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Are they real? How do they work? Are they safe? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 7:48 AM - 19 answers

We have a ten-year-old computer running Windows 10 which will become unsupported in the Fall. The question is will the Intel i5-440 @ 3.10Ghz run Windows 11? [more inside]
posted by SemiSalt at 7:40 AM - 10 answers

I get 5-15 phone calls and voice messages a day from "Morgan" at "United Lending" asking me to call 1-877-200-2515 about my loan application. I don't have a loan application. I've done the obvious/usual (see more inside) to no avail. I need these calls to stop. Is there an app I can use that is better enough than Google/Android's built-in screening to be worth paying for? I am willing to pay. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:56 PM - 17 answers

Does using the Google PhotoScan app supply your photos to facial recognition surveillance companies and databases? [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 9:15 AM - 6 answers

Android and iOS have seemingly near-identical "Emergency SOS" features that call emergency services, record a video, and/or share your current location with emergency contacts you've set up. I don't trust that these features are effective and safe. Should I trust the Android version? The iOS version? Both? Neither? Which configuration options should I use/avoid and why? [more inside]
posted by commander_fancypants at 2:27 PM - 1 answers

I need to collect and share 10 people's photos from a trip. It's about 3000 shots, taken on iPhones, Google phones, and DSLR cameras. We want each person to create a folder, upload all their photos, and then everyone can look through all the folders and download the images they want to keep. [more inside]
posted by vanilla.extract at 8:55 AM - 5 answers

My son and I both have Subaru Imprezas. His is a 2019 sedan, currently in an airport parking lot in Cedar Rapids, IA. Mine is a 2024 hatchback, currently in Baltimore in my building garage, which is covered but open to the outside air. Both of these have gas cap doors that will not open. He is almost out of gas. I have half a tank, but I need to drive 120 miles tomorrow. Any advice? I am willing to buy special tools if I can get them locally.
posted by ubiquity at 8:42 AM - 12 answers

I have done something. My laptop, a basic Dell, now thinks I`m French. How do I fix this is my question. I cannot write a question mark.... just whatever this is É [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine at 4:21 PM - 2 answers

I do HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and want to record some of my longsword matches both for personal critique and (maybe) putting on social media. I just wanted to see if anyone had anything other than GoPro to recommend? Recording will mostly just be on a tripod and indoors so wanted it see if I could get something a bit cheaper that doesn't have all the bells and whistles that a GoPro does but also isn't just using my phone. Thanks!
posted by Captain_Science at 11:21 AM - 5 answers

I am looking for a doorbell camera or something like it that can alert me to a person who needs help to get into the house at night, but who might not remember to push an actual doorbell button. I think that there are devices that would make my phone beep to wake me up if there was a human-shaped thing near the door? [more inside]
posted by SandiBeech at 2:17 PM - 17 answers

Is it possible to create an event on a specific calendar in calendar.app and have it auto generate an entry on a to do list in reminders.app? Twist: multiple devices including a very locked down iPhone is in the mix. [more inside]
posted by nevercalm at 6:48 PM - 4 answers

I'm trying to pay people who did some work for me. Venmo keeps saying "Payment Declined. There was a problem with your payment. Try again later" all day long. It is not a problem with my bank - I called them and spoke to a real human, who checked. The Venmo "help" pages suck. There is no way to reach a human. Help? [more inside]
posted by tzikeh at 4:26 PM - 11 answers

I have an old Microsoft Surface laptop which I love but needs replacing. The latest version is currently on sale, but it has an ARM processor. On one hand I'm wondering if this will be an problem, on the other, I'm not clear how waiting - e.g. for the next version - would make any difference if this is the direction Microsoft is going and the main issue (as I understand it) is compatibility with existing software (i.e. surely that will always be an issue)? [more inside]
posted by my log does not judge at 10:30 AM - 11 answers

I would like to reformat my computer (2019 MacBook Air) and then move all of my data back onto the computer so that everything is nice and fresh (I'm hopeful that this will help with various performance issues). What is the best way to do this without having to relogin into everything, remember what programs I downloaded, etc? Is there an on-board process I can initiate or some kind of program I can use? I have a much-bigger-than-needed external HD that I can use to help with the process.
posted by miltthetank at 1:48 PM - 17 answers

I am a film/commercial post-production professional, and I want to get up to speed on the current generation of AI toolsets so I can speak to clients about them intelligently and be ready should I need to start incorporating them into my workflows. I've seen several people in my network on LinkedIn mention taking a course from Curious Refuge, but I'm not sure if they keep their courses updated with the latest tech and/or if they have any superior competitors in the space. [more inside]
posted by matt_od at 1:23 PM - 3 answers

Does a device exist which would visibly alert someone to rapidly increasing stress? It would need to be easily visible and work in real time [more inside]
posted by Flitcraft at 8:29 AM - 16 answers

My home office includes a Xerox Phaser 6140 color laser printer. My computer equipment (excluding the printer) is plugged into a 1500VA UPS. When the printer turns on, it seems to draw a lot of power about every 35 seconds, which causes the office lights to flicker and the UPS to make clicking noises. Is there any way to smooth out these electrical tansients? [more inside]
posted by akk2014 at 12:15 PM - 20 answers

I'm putting together a funeral slideshow for my father. A friend has scanned some older pictures for me, but some of them could do with sharpening or colour correction. Here and here for instance, and maybe a couple of others in that album. Is there easy to use software for this? Windows or iPad either fine, just as intuitive as possible as I don't know what I'm doing. Thanks for any suggestions.
posted by paduasoy at 11:51 PM - 6 answers

For some reason, the Amazon Prime app on our Google TV is stuck in motion smoothing. Nothing else on the TV (normal TV stations, other apps such as Netflix or Acorn, PlayStation, etc) has it, just the Prime Video app. [more inside]
posted by jaybeans at 3:06 PM - 3 answers

I have some old nintendo consoles (NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube) in original boxes that I would like to sell. How and where should I sell them? [more inside]
posted by msbrauer at 8:53 AM - 8 answers