How to find you RAM usage.

Hello All,
I recently received a Raspberry Pi 5 from Canakit.  See https://www.canakit.com/canakit-raspberry-pi-5-starter-max-kit-turbine-white.html
For reasons best understood by others, the RP5 does not have an audio jack.  All previous Raspberry Pi versions did.

Googling suggested that I could get audio by connecting a USB speaker to the RP5.  That didn't work with a Logitech S150.
I read lots of suggestions on how to re-enable audio by editing system files. Unwilling to do that, I pressed on.

One source suggested just plugging in a speaker to the audio jack.  https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=361183
I wasn't sure how to do that since the Raspberry Pi 5 doesn't have an audio jack.

Reading further, I learned that the audio jack in question was the one on the monitor, not the RP5.

My Samsung Model U28E590D has an audio jack.  I plugged a pair of Amazon Basic A110 speakers into the monitor's audio jack and got audio

Comment  I find the decision to remove the audio jack from the Raspberry Pi 5 to be monumentally wrong headed.  Apologists have suggested that the move was to save space.  Following that logic, the developers could also have removed USB support, multiple HDMI outlets or camera support. 

At the very least, the developers could have left enabled in software the drivers for audio.  Ones and zeros don't take up much space.

Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
When I attempted to reformat an SD card, the process failed.  The drive claimed to be write protected.
Usually, when this happens, I take out the SD card and verify the position of the little tab on the left edge of the SD card.  In this case, it was not in write protect (slid to the lower position). 
To make sure, I slid it to the forward position and got the same result.
Googling the problem, I learned that sometimes covering with Scotch tape the little notch on the right edge of the card would solve the problem.  It didn't

Since I was actually using a full size SD adapter to hold a microSD, I moved the microSD to several other adapters but ran into the same problem.
Finally, I bypassed the SD Card Reader built in to my Dell Tower PC and inserted the card in a removable USB SD card reader.  That solved the problem
Using a different SD Card Reader, I was able to successfully reformat the microSD.  It worked on all the SD Card Adapters that I tested.

I decided to give the faithless Dell Tower one last opportunity to successfully reformat an SD card.  This time I inserted a full-size SD card, not a full-size SD Card Adapter carrying a microSD card.
Sadly, the build-in Dell SD Card Reader failed again.

Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
This is a re-post from APCIG, SLO Bytes' parent organization
December 13, 2023
Ralph Sutter

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Games People Play
By Bill Crowe, The STUG Program Chair, iProducts Forum Leader, and Newsletter Contributor
 
Should I Buy a Chromebook For Christmas?
By Jolyn Bowler, HHIC Resource Center
 
Register here - https://forms.gle/HD4F9891tui5V2Ds6
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on December 12 after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.

Games People Play. Video or computer games are electronic entertainment requiring user interaction via devices like joysticks, keyboards, or motion sensors.
 
Visual feedback is displayed on TVs, monitors, handheld screens, or even
virtual reality headsets. Games are audiovisual, often involving sound and
sometimes tactile feedback. They may support a microphone and webcam
for in-game conversation and live streaming. The 2022 global gaming market
revenue nearly reached $347 billion.
 
Bill's presentation will delve into diverse video games, from single-player Wordle and Lumosity to multiplayer Minecraft and Call of Duty. These games, enjoyable and potentially addictive, cater to all ages. Whether a player or not, the presentation will highlight the various games available today.
 
Bill Crowe has extensive experience and knowledge, with a BS in Mathematics
Education and a 34-year career at IBM. He's completed IBM-certified coursework from
top institutions and taught computer-related classes at several colleges and institutions,
including Sarasota Adult and Community Enrichment (ACE). As an active member of the Sarasota Technology Users Group "STUG," Bill's passion for teaching shines in the classroom, where he promotes knowledge transfer. His students confirm a lot of learning happens in his classes.
 
Should I Buy a Chromebook For Christmas?
Chromebooks are a good option for users who:
•Spend most of their time online
•Use cloud-based software
•Don't need to install traditional software
•Are looking for a secure and easy-to-use laptop
•Are on a budget
 
Jolyn was first introduced to technology and computers through Madeleine L’Engle’s book “A Wrinkle in Time.” In 9th grade, she visited the IBM offices in White Plains, NY. After graduating from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Manhattan, she found her first job at Children’s Television Workshop as Secretary to the Assistant Director of Operations, Bob Dahl. When the Telex or TWX was down or a video or film reel wouldn’t load, she was the one folks came to. In 1973, Jolyn moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and worked as a Camera Operator at the local SCETV station. In 1982, she took two classes: An Introduction to Computer Concepts and a Word processing class on a dedicated DecMate system.
 
She worked as a “temp” during the 80s and could help any office with their computer needs. Jolyn discovered the Hilton Head Island Computer Club in 1991 and immediately volunteered at the monthly meetings. Through the years, she has held the position of Membership Director, Webmistress, Vice President, and President. She is now the Resource Center Director for the Club.
 
When Covid shut down the club, Jolyn took to Zoom, and they could communicate with members through the shutdown. Good presentations, even if they couldn’t meet in person. Jolyn often gives presentations and has been the Zoom Queen, helping all the Volunteers do their Zoom presentations.
 
Jolyn is also a singer and guitarist and has jammed and played with the same group of friends for 30+ years—something about the mathematics of computers and music that fits.

Google Drive users angry over losing months of stored data
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-drive-users-angry-over-losing-months-of-stored-data/

Ask Leo - I will help you use technology more effectively, giving you the confidence to do more, be more, and explore more of the world that today’s technology makes available to us all. - Leo Notenboom
https://askleo.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@askleonotenboom
 
Glary Utilities - The No. 1 Free, Powerful and All-in-one utility for cleaning your PC. Boosts PC speed and fixes frustrating errors, crashes and freezes. Features one-click functionality and easy, automated options. Over 20 tools to maximize your computer’s performance.
https://www.glarysoft.com/
 
Glary Utilities Portable - is an innovative and reliable application that offers numerous powerful and easy-to-use system tools and utilities to help fix, speed up, maintain and protect your PC.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/glary_utilities_portable.html
 
What is Copilot (formerly Bing Chat)? Here's everything you need to know
https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-copilot-formerly-bing-chat-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/
 
How to Disable Copilot on Windows 11
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/disable-copilot-windows-11/

THE BEST INVENTIONS OF 2023
https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2023/

Sony Alpha 7R V
https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2023/6324008/sony-alpha-7r-v/
 
Microsoft finally makes Windows 11 23H2 available via the Media Creation Tool
https://betanews.com/2023/11/18/microsoft-finally-makes-windows-11-23h2-available-via-the-media-creation-tool/
 
Download Windows 11 (Current release: Windows 11 2023 Update l Version 23H2)
https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

New PC Manager App in Windows 11 23H2
https://youtu.be/gAx9u7vr32s
https://itstechbased.com/new-pc-manager-app-in-windows-11-23h2/

Microsoft PC Manager - Safeguard your PC in a quiet and reliable way
https://pcmanager.microsoft.com/en-us

How to group apps together in MacOS Launchpad (and why you should)
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-group-apps-together-in-macos-launchpad-and-why-you-should/
 
VeraCrypt is free open-source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Home.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeraCrypt

HOW TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL WINDOWS 11 23H2
https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-windows/episodes/68

Learn the Mac: Mac Quick Start Guide for New Users
https://youtu.be/eLBjS5ndNN4