December Meetings 2022
Dec 1, 2022 - Where to Put Your Home Security Cameras, The Advance of Lawbots,
The Use of AI in Food Service,
"Everything works out for the better in the end, if it's not better yet,
it's not the end, unless you clicked on an unknown link, then it's over!"
- Anonymous
Club Questions
The Use of AI in Food Service,
"Everything works out for the better in the end, if it's not better yet,
it's not the end, unless you clicked on an unknown link, then it's over!"
- Anonymous
Club Questions
Where to Put Security Cams
So you've decided to invest in some home security, there's plenty of options out there, for more on the best DIY home security systems for 2022, take a look at this page. Once you've purchased a home security system, it's time to put up the cameras. Choosing the best location for a security camera is a very important decision. There are places you definitely want to place a cam (like the front door) and also places that you shouldn't be putting cameras (like bedrooms and bathrooms). For more on the fine art of security camera placement, take a look at this article.
So you've decided to invest in some home security, there's plenty of options out there, for more on the best DIY home security systems for 2022, take a look at this page. Once you've purchased a home security system, it's time to put up the cameras. Choosing the best location for a security camera is a very important decision. There are places you definitely want to place a cam (like the front door) and also places that you shouldn't be putting cameras (like bedrooms and bathrooms). For more on the fine art of security camera placement, take a look at this article.
The Advance of Lawbots
The legal system is often expensive and complicated to navigate, and robots aren't quite ready to take over all legal tasks, but when it comes to scanning documents and other legal hassles, AI is beginning to solve the problem. DoNotPay, the 'robot lawyer,' is an app available on iOS and Android that offers a legal service that allows you to contest parking tickets, understand license agreements and even sue people. To learn more about robot lawyers can help you with some simple legal tasks, take a look at this article.
The legal system is often expensive and complicated to navigate, and robots aren't quite ready to take over all legal tasks, but when it comes to scanning documents and other legal hassles, AI is beginning to solve the problem. DoNotPay, the 'robot lawyer,' is an app available on iOS and Android that offers a legal service that allows you to contest parking tickets, understand license agreements and even sue people. To learn more about robot lawyers can help you with some simple legal tasks, take a look at this article.
AI in Food Service
Fast food is getting even faster with the addition of AI powered robots, drones and delivery carts. AI is also being used in kitchens, making perfect burgers every time, in sushi restaurants and coffee shops, among other food services. It's no longer a question of if restaurants will adopt AI in their food service, but when. The video below illustrates just some of the new ways AI is being used in the food industry. Look for them soon in a restaurant near you.
Fast food is getting even faster with the addition of AI powered robots, drones and delivery carts. AI is also being used in kitchens, making perfect burgers every time, in sushi restaurants and coffee shops, among other food services. It's no longer a question of if restaurants will adopt AI in their food service, but when. The video below illustrates just some of the new ways AI is being used in the food industry. Look for them soon in a restaurant near you.
Dec 8, 2022 - Saving Money Online, Quantum Charging for Electric Cars, How to Use Siri,
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,
the unknown links will never catch me."
- Muhammad Ali
Club Questions
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,
the unknown links will never catch me."
- Muhammad Ali
Club Questions
Saving Money Online
We all want to save money on the stuff we buy, and the Internet has made it much easier to do just that. From using digital coupons, to coupon stacking to using browser extensions that look for discounts for you, saving money has never been easier. For a beginner's look at how to coupon in the age of the Internet, take a look at this article. Or if you want to dig for digital discounts of all shapes and sizes, take a look at what Consumer Reports says about online saving. Or take a look at CNET's preferred way to save money online, including browser extensions, websites and more.
We all want to save money on the stuff we buy, and the Internet has made it much easier to do just that. From using digital coupons, to coupon stacking to using browser extensions that look for discounts for you, saving money has never been easier. For a beginner's look at how to coupon in the age of the Internet, take a look at this article. Or if you want to dig for digital discounts of all shapes and sizes, take a look at what Consumer Reports says about online saving. Or take a look at CNET's preferred way to save money online, including browser extensions, websites and more.
Quantum Charging Electric Cars
Even just 10 years ago, electric cars were a rarity on the open road, but today every major car manufacturer in the world offers at least one fully electric vehicle. Electric cars hold a lot of advantage over gas fueled vehicles, but one major drawback has been the range of electric cars and the times it takes to recharge their batteries. The answer to this problem may lie in quantum physics. Quantum charging of electric car batteries could speed up the process by 200 times, taking only seconds to fully charge a car's battery. To learn more about this emerging technology, take a look at this article.
Even just 10 years ago, electric cars were a rarity on the open road, but today every major car manufacturer in the world offers at least one fully electric vehicle. Electric cars hold a lot of advantage over gas fueled vehicles, but one major drawback has been the range of electric cars and the times it takes to recharge their batteries. The answer to this problem may lie in quantum physics. Quantum charging of electric car batteries could speed up the process by 200 times, taking only seconds to fully charge a car's battery. To learn more about this emerging technology, take a look at this article.
How to Use Siri
iPhone comes with a built-in AI personal assistant named Siri. Siri can be assigned a variety of voices and accents to suit your needs. Siri allows iPhone users to speak their commands and have Siri execute them. For example, you can say ask Siri to call your mother, and Siri will confirm your request and then dial your mother for you. This is just one of many tasks that Siri can perform, others include; sending a text message, sending an email, setting an alarm, booking an appointment in your calendar, and many more. To read more about how to use Siri on Apple's support site, take a look here, or take a look at the video below.
iPhone comes with a built-in AI personal assistant named Siri. Siri can be assigned a variety of voices and accents to suit your needs. Siri allows iPhone users to speak their commands and have Siri execute them. For example, you can say ask Siri to call your mother, and Siri will confirm your request and then dial your mother for you. This is just one of many tasks that Siri can perform, others include; sending a text message, sending an email, setting an alarm, booking an appointment in your calendar, and many more. To read more about how to use Siri on Apple's support site, take a look here, or take a look at the video below.
Dec 15, 2022 - Best OTC Hearing Aids for 2022, The Safest Web Browser for 2022,
Smartphone Shortcuts - Apple and Android, StartMail and other Encrypted Email Services,
"I’ve looked at life from both sides now, From win and lose and still somehow, it's the unknown links I really don't know at all."
- Joni Mitchell
Club Questions
Smartphone Shortcuts - Apple and Android, StartMail and other Encrypted Email Services,
"I’ve looked at life from both sides now, From win and lose and still somehow, it's the unknown links I really don't know at all."
- Joni Mitchell
Club Questions
Best OTC Hearing Aids 2022
Over 30 million Americans suffer from light to mild hearing loss and up until recently a pair of hearing aids could cost anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to over $10 thousand. The OTC (over the counter) hearing aid market has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years, and as the manufacturers figure out what consumers will pay, the prices have varied from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars. To learn more about how to shop for OTC hearing aids, take a look at this article from AARP. And for some different picks for the best OTC hearing aids of 2022, take a look at the links below.
National Council on Aging - top 6 OTC hearing aids for 2022
Digital Trends - best OTC hearing aids for 2022
Senior Living's - best OTC hearing aids for 2022
Forbes Magazine's - best OTC hearing aids for 2022
CNET's - What kind and where to buy the best OTC hearing aids
Over 30 million Americans suffer from light to mild hearing loss and up until recently a pair of hearing aids could cost anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to over $10 thousand. The OTC (over the counter) hearing aid market has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years, and as the manufacturers figure out what consumers will pay, the prices have varied from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars. To learn more about how to shop for OTC hearing aids, take a look at this article from AARP. And for some different picks for the best OTC hearing aids of 2022, take a look at the links below.
National Council on Aging - top 6 OTC hearing aids for 2022
Digital Trends - best OTC hearing aids for 2022
Senior Living's - best OTC hearing aids for 2022
Forbes Magazine's - best OTC hearing aids for 2022
CNET's - What kind and where to buy the best OTC hearing aids
The Safest Web Browser - 2022
Your web browser is how you view the Internet and the browser you use can make a big difference in your online safety and privacy. Most people will just use the browser that came with their computer, be it Microsoft Edge (Windows computers) or Safari (Apple computers). But there are lots of other choices for browsing the web. First of all, you should have at least two browsers on your computer, think of it as having a spare tire with your car, if something goes wrong with your main browser, you have a backup to get you on to the web. As for which browser is the safest, that is a matter of opinion, and everybody's got one. To learn more about browser safety and privacy, take a look at the links below.
NORD VPN's picks for most secure browsers - 2022
PC Magazine's picks for most secure browsers - 2022
ZDNet's picks for most secure browsers - 2022
Smartphone Shortcuts - Apple
Your smartphone is the tiny computer you hold in your hand, it can do amazing things, but sometimes doing those things, especially if you do those things on a regular basis, can get rather complicated. Enter Apple's Shortcuts app. It's a generally misunderstood and under used app that comes with every modern iPhone and iPad. The Shortcuts app can automate a wide variety of tasks for you, from making a phone call to a friend with the push of one icon, to getting you driving directions home from wherever you are by merely saying the phrase, "get me home." If you'd like to learn the basics of how to use Apple's Shortcuts app, take a look at the video below.
Your smartphone is the tiny computer you hold in your hand, it can do amazing things, but sometimes doing those things, especially if you do those things on a regular basis, can get rather complicated. Enter Apple's Shortcuts app. It's a generally misunderstood and under used app that comes with every modern iPhone and iPad. The Shortcuts app can automate a wide variety of tasks for you, from making a phone call to a friend with the push of one icon, to getting you driving directions home from wherever you are by merely saying the phrase, "get me home." If you'd like to learn the basics of how to use Apple's Shortcuts app, take a look at the video below.
Smartphone Shortcuts - Android
As with many things Android, the concept of shortcuts varies from device to device, and manufacturer to manufacturer. Android doesn't really have a dedicated shortcuts app the way Apple does, but Android does offer its users the ability to automate many of its tasks and functions. To access the shortcuts available in individual apps, take a look at this article from Computer World. Or to learn how to use Google Assistant in a similar way to shortcuts, take a look at this article.
StartMail - Encrypted Email
Email has been around for a long time now, and for the most part we've all gotten used to the way it works. The various online giants (Google, Yahoo, etc) offer us free email service and promptly mine all of our personal data in return. For those of us not happy with giving away lots of personal info to the big Internet companies, there is another way. Encrypted email keeps your info private, but it comes at a cost, literally. Pay email services offer a range of feature, usually including end-to-end encryption among other things. One of the newer entrants to the pay email market is StartMail, from the same people who brought you the StartPage search engine. To learn more about StartMail and some other similar services, take a look at this article.
Email has been around for a long time now, and for the most part we've all gotten used to the way it works. The various online giants (Google, Yahoo, etc) offer us free email service and promptly mine all of our personal data in return. For those of us not happy with giving away lots of personal info to the big Internet companies, there is another way. Encrypted email keeps your info private, but it comes at a cost, literally. Pay email services offer a range of feature, usually including end-to-end encryption among other things. One of the newer entrants to the pay email market is StartMail, from the same people who brought you the StartPage search engine. To learn more about StartMail and some other similar services, take a look at this article.
Dec 22, 2022 - The Internet of Things (IoT) Explained, How to Use IoT,
Group Chats Explained, Microsoft Office Suite for Free,
"All bad precedents begin as justifiable measures,
especially when it comes to unknown links."
- Julius Caesar
Club Questions
Group Chats Explained, Microsoft Office Suite for Free,
"All bad precedents begin as justifiable measures,
especially when it comes to unknown links."
- Julius Caesar
Club Questions
The Internet of Things (IoT)
An IoT is an ecosystem which consists of web-enabled smart devices that use embedded systems, such as processors, sensors and communication hardware, to collect, send and act on data they acquire from their environments. Such a system could include sensors in a human heart monitor chip, a pet's ID chip, the lock on your front door or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address and is able to transfer data over a network. The idea behind the IoT is to make life easier for us human beings by automatically keeping track of a wide range of data important to us all, and allowing us to interact with said data. For example, with an IoT equipped home, you could start your coffee brewing from your smartphone in bed, you could also start your car and have it ready for when you want to leave. You can adjust your lights, lock your front door and set your house alarm system, all from your smartphone. The IoT is just getting started and how we enable it is ever evolving. To learn more about the basics of the Internet of Things, take a look at this article and video.
An IoT is an ecosystem which consists of web-enabled smart devices that use embedded systems, such as processors, sensors and communication hardware, to collect, send and act on data they acquire from their environments. Such a system could include sensors in a human heart monitor chip, a pet's ID chip, the lock on your front door or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address and is able to transfer data over a network. The idea behind the IoT is to make life easier for us human beings by automatically keeping track of a wide range of data important to us all, and allowing us to interact with said data. For example, with an IoT equipped home, you could start your coffee brewing from your smartphone in bed, you could also start your car and have it ready for when you want to leave. You can adjust your lights, lock your front door and set your house alarm system, all from your smartphone. The IoT is just getting started and how we enable it is ever evolving. To learn more about the basics of the Internet of Things, take a look at this article and video.
How to Use the IoT
If the above article got you interested in setting up an IoT of your own, you'll need to learn about how to control your IoT devices from your phone or tablet. If you're an Apple user, you'll want to use Apple's Home app, or if you use Android, you'll want to learn about the GoogleHome app. To learn more about both those apps click on their names or take a look at the videos below.
If the above article got you interested in setting up an IoT of your own, you'll need to learn about how to control your IoT devices from your phone or tablet. If you're an Apple user, you'll want to use Apple's Home app, or if you use Android, you'll want to learn about the GoogleHome app. To learn more about both those apps click on their names or take a look at the videos below.
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Group Chats Explained
Texting is a very common, and often preferred, form of communication these days, but using a group text can sometimes get complicated. A lot depends on whether you're texting with everyone using an iPhone, or a mixture of both iPhones and Android devices, it makes a difference. For example, if everyone in your group text is an iPhone user, there are more options, like adding or deleting someone from an existing group. For more on all the ins and outs of group texting on iPhone, take a look at this article. When it comes to Android, as always, the type of Android phone you're using may make a difference in how you send/receive/create group texts. Most Android phones come with some version of a texting app built in, for this explanation, we'll be using the Google Messages app which is a free download from the Google Play Store (if your phone didn't come with it). To learn more about creating and using group texting on Android, take a look at this article.
Microsoft Office for Free
The Microsoft suite of office apps has been around for a long time and gone thru many different versions. As a student or teacher you've always been able to get them for free. In the old days, you could buy the apps individually or as a suite of apps for a one time price. The recent trend towards monthly subscriptions is also a modern option for Word, Excel and the rest. But there is also a free option (even if you're not a student or teacher currently). If you're interested in learning more about how to get a free version of Microsoft Office Suite, take a look at this article.
The Microsoft suite of office apps has been around for a long time and gone thru many different versions. As a student or teacher you've always been able to get them for free. In the old days, you could buy the apps individually or as a suite of apps for a one time price. The recent trend towards monthly subscriptions is also a modern option for Word, Excel and the rest. But there is also a free option (even if you're not a student or teacher currently). If you're interested in learning more about how to get a free version of Microsoft Office Suite, take a look at this article.
Dec 29, 2022 - What is DataScalp? How to Use Google Travel Services,
Cable Vs Streaming - What's Cheaper?
"Adventure is worthwhile in itself.
unless you're talking about unknown links, those things should get lost!"
- Amelia Earhart
Club Questions
Cable Vs Streaming - What's Cheaper?
"Adventure is worthwhile in itself.
unless you're talking about unknown links, those things should get lost!"
- Amelia Earhart
Club Questions
What is DataScalp?
DataScalp is a new website that uses customer feedback and AI to create a constantly updated database of real time airline stats. Capturing the voice of the customer is the single highest corporate priority for firms looking to maximize revenues and minimize costs, according to DataScalp. Unfortunately, customer survey responses range between 5% to 30%, which means at least 70% of the customer base does not respond. DataScalp solves the issue by relying on predictable consumer behavior – consumer complaints. DataScalp is capturing and incorporating the “voice of the customer” to the highest level imaginable by providing a consumer platform that ranks businesses based upon voice of the customer data. Businesses, such as airlines, can use the data to improve services, inventory management, dynamic pricing, internal operations, and customer experience. To learn more about DataScalp, take a look at their website.
DataScalp is a new website that uses customer feedback and AI to create a constantly updated database of real time airline stats. Capturing the voice of the customer is the single highest corporate priority for firms looking to maximize revenues and minimize costs, according to DataScalp. Unfortunately, customer survey responses range between 5% to 30%, which means at least 70% of the customer base does not respond. DataScalp solves the issue by relying on predictable consumer behavior – consumer complaints. DataScalp is capturing and incorporating the “voice of the customer” to the highest level imaginable by providing a consumer platform that ranks businesses based upon voice of the customer data. Businesses, such as airlines, can use the data to improve services, inventory management, dynamic pricing, internal operations, and customer experience. To learn more about DataScalp, take a look at their website.
Google Travel
As long as we're talking about travel, it seems appropriate to mention yet another suite of services from Google. Google Travel includes a variety of apps and services that assist the traveller with tasks like getting a flight, finding a hotel planning your trip and many other travel related necessities. To learn more about how you can take advantage of the Google Travel services for your next trip, take a look at this article.
As long as we're talking about travel, it seems appropriate to mention yet another suite of services from Google. Google Travel includes a variety of apps and services that assist the traveller with tasks like getting a flight, finding a hotel planning your trip and many other travel related necessities. To learn more about how you can take advantage of the Google Travel services for your next trip, take a look at this article.
Cable Vs. Streaming - What's Cheaper?
In the ongoing TV wars, choosing what's right for you is always a personal preference in the end, but is streaming really the least expensive way to go? The answer is, usually yes, but it depends. A lot goes into the pricing for either cable services or streaming ones, it depends a lot on where you are located at well. If you're in a big city with lots of competition, your prices for either services will be lower than if you live a more rural area of the country. CNET did a deep dive into this question and came up with some interesting answers, to learn more about what's the cheapest way to get content on your TV set, take a look at this article.
