PUSH Articles - March 2022

A Common Computer Problem and How to Fix It
Mark Presky (Approx. 435 words). Over the years, computer hard drives have gotten larger and larger. But programs and the other files we load onto our computers have also gotten larger and more numerous. Eventually, this often becomes a problem when one's computer starts running slower or informs you that it just cannot hold anymore.

Adios Dashlane: Hello Keeper!

Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 616 words). After using Dashlane for many years, I stopped using the popular password manager. Why? The company decided to no longer support its desktop app on either Mac or Windows.

Adventures with Apple and AppleCare Support
Gabe Goldberg (Approx. 631 words). Having collected several Apple devices -- my and wife's iPhones/iPads, my Apple Watch, three HomePod Minis -- plus six outlets controlled by the Home app -- I've also collected a (very) few gripes, frustrations, irritations, and wishes:

And the Scams Just Keep Coming
David Kretchmar (Approx. 592 words). If you are on the phone with some nice, polite person who asks you to download some software onto your computer that will allow them to remotely fix something that has been a problem, please think twice about it. Then do not do it. The chances are high that you are dealing with a scammer trying to get financial and personal data about you.

Asking Google is so easy and convenient
Jim Cerney (Approx. 645 words). Everyone enjoys learning IF it is a fun and helpful experience. For example, if you get a new car with all those electronic options, it can be fun learning those which will keep you safer and otter a more pleasant driving experience.

The AX6 Wireless Router
David Kretchmar (Approx. 952 words). Could a new wireless router featuring the latest 802.11AX (Wi-Fi 6) protocol solve internet connection issues in your home?

Classic Hardware
Greg Skalka (Approx. 1101 words). Everything that is old wants to be a classic - an outstanding example, something of lasting worth, or having timeless quality. New things must stand the test of time to be considered classics, though classic is somewhat subjective.

Review - Enacfire A9 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds
George Harding (Approx. 189 words). These earbuds include active noise cancellation and smart noise-detect mics that distinguish ambient noises and offset them before they reach the ear.

Everyone Should Know These TOP-15 Tech Essentials for Windows
Jim Cerny (Approx. 508 words). We get comfortable on our sofa while technology keeps marching on. Here is what I would consider being the absolute BASIC knowledge you need to enjoy your Windows computer

Exploring Your Windows PC
Dick Maybach (Approx. 1272 Words). Becoming familiar with your PC is like becoming familiar with a foreign city. You can read a book about it or visit it, but it is far better to do both; a visit gives you first-hand views of the landscape that you aren't likely to forget, and a book helps you understand what they mean. Dick's article takes us through various ways to explore our Windows 10 pc.

Gave Up My Mouse Long Ago and I'm Happy I Did
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 704 words). The article in Gizmodo doesn't mince words with the headline: "With its big roly-poly ball and huge hand rest, the venerable trackball mouse looks like a holdover from 1996. Or maybe 1946 - that's the first time a trackball was used as an input device in a computer," writes Alex Cranz in his 2017 article.

Hackers, Thieves, and Creeps - The Bad Guys are Working Hard to Get Your Money
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 745 words). If Cher ever decides to rework her major 1971 hit single, Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves, she may want to rename it, Jackers, Thieves, and Creeps to reflect today's ongoing Internet security battles.

Inkjet Printer Ink Cartridges
Jeff Wilkinson (Approx. 703 words). There are two methods of ink deposition that are widely used in household inkjet printers: thermal bubble and piezoelectric.

Interesting Internet Finds October 2021
Steve Costello (Approx. 481 words). As usual, Steve has many interesting topics he thinks our members will be interested in.

Interesting Internet Finds November 2021
Steve Costello(Approx. 419 words)

Interesting Internet Finds December 2021
Steve Costello(Approx. 398 words)

An Internet Safety Guide for Seniors
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 448 words). "The Internet can be a scary place, especially if you are old enough to be able to remember dialing a rotary telephone!.. begins the website from Safety Detectives. But, in reality, age doesn't matter. Anyone using the Internet is a target. EXCELLENT resource for your members./JT

Keeping Records Helps Organize Computer Maintenance
Gabe Goldberg (Approx. 376 words). Gabe's background is enterprise computing, having worked in a high-tech company's data center and for a vendor selling software to organizations large/medium/small. So it's second nature to me - a habit developed over his career - to keep records of changes he makes to computer hardware and software, even when it is his PC.

KVM Virtual Machines
Dick Maybach (Approx. 1756 words). For years, Dick has used VirtualBox to manage virtual machines on his Linux system, but occasionally, Linux guests have had problems. Unfortunately, Oracle has said it doesn't have the resources to resolve this problem, which isn't surprising as they have far more customers using Windows.

Logic Game Apps for Android and iPhones
Dorothy Fitch (Approx. 73 words) Dorothy seems to have become addicted to logic games on her Kindle (and sometimes her phone). She guesses of all the possible addictions, this one would rank low in being troubling. However, these games can be time-consuming when she should be doing more productive things. So, she figures it might let her know if her mental faculties start to wane if she happens to notice.

Long For The Days Before the World Could View Your Home? Blur Your Home on Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Bing Maps
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 733 words). Remember the old days when almost no one knew your home's appearance except you, your neighbors, the property tax assessor, your letter carrier, and friends? Leap forward to today, and anyone can get a glimpse of your phone.

Make a Wi-Fi QR Code Using Android
John Krout (Approx. 1226 words). Instead of forcing family, friends, and user group members to type a long, convoluted password to access Wi-Fi, use your Android phone to make a QR code including the password, enabling all to connect by scanning the QR code.

Review - Nexar Beam Dash Cam
George Harding (Approx. 198 words). This product is useful and installs with minimum effort.

Recycling a PC
Dick Maybach (Approx. 1045 words). There are two issues to address when you decide to discard an old PC (1) finding somebody who wants it and (2) removing your data from it. The first is more difficult for older units but not impossible.

Right-Click Your Mouse, Best Shortcut Ever!
Jim Cerny (Approx. 552 words). If you are not familiar with the power of RIGHT-clicking your mouse, you are in for a great Windows tip to help you in almost every place on your computer.

Ripping Audio CDs Using MediaMonkey 5
Tom Burt (Approx. 1358 words). I first wrote about the MediaMonkey 4 media player/manager tool in October 2019. At that time, I was interested in MediaMonkey as a replacement for Apple's iTunes media player. I found it to be very capable, plus it had a free version that did everything I was looking for. It has recently been upgraded.

Scam Phone Calls Don't Have to Drive You Crazy
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 677 words). Years from now, when future generations look back on this era, they will probably shake their heads and wonder about all the bothersome phone calls many of us receive and wonder why we put up with this nonsense.

Shopping for a New Smartphone
Tom Burt (Approx. 1768 words). I have been looking at new smartphones for a few months, and now, with "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" sales in full force, it seemed like an interesting topic for a monthly column.

SLR Lens Evolution - Find out if your film SLR lenses will work when attached to a modern digital SLR body
John Krout (Approx.

Some Useful Technology
Jeff Wilkinson (Approx. 468 words). I recently decided to put music on our patio for an upcoming party. While we have an intercom station on the patio, the sound was not acceptable for music. So, I decided to upgrade.

Start a New Habit in '22 - Back Up!
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 438 words). As we start a new year, it is a great time to start a new habit - back up your PC or Mac data. It is easier than ever.

Talk, Text, Data - How much, and for how much?
Phil Sorrentino (Approx. 1045 words). As you probably know by now, along with a smartphone comes a phone plan. This plan defines how you will be charged, by your Wireless provider, for using your phone.

Tech Terms You Need to Know
Jim Cerny (Approx. 649 words). One big challenge of technology is simply knowing what people are talking about. Words and acronyms are always to keep up with the latest tech advances. This article takes a look at a few terms YOU need to know.

Tech Travels 2.5
Greg Skalka (Approx. 131 words). My wife and I are back from another vacation trip, a week-long stay in northern Arizona to celebrate our anniversary. This comes not long after a week trip to Idaho in August to visit friends. Every time we travel, we can learn what tech techniques work when away from home and what does not. I thought I'd have everything worked out for the Arizona trip for smooth tech travels, having had the recent rehearsal on the Idaho trip. Things change, new experiences come up, and situations are different, however, so I always find something new to add to my list of tech travel do's and don'ts.

Tech Trials at Thirty-Six Thousand Feet
Greg Skalka (Approx. 1754 words). I am wiring this in a big metal tube speeding through the sky. We are finally on vacation, our first of 2021. My wife and I have anticipated this trip through the pandemic regulations, vaccinations, reduced restrictions, and more normalcy to reinstate limitations due to virus variants and insufficient insulation. We are repeating our vacation of a year ago in Idaho to visit friends and stay in their family cabin.

The Other Side of the Bitcoin
David Kretchmer (Approx. 1023 words). In the April 2021 edition of the Gigabyte Gazette, I contributed an article titled "Bitcoin - the New Gold?" I stated that "Gold and Bitcoin, as different as they are, both have characteristics of old investment vehicles and sound money." This article is about current protocols.

The Sunk Cost Facility
David Kretchmar (Approx. 838 words). In 2017, Richard Thaler, a professor at the University of Chicago, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions and behavioral economics. One of Thaler's main themes is that market-based economic models are incomplete.

The View from the End of the Year
Greg Skalka (Approx. 1235 words). 2021 was filled with ups and downs. Better in many ways than 2020, which introduced us to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also worse in some, this last year has been a deceiver.

Two if by Land, one if by Air
Phil Sorrentino (Approx. 973 words). Well, that may not quite be the famous quote "One if by land, two if by sea," that allowed Paul Revere to signal the patriots how the English army was coming. But the idea may be similar re how the Internet is connected to your home.

Waymo Self-Driving Cars
Jeff Wilkinson (Approx. 725 words). On a recent visit to San Francisco, we noticed Waymo cars on many downtown streets. At first, we thought it was part of Google maps since Waymo is an Alphabet company, Google's parent company. But after seeing multiple Waymo cars together, we, you guessed it, Googled it and found out it was a ridesharing service.

What Makes a Great Organization Great?
Jim Cerny, (Approx. 764 words). Most non-profit organizations exist to help others. Although Gabe is writing this article for the members of his organization, the Sarasota Technology Users Group. He hopes this article will benefit many members of other organizations and yours. It has to do with making things better - to help more people in more ways.

Where to Get E-Books
Tom Burt (Approx. 995 words). A perennial challenge is to find suitable for friends and family. Books have always been a popular choice. Now, with the maturing of the electronic book (e-book) format and industry, it should be easier than ever to find just the right title, purchase it and email a link for your giftee to use to access and read the book.

Who's Watching You?
Kurt Jefferson (Approx. 1192 words). More Internet users are relying on VPNs - apps called Virtual Private Networks - that keep your Internet activity from prying eyes - than ever before.

Windows 11 Compatibility - Things to Know
Tom Burt (Approx. 1427 words). On October 5, 2021, Microsoft officially released its newest Windows operating system, Windows 21. Based on Windows 10, Win 11 is a free upgrade to existing Win 10 users.

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