Data Doctors Tech Tips

As the heat from the season's temperatures rise, so does our sensitivity to the environment which can lead to us getting a bit cranky. But we're not the only ones getting cranky from the heat as the batteries in your electronics get the same way when it gets uncomfortable. Nothing shortens the life of the batteries in all you devices like heat, so always being aware of the temperature is a good thing. One of the most harmful scenarios is when you leave your devices in direct sunlight, which amplifies the heat. If possible, avoid turning devices on when they are hot to the touch from being in the sun or other high temperature situations.and#160; For all you avid laptop users, make sure you know where the air vents on your machine are and that you don't block those vents when using them on soft surfaces, like on your bed. The easiest way to manage this harmful scenario is to remember that when you're uncomfortable from the heat, so are your devices!

If you're like me and are involved with various groups that aren't all in the same place, you find yourself on a fair share of conference calls. More often then net, I'm forced to join the call using my smartphone, which can be a major pain. When the opportunity presents itself, I try to convince the host to consider using UberConference - not associated with the car service - which is orders of magnitude more refined than those old platforms. They've eliminated those irritating PINs, the beeps every time someone joins or leaves the call and they eliminated the guessing game about who is currently speaking with visuals. Another awesome features is the host muting capability for any specific person, like the dumbo that put the conference on hold which subjects the whole group to their hold music. This interface is especially useful for attendees that are joining via a mobile device, but equally as awesome on a desktop browser. You can do a trial run with up to ten participants for free or step up to their full service package for @ ten bucks a month on an annual payment. Check it out at: https://www.uberconference.com

A questions was asked by a friend with an Android smartphone if I knew of a simple way for him to record conversations that he was having on his phone. He needed to create some sound files for a training program that he was putting together. Before I gave him any suggestions, I wanted to make sure he understood that depending upon where he was when he was making the recordings, he could run into legal issues if he wasn't careful.and#160; If you aren't sure what the legal stipulations might be whenever you are recording a call, it's always best to notify all the parties on the call to be safe.and#160; I've played around with various apps that offer this option, but the one that I liked best was simply called 'Call Recorder'. It works by floating a red dot in the corner of your device when you dial someone up. To record the conversation, you just tap on the dot to both start and stop the recording. Once you're done, you can share the audio file in lots of ways and it includes info about the call, including caller ID, times and date. There are lots of apps with the same name, so here's the direct link: http://bit.ly/2Zkue3L

Lots of professional photographers use expensive, complicated photo editing software to create images for high-fashion websites and magazines.and#8232;and#8232; Unless you're willing to spend the money and time to learn these sophisticated programs, it doesn't make much sense for most users.and#8232;and#8232; Touching up photos to make people look better than they are has generated some heat in professional circles, but there are situations where having the option is useful.and#160;and#8232;and#8232; Since we typically use our smartphones for taking most of our pictures, having the Perfect365 app on your phone for touching up images is most efficient. and#8232;and#8232;As with most photo editing apps, you can use pre-defined touchup settings or go with the manual option for ultimate control.and#8232;and#8232; It's helpful with dark circles, blemishes, skin and teeth issues with nothing more than a tap or two.and#8232;and#8232; It's a pretty simple app that can help you try new looks by using augmented reality: https://www.perfect365.com

We have all been to websites that require some form of registration and validation to a working email address in order for us to access or download the information we seek. In those instances where once you get what you want, you don't really need to hear from them again, using your real email account is simply setting you up for unwanted messages down the road. That's where using a temp address can allow you access to the info you desire without exposing your daily account to junk messages. While there are a variety of options online for this need, I particularly like one called '10minutemail'. There's nothing to download or setup because it's a webmail tool that offers temp addresses ten minutes at a time. If you use a temp address, any message sent to it will appear on the web page associated with that address. Most replies for registration happen within a minute or so, but if it turns out that you need another ten minutes, you can extend it's use with the click of a mouse. Keep in mind, you should never use a service like this if you're ever going to do a password reset or any important follow up action, so only when you know it's a 'fire and forget' situation.

The 24 hour news cycle has lead to lots of 'breaking news' stories that might tempt you to pop over to the Internet to search for the details.and#8232;and#8232; While we'd all like to believe that if it shows up in a search result on any of the legitimate search sites, it's just not the case especially when a big event has occurred. and#8232;and#8232; Creating malicious websites that appear to have salacious information during a news event is a common tactic used by hackers to snare victims.and#8232;and#8232; They may even attempt to use ads to lure unsuspecting users to their traps.and#8232;and#8232; The search companies do their best to police this type of scam, but since news events can drive a lot of traffic, the bad guys don't care if it's only up for an hour if they can trap users. and#8232;and#8232;Instead of using a search engine to track down a news event, make sure you only refer to the news sources that you always use to find the info.and#8232;and#8232; Using a news app on your phone from your favorite resources or bookmarks to their breaking news section is a much safer way to go.and#8232;and#8232; The bad guys watch how we use the Internet and will continue to target us based on our behaviors, so changing the way we seek news is a good way to steer clear of this method of attack.

If you're in the process of learning a new language, it's likely that you suffer from the common problem of worrying about whether you're saying the words properly. It's great if you have a friend that already speaks the language that you can call whenever you want help with a specific word or phrase because hearing someone else say it makes you more confident when you say it. Did you know that the Internet can be your fluent friend that speaks over 300 different languages? The community supported website at https://forvo.com has a plethora of recordings for just about any word you want help pronouncing. To make things better, you can download mp3 files for all the words that you'll want to practice while you're on the flight to a foreign country. You can also start with a word in English that you ask Google to translate first, so you can go to Forgo to search for the proper word in the language that you're trying to learn.and#160; It's all awaiting you at:and#160;https://forvo.com

Just about everyone of any age is consuming a lot more video online and no one has more video content than Google with YouTube. Billions of hours of content are watched every month and the numbers continue to grow. Whether you're a small business trying to promote your business or just want to privately share videos with your family and friends, YouTube is the place to do it. Did you know that YouTube is the second most used search engine on the Internet? You don't have to be a video or technology wizard in order to use all the free tools that are available. The biggest stars on the Internet all started at the same place as anyone that's new the format has to start, so jumping in is the best way to learn. You don't have to have expensive video cameras, special lighting or learn how to use a complicated video editor - if you've got a smartphone and a little time, you to can get started on your very own channel at: https://creatoracademy.youtube.com

I've got a video app for anyone that loves the #tbt hashtag on Instagram and Facebook to download to step up their game. It's called the 'VHS Camcorder app and it'll make any of your videos look like they were shot decades ago. If you love those old school videos, you can ramp up the effects like tape noise and grainy filters as well as the classic date-time stamp that was a mainstay back in the day. If you really want to pull off the ultimate fake, you can use any date you want using the app. This app is all about taking your state-of-the-art smartphone camera and pushing it back to a previous century. This app works on both Android and iOS devices and costs @$3, but that's tiny price for such an epic retro effect on your videos!

Hanging out with a large group of friends at a restaurant is great fun, but figuring out the owes what, can get to be a bit of a chore. You can download any number of apps on your smartphone that are designed to help in this situation, but there's an easer way if everyone agrees to split the bill equally. Instead of yet another app that you don't really use a lot, why not use the Google tip calculator? Just type 'tip calculator' in Google to get to their easy to use tool for figuring out what everyone should pay. By inputing the total bill, the tip % and the number of people, you can quickly get a breakdown of what each person is to contribute. For those that like to tip extra for great service, the tool separates the tip from the bill to make it easier. One variable that you need to evaluate is whether a large group minimum tip has already been added. The great thing about this awesome tool is that it'll work on any of your devices that has an Internet connection.