Tag: PC

PC

What Is the Green Dot on Facebook and Messenger

Wondering why Facebook displays a green dot on someone’s profile picture, in the Messenger app, and next to the camera icon in Messenger? What the green dot means is context-dependent.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
September 19, 2023

This is for mobile devices and desktops using Facebook and Messenger. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Wondering why Facebook displays a green dot on someone’s profile picture, in the Messenger app, and next to the camera icon in Messenger? What the green dot means is context-dependent. Let’s decode this green dot.

Key Points

  •  The green dot on someone’s Facebook profile picture indicates that they are active on the Facebook platform, whether on the site, through the app, or on the Messenger app.
  •  In Facebook Messenger, the green dot next to people’s profile pictures confirms that they are currently active on Facebook, either through Messenger, the app, or the site.
  •  A green dot next to the camera icon in Messenger means that the user is available for a video call.
  • Disable the feature so others do not know you are active on Facebook or Messenger.

Green Dot on Facebook

On Facebook’s desktop site or mobile app, when you visit someone’s profile page, you might have seen a green dot. This green dot indicates that the user is active on the Facebook platform. Refer to the below image:

Green Dot 1
The user is active on the Facebook platform

The dot does not necessarily mean the user is active on the Facebook site. The user may be using the Facebook app or even the Messenger app. But if you see it, it means the user is active somewhere within the Facebook network and it can stand in as an online indicator.

Green Dot on Messenger

While scrolling chat lists in the Messenger app, you may have seen green dots appearing in the bottom-right corner of people’s profile pictures. These green dots indicate that those users are currently active on Facebook. See the below image:

Green Dot 2

Those users may be active on Messenger, the Facebook app, or the Facebook site. The dot just indicates that they are active somewhere on the Facebook platform.

Green Dot Next to Camera Icon on Messenger

When you see a green dot next to the camera icon in the Messenger app, it means that the user is available for a video call in the app. This indicator is separate from the profile picture indicator we discussed in the previous two sections and only references video call availability. See the following image:

Green Dot 3
The user is available for a video call

So when you see the camera-adjacent green dot you know the user has Messenger installed, and it’s possible for you to initiate a video call with them.

Disable Active Status on Desktop Facebook Website

  1. In a browser, log in to Facebook and then click the Messenger icon in the top-right corner of the page.
  2. Click the Menu icon (three dots)  at the top of the chats window.
  3. Click Active Status.
  4. Toggle off the switch next to Active Status: ON to disable it. The switch will be turned OFF.

You can enable the Active Status at any time. by toggling the switch to the ON position.

Note! A couple of additional options in the Active Status window allow you to appear active for some friends, but not others, and vice versa. Simply tap the edit button to select which friends you want to include in either list. Refer to the below image:

Green Dot 4
Active Status options

You can disable the feature on your mobile device but it’s more complicated.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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 you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.

Josh James

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 Use Google Lens

Google Lens is an image and text recognition app that uses Google Search to deliver results based on what it sees in photos.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
August 22, 2023

This is for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Desktop. Screenshots are from iPhone and Windows 10

Google Lens is an image and text recognition app that uses Google Search to deliver results based on what it sees in photos.

You have probably seen the colorful camera icon in the Google Search bar or the Google app. It’s an unassuming shortcut that leads to a variety of impressive abilities. This is Google Lens, and it’s a Google app you should know.

What is Google Lens

Google Lens is most easily described as the visual component of Google Search. You typically do Google Searches with HR text queries, but Google Lens uses images and your camera as input. It identifies things in images; such as QR codes, plants, text, and products; then delivers information or search results related to the object or text.

Long-time smartphone users may remember an app called “Google Goggles.” It was launched in 2010, and it was one of our first looks at what image recognition software could do with the cameras we were starting to carry around with us everywhere. Goggles was the precursor to Google Lens.

Google Lens was officially launched in 2017 and pre-installed on the Pixel 2 smartphone. Since then, Lens has slowly crept into more and more Google services: Google Assistant, Google Search, and Google Photos. Google Lens will also be integrated with the company’s AI chatbot, Google Bard.

What Does Google Lens Do

Google Lens essentially lets you do Google Searches by simply pointing your camera at things. What it can do with what it sees is pretty amazing. Google Lens can tell you a lot more than just what you’re looking at.

Got a math equation that you can not figure out? Do not bother typing the whole thing into your calculator point Google Lens at it. See some text in the real world that you do not feel like manually typing? Snap a photo and let Google Lens copy it for you. Find a weird bug in your backyard that you are not sure about? Google Lens can identify it for you.

These are just some of the simple things you can do with Google Lens. It can also read text from the real world out loud, translate text, search the web for an image you found, and tell you where to buy something you see out in the world.

How to Use

Google Lens is available in the Google app for iPhone, iPad, and Android; simply tap the colorful camera icon in the search bar. In a desktop browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, you can use Lens by clicking the icon in the search bar on Google.com.

Using an iPhone, iPad, and Android

To use Google Lens on the iPhone, iPad, and Android, first, open the Google app and tap the colorful camera icon on the right side of the search bar. Refer to the below image:

Google Lens 1
Selecting Google Lens

Next, you can choose from different functions under the shutter button before pointing your camera at an object or text and snapping a photo. See the below image:

Google Lens 2
Accessing your search

Now, you can also use photos you already took from the section under the viewfinder for Lens searches. See the following image:

Google Lens 3
Choosing an image

That’s how easy it is to use Google Lens! If you have an Android phone, you may also be able to use Lens directly from one of the multiple modes in the camera app.

Using on the Desktop

To use Google Lens on the web, in a desktop browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, first head to Google.com and tap the colorful camera icon on the right side of the search bar. Refer to the below image:

Google Lens 4
Selecting Google Lens

Next, you can either drag a photo into the box, browse for a photo on your device, or paste a link to a photo. See the below image:

Google Lens 5
Drag and Drop an image to search

Now you can select text in the image, see visually similar images, or click Find the Image Source to try and find where the image originated from. See the following image:

Google Lens 6
Your image search results
Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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

Tribalism is a social form which can exist at any level of technology. It’s a complete illusion to associate it with low levels of technology. It is probably, in fact, a form of social organization second only to the family in its ability to endure.

Terance McKenna

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 Use Everything App for Windows

At the top of our shortlist of outstanding apps is Everything. This app has been around for a long time but we have recently discovered the Windows app.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
August 8, 2023

This is for Windows XP through Windows 11. Screenshots are from Windows 10

At the top of our shortlist of outstanding apps is Everything. This app has been around for a long time but we have recently discovered the Windows app. It’s now an integral part of our Windows apps.

What is Everything

Everything is a Windows freeware file search application created by programmer David Carpenter in 2008.

The single most notable thing about Everything is the speed.

If you have ever used Windows file search (File Explorer)or even some third-party file search tools, the most memorable thing about the experience is how long it takes.

Even after all these years, Windows file search is agonizingly slow. Truly, it’s agony. In an age of inexpensive SSDs with instant booting and instant program loading, waiting thirty seconds for Windows to grind through a search feels like torture. It does not matter if you are still using Windows 7 or upgraded to Windows 11, Windows search has never been speedy.

Everything sidesteps the shortcomings of the Windows file search by doing something that was novel when the application was first released and remains novel; it taps right into the file table at the file system level for lightning-fast search.

How fast is it? It’s so fast that if you create a new file, by the time you open up the Everything search box a moment later, the file is instantly in the index. It’s unlikely you could create the file and get to the search box fast enough to beat the nearly instantaneous addition of the entry into the Everything index.

The only downside to Everything is that it works off the file table and the file names and does not index the contents of the files. If you need a tool that will look deep into documents and help you find key phrases, this tool is not it. But if you are just trying to find where, exactly, you put your tax returns from five years ago, it’s almost magical in its speed and efficiency.

Why Is It Indispensable

We have a huge number of files, across a huge number of folders and drives. But as long as we name files and folders sensibly as they come in, it does not matter where they end up. They could be on the C drive, the G drive (portable external drive), or even buried in a network drive hosted somewhere (you can enable network drive search in the Everything settings).

No matter where the files are, you can find them if you member even a fraction of the folder or file name. Old taxes, work forms, Photoshop projects, comic books you hoarded five years ago, you name it. If you want it, you can churn it up to the surface with a few keywords.

For example, I need to find old tax returns to answer questions from the IRS about depreciation. That made me say, “Didn’t I squirrel those returns somewhere?” and sure enough, I did. I might have forgotten where they were, but Everything did not. Refer to the below image:

Everything 1
Everything displaying tax returns

You do not need wildcards for your search. Everything search implies wildcard searches; the app will find all files/folders that include your search criteria. In the menu bar, select Search to view more options. See the below image:

Everything 1
Accessing the Search options

It instantly scanned hundreds of thousands of files and folders on my computer and the attached drives to find exactly what I wanted.

If you can remember anything about the file; part of the name, the file extension, the root directory it might be deeply buried in; you can dig it up with a few keystrokes.

Even on my laptops, where the files are definitely not stacked terabytes deep, I still install Everything, I certainly do not want to be stuck waiting for Windows search to sift through the files at a slow pace.

it’s freeware. So Download it. The website name has an odd name, Voidtools, but this is the download page.

Take Notice

If you need to download this app or any other on a desktop or laptop, always download it from the manufacturer. Another safe bet is to download from a store like Apple Store or Microsoft Store.

Never download from these websites:

FileHorse
Softonic
CNET
Download 82
Softlay
Dealnews
Windowsinside
Us7p
Files10
Soft112
UpdateStar
Techno360
ColorMango
MajorGeeks
FileHonor
FilesWin
iGeeksBlog
Neowin
Linenseapps
Business Wire
SoftwareKeep
TechShout
Windows Latest’
Wondershare
Slant
iMobie
BitsDuJour
Softfree.eu
Uptodown
FreeProSoftz
TechWhoop
Tickcoupon
CrackDJ
AbbasPC
Giev Away of the Day
GroovyPost
TechGeek365
TechMoran
Digital Connect Mag
Malavida
…. and 16 more

The above websites should be banned. If you download from any other site besides the manufacturer or a store, expect viruses and malware to appear. If this happens, immediately Shutdown and/or Restart your PC and run a virus scan.

As a test, I downloaded it from File Horse. I got popups from Google Chrome saying my PC has been hacked followed by a full webpage saying my PC is corrupted. I got rid of the messages. but I had more problems. The FtleHorse website gave the site access to everything on my PC. I had to manually go through Google Privacy and Security Settings to block each access.

I recommend only using Voidtools website for downloading. Then feel the speed of searching, Everything, on your computer instantly.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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 most intractable problem today is not pollution or technology or war; but the lack of belief that the future is very much in the hands of the individual.

Margaret Mead

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 Make a Slideshow on Google Photos

Using Google Photos‘ slideshow feature, you can have all or specific album photos play one after another automatically. You can make this slideshow on both your desktop and your mobile device.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
July 25, 2023

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

Using Google Photos‘ slideshow feature, you can have all or specific album photos play one after another automatically. You can make this slideshow on both your desktop and your mobile device. Let’s explore how this is done.

On Your Desktop

To create a slideshow on your desktop computer, first, open a web browser and launch the Google Photos site. Sign in to your account on the site if you have not already.

Next, once you see your photos, if you want to include all your photos in the slideshow, then click the first photo on the main screen to open it in full screen.

Now, once the photo opens in full screen, at the top-right corner, click the three dots (the Menu icon). Refer to the below image:

Photos 1
Selecting the Menu icon

Next, in the menu that opens, click Slideshow. See the below image:

Photos 2
Selecting the Slideshow option

Now, your browser will go full screen and your slideshow will start playing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy recollecting your memories with your photos.

Next, you can stop the slideshow at any time by pressing the Esc key on your keyboard. See the following image:

Photos 3
Exiting the Slideshow

Now, if you would like to make a slideshow using photos from a specific album, then access that album on Google Photos. On the album page, in the top-right corner, click the three dots (the Menu icon). Refer to the below image:

Photos 4
Selecting the Menu icon

Next, from the three dots (the Menu icon), select Slideshow to start playing your photos. You can close the slideshow by pressing the Esc key. See the below image:

Photos 5
Selecting the Slideshow option

On Your Mobile

To play your photos slideshow on your phone, first, launch the Google Photos app on your phone.

Next, to include all your photos in the slideshow, then tap the first photo on the main screen.

Now, when your photo opens in full screen, in the top-right corner, tap the three dots (the Menu icon). See the following image:

Photos 6
Selecting the Menu icon

Next, from the three dots (the Menu icon), select Slideshow to start playing your photos. Refer to the below image:

Photos 7
Selecting the Slideshow option

Now, Google Photos will start playing a slideshow for all your photos. If you would like to stop this slideshow, tap anywhere on the screen then tap Done in the top-left corner. See the below image:

Photos 8
Exiting the Slideshow

To create a slideshow using photos from a particular album, first, tap Library and choose your photo album. Select the first photo in the album, then in the top-right corner, tap the three dots (the Menu icon). See the following image:

Photos 9
Selecting the Menu icon

Next, in the menu that opens, tap Slideshow. Refer to the below image:

Photos 10
Selecting the Slideshow option

Now, your slideshow containing photos only from the selected album will play. If you would like to stop this slideshow, tap anywhere on the screen then tap Done in the top-left corner. See the below image:

Photos 11
Exiting the Slideshow

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing; there is rarely 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

My view is that if your philosophy is not unsettled daily then you are blind to all the universe has to offer.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

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.

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

Threads the New Social Media App

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has made a history of copying features from other platforms. This time, Meta has launched Threads, a social media app connected to Instagram that works more like Twitter and should eventually connect to Mastodon.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
July 18, 2023

As of this writing, We have reached 50,000 views in 487 posts!!!

This is for devices that use social media

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has made a history of copying features from other platforms. This time, Meta has launched Threads, a social media app connected to Instagram that works more like Twitter and should eventually connect to Mastodon.

Meta, as the maker of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has been after Twitter for many, many years. The company attempted to buy Twitter back in 2008, but that did not work out. Last year, Elon Musk acquired Twitter, and then promptly ran it into the ground. That has led to a surge in popularity for Twitter-like platforms, and now Meta’s app is live.

What Is Threads

Threads is a micro-blogging platform that looks and feels just like Twitter, letting you post texts up to 500 characters. This is almost twice Twitter’s 280-character standard limit, but still just enough for posts to not look like so much text. The platform itself is heavily linked to Instagram, and if you have an Instagram account, you can sign up for Threads with a couple of taps. All handles are pre-reserved; your username on Instagram will be your username on Threads. Refer to the below image of Threads:

Threads 2

Threads is actually seeing plenty of adoption, with the platform getting up to 20 million users within the first hours of launch. However, many of those accounts are brands instead of actual people. Instagram’s user base is in the billions, so we can only expect this number to keep increasing as time passes.

As it keeps growing, we can also expect a number of other changes, too. Threads is supposed to play nice with Mastodon and the Fediverse, and it will be getting ActivityPub support down the road. The exact degree to which Mastodon and Threads will be interoperable remains to be seen, but you will be able to follow and interact with Mastodon users from Threads. Likewise, Mastodon users will be able to follow Threads users by using their full username, such as “@john@threads.net.”

Pause Before You Download

Be aware of Threads Privacy Policy and the Dara the app collects. In our opinion, the app collects way too much data about you. This includes Data from your: Health/Fitness, Financial info, Contact info, User Content, Browsing history, Usage data, Diagnostics, Purchases, Location, Contacts, Search history, Identifiers, Sensitive data, and Other data.

In contrast, Facebook and Instagram only track Contact info, Identifiers, and Other data.

According to its Privacy Policy, you cannot delete your Threads account, until you delete your Instagram account. You can deactivate your Threads account at any time but you can not delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account.

Our Summary

We recommend you wait until the Data collection and Privacy Policy issues are addressed.

If You Want to Download the App

If you want to give it a spin, Threads is now available from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. In the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the app name is “Threads, an Instagram app”. There are other Threads apps, so ensure you download the correct one.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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

Always deliver more than expected.

Larry Page

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.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

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 Change Link Handling in Outlook for Windows

You may have noticed that opening a link in Outlook behaves differently and not in your chosen browser. That’s because Microsoft wants to push their Edge browser, though they have some excuses for the change.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
July 11, 2023

This is for devices running Microsoft Outlook. Screenshots are from Microsoft Outlook 365 in Windows 10

You may have noticed that opening a link in Outlook behaves differently and not in your chosen browser. That’s because Microsoft wants to push their Edge browser, though they have some excuses for the change.

When you click on a link in Outlook for Windows, it might open in the Edge browser, even though you have chosen a different default browser in Windows settings (like Chrome or Firefox).

And instead of just opening the web page, the email appears in a right side-pane alongside the link you clicked. Refer to the below image:

Link Handling 1
Side-by-Side View

According to Microsoft, this change means “No more disruptive switching—just your email and the web content you need to reference, in a single, side-by-side view.” They may have a point and it’s a change that suits some people.  

It’s also a shameless attempt to push people to the Edge browser by overriding their browser choice with Microsoft’s preference.

This applies to Windows 10 or 11 only. Microsoft only says this is for ‘Outlook’ not which versions, but presumably Outlook 365 for Windows. For now, it only works on Microsoft-hosted emails including Outlook.com/Hotmail however it will be extended to Gmail later.

Change Browser via Windows

First, the default browser is chosen in Windows. To set up this browser, head to:

Settings | Apps | Default Apps

and choose your preferred browser. See the below image:

Link Handling 2
Setting Chrome as the web browser in Windows

Change the Search Engine and Default Browser

Next, for Chrome, ensure you have set the search engine. To find out, open Chrome and head to:

Menu (the 3 dots in the upper right) | Settings | Search engine

and, if necessary, set your search engine to Chrome. See the following image:

Link Handling 3
Setting Chrome as the search engine

Now, for Chrome, ensure you have set the default browser. To find out, open Chrome and head to:

Menu (the 3 dots in the upper right) | Settings | Default browser

Refer to the below image:

Link Handling 5
Your default browser

The reason why we are doing the above is to ensure we are using Google products. You can have Firefox as your browser and Chrome as your search engine.

Change Outlook Links Default Browser

Next, open Outlook and go to:

File | Options | Advanced | Link Handling

to change the browser to Default Browser. See the below image:

Link Handling 4
Setting Default Browser in Outlook

Side-by-Side View May Not Work

To be honest, you may not get this feature to work no matter what combination of Outlook, Windows, and Edge you try. We prefer to test for ourselves and not take Microsoft’s word. If your email links open in your browser with no side-by-side view, do not worry.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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

Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.

Guy Kawasaki

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 Add Weather to Your Lock Screen in Windows 10 and 11

People love to check the weather. On your phone, smartwatch, or computer, it’s nice to have easy access to this information.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
June 27, 2023

This is for devices running Windows 10 and 11

People love to check the weather. On your phone, smartwatch, or computer, it’s nice to have easy access to this information. Windows 10 and Windows 11 allow you to put the weather on the Lock Screen.

For Windows 10

To add Weather to the Windows 10 Lock Screen, here’s a summary.

Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > Change the background to “Windows Spotlight” > Choose “Weather” as the app to display.

Now, for the details. First, open Settings on your Windows 10 PC and go to the Personalization section. Refer to the below image:

Weather 1
Accessing Personalization

Next, select the Lock Screen section. See the below image:

Weather 2
Selecting the Lock Screen section

Now, make sure the Background drop-down menu is set to Windows spotlight. See the following image:

Weather 3
Selecting Windows spotlight

Next, select the app icon under the text that reads: Choose one app to show detailed status on the lock screen. Refer to the below image:

Weather 4
Selecting the one app icon

Now, choose Weather from the list of available apps. See the below image:

Weather 5
Selecting Weather app

That’s all there is to it! The weather information will be shown underneath the clock and the date on the Lock Screen.

For Windows 11

To add Weather to the Windows 11 Lock Screen, here’s a summary.

Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > Choose “Weather” for the “Lock Screen Status” feature.

Note! You need to have Microsoft’s MSN Weather app installed for this to be available.

First, open Settings on your Windows 11 PC and select Personalization. See the following image:

Weather 6
Accessing Personalization

Now, go to the Lock Screen section. Refer to the below image:

Weather 7
Selecting the Lock Screen option

Next, look for Lock Screen Status and select Weather from the drop-down menu. This will not be available if you do not have the MSN Weather app installed. See the below image:

Weather 8
Selecting Weather app

That’s it! The weather information will appear centered at the bottom of the Lock Screen.

You may not look at the Lock Screen on your Windows PC as much as your smartphone, but it’s mostly a blank canvas for glanceable information.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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

There is a difference between what technology enables and what historical business practices enable.

Bill Gates

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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

Is it Okay to Run Your Laptop With the Lid Closed

If you use your laptop with an external display docked at a desk, you may want to run it with its lid closed to save space. However, your laptop was not designed to run full-tilt with a closed lid, right?

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
June 20, 2023

This is for laptops

If you use your laptop with an external display docked at a desk, you may want to run it with its lid closed to save space. However, your laptop was not designed to run full-tilt with a closed lid, right?

Depends on the Laptop

The main concern when using a laptop with the lid closed is inadequate cooling. However, whether this is true depends on the cooling design of the specific laptop. If we are talking about the fanless, low-power M1 or M2 MacBook Air computers, you can run them this way. You can even buy stands designed for this use case.

On the other hand, if you have a workstation or gaming laptop, there is a good chance that the top deck of the computer plays a role in ventilation. If you close the lid, it can affect airflow. Some laptops are designed to lift the bottom of the laptop off the surface of your desk when the screen opens. With this type of design, running the system with the lid closed is not a good idea.

If you are unsure, check with the manufacturer whether they condone running the system under load with the lid closed.

Heat Can Damage the LCDs

Even if your laptop can adequately cool its CPU and GPU with the lid closed, another consideration is whether the LCD panel could be damaged by being close to the hot laptop body during operation.

Like any electronic device, LCD panels have a maximum safe operating temperature. The exact numbers differ from one device to the next but are typically between 40C and 60C, based on the specifications we have read. Since a closed laptop screen traps a layer of air between itself and the laptop body, it’s conceivable that the temperature in that gap can reach the point where it affects the lifespan of the liquid crystals or the screen’s coating.

Of course, it’s difficult to state conclusively that the heat from your high-performance laptop will damage the laptop’s LCD in either the short or the long term. However, it stands to reason that subjecting an LCD to temperatures outside the room-temperature range it was designed for is a bad idea.

Cooling Pads?

Cooling pads are popular as laptop stands with integrated cooling fans and vents. The idea is that they remove heat from the laptop through its vents and body so that the internal fans do not have to work as hard.

In theory, this is not a bad idea, but it depends on the exact cooling design of your laptop and the cooling pad. Even then, cooling pads offer relatively small drops in temperature, and they are not helping cool the gap between your screen and laptop body directly.

Running Overnight or as a Server?

Some users are not looking to run a laptop with its lid closed while attached to an external display. For example, you might be using your old laptop as an in-home server, or downloading to run overnight.

Assuming you are sure any vents are not blocked (and enabled it to run while the lid’s closed), you can leave the laptop running with the lid closed if it’s only doing medium or low-intensity work that will not heat it up much.

However, you can go the middle way and close the lid just enough to switch off the screen, but not enough to close the laptop entirely. As long as hot air is not venting directly onto the screen, this should work. However, it will not do much to keep dust out, so be prepared to clean your laptop regularly.

So What Is the Problem?

If your laptop is overheating or throttling its performance when you have the lid closed, that’s clearly an issue, and you should strongly consider opening the lid to prevent this from happening. If you are mainly worried that heat exposure will ruin your laptop screen, there’s no clear evidence we could find that this is the case. We have run laptops with their lids closed for years and have never experienced a display failure that could be directly linked to heat. That being said, it’s impossible to rule it out entirely.

Ultimately, the only safe option is to run your laptop with the lid open. Besides, this offers a second screen if you are using an external monitor, which is almost always more useful than only having a single display. Then again, running your laptop with the lid closed frees up space-saving benefits, so the tradeoff depends on how much you value form over function, or what specific job you need your laptop to do.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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

Art is obsolete now. New technologies are taking over.

Jeff Koons

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 Use Bionic Reading in Chrome

We are all constantly absorbing information online. Bionic Reading is an approach to reading that can help you read faster, retain more information, and boost your productivity in your favorite web browser, like Chrome.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
June 6, 2023

This is for desktops using Chrome or other browsers. Screenshots are from Windows 10

We are all constantly absorbing information online. Bionic Reading is an approach to reading that can help you read faster, retain more information, and boost your productivity in your favorite web browser, like Chrome.

Bionic Reading Explained

Bionic reading is a method of reading that combines traditional reading with technology-assisted tools. This helps readers increase their reading speed, improve their comprehension and retention, and ultimately become more productive in their reading activities.

Was the above paragraph easier and quicker to read? If you said yes, then you have just experienced some of the benefits of Bionic Reading. Now, imagine that but for a whole article, essay, or book.

Your brain does not always read every letter of every word. It only intakes enough information for you to understand a word, and then it moves on to the next one. The bolding of the first half of each word lets your mind fast-track through paragraphs.

The bolding aspect is the most notable factor in Bionic Reading, but there’s more as well. A lot of apps and extensions also remove colors from images and change white or black backgrounds to gray. These changes help your eyes focus on the text.

Why Use Bionic Reading

Using Bionic Reading in Chrome, or any other web browser, can offer several benefits.

It can help you read faster and more efficiently, which allows you to cover more material in less time.

Bionic Reading can also help you retain more information by training your brain to focus on the most important parts of any text.

As a result of the two above-mentioned benefits, it can improve your productivity by allowing you to process information more effectively. This can be particularly useful in academic or work-related settings.

Bionic Reading in any browser can be a valuable tool for anyone looking to optimize their online reading experience.

Think of Bionic Reading as akin to Speed Reading but they are different in their approach. Speed Reading is the process of rapidly recognizing and absorbing phrases or sentences on a page all at once, rather than identifying individual words.

How Bionic Reading Helps You

Bionic Reading helps you read faster and more efficiently with techniques including skimming, scanning, chunking, and altering images to be easier on the eye. Refer to the below image:

Bionic Reader 1
Bionic Reading example from Chrome Web Store

For example, when you skim a text, you quickly glance through it to get a general idea of the content without reading every word. Similarly, when you scan a text, you search for specific keywords or phrases that are relevant to your reading goals.

By using these techniques, you can save time and energy. Bionic Reading tools like web browser extensions or apps can help automate some of these techniques.

Bionic Reading Trains Your Brain to Retain Information

By using Bionic Reading, you can begin to retain more information by training your brain to focus on the most crucial parts of any text, such as key concepts, arguments, or evidence.

Through using techniques like skimming or scanning (as mentioned above), you can quickly identify the main points of the text and decide what information is relevant to your reading goals. In turn, this uses less mental energy.

By consistently applying these techniques, you can train your brain to become more efficient at processing and retaining information. Studying, researching, and editing your own work can become easier as a result.

Bionic Reading Improves Your Productivity

Before we go into how Bionic Reading increases your productivity, you need a frame of reference for how your productivity can suffer through everyday means.

Using your eyes takes up about 50% of your brain power. That’s more than any of your other senses. We, as humans, heavily rely on our vision for pretty much everything we do.

As your brain becomes able to retain more information, you will need to re-read the same text less often.

Reading faster and more efficiently drastically cuts down on the stress your eyes and brain suffer while researching, writing, and doing similar work, especially when you are mentally digesting new information.

To summarize, by improving your reading efficiency and training your brain to better retain information, your productivity should increase.

Bionic Reading Chrome Extension

You can get the Bionic Reading extension for Chrome on the Chrome Web Store. See the below image:

Bionic Reader 2
Adding Bionic Reading Chrome extension

At the top of a Chrome window, click the Menu icon (the 3 dots) to open the Menu. Now, click More Tools > Extensions to view the extension. See the following image:

Bionic Reader 3
Bionic Reading Chrome extension

After installing it, you can manage the Bionic Reading extension through the Extensions menu at the top-right of your window (click the little jigsaw piece icon). Refer to the below image:

Bionic Reader 4

Activate Bionic Reading

You are now ready to begin using the Bionic Reading extension! When you want to activate it on any given webpage, all you need to do is click the jigsaw piece icon at the top-right of your window and then click the Bionic Reading icon. To turn Bionic Reading off, do the same thing again. See the below image:

Bionic Reader 5
Bionic Reading example

Everything is removed from the web page but the text. That’s all there is to it! Start saving your energy for tougher tasks by letting Bionic Reading do the heavy visual lifting.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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 would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact.

Elon Musk

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

Using a Keyboard Shortcut to Clear Your Browser History

Want to clear your browser history quickly? There’s a keyboard shortcut for that. It works in any browser, including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox (on both Windows PCs and Macs.)

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
May 30, 2023

This is for popular browsers on a PC or Mac

Want to clear your browser history quickly? There’s a keyboard shortcut for that. It works in any browser, including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox (on both Windows PCs and Macs.)

Depending on your web browser of choice, you can speed things up in the future by activating the Clear button with a few keystrokes. You may have to tab through the interface to select the Clear button before hitting Enter.

Here’s how it works on a few popular browsers on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC:

  • Google Chrome: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete and press Enter.
  • Mozilla Firefox: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete and press Enter.
  • Microsoft Edge: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete and press Enter.

You can now configure exactly what you want to delete. Your browser will remember the settings you pick here, so you will only have to set this up once.

You can pick a time range, or history from a time period like the last hour, last 24 hours, last week, or from all time. You can also pick the types of data: browsing history, download history, cookies, cached files, and more.

When you are done, click the Clear data or Clear now button. Refer to the below image for Chrome:

Clear Chrome 1
Selecting to Clear data in Chrome

Incognito Mode

In the future, you can eliminate the need to clear your browser history by browsing in a private-browsing mode, like Incognito Mode in Chrome. You will just have to close the private-browsing window, and your browser will immediately forget the history associated with your private browsing.

You can use keyboard shortcuts to open and close a private-browsing mode window, too.

  • Google Chrome: Press Ctrl+Shift+N
  • Mozilla Firefox: Press Ctrl+Shift+P
  • Safari or Chrome on a Mac: Press Command instead of Ctrl; for example, press Shift+Command+N.

When you are done, press Ctrl+W to close a single tab or Ctrl+Shift+W to close an entire window. (On a Mac, press Command instead of Ctrl.)

Just remember that Incognito Mode does not offer complete privacy online. It only prevents your web browser from storing your browsing history locally. You may want to combine it with a VPN to boost your online privacy.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and 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

Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.

Anton Chekhov

Tweet Info

That was easy. 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