Tips for Holiday Wishlists and More

For the coming holiday season computer purchases for Mac or Windows, look for desktops or laptops that have 8 GB of RAM, ideally a solid-state drive, and at least two USB ports (you might want to buy a USB hub to expand that number). And avoid the lower end and slower processors like the i3 unless you really only do one thing at a time and most of your time is on the web. If you can, bring a picture of what ports and plugs you currently use on your computer to help the sales person steer you right. Finally, plan for backup.

Yahoo! Groups will officially cease to exist on December 14, with all of that content going away. They claim you still can use and create new groups, but you will be communicating with all group members via email. That defeats the purpose of having content up for new members to browse through the collected wisdom of the group.
Looking to waste less time on social media? Pick one day a week as a no-media day (or one day a month). Start a new hobby or revive an old one. Use the increasing number of built-in functions to track your app time. Resist the pressure to like and follow, but if you do, follow light-hearted and non-human content. Reward yourself for cutting down on your social media use.

Clean your computer and phone screens with a non-scratching cloth, such as a microfiber cloth or even a 100% cotton t-shirt, and commonly available rubbing alcohol. Turn off the laptop, computer or phone, then spray the cleaning solution on the cloth before actually rubbing the screen. Don’t press hard, especially on laptop screens or any flat panel displays. Let it dry, and turn it back on after you have cleaned off some of the other dirt and turned over the keyboard to shake out the cookie crumbs.

Google hasn’t upped its free storage cap of 15 GB since 2013, and that means that you might finally fill up your account and have to start paying for Google One. Business accounts have existed for some time, but now Google is pushing their $2 per month plan for 100 GB of storage (or $3 for 200 GB), so you can still keep those cat videos.

For the coming holiday season computer purchases for Mac or Windows, look for desktops or laptops that have 8 GB of RAM, ideally a solid-state drive, and at least two USB ports (you might want to buy a USB hub to expand that number). And avoid the lower end and slower processors like the i3 unless you really only do one thing at a time and most of your time is on the web. If you can, bring a picture of what ports and plugs you currently use on your computer to help the sales person steer you right. Finally, plan for backup.

Yahoo! Groups will officially cease to exist on December 14, with all of that content going away. They claim you still can use and create new groups, but you will be communicating with all group members via email. That defeats the purpose of having content up for new members to browse through the collected wisdom of the group.
Looking to waste less time on social media? Pick one day a week as a no-media day (or one day a month). Start a new hobby or revive an old one. Use the increasing number of built-in functions to track your app time. Resist the pressure to like and follow, but if you do, follow light-hearted and non-human content. Reward yourself for cutting down on your social media use.

Clean your computer and phone screens with a non-scratching cloth, such as a microfiber cloth or even a 100% cotton t-shirt, and commonly available rubbing alcohol. Turn off the laptop, computer or phone, then spray the cleaning solution on the cloth before actually rubbing the screen. Don’t press hard, especially on laptop screens or any flat panel displays. Let it dry, and turn it back on after you have cleaned off some of the other dirt and turned over the keyboard to shake out the cookie crumbs.

Google hasn’t upped its free storage cap of 15 GB since 2013, and that means that you might finally fill up your account and have to start paying for Google One. Business accounts have existed for some time, but now Google is pushing their $2 per month plan for 100 GB of storage (or $3 for 200 GB), so you can still keep those cat videos.

Google Maps, on iPhone and Android, now lets you turn on more detailed voice guidance if you are walking to your destination. Open the Google Maps app and go to your Settings. Choose Navigation, and then scroll down until you see Walking Options, then go to Detailed Voice Guidance. Slide the switch to enable the feature, and then explore your surroundings.