2019 Program Index

29 Dec 2019

TechByter Hibernates This Week: This is second of the two weeks each year when TechByter hibernates. Thanks for listening or reading (or both)!

The first program of 2020 (3 January because of the new Friday publication date) will take a look at how you can find hidden powers with a couple of clever utility programs, the best ways to accelerate an older computer, and how to leave a message for the future you.

22 Dec 2019

Is Cryptomator a Solution in Search of a Problem? Mac users have FileVault, Windows users have BitLocker, and all the big cloud-based storage systems encrypt files before storing them, so do we really need another encryption utility? As it turns out, maybe we do.

Short Circuits: Big Changes for Yahoo Groups : Yahoo's Groups service is starting what's likely to be a long slide to oblivion and that reminded me of older services that have met a similar fates -- CompuServe, Prodigy, GEnie, and others.

The End of Windows 7: Also sliding into oblivion: Windows 7. Starting in mid-January, Microsoft will make it crystal clear to users that it's time to upgrade.

Adobe Has a Holiday Gift for Capture Users: Adobe has released a holiday gift for users of its Capture utility. Although both Android and IOS versions receive updates, the IOS version got more this time around.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Beware medical scams that may arrive by email, phone call, or even in-person visits by people who want to steal your information. • Bots that are used to place fake online orders are still more prevalent on desktop computers, but the growing trend points to mobile devices. • Twenty years ago: Remember 56K modems? In 1999 an Oregon company called WorldSpy started offering free dial-up access to the internet. It didn't work out as intended.

15 Dec 2019

SnagIt Is for More Than Just Documentation Specialists: SnagIt has been the choice for documentation specialists for nearly 30 years and some recent enhancements make it a good choice for subject matter experts who are called on to share their knowledge with co-workers and even for those who have become the de facto computer support person for their extended families.

Short Circuits: Tell Cortana Farewell on IOS and Android Devices: Microsoft, Apple, and Android all have assistants. Cortana, Siri, and the Google Assistant respectively. One of these three is not like the others. One of these three doesn't belong. At the end of January 2020, it will be gone.

Which Audio Device is Active? Most computers have speakers and many have a built-in microphone. Sometimes the speaker or microphone might appear to be broken and this is usually a problem that's easy to fix.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Popular colors change each year and predicting the ones that will be popular is not unlike the process used to develop each year's flu vaccines. • Sometimes we think of scammers as evil geniuses, but some are just evil idiots. Let's take a look at one fool's flawed flim-flam. • Twenty years ago: There was talk of how to put the internet in your car.

8 Dec 2019

Thinking About Cutting the Cable? With constantly increasing prices for cable television, maybe you're thinking about dropping the television part of your cable bill and improving the internet part. I'll describe my first timid steps in that direction.

Short Circuits: Will Your Phone Support 5G? The short answer is "Probably not," but maybe the better question is "Do you really need 5G?" With few exceptions, most phones being sold now don't support 5G and, with equally few exceptions, most mobile phone users don't really need it yet.

Why Q-Dir is Better than the Windows Explorer: Windows comes with a perfectly good file explorer, so why should you download and install another file explorer? That's a reasonable question and it speaks to the definition of "perfectly good". Sometimes "perfectly good" isn't enough and you need "exceptional" instead.

Spare Parts (only on the website): When you schedule a meeting with someone in a distant locale, sometimes it's a challenge to find out what time it is there. • If you're thinking about installing a disk upgrade in an existing computer or replacing a computer, I have a list of several applications that will help you make the move with ease. • Twenty years ago: Threats of Y2K disasters were hovering and scammers saw a way to make some money from the fears.

1 Dec 2019

Wow! Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, & Photoshop for 2020: There's a lot of new magic from Adobe. The just-released versions of Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop for 2020 were highlights at Adobe Max in Los Angeles. Although several new applications made their first appearance, today we'll stick to the photo applications, including the appearance of Photoshop on IPads.

Short Circuits: Why is Microsoft Support Sometimes so Poor? It's annoying when something goes wrong with Windows or a Microsoft application, and even worse when Microsoft support seems to be clueless. There are alternatives.

Development: Adobe is Agile: The software updates described in this week's main section about Adobe's photo apps are good examples of what's called the agile development method, so we'll look at what that means.

Spare Parts (only on the website): A feature update for Windows that was released in mid Noveber as version 1909 has a useful new function: Now you can add items to your calendar directly from the Task Bar. • PayPal says it will acquire Honey Science Corporation for about $4 billion. It's a service that claims to help consumers find the best prices online. • Twenty years ago: I wrote about a system to ensure absolute computer security. The process still works, but I'll bet you won't want to use it.

24 Nov 2019

This is one of the two weeks each year that TechByter hibernates.

17 Nov 2019

On1 Photo Raw Adds Impressive Features for 2020 But Problems Remain: The first edition of On1 Photo Raw's 2019 release had some significant performance issues that were largely resolved in an update. Now the 2020 version has been released. I've been working with a beta version since early October and it's more of a contender than last year but it still has some performance problems. We'll look at the good parts and the problems.

Short Circuits: Reducing a Silly Annoyance: Microsoft makes it possible for Windows users to create a slide show that runs on the desktop, silently changing images ever minute, every 10 or 30 minutes, every 1 or 6 hours, or once a day. If you like this feature but find that Windows periodically reverts to just a single image, there's a way to fix it permanently (more or less). Permanent fixes are always elusive with Windows.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) Continues to Develop: You already know that Microsoft is dropping its proprietary display engine in the Edge browser and switching to Chromium. It's not yet fully baked and anyone who wants to have a say about how the new browser will work can do so by installing the version that's still being developed.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Too many companies are still transferring files that often contain proprietary information insecurely. • If you find that you're locked out of your smart phone, PhoneRescue might be what you need to get back to normal. • Twenty years ago: I wrote about disk drives that were "so small you might misplace them." Compared to today's disk drives, they were physically larger, far more expensive, and able to store only a tiny fraction of what today's drives hold.

10 Nov 2019

From Russia with Pixels: About the time you think you're aware of every possible photo application, one you've never heard of pops up. That's the case with the Movavi Photo Editor from Siberia. Yes, Siberia in Russia.

Short Circuits: Are Traditional Cameras Still Necessary? An article on CNet claimed to describe how professional photos can be taken with phone-based cameras. Let's explore that thought.

Keeping External Drives from Going to Sleep: If you have one or more external USB disk drives attached to your computer and find that they power down at inconvenient times, there's a quick and easy fix.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe Max 2019 attracted nearly 20,000 attendees to Los Angeles this week as the company released some new applications and updates for most existing applications. • That email that seems to be from someone you know might be a fraud. Look closely because the fraudsters are getting better. • Twenty years ago: I was worrying about people who didn't routinely back up their computers. Things are better now, but only marginally.

3 Nov 2019

Photoshop Elements offers Memory Keepers Lots of New Features: Adobe has designed Photoshop Elements for people they call "Memory Keepers" and the just released 2020 version of the application brings lots of improvements and several new features.

Short Circuits: Хочешь говорить по-русски o quizás español? It's been a long time since I was able to read, write, or speak Russian with even minimal proficiency. If that describes your current mastery of a language you were once fluent in or at least spoke haltingly, Duolingo might be what you need to improve or even to learn an entirely new language.

How Safe Are Websites? SiteLock monitors the TechByter site and millions of others to watch for dangerous links and malware. There's no guarantee that SiteLock will detect every possible problem, so it's still important for all internet users to be cautious, but having protections in place goes a long way toward eliminating threats.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Several actions are important if you want to avoid being "doxed" by someone who is seeking to ridicule you. • Do you still write checks? If so, security expert Frank Abagnale says you should re-think the practice. • Twenty years ago: The world was becoming increasingly concerned with January first 2000, expecting a Y2K disaster. But there were some voices of reason.

27 Oct 2019

Impersonation, the Kind of “Flattery” Nobody Wants: Consider what happens if some creep impersonates your Facebook or Instagram account. It's nowhere near as bad or as serious as having your identity stolen, but it's still a major annoyance. Reducing risk and avoiding the problem is best, but be prepared just in case you become a victim.

Short Circuits: Having a Problem with Windows? Try the Feedback Hub. Windows isn't perfect. That's probably not a surprise to you. In fact, no operating system is perfect. Nor is any application on any computer. Microsoft's Feedback Hub allows users to report problems, make suggestions, and troubleshoot issues.

Office Lens is the Scanner that Fits in Your Pocket: When you host a business meeting at a restaurant, you may need a copy of the receipt. Or if you have paperwork from a hospital that you need to submit to your insurance company, you'll want a scanner. Or will you?

Remembering Old Times: A few weeks ago I added a new item to the Spare Parts section of the website. Each week there's a brief account about something that seemed to be top-of-mind (at least top of my mind) twenty years ago. Back then I occasionally wrote about websites that I found interesting.

Spare Parts (only on the website): The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities' October newsletter contains suggestions for avoiding online fraud. We'll take a look and there's a link to the newsletter. • Support for Windows 7 ends in January and about one third of all Windows computers are still running that version. • Twenty years ago: We were just beginning to see the advent of phones that could surf the web and even send and receive emails.

20 Oct 2019

Acronis True Image Raises the Backup Bar: Backup is important. Perhaps you've noticed that I tend to harp on this subject. Acronis True Image has been a well regarded backup system for about 17 years and several new features that have been added to the 2020 version are likely to prove their value.

Short Circuits: Adobe's 2020 Elements Applications Add Features for Memory Keepers: Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are designed for people who want to edit their photos and videos but don't want to expend the effort and take the time needed to master Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Prelude, Premiere, and After Effects or any of the many competing applications from other software publishers. The 2020 edition has some cool features.

The Importance of Facts: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." That's a statement by New York Democratic Senator and Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy in the Nixon administration, Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Some people will discount Moynihan's statement because he was a Democrat. Others will discount his statement because he worked in the Nixon White House. I hope that there's still enough common ground in the nation for us to agree generally that most US citizens, whether Republicans or Democrats, want what's best for the nation. We need facts, not opinions, and the go-to fact checker has been Snopes.com but if you dont trust it, there are others.

Spare Parts (only on the website): The first rule of the internet still applies: Trust nobody. • Jam Audio has just released water-resistant ear buds that look like they'll be perfect for a workout in the gym or a walk in the rain. • Twenty years ago: IBM was boasting about the performance of its new Power4 line of CPUs.

13 Oct 2019

Exposure X5 Has Lots of New and Enhanced Features for Photographers: Exposure Software (formerly Alien Skin) released Exposure version X5 in late September and an array of new and improved features make the upgrade worthwhile for those who use it as a plug-in for Adobe applications as well as for those who use it as a standalone application.

Short Circuits: Making the Most of Microsoft's New Mouse Pointer: Does a mouse cursor that you can't find sometimes turn you into a computer curser? Some recent changes by Microsoft may result in less muttering and cursing at your mouse cursor. Let's see where the settings are and how you can modify them to make the computer easier to use.

NirSoft Utilities Pull Back Many Curtains: Sometimes dealing with a computer reminds me of Bob Dylan's 1965 "Ballad of a Thin Man" in which he noted that something was happening but it seemed that Mister Jones was clueless. Nir Sofer has been writing utilities that provide helpful insights since 2001 and his website has more than 100 utilities, most available without cost.

Spare Parts (only on the website): If you're still running Windows 7, you're running a risk. Too many computers are still using that long-outdated operating system. • The American Library Association and the Overdrive ebook management system from Rakuten are making select copies of new ebooks available without delay. • Twenty years ago: While preparing for the January 2000 version of the Consumer Electronics Show, I was impressed that devices were becoming so small.

06 Oct 2019

Taking a Photo is Just the First Step: Tasks that once were limited to professional photographers and serious amateurs are now commonplace and available to everyone. You can stick with basics such as cropping or you can go much further. Nearly every photo needs to be edited when it comes out of the camera and sometimes just a few minutes worth of work can turn a ho-hum shot into something spectacular.

Short Circuits: Using Lynda.com to Become a Better Photographer: This week's main article is all about why you should take time to improve your photographs but you might be wondering how to do that. I have the advantage of having had a darkroom when I was in high school, being the operator of a photo studio for a decade, knowing enough about software to figure out how applications work. If you don't have those advantages, there's a shortcut.

Google Fi and Google Phones: Google's MVNO cellular telephone service might be exactly what you're looking for and, depending on how much data you use, it can be one of the best values available. Google is becoming a major player in the cellular service marketplace.

Spare Parts (only on the website): The most dangerous application on your computer is still the email program. • The FDA says some medical devices can be exploited by crooks who could change how the devices work. • Twenty years ago: After returning from PC Expo in New York City, I wrote that we seemed to be turning into the Jetsons. Some of what I mentioned came to be but some didn't.

29 Sep 2019

What Happens After the Computer's Hard Drive Fails? You know the hard drive in your computer will fail someday, so you've been making regular backups. But what if you can't restore files from the backup when disaster strikes? Preparing for recovery is the step that's all too easy to miss.

Short Circuits: Miserable Slow Computer, But It Wasn't Microsoft's Fault: Windows computers can slow down over time but sometimes a computer that's working fine one day will appear to be full of solidified tar balls the next. A friend in California told me about a serious system slowdown that rendered the system nearly unusable and, even though he provided the answer in his question, it took several days for me to figure out what the problem was.

Is There a Linux in Your Future? There's a good chance that you use Linux every day even if you don't know it. Most computers that run the internet run Linux. The TechByter website's host computer is a Linux device. So why do so few people use Linux on their personal computers?

Spare Parts (only on the website): Exposure Software (known as Alien Skin until recently) has just released Exposure X5. I'll have a full review in a couple of weeks, but let's take a quick first look. • If you've ever wanted a jukebox that plays 45 RPM records, you can now buy one -- but only if you have $10,000 or so lying around. • Twenty years ago: The top search engines were Yahoo and AltaVista, but a newcomer had arrived and was building a reputation for itself.

22 Sep 2019

How to Stop Your Smart Phone from Driving You to Distraction: Commedian and actor W C Fields reportedly said "A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her." Your smart phone may not be driving you to drink but it might be driving you to distraction. There are ways to tame the beast, so let's take a look.

Short Circuits: Do You Want that BIOS Update? In the old days (maybe three years ago) I recommended avoiding most BIOS updates. That's still reasonable in some cases but conditions are different now than they were in the old days. Installing BIOS updates can be tricky and preparation is the key.

Forget that $125 Settlement from Equifax: If you thought you'd see any cash compensation from the Equifax data breach settlment, forget it. So many people submitted claims that the stamp on the envelope might be worth more than the check inside.

Spare Parts (only on the website): The Digital Citizens Alliance says online services such as Facebook and Google are not doing enough to keep sellers of illegal drugs off their systems. • QBE North America has launched processes and insurance designed to protect their clients from cyber threats. • Twenty years ago digital cameras were just beginning to gain acceptance as sensors captured enough data to make snapshot size photos.

15 Sep 2019

Small Towns and Businesses Increasingly Are Targets of Ransomware: The crooks who run ransomware operations aren't stupid. They've learned that large organizations and large cities generally do a good job of keeping systems updated and often have protections against ransomware. That's not the case for rural counties, small cities, small businesses, and individuals. When huge, lucrative targets make themselves more difficult, the crooks start looking at easier targets. Your mission is to avoid being a victim.

Short Circuits: Looking for Obscure Problems: Electronic devices are always looking for ways to confuse us and sometimes this causes us to look in the wrong place to solve a problem. Yes, I have an example.

Finding the Right Open Source Office Suite: Despite all their features, commercial office suites may not be what you want. Perhaps you don't want to pay for an office suite or maybe you can't justify paying for applications that you rarely use or it might be that you just like the idea of open-source applications. Let's consider the alternatives.

Spare Parts (only on the website): When you need to run a notebook computer or tablet for a long time and there's no nearby power source, modifying the computer's power settings can help. • It's also a good idea to keep an eye on the battery's performance over time because you'll probably need to replace the battery at least once before you replace the computer. • Twenty years ago some people were in a tizzy about the September 9th computing disaster that turned out to be even less of a problem than the much anticipated Y2K "disaster".

08 Sep 2019

Big Changes for This Year's Corel Draw Graphics Suite: Despite a lot of competition, Corel Draw continues to be a design application with an interface that appeals to a lot of people. This year, there's also a MacOS version and an on-line app in addition to the Windows version.

Short Circuits: The Windows Start Menu (Again): The Start Menu has been a part of Windows forever, or so it seems, and a point of contention for that same period. Whether you prefer the Start Menu or not, let's consider some ways to obtain faster access to the applications you use most often.

Alien Skin Exists No More But That's Not Bad: Alien Skin Software has routinely created filters and other applications to enhance digital photography, applications that I've always looked forward to with anticipation. It gives me great pleasure to let you know that Alien Skin Software no longer exists. Yeah, I'll explain that.

Spare Parts (only on the website): A recent update to the Emoji panel in Windows 10 makes the component really useful for the first time. • You know not to trust emails that claim to be from your boss, but what about phone calls? • Twenty years ago a company wanted to sell wearable computers for the equivalent of nearly $10,000 in today's money.

01 Sep 2019

If You Have a Scanner, You Need VueScan: No matter who manufactured the scanner that's attached to your computer or what you want to scan, VueScan is the right choice. It supports every scanner imaginable, even ones for which drivers are no longer available; offers features that the scanner manufacturer's software probably doesn't; runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux; and includes free updates forever if you choose the Professional version.

Short Circuits: Scammers in China Want Your Money: I received an email from "Alisa" telling me that some company I've never heard of in China wants to register TechByter as a domain name. "Alisa" said that I should let her know "whether this company is your distributor or business partner in China or not." I deleted the message and, if you receive a similar message, that's what you should do, too.

A New (to me) Scam Seems Not to be New: Shortly before 9pm on August 23rd, I was lying in bed and reading a novel on an IPad. A message popped up from Google Calendar: "You Have Won iphoneX from AppleStore" it said. My first thought was not Wow! What a great prize! Instead it was more along the lines of Oh [expletive deleted] now what the [expletive deleted] is going on?

Spare Parts (only on the website): It looks like there's finally been some progress in getting phone companies to cooperate in a way that may eventually eliminate or at least reduce unwelcome robocalls. • It's been 20 years since Adobe introduced InDesign. Publishing has changed a lot since then and InDesign now virtually owns the desktop typesetting and page layout market.

25 Aug 2019

Photo and Designer Join Affinity Publisher, so Let's Take a Look: Powerful features and low cost are rarely features of a single computer application. Normally you get one or the other, but software developer Serif is trying to provide both in its new series of Affiniy products.

Short Circuits: Adobe Updates its Photo Apps: Last week's Spare Parts included a short note about updates to Adobe's photo applications. This week, we'll take a closer look because several of the updates are ones you'll want to know about.

How to Needlessly Frighten Yourself: Assuming you have a Wi-Fi router, you may have noticed that the router offers to maintain a log and email it to you occasionally. The log will contain a lot of information that can create unnecessary alarm.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Small improvements can make big differences in your photographs and I'll show you one that's both easy and dramatic. • If you have some old computer gear that is no longer in service, taking it for a short drive to Newark next weekend would be a good idea.

18 Aug 2019

Choosing the Right Computer for School: If you need a computer for school, you'll find lots of choices. Maybe too many choices. It's not a one-size-fits all situation, so picking the right computer involves matching your needs.

Short Circuits: Some Scammers Are Just Plain Stupid: Dear Scammer: You really do need to try harder. Your silly attempt to steal my log-in credentials was laughable. It took less than two seconds to identify this idiot's scam, but let's look a bit deeper and scoff at a fool's failed attempt.

The End is Near for Flash: Despite the security vulnerabilities introduced by the Adobe Flash Player, some websites still require it. It's still possible to use the Flash Player in most browsers, but that support will end next year for most browsers.

Spare Parts (only on the website): We'll take a quick glance at some big improvements in Adobe's photo applications. • Bearing in mind that today's cameras are just computers with lenses, should we be surprised that they can be infected with malware? The short answer is NO.

11 Aug 2019

These Are Outstanding Days for Readers: There has never been a better time for readers. Electronic books make it possible for us to read anytime that we have a few minutes to spare and wherever we are. Physical books have advantages but electronic books are versatile and, like their print cousins, can be borrowed from libraries.

Short Circuits: A Threat on the Horizon for Ebooks: The main section this week is about the advantages of ebooks, but libraries have begun to warn patrons about access problems that are coming soon.

A Utility That's As Important As A Slide Rule: Do you need a utility that examines your mobile phone and tells you if there's a problem with it? TestM claims to do that and I ran across a glowing review of the application, so I decided to take a look and you can look over my shoulder.

Microsoft Rewards Are Amusing But Not Very Rewarding: It's been ten years since Microsoft launched the Bing search engine to compete with Google and a rewards program aimed at increasing usage hasn't made a big difference.

Spare Parts (only on the website): How to modify Windows so that you'll always have a current restore point. • Using a Wi-Fi hotspot without a VPN application is dangerous and Erie Insurance says a VPN is just one of several steps necessary to improve security.

04 Aug 2019

WordPerfect Office Suite Still Delivers: For the past 23 years, Corel has been improving the the WordPerfect Office suite and the current version is X9, the 19th release. WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, and Paradox were once all standalone applications. The WordPerfect Office Suite was assembled by Borland and acquired by Corel in 1996. WordPerfect has some unique features that make it a favorite in law offices and for those who need formatting capabilities not present in Word.

Short Circuits: Dealing with Installation Oddities: Sometimes a new application doesn't install properly. When that happens, finding a workaround starts with reading and understanding diagnostic messages.

Using Google Local Guides During a Crisis: Google's Local Guides feature is used often for mundane things — when is a store open, where to find a good Cuban sandwitch, where's the closest movie theater — but it can also be used during an emergency and Google has been sending messages to participants about how they can be helpful when things go wrong.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Capital One, a Virginia bank with a huge on-line presence, suffered a data breach that exposed credit card application information from 100 million people. Fortunately, this incident isn't quite as bad as it sounds. • Sometimes Windows takes far too long to shut down. There's a solution, but it involves a Registry edit and it's a change that might cause other problems. Let's take a look.

28 Jul 2019

Your Money or Your Data? Threats abound when it comes data on your computer and money in your bank account. Home-grown and foreign threats endanger elections, too. Protection is essential and software can go only so far, so it's up to us to develop increasingly sophisticated ways to repel them. Or is it? Basic security practices eliminate most threats.

Short Circuits: Cashing In on Used Gear Even if it Doesn't Work: When new hardware is needed, the update often leaves a still functional machine that needs a home. You might sell or donate it. But what if it's broken? Maybe you can still sell it and keep it out of a landfill.

Watts That? Keeping an Eye on Power Usage: The electric provider in my area has installed "smart meters" and these devices offer some real advantages for homeowners.

Keeping Up to Date with Adobe Audition: Adobe's photographic, video, and publishing applications often capture the spotlight from some of the other more specialized applications but Adobe keeps adding features and making improvements. An update for Audition includes one tiny enhancement that audio engineers will love.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Lampless projectors still have light sources, so are they really "lampless"? Maybe it depends on your definition. • Amazon can now deliver packages to your car if you live in one of 50 specific cities, have a current Acura RDX, and park it in the right place.

21 Jul 2019

After Much Research, I Have Identified the Best Camera in the World: Is Nikon better than Canon or should you buy a Sony? Is it better to have interchangeable lenses? Do I need more megapixels? Should I trade in my cropped sensor camera for one with a full frame sensor? Maybe you've pondered some of these questions and determining the right answer isn't made any easier by the manufacturers. So what is the best camera in the world? The answer may be easier than you think and the best camera in the world probably costs less than you imagine.

Short Circuits: How to Eliminate Background Apps that Steal Windows 10 Performance: If your computer seems to be slower than it should be, now would be a good time to see what applications are needlessly running in the background. It's helpful to have some background apps running, but far too many developers believe that their application should be one of them. It's time to take control of your own computer.

Policing with Social Media and Apps: Police departments have started using social media, perhaps in an effort to let people know that most police officers aren't monsters. Some are, of course, and they're usually the ones that we hear about. So Twitter, Facebook, and even custom-built apps are being used to communicate with citizens.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Sudden panic about a photo app that's been around for two years is unwarranted but it does raise some valid questions. • Youngstown is about to lose its newspaper and an experiment in electronic journalism will take its place. • A new round of idiocy is circulating on Facebook, calling for people to copy and paste some word-salad text to keep Facebook from using their photos. As with most of these, it clearly a fraud.

14 Jul 2019

Publisher: The Final Part of Serif's Affinity Puzzle: Software developer Serif has been redesigning PhotoPlus, DrawPlus, and PagePlus under the "Affinity" name for several years. Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer have been available since 2017 and the release of Affinity Publisher completes the set. A feature called StudioLink combines the three applications in a surprising way and the Affinity series of products are no longer Windows-only applications as were the earlier versions; each has a MacOS version.

Short Circuits: The History of Desktop Typesetting: Desktop publishing (or desktop typesetting) has been around for a long time and because this week's main story examines a new player in the marketplace, it might be worth taking a few minutes to consider some of those earlier applications.

Where's Your Nameserver? Do you occasionally see 404 (page not found or server not found) errors when you try to connect to a website? This can happen even for common sites such as Google and even when the site is up and running normally. It's not your fault, but it is something you can fix.

Spare Parts (only on the website): As useful as Google Backup and Sync is, sometimes it doesn't sync or back up and you'll have to find a way to fix it. • Mobile internet speeds in the United States are improving, but we we're still in 40th place worldwide.

07 Jul 2019 (Where did the first half of the year go???)

A Few Ways to Get More From Windows 10: Does Windows 10 frustrate you? The safe assumption is that your answer will be in the affirmative and certainly Windows has no shortage of frustrations. There are two approaches to dealing with these frustrations: Allow them to continue to annoy you or fix them. I learned long ago that the better approach for me is to find a way to fix the problem, so let's look at some settings you can change and some time-saving techniques you can adopt.

Short Circuits: Google Photos & Google Drive Stop Automatically Syncing on 10 July: Starting later this week Google Photos and Google Drive will no longer automatically sync with each other. Google says the change is being made so that people can "easily choose where photos and videos are stored across products." This is a good change, but it will cause some confusion.

Microsoft Turns Off Registry Backups: Bleeping Computer started the week with a surprising report: Microsoft has turned off Registry backups in Windows 10 computers and considers it a feature, not a bug. The backup was eliminated starting with version 1803. In other words, this isn't a new change and Microsoft hasn't exactly been forthcoming with announcements about the change, although there is a post on the support site. Spoiler alert: It's really not a serious problem, but you can make some changes if it makes you uneasy.

Spare Parts (only on the website): When the power goes out, a UPS unit can save the day and good home units are available for less than $100. • Small businesses and home businesses often fail to prepare for a cyberattack. If this describes you, consider two points that are important to your financial survival.

30 Jun 2019

Looking for HDR Processing? Check Aurora: High dynamic range images sometimes have a distinctive, over-processed look. That's fine if that's what you're looking for -- photography is an art form, after all. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop have built-in HDR processing that takes a relatively conservative approach. Those who want to explore what HDR processing has to offer should consider plug-ins such as Skylum's Aurora HDR.

Short Circuits: Social Fixer Makes Facebook Tolerable: Facebook, for all its untold number of annoyances, can still be useful. A donation-ware plug-in for most browsers can eliminate some of Facebook's most frustrating behaviors. Take Stories for example. I just want it to go away and Social Fixer allows me to make that happen.

Another Porn Scam Foiled: A few weeks ago, I described a message that a friend received. The message explained how a hacker had broken into his computer and would send compromising images from his computer's camera if the friend didn't pay up within 48 hours. I described some of the flaws in the message. Well, now I've received one of my own. Let's take a look at it.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Microsoft's safety features make recovering from a problematic update easier than in the past, but the leftover files can get in the way. You can remove them. • Notepad is a handy Windows utility. Notepad++ is even better and it's free.

23 Jun 2019

Living on the Microsoft Edge: Internet Explorer can still be found on current Windows systems, but it shouldn't be used. The final version of Internet Explorer, IE11, was released 6 years ago in 2013. It has since been replaced by Edge, but because user acceptance of Edge was far below Microsoft's expectations, the next version of Edge will be based on the open source Chromium project. Development has advanced enough that a public beta is available, so let's take a look.

Short Circuits: Lightroom's Latest Enhancements: Anyone who needs to justify the monthly subscription fee for Adobe's photographic offerings would be wise to think about the updates that are rolled out every month or two. The rapid update schedule brings frequent improvements such as a new function in Lightroom Classic's Develop module.

How to Make a Computer Faster: No matter how fast a computer is, it's always too slow. Computers can be made faster and many of the procedures involved aren't difficult to accomplish.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Previewed at last year's Max conference, Adobe Gemini will be known as Fresco and is coming soon. • Big changes for the New York City subways and buses as the MTA works to convert from plastic Metro Cards to a system that accepts payment from electronic wallets and various kinds of payment cards.

16 Jun 2019

Password Managers Revisited: A password manager is essential. That's something I've preached for a lot of years and for the same number of years, I've recommended one specific password manager. Now I've started using another password manager even though my long-time favorite is still an excellent application.

Short Circuits: Ignore these Email Deactivation Notices: The message said This email is to notify you that we have received your request to terminate the service(s) listed below. It claimed to be from techbyter.com and it said that my email account would be terminated. I deleted the message. What would you do if you received such a message?

Messages From Any ICU Top-Level Domain Sender — Just Delete Them: One of the new top-level domains is ICU ("I see you"), but the sponsoring organization (Shortdot SA in Luxembourg) seems not to be interested in honesty, accuracy, or legality. Someone there recently obtained my email address and I've started receiving a flood of spams and scams from domains ending in ICU. There's an easy solution to this problem.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Sony is now a respected camera manufacturer and the company has more than 50 lenses for their digital SLRs, which puts the company on par with Nikon and Canon. • United Airlines is rolling out an application that's designed to help passengers get to connecting flights even if their inbound flight arrives late for a tight connection.

09 Jun 2019

After a Rough Start, On1 PhotoRaw 2019 Recovers: On1 PhotoRaw is another application that's attempting to take advantage of Adobe's decision to eliminate perpetual licensing for its photographic products. The 2018 version was promising, but a 2019 update had serious performance problems. Now the 2019.5 update has resolved most of the issues. Some rough edges remain, but the mid-year update is a big improvement.

Short Circuits: It's Not Just Elections the Russians are Messing With: Fifth Generation (5G) is the cellular service that will fulfill promises we've been hearing about for years, but if you watch RT America, you might be worried because the Russian television service in the United States is now spreading disinformation about 5G even as the Russians scramble to deploy 5G at home.

Wi-Fi Signals Also Won't Harm You: The upcoming 5G technology is just the latest to attract scaremongers. Much of the scaremongering depends on the incorrect use of specific scientific terms such as "radiation" from Wi-Fi and cellular devices.

Handling High Dynamic Range Images: Your smart phone's camera probably has a high dynamic range setting. You'll see an option labeled "HDR" and the results will be very good. If you have a camera that captures raw images, and even a lot of point-and-shoot cameras can do that these days, you'll get even better results if you combine multiple raw images to create a high-dynamic range photograph.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Apple is splitting ITunes into 3 separate applications and there's finally a new Mac Pro for those who need desktop power, but at a huge price. • Flipboard has been hacked. Although the service doesn't store any important information about users, there's still a cautionary tale here.

02 Jun 2019

You Can Tech Support Yourself: With some exceptions, tech support stinks. I've recently had surprisingly good results, but in most cases it seems better to analyze and resolve problems on my own whenever possible. There are some easy techniques that can help most people solve their own problems without calling tech support.

Short Circuits: Updating to Windows 10 Version 1903: Microsoft finally started pushing out the March 2019 feature update on 21 May, but you may not have received it yet. Options exist if you don't want to wait and there's one significant gotcha that will affect anyone who has a USB drive or an SD memory card mounted as a drive.

Why 1903 is Worth Installing (at least for me): Windows 10 users will find some useful features in the 1903 update and I'll describe some , in no particular order, that I consider to be worth taking the time needed to perform the slightly convoluted installation process.

Console Yourself: Windows 10 users can now choose from 3 consoles. There's CMD, which looks a lot like the old DOS prompt; PowerShell, which understand DOS, Linux, and native PowerShell commands; and, if you've enabled it, Ubuntu's bash (Bourne Again Shell). Use whichever one you want.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Maybe you thought you'd never use high school math, but you found that's wrong and Texas Instruments is rewarding exceptional math teachers. • Prices for security cameras continue to drop and they are now well within the reach of most people. • Sometimes virtual reality is better than real reality. Let's think about that for a moment.

26 May 2019

Luminar Works with Lightroom, but also Threatens Lightroom: When Adobe established its software as a service (rental) plan, other developers saw an opening that they could exploit. Luminar's version 3 had some serious shortcomings -- shortcomings sufficiently serious that I couldn't recommend it. A recent update, version 3.1, changes all that but there are still a few gotchas.

Short Circuits: Reading Magazines On-Line: Magazines occupy a journalistic space between newspapers and books -- more detailed than newspapers and faster than books. Two on-line services, one paid and one free, can bring magazines to youor computer, tablet, or phone.

Emoticons, Bullets, and Other Special Characters: Microsoft has made it easy for users to add emoticons to emails and other documents 👀 but it's still far too hard to insert more commonly used special characters. There's a way to make access a bit easier.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Robocall scams are becoming more prevalent and senior citizens are proving to be lucrative targets for the scammers. • One manufacturer of drones will be adding new safety features to many of its products.

19 May 2019

Camtasia's New Features Improve Instructional Videos: For 17 years, Camtasia has given users a way to document computer programs for instruction or marketing. Two must-have features in a just-released update highlight what's new, but there are many smaller improvements that are also welcome.

Short Circuits: Watch Out for Malware: Everybody wants your money and installing malware on your computer is one means to that end. The creeps are getting better, so it's even more important to be on the lookout for telltale signs of a scam.

Beware Fakebook Accounts: Using Facebook becomes a greater challenge just about every day. The number of fake Facebook accounts (I call them "Fakebook" accounts) seems to be increasing faster than they can be deleted. We'll consider some of the techniques the crooks use.

Spare Parts (only on the website): A look at why you need to update your WhatsApp application if you haven't done so already. • And Microsoft tried to do it in 2015 but will, without question, end all support for Windows 7 in January of 2020.

12 May 2019

How to Avoid Documents with Unpleasant Hidden Surprises: Opening email attachments from people you don't know is unwise, but research suggests that nearly half of the people who receive such attachments will open them. That is troubling because most attacks are now based on infected document files.

Short Circuits: Nice Guy Promises Not to Expose You, but Only if You Pay: A friend sent a note with a question about an email he had received. The message claimed that the sender had hacked my friend's computer, explained how he did it, and then went on to say that my friend would have to pay to avoid having "embarrassing pictures" sent to everyone in his address book. It was, of course, a scam and not a real threat.

Windows 10 Version 1903 is Coming Soon: The 1809 version (September 2018) was released and then pulled back, so Microsoft is being more careful with this semi-annual release and plans to start pushing it out in late May. There are some worthwhile features in 1903 and it's already been pushed out to computers in the Windows Insider Slow Ring.

Scanning Documents Anywhere: Scanning documents and saving them on a computer beats saving stacks of paper, but what about documents you encounter when you're not near a scanner? Well, you probably have a scanner in your pocket and a new app from Microsoft makes it easy to use.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Adobe has added some new features to its cloud-based Color application. • If you sometimes use your browser's incognito mode, it's good to understand its shortcomings.

05 May 2019

Google's Sensorvault Knows Where You Were: We carry smart phones around because they help us stay in touch with friends, allow us to purchase things without a credit card or cash, and guide us to where we're going. A lot of information is collected and stored. If you're planning to commit a crime, maybe you should leave the phone at home.

Short Circuits: Reported Internet Crime Losses Neared $3 Billion in 2018: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released its annual Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report. Many, probably most, internet scams don't get reported, but the 20,000 that were reported caused losses $1.2 billion, an increase from just under $700 million the year before.

Frequent Password Changes Don't Improve Security: Common practice for years has been to force users to change their passwords frequently, but frequent password changes might actually reduce security instead of enhance it.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Turtle Beach has released a moderately priced set of headphones for gamers, we'll consider how Geometiles help students understand math, and Creative Technology's updated Pebble Plus speakers will be of interest to those who want good computer sound but have a limited budget.

28 Apr 2019

Protecting Portable Data with VeraCrypt: Thumb drives are large enough to carry tens of thousands of documents in a pocket or attached to a key ring. They're easy to use and easy to lose. What happens if you lose one or somebody steals it? The best safeguard is encryption and it's not as difficult to establish as many people think it is.

Short Circuits: Huge Solid State Drives are Arriving: Well, maybe not huge. After all, standard mechanical disk drives with 4TB of storage are available for $100 to $200, so maybe a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD) may not seem like much, but it's an indicator of changes that are on the horizon.

Dealing with a Stubborn Windows Update: My secondary computer (the one I mentioned in the previous article) is enrolled in the Windows Insider program's Slow Ring. I use this computer enough that enrolling it in the Fast Ring would make me very nervous. Even so, the Slow Ring is sometimes challenging.

Changing Colors with Ease Using an Upcoming Adobe Illustrator Feature: Adobe developers are looking at a technique that identifies colors in one image and then applies those colors to a vector image in Illustrator. You might wonder why anyone would want to do this, so we'll examine why and how.

Spare Parts (only on the website): The on-line reservation service OpenTable is promoting the use of "Dining Mode" for Mothers Day (and maybe for other important and not-so-important occasions). It involves ignoring your phone. • A company has released a system that can generate up to 70 trillion passwords per second. Does that make you nervous?

21 Apr 2019

Alien Skin's Exposure X4 Is Better With LUTs: LUT is an acronym for look-up table and adding the ability to use LUTs is a big advancement for Exposure X4. The Alien Skin application can operate in standalone mode or as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom Classic or Photoshop. We'll take a look at why LUTs are important to cinematographers and how still photographers can use them.

Short Circuits: It's Time to Bury Microsoft Internet Explorer: Even if you have the latest version of Windows 10, Microsoft Internet Explorer is probably still lurking there. Microsoft no longer supports it, but does still send security patches. If you're still using IE, it's time to stop and it's easy to do.

How About a Bit of Tasty Pie? Google's latest version of the Android operating system for smart phones is version 9 and its name is "Pie". The improvements are substantial and most are welcome. Now that most Android phones have been updated, we'll examine the new features.

Open Internet Bill Passes in the House, but is Blocked in the Senate: Net neutrality was eliminated by the Federal Communications Commission about a year ago. Last year, the Senate voted narrowly to overturn the FCC's action, but the House failed to respond. This year, the House has approved a bill to restore net neutrality, but the Senate won't act on it.

Facebook Implodes Again: For the second time in a month, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were all unavailable on Sunday morning (14 April). Move fast and break things has never seemed more appropriate.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Artificial intelligence is being used to hire healthcare professionals. • Some physicians' offices are being equipped with software that monitors patients in what the developers are calling a holistic manner. • SiriusXM and Pandora are adding podcasts to their existing mix of entertainment programs.

14 Apr 2019

Privacy Questions About Windows 10: By default, Windows 10 shares information about your computer with Microsoft. I have never considered this to be much of a privacy threat, but some people do. The default settings can be changed, but it's a good idea to first understand what Microsoft is collecting and why. Then we'll take a look at what can be changed and how.

Short Circuits: Yes, You Do Need a Password Manager: A tech writer whose work I respect is adamantly opposed to password managers because he believes that having all of his passwords in one place makes them easier to steal. A poorly designed password management system could be a security issue, but what I consider to be a tiny threat is outweighed by the advantages a password manager provides.

Your Windows Computer Can Start Fast, so Why Slow it Down? Windows 10 has a fast startup option. Most people feel that any time spent waiting for a computer is wasted, so making sure the feature is enabled seems like a good idea. Not everyone agrees, though, and there are valid reasons for both options. Maybe that's why Microsoft makes it an option.

Spare Parts (only on the website): A Chinese woman who was detained at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club was found to have lots of electronic gear and malware on a thumb drive. She'll be arraigned on Monday. • Like drones or not, they're here to stay and public safety agencies -- fire and police departments -- are finding good ways to use them. • An on-line service says it can help people deal with anxiety, eating disorders, and smoking.

07 Apr 2019

Finding the Right Tool to Enhance and Improve Your Photos: Digital photography puts us in complete control of our images. Besides being able to take an unlimited number of photographs without concern for the cost, we have tools that give us more capabilities than even the most talented darkroom artist had when film was king. Now perhaps our primary problem is figuring out which tool to use.

Short Cirtuits: Utilities Are Being Attacked: Warnings have been issued for several years about cyberthreats aimed at various utilities. The warnings, unfortunately, were accurate and the number of attacks on utilities are continuing to increase.

Why is Windows File Explorer So Slow? Microsoft gave Windows Vista an amazing capability that is still present in Windows 10. It's a feature that can examine a directory, determine what kinds of files are there, and then select the best Explorer template to use when displaying files from that directory. It's quite clever, but it can also seriously slow the process of opening the directory. There's an easy way to fix it.

Spare Parts (only on the website): The time is coming when you'll approach a fast-food restaurant's drive-up window and be greeted by name. • A company that helps people find lower-cost auto insurance on-line has used their technology to create a list of the 25 cities that have the highest rates of drivers with drunk driving convictions.

31 Mar 2019

Better Ways to Work with the Registry: The Registry is a scary topic because it seems mysterious and incorrect editing of the Registry can render the system unusable. But when edits are made with care, they can make the system operate the way you want it to and solve problems.

Short Circuits: Computers with Asus Motherboards Are at Risk: Both Motherboard and TechCrunch are reporting that hundreds of thousands of computers that are powered by Asus motherboards have been compromised by malware pushed out by Asus. Both say that the flaws were discovered by Kaspersky Labs in January. Asus finally acted this week to warn users. Even if you have an Asus computer, the risk is tiny for now.

Do You Believe Any of these High-Tech Myths? Do more pixels mean better pictures? Given the camera industry's emphasis on pixels since the very beginning, it's not surprising that 86% of the people surveyed by HighSpeedInternet.com believe this is true. Some of the other myths that a lot of people believe are more surprising. Let's look at some of them.

Connecting Paper to a Computer: Adobe and Moleskine have introduced the Moleskine Paper Tablet. It connects to Illustrator, part of Adobe's Creative Cloud. Drawing on the tablet turns sketches on paper into drawings in Illustrator. This requires the Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse. Although expensive, it could be a bargain for designers who like to work on paper.

Spare Parts (only on the website): If you'd like to share less information on-line when you're shopping or sending emails, a service called Blur may help. • The Information Security Forum releases an assessment each year; the latest edition predicts some serious problems in the next 2 years.

24 Mar 2019

Visiting the Dark Web: You've probably heard of the dark web. It's a place where you can buy stolen credit card numbers, child pornography, and drugs. In other words, it's a place to avoid. But it's also a place where you can find useful and fully legal information. In other words, it's a good resource. The dark web consists of tens of thousands of pages, so let's consider why anyone would want to go there.

Short Circuits: Your GPS Device Probably Won't Fail on April 6th: The GPS Rollover Crisis is coming! At midnight (GMT) on the night of 6 April 2019, GPS system will fail. Or they won't. In fact, most won't, but that doesn't stop the scare mongers. In fact, we've been though this before, in August 1999, and survived.

Recovering from a Windows Oops: If you have a Windows update that doesn't work right, you can roll back to the previous version until Microsoft locates the root cause of the problem and fixes it. The process is easy, but you'll need to make sure Microsoft doesn't try to install the update again. That's easy, too.

Spare Parts (only on the website): IBM owns The Weather Company and says that system updates will lead to more accurate and faster reporting of conditions as well as more reliable forecasts. • Facial recognition is a big deal, but one British company is using machine learning to obscure faces in videos.

17 Mar 2019

Is it Finally Time for a Solid-State Drive? The refrain used to be "Solid-state disk drives sure are nice, but they're too expensive." Now prices have dropped to levels that make them good choices for home computers. They're still more expensive than traditional mechanical drives, but not so much more that sticker shock will cause you to reject the thought. Let's explore why you might want to install a solid-state drive.

Short Circuits: An Emergency Update for Chrome: Now would be a good time for anyone who uses the Chrome browser to confirm that the installed version is up to date. A flaw found at the end of February that can used by malicious web pages to load spyware, ransomware, and other types of malware onto the computer has been patched.

Does Microsoft Want You to Buy the Office Suite? In a word, No. Microsoft would much prefer that you rent Office 365, which provides a reliable income stream for the company. But it might be a better choice for you, too.

The Worsening Scourge of RoboCalls: The Federal Communications Commission could stop illegal robocalls by requiring that service providers verify the source of calls, but that hasn't happened and isn't likely to happen under Agit Pai's leadership. So scam calls that claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service, or the Social Security Administration, or your bank just keep increasing. Fortunately, most are easy to spot as scams.

Spare Parts (only on the website): When you need to share a file, Firefox Share from Mozilla is ready to help even if you don't use Firefox. • Avast says your computer is in danger and, although they overstate the threat, a threat does exist. • Adobe's update to its experience design application (XD) this month includes a lot of worthwhile features.

10 Mar 2019

Brave: The Browser with a Difference: If you're in favor of on-line security and like websites to load quickly, the Brave Browser might be worth checking out. It's available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux computers as well as Android and IOS phones and tablets. It includes HTTPS Everywhere integration, blocks cookie capture, and blocks ads (although there is some dispute about that).

Short Circuits: High Tech Maps Can Represent a Sphere on a Flat Surface: Except for the flat-Earth crowd, those who have more than a primary grade education know that the planet we live on is a sphere. Somewhere around the house we have a globe. Maybe you do, too. But flat maps are easier to use in books and on computer screens. The problem with maps that lie flat, though, is that they flatly lie about the sizes of land masses. Technology can now eliminate the inaccuracies.

Microsoft Has a Plan for Eliminating Passwords (But Don't Hold Your Breath): Passwords are undeniably weak points. We use weak passwords even though we know we shouldn't. We re-use passwords even though we know we shouldn't. We might even share passwords even though we know we shouldn't. Passwords need to go away, but they have managed to survive all attempts to eliminate them. Microsoft may succeed, but not anytime soon.

Autonomous Vehicles Will Revolutionize Cities: The National League of Cities has been exploring the future of autonomous vehicles and how they will change the urban landscape. More than 100 cities (40 in the US) are experimenting with the technology to learn about the advantages and disadvantages.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Kroger says that a second of its divisions will stop accepting Visa credit cards. • The federal government has lots of websites with millions of users even though they receive barely passing grades for usability.

03 Mar 2019

Improving Windows 10: There's a Setting for That: Operating systems are installed with hundreds of default options and the settings selected by the hardware manufacturer might not be the best settings for the way you want to use the computer. Let's take a look at a few of the settings that can be changed and then explore how you can find other settings when you want Windows to do something other than what the manufacturer thought was best.

Short Circuits: How the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) Invented the Web: On March 12, we'll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web. In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee at the physics lab near Geneva, Switzerland, was trying to solve a problem. Scientists needed to be able to share information and Berners-Lee had an idea for a system of interlinked documents. He submitted a document called "Information Management: A Proposal" that described his vision. It was approved.

Sometimes Scams Can be Identified Instantly: Among the scams I've identified in less than 10 seconds this week is a "Western Union" message that claims to be transferring nearly $2000 "for my uncle". Let's take a look at the signs that mark this message as a phony.

The Scammers Buy a Template: Apparently scammers can buy message templates now and then just fill in the appropriate bits of information to support their particular scam. I received two messages within hours of each other this week that were nearly identical, except that one claimed to be from Google and the other from F-acebook. Yes, there was a hyphen between "F" and "acebook". Crooks who use templates still need to make them look believable and that seems to be a problem for some of them.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Those who once owned high-end audio gear may have had VU meters on their amps. Now you can add some old-school VU meters to your computer. • IBM and SEAT have announced an application that will help city dwellers know about their daily transportation options: From cars and scooters to bikes and public transit.

24 Feb 2019

DxO's Unusual Approach to Photo Editing: The most widely used photo editors for professional photographers and serious amateurs is probably Adobe's Lightroom Classic and Photoshop combo. The newer mobile-centric Lightroom is more for non-professionals and for professionals who want to be able to perform some basic edits in the field. Several other applications that can be used as standalone applications also play well with Lightroom as plug-ins to add features that aren't built in to the Adobe products. One of those is today's topic, DxO's PhotoLab 2.

Short Circuits: If Your Windows 10 Computer is Slow, Maybe Somebody Else is Using It: Microsoft wants you to download apps only from the Microsoft Store because files you download from other locations might contain unwanted components. This week Symantec called Microsoft on sloppy vetting of applications. Specifically, Symantec named 8 programs in the Microsoft Store that contain hidden code that uses your computer to generate Monero cryptocurrency secretly.

Toast the Windows 10 Toast with Focus Assist: One of the questionable enhancements Windows 10 has brought to our computers is those little notices that slide in from the bottom right corner and then disappear before you've had time to read them. Microsoft calls them "toast"; if you find these to be more of an annoyance than a help, you can make most of these little messages go away.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Wi-Fi router manufacturers are making more devices that operate on 3 bands so that mesh coverage will work throughout even extremely large houses. • Advances are being made in wide-area Wi-Fi systems that can bring fast service to less-populated areas where cable-based systems aren't economically feasible.

17 Feb 2019

Keeping Track of Tasks on Every Device You Own: Calendars are good for reminding us about appointments, but less applicable for tasks that may not be time specific. Several reminder ("to do") applications are available, but I've used one called Remember the Milk for many years and, although the pro version may be overpriced, I still recommend it. I'll explain why I like it and why it's not really overpriced.

Short Circuits: Security on the Go: Even people who are careful about security on desktop and notebook computers sometimes have a weak approach to mobile security. TechRepublic recently released a document that's intended for IT professionals, but will also be useful for individuals who want to make their mobile devices more secure. You can obtain a free copy of the report.

Enhancing Photographs with New Artificial Intelligence Technology: Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Camera Raw have a new feature added in this month's updates called Enhance that uses Sensei artificial intelligence to improve photographs. The changes are subtle but will be important for those who need large prints.

Cool New Typefaces Just for Fun: Valentine's Day was last Thursday, so Adobe and Fontself used the week to announce some new benefits and but typefaces that illustrate a new technology were the top-of-mind items this week.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Tesla acquires a battery maker that appears to have some technology that will improve batteries while reducing the cost. • Maybe you don't consider glass to be a high-tech commodity, but what about bendable glass?

10 Feb 2019

Processing Film Negatives on Your Computer: Few people use film for photography today, but it's not uncommon to have boxes of negatives around. Digitizing these images from negatives is challenging and many people settle for scanning prints. There's a much better option, though: Either scanning the negatives or using a digital camera to photograph the negatives. Fortunately, the publishers of photo processing software are making it easier to deal with scanned or photographed negatives and we'll take a look at the options.

Short Circuits: The Scammers Are Becoming Smarter: Even though scammers are smart enough to create phony messages that look almost right, it's still easy for someone who's paying attention to spot a phony in less than 10 seconds. You can spend more time if you want to, but the basic signs are usually obvious.

Windows 10 Finally Takes the Lead for 2019: After 3 years, Windows 10 now has more users than Windows 7. Many enterprises stayed with Windows 7 because Windows 8 and 8.1 didn't have features that IT managers needed. Microsoft scrapped plans for Windows 9 and released Windows 10 in July 2015. Now, running far behind Microsoft's initial rosy estimates, Windows 10 is finally in the lead.

Spare Parts: Pandora is now owned by SiriusXM and the company is looking at ways to exploit the combined platform for consumers, content creators, and advertisers. That last one is probably the most important. • Pantone's Color Matching System is the key to accurate color for publications, paints, plastics, and now weddings, too.

03 Feb 2019

Getting Rid of a Program You No Longer Want: Microsoft Windows has an option to uninstall applications, but it doesn't always work quite right, so there are third-party applications that can help. We'll take a look at some of them today.

Short Circuits: Finding the Right Software with Capterra: Capterra, a web-based service that claims to help businesses find software solutions, says that it features "validated user reviews and independent research" across hundreds of business software categories. Let's take a look.

Your IPhone Might Be Spying on You: 9to5Mac reports there is a "serious bug" in Apple's FaceTime application. Calls placed via FaceTime allow the caller to listen to audio from the called phone before the person who's been called answers. How serious is this?

Spare Parts (only on the website): Pianos used to be gigantic instruments and many still are, but electronic pianos that are no larger than the keyboard of full size pianos are often able to match the sound of traditional pianos. • Would you prefer to see your sports team go down in flames or have to call a plumber? The results of a survey may surprise you and, yes, there is a tenuous connection to technology here.

27 Jan 2019

Finding the Right Computer When You Need a New One: If you're thinking about buying a new computer, you know it can be frustrating, so let's consider how you might be able to make the process a bit easier and faster. MacOS, Windows, or Linux? Tablet, convertible, notebook, or desktop? How much memory? What processor? And more.

Short Circuits: What to do with Your Old Computer: If you've just purchased a new computer, you may still have an old computer that works. Instead of adding it to a landfill, maybe you'd like to re-purpose it, give it away, or recycle it. Any of those options is better than dumping it into a landfill.

Improving Smart Phone Sound: Smart phones are remarkable devices, but there's one deficiency: Sound. There are ways to fix that.

Spare Parts (only on the website): On-line trust is fragile and organizations suffer when people have doubts about the security of their personal information. • Adobe Audition and its initial incarnation, Syntrillium Cool Edit, have been around for 25 years and the application continues to improve.

20 Jan 2019

Getting More than You Pay For: If you want the best software, sometimes you have to be willing to pay nothing for it. Some free-ware applications aren't worth even nothing, but others are as good as applications you'd have to pay for. Let's take a look at some of the good ones this week. There's no shortage of inexpensive or free applications available that are sometimes as good as or even better than commercial software. Your primary cost for free applications is the time it takes to analyze and become familiar with the software.

Short Circuits: Obtaining Free Applications: Free applications are sometimes available from the developer's website and from repositories such as SourceForge, CNet, and FileHippo. Maybe you've heard that free programs sometimes come with unwanted extras. That's true, but you can avoid the issue and I'll explain how.

Mastering the Task Bar: The Windows Task Bar is powerful, and there are many hidden features. Besides customizing the Task Bar, you can customize the applications that live on the Task Bar and create customized "jump lists" that can make using applications faster and easier.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Is the 10-year photo challenge on Facebook dangerous or just good fun? • Kroger is working with Microsoft to redefine the way we buy groceries.

13 Jan 2019

Text Editors for Programmers and Non-Programmers: Two kinds of editors exist for working with words: Those that allow the use of formatting to prepare words for others to read and those that allow no formatting at all. You probably have one of the formatting type and one of the non-formatting type, too, but you might need a better one. There are good reasons why a non-programmer might want a plain-text editor. Let's consider those reasons.

Short Circuits: Where Did I Put My Phone This Time? It's not difficult to misplace a smart phone. Finding it usually involves calling from another phone, but what if you no longer have a landline and your significant other has gone out for the day? There's an on-line service that will call your phone.

Take Care with "Support" Recommendations: When you see support from on-line forums hosted by various software publishers and hardware providers, it's important to consider recommendations carefully before blindly following them. As an example, I have a recent case that involved Microsoft.

Spare Parts (only on the website); The Consumer Electronics Show was held in Las Vegas this week, so we'll take a look at three trends. First, larger and more powerful Chromebooks. • Next, docking stations that compete with the computer manufacturers' docking stations. • And finally, Wi-Fi routers that are becoming more sophisticated as manufacturers build in improved security.

06 Jan 2019

Finding the Image You Want Just Got Easier: It's not unusual for people to have tens of thousands of digital photographs on their computers and that can make finding the one you want difficult. Those who use Lightroom and religiously add keywords when they import the images will have an easier task, but a lot of people don't take the time. Now there's an application that adds its own keywords and makes looking for images a snap.

Short Circuits: The Windows 10 October (2018) Release (Coming Soon) : When Microsoft released the Windows 10 update (version 1809) in October, consternation ensued. Users of updated computers reported that files and directories were missing. Microsoft quickly withdrew the feature update and it didn't surface again until late December. Your computer may already have version 1809. If not, expect it to be installed soon.

New for 2019: When you visit the TechByter webiste this week, you may notice that I've moved the furniture around and painted some of the rooms. This year there are as many behind-the-scenes changes as those that are in your face. The two primary changes are support for virtually all screen sizes and better security.

Spare Parts (only on the website): Because there's no way to make electricity move faster, speed gains are achieved by reducing the distance electricity must travel inside computers. This is measured in microns. • Monitor manufacturers will show off tremendously wide screens at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. • The Linux Foundation continues to expand as one of the primary supporters of open-source software.