Recent Comments
Comment by BobD on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 7, 2025 10:52 PM)
This is really packed with useful links and information. I Bookmarked this so I can pass it on to my friends. Thanks for the article! Bob D. ...
Comment by Gary on Time to Switch from Windows to Linux? (October 7, 2025 01:27 AM)
I don't understand all of the drama about Win 10 support ending! I have pcs and laptops with Win 95, XP, Vista, Win7, Win7 Pro, Win10 Pro, Win 11 and...
Comment by Catherine on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 5, 2025 01:14 AM)
On the subject of security software, I used Avast happily for several years until its increasing nagging became intolerable. Then I found that AVG cam...
Comment by Wolf! on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 4, 2025 11:42 PM)
Great article! Yes! Security software is important, and I like how the article emphasizes removing the McAfee and other bloatware. This is exactly wha...
Comment by peter on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 4, 2025 01:15 PM)
bob, you did not say anything about windows 11 S mode...
Comment by AstridR on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 4, 2025 06:08 AM)
As Mac user and long term Bob Rankin subscriber, I never cease to marvel at the Windows/Microsoft etc machinations that you reveal. Currently am usin...
Comment by Jeri on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 3, 2025 07:42 PM)
Enable System Protection by typing CREATE A RESTORE POINT in the search box on the Taskbar, Configure: choose how much of the hard drive to devote. Th...
Comment by Jon on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 3, 2025 06:50 PM)
Thank you yet again Bob! Just downsized my computer after a critical crash - physical dropped to hard floor.... I've been trying to remember which c...
Comment by hill on New PC? Do These 12 Things Now... (October 3, 2025 06:06 PM)
Also turn off Bitlocker encryption. I've seen it cause frequent problems and even total data loss whenever there are login password issues. If you don...
Comment by cropduster on Your Computer's Worst Enemy (Cows, Bees, or...?) (September 26, 2025 12:18 AM)
Tried Fanny for my Mac. The app didn't open, so absolutely nothing! Plus, there is no way to contact the developer....
Photography Articles
Try These Free Online Photo Editors
An AskBob reader says: 'I don’t have Adobe Photoshop and I’m looking for a photo editor that I can use on the go. What do you recommend for photo editing when I’m away from my home computer?' It turns out there are quite a few online image and photo editors, and the features they offer are quite impressive. Check out these free web-based image editing tools that are just a click away...
...Here's How to Take Better Smartphone Photos
The smartphone has replaced dedicated digital cameras amongst all but professionals and photography hobbyists. Here are some tips for taking great photos with your iPhone or Android smartphone. (Actually most of them apply to those old-school digital cameras as well.) Read on...
...[TIPS] Start Taking Better Smartphone Pictures
The ubiquitous smartphone seems to have replaced dedicated cameras among all but professionals and photography hobbyists. Here are some tips for taking great photos with your iPhone or Android smartphone. (Actually most of them apply to old-school digital cameras as well.) Read on...
...Check Out These Free Online Photo Editors
An AskBob reader says: 'I don’t have Photoshop and I’m looking for a photo editor that I can use on the go. What do you recommend for photo editing when I’m away from my home computer?' It turns out there are quite a few online image and photo editors, and the features they offer are quite impressive. Check out these free web-based image editing tools that are just a click away…
...Try a Free Online Photography Class
An AskBob reader says: 'I am retired and want to learn more about photography, but I don't have money to take classes. Are there any free photography courses online that I can explore at my own pace?' Well, yes! There are some awesome (and free) online photography classes. Read on...
...Deep Fakes: Getting Too Real?
Most people realize that photographs are easily faked. Audio recordings, too, can be manipulated or even created from whole cloth. Now it seems video is becoming a new frontier in which what you see and hear cannot be trusted. I’m not talking about simply editing video to omit or re-order parts of it. I mean computer-generated video that realistically depicts a real person doing things he or she never really did. Here's what you need to know about deep fake videos...
...Try These Free Online Photography Classes
A long-time AskBob reader asks: 'I really want to learn more about photography, but I don't have the time or money to take classes at the local community college. Are there any free photography courses online that I can explore at my own pace?' Well, yes! There are some awesome (and free) online photography classes. Read on...
...Wow, Free Online Photo Editors
A reader asks: 'What tool do you recommend for photo editing when you're away from your own computer and you don't have PhotoShop or something similar available?' It turns out there are quite a few online image and photo editors, and the features they offer are quite impressive. Check out these free web-based image editing tools that are just a click away...
...[SNAP] Awesome Apps for Photographers
Every modern smartphone packs a pretty powerful digital camera these days. But the camera app that comes with your Android or iPhone does not provide all the features that photographers need. If you want to take the best photos during your next vacation, nature walk, concert, etc., and spruce them up later, check out some of these useful photography apps...
...[HOWTO] Take Great Smartphone Pictures
The smartphone seems to have replaced dedicated cameras among all but professionals and photography hobbyists. And the Android operating system powers 88% of all smartphones. So here are some tips for taking great photos with an Android smartphone. (Actually most of them apply to iPhones and old-school DSLR cameras as well.) Read on...
...Should You Buy Discount Inkjet Cartridges?
A reader asks: 'Are discount inkjet cartridges really a good deal? I've heard they can ruin your printer, void your warranty, and that the quality is lacking. Others have told me they're great and can save you lots of money. What's the scoop on those cheap ink cartridges?' Read on for my advice about refilled or remanufactured inkjet cartridges...
...[SNAP!] Photo Editing Apps
Photos rarely are rarely perfect straight out of the camera. That’s why Photoshop is one of the most successful apps ever. But Photoshop is overly expensive and complicated for casual photographers. Fortunately, there are many free and inexpensive alternatives that do most of the things Photoshop does. Here are a few of them for desktop and mobile platforms...
...[WHOA...] Is That Picture Real?
Social media of all kinds - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. - are rife with disinformation spread by people with ulterior motives. It’s a huge problem; you never know if what you’re looking at is real or fake. Many users react emotionally to provocative fake photos and posts, sharing and commenting on them, perpetuating the false impressions and outright lies.
...[SNAP] Windows 10 Photos Problems
I have been hearing from many readers who don’t like the Photos app built into Windows 10. It’s the new image file manager in Win 10, and it definitely seems to overreach in many ways. Read on to see are some of the complaints and questions I’ve received, and how to deal with each issue…
...10 Free Online Photo Editors
A reader asks: 'What do you recommend for quick photo editing when you're away from your own computer and you don't have PhotoShop or something similar available?' It turns out there are quite a few online image and photo editors, and the features they offer are quite impressive. Check out these web-based image editing tools that are just a click away...
...Are Digital Cameras Extinct?
It’s no secret that smartphones have clobbered the digital camera market. Worldwide, sales of fixed-lens compact digital cameras fell by over 38% in the first nine months of 2014. Is the traditional digital camera now an endangered species? Maybe not. Read on for my analysis...
...NEW: Check Out Google Photos
Google Photos is a “new” photo and video storage, editing, and organizing tool introduced at the Google I/O conference held in May. Photo management used to be part of Google+, but Google has spun this service off from its languishing social network and added some interesting features. Read on for the scoop…
...Free Photography Classes Online
A reader asks: 'I want to learn more about photography, but I don't have the time or money to take classes at the local community college. Are there any free photography courses online that I can explore at my own pace?' Well, yes! Read on...
...7 Free Online Photo Editors
A reader asks: 'What do you recommend for quick photo editing when you're away from your own computer and you don't have PhotoShop or something similar available?' It turns out there are quite a few online image and photo editors, and the features they offer are quite impressive. Check these out...
...Five Very Affordable Photo Printers
It's true, you can print any photo on your trusty inkjet printer, but photo printers offer some features that make photo printing better and easier. Here are some high-quality, low-cost photo printers you should consider...
...Are Digital Cameras Obsolete?
What goes around comes around. Digital cameras killed the old-school film camera market long ago. Today, some are wondering if standalone digital cameras are in danger of extinction by cameras built into smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Read on to see if they're right...
...Free Online Photo Storage and Sharing
Digital photos, like all important files, need to be backed up regularly. But rather than hide your photos away in an online vault, why not share them with friends and family? A host of online photo storage and backup services double as photo sharing tools. Here are some tips for storing and sharing your photos online...
...Spice Up Your Photos With Instagram
Almost everywhere you look, photos with interesting effects are showing up online. Some are really cool, others are just ugly. Instagram, a popular photo app for iPhone and Android smartphones, is the source. Learn more about Instagram, what it can do, and how to use it without driving all your friends crazy...
...Five Reasons NOT To Buy a Digital SLR Camera
I'm buying a camera to replace my broken compact model, which I had for 10 years. My friend says I should get a DSLR, but the price tag is making me hesitate. What is the advantage of a DSLR over the point-and-shoot that I'm familiar with?
...Free Online Photo Storage and Backup
Digital photos, like all important files, need to be backed up regularly. But rather than hide your photos away in an online vault, why not share them with friends and family? A host of online photo storage and backup services double as photo sharing tools. Here are some tips for storing and sharing your photos online...
...Free Online Photography Classes
I want to learn more about photography, but I don't have the time or money to take classes at the local community college. Are there any free photography courses online that I can explore at my own pace?
...Digital Photo Image Management
If you take a lot of digital photos, it is vital to organize and catalog them properly. That takes a bit of work when you transfer photo image files from your camera to a hard drive or other mass storage medium. But it only needs to be done once, and with the right software tools digital image file management is much easier...
...Online Photo Printing
If you want the best quality paper prints of your digital photos, you have two choices: spend several hundred dollars on your own dedicated photo printer or use a photo-processing service. Since the original photos are in digital files there's no reason you can't deliver them online to the photo-processing service. Here are some of the best online photo printing services...
...Photo Printer Buying Tips
If you want high-quality paper prints of your photos, you need a photo printer. You might be tempted to print your photos on your all-purpose inkjet printer. But photo printers offer several advantages when it comes to at-home printing of your digital photos...
...Photo Editing Software
I take a lot of pictures with my digital camera, but the photo editing software that came with the camera is pretty lame. I looked into Adobe Photoshop but WOW it's expensive! Are there some good photo editors that are more affordable?
...Emailing Photos
Emailing a group of 4 or 5 JPG photos from the 'My Pictures' folder is no problem. But Emailing a group of 50 seems to clog the system for ever and nothing actually sends. The pictures are taken with my digital camera, saved as JPG images, and I'm using MS Digital Images Suite 10 for the photos. How can I fix this please?
...Photo Printing and Sharing
To say that digital cameras have revolutionized photography would be an understatement. It's not just the way we take pictures that has changed, but photo printing, photo storage and photo sharing have all gone digital as well. Free digital photo printing, storage and sharing have become some of the most popular online activities, and a crop of websites have been developed to make all these digital photography tasks a snap. Let's put the lens on some of the best photo printing, photo storage and photo sharing sites...
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