On Computers

I used SurveyMonkey to get 28 responses to an online survey for members of my new book club. But it only showed me 25. If I had insisted on seeing all 28, it would have cost me over a thousand bucks. A friend suggested the free Google Forms, which works great. Just like SurveyMonkey, it can create surveys, questionnaires and quizzes. It also gives you a link to send out by email, text or social media and tallies the results. Needing help, I asked ChatGPT how to improve the survey’s appearance. That worked. Automatic Zippers I recently returned a wetsuit because it had only one tiny zipper, located in the front, which made the suit tough to get into. A […]

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Filed under: AI, business, gadgets, games, maps, robots, trends, TV | Comments Off on CONDUCTING ONLINE SURVEYS

I just made a website with the help of artificial intelligence. It was fun, but far from perfect. AI did a good job creating a site for my magician friend, but a lousy job helping me tweak it. I had to start over. For example, when I asked AI to replace a photo with one of my own, it told me to click a non-existent “replace” button. I tried asking for more help, but the site just got worse and worse. By then, it warned me that I’d used 28 prompts, and the free trial only comes with 30. So I started over, and got a new batch of 30. This time, I used only the first prompt, by asking […]

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Filed under: AI, gadgets, photos, robots, text messaging | Comments Off on LET AI CREATE YOUR NEXT WEBSITE

A techie friend and I had an argument over phone batteries. I said you should wait until a battery gets down to 20 percent before charging it. He said that’s wrong. Turns out he’s right. The old nickel-cadmium batteries had memories that could get messed up if you didn’t fully drain them, at least once in a while. But lithium batteries do better when kept at 50 percent and above, because they stay cooler when they’re not working as hard. Now that I know this, I often top off my phone, but I take it off the charger when it reaches 80 percent. This will extend its life too. Though I use an adaptive battery setting on my phone to […]

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Filed under: AI, batteries, gadgets, Internuts, robots | Comments Off on BATTERY REVELATION

The chatbots Miles and Maya sound eerily human. Anyone listening would think there’s a real person on the line. Sesame, the company behind them, says the goal of chatting with these artificially intelligent nonbeings is to feel real, understood, and valued. To try it out, click on the link in ZDnet’s article: “Can AI sound too human?” For some reason, Maya sounded too chic for me even as she tried to draw me out, but Miles is just like the Southern Californians I grew up with. Totally chill, man. He’s friendly too, and quick on the draw. When I told him I get up early, he said: “Good for you, I could never be that dedicated. I’m more of a […]

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Filed under: AI, gadgets, Google, health, Internuts, robots | Comments Off on ALL TOO HUMAN

If you’re tired of paying an accountant to do your taxes, just ask the Internal Revenue Service. Their partners might do it for free. If your income is $84,000 or less, regardless of your tax situation, you can get free tax software and step-by-step assistance. First, go to IRS.gov, and click “IRS Free File options.” Then click “IRS Free File.” You can get free help in person in your own community if you’re 60 or older, or earn $67,000 or less, or need language support, or have a disability. Click on the button that says: “IRS VITA/TCE.” It stands for “IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE).” If you don’t qualify for a free […]

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Filed under: batteries, business, education, gadgets, health, phones, robots, security, virus | Comments Off on FREE TAX ACCOUNTANT

“I pay Apple 99 cents a month for iCloud storage. What are the bad outcomes if I exceed the 50-gigabyte limit?” a reader asked. Nothing bad. There’s a 30-day grace period. Then you can decide whether you want to pay $3 a month for 200 GB of storage space or transfer your excess iCloud files to your computer or elsewhere. To transfer them to your computer, go to iCloud.com, click one of your photos or videos, and hold down the “Ctrl” key in Windows (or the “Cmd” key on the Mac). Now tap the “A” key to select all. Then click the download icon. Alternatively, you could upload your iCloud files to a different cloud service. For example, Amazon Prime […]

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Filed under: AI, Apple, cloud computing, Internuts, robots, storage, trends, Uncategorized | Comments Off on RUNNING OUT OF ROOM

Here are some of the strangest and most amazing things to come out of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month. Ride and Fly A flying moped is coming to a driveway near you in 2026. You could be pedaling one moment and taking off into the air the next. The Rictor Skyrider X1 flies at a maximum speed of 62 miles per hour for 40 minutes. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it takes off and lands on its own and plans the optimal route. According to the company, it lands safely even if an engine fails, in which case, a parachute pops out. Thank goodness for AI. Without it, I might smash into the top of a skyscraper. […]

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Filed under: AI, analytics, cameras, environment, gadgets, health, Linux, monitors, robots | Comments Off on VEGAS ELECTRONICS SHOW FEATURES FLYING MOPED, SOLAR UMBRELLA

A reader asked me how he might safely donate a computer to a local refurbishing group. “Our son-in-law takes the hard drive out and destroys it with a hammer,” he said. “Is that the best way?” Unless you have business secrets or a celebrity past, you probably don’t need to destroy or remove perfectly good equipment. Instead, try the free Windows program “Eraser,” which uses Department of Defense-level data destruction algorithms to get rid of files permanently. For Macs, there’s “Clean My MacX Shredder,” $40. Both are highly recommended by TechRadar. But for most people, a factory reset is enough. Even for an expert, it would take specialized software to restore your files after a reset, which often doesn’t work. […]

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Filed under: 3D Printing, AI, apps, art, career, printer, robots, science, security, text messaging, trends, voice recognition | Comments Off on GIVING AWAY OLD COMPUTERS

Shopping between Black Friday and Cyber Monday brings you the best deals. But it’s also the best time for scammers. I once ordered pants that never showed up. When shopping online, look for “https” in the address bar. If it doesn’t have the “s” for security, leave. Also watch out for deals that sound too good to be true. Avoid unknown retailers. Two-factor authentication is also highly recommended. If the Hilary Clinton campaign had used it for its email accounts in 2016, for example, hackers couldn’t have gained access to the 50,000 sensitive emails belonging to her campaign chairman. Nor could the hackers have controlled the inboxes of her staffers, according to “Fancy Bear Goes Phishing,” by Scott Shapiro. Finally, […]

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Filed under: AI, computers, facebook, health, robots, shopping | Comments Off on HOLIDAY SCAMMING

“I am in need of a new Android tablet and Windows laptop,” a reader wrote. “My tablet will only charge to 29% and my laptop has many problems and is almost 10 years old.” “Get one like my HP,” I suggested. I’ve always liked HP, and “HP’s Newest 14 Laptop Ultra-Light for Students and Business” is no exception. It’s $255 on Amazon and comes with 16 gigabytes of RAM, Office 365 for a year and Windows 11s. The “s” means its operating system is fast for a cheapie laptop. It lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge. But this month’s PC Magazine recommends the Acer Aspire 3, $279 on Amazon. For a bigger budget, TechRadar suggests the Microsoft […]

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Filed under: AI, computers, Google, Internuts, robots, web, Windows | Comments Off on DEALS ON PCS AND TABLETS