BOOSTING YOUR INTERNET SPEED

“This morning it took about four minutes to download the newspaper,” a reader wrote. “Usually, it’s only seconds.”

Neither of us could figure it out, so he called his internet service, Xfinity. They said the problem was his wiring. But why, he wondered, would his download speed be 20 Mbps one day and 500 Mbps the next? After a runaround, he gave up on Xfinity and signed up for AT&T’s fiber optics service. He’s very happy with it.

I like AT&T too. But I switched to Xfinity last summer when I found an unbeatable deal: internet service for $5 a month and cell service for $15 a month. But I had a heck of a time getting Xfinity to acknowledge the deal, which I found at AllConnect.com. The problem wasn’t solved until I went to the local Xfinity store, which urged me go to their corporate office 25 minutes away. Nothing else works, they said. Phone calls are a big waste of time. They were right. The corporate office fixed everything.

Target Goes After Amazon

To compete with Amazon Prime, Target is offering “Target Circle 360,” which offers unlimited delivery-and-rush-shipping service to members for $99 annually, or $49 if you sign up between April 7 and May 18.

I still prefer Amazon Prime for $139, which has a lot more benefits. They also sell stuff I don’t see elsewhere, and the price is usually better. Besides, I hate to add one more Target box to the delivery pile since I live next door to them. The Amazon pile is huge enough. In New York, for example, 1.5 million Amazon packages are delivered daily. If you could stack them, you’d get a one million-foot tower. That’s 688 Empire State Buildings on top of each other.

On the other hand, online shopping is more sustainable than traditional retail 75 percent of the time, according to a study by MIT’s Real Estate Innovation Lab. That’s due to fewer car trips, and to a big reduction in the carbon footprint of companies like Amazon, Target and IKEA. For more info, see the Politico article: “Shopping online surged during Covid. Now the environmental costs are becoming clearer.”

Crypto Trends

Back in 2017, I bought a $20 sweater with Bitcoin from Overstock.com, just to share the experience. It was a lousy sweater and I never got my Bitcoin back, probably because its value had soared. If I could have gotten it back, and somehow saved it until today, it would be worth ten times as much. Instead, I sold my remaining Bitcoin at a loss. Darn.

Cryptocurrency is volatile. But according to CoinLedger, a crypto tax software company, there are 300 major companies that accept it, including Adidas, Etsy, Chipotle, Chuck E Cheese, Domino’s, Hard Rock Café, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Google Pay and Spotify. Burger King Venezuela has been accepting Bitcoin payments since 2020. Maybe, like Overstock, they chuckle all the way to the bank, thanks to no-return policies.

Google’s Anti-Spam Efforts

The worst kind of spam comes from Google searches for obituaries, according to experts quoted by Wired Magazine. But Google is taking aim at that.

Google says they’ve been able to eliminate 40 percent of low-quality, unoriginal content. Some of it comes from spammers who purchase defunct websites, then flood them with random content and click bait. The website for a small-town Indiana newspaper, for example, was filled with posts about retail stocks. But even if a spammer doesn’t buy a prestigious address, they can still advertise there. Google is giving those sites 60 days to remove all click bait.

Saving Stuff to Your Phone

The Google Files app for Android phones now has a handy scanning feature.

To start, I tapped “scan,” then pointed my phone at my passport and pushed the camera button. Worked great. Now, if I need to show my passport, I can open the Files app and click the scanned documents folder to easily find it.

On iPhones and iPads, open the Notes app. Then select a note or create a new one. Tap the Camera button to start scanning a document, then tap “Scan Documents.” If you don’t want to use the automatic scan, tap the “Shutter” button, then drag the corners of the box around the image till you get it where you want it.

The free app “Stacks” is great too. It prompts you to save your scan in a category, such as Receipts, Recipes, Tax, Medical, Insurance, House and IDs. There’s also a “Starred” folder for your most important stuff.

A Second Phone

Forty percent of phone owners ages 16 to 24 report spending too much time on their smartphones, according to ZDnet. The new Barbie flip phone could give them their lives back.

Of course, some users say they need a smartphone for work. So one solution is to own two phones.  They could leave their smartphone at home on weekends, bringing just a flip. That way, they avoid the tyranny of email, social media and other distractions.

The Barbie phone, made by Human Mobile Devices, was just announced at Barcelona’s Mobile World Conference, so there’s no pricing info yet. But we know it’s pink, takes pictures, and comes out this summer. Alternatively, you could buy a Tracfone. They start at $20 for the TCL Flip 2.

 

 

NOT A CENT FOR RANSOM

Even home computers can get hit with ransomware. That’s when the bad guys ask you to pony up, if you want your files back. But Windows now offers free ransomware protection.

To turn it on, type “Windows Security” into the search box on your computer, or find it in “Settings.” Now click “Virus & Threat Protection,” then “Ransomware Protection.” It safeguards your folders and files. Gamers will want to add their apps to an access list, however, or they might not be able to open saved files. 

Given the juicy targets out there, it must be rare for a home computer to be held for ransom. But two years ago, a ransomware attack targeted home users through a fake antivirus update, according to ZDNet. In some cases, it demanded $2500. The article didn’t say whether the victims ever got their money or their files back. But it’s a good idea to install updates only from trusted sources. In other words, check the web address before you click.

Normally, hackers go for big targets, like United Health Group, the biggest US health care payment processor. A few weeks ago, they were hit with a ransom request. Life-saving prescriptions went unfilled. Doctors, pharmacies and patients panicked. 

Around 1.58 percent of state and local governments have also been ransomware victims. Only 20 percent stopped an attack from succeeding. Just last November, according to Malwarebytes.org, almost the entire population of Maine was affected by a ransomware attack. The criminals may have obtained names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s licenses, state identification numbers, and taxpayer identification numbers, as well as medical information.

LassPass Blues

When LastPass, the password manager, failed a friend of mine, I talked her into switching to Google Password Manager. After all, I couldn’t figure out how to fix LastPass either.

What’s worse, its tech support service, my friend said, had the feel of a fly-by-night company. When she recognized the area code in Texas, for example, the tech guy refused to say where he was, though he was eager to take over her computer functions remotely. 

I prefer Google’s Password Manager to LastPass for two reasons. First, it’s free for an unlimited number of devices. LastPass charges $36 a year for two devices. Second, Google’s Password Manager is easy to use, and includes a free password checkup. I’ve had trouble with every other password manager I’ve tried.

Google’s Password Checkup gives you a list of weak, duplicated and compromised passwords. My list has no compromised password but includes 284 reused and 180 weak ones. I’ll get around to changing some of them one of these days. But nearly all are sites I no longer go to. They don’t have my current financial or personal info. 

Google’s Password Manager works best in the Chrome web browser, or browsers based on Chrome, such as Microsoft Edge and Brave. But there’s no reason you can’t use two browsers. I have six.

Getting Phone Advice from a Cabbie

I never expected phone advice from a cab driver in Arizona. But he did a great job explaining why he loves the Samsung Galaxy S24. 

For starters, its live translation is handy when passengers don’t speak English. In a demo on the web, an English-speaker taps the S24’s microphone symbol and says: “It’s my first time in Korea. What would you suggest doing?” This gets immediately translated into Korean text. When the Korean answers, his words appear as English text. Both translations face the one they’re aimed at, so you don’t have to turn the phone around. Of course, it isn’t perfect. According to theVerge, the S24 wrongly translated a Japanese line about a cat. Instead of “Petey is eating my chair,” it said: “I am eating my chair.”

Going beyond translation, the S24 has a bright screen that can be read in direct sunlight. It also has a new feature called “Circle to Search.”  Using a finger, circle anything you see on your phone, such as an exotic cartoon animal or a purse in a movie, and you’ll get a list of Google links. The S24 also has a 200-megapixel camera system, an extra-durable display, and at least seven years of operating system and security updates, as well as seven years of Samsung tech support. On the downside, it costs $1299.

Smartwatch Saves Time

The Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch handled cardiovascular assessments at a British hospital recently, freeing up valuable time for doctors and nurses, according to a research study cited by Engadget. 

The Garmin’s six-minute “Walk Test” diagnoses pulmonary hypertension, which can be fatal if left untreated. When the walk was finished, a nurse or doctor tested the patient’s heart rate and blood oxygen. That still saved time compared to other diagnostic tools. But ideally, the researchers conclude, you would do the walk test at home, then use a blood oxygen test and a heart rate monitor, both available on Amazon. 

The Biggest Battery

If you want a smartphone with a huge battery life, check out Avenir’s “Energizer Hard Case P28K.” It weighs a pound and a quarter, has nearly a seven-inch display, Android 14 and a 28,000 mAh battery. It has a talk time of nearly five days, and a standby time of almost 100 days. But it probably wouldn’t fit in your pocket.

 

GOOGLE WALLET STORES YOUR CARDS

Example of cards in Google Wallet

My membership card for a local art museum never arrived. “We don’t use physical cards anymore,” the museum staffer explained. She suggested Google Wallet.

The free Google Wallet app for Android now contains my museum card, credit card and loyalty cards from restaurants and stores. It can also store virtual car keys, transit cards and vaccination cards. If I had also been able to store my driver’s license, I would have saved a lot of hassle at the airport recently when I accidentally left my I.D. at home. But the Wallet only accepts driver’s licenses issued in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia or Maryland.

With Google Pay, a part of Wallet, I can use my phone instead of a credit card. It’s safer, since no one can see the number. To buy something with Wallet, download the free app and add your credit card. When you’re ready to pay at a store or restaurant, tap the Wallet icon, then bring the image of your credit card close to the card reader.

The equivalent for iPhone users, with slightly fewer features, is Apple Pay. But with Apple Pay, you only need to be 13. For Google Pay, you must be at least 18. But it’s being phased out as a stand-alone app on June 4th. After that, you can only get it in Wallet.

Nosy Vending Machines

An M&M vending machine outraged Canadian students when it captured their gender and age through facial recognition. But what about American vending machines?

American Green said it uses facial recognition in machines that dispense cannabis and alcohol, among other adult products. Otherwise, it can’t tell if a driver’s license scanned into an app is the real thing. Similarly, Popcom vending machines, which sell bath products and organic teas, use facial recognition to capture demographic info. They also use blockchain technology to verify IDs for regulated products, according to BiometricUpdate.com.

I was surprised that the Canadian students were so outraged. After all, the machine didn’t link their gender or age to them specifically. It only saved general statistics. But whatever the fuss, I’ll bet there’ll be a lot more nosy vending machines in our future.

Rescuing an Old Notification

If you missed a notification on your Android phone, you can get it back even if you deleted it. Open “Settings” go to “Notifications, then tap “Notification History.” You’ll see every notification you’ve received in the last 24 hours.

Android 15 Preview

Here’s a sneak peak at a feature in the upcoming Android 15. It’s called “Notification cooldown.”

Notification cooldown stops an app from bombarding you with a burst of messages. This can happen when you’re part of a group text. For example, recently a group text asked whether I wanted the chicken dinner or the vegetarian lasagna. Boom, boom, boom, there were suddenly lots of people chiming in, with notifications for each. It would have been disruptive if I hadn’t been so excited to see what other people were ordering.

Another new feature in Android 15 is partial screen recording. It lets you record an app or part of a website instead of the whole screen. It will be released to the public between August and October, according to Lifewire. The first phones to get it will be Google Pixel phones, version 6 and later. Just like Samsung, Google starts with the owners of the latest model and gradually gets around to the older ones. But for now, while still in the testing phase, it’s only available to developers.

New Features in Chromebooks

Chromebooks are great laptops for anyone who mainly uses a computer to go online. Here are two of their newest features.

Chromebooks now have extended clipboards. That means you can copy multiple items and paste exactly the one you want from a long list. To start, tap the Everything button– which looks like a dot with a thin line around it– plus the letter “V,” then select what you want to paste into an email, a Facebook page, or wherever. For example, you might want to copy a lot of recipes from the web, then choose one of them to paste into an email, text or document.

Another new feature is the smart battery. This means it won’t charge to 100 percent even if it stays plugged in. Experts recommend not going past 80 percent, or below 20 percent, in order to extend your battery’s lifespan. To see if your Chromebook has a smart battery, go to “Settings” and search on “Adaptive Charging.” My Pixelbook Go has it, even though it’s four years old.

Remind Me

Every morning at 7:30, my Google Home smart speaker annoys me with the words: “Time to brush your teeth.” I tried to cancel it but couldn’t. Google tech support– which is free for Google One users who pay $20 a year for extra storage– denied that I was even hearing that.

So for now, I unplug my Google Home if I think I’m going to sleep in. When I need reminding, I ask Alexa, either with the Alexa app on my phone or an Echo device. The only time she messes up is if I ask too quickly. For instance, if I said: “Alexa, at 10 a.m., remind me to call royal ballet,” she might say “Fall loyal ball boy.”  You can also ask Apple’s Siri to remind you. For example: “Siri, remind me to meet Joe Doe at 11 a.m.”

 

APPLE VISION PRO: A HEAVY WEIGHT ON YOUR FACE

Everyone and his dog are saying how uncomfortable the new Apple Vision Pro headset is. But what else would you expect when you strap a pound-and-a-half object to your face?

Apple hasn’t revealed the exact weight yet, but 1.5 pounds is a good estimate, says tech expert David Pogue. If the weight doesn’t get to you after 20 minutes, the motion sickness and eye strain will. Or so say the people who returned the $3500 product, according to theVerge.

Newbies may be wondering exactly what the Vision Pro does. Basically, it combines both virtual reality and augmented reality. When in VR, you’re totally immersed in a setting other than the one you’re actually in. When in AR, you can still see your own living room or any other place you’re occupying, with objects superimposed upon it. Your eyes act as a cursor. Your forefinger and thumb come together to click. To zoom in, you pinch the air with both hands coming together. To zoom out, you pinch the air with both hands moving apart.

Apple says the Vision Pro could replace the Mac, but that sounds unlikely to me. So what is it good for?  I Googled “Best uses for the Vision Pro” and came up with this list from a Reddit user: Personal theater for Apple TV, YouTube, etc. Virtual monitors to give you extra screens for computing tasks. Web browsing. Virtual sheet music. Drawing or tracing the forms you see in augmented reality. Scanning bar codes. Augmented reality enabled workflows (whatever that means), and “unreleased cool/fun apps.”  I think most of us will wait for the cool/fun apps, a lighter headset and a lower price.

Robot Nags

Do our gadgets nag us too much? You bet.

I’ve heard of cars that nag you to keep your eyes on the road using random pop-up messages that force you to look away. Home gadgets nag you too. My old microwave beeped at me until I took the food out. Even Google scolds me.

Google’s “ImageFX” is a new artificially intelligent website that creates pictures based on your prompts. When I typed “English girl, cozy setting, cup of tea,” for example, I didn’t get a picture. I got a nag from Google saying I’d violated their policies. I was also in violation when I typed “Chinese” or “Asian” or “Korean” girl, using the same cozy tea setting. But Google didn’t mind if I used the word “British,” “Japanese,” “African,”  or “Muslim.” And “Korean girl” was OK, if I started with the setting instead of the person.  Robo nags can be arbitrary.

Screen Lock

Until recently, I had to enter my password dozens of times a day, every time my screen timed out. So I went to “Settings,“ and searched for “Extend Unlock.” Next, I created a list of “trusted places,” starting with my home. This eliminated the need to type in my PIN over and over. I’m in heaven. To prevent excess password prompting when I’m away from a trusted place, I extended the Screen Lock time-out to 30 minutes, up from five seconds. On my phone, I went to “Settings,” then “Security & privacy,” then “Device Unlock,” then “Screen Lock.”

On an iPhone, go to “Settings.” Under the “General” tab, select “Passcode Lock,” and “Require Passcode.” Then choose a grace period.

Who’s Afraid of Big Bad AI?

Will AI take your job? According to a study by DevRev, a customer support service, US lawyers are more worried about it than any other profession. After that come artists, accountants, doctors and data scientists. But what can these robots do?

In law, AI bots revue and analyze contracts and communicate with clients. In art, they create book covers, album art and music videos. In accounting, they generate financial reports and budgets. In healthcare, they scan medical images and patients’ records. In data science, they create algorithms and complex models.

A Tip and a Trick

Attention teachers everywhere: If you want to show someone how to do something on a computer, consider recording your screen movements as well as your voice, using Windows Game Bar, a free feature in Windows 10 and 11.

To start, go to the program or website you want to record. I opened “Peggle,” my favorite video game, to record my latest moves. Next, when you’re ready to record, hold down the Windows key (looks like a flag), while you tap the “G” key. When a menu pops up, click the “Record” key. Click it again to stop the recording.

Next to Record, there’s a button that turns on your microphone. Click it if you want to talk during your demonstration. Later, you can find your video recordings in your computer’s Video folder. It’s in a sub-folder called “Captures.”

Finally, you can use Gmail to send the recordings. Large files are automatically converted into Google Drive links. Alternatively, you can upload your new recording to Dropbox or one of the other file storage sites. For more details on video recordings in Windows see the ZDNet article “How to Record the Screen on Your Windows or Mac.”

Numbers Report

YouTube is the most engaging of social media, according to data analyzed by DigitalSilk, a web design firm. On Youtube, users stay an average of 19 minutes and 35 seconds. Reddit is second, then Snapchat, X.com, Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Pinterest. Tiktok viewers average just three minutes and 37 seconds.

 

 

WINDOWS PC MANAGER

Windows has a new, free app called “PC Manager.” It’s handy.

The app offers shortcuts to security features, storage management and performance boosts. To get it, launch the Microsoft Store on your computer, then search for “PC Manager.”

Once it’s installed, click on “Health Check” to remove temporary files, trackers and other junk. Click “Boost” to make your computer run faster, and “Smart Boost” to get an automatic speed-up whenever your PC gets sluggish. The app also includes a currency converter, calculator, recorder, translator, notepad and screenshot taker.

Besides PC Manager, I also like the free Ccleaner. Ccleaner removes junk files and trackers too, but unlike PC Manager, it goes beyond cleaning Microsoft Edge. It also gets rid of junk files in Chrome, Safari and other browsers. Other tools include an uninstaller, a drive wiper, a shortcut to disabling unnecessary browser plug-ins, a link to System Restore and a duplicate file finder that ignores photos but includes music.

Trackless

I’m no longer being tracked by third parties in Google Chrome. How can I tell? There’s an eye icon in the search bar and it’s crossed out.

Google is in the process of getting rid of third party tracking for all Chrome users, though so far they’ve only turned it off for 1 percent of us. But you can turn it off manually by opening Chrome and clicking or tapping the three dots in the upper right corner, then choosing  “Settings,” then “third party cookies.” Put a checkmark next to “block third-party cookies.” On the iPhone, you can block cookies by opening Safari and going to “Privacy & Security.”

Third party trackers, called “cookies,” gather personal information about you. They could also add malware to your phone or computer. But without them, the ads you see wouldn’t be relevant, and some sites won’t let you in unless you unblock them.

Palworld

“In this game, I can be a crazy cat lady, build a cute house, and give my pals a gun? Game of the year!” said a user of the new “Palworld.”

“Palworld,” a Pokemon satire, is a huge hit, with over 19 million copies sold since January 19.  Check out its trailers on YouTube to get an idea of the game play. In the first few seconds, it looks peaceful, with flying dragons, gorgeous mountains and tummy rubs for unusual pets. Then the creatures come out, machine guns blazing.

Palworld has 180,694 “very positive” reviews on the Steam platform. The early access version, which keeps evolving, is $30. I find these kinds of shoot-em ups a turnoff, but I can see the appeal for others.

Now Backing Up

Instead of the backup programs that come with Windows, I like Ashampoo’s “Backup Lite.” It’s free.

Why do I dislike the free Windows Backup? In Windows 10, it’s confusing. In Windows 11, it assumes I want to back up every darn file on my computer. Then it sends everything to my OneDrive account online, which fills up quickly. When it gets past the free five gigabyte limit, there’s a charge, unless I decide to renew my Office 365 program for $70 a year. Then I’d get a terabyte of free online storage space.

Ashampoo’s Backup Lite is refreshingly easy. Choose what you want to back up and where you want it to go. The categories include photos, music, videos, Office documents and “Custom.” The junky stuff doesn’t need to come over. Restoring files is a bit tricky however. I had to click “Deactivate” first, which stopped the backup from running in the background. In the next version, there’ll be a simple restore button, the company spokesman says.

Selfie Timer

If you have a Samsung or Pixel phone, you can show your palm to your camera app to automatically snap a selfie. The selfie timer will swing into action, giving you enough time to get your hand out of the picture and steady the phone before the photo is snapped. But Pixel owners have to set it up first by going to Settings and turning on the Palm Timer.

Login Hassles

If it bugs you to have to sign in every time you return to your Windows computer, here’s how to turn that off. Do a search on “Sign-in options,” then choose “never” in the drop-down menu next to “Require sign-in.”

Improve Your Gait

I used to jog in a manner that was hard on my toes. Now there’s a wearable device, the Evolve MVMT, that guides you toward a perfect gait. If you’re landing too hard on your heels, for example, it will let you know.  It’s $499 from evolvemvmt.com, but might be worth it if it saves you from worn-out joints.

Here’s another benefit: Patients who learn to do “light walking” don’t just prevent injuries. They burn 36 percent more calories, according to a study by the Cleveland Clinic and Monash University.

AI Paint

The new “Cocreator” is an artificially intelligent tool in Paint, which comes with Windows 11. Unfortunately, there’s a waitlist.

Cocreator is just like “Bing Create,” but includes Paint’s image editor. For example, it lets you add a speech bubble to a picture, with words like “Happy Birthday.” Share it by email and social medial, or make a printed greeting card. Alternatively, begin at Bing Create, then bring your image into Paint or your favorite photo editor.

APP TURNS SELFIES INTO ART

Art Selfie 2 is a fun way to see how you’d look dressed for the Italian Renaissance, a Woodstock Festival and a Frida Kahlo portrait, among other settings. I discovered that I look ridiculous in a powdered wig.

Start by downloading Google’s free “Arts & Culture” app for Android or iPhone, then tap on “Art Selfie 2.” The app prompts you to take a selfie, choose a style and save your portrait. I never pictured myself with flowers on top of my head or wearing a hippie’s outfit. Groovy, man. Far out.

Be Real

During a busy day the other day, I went all over town. But every time the “Be Real” app popped up to take a selfie of my activity, I was back home.

Be Real, a free app for iPhone and Android, is an answer to braggarts on Facebook. It  posts random photos from your daily life instead of your peak experiences. When a selfie request pops up, you can delay it. But when you share it, your friends will know you waited for a better opportunity.

Each selfie appears as a thumbnail in a larger picture of your surroundings. Mine continually showed my face in the upper left corner of my living room. Nuts. But it seems perfect for parents or grandparents showing off a growing child. So far it’s been downloaded 56 million times. It has 23 million active users, according to ZDnet.

Opening Locked Doors with Your Palm

I love waving my palm to pay at Whole Foods. Soon, I’ll be able to unlock doors that way.

Philips announced a $360 deadbolt that unlocks with palm recognition. It’s called the Palm Recognition Smart Deadbolt, and boy is it ever smart. It opens when you’re close enough to the door handle to have your palm read, and can recognize the palms of up to 50 people. It also reads the pin codes of 100. It comes with a doorbell and an app. The app is great when you’re away from home and need to know if someone is at the door. Too bad it can’t show you their face. Availability: first half of 2024.

That Darn App

A reader said she couldn’t find the free Noonlight app I wrote about. Sometimes, app finding is tricky.

When you search on “Noonlight” in the Apple app store, for example, it’s not at the top. You have to look at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, it’s easy to miss.

Noonlight is a free app that calls the police for you and gives them a more accurate location than 911 usually can. It also lets you text a description of your emergency and alerts your contacts.

Remarkable Alexa

 “Remarkable Alexa” is a new AI version of Normal Alexa. But so far, only 15,000 testers have tried it, according to Ars Technica.

Reactions are mixed. The test subjects reported both unnecessarily long answers and inaccurate ones. But Amazon is hoping to improve it, then charge for it. Since Normal Alexa is a money-loser, perhaps Remarkable Alexa can help out. According to Business Insider, Amazon lost $10 billion in Alexa-related expenses in 2022.

Going Incognito

Contrary to popular wisdom, using “Incognito mode” in your Chrome web browser doesn’t prevent you from being tracked. It only prevents those in your own household from seeing where you’ve been.

After users complained about this, Google had to settle the issue in court. Now the company is updating their warning about what incognito means. In future it will read: “Others who use this device won’t see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google.”

To use Google Chrome in incognito mode in Windows or the Mac, hold down the “Ctrl” or “Cmd” button and the “Shift” key, then press the “n” key. If you’re using Chrome on an Android phone, iPad or iPhone, tap the three dots, then tap “New Incognito tab.”

Lightning Fast Phone Charging

How about a slim battery attached to the back of your phone or phone case? Sounds awkward, but it would allow you to charge your phone in seven seconds using a device called The Swapery. When you drop your phone into the Swapery’s swapping station, it instantly swaps the current battery for one of four fresh ones.

Unfortunately, it’s not out yet, but you can get notifications by clicking “preorder” at theSwapery.com. They don’t ask for a credit card.

Legal Art

When I went to Bing.com/Create and typed “women around a table discussing finances,” one of the AI-generated images had human limbs that appeared under the table without their bodies. The other images involved clones with similar business suits and identical hair color. The question is, did AI steal those images from copyrighted material? Maybe so. I didn’t end up using them.

Here’s an alternative. Getty Images now offers an AI image generator for creating fully-licensed images. It can generate commercially-safe pictures 100 times for $15. Use it at iStockPhoto.com. I got a great one there.

Internut

RichTechRobotics.com is showing off their new Adam, a robot bartender and barista. He can pour two drinks at the same time, one with each arm, and even follow your cocktail recipes. Rent him for your next event for an undisclosed price.

 

KARAOKE SAVES THE DAY

After trying a voice amplifier that screeched, I was on the lookout for something better. I needed to interview a soft-spoken author in front of a large audience.

As I was wondering how I would accomplish this, the soft-spoken author dragged an ancient karaoke system out of her closet. Brilliant idea, I thought. Unfortunately, it was missing a crucial part. So I bought the Moyleaf “Karaoke Machine for Adults and Kids,” a portable public address system with colorful disco lights. It looks like a large black lunch box with a bright orange handle, but weighs only 6.65 pounds. It’s about the height of a piece of paper, not counting the handle. I just saw it for $99.99 on Amazon, though I bought it for less on sale.

Setup was easy. As soon as I put two AA batteries into each microphone, and turned everything on, I was ready for a question-and-answer session. But I decided to try the karaoke system too. Karaoke leaves out the professional singing so you can insert your own warbles. I started by connecting the machine to my phone wirelessly via Bluetooth. Then I chose something from YouTube. Horrified by my raspy voice, I Googled “easiest to sing folk tunes in karaoke.” John Denver’s “Country Roads” came right up, with streaming lyrics. But after trying it, I decided I’d better stick to “Row, row, row your boat.”

Since the Moyleaf works for six to eight hours on a single charge, it would be fun at the beach. But I’m glad it comes with two microphones. I’ll need another singer to drown me out.

Your New Robot Housekeepers

Someday, you’ll tell a fleet of robots to clean the house and put out snacks on the counter, without worrying that they’ll bump into Grandma. It’s part of Google’s “Deep Mind” project.

Deep Mind successfully tested 20 robots working simultaneously in office buildings over a seven-month period. The entire fleet consists of 52 robots, which carried out 6,650 unique tasks.

Vibrating Belt for Stronger Bones   

The FDA just approved the Osteoboost vibration belt for anyone with osteopenia, a kind of mild bone loss. It was developed by Bone Health Technologies and NASA, an expert in zero gravity environments.

One study looked at women aged 50 to 60 who were asked to wear the belt for 30 minutes at least five times a week. After a year, those who wore the new belt lost only a half percent of their bone strength. The beltless lost 3.4 percent.

Pre-orders start in a few months. The belt is expected to cost $800 when it comes out later this year. For more info, search on the phrase “Vibrating belt that treats low bone density gets FDA approval.”

Alternatives include Power Plate machines, which also vibrate, and BioDensity machines, which don’t. Power Plate machines start at around $1500 when on sale. BioDensity machines are far more expensive. Both are available through a monthly membership at an OsteoStrong fitness center. I’ve seen fantastic gains in my bone strength after going there for 15 minutes a week for a year.

Hooray for Airplane Mode

Twice recently, I experienced dropped calls. So strange. I was home, with WiFi calling turned on. Why wasn’t WiFi used instead of my weak cell phone signal? Who knows. But here’s how to force a phone to use WiFi: Turn on airplane mode.

Artificially Intelligent Wikipedia

Lately, when I look something up in Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, I get artificially intelligent options. For example, when looking up the poet and translator Douglas Ainslie, I saw two ways to jump to the meat of the topic. First, I could click on the question: “Can you list the top facts and stats about Douglas Ainslie?” That’s how I found out that he was friends with Arthur Conan Doyle and also the first translator of Benedetto Croce. Next, click on “Summarize this article for a 10-year-old.” That was nice too. You’ll get the same options whatever you search for. Even Albert Einstein’s theories are taken down to the 10-year-old level.

After reading the factual summary and the kid version, you can click the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon to offer your opinion.

Fun With Google Maps

I never noticed the “Save” button in Google Maps until recently. It’s perfect for armchair travelers who want to put together a vacation plan or remember some place special.

On your phone or computer, go to Google Maps, then type in a location or tap a spot on the map. Tap “Save” when it pops up. You’ll see six categories, including “Want to go,” “Favorites,” and “Travel plans.” Later, when you return to Google Maps, click “Saved” to see your lists again.

Smart Binoculars

The first artificially-intelligent binoculars, the AX Visio, can identify 9,000 species of birds and mammals at the touch of a button. The binoculars use AI and a built-in camera to compare each image with every possible bird species. Alternatively, you could get a free phone app called “Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab.”  But even with all this, my bird-watching friend says the best way to identify birds is with a bird book.

Internut

The website Qr.blinry.org  tells you how to read a QR code with your bare eyes. It’s a cool party trick.

 

FREE TECH SUPPORT

No wonder my friend Kenny got out of the tech support business. He charged around $50 per call. Now you can get free tech support without bugging your neighbor.

Engadget.com listed the three main services, starting with CyberSeniors.org, which offers free support from volunteers. After you fill out their form, a volunteer will call you. Later, you can ask for them by name. The site also offers “Tech Drop-Ins,” to allow questions via Zoom.

SeniorPlanet.org, from AARP, is similar. It’s free even for non-AARP members and offers daily Zoom sessions. Alternatively, you can talk to a tech on the phone any time between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, by calling 888-713-3495.

For adults of all ages, there’s GoGoQuincy. You get one free call a month, two calls for $5-a-month, or unlimited calling for $20 a month. According to Engadget, GoGoQuincy answers a much wider range of tech questions, including smart home setup, TVs and more. You can either talk on the phone with their tech gurus or text them.

App Happy Babies

My nephew and niece have a two-month-old baby. So if they weren’t already experts at translating her cries, I’d suggest the “Cappella”  app, which claims to be 95 percent accurate. It can also track your baby’s sleep, feedings and diaper changes. The pro version is $10 a month for iPhone and iPad and is coming soon to Android.

What if you just want to translate your baby’s cries? Look up “Understanding baby language” or the “Dunstan Baby Language” to find a helpful TikTok video. For example a “neh” sound means “I’m hungry.” An “owh” sound means “I’m sleepy.” The “heh” sound means “I’m wet, cold, hot or have a dirty diaper.” A short “eh” is a burp. The “eair” sound is constipation.

Reader Complaint

After I wrote about the amazing world of artificially intelligent medical diagnoses, a reader wrote to say he disagreed.

“I have worked with AI in reading mammograms for decades,” he said. “It overcalled cases a lot, and if it was believed, a lot of women would have had false negatives. Zealots push it but it is not ready for prime time yet.”

He cited an article from TheHill, titled “ChatGPT incorrectly diagnosed more than 8 in 10 pediatric case studies.” The study judged a diagnosis “incorrect,” if it didn’t agree with the doctors’ opinions. But according to cardiologist, scientist and Ted talker Eric Topol, doctors make more errors than AI does. So instead of comparing AI diagnoses to doctors’ diagnoses, it might be better to look at the cases where people got well after following ChatGPT’s advice instead of a physician’s. I mentioned a few of these cases in a previous column. But these are still early days.

Smart Pepper Spray

I’ll never forget the time my husband demonstrated pepper spray for a physician friend and his kids, releasing a drop so powerful, we all ran down the hall to the elevator to escape. I had no idea you could get such an effect from a single drop. It was difficult to breathe. But in dangerous neighborhoods, or possibly at night, it could be useful.

The new $30 Sabre Smart Pepper Spray alerts loved ones as soon as you spray it, by communicating with your phone via Bluetooth and sending your location. It works with the Noonlight app for iPhone and Android.

But maybe it’s enough to install the free Noonlight app without buying the spray or calling 911.The company says that many 911 centers struggle to get an accurate location from mobile phone calls. They also point out that Noonlight can communicate with you by text, but 911 centers often lack that ability.

To call the police through the app, hold the button icon. Nothing else is required, but you can enter your pin number if you decide you’re safe. This app is especially recommended for college students. One girl said she keeps the app open, ready to press the call-police button, if an Uber driver seems sketchy in any way.

Phone Belt

Once I left my phone in a Lyft on the way to the airport. If only I had been wearing a FlipBelt, which neatly holds a phone, credit cards, driver’s license and cash, I never would have lost it. It took me two weeks to get it back.

The FlipBelt Classic Running Belt is stretchy and extremely comfortable, a perfect way to avoid pickpockets. Comes in 13 colors and five sizes. You can wear it around your waist or hips. Get it for $34 at Amazon or Flipbelt.com.

Commercial Free Shows on Amazon Music

When I gave up cable TV, I missed 60 Minutes more than anything. But now it’s available commercial-free on Amazon Music. Listen on your computer, phone or an Alexa device. Say: “Alexa, play 60 Minutes,” or go to music.amazon.com/podcasts and search on “60 Minutes.”

Moss Magic

Since moss generates 30 percent of the world’s oxygen, a moss terrarium like the new Moss Air can help with respiratory and skin diseases and remove fine dust particles and toxins. At 9.8 inches tall, and a couple inches across, it gives you a mini moss forest from top to bottom. Coming later this month for $99.

 

 

 

 

 

 

$500 MIRROR GIVES ADVICE

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the craziest of them all?” You are, that’s who, if you’re willing to spend $500 to $1000 on an artificially intelligent mirror.

Or maybe not. A glance at the new Baracoda Bmind Smart Mirror could talk you out of yelling at your boss, saving your bacon. First it will size you up. Then it will offer encouraging words, guide you in meditation and bring you light therapy. It also gives you your weight, the weather, some food recommendations and Nature scenes. According to ZDnet, the smart mirror is one of the best AI gadgets from the recent Computer Electronics Show.

But number one on the ZDnet list is the “Motion Pillow.” When the Motion Pillow realizes you’re snoring, it self-inflates to lift your head, opening your airways. It also monitors your sleep, telling you how much you snore and recording it. Instead of your own wheezes, however, you might want to play back your spouse’s snort after they accuse you of being the biggest noisemaker in the family. Hopefully, it’s still on sale at MotionPillow.com for $420, down from $699.

Another item on the ZDnet list is the Minitailz Smart Dog Collar. It tells you where Fido is at all times. It also lets you know his resting heart rate and breathing patterns. The company says it can detect heart failure before symptoms show up. Price: $99 for the collar and $25 a month for the subscription.

iPhone Keyboard

If you miss typing on an actual keyboard, instead of a phone screen, check out the Clicks Creator Keyboard case for iPhone. It has a keyboard on one end and connects directly to your phone with the built-in Lightning or USB-C connector. If you turn the backlight off, it won’t drain your phone’s battery more than two percent, even after a heavy day of use. With the backlight on all day, it would use about four percent. Unfortunately, it’s limited to the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Get it at the website Clicks.tech for $139, or $159 for the largest Pro Max case. While you’re there, check out the frequently asked questions (FAQ). Among other things, it will tell you how to turn one of the keys into a dedicated emoji button.

Say What?

I learned a new trick for Samsung phones, “Adapt Sound.” It helps you hear better. To set it up, go to Settings, then choose Sounds and Vibrations. Now choose Sound quality and effects, then Adapt sound. From there, choose your age category. They are three presets: “under 30,” “30 to 60” and “over 60.” But, instead of choosing your age category, you might want to select “test my hearing.” My Samsung-owning friend says the presets work well, but you might want to personalize your settings after a hearing test.

For the Google Pixel phone, look up “Adaptive Sound” in Settings. For iPhones, there’s adaptive sound for AirPods, which are Apple’s earbuds. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad and tap AirPods. Then turn on Personalized Volume under Audio.

What’s New on the Telly

The Telly TV is getting a new AI assistant, according to the latest news from the Consumer Electronics Show. A Telly is a top-of-the-line television you get for free in return for being tracked.

In the new version, the assistant will get to know you better. Ask it for an action film, for example, and it will know if you prefer classic James Bond films or something new. Like the current assistant, it can also set timers, answer easy questions and change the TV settings. Unlike today’s smart TVs, however, it doesn’t come with streaming apps, but you can get a streaming stick like the Google Chromecast for around $29 or a Roku Express for $24. A blogger at the SFStandard said he quickly selects a streaming app to avoid being bombarded by commercials.

Around 500,000 Tellys have been shipped, but not mine. The company says they don’t discriminate, but their survey asks a lot of questions. Since they rely on advertising, they probably prioritize big spenders.

The Oven Bag

Better than toting an oven around with you is the stylish, battery-operated Willtex WillCook shoulder bag. Use it to warm up or cook your food at any temperature from 104 to 482 degrees Fahrenheit. It reaches 176 degrees in 30 minutes. It will also keep cold beverages cool at 40 degrees. Get it from Willtex.co for $200 in September.

What’s New in Car Tech

You’ll never have trouble parallel parking again with this new Hyundai. The Ioniq 5 slides sideways to move you closer to the curb.

It has several other tricks up its sleeve. As you come into a parking space, for example, you can choose a 360-degree spin to instantly park facing out. To get out of a snow drift, select the pivot turn. It also has diagonal driving. Everything is controlled by a computer, so you don’t have to know how to work the sideways-moving wheels. Just select something from the menu.

Here’s the catch: For now, it can only go 50 miles per hour. When it can get up to 110 mph, it should be ready for the South Korean market and then ours. That might take a decade, however.

 

DOCTOR AI WILL DIAGNOSE YOU

Would you be creeped out to hear the words “Doctor AI Will See You Now?” Probably. But chances are, a robot would be better in some ways than your own doctor.

In a Ted talk by Eric Topol, an American cardiologist and scientist, I learned about several situations where artificial intelligence saved the day. A 6 year-old, for example, suffered from nonstop pain and stunted growth for three years. He dragged his left foot and had severe headaches. When 17 doctors failed to diagnose him, his mom turned to ChatGPT. The chatbot said he had a tethered spinal cord. After surgery, he became 100 percent normal. Similarly, when a female patient was told by a dozen doctors that she had untreatable long Covid, her sister typed her symptoms into a ChatGPT search box. The AI bot said she had limbic encephalitis. After treatment, she too became 100 percent healthy.

Someday, AI will diagnose Alzheimer’s and other diseases even before symptoms appear. It will use chest X-rays to find out how well a patient’s diabetes is being controlled. From EKG machines, it will predict strokes and atrial fibrillation.

Already, it can tell if a retinal image is from a man or a woman, though a doctor guesses wrong half the time. It can find cancerous nodules in chest X-rays that radiologists miss. In 21 randomized trials, AI picked up polyps during colonoscopies better than the gastroenterologist alone. In the future, doctors won’t slave over keyboards, they’ll spend that extra time with patients. Appointments will feel more humane.

Diagnoses from 70 difficult cases analyzed by top doctors were compared to diagnoses by Chat GPT-4. In every case, the chatbot did as well or better than the physicians. For more info on AI’s huge advantage in healthcare, look up “Can AI Catch What Doctors Miss?

High Tech Stove

I have the world’s stupidest smart stove. It stops cooking if a drop of water falls on it. Its child lock comes on unexpectedly. It has a free-floating but often unresponsive magnetic knob. (My finger does a better job of dialing a setting.) I figure it’s my stove’s fault when things burn. It’s lousy at temperature control.

What if, instead of having to remember to turn the heat down, I could set the temperature precisely, just as I do for my oven? Instead of heating a pot past the boiling point, it would continue to simmer.

I got this idea from Economist David Friedman, in a post titled  “Gadgets I Would Like to See.” But this particular gadget is already available. The $80 NuWave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop– 12 inches wide– lets you set your pot temperature anywhere from 100 degrees to 500 degrees. It can be used as a toaster, a grill, a slow cooker, a warming oven, and more. Even chocolate will never burn. Just plug it in.

Auto Fill Text Messages

You can train your phone to automatically fill in your favorite words or phrases in text messages. Here’s how.

On an iPhone, go to “Settings,” then “Text Replacement.” Type a short cut for the phrase you want, such has “hth” for “happy to help.” Then when you type “hth,” in a message, the words “happy to help” will pop up. Press the space bar to insert them.

On a Samsung phone, a word will be added to the phone’s auto-fill dictionary whenever you type a space after a word in a text message. It’s called “predictive text.” The word pops up when you start to type it. Choose it if you wish.

Video Poet

Google’s experimental “Video Poet” can turn a line of text into a video. For example, when researchers typed “a dog listening to music with headphones, highly detailed” the AI bot produced a cute two-second video. It also did a great job with “two pandas playing cards,” “a squirrel in armor riding a goose” and “a horse galloping through Van Gogh’s Starry Night.” To see it in action, go to Sites.Research.Google/videopoet.

Another Day, Another Exoskeleton

Exoskeletons are hot. One of the latest is the Apogee+. It’s a  high-tech body brace that helps a nurse or nurses’ assistant lift and move patients in situations which would otherwise require superhuman strength. Its grips prevent a patient from pinching, crushing or otherwise harming the worker. Unlike similar exoskeletons, which use springs or elastic parts, the Apogee+ has a robotic motor.

Free Music, Without the Copyright

As they enter the public domain, previously-copyrighted songs become available for your potential profit. For example, the original version of Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It, (Let’s Fall In Love),” is now up for grabs. You can use, arrange, reproduce, perform, record, publish, or sell it commercially. For a list of the latest songs to enter the public domain, do a search on “Newest public domain songs.” The list at hypebot.com seems the most extensive.

Batman on Bread

Walmart’s $30 “DC Batman 2-Slice Toaster” puts a Batman logo on your bread. For $40, you can get the “Xbox Series S Toaster,” which has a wide slot for bagels.

Moon Walker Shoes

For workers who need to move quickly, Shift Robotics has a new version of last year’s $1400 Moonwalker shoes, which let you walk as fast as a runner. The new Moonwalkers X are lighter at 3.2 pounds per foot.