When my Pixel 8 phone died in a pool of salad dressing, I sold it to Gazelle. They gave me $52, though it wouldn’t turn on.

Besides iPhones, Gazelle also buys used iPads, Macbooks and phones made by Samsung, Google and Motorola. Whatever you send them, it will be carefully repaired, inspected and certified before being sold on their site.

I got an instant quote, good for 30 days, and a swift payment. They even sent me a box with a free shipping label. All I had to do was check off options to describe it. I was glad I didn’t have to check the one that said “cracked screen,” though I did check off “won’t turn on.”

The company has an “A” rating from the Better Business Bureau, and the site works well for buyers as well as sellers. For example, I saw an iPhone 14 for $297. On Amazon, it was between $346 and $427.

Chatting With Gemini

Gemini Live is a new feature in the Google Gemini app for Android and iPhones. It’s so human, I felt rude interrupting.

Some reviewers say it gives inaccurate directions, while others liked the jokes it added to its party tips. I enjoyed chats about nuclear power, the Federal Reserve and the stock market. Later I turned to its newest feature, Google Live with Video. Live with Video can see your surroundings and answer questions about what it sees. Since it’s only available on the Pixel 9, Pixel 9a and Samsung S25, however, I described what I saw: a Renoir poster on my wall. Google Live identified it as “Dance in the Country,” and named the dancing couple. I asked if Renoir knew them, and it said that Renoir was friends with the man and married the woman seven years later. I asked if Renoir was jealous of the couple’s close embrace. It said no.

To get the Gemini app, go to the Play store. Otherwise, you can only use a more limited version in the Google Messages app. Once you have it, tap its icon: three lines with a star. Then choose one of 10 voices. I like Orion’s friendliness.

Unlike talking to Siri or Google Assistant, Gemini Live will remember what you said hours or days before, making it easy to continue the conversation. ChatGPT Plus and

ChatGPT Pro charge $20 to $200 a month for a similar feature. But I wish my conversations were saved as text.

Game Face

“Game Face,” by Curtis Sparrar, is a new illustrated book for children about public relations in the tech world. In it, a child helps solve a potential p.r. disaster when all the characters in a video game become baby versions of themselves. As the company’s stock falls, the CEO orders a removal of the infants, just as the game goes viral. Sparrer, a former TV news producer turned p.r. exec, offers great insights into an intriguing career that few children would think of. The paperback is $16 on Amazon.

Windows 7 Nostalgia

Do you miss the simplicity of older versions of Windows?  Or do you prefer the look of Windows 11 but are stuck with Windows 10? You can get either one with Start11 from Stardock.com. It’s $10 after a 30-day free trial. I love it.

The program comes with two different Windows 7 modes, one for Windows 10 and four for Windows 11. I like the simplicity of Windows 7, with its text-based start menu, devoid of clutter. Now, when I click the Windows start icon, I see a nice, neat list of my programs. Off to the right is a list of the folders I usually access, such as “Pictures,” “Documents,” “Music,” and “Computer.”

Switching from one Windows style to another is as easy as clicking on the Start11 icon and choosing a new one, which is applied instantly. Unlike traditional Windows 11, each option lets you right-click a program from the start menu and choose “uninstall” to get rid of it.

Printer Prints Faux Skins

It usually takes a large manufacturer to create faux wood and crocodile skins, but now you can do it too, with a $1500 printer from Anker.

The UV Printer E1 will debut on Kickstarter.com at the end of this month. Considered the industry’s first 3D-texture UV (ultraviolet) printer, it can simulate the feel of wood, animal skins and even paintings, with textures as thick as five millimeters deep on wood, metal, glass, and more. The printer is about the size of a typical home printer. For more info, see “Anker’s new UV printer can create fake wood and paint textures on various materials.”

Trends

At least once in their lives, nearly 19 percent of Japanese people in their 20s have spent so much on in-app purchases that they couldn’t meet living expenses, according to the latest survey by Japan’s SMBC Consumer Finance. This includes nearly 23 percent of men and 15 percent of women, and the trend is growing. Almost 24 percent of men said they’d be willing to pay to have an advantage in a game, compared to 16 percent last year.

Internut

 “First Living Colossal Squid.” Search on that phrase to see a baby squid near the South Sandwich islands that will someday weigh 1,100 pounds.

Filed under: 3D Printing, AI, books, business, gadgets, Internuts, kids, printer, trends, Windows