Andy TaylorTechtalkRadio, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

13News Segment – The Summer Storms and Your Tech – Adding a UPS

For the Monday Morning Tech Segment on News13, @techtalkradio decided to focus on the Monsoon Storms and how these storms common to the Southern Arizona Area can affect our electronics.

If you have invested in a big screen television, not connecting it to safe source for electrical power can be a big mistake. As more and more want to enjoy a Large Screen Television with 4k or 8k OLED, Soundbars and Consoles we should be thinking of how it is plugged in. During Monsoon Storms and even other times throughout the year, we get power surges, these surges can take out that 80″ television OLED just as it could a 19 inch tv is you haven’t taken an extra step and purchased a Surge Protector with a High Joule Rating and not just a power strip. It is recommended you use a Joule Rating of 2000-4000 joules to protect your devices and cost wise for these, they can run from 25 to 99 dollars depending on the number of outlets and of course Joule rating. Also important is to remember, these will not last forever. Over time that Joule protecting can deteriorate and a good surge protector can visually let you know when it is time. GE, APC, Monster and CyberPower all produce some fine devices. 

The Look when somethings smells burnt and you used a cheap Power Strip!

Also, if you are going to a coffee shop or even traveling, a nice device from Philips is the Cube, this give you a minor amount of protectiion which is better then plugging directly into the wall. I would recommend having your devices fully charged so you don’t have to plug into an outlet but if you have to, this can help. You could also carry an extra higher Joule Rated product in your laptop bag.

For the Best protection for your PC’s. Macs and other devices, APC – American Power Conversion from Schneider Electric can be a great source with its Uninterruptible Power Supplies.  In this segment we are sharing a Backup UPS from APC – The BN1500M2 which is a Ten Outlet device designed for Home and Small and Medium Businesses. With this you get 10 total outlets, 6 of those outlets with both surge and battery backup as well as 4 surge-only outlets. Also on board are 2 USB ports (Type-C and Type-A) that allow you to charge mobile devices. This is a great solution for your Computer and Routers, the Joule Rating on this is just under 1100. Another point to remember, it is not recommended to plug a UPS into a Power Strip, this could void a warranty or protection guarantee.

From the News13 Set
If Your old dusty Power Strip is showing a Red Light, it is an indication of the need to Replace it.

With a UPS In most situations, if your power goes out, You will be able to finish your work and shut down your system. A High End Gaming PC could be given just under half an hour to finish and then Shut down. The BN1500M2 sells for about 215.00 Find out more on the APC Website including how to protect this devices in the Summer Storms! https://www.apc.com

Andy TaylorTechtalkRadio, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Episode 403 – Can You Smell What the Mall is Cooking!?

In this Weeks TechtalkRadio Show, Justin, Shawn and Andy begin the discussions with a focus on the busy news cycle towards technology after a chat about the Summer Heat and cooling. Justin tells us about the split systems which can do a good job keeping areas cool but also a portable AC Unit. If trying to cool with a Swamp Cooler there are some considerations as they aren’t the best working along Electronics. Another consideration is where a PC or Mac is placed can also affect the performance, years ago companies sold cabinets to hide towers, and these were just not proper airflow. Justin determines he needs to delve into doing more home repair and has been watching videos on YouTube which have been very helpful. Andy used YouTube to help replace a Garbage Disposal Unit. Justin shares the best way to search for the project you want to do. The Crew pivots to the news of Adobe and how the FTC has directed a lawsuit at the company for its difficult process to cancel subscriptions with fees to the consumer when cancelling. Andy shares how he remembers from Aldus Photostyler to Creative Suite you could buy the package and use it till you wanted the new features. The Terms of Service have also been, as covered in last week’s show, Andy has a connection to Photographer Ron Hazelwood on Facebook and reads a post Ron shared regarding the TOS. Other points to consider include PDF’s which could contain sensitive documents. Ron mentions a possible alternative for working with photos, Affinity Photo 2. The Company can be found on the web at https://affinity.serif.com

      Justin opens this segment with a discussion on social media and how the Surgeon General of the United States may consider a Warning Label like what we have seen on tobacco. Shawn had pulled away from Socials a couple of years ago and tells us how during the show he reactivated the account to use an Extension to save photos he was tagged in. The extension called Tagged Photo Exporter available in the Google Chrome Store and Shawn tells us how this works. Shawn and Justin both agree on the addictive nature on social platforms and share why many others feel the same way. How will parents need to respond to this and how will this help alter the time spent while the child is online. Shawn and Justin share how they have applied these guidelines.      

Shawn tells us how he believes in the distant future, a Youth Digital Rebellion and tells us what that means. His wife shared a story how a friend’s child had loved the idea of online shopping, in person. While it doesn’t play as good on the radio, Andy shares a Meme about how times have shared. Andy shares the reminder of your digital products in the car or trunk of the vehicle. A good reminder to take the gear to a cooler area and the pull the Dash Cams instead of leaving them in the hot sun. Wells Fargo has caught employees using Mouse Jigglers and the guys talk about this story circulating the web, PC World has put together a great article on how to turn off Recall on Co-Pilot + PC.s. Shawn reminds us about how this is supposed to work and how it is being used.  

Shawn shares a Website of the Week with us, A great site for those that enjoy board games. https://www.boardgamearena.com The Site allows you to play board games with your friends. 

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News13 Segment – Great Sound for Your Ears!

In this Segment from News13 KMSB Fox 11, We share a product that will be great for Productivity but Also for the Gamer! How many people are gaming?

Recent Numbers show that as of January 2024, there are over 3.4B gamers worldwide, finding the tools to get an edge over other gamers is always a win! Just Unveiled a Couple of Weeks Ago, Our Friends at SteelSeries https://www.steelseries.com have shared with us the newest in their popular line of Headphones, the Arctis Nova 5x Wireless! Amazing sound with a very comfortable price point!

This New Headset not only features comfort but also compatibility with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and both PC and Mobile With the Nova 5 Companion App, users will have access to 100+ Audio Presets for Xbox and PlayStation Titles. This Bluetooth Wireless headset is available to work with high-speed 2.4GHz or Bluetooth 5.3 all by just tapping a button. Another great feature is the battery life, users will count on a 60+ Hour Battery Life, using USB-C Charging, charging for 15 Minutes can get you 8 hours of use!

The Nova Companion App with 100+ Sound Configurations

Rich sound with great Bass delivered to the earcups, with the Bluetooth Wireless configuration you can also receive phone calls while playing your favorite title. The SteelSeries Clear Cast Microphone also can present crystal clear crisp sound in voice chats while gaming and of course on Phone Calls as well. Users can also find AI Powered Noice Cancellation which can clear up any room noise. And while we have seen other headsets in the higher price category, this Arctis Nova 5x Wireless sells for only $129.99 Find out More at SteelSeries.Com As the Company says, Wear these and play “For Glory.”

And We have this Cool little device from Eurpmask for Hanging the Headphones! A 3-1 PC Gaming Controller and Headphone Stand which can hold most controllers and headphones sells for under 17 bucks!

Andy TaylorTechtalkRadio, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Show Posted – Episode 402 “Go Cloak Yourself”

In this Weeks TechtalkRadio Show, Justin tells Shawn and Andy about the Busted water heater in his basement and damage it has done to the area. Andy wonders if there is a Home Monitor that could have told him on the water leak/pressure issue. Justin talks about A Smart Valve Sensor on the Water Heater and how it works. Justin tells us about the products for creating a If this Than That system for all in the home. He tells us about Zigbee, Z-Wave found at https://www.z-wave.com and Matter found at https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/ . Justin has been checking out videos from Reed at Smart Home Solver on YouTube, found here https://www.youtube.com/c/smarthomesolver and while the idea of Home Automation can help in many ways, Self-Autonomy is something Shawn is not ready to give up yet. Justin likes how Home Assistant works great. Listener Question from Jennie on adding a Hub to her Mac and what could be solutions. Andy and Shawn look at products from EZ-Quest at https://www.ezq.com and another resource is Sabrent at https://www.sabrent.com 

Justin shares a laugh with his new shirt of Vault Boy from Fallout and tells us how he has got back into the game playing Fallout 76. He has even been buying merchandise based on the game. Justin makes a friend using voice chat in the game, Jay Dawg, and the guys discuss how having the voice connections can help a game become even more exciting. Shawn does a breakdown on the history of in-game chat from AOL Messenger to MSN Messenger, ICQ, Mumble, Ventrilo, TeamSpeak, Skype and then now Discord.

Rumblings about Microsoft Co-Pilot Recall and how it could screen shot everything done on the computer to aid AI to make your experience faster. Would this cause people to move to Mac or Linux? Shawn’s upset at the feeding of Ads in the OS Interface Start Menu. What are the downsides to moving to Linux?

A listener Rodney in Sahuarita heard the story about the NSA recommending Restarting the Smart Phone at least Once a Week and wants to know if that should be done with the Computer. The guys agree it should be done once a week and they discuss why. Andy mentions Hibernation, meaning Sleep, and Justin schools Andy on why hibernation is so bad. The discussion focuses on an update to the Terms of Use agreement which has upset some users which could appear to give Adobe a right to see your created content. Also, a Story about Ansel Adams and an image created by AI and sold on Stock Images which were taken down when found they were very close to Adams Images.

With Father’s Day around the Corner, Andy shares some products he featured on News13. The Anker 521 PowerStation for portable power can be found at https://www.anker.com and the SteelSeries Arctis 5x Headphones can be found at https://www.steelseries.com. Andy also talks about the TPM2.0 Module he will be doing a video of hopefully allowing a Windows 11 Update on an Older Motherboard. Justin wraps with our Website of the Week, https://www.cloaked.com This allows you to create identities for filling out forms or even Phone Numbers, As Shawn says It Worked for the Romulans!

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Andy TaylorTechtalkRadio, , , , ,

Episode 401 – Print Your Garden!

In this week’s TechTalkRadio show, things took an unexpected turn. Shawn is out sick, and Justin had yet another water pipe mishap in his studio! Despite the setbacks, we’ve got an exciting lineup of segments you may have missed.

Segment One: Canopy – Safety and Security for Young Eyes on Smart Devices
With kids home for summer break, it’s crucial to ensure their safety online. In this segment, we revisit Canopy, a service designed to provide safety and security for younger users on smartphones and other devices. Learn how Canopy can help parents monitor and protect their children’s online activities effectively.

Segment Two: Extending Your Home Wireless Network with Netgear
Struggling with Wi-Fi dead zones in your home? In this segment, we dive into the world of Netgear and their range of products aimed at enhancing your home wireless network. Listen to our interview with a Netgear representative to find out how you can extend your Wi-Fi coverage and improve your home network’s performance.

Segment Three: Irrigreen – Technological Innovation in Garden Water Management
Discover how technology can revolutionize your garden’s water management in this insightful segment. We explore Irrigreen, a company that uses advanced technology to provide efficient and sustainable irrigation solutions. Find out how you can save water and maintain a lush garden with Irrigreen’s innovative systems.

Final Segment: A Fun Contest Between Show Members
We wrap up the show with a blast from the past – a fun contest between the show members from November. Test your knowledge and see if you can answer any of the questions posed during this entertaining segment.

Don’t miss out on these valuable insights and fun moments. Tune in next week for an all-new segment packed with fresh tech news and discussions!