10 July 2025 - "Bob's Bytes"

Random Thoughts

Topics for the Day:

• Senior Surfer Board Notes
• Memberships now due 
• SS Board Notes - Budget and going ons
• Freebies & More
• We've got "Stuff!"
• From Donations, some free, some cheap, one good computer
• What to do in case a bad advertisement locks up your computer? 
• Windows: <Ctrl><Alt><Del>, Task Manager, Select browser, End Task
• Amazon: I bought a new TV
• Shipping free, unpacking free, check power free, removing packaging free!
• Didn't include assembly (had to add the stand) or setup 
• Actually $100 less than buying it on "Prime Day" 
• OLED is beautiful!! 
• Project Hail Mary
• Wonderful book by Andy Weir
• Author of "The Martian", this is even better
• The trailer for the Movie is now out, but don't watch it - Spoilers!!
• Read the book first - ask me to lend you my Kindle copy 
• The are reveals/spoilers in every chapter 
• Space News
• A Static Fire test of SpaceX Starship 36 went Boom!  <link>
• A COPT tank went RUD, it wasn't the engines. 
• A Test fire of the NASA's SLS Solid Rocket went Boom!  <link> 
• The Nozzle fell off! 
• Reminded me of "The Front Fell Off!" <link>
• And although that video was funny, it did happen and was bad <link> 
• WhatsApp Banned from the US House of Representatives
• Apparently it's not secure in storing Texts 
• But better than the terrible "TeleMessage" which Mike Waltz used <link>
• A Blast from the Past - My presentation from March 2018 <link>
• Interesting to look back what was new then 
• Great site to find where Movies & TV shows can be found <link>
• Windows 10 Lives!
• Win10 goes "Out-of-Support" after 14 Oct 2025.  But:
• You can buy a year of updates for $30, or ...
• Pay for the updates with 1,000 Microsoft Reward Points, or ...
• Enable Microsoft Backup w/OneDrive for a free year of updates. 
• OneDrive Backup
• (We don't recommend this)
• A explanation of what it is and what it does

  

Bob's Bytes: Hardware & Software

 5 June 2025

"Hardware & Software"

Topics of the Day

• Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA administrator pulled by the WH
• SpaceX's Starship Flight #9 flew, until it didn't.  Boom.
• Mint is offering Home Internet over the T-Mobile Cell Network starting at $35/month <link>
• Microsoft Publisher is being *deleted* from Microsoft365 users, not just "out of support"
• The Xreal One AR glasses look like large sun glasses, give a 150" inch screen <link>
• The Ryobi RM300e electric riding mower gets a 'Do Not Buy" from Bob <link> 
• Our Wolverine MovieMaker-Pro no long spins the take-up reel all of the time, now it doesn't spin at any time.  <link>
• The WinXvideo v3 promo (free lifetime license) <link> good till June 22.  {Update: now showing as "Temporarily unavailable."  My guess: max number of free license claimed.
• Bob has gotten lots of free books from "How-to-Geek" newsletter. <link>
• Detwiler’s Farm Market, <link> - great place to get flowers & other stuff.
• PatchMyPC now has a portable version of their Home Updater.  <link>
• Bob prefers the Sumatra PDF viewer over all others.  <link>  Simple and fast!
• How to change file defaults, with details.
• No, you should not try to edit a PDF.  (But if you must: MS Word or LibreOffice Writer)
• Use Windows Snipping Tools to copy anything from your screen
• Use Calibre for managing your eBook collection; up & load to & from Kindle and other eReader devices. <link>

 Presentation link: https://1drv.ms/p/c/86b915ace9c0d278/ERVr237kg-tHoRpchS0B9tYBSOCZ2bXP4mhlQDoS5Qu_vA?e=IUcBhZ

(For unknown reasons, Microsoft won't let me login to our account where the presentation is stored.  One has to do that to 'embed' the presentation so that you can just see it. At least it can be shared through OneDrive without logging in through a browser.)

15 May 2025 - "DATI"

Guest presenter: Madeline Laquer, of the Univerisity of Dealaware's Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI)

 https://www.cds.udel.edu/at/dati/

DATI Services:

• Access to assistive technology (AT) through our lending library
• Assistance with acquiring AT
• Training and technical assistance
• Public awareness through community events
• Fee for services evaluations

Or, in other words, "Stuff to make your life better and easier."