Blogs Archive

GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
30 October 2019
(Archived)

The File History feature in Microsoft Windows 10 or Time Machine for Apple macOS are fine for automatically backing up user files to another hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD) but should your main drive with your operating system and program files suddenly die, it is very convenient to have a recent backup of your complete system that can be restored quickly and easily onto a replacement drive.
The System Image Backup in Windows can be used, but it is not very simple to get to, often fails to complete when performed, is terribly slow, and a pain to find the backup VHD file to explore the contents. Continue reading →

GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
11 May 2019
(Archived)

Most people now use an Ethernet capable printer that is connected to their home network either by wire or wirelessly. There are several easy methods available to also print from a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet to a printer when both are connected to the same home network. Even if you are using a USB only printer connected to a computer on the home network, your mobile device can still be set up to print to it as long as the computer and printer are on and available when you want to print. I just set up my Android phone to print to a USB printer connected to a desktop computer by using Google Cloud Print.   Continue reading →

GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
9 December 2018
(Archived)

After purchasing a new computer there is often a question of what to do with the old one. If you are like me, I do not want to see it go to waste or recycling if it is still useful to someone. Here is my evaluation of whether it might be worth using by another person:   Continue reading →

GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
31 August 2018
(Archived)

Point of use surge protectors, usually in the form of a power strip, are probably used by most of us for at least some of the more sensitive or costly electronic items in our households. Did you know that your surge protector has likely been subjected to multiple surges if it is over two or three years old and may have diminished or even no protection left? If it has an indicating light, usually red, to indicate the protection is working, then there is at least some protection left in it. This is different than a light in the on/off or reset switch that only shows if it has power or not.  Continue reading →

GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
15 April 2018
(Archived)

Bluetooth is finally becoming a very usable and useful feature thanks to two major improvements:
First, the new Bluetooth 5 standard has greatly improved the performance in both speed and distance over previous versions of Bluetooth. New devices already supporting the standard include Apple iPhone 8 (and X) and the Samsung Galaxy 8. New headphones, earbuds and speakers are also available using the new standard and are now able to work with the Low Energy mode first introduced with Bluetooth 4. This will greatly improve the battery life for wireless audio peripherals. The new standard also supports Dual Audio, streaming the same or different audio to two devices simultaneously.  Continue reading →

GEEK FREE
14 September 2015
By Joe Callison
(Archived)

Sometimes it becomes necessary to switch from one email account to another, or maybe you would just like to be able to get your email messages from one or more accounts while using a different account. Most of the popular email services have the ability to fetch messages from other accounts. Some email services have the ability to forward emails to other accounts. Continue reading →