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11 June 2021 - Podcast #747 - (20:39)
It's Like NPR on the Web
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If you find the information TechByter Worldwide provides useful or interesting, please consider a contribution.
Computer users can choose from a variety of applications for just about every task, but sometimes the best choice can be an application for which the developer asks only a donation, and sometimes one that's provided for free without even a donation request. Let's consider some of those.
Social Fixer is a browser add-on that I described recently, so I'll be brief this time. Facebook can be most annoying and Social Fixer eliminates some of the annoyances and reduces others. It works only with browsers, not with the Facebook app on mobile devices. You'll find it in your browser's add-ons or extensions page. The developer requests donations and I send a few dollars several times a year.
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Q-Dir is another free application, but the developer does accept donations. Instead of viewing just a single directory, Q-Dir (which is short for Quad Directory) makes it possible to view up to four folders simultaneously. That alone is worth installing it if you have to move or copy files frequently from one location to another.
I gave Q-Dir a try around 2006 and immediately installed it on every computer I own. It's possible to set up favorites and one that I use frequently open a two-panel view with website development files on the left and website production directories on the right. Another shows four directories that I often use together.
Download Q-Dir from the developer's website.
As text editors go, Notepad should. Go, that is. Far and preferably soon. It's just not much of a text editor.
When you're using a text editor, you can do just one thing: write and edit the words. That's one of the reasons that I start TechByter Worldwide in a text editor most of the time. Although I generally use UltraEdit Studio, I keep a copy of Notepad++ on the computer because sometimes it's a better choice.
And Notepad++ is more than a text editor. It offers features that software developers will like. So regardless of how you might use a text editor, it's a good application to consider. Notepad++ includes several plug-ins and a plug-in manager so that users can obtain other plug-ins or even create their own.
Even if you're not a developer, a text editor helps writers by forcing them to focus entirely on the words instead of thinking about formatting. Software developers will like the fact that Notepad++ supports syntax highlighting and folding for nearly 30 programming languages, regular expressions, and synchronized edits.
Download Notepad++ from the developer's website.
Windows starts a lot of processes and services at boot time and some of the applications you've installed may start additional processes that display information in the Notification area or simply run quietly in the background. When Windows tries to start them all simultaneously, the result can be a slowdown caused by contention between the various processes.
Even if you're running a fast solid-state boot drive, Startup Delayer can help by organizing the dozens of applications and processes that start with Windows. If you have installed applications that you want to start with Windows, but you don't need them to start instantly, have Startup Delayer postpone them. I use TechSmith's SnagIt every day, but I can delay it for about 90 seconds without creating a problem. Likewise, I want Spotify to be running, but I let Startup Delayer run it five minutes after the computer boots.
If you're running anything but the very latest hardware and if you depend on more than a few applications to start when the computer starts, Startup Delayer can be even more beneficial.
Download Startup Delayer from R2 Studios.
If you've ever tried to delete a file that you no longer need and have been stopped by a message that says Cannot delete file: Access is denied or File is in use by another process, you probably muttered an epithet or two at the computer, rebooted the machine, and tried again. Maybe you were able to delete the file then, or maybe not because sometimes even rebooting won't release a locked file.
Warning: If a file is still locked following a reboot, make sure that you know what the file is and make sure that you really want to delete it. Deleting an important file cause cause a lot of trouble.
Rebooting probably isn't essential if you're sure that you want to delete a file after confirming that you no longer need it. Let's say you're editing a file in Word and decide you no longer want it. When you try to delete it, though, you get an error message. If the file is still open in Word, closing it should release the lock so that you can delete it, but sometimes the file remains locked.
In some cases, there may be a legitimate need to delete a file even though it is still in use by an application. LockHunter usually makes it possible to delete stuck files without having to restart the computer. In cases where that's not possible, you can have LockHunter mark the file for deletion at boot time. After installing Lock Hunter, you'll find that it's in the context menu, so right-clicking the file will let you call Lock Hunter
Download LockHunter from the developer's website.
Q-Dir and later versions of Windows File Explorer treat zip files like a directory, I still prefer to use a zip utility and I consider 7Zip to be the best, especially if you need to create zip files.
7Zip has its own (7Z) proprietary format, which offers tighter compression and better security than standard zip files. But because you can't count on most people to have 7Zip, sticking with the standard zip format is usually the better choice. Choose the 7Z format when you're sending files that need better security to someone who has 7Zip.
7Zip can handle just about any compressed files format. That includes Microsoft Office files such as docx and xlsx. Files for Word and Excel are really just zip files with non-zip extensions. Word files, for example, contain [Content_Types].xml, a docProps directory with more xml files, a word directory with several subdirectories and more xml files, and a _rels directory.
7Zip can create and extract files from 7z, xz, bzip2, gzip, tar, zip, and wim archives and it can also be used to extract files from more than 20 other archive formats such as iso, rar, wim, and z archives. Although compression ratios depend on the type of data being compressed, the 7z format is 30-70% smaller than zip format and, even if you stick with the standard zip format, 7Zip will provide slightly better compression.
Download 7Zip from the developer's website.
This is not an anti-dog message — just another in the series of security posts. This week it's about potentially unwanted programs (PUP). PUPs are also known as PUAs (potentially unwanted applications). No matter what you call them, they're bad news.
PUPs can compromise privacy or weaken a computer's security by replacing the user's preferred search engine or by displaying advertisements or even by watching for information that would be valuable to data thieves. Some companies bundle a wanted program download with a wrapper application that installs additional components without asking. Sometimes these unexpected extras are shown during installation, but in many cases they're hidden away on an "advanced" installation dialog that you won't see if you use the "recommended" installation procedure.
PUPs are also called "bundleware" and are presented to computer users as wonderful free extras. They are rarely wonderful and rarely free. Most PUPs can be removed via Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, but you have to know what they're called to find them. The IObit Uninstaller can help you find them because it explicitly lists bundleware, but BEWARE! IObit applications are well known for having their own bundleware that will be installed unless you opt out during the installation. Yes, there is a certain irony here.
Some unwanted software bundles install a root certificate on a user's device, which allows hackers to intercept private data such as banking details, without a browser giving security warnings. The US Department of Homeland Security has advised removing an insecure root certificate, because they make computers vulnerable to serious cyberattacks. (Source: Wikipedia)
When downloading applications, always download them from the developer's website if you can or from a site such as Older Geeks that doesn't populate download pages with highly visible buttons that lead to unwanted applications. The Older Geeks site refuses to engage in this common practice and is the best choice if the developer doesn't provide direct downloads.
Avoiding these unwanted applications is better than uninstalling them. Being cautious when installing new applications will avoid most of them. Watch for populated check boxes that are unrelated to the main application. Unchecky can scan software agreements and uncheck options that would install PUPs, but they won't catch everything. When applications offer both "standard" and "advanced" (or "custom") installation options, always choose "advanced" and then look for extras that the application wants to include.
If you'd like to read more, check out the Make Use Of website's How to Install Windows Software Without the Bundled Junk article.
What can you do when your internet connection becomes so inconsistent that it's virtually unusable and the ISP's level-one technicians are so uninformed that they simply blow off complaints? That's where collective complaining can help.
The area where I live has a private Facebook page where residents can ask each other about products and services, alert each other about scammers working the neighborhood, arrange for visits by food trucks, and discuss problems with electrical service and the internet service providers in the area. There had been complaints about an ISP for approximately two weeks. The number of people complaining kept increasing and many of them reported that they couldn't get the ISP's customer service technicians to listen.
I am not going to identify the internet service provider because this is a problem that all of them seem to have, at least occasionally.
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Three ISPs serve my neighborhood. I started with one provider, but bailed out many years ago. After a rough start with the second provider, service became generally good and reliable. When squirrels chewed the cable at the pole a few years ago, the ISP quickly replaced the line, but service has been iffy for the past year or so and I was one of those people who was experiencing severely degraded service. After two weeks, I was almost ready to consider the third provider even though it would be from a company that I had vowed never to do business with.
Almost. And then a neighbor on the Facebook group stepped up with an offer. I am not going to identify the neighbor, either, even though everyone in the Facebook local group know the person's name.
The problem I was experiencing was extreme inconsistency. The service I've signed up for offers 100Mbps download speeds at 10Mbps upload speed. That is sufficient for my needs because it's rare for there to be more than one streaming video operation in service, and often not even that. But when the speed drops to 230Kbps, the service is unusable. Web pages can take 30 seconds or more to load. Even small email attachments can take minutes. The VPN that my wife uses to connect to the office frequently loses its connection. Zoom meetings are impossible.
The person volunteered to collect information from those of us who were experiencing severe problems and to bring them to the attention of his representative with the ISP's commercial service division. In all, some 80 people provided him with their addresses and a description of their problems. Some examples:
Internet service providers can ignore individual users or use technobabble to intimidate them, but when 80 people are able to make their voices heard by communicating through someone who has a commercial account and a knowledge of network operations, good things happen. Within two days, the issue had bubbled up to the district sales manager and then to top management at the ISP.
And then? Surprise! "They have apparently located the major issue and reportedly...resolved it."
Feedback from users in the area was quick:
So it's clear that individuals can be ignored by poorly trained "technicians", but if enough people make enough noise, there's a much better chance that the problem will be resolved.
There was nothing at all positive about the covid pandemic, but some things were less bad than others. We found that some office jobs can be done from home. We saw what a reduction in fossil-fuel emissions might mean. And millions of people learned some new skills that will be valuable as we appear to be exiting the dark times.
Learners to online learning courses from GitHub, LinkedIn, and Microsoft to master customer service, project management, and data analysis skills. Microsoft will continue free LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn courses and low-cost certification programs that align to 10 of the most in-demand jobs at least through the end of this year. The next stage of the initiative sets a new foundation for a skills-based economy through a suite of new tools and platforms designed to connect skilled job seekers with employers.
LinkedIn plans to help 250,000 companies make skills-based hires this year through new and existing hiring products. The company will provide both new ways for job seekers to demonstrate their skills and new tools for employers to connect to candidates based on their skill proficiencies including:
As part of the initiative, Microsoft has worked closely with its nonprofit partners to help provide wrap-around support with coaching, mentoring, and networking to nearly six million learners. Microsoft will apply these lessons more broadly through a new online service, Career Connector, that aims to provide 50,000 job seekers with the opportunity to secure a tech-enabled job over the next three years. Additional details are available on the Official Microsoft Blog.
If you've used Firefox since the end of May and you have it set to automatically update itself, you have have thought that something looked a bit different. You would be correct.
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Version 89 of Firefox makes the current active tab a bit more visible, but that's just the start. The update feels like it made the browser a bit faster and Mozilla says pages do load faster and the browser uses less memory. The menu system has be updated, too: "There are many ways to get to your preferences and settings, and we found that the two most popular ways were: 1) the hamburger menu — button on the far right with three equal horizontal lines – and 2) the right-click menu. So, we prioritized the content based on what people clicked on when they visited the menu. We made the labels less cryptic and clear and easier to understand, and we removed some icons so that it was easier for people to see at a glance where they wanted to go."
Private windows are more robust with cookie protection in private windows. In February Mozilla introduced Total Cookie Protection to protect against cross-site tracking cookies. Since Firefox 86, Total Cookie Protection has been available for users who have Enhanced Tracking Protection Strict Mode enabled. Browser version 89 adds that protection to Private Browsing windows.
If you haven't yet updated Firefox on your computer to version 89, you may want to read more about its new features on the Mozilla blog.
Although I had owned a mobile phone for several years in 2001, some things still surprised me: "I was on the San Diego trolley, returning to San Diego from a brief excursion into Mexico when my cell phone rang. It was my older daughter who was in Columbus. Calling me was a local call and it didn't matter that she was in her car and that I was in a trolley at the south end of San Diego."
These kinds of events are no longer any big deal, I said. "They're just part of the business landscape."
Now we have Skype that makes worldwide calls local if both users have Skype or cheap if land lines are involved. Communication has changed a lot. Twenty years ago I suggested that "the next generation of cell phones will probably incorporate personal data assistant (PDA) technology. In other words, your Palm OS device will be incorporated in your phone."
It didn't occur to me back then that by now we'd have pocket-size computers with built-in cameras that could be used to send email and text messages, and (in a pinch) even to make a phone call.