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.
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:
Accessing the Photos app
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:
Select a photo
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:
Selecting the Info button
Next, tap the Look Up Landmark. Refer to the below image:
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:
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
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
“The great myth of our times is that technology is communication.”
Libby Larsen
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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
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:
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:
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
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
“Real gs move in silence like lasagna.”
Lil Wayne
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Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
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
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:
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 “NotInterested” 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 FacebookFeed. 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:
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.
LinkedIn
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
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.”
LM Montgomery
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That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
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
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:
Protected by Opatch screen
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
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
“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”
-Terry Prachett
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That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
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
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 Settings
Accessing Privacy
First, scroll down and tap Manage account privacy. Next, tap Your Privacy controls. Now, tap the Yahoo logo. See the below image:
Accessing Privacy
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:
Accessing the Sale and Share link
Disable the Do Not Sell Option
First, tap the toggle. The default is set to AllowYahoo 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:
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:
The fine print
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:
Turning off Personalized ads
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 Yahoologo, and sign in
Click the Sale and sharing personal information link
Click the toggle. The default is set to AllowYahoo 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
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
“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game.”
– Michael Jordan
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That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
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
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:
Selecting Accessibility option
Tap Audio & Visual. See the below image:
Selecting the Audio & Visual option
Select LED Flash for Alerts. See the following image:
Selecting LED Flash for Alerts option
Tap the toggle next to LED Flash for Alerts to enable this feature. Refer to the below image:
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:
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
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
When times are bad is when the real entrepreneurs emerge.
Robert T Kiyosaki
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You are finished. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
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Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
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
Apple faced backlash for slowing down older iPhone models to preserve battery life. Users can now monitor battery health and enable optimized battery charging to prolong battery lifespan. Additionally, they can track battery usage by app and learn to conserve battery and prevent overheating.
RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2 September 17, 2024 – 4 minutes read time
Overview
Apple landed in hot water with customers several years ago when a feature designed to slow the processors of older iPhone models to keep them from suddenly shutting down came to light. Critics maintained that Apple was throttling the speed of earlier iPhone models to push customers toward newer devices. At the same time, Apple insisted that the feature was necessary to cope with aging batteries. Now, Apple lets users monitor the health of their iPhones’ battery. Let’s explore this feature.
System Requirements
This post works on iPhones running iOS 15 or later
Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
Check Battery Health
First, open the Settings app, and tap on Battery. Refer to the below image:
Accessing the Battery option
Next, tap on Battery Health & Charging. See the below image:
Accessing the Battery Health option
Now, you will see your battery capacity next to Maximum Capacity. See the following image:
Viewing the Maximum Capacity of the battery
The Maximum Capacity tells you your iPhone battery’s capacity compared to its capacity when it was brand new. For example, if your Maximum Capacity is 85%, that is all your battery can charge. On this screen, you can also enable Optimized Battery Charging, which reduces aging by optimizing how your battery behaves when charging. Refer to the below image:
Enabling Optimized Battery Charging
If your battery’s Maximum Capacity has dropped below 80%, a message like this will pop up on your screen if you experience an unexpected shutdown. See the below image:
Viewing Battery Health degradation warning message
You can tap Disable to turn off battery throttling on your iPhone or you may want to consider replacing your battery to improve your iPhone’s performance and the amount of time it can operate between charges.
Track Battery Usage by App
To view your battery usage by app, go back to:
Settings > Battery
Swipe down on the Battery settings screen and you will discover battery usage by app, starting with the biggest battery hogs. By default, the tool shows you the percentage of battery charge by each app. Tap Show Activity or a specific app, and the information changes to display the time the app has used the battery, both in the foreground and background. See the following image:
Viewing Battery Usage
Conserve Battery
Besides Optimized Battery Charging you can conserve your battery, turning down the brightness of your screen will increase battery health. To adjust the screen brightness, head to:
Settings > Display & Brightness
and moving the slider. Refer to the below image:
Turning down Brightness to conserve battery usage
Keep Your iPhone Cool
Using your iPhone in hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life. Store your device where the temperature is between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Do not leave your device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.
If your device gets too warm or too cold, certain features might become temporarily disabled. In extreme conditions, your device might become temporarily disabled. A temperature warning screen will be displayed. See the below image:
iPhone is too hot warning message
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
The real secret to a life of abundance is to stop spending your days searching for security and to start spending your time pursuing opportunity.
Robin S. Charma
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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
The post provides instructions for blocking contacts and numbers. It covers blocking contacts in the phone app and blocking numbers from recent calls.
RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2 September 10, 2024 – 3 minutes read time
Overview
You can easily block any number if you receive texts and calls from a saved contact or a random number. Let’s explore how this is accomplished.
System Requirements
This post works on iPhones running iOS 15 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.
Block a Person in Your Contacts
If the person you want to block is already saved in your iPhone’s contact list, you can block them via the contacts tab in the Phone app.
First, open your Phone app. Refer to the below image:
Accessing your Phone app
Next, tap the Contacts icon. See the below image:
Selecting your Contacts icon
Now, tap the contact you want to block. See the following image:
Selecting a Contact to block
Next, tap the Block Caller option. Refer to the below image:
Selecting the Block Caller option
Now, tap the Block Contact menu option. See the below image:
Selecting the Block Contact option
Block a Number
If the number you want to block is not saved in your iPhone contact list, you can still block it in the Phone app.
First, open the Phone app. Refer to the below image:
Accessing your Phone app
Next, tap the Recents icon. See below image:
Selecting your Recents icon
Now, fund the number you want to block and tap the Info button. See the following image:
Selecting the Info button of the number to block
Next, tap the Block Caller option. Refer to the below image:
Selecting the Block Caller option
Now, tap the Block Contact menu option. See the below image:
Selecting the Block Contact option
And that’s how you block a number or a contact on your iPhone. You can always unblock a caller by the above steps and tapping the Unblock Caller option.
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
“Success is not achieved by winning all the time. Real success comes when we rise after we fall. Some mountains are higher than others. Some roads steeper than the next. There are hardships and setbacks but you cannot let them stop you. Even on the steepest road you must not turn back.”
Muhammad Ali
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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
This post provides instructions for using the Dynamic Island feature to control the flashlight on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 models. The upcoming iOS 18 update will introduce new features for controlling the flashlight.
RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2 September 3, 2024 – 3 minutes read
This is for iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Max, and iPhone 15 running iOS 17+. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.5.1.
Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
Overview
Did you know you can use the Dynamic Island to control your iPhone’s flashlight? The Dynamic Island is one of the most useful features, thanks to shortcuts like this.
There are many different ways to turn off the flashlight on your iPhone. The iPhone 14 Pro and any iPhone 15 models introduced an extra option for switching off your flashlight with Dynamic Island. Let’s explore this feature.
What is Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island is a relatively new interactive iOS 16 feature housing the TrueDepth front camera notch.
Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped zone on the upper side of the iPhone display. It adapts the camera hardware and is a shape-shifting hub for vital iPhone alerts or your ongoing activity. Since the feature is triggered automatically, you can view a multitasking bar within seconds without additional actions.
This UI area displays;
Alerts and Notifications
Background Activity
Access to Controls
Real-Time Updates
Turning On/Off the Flashlight
First, access the Flashlight by swiping down on your Home Screen from the upper right. Refer to the below image:
Swiping down to reveal the Control Panel
Now, the Control Center will be displayed. See the below image:
Your Control Panel
Next, tap the Flashlight icon. See the following image:
Selecting the Flashlight icon
Now, you will see a tiny flashlight icon in the Dynamic Island. Tap it. Refer to the below image:
Taping the Flashlight icon in the Dynamic Island
Next, your Flashlight status will be shown in the Dynamic Island. Tap the icon to turn off the Flashlight. See the below image:
Taping the Flashlight icon to turn it off
New Flashlight Feature
In the September 2024 iOS 18 update Apple will add swipe capabilities to control the Flashlight beam and brightness.
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
. “Real science can be far stranger than science fiction and much more satisfying.”
– Stephen Hawking
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You are finished. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
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Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
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
The content discusses how to play music on Amazon Echo using various services and how to set default music and podcast services. It also covers connecting and streaming music via Bluetooth.
RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2 August 27, 2024– 7 minutes read time
This is for devices using Amazon Echo device. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.6.1
Alexa is a jack of all trades, but Amazon’s digital assistant can also help you listen to music via Pandora, Spotify, and other streaming services on your Echo device. Let’s explore listening to music on your Echo.
Your Amazon Echo possesses various skills, but its ability to play music is most useful and enjoyable. You can listen to music in various ways, though the process differs depending on whether you want to hear your own media library or stream songs from a specific service.
Amazon does not make it easy if you are looking to listen to music that you own, though it’s still doable. Your best bet is to stream music from your phone to your Echo over Bluetooth.
The simplest way to play music on your Echo device is to listen through a music streaming service. By default, your Echo will link to Amazon Music, or Amazon Music Prime if you are a Prime member. You can also connect to other popular music services and wirelessly stream songs directly from your mobile device.
Link to Streaming Services
After you set up your Amazon Echo, you can link your favorite music services, including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Vevo, and Global Player. They all need an account with each one before accessing it through your Echo.
While most of these services have premium subscription options, you do not need to pay to play music through your Echo device. If the service offers a free tier, you can still listen (in a limited capacity). Refer to the below image:
Available Echo services
First, open the Alexa app on your mobile device to start playing music through your service of choice.
Next, tap More > Music & More, then swipe down the screen to the Link New Service section
Now, tap the service name (we are selecting (Pandora), you want to add and choose Enable to Use. See the below image:
Enabling a service (Pandora)
Alternatively, tap the settings gear at the top right of the Music & More screen and tap Link New Service to see all the available services you can add. See the following image:
Selecting to link a new service (Pandora)
Next, sign in to that service and agree to let Alexa access your data. Refer to the below image:
Successful linking a new service (Pandora)
Now, after you finish adding your services, scroll to the bottom of the Music page in the Alexa app. You should see all the new services you previously added. To start playing music, you can open a streaming app and select your Echo as the destination to begin listening.
You can also ask your Echo to play music by specifying the name of the service. For example, you could say something like “Alexa, play the Rolling Stones from Apple Music,” or “Alexa, play country music from Pandora“.
Selecting Default Services
You must set one as the default to avoid specifying a service in your command. You can do this for both music and podcasts. First, head back to the Music & More screen in the Alexa app, tap the Settings icon at the top, and then select Default Services.
Next, tap Change next to Music and select the service you wish to set as the default for playing music. Tap Change next to Artist and Genre Stations to set default stations for a specific artist and genre. You can then tell Alexa to play music from an artist or genre, and it will play it from your default. service. See the below image:
Selecting to change your default services
Now, tap Change next to Music to set your music default service. Then tap Change next to Podcasts to set your default podcast service. See the following image:
Changing your default services
When you ask Alexa to play a song, album, artist, genre, or station, you can simply tell it what you want to play, and it will pull the music from the appropriate place without you needing to specify the name of the service. Refer to the below image:
Playing your selection
You may need to change the default speaker if you do not hear sound from your Echo device.
First, head to Music & More and tap the Groups icon in the bottom middle of the screen.
Next, tap your Echo device, then tap its Settings gear icon. See the below image:
Accessing Settings for your Echo device
Now, tap the Change link and select your preferred speaker.
Next, tap the Next button. You will receive a message that your preferred speaker has been set. Simply tap Done to close the message. See the following image:
Changing your default speaker
Stream Music Over Bluetooth
Instead of listening to music directly from your Amazon Echo device, you can stream songs from your mobile device or computer to the speaker through Bluetooth.
Stream From a Mobile Device
With your phone or tablet nearby, say “Alexa, pair,” and your Echo will enter pairing mode. Open the Bluetooth settings screen on your device and tap your Echo (it should appear as Echo-XXX) when it shows up. Alexa then announces the connection. Refer to the below image:
Choosing to connect your Echo device
Alternatively, you can pair the Echo to your mobile device through the Alexa app. Head to Devices and select the Echo you want to pair with your phone or tablet.
Connect to Echo
First, under Bluetooth Connections for that device, tap Connect a device. Choose your device, and your Echo is connected. See the below image:
Your Echo device is connected
Now, the audio will go through your Echo device when you play music from your phone or tablet. You can then control playback from your mobile device or Alexa.
Disconnect/reConnect From/To Echo
To disconnect your Echo from your mobile device, say, “Alexa, disconnect from [name of device].”
You can always reconnect the device by saying “Alexa, connect to [name of device]”.
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
“In the real world, the smartest people are people who make mistakes and learn. In school, the smartest people don’t make mistakes.”
Robert T Kiyosaki
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That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
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Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
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