Author: Raymond

I am Raymond Oglesby, an Information Technology (IT) specialist with 30 years in the field. I have taught Microsoft Applications and troubleshot computers in 15 countries and many States. My career was focused on mainframes and desktops from application development to implementation. I have written hundreds of programs for various architectures. I decided to start a blog to share my knowledge and experiences with you. I plan on updating this blog at least twice a week about smart phone apps to Windows. Please feel free to leave a Comment or Tweet. I would love to hear from you. Do you have a computer tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the app and version that you are using. To help me out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

Maximize Your iPhone Control Center Layout in iOS 18

The Control Center on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 simplifies access to frequently used features by allowing customization and multiple screens. Users can manage Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, volume, and more, enhancing organization. By arranging controls and adding shortcuts, users can optimize their experience, making navigation more efficient and personalized.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
December 3, 2024 – 6 minutes read time

Overview

For quick access to frequently used apps and settings, Control Center is just a swipe or click away. And with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, it’s even easier to customize and use.

Navigating the settings on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac can be difficult. That’s where the Control Center comes in, providing quick access to a variety of features that might otherwise be hidden within the device’s menus. From the Control Center, you can easily adjust settings for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirDrop, as well as control brightness and volume. It also allows you to manage Focus mode, access music controls, switch to dark mode, and enable screen mirroring. Additionally, you can customize the Control Center by adding or removing features as needed.

For many years, the Control Center on your iPhone and iPad was restricted to a single screen. If you wanted to change the controls, you had to navigate into the settings of your device. However, with the introduction of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, you can now set up multiple screens and customize them directly within the Control Center. Let’s explore how to personalize the updated Control Center.

Why You Will Like This Tip

Organize the Control Center so that your most frequently used controls are easily accessible at the front.
Maintain a tidy and organized Control Center..

System Requirements

This tip is for iPhones running iOS 18 or later. The screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 18+.

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Customize the Control Center

First, swipe down from the upper right edge to open the Control Center. Refer to the below image:

CC 1 — Swiping down to access Control Center

Next, rap and hold in an empty area. See the below image:

Now, the controls will have minus symbols next to them, indicating that you are in Edit mode. Tap Add a Control to get started. See the following image:

Next, find a control you want easy access to and tap on it to add it to the Control Center. Refer to the below image:

Now, if your first page becomes too full, a second page will be automatically created. You can swipe up and down to navigate between the Control Center pages. Each page is indicated by a dot on the far right side of the screen. Please note that we have a total of six pages. See the image below:

Next, to change the size of a control, tap and drag the corner. Keep in mind that some controls only have one size. See the following image:

CC 6 — Selecting Playback control to resize

Now, view your resized Playback control. Refer to the below image:

CC 7 — Playback control has been resized

Next, to remove a control, simply tap the minus symbol next to it. See the below image:

CC 8 — Selecting to remove the Focus control

Now, you can place controls anywhere without worrying about order. Our Control Center has been rearranged from six pages to only three pages, as indicated by the dots on the right side. See the following image:

FAQ

Why does my iPhone say SOS in the top right corner?

If your iPhone cannot connect to a cellular network or Wi-Fi, it may display ‘SOS’ in the top right corner. This indicates that your device can only make emergency calls.

What does 5GUC mean?

5GUC stands for 5G Ultra Capacity. This is T-Mobile’s higher frequency 5G network. Other cellular providers have similar higher frequency networks with different names.

What are the icons on the top right of iPhone?

At the top of your iPhone screen, you will typically see the strength of your cellular network represented by bars. To the right of this, there will be an indicator showing 4G, LTE, 5G, or a similar symbol if you are connected to a cellular network. If you are connected to Wi-Fi, you will see a Wi-Fi symbol instead. Finally, you will also find the battery indicator for your iPhone.

What do the iPhone signal symbols mean?

The signal symbols indicate whether you are using cellular data or Wi-Fi, as well as the strength of the wireless connection.

Summary

That’s how to customize the Control Center on your iPhone. We recommend placing your most-used controls on the first page.

Disclaimer

Technology is constantly evolving, and smartphone and desktop tech rarely remains static. Therefore, the information in this post is only accurate as of the date it was written. Blog posts that are older than six months may contain instructions that are no longer compatible with your device or operating system. We hope that the content from previous posts continues to function as intended. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life, where technology works for you.

Quote For the Day

“The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite.”

– Thomas Sowell

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Author’s eBook

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the “Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath” can be accessed from a Kindle device or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

Enable iPhone Text-to-Speech for Easy Listening

The post explains how to enable the text-to-speech feature on iPhones or iPads, allowing users to listen to content like web pages or ebooks while multitasking. It details the setup process through the Accessibility settings and provides tips on adjusting voice options and speaking rates for an enhanced listening experience.

If you find it more convenient to listen to some text on your iPhone or iPad rather than read it, you can easily enable that capability. You might, for example, want your device to read a web page, ebook, or another document while you perform household chores.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
November 19, 2024 – 5 minutes read time

Overview

Apple ensured that the iPhone came with a broad array of built-in accessibility features so anyone can use it. Text-to-speech is just one of these accessibility options. Let’s explore how to set up and use text-to-speech.

Why You Will Like This Tip

Listen to web articles or books when you are busy with other tasks.
Have your iPhone or iPad read to you if you have difficulty seeing the screen well.

System Requirements

This tip works on iPhones running iOS 16 or newer. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pri running iOS 18+

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

How to Setup

First, open the Settings app, and tap Accessibility. Refer to the below image:

Read 1 — Selecting the Accessibility option

Next, tap Spoken Content. See the below image:

Read 2 — Selecting the Spoken Content option

Now, tap the toggle next to Speak Selection to enable or disable it. See the following image:

Read 3 — Enabling the Speak Selection toggle

Tap the Highlight Content option to highlight each word as it is spoken (this is optional). Refer to the below image:

Read 4 — Selecting the Highlight Content option

Next, you can tap Voices to choose a different computer-generated voice. See the below image:

Read 5 — Selecting a Voice and its options

Now, you can also select your Default Language. (Ours is set to Current Locale which is English). See the following image:

If you change your Default Language, you can turn the toggle next to Detect Languages to Off. This will let your iPhone read in other languages instead of translating in your default language. Refer to the below image:

Read 7 — Enabling the Detect Languages toggle

The Speaking Rate slider allows you to adjust how fast or slow the text-to-speech voice reads. See the below image:

Read 8 — Setting the Speaking Rate slider

Next, you can add Pronunciations, if the text-to-speech voice is not pronouncing something correctly. See the following image:

How to Use

To use text-to-speech, tap and hold some text to highlight it or use the Select or Select All option. Refer to the below image:

Read 10 — Highlighting text to read aloud

Now, tap the Speak option, and your iPhone will read the text aloud. See the below image:

Read 11 — Selecting the Speak option to read the highlighted text

Next, to stop your iPhone from reading the text, tap the highlighted text, then tap the Pause option. See the following image:

Summary

You can use text-to-speech to have your iPhone or iPad read aloud to you if you have trouble reading everything on your screen, or while doing chores, cooking, or going for a walk.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

“Proverbs are all very fine when there’s nothing to worry you, but when you’re in real trouble, they’re not a bit of help.”

L.M. Montegomery

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Author’s E-Book

Author’s E-Book

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Tra-Bong-Vietnam-Aftermath-ebook/dp/B07K39LNBR

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

How to Save Web Pages in iPhone Notes

The article explains how to save web pages to the iPhone Notes app for future reference. Users can share links with additional notes for better organization, particularly when managing projects.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
November 12, 2024 – 4 minutes read time

Overview

Did you find a web page you want to save for later? You can easily share it to the Notes app so that you can return to it again. Or if you find an article relevant to a project you are working on, you can share it with one of your notes, add text, and open your note anytime to find the link. Let’s explore how this is done.

Why You Will Like This Tip

Save articles to read at a later date.
Easily keep your thoughts about an important website in one place.
Keep related web pages together in one note when planning projects.

System Requirements

This tip works on iPhones running iOS 16 or later. The screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 18.

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Let’s Get Started

To share a webpage, you first need to open the page in Safari and tap the Share icon. Refer to the below image:

Next, scroll through the app list, and tap Notes. See the below image:

Now, tap a New Note to select whether you want to save this page to a new note or an existing one. See the following image:

Next, choose where to save the new note, then tap Choose Note or Folder. Refer to the below image:

Notes 4 — Selecting a location for the new note and a folder

Now, tap the Search Bar to search for a specific one, or scroll and select one. In our example, we are selecting the Quick Notes folder. See the below image:

otes 5 — Selecting the Search or scroll to find one

Next, tap Create New Note to create a new note and save the website to it. See the following image:

Notes 6 — Selecting the Create New Note button

Next, tap Add text to your note… if there are any extra details you want to add. Refer to the below image:

Notes 7 — Optional, add text for the new note

Now, tap Save. See the below image:

If you save it as a new note, it will have the same title as the web page. You can tap the thumbnail to open the article when you open your Note. See the following image:

Notes 9 — Your new note with a thumbnail of your page

That’s how to add a hyperlink in the iPhone Notes app for sharing. You can return to this note when you want to read that article.

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

“Order is one of the needs of life which, when it is satisfied, produces a real happiness.”

-Maria Montessori

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Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

Enhance Your iMessage with iOS 18 Text Effects

The latest iOS updates enhance the Messages app by allowing users to use bold, italics, and animated text effects in iMessage on iOS 18 or later. These features add flair and emphasis to messages, but recipients must also have iOS 18 to view them properly.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
November 5, 2024

Overview

The Messages app is much livelier thanks to the latest updates to iOS. With these updates, you can express yourself in more ways than ever with special effects. You can now bold text, italicize it, and even apply some of these effects to emojis! Let’s find out how to add the impact to iMessage in iOS 18.

What’s to Like About This Feature

Add some extra flair to every text you send.
Emphasize parts of a message to make it stand out.

System Requirements

This tip is for iPhones running iOS 18 or later.

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Adding Effects to a Message

First, open an iMessage conversation, and tap the Text Effects button to the lower right. Refer to the below image:

Text Effects 1 — Selecting the Text Effects button

Next, there is a wide variety of text effects to choose from. Just highlight the text to which you want to apply an effect. The top row is simply for formatting the text. You can choose between Bold, Italics, Underline, ~~Strikethrough~~, or all at once. See the below image:

Text Effects 2 — Selecting text formatting options

Now, you can also apply some animation texts to give your texts some extra flair.

Thankfully, a preview of each animation effect will play on a loop so you can see how they look to your recipient(s).

See the following image for the Big and Small effects:

Text Effects 3 — Selecting Big and Small text effects

Next, you can try the other six effects by tapping its button. To turn off an effect, tap the button again.

Note! Your recipient(s) must be running iOS 18 to see the effects. If they are using iOS 17 or below, the message will be in plain text.

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

“Real eyes, realize, real lies…”

Tupac Shakur

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Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

Identify Landmarks Easily with Visual Look Up on iPhone

The Visual Look Up feature in the Photos app allows iOS users to identify landmarks in their images using AI. This tool enhances travel experiences by providing information about locations, helping users remember where photos were taken.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
July 23, 2024 – 2 minutes read time

Overview

If you are familiar with the Photos app, you might be familiar with a feature called Visual Look Up, which uses AI to identify objects in your photos. Most people have heard about its ability to recognize specific faces and identify plants. But, did you know that you can also use Visual Look Up to identify locations and important landmarks?

It’s so cool to know at a glance exactly where a photo was taken, especially if you have recently been traveling and have been to numerous historical sights or landmarks. It can be difficult to keep track of what photo was taken where. Now with the AI of the Visual Look Up feature, you no longer have to remember!

Why You Will Like This Tip:

Get the most out of the Visual Look Up feature by learning to use it to identify locations.
Quickly and easily obtain additional info about the landmarks and locations you have visited.
Not sure what that cool landmark in front of you is? Use Visual Look Up to find out!

System Requirements

This is for iPhones running iOS 16 or later. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 18+

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Identifying Landmarks

First, open the Photos app. Refer to the below image:

Next, select a photo that features a famous location or landmark. (This will not work if the photo is of your shoes at the statue of Andrew Jackson. It needs to be a photo of Andrew Jackson himself, otherwise, the AI will not be able to identify it.) See the below image:

Now, tap the info button at the bottom. If the AI works on this photo, the Info button will be decorated with sparkles. See the following image:

Next, tap the Look Up Landmark. Refer to the below image:

Landmarks 4 — Selecting the Look Up Landmark option

Now, you can select various options for further inquiry, like getting directions, placing a call to the location, or looking up further information about the location via the Internet. See the below image:

Landmarks 5 — Options for your landmark photo

Summary

Now you can use Visual Look Up which uses AI to identify locations and important landmarks in your photos.

It can be difficult to keep track of what photo was taken where. But now with this feature. you no longer have to remember the landmark photo location.

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

“The great myth of our times is that technology is communication.”

Libby Larsen

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Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

How to Disable AI Overviews in Google Search

This post provides tips for handling AI-generated summaries in Google search results. It explains how to disable these overviews using specific search modifiers.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
July 23, 2024 – 3 minutes read time

This is for devices running Google or Bing. Screenshots are from Windows 10 desktop

Get the Latest Desktop Google Update

Open Google, click the 3-dot menu icon (upper right corner), then click the Settings option. If Google is outdated, it will automatically update.

Why You Will Like This Tip

View your Google or Bing search results without an AI-generated summary.
Narrow your search results to what you just want to preview.

Overview

We rely on Google every day to provide us information. But what happens when our source of knowledge becomes messy and unreliable? AI Overviews utilize Google’s Gemini AI to provide an answer to your query right on the search page; no need to click.

Using the AI Modifier

Still in its infancy, this feature occasionally surfaces incorrect information, so some web surfers look to disable it entirely. There are a few ways to make an AI Overview go away, but no method is as simple as tricking Google itself into getting rid of it. Google uses search modifiers, named operators, which help narrow search results. Here are a few examples:

Use quotations (” “) to search for the exact phrase
Add site: to search a single website
Search for a certain type of file with filetype:
Exclude terms with a minus (-) symbol. The minus symbol stands for NOT.

If we ask “who owns Facebook” an AI-generated summary will be displayed. Refer to the below image:

Google Tip 1 — With AI-generated summary

And if you add the term -AI at the end of the query, an overview is not generated. It’s a very simple solution to the AI Overview problem that can be quickly repeated on subsequent queries without needing multiple steps. See the below image:

Google Tip 2 — Without AI-generated summary

However, it’s worth noting that this does not work because of the -AI modifier. On subsequent tests, we found that putting pretty much anything in there (Ex: -i, –sports, -farm) also did the same thing.

Summary

So, no, Google did not add a secret AI kill switch to its search engine. Instead, AI Overviews are likely only available under certain conditions, and by using a search modifier, you circumvent those parameters. Still, it’s an easy way to game the system until we get an easier way to disable these overlays.

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

“Real gs move in silence like lasagna.”

Lil Wayne

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Author’s E-Book

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Take Control of Your Social Media Feed with These Tips

Social media feeds are controlled by algorithms that track user interactions to serve content. Although helpful, they can misinterpret preferences. To regain control, users can reset their watch history on YouTube, adjust settings on Facebook and Instagram, and modify interests on LinkedIn and Twitter, or even create new accounts for a fresh start.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 15, 2024 – 9 minutes read time

This is for devices using Social Media. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.6.1

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Overview

Almost everything you see in your social media feeds today is governed by algorithms. Think of them as the digital rules and intelligence that social media companies use to deliver a steady stream of interesting content to your eyes. They are invisible conductors that note everything you like, click, or comment on and use that information to serve up more content you likely engage with.

Algorithms are far from perfect, though. Sometimes, they pick up on the wrong signals and stuff your feed with things you do not care about. If you find yourself increasingly uninterested in the posts you see in your feed, it’s often possible to reset those algorithms. Doing it correctly can completely change what your social networks show when you log in.

Let’s explore how to take back control of your social media.

YouTube

YouTube feeds you content based on what you watch, search for, and subscribe to. As YouTube says on some pages (accessible below), “Keeping your history makes YouTube more personal.” But familiarity can breed contempt.

First, reset your Watch History. On the mobile app:

Tap your name > Cog icon > Settings > Manage All History

Refer to the below image:

YOUTUBE WATCH HISTORY IMAGE — Manage YouTube history

From here, you have a few options. You likely have Auto-Delete (Off) set up; click that, and you can tell YouTube to delete the tracked history of anything older than 36, 18, or 3 months. The shorter the time frame, the bigger the reset to your suggestions will be.

Alternatively, click where it says DELETE with a down arrow to access a menu to delete what you have seen today, in a custom range of time, or everything for all time. That final one is the nuclear option. Your suggestions will be totally fresh.

While here, click the Saving Your YouTube History link to change what YouTube saves. You may not want it to save searches because you may look for some wacky stuff. Or set it to turn off any YouTube history saving whatsoever. Scroll down the page to YouTube Customize Your Feed Feedback and click Delete to get rid of videos you specifically picked for your home feed in the past.

(On the desktop, click your avatar at the upper right and select Your Data in YouTube. Scroll down to YouTube Watch History and toggle the On button to Off so your history storage is paused. Click Manage your YouTube Watch History to access the menus as mentioned above, like Auto-Delete).

Clicking “Not Interested” under select videos can also impact the algorithm.

For a genuinely full reset, unsubscribe to every YouTube channel you follow.

On mobile, click Subscriptions at the bottom, then click All at the top, and you will see the full list. Click the bell icon to the right of each for a menu that includes Unsubscribe. (On Desktop, use Subscriptions> Manage to get to the list with the menus.)

Facebook

Facebook’s main display is called the Feed. It features updates, photos, videos, and more from people, Pages, and groups you follow. posts based on what it believes you will like.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to adjust the Facebook Feed. Click your avatar profile pic at the upper right on the desktop and go to

Settings and Privacy > Feed

You will see options here to manage your favorites (people/groups you want to see the most), unfollows (people you do not want to dump, but do not want to see as much of), snoozes (people you want to temporarily unfollow), and reconnect (it lets you turn off unfollows). See the below image:

Facebook Feed Settings — Manage Facebook feed

You can also opt to avoid looking at Facebook’s main page. Go right to Feeds (via the left-hand navigation), and then you can view only the Favorites, Friends, Groups, or Pages you want to see.

As you use Facebook daily, be sure to perform hides, snoozes, and unfollows on posts as you encounter them to “train” the algorithm and steer it toward the kinds of content you actually want to see.

You also can and should go into Facebook Ad Preferences and change things so you can impact the advertising in your Feed. You can also do this with ads as they pop up. Click the X to hide an ad immediately, or use the three-dot menu to hide or report it. You can also limit advertising topics you see by going to:

Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences > Customize ads

then click “See All” next to Ad Topics.

You can use Page Moderation to block certain words or phrases so they do not appear, at least in the comments. Go to:

Settings > Followers and Public Content > Hide comments containing specific words

You choose the list of words to block.

Since everything you see on Facebook is tied entirely to who you friend and follow, a complete reset would require you to unfriend everyone. Starting a new profile is more manageable. This is also pretty easy; click your profile pic to see a button that says See all profiles. In the following menu, it shows + Create new profile or Page. A personal profile is just for individuals, but you can make a new one to get a fresh, clean feed. A page is more for a business or organization, that multiple people can control. No matter what you create, you can easily switch back and forth between the profiles/pages. See the following image:

Create Facebook profile

Instagram

Instagram is part of Meta, just like Facebook, so many of the same rules we listed above apply. For example, the Ad Preferences/Ad Topics are similar. Access them by clicking:

Menu > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences.

Again, there’s no direct way to reset the algorithm, but you can manipulate things by clicking the three-dot menu on posts to set the person as an unfollow or to add to favorites. Click into the account of someone you see, and on the following menu, you can add a person as Close Friend, Favorite, Mute (Posts and/or Stories), Restrict (which limits interaction without a complete block), or Unfollow.

Under Settings, you will find Muted accounts, Blocked accounts, Close Friends, and other lists you can change as desired.

The best reset is to open a new account. You can do that by logging out of Instagram and creating a new user profile. After that, log in to either account, go to:

Settings > Account Center > Accounts > Add Account

and log into the second one. You can link the two accounts (or even a Facebook account) and switch between them. Remember, if you follow all the same people on the new account, it will look like the previous one.

X (Twitter)

Twitter gives you so little control over your feed that if you want to reset the type of content that the platform serves you, your best bet is to start a totally new account. If that’s a bit too drastic for you, try to adjust your existing feed by going to

Settings & Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Content You See

This will let you uncheck topics and interests the service believes you are into. Sadly, you can not uncheck them all at once. Also, under Privacy and Safety, scroll down to Ads Preferences, and uncheck all that.

When using the service, click the 3-dot ellipsis menu on any ads you do not like to block them. Same with anyone you follow that you have lost interest in. If you want to really get rid of everyone you follow to start fresh, go to Following and click the Following button (it will turn to a red Unfollow) next to every name to unfollow; this will take a while if there are a lot of them. If you do not want to do it manually, there’s a Chrome extension called X (Twitter) Mass Unfollow.

Microsoft’s social network for businesspeople (or those looking for work) does a pretty good job of just showing you the people you follow, but likes to sneak in a few ads based on what it thinks you like. Under your profile, pick:

Settings & Privacy > Advertising Data > Interests and traits

uncheck anything you are not into. Or turn them all off, but of course, then your ads are less relevant. In fact, go through all the “Data collected on LinkedIn” and “Third-party data” entries. If you turn them all off, you will get a totally new feed, albeit probably irrelevant.

Source: Social Media platforms

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

“Proverbs are all very fine when there’s nothing to worry you, but when you’re in real trouble, they’re not a bit of help.”

LM Montgomery

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Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

Enhance Windows 10 Security Post-Microsoft Support with 0patch

0patch, a Slovenia-based service, offers extended Windows 10 updates after Microsoft’s support ends in October 2025. For €24.95 ($27) per year, users receive small security “micropatches” for critical vulnerabilities, without needing to reboot. This service may appeal to those with incompatible Windows 11 PCs.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 8, 2024 – 4 minutes read time

This is for devices running Windows 10. Screenshots are from Dell XPS PC

Overview

As Microsoft prepares to end support for Windows 10, a third-party service is ready to step into the void by offering five years of extra updates for the popular OS.

The offer comes from Slovenia-based 0patch, which has made a business out of patching out-of-date Windows operating systems, including Windows 7. It plans to supply critical security patches for $27.00 annually to Windows 10 users once Microsoft officially stops supporting the OS in October 2025.

“With 0patch, you will be receiving security ‘micro patches’ for critical, likely-to-be-exploited vulnerabilities that get discovered after October 14, 2025,” Refer to the below image:

Pricing

The catch is trusting Opatch, an unofficial Microsoft service, to safely maintain your Windows 10 installation. Extended support will cost €24.95 ($27) per year.

Still, the price might be a bargain. Microsoft will also offer an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but the cost to business customers starts at $61 per device per year and doubles every consecutive year for up to three years ESU does not include new features, nonsecurity updates, or design changes. It has not announced pricing for consumers yet, but it will likely be more than $27 per year as Microsoft would prefer you upgrade to Windows 11.

The 0patch service may appeal to those with one of the estimated 240 million PCswhich are incompatible with Windows 11.

“Many of us do not want to, or simply can not upgrade to Windows 11,” 0patch wrote in a blog post that also excoriates Microsoft’s efforts to revamp the OS. “We do not want to because of increasing enshittification including bloatware, Start Menu ads, and serious privacy issues. We do not want to have an automated integrated screenshot and key-logging feature constantly recording our activity on the computer”.

How It Works

In contrast, 0patch promises to maintain Windows 10 by serving its critical security fixes. “These patches will be small, typically just a couple of CPU instructions (hence the name), and will get applied to running processes in memory without modifying a single byte of original Microsoft’s binary files,” the service says. Thus, no CrowdStrike-like crash.

“There will be no rebooting the computer after a patch is downloaded because applying the patch in memory can be done by briefly stopping the application, patching it, and then letting it continue,” 0patch adds. “Users will not even notice that their computer was patched while they were writing a document, just like servers with 0patch get patched without any downtime at all.”

Still, 0patch will not fix every security vulnerability for Windows 10, only “the important ones, such as those exploited in the wild or those without official vendor patches.” If demand for 0patch’s Windows 10 support is high, the service plans will support the OS beyond five years.

Source – PC Mag, Microsoft

Disclaimer

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“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”

-Terry Prachett

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Protect Your Privacy: How to Opt Out of Yahoo Data Selling

This post provides instructions for protecting your privacy on Yahoo Mail for iPhone and PC. It explains how to prevent Yahoo from selling your information and control personalized ads.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 1, 2024 – 4 minutes read time

This is for the iPhone and PC running Yahoo Mail. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.7

Overview

Most companies today are selling your information in some way or form. Luckily, most companies allow you to opt out of having your data sold; if you know how to ask for it.

While you would think the “do not sell my personal information” setting would be on the Yahoo security page, you will find it under a different menu. Let’s explore telling Yahoo, “Do not sell my personal information” and control personalized ads.

System Requirements

Yahoo Mail
iOS 16 or later
Browser
Windows 11/10
iPhone

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Why Apply This Post

Protect your privacy by stopping Yahoo from selling your information.
Make sure your data stays out of the hands of third parties.

Opening Settings

First, open the Yahoo Mail app. Next, tap your profile icon in the upper left. Now, tap Settings. Refer to the below image:

Accessing Privacy

First, scroll down and tap Manage account privacy. Next, tap Your Privacy controls. Now, tap the Yahoo logo. See the below image:

Setting the Do Not Sell Option

First, you will be prompted to log into your Yahoo mail account. Enter your username/email address, tap Next, and follow the on-screen prompts to log in. Next, After logging in, scroll down to the Sale and sharing of personal information and tap the link. See the following image:

Yahoo 3 — Accessing the Sale and Share link

Disable the Do Not Sell Option

First, tap the toggle. The default is set to Allow Yahoo to sell your data. Next, the page and its toggle will turn gray, indicating that the setting has been disabled. Refer to the below image:

Yahoo 4 — Setting the Do Not Sale option

You may want to read the “fine print” about setting the option to Don’t Allow. If you clear cookies for your browser, the option is reset to Allow. See the below image:

While here, go back to the Sale and sharing of personal information screen to control ads. Tap the Personalized ads link and turn off any option on delivering ads. See the following image on the first of four options:

Using a PC Desktop/Laptop Running Windows 10/11

Open Yahoo Mail
Click the Gear icon in the upper left below the Home icon
Click the More settings link
Click About our Ads menu option. You would think of accessing the Security and Privacy menu option, but Yahoo wants to hide selling your data.
Under What choices do I have section, click View our other Privacy Controls
click the Yahoo logo, and sign in
Click the Sale and sharing personal information link
Click the toggle. The default is set to Allow Yahoo to sell your data. Next, the page and its toggle will turn gray, indicating that the setting has been disabled. If you have set the toggle to Don’t Allow on your iPhone first, the toggle will already be disabled.

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game.”

– Michael Jordan

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Get Visual Alerts for Calls and Messages: iPhone Flash Notification Setup

This post provides a guide on turning on flash notifications for iPhone, especially beneficial for the deaf or hard of hearing. It includes system requirements, and step-by-step instructions.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
September 24, 2024 – 3 minutes read time

Overview

How do you turn on the flash notification on your iPhone? Sometimes we might need an extra alert if an important message or phone call is expected.

This feature is intended to be used by the deaf or hard of hearing, but it can be helpful for anyone who would rather receive visual alerts. Be aware that turning on this feature could deplete your battery life rather quickly, depending on how many notifications you get throughout the day. Let’s explore how to turn on flashlight notifications on iPhones.

System Requirements

This post works on iPhones running iOS 16 or later. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.6.1

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Reasons For This Tip

Get an extra visual alert any time you receive notifications.
Make sure you never miss an important text or phone call.

Turn on Flash Notifications

Open the Settings app, and tap Accessibility. Refer to the below image:

Flash 1 — Selecting Accessibility option

Tap Audio & Visual. See the below image:

Flash 2 — Selecting the Audio & Visual option

Select LED Flash for Alerts. See the following image:

Flash 3 — Selecting LED Flash for Alerts option

Tap the toggle next to LED Flash for Alerts to enable this feature. Refer to the below image:

Flash 4 — Toggle to enable LED Flash for Alerts

By default, the LED will only flash if your iPhone is locked and the ringer is on. However, two toggles allow you to make it so that the flash will still go off when your device is unlocked or if Silent mode is enabled. See the below image:

Flash 5 — Other options for flash alerts

That’s how to use your iPhone flashlight for notifications. Since the flash is on the back of your phone, placing your phone face down when you set it down is best. Just make sure you have a good scratch-protectant cover on the screen.

Disclaimer

Quote For the Day

When times are bad is when the real entrepreneurs emerge.

Robert T Kiyosaki

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