Do you like shopping? Sure you do. And it’s shopping season. Which means shopping frauds and scams! Season of Scams The bad guys are hard at work trying to separate you from your hard-earned money. Oh, and we have a big tangent on Twitter (sorry). https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/ https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/heres-how-to-avoid-online-holiday-shopping-scams/ https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mystery-shopping-scams https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Scams-and-Fraud/Online-Shopping-Scams
Is it time to buy a new computer? (11/19/22 Part 2)
How old is your computer? Is it time to get a new one? Is It New Computer Time? Many of us have computers that are getting close to their end of life and the holiday shopping season is looking very good this year! But are you going to get the newest, cutting edge stuff? Or are there better deals to be had?
Ready to fix those holiday photos? (11/5/22 Part 1)
When the holidays hit folks will take photos. Photos and your Computer! Lots of them. Maybe you want to adjust the lighting, perhaps get rid of red-eye, or just sharpen it a little. Getting those photos ready for printing and framing, making cards or calendars and just sharing around is a great thing but doesn’t require Photoshop! So we’re talking about alternatives to Photoshop that are better suited to normal folks like us! Photoshop Elements is the Diet Coke of Photoshop meant for consumers. https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html Windows Photos and MacOS Preview are included with your operating system and can do many basic tasks. Even your smart phone has built-in tools in its photos apps. GIMP is a free, open-source program but has a bit of a learning curve. https://www.gimp.org/ Paintshop Pro is a longtime alternative. https://www.paintshoppro.com/ Corel offers a whole suite of graphics tools, including a photoshop alternative! https://www.coreldraw.com/en/ Affinity Photo is a professionally aimed program with a budget friendly price. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/ And do you want better photos? Starting with how you take them will help! https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-quick-tips-to-fix-your-bad-photos https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-take-good-photos-with-your-phone/ https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-easy-tips-and-tricks-for-better-smartphone-photos
All chips, no dips! (10/22/22 Part 2)
Ready for some brand-new chips? New Processors for 2022! Intel and AMD have offerings for the upcoming holiday season. And who is the value leader this time? Who is driving the lower prices? And why does this matter? Well, join us as we talk about that! For further reading you can go to these sites! www.tomshardware.com www.anandtech.com www.arstechnica.com
Ergonomics Basics! (10/8/22 Part 1)
Desktop computers, laptops, tablets and phones all have something in common: YOU! Ergonomics! The way you use them and the way you hold your body while using them matters! That’s why ergonomics matters. Tired of that pain in your neck or crick in your back? It might be how you’re using your technology. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-ergonomics/art-20046169 https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-an-ergonomic-workstation https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/standing-workstation/art-20088544 https://rmi.colostate.edu/ergonomics/officecomputer-ergonomics/laptop-tablet-and-smartphone-ergonomics/ https://www.uhs.umich.edu/computerergonomics https://www.thoughtco.com/setting-up-ergonomic-computer-station-1206666 https://ergo-plus.com/office-ergonomics-position-computer-monitor/
Archiving Your Memories (10/1/22 Part 1)
As the years go by your family’s old memories become increasingly important. Tips on Archiving Preserving them is something you might want to learn but where do you start? We talked about saving your old photos and recordings today!
News Buffet! Your first serving! (9/24/22 Part 1)
It’s a buffet of news! We’re catching up on all the things happening in tech news in the past week because there’s been a lot! News Buffet – Part 1 Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we discuss various and assorted things. https://www.neowin.net/news/apple-google-and-microsoft-limit-browser-choice-alleges-mozilla/ https://www.howtogeek.com/702485/how-to-opt-out-of-amazon-sidewalk/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/09/google-and-youtube-to-take-on-dolby-with-free-hdr-and-audio-standards/ https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/tech/microsoft-windows-11-update/index.html
It’s like Christmas! Well, Apple-mas! (9/10/22 Part 1)
New stuff from Apple! Apple’s New Line Whether you’re wanting the best and newest thing OR want to see last year’s stuff go down in price? Well, this is for you! New iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods and more! Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we chime in on our thoughts.
It’s Raining, it’s pouring, it’s FLOODING (9/10/22 Part 2)
Are you ready for unexpected disasters? Fast Disasters! Kihei had a big rainstorm with flooding. So, what happened? Well, Jonathan rushed home and began his emergency protocols! What are yours? Did you back up? Are you backing up the right stuff? Do you have UPS’ for your electronics? Do you have a bug-out kit? Let’s talk about it! Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we discuss being ready for bad stuff happening!
Back to school! Are you ready? (8/6/22 Part 1)
It is time for school! Back to School 2022! And thus time for school supplies. These days that also means a laptop or computer of some sort. Chromebook, Windows, or Mac? What else do you need? What to look for? We hit some of the questions! If you need to get stuff, be sure to check out our friends at Officemax/Office Depot!