Techbyter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) With Bill Blinn

Combining multiple images allows today's photographers to create panoramic views and maybe even to outdo Ansel Adams (or is that blasphemy?); updating a computer to Windows 10 worked well for me, but occasional failures are being used to drive traffic to "Panic NOW!" websites. In Short Circuits: PayPal splits from Ebay and it's about time, a new website makes it easy to type in non-Roman alphabets, and Republicans plan to update their voter management system. In Spare Parts, only on the website: A technology program scheduled for Moscow in October sounds a lot like PC Expo in 1997, Epson has released lots of tiny printers that will be used in restaurant settings, Subway says you can now order and pay on-line, and wearable cameras are becoming very big business.

I'm a fan of applications that are provided without cost and I'll share a short list of some of my favorites. The best way to make a computer faster used to involve adding memory, but now maybe you should swap out the hard drive. In Short Circuits: Windows 10 launched this week and overall the upgrade process seems to be going well. Brian Krebs questions a new Windows 10 feature, but it seems to me that his concerns are largely without merit. In Spare Parts, only on the website: An on-line service can help you understand auto financing, why more large companies are moving to open-source applications for software development, and one of the big providers of high-quality optical disks plans to shut down by the end of the year.

OnOne's Perfect Photo Suite 9.5 makes this a great time to be a photographer and at last there's a version of Linux that might be right for users who don't have a degree in information technology. In Short Circuits: Central Ohio is about to get an overlay for the 614 area code, something that's coming to most metro areas, and with the Windows 10 upgrade scheduled to start installing in just a few days, I have the final (obligatory) pre-release story. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Weather reports are about to be crowd-sourced. Does this mean clouds from crowds? If you're dumb enough to read and send text messages while driving, now there's an app that can call for help when you're in a crash. And RetailMeNot continues to walk a fine line between serving buyers and serving sellers.

If you're looking for a reason to enroll in Adobe's Creative Cloud for Photographers, just take a look at what's new in Lightroom and Photoshop; if you haven't checked your Google and Facebook privacy settings recently, now would be a good time. In Short Circuits: The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have whacked another mole, Amazon's Black Friday in July received less than stellar reviews, and after having only a minor presence at Germany's IFA trade show for several years, Microsoft will have the keynote slot at this year's show. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Microsoft is essentially giving up on phones, at least the hardware part; in July of 1948, Bell Labs announced the "transfer resistance device", which we now know as the transistor; a company in China says it has a battery that can be ready to use after just 6 or 7 minutes of charging; and if you're looking for medical marijuana, there's a app for that.

Website designers, both pro and amateur, will find lots to like in the latest version of Xara Web Designer; with just weeks to go before Windows 10 is released, Microsoft has pushed out the last preview build and it about ready to release the code to manufacturing. In Short Circuits: Hackers have been hacked and the information released reveals the dirty secrets of a company that has tried to position itself wearing a white hat and if you're tired of bloatware on your smart phone, look for support from China. In Spare Parts, only on the website: The developer of new software claims that it can create a sketch of a criminal or a victim based on the person's DNA, 7-Eleven will deliver to your home or office (if it's in San Francisco or Oakland), and with more large companies pushing backup to the cloud, Veritas says that the latest version of its backup software is designed to work with nearly all online storage systems.

A pair of Microsoft HoloLens devices were destroyed this week when a SpaceX rocket exploded, but NASA astronauts will still probably see the HoloLens before you do; instead of depending on the Windows search function, take a look at what Agent Ransack can offer; In Short Circuits: How to plan for reinstalling Windows (and whether you need to) and Microsoft seems to be planning to return to the chip manufacturing business it abandoned 10 years ago. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Computers you can kick down the stairs, an update for Malwarebytes AntiExploit application, and why AOL is (astoundingly!) still relevant.

Lots of photography topics this week as we take a look at applications that run on Android smart phones and tablets, then consider how to turn a scanned newspaper photo into something useful. The crooks who run CryptoLocker malware may be honest thieves, but they're still costing victims millions of dollars. In Short Circuits: Speaking of LOTs, hackers grounded many of the Polish airline's airplanes this week and Microsoft continues to clarify conditions under which Windows 10 will be without charge. Maybe some people are just trying too hard to misunderstand. In Spare Parts, only on the website: How icons that you'll see in Windows 10 have changed during development and thoughts on the importance of carefully reviewing a laptop computer's specifications before buying it.

Password management company LastPass says that it found hackers on its network and I'll explain why this isn't a surprise or something to worry about. Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 was released this week and brings several new and welcome features. In Short Circuits: IBM fully commites to an open source application, Kaspersky warns about some high-powered malware that has set its sights high, and those who want a Microsoft Surface Hub can order it starting on July first. In Spare Parts (only on the website): An app designed to help with beer and wine is about to expand, auto dealers might find an application that assists with recalls helpful, and the demand for video on demand is up. Way up.

ThumbsPlus is preparing to release an updated version of its photo management application, security is suddenly becoming a VERY BIG TOPIC for business managers and government officials, and in Short Circuits: a clever way to manage messy wires, the text you send could end up in court, and most of us are carrying more devices around these days. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A new security offering from a start-up company promises better protection against state-sponsored cyber-crime and BlackBerry is reported to be considering a big change.

Between now and Labor Day, you'll probaby take lots of pictures. Picnics, visits to the zoo, maybe a vacation, and family get togethers. But then what? Why not make a slide show without the slides, the projector, and the screen? The cost of data breaches has increased greatly over the past year. In Short Circuits: Launch day for Windows 10 is now official: July 29 and Amazon has a new program that ships even low-cost items for free. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A follow-up on Android data usage, an examination of the popularity of tablet computers, and trying to apply technology to the battle for human rights around the world.

Sometimes you can't install a program update and attempting the usual fix (uninstalling) doesn't work either. Microsoft has a helpful application. Research by Google makes it appear that many of us can't remember where we were born, but it's worse than that. If you've recently installed Android Lollipop on your smart phone, check the phone's data usage. In Short Circuits: Finding a way to eat and drink where the locals do when you're traveling. In Spare Parts (only on the website): New Jersey and IBM work together to improve traffic flow, a new approach to Internet security, and are you ready for a cannabis investor summit?

We know more about Windows 10 now, including how many versions will be provided, but still not when. In Short Circuits: I received a firm reminder of how sneaky phishing messages can be, the United States continues to be the largest supplier of e-mail spam, and after several years of rapid growth tablet sales are off a bit this year. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Look who's the biggest threat to corporate data, China plans to spend more than $200 billion in the next couple of years to improve Internet speeds, calls to implement a Canadian anti-piracy program in the US, and RadioShack receives permission to sell its name.

I never fail to be amazed by how many applications are available either for free or at a very low cost. There's no question that commercial software often gives users the largest number of features, but sometimes not all of the available features are needed. Sometimes what's available from a free program is enough. And sometimes what's available from a free program is better than what's available commercially. Let's explore some of the possibilities. In Short Circuits: Are you smarter than a CEO? It turns out that even executives can't always tell the difference between a real e-mail message and a phish, and AVG promises that some of its new applications will enhance your Windows PC, Mac, or Android device. And in Spare Parts: Dealing with Support when Things Go Wrong -- the story of a star-crossed attempt to obtain an answer from Microsoft.

If your Android smart phone's battery life is far too short after you upgraded the phone to Lollipop, I have some suggestions; Microsoft's Ignite Conference in Chicago this week shows how committed the company is to winning over IT managers; In Short Circuits: The speech recognition market is growing fast, Microsoft has filed suit against a fraudster, and you'll be shocked by how much Comcast and Time Warner spent on their failed merger. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Android users continue to upgrade to Lollipop; Opera's new Mini browser is a hit; and Microsoft pushes Android and IOS developers to port their applications to Windows 10.

Adobe's latest version of Acrobat goes a long way toward fulfilling absurd demands from users; Samsung has finally started pushing updates to the latest version of Android (Lollipop) to phones, but not yet to tablets; Microsoft is now at build 10,074 of Windows 10 and Project Spartan has a real name. In Short Circuits: This week is the 34th anniversary of the first commercial mouse, if you have an Apple watch, you can have a portable dictionary, and we'll look at another threat to traditional radio. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Tiny storage devices are even larger and you can hang a weatherproof Wi-Fi access point outside to cover the neighborhood.

Sometimes a single event or a single topic is enough to fill the entire program. That's the case this week with Adobe Lightroom 6. In Short Circuits: Looking for ways that bad guys might hack vehicles that are connected via the Internet of Things and a few more Microsoft 10 tea leaves. In Spare Parts, only on the website: You can't get coffee from your smart phone, but you can pay for it with one; a new app promises to encrypt text messages and let you fix auto-correct errors; and sort of a dress code for wearable devices.

Amazon is making a concerted effort to convince more people to use its Prime Music Service and, if you're already a Prime subscriber, it's a good choice. The demand for body cameras is increasing and that's causing new companies to enter the marketplace. After investigating Google for 5 years, the European Union has finally struck. In Short Circuits: In addition to suits filed by Internet service providers, the Federal Communications Commission could be under attack from Congress and a new browser from Opera for Android devices could increase the Norwegian company's market share. In Spare Parts: Only on the website, a host of new security products from D-Link, Western Digital introduces new hard drives intended for the video surveillance market, and if you'd like 720TB of storage, Supermicro has just the device for you.

After less than a week, Microsoft replaced Windows 10 build 10041 with 10049, so let's see what's different. What to do when a disk begins to fail. In Short Circuits: Finding malware in Google's Chrome Store calls into question Google's claim that it vets all applications, ISIS attacks a TV network in France and websites worldwide, and the FBI warns of fake government sites designed to steal information from you. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Using mind control on the front door and software proof of China's continuing rise.

A smaller version of Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 will soon be available and at a lower price, Adobe continues to release mobile applications that allow designers to stop using scratch pads when they're away from the computer, and most people now agree that data on a computer is more valuable than the computer. In Short Circuits: I have a quick update on Windows 10, which now works on the notebook computer I tried to install it on a couple of weeks ago and if you want a perpetual license for Lightroom 5 but haven't been able to figure out how to get it, I'll show you the way. In Spare Parts, only on the website: TrueCrypt, rumored to be insecure, proves to be safe; an executive order from President Obama to fight foreign cyber-crooks, Yahoo and Microsoft extend negotiations on their future, and looking at activity by high-tech CEOs in battling a law in Indiana.

The Belarc Advisor looks like a tool for serious geeks, but it has features everyone can use. Development of Windows 10 lumbers forward but Spartan, the replacement for Internet Explorer, still isn't available in the preview program. In Short Circuits: Installing the Windows 10 preview doesn't always work the way you think it will; in a "surprise" move, big ISPs have filed suit against the Federal Communications Commission; and warnings about rogue Android apps not downloaded from the Play Store. In Spare Parts, only on the website: Finding an old math co-processor in the back of a drawer this week was amusing, trying to safeguard data stored in the cloud, and Microsoft works with Samsung to put Office on Android devices.