It has been a while since I've used Skype, and I had no idea just how much Microsoft has stuffed it up. Skype for the multi-device user is all but useless. I tried to find a way to allow someone to call into my PC's Skype but to no avail. I shut down Skype on my phone and was able to call out but not receive anything. This removed the possibility of using a good sound card and microphone for the mix, and all I could use in the end was my phone. BM -- or Before Microsoft -- Skype was usable and useful. PM -- Post-Microsoft -- you should look for any other alternative. Line seems to be most popular with those I know. This is not the first time Microsoft has taken over a product, and its usage has dropped dramatically. Of course that could have been the plan all along.
As you are reading this the European Union is voting on Article 13, which effectively removes fair-use laws in an attack to remove memes, remixes and other funny and creative content from Europe's internet. The decision will also target small companies and start-ups that do not have the resources of organisations like Google and Facebook and rely on such content to attract interest and views. This is of course a massive overreach by the faceless but abnormally powerful Commissars of the EU, which do not represent the common man at all. If passed, the result will be a bland, uninteresting internet in the EU, and it will spawn a black market in memes and associated content. It is probably time to split the EU up permanently.
I have a new notebook. It is a top-of-the-line Lenovo Yoga, and apart from the long and arduous process for installing Microsoft Office, so far it is great. It is an i7 Intel-based two-in-one unit that doubles as a tablet and even comes with a built-in stylus. 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD drive provides plenty of space and there is a combined SD reader in the back. Two USB 3, two Thunderbolt and a mini-HDMI output along with a DisplayPort makes for a lot of connectors in a 1.4kg package. You also get a LAN dongle included. I also went with the Dolby Vision HDR technology screen, which is clearer and brighter. It was also the first time I had been exposed to Cortana, a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation-like voice interface that gave directions. I think I will be turning it off. More on how it goes next week. At the same time, I received some Sony 1000MX wireless headphones that are full of features, provide great sound and paired instantly with my smartphone.
If you are still using Yahoo! chat, then you have about a month before it is shut down permanently and you will lose access to your chats unless you save them beforehand. There are rumours that Yahoo! is working on a new chat app called Squirrel that is currently by invitation only. For all the loyal original chat users, however, it is adios.
For the past six years or so, the Chinese have held onto the top spot in the supercomputer world. That is about to change and flop back to the US with the unveiling of the Summit. The Summit is capable of an extraordinary 200 petaflops (200,000 trillion calculations per second), beating out the current Chinese TaihuLight, clocked at 125 petaflops. The Summit can perform up to 1.88 quintillion calculations per second and represents the first time any computer has broken the exascale barrier. In layman's terms, it is really, really fast, and should be able to mine Bitcoins like crazy.
Today's overused marketing term is blockchain. This is essentially a permanent, sequential, encrypted, transaction log used to prove what happened and when. If you are having problems imagining this, think of a physical log book written in code, with permanent ink.
Looking for a phone for your elderly parents at a price point that won't break the bank? Then consider the Samsung J7 Pro. Decent CPU, screen and battery with microSD support and good camera at a fraction of the price of the latest high-end models.
Google removed the egg from their salad emoji in the name of inclusion and diversity. Not much to add to this that it doesn't hypocritically say for itself.
Now that I have a computer with Windows 10, I'll be passing along a few more tips. Right click on a video clip and Open With > Photos. Click on Edit and Create in the Menu. Voila! You have a video-editing tool at your fingertips. It isn't a full-blown video-editing application, but it has a surprising number of tools you can use to edit your video, including filters, the ability to add music and a bunch of other stuff. It is available on all Windows 10 versions.
James Hein is an IT professional of over 30 years' standing. You can contact him at jclhein@gmail.com.