Oldcomputergeek blog no longer active - please follow oldcomputergeek on twitter @oldcomputergeek: January 2020

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Some Recent Techie Sites Have Discovered

You may detect a certain theme here. Apple.

I used a Mac in my last position at SWBT/SBC/ATT and liked many things about it. But after retirement, all the Mac goodies became too expensive to buy outright, so I sold my Mac and stayed with the PC. Besides, all the people that needed help on computers only had Windows AND the software was cheap and easily copied to use on all machines.

Some time ago I "forced" myself to use less of Windows and more of Mac. I just "knew" the Mac was not better than the PC, but I wanted to experiment to make sure. I secured an older Mac Mini and have been using it almost always for my computing needs. I am now a convert. So much so that I rarely switch to the Windows PC. I've also found that the various free Linux OSs are quite fast and provide a plethora of open-source (i.e., FREE) software for a variety of uses. Anyway, the "forced" use of a Mac is no longer. I like the Mac. And, I like the iPhone. I've discovered the iPhone is easier to use, and the updates rarely cause problems. But the Android OS IS prettier.

My Mac Mini, MacBook Air (thank you Dave Keeney), iPad Air (thank you Donna), iPhone 7+, and iPhone SE are all previously used - refurbished by either Apple or some other provider. They all look and behave like new AND each is several hundred dollars cheaper than new. So now I live in an Apple universe, but also keep my homemade and superfast Windows 10 computer updated with the latest releases - just to keep current with Windows problems.

There you have it. The reason I'll probably post more about Apple than Microsoft on this blog.

iMessage is a powerful iPhone tool. Here are its 9 best features - CNET

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/imessage-is-a-powerful-iphone-tool-here-are-its-9-best-features/

Caltech Team Builds a Camera That Captures The Invisible at a Trillion Frames Per Second

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-camera-captures-the-invisible-at-a-trillion-frames-per-second

Android phones can't compete with these 7 iPhone features

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/android-phones-cant-compete-with-these-7-iphone-features/

Do You Need Anti-Ransomware Software for Your PC?

https://www.howtogeek.com/511744/do-you-need-anti-ransomware-software-for-your-pc/

Can I still download Windows 10 for free? Yes, and here's how (I know it works on some PCs, but not all - Steve)

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/can-i-still-download-windows-10-free-yes-heres-how/

Best ipad Apps of All Time??

https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-ipads-best-apps-of-all-time/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=28761505023926114008311898121671

Windows Defender gets the job done — so why even gamble with third-party antivirus? (I'm a proponent of using Windows Defender and Malwarebytes as the ONLY Windows 10 antivirus protection - Steve)

https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-defender-great-so-why-even-gamble-third-party-antivirus

https://www.howtogeek.com/540658/is-your-antivirus-really-spying-on-you/

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/data-privacy-day-find-and-delete-the-scary-amount-of-data-google-has-on-you/?ftag=CAD-04-10abf7h&bhid=28761505023926114008311898121671

25 Must-Know macOS Tips for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Mac Users

https://www.macrumors.com/guide/useful-mac-tips/

PhotoFlare Open Source Image & Photo Editor

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2020/01/photoflare-free-photo-editor

Of Interest -

I've been saving web site links I come across that might be interesting to the visitors of this site. I use Simplenote (a very easy note-taking app that works on all platforms - I hope) to save these links for later reading.

Here goes -

Flights Wine & Taproom coming to Falcon Field in northeast Mesa

https://mouthbysouthwest.com/2020/01/27/flights-wine-taproom-coming-to-falcon-field-in-northeast-mesa/

Chili Bourbon Festival - February 29th, 2020 - Chandler, AZ

https://chilibourbonfestival.com/

A Nice Photo for a Desktop

https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/evqtq6/dusk_in_the_tetons_wy_usa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

How to File Your 2019 Taxes Online For Free

https://www.howtogeek.com/542898/how-to-file-your-2019-taxes-online-for-free/

Be sure and visit my site - oldcomputergeek.com - for links about tech/computers.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

We STILL Love the Desert

Newfoundland SNOW!!!!

https://weather.com/news/weather/video/time-lapse-shows-snow-burying-house-in-newfoundland-canada?pl=pl-the-latest

Monday, January 20, 2020

Another Reason for Linux

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2020/01/reasons-to-switch-to-linux-from-windows

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Amazing Product

IF I were a customer of the Park's cable/internet service, I'd be getting this thing!

https://www.anandtech.com/show/15336/netgear-expands-docsis-31-product-stack-with-nighthawk-cax80-wifi-6-cable-modem-gateway

The Great Dismantling of America's National Parks

I have always enjoyed these Parks. This is a real shame (I'm sorry it's so political, but isn't everything?) -

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/10/us-national-parks-dismantling-under-way?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Longest-lived People Eat High Carbs

Have you heard about the Blue Zones?

https://www.insider.com/blue-zones-diet-is-high-carb-healthy-for-longevity-2020-1

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Windows 7 Is Over - What to Do?

As you may know, Windows 7 is way past it's prime - no more update from Microsoft. If you failed to take advantage of the Windows 10 free upgrade, how about considering a Linux install. It's free and it's a great operating system. I've tried many, but think that Linux Mint is the way to go. Remember however, it is not Windows, so if you have a Windows program you just can't live without, there may be some bumps.

Take a look at this article -https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-and-how-to-replace-windows-7-with-linux-mint/