and scams have been with us virtually from when the internet became available to the general public, but the threats are more severe than they've ever been and finding a way to reduce the volume has never been more important. In Short Circuits: Like the man who wasn't there (the 1983 film, not the 2001 motion picture of the same name) it's difficult to protect against something you can't detect, and that's a real threat on the internet. • The Windows PowerToys app was introduced with Windows 95, became dormant for more than a decade, and is now back with useful features for Windows 10. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Windows 11 might be released in October, or not. Bleeping Computer tries to read tea leaves in Microsoft messages. • If you ever need to find your Windows product key and can't locate the documentation or a label, there's an easy way to ask the computer for it. • Twenty years ago: High-speed internet without wires wasn't high speed by today's standards. Metricom's Ricochet service was one of the first to try, but it never really got off the ground.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-08-06: Checking For Spyware On Your Computer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:48
We've heard a lot about spyware recently because it's been found on phones owned by world leaders and journalists, but they're not the only targets. And it's not just phones that are at risk. In Short Circuits: Perhaps you know about medium-format digital cameras and think that you should upgrade to one. There are lots of technical benefits, but you might be surprised by the downsides. • We're drowning in disinformation, lies, misinformation, and deepfake videos. Technological safeguards are being developed, but the best protection is still critical thinking. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Solid-state disk drives are fast and small, but we shouldn't count mechanical drives out just yet. Some gigantic drives are on the horizon. • Those who have monitors and video subsystems that support high dynamic range will enjoy improved brightness, color, and contrast when they enable it in Windows. • Twenty years ago: The internet wasn't in every restaurant, store, and coffee shop, but McDonald's had started introducing it in some stores at $6 per hour.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-07-30: Fix Context Menus with The Glary Context Menu Manager. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:38
Right-clicking a file, directory, or disk drive displays what Microsoft calls a context menu that offers actions you might want to take with the object. It's a relatively sparse list initially, but a lot of applications add actions that you might not want. It's possible to shorten an uncomfortably long list. In Short Circuits: The early preview of Windows 11 is now on one of my computers. Considering this is a "Dev Channel" version, it includes a surprisingly small number of nasty bugs. • Much of the promise of 5G cellular technology is based on the presumption that it will be ubiquitous. For that to happen, providers will need to install a huge number of what are called "small cells" -- maybe 45 million of them in the next decade. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Spyware is nasty stuff, but it's here to stay. • In the not too distant future, you might be able to order a hamburger that doesn't require a cow to be slaughtered and yet isn't made from plants. Say hello to "cultured meat". • Twenty years ago: I was introduced to DiskOnKey at Showstoppers, a program that wasn't part of PC Expo but ran one evening during the big show. DiskOnKey was what we would later call a thumb drive, and it was revolutionary.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-07-23: Windows 11 Is Coming, Ready Or Not. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:34
In June, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 is on the way, and the first preview is out now for those in the Windows Insider Dev Channel. Not all computers that run Windows 10 will be able to run Windows 11, so let's take a look. In Short Circuits: 4G cellular systems became the dominant technology in just a few years, and it looks like adoption of 5G will be even faster. • Should software developers wait until the code is perfect before releasing operating systems or applications? Short answer: No. In Spare Parts (only on the website): An executive order from the president aims to make it easier for consumers to get faulty devices repaired, to re-establish Net Neutrality, and to address several other consumer issues. • If you feel like your company is demanding that you do more in less time, you're not alone. • Twenty years ago: Online grocer Webvan had just announced that it had laid off its remaining 2000 employees, shut down, and would file for bankruptcy. Nobody wanted to buy groceries online back then. What a difference 20 years and a pandemic make!…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-07-16: Glary Utilities 5 Might Be The Best Way To Clean Your Computer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:43
Perhaps you've used CCleaner for years to clean your computer, but Glary Utilities looks like a better choice. Let's see what it can do. In Short Circuits: Regardless what developers do to protect data on computers, criminals find ways to steal it. Windows 11 will be more security aware, but there may still be a need for other measures. • If asked to name the top cellular providers, you'd probably name Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT and T, but there are others and you might get both lower costs and better service with one you may never have heard of. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A column in the New York Times asks why Microsoft didn't put itself out of business with a series of bad moves. The proposed answer is interesting. • Have you received a "vishing" call or email? Not "phishing", but "vishing". It's just another danger to watch out for. • Twenty years ago: Bluetooth had been in development for a while and it was beginning to take off in 2001. Frost and Sullivan's UK branch said 4.2 million products using Bluetooth technology would be shipped to market by the end of the year. They predicted that number would exceed one billion by 2006. Did it happen?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-07-09: When Windows Search Is Insufficient, Send In Agent Ransack. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:11
No matter how carefully you organize files on your computer, there's at least a small chance that someday you won't be able to find a file you need. Fortunately, the free Agent Ransack can find it for you, and do it quickly. In Short Circuits: Scammers are limited in the types of attacks they can use, so they have to keep coming up with new presentations. Airline scams are in. • Most Windows computer users have the Task bar at the bottom of the screen. There are good reasons to put it at the top of the screen, though, even for those who prefer having it at the bottom. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Western Digital My Book Live devices, which haven't been produced for the last six years, are in danger of being compromised. • Upgrading to Windows 11 may require a visit to the computer's BIOS settings and some computers don't have a security chip that will be required for the new version of the operating system. • Twenty years ago: I've always enjoyed the irony that, after spending a week at PC Expo in New York City, I bought a Mac to bring home.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-07-02: Built-In Alternatives To Separate Windows Applications. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:04
I'm a big fan of little utility programs because they usually do just one job, but do it very well. Windows 10 has a lot of built-in functions that you can use instead of spending time, and possibly money, installing extra applications. I have a few examples. In Short Circuits: Crooks will do anything to mislead us, including making websites that look like sites operated by banks and businesses. Now it's easy for them to create realistic looking domain names by using letters from other languages that look like English letterforms. • In this week's main article, we looked at some built-in Windows 10 functions that perform jobs you might be planning to use a utility for. Not every built-in function is a good choice, though, and I'll describe one. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft has plans for Windows 11 and the panic among some users is both palpable and silly. • When internet speeds seem slow, your ISP will probably insist that you use their speed text, but getting second, third, and fourth opinions can be helpful. • Twenty years ago: There were predictions that France's Minitel system would soon be replaced by the internet. It was eventually, but not until 2012.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-01-21: Why I Dumped Microsoft Outlook And How. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 21:09
Outlook is probably the most used email application other than Google's webmail client, but that doesn't mean it's the one people like the most. A few weeks ago, Outlook created a problem that required me to use Thunderbird temporarily. The temporary change quickly became permanent. In Short Circuits: Other than not using the internet at all, there's no way to eliminate scam phone calls, SMS messages, and emails. Defenses do exist though, and we'll look at some. • If you or someone you know is named Alexa, you might be amused by Amazon's assistant, but you're probably not amused. A Washington Post reporter tells the story. In 20 Years Ago: Apple liked to say that the Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, was so easy to use that it needed no manual. In 2002, when I was learning to use my first Mac, that seemed inaccurate.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-01-14: If You Need To Explain Anything On A Computer, SnagIt! Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 19:20
Every modern computer operating system has a built-in way to capture information that's on the screen, but if you need more than a basic screen shot, SnagIt is the right choice. In Short Circuits: Adobe's Creative Cloud Express is free for anyone to use, and it works online via a web browser or with apps on Windows, MacOS, IOS, and Android. • You'll find lots of ways to get information from people who don't suspect that they're giving away the details scammers need to steal one's identity on Facebook. In Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): TechSmith's SnagIt was the lead story in 2002, and the 12-year-old application was already improving every year.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2022-01-07: VLC — The Most Versatile Media Player Available. Short Circuits. Twenty Years Ago. 18:51
It's not uncommon to think of the VLC media player as a video player. It plays video files, DVDs, and Blu-ray disks, but it can also play internet audio, CDs, and network files. And if you need to convert video or audio from one format to another, it does that, too. In Short Circuits: The 2022 update to Adobe Illustrator has several welcome and worthwhile additions and improvements, but huge improvements to 3D functionality are the big story. • Windows 11 users will find monthly updates are faster because downloaded files are considerably smaller. In Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): I was hearing a lot of questions about whether it would be wise to upgrade to Windows 95 in 2002. I said that it depends, thus proving that some things just never change.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
This week's podcast is brief, just 4 minutes long, with some year-end thoughts and a quick look at changes you'll hear starting on 7 Jan 2022.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
This is one of two weeks every year that TechByter goes silent. The link is to last week's podcast.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-11-17: Scammers Are Getting Better; So Must We. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:22
The most accomplished software developers work hard to improve their skills. Sadly, this is also true of the best scammers. If you want to protect yourself and your data, it's important to update your skills, too. In Short Circuits: People who speak more than one language are often more mentally adept, and the best time to learn a language is during the first few years of life. So a Cleveland company working with Children's Hospital in Columbus is developing a way to give children a boost toward bilingualism in their first year. • Collaboration was big before the Covid pandemic, became more important during the past two years, and is now an essential function for many office workers. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Clippy makes a return to Windows 11, but not an an annoyance. Clippy, whose real name is Clippit, returns only as an emoji. • Electric vehicles are still a hard sell for people worried about how to charge them, but that's beginning to change. • Twenty years ago: At the end of 2001, I noted that if you wanted a top-of-the-line computer for 2002 -- one with a 2GHz CPU -- you'd probably need to spend $3000 or more.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-11-10: Adobe's Photo Apps Continue To Improve. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:40
All of the apps in Adobe's $10-per-month photo plan received updates at this year's Adobe Max conference, and time-saving artificial intelligence tools continue to lead the way. In Short Circuits: Far too many people operate computers without any defined backup system in place. This is unwise, particularly when free backup applications exist. • Although health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid cover the full cost of Covid tests, you may want the convenience of rapid in-home testing. Some organizations provide them for free, and costs are dropping if you have to pay for a kit. In Spare Parts (only on the website): According to Fakespot, more than 30% of online product reviews are phony. • People looking to stream episodes of the Netflix hit "Squid Game" often end up downloading malware instead. • Twenty years ago: I was cautiously optimistic about the future of big tech trade shows such as PC Expo. That optimism was largely misplaced.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-11-26: Photos Can Wear A Mask With Exposure X7. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:36
Exposure X7 comes with several new ways to create and modify masks. Although that is clearly the most important enhancement in this version, there's lots more to like. In Short Circuits: Macros help computer users perform tasks easily and accurately, from complex activities that involve multiple applications to simply replacing what are essentially abbreviations with much longer sections of text. • The Vivaldi web browser continues to add customizations that make it even more versatile. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The old GM plant at Lordstown, Ohio, is being sold to Foxconn, the company that manufactures IPhones. The goal is still to build electric trucks there. • Adobe's most recent acquisition, Frame.io, is expected to speed the development of videos by providing cloud-based collaborative editing. • Twenty years ago: Apple announced the IPod in October and started selling them in November. Ten years later, they sold the 100 millionth device, and they're still selling IPods today.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
This is one of two weeks every year that TechByter goes silent. The link is to last week's podcast.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-11-19: Installing Windows 11 On Unsupported Hardware. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:07
If your computer isn't eligible for Windows 11 but you'd really like to have Windows 11, there are ways to install it on most computers that run Windows 10. Microsoft won't stop you, but they also won't help you. In Short Circuits: Because of privacy concerns, Facebook says it will no longer use facial recognition when users post photos and videos. • Scammers are sending email messages that tell people their antivirus subscriptions have been renewed for absurdly high prices. They're hoping recipients will call so they can be conned into handing over credit card information. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft's new Power Toys utility has just added a feature that helps users locate the mouse cursor. • Tesla had to push out emergency patches to about 12 thousand cars in late October after a previous update created a problem that could result in unexpected emergency braking. • Twenty years ago: Amazon and NBC had set up a system in which the TV network offered books and CDs related to their shows, and then sent viewers to Amazon. It wasn't exactly a success.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-11-12: MAXing Out Adobe's Newest Magic. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:06
For the second year in a row, the covid pandemic transformed Adobe MAX from an exciting in-person event to an exciting virtual event. We'll take a look at some of the updates released at Max. In Short Circuits: If you think you'll never be involved in a data breach, think again. It's entirely too easy to have your information stolen even if you do nothing wrong. • A small utility called TrayStatus can display the status of certain computer settings in the Tray. That much should be obvious, but it does a lot more. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft is introducing a new and better Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, and it's better for consumers -- not just for Microsoft. • Social engineering continues to be one of the most successful tools that scammers can use. Caution continues to be the primary defense. • Twenty years ago: Digital camera manufacturers were rushing to create the perfect consumer camera -- one that would create two-megapixel images and cost no more than $1000. Today you could buy a digital camera with far better resolution for less than $50.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-11-05: Adjusting The Windows Start Menu To Work The Way You Prefer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:56
The Windows 11 Start menu differs quite a bit in appearance from Windows 10. Those who want to manipulate Start in Windows 11 manually can use the same procedures that worked in Windows 10, but you don't have to. Windows 11 Start finally gets this operation right. In Short Circuits: Anyone who owns a Windows computer has at least one disk drive that's formatted as NTFS, but is this the right file system for other connected devices? • I'm a fan of utility applications. Recently I encountered System Ninja, which appears deceptively simple but comes with a lot of power even though it's free. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The governor of Missouri says he wants to sue the St. Louis Post-Dispatch because the newspaper alerted the state to a security problem and then printed the story. • Shoppers are worried that supply chain and delivery delays will create problems with holiday gifts this year, so some started shopping in early October. • Twenty years ago: Iomega's high-capacity backup disks were hot, but the market was about to start cooling.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-10-29: Text Editors Are Useful Even For Non-Programmers. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:57
Software developers need text editors. These applications are also helpful for anyone who needs to look inside binary files. Even if you never perform any of those tasks, a text editor might still be useful. In Short Circuits: Windows 11 has been generally available for about four weeks. If it's already on your computer, there are some settings you may want to check. • How many people have uttered the words "I'm leaving Facebook" in the past few weeks? Most of them are probably still Facebook users because the service is really hard to leave. In Spare Parts (only on the website): According to a New York Times article, Facebook is moving to restrict access to some of its internal discussion groups. • Most malware, and ransomware in particular, come from the former Soviet countries. That's probably not a surprise, but The Guardian has a worthwhile report. • Twenty years ago: Windows XP and Apple's OSX 10.1 were both released about the same time.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-10-22: Using Facebook For Your Advantage, Not Mark Zuckerberg's. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:36
Facebook is the service we love to hate, or maybe hate to love. There are ways to make Facebook work to your advantage, not Facebook's. We'll explore some of them. In Short Circuits: Sometimes an external disk that's connected to a computer may enter standby mode. Although a Windows setting should keep that from happening, it doesn't always work. There's an alternative that does. • Advertisers use certain key words to interest potential buyers. It's not too surprising that scammers have found words that help then run their cons. In Spare Parts (only on the website): First, a quick look at a transparent scam -- one that's beyond laughable. • A survey says that more than 80% of workers like the idea of automation. Do you buy that? • Twenty years ago: USB 2.0 had just been released, and it was considerably faster than the original.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-10-15: Manage Your Computer's Disk Drives with AOMEI Partition Assistant. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:12
Windows includes a Disk Management application that can be used to define partitions, create logical drives, format drives, change drive letters, and more. But that's not always enough. Let's take a look at AOMEI's Partition Assistant and see how even the free version offers more. In Short Circuits: Microsoft has been working to replace the Control Panel with a Settings app for the past nine years. Windows 11 brings that process much closer to completion. • Two months ago, I described the process of eliminating the television part of our home's cable service. Now it's time to review the results and see if the decision was a good one. In Spare Parts (only on the website): YouTube at last has decided to block anti-vaccine videos and ban accounts of the idiots who claim the vaccines that have saved lives for nearly a century are dangerous. • Holiday shopping for high-tech devices may be derailed this year by a shortage of computer chips, so maybe you'll have to go low-tech instead. • Twenty years ago: The Palm Pilot was hot in 2001. Everybody wanted one. Then smart phones arrived, and personal digital assistants became unnecessary.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-06-25: Tracking Down A Bizarre Problem Scientifically. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:35
Tracking down problems with a computer is usually a multi-step process of developing conjectures that lead to hypotheses and eventually to a valid theory. The first conjecture is sometimes right, but more often it's not. I'll describe a recent puzzler. In Short Circuits: Ransomware may be less of a threat to individuals than it used to be, but "less of a threat" doesn't mean "no threat". We still have to be cautious. • Firefox's market share has dropped from 30% a decade ago to around 7% now, but the browser still has loyal advocates -- and with good reason. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A global computer chip shortage is creating havoc in the automotive industry and elsewhere, but missteps by car and truck manufacturers have made the problem worse for them. • I found a picture of what was probably my first portable computer from 1988. It's on display. • Twenty years ago: PC Expo had just concluded. The dot-com implosion made the show a lot smaller, but darker times were coming.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-06-18: Maybe It's Time To Improve Your Photography Game. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:55
There has never been a better time to be an amateur photographer. The ranks of professional photographers have been decimated as this industry becomes another to fall victim to powers that personal computers give ordinary people. In Short Circuits: This week's security section considers drive-by website attacks and how we can avoid having our computers taken over by malware. • Internet Explorer will finally be dead a year from now. You should already be using another browser but as of mid-June 2022 you won't have much choice. In Spare Parts (only on the website):Microsoft seems to be working on "virtual Windows" -- the ability to run Windows on cloud-based computers via a "thin client". It's back to the 1980s for the future of the 2020s. • Cryptomining is lucrative and that's why crooks want to take over your computer and have it work for them. • Twenty years ago: The Degree Confluence Project had just started to capture images from locations where one-degree intersections of latitude and longitude occurred. They're still working on it.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-06-11: For Critical Tasks, Sometimes You Have To Pay Less. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:39
Sometimes the best software choice is an application that's been created by a developer who offers it for free, or just for a donation. Let's consider some of those today. In Short Circuits: Watch out for viscous PUPs. No, this isn't going to be an anti-dog tirade, but an explanation of how to avoid potentially unwanted programs. • Have you ever felt that your internet service provider doesn't really care about the quality of the service you're getting? Individual complaints may go nowhere, but there's power in collective complaining. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The covid pandemic was a disaster, no matter how you look at it, but some people managed to update their skills during the past year. • Version 89 of Firefox, released at the end of May, has a more modern appearance, faster operation, and improved security. • Twenty years ago: I was amazed by being able to talk to my older daughter in Columbus while I was heading for San Ysidro from San Diego on a trolley. That would still be unusual today because seemingly only a few people actually use mobile phones to make phone calls.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-06-04: Camtasia 2021 Adds Powerful Features For Smart Looking Videos. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:16
TechSmith's Camtasia is an essential tool for anyone who creates how-to videos, online product demonstrations, video lessons, or presentations. The 2021 version adds some powerful new features. In Short Circuits: The second item in a series of articles on security takes a look at malware, adware, and other nasties, then suggests some protective measures. • Although the technology link might be a bit week, let's consider a television program that had time travel even before Doctor Who and still has a loyal following nearly 60 years after its last episode aired. In Spare Parts (only on the website): As we begin to shed some pandemic precautions, it appears that consumers want retail stores to continue delivery, online purchases with curbside pick-up, and other conveniences that became common in the past year. • Possibly another result of the pandemic is that now more individuals and families are budgeting income and expenses. • Twenty years ago: A new program called IncrediMail had just launched, and it represented a new way to send messages.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-05-28: A Clever Concept Ruined By Ignorant Firmware Design. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:15
Buying a $200 film scanner doesn't come without risk, I wanted something that would make quick work of some old medium-format film and this cheap scanner would have done an acceptable job if the designers had done the right thing. In Short Circuits: The first in a series of security posts will consider steps you can take to safeguard a Wi-Fi router. • Microsoft has released Windows 10 version 21H1, but waiting a month or two before installing it seems wise. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Where you live has some effect on the internet speed you can get. The United States is below normal overall, and there are wide variances within the country. • There's a new data breach seemingly about every other day, so it's important to see if your email address or phone number has been compromised and, if so, to take protective actions. • Twenty years ago: Voice recognition in 2001 was still new and some systems involved having humans transcribe speech.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-05-21: When You Are The Support Department For Friends And Family. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:36
Those who know more about how computers work than their friends and family do are often called on to answer questions and provide help. Helping even nearby friends can be a problem because social distancing is still recommended, but if that person is halfway across the country, you need a way to see what's on your friend's computer. In Short Circuits: Because spams and scams are fascinating, I sometimes deconstruct them to see what makes them tick. If you're more interested in just avoiding the things, consider this recommendation: Any email must be assumed to be a con until it proves that it's not. • Whether you know it or not, you probably have a scanner in your pocket, and that's something that can be quite useful. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe Creative Cloud users who also use Google Docs or Google Slides in Google Workspace will find that the systems now connect with each other. • When the PR people forget to check with the technicians, embarrassing mistakes can happen such as that in a recent email from the Mozilla Foundation • Twenty years ago: Both Gateway and Juno had just settled with the Federal Trade Commission over use of the word "free".…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-05-14: Taking A Closer Look At Photoshop's Neural Filters. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:02
Adobe Photoshop's Neural Filters have been in place for about six months and more will probably be added at or before this year's Adobe Max. These are tools that can perform effects that are close to magic. In Short Circuits: As important as diagnostic utilities are for figuring out what's wrong with a computer, sometimes lower-tech tools help, too. Sight, sound, and smell can provide early warnings about problems. • Continuing that low-tech line of thought, being comfortable when using a computer depends on things we rarely give much thought to. In Spare Parts (only on the website): When spaces between the keys on a keyboard fill with junk, you can pull out the keys and vacuum the space below, but there's another option you may not have considered. • A shortage of computer chips will result in more dirty dogs, fewer new automobiles, and a variety of other unanticipated and seemingly unrelated problems. • Twenty years ago: Linux was one of the featured products at the 2001 edition of PC Expo. I was preparing to attend what would be the last of the big shows.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-05-07: Block Google FLoC Tracking With A DuckDuckGo Chrome Extension. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 15:30
Google will be eliminating third-party cookies for those who use the Chrome browser and replacing them with Federated Learning of Cohorts, which many privacy experts say is just as bad and possibly worse. In Short Circuits: If you're tired of having websites constantly pop up messages asking for your permission to push notifications to you, most browsers have a way to make it stop. • Adobe Stock is offering a limited number of completely free photo and video resources, but it seems more likely to be a way to introduce new users to the paid stock offerings. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Having digital copies of medical IDs on a phone will helpful if you need care when your wallet has been lost or stolen, but it's even better if you have the information online where you can retrieve it from any computer. Good security is essential. • It's likely that hybrid education will continue for a while, and many businesses seemingly have no plans to ever restore full-time in-office requirements for employees. • Twenty years ago: Following the dot-com melt-down, there were some encouraging signs for high tech, but no shortage of problems remained.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-04-30: Using Social Fixer To Fix Facebook Frustrations. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:01
Despite its many useful features, Facebook includes a plethora of dangers, frustrations, and annoyances. A browser plug-in has been making Facebook less annoying for years, a new version works with Facebook's latest updates, and the developer is now designing an app that will bring some of the features to phones and tablets. In Short Circuits: Maybe you've seen suggestions for improving Windows networking speeds with a simple Registry tweak. The good news is that the tweak doesn't harm anything, but the bad news is that it also doesn't do much to improve things. • It may seem like email has been around forever, but it was invented just 50 years ago and it didn't become widely available until 30 years ago. In Spare Parts (only on the website): In an effort to become an important player in medical computing, Microsoft is acquiring Nuance. • A survey suggests that about half of US students are concerned about school safety and the ability of school administrators to deal with threats. • Twenty years ago: A small organization in Toronto launched Naked News. It's still around, but most of the news has been replaced by feature stories and there are no longer weather reports.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-04-23: 5G Will Be Fast, But Progresses Slowly. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:43
Cellular providers boast that 75% of the US already has 5G coverage, but there's more than a little hyperbole there, and Russia is doing everything it can to discourage development in the US. In Short Circuits: You've probably used Google Translate, but there's a competing service from Germany that might be worth trying. • In 1992, Microsoft introduced Windows for Workgroups. The revolutionary Windows 95 was still a few years in the future, but Windows 3.11 finally offered useful features and better reliability. In Spare Parts (only on the website): It's possible to marginally improve a Windows 10 computer's speed with changes to some of the system settings. The improvements are usually modest, but perceptible. • It's questionable whether offices will ever be fully populated again, but collaboration spaces may be the next step for workers. • Twenty years ago: 3Com was in serious trouble and had begun the death spiral that saw it being acquired by HP about eight years later.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-04-16: How To Recover If Your Facebook Account Has Been Cloned. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:31
When somebody tells you that they've received a new friend request from you on Facebook and you know you haven't sent one, you may think your account has been hacked. That's probably not the case. The account has probably been cloned, and that problem is easy to fix. In Short Circuits: Would you be surprised that scammers target people who follow a police department's Facebook page? That seems like something that should be a surprise, but of course it isn't. We'll get the rest of the story from Lieutenant Tim Cotton of the Bangor Police Department. • Which will occur first: The paperless office or the paperless bathroom? What about the cashless society? In Spare Parts (only on the website): LastPass has severely limited the usability of its free service, but some of the competing programs are still free. • Comcast's Internet Essentials program for low-income families now has more than 10 million users. • Twenty years ago: It was time for networking the computers at my house. Even though I wasn't on the leading edge, setting up a home network then was a lot harder than it is today.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-04-09: What To Look For In A Solid State Drive To Replace A Mechanical Drive. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:45
Any time spent waiting for a computer is wasted. Computer speed is a factor of its several components, but many applications can be bogged down by a slow disk drive. In Short Circuits: Windows 10 includes some deprecated features and services. These can be eliminated, and it's easy to do. • The National Institutes of Health has established "All of Us", a medical research project that uses data from participants to find ways to treat and prevent disease, and may also give those who enroll useful information about themselves. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Consumer Reports magazine accuses Comcast of taking unfair advantage of subscribers who are working from home. • Microsoft is renovating part of its huge campus in Redmond, Washington, and all heating and cooling needs will be served by deep underground wells. • Twenty years ago: AT and T was offering an "unlimited" internet plan for $7 per month, but the company defined "unlimited" as 150 hours per month.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-04-02: Key Steps For Data And Identity Security. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:45
Security threats surround us. Several months ago, I signed up for a Liker account as a possible alternative to Facebook. In mid-March, Liker abruptly shut down because of a serious data breach. They say they'll be back when they've reworked their code to be more secure. Threats can come from anywhere. In Short Circuits: When it's time to replace a computer monitor, you might consider a television because you can get a larger screen for a lower price, but should you? • If you use an application that shows the temperature of your computer's CPU, you may wonder why there's so much fluctuation and why the various cores don't all report the same temperatures. If so, I have just the information you're seeking. In Spare Parts (only on the website): If you're considering a Windows S Mode computer, be sure that you understand the limitations, and if you have one of these computers, there's a way to remove the restrictions if you find them too limiting. • Buying Apple products you see on Instagram might be dangerous. Beware fakes and counterfeit devices. • Twenty years ago: Typefaces on websites were limited to about half a dozen that were present on all computers, but Bitstream was trying to change that.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-03-26: Maybe It's Time For Every Vehicle To Have A Dash Cam. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:37
If your car doesn't have a dash cam, maybe it's time to add one. Even good models are reasonably priced now, so let's consider which features to look for. In Short Circuits: Do you need a $6000 camera that takes only monochrome images and doesn't even have a zoom lens? Quick answer: Maybe, but only if you know why you need it. • Large trade shows had been in trouble since 9/11 and the travel restrictions that followed, and just as they were beginning to recover, covid came along. Virtual shows don't provide all the benefits of in-person events. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Now there's a new threat to security: Smart sex toys. There's a story I didn't see coming, but security vendor Eset says it really is a thing. • IPad users just got access to the all-in-one Microsoft Office app that includes the ability to create and edit Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and PDF documents -- even for users who don't have an Office 365 subscription. • Twenty years ago: The dot-com disaster was well underway, but most people hadn't even noticed.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-03-19: Seven Thousand Magazines And Newspapers On Your Computer, Maybe For Free. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:21
Anyone who's fond of print journalism might like to have immediate access to seven thousand or so newspapers and magazines. You can, and for just $30 per month. Or maybe for free. Let's look into that "free" part. In Short Circuits: Photoshop Camera is a most amusing free app from Adobe. If your phone is compatible, you'll be amazed by what can be accomplished without a computer. • Security firm Kaspersky labs says that corporate IT security employees who goof off while on the clock might actually be doing their employers a favor. In Spare Parts (only on the website): After more than three decades as one of the nation's premiere in-person electronics stores, Fry's has closed it 31 locations in the west and south. • Microsoft would like you to allow the company to listen to what you tell Cortana. The objective is to improve voice recognition technology. • Twenty years ago: GPS devices were just beginning to become available, but they were expensive. Apps for personal digital assistants foreshadowed today's smart phones with built-in GPS. Primitive as the old devices were, they seemed amazing at the time.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-03-12: Good Reasons To Use DuckDuckGo. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 14:30
Maybe you've heard that the DuckDuckGo search engine is better than Google because it protects your data and doesn't track you. While those are valid points, they are among the least important reasons to use it. Let's look a advantages and disadvantages. In Short Circuits: Kroger is one of several companies that suffered a data breach because of outdated software used by a company that was hired to transfer data securely. Some personal identification information and medical details may have been exposed. • If you're thinking about replacing an otherwise still good set of headphones only because the earpads are worn out, there's a better option. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Have you reviewed your backup plan recently? Being prepared for trouble is a lot better than having to replace important data. • Carat browsing is available in all major browsers. I'll explain how you can use it and why you probably never will. • Twenty years ago: I was hoping that electronic books would soon be as easy to use as printed books. We're not there yet.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-03-05: Serif's Affinity Applications Continue To Challenge. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 27:06
A British software publisher with fewer than 100 employees seems to be challenging Adobe with its 20,000 or so employees worldwide. The planet is large enough for both and each organization has useful features to offer its clients. In Short Circuits: If you have a print version of an encyclopedia at home, you're unusual. Even Britannica no longer publishes books, and Wikipedia has largely taken over. • This year's scam emails look different from last year's, but the underlying ploys are the same. Let's take a look at the current crop. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Windows 10 can allow computers on your local network to obtain updates from your computer. If that creates a problem for you, there's a fix. • If Watson isn't the most famous Doctor, then Who is. You may have seen that joke on the internet, and the answer is "YES". If you're trying to watch Doctor Who on DVDs, you may feel that the BBC is making the task harder. The answer is also "YES". • Twenty years ago: The Palm Pilot crushed Windows CE devices, the first step in Microsoft's ongoing lack of success with handheld devices.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-02-26: The Easiest Way You'll Ever Find To Share Files. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:14
Stop emailing files to friends, family, and co-workers! Google Drive is one of the easiest ways to share files, and you may not need more storage space than what comes with the free plan. In Short Circuits: If you like the vertical tabs I described last week in talking about Microsoft's new Edge browser but don't want to switch to Edge, there are add-ons for Firefox and extensions for Chrome-based browsers that do the same thing. • Adobe has added a powerful new feature to Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco so that users can invite others to edit their files. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Covid vaccine means office workers may soon be able to go back to their offices, but will they want to? • Probably there is no company that has done more to eliminate the need for paper than Google, and yet Google Senior User Experience Researcher Corbin Cunningham has written on Google's blog about the magic of paper. • Twenty years ago: We are approaching the end of a year in which distance learning became essential for all colleges, high schools, and even primary schools. In 2001 it was a new and exciting concept.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-02-19: Passwords Are Still Our Primary Defense. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:40
We've had access to home computers for more than 40 years and online financial services for at least 25 years, but we're still using old-style passwords to protect our information. In Short Circuits: By adopting Blink, the rendering engine that powers Google Chrome, Microsoft is developing a workable Edge browser that offers some useful new features. • Wacom finally has a digitizing pen that works with Chromebook computers, but beware the the confusing name the company gave it. In Spare Parts (only on the website): If you want to be a better photographer, take more pictures. That's easy advice to give, but more difficult to follow. It does work, though. • Does your Windows computer sometimes switch from a 5GHz network to a slower 2.4GHz connection? There's an easy solution. • Twenty years ago: We were all anxiously awaiting Windows XP, which would prove to be the most significant advance for Windows since Windows 95.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-02-12: Some Forty-Year-Old Technology Is Still Useful. Short Circuits. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:42
The graphical user interface didn't yet exist on personal computers 40 years ago, so we needed to understand the command line and batch files. These are still present under the hood on today's computers, and we'll take a long look at why they're still useful. In Short Circuits: Television programs and motion pictures on DVD can cause people with less than perfect hearing to lose some of the dialog. Adding specialized speakers to the television can help a lot. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The Windows Taskbar can get crowded if you often have many applications open or pin a lot of icons to it. Not everything Microsoft puts on the Taskbar by default needs to be there, and it's easy to dump the items you don't need. • If you've ever had a computer report that a Secure Digital card is locked, fixing the problem is usually quick and easy. • Twenty years ago: Visual Basic scripting attacks were common, and I suggested a couple of rules that guaranteed safety. They still apply.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-02-05: Converting Old Family Photos To Digital Files. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:34
Digitizing old photos and negatives can deliver modest quality quickly or high quality slowly. There's no way to get fast high-quality files, but there are some options. In Short Circuits: We'll look at three scanning methods you can choose from when you have both photographic prints and negatives, as well as consider which might be better in any given situation. • The first question most technicians ask when you have a problem is "Did you turn it off and then back on again?" Why do they do this and why does it often work? In Spare Parts (only on the website): Ever wonder who invented the computer or the internet? The answer is invariably complex because in most cases, it wasn't just one person. • With vaccines slowly becoming available to protect against covid, we're beginning to consider how we might keep surfaces clean in the future, and technology may help. • Twenty years ago: American Express was trying to create an online service called AmexOL.net. It was one of many such services destined to die.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-01-29: Artificial Intelligence Brings New Powers To Skylum's Luminar Photo Processor. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:49
Luminar AI from Skylum adds artificial intelligence to the company's photo processing application and reduces the complexity of the user interface. In Short Circuits: Normally shutting down or restarting Windows is done from the Power section in the Start menu, but there are times when having those options as icons on the Desktop, or using the command line, can be helpful. • If you've ever wondered why there are so many Microsoft Visual C++ entries in the Windows Apps and Features sections and whether you should remove some of them, we'll consider the choices. In Spare Parts (only on the website): There may be a pandemic that's keeping us from gathering in even small numbers, and limiting interactions to electronic meetings, but research by Adobe says that creativity is accelerating. • Realtor.com suggests there's a shift away from beachfront property to locations in the mountains for those who can afford a second house. There is a technology link to this story. • Twenty years ago: Remember receiving America OnLine disks and CDs that were mailed, stuffed into magazines, and handed out by the millions? I do.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-01-22: What To Do With An Old Computer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:14
If you've recently bought a new computer, or plan to buy a new computer soon, you may be wondering what to do with the old one. There are many options, and the worst possible choice would be to put it in the trash. Let's consider better options. In Short Circuits: Last week I described how I gave up on repurposing an M.2 drive from my primary computer as a fast cache drive. Using a $15 case for the M.2 drive, I turned it into a fast cache drive anyway -- just not the way I had planned. • If you're trying to get rid of spam, maybe you've thought of changing your email address. There are other steps you might consider, but a better path involves an application that examines email before it gets to your computer so that it can flag suspected scams. In Spare Parts (only on the website): It's easy enough to rename the boot drive on a Windows computer, but there are good reasons why you shouldn't. • I ran across some ancient history a week or so ago. In June, it will be 26 years since I spent a week at New York City's Javits Center for PC Expo -- Windows 95 was about to be released. I have pictures. • Twenty years ago: Amazon still hadn't turned a profit. That's hard to imagine, isn't it?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-01-15: Turning A Simple Task Into A Multi-Day Project Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:53
Sometimes it's possible to turn what should be a quick, easy task into a frustrating multi-day adventure. Usually this happens because of incomplete planning, and yes I do have an example. In Short Circuits: Troubleshooting a strange problem can take time. Hardware and software like to drop red herrings that confuse the troubleshooter, but everything makes perfect sense once you figure it out. • Scammers are running in high gear to steal money based on false claims. These scams can fool anyone, but older people are often targeted. There are defenses against the dark arts. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Taking a few minutes to run diagnostic tests on a schedule can give early warnings about hardware problems that would otherwise be unpleasant surprises. • Firefox has added a new HTTPS-Only mode that forces all website connections to be secure if the website supports security, and it warns you if the site doesn't. • Twenty years ago: Macromedia acquired Allaire to gain full access to its text editor for use in Dreamweaver, and Macromedia was acquired by Adobe five years later.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2021-01-08: Planning To Buy A New Computer In 2021? Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:54
If you're thinking about buying a new computer in 2021, it's important to think about what's inside the computer and about what you need the computer to do. In Short Circuits: Covid-19 vaccines are available now, but will be in short supply for the foreseeable future. If you receive a message that promises faster access for a fee, it's a fraud. • Some Windows 10 computers repeatedly ask the user to log in to Microsoft 365. There are ways to work around this issue, but they involve disabling features you may consider to be essential. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Say what you will about Microsoft, but the company earns high marks from its employees for diversity. • Google's new Chromecast device finally comes with a remote control. • Twenty years ago: Corel tried to port its applications to Mac computers, and to call that effort an utter disaster would be needlessly kind.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Some applications update themselves, but many don't. A utility called Patch My PC can help with more than 300 programs that may be installed on your Windows computer. In Short Circuits: This year's Pantone color of the year is actually two colors. I'll explain the reasoning for that and we'll take a look at Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow. • The latest version of the MacOS, Big Sur, adds features, fixes problems, and creates problems. In Spare Parts (only on the website): If your Windows computer is still running version 1809, it's time to update it. • For the first time in its more than 50-year history, the Consumer Electronics Show goes fully virtual this year. • Twenty years ago: Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's Navigator were batting for supremacy, but Netscape was already entering what would become a death spiral.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
There's no podcast this week, but if you have a minute and a half, we can take a quick look back to 2000.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-12-18: When You Need to Rename Lots of Files, Choose the Bulk Rename Utility. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:13
Renaming files is easy when you have just one or two, but there's a big difference if you have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of files that need to be renamed. Fortunately, there's an app for that. In Short Circuits: Laptop computers are quickly replacing big desktop systems for most people, but usually there are too few USB ports. A USB hub can help, but maybe a dock would be a better choice. Let's look. • Even if you don't use Adobe's InDesign, taking a look at what Adobe has added to the 2020 version is a good use of your time. I'll summarize the new features and explain why they're worth knowing about. In Spare Parts (only on the website): As of mid-2021, Google will eliminate free unlimited photo storage. Let's see what the options are. • Password disasters continue to be far too common, and password manager Dashlane has identified what the company calls the worst offenders. • Twenty years ago: How much was 520 megabytes? Not much by today's standards, but in 2000 it was a big deal.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-12-11: PhotoDemon Offers Powerful Features but No Documentation. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:33
If you're looking for the world's best photo editing program, PhotoDemon probably isn't it. Even so, it has some intriguing features, and that makes it worth looking at. In Short Circuits: Would you walk on the Amazon Sidewalk? Let's consider the good features and the cautions of neighborhood mesh computing. • We'll also take a quick look at Adobe Illustrator's new features for 2020, including a new version that runs on the IPad. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The digital divide in the United States hasn't been worsened by the pandemic, but the pandemic has worsened the effects of the digital divide. • Robocalls continue to increase, but scam calls were down slightly in November. Don't expect that to continue. • Twenty years ago: Online sales were down in 2000, but they've been up ever since. And in this pandemic year, they're one of the few economic bright spots.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-12-04: Every Scanner Owner Needs VueScan. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:04
Anyone who owns a scanner will get better results by dumping the application that came with the scanner and using VueScan instead. There are even more advantages if you have multiple scanners or multiple computers. In Short Circuits: Although I've mentioned replacing mechanical drives with solid-state drives before, I have a real-life example of how easy the process is. • If you think Facebook isn't showing the posts you really want to see, you're probably right. Let's consider a way to sidestep Facebook's "artificial intelligence". In Spare Parts (only on the website): Phishing scams are always worse around the end of the year, and this year the threat is worse than usual. • An organization is trying to help high school students who are dealing with distance learning while homeless. • Twenty years ago: Even Stephen King couldn't make ebooks popular in 2000. We just weren't ready.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Skylum's Luminar 3 has made remarkable strides on the way to Luminar 4. The application is less than four years old, yet it offers some delightful surprises. In Short Circuits: If you'd like to be able to create a temporary address that you can provide when you're not quite sure you want to give someone your real address, Mozilla's Firefox Relay may do the job. It's in private beta now. • Remember The Oregon Trail, Zork, PacMan, or M.U.L.E.? If you liked these games in the 1980s, you can give them a second shot right now on any Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. No downloads are involved because they run in a browser window. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft is experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells for backup power at data centers, and says that they offer advantages over diesel generators. • The Firefighter Safety Research Institute has released a report on a fire at a 2.16 megawatt lithium ion battery energy storage system in Surprise, Arizona. • Twenty years ago: The US Postal Service was thinking about offering email. Just about everyone thought it was a dumb idea, but it might have solved one of today's problems.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-08-07: How to Stop Wasting Time Looking for Digital Images. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:57
As the number of digital images we accumulate increases, possibly at an alarming rate, finding one specific image becomes challenging. Artificial intelligence can help. In Short Circuits: Device drivers are among the most problematic issues for Windows users, but they're virtually invisible and that makes keeping them up to date difficult. There are applications that can help, but they need to be treated with care. • Although a bad device driver can cause a problem with keyboards, sometimes the keyboard just fails. Microsoft wants more than $100 for their keyboard cover that fits on Surface Pro tablets, but a third-party keyboard for half that price offers a lot of useful features. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Mozilla has begun offering a virtual private network. It's currently limited to Windows computers and both IOS and Android mobile devices in six countries, but more devices and countries are coming. • Two mechanical dogs are wandering around a Ford plant, helping engineers to collect data for a planned retooling. • Twenty years ago: Bluetooth devices were just beginning to be sold. They were expensive and had security flaws. Now it's hard to find a device without Bluetooth built in.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-07-31: Two-Factor Authentication is Essential and Perhaps Easier than Expected. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:57
A strong password helps to keep your information private, but a single error can give control of your accounts to crooks. Setting up two-factor authentication is the best way to add security, and you may be surprised by how easy the process has become. In Short Circuits: Adobe has two painting applications, one for people who know how to draw and paint (or want to learn) and another for those who just want to create painterly effects using their own photographs. We'll take a look at both. • Earlier this month, I was about two seconds away from disaster as I held the mouse cursor over a poisoned link. Then logic kicked in. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Potential disaster lurks behind more than 100,000 websites that claim to have legitimate Covid-19 information. • The pandemic is creating severe supply shortages for information technology departments. • Twenty years ago: Online services were beginning to make it possible for travel agents to book ground transportation in addition to flights.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-07-24: Inexpensive Online Backup Could be Right for You. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:08
Online backup systems often offer the ability to recover more than just the most recent version of a file, but there are less expensive options if you're willing to give up that useful feature. In Short Circuits: Despite their advantages, tablet computers have one huge disadvantage: Price. When you're shopping for a Windows tablet, it's possible to save money on storage space if the device offers an XD memory card slot. • Facebook users often see messages about "hacked" accounts, but the accounts probably haven't been hacked — just cloned. There are ways to make your account unattractive to crooks. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Podcast aggregator Stitcher is about to be acquired by SiriusXM after being owned by the E W Scripps Company for five years. • Would you take a pay cut to gain the flexibility of working from home? A lot of people would, and you may be surprised by how much of a pay cut they would accept. • Twenty years ago: The Crusoe processor from Transmeta promised to bring to market amazing new small computers that ran cooler, but it didn't happen.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
The software world continues its transition to software as a service, and users see small changes frequently. Adobe delivers two large updates every year, one of which arrived in late June with lots of new features. In Short Circuits: Microsoft seems to be suggesting that the Control Panel will eventually be removed from Windows 10. That will happen only after all Control Panel functions are migrated to the Settings app, and that's something developers have been working on for a decade. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The seeming illogic of selecting a Wi-Fi channel for your router has a basis in logic. • Microsoft continues its push to get Windows users to at least give the new Edge browser a try. • Twenty years ago: Microsoft was about to start shipping the Millennium Edition of Windows, and I thought it would be an improvement over Windows 98. Well, not exactly.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-07-10: Finding the Right Email Client for Your Mobile Device. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:40
Your smart phone or tablet doubtless includes an email application, but there's probably a better option. Let's look for one. In Short Circuits: Up-to-date weather information is good to have and there are several services that use differing approaches to present that information. • Many email application can be set up to delay messages you send. That's a handy feature if you frequently think of something you meant to include shortly after pressing the Send button. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Internet service provider Wide Open West is warning customers about a scam. The warning applies to all ISPs. • You probably have a Google account, and now would be a good time to run a security audit. It's easy and takes just a few minutes. • Twenty years ago: "Big, Fast, and Cheap — Choose Any Three!" Disk drives were finally becoming affordable.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-07-03: The Importance of Using a Virtual Private Network. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:46
It's essential to use a virtual private network on portable devices that connect to Wi-Fi hotspots or open networks. Although it's a good safety practice to also use a VPN on a desktop system with a wired connection, you may find that it's not possible. In Short Circuits: If your office job still has you working from home, you should have a virtual private network, and we'll look at some other important security measures. • Many of us are still staying at home most of the time. To reduce the boredom, you might consider picking up a new skill or two. Your local library can probably help with that. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A minor Windows Explorer annoyance turned out to be an easy fix. I'll explain what the problem was and how I corrected it. • Microsoft's Windows Insider program is changing. Some of the changes are semantic, but it appears that there will be an increased emphasis on quality. • Twenty years ago: Time Warner Columbus told Roadrunner users that there would no longer be an extra charge to connect more than one home computer to the internet.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-06-26: The Office on Your Android or IOS Phone. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:38
Don't expect to do any heavy-duty editing or spreadsheet development on your smartphone or tablet, but now several Office 365 apps let you work with Office suite documents wherever you are and on whatever device you have. In Short Circuits: Maybe you think you've seen the Taskbar and Desktop refresh repeatedly, but thought you're halluciniting. You're not. It is. And there's a way to fix it. Maybe. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Recognizing that a smartphone camera serves as the primary camera, and possibly the only camera, for a growing number of people, Adobe continues to add features to its Lightroom Camera app and the June update included a new application called Photoshop Camera. • Covid-19 has created a demand for computers, but it has also limited the supply of computers and components that are made in China. • Twenty years ago: PC Expo was about to get underway in New York City, where home networks would be a hot topic.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-06-19: The Ipad Team’s New Player is Impressive. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:35
The latest Ipads from Apple can be bought with an overpriced keyboard and an overpriced pencil. If you add the extras, you'll almost have a computer, and it might replace your portable computer. We'll take a look at pluses and minuses. In Short Circuits: When you're looking for the cause of a problem or considering an upgrade, you may need to find out what's under the computer's hood. Speccy, HWInfo64, and Crystal Disk Info are three tools that provide insight, and you'll want at least two of them. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe's big mid-year update was delivered to Creative Cloud users this week, and the additions range from fun toys to highly desirable new and improved features. • Facebook launched an initiative to register voters this week, and will offer some new capabilities: One allows users to hide annoying political ads and a second reveals how much is being spent on Facebook ads for presidential and congressional races. • Twenty years ago: Online shopping was just beginning to be something people thought they might be willing to trust.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-06-12: Solving a Problem that Couldn't Possibly be Happening. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:37
If you encounter a computer problem that can't possibly be happening, it's important to realize two things: First, it is happening, and second, there is a reason it's happening. Finding the reason and fixing it are the entertaining parts, if you have a warped sense of "entertainment". In Short Circuits: Thunderbird is an email application that will probably never see another major update, but it's full of useful features and a great solution for those who don't like Outlook. • The latest version of Firefox has added some worthwhile features while expanding its efforts to keep users and their data secure. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Some Facebook scammers aren't even trying to appear legitimate any more. • Keeping employees safe has exposed some companies' networks and proprietary data during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. • Twenty years ago: Maxtor was about to introduce enormous disk drives that could hold up to 60 gigabytes of data, but you would need deep pockets to buy one.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-06-05: Computers Need Scheduled Maintenance, and it's Not Difficult. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:52
Just like cars, trucks, airplanes, furnaces, and bicycles, hardware and software can fail even if you perform all the suggested maintenance. Maintenance does allow you to find upcoming problems and fix them before they happen, though. Routine troubleshooting is easy and doesn't take much time. In Short Circuits: Portable USB solid-state drives were once a luxury for those who needed lots of fast external storage while on the go. The drives are still a bit pricy, but they're a lot more affordable than they used to be. • Offices are reopening, but many people are still working from home, and may be for a long time. Maybe permanently. Too many companies neglected to secure equipment used for office work and now they're in danger. In Spare Parts (only on the website): You know not to open email attachments from strangers, but what if somebody you do know replies to an email from you and includes an unexpected attachment? • If you've ever wondered which antivirus application is best, the answer is easy: None of them. AV Comparatives can point out the relative strengths and weaknesses. • Twenty years ago: Plans were afoot to put Congressional hearings online. This was another groundbreaking effort that didn't quite make it.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-05-29: Don't Trust Your ISP's Domain Name Service. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:42
Your internet service provider has a domain name server, but you don't have to use it. There are good reasons why you might want to ditch the provided service and use a better one. The change is easy to make, you'll get better service, and it won't cost anything. In Short Circuits: Computers that run on MacOS are less of a target than those running Windows, but threats do exist. Let's consider some protective measures. • Those who miss the variety that radio used to provide can use a clever service to find and listen to radio stations all over the world. In Spare Parts (only on the website): COVID-19 is forcing many changes. Among them: Making security systems at financial institutions stronger, ways for people to enjoy an at-home vacation, expected changes in work-from-home policies by companies, and huge increases in at-home data consumption. • Twenty years ago: The trial to break up Microsoft was nearing an end with an order that broke Microsoft into two pieces, except that it didn't.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Zoom was poised to sweep all other online meeting applications away, and then security concerns surfaced. Big ones. Zoom has moved quickly to resolve the issues, but now the company is facing an up-hill battle against competitors. In Short Circuits: If you'd like to download videos from YouTube and other services, you may have noticed that it's not a straightforward process. Downloads are legal as long as you're downloading for your private use, and several applications make the process easier. We'll look at some. • In a post-COVID-19 world, commerce will look a lot different. Apple is one organization that's preparing to lead the way. In Spare Parts (only on the website): About one third of workers feel that a machine might take their job. Let's look at some of the details. • COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation abound, but it's easy to find honest information, too. I'll list eight reliable resources. • Twenty years ago: After selling WebObject Java for $50,000, Apple suddenly cut the price to $700. This did not delight those who had paid the full price.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-05-15: Can Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing Work? Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:52
Apple and Google plan to allow their smart phones to talk to each other. The goal is to help with contact tracing for those who may have been exposed to COVID-19. It seems like a good idea, but it also seems doomed to fail. In Short Circuits: The creeps among us on the internet have shifted into high gear with links to bad websites and malware-laden downloads. If you've ever wished that you had a backup for your computer's protective applications, I have a suggestion. • Microsoft continues to work on the new Chromium-based version of the Edge browser. Now might be a good time to take a look. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The lowly Windows File Explorer has some hidden tricks that can make file management easier. • The market for wearable health devices is seeing explosive growth that isn't expected to end anytime soon. • Twenty years ago: Kodak was desperately seeking relevance in a world where film was becoming irrelevant.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-05-08: Camtasia Expands Beyond Documentation Videos. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:38
For almost 20 years, TechSmith's Camtasia has been the go-to application for instructional videos. The 2020 version of Camtasia strengthens its capabilities for that market and also adds more powerful video editing functions. In Short Circuits: Depending on how often you send images from Lightroom to Photoshop for pixel-level editing, making a small change in the workflow could save a substantial amount of disk space. • Scammers have spotted a big opening because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but many of the old subject lines still attract mouse clicks that lead to trouble. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Google and Apple say they want to work together to provide technical assistance for identifying people who may have been exposed to COVID-19. • If you lose access to your Google account, there are automated recovery procedures that are easy. That's good because recovering an account manually isn't easy or fast. • Twenty years ago: Many of us might have been excited by a $180 device that played CDs and DVDs full of MP3 files. Suddenly we could take a lot of music with us wherever we went.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
There's no podcast this week, but if you have a little less than two minutes, we can take a quick look back to 2000.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-11-20: Exposure X6 is Still the Best for Film Looks. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:01
Exposure X6 honors its legacy of creating outstanding film looks, and builds on its raw image editing capabilities. It's worth a look as a standalone application as well as a plug-in for Adobe applications. In Short Circuits: Ninite offers a free and easy way to keep more than 100 applications up to date, and for $12 per year, it can be even easier. • There's a new version of Evernote, but Microsoft's free OneNote still offers more features at no cost. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Download a free trial of a helper application for a game such as Minecraft, and you might find that the price jumps to $30 per week after a three-day trial. • Ebooks are making inroads into schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, a change that's likely to continue. • Twenty years ago: Spelling checkers were just beginning to be introduced.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-11-13: Grab a Handful of Goodies from Nir Sofer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:03
I always enjoy working with individual developers who create small, specialized utility applications. Nir Sofer is one of these people. He has created more than 100 utilities, and this week I'll tell you about five that I consider to be quite useful. In Short Circuits: Have you put off upgrading some of the major hardware components in your computer because you fear it will invalidate the Windows 10 license? Performing a few steps in advance will eliminate that concern. • Google will ship a new Chromecast device before the end of the year. It's priced well, comes with a remote control, and even offers an on-screen menu. In Spare Parts (only on the website): People are using on-line payment systems more because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but concerns about being victimized online are inching up. • Schools in low-income areas are hard pressed to provide quality classes online, and that's probably not a big surprise. • Twenty years ago: Bill Gates was discounting the need for classrooms in third-world nations to be wired for computer access.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-11-06: Photoshop's Top Tricks for 2021. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:50
The 2021 version of Adobe Photoshop introduces a series of splashy new artificial intelligence features and a variety of other useful capabilities. In Short Circuits: Mozilla has created a virtual reality conferencing system called Hubs. It's not Zoom, and it's not intended to be. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Sales of robotic devices continue to increase by more than 20% year over year. • Graphic artists, photographers, and designers have reacted to 2020 by placing increased emphasis on the pandemic and social issues. • Twenty years ago: Email client Eudora had introduced "Mood Watch" to help users avoid aggressive language in their messages. Yeah. Good luck with that.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-10-30: SnagIt 2021 Adds Time-Saving Features. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:59
TechSmith's SnagIt has one new feature for 2021 that justifies the cost of the update all by itself, but that feature is not alone. In Short Circuits: The annual Adobe Max conference attracted half a million attendees this year instead of the usual 15 thousand or so. • Most of us wish smart phones cost less, but we're willing to go into debt for them because they're considered essential by so many. How about some tips for saving money? In Spare Parts (only on the website): A free 47-page ebook by Wells Fargo Financial Advisors can help safeguard your computer and your finances. I have the download link. • The feds have filed suit against Google, complaining about monopolistic practices. • Twenty years ago: Xerox was in the process of spinning off the legendary Palo Alto Research Center, the organization that invented much of modern computing.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Some people like to replace their computer with a new model around the end of the year, and because the end of the year is approaching, this might might be a good time to think about how to save money on the deal. In Short Circuits: Ad blocker plugs-ins for browsers can be handy, but there's another option that uses a file that dates all the way back to the first networked computers. • Ebook organizer and reader Calibre has been updated to version 5. Although relatively weak as a reader, Calibre is the best organizer you'll find. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Is Microsoft thinking about switching to Linux? There's been some speculation about that lately. • Looking for a really cheap computer? There's the Compute Stick from Intel, but be sure to consider its limitations before buying. • Twenty years ago: Adobe was beginning a concerted effort to develop applications for home users, not just graphics professionals. The effort seems to have paid off.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Big data and artificial intelligence offer a lot of promise, but there are also formidable challenges. Unless proved otherwise, perhaps we should consider these technologies dangerous, or at least potentially hostile. In Short Circuits: The Windows 10 October 2020 update is coming. It's available now only to those in the Windows Insider program, but it won't be long until it's pushed out to all users. It's a small update. • Support for Office 2010 ended on 13 October 2020. If you're thinking this is no big deal, think again. The end of support means the end of security updates and bug fixes. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Sometimes I get the crazy idea that there are scammers who intentionally create email messages with so many errors that no sentient human would fall for them. Why? There's no logical reason. • If you use Zoom or any other meeting application that supports background substitution, Tech Republic has some Halloween images you might like. • Twenty years ago: Security concerns in 2000 were not substantially different from what they are today. The players have changed, but many of the rules remain the same.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-10-09: The Magic Wand that Should be in Your Pocket. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:12
Sometimes a magic wand can be handy. Like when you need to use a computer that isn't yours and you don't want to leave any data behind. In Short Circuits: All operating systems have a couple of useful utilities that can show where a problem is when you can't reach a website or any other device with an IP address. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Google Maps has a new layer that might be on your phone, but not all phones have the COVID-19 information layer yet. • Facebook continues to shut down fraudulent accounts. • Twenty years ago: Remember SCSI drives? That's an acronym for small computer system interface, not an opinion about the quality of the drive.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Zoom Meetings has become almost the de facto standard for business meetings, conferences, webinars, and even screen sharing. It's all just talking heads, though. This is a problem that can be resolved by using PowerPoint. Carefully. In Short Circuits: If you have an application on your computer that forces you to right-click the icon and specify that it should run as Administrator, there's a way to eliminate that problem forever, and it takes only a few moments. • Microsoft has been adding functions to what used to be Office 365 - now called Microsoft 365 - features that can help students make better progress in reading, writing, math, and communications. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Photographers have a love-hate relationship with stock photography, and so do project managers. Adobe's bi-annual report on the state of stock photography has just been released. • If the Microsoft segment this week didn't convince you that education tools are a big thing this year, a report from App Annie might do it. • Twenty years ago: I may have been amazed by how much memory could be placed in a small package in 2000, but today there's lots more memory in even smaller containers.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-09-25: Fixing Icons that Wander, Adding an On-Screen Clock, and More. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:17
Have you ever turned your computer on and found that your carefully organized Desktop icons are all over the screen? If the location of Desktop icons is important to you, there's a way to glue them in place. In Short Circuits: Tablet and convertible computer users often close applications without intending to. There's a way to fix this, but it's not as easy as it should be. • If you're a Facebook user, you probably have the new interface by now. If not, it won't be long, and there's no way to go back to the old system. Or is there? In Spare Parts (only on the website): Maybe you read a book a few years ago and now you need some information or a quotation from the text, but you can't remember the name of the book. All is not lost. • Microsoft has found that underwater data centers have fewer system failures than land-based data centers. • Twenty years ago: I thought that computers were everywhere, but I had no way to foresee what was coming in 2020.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-09-18: Finding Photos Fast with Excire Search in Adobe Lightroom Classic. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:44
In addition to Excire's new standalone Foto application, the company has updated Search, a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom Classic. In Short Circuits: Is Facebook's new interface terrible? Many say that it is, but I'm willing to give it a chance, and I'm liking it more as a browser plug-in called Social Fixer continues to improve its abilities to remove the dreck. • Have you seen the video of the two 17-year-old guys who need four minutes to figure out how to use a rotary-dial phone? Maybe you shouldn't be laughing quite so hard. In Spare Parts (only on the website): This year's Adobe MAX will be in no physical location. As an online event, there's no attendance fee, and Adobe would like to hire people to provide some of the virtual trimmings. • Microsoft and LinkedIn have established a plan to provide training for those who need new job skills. Training will be provided without cost. • Twenty years ago: What we meant by "high-speed internet" was a lot different in 2000 than it is today.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-09-11: MacroExpress Magically Automates Large and Small Tasks . Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 26:12
MacroExpress is an application that has been on every Windows computer I've used since sometime in the late 1990s. It's one of those rare applications that I consider to be absolutely essential. I'll explain why, and maybe you'll feel the same. In Short Circuits: No, you don't have to verify your account. Any email, instant message, or phone call that says you must "verify" your account information is almost certainly a scam. • In the 1960s, top 40 radio stations had promos that shouted "the hits just keep on coming!" The same could be said about fraudulent emails. This week, we'll take a look at couple of recent scam attempts. In Spare Parts (only on the website): There's one critical step you should take before contacting tech support to report a problem, and that one simple step may solve the problem. • If that one simple, critical step doesn't solve the problem, there's one more thing to think about. • Twenty years ago: Storing files on the internet was new and expensive. Eventually it caught on and became affordable.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-09-04: Check Out Version 1.8 of Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:42
Serif's Affinity division has released updated versions of Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher. Despite the low prices of these applications, they pack surprisingly robust feature sets. In Short Circuits: Scammers stay up to date on news, and COVID-19 has been profitable for them. So profitable that Medicare and the Centers for Disease Control have launched a campaign to explain how contact tracing works and, just as important, how to spot a fake. • Has Microsoft set your default browser to Edge, or has something changed your preferred search engine? If so, it's an easy fix and I'll explain how for the three major browsers. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe's free Photoshop Camera app for Android and IOS devices keeps getting better with the addition of free lenses that modify images taken with the app. • Acronis TrueImage 2021 doubles down on security measures with tools that scan for viruses, watch for malware, and use artificial intelligence to identify attacks before they can do damage. • Twenty years ago: A 19-inch monitor seemed gigantic, but flat-panel monitors were prohibitively expensive and those big cathode-ray tube screens left little space on the desk.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-08-28: Sometimes Even Due Diligence Isn't Enough. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:38
If you've ever bought a piece of hardware that didn't quite live up to its hype and its reviews, you're not alone. I have a story for you that involves sequential failures to satisfy. Perhaps it'll be worth a chuckle or two. In Short Circuits: Microsoft has added a security function in version 2004 of Windows 10 to identify and block potentially unwanted programs, but it has a serious shortcoming. • If you're still running an earlier version of Windows and wish Microsoft would get around to pushing the 2004 update to your computer, you can obtain it without Microsoft's help. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Too many people fail to recognize scam ads and blindly share the ad or follow the link. Let's think about that. • One of the worst performing business sectors in terms of online security awareness is the one that encompasses energy and utilities. • Twenty years ago: Corel thought that Linux would allow the company to compete with Microsoft.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-08-21: LibreOffice 7 Offers Some Compelling New Features. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:48
The free, open-source office suite, LibreOffice, is out with version 7, and it has an impressive bunch of new features, improved performance, and enhanced capabilities to deal with Microsoft Office files. In Short Circuits: Microsoft created restore points for Windows systems in the distant past, and you may think that your Windows 10 computer is protected by the technology. Surprise! Unless you have enabled restore points, it isn't. • Everybody should have a password manager, but maybe you don't want a password manager that stores your passwords in the cloud even though it's demonstrably safe. If so, now's the time to take a look at KeePassXC, a new version of the venerable KeePass. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The novel coronavirus has become a gold mine for scammers. They have adapted old ploys to new circumstances. • Adobe, Red Hat, and IBM are teaming up to enhance online security as users of online systems demand more ease of use. • Twenty years ago: The Oxford English Dictionary had just been released in an online version for more than $500 per year. Today, it's $90 per year, but libraries often provide online access without cost.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Although Google is the most used search engine and Bing is a distant second, an even more distant Duck Duck Go has several advantages. In Short Circuits: Research that shows company security is more at risk when employees work from home is no surprise to security experts. The risk to corporate data is substantial. • A lot of applications start with Windows. The operating system needs some processes and you've probably added some, but there may be others that you didn't request and may not even know are running. Needless applications can cause problems, and we'll consider how to find them and remove the ones you don't want. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Improvements for Firefox's search function makes finding something faster and easier. • The COVID-19 pandemic continues and will likely worsen as states begin to loosen regulations. Now's a good time so surveil yourself. • Twenty years ago: I loaded a virus onto the office computer -- the first and only time I made that mistake. It taught me a most important lesson.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-04-24: You Need VLC For DVDs, But It Does A Lot More. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:35
If you think Windows users need the VLC Media Player to view DVDs, you're right, but that's only part of the story. VLC does a lot more and it's an open-source application. In Short Circuits: High-resolution screens are great, but users often say the tiny text and icons are hard to see. If that describes you, I have good news: These are easy fixes. • Mac users are sometimes distressed by the lack of ports on Macbook Pro machines. A cleverly designed dock not only provides more ports, but also adds a lot of disk space. And it can be used on any computer or portable device that has a USB-C port. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Technology may be able to help track new COVID-19 cases as states relax some of the restrictions we've been dealing with. • If you're trying to find out when your stimulus check will arrive from the IRS, the IRS website may be able to help; beware of rogue sites, though, because more than 4000 new domains exist and they all want to "help" you. • Twenty years ago: The MP3 revolution was moving right along, but we still had to deal with unknown new terms such as "rip".…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Facebook can be useful, but the unremitting flood of advertisements and other "improvements" that are forced onto users can be maddening. There are ways to fix the problems. In Short Circuits: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought conspiracy nuts, crooks, and liars out from wherever they normally spend their time. We need honest information and facts. Fortunately, they exist and they're not hard to find. • When I described my experience with a Google Nest Mini in January, I said the device appeared to have some defects. It took far too long to convince Google, but now the problem has been resolved. • In Spare Parts (only on the website): Some applications that are installed on computers have started asking the user to log in. This is a good trend. • This month's Microsoft Patch Tuesday includes a lot of security fixes, so it's not one to delay. • Twenty years ago: Netscape was excited about the release of Navigator 6. Netscape was already feeling pressure from Microsoft and, a few years later from Firefox. Navigator was discontinued in 2008.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-04-10: Computer Performance Tests Reveal Slow Spots. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:41
Computer performance tests aren't only for those who want to brag about having the fastest computer on the planet. They can pinpoint bottlenecks for those who need to improve their computer's operation, but don't know where to start. In Short Circuits: Last week I described museum tours and other things you can do virtually when you can't go out, so this week we'll take a look at books, music, and other entertainment that can help you avoid climbing the walls. • COVID-19 scammers are out in force with a wide variety of ways to steal money and credentials. Protection doesn't differ from what you should already be doing, so I may get a bit snarky. In Spare Parts (only on the website): We'll review virtual private networks and video conferencing. VPN usage has seen a significant increase in the past decade and many video conferencing applications are far less secure than they should be, even for personal use. • Twenty years ago: Macromedia had just introduced version 3 of Dreamweaver and included Fireworks for the first time.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-04-03: Executor is an Application Launcher that Does More. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:30
I described the Launchy program launcher for Windows three weeks ago, and said I'd soon have information about a competitor. This week we'll take a look at Executor. In Short Circuits: Fixing network problems is difficult unless you have a spray can of magic Network Pixie Dust, so let's review some of the quick and easy steps that can get your computer back online. • If you've ever wished that you could give someone or some company a temporary email address to avoid spam, it's easy and you have a choice of several services. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Museum tours, theme parks, Broadway plays, and more are available online and many are free. They're good options in this time of "social distancing" and staying at home. • Researchers at Harvard say that a financial data bill of rights is long past due. • Twenty years ago: Star Office was being promoted as the application that would wrest domination of the desktop away from Microsoft.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-03-27: It's Time to Give Firefox Another Try. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:19
Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers have the greatest market share, but now is a good time to take another look at Firefox if you value privacy and security. In Short Circuits: Although using Malwarebytes as the only protective application on a Windows computer seems not to be the best protection, running a copy of the free version is a great way to backstop the primary antivirus application. • Too many applications install unwanted "gifts" under the guise of being helpful. A small utility program called Unchecky can expose them before they've been installed so you can avoid them. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Crooks view the sudden shift to having employees work from home as an outstanding opportunity to plant malware and steal corporate data. • Freelance editors work from home almost exclusively and many of them have neat, tidy offices. Then there's my office. • Twenty years ago: A new service called Amadeus had just been created to give Scandinavians a way to book airline flights using their phones.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-03-20: Should I Use Photoshop or Illustrator? Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:32
Those who argue that Illustrator is better than Photoshop or that Photoshop is better than Illustrator are missing the point: Adobe makes each for specific purposes. In Short Circuits: Ohio is essentially shut down in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus and, as other states follow Ohio's lead, technology is filling the gaps where possible. • If you've ever wondered what the WinSxS directory is and whether you can delete it to save space, don't! I'll explain why. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The expected coronavirus scams are spreading across the internet and it's wise to avoid them. • Some healthcare providers are bringing telemedicine online sooner than expected for what would have been basic office visits. • Twenty years ago: Intel was looking 20 years ahead. How accurate was the company in looking ahead to 2020?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-03-13: Launchy: A Bit Dated, but Still a Timesaver. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:27
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-03-06: Wacom's Little "One" Could Be Big. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:22
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-02-28: More Affordable Solid-State Disk Drives Can Speed Your Computer. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:19
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-02-14: Office 10 Joins Windows 7 in Nowhere Land. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:16
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-01-31: Security Demands a Password Manager and That's Not All. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:32
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-01-24: Tools to Help You Write Gooder English. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:08
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-01-17: Guess Who Finally Got a Smart Speaker! Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:02
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2020-01-03: Find Hidden Powers with Utility Programs. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:08
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-12-29: No program this week because we traditionally take the last week of the year off. 0:47
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-12-22: Is Cryptomator a Solution in Search of a Problem?. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:52
Mac users have FileVault, Windows users have BitLocker, and all the big cloud-based storage systems encrypt files before storing them, so do we really need another encryption utility? As it turns out, maybe we do. In Short Circuits: Yahoo's Groups service is starting what's likely to be a long slide to oblivion and that reminded me of older services that have met a similar fates -- CompuServe, Prodigy, GEnie, and others. • Also sliding into oblivion: Windows 7. Starting in mid-January, Microsoft will make it crystal clear to users that it's time to upgrade. • Adobe has released a holiday gift for users of its Capture utility. Although both Android and IOS versions receive updates, the IOS version got more this time around. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Beware medical scams that may arrive by email, phone call, or even in-person visits by people who want to steal your information. • Bots that are used to place fake online orders are still more prevalent on desktop computers, but the growing trend points to mobile devices. • Twenty years ago: Remember 56K modems? In 1999 an Oregon company called WorldSpy started offering free dial-up access to the internet. It didn't work out as intended.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-12-15: SnagIt Is for More Than Just Documentation Specialists. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:20
SnagIt has been making the process of documenting computer applications easier for nearly 30 years and recent enhancements make it a useful tool for anyone who needs to explain or describe the contents of a computer screen. In Short Circuits: If you've been using Cortana on an IOS or Android device, you won't be doing so after the end of January 2020. • Your computer may have more than one audio playback device and sometimes Windows selects the wrong one. It's an easy problem to fix. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Popular colors change each year and predicting the ones that will be popular is not unlike the process used to develop each year's flu vaccines. • Sometimes we think of scammers as evil geniuses, but some are just evil idiots. Let's take a look at one fool's flawed flim-flam. • Twenty years ago: There was talk of how to put the internet in your car.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-12-08: Thinking About Cutting the Cable? Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:43
With constantly increasing prices for cable television, maybe you're thinking about dropping the television part of your cable bill and improving the internet part. I'll describe my first timid steps in that direction. In Short Circuits: Cellular service providers are beginning to roll out 5G gear, but your phone probably won't support it and service is still spotty. • There's a better Windows explorer than Windows Explorer and it's free. In Spare Parts (only on the website): When you schedule a meeting with someone in a distant locale, sometimes it's a challenge to find out what time it is there. • If you're thinking about installing a disk upgrade in an existing computer or replacing a computer, I have a list of several applications that will help you make the move with ease. • Twenty years ago: Threats of Y2K disasters were hovering and scammers saw a way to make some money from the fears.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-12-01: Wow! Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop for 2020. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 24:32
There's a lot of new magic from Adobe. The just-released versions of Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop for 2020 were highlights at Adobe Max in Los Angeles. Although several new applications made their first appearance, today we'll stick to the photo applications, including the appearance of Photoshop on IPads. In Short Circuits: It's annoying when something goes wrong with Windows or a Microsoft application, and even worse when Microsoft support seems to be clueless. There are alternatives. • The software updates described in this week's main section about Adobe's photo apps are good examples of what's called the agile development method, so we'll look at what that means. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A feature update for Windows that was released in mid Noveber as version 1909 has a useful new function: Now you can add items to your calendar directly from the Task Bar. • PayPal says it will acquire Honey Science Corporation for about $4 billion. It's a service that claims to help consumers find the best prices online. • Twenty years ago: I wrote about a system to ensure absolute computer security. The process still works, but I'll bet you won't want to use it.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-11-24: No program this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. 0:38
TechByter hibernates two weeks each year. This is one of them. The half-minute podcast wishes is a Thanksgiving greeting.
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-11-17: On1 Photo Raw Adds Impressive Features for 2020 But Problems Remain. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 23:34
The 2020 version of On1 Photo Raw has some surprising features but hasn't entirely eliminated performance problems that I found last year. In Short Circuits: Windows 10 has a silly annoyance that I've been trying to fix for far too long. Now I've found a partial solution that at least reduces the frustration. • Development continues on the Chromium-based version of Microsoft's Edge browser and a beta version that's sufficiently stable for those who want to see how it works is available. • In Spare Parts (only on the website): Too many companies are still transferring files that often contain proprietary information insecurely. • If you find that you're locked out of your smart phone, PhoneRescue might be what you need to get back to normal. • Twenty years ago: I wrote about disk drives that were "so small you might misplace them." Compared to today's disk drives, they were physically larger, far more expensive, and able to store only a tiny fraction of what today's drives hold.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
About the time you think you're aware of every possible photo application, one you've never heard of pops up. That's the case with the Movavi Photo Editor from Siberia. Yes, Siberia in Russia. In Short Circuits: An article on CNet claimed to describe how professional photos can be taken with phone-based cameras. Let's explore that thought. • If you have one or more external USB disk drives attached to your computer and find that they power down at inconvenient times, there's a quick and easy fix. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe Max 2019 attracted nearly 20,000 attendees to Los Angeles this week as the company released some new applications and updates for most existing applications. • That email that seems to be from someone you know might be a fraud. Look closely because the fraudsters are getting better. • Twenty years ago: I was worrying about people who didn't routinely back up their computers. Things are better now, but only marginally.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-11-03: Photoshop Elements Has a Few New Tricks Up Its Sleeves for Memory Keepers. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:32
Adobe has designed Photoshop Elements for people they call "Memory Keepers" and the just released 2020 version of the application brings lots of improvements and several new features. In Short Circuits: If you'd like to refresh your ability to read, write, and speak a foreign language or learn an entirely new language, Duolingo is a good place to start, and it's free. • You've probably heard about malware being planted on websites. Nothing absolutely guarantees safety, but SiteLock's monitoring service is used on many sites, including TechByter Worldwide, to even the playing field. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Several actions are important if you want to avoid being "doxed" by someone who is seeking to ridicule you. • Do you still write checks? If so, security expert Frank Abagnale says you should re-think the practice. • Twenty years ago: The world was becoming increasingly concerned with January first 2000, expecting a Y2K disaster. But there were some voices of reason.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-10-27: Impersonation, the Kind of "Flattery" Nobody Wants. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:38
Consider what happens if some creep impersonates your Facebook or Instagram account. It's nowhere near as bad or as serious as having your identity stolen, but it's still a major annoyance. Reducing risk and avoiding the problem is best, but be prepared just in case you become a victim. In Short Circuits: If you're having a problem with Windows, the Feedback Hub (once available only to those in the Windows Insider program) might help with a repair. Microsoft's Office Lens puts a scanner in your pocket. I've been looking at some TechByter programs from 20 years ago and a lot of websites that were cutting edge back then no longer exist. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities' October newsletter contains suggestions for avoiding online fraud. We'll take a look and there's a link to the newsletter. • Support for Windows 7 ends in January and about one third of all Windows computers are still running that version. • Twenty years ago: We were just beginning to see the advent of phones that could surf the web and even send and receive emails.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-10-20: Acronis True Image Raises the Backup Bar. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:42
The just-released verson of Acronis True-Image backup adds what the company calls "dual protection" to ensure that you'll always have a backup of your backup. In Short Circuits: Adobe's Elements applications, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, continue to add features that are powered by the company's Sensai artificial intelligence engine. Facts are important and they seem to be in short supply these days. Snopes.com isn't the only fact-checking operation so let's take a look at some of the others. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The first rule of the internet still applies: Trust nobody. • Jam Audio has just released water-resistant ear buds that look like they'll be perfect for a workout in the gym or a walk in the rain. • Twenty years ago: IBM was boasting about the performance of its new Power4 line of CPUs.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-10-13: Exposure X5 Has Lots of New and Enhanced Features for Photographers. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:38
The newly released Exposure X5 gives users powerful new ways to control distortion, vignetting, color fringing, and chromatic aberration -- problems that can damage the look of an otherwise good photograph. In Short Circuits: Microsoft has added some new controls for the mouse cursor. There's now a range of 15 sizes for the pointer and, even better, you can set the color of the mouse cursor to make it more visible. More than 100 utilities are available on the NirSoft website. Most are provided without charge and they can help users see what's happening in normally hidden areas. In Spare Parts (only on the website): If you're still running Windows 7, you're running a risk. Too many computers are still using that long-outdated operating system. • The American Library Association and the Overdrive ebook management system from Rakuten are making select copies of new ebooks available without delay. • Twenty years ago: While preparing for the January 2000 version of the Consumer Electronics Show, I was impressed that devices were becoming so small.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-10-06: Taking a Photo is Just the First Step. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 19:35
When cameras used film, we didn't have much control. Pros and serious amateurs had darkrooms or used professional labs, but most of us couldn't even crop an image without using scissors to cut the print. Now everyone can do what only the pros used to be able to do and much more that pros never dreamed of being able to do. In Short Circuits: Lynda.com can be your key to becoming a better photographer, or a C++ programmer, or a sound engineer. All it takes is a library card from one of the libraries that offers the content for free. If you're thinking about buying a new smart phone or you're looking around at mobile phone services, Google Fi is becoming a serious contender. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The most dangerous application on your computer is still the email program. • The FDA says some medical devices can be exploited by crooks who could change how the devices work. • Twenty years ago: After returning from PC Expo in New York City, I wrote that we seemed to be turning into the Jetsons. Some of what I mentioned came to be but some didn't.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-09-29: What Happens After the Computer's Hard Drive Fails? Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:18
You know the hard drive in your computer will fail someday, so you've been making regular backups. But what if you can't restore files from the backup when disaster strikes? Preparing for recovery is the step that's all too easy to miss. In Short Circuits: Suddenly your computer starts acting like it's full of congealed tar balls and who's to blame? Sometimes it's not malware or Microsoft. Every computer user who does anything on the internet is using Linux, so why is Linux installed on so few home computers? In Spare Parts (only on the website): Exposure Software (known as Alien Skin until recently) has just released Exposure X5. I'll have a full review in a couple of weeks, but let's take a quick first look. • If you've ever wanted a jukebox that plays 45 RPM records, you can now buy one -- but only if you have $10,000 or so lying around. • Twenty years ago: The top search engines were Yahoo and AltaVista, but a newcomer had arrived and was building a reputation for itself.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-09-22: How to Stop Your Smart Phone from Driving You to Distraction. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 17:10
In an effort to be helpful, smart phone manufacturers, service providers, and apps want to send messages and reminders. There are ways to tame the deluge. In Short Circuits: BIOS updates are always problematic. Should we install them or ignore them? The old advice was generally to ignore them, but that advice needs to be modified when security issues are involved. Did you sign up for the $125 Equifax settlement thinking that you might actually get $125? Dream on. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The Digital Citizens Alliance says online services such as Facebook and Google are not doing enough to keep sellers of illegal drugs off their systems. • QBE North America has launched processes and insurance designed to protect their clients from cyber threats. • Twenty years ago digital cameras were just beginning to gain acceptance as sensors captured enough data to make snapshot size photos.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-09-15: Small Towns and Businesses Increasingly Are Targets of Ransomware. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:20
We hear about ransomware attacks that affect cities and, while they are frequent targets of malware, some crooks target small businesses and home users because they know the targets will be softer. In Short Circuits: Sometimes it seems that electronic devices go out of their way to make our lives miserable and, when they do, finding a solution to the problem can be challenging. If you've been thinking about switching to an open-source office suite, there are two primary choices: OpenOffice and LibreOffice. So which one is better? We'll look. In Spare Parts (only on the website): When you need to run a notebook computer or tablet for a long time and there's no nearby power source, modifying the computer's power settings can help. • It's also a good idea to keep an eye on the battery's performance over time because you'll probably need to replace the battery at least once before you replace the computer. • Twenty years ago some people were in a tizzy about the September 9th computing disaster that turned out to be even less of a problem than the much anticipated Y2K "disaster".…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-09-08: Big Changes for This Year's Corel Draw Graphics Suite. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 27:27
Corel Draw has been around for a long time and the recently released 2019 edition of the graphics suite continues the company's long running emphasis on ease of use. In Short Circuits: Some of us love the Windows Start Menu. Some of us hate it. Either way, there are actions you can take to improve how you get to the programs you use most often. You might think that I'd be sad to say that Alien Skin Software no longer exists. I'm not and I'll explain why. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A recent update to the Emoji panel in Windows 10 makes the component really useful for the first time. • You know not to trust emails that claim to be from your boss, but what about phone calls? • Twenty years ago a company wanted to sell wearable computers for the equivalent of nearly $10,000 in today's money.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-09-01: If You Have a Scanner, You Need VueScan. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:46
Anyone who owns a scanner -- regardless of make, model, or type -- should take a look at VueScan because it's probably better than the software that came with your scanner. In Short Circuits: Website owners often receive emails from China with warnings that someone is trying to register their website name. In short, it's a scam intended to separate your money from you. Another scam that I hadn't seen before added an entry to my Google calendar so that it could create pop-up messages telling me that I had won an IPhone. In Spare Parts (only on the website): It looks like there's finally been some progress in getting phone companies to cooperate in a way that may eventually eliminate or at least reduce unwelcome robocalls. • It's been 20 years since Adobe introduced InDesign. Publishing has changed a lot since then and InDesign now virtually owns the desktop typesetting and page layout market.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-08-25: Photo and Designer Join Affinity Publisher, so Let's Take a Look. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:31
Powerful features and low cost are rarely features of a single computer application. Normally you get one or the other but software developer Serif is trying to provide both in its new series of Affinity products. In Short Circuits: Adobe has added several new features to its photographic applications and has updated many others. The result is one you'll like. If you'd like to frighten yourself, have your Wi-Fi router send a copy of its latest status report to you. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Small improvements can make big differences in your photographs and I'll show you one that's both easy and dramatic. • If you have some old computer gear that is no longer in service, taking it for a short drive to Newark next weekend would be a good idea.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-08-18: Choosing the Right Computer for School. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:24
If you need a computer for school, you'll find lots of choices. Maybe too many choices. It's not a one-size-fits all situation, so picking the right computer involves matching your needs. In Short Circuits: Some scammers are just plain stupid, so let's take a moment to laugh at one that fits that description. It's getting harder to use the Flash Player in most browsers and it will be impossible by the end of next year. Websites that use the technology have until the end of 2020 to upgrade. In Spare Parts (only on the website): We'll take a quick glance at some big improvements in Adobe's photo applications. • Bearing in mind that today's cameras are just computers with lenses, should we be surprised that they can be infected with malware? The short answer is NO.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-08-11: These Are Outstanding Days for Readers. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:17
Life has never been better for those who prefer to read books on electronic devices and libraries offer a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction materials for patrons. In Short Circuits: There is a threat on the horizon for electronic books and audiobooks. Four major publishers are planning to severely limit library access to electronic versions of their books. Do you need a utility to confirm that your smart phone is working and would it be worth more than $200 per year? Microsoft continues to offer rewards for Bing searches and for participating in daily exercises. Although amusing, these actions aren't exactly rewarding. In Spare Parts (only on the website): How to modify Windows so that you'll always have a current restore point. • Using a Wi-Fi hotspot without a VPN application is dangerous and Erie Insurance says a VPN is just one of several steps necessary to improve security.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-08-04: WordPerfect Office Suite Still Delivers. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:22
WordPerfect hasn't been the dominant word processor since the 1990s, but Corel's development efforts for the past 23 years and WordPerfect's long-time killer feature (Reveal Codes) make it exactly the right choice for some users. In Short Circuits: Sometimes a new application doesn't install properly. When that happens, finding a workaround starts with reading and understanding diagnostic messages. The Google Local Guides feature is handy for finding store hours, movie theaters, and good restaurants, but it can be much more during a crisis. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Capital One, a Virginia bank with a huge on-line presence, suffered a data breach that exposed credit card application information from 100 million people. Fortunately, this incident isn't quite as bad as it sounds. • Sometimes Windows takes far too long to shut down. There's a solution, but it involves a Registry edit and it's a change that might cause other problems. Let's take a look.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Too many people are trying to steal your data, whether it's on your computer or stored on-line. We all have a duty to be cautious, so let's consider how. In Short Circuits: If you have an old computer or other electronic device that still works, you can sell it. But what if it's broken? You may still be able to sell it and keep it out of a landfill. Some electric utilities make it possible to keep an eye on real-time usage. An update to Adobe Audition has added several new features. One of them is small but uncommonly useful. In Spare Parts (only on the website): LampLess projectors still have light sources, so are they really "lampless"? Maybe it depends on your definition. • Amazon can now deliver packages to your car if you live in one of 50 specific cities, have a current Acura RDX, and park it in the right place.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-07-21: After Much Research, I Have Identified the Best Camera in the World. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:45
You may be surprised by the price of the best camera in the world, but extensive research and testing have revealed that it probably costs less than you would expect. In Short Circuits: If your Windows 10 computer seems slow, it might be the result of having too many applications open in the background. Far too many developers think their app should run all the time, but it's easy to turn off the ones you don't want. Police departments are using social media and some have even developed apps for mobile phones with the objective of making people aware of police activities. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Sudden panic about a photo app that's been around for two years is unwarranted but it does raise some valid questions. • Youngstown is about to lose its newspaper and an experiment in electronic journalism will take its place. • A new round of idiocy is circulating on Facebook, calling for people to copy and paste some word-salad text to keep Facebook from using their photos. As with most of these, it clearly a fraud.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-07-14: Publisher: The Final Part of Serif's Affinity Puzzle. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 21:34
If you're struggling with Microsoft Word or Publisher to create newsletters and other publications, Affinity Publisher might be just what you need. Surprisingly, it's also good for much larger documents. In Short Circuits: As a follow-up to this week's review of Affinity Publisher, let's take a look back at how much publishing has changed since the mid-1980s when the first electronic typesetting applications came to desktop computers. If you sometimes see page not found errors when you try to connect to a website, it's not your fault. It is, however, something you can fix. In Spare Parts (only on the website): As useful as Google Backup and Sync is, sometimes it doesn't sync or back up and you'll have to find a way to fix it. • Mobile internet speeds in the United States are improving, but we we're still in 40th place worldwide.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-07-07: A Few Ways to Get More From Windows 10. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 26:30
For most of us, Windows 10 is Microsoft's best operating system, but that doesn't mean it can't be improved. Let's take a look at some ways that you can modify a few settings or learn a few tricks that will make it better. In Short Circuits: In a few days Google will modify how Photos and Drive interact with each other. Changes made in one location will no longer be reflected in the other. That's the way it should have been all along, but the change will probably cause some confusion. Starting more than a year ago, Microsoft stopped making backups of the Registry as a way to make the operating system consume less disk space. That decision might make you nervous; if so, there are two ways to fix it. In Spare Parts (only on the website): When the power goes out, a UPS unit can save the day and good home units are available for less than $100. • Small businesses and home businesses often fail to prepare for a cyberattack. If this describes you, consider two points that are important to your financial survival.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-06-30: Looking for HDR Processing? Check Aurora. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:16
If you like the idea of combining multiple photos to create a cool high-dynamic-range look, but haven't been able to get the results you want, now would be a good time to take a look at Aurora HDR from Skylum. It works as a standalone application or as a plug-in for Adobe's applications. In Short Circuits: Facebook constantly adds features I don't want and displays far more ads than seems reasonable. Social Fixer makes Facebook tolerable by removing stories, games, and other components you don't like. I've encountered another laughable porn scam. Let's take a look at the email and see why it's obviously a phony. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft's safety features make recovering from a problematic update easier than in the past, but the leftover files can get in the way. You can remove them. • Notepad is a handy Windows utility. Notepad++ is even better and it's free.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
After trying to convince Windows users that its own proprietary display engine was better than the ones used by Chrome and Firefox, Microsoft has given up on EdgeHTML. The next version of Edge will be based on Chromium. In Short Circuits: Recently released updates to Adobe Lightroom Classic include a powerful new feature that most people probably won't use, but those who care deeply about color purity will be delighted. For the majority of users, a new Texture slider will have more appeal and Adobe says that automatic adjustments have been improved. No matter how fast your computer is, you probably wish it could be faster. Let's consider a couple of options to make it so. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Previewed at last year's Max conference, Adobe Gemini will be known as Fresco and is coming soon. • Big changes for the New York City subways and buses as the MTA works to convert from plastic Metro Cards to a system that accepts payment from electronic wallets and various kinds of payment cards.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
I'm a proponent of password managers, but I've chosen to switch from one password manager to another even though the one I'm switching from is still a worthwhile and viable application. In Short Circuits: When I receive an email account deactivation notice, I instantly recognize it as phony because I am my own email system administrator, but what if you receive a deactivation message that seems to be from your ISP or from the corporate email manager? Some of the new top-level domains (ICU, for example) seem to have only spammers and scammers as clients. I have a solution. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Sony is now a respected camera manufacturer and the company has more than 50 lenses for their digital SLRs, which puts the company on par with Nikon and Canon. • United Airlines is rolling out an application that's designed to help passengers get to connecting flights even if their inbound flight arrives late for a tight connection.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-06-09: After a Rough Start, On1 PhotoRaw 2019 Recovers. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:38
After stumbling more than a little with the initial 2019 release of PhotoRaw, On1 has remedied most of the performance problems with the 2019.5 release. In Short Circuits: Not content to interfere only with US elections, Russia is now actively opposing development of 5G cellular networks in the United States with disinformation campaigns while encouraging 5G development in Russia. Scaremongers have been spreading concern about cellular signals and Wi-Fi for years even though there is no scientific evidence to support their outlandish claims. Your smart phone probably does a good job with high dynamic range photographs, but a real cameera (even a point-and-shoot camera) can do even better. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Apple is splitting ITunes into 3 separate applications and there's finally a new Mac Pro for those who need desktop power, but at a huge price. • Flipboard has been hacked. Although the service doesn't store any important information about users, there's still a cautionary tale here.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
Tech support seems a lot more complex than it really is. Once you realize that hardware and software companies really don't want to hear your tech support questions, the path to solving your own problems becomes clearer. In Short Circuits: Windows 10 version 1903 should have been released in March, but it's just now being pushed out. If your computer hasn't yet been updated and you wonder why, let's explore that topic. What's in 1903? There are some useful features and you may think that one of my favorites is downright silly. If so, I'll have to agree with you. Windows users can choose from 3 text-based consoles now. Do we need them? We do and I'll explain why. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Maybe you thought you'd never use high school math, but you found that's wrong and Texas Instruments is rewarding exceptional math teachers. • Prices for security cameras continue to drop and they are now well within the reach of most people. • Sometimes virtual reality is better than real reality. Let's think about that for a moment.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-05-26: Luminar Works with Lightroom, but also Threatens Lightroom. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 22:46
Luminar is a new photo editing application. Although it may not yet be a serious competitor for Adobe's Lightroom Classic, it does offer some useful features and works with Lightroom. In Short Circuits: Fans of magazines will find two on-line options worth checking out: Apple News Plus (formerly Texture), which has a $10 monthly fee, and Flipster, which is available for free to patrons of many libraries. Microsoft has an easy way to add emoticons to any document or email, but still lags when it comes to adding more common symbols. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Robocall scams are becoming more prevalent and senior citizens are proving to be lucrative targets for the scammers. • One manufacturer of drones will be adding new safety features to many of its products.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-05-19: Camtasia's New Features Improve Instructional Videos. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:58
TechSmith has added two features to Camtasia that anyone who makes instructional or promotional videos will doubtless want. In Short Circuits: Increasing numbers of crooks want to install malware on your computer and they're getting better at doing it. Fake Facebook accounts seem to be on the rise. You may receive a friend request from someone who is already your friend. That's just one of several ploys used by "Fakebook" mongers. In Spare Parts (only on the website): This week, a look at why you need to update your WhatsApp application if you haven't done so already. • And Microsoft tried to do it in 2015 but will, without question, end all support for Windows 7 in January of 2020.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-05-12: How to Avoid Documents with Unpleasant Hidden Surprises. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 16:58
Email continues to be the most common vector for distributing malware and attached documents slip by defenses all too often. In Short Circuits: Have you received a message from someone who says that he's broken into your computer, has embarrassing pictures taken with the computer's camera, and will send them to each of your contacts unless you pay? Oh, and he has one of your passwords, too. It's a fake and we'll consider how it works. Windows 10 version 1903 will be pushed out to computers sometime this month and Windows Insider members already have it. Wouldn't it be nice, when you need a copy of a document, to have a scanner in your pocket? Actually you do have a scanner in your pocket and Office Lens makes it more useful. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe has added some new features to its cloud-based Color application. • If you sometimes use your browser's incognito mode, it's good to understand its shortcomings.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-05-05: Google's Sensorvault Knows Where You Were. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:38
If you're planning to commit a crime, you might want to leave your phone at home because Google's Sensorvault knows where you are, where you were, and how long it took you to get from there to here. Sensorvault has data going back several years and, in some situations, police can access it. In Short Circuits: Internet crimes cost individuals and companies nearly $3 billion last year and that's just the crimes that were reported. Changing passwords frequently has been promoted as a good security measure, but that's no longer considered to be correct. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Turtle Beach has released a moderately priced set of headphones for gamers and they include a feature that's been available only in high-priced headphones until now. • Geometiles represent an attempt to make math concepts interesting and fun for students. • Creative Technology's updated Pebble Plus speakers will be of interest to those who want good computer sound but have a limited budget.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-04-28: Protecting Portable Data with VeraCrypt. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:18
Carrying important information around on an unencrypted phone, computer, or thumb drive is dangerous, but you might think that encrypting important files is difficult. It's not. In Short Circuits: The prices for solid state disk drives continue to drop and 2TB SSDs are now available for about $100. If you've ever had to deal with a stubborn Windows update that simply will not install, you might find the process I used this month to be helpful. Adobe is working on a new feature for Illustrator -- one that may seem more than a bit odd to you, but I think digital artists will like it. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The on-line reservation service OpenTable is promoting the use of "Dining Mode" for Mothers Day (and maybe other important and not-so-important occasions). It involves ignoring your phone. • A company has released a system that can generate up to 70 trillion passwords per second. Does that make you nervous?…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-04-21: Alien Skin's Exposure X4 Is Better With LUTs. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:18
Look up tables, LUTs, are an important new feature for Alien Skin's Exposure X4.5. LUTs are used in the creation of motion pictures, but they can also be used to great advantage by still photographers. In Short Circuits: Now is the time to get rid of Internet Explorer. The first step involves installing a more modern browser and making it your default, then you can remove IE entirely. The latest version of the Android operating system, Pie, has been pushed out to nearly all models of most manufacturer's phones and there are lots of worthwhile features. The US House has passed a bill to restore internet neutrality, but it's being blocked in the Senate. For the second time in a month, Facebook suffered a worldwide outage. This week's was much shorter, but Facebook managers refuse to say what happened. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Artificial intelligence is being used to hire healthcare professionals. • Some physicians' offices are being equipped with software that monitors patients in what the developers are calling a holistic manner. • SiriusXM and Pandora are adding podcasts to their existing mix of entertainment programs.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-04-14: Privacy Questions About Windows 10. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:33
Windows 10 shares information about your computer with Microsoft. There are good reasons for Microsoft to want the data and good reasons for you to allow it, but maybe you don't want to share the information. It's possible to disable the sharing if you know where to look and a small utility provides an easy way to review and change the settings. In Short Circuits: Some tech writers advise against using password managers, but I see them as the best way to create and maintain passwords that are unique and complex. Let's consider the opposing points of view. Most Windows 10 computers have "Fast Start" enabled. You might want to turn that feature off. I'll explain why and how. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A Chinese woman who was detained at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club was found to have lots of electronic gear and malware on a thumb drive. She'll be arraigned on Monday. • Like drones or not, they're here to stay and public safety agencies -- fire and police departments -- are finding good ways to use them. • An on-line service says it can help people deal with anxiety, eating disorders, and smoking.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-04-07: Finding the Right Tool to Enhance and Improve Your Photos. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:38
Which is better: Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop? The answer to that question is "it depends." Mainly it depends on what you need to do, but that's not all. We'll try to sort out which is the right option to use and when. In Short Circuits: The operators of the electric grid and other utilities are under nearly constant attack. So far, most of the attacks have been limited to the IT network, but critical infrastructure is at risk. If you've noticed that sometimes the Windows File Explorer takes far too much time to reveal all of the files in a folder, let's find out why and what can be done to fix the problem. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The time is coming when you'll approach a fast-food restaurant's drive-up window and be greeted by name. • A company that helps people find lower-cost auto insurance on-line has used their technology to create a list of the 25 cities that have the highest rates of drivers with drunk driving convictions.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-03-31: Better Ways to Work with the Registry. Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 20:46
Removing unwanted key functions from the keyboard can be accomplished with a Registry Edit, but there's a better option for those who fear touching the Registry. And for those who do edit the Registry, there's a non-Microsoft editor with some clever tricks. In Short Circuits: Asus has moved to correct a problem with their Live Update application that was used to push malware to hundreds of thousands of computers. We'll take a look at some of the most persistent high-tech myths. Artists who use a sketch pad to start a project and then have to transfer the art manually to a computer will be happy with a paper notebook that connects to Adobe Illustrator. In Spare Parts (only on the website): If you'd like to share less information on-line when you're shopping or sending emails, a service called Blur may help. • The Information Security Forum releases an assessment each year; the latest edition predicts some serious problems in the next 2 years.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
You've doubtless heard of the dark web and may consider it to be a place to avoid because illegal activity takes place there, but there's good to be found, too. After all, The Onion Router was a project undertaken by the US Navy in the 1990s. In Short Circuits: Merchants of angst are predicting that GPS systems will fail on 6 April. They will do no such thing, but older GPS devices might be a bit confused on that day. What happens if a Windows update causes problems for your computer? Uninstalling the update is relatively easy, but you'll want to avoid having it be reinstalled. That's relatively easy, too. In Spare Parts (only on the website): IBM owns The Weather Company and says that system updates will lead to more accurate and faster reporting of conditions as well as more reliable forecasts. • Facial recognition is a big deal, but one British company is using machine learning to obscure faces in videos.…
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TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
1 TechByter Worldwide 2019-03-17: Is it Finally Time for a Solid-State Drive? Short Circuits. Spare Parts. 18:01
If your computer is a few years old and you'd like it to be faster, the right change may no longer be to add RAM. Instead, maybe it's time to consider a solid-state disk drive. In Short Circuits: Now would be a really good time to confirm that your browser is fully up to date. That's true for any browser, but this week it's particularly true for Chrome. Microsoft is beginning to bad-mouth its own Office suite in an attempt to convert users to Office 365. The scourge of Robocalls continues to worsen, primarily because of inaction by the Federal Communications Commission, so we have to be vigilant about calls we receive. In most cases, it's not difficult to identify scam calls. In Spare Parts (only on the website): When you need to share a file, Firefox Share from Mozilla is ready to help even if you don't use Firefox. • Avast says your computer is in danger and, although they overstate the threat, a threat does exist. • Adobe's update to its experience design application (XD) this month includes a lot of worthwhile features.…
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Overeenkomstig met TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn
The avforums podcast brings you the latest tech, movie and gaming news, plus special features, interviews and show reports from the world of audio visual home entertainment
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Windows Weekly is about more than Windows. Veteran Microsoft insiders Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell join Leo for a deep dive into the most valuable company in the world. From consumer to enterprise, AI to Xbox, Windows Weekly is the only Microsoft podcast you'll ever need. Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 18:00 UTC.
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SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast)
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SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast)
Johannes B. Ullrich
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Daily cybersecurity news for practitioners. Vulnerabilities, defenses, threats, network security insight, research and more to make you sound smarter as you get to the office in the morning. New each weekday.
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Android Backstage, a podcast by and for Android developers. Hosted by developers from the Android engineering team, this show covers topics of interest to Android programmers, with in-depth discussions and interviews with engineers on the Android team at Google. Subscribe to Android Developers YouTube → https://goo.gle/AndroidDevs
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Every week Linus and Luke discuss the most current happenings in the technology universe.
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Risky Business is a weekly information security podcast featuring news and in-depth interviews with industry luminaries. Launched in February 2007, Risky Business is a must-listen digest for information security pros. With a running time of approximately 50-60 minutes, Risky Business is pacy; a security podcast without the waffle.
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America is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the ...
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Technical interviews about software topics.
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A daily dose of irreverent, offbeat, and informative takes on business & tech news. Hosted by Jon Weigell, Juliet Bennett Rylah, Mark Dent, Ben Berkley, Sara Friedman, Matthew Brown, and Rob Litterst from The Hustle.
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Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things ...
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