Tag: geek-fu

iPod Touch Alternative: Samsung Galaxy Player

Today I continue my series [which originally appeared on the Kindle Fire on Kindle Nation Daily site] detailing how I freed myself from Apple and iTunes by taking a closer look at the device I chose to replace my iPod, and comparing it directly to the closest iPod competitor. As a reminder, allow me to repeat this from the first post in this series: The Samsung Galaxy Player: my chosen iPod / iPod Touch alternative. Plays music, video and apps, provides internet access, and more. Why am I talking about iTunes and Apple devices on a site dedicated to Amazon’s Kindle Fire? It’s because many—maybe even most—Kindle Fire owners aren’t taking advantage of all the Fire’s music features because they’re already chained to iTunes and Apple devices for digital music purchases, downloads and management. Nobody wants the headache of having to manage separate media libraries for different devices. Many would LOVE to free…

Universal Keyboard Shortcuts: Where’s The Undo In Gmail?

Keyboard shortcuts are handy little key press combos that allow you to quickly perform some action that would otherwise require a little more effort with the mouse. Most programs have them, but they can vary from program to program and power users are generally the only people who ever bother finding out what the shortcuts are for their preferred programs. Still, there are a few that are worth knowing because they can save time, effort and frustration. “Universal” Keyboard Shortcuts There are a few handy shortcuts that are usually the same in ALL programs that allow the user to create content that contains text and images (e.g., word processors, text editors, etc.). To use any keyboard shortcut, press and hold the first key, then press the second key while still holding the first one down.

SD vs. MicroSD – What’s The Difference?

Today I’m revisiting another popular topic that regularly attracts new site visitors: SD vs. microSD cards. I won’t bore you with all the technical details of what makes a microSD card different from a standard SD card, because I’m pretty sure all you care about is whether or not a microSD card will work with your various devices. The answer is, so long as your device can accept a standard SD card, yes, it can accept a micro SD card — provided you have a standard SD card adapter or USB plug-in adapter (as pictured in this post). You can buy micro-to-standard SD card adapters and USB plug-in adapters on their own, but plenty of micro SD cards come bundled with adapters, too. To use a microSD card in a device that takes standard SD cards (most digital cameras, for example), you just slide the micro SD card into the…

You Don’t Need An iPod To Listen To Podcasts

I guess it sorta makes sense that many people think podcasts are only for iPods, since it’s got “pod” right there in the name, but it’s not true. A podcast is just a regular ‘ol MP3 audio file, just the same as an MP3 song or album, and that means any device that’s capable of playing MP3s can play podcasts. If A Podcast Is Just An MP3, Why’s It Called A Podcast? Okay, fair question. Podcasting got its start as a way for people to host and share their own radio programs on the internet. I say “radio programs” because even though, for the most part, these were not programs that ever played across radio waves, their format followed what you’d typically hear on a radio program: either interviews and commentary, like you’d hear on talk radio stations, or more of a music radio show format, with music, host commentary…

How To Get Your Music Out Of iTunes And Into Amazon’s MP3 Cloud Player

Today’s installment is part 4 in my Escape From iTunes series. In the first post I explained why making the switch from iTunes to Amazon’s MP3 Cloud Player is an especially good move for Kindle Fire owners, since it will free them to get full use of their digital music libraries across all their devices, including the Fire. I’ve already compared the Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 to the 5th Generation iPod Touch and found them to be virtually identical in functionality (though not in price!). I also compared iTunes to Amazon’s MP3 Cloud Player for use as a music player and library management tool, and concluded Cloud Player is a worthy substitute. Enough about the whys of leaving iTunes, today I’m getting into the how. The following tutorial explains how I made the switch from an iPod + iTunes to a Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 + Amazon’s MP3 Cloud Player, but the same basic steps can be used regardless of the portable player…

How To Stop Amazon Seller Emails

There’s a new kind of spam email in town, and it’s maddening. I’ve noticed many of my Amazon orders prompt unwanted follow up messages from the vendor, and I’m sick of it. These always come disguised as a “thanks for your order,” “helpful tips,” “let us know if there are any problems,” email or similar, but what they’re all REALLY about is prompting the buyer to leave an Amazon review. Today’s post explains what opened the spam floodgates last year, and how to stop Amazon seller emails. What Changed? You may recall reading about Amazon’s purge of paid reviews a couple years back. A purge of “received this product free or at a discount in exchange for an honest review” reviews followed, just last year. Both of these types of reviews are now banned on Amazon. The changes put Amazon sellers into a panic: how would they get reviews now?

1/9/17 Music Monday: Amazon Music Unlimited vs. Prime Music vs. Amazon Music Library

I normally share dirt-cheap and free digital music here on Mondays, but since there seems to be a great deal of confusion around Amazon Music lately I’ve decided to dedicate today’s post to that topic. Amazon actually has five different types or levels of digital music services. Note that details reported here are accurate as of this writing, on 1/8/17, but are subject to change at any time at Amazon’s discretion.   1. What is Amazon Music? Amazon Music is the Amazon Digital Music department on the Amazon site. It includes Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and all the other digital music that isn’t part of either of those programs. When you go to Amazon > Digital Music through the department menu or select Digital Music when using the main Amazon site search bar, you’re accessing Amazon Music.

Love My Echo’s Alexa 101: For Anyone Giving Or Getting An Alexa Device

This is a cross-posting of Love My Echo‘s Alexa 101 post, which I posted to that site on 12/20/16. There will be MANY more owners of Alexa-powered devices by the end of this month and it occurs to me that there are a few essential bits of information that most Alexa device owners find helpful, and I should probably pass them on this week: for both the givers and recipients. Alexa Givers 1. Be sure to deregister any Alexa devices you’ve purchased from your own Amazon account. Unless you checked that little “this is a gift” box when you ordered it, that Alexa device was automatically registered to your Amazon account. If it’s still registered to your Amazon account, the recipient of your gift won’t be able to register it to their own account. Of course, if you’re intending to run the device for the recipient (e.g., an aging or disabled person), then…

Facebook-ery: Facebook Emoticons & Emoji

FB Emoticons! You can enter specific keyboard combinations and Facebook will automatically convert them into those full-color pictures for you (though the full-color picture won’t be visible until AFTER you’ve posted the status update). Alternatively, you can copy certain symbols from one page or window and paste them into your Facebook status update to achieve the same effect. It doesn’t work with just ANY old symbol, though. There are approved character sets. Here’s an image from Symbols & Emoticons showing some of the full-color emoticons you can create on Facebook with simple keystrokes (click or tap on images to view an enlarged version in a new tab or window): And here are a few more from The Next Web:

Are RFID Blocking Wallets Necessary?

I recently posted about Smart Card technology, which prompted a reader question: once you’ve got at least one Smart Card, do you need to get one of those specially-lined wallets to block scammers from reading the data off your card through your purse or wallet? Not really. If it makes you feel safer to have one of those special wallets, then it’s probably worth the investment. But tech security analysts agree that while it’s possible for an enterprising crook to use tech devices to scan your Smart Cards’ data, it’s not worth those crooks’ while to attempt it.