OFFICE 365 DISASTER AVERTED
Nothing’s going to happen when I let Office 365 expire. It won’t blow up, taking my Microsoft files with it. But if I’d done nothing, Microsoft would have erased 40 gigabytes worth of files after a grace period.
That’s how much storage space I was using beyond the five GB of free storage allowed in Microsoft OneDrive online.
Everything you save in “Documents” and other folders under the “Personal” heading in File Explorer are also stored in your online OneDrive account, so it’s easy to fill up. You can find out how much storage space you have left by going to OneDrive.com, clicking the gear icon, and choosing “options.”
I retaliated by moving files to Google Drive, then deleting what I didn’t need when the drive filled up. But that got confusing, time-consuming and dangerous. Somehow I permanently deleted many precious files. (Fortunately, they were still in OneDrive.) The obvious option was to connect an external drive to my computer and store stuff offline for free. But I prefer paying $20 a year for Microsoft Basic, which gives me 100 gigabytes of extra space online, accessible from anywhere. At least I’m not paying $70 a year for Microsoft Office programs. Many readers feel the same way.
“I refuse to pay Microsoft for subscribing to Office,” a reader wrote recently. Instead he’s using Office 2007, which he saved from years ago. “My wife says I’m a hoarder,” he explained. I’d still be using Office 2007 too, if it hadn’t conked out after too many installations.
Instead, I bought Office Professional 2021 for $22 on Groupon, after being whisked away from a $25 deal at StackSocial. By the way, beware of giving out your main email address to Groupon or StackSocial. They bombard you constantly.
Alex, Remind Me
Compared to broccoli, broccoli sprouts contain 10 to 100 times more sulforaphane, a powerful anti-cancer agent. But it’s no good if the sprouts get contaminated with bacteria. So after the third time I forgot to rinse my sprouts, I turned to Alexa. “Alexa, create a daily reminder,” I said. “What’s the reminder for?” she asked. “Rinse the sprouts.” “What time every day should I remind you?” “7:15 a.m.,” I said. I also set one up for 8 p.m. Now I need never have a stinky mess. Thanks, Alexa.
The Mini PC
Do you really need a laptop? Mini computers cost much less.
A mini computer can be as small as 3.5 inches by 3.5 inches, and as light as a large bagel. PCWorld highly recommends them for those whose laptops never leave their desks. Minis must be plugged in.
But instead of $999 for the Macbook Air laptop, for example, the Mac Mini, is $599. The GMKtec for Windows is $420 on Amazon, instead of $1000 to $1250 for comparable laptops. The GMKtec comes with 32 gigabytes of RAM, an Intel i7 processor, an SSD with a terabyte of storage and a souped-up graphics card. My techiest friend just got one.
Another issue is heat. Laptops don’t cool as well as minis. What about batteries? The mini has none, so there’s nothing to degrade. What’s more, minis are easier to upgrade. Finally, minis sometimes have as many as four USB-A ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, two Ethernet ports and a headset jack. Just add a monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Conserving Your Phone’s Battery
I was envious when a friend’s Samsung A54, a $300 phone, got battery protection before my Pixel 8 did. But at last, my phone has it too, and so do the latest iPhones.
According to ZDnet, if you keep your phone on and plugged in all night, until it reaches 100 percent, it’s constantly depleting, then charging again, straining the battery. Even with the phone off, it’s not good. But with so-called “bypass charging,” your phone uses power from the outlet when it reaches 80 percent, ignoring its own battery as a power source. Keep the phone on to use the battery protection feature.
On iPhone 15s, Apple calls this “the 80 percent limit.” To turn it on, tap Settings, then Battery, then Charging Optimizations. On Pixel phones, tap Settings, then Battery, then Charging optimization, then “Limit to 80 percent.” It’s similar on other Android phones.
AI Help for New Year’s Resolutions
In the artificially intelligent search box at ChatGPT.com, I typed: “My New Year’s Resolution is to declutter my walk-in closet. What’s the best way to do it?” ChatGPT offered great suggestions, and so did Google Gemini. But Microsoft Copilot was the most fun, because it continued our conversation. I now have a decluttering buddy.
For example, when I told Copilot I’d taken its suggestion to start by removing everything, it said “Awesome,” then offered more tips. Finally, it asked: “What’s been the most interesting find so far in your decluttering journey?” It was finding my old computer mouse. Copilot was thrilled for me.
Calling All Math Whizzes
Mathematical proofs sometimes have math typos. Occasionally, there are even gaffes by famous mathematicians. Shouldn’t there be a kind of mathematical spellchecker?
Renaissance Philanthropy, in partnership with XTX Markets, an algorithmic trading firm, is offering million-dollar grants to anyone who can come up with an automatic typo check. If successful, the next time a mathematician submits a paper to a mathematics journal, AI will examine it for errors. For more info, go to RenaissancePhilanthropy.org and scroll down until you see “AI for Math Fund.”