21 Sep - UnBoxing

Sorry about the non-postings since March - I can blame it on my physical problems, but that's not really the cause.  I'm lazy.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

So here's the largest post I've ever done.  It's got 3 embedded PowerPoint presentations, one video and one downloadable help file.

This was a special one.  The title refers to the Tech Club's buy of new lab computers, MinisForum Venus NPB7s.  This presentation included the 'unboxing' one of them and running it for the first time.  You get to see everything that happens with a new computer fresh out of the box.  There were a lot of moving parts in this presentation, 2 cameras, 3 different screen sharing devices, lots of hardware to show and tell.

And, of course, since this a usual presentation of "Bob's Bytes" - we've also got 'News and Comment' of things going on in the Tech World:

• Essential Office - a free word processor, spreadsheet, chart maker and more; the perfect middle of the road program between the behemoth Microsoft Office and lightweight Notepad and Wordpad
• The Wyze Pam Cam v2 security cam.  Since we've got one of these for a social prize and I've got one of my own, this was a demo of what one can do which such a camera
• USB Device Chargers - basic background of watts, volts, and amps.  Plus we also got a nice 2-pack of 20 watt charges with USB-C cables for the social.
• The new Apple iPhone switched to a USB-C power&data connector.  Why did they do that, what is it, and how is it different from all the other USB connectors.
• Windows 10 update suddenly is showing an "Windows Backup" program.  To cut to the chase, don't use it unless you already understand what it does.  If you have not already bought extra OneDrive storage, it'll break things!
• LastPass was hacked back last year.  In 2023, over $35M has been stolen from security-aware people from their crypto-currency accounts.  These two events appear to be related.

I've split up the charts into 3 parts, other wise there would be way too many slides.  Guest and Zoom attendees saw most of Part 1, but Part 2 and 3 were not directly shown - these are annotated screen shots of some of the steps that were shown.

Part 1 covers the N&C topics above and the physical unboxing of the NPB7:

In Part 2, we've got the system start up and customization:

In Part 3 we do user customization:

That is a lot pictures to view and a lot of stuff to take in.  If you want a text version, condensed to just 2 pages, download <this>

And the bonus!  We videoed the complete presentation and uploaded it to YouTube.  Click <here> to see the result.  

 

Note: this is an unedited, "Raw" video. The camera isn't always pointed in the right direction, the mic doesn't always pick up the voices clearly. This presentation had more moving parts than we have attempted before, so the fact you can see and hear anything is a plus. If someone in the club wants to clean this up a bit, you're welcome to try!

9 March - "Chasing Rabbits"

 Another Bob's Bytes

Topics of the Day

• #303 & The First Bloom-Church Service
• Section 203 & the Supreme Court
• Internet Archive Rabbit holes
• Passkeys - How it works

Links:

• Universal Life Church <link>
• Wired: 9 People Hold the Internet’s Fate in Their Hands <link>
• ProPublica: 26 Words that created the Internet <link>
• Tubi TV: <link>
• The Sci-Fi section: <link>
• The Internet Archive <link>
• A "Brass" search <link>
• Enoch Light's Big Bold and Brassy <link>
• Pulp Magazine Archive <link>
• Classic TV <link>
• Feature Films <link>
• Old Time Radio <link>
• Mad Magazine <link>
• YouTube: Enoch Light Spaced out <link>
•  WinX YouTube Downloader <link>
• Make sure you update it on request
• Extract an MP3 audio track from a MP4 video <link>
• Best Free Tax Filing Software <link>

 

2 Feb 2022 - "AI"

 "AI" stands for Artificial Intelligence, but has become more a marketing term than well defined.  The one thing it doesn't mean is Sentient; "Machine Learning" is the closer term but that's not as sexy as AI.

A recommended book from a member:   Toby Walsh's Machines that Think:  https://www.amazon.com/Machines-That-Think-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1633883752

Lots of links and videos for today:

• Don't believe the hype about StarScope:  https://www.thewidgetsmaster.com/starscopeg3/en/pre-7.html
• I bought a cheap version that probably just a good:  https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B094DJ7771
• Kraxy Ken did a take down of it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67350MLGXXQ  (Recommend taking a look at his other videos, he specializes in scams.)
• Do not download or use the "PC App Store"  No link here, it's malware!
• Jucha's "Silver Ships" saga https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Ships-S-H-Jucha-ebook/dp/B00TCV621O is a wonder Sci-Fi series in which "SADEs" (Self-Aware Digital Entities) are major characters.  
• CGP Grey's How Machines Learn is a great introduction:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9OHn5ZF4Uo
• Ask Leo's, "AI" is not "AI" https://askleo.com/when-ai-isnt-ai/
• The DALL-E 2 website: https://openai.com/dall-e-2/
• DALL-E 2 Explained:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTgPSKKjfVg
  
• "This is not Morgan Freeman" Deepfake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxXpB9pSETo
•  ChatGPT website:  https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
• Using ChatGPT to help you with Excel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYtZ2zsdE_s  Amazing good.
• ReviewGeek:  AI Isn't Really Artificial Intelligence: https://www.reviewgeek.com/143948/ai-isnt-really-artificial-intelligence/
• The fun BMW superbowl ad with Arnie, Director's cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNqlZ8z2WlU (I love "Peggy!")
• This years 2023 CES BMW Keynote.  The Livestream (1¼ hour) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX50X6ZQs1c> or my edit of just the good parts <https://1drv.ms/v/s!AnjSwOmsFbmGtwGpls-tUahYDM58?e=1qTNc2>
  

12 Jan 2023 - Windows 11

Topics of the day

• Tax notes: For 2023 the Required Minimum Distribution age is now 73.  By default financial organizations should withhold 10% of distributions for income taxes, this can be changed if you ask.
• Bob really liked the History channel documentary "Breaking the Sound Barrier" which had lots of information he, and probably you, didn't know.  Example: the plane was the "XS-1" not X-1!.  Watch it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w07LG-WjKJ4
• Call 302-831-7218 or email ChaiResearchLab@udel.edu to participate in a UD study of "Does Eating Wild Blueberries Help Improve Memory and Cardiovascular Health?"  Sounds fun.
• To turn *off* Google tracking, login to your account, click the initial upper right, select 'Manage account.'  Click "Manage your data & privacy" and look through what Google saves and delete or turn off whatever you want.
• Rhetorical Question: Does it help to get mad at the computer?
• LassPass: what happened and what you can do.  There is a lot of information and mis-information floating around the Internet on this.  The best, most detailed is here:  https://www.grc.com/securitynow.htm  Look for #904, “Leaving LastPass” - Audio, Notes, & Transcript
• PC Health Check: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-pc-health-check-app-9c8abd9b-03ba-4e67-81ef-36f37caa7844
• Woody poses the question, https://www.askwoody.com/2022/is-it-time-to-move-to-windows-11/ ?  The answer: "It depends."
• Start11, a great replacement for the Windows 11 terrible start menu:  https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/  Brings back the better Windows 10 menu.
• The BMW "Zeus & Hera" ad from the 2022 Superbowl director's cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JMalpza51M  This was a setup for ...
• ... The BMW Keynote at last week's CES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX10XBwpJ6M which was over an hour.  But, no worries, Bob's got a 'best of cut' coming up in his next presentation!

#301 - Jan 5, 2023

You guys must really like to hear me talk - kept me on-line till 3.  Thanks to all that listened to me ramble, I hope to see you in person when we resume hybrid presentations next week.  

Today's Topics:

• Recommend Bob Rankin's newsletter for tech topics: https://askbobrankin.com
• Intel announced their new 13th generation Core i CPUs, "Raptor Lake"
• To compare CPUs, check their Passmark: https://www.cpubenchmark.net 
• Scambusters is a good way to stay on top of the current threats, https://scambusters.org/ to subscribe to their newsletter to keep up.
• USB - cables connectors and protocols - can be confusing, we talk about them
• What is "Streaming?"  Like the "Cloud" there's less here than appears.
• Adwcleaner (Google "Adwcleaner Bleeping") is a great, quick way to check for malware.  It also detects pre-installed software, you're choice to keep or remove
• Should I replace my HDD with an SSD?  Short answer, Yes!  SSDs have gotten less expensive over the last year.  We talk about the process.
• Bob's daily driver, "Centurion" had a uh-oh!  (repeated blue screens)  We talked about how I recovered from it.
• Gene Barlow (who gave a presentation to us way back) has discounted Acronis products.  Acronis has gone to a subscription-only product list, so is less attractive, but Gene has good prices for those products.  https://ugr7.com
• Yes, the "3G" cell phone signals have been shut down.  Most vendors are giving you a free replacement if you have a 3G-only device.