High Tech House Calls

New Computer Setup Checklist by Carl Thorne

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 15:01:00 +0000

New Computer Setup Checklist (Windows)

Create Microsoft Account for login and to use Microsoft Office

Adjust page file size

Update operating system

Update vendor specific software

Update Intel drivers

Update other software provided by vendor (video, photo editing, etc.…)

Install Microsoft Office

update Microsoft Office

Setup Outlook

Setup access to Gmail

Install Chrome and Firefox browsers

Log into Gmail account for Chrome browser

Install iTunes

Install cloud storage solutions (iCloud, DropBox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.…)

Setup shortcuts on task bar and desktop

Remove unneeded files to free up space on computer

If standard hard drive, defragment it

If solid state drive, trim it

If solid state drive, install vendor administration software

Install Adobe Reader

Install Anti-Viral software

Install Malware Removal software

Set up power plan

Customize privacy setting for Windows

Remove bloatware from Microsoft and vendor

Install printers

Connect to client Wi Fi network

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New Computer Setup Checklist (Mac OS)

Create Microsoft Account for login and to use Microsoft Office

Update operating system

Update vendor specific software

Update other software provided by vendor (video, photo editing, etc.…)

Install Microsoft Office

update Microsoft Office

Setup Outlook

Setup access to Gmail

Install Chrome and Firefox browsers

Log into Gmail account for Chrome browser

Install iTunes

Install cloud storage solutions (iCloud, DropBox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.…)

Setup shortcuts on task bar and desktop

Remove unneeded files to free up space on computer such as foreign language packs

Install Adobe Reader

Install Anti-Viral software

Install Malware Removal software

Set up power plan

Install printers

Connect to client Wi Fi network

How to Receive Mail Notifications for Important Contacts Only by iPhoneLife

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:44:00 +0000

This article will tell you how to only receive notifications from your VIP contacts on your iPhone. Not all emails are created equal. Between spam and miscellaneous messages, there are a lot of emails we get notifications for that don't need to be read right away. On the other hand, there are business emails and notes from family members that we may want to reply to immediately. By turning on email notifications for only your VIP Mailbox in the Mail app, you'll receive fewer non-urgent notifications. Or, you can set a separate notification sound for your VIPs to differentiate between the two.

How to Add a Contact to Your VIP List

In order to get alerts for your VIP emails, you need to have your VIP mailbox set up. If you already have it set up, skip to the next section on how to set up Mail notifications for only VIP emails.

Open your Mail app and tap Mailboxes.
Tap VIP. (Don't see the VIP inbox? Read our article on adding email mailboxes to learn how to add a VIP inbox)

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If you have no previous VIP contacts, select Add VIP.

The list of your phone contacts will appear; select your new VIP contact. To add another, select Add VIP and repeat the steps.
You can also add someone to the VIP list through their email. This can help if you don't have a contact saved to your phone contacts. Just open an email from the contact and tap their name. A contact screen will pop up. Tap Add to VIP.

How to Turn on Alerts for Only Your VIP List

Once you have your VIP mailbox set up, you can set up alerts for your VIP emails. (Pro tip: you can also set up and receive alerts for specific Mail threads. )

Tap the i symbol next to your VIP mailbox to access the contact list.
From the contact name list, you can turn off other email notifications by tapping VIP Alerts (You can also access this menu by going to Settings > Notifications > Mail > VIP).

You can change the alert sound by tapping Notification Sound and selecting from your sound library.
Return to the VIP menu to change other aspects of the Alert Style.

To turn off non-VIP email alerts, go back one screen to Mail in the Notification Settings. Tap on an email account in the list above VIP.
On the next screen, you can adjust the Notifications: To receive no notification via your lock screen, uncheck all options under Alerts. Tap Sounds and select None. Toggle Badges to OFF to not see the number notification on the app icon. Below that is Show Previews, tap Never. Repeat for each account.

With these settings enabled, you'll now only be notified of emails from your VIP contacts.

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How to Find a Specific Picture in the Photos App with Multiple Search Terms by iPhoneLife

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:42:00 +0000

This article will tell you how to find a specific picture in your Photos app using multiple search terms. One of my favorite apps on my iPhone is Apple's Photos app. Not only are Apple's native Camera and Photos apps free, but they also keep improving with every new operating system. With iOS 12 and later, you can use multiple search terms to find specific pictures in the Photos app. This photo search feature can use one or more of the following categories: date, location, business name, events, people, and type of photo. I'll show you how to use this time-saving feature to search for specific pictures faster and more accurately than ever before.

How to Find a Specific Picture in the Photos App with Multiple Search Terms

For more great tutorials on organizing photos on your iPhone and using the iPhone Camera app, check out our Tip of the Day.

Open the Photos app.
Tap the Search icon at the bottom-right of your display.

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Type your search into the Search Bar at the top of the page.
The Photos app is capable of handling three search terms at a time.
Mix and match people, places, dates, and more to find the picture you want.

Using two terms narrowed my search down to eight photos; using three terms narrowed it to one.

I hope this tip helps you find the photos you need quickly and efficiently!

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How to Use Remind Me Later on Your iPhone When You Need to Decline a Call by iPhone Life

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:17:00 +0000

If I get a call on my iPhone when I'm busy, I'll tap Decline and immediately forget that someone called me. I was happy to discover that there's a callback feature on my iPhone that will remind me to call back later. Here's how to decline phone calls and get a callback reminder with Remind Me Later, so you won't be playing phone tag for days on end.

What Does Remind Me Later on the iPhone Do & How Does It Work?

Remind Me Later gives iPhone users the ability to tap more than just Decline or Accept when a call comes through. The callback reminder feature was introduced with iOS 6 and the steps changed slightly with the introduction of compact call notifications in iOS 14. Here's how Remind me Later works:

When you receive an incoming call, tap the call notification to see additional options.
Tap Remind Me, which is above Decline.

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Now, tap When I leave to receive a callback reminder when you've left your current location, or In 1 hour for a reminder one hour from when you declined the call.

When you tap your selection, the call will be automatically declined and sent to Voicemail; that's it! Now you won't forget to call people back when you've had to decline a call from them.

Check out our free Tip of the Day for more great Apple device tutorials.

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The CDs You Burned Are Going Bad: Here’s What You Need to Do by BENJ EDWARDS

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 20:29:00 +0000

If you used a computer between 1997 and 2005, you probably burned valuable data to at least one recordable CD (CD-R) or DVD-R. Unfortunately, these have a limited lifespan, and many have already become unreadable. That’s why it’s important to back up your recordable discs before it’s too late—here’s how to do it.

The Problem: Optical Disc Data Rots

CD-Rs and DVD-Rs store data on a layer of dye that is melted by the laser when the data is written. This dye layer isn’t completely stable and can chemically break down over time, causing data loss. Also, the reflective layer on the top of the disc can oxidize, making the data difficult to read.

As a result, many CD-R and DVD-Rs burned in the late ’90s and early ’00s are now unreadable in modern optical disc drives. And for those that remain, the clock is ticking.

Estimates on the lifespan of CD- and DVD-Rs vary wildly, from between two and 100 years. In 2004, the U.S. Library of Congress sponsored a study that estimated the shelf life of recordable discs available at that time. It simulated the aging of CD- and DVD-Rs stored in perfect environmental conditions (that is, a room temperature of 50 percent humidity with no sunlight, and no rough handling).

The study concluded that most recordable discs stored in ideal conditions would last at least 30 years, but the results varied wildly by brand. However, it also stated that “discs exposed to more severe conditions of temperature and humidity would be expected to experience a shorter life.”

So, if you store your CD- or DVD-Rs in a hot attic, you might find a higher portion of them have gone bad. From our anecdotal experience, if you have a batch of 30 vintage consumer-grade CD-Rs, you might expect a few of them to be unreadable. However, it depends on the quality of the disc, the type of dye used, the speed at which they were recorded, and how they were stored.

In 2010, the Canadian Conservation Institute published a detailed analysis of CD-R and DVD-R longevity that broke down estimated lifespans based on the dye and reflective layer composition. Like the Library of Congress report, the estimates varied wildly, from between five and 100 years, depending on disc composition. Unfortunately, the 100-year-minimum lifespan estimate only applies to expensive, high-end gold-backed CD-Rs that very few people used.

Even under ideal conditions, there’s still cause for alarm. Even if a consumer-quality recordable disc has been stored in the perfect place, it might last (on average) about 30 years. Many recordable discs are already 15-25 years old, which means it’s time to back them up now.

How to Back Up CD-Rs and DVD-Rs

To back up your old CD-Rs or DVD-Rs, you’ll need a computer and a compatible CD or DVD optical drive to read the discs. Some people have had more success using older drives, claiming they tend to read older discs better than modern ones. This is anecdotal evidence, though.

Plus, older drives can be hard to get, unless you find one on eBay. If you decide to look for an older model, focus on the big-name brands. Sony, for example, was known for making high-quality drives. Of course, whether a vintage drive will work with a modern computer is another issue, entirely.

If you’d like to try a newer drive to read your discs, you can easily purchase one online. Most new optical drives should work just fine, as long as a CD- or DVD-R hasn’t begun to degrade.

We recommend the following drives:

For Windows PCs: A brand-name optical USB drive, like this well-reviewed one by Dell would be a good bet.

For Macs: A good bet would be the Apple USB SuperDrive.

There are several ways in which you can copy the data from your CD- and DVD-Rs.

Option 1: Copy the Data Directly

If your PC or Mac recognizes the data on your CD- and DVD-Rs, the easiest way to back it up is to just manually copy the files over to your hard drive or SSD. To do this, just place the CD- or DVD-R in the optical media drive, and then open it on your computer.

It’s best to do this with some kind of organizational structure if you’re backing up a lot of discs. For example, you could create a separate folder for the contents of each disc. Name the folder something that will identify its contents, such as “CD-R – Photos from Tom’s 2002 Wedding.”

Option 2: Create Disk Images

Sometimes, a CD-R or DVD-R might be from a platform you don’t use anymore, and you might not be able to read it properly. For example, say you burned a CD-R for a game console development kit, but Windows can’t read it. In cases like those, consider making a disk image of the disc, instead.

A disk image captures the entire structure of an optical disc, including all the file data and the file system (if there is one), in a way that can be replicated later on another disc, if necessary. Good utilities for making disk images include WinImage for Windows and macOS’s built-in Disk Utility app.

RELATED: How to Create ISO Files From Discs on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Back Up Your Optical Disc Backups

All consumer-grade digital storage media has a finite lifespan. It’s only a matter of time before plastics chemically break down, metals oxidize, or magnetic signals fade. This means digital preservation takes active maintenance.

So, after you’re done backing up your CD- or DVD-Rs, make sure the data you just copied over will be backed up continuously in the future. You can do this via a cloud backup, an external disk or NAS drive, and more.

One of the best ways to preserve your data at home is to keep your files on redundant storage (such as a RAID array). Then, just keep migrating the data onto new hardware, as necessary (all drives wear out eventually) and onto new platforms as they emerge.

What If I Find a Bad Disc?

If you’re backing up CD-Rs or DVD-Rs, and find a disc that can’t be read or has errors, your best bet is to copy as much data as you can, and then try to the disc on a different optical drive. If the second drive fails, try a third.

Sometimes, CD- and DVD-Rs were burned at high speeds with high error rates that were normally fixed on the fly by error-correcting code. This can make it more difficult for modern optical disc drives to read them, so try them on an older drive, if possible.

There’s also some software that claims to aid in the recovery of data from optical media, such as IsoBuster (for Windows.) If that doesn’t work, though, you might just have to call it a loss and hope you saved the data elsewhere.

If the data is incredibly important and irreplaceable, you can hire a forensic data recovery service to extract whatever’s left of it for you. Unfortunately, finding a reliable data recovery service isn’t easy, so you’ll have to do some research. Happy digging!

Microsoft Office 2010 and 2016 for Mac are no longer supported by ZDNet

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:40:00 +0000

October 13 is new iPhone day. It's also the last day of support for Office 2010 and Office 2016 for Mac. After today's Patch Tuesday fixes and updates, Microsoft won't provide any further security updates, bug fixes or technical support for these products. Office 2010 and 2016 for Mac still can be used after today, but will no longer be officially supported.

In addition to reminding Mac users that support for these two perpetual Office versions ends today, Microsoft also is repeating its guidance that users are advised to go with Office 2016, Office 2019 or Microsoft 365 Apps (formerly known as Office 365 apps) to connect to back end Office 365 services. Microsoft won't block customers using older Office client variants from connecting to Microsoft 365/Office 365 services, but it has warned those who do so won't get all the latest feature updates and fixes.

Microsoft announced in February 2018 that business users would need Office 365 Pro Plus or Office 2019 clients in mainstream support to access the Office 365 back-end services. But it changed its policy due to customer feedback in September 2018, allowing users to continue to use the Office 365 services with Office 2016 through October 2023.

A couple other Office support dates worth noting:

Office 2010 Service Pack 2 end of support is October 13, 2020. Office 2010 Personal, Professional, Professional Plus and Professional Academic and Home and Business end of support also is October 13, 2020.

Office 2013 on Windows end of support is April 11, 2023.

Office 2016 Home and Business end of support is October 14, 2025. Office 2016 Professional and most of the other Office 2016 variants also exits support on October 14, 2025. (Note: As I said above, the cut-off for Office back-end service connectivity for Office 2016 is in October 2023. This means users can keep running the Office 2016 suite until 2025 but without back-end Microsoft services access after 2023.)

Office 2019 Home and Business end of support is October 14, 2025. The same end-of-support date holds for most of the other Office 2019 variants.

Office 365 Pro Plus (Microsoft 365 Apps) on Windows 8.1 will be supported until January 2023.

Office 365 ProPlus (Microsoft 365 Apps) on Windows Server 2016 will be supported until October 2025.

Microsoft recently announced it will be delivering new non-subscription (perpetual) version of its Office desktop clients for Windows and Mac in the latter half of 2021. These new perpetual Office clients will likely be branded Office 2022 if Microsoft sticks with past naming conventions. Microsoft also announced there will be another version of its on-premises Office servers coming in the second half of next year, but they will require a mandatory subscription for security updates, fixes and patches.

The iPhone 12 vs. the competition: Now with 5G And even prettier colors. by Kris Naudus, @krisnaudus

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:30:00 +0000

Early fall always means iPhone announcements, and this year we’re looking at four new models. If you’d prefer something on the larger side check out the iPhone 12 Max and Max Pro, while the iPhone 12 mini will suit those will smaller hands. Right here, however, we’re going to focus on the middle-sibling iPhone 12. It’s far from ordinary thanks to 5G mmWave technology, along with the new A14 Bionic. Of course, it’s competing against rival flagships like Google’s Pixel 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S20, so we’d laid out all their specs for a quick idea of which might offer the most for your money. For a final verdict, however, be sure to check out our full review of the iPhone 12 in a few weeks.

	iPhone 12	Pixel 5	Galaxy S20
Pricing	Starts at $799	$699	Starts at $999
Dimensions	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 inches)	144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm (5.7 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches)	151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.72 x 0.31 inches)
Weight	164g (5.78 ounces)	151g (5.33 ounces)	163g (5.75 ounces)
Screen size	6.1 inches (154.94 mm)	6 inches (152.4 mm)	6.2 inches (157.58 mm)
Screen resolution	2,532 x 1,170 (460 ppi)	2,340 x 1,080 (432 ppi)	3,040 x 1,440 (563 ppi)
Screen type	Super Retina XDR OLED	FHD+ Flexible OLED	Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Battery	Up to 17 hours video (non-streamed)	4,080 mAh	4,000 mAh
Internal storage	64 / 128 / 256 GB	128 GB	128 GB
External storage	None	None	micro SD
Rear camera(s)	Two cameras: Ultrawide, 12MP, f/2.4 Wide, 12MP, f/2.6	Two cameras: Ultrawide, 16MP, f/2.2 Dual-pixel, 12.2MP, f/1.7	Three cameras: Ultrawide, 12MP, f/2.2 Wide, 12MP, f/1.8 Telephoto, 64MP, f/2.0
Front camera(s)	12MP, f/2.2	8MP, f/2.0	10MP, f/2.2
Video capture	4K at 60 fps	4K at 60 fps	8K
SoC	Apple A14 Bionic	Qualcomm 765G	Samsung Exynos 9825
CPU	Not available	2.4 GHz octa-core	2.7 GHz octa-core
GPU	Not available	Adreno 620	ARM Mali-G76 MP12
RAM	Not available	8 GB	12 GB
WiFi	802.11ax	802.11ac	802.11ax
Bluetooth	v5.0	v5.0	v5.0
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes
Operating system	iOS 14	Android 11	Android 10
Other features	IP68 certified, Lightning connector, MagSafe and Qi wireless charging	IP68 certified, USB-C, Qi wireless charging	IP68 certified, USB-C, WPC/PMA wireless charging

Apple reveals redesigned iPhone 12 with 5G and a new ‘mini’ option BY JAMES GELINAS, KOMANDO.COM

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:06:00 +0000

The time has finally come. After months of delays and uncertainty caused by COVID-19, Apple finally revealed its mysterious new iPhone model: The iPhone 12.

Before Apple’s special announcement, we only knew bits and pieces of information about the new phones. What we do know all about, though, is iOS 14 — the newest version of iOS shipping with the iPhone 12. Tap or click here to see everything we know about iOS 14.

Now that Apple has officially revealed the new iPhone 12, fans all over the world have one question: Is it worth the upgrade? We’ll show you everything you’ll get with the iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, as well as how much you’ll be spending to make the switch.

Apple reveals iPhone 12 is actually 4 different models

We knew Apple had at least one new iPhone up its sleeve, but we didn’t expect so many new models releasing at once! As it turns out, Apple has taken full advantage of its longer upgrade cycle to give users four different iPhone 12 models to choose from.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

The first and most obvious is the highly anticipated iPhone 12 proper. It features an all-new body design with a 6.1-inch screen. That’s the same as the screen size found on last year’s base model iPhone 11.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

The design obviously takes cues from classic models like the iPhone 4 and 5, but the tech inside is miles above those. For starters, it includes Apple’s blazing fast A14 Bionic chip for top-notch performance. And for photographers out there, the phone features two 12MP ultra-wide camera lenses with a Night Mode that’s optimized for shooting in low light.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

What’s more, the entire edge of the phone is enclosed in aluminum for durability. It uses what Apple calls a “ceramic shield” instead of glass. This makes the phone supposedly four times harder to crack when dropped. You also have several colors to pick from, including a new blue, white, black, green and Product Red.

Best of all, every iPhone 12 model comes with 5G capability right out of the box. You’ll need to live in an area where 5G service is available to make use of this upgrade. Tap or click here to see if 5G is coming to your neighborhood.

The iPhone 12 starts at $799 for the 64GB model. That’s $100 more than last year’s base iPhone 11. Pre-orders start on Friday, Oct. 16, with the phone officially releasing on Oct. 23.

A smaller phone with powerful guts

If you think iPhone 12’s screen is a bit too big, don’t worry — Apple has you covered. The iPhone 12 Mini is a slightly smaller take on iPhone 12 with a screen size of 5.4-inches. That’s a bit smaller than the iPhone XS, which topped out at 5.85-inches.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

Even though the screen is smaller, the phone isn’t pulling any punches. It includes the same powerful specs as the iPhone 12 — including the upgraded A14 Bionic chip, cameras and 5G capability.

The iPhone 12 Mini starts at $699 for the 64GB model. In a nutshell, you’re saving $100 by picking a phone with a smaller display, but at least you’re not sacrificing power for price. Pre-orders start on Nov. 6, with the phone officially releasing on Nov. 13.

Bigger phones for those who want to go Pro

Just like in previous years, Apple is also offering higher-end phones for smartphone fans who want a first-class experience.

The iPhone 12 Pro is the same exact size as iPhone 12, but you can tell it apart thanks to a few unique exterior features. The most obvious is its brand new telephoto lens with a zoom of up to 2.5x. This gives iPhone 12 Pro a total of three lenses in its camera array. Pro users can also choose from four exclusive colors: Pacific Blue, silver, gold and graphite.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

The new cameras can record videos in HDR, and support Dolby Vision for crystal-clear quality. It also features a LiDAR scanner, which uses lasers to detect depth and distance between objects. This gives you much cleaner photos with less blur or fuzziness — even in low light settings.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

And if you want to go even bigger, iPhone 12 Pro Max includes a gargantuan 6.7-inch screen and a telephoto lens with an optical zoom of up to 5x. That’s one powerful camera!

The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999 for the 128GB model. Pre-orders start on Friday, Oct. 16, with the phone officially releasing on Oct. 23. The iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $1,099 for the 128GB model. Pre-orders start on Nov. 6, with the phone officially releasing on Nov. 13.

These phones all sound great, but what’s the catch?

New tech is rarely perfect right out of the box, and the new iPhones are no exception. Unlike in previous years, these new phones won’t ship with a charging block or EarPods, so hang on to those old adapters and headphones from your current iPhone.

Apple claims removing these accessories helps the company reduce its carbon footprint. But if that’s the case, why sell the phones for higher than what last year’s phones cost?

That’s not the only change you’ll find on the new iPhones. For the first time, Apple swapped the USB to Lightning cables for USB-C to Lightning cables. Yes, you read that right: The end of the charger that plugs into the phone isn’t USB-C. This means you’ll need to buy a charging adapter if you don’t have any USB-C ports on your computer. Yikes!

If you happen to have wireless chargers at home, you won’t have to buy anything new. But if you choose to wait, you’ll be able to get one of Apple’s new MagSafe-compatible products. MagSafe chargers use magnets to secure the phone while it’s charging, which also lets the iPhone use unique clip-on accessories like this wallet that sticks to the back of the phone.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

If all this sounds like a strain on your wallet, keep in mind that the iPhone SE released back in April gives you plenty of power for a fraction of the cost. Tap or click here to find out more about the iPhone SE.

Bonus: Apple refuses to give up on the HomePod

In an unexpected twist, Apple also revealed a new version of its oft-forgotten HomePod speakers. The new HomePod Mini is just $99, which is much less than the current model’s asking price of $299 and comes in white and Space Gray finishes. Pre-orders start on Nov. 6, with the device officially releasing on Nov. 16.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

The HomePod Mini features deep integration with Siri, so you can expect it to work similarly to an Amazon Echo device. It can recognize different voices from the same household, and even includes an Intercom feature like the one Alexa can use.

Credit: Apple Newsroom

And just like Alexa, you can opt-out of having your recordings transcribed to protect your privacy. Hey, at least they’re telling us about it upfront this time. Tap or click here to see how Apple apologized for recording Siri interactions.

Secret Hotkey Opens Windows 10’s New Emoji Picker in Any App by CHRIS HOFFMAN

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 13:50:00 +0000

Windows 10 has a hidden emoji picker you can use to type emoji in any application, even desktop programs like Google Chrome. It’s accessible by pressing a keyboard shortcut combination.

The emoji picker was added in Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update, and improved on in the April 2018 Update.

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How to Open the Emoji Picker

To open the emoji picker, press Win+. or Win+; on your keyboard. In other words, hold the Windows key down and press either the period (.) or semicolon (;) key.

Your cursor must be somewhere that accepts text while pressing these keys, but you can use this shortcut in practically any application—from text fields in your web browser to messaging apps to Notepad to Microsoft Word.

Just click the emoji in the window that pops up to insert it. The panel also remembers your most recently-used emoji and presents them at the top of the list.

You can also click the magnifying glass button at the bottom left corner of the emoji panel, and then type to search for an emoji.

Depending on the application, you’ll either see the same full-color emoji you see in the panel (in Chrome, for example), or you’ll see a smaller black-and-white emoji character (in Notebook, for instance).

Starting with the April 2018 Update, the emoji panel stays open after you insert an emoji so that you can insert as many emoji as you like. To close it, either click the “x” button at the top right corner of the panel or press the Esc key on your keyboard.

If you switch over to the “People” category in the emoji picker (the human face button with the hair at the bottom), a button also appears at the top right of the window that lets you choose the skin color for the emoji. This only changes the color of the newer people-shaped emoji. The older circular face emoji stay yellow.

Emoji are standard unicode characters, so the emoji you type with this keyboard should be viewable on any modern operating system or device that supports emoji. Microsoft even added black-and-white emoji support to Windows 7 in an update available through Windows Update.

You can buy a domain name incorporating emoji characters, too.

How to Type Emoji With the Touch Keyboard

Windows 10’s touch keyboard also has emoji support, so you can type emoji if you’re using the software keyboard on a touch screen. This works just like typing emoji using the keyboard on other modern mobile devices, like iPhones, Android phones, and iPads.

To type emoji with the touch keyboard, just tap the emoji button to the left of the space bar.

You’ll see a list of emoji, which can insert by tapping. They should work in practically any Windows application.

Tap the “abc” button to go back to the standard alphabetical keyboard.

6 Mistakes People Make When Buying a TV by TIM BROOKES

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 13:47:00 +0000

With next-generation consoles right around the corner, and ultra-high-definition HDR content in plentiful supply, 2020 is a great time to buy a new TV. Before you do, though, here are six mistakes to avoid.

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Picking a TV Based on Store Demos

Many of us have relied too much on in-store demonstrations at some point. It’s a common belief that seeing is believing, so why wouldn’t you base a purchasing decision on a demo? While the theory is a sound one, the reality is quite different.

One thing to consider is some TVs have manufacturer-specific demos running on each unit, while others just show a basic feed on every screen. It’s not always obvious if this feed even reaches 1080p, let alone 4K or HDR. It’s hard to make a fair assessment without knowing what the TV is truly capable of when you feed it a high-quality source, like a UHD Blu-ray.

Then, there are the settings on the TV. Most have a demo mode designed to be used in stores, and these tend to jack everything up to 11. You’ll see over-saturated colors, the maximum possible brightness, and maybe even some artificial sharpening of the image.

This is done to make certain models stand out on the show floor, but it’s not an accurate representation of how you’ll be using the television long-term.

This goes double for anyone looking to buy a TV for gaming. Much of the image processing used in-store introduces significant latency when used with a console or PC. In reality, you want to see what a TV looks like with all the bells and whistles turned off.

Tooykrub/Shutterstock

Even the in-store demos themselves can be misleading. If you’ve ever seen an ad for an “ultra-high-definition HDR” TV, you’ll be familiar with some of the tricks manufacturers use. They always create the illusion that their product is pushing some serious pixels, even though you’re watching the ad on your current display.

Store demos can be useful, but not for judging picture or sound quality. Rarely do the lighting conditions in a store match those in your living or theater room.

Viewing angles, however, aren’t impacted by a retail environment. If you’re buying a TV for the whole family or groups of friends to watch with you, check in-store that everyone can see the screen no matter where they might be sitting.

You can also judge whether you like the overall design of the TV. Are the bezels thin enough? Does the stand wobble too much? Can you get a soundbar underneath the screen, or will you need a wall mount? It’s a lot harder to judge these things when you’re staring at a product on Amazon.

Then there’s the way you interact with the TV. How responsive is its operating system? Does the remote feel nice in your hand? How fast does the TV start up from standby mode? Keep in mind that some models might also have software updates that will improve them over the store models, which are rarely (if ever) updated.

Listening to a Sales Person

Most major chain retailers train their staff to sell, rather than provide unbiased consumer advice. Their main goal is making money. This means they’ll often steer you toward the more expensive options, even though you don’t necessarily want or need them.

Speaking from past experience, store staff aren’t always the most well-informed about the products they’re selling. Working long hours for little pay is a job, not a passion. This is why the retail sector has one of the highest turnover rates of any industry.

As such, thoroughly training every new member of staff simply isn’t a priority. Plus, if you work in a department that sells 50 to 100 different models, you can’t be expected to be an expert on all of them.

Store staff often push particular products because that’s what their manager told them to do. If they work on commission, they also have a vested interest in steering you toward a model that’s more expensive than what you need.

Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Brand representatives likely have a much better understanding of the products than general retail staff. Of course, why would a representative of a specific brand give you unbiased advice if a rival’s product is the better buy? You should always take their recommendations with a big pinch of salt.

It’s worth adding that specialist retailers (usually independent stores) do train their staff to match customers with a product that suits their needs and budget. You should always be a discerning customer, though.

For a truly unbiased opinion, look at independent sources, like journalists, reviewers, and experts in the field.

Believing Spending More Will Improve Picture Quality

The best budget TVs don’t sacrifice image quality. In fact, image quality is all the best budget TVs have going for them. This is why TCL and Hisense have both gained so much market share selling no-frills sets at affordable prices.

You could spend double the price of something like the TCL 6-Series ($650 for a 55-inch) and somehow end up with worse image quality. How is this possible? You’re paying for features, not a better picture.

Manufacturers like TCL have cornered the budget end of the market by paring back their products to the bare minimum required to impress. In the case of the 6-Series, it’s a good-quality 4K panel that delivers a bright image with Mini-LED local dimming to improve black reproduction.

What you won’t get is an 8K resolution, a next-generation image processor, excellent motion handling, a 120 Hz refresh rate, or HDMI 2.1 ports.

TCL

If you want better upscaling, the latest HDMI specification for next-gen gaming, and a high refresh rate that delivers smoother motion, you’ll either have to spend more or sacrifice image quality to get it. It’s virtually impossible to find a mid-tier TV that does it all.

Image quality is determined by the panel type, contrast ratio, overall brightness, and other factors, including whether the TV has a backlight or uses local dimming.

There are many other features that go into a TV that don’t impact image quality directly. To improve image quality beyond even a good budget set, you’ll either have to spend substantially more on a premium model or make some sacrifices to fit your budget.

The good news is, if you just want a TV with a great picture so you can stream a few shows and movies, you don’t need to spend a huge amount on features you won’t use.

Forgetting to Budget for a Soundbar or Better

As TVs get thinner and bezels shrink, manufacturers have less space for built-in speakers. In fact, most TVs don’t even use speakers that face the viewer directly. Instead, manufacturers are angling speakers toward the bottom, and then “bouncing” sound out toward the viewer.

This results in poor sound reproduction, especially when it comes to bass response. Your next TV might sound worse than the one you’re replacing, even if it’s a flagship model. If audio is important to you, you’ll definitely want to budget for a soundbar or surround sound.

Soundbars are an ideal option for those who lack the space or budget for proper surround sound. You can find a soundbar to suit just about any budget, and any soundbar is better than no soundbar at all.

If you have a little more to spend, you can invest in a receiver, satellite speakers, and a subwoofer for true surround sound.

Yamaha

If you’re looking at soundbars, keep an eye out for ARC or eARC. ARC stands for audio return channel, and it vastly simplifies connecting a soundbar to your TV. You can use an HDMI cable to connect your soundbar to your TV. The TV then outputs the correct source to the soundbar, whether it’s a Blu-ray player, game console, or cable box.

eARC is the next generation of ARC, and it offers better lip-sync compensation and higher bandwidth to support technologies like Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD. You can always connect your soundbar via a dedicated cable, but using ARC means you have one less cable to worry about. Some soundbars even have additional HDMI ports if you need them.

If you’re spending big on a TV, remember, even the best picture quality in the world won’t excuse tinny, uninspiring audio.

Avoiding Smart TVs

When you last bought a TV, you might have decided you didn’t want a “smart” model. Maybe the software on the TVs at the time was slow or frustrating to use. Or, maybe you just weren’t crazy about the way your viewing habits could be shared with third parties.

Unfortunately, pretty much all TVs are now smart models. If you want the latest features and advances in technology, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and purchase a smart set. You might be able to find a few older models that lack these features, but why would you want to buy a TV that’s already outdated?

You can always just ignore the smart features, if you prefer. This might be as simple as never connecting your new TV to the internet, but we wouldn’t recommend that. Most TV manufacturers now deliver updates via the web. These often add new features, fix bugs, and—in the case of some older TCL models—unlock the HDMI 2.1 functionality that was always in there.

You can also grab a Chromecast, Apple TV, or Roku to use for streaming. While TV interfaces have come a long way in the last decade, streaming boxes are usually even better.

ASUS

If you’re absolutely determined to get a “dumb” TV, your only options are either a projector or big format gaming display (BFGD). Projectors are expensive, often require lots of space, and greatly depend on the lighting in a room.

BFGDs are just as expensive as flagship TVs from LG and Samsung. However, they lack a tuner for terrestrial viewing and, in the case of the ASUS PG65UQ, they have audible fans inside.

Putting Off an Upgrade Indefinitely Due to FOMO

Do you need a TV or do you want a TV? If you want a TV and can afford one, get the one you’re happy with for a price that suits your budget.

Enthusiasts and window-shoppers are prone to wait for the next big thing before parting ways with their cash. Unfortunately, this can become an obsessive case of FOMO, where you never buy anything because you’re worried about missing out on what might be available next year.

Display technology seems to be moving at a much quicker pace than the days of fat CRTs, and early flat-panel LCDs. This might lead some to think that technologies like MicroLED and QNED—neither of which will be commercially viable for years—are just around the corner.

Even when these technologies do finally make their way to consumer TVs, they’ll be incredibly expensive.

It’s also easy to think these technologies will leave what’s currently on the market in the dust. While this might be true to a certain extent, if you’re happy with your new TV in 2020, why let the promise of a better model next year rain on your parade? The arrival of new tech doesn’t degrade your existing tech; it just shifts your perception.

There are also a lot of perils that come along with being an early adopter, like paying a huge premium for technology that might not be all that great.

Just a few years ago, OLED sets were almost twice as expensive as they are today. They were also quite prone to burn-in (permanent image retention). Now, they’re much cheaper and more resilient to burn in (although the problem still exists).

It’s better to buy a mature technology that’s reaching its peak of overall performance, instead of a fledgling that still has a long way to go.

Find Your Perfect TV

Now that you know what to avoid, it’s time to buy your new TV! Again, we recommend checking independent sources, like RATINGS (confusingly pronounced “ratings”). This site reviews most budget, mid-tier, and flagship models that hit the North American market. They also consider those in European markets (and even further afield), where manufacturers release slightly different models.

It can be helpful to identify what’s most important to you, particularly if budget is a concern. If you aren’t playing next-gen video games or watching director’s cuts in a pitch-black theater room, you can save a lot of money by going cheap and cheerful.

How to Move iPhone Apps From the App Library to a Home Screen by JUSTIN DUINO

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:34:00 +0000

So as to not clutter up your home screen, newly-downloaded apps from the App Store can be sent directly to the App Library. But what if you later want to open the app without digging through the library? Here’s how to move apps from the App Library to your iPhone’s home screen.

Start by swiping over to the right-most home screen on your iPhone to open the App Library. Here, locate an app that isn’t already on your home screen. Long-press on the app’s icon until a menu pops up.

Tap the “Add to Home Screen” button from the context menu.

The application will be moved and placed on your home screen automatically.

Heading back into the App Library, if an app is already on one of your home screens (visible or hidden), the “Add to Home Screen” option won’t appear in the context menu. Instead, you’ll have to enter Jiggle mode.

Locate an app in your iPhone’s App Library that’s already on your home screen. Long-press on the app’s icon. After a second, a context menu will appear. Continue holding down on the app until it appears on your home screen.

As mentioned above, going this route will activate Jiggle mode (where your apps and folders will bounce around on your screen). Hold down on your app and place it wherever you like on your iPhone. Tap the “Done” button in the top-right corner when you’re finished moving the app.

If you can’t find a specific app in one of the App Library’s automatically-generated folders, you can tap on the search bar to locate the application.

Use the alphabetical list to find an app. Next, long-press on the listing until it’s highlighted. The block will look like it’s hovering above the rest of the menu when properly selected.

Without lifting your finger, move it to the left or right. You will be immediately shifted to your home screen, with Jiggle mode enabled.

As before, place the app wherever you like on your home screen or drop it in a folder. Tap the “Done” button in the top-right corner when you’re finished reorganizing your layout.

OLED vs. QLED, and More: Which TV Should You Buy? by TIM BROOKES

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:31:00 +0000

Want a new TV, but confused by the barrage of acronyms and jargon manufacturers love? One of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make is whether you want a traditional light-emitting diode (LED) model, or a set that features the newer organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology.

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What’s the Difference Between LED and OLED?

OLED is fundamentally different from the LCD technology in most flat-panel TVs and monitors. An OLED display is self-emissive, which means each pixel is capable of generating its own light. This allows OLEDs to “switch off” pixels and achieve perfect blacks.

By comparison, all LCD screens require a backlight, from the cheapest models to the high-end quantum dot (QLED) sets. How the backlighting is implemented varies greatly throughout the price range, however.

QLED is a marketing term, whereas organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) is a display technology. QLED refers to the quantum dot film used by manufacturers to improve brightness and color reproduction. Samsung pioneered this technology in 2013, but soon started licensing it to other companies, like Sony and TCL.

OLEDs Have Perfect Blacks

The contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest white and darkest black a display can produce. Many consider this one of the most important aspects of picture quality.

Since OLED displays can turn off their pixels so no light is produced, they (theoretically) have an infinite contrast ratio. This also makes them perfect for dark cinema rooms, where deep, inky blacks are far more important than a super-bright image.

Alas, no technology is perfect. OLED displays can falter a bit in the near-black (dark gray) performance, as pixels move out of their “off” state.

Traditional LED-lit LCDs, though, require a backlight to shine through a “stack” of layers to produce an image. Since the backlight also shines through black parts of the screen, the blacks you see aren’t necessarily as “true” as they are on an OLED.

LED TV manufacturers have made strides in this area over the last few years, though. Many now feature local dimming, which helps them achieve much better blacks than they once did. Unfortunately, this technology isn’t perfect either; it sometimes creates a “halo” effect around the dimming zones.

LEDs Get a Lot Brighter

While OLED displays are ideal for dark rooms, they don’t reach the same level of brightness as a traditional LCD. This is due to the organic nature of the pixels, which degrade and dim over time. To counter premature aging, manufacturers have to limit the brightness of these pixels to a reasonable level.

This isn’t the case with LEDs, which use synthetic compounds that degrade at a much slower rate. As a result, LED displays can be much brighter than OLEDs. If you’ll be watching your TV in a bright room (like an apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows), an LED would likely be the better choice.

Samsung

Manufacturers use all sorts of tricks to cut down glare and reflections, but nothing works quite as well as pumping up the display’s brightness. OLED displays are considered “bright enough” for most people, but LED panels take it to a whole new level.

Again, if you mostly watch TV at night or in a darkened room, this won’t be a deal-breaker for you; the price might be, though. The Vizio P-Series Quantum X is less than half the price of a comparable LG CX with an OLED panel, which also doesn’t get anywhere near as bright.

OLEDs Are High-End TVs

While OLED TVs are cheaper to manufacture than they once were, the process is still more expensive than that for LCDs. That’s why OLED panels come with a premium price out of the gate. It’s also why LG, Sony, Panasonic, and so on, label them as their high-end models.

Generally, image quality is considered to be better on an OLED. LG and Sony’s 2020 models have been praised for their out-of-box color accuracy. At this price point, you get a high-end TV, with a quality build and rich feature set.

This makes it virtually impossible to find a “budget” OLED TV. LG Display is the only company that makes these panels in 48-, 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes. The 48-inch panels are tied to the 77-inch production process, as they’re cut from the same “mother glass.”

Because LG doesn’t sell too many 77-inch displays, the smaller (and cheaper) 48-inch models are very hard to find.

Even if you do opt for a smaller panel to save money, you still have to pay for the high-end image processor. Support for technologies you might not need or want—like NVIDIA G-Sync Dolby Vision and Filmmaker Mode—are also included in that price.

If you want the perfect blacks, infinite contrast ratio, and excellent response times of an OLED panel, just be prepared to dig deep and go all-in.

There are also high-end LCD TVs. Samsung’s top-tier QLEDs lack the inky blacks and “OLED look.” However, they do feature full-array local dimming, incredible brightness, a high-end image processor, and support for Dolby Atmos and HDR10+, among other flagship features.

There Are More LED Models

Since LED-lit LCDs are much easier to manufacture, there are way more options on the market. Again, only LG Display currently manufactures OLED panels. They’re then bought by LG’s consumer division, and rivals like Sony, Panasonic, and Vizio.

However, all of these companies (including LG with its recent Nanocell lineup) also produce standard LCD TVs. LCD technology is also much more approachable for budget manufacturers, like TCL and Hisense. It’s easier to produce a great-looking TV at an affordable price point when you use older display technology.

TCL

Cheap TVs don’t look half-bad in 2020, either. You can find quantum-dot technology in a $600 budget TV that looks great. In many cases, spending more money (or even double) on a slightly better model won’t improve picture quality—in fact, it could have the reverse effect.

This is because budget TVs cut features many people don’t want or need in favor of image quality and affordability. You might not want a next-generation image processor, Dolby Atmos sound, Dolby Vision HDR, or high-bandwidth HDMI ports for next-generation gaming. You can still get a decent TV for watching the news or soap operas all day.

Full-Array Local Dimming Can Help LEDs

High-end LED-lit TVs now feature full-array local dimming (FALD) to help improve black reproduction. By dividing the LED backlight into separate dimming zones, the display can switch off zones to create deeper, near-perfect blacks. The more of these zones you have, the more convincing the effect.

This technology helps higher-end LCD panels compete with OLEDs in darker conditions, but it’s not perfect. Since the zones are relatively large compared to the finite control of a self-emissive panel, it’s common to see a halo effect where the zones begin and end.

While it’s imperfect, the amount you can save by choosing an LED TV with FALD instead of an OLED might make the shortcomings easier to swallow. If you watch your TV in a brightly lit room most of the time, the differences will likely be hard to spot.

If you use your TV mostly for gaming, you can enable Game mode. Most models include this option, which automatically turns off extraneous features. This prevents elements like motion-smoothing from causing latency or lagging issues.

This is another advantage OLEDs have over their backlit predecessors; since there’s no backlight, there are no dimming zones, and thus, no performance penalty for perfect blacks.

OLEDs Are Susceptible to Burn-In

While all displays are susceptible to burn-in to some degree, OLEDs are more sensitive than LCDs. This is due to the organic compounds that make up each pixel. As the pixels wear out, images can “burn in” to the screen.

This is also known as “permanent image retention.” It’s often caused by displaying a static image on a screen for a prolonged period. This could be anything from a TV channel’s logo or breaking news ticker, to the scoreboard on a sports channel or UI elements in a video game.

OLED burn-in has become less of an issue as the technology has matured, though. Improvements in panel manufacturing and software compensation have helped minimize the issue. Incidentally, this is one of the reasons OLED panels aren’t as bright as LCDs.

With varied use, OLED burn-in is unlikely to be a problem, though. If you don’t watch hours of scrolling news channels every day or play the same game for months, you’ll probably be fine.

However, if you’re specifically looking for a TV for any of the above reasons, or to use as a computer monitor (where task bars and icons will be mostly static), an OLED might not be the best choice.

Consider Mini LED

Mini-LED is another option for those who are put off by OLED. TCL was the first manufacturer to bring this technology to consumer televisions, and more are expected to land in 2021. In essence, Mini-LED is an improved version of the existing full-array local dimming found on top-tier LCD panels.

By using smaller LEDs, it’s possible to have even more granular control over dimming zones. As dimming zones get smaller, so, too, does the halo effect. Mini-LED is a great stopgap between existing LED backlighting and OLED panels.

Unfortunately, your only choices for Mini-LED at present are the TCL 8- and 6-Series, neither of which are particularly high-end. If you want features like HDMI 2.1 for next-gen gaming, you’ll have to wait for future models.

How to Customize Your iPhone Home Screen with Widgets and Icons by KHAMOSH PATHAK

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:19:00 +0000

After years of looking at the same grid of icons, it’s time to finally customize your iPhone to your heart’s content. Add some cool-looking custom widgets, and replace your apps with custom icons, just for a good measure.

Starting in iOS 14, Apple brought support for third-party widgets on the home screen. And while Apple won’t let you change app icons as Android does, you can use the Shortcuts app to create, well, shortcuts for apps using custom icons. In fact, this feature works for all iPhones running iOS 12 and higher.

Combine these two and you get some really impressive results. Just search for “#ios14homescreen” on Twitter to see some inspiring home screen setups. Everything from a Harry Potter theme, to Animal Crossing theme has been tried out. And not to mention, a retro iOS 6 theme.

The beauty of this system is that you don’t need to go that far. Just add some widgets and change a couple of app icons, if you like.

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Create Your Own Customized Widgets

Khamosh Pathak

What we’re looking at here is a rethinking of how the iOS home screen works. After all, it’s changing for the first time in 13 years. You can use widgets to build that foundation, and add icons around the widgets.

Many third-party apps, especially productivity apps, have their own widgets. After upgrading to iOS 14 or higher, go to the widgets page to see new widgets for apps that you already use.

Press and hold in an empty part of the iPhone home screen and select the “+” button. Here, you’ll see all of the apps that support widgets.

Next, you should download apps for creating customized widgets. While you’ll find many apps on the App Store to do this, we would recommend you try Widgetsmith and Widgeridoo. Once you download the apps, read our step-by-step guide for creating custom widgets.

Widgetsmith is great for creating simple, template-based widgets. You can add calendar, reminders, weather, battery, date, and photo widgets to the iPhone home screen (in small, medium, and large sizes).

Pick a widget, a style, and customize attributes like the background color, font, tint color, borders, and more.

Power users will appreciate the complexity of the Widgeridoo app. It’s a block-based widget builder. Using Widgeridoo, you can have different data or information in different blocks, all in the same widget.

For example, you can create a single widget that shows you the battery percentage, step count, distance traveled, the date, and more.

While Widgeridoo is quite extensible, it’s a bit tricky to use. So, we would suggest you get started by customizing one of the prebuilt widgets. Widgeridoo lets you preview the widgets for free, but to add widgets to the home screen, you’ll have to pay for the $3.99 in-app purchase.

Create Custom App Icons

Justin Duino

Once you have the widgets nailed down, it’s time to customize those app icons. To do this, all you need is an image file (square and around 512 x 512 resolution) and the Shortcuts app.

Because this is not an official method, there is one downside. When you tap on a custom app icon, it will first launch the Shortcuts app, for a second, then it will open the app. Yes, it is an annoyance, but it might just be worth it.

You can do this in two ways. You can either create the app icon image yourself (using any image you find online), or you can download premade icon sets (individual icons from Google Images, Iconscout, or Iconfinder).

Next, transfer them to your iPhone. You can add them to the Photos app or the Files app.

Now comes the hard part. But, don’t worry, it’s going to be worth it! As we mentioned at the top of the article, you’ll have to use the Shortcuts app to create shortcuts with custom images and names to open particular apps.

It’s quite simple to do. Create a new shortcut, and use the “Open App” action from the “Scripting” section to select an app.

Then, add the shortcut to your iPhone’s home screen. In this step, tap the shortcut icon to select your custom icon.

Once the app icon is added to your home screen, switch it out by moving the original app to the App Library. You can repeat this process to create more custom app icons. To speed up the process, tap and hold a shortcut, and select the “Duplicate” option.

For detailed steps, read our guide on how to use custom app icons on iPhone.

How to get more iCloud storage by Daniel Howley

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:15:00 +0000

Welcome to Tech Support, a segment where I, Dan Howley, serve as your intrepid guide through the sometimes confusing, often frustrating, world of personal technology.

Here, I answer all of your most pressing questions about the various gizmos, gadgets, and services you use in your everyday life.

Have a question of your own? Reach me on Twitter at @danielhowley or email me at dhowley@yahoofinance.com.

Now, on to your questions. This week's Tech Support tip:

How to get more iCloud storage.

Ah, Apple’s (AAPL) iCloud. Never has a service been so incredibly helpful and annoying at the same time. Sure, saving your photos and important documents in the cloud ensures their safety if your iPhone bites the dust, but those notifications that you’re running out of storage are insufferable.

I get it, I’m low on space. Just let me Google when Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented in peace!

It was 1928, by the way.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to free up your iCloud storage, and even get more, so you never have to deal with those notifications again.

Yahoo Finance newsletter.

Free up space by deleting photos

When you create an iCloud account, Apple automatically gives you 5GB of free storage. That’s helpful when you’re just getting things started, but not nearly enough for most people who use their phones for everything from movies and games to taking thousands of photos.

If you’re receiving notifications that you’re running low on storage, you’re likely filing your iCloud account up with too many pictures. There’s a way to get around that, though.

On your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap Apple ID, iCloud, Media & Purchases at the top of the screen.

Tap Apple ID, iCloud, Media & Purchases to access your iCloud settings. (Image: Howley)

Tap the iCloud tab and you’ll be able to see which apps are eating into your storage the most.

Tap iCloud to access your settings. (Image: Howley)

If your pictures are the culprit, tap Photos and flip the slider next to iCloud Photos to the off position. This will keep your phone from automatically backing up all of your pictures to the cloud.

If your photos are taking up too much space, adjust their settings. (Image: Howley)

Fair warning, though. It’s incredibly risky to rely solely on your iPhone or any other single device to store all of your pictures. Leave it on a bus, or otherwise break your phone, and those photos are gone forever.

How to Send an Email with a Different “From” Address in Outlook by ROB WOODGATE

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:13:00 +0000

If you have multiple email accounts in Microsoft Outlook, you can change the “From” address in a new email. This is quicker than swapping to a different inbox, and lets you send emails from different addresses, even if they aren’t your own. Here’s how—with some caveats.

Outlook lets you send emails from any account you’ve set up in the email client, but also from any other email address, even if you haven’t set it up. That sounds worrying—and in some circumstances it is—but there are legitimate reasons to use this functionality as well as nefarious ones.

We’ll go through how this works, and how email providers prevent people from using it for harmful purposes.

Quickly Switch between Email Addresses

First, let’s go through the entirely legitimate process. To change the “From” address, you need to make the “From” field visible. Open a new email in Microsoft Outlook and then click Options > From. This will make the “From” field visible.

To change the “From” address, click the “From” button and select one of the email addresses you’ve added to Outlook.

The email address in the “From” field will change, and when you send an email, it will be sent from that address.

If all you want to do is quickly switch between your email accounts when you’re sending emails, that’s all there is to it.

But, what if you want to send an email from an account that you haven’t added to Outlook? Well, Outlook will let you do that, too, under certain circumstances.

Compose a new email and then click on the “From” button again. From there, select the “Other Email Address” option.

In the panel that opens, type in the address you want to send an email from and click “OK.”

Now send the message as normal. Will the email send, or will you get a delivery failure notification? And if it does send, will the recipient see it as coming from the email address you used, even if it’s not yours?

Both of those answers are dependent on who your email provider is.

How Email Providers Handle Messages Sent From a Different “From” Address

Microsoft Outlook itself, and other email clients like Thunderbird or Apple Mail, don’t do any checking on the email address from which you send. The client simply sends the email to your provider’s SMTP server (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol server, often called a mail server), and lets the SMTP server decide what to do with your email.

What will happen with your email is entirely dependent on how your email provider’s SMTP server is configured.

The big email providers, such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Yahoo, use something called SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) to prevent (among other things) people from sending emails from addresses (spoofing) that aren’t theirs. How each provider handles this situation is a bit different.

Google simply ignores the new email address you’ve used, and the recipient will see your Gmail address. In our example in the screenshots, Outlook sent the email to Gmail’s SMTP server, which worked out that the email address we were sending from—SomeoneElse@gmail.com—doesn’t belong to us, and so instead the recipient received an email from our original Gmail address.

Microsoft-hosted email accounts do things a bit differently. If you try to send an email from an address that you don’t have permission to access, a Microsoft email server (commonly referred to as an Exchange server) will not send the email. You’ll receive a Delivery Failure Notification instead.

However, if your company uses a Microsoft Exchange server to handle its email, it’s normally configured to allow you to send an email from any account you have access to, even if that account has not been added to your Outlook.

For example, if you have permission to send emails from “no-reply@mycompany.com,” Outlook will send the email to the Exchange server and check that you have permission to send emails from the address. The server will then send the email to the recipient, regardless of whether you’ve added the “no-reply@mycompany.com” account to Outlook.

Other email providers will usually handle emails with the “wrong” address in a similar way to either Google or Microsoft. The easiest way to find out is to try it in Outlook and see what happens. Check your provider’s terms first though, as some might have a provision against doing this.

How Do Scammers Use Fake “From” Addresses?

Large email providers have all kinds of checks and protocols to try to find spam and phishing emails, including emails sent from a fake address. Scammers and phishers don’t use the big providers—they set up their own SMTP servers and send emails through those instead.

Scammers set up their SMTP servers to allow all of their emails though, forcing large providers like Google and Microsoft into a constant arms race to detect and stop scam and phishing emails from getting into your inbox.

Your email provider, be that Microsoft, Google, Apple, Yahoo, or any other provider, scans the email headers of every email you receive. One of the things these companies look for is that the “From” address matches the “Sender” address. If they don’t match, especially if they’re from completely different domains, that’s a red flag. It’s not the only thing that email providers use to determine if an email is suspicious, but it’s one of the more important checks they do.

eNewsletter

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:49:00 +0000

High Tech House Calls eNewsletter

Click this link to display newsletter: https://www.scribd.com/document/474299522/High-Tech-House-Calls-ENewsletter

How to Pick the Best Microsoft Surface Laptop or Tablet by Wired

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:12:00 +0000

How to Pick the Best Micros... by Carl Thorne on Scribd

Why Am I Connected to Wi-Fi But Not the Internet? by BENJ EDWARDS

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 15:45:00 +0000

It’s happened to all of us at some point. Your Wi-Fi signal is strong, but there’s no internet connectivity. That’s because Wi-Fi and the internet are two different things, and understanding the difference can help you troubleshoot future network problems.

How Is Wi-Fi Different from the Internet?

Wi-Fi is a registered trade name for a group of technologies that allow a device, such as a computer, smartphone, or game console, to wirelessly connect to a local area network (LAN) using a radio link. Wi-Fi replaces the need for a physical cable between a networked device and a router—a device that manages connections between all of the devices on the LAN.

The internet is a general name for hundreds of millions of smaller networks, such as LANs, linked together. Within these smaller networks are billions of devices connected via the TCP/IP protocols. These computers can be linked together using physical wires, optical cabling, radio links, or other technologies not yet devised.

So, when your device has a Wi-Fi connection, you are connected to a LAN. But the LAN you’re connected to may not necessarily be connected to the internet. That’s where the problem lies. Let’s take a closer look.

Understanding the Connection Problem

Here’s a very simplified network diagram. In it, your device is linked to a router via Wi-Fi, forming a local network, and your local network is successfully connected to the internet.

Sometimes, the link between your local network (managed by a router, hub, or modem) and the internet goes down. There could be a temporary problem with your ISP’s equipment, physical damage to cables that link you to the ISP’s network, or some other issue. In that case, you are still connected to the local network, but your local network is not connected to the internet.

In this second case, your device may show a strong Wi-Fi connection or signal, but you have no internet connectivity.

What to Do When Your Internet Connection Is Down

When you have internet connection problems, first try restarting your device. If that doesn’t work, what you do next depends on where you are.

If you’re at home, you can try troubleshooting the router itself (by restarting that, for example), and if you are technically skilled enough, there are other steps you can take using your PC to troubleshoot your internet connection. If all else fails, call your ISP and report the problem.

How to Use Your iPhone as a Magnifying Glass by BENJ EDWARDS

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 20:32:00 +0000

It’s a common problem: Some things are just too hard to see. Usually, they’re too far away, too dark, or too small. With a feature called Magnifier, your iPhone can function as a magnifying glass and sight aid. Here’s how to use it.

What Is Magnifier?

Magnifier is an accessibility feature built into iOS 10 and up that allows you to use your iPhone’s camera as a makeshift magnifying glass or telescope. Some people with sight issues use the Camera app for a similar function, but Magnifier includes extra features designed specifically to help with sight impairments. For example, you might need help reading small text on a menu or a distant sign with confusing colors or low-contrast lettering. In those cases, Magnifier is an ideal tool.

How to Enable Magnifier on Your iPhone

To use Magnifier, you must first enable it in Settings. Launch Settings by tapping on its icon, which looks like a gear. (It’s usually on the first page of your Home screen or in the Dock.)

In Settings, swipe down the list until you find Accessibility and tap on it.

In the Accessibility menu, tap “Magnifier.” In the Magnifier settings, tap on the Magnifier toggle switch to turn it on.

After that, exit Settings by returning to the Home screen.

How to Quickly Launch Magnifier on Your iPhone

Once Magnifier has been enabled in Settings, there are two ways to launch it: a special button combination and a Control Center shortcut.

For the button combination, how you launch it depends on the type of iPhone you have.

iPhones with a Home button: Push the Home button three times.
iPhones without a Home button: Push the side button three times.

Once you tap the proper button three times, Magnifier will appear on the screen.

How to Launch Magnifier Using Control Center

You can also launch Magnifier from Control Center if you enable its shortcut in Settings. To do so, navigate to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. In the “More Controls” list, locate “Magnifier” and tap on it. It will then be added to your “Include” list at the top of the page.

Once enabled, launch “Control Center” on iPhones with a Home button by swiping upward from the bottom of the screen. On iPhones without a Home button, swipe downward from the top right corner of the screen. Tap on the magnifying glass icon to launch Magnifier.

How to Use Magnifier

Once you launch Magnifier, you will see a screen that looks very similar to Apple’s Camera app. Magnifier uses your iPhone’s built-in camera hardware to display whatever you’re pointing at on the screen. It can be used in vertical or horizontal orientation.

Just below the live image area, you will find a small control area. The slider at the top functions as a zoom feature, changing the size of the image. From left to right below that, you see the following controls:

Light button (lightning icon): This turns on your iPhone’s LED for illumination in a dark setting.
Lock focus button (padlock icon): This locks the focus on an object you have tapped on even if you move the image around.
Freeze frame button (circle): This freezes the live image so you can get a steady look at it, adjust its zoom size, and more.
Filters button (three interlocking circles): This opens a menu that lets you adjust brightness and contrast, inverse the colors on the image, or apply color filters that can potentially aid people with color blindness or other sight impairments.

While viewing a live image, you can zoom in and out using either the pinch-to-zoom gesture or the slider bar.

And if you freeze the image using the circle button, you can zoom in and out and move the frozen image around with your fingers to get a better look at something, even if you didn’t center it perfectly the first time.

You can also save or share the image you have frozen by holding your finger down on the image until a tiny bubble pops up with “Save Image” and “Share” options. Tap on the option you’d like to use.

If you have trouble making out some details in the live scene or an image you’ve frozen, tap on the three circles in the lower-right corner of the screen, and you’ll find an impressive array of color filter options.

The two sliders control the brightness and contrast of the image, while the color filters change the color tone of the image. They include white/blue, yellow/blue, grayscale, yellow/black, and red/black options.

You can also invert the colors of the image (making it a negative image) with any of the color-filter options by tapping on the button in the lower-left corner that looks like two squares with curved arrows between them.

If you want to exit the color filters options, tap on the three circles in the lower-right corner of the screen, and you will return to the original control options.

When you’re completely done with Magnifier, you can exit the utility on an iPhone with a Home button by pushing the Home button once. On iPhones without a Home button, slide your finger upward from the bottom of the screen until the Home screen appears.

Best of all, you can return to Magnifier quickly any time you need (as long as it’s enabled), by either using the button combination or invoking Control Center. Magnifier even works in the lock screen. It’s just one more iPhone accessibility feature that can make life easier for everyone.

10 ways to use Google Maps Street View you never thought of before BY BRITTANY VINCENT, KOMANDO.COM

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:19:00 +0000

Google Maps and its Street View feature can present some truly interesting sights. Whether you’re exploring an area you want to visit or you’re preparing for a trip, both are invaluable tools.

You never know what you’ll see there, for one thing — and sometimes the sights can be downright shocking. Tap or click here to see how people found shocking pictures on Google Maps.

We’ve compiled 10 very cool things you can do within the confines of Google Maps Street View that you may never have considered. From time traveling to using the app at eye level to explore.

1. Enabling Street View via Pegman

Did you know you can move the tiny yellow figure (also called a Pegman) onto the map to enable Street View? It’s true. You can access Street View by either searching for an address in Google Maps or Google Search or by dragging the little yellow man to a destination on the map on your computer.

You can do the same on mobile by searching for a place or dropping a pin, then tapping on a place marker. Quick and easy! This takes the guesswork out of looking for a link that prompts you to enter Street View, which can be frustrating to find as it’s not always available.

2. Go time traveling

Did you know you can travel back in time with Google Maps? Using Street View, you can see what a landmark looked like over the years as part of a digital timeline.

To access this feature, look for the clock icon in the upper left-hand portion of any Street View image. Click on it and move the slider that pops up left and right to travel through “time” to see images of a structure in the past and in present. There are various thumbnails you can look through to see how your chosen area looked.

This is done in the same way on your iOS or Android phone. Just look for the clock and use your finger on the slider. Where you’re going, you don’t need roads!

3. Use Street View at eye level

You can pretend to be anywhere you want to be by using Google Street View at eye level with your phone.

This is a phone-only feature, but it’s still very cool to try out. Search on your phone using Google Maps for a location you want to explore. Then tap the image of the location that you see in the lower-left corner of your screen to visit that area.

You’ll be amazed when you bring up the photo and then tap the compass icon in the upper-right corner. If you hold your phone out in front of you and move it around, it’ll be like you have a 360-degree view of the location!

4. Use Live View to explore the real world

If you prefer to feel like you’re right in the middle of the location you’ve pulled up on Google Maps, you’d enjoy Live View. The new augmented reality feature is available for mobile devices that utilize ARKit, so you’ll have to use your phone for this one.

Live View lets you use augmented reality to figure out where you’re going while you walk down the street. It will overlay a compass and signs as you make your way to your next destination and even offer translations.

To use Live View, select your destination in Google Maps and then tap the Directions button. Make sure you’ve selected the Walking directions option, and head outside in a well-lit area. Tap the Live View button next to the Start button and get going. You’ll see icons and other information pop up as you move around in the real world.

5. Create your own Street View stories

You don’t have to rely solely on Google Maps’ Street View images for your own immersive experience. You can actually shoot your very own 360 stories. To do this, however, you need to purchase a 360-degree camera capable of creating these scenes.

Purchase a compatible camera to get started, keep in mind this can be a pricey venture. Cameras and equipment start around $200 and can go up to $5,000 for a high-quality professional piece of equipment for creating some truly awesome 360 tours.

6. Look around indoors with Indoor Street View

You don’t have to be outside to use Google Maps Street Maps. You can look around inside buildings as well, but this heavily relies on content creators and businesses having opted into creating maps of their facilities on the inside.

Indoor Google Maps let you zoom in to navigate, tap to switch floors and offer improved location accuracy to know where you’re looking. You can look around the area you’re in, such as a mall, stadium, or airport the same way you would with regular Street View, though this won’t be available with every location.

7. Take a special Street View trek

Not sure where you want to explore with the freedom of Google Maps Street View? Google has already created a variety of trips for you to take online to see some of the coolest areas around the world with Google Treks.

Head over to the official Google Treks website and select the trip you want to take. Click on the area and you’ll be taken to a landing page. Click on the “Discover” button to launch a specially-curated trip you can take from your favorite device.

8. Check out Street View photos

While exploring locations from around the world, you don’t have to stop at choosing what’s available officially from Google. You can rifle through a selection of photos from around the world instead.

Head to the Street View gallery to do this, and you can also look at more 360-degree photos by selecting them in the collection of user-submitted photos. Now you have even more to look at!

9. Explore Google Maps with a keyboard

Did you know you don’t have to rely solely on your mouse or finger to navigate through Google Maps? You can use your keyboard if you’re on a device with one to look around the map.

Use your arrow keys to move around the map, zoom in or out with the plus and minus keys, and press a number associated with the location you want to see to learn more. This won’t work with a mobile device unless you have it connected to a Bluetooth keyboard, but it’s useful on a PC.

10. Turn your Pegman into an alien

You don’t have to use a small little yellow man in Street View. There’s a fun Easter egg that lets you turn your Pegman into a UFO.

Just head to the Area 51 Alien Center in Google Maps and drag your Pegman to the location. It’ll turn into a flying saucer, which is absolutely adorable — and a fun nod to Area 51’s secretive activities.

You can also download a separate Google Street View app in addition to what already comes pre-loaded in the default Google Maps app. This way, you don’t have to switch between modes if you use Street View more often than not. It’s available for both iOS and Android.

Pixel 3a Vs. iPhone SE Vs. Samsung Galaxy A51: Which One Is Right for You? by Eric Schoon

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:41:00 +0000

Not everyone wants to spend $900+ on a new smartphone, but if you’re looking in the flagship market that’s the price point you almost exclusively see. However, that doesn’t mean you have to leave the bigger brands in the dust searching for cheaper options. Most manufacturers produce budget-friendly options, and this even applies to the big names like Apple, Google, and Samsung. But with that in mind, it can be difficult to choose between them.

Apple just released its second-gen iPhone SE ($399.99) after 4 years of having no modern budget-friendly smartphone. But Apple isn’t entering an uncontested market here—both Google and Samsung have phones in this price bracket. The Google Pixel 3a ($399.99) and Samsung Galaxy A51($399.99) have both been praised since their release for packing in a surprising amount of features for their low price tags.

But now comes the hard part. All three of these phones offer great value for the price point, but which one is right for you?

And, while we’re focusing on the iPhone SE, Galaxy A51, and Pixel 3a in this article, it’s worth noting that the Pixel 4a (while not officially unveiled by Google yet) is probably coming soon. We’ve seen plenty of leaks already, and it’s safe to assume that the 4a will deliver a better camera than the 3a along with superior hardware. So, that’s worth keeping in mind if the 3a is already calling your name.

Hardware

Google, Apple, Samsung

Performance-wise, the Pixel 3a and Galaxy A51 are about what you would expect out of good mid-range Android phones. The Snapdragon 670 processor in the 3a keeps things running smoothly in everyday use, but you can definitely start hitting some issues as you come into more intense workloads. The A51 uses Samsung’s Exynos 9611 processor, which is more than adequate but does lose out slightly to the Snapdragon 670 in both single and multi-core performance, according to Geekbench.

But Apple really trounces the performance category. The iPhone SE is rocking the same A13 Bionic processor as the iPhone 11, so performance here is about as good as it gets. This advanced processor also helps future proof the phone (but we’ll talk more about that later).

While the internals are ahead of the competition, the externals on the SE are not. It looks nearly identical to the iPhone 8 released in 2017, and phones have changed a lot in those 3 years. The wide bezels are the largest culprit, and while some may be fine with them, they make the SE feel dated—a problem that will only get more apparent with time. Even with the wide bezels though, the SE still manages to the smallest phone out of the three at 2.31 x 4.87 inches.

The 3a and A51 on the other hand, look like modern smartphones—in fact, they could easily be mistaken for flagships thanks to the 3as very similar aesthetic to the standard Pixel 3 and the A51s edge-to-edge screen. The 3a measures at 2.8 x 6.0 inches, while the A51 is a bit thinner and taller at 2.90 x 6.24 inches.

Storage is an area where the A51 excels—not only does it have 128 GB out of the box, but it also has a microSD slot. This means you can add up to 512 GB of additional storage. The SE comes in three models with 64 GB in the base model, 128 GB for an additional $50, or 256 GB for an additional $150. Finally, the 3a only has 64 GB with no expansion options.

Winner: iPhone SE—The A13 Bionic is a beastly processor that will keep the SE running like a top for at least a few years. It’s hard for any midrange Android processor to compete with that.

Software

Apple, Google, Samsung

While you already know your preferences when it comes to the OS on your phone, there’s still more concrete info you should be aware of—namely updates. Having the latest version of your OS ensures more features and better security. But you also have to worry about the future as well, because these companies don’t update phones forever.

The iPhone SE is currently running the latest version of iOS. Apple has guaranteed 5 years of updates for the SE, which means you’ll be getting all of Apple’s latest features until 2025. This is easily one of the SE’s greatest strengths—it absolutely trounces any Android phone (even flagships) when it comes to getting updates.

Before we discuss the specifics of the 3a and A51, let’s talk about how Android updates are released in the first place. There are two release cycles that Android follows: full OS updates and monthly security patches. OS updates come out at least once a year for every new version of Android, but there are also subversions released throughout the year. Security patches improve, you guessed it, security, and are released monthly.

The 3a doesn’t promise half a decade of support like the SE, but Google has guaranteed updates until May 2022—about 3 years from its original release. Of course, being a Pixel, the 3a also receives updates pretty quickly. It’s currently running the Android 10 version of “Pixel Android” (the version of Android for Pixel phones that’s slightly different from stock Android).

The A51 falls down a bit in this regard in a couple of ways. First off, Samsung hasn’t confirmed how long it’ll support the A51, but going off of its track record you can assume about 2 years, or till late 2021. Secondly, Samsung is notoriously slow to update its phones, you can expect a decent wait time for new Android versions (if they even show up at all).

The A51 is running OneUI 2.0—Samsung’s own flavor of Android. OneUI 2.0 is pretty different from stock Android (visually speaking), and will definitely require some adjustment time if you’re coming from a more stock experience. That said, OneUI 2.0 is still a good OS with some unique features and is currently updated to Android 10.

Winner: Pixel 3a and iPhone SE (Tie)—The iPhone SE is guaranteed to get updates for the next 5 years, which is a huge selling point. But not everyone likes iOS. In that case, we recommend going with the Pixel 3a, as it is regularly updated by Google and offers a generally clean Android experience.

Display

Apple, Samsung, Google

We’ll start with the smallest phone here: the SE. The SE has a 4.7 inch LCD screen at a resolution of 1334p x 750p. While 720p is a pretty low resolution for a modern-day smartphone, even compared to other budget phones, the small size of the screen helps make sure the display still looks sharp.

Next up is the 3a, which has a 5.6 inch OLED screen at 2220p x 1080p. The OLED screen means blacks look richer on the 3a compared to an LCD screen (like the SE), and helps colors pop out against each other more. The 3a can’t compete with high-end flagships, but the display looks nice, and most people won’t find any issue with it. If you prefer it a little bigger, the Pixel 3a XL is a nearly identical phone with a 6-inch panel.

However, the A51 steals the show here: the 6.5 inch AMOLED display at 2400p x 1080p looks fantastic. The blacks are deep and the colors are vivid, and overall its probably the best screen you’ll find at the price point. OneUI 2.0 even has some options to adjust the color levels of the screen if you really want to customize the user experience.

Winner: Galaxy A51—It’s hard to deny a big, beautiful, AMOLED display.

Camera

Flagship phone cameras have evolved wildly over the past few years to get to the point where they are today, but that’s not because the actual hardware behind cameras got wildly better—a lot of that improvement came from the software side of things. Computational photography, using a combination of algorithms and digital processing, can achieve things like depth of field and HDR images without the need for larger lenses like standard cameras.

This is why just looking at the megapixel counts for phone cameras is a bad way of figuring out which is best. And, that’s actually perfectly displayed by the three phones we have here. Because on paper, you would expect the A51 to be the victor here with its quad-lens camera including a 48-megapixel main sensor alongside additional ultra-wide, macro, and depth sensors.

While those additional sensors add in some nice functionality, overall the camera feels middle of the road. As GSMArena noted, “The Galaxy A51’s [camera] takes decent pictures but doesn’t really make us go ‘wow’.” Considering the specs, this is disappointing, especially compared to the other two phones here.

Because the SE’s singular 12-megapixel camera achieves very impressive image quality with reviewers at both Tom’s Guide and CNET reporting the image quality to rival modern flagships in well-lit areas (although, the lack of any form of night mode limits its capabilities in dimmer light). The SE’s video capabilities are also pretty impressive achieving 4k 60 FPS footage—for those looking to take a lot of videos, Apple, as usual, is the best choice.

The Pixel 3a is a real showboat in this category, though. Not only does it have the same 12.2-megapixel camera as the normal Pixel 3, but it also has the same post-processing features, which mean pictures come out looking fantastic. You can see that for yourself in these shots from our original review of 3a.

Cameron Summerson

The Pixel 3a also has Google’s fantastic “Night Sight” mode which, as you can see below, picks out impressive color and detail from dark photos.

Left: without Night Sight; Right: with Night Sight

As far as the front cameras go, all three phones fare … alright. None of them are great, but none of them are bad. The A51’s 32-megapixel camera only manages to be decent, with GSMArena saying how images only turn out “okay.” Much like the rear camera, the front camera is unexpectedly middling despite its relatively high spec.

The SE varies a lot per situation, YouTuber Marques Brownlee remarked how the seven-megapixel front camera manages “pretty good” photos most of the time, while other reviewers like Digital Trends’ Matthew Smith saying that photos were mostly “disappointing” and “flat.”

Finally, the 3a does manage another win in the camera category with some good results from its eight-megapixel front camera. Photos come out “generally impressive” according to Tom Bedford at Tech Radar, not quite the fantastic quality of the rear though.

Winner: Pixel 3a—Google’s post-processing algorithms are essentially unbeatable across the board, but it’s more apparent than ever at this price point.

Even in the midrange price bracket, there’s still a lot to consider when choosing phones—even if it’s not $1000, $400 is still a lot of money.

A lot of what we’ve shown you will entirely depend on what you prefer: the Pixel 3a’s fantastic camera and all-around good specs, the iPhone SE’s longevity and excellent performance, or the Galaxy A51’s great display and modern design. All three of these phones are great values for their price tag.

Best Cloud Services in 2020 by Steven Vaugh-Nichol

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Sun, 17 May 2020 17:30:00 +0000

Best Cloud Storage Services... on Scribd

The 6 Best Wireless Mice You Can Buy by Jeff Dunn

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Sun, 17 May 2020 16:58:00 +0000

The 6 Best Wireless Mice You Can Buy.. by Jeff Dunn on Scribd

Remote Support eNewsletter by Carl Thorne

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Tue, 12 May 2020 16:06:00 +0000

Remote Support eNewsletter by Carl Thorne on Scribd

Remote Support Primer by Carl Thorne

noreply@blogger.com (High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting) — Mon, 11 May 2020 19:33:00 +0000

High Tech House Calls uses two different methods to connect to client computers remotely:

Team Viewer
Chrome Remote Desktop

I prefer the Chrome Remote Desktop application. The connection must be allowed by the client I am connecting to. There is a way that Team Viewer can be configured so that the Team View connection program is running all at times and the connecting remotely can be accomplished without the knowledge of the client. I consider this a huge security issues.

Team Viewer is used as a backup to Chrome Remote Desktop. To use Chrome Remote Desktop, you must have a Gmail account and the Chrome browser must be installed. Some clients may have privacy concerns with having a Gmail account.