5G is Coming, Jeff Wilkinson,
Sun City Summerlin Computer Club (Approx. 512 words). 5G is the designation for
the upcoming 5th generation cellular network technology. This
tech, which had the standards set at the end of 2017, promises to bring faster
speeds than the current 4G tech in use by most cell phones today…..
A Recent Scam
Experience, Jeff Wilkinson (Approx. 803 words). Recently I received the
“Social Security” scam call, the recorded message informing me that I should
call an 800 number because…..
Cable
or Air? – What’s your choice?, Phil Sorrentino (Approx. 1042 words).
Most TVs default to cable, so if you get your TV programming via a cable
company like Spectrum or Frontier, you don’t have to answer this question. But,
if you want to get “broadcast TV,” you will have to select “air” when given the
choice.
CD Players – Where did they go? What
about all my music CDs?, Phil Sorrentino (Approx. 1222 words). CD players used
to be all around us, well, at least they could be found in our computers and
our automobiles, but not so anymore. In the age of streaming Netflix videos and
Delivery of Software Applications by downloads, CD players have lost their
significance. If you feel you need a CD player on your computer, you can add an
external one.
Cleanup
for the NEW YEAR 2020, Jim Cerny, Sarasota Technology Users Group (Approx. 738
words). It’s time to give your Windows computer a good look and clean out all
the junk! I bet most people clean their garage more often than their computer.
Desktop
vs. Laptop, Dan Douglas, Space Coast PCUG (Approx. 682 words). At a recent
learning center meeting, the topic of what was better to get, in my opinion, a
desktop or laptop? We agreed to include various other devices in the category
of laptops – tablets, Chromebooks, netbooks, notebooks, etc. Dan’s article
takes a look at the various factors that should influence your decision.
File
Extensions, Jim Cerny (Approx. 728 words). So, someone sends you a file
attached to their email – you try to open the file and you can’t, why is that?
Interdrone Conference, George
Harding, Tucson Computer Society (Approx. 453 words). The Interdrone
Conference, as you might guess, is about drones: how they are being used in
industry, agriculture, first response, fire, police and more.
Interesting Internet Finds – January, Steve Costello (Approx.
372 words).
Interesting Internet Finds – February, Steve Costello (Approx.
455 words).
Is “Refurbished” Worth the Price? Paul Baecker, Sterling
Heights Computer Club (Approx. 503 words). Paul recently went shopping for a
cable modem to eliminate the rental cost of the one supplied by my ISP. After
doing some online research, I decided on a capable Arris model and found it at
a local retailer. The store had some new ones but also had some refurbished
ones for about half the price of the new ones.
LibreOffice – A Powerful, Free Office
Suite, Tom Burt, Sun City Summerlin Computer Club (Approx. 581 words).
LibreOffice is a free full-featured open-source office suite that is very
highly compatible with MS Office. It is offered and supported by the Open
Document Foundation…
Linux
Mint 19.3, Cal Esneault, Cajun Clickers Computer Club (Approx. 400
words). It is possible to upgrade directly to Mint 19.3 from any previous 19 x
version. These “in-place” upgrades do not affect personal files or bookmarks…
Making Windows 10 Look and Act Like Windows
7
– Tom Burt, Sun City Summerlin Computer Club (Approx. 1346 words). Coming from
Windows 7 to Windows 10 you might find the new user interface unappealing or
difficult to navigate – especially the Settings interface. Tom’s article offers
some ways to set up Windows 10 so that it looks and acts much like Windows 7.
Need Help with Windows 10? Try Troubleshooting,
Nancy DeMarte, Sarasota Technology Users Group (Approx. 847 words). Microsoft
has issued updates to its operating system for as many years as it has been in
the software business. Early updates were primarily security-based. Later,
feature updates were included on the second Tuesday of the month. How
Troubleshoot works depends on the seriousness of the problem.
Office Tips and Tricks, Dorothy Fitch, Green
Valley Computer Club (Approx. 228 words). Word and Excel tips -- be sure to
click through to the handouts.
Organizational Communication, Dick Maybach, Brookdale
Computer UG (Approx. 1240 words). A major responsibility of any organization is
to provide communication both among its members and with those outside. There
are many ways to accomplish this…
PC
Organization, Dick Maybach (Approx. 1105 words). Our PCs often hold
thousands of files, hundreds of email messages, and dozes of applications often
making it difficult to find what we want. Organizing information on a PC after
several years of use is such a daunting task that it’s easy to put off.
Instead, treat getting organization as a goal, realizing that you’ll probably
never reach, but as you make progress, you’ll find you’re getting more
efficient.
Samsung SmartSwitch app, John Krout, Potomac Area
Technology and Computer Society (Approx. 1487 words). The Samsun data transfer
app called SmartSwitch, like ContentTransfer, provides a capability to transfer
data wirelessly between two phones running the app.
System Monitoring Tools, Frank Fota, Editor,
Fredericksburg PCUG (Approx. 252 words). Have you ever wanted to view the
impact a program has on your computer’s performance? A quick internet search
reveals that there are many monitoring tools available. Some are freeware and
others requirement payment. Some are bundled with system utilities
and Microsoft has a “Resource Monitor” that can be run from a
Command Prompt or via the search box.
Staying Safe Online – A Rational Approach,
Pam Holland, Tech-Moxie (Approx. 1075 words). This article suggests thinking
about protecting your data as you might approach protecting your home.
Tech Talk, Part 1 – Traveling with
Technology, Greg Skalka, Under the Computer Hood UG (Approx. 1812 words). We
all use a lot of technology in our everyday lives – various devices and
services that make our lives easier. When we travel, we usually want to take all
those benefits along with us.
Tech Talk, Part 2 – The Tech You Leave
Behind, Greg Skalka (Approx. 2206 words). Many of the tech devices and services
we use every day are the “don’t leave home with them” kind you will insist on
taking on your trips. Just as with trip planning, making arrangements to
protect your assets while away must be done well in advance. There are lots of
ways technology can help, but few benefits can come when planning starts the
night before.
Video Conferencing for Clubs, Dick Maybach (Approx.
942 words). Many clubs have periodic general meetings, often with refreshments,
speakers, and perhaps demonstrations or hands-on activities. The social
interactions, including the welcoming of prospective members, are vital for the
organization’s health. Equally important are the committee meetings that
support the organization. It may be more efficient to conduct some of these
meetings as video conferences.
Why is My Computer So Slow? David Kretchmar, Sun City
Summerlin Computer Club (Approx. 968 words). There are plenty of computers
being used that are performing much more slowly than they should. One of the
quickest ways to turn a fast, new computer into a slow system crippled by
malware is to start downloading what you think is good software from the wrong
sites, or by downloading the wrong software from what appears to be the right
site.
Wi-Fi
Security – Which one, WEP, WPA, or WPA2? Phil Sorrentino, The Computer
Club (Approx. 1156 words). Well, it finally happened. I tried to add another
device to my home Wi-Fi network and I couldn’t. I have been in fear of this
happening for the last few years…..
Windows 10 screen saver to display your
photos,
John Krout, Potomac Area Technology and Computer System (Approx. 1544 words).
You are swimming, or perhaps sinking, in an ocean of photos. Your relatives and
friends send photos all the time. You can turn these photos into an entertaining
and personalized slide show screen saver on your Windows computer. Read this
article to learn how.
Windows FREE Snip and Sketch Tool is new
and replacing the old, Jim Cerny, Sarasota Technology Users Group (Approx. 553
words). This tool is intended to REPLACE and old “Snipping Tool” but MS
actually did something to actually help us users this time – they kept the old
tool! So you can play and learn the new Snip and Sketch and still use the old
tool.