hAPPy Monday

Well, I’m not happy about this, that’s for sure.  I understand that, as a business, Microsoft wants to get all users on the same page.  But what they want, and what they get, are not going to necessarily be the same thing.  And trying to force an update on people, without consideration for their bandwidth, their current computer set-ups, their current whatever, is just bad, BAD business, in my opinion. 

There are several reasons why I don’t want Win10 on my desktop.  And I totally resent Microsoft trying to force it on me anyway.  At the very least, they ought to be giving away free discs to people.  There are many users out there who have caps on how much they can d/l off the Internet, and a 6+GB d/l just isn’t reasonable.  A disc would go a long way for those users. 

There are lots of older computers that won’t be able to handle the new drivers and lots of their existing programs will break because of the updates. 

And there are lots of users who just don’t Microsoft dictating to them what operating system they have to have on their computer.  For them, it’s a matter of principle. 

Microsoft is getting beyond the point of asking nicely anymore whether or not you want Win10, and they’re not even offering you dinner and a movie first, either. 

I have Win10 on my laptop, and it’s not an issue.  It’s a nice OS and I don’t have any problems with it.  I bought it with Win 8 with the intention of updating to Win10.  But my desktop is older, and I have things on here that Win10 will not play nice with, and I don’t want MS to break my stuff, thank you very much. 

I’ve gone through and disabled updates.  The “thanks but no thanks I’m not going to click your Win10 GWX button” thing just isn’t enough anymore, apparently. 

The linked article has more information, and the ways you can disable updates if you don’t want Win10 either. 

Look out: Microsoft shifts Windows 10 to ‘Recommended’ update, automatic download | ExtremeTech

Look out: Microsoft shifts Windows 10 to ‘Recommended’ update, automatic download

Microsoft has been increasingly aggressive in its attempts to push consumers to download Windows 10. Starting today (Feb 2), the company is upping the ante once again. As of now, Windows 10 is now classified as a “Recommended” update, which means many Windows 7 and 8.1 users will download and begin the installation automatically.

By default, Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 shipped with updates enabled and a second box — “Give me Recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” checked as well. Plenty of users have changed these settings, but you can bet millions of people haven’t. We’ve written before about the power of defaults, and in this case, leaving automatic updates on has been a good idea for many users.

There are several issues to be aware of here. First, users on metered connections must either turn off recommended updates or disable automatic updates altogether if you don’t want the 6GB download to count against your monthly limit. Simply deleting the file isn’t sufficient, your OS will download it again. Microsoft doesn’t recommend disabling automatic update, but the company has no solution for users who can’t spare the bandwidth to download the OS, but don’t want the update.

Microsoft made this change to the Windows 10 GWX application, in a patently obvious attempt to shove more users towards upgrading. The company’s opt-out for Windows 10 installation is unlikely to be much better. Even if it is, however, there’s still a larger issue — specifically, the people this upgrade is going to hit are those who are the least likely to know it’s coming.

There’s no way this doesn’t create headaches for at least some Windows users, as well as Microsoft. Some drivers won’t update properly. Some people will misinterpret the installation as malware, since Microsoft hasn’t historically updated its operating systems in this fashion. Some will click on “Get Windows 10″ without realizing that it’s an entirely new operating system that makes significant changes to how basic system functions work. Resetting system defaults to MS programs is going to leave some people thinking their previous browser settings or customizations are gone.

All of these issues are issues with any OS upgrade, but OS updates are typically something the user initiates. Microsoft clearly wants its entire user base on Windows 10. But think about it: This move targets use who don’t know enough to disable Recommended updates, but have also rejected Microsoft’s previous offers. This could create a nasty snarl of blowback if the upgrade push starts making life difficult for large numbers of people.

Microsoft has published a KB article detailing how end-users can control the upgrade prompts and disable them in the future, available here.

Look out: Microsoft shifts Windows 10 to ‘Recommended’ update, automatic download | ExtremeTech

hAPPy Monday

A reminder!  In case you didn’t get around to it during the holidays and all, because, you know, holidays.  This is your last week to make sure that you keep the free storage you have on your hotmail and/or outlook email accounts.  Microsoft is reducing the amount of free storage it’s allotting to its free accounts at the end of the month, from 15GB down to 5GB, and it’s also eliminating the free 15GB camera roll bonus many users signed up for some time ago. 

But for users who want to keep that storage, they are offering a “loyalty link” so your current level of storage can be grandfathered in when the new basic level free tiers are enacted next Monday. 

 

“While we are not changing our (new) plans,” the announcement continues, it is taking another crack at clarifying the changes and making one new offer that will grandfather in some of the old limits for existing OneDrive users.

Here are the details:

• For OneDrive customers who currently have a 15 GB free storage allotment and a 15 GB camera roll bonus, Microsoft is offering to preserve those features, but only for those who opt in using this link, which is valid until January 31, 2016.
• All OneDrive customers with free accounts who do not opt in to the loyalty offer will see their free storage cut to 5 GB and the camera roll bonus will disappear.

Microsoft apologizes for offending OneDrive fans, but won’t restore unlimited storage | ZDNet

 

So, for those of you who have hotmail or outlook email accounts, and want to keep the current level of free storage you’re enjoying, click this link!  OneDrive Bonus Loyalty Link  Before Sunday!  Otherwise, it’ll be back down to a measly old 5GB of storage. 

hAPPy Wednesday: Write Right

My husband is looking for the perfect writing software.  I used to look for the perfect pen, now that I think about it.  I remember when I was a teen, going into a local office supply store.  It wasn’t a big box store like they are now, just a local mom and pop type of store.  The guy behind the counter asked if he could help me find anything and I said, “I am looking for the perfect pen.”  He raised his brows at me and kind of laughed.  I didn’t realize what a nerd I was.

Finding the right tool to express yourself with is sometimes a big hurdle to cross.  I have dozens of pens.  My husband has tons of software and keyboards.  We’re alike like that, lol, I’m just a cheaper date.   

I found a link to some software I’d bookmarked as a blog post draft, called Hemingway Editor.  It looks quite awesome, and the web version is free.  The desktop version isn’t all that expensive, at $10 a pop.  It’s not the perfect software my husband is looking for – it doesn’t seem to have a dark version for reducing eye strain, and it doesn’t seem to have navigational aspects to it, like when you use headers in Word.  But for blogging and letters, compositions and general day to day writing, it looks like it’d be a handy dandy tool. 

Do you use any kind of software like that to help strengthen your writing skills?  I’m debating.  I’ve been told that my writing and speaking styles are nothing alike – that anyone reading me would think I’m a totally different person than if they spoke with me.  I’ve been trying to work on that.  I was so conditioned in school on proper sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary, etc.  For me, its difficult to write how I speak.  Basically we were taught not to do that.  But maybe something like Hemingway Editor is worth a shot. 

What’re your thoughts on it?

Playing with Mesh

As you might know, WordPress has a photo sharing app now, called Mesh.  You can find it here –>>https://me.sh/ and also find info about it here –>>https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/mesh/

I thought I’d play and see if it was something that might work for me.  As of now, they don’t have a dedicated Android App, just iPhone, but they do have a web app that you can use on the desktop and an Android mobile browser.

Might be fun.  I’ll let you know.

I guess this is sort of a hAPPy Tuesday.  😉

hAPPy Monday

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, isn’t it?  Man, that makes me miss Mr Rogers, big time.  It’s chilly and rainy here, but that’s okay – God’s watering the garden.  Or, as a lady I once knew called rain, it’s a liquid sunshine day. 

I’m still playing with task-oriented apps.  My latest is one called Wunderlist. 

 Wunderlist | To-do list, Reminders, Errands – App of the Year!

What I like about it is that it’s a fast, clean app.  There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles to weigh it down and make it slow to start.  Since all it does is lists, there isn’t a whole lot of other stuff to get in the way. 

I decided to consolidate all the lists I had amongst other apps I’ve tried out, and realized I have one really big to-do list.  *sigh*  And here I was hoping I’d have a lot of duplicates.  But no! 

So far, I like that it’s fast and simple.  I like that I can add “partners-in-crime” as it were, like my kids or my husband, if there are things I’d like them to address.  I like that there are reminders I can utilize.  I like that it comes in a lot of different flavors – Android, Apple, Windows, Web, even Kindle Fire.  So even if I had friends who used, say, an iPhone, I could share a list with them without any extra hoops to jump through. 

Yes, Evernote has many of these features, too.  And I’m playing with them.  I haven’t decided yet if I want all my day to day tasks in the same place as my notes and bookmarks.  At the moment, Wunderlist is easier to navigate because I have fewer lists there than I do notebooks in Evernote. 

I also really like Google Keep for many of the same reasons I like Wunderlist, but lately it’s been giving me fits when I try to open it from a link on my desktop, and it’s been difficult to load in Chrome, as well.  Not sure if it’s in an update process or what, but it bugs me.  Besides, it’s nice to have back-ups and alternatives. 

Do you have a favorite task app that makes your life easier?  If you do, please share what it is!

hAPPy Monday

So, it’s the Monday after vacation.  Back to the groove, getting up early, doing the school thing.  The kids seem to be settling back in, and mom does too, for all intents and purposes.   

I’ve been playing around a bit with InoReader today.  As sad as I was to see Google Reader go, the more I use InoReader, the more I like it.  I recently learned that, in addition to all the sharing features it has, you can also customize where you share to.  For instance, Facebook and Twitter are standard sharing options, but WordPress is not.  Today I was able to add a WordPress sharing button to my InoReader so that I can just click a button to share something I come across in my reader straight to my blog.  And it’s easy-peasy mac and cheezy!  They even give you the url format right there in the menu, all you have to do is change the default “you” in the url to your own blog name.  (The part that comes before the dot wordpress.)  It opens the Press This window and from there, it’s just a click away to get the article to your blog.  See it, share it! 

I’ve also done a bit of a change-up on my blog.  I switched to a theme that has post options.  My thought was, if I can use a post format like the “aside” one, then, with all the connections between my blog and social sites, I can post one time on my blog, and it will show up like a post on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and, whew!, it does!  How cool is that?  I also want to play more with some of the other post options that I’m not familiar with, to see what they do and how they do it.

Of course, if I subscribe to my own blog in InoReader, I could also share my blog posts out to social media that way, too.  Options, you know, good things. 

How was your Easter — Resurrection Sunday — Feast of First Fruits?  Ours was awesome – tons of food and lots of play and relaxing.  Lots of remembering why we cherish that day. 

hAPPy Monday

It feels like it’s been a while since I got really excited about something tech-y.  But I stumbled across something the other day that made me, almost, literally drool.  Be still my geeky heart! 

What, you ask, has me so enamored?  I’ll tell you!  It’s this book, this notebook: 

Rocketbook: Cloud-Integrated Microwavable Notebook 

You write in it, and when you’re done writing, you can scan it with your phone and depending on which icon you’ve selected at the bottom of the page, the accompanying app (both Android and iPhone) will upload it to the destination of your choice, within Google Drive, Evernote, Email, or Dropbox.  If that weren’t cool enough, if you use the recommended pen for all your writing, when your notebook is full, you can just pop it in your microwave for 30 seconds and make it blank again. 

*dreamy sigh*

Imagine having a never-ending notebook, that you can write in again and again and again, and save it all to the cloud when you’re done. 

Oh yes, I have already added my name to the list!  Right now, it’s in beta testing, but it has a projected June/July release time.  Come Summer, I should have my own copy.  And I’ve bookmarked lots of links in Amazon to get me a whole passel of those pens, too.  They come in colors!  The book will come with a pen – standard black (yawn) – but I want the colorful ones, of course. 

Want one too?  Click the link Rocketbook: Cloud-Integrated Microwavable Notebook  and add your name and donation to the list! 

This is going to be a long wait.

 

Paper notebook uploads to cloud, erases in microwave

Although thumb-typing on smartphones and stylus-scribbling on tablets have their place, sometimes nothing quite beats the satisfaction of writing in an actual paper notebook. The Rocketbook, currently scorching its way through an Indiegogo campaign, combines the satisfaction of a paper notebook with the backup power of the cloud. And if you use the right pen, then when you’re done using it, you can stick it in the microwave to erase your notes and start all over again.

via Paper notebook uploads to cloud, erases in microwave – CNET.

 

Rocketbook: Cloud-Integrated Microwavable Notebook

hAPPy Monday!

Well, I’ve been kind of wracking my brain a bit for new apps to “showcase” here.  Since we upgraded our phones a few months ago (from Samsung S3 to LG G3) I’ve done more playing with what I already had than looking for new stuff. 

I have experienced however, and so has my husband, that some things are … different about our new phones.  While generally I love my phone, I’ve noticed a few buggy things that annoy me.  Like, the mobile data thing that seems to constantly run now, which causes the phone / battery to get really hot, which causes the battery to drain super fast.  Personally I’ve solved most of that issue by simply leaving the mobile data button in the off position, because we have Wi-Fi here at home.  For my husband, that’s not an option.  His work doesn’t have a Wi-Fi network that his phone can link up to, and trying to find a mobile network while he’s inside the building just isn’t going to happen so his phone is constantly trying to search.  He cracked once that he was going to come home with a burn hole in his pants pocket from where his phone caught fire, since it was running so hot all the time.

What to do? 

Updates from our carrier seemed to help quite a bit, but I found an app that helps more.  It’s called Clean Master.  I, quite simply, love it.  It has a 1-touch button that will boost your phone’s performance.  It cleans out junk files, cache files, temp files – all those things you don’t need.  It shuts down apps that run in the background when you don’t need them to, it cools down the battery – in general, it takes care of all that clean-up detail that as a typical user, I might not know to do. 

It’s like a live-in maid for my phone.  And it’s free, too.  Who could ask for more?  Well, if it could dust the house that would be cool, but in the meantime, I’ll settle for taking care of my phone. 

Right now it seems to be an Android only app and can be found in the Google Play Store here: Clean Master (Speed Booster)

but there does seem to be a couple of iPhone alternatives that I found here: Clean Master Alternatives for iPhone – AlternativeTo.net

As for other news, happy Groundhog Day! 

And, even though I haven’t posted to my football blog in a long time that doesn’t mean I stopped being a fan, and MY PATRIOTS WON THEIR 4TH SUPERBOWL!  Okay, okay, sorry about the shouting, I’m just doing the Snoopy Happy Dance all over the place and couldn’t hold it in.    Congratulations, Team Patriots!  Woo!

And how is your start to February going?