TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn

Small specialized apps generally known as “utilities” can solve problems and add capabilities not provided by the operating system. We’ll look at new functions in PowerToys utilities from Microsoft and from two individual developers. In Short Circuits: Adobe released Firefly a few weeks ago for people to try and now the AI component has been added to the beta version of Photoshop that’s available to Creative Cloud subscribers. • When testing files that might contain malware, maybe you’d like a second opinion. What about fourteen opinions without having to install anything? Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Kodak saw a future that did not need film and was attempting to rebrand itself as “the picture company”.

Instead of massive home stereo systems, most of us now listen to music on our computers. Adding a software equalizer can improve sound, even on less-than-perfect sound systems. In Short Circuits: Photoshop Camera is free and it may be the best way to have fun with the camera that's in your smartphone, but it's not compatible with every device. • Meta has agreed to a $725 million settlement to end a class-action suit. Any US citizen who has used Facebook in the past 16 years could get a piece of it, but it will be a small piece. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, a company named Webshots offered a way to put photos on phones. The company is still around, and it has expanded a bit.

Even if your scanner came with a scanning application, using the scanner will be easier and more productive if you buy a copy of VueScan. In Short Circuits: I’ll tell you about some of Adobe’s new photo suite features soon, but one that stands out above all the others is a game changer called Denoise. • Geoffrey Hinton, Google’s former chief artificial intelligence scientist, retired abruptly and has begun warning us about a time when AI will be smarter than humans. Let’s consider that. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, I was preparing to buy my first digital single-lens reflex camera and was excited about its performance and features.

Anyone who wants to create a website needs to start by selecting either an application that edits website code or a service that offers site design tools. Many choices exist, but the two primary contenders are Dreamweaver and WordPress. In Short Circuits: A virtual private network on your computer is on the way to becoming essential, and Google’s VPN service that’s part of Google One might be sufficient. • The internet is full of useless attractions that are amusing. Among them are the ability to ride public transit systems online. Come along for a ride on New York City’s 7 train. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Is Linux an existential threat to Microsoft? Twenty years ago, it’s what Microsoft considered its number one danger.

Windows has features that, while not quite annoyances, don’t work the way you’d like. The Ultimate Windows Tweaker fixes a lot of these not-quite annoyances, and it’s free. In Short Circuits: When I bought a new keyboard, I noticed a lot of extra keys. Some of them are surprisingly useful. • Trying to print a website page is often an exercise in frustration because website pages are rarely designed for printing. PrintFriendly is a clever website, and a browser extension, that makes website pages printable. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Iomega, the company that filled a storage gap with high-capacity Zip and Jaz disks tried online storage as the need for disks faded, but success eluded the project.

When I set up a new computer, MacroExpress Pro is one of the dozen programs that are installed immediately. Those who don’t need all the power of the pro version may find one of the three more basic options useful. In Short Circuits: DPReview has been an essential resource for anyone who uses digital photography, but Amazon has ended its quarter-century run and soon all traces of the site will be gone. • Although Google was an early leader in artificial intelligence, ChatGPT and others took the lead and Google is trying to reclaim its leadership position. So now we have Bard, by “invitation” only. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): Unicode was fighting for recognition in 2003. The advantages were obvious, but it wasn’t catching on quickly. Today it’s everywhere.

Reinstalling Windows 11, as I did a few weeks ago, gave me the chance to rediscover some of the “features” Microsoft offers that don’t work quite the way I want them to. Let’s look at some annoyances that are easy to fix. In Short Circuits: Maybe you consider the seemingly never-ending announcements and notifications from Windows 11 to be an annoyance, too, and you have have more control than you may think. • Adobe has a free artificial-intelligence tool designed to fix less-than-perfect audio, making it possible to create a podcast even if the recording environment is noisy. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, light-emitting diodes were expensive, but they saved money with lower operating costs. Now even the initial expense is lower.

So many people complain about Windows, but then don't take the time to figure out how to fix what's bothering them. It's usually not difficult, so let's consider some of the annoyances that can be fixed with minimal effort. In Short Circuits: If you have a computer that's running slow and you've already replaced the mechanical hard drive with a solid-state drive, adding memory might help. • A common bit of humor has old people who need tech support calling on their six-year-old grandchildren for help, but it doesn't have to be that way. Some recent research says that we older folks are dealing with technology a bit better and the pandemic is part of the reason why. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): By 2003, manufacturers had managed to create cameras that were good enough to start the massive migration from film to digital.

You probably already know about the importance of keeping your computer, notebook, or tablet clean and up to date just as you ensure that your car is maintained properly, but what about your smartphone? In Short Circuits: When you're on vacation with the kids, having some motion pictures along can make travel time easier, but nobody wants to carry a stack of discs. Legally it's a gray area, but you can rip DVDs and Blu-ray discs to smartphones and tablets. • The Kerbango internet radio was introduced at PC Expo in 2000, but the project was discontinued a year later before even one unit could be sold. Now internet radios are being manufactured by several companies. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): I've had only minimal success using Windows Restore points over the years, but it worked the way it was supposed to once in 2003.

If you need to be able to capture screen shots, but the Windows Snipping Tool is insufficient and commercial applications are too expensive, there's ShareX. In Short Circuits: Anyone who has tried to schedule a Google Calendar event on the last day of each month has found that it's not possible. There's a workaround, though. • Does your Windows computer share too much information with Microsoft? You can tell it to shut up, but proceed with caution. Twenty Years Ago (only on the website): In 2003, Windows XP users complained that their computers were much slower after they installed Service Pack 1.