2024 Archive
The Gadget Gurus, we have no prerequisites. Just ask questions about previous topics. I will also review the current tech news. We will do our best to answer computers, smartphones, apps, cameras, tablets, and internet questions. So bring your tech issues and enjoy the meeting.
Jan 8, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Let’s Look At Mobile Apps – If you have a smartphone or another mobile device, you probably use apps. To play games – Get turn-by-turn directions – Access news, books, weather, and more. Apps are easy to download and often free. Mobile apps can be so convenient that you might download them without considering how they’re paid for or what information they may gather from your device. I enjoy services, Shopping, Entertainment, and Apps.
Jan 22, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > What is a Chromebook? – A Chromebook is a new computer designed to help you get things done faster and easier and powered by Google’s Chrome OS™ and features built-in, up-to-date virus protection along with Google apps and services like Gmail™, Google Calendar™, Docs, and Google Play™ (plus thousands more in the Chrome Web Store™). In addition, unlike traditional PCs, Chromebooks update themselves automatically for free, so you always have the latest and most excellent version. At the same time, your stuff stays safe with Google Drive™ online file storage that’s automatically backed up. And Chromebooks play nicely with your other devices—your phone, tablet, or another computer—so you can stay in sync with your day.
Jan 29, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > The Gadget Gurus: I will review the current tech news. We will do our best to answer computers, smartphones, apps, cameras, tablets, and internet questions. So bring your tech issues and enjoy the meeting.
How to create a passkey for your Google account (and why you should) – By Jack Wallen ZDNet
Feb 5, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Online Shopping – Everyone loves saving money, and online shopping makes it easy. However, in the pre-internet age, if you wanted to save a few bucks, you had to visit several stores to compare prices or spend an entire Sunday afternoon cutting coupons.
Feb 12, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Low|Cost Wireless Providers |
Project Fi is a wireless service Google offers directly to users with coverage in 200+ countries.
Mint Mobile nationwide 4G LTE data coverage and unlimited talk and text is as low as $15 monthly.
Ting Their slogan is ‘Mobile That Makes Sense.
Feb 26, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Backing up data – why you need to do it! – Data loss can happen in many ways. One of the most common causes is a physical failure of the media the data is stored on; in addition, MalWare can infect your system and corrupt or encrypt files. You probably have everything saved on your PC’s hard drive. That hard drive will not live forever. To quote one of the tech geeks I follow, “There are only two types of hard drives – the ones that have failed and those that will fail.
Mar 11, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Navigating Google, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Wallet, Docs… | Google provides Internet services that let you search the Web, send an email, word processing, and spreadsheets. Type With Your Voice | You can edit a document by speaking in Google Docs. Note: This feature is only available in Chrome browsers.
Mar 25, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Learn What A Chromebook Can Do | If you own a Chromebook, here is where you start learning how to use it—Are you interested in buying a Chromebook? Learn what to look for.
Apr 8, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Settings Settings are essential if you expect the best experience running programs from the Web or directly on your computer. Web services, social networks, webmail, and even your banking service will have settings you should pay attention to. Many of these settings greatly influence how secure and private your online experience will be.
Apr 22, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Use Google Photo To Manage Your Digital Pictures| All photos are organized and easy to find. Pictures on your computer or smartphone are backed up safely, organized, and labeled automatically. Google Photos is my favorite tool for managing photos to share with friends.
May 6, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Browser – Search Engines – Research Tools A web browser or Internet browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.
May 20, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Using Search Tools How big is the Web? Currently, there are around 1.14 billion websites in the World. 17% of these websites are active, and 83% are inactive.
Jun 3, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Streaming Video Your Best TV Entertainment Value | Streaming video is content sent over the Internet and displayed in real|time. The user needs a player that can be either a browser, a set|top box, or built into a Smart TV.
Jun 17, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting >Privacy.com Virtual Credit Cards | Take control when you purchase online. Protect your card details and money by creating virtual cards at each place you spend online or for each purchase.
Friday, June 28, 2024, 11:AM | Learning Morse Code To Improve Cognitive Health | Join us for this one-hour presentation on Learning Morse code. We will explore its benefits to mental well-being and introduce you to the tools and resources necessary for learning this unique communication skill.
- You can view the live program stream by clicking the “Enter Online Meeting” link. Please try to check in 5 or 10 minutes before the program begins.
Jul 1, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Introduction to Spreadsheets | Spreadsheets have many uses in organizing and maintaining information. We use them extensively to collect and store information for future analysis or research.
Jul 15, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Financial Tools – Budget and Tracking Tools | Getting a handle on how much you earn and spend is critical to getting control of your finances. If you have time, writing down your expenses and earnings will give you a snapshot of your monthly cash flow. Creating a budget gives you a greater sense of control and awareness over your money, and it can also help you reach specific financial milestones.
Jul 29, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting >Individual User Accounts & Individual Email Addresses | You may want to work with multiple Windows user accounts on your computer for many reasons. Couples who share an email address between them or even have a single email address for the whole family may have issues in the modern online world.
Second Monday– Aug 12, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Learning Morse Code To Improve Cognitive Health; I will always review the current tech news. During the remainder of the session, we will discuss the techniques, processes, and tools for learning Morse Code. Your questions and issues are crucial to our discussion, so please bring them along and enjoy the meeting.
Note: Please submit your questions for discussion during our group meeting.
Aug 12, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Beginner Tips. | This collection of beginner tips is appropriate for all Chromebook and Windows users.
Aug 26, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Services Mostly Free | A collection of services I use. You might find a hidden gem or one that will prove helpful.
Sept 9, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > This & That, a random collection of fun and engaging online resources.
Sept 23, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Working With Your Digital Pictures Online | All your photos are organized and easy to find. Pictures on your computer or smartphone are safely backed up, organized, and labeled automatically. Google Photos is my favorite tool for managing photos to share with friends.
Oct 7, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Do You Think Your PC Has a Virus | A computer virus is a malicious code; viruses may also be called malware. Browser hijacking is unwanted software that modifies a web browser’s settings. A browser hijacker may replace the existing home page, error page, or search engine with its own.
Oct 21, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > What’s a Podcast? Podcasts are the new on-demand radio and video service. They can be videos or audio only. I personally mostly listen to audio podcasts. I use a podcast player, Pocket Casts app.
Nov 4, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Two Factor Authentication | Two|factor authentication means using two authentication methods. It is one of the best things you can do to ensure your accounts aren’t hacked.
Nov 18, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > United States Post Office – USPS | Consider creating an account on USPS.com; they have many services, including printing your package shipping labels with postage, getting notification of mail to be delivered, hold mail during vacations, and changing address. GotFreeFax.com | A Fax cover page plus three pages free, you can send two complimentary fax messages per day maximum.
Dec 2, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Optimize Your Computer, E-mail, and WEB Use | Windows 10 has a built-in real-time antivirus named Windows Defender. It automatically runs in the background, protecting all Windows users against viruses and other nasties.
Dec 16, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Back To The Basic | The “basics” aren’t just for beginners. You always hear something new or something you have forgotten because you haven’t used it for a long time.
Dec 30, 2024, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > Remote Support for Windows, Mac, and Android phones and tablets. | We have implemented a software system/tool to connect to your computer remotely. This allows us to provide remote help installing a program, using an application, and fixing a problem.
Jan 13, 2025, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > A Mesh Home Network? | Google WiFi Mesh networking is a way for information to pass through several directly connected nodes to one another. For example, a mesh WiFi router and its satellites act to get better WiFi signals encompassing a larger area. With Google WiFi, the satellite mesh units connect wirelessly to the base unit or can be connected using Ethernet cables.
Jan 20, 2025, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > The Gadget Gurus: I will review the current tech news. We will do our best to answer computers, smartphones, apps, cameras, tablets, and internet questions. So bring your tech issues and enjoy the meeting.