On Computers

“If I am sitting in my recliner and decide to make a quick copy of something from my iPad, I would like to do that without having to go to the other room to fire up the printer,” a reader wrote. Like most printers, his connects over Wi-Fi. “So what would be a good battery-operated printer that I could place on a nearby table, to bring the power switch within easy reach,” he asked. I recommended leaving his current printer on instead. Both laser printers and inkjets use only three-to-five watts of electricity in idle mode, much less than other appliances. There wouldn’t be the slightest blip in his electricity bill.  What’s more, keeping a printer on all the time […]

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Filed under: apps, education, Internuts, iPad, printer, social networks, Uncategorized, YouTube | Comments Off on LEAVE THE PRINTER ON TO EXTEND ITS LIFE

A magician asked me to make him a website. But what about a free business page on Google, Facebook or both?  Years ago, I created a Google business page for testing purposes. Though people thought I was a computer store, I was still getting legitimate calls until I finally removed it. For small businesses, a free Google page is often enough. With a Google Business page, people can easily find you. For example, they could type “magician near me” to find my friend.  A Google or Facebook business page can include hours and services, as well as photos, videos and responses to good or bad reviews. Some restaurants use only a Facebook business page for their online menus. Over 200 […]

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Filed under: AI, art, career, facebook, Internuts, printer, security, TV, voice recognition, web, YouTube | Comments Off on NEED A WEBSITE?

I think Venmo failed me. It looks like I may be out $150. Venmo is an app that lets you pay friends electronically. But my friend said she never got the money. So why did my bank deduct the $150 from my account? The bank said that was Venmo’s problem. When I called Venmo, I got a recorded message: “Venmo cannot cancel a payment sent to a registered payee. Only if the payee agrees can it be refunded.” But my friend won’t agree to cancel something that never happened. Even her bank told her to steer clear. I tried going to Venmo.com for more info, but my Malwarebytes Browser Guard flagged it as unsafe. I had to turn the guard […]

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Filed under: AI, digital, environment, games, Google, trends, YouTube | Comments Off on VENMO DISASTER

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

When a neighbor’s 12 year-old stayed with me for a week, she stayed up past midnight every night to shop on her phone. Where were parental controls when I needed them? It turned out she was buying cheap items from China. The same $12 necklace from Target was only $1 online, she pointed out to me while we were in the store. Once, she came to me at 2 a.m. to ask if she could use my PayPal password for a $20 shipping charge. Another time, she didn’t go to sleep until 9 a.m. the next day. Short of taking her phone away, I wish I’d had a Gryphon. The Gryphon is a router that lets you strictly monitor how […]

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Filed under: apps, environment, Internuts, kids, text messaging, YouTube | Comments Off on HOW TO PREVENT TECH ADDICTION IN KIDS

I like to highlight passages in my ebooks. But if I get Amazon’s “Kindle Scribe,” I can also add my handwriting to the margins or even all over the page. The new tablet’s 10.2-inch screen, like the Kindle Paperwhite, mimics natural writing on paper. It doesn’t have the bright colors of other tablets, but is great for reading and writing. A basic digital pen is included, and there’s a premium pen for an extra $30. The premium pen has a digital eraser at the top and a customizable shortcut button. Neither one uses batteries. Besides adding handwritten notes to the book you’re reading, with the Scribe you can handwrite your memoir, sign documents, make shopping lists or create art. Your […]

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Filed under: Amazon, environment, Internuts, Kindle, trends, YouTube | Comments Off on KINDLE SCRIBE LETS YOU SCRIBBLE ON EBOOKS

Recently, my neighbor went into assisted living. The first thing she noticed was the lack of TV channels. Gone were her favorites, like Hallmark. I suggested YouTube TV. YouTube TV has over 85 channels for $65 a month. Its chief rival, Hulu, is $80 a month if you include the ability to skip ads and record 200 hours worth of shows. YouTube TV gives you unlimited recordings and ad skipping for no extra charge. You also get a $10 discount on the first three months after a free trial. CNET tested six streaming services. They agree with me that YouTube TV is the best. However, you might prefer Hulu if you’re a fan of Disney Plus, the History Channel and […]

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Filed under: apps, batteries, Internuts, music, YouTube | Comments Off on YOUTUBE BEATS HULU

I lost my phone on a bike path the other day when it fell out of my bike basket. I emailed a friend and he knew right where it was. Thanks to Location Sharing in Google Maps, he told me it had been turned in at my condo’s front desk.   To test just how good Location Sharing is, I took long walks with my phone. Most of the time, it was two blocks off, because I kept moving. When I sat on a bench, I could be pinpointed most of the time. If I kept the Google Maps app open, it got even better. But it only became 100% accurate if I asked for directions somewhere, then tapped “start” to […]

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Filed under: anti-virus, gadgets, Google, Internet, security, video, virus, web, YouTube | Comments Off on LOCATION SHARING SAVES THE DAY

My first night with Amazon’s $65 “Halo” fitness band was hilarious. I kept waking up to see if I could improve my sleep score. I couldn’t stand to see a “poor” grade. I kept trying to go back to sleep until I got a “fair.” The next night, my sleep score went up to “good,” with eight hours and six minutes of sleep but slightly less rapid-eye-movement than ideal. It also told me how long I took to fall asleep. Last night, it was zero minutes, compared to 14 the night before. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. The funniest thing happened when I took a nap. The app changed my score to “poor” and […]

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Filed under: Amazon, gadgets, Internet, Internuts, wearables, web, YouTube | Comments Off on SLEEP TRACKER KEEPS ME UP ALL NIGHT

Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah. Blah! Blah, Blah, Blah. If you say this when you call tech support, you could be practicing a George Gershwin song. But in fact, you want to talk to a person. We got this tip from a savvy reader who told us that if you just keep saying “Blah” when the robot comes on the line and asks you what you want, you’ll eventually get a person. The robot’s initial response will be “I didn’t understand. Would you please repeat it?” Go ahead. Give it more Blah. If you keep at it – not for long – the robot will say “Let me get you someone to help you.” Hallelujah! That’s why you called in the […]

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Filed under: gadgets, Internuts, word processing, YouTube | Comments Off on GETTING A HUMAN