Tag: PC

How to Disable Windows 11 or 10 Firewall

For troubleshooting, testing, or other similar purposes, you may need to turn off your Windows 11 or Windows 10’s firewall. It’s easy to disable this feature on your PC.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
March 7, 2023

For troubleshooting, testing, or other similar purposes, you may need to turn off your Windows 11 or Windows 10’s firewall. It’s easy to disable this feature on your PC. Let’s explore this feature.

This is for Windows 11/10. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Note! The Dilbert comic will be suspended until further notice. Due to racists remarks by the creater of Dilbert, Scott Adams on a talk show, Dilbert has been removed from the Internet and newspapers. We have been following Dilbert for three decades and we thought the comic titted in with the theme of these posts.

Disable Your Firewall Only If You Have To

Turning off Windows’ firewall allows unauthorized network access on your PC. So unless you have a strong reason to disable the feature, you must keep the firewall turned on at all times.

The only times you may need to disable your firewall are when you are troubleshooting an issue, testing an app, or using a third-party firewall on your computer. Even then, if you are disabling the firewall to let an app through your network, add that app to the Firewall Exception list instead of turning the entire feature off.

When you are finished with your task, remember to turn the firewall back on to stay secure.

Turn Off Firewall

On both Windows 11 and 10, you will use the built-in Windows Security app to disable and enable the firewall.

First, launch Windows Security on your PC. Do this by opening the Start menu, searching for Windows Security, then click the app in the search results. Refer to the below image:

Firewall 1
Launch Windows Security

Next, in the window that opens, click Firewall & network protection. See the below image:

Firewall 2
Launch Firewall & Network Protection option

Now, on the Firewall & network protection page, select your network profile. To disable the firewall for your current profile, you will see Active next to that profile, so click that option. See the following image:

Firewall 3
Launch the Private Network (Active) option

Next, in the Microsoft Defender Firewall section, toggle OFF the option. Later, to re-enable the firewall, toggle ON the option. Refer to the below image:

Firewall 4
Disable Firewall

Now, select Yes in the User Account Control prompt, and your Windows firewall is now disabled. You may now continue your troubleshooting, testing, or other similar tasks.

Remember to turn the firewall back on when you are finished.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is static 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

Communication tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.

Clay Shirky

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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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

How to Remove Annoying Ads on Windows 10

Microsoft continues to double down on its most annoying feature by keeping advertisements inside Windows 10 (and adding even more to Windows 11). Let’s explore how to remove

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
February 21, 2023

Microsoft continues to double down on its most annoying feature by keeping advertisements inside Windows 10 (and adding even more to Windows 11). Let’s explore how to remove these ads.

Thankfully, most of these ads have a Settings menu. (The same goes for the ads in Windows 11).

This is for devices running Windows 10. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Dilbert and New Years
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

You may have to check Settings from time to time to ensure everything is still how you want it as Windows updates add more ads. The steps below may not remove everything but should tone things down to some extent.

Remove Ads from Start Menu

First, you can turn these ads off if you head to the:

Settings > Personalization > Start

and toggle OFF the Show suggestions occasionally in the Start option. Refer to the below image:

Ads 1
Remove Start Menu ads

Next, if you have a problem with any of the Live Tiles on your Start screen, some of which are pre-installed junk or trials, you can right-click on the one that’s bugging you, Just hover over the More option, and choose turn Live Tile to OFF. That way, it will merely act as a shortcut to the app. Or you can right-click on it to choose Uninstall to remove the app entirely.

Block Tips and suggestions From Lock Screen

First, to remove these tips and suggestions, head to

Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen

and set your background to Picture or Slideshow. Here, you can then toggle OFF for Get fun facts, tips, and more… See the below image:

Ads 2
Remove Tips and Suggestions ads

Remove Ads From Taskbar and Action Center

First, you can get rid of these ads by going to

Settings > System > Notifications & Actions

and unchecking Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows.

Next, you may also want to untick the Show me the Windows welcome experience… option here, which shows those annoying tours after you update Windows, as well as the Suggest ways I can finish setting up my device…

Now, toggle OFF any manufacturer-installed apps that may be sending them, such as Lenovo Vantage on Lenovo ThinkPads. (You could also uninstall them entirely; just make sure they do not provide some useful features you want, (like updating certain drivers.) See the following image:

Ads 3
Remove Taskbar and Action Center ads

Remove Ads From File Explorer

First, you can get rid of these space-wasting suggestions by clicking

View > Options in File Explorer, then click the View tab in the window that appears.

Next, scroll. down to Show sync provider notifications and uncheck that box. That should prevent ads from showing up in File Explorer again. Refer to the below image:

Ads 4
Remove File Explorer ads

Remove Targeted Advertising

Windows gives you an Advertising ID that it uses to track your interests and serve you more relevant ads within apps. While you are turning OFF all of Windows’ built-in ads, you may want to turn this setting OFF as well.

First, head to

Settings > Privacy > General

and toggle OFF the Let apps use advertising ID…, if you would rather have non-targeted ads. See the below image:

Ads 5
Remove Targeted ads
Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is static 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

People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.

Alan Kay

Tweet Info

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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 11/10

System Restore lets you restore key Windows system files and Registry settings to a known-good state. Windows automatically creates them in certain situations, but you may want to manually create them before installing hardware drivers or making other major system changes. Let’s explore how to create a System Restore Point.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
February 16, 2023

System Restore lets you restore key Windows system files and Registry settings to a known-good state. Windows automatically creates them in certain situations, but you may want to manually create them before installing hardware drivers or making other major system changes. Let’s explore how to create a System Restore Point.

This is for devices running Windows 11 or 10. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Dilbert and Crypto
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

System Restore Point Explained

Windows 11 and 10 include a utility app called System Restore that can repair malfunctioning Windows installations by reverting certain system files and Windows Registry settings to a prior state. It does this by using restore points, which are snapshots of system files and the registry made either automatically or manually before problems arise.

Restore points are stored in a hidden folder called System Volume Information which is located at the root of each drive. Creating a restore point does not make any changes to your system, but restoring it later does. The instructions are the same in each Windows version.

Note: Windows will automatically create System Restore points in certain situations, so you may be able to restore to a previous system state even if you have never manually created one. However, you may want to manually create System Restore points before making major changes to your computer’s settings, installing drives, or installing large applications.

Manually Create a System Restore Point

First, open the Start Menu and type “Restore Point”. In the results that appear, select Create a Restore Point. Refer to the below image:

Restore 1
Accessing the option to Create a Restore Point

Next, the System Properties window will open with the System Protection tab selected. This is the main interface for managing restore points within Windows. Click the Create button toward the bottom of the window. See the below image:

Restore 2
Selecting to Create a Restore Point

Now, type in the name of the restore point. A good rule of thumb is to use a name that identifies why you are making the restore point, such as before a major installation or upgrade. For example “Before Drivers Update”, or “Before OneDrive Installation.”. When you are ready, click Create. See the following image:

Restore 3
Naming your Restore Point

Next, you will see a progress bar, then if all goes well, a message that says The restore point was created successfully. Just click Close. Refer to the below image:

Restore 4
Close the window

After that, you are finished creating the restore point.

Automatically Create a System Restore Point

First, use the same System Protection tab in System Properties. Select the drive you would like to protect, then click Configure. In the window that opens, select Turn on System Protection, then click OK. See the below image:

Restore 4a
Enabling Create a Restore Point

When you are done, click OK or close the System Properties window.

Restore a System Restore Point

To restore a System Restore point in Windows 111/10, we will use the same System Protection tab in the instructions above. First, open the Start Menu and type “Restore Point”, then click Create a Restore Point in the results. See the following image:

Restore 1
Accessing the option to Create a Restore Point

Now, in the System Restore window that opens, click Next when you see the introductory information. On the following screen, you will see a list of system restore points available on your PC. Select the one you want to restore and click Next. Refer to the below image:

Note: On this same screen, you can select a restore point and click “Scan For Affected Programs” to see a list of installed apps that will be affected by the restore process. This might help you make a decision about which restore point to choose.

Restore 7
Selecting a Restore Point to restore

Next, you will see a summary screen. Click Finish. See the below image:

Restore 8
Finish creating a Restore Point

Warning: By clicking “Yes” in the next step, you are about to make a permanent change to your system that could make your apps not work properly. System restore replaces your system files with older versions, and that can potentially break things. Only use it if you are recovering from a serious error. Also, you will not be able to use your PC while the system restore process is taking place.

If you are ready to begin the system restore, click Yes on the final warning screen. See the following image:

Restore 9
Confirm the restore

Your system will restart and the restore process will begin. After it’s complete, if everything went well, you will be able to log into Windows and use your PC as normal.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is static 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

Communication tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.

Clay Shirky

Tweet Info

You are finished. 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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

How to Download/Save Images Using Google Image Search

Google’s Image Search results are sometimes so impressive that you want to save some of those images to your device.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
February 2, 2023

Google’s Image Search results are sometimes so impressive that you want to save some of those images to your device. If you have found yourself in this situation, let’s explore how to download those images from your search results.

This is for mobile and desktop devices. Screenshots are from Windows 10 and iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 16+

Dilbert and Batteries
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Save Images On Desktop

To download an image on a desktop, you just pick your image, click an option, and your image is saved to your computer.

First, launch your favorite web browser on your computer and open Google Image Search. There, find the image you want to save to your machine. Refer to the below image:

Google Image Search 1
Search Google Images

Next, on the search results page, access the image that you want to download. See the below image:

Google Image Search 2
Find an image

Now, right-click your image, and from the menu that opens, choose to Save image as. See the following image:

Google Image Search 3
Check the option to save your image

Next, your browser will open your computer’s standard Save As window. Here, select a folder to save your image in, type your image name in the File Name field, then click Save. Refer to the below image:

Google Image Search 4
Save your image

Now, you have successfully downloaded your favorite image from your Image Search results. If you are not sure exactly where the image file went, check your Downloads folder from File Explorer.

If your downloaded file is of low resolution, then try downloading that image directly from the source site. To do that, on the Image Search results page, click the link, beneath the image, and not the image, to be taken to the image site. There, right-click the image and choose Save image as.

Download Images On Mobile

On your mobile phone, you can download images from Google’s Image Search results using Google Chrome, Apple Safari, or Microsoft Edge. Mozilla Firefox does not offer the option to save images.

To start, first, open your web browser (we are using Safari) and launch Google Image Search or type into the search box “images.google.com”. Find the image you would like to save to your phone.

Next, on the search results page, tap the image to download. See the below image:

Google Image Search 5
Tap an image you want to download

Now, on your image full-screen page, tap and hold the image. See the following image:

Google Image Search 6
Press and hold your image

Next, on iPhone or iPad, from the menu that opens in Safari, tap Save to Photos. Refer to the below image:

Google Image Search 7
Select the option to save your image

Your iPhone will download and save the image on your local storage or in our example using Safari, your Photos app. See the below image:

Google Image Search 6
Your saved image
Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is static 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 technology you use impresses no one. The experience you create with it is everything.

Sean Cerety

Tweet Info

You are finished. 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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

How to Enable Google Chrome Dark Mode

Google Chrome has had a built-in dark theme like Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge since Chrome 74. You can even apply a dark theme to every web page you visit using third-party themes or an extension.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
January 26, 2023

Google Chrome has had a built-in dark theme like Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge since Chrome 74. You can even apply a dark theme to every web page you visit using third-party themes or an extension. Let’s explore this dark mode feature.

This is for devices running Windows 11 or 10. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Dilbert and Robot
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Chrome offers a built-in dark mode on Windows 11 and Windows 10. It even makes all of Chrome’s context menus dark, too.

Dark Mode for Windows 11

First, open the Settings app and navigate to:

Personalization > Color

Next, click the drop-down menu to the right of Choose Your Mode and select Dark. Refer to the below image:

Dark Mode 1
Setting Dark Mode for Windows 11

Next, close out the Settings app and launch Google Chrome. Unless you have manually set Chrome’s theme, it will match your system.

Dark Mode for Windows 10

First, head to:

Settings > Personalization > Colors

and select Dark under Choose your default app mode. See the below image:

Dark Mode 2
Setting Dark Mode for Windows 10

Apply a Dark Theme

Chrome supports user-created themes, which you can download from the Chrome Web Store. To give Chrome a dark interface, all you have to do is install a dark theme. Google even provides a helpful collection of editor-selected dark themes. This will give your Chrome browser a dark mode on Windows 7, Linux, Chrome OS, and any operating system without a native dark theme.

Note! Google now offers some official Chrome browser themes, including a “Just Black” dark mode theme. You may want to give that a try.

We recommend Morpheon Dark, which is the most popular dark theme in the Store. Unlike some other dark themes, it provides a decent amount of contrast between your active tab, which is a bit lighter, and your inactive tabs, which are darker.

This theme turns darkens the Tab Bar, Title Bar, Toolbar, and New Tab page. That’s all you can theme in Chrome. You can not make Chrome’s Context Menus or Settings page dark, for example. See the following image:

Dark Mode 3
Apply Morpheon Dark Mode

If you ever want to switch back to Chrome’s default theme you can. Head to:

Menu > Settings

Look for the Themes option under Appearance and then click Reset to Default. Refer to the below image:

Reset to the default theme
Disclaimer

Technology is always changing, and rarely is their 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

Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone.

Dan Brown

Tweet Info

You are finished. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

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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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

Explore the World of Radio Stations

While radio is not particularly hard to access; you just need a device capable of tuning into radio frequencies; listening to the radio outside of your area can be difficult. This app, however, lets you listen to any radio station in any country worldwide, complete with a colorful interface.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
January 10,2023

While radio is not particularly hard to access; you just need a device capable of tuning into radio frequencies. Listening to the radio outside of your area can be difficult. This app, however, lets you listen to any radio station in any country worldwide, complete with a colorful interface. Let’s check this out.

This is for computers and mobiles running a web browser. Screenshots are from Windows 10 PC

Dilbert and Dating
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Radio Garden is available as a web version, and it also has mobile apps for Android and iOS. Its whole premise is that you can listen to several radio stations in many different countries and cities. You will see a bunch of small green dots all across the globe, and those are radio stations that you can tune into immediately. You do not need a login or any kind of subscription. All you need is a device that can access the internet, like your computer or smartphone. Refer to the below image:

Radio 1
South Carolina

You can zoom in or out, move the round circle to any part of the world, or tap a green dot to listen to a station. Check out the Settings menu for options. We suggest you ignore the ads, they take you where you may not want to go; just close them. You can purchase the app for $2.99 (under Settings) to remove the virtual ads.

Some examples of Radio Garden stations:

Radio 2
Brazil
Radio 3
Ukraine
Radio 4
North Korea

It’s a lot of fun to play around with the app and learn something new.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is there static 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

Good, bad or indifferent, if you are not investing in new technology, you are going to be left behind.

Philip Green

Tweet Info

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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

Checkout James Webb Telescope Photo Gallery

NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) in December 2021, giving scientists a fresh look at the universe and giving the rest of us some cool wallpapers.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
December 20, 2022

NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) in December 2021, giving scientists a fresh look at the universe and giving the rest of us some cool wallpapers. There’s an easy way to check out the latest images and save them for your device’s wallpaper. Let’s explore how.

This is for desktop and mobile devices

Flicker Main
MACS NIRCam Image – Dense Cosmic Knot in the Early Universe

Processed images from JWT have been published on Twitter, the telescope’s official website (this is a really cool site), and other locations, but there’s another portal you may not have seen. NASA operates a Flickr site for the telescope, which contains images of engineering tests, control centers, and best of all, space pictures. To see all the photos, you need to signup for Flickr in the top right-hand corner. Refer to the below image for an example of their gallery:

Flickr 1
Deep Space – Pillars of Creation – Emerging Galaxies

You can browse through the whole collection in your browser, and saving the full-resolution version of an image is as easy as clicking the Download button (the arrow pointing down). If you have a Flickr account, you can also follow the account to see new pictures. After creating your Flickr account, in the Search box (located in the upper right-hand corner), type in James Web Telescope to view the images.

The first few photos from JWT were already excellent wallpapers, but the Flickr gallery is being updated with the latest images. There are the Pillars of Creation, two galaxies merging, Jupiter in infrared, and the fiery hourglass.

In the 32-year run (and counting) of the Hubble Space Telescope is any indication, the JWT should continue giving us fantastic images for years to come.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is there static 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 that are 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

Technology means you can now do amazing things easily; but you couldn’t easily do them legally.

Lawrence lessig

Tweet Info

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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

Five Useful YouTube Features

YouTube has been around since 2005, and it’s one of the most visited websites in the world. Tons of features have been added to the YouTube website and apps over the years.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 13, 2022

YouTube has been around since 2005, and it’s one of the most visited websites in the world. Tons of features have been added to the YouTube website and apps over the years. Here are some features you may not know about.

This is for devices using YouTube. Screenshots are from iPhone XR running iOS 15.6+

Dilbert and Dilbert
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Save Videos to Watch Later

You have probably been browsing YouTube and come across a video that looks interesting. What if you do not have the time to watch it right at that moment? The Watch Later feature is perfect for this.

Watch Later is essentially just a playlist that you can add videos to for watching later. It’s great for saving videos that you do not want to forget about, and it works everywhere you can access the YouTube website or app.

First, find a YouTube video you want to watch later. Next, tap the Save icon in the toolbar below the video. Now, from the Menu that opens, select the Watch Later option. Refer to the below image:

YouTube Features 1
Selecting Watch Later option

Set YouTube Videos to Fill Your iPhone Screen

It’s pretty common for your phone’s display to have a different aspect ratio than YouTube videos. You can pinch to zoom to fill the full screen when watching a video, but you have to do that every time.

You can actually make it so videos will always fill the full screen. You will not have to pinch-to-zoom every time, but you will be able to zoom out if too much of the video is being cut off.

First, open the YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad device. Next, double-tap your profile icon in the top right-hand corner. Now, from the Manu that opens, select

Settings > General

and toggle Zoom to Fill Screen to ON. See the below image:

YouTube Features 2
Enabling Zoom to fill the screen

Skip Forward/Backward Fast

Here’s a quick tip that will save you a lot of time watching videos on the YouTube mobile app. Rather than using the seek bar to skip forward and back in the video, simply double-tap the left or right side of the video. See the following image:

YouTube Features 5
Skip Forward or Backward

Change the Double-Tap Skip Time

Speaking of double-tapping to skip forward or back in a video, you can adjust the length of these skips. By default, it’s 10-seconds. You can customize this length from 5 to 60 seconds. It’s a great thing to do if you find yourself tapping the video too much.

First, open the YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad, device. Next, double-tap your profile icon in the top right-hand corner. Now, from the Manu that opens, select

Settings > General

and select the Skip Forward and Back option. Next, choose one of the time increments from the Menu. Refer to the below image:

YouTube features 3
Set timer for Skip Forward and Backward

Speed Up or Slow Down a Video

YouTube videos do not have to be played at the speed of how they were uploaded. You can speed up or slow down any video you want. This is super handy for rewatching moments in slow motion or getting through long videos a little faster.

The Playback Speed controls can be accessed on the web and mobile apps. You can select a speed anywhere between 0.25- 2 times the normal speed, with 1 being the normal speed.

First, open the YouTube app and play a video. Next, tap the screen once to bring up the toolbar, Now, tap the Settings icon located in the upper right-hand corner of the video frame.

Next, in the Menu that pops up, select Playback speed. In the list that appears, select the speed you would like. See the below image:

YouTube Features 4
Set timer for Playback speed

Now, close the Menu, and the video will resume at the selected speed. If you need to change it back to the regular speed, repeat the above and change the speed to 1 for normal speed.

Quote For the Day

An outlook… at the vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator.

Wernher Von Braun

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Author’s E-Book

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

How to Delete/Hide Chrome Shortcuts From New Tab Page

Google Chrome keeps shortcuts to your most visited sites on its home page. If you do not find this list useful, you can either individually remove these shortcuts or hide all the shortcuts at once.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
September 29, 2022

Google Chrome keeps shortcuts to your most visited sites on its home page. If you do not find this list useful, you can either individually remove these shortcuts or hide all the shortcuts at once. Let’s explore how to do this.

Tip: When you delete a shortcut, that item’s gone forever. However, you can bring back all your hidden shortcuts at once with a few clicks.

This is for devices running the latest version of Google Chrome. Screenshots are from Windows 10

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Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Delete a New Tab Shortcut

To individually remove your site shortcuts from the New Tab page, first, open a new tab in Chrome. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+T (Windows) or Command+T (Mac).

Next, on the New Tab page, find the shortcut you want to delete. Hover your cursor in that shortcut’s top-right corner, then click the three dots (the Menu icon) that appear. Refer to the below image:

Chrome Shortcuts 1
Accessing the shortcut Menu on the New Tab page

Now, in the three-dot Menu icon, choose Remove. See the below image:

Chrome Shortcuts 2
Selecting to Remove the shortcut

Instantly, Chrome will remove the selected shortcut from your New Tab page.

Note: If you accidentally delete a shortcut, you can restore it by clicking Undo in the confirmation message that opens at the bottom left-hand corner.

Hide All New Tab Shortcuts

If you do not wish to see any shortcuts at all, you can hide all of them with a few easy clicks.

First, launch a New Tab in Chrome. Then, in the New Tab screen’s bottom right-hand corner, select the Pencil icon for Customize this page. See the following image:

Chrome Shortcuts 3
Selecting the Pencil icon

Next, in the left sidebar of the open window, click Shortcuts. Refer to the below image:

Chrome Shortcuts 4
Selecting the Shortcuts option

Now, on the right pane, toggle the Hide Shortcuts option to ON. Then, at the bottom, click Done. See the below image:

Note: Later, to unhide your shortcuts and bring them back to your New Tab page, toggle the Hide Shortcuts option to OFF and click Done.

Chrome Shortcuts 5
Enabling to Hide shortcuts

Back on the New Tab page, you will find all your site shortcuts are gone.

Quote For the Day

Technology is so much fun but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge

Daniel J Boorstin

Tweet Info

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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

How To Setup Marketplace Alerts on Facebook

Facebook Marketplace has become the go-to place for selling things online. If you are on the lookout for a specific item, an alert can help you hopefully snag a great deal before everyone else.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
September 22, 2022

Facebook Marketplace has become the go-to place for selling things online. If you are on the lookout for a specific item, an alert can help you hopefully snag a great deal before everyone else. Let’s explore this Facebook feature.

Be aware that by using Marketplace, you may be scammed. In a recent survey, one in six (17%) respondents had been defrauded on the site.

Note! Technology is always changing. This means if you are implementing this post, your OS (PC, Mac), iOS (iPhone), iPadOS (iPad), and Android screens or text may not resemble this post’s contents, especially, if you are looking at a post years old.

This is for desktops using Facebook

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Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Setting up an alert will allow you to be notified when new items matching your search parameters are posted. You can skip the search process and always know when new items are posted.

First, head on over to Facebook.com in your desktop browser. Click the Marketplace icon in the sidebar or top bar. Refer to the below image:

FB Marketplace 1
Selecting Marketplace

Next, use the search box to enter what you are looking for. See the below image:

FB Marketplace 2
Locate an item

Now, click the Notify Me button under the search bar. See the following image:

FB Marketplace 3
Selecting Notify Me

Next, in the pop-up window that opens, enter a minimum and maximum price and adjust the search radius if you would like. Then click Create Alert to finish. Refer to the below image:

FB Marketplace 4
Setup search parameters

Now, to edit or remove an alert, repeat the search and click Edit Alert. See the below image:

FB Marketplace 5
Selecting to Edit Alert

Next, you will have the option to adjust the parameters or Remove Alert. See the following image:

FB Marketplace 6
Change Parameters or Remove Alert

Facebook Marketplace has a lot of advantages over other online sellers like Craigslist. If you do a lot of shopping in the Marketplace, you should take advantage of the alert feature.

Quote For the Day

It’s not that we use technology, we live technology.

Godfrey Reggio

Tweet Info

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.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. 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.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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