Friday, September 25, 2020

Computer Class Notes 9-24-2020

Video of the class: https://tinyurl.com/y2y6fjtx

Nice Article About CCCGC



https://tinyurl.com/y5njuczt

How does one Mirror Live Video from Android Cell Phone to Large TV?
You can stream your Android phone or tablet screen to a TV through screen mirroring, Google Cast, using a third-party app, or linking it with a cable.
https://tinyurl.com/y58va9w9

How to Move a Window to Another Virtual Desktop
If you often use virtual desktops in Windows 10 to manage your workspaces, you might find that keeping track of windows between them can sometimes be a hassle. Luckily, Windows makes it easy to move windows between virtual desktops. Here’s how.
https://tinyurl.com/y3tbmp77



Microsoft Bob Remembered
Microsoft Bob was a Microsoft software product that was released on March 11, 1995, and discontinued in early 1996. Upon release, Microsoft Bob was criticized in the media and did not gain wide acceptance with users, which resulted in its discontinuation.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5teG6ou8mWU

Update 2004 And Windows.old
installing update 2004 will create a Windows.old folder in the root of your system (C) drive.
https://tinyurl.com/yxzgk3fx

WinCustom to disable various options in Windows
WinCustom is a freeware tool that lets you disable many features that are available in Windows.
https://tinyurl.com/y56zhdpk

Repurpose Your Old Gadgets
Tech is constantly being outdated, and because of that, you might have a small gadget graveyard building up in your house somewhere. But before you get rid of it, let’s go over some cool stuff you can do with those dated pieces of tech.
https://tinyurl.com/y2a4z2jh

Swappa
Buy and sell directly with other users. Cutting out the middleman means you join a community market with the best prices and highest value. A safe, friendly marketplace with no junk, fewer fees.
  • PayPal Protection
  • Free Shipping
  • No Junk, No Jerks
https://swappa.com

Transform Photos Into Art
FotoSketcher can easily and quickly transform your photos into works of art with just a few mouse clicks



Before



After

https://tinyurl.com/y3fvmhd3

Here is the example from class



Facebook Market Place Away
When you are out of your local area (snowbirds or on vacation) the Marketplace you see on Facebook is your local area one. Even if I am in KY, for example, I get into my Facebook page and all the buying and selling is for Port Charlotte (my local, different for yours).



You need to do a Facebook search for the area you want to buy/sell.



If I were in our KY home, I would search for that area.



Then I scroll down to locate the various groups in that area. Here is one that should work.



It is a private group but I can simply click to Join Group to become part of it.



This one is a Public Group and might be better for me.



It has 31.7K members and should help me sell some things when I am in KY or perhaps point me to some interesting finds.

Inkscape To Sharpen Pictures
The design process may begin by doodles on a napkin, a sketched mindmap, a photo of a memorable object, or a mockup in software that really wouldn't work to complete the project. Inkscape can take you from this stage to a final, professional-grade design format that is ready for publication on the web or in physical form.
https://tinyurl.com/y5ovor7z

ITVRUS to get TV channels

And thanks to Bob for sharing about the app you have on your Firestick to access over 4,000 channels for $40 a year
www.itvrus.com

Table of Contents in Google Docs
Adding a table of contents (TOC) to a Google Doc is a great way to organize a long document and add easy navigation, as you can click on each heading to go straight there. You can edit the table of contents and add more items as well as move them around. There are five levels of headings so that you can add subsections to subsections for complex documents.
https://tinyurl.com/ybwf2ha9

Wo Mic To Use Cell Phone As A Mic
Thanks, Mary for the work on this one. WO Mic can turn your phone to be a microphone for your computer. You need not pay a cent to buy any gadget. And it's mobile if you choose wireless transport. Millions of people have installed it and are using it daily for talking, recording, voice remote control, and many other activities.
https://tinyurl.com/yawzc3g5

How To Make A Shortcut For A Website On The Desktop



Have the website open



Ctrl+L to select the URL



Point to the selected URL and drag it to the desktop



A new shortcut appears on your desktop. You can right-click it and rename it if you would like. The icon is the icon for your default browser. Whenever you double-click on that new shortcut on your desktop that website will open in a browser window.

We talked about this back in June and the following is an alternate approach:

Create an icon on the desktop that will open a website directly.



  1. Open Chrome to the website
  2. Click the three vertical dots upper right
  3. Click More tools
  4. Click Create shortcut
  5. Name the shortcut
  6. Click OK


You can right-click it and rename it if you would like.

Change An Icon On The Desktop



You can change the icon for any shortcut on the desktop. You will need a .ico image. Sometimes you can use one already in Windows but let’s look at locating one of you choose on the Internet.

Go to iconarchive.com and search for the icon you would like to use.



Let’s look for a US flag



Click the one you would like to use



Click ICO to download it to your computer



Save it in a place you will remember. I saved it in my Downloads folder.



Right-click the icon you want to change, then click Properties



Click Change Icon



Browse to the folder containing your downloaded icon, click it to select it, and then Open.



Click OK.



Click Apply, then Cancel.



And the icon now shows the Flag.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Computer Class Notes 9-17-2020

Video of the class: https://tinyurl.com/yyy6hnny

Maintenance Question
It is my understanding that programs such as SuperAntispyware, Glary, Wise Disk Cleaner, and Malwarebytes do not catch bad things unless they are run for maintenance. So, if they are disabled at startup or if they open at startup, does it follow that these programs do nothing until scans are run?

Correct, if left in Startup they will continue to search for updates but they are not searching for issues on your computer until they are actually run.

Creating a Rescue Disk
 ( On a USB Flash Drive) using EaseUs 12.5 I'm not able to see the Contents when opening the Flash Drive. Why is that?

It builds a bootable media and you cannot view the contents in File Explorer. When you boot from it and search for your backup file on your external drive you can “see” the contents of the flash drive.

YouTube TV
Please share the pros and cons of using YouTube TV.

Looks like a great package to me. Here is a link to a site that shows all the channels and more.
https://tinyurl.com/yyo6lsju

No Green Screen Needed
XSplit VCam makes cutting edge background removal and blurring possible with any webcam, without the need for expensive green screens, and complicated lighting setups.

The ideal product for people new to streaming who don't want to invest in or don't have space for green screens and expensive lighting setups. It enables the user to replace, remove, or blur the background image with any webcam.



Download and install Xsplit--takes a while as it analyzes your video.



To add a background, Click Add Background and upload an image or short video. To remove the watermark in the top left of your screen click Remove watermark and purchase a license.




When you start Zoom, XSplit takes over the video function and displays your background without the need for a green screen.



You can switch back to your regular camera by clicking the up arrow next to the Stop Video icon on the Zoom toolbar. Notice XSplit is checked. Click the other Webb Camera to turn XSplit off for this season but you will need your green screen.

Windows Task Manager Tricks
Here are handy Task Manager tricks every Windows user should know, including how to bring up the Task Manager quickly and more!
https://tinyurl.com/y8wspbk4

Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open it quickly

Also Win+X then T

The Windows Explorer process is responsible for many of the UI elements of Windows, such as the Taskbar, File Explorer, Start menu, and similar. If you have an issue with these elements, your first thought may be to restart your PC. While this will solve the issue, it's more convenient to restart Windows Explorer instead. To do this, find Windows Explorer on the Processes tab of the Task Manager. Right-click it and choose Restart



Search for suspicious processes. Right-click on the process and choose to Search online

All About The CHKDSK Utility
What are the differences between the "/F" (fix) and "/R" (repair) options? While fix and repair might sound like synonyms to you and me, CHKDSK treats them very, very differently
https://tinyurl.com/y5anql2h

CHKDSK doesn’t cause errors; it uncovers them. The errors were already there. Disk errors happen. Disk failures happen. CHKDSK is one useful tool for recovering from certain types of errors. But you still need to back up. CHKDSK can’t save you from everything, regardless of whether you use /R or /F.

CHKDSK /F is concerned with the information stored on the disk — more specifically, the file system information that tells Windows about the files, folders, and data on the disk, and their disk locations. F makes sure the Table of Contents entries all point to the right places. It’s all about making sure that the file system information is correct, leading Windows to the right data on the disk, and that all the data on the disk is correctly represented in the filesystem information.

CHKDSK /R is concerned with the physical condition of the information stored on the disk — more specifically, whether or not the data is readable. It scans the entire disk surface, sector by sector, to make sure every sector can be read properly. R attempts to use spare disk sectors, if any are available, to take the place of damaged sectors it finds, and then marks the original sector as “bad”, indicating it should no longer be used.

CHKDSK doesn’t cause errors; it uncovers them. The errors were already there. Disk errors happen. Disk failures happen. CHKDSK is one useful tool for recovering from certain types of errors.

Text-Editing Keyboard Shortcuts
Whether you’re typing an email in your browser or writing in a word processor, there are convenient keyboard shortcuts usable in almost every application. You can copy, select, or delete entire words or paragraphs with just a few key presses.
https://tinyurl.com/y77oxho8



Print photos and more and pick them up at local CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and more. ten cent prints and other deals
https://tinyurl.com/y6gohh4s

EveryoneOn is a nonprofit dedicated to creating social and economic opportunities by connecting low-income families to affordable internet service and computers and delivering digital skills training.
https://www.everyoneon.org/



WeTransfer
WeTransfer is the simplest way to send your files around the world. Share large files up to 2GB for free.
https://tinyurl.com/ybcsuwg

New Computer Purchase


What do I look for in a new computer?

I look for local stores to purchase from so I have an easy place to take care of any issues later. I also check out the current deals.

I suggest a 15.6” touch screen, a full keyboard backlit with a ten-key pad, 8 GB of RAM (or more), a 500 GB or better hard drive (SSD faster than mechanical drive), DVD/CD drive (if needed), HDMI port, USB 3 ports, and a USB C port.

If no DVD/CD, you can purchase a USB one for about $20. The size of the hard drive depends on what you are going to use it for. Lots of pictures may mean a larger hard drive. Need lots of speed? Get one with an SSD.

Net Lingo
NetLingo is a popular dictionary about Internet language. ... It acts as a digital reference guide that helps millions of people around the world learn about the most commonly used words, smileys, acronyms, and so on, that keep sprouting up on the Internet.
https://tinyurl.com/yxdpz3pk

OpenShot



Mary demonstrated using OpenShot Video Editor It is a free and open-source video editor. It is a stable, free, and friendly to use video editor.
https://tinyurl.com/yd2ul45o

Friday, September 11, 2020

Computer Class Notes 9-10-2020

Link to the video of this class
https://tinyurl.com/y4cfoq9m

Next Saturday Practice is on the 19th
We will see how to create a TOC (table of contents) in Word and how to insert bookmarks in a document.

Tech For Seniors
Here is the link for the Zoom session every Monday at noon. Don’t be late as they lock it down soon after it starts.
https://zoom.us/j/526610331

What About Updates?
Does installing an update for a program (such as SuperAntispyware aka SAS) also install the latest version of the program or should we go to Ninite for the latest version and update?

I suggest that before you do your weekly maintenance, run Ninite, or PatchMyPC. This will ensure you have a current version installed. If after that SAS pops up a box saying Update available, click OK.

PatchMyPc (taken from Computer Class Notes 3-26-2019)
When you run Patch My PC, it will show you a list of installed supported software and then let you know the status. By the way, the app is portable, so no installation is required. Green means it’s okay, red means it needs updating, and black means it’s not installed. The interface is more complex than Ninite which will do the same job for the maintenance programs we suggest except for CCleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner. Those are not included in Ninite. This is an executable file that does not have to be installed to run. https://tinyurl.com/y2ufrfj5

How to use Phone as Mic for PC

Thanks, Mary for this one… Someone was asking about microphones a couple of weeks ago. I found this video that talks about using your cell phone as a microphone for a PC for applications like Zoom. The application is free and available for Android and iOS.

Mary will demo this next week.

Here is the video https://youtu.be/S51mewwihZQ

The app is WO Mic and is available at https://wolicheng.com/womic/

How Dropbox Works And Why You Should Use It
Users can conveniently access this platform on their desktop, tablet, and smartphones. With Dropbox's simple software, file upload and sharing are simple. Users can upload, store, and share files across a wide array of file types. You can even host group projects and team collaboration on Dropbox. The free service caps at 2GB of storage. Storage exceeding this amount must either delete files or upgrade to an advanced service.
https://tinyurl.com/y5vjso4y

Think about having a 2GB USB flash drive. You can copy files to it and upload files from it--any type of file as long as it is less than 2GB. Picture your Dropbox account as that flash drive. What is different is that you can access that Dropbox account from any device, even your cell phone. And you can share access to that drive with anyone else. Not usually the entire drive but a file or folder on the drive. It is a great way to send a number of files or a large file to one or more friends. You just share the file and copy the link it creates, then paste that link into an email to your friends. They can view the file and download it to their computer if need be.

Cost Breakdown
Personal. Basic. Free. If you need to store a few files for quick access or sharing—or just want to try out Dropbox—get 2 GB of space for free. Sign up. ...
Personal. Plus. $9.99 / month. when billed yearly.

Install Dropbox
Sign up for 2 GB of storage, and start accessing and sharing photos, documents, and other files from any device.
https://tinyurl.com/yazeukgk

The Best Portable Wi-Fi Hotspots for 2020
If you work online, you know what a nightmare it is to ever be without a Wi-Fi signal. Keep that nightmare from becoming a reality by picking up one of these pocket-sized portable hotspots you can take anywhere.
https://www.reviewgeek.com/50659/the-best-portable-wi-fi-hotspots-of-2020/

I have a hotspot on the Sprint network that is useful when I am away from home and when my home internet is down.

Some of you have experienced me using my cell phone as a hotspot to check out your computer which is having issues connecting to your internet provider. I turn on my hotspot and see if I can connect your computer to it. If that works, I know the issue is with the provider and not your computer. 



Also when I am traveling, I use my Sprint hotspot to access the internet rather than the very pubic motel free WiFi. Some use a hotspot all the time righter than paying for an ISP both here in FL and also up north.

Blurry photos?

Sometimes, you might take what you think is a great photo with your smartphone, only to see afterward it’s all blurry. If that’s happening to you a lot, let’s take a look at what might be causing it.
https://tinyurl.com/y2z62hs7

This Summary Came From The Article:

Whatever the reason your photos are blurry, there are some practical steps you can take to avoid it in the future.

Shoot in the best lighting possible: Taking photos in low light introduces heaps of problems. The best way to avoid them is to avoid bad lighting whenever you can. Shoot outdoors or only in the best light you can find indoors.

Keep your hands steady: If your hands move, you’ll get a blurry photo. Brace your arms tightly against your body and keep your smartphone as still as possible. If you have a smartphone tripod, use it whenever you can, or just prop your phone against something.

Cue your subjects: If you’re taking a photo of a group of people, ask them all to remain as still as possible.

Avoid fast-moving subjects: Even under the best of circumstances, these will almost always turn out blurry.

Use burst mode: If you take more than one photo in quick succession, you increase the chances that everything will line up for at least one of them. It also prevents you from shaking your phone by tapping the shutter button.

Don’t zoom in too much: A little bit of digital zoom will, likely, go unnoticed, but if you zoom in too far, it’s obvious.

Tap your subject to focus on it: Your smartphone’s autofocus can sometimes think the wrong thing is the subject.

Clean the lens: A microfiber lens cloth is best, but a bit of tissue will do.

Get Rid of Gmail Tabs
The “tabbed inbox” is Gmail’s attempt to organize your incoming email into categories, or tabs. Unfortunately, they often miscategorize email, leading to messages being overlooked. You can turn category tabs off in the “Inbox” tab of Gmail settings by unchecking all the category tabs listed.
https://tinyurl.com/yyflmxba



The tabs may appear above your emails and as you scroll across the tabs the emails Google has decided to place in categories for you appear.


They also show on the left side of the window but all your emails should be in the Inbox.

Search For A Photo
Donna told us about searching for a photo using Google Search.


Open Google.com and select Images



On your computer, locate the image you want to search for.



Drag rag the picture to search for into the Image search box and watch Google do its thing.



After a few seconds it displays the results.



This did not find an exact match but did direct me to a number of other trail signs which is the category Google assigned to my image.

Colorize Black and White Photos
Donna and Mary told us about a demo they watched on Monday at Tech for Seniors Zoom. We downloaded and installed PixBim. It uses AI to automatically take a B&W image and add color to it.



Just open the original and watch it do its magic. Pretty neat. The resulting picture will have a watermark if you are using the free version.



At the home screen (pixbim.com) scroll down to locate the link to download the free version. It is a 699MB file so it will take a few minutes to download and a few more to install. Then it is pretty straightforward. Open a B&W image and it will do its work.
YouTube video https://youtu.be/by-1xQ2GIVI

Are Private Messages On Zoom Private?
When Zoom finishes a text file is downloaded to the Host person but it only contains the messages to everyone and to the host. So, yes, they are private messages. These were the “chats” from today and as you can see the private ones sent as a test from Mary to Donna do not show.

15:51:52 From Mary Fleenor : Wo Mic video:
15:53:49 From Donna Whalen : https://zoom.us/j/526610331
15:54:03 From Mary Fleenor : Mo Mic video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S51mewwihZQ
Mo Mic webpage: https://wolicheng.com/womic/