FINDING A HANDYMAN OR WOMAN
The free app Thumbtack saved the day. I needed to help a disabled friend get a new TV mounted on her wall. Then my freezer warmed up.
Thumbtack is a free service that helps you find and schedule whatever you need. You can contact them from a free app for iPhone or Android or use thumbtack.com. They offer everything from moving services to personal training, web design, electricians, app development, plumbers, weddings, roof repair and more.
The technician I chose for the TV job was as great as his ratings. After the TV was mounted, he downloaded its software, made sure all the channels were there, and taught my 78-year-old friend how to use her first smart TV. He even encouraged her to practice by starting over at least four times. She was smiling and confident throughout. He charged $120, but it was worth it.
As for my refrigerator/freezer, the technician from Thumbtack said it could cost $1000 for a new compressor because the Freon in the system couldn’t be recharged. He charged $75 upfront, but it was worth the three-hours-plus he spent on it. I’ll wait for Black Friday deals.
Kudos from a Reader
Since 2015, I’ve recommended Brother laser printers when you just need black and white. Recently a reader wrote: “I took your advice, and I am so pleased!! I always bought HP ink printers and they always gave me trouble. Took me years to wise up. I bought my first Brothers several years ago after your article and they never, never no never, have given me problems.”
Amp it Up
If you’ve ever wanted to be the disk jockey of your own radio station, now’s your chance. Amazon’s “Amp,” is a free app for iPhone and Android to do just that.
To start a music station, choose from tens of millions of songs in Amp’s free library. Next tap the “Create” button, and type in a title and description. Tap “playlist” to add music. There’s no limit to the number of songs you can add. Most are contemporary, but I found a bunch from the musical “Camelot.” They also have talk show categories.
Amp recommends playing four songs before adding DJ chatter. I wanted each batch to play on their own but had to tap the play button for each one. After going “live,” I introduced the show, played a few songs, then ended my experiment by leaving the app. If I’d been serious, I could have clicked the “share” icon to tell people about it. I could also have scheduled it for a later time and allowed listeners to share audio clips from the show.
As for listening, I didn’t find a single station I could tolerate for more than a second, but hey, these are early days. I didn’t see any kid stations either, though 13-through-18-year-olds are welcome. For help, OnAmp.com has information on how to add a listener call-in segment, increase your audience and more. You can even tell Alexa to play a specific show.
Dissolving Circuit Boards
Here’s an odd sight: a circuit board boiling in a frying pan. It’s what the German company Infineon Technologies did to prove that their printed circuit board creates zero e-waste. All that was left behind were valuable chips and circuit traces, which can be used again. The circuit boards are made from natural fibers and a halogen-free polymer.
Sending an SOS
If you’re ever lost deep in the woods without a signal, use a satellite connection. That’s assuming you were savvy enough to buy a satellite phone such as the Garmin Reach Mini 2, or a gadget that works with your existing phone, such as the Motorola Defy Satellite Link.
The Defy costs $150 and works with an app on iPhones and Androids. It allows you to send text messages from anywhere in the US and most of Europe, though you’re limited to 140 characters. In an emergency, just press the Defy’s big orange button to notify a rescue team. You also get a year’s worth of free messages. After that, you can send 30 messages a month for $5 a month. If you need more, the price goes up.
Satellite Phone Achievement
AST SpaceMobile sent a 4G signal from high up in Earth’s atmosphere. It was received by ordinary smart phones, a world first, according to the company. It reached speeds up to 10.3 megabits per second, fast enough for video streaming and internet use. This could be a godsend for areas unable to get a good connection. Lync Global and Amazon’s Project Kuiper have similar projects.
Calling Amazon
A friend needed her address changed on Amazon, but even my excellent directions didn’t work for her. I suggested calling Amazon’s number: 888-280-4331. But she encountered the weakest tech rep on the planet.
After spelling out her email address five times, the rep finally got it. Each time, she spoke slowly and distinctly, saying “R” is for “rabbit,” “I is for individual,” and so on. “Is ‘I’ for ‘India?’” he asked. “Whatever you want,” she said.
But the Amazon team kept sending a verification code to her old phone number, which she no longer has access to. So I suggested creating a new Amazon account with another email address, which finally worked. The lesson is: If you don’t get good tech support, hang up and call back. You’ll get a different person each time.