Photo Editing Apps for your iPhone

Posted on March 21, 2017January 13, 2025 by Gail Eddy in Laptops, Tips

Most Smartphones take pretty decent photos. And you can do some minor things to make them a little better, but there are a whole bunch of photo editing apps out there that can take you to a whole ‘nother level.

Banana on Keyboard (Photo editing using Prisma Mondrian Filter) — Banana on Keyboard

Art

“Prisma transforms your photos and videos into works of art using the styles of famous artists: Van Gogh, Picasso, Levitan, as well as world famous ornaments and patterns. A unique combination of neural networks and artificial intelligence helps you turn memorable moments into timeless art pieces.” The photo on the right was created using the “mondrian” filter.

Labels

This by Tinrocket gives you an easy way to add labels to your photos. It’s easy to use, and you can add multiple labels.

General Editing:

MaxCurve is a very highly rated photo editing app. It allows you to play with the exposure and color levels; tone down the cyan and turn up the magenta. Here’s a tutorial to get the most out of the app.

Image Editor gives you the ability to change a photo into a meme, to focus on one point and blur the rest of the photo, to draw, to add a frame, and much more.

When you want to post a photo online, either for social media or your blog, you want to have a photo that loads quickly and is not at the mercy of download speeds. Resize Image lets you do just that. We’re not talking about cropping photos so that you get rid of extraneous background. We’re talking about taking a photo as it is and changing it from a 1 gig file to a 100kb file with all the detail intact.

If you do want to crop a photo, I like Photo Crop. There are times when you want to keep the original photo, but also crop part of the background out. When you crop a photo in the iPhone Photo app, it “loses” the original. When you use Photo Crop, you can keep the original, and play with it too.

What are your favorite photo editing apps? Please share in the comments below!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet. I’ll try that next! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

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I Spilled Coffee on My Laptop!

Posted on March 14, 2017May 6, 2024 by Gail Eddy in backup, Laptops, Tips

It’s the fear of laptop owners everywhere. You’ve staked out your teeny spot at the local coffee shop. You’ve finished your first latte and head up for your next one. Heading back to your seat you trip and quickly regain your balance. But not quickly enough. Your cry rings through the shop: “I spilled coffee on my laptop!”

The next few minutes are really important.

First:

Turn off your machine and pull the power cord out.

Second:

Turn the machine upside down. Stop the flow of the liquid into your machine immediately.

Third:

Remove your battery and place it in a container covered with rice.

Fourth:

Remove any peripherals: USB devices, Memory Cards, etc.

Fifth:

Clean the liquid from the surface of your machine with a cloth or Q-tips. Chris thinks paper towels and napkins are best, because they are immediately absorbent.

Last:

Let it sit upside down for 24-48 hours before plugging it back in. If it still doesn’t work, it’s time to call in a professional.

Words of Wisdom from Chris:

Spilled coffee on your laptop can be worse than dropping it, because it’s hard to tell where the liquid has gone, and different kinds of liquid have a worse effect than others.
The volume of the liquid is important.
- If it’s a small volume of liquid (1-2 ounces), quickly wipe the top of the surface with a paper towel or napkin to get most of the liquid off the surface, then grab the computer firmly by the sides, and try shake any liquid that may have made it inside off and out for 5-10 seconds. Open the computer lid to about 30 degrees, and stand the computer up on it’s side with the hot air vent at the top. Leave the computer alone for a day, and retry the computer the next day.
- Spilling a pint glass of water is worse than “clutzing” a small spill as you move your glass over the keyboard. If you do the “pint glass” kind of spill, Remove the battery, and disconnect any connected wall power from the computer. Stand up immediately, grasp the computer firmly with your hands on the right and left side of the keyboard, extend your arms outward to lock your elbows, and firmly sweep the computer from up to down many times as you use centrifugal force to eject the liquid from the computer.
Electronic connectors do not like liquid, because it causes “short circuits” and promotes corrosion. Plain coffee and plain water are the most benign of all liquids because they don’t have sugars or salts mixed in. Sugar in a liquid is worse because the sugar will make keys stick later, and will attract additional dust later – which will make your keys more sticky as the humidity goes up. Milk will have a less sticky effect than sugar, but is still conductive and will attract dust later. Soda is the worst because it has sugar and salt, making the liquid very conductive, very sticky, and tends to get in many different places inside your computer. Beer is good, except when mixed with electronics, then it is bad.

An Ounce of Prevention:

Keep your drink away from your computer, eg: near a wall and away from people traffic – but where you can easily look at it. If a Server approaches with your beverage, make eye contact and offer to receive it with your hands using a path that is away from your computer. Note: professional Servers tend to have excellent grip strength and dexterity, so if they insist on their placement, consider putting your hands under the drink as it moves across the table (to catch a drip should one occur), rather than try to forcibly snatch it from their hands. Being able to keep an eye on your beverage is good, because you might tip it over when you adjust the angle of the computer lid or when you push the computer away from you.

Reminder: Keep your data backed up so that problems like this don’t turn into business disasters! Most cloud based backup systems will automatically back up files as you save them. That means your data loss could be minimal. I use Dropbox (You’ll get 500mb free with this link.)

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Phishing Expeditions (Stay Safe Online!)

Posted on March 7, 2017May 9, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Malware, Passwords, Phishing, Tips

There’s another threat out there. It’s a Phishing Expedition. Several of our clients have already fallen for it. It comes by way of an email which appears to be from a trusted friend or business associate. They want you to take a look at a document on DropBox. It looks legit, plus, you’ve gotten documents from this email contact before.

So, you click on the link to look at the DropBox document. Except it’s not from your friend. And in that brief moment, you’ve given access of your entire email contact list to the Phishers.

As soon as you figure out what has happened, it is important to change the passwords for all of your email accounts

"Phishing" by Edwind Richzendy — “Phishing” by Edwind Richzendy

immediately. Here are some ideas for creating a really strong password. You should also run your virus scanner.

How do you make sure this doesn’t happen to you?

Before opening any attachments, make sure the email is actually from your contact. Are you expecting a document or other attachment from them? Does the text of the email message and subject “sound” like what your contact would write? If not, give them a call to see if it’s really from them. (If it’s not, tell them to change their password and run their virus scanner ASAP.)
Put a note on your calendar to change your email passwords at least once a month.
Be extra careful when surfing the web or viewing posts on Social Media. Malware is being spread that way as well.

Looking for more info on phishing? Here are two past blogs:

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My Power Went Out!

Posted on February 21, 2017April 29, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Internet Service, Router, Tips

It’s winter here in Colorado and that means blown down or frozen power lines. The power goes out at our home about once every four to six weeks in the winter and we’ve learned what to do to keep our equipment safe.

Power Lines Down | Source: WikiMedia — Power Lines Down Source: WikiMedia

It’s really simple:

When the power first starts to flicker – the lights turn off for a half second or the smoke detector beeps – we go around the house and unplug everything from the wall. This includes the computers, printer, TV, stereo, entertainment system, everything that would be expensive or inconvenient to replace.

What about a Surge Protector?

Surge protectors are okay, because you are not always at home when the power goes out and they do provide a small amount of protection. Just know that they are not always able to provide 100% protection to all of your equipment.

Don’t forget your Router:

Remember to unplug your router as well. Many times, we’ve been called to a client after a power outage and they’re no longer able to get their internet service. Sometimes the power surge will “fry” the router and there’s nothing to be done but to get a new one.

If your power had been out and you need help adjusting your settings for your printer or router, just let us know!

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My WiFi Isn’t Working!

Posted on February 14, 2017April 29, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Internet Service, Modems, Router, Tips, WiFi

It sure is frustrating when your WiFi isn’t working. We rely on it to get work done and keep in touch via email. Facebook and Instagram, of course, rely on a good solid connection to the internet too.

If the WiFi itself isn’t really broken, then there are a couple of quick things you can do to get it working again.

My WiFi isn't working! — My WiFi isn’t working!

Airplane Mode?

First, is your device in Airplane mode or has the WiFi been turned off? On some laptops there is a simple switch (usually in the front) that is easy to accidentally turn off. On other machines you’ll need to hold the function key and “radio” key down at the same time to toggle it on or off.

Forget the connection

Tell your device to “forget” the connection, then reconnect and reenter your WiFi password.

Router

If you have access to the router, turn it off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on again. Then, relog into the wifi on your computer or other device.

Call Your ISP

If you’re still not having any luck, call your Internet Service Provider (CenturyLink, Comcast, Xfinity, Rise Broadband, etc.). Let them know that your WiFi isn’t working. They should be able to tell you if it is something they can fix, or if you need to call in outside help.

You’ve followed these steps, but still your WiFi isn’t working? Give us a call!

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Acronyms for Texting

Posted on February 7, 2017April 29, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Tips

Are you ever mystified by some of the acronyms that show up in your text messages, or sometimes on Facebook as well? More than once I’ve had to look up an odd string of letters to figure out what they mean.

Most of us have figured out OMG, BFF, ETA, and LOL. Even ROTFL and LMAO are fairly common. But how about other acronyms like AAMOF, L2M, L8R, ENAT,

Here’s a run down of some of the acronyms you might see:

911 – Emergency
AAMOF – As a Matter of Fact
AFK – Away from keyboard
BAE – Before Anyone Else
BFF – Best Friends Forever
BRB – Be Right Back
BTW – By The Way
ENAT – Every Now and Then
ETA – Estimated Time of Arrival
FML – F* My Life
FR – For real
FTW -For the win
GTFO – Get the f* Out
GTG – Got To Go
HBD – Happy Birthday
ICYMI – In Case You Missed It
IDC – I don’t care
IDK – I don’t know
IDRK – I don’t really know
ILU – I love you
IMO – In My Opinion
IMHO – In My Humble Opinion
IMU – I miss you
IRL – In Real Life
JC – Just Chilling
JK – Just Kidding
L2M – Listening to Music
L8R – Later
LMIRL – Let’s meet in real life
LMK – Let me know
LOL – Laugh out loud
LMAO – Laughing my a$$ off
LY – Love You
MY – Miss You
NMU – Not much, you?
Noob – Newbie
NM – Never mind
NP- No problem
NSFW – Not Safe For Work
OMG – Oh my goodness
OMW – On My Way
PAW or PRW- Parents are Watching
POS – Parent Over Shoulder
QT – Cutie
ROTFL – Rolling on the Floor laughing
SLAM – Stop Looking At Me
SMH – Shake My Head
SOS – Help me
STFU – Shut the f* Up
TBH – To be honest
TGIF – Thank Goodness for Friday
TMI – Too much information
TT4N – Ta Ta for now
TTTT – To Tell the Truth
TTYL – Talk to you later
TMSAISTI – That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
THX – Thanks
WTH – What the heck
WYD – What are you doing
WYM – What do you mean

For parents wondering what their kids might be saying, here’s a list of sexting terms.

And finally, YW. (You’re welcome!)

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

Tech Terms Decoded – CPU

Posted on January 31, 2017April 29, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Computer Memory, Hard Drive, Mac's, Solid State Drive, Tips, Windows

Decoding Tech Terms

Are you as confused as I sometimes am about common Tech Terms? When Chris talks about RAM and Memory and CPU and gigs of storage, I’m not sure what he is saying. I’ve done some digging to see if I can help explain CPU in non-Tech terms.

Computer Processing Unit or CPU

The CPU is a component in your computer where the actual calculations are carried out. Here’s a good explanation from TechTerms:

“The CPU is the primary component of a computer that processes instructions. It runs the operating system and applications, constantly receiving input from the user or active software programs. It processes the data and produces output, which may stored by an application or displayed on the screen.

The CPU contains at least one processor, which is the actual chip inside the CPU that performs calculations. For many years, most CPUs only had one processor, but now it is common for a single CPU to have at least two processors or “processing cores.” A CPU with two processing cores is called a dual-core CPU and models with four cores are called quad-core CPUs. High-end CPUs may have six (hexa-core) or even eight (octo-core) processors. A computer may also have more than one CPU, which each have multiple cores. For example, a server with two hexa-core CPUs has a total of 12 processors.”

Which Processor do you have?

For a Mac, click on the Apple in the top left corner, then select “About this Mac”. Finally, click on “Overview” to see your Processor.

For a Windows machine, click on the Start menu, then click on Control Panel, and finally select System.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

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Tech Terms Decoded – Operating System

Posted on January 24, 2017April 29, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Linux, Mac's, SmartPhones, Tips, Windows

Decoding Tech Terms

Are you as confused as I sometimes am about common Tech Terms? When Chris talks about RAM and Memory and gigs of storage, I’m not sure what he is saying. I’ve done some digging to see if I can help explain Operating System in non-Tech terms.

OS or Operating System

The Operating System is what allows your computer to run. Whether you are using a Mac, a Windows, a Linux machine, or something else, the OS manages the internals to make sure your document is delivered successfully to your printer, or your proprietary spreadsheet is automatically saved every 2 minutes.

Some of the Operating Systems available include Windows, OS-X for Mac’s, Linux, Android for Smartphones, and iOS for iPhones. The Operating System is what allows the applications or computer software to communicate with the computer hardware and get things done. It is software that controls the basic operations of the computer. The Operating System also oversees file management.

Here’s a good definition from TechTerms

“An operating system, or “OS,” is software that communicates with the hardware and allows other programs to run. It is comprised of system software, or the fundamental files your computer needs to boot up and function. Every desktop computer, tablet, and smartphone includes an operating system that provides basic functionality for the device.”

Which Operating System are you using?

For a Mac, click on the Apple in the top left corner, then select “About this Mac”. Finally, click on “Overview” to see your OS and version.

Operating System - Mac OSx — Operating System – Mac OSx

For a Windows machine, click on the Start menu, then click on Control Panel, and finally select System.

Are you happy with your current Operating System? Have you thought about upgrading to a newer version? Let us know if you need help!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

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Tech Terms Decoded – RAM

Posted on January 10, 2017April 29, 2024 by Gail Eddy in Tips, Win10, Windows 7, Windows XP

Decoding Tech Terms

RAM: Random Access Memory is the space your computer uses to run programs and also perform calculations without much delay. It will also hold any data that your program needs. A program will exist in your computers memory, but when you start up that program, it will copy itself into RAM. Here’s a good definition from TechTerms.com:

Every time you open a program, it gets loaded from the hard drive into the RAM. This is because reading data from the RAM is much faster than reading data from the hard drive. Running programs from the RAM of the computer allows them to function without any lag time. The more RAM your computer has, the more data can be loaded from the hard drive into the RAM, which can effectively speed up your computer. In fact, adding RAM can be more beneficial to your computer’s performance than upgrading the CPU.

Recommendation:

I asked Chris how much RAM a computer should have. It depends on which Operating System you are using.

If you’re using the 32 bit version of Windows Vista or XP, your computer won’t be able to access more than 4 gigs of RAM. Any more than that would be a waste.
If you’re using the 64 bit version of Windows Vista or XP, it can see more than 4 gigs. Chris recommends using 8 gigs on these machines. (If you don’t know what a 32 bit or 64 bit machine is, you probably have the 32 bit version.)
For Windows 7 and 10, Chris recommends at least 8 gig of RAM, though more can be added as needed.

How Much RAM do I Have?:

To find out how much RAM your machine has click on the Start Menu, then open the Control Panel, then click on “System”. My computer is running Windows 7 64 bit with 16 gig of RAM:

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

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Keeping your WordPress website safe

Posted on January 3, 2017May 2, 2024 by Gail Eddy in backup, Tips, Wordpress

Hacking Your WordPress Website

Do you have a WordPress website? I’ve recently noticed an uptick in the number of attempts to access our website from random IP addresses from around the globe. I’m pretty confident that our site is secure, but I’ve been wondering how secure YOUR website is. Many times when we set up a new site on WordPress, we use the login “admin” because it seems easy. The problem is that someone who might be trying to hack into your account will try that first. If you have a less-than-secure password, BOOM, they are in!

Common User ID’s

Here is a list of User ID’s which you should change:

Admin
Root
Test
Guest
Info
Adm
User

Secure Passwords

I’ve talked about using secure passwords before. Most recently I provided some tips to create a really strong password. But, WordPress goes one better, giving you an option to let them create a really strong password for you. Use their tool! Then write it down, or save it in a secure file.

Backup Your site

You spent a lot of time creating your website. What would happen if your site was hacked? Remember to back it up so that if the worst happens, you spend minimal downtime. This article reviews the seven best WordPress backup plugins

Let’s keep safe out there!!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

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