TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn

Because of some special needs, I've developed an appreciation for Google Drive and some of the Google Apps -- Sheets in particular. We haven't seen a lot of zero-day exploits recently, but they are still a serious threat and those who develop them can expect big financial rewards. In Short Circuits: What does Amazon want with Whole Foods? What Amazon did to book stores won't work in the fresh food...

Sometimes panic serves a good purpose. For me, it's one of the reasons that I keep backups of backups of backups so that when something goes wrong, I can panic just a little. Adobe Stock has been an outstanding resource for professionals, but now the company is making it easier to use and making it available to users of Microsoft Powerpoint. In Short Circuits: Windows XP is no longer a supported o...

Have you ever thought about abandoning Windows or MacOS? For most people, Linux would be a viable option, but there's a lot of inertia. Even the most casual photographers generally recognize the need to edit images and, while Adobe is a good choice for most people, it's not the only choice. In Short Circuits: If your new Wi-Fi router isn't giving you the performance boost you expected, I have some...

Problems with Microsoft's OneNote synchronization finally drove me to Evernote. It's still not my preferred choice, but at least it synchronizes. When we visit websites, we encounter bits of code that often assist us, but may also track us. Some sites have only 2 or 3 of these, but others have dozens. In Short Circuits: Some older protocols are still active even in the latest editions of Windows 1...

A ransomware attack that crippled some 200,000 computers in 150 countries was a commercial failure for the crooks, but let's not get complacent. Libraries are more essential today than ever and many are stepping up to provide services that are needed in a digital age. In Short Circuits: Last week's program was canceled because of an unexpected medical emergency. (Are medical emergencies ever expec...

Because there is no program this week, the podcast is from last week.

If you're thinking about buying a new computer, perhaps you're also pondering the choice of operating systems. Windows, MacOS, and various flavors of Linux are the primary choices, but there are others. In Short Circuits: The Windows feature that minimizes all other windows when you move one back and forth rapidly may not be to your liking. There's a way to eliminate it. Fingerprint authentication...

Under the guise of providing a look behind the scenes at TechByter, I found a way to play with some of the Adobe Audition features that don't get used on the podcast. In Short Circuits: We'll take a look at 3 separate frauds: A phony message that claims to be from Facebook, but wants me to visit a website in Russia; a ploy that's made to appear to be from Bluehost and wants only to steal my user n...

The new version of Xara Pro X 365 brings powerful new features, on-line editing capabilities, and a forward-thinking approach to software provided on a rental basis. If you have a credit card -- and who doesn't these days -- does it offer reward points? Surprisingly, nearly a third of those who earn credits never use them. In Short Circuits: Maybe you already knew that Windows 10 can mount a disk...

The latest version of Alien Skin's Exposure X2 adds powerful new layering capabilities, export functions, and support for for more camera raw versions. If you think rebooting a Windows computer is too complicated, what would you think of a single-click solution? In Short Circuits: The Hacker Group called Shadow Brokers recently released information about what it calls new Windows exploits, but Mic...

Security and privacy are important parts of the Windows Creators Edition update that started being delivered to computers this week. We'll discuss that with Microsoft's Nic Fillingham. Adobe's Sensei technology is already being used in some applications, more are on the way, and one that's intended for smart phones may amaze you. In Short Circuits: The end of the Windows Vista era is here. As of l...

Although you might have to buy a new phone if you switch to Google's Project Fi, the benefits could justify the cost. The Windows 10 Creators Update will be pushed out to computers starting on Tuesday. Maybe you'd like to delay the update or get it sooner. You may be able to do either and I'll explain how. In Short Circuits: Hackers say they have credentials for 300 Million ICloud accounts and, wh...

Anybody who wants to edit home videos should take a look at the latest version of CyberLink's Power Director. Internet privacy, already questionable, is on the way to extinction. In Short Circuits: The Windows 10 Creators Update will start being pushed out to computers on April 11th. Alien Skin has released what looks like some powerful enhancements for Exposure X2. Last week I said that I had pos...

An inexpensive vector graphic program might be just what you need, even if you use Adobe applications for other tasks. A disk drive suddenly goes off line and all efforts to revive it fail. Panic time? Not exactly. In Short Circuits: A plug-in for Chrome makes the N ew tab more useful, maybe to the point that some people will use it! A misbehaving mouse problem was resolved (I think) with an easy...

Do you use a smart phone to control things in your house? Thermostats, TVs, maybe the light switches? A voice command can turn devices on or off, but they can also create some nasty problems. Video editing once required a large room full of high-priced equipment. Then, in 1991, version 1.0 of Adobe Premiere was released to compete several existing programs. Desktop video editors changed everything...

It's official: Windows as a service and Microsoft says there will be no annual fees. When you buy a device with Windows 10 on it, upgrades will be provided without cost for as long as you use the computer. Writing in the San Jose Mercury News, Troy Wolverton has outlined some common-sense steps needed to protect net neutrality. We'll take a look at the key points. In Short Circuits: For the second...

Whether your computer is meek and mild mannered or a screaming powerhouse, it's a good idea to buy the best peripherals you can afford. Adobe's experience design application, XD, brings designers a way to create websites and screen-based applications that need to perform well on every device from an index-card-size phone to a giant TV screen. In Short Circuits: More than half of mobile device user...

Have you asked Cortana for help? After more than a year of ignoring her, I'm trying to decide if I want to keep her on full time. Sometimes a Google search for help with hardware, software, or a service can lead to more trouble. In Short Circuits: Microsoft's annoying messages that badmouth browsers other than Edge can be stopped, but only with a large hammer. The German city that led the way towa...

Affinity Photo has been around for while on the MacOS, but it's new to Windows. We'll take a look at the features and one important shortcoming. Frustrations abound when a hard drive appears to be failing, but no symptoms can be found. In Short Circuits: Google is planning to do something that should have been done long ago to shut down malicious websites. An issue that shouldn't be even slightly...

TechSmith just released a minor-version update of its flagship application, SnagIt, but the improvements are surprisingly robust for what's considered a minor release. I store random thoughts and small stories that show up and have some promise, but aren't big enough for their own segment. When the batch is large enough, I compile them and give them a fancy title. That's what you're in for this we...

Criminals are buidling more convincing tricks that attempt to get users to revel their login names and passwords and it's easy to be fooled. Google offers 2-factor authentication and if you use any Google services, it's a good idea to take the time needed to set this up. In Short Circuits: A new record was set for the number of data breaches in 2016, but the real record was set in the number of re...

There's just one topic in the main section of the podcast this week and it's an important one. The data on your computer is at risk and crooks are working to find a way to get at it. In Short Circuits: Bogus pop-up warnings in browsers are increasingly common. Shutting them down is easy if you know how. When several unexpected directories with strange files appeared on my computer, I was concerned...

Keeping track of passwords is impossible without help. That's why everyone needs a password manager and there are several good ones. We'll take a close look at the one I consider to be the very best. Even if you're not of AARP age, the organization and Microsoft have put together some useful tips for avoiding all kinds of scams. In Short Circuits: Yahoo will get a new name when it's acquired by Ve...

If you got a new computer for Christmas or one of the other end-of-year, winter solstice holidays, I have a list of free and low-cost applications that are worth thinking about adding. Microsoft thinks about listening to editors' opinions about Word. Might the company listen to others who want to provide input about operating systems and applications? In Short Circuits: How much computer can you g...

A 10-second look at what's new on the website this year, then trying to figure out whether a Chromebook would be a good choice or not. My attempt to find a way to use Evernote ended abruptly and I'll explain why. In Short Circuits: The Wild West atmosphere of the internet continues and the situation won't get better anytime soon. Might there be some middle way to give police access to data on elec...