On Computers

My brother sent me a picture of myself in a canoe. It looks like a lovely painting. He did it with “BeFunky,” a free app. The free version of BeFunky leaves a watermark, but I still like it. Unfortunately, there’s one other limitation. To save your creation, you need BeFunky Plus, which is $72 a year. But you can still have fun with the freebie, by taking screenshots to share stuff online or by email. I use the Windows Snipping Tool. BeFunky has literally dozens of artsy effects, including everything from charcoal to impressionism and “poly art.”  With the plus version, I could turn my creations into full-sized prints or photo gifts at a site like Mpix.com, where I’ve been […]

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Filed under: AI, Amazon, art, gadgets, Internuts, photos, security | Comments Off on GETTING FUNKY WITH PHOTOS

Look out for old computers selling as new. Sometimes, they’re more expensive than ever. The HP desktop I bought in 2017 for $650, for example, is now selling on Amazon for $982. It’s not the exact model, but it’s a similar one from 2017 that comes up when I click “Buy again.” The same year, a friend bought a “new” computer with the old Video Graphics Array. The result was a slightly fuzzy screen. VGA was replaced by HDMI in 2008. To avoid duds, check the tech specs. You can find them on the product page at Amazon, BestBuy, HP, OfficeDepot and other sites. But what if you don’t understand what you’re looking at? The answer is UserBenchmark.com. It gives […]

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Filed under: AI, apps, books, computers, electronics, how-to, Internuts, storage | Comments Off on OLD COMPUTERS SELLING AS NEW

Ever wonder how 79,032 music critics would rank your tastes? Do a Google search on “Pudding Cool: How Bad is Your Streaming Music?” After you sign into your Apple or Spotify account, an artificially intelligent robot will look over everything you’ve been listening to, ask you questions and combine the opinions of experts. “Do you really listen to The Girl from Ipanema by Stan Getz?” it asked me. When I said yes, it said, “Like, ironically?” When I said “no,” it said “cool.” It teased me about my other choices and asked whether I’d rather marry the Tijuana Brass, Glenn Miller or Fred Astaire. Yet my score was 79 out of 100, compared to 21 out of 100 for a […]

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Filed under: apps, Gmail, Internet, music, video, YouTube | Comments Off on AI ANALYZES YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC

A friend just gave me a delightful Christmas present. It’s the Jacquie Lawson Edwardian Advent Calendar, an $8 download from JacquieLawson.com. Besides something special on each day, it has other activities. In a beautiful living room with colorfully wrapped presents, for example, I found an undecorated Christmas tree. I clicked it to choose lights, ornaments and more. Then I clicked the presents to reveal games. One led me to fascinating versions of Solitaire, including one with cards of the same suit and color. I then solved a puzzle that turned into a beautiful painting, and clicked a music book to reveal the wondrous tunes I was listening to. When the program first opens, click the star on the outside of […]

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Filed under: AI, art, gadgets, games, how-to, Internuts, kids, shopping, video | Comments Off on DIGITAL ADVENT CALENDAR