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back in July of 2022

Lawn mower repair

Recently I had issues with my lawn motor. It was smoking and wasn't always starting. I saw a lawn sign for a local small engine repair guy. I had him check it out and see what was wrong with the machine.

lawnmotor
My Craftsman 675 Series Lawn Mower stopped working.

Things I Learned

He told me that I had too much oil in the engine and was flooded. It appears that there were oil deposits in the filter. It took him a lot of work. It cost me $140 for the repair.

He said I was fortunate as many people lose their machines because the cost of repair is greater than the device itself.

He advised not to leave gasoline in the tank in the winter. He suggested letting the gas burn out at the last use in the fall.

The blade didn't need replacing but he suggested that next year to replace it.

He told me that it's natural to see some smoke when starting the engine with new oil. The smoke should go away shortly after using the lawnmower. If it doesn't, make sure to stop the lawnmower and check the oil level.

Thoughts on Taking Care of a Push Mower

There is a lot of debate on the best way to take care of a push lawn mower. Some people say that you should only use a specific type of oil, others recommend using gasoline and ethanol mixed together. But what is the right answer for taking care of your push lawn mower?

The truth is that there isn't just one answer when it comes to how to properly take care of your push lawn mower ' it depends on the make and model you have. However, there are some general tips that will help keep your machine running smoothly all season long:

  • Always read the owner's manual before starting up your machine. This will give you specific instructions on how to operate and maintain your particular model.
  • -Be sure to sharpen or replace blades regularly ' dull blades can cause damage to the grass and make pushing the mower more difficult.
  • -Check engine oil levels before each use, and be sure to refill if needed (using proper viscosity oil as specified by the manufacturer).
  • -Keep in mind that overfilling or underfilling engine oil can also cause problems, so always consult the owner's manual for correct fill level specs
  • -If possible, avoid leaving the machine in direct sunlight or other extreme weather conditions; excessive heat or cold can damage internal parts over time

If you follow these simple tips, you can help ensure that your push lawnmower lasts for many seasons!

 

Grammar Check

Is your writing looking a little rough around the edges? Are you worried about grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors? Relax! There's an easy solution: Grammar Check.

Grammar Check is a free online tool that helps you find and correct mistakes in your writing. Simply copy and paste your text into the online editor, and Grammar Check will identify any errors for you. It's that easy!

So why wait? Start using Grammar Check today to help improve your writing skills!

Grammar Checker will find common Grammar Errors, Spelling Errors, Punctuation Errors, and Capitalization errors

Website Description

Grammar checker is a revolutionary AI writing assistant software. It allows you to check grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and other writing mistakes. Our punctuation checker tool is easy to use and available in a web-based version. It checks spelling, grammar, and punctuation and suggests corrections according to grammar rules.

Grammar is the set of rules that gives us the ability to make sentences. It is a fundamental skill for learning how to speak and write. English grammar isn't always as simple as it seems. Understanding the rules of grammar is one thing but learning when and how to use them is another.

Our artificial intelligence writing assistant tool checks English grammar errors and suggests corrections without changing the meaning of the original message. It makes sure your content is well-written, and error-free. It is also useful for those people who want to learn the English language by using their own mistakes. We help millions of people with grammar and punctuation daily.

Grammer Check
https://grammarchecker.net/

 

Page Curl

Back in 2017, I blogged about using Page Curl in Graphic Converter. At the time it was the only application that offered any decent page curl effect.

Turns out the Page Curl library is part of Apple's Core Image library. So any application that uses Core Images has the ability to add the Page Curl with Shadow functionality.

I was surprise to see that Affinity Designer. Affinity Photo, Pixelmator Pro and Photoscape X don't offer any page curl feature. Yes, you can always use masks and layers but there has to be an easy way.

While it's not something that I use all the time, it would be nice to add a page curl effect. Besides Apple provides the library for free.

Image Tricks Page Curl
Image Tricks is a great application to add Page Curl to any image.

Image Tricks

Image Tricks by Belight Software, offers a lot of the Core Image functionality. It's a nice application that makes simple touch ups easy.

To get the best use of Image Tricks, I would suggest getting the pro version. It's only $9.99 - a one-time fee. You can read my quick review from the March 4th blog post.

Page Curl in Image Tricks Pro

Here are some notes from my use of the Page Curl feature in Image Tricks Pro:

There are nine options for Page Curl with Shadows: Time, Angle, Radius, Shadow Size, Shadow Amount, Extent, Shadow Extent, Target Image, and Backside Image. You can use these settings to customize the look of your page curl.

To make the curl appear on the bottom right, set Time: .2, Angle: 2.44, Radius 28.71.

To make the curl appear on the top right: set Time: .31, Angle: -2.29, Radius: 28.71

When you click on the thumbnail on the Backside image or the Target image you get some images to pick from. This is a feature not offered in GraphicConverter.

Easy and Fast

If you're looking to add Page Curl effects to any image, I highly recommend using Image Tricks.

 

Apple Studio Display

I've been using my Apple Studio Display LCD monitor for a while and it has always worked great, but today it just stopped working! The screen is completely black and I can't seem to get it to work no matter what I do.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? If so, does anyone know how to fix it?

Is it really worth fixing? Some people on eBay are selling them for about $70 - not bad for a monitor that was selling for nearly $300 in 2002.

Apple Studio Display

I was using this display to interact with my Power Macintosh G3 - however, I haven't taken care of it much in the past few years..

Right now the only way that I can use the PowerMac G3 tower is to connect a VGA cable - I don't have a VGA monitor, but I might be able to connect my ADC monitor as a VGA monitor.

Worst case, I can look to see if someone is looking to get rid of their old VGA monitor.

 

Monitor Riser

There are a lot of different ways to recycle floppy disks, but one of the most popular is to stack them up as monitor risers. By doing this, you can create an eco-friendly and functional workspace.

Here's how it works: first, gather a few old floppy disks. You can find these at thrift stores or garage sales, or you may even have some lying around your house. Then, stack them up so that they form a sturdy base for your monitor. Make sure that the top disk is slightly elevated so that your screen sits at eye level. Finally, secure the disks together with duct tape or hot glue.

Not only does this recycling project help reduce wastefulness, but it also creates extra storage space on your desk! So if you're looking for an easy way to go green and organize your work area simultaneously, try using floppy disks as monitor risers

Sample Use

Monitor Riser

 

Knotts Scary Farm Map

Knotts Scary Farm is the perfect place to get your scare on. This Halloween season, experience the fear of being lost in a dark corn maze, the terror of being surrounded by hundreds of zombies or clowns and so much more. There are plenty of haunted houses and mazes to choose from, so you can find the perfect level of fear for you. Plus, there are rides and other attractions to keep you entertained between scares. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets today!

28th Annual Halloween Haunt

Back in 2000, when I lived in California, I visited the 28th Annual Halloween Haunt. It was a great event. I enjoyed all the scare and attractions.

I know some people don't like getting scared - but for those that want a unique Halloween experience - Knotts Scary Farm is certainly a great place.

This is a PDF copy of the Entertainment and Show schedule from 2000:

It appears you don't have a PDF plugin for this browser. No biggie... you can click here to download the PDF file.

 

Senior Financial Solutions

I get these calls all the time. Companies that want to sell me final expense insurance.

The callers want to know my date of birth. I am sure that they are trying to steal my identity.

Here's proof, in this call they ask me for my age and then they ask for my date of birth. Why would they need to know that?

 

Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Inspection

Before moving out of a house in Massachusetts the current owner has to undergo a Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Inspection. This ensures that the house is up to standards on the fire codes.

Massachusetts Fire Alarm Rules

We recently put out house on the market. The house was built in 1954 but the last major renovation was in 2004. Our house needed to meet the Massachusetts requirements for a one-family residence after 1997.

Major renovation means a new addition was put on the house, it doesn't mean when new floors or electrical work is done on the house.

The 1997 rules are:

  • One smoke alarm on every habitable level of the residence.
  • One smoke alarm at the base of each stairway.
  • One smoke alarm outside of each separate sleeping area.
  • One smoke alarm inside every bedroom.
  • A minimum of one smoke alarm must be installed for every 1,200 square feet of living space per level.
  • Must be hardwired and interconnected smoke alarms with battery backup.
  • Battery-powered alarms must have 10-year, sealed, non-rechargeable, non-replaceable batteries.
  • If the smoke alarm is within 20 feet of a kitchen or bathroom (containing a bathtub or shower), the smoke alarm is required to be a photoelectric alarm.

Nest Smoke Alarm

Nest Smoke Alarms Fail

Nest smoke alarms are a popular choice for many homeowners. However, Nest smoke alarms will fail the inspection if you use Nest smoke alarms as your primary smoke detection source. This is because the smoke detectors don't have a sealed 10-year battery, which is required by most municipalities.

While Nest does offer a 10-year battery pack that can be installed in the alarm, it's not a sealed unit and therefore won't pass an inspection. Additionally, even if you do install the 10-year battery pack, it's only good for one cycle - after that, you'll need to replace it again.

You will have to replace the alarms with a Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector that has a ten-year sealed battery.

It's easy to get the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector as they are available in most hardware stores and online.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

The Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector should have a tone and simulated voice alarm to distinguish the type of emergency.

This means to pass inspection, you may need to purchase a separate Carbon Monoxide Detector. If you are unsure, you may want to purchase it and have it available for inspection.

Failed Inspection

If you fail inspection, you will have to schedule another inspection and pay the inspection fee again.

In Framingham, the fee is $50 for a Smoke and CO Detector Certification.

Helpful Documents

 

Background Image Generator

Adding a background image to your website can be a great way to add some personality and visual interest. But finding the right image and then adding it can be time-consuming. A background image generator can make the process much easier.

Siteorigin background image generator tool is an easy way to create a pattern image from any base color you like. It's a great tool to create patterns for use in various image applications. You can select the Pattern and Overlay that makes your image unique. The nice thing about this generator is that the patterns are simple and won't take away from the main image.

Website Description

Create background patterns for your website or graphic design project.

  • Use the Color setting to select your base color.
  • Use the Pattern column on the left to select your background pattern.
  • Use the Overlay column on the right to select your background overlay filter.
  • The Invert toggle switch inverts the pattern and overlays colors.
  • Adjust your chosen pattern with the Pattern Intensity setting.
  • Adjust your chosen overlay filter with the Noise setting.

Siteorigin Background
https://bg.siteorigin.com/

 

LaunchBar Quick Search

Here is a quick uses for LaunchBar.

Search Amazon Launch Bar

Quick Amazon Search

LaunchBar can quickly search Amazon with just a few keystrokes. Once you get familiar with this process, you'll see how this is much better than using bookmarks or the browser Bookmark Bar.

  • Enable LaunchBar using the Command - Space
  • Type: Amazon
  • Type: ( spacebar )
  • Then type in your search term and hit enter

If you see a lot of files when you type in "Amazon" you may have your Cloud Drive Index. I would recommend disabling your iCloud Drive so that you can better navigate around LaunchBar.

How to diable the iCloud Drive

  • Enable LaunchBar using the Command - Space<
  • Type in: Command Option I to open the LaunchBar index pane
  • On the right scroll down and right-click on the iCloud Drive
  • Select Disable

Note: You can always re-enable the index by following the above steps but select "Enable"

Some Parting Thoughts

As you continue to use this LaunchBar will put the Amazon search higher in the quick action/

This is much faster to use than opening a browser, clicking the bookmark, and then typing your search query.

The nice thing about this method is that you get a new tab every time you use it. So if you're searching for multiple items, you can stay focused on what area you're shopping for.

Once you use this method, you'll see the advantages of other search sites such as DuckDuck Go, Bing, and others. I added Etsy and Stackoverloy to my custom Search template.

 

Apple Website 2007

I was randomly going through some personal CDs and DVDs and found some interesting files. One of the disks from 2007 had this screenshot of Apple's website:

Apple Website January 20079

This is an interesting point in time in Apple's history because it was taken on January 9, 2007, at 10:42 AM. It was just hours before Steve Jobs would unveil the iPhone.

I can't wait to see what new things Apple will add to the iPhone in 2022

 

Storage Unit

When you start accumulating things, you may think about renting a storage unit so that your house doesn't appear that cluttered. Here are some fun facts about renting a storage unit:

You can find many different sizes of storage units to fit your needs. This means that whether you are just storing a few boxes or have an entire room to fill, there is likely a storage unit for you.

Storage units come in both climate-controlled and non-climate-controlled varieties, so be sure to choose the one that fits your needs best. Suppose you are storing items such as electronics or musical instruments. In that case, it is important to choose a climate-controlled unit in order to protect them from extreme temperatures and humidity levels.

Rental prices for storage units vary depending on the size of the unit and the location where it is rented; however, most people find that they spend between $50 and $250 per month on their rental fee.

When looking for a storage facility, be sure to ask around for recommendations from friends or family members who have previously rented units themselves - this can help ensure that you select a reputable company with good customer service practices."

Storage Unite

Storage Unit Statistics

These statistics come from the National Self Storage Industry. The numbers are from June 2022 - the latest public numbers available:

  • There are 60,000 storage facilities in the United States
  • The average unit storage price per month is $132 for a 10x10 unit
  • The average rental duration is 14 months, meaning the average consumer will pay approximately $1,848 to store their goods.
  • Only 9% of all households are using rental storage. This is likely because people do not think they need it or they believe that they can store their belongings for free by utilizing space in their home.
  • According to a recent study, people that are downsizing makeup about 32% of people renting storage units. This is the largest group of people needing a storage facility. People that are moving represent the next group of people needing a storage unit (27%). Other reasons for renting a storage unit include remodeling their home (10%) or having too much stuff (8%). Whatever the reason, it's evident that more and more people are relying on self-storage to help them manage their belongings."
  • The most expensive storage facility is in San Rafael, California with a monthly rate of $308 for a 10 x 10 unit. The cheapest place is Bardstown, Kentucky where a self-storage goes for $50 for a 10 x 10 unit.
  • The largest storage unit facility is in New York City. The Public Storage facility at 385 Gerard Avenue, Bronx is the largest one in the nation. A 10 x 10 unit goes for $235 a month. There are a thousand units at this 11-story location.

 

Power Computing Ad

Back in 1997, the Apple Clones were hurting Apple's hardware sales. They offered faster computers for less money than Apple.

When Steve Jobs took over as Interm CEO, one of his first orders of business was to cancel all the clone contracts.

Power Computing Corporation was one of the most successful clone businesses. They offered Macs with better performance with built-to-order models - similar to Dell.

At the 1997 MacWorld Boston trade show, Joel Kocher the CEO of Power Computing, tried to rally the attendees to change Apple's strict licensing policies. This failed and the board of directors voted to be acquired,

On September 2, 1997, Apple acquired key assets of Power Computing.

Power Computing Ad Details

This is the advertisement that Power Computing ran during MacWorld Boston. Oddly enough, it was probably the last one done by the marketing team.

This was a full-page center spread, in an Expo-Special MacWeek edition. This is the computer they promoted:

"The first and fastest G3 Mac OS systems on Earth."

PowerPC 750 with 24x CD-ROM Drive, 275/250 MHz 1MB Backside Cache - starting at $3,695.

"The PowerTower Pro G3 earns the title of fastest Mac ever-by a long shot." - MacWorld, September 1997.

Download the Power Computing Ad as a PDF Document.

It appears you don't have a PDF plugin for this browser. No biggie... you can click here to download the PDF file.

 

Medicare Healthcare Advisor

I get calls all the time from people thinking that I am over 65 and have Medicare. (How do I fix this- )

This is a sample call that I get. Sometimes I play along - only if I have some free time. By the way, this is a telephone not a court of law, there's no presumption that I must tell the truth when a caller from an unknown number asks me questions.

Medicare Healthcare Advisor Phone Call

 

U-Haul Truck Rental Tips

IN 2015, I blogged some tips on renting a U-Haul. There's some great advice on that particular experience. This year I had the pleasure of renting several trucks - so I thought I update my experience.

U-Haul Truck 2022

Six Things I Learned Renting a U-Haul

When you reserve your truck online - make sure to check the pickup location. U-Haul will change your location based on local availability. This usually won't happen if you pick a major U-Haul location - such as one that offers storage.

U-Haul offers cheap prices on boxes. We did lots of shopping around for boxes and U-Haul has the best prices for small and medium size boxes. You can always buy more than you think you need and just return the unused boxes.

The 15' truck has many mirrors so you can see the cars behind you. I have found that this can impair your vision when you look left and right to merge onto a road. When merging, it is important to be aware of what is happening around you. If you are not paying attention, because you are looking in the mirror, you may miss an opportunity to merge or worse yet cause a collision. Just pay more attention to the location of the mirrors in your viewing area.

The 15' truck has some purchase extras in the truck such as a Utility dolly and furniture moving blankets. These are extra and you have to break the seal to use them. The only downside is that these take up space in the truck. You don't lose a lot of space but its still space that could be used for something else.

When packing the truck make sure to use all the space! When we had professionals move our house, they had a dedicated truck packer that would make sure to pack boxes from floor to ceiling. Just about every space gets used. When packing up as a team, have a dedicated truck packer to make sure that you get the most out of your truck.

U-Haul locks. Something new in the recent move is that U-Haul includes a cabin lock. This is nice to lock down the truck when you sleeping at night. In prior rentals, you would have to buy your own lock. You know when your rental has a cabin lock when you see two keys on your keychain.

 

JPEG Compressor

JPEG Compressor is the perfect online image compressor for professionals. It allows you to resize and optimize your images, including GIFs, JPEGs, PNGs, JPGs, SVGs, and WEBPs. This makes it easy to reduce file size and improve performance on your website or blog.

JPEG Compressor is easy to use. Simply drag and drop your images into the compression window or paste in a URL of an online image. You can then choose from a range of presets or enter custom settings depending on your requirements. The compression process is fast and efficient, so you can get back to work in no time at all!

Website Description

Compress your images with our free online image compressor tool that compresses JPEG, JPG, PNG, SVG, GIF and WEBP image files with the original image quality. You can download or save the compressed image files and GIF images in a single click. It is compatib

Every uploaded image file is going to be analyzed with jpeg encoding technology without reducing the quality and width and height of the images. If the size of the image file is large, you can easily compress it by clicking the Select Files button or simply drag and drop the files from your device.

JPEG Compressor
https://jpegcompress.com/

 

360 Photo Viewer

My 360 Camera

The Ricoh Theta is a unique device that captures spherical images with just the press of a button. No post-processing or stitching is required; the Ricoh Theta does it all in-camera. This makes sharing your spherical images quick and easy, as they can be viewed right on your smartphone or computer.

The Ricoh Theta also has some great features for business users. For example, you can embed 360 degree views into your website or blog to give customers a better sense of what your business is like. You can also use the Ricoh Theta to create immersive marketing materials such as product demos and virtual tours.

Spherical Viewer

Spherical Viewer is a free Panoramic view application that you can use to view 360 degree photos and videos. With Spherical Viewer, you can pan around the photo or video to see all the details.

This is a good application to view 360 images or videos. However, all you can do is view images - there's no ability to save views.

RICOH THETA

The RICOH THETA app is a powerful panoramic viewer that enables users to view 360-degree photos and videos. With the app, users can easily share their photos and videos with others via social media platforms or email. The app also provides a variety of viewing options, including split screen mode and full-screen mode. In addition, the RICOH THETA app offers users the ability to control playback speed and add music to their videos.

The one feature that I like about this app is the ability to take capture of the current 360-view. Images captured are saved with the following dimensions: 3418''-1958 - which is slightly bigger than the 16:9 ratio.

Embed 360 image

Panoraven has the ability to host the image:

momento360 can also host the image:

Which 360-Viewer do you like better?

 

Nisus

Nisus Writer Pro is a word processor for Mac that has been around since the early days of the Mac. It has been continuously updated and improved over the years and is now one of the most powerful and versatile word processors available for macOS.

The current version of Nisus Writer Pro includes all of the features you would expect in a modern word processor, including support for styles, headers and footers, tables, images, hyperlinks, track changes, and comments, and more. But it also includes some powerful unique features that set it apart from other word processors.

Classic Nisus Ad

This is an Ad that I found in a Macintosh Shareware catalog. The catalog was copyrighted in 1990. This means that this is likely a promotion for Nisus 2.0:

Nisus Version

Image Text

Here's why. Want to draw a picture without leaving the program? Easy.
Want to wrap text all the way around it or let the text flow right through? Easy.
Want to see it all in glorious color? Easy.
Need to find a particular word or phrase by searching through all files, open or not? Easy.
Need to use our superior dictionary or thesaurus? Easy. Want to undo what you just did, or any number of things you did before? Unlimited Undos. Easy.
Want to use the fastest word processor on the market? Easy.
Line numbers? Autosave? Column selections? Adjustable page preview? 10 clipboards that can be edited and printed? Is your favorite page layout ready when you open a new file? Easy.
It's all easy when you have Nisus.

Features: 10 clipboards, 32,000 undoes, text pattern search/replace, footnotes/endnotes, open/closed file search, programmable macros, color search/ replace, automatic repagination, spell checker, tile windows, two-way split window, user styles, assign menu keys and more!

#1251 only $269.95

About the Price

In 1990, Nisus was selling for $269.95. That would be equivalent to $612.01 today.

Today Nisus Writer Pro is selling for $65 - with a lot more features than Nisus 2.0.

 

Recycle Your Boxes

Recycle Boxes

If you're like most people, you have a lot of cardboard boxes from your recent move. You may be wondering what to do with them all. Fortunately, there are many services that can help you dispose of your cardboard boxes quickly and easily.

One option is to call a local recycling center and ask if they accept cardboard boxes for recycling. Many centers will take them, but they may charge a small fee per box.

Another option is to contact a local junk removal service. These companies will come to your home or office and haul away any unwanted items, including cardboard boxes. The cost of this service will vary depending on the size and number of boxes you need to remove.

Finally, if you have time on your hands and want to save some money, you can always try disposing of the cardboard boxes yourself. This can be done by breaking them down into smaller pieces and placing them in designated trash cans or dumpsters outside your home or office building

 

Taste of Boston

Boston's WRKO had a popular "Taste of Boston" event back in 1990. This was a way for listers to get together and taste some good food, as well as socialize with each other. There were many different restaurants represented at the event, so attendees could try out cuisine from all around the city. It was a fun opportunity to explore new places and meet new people, and everyone who attended seemed to have a great time!

Brochure PDF

This is the PDF Brochure that was handed out at the event - basically a list of the event sponsors. It's a good snapshot of the people that were advertising on WRKO.

Did you listen to Boston talk radio in 1990? How many of these do you remember?

It appears you don't have a PDF plugin for this browser. No biggie... you can click here to download the PDF file.

 

Fireworks Display

When it comes to capturing fireworks shows, there's a big difference between using a GoPro and an iPhone. In this short video clip, I compare the footage from my GoPro Hero 9 and my iPhone XS Max. The results are pretty clear - the iPhone footage is much crisper and more detailed than the GoPro footage.

So if you're looking to capture amazing fireworks footage this Independence Day (or any other time), make sure you bring your iPhone!

In the GoPro portion of the clip, I zoomed in to try to get a better picture.

Video Show

 

Improve Communication, Productivity, And Company Culture

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An intranet is a valuable tool that can help pave the way to business success. Businesses that implemented a social intranet, for example, experienced a 20% increase in employee satisfaction, and an 87% increase in employee retention, a survey by Deloitte found. With the intranet, you can effectively improve employee communication and productivity and strengthen company culture.

Boost communication and productivity

Poor communication hampers communication, productivity, and your bottom line companies with around 100,000 employees lose around $62.4 million every year because of inadequate communication to and between employees, while smaller companies with 100 employees lose an average of $420,000 annually. The average employee, for example, wastes around 3.1 hours every day on emails, and, even so, important announcements can easily be overlooked this way. Intranet, on the other hand, lets you pin headline news and FAQs to the top of the page, making it ideal for company-wide sharing. It can also enhance collaboration between employees; with an intranet, multiple people can work on the same file at the same time without needing to worry about whether they have the latest version. Real-time discussion is also facilitated, so everyone can come to an agreement on the work that needs to be done.

Make information easy to find

Your intranet can function as a trusted knowledge repository for all company information. It is a central location that houses all up-to-date company documents, policies, and procedures, which can be accessed as needed by all your employees. Not only does this streamline your operations and save time, but it also helps ensure compliance (as employees can access current information needed to perform their jobs correctly). Moreover, modern intranet tools like Microsoft PowerApps lets you create custom low- or no-code business apps, which can pull multiple data sources into one platform to be easily accessed daily. A PowerApps Collection can also be used, for example, to save and organize employee information by their names, roles, departments, and so on. Once you have this data collected, you can take it offline and edit or otherwise use it for your business needs.

Strengthen company culture

56% of workers say a strong workplace culture is even more important to them than salary, with over three-in-four workers saying company culture plays a key role in their decision to apply for a position. Fortunately, an intranet can help strengthen your company culture as it offers an easy way for your team to interact and get to know each other in one space the option for employee social media feeds is even available. You can also use the intranet to give props to your employees. By using the intranet to post praise of employees, everyone across the company will be aware of others achievements. The intranet is undoubtedly still relevant in the modern-day. By boosting communication and productivity, making information easily accessible, and strengthening company culture, the intranet can help you pave the way to greater business success.

 

Magic Eraser

There are plenty of image apps that will remove objects from an image. But why launch an app to do a simple task?

Magic Eraser makes it quick and easy to remove objects from any image. You can download the final results seconds after removing the object.

It cost $9.99/month to download the full resolution, and it may be worth the cost if you don't want to keep multiple programs open at the same time.

Product Description

Upload an image, mark the bit you need removed, download the fixed up image. Free to use. No signup required.

Magic Eraser
https://www.magiceraser.io/

 

Toast Audio Assistant

I was really excited to try Toast Audio Assistant. I read all the great reviews and thought it would be a great tool to help me with my audio editing. Unfortunately, I found that it was very difficult to use and didn't really do what I needed it to do. The interface is not very user-friendly and the controls are confusing. I also found that the software crashed a lot and was generally unreliable. Overall, I was disappointed in Toast Audio Assistant and wouldn't recommend it to anyone."

Product Description

Toast- Audio Assistant lets you capture audio from a variety of sources. You can then edit the audio, break it up into tracks, add effects, and export it to iTunes or burn it on disc.

Toast Audio Assistant

My Notes on Testing

You can't resize the edit window, basically you have to zoom in/out to see the entire track and edit segments. You can't expand the window to make use of the large screen.

I can't find the edit button. The PDF Instructions says there's an edit button - I can't find it.

Supported Export format: m4v, Apple MPEG-4 Audio, Wave, AIFF, AIFC, CAF, and MPEG-$ Audio.

When you select a section of the text you can add individual track information.

Available Audio effects are the System-Supplied Audio Units in OS X: AUBandpass, AUDynamicsProcessor, AUDelay, AUDistortion, AUFilter, AUGraphicEQ, AUHipass, AUHighShelfFilter, AUPeakLimiter, AULowpass, AULowShelfFilter, AUMultibandCompressor, AUMatrixReverb, AUNBandEQ, AUNetSend, AUNewTimePitch, AUParametricEQ, RoundTripAAC, AURogerBeep, AUReverb2, AUSampleDelay, and AUPitch. You can read up on the effects on the Apple Developer site.

Final Thoughts

This is a basic audio editor. There's so much more power in Audicity and Rogue Amoeba Fission.

You are much better off learning all the tools in Audacity and Fission than using Toast Audio Assistant.

For this review I give it 2 stars out of five:

twostart

 

eBay Sold Items

LaunchBar Actions are a great way to automate your workflow and save time. By using Actions, you can quickly and easily run scripts or commands that you use often.

There are many different types of LaunchBar Actions available, including Scripts, AppleScripts, Services, Automator Workflows, and UNIX Commands. You can also create your own custom actions.

To use an Action in LaunchBar, simply select it from the list of available actions and then press the Return key on your keyboard. The action will then be executed automatically.

ebay Sold Items

eBay Sold Template

This search template that I created allows you to quickly search sold items on eBay. This is useful when you want to know the price of a sold item. Just because people are selling an item for $20 doesn't mean that is what it is being sold for.

Creating the Template

  • Enable the LaunchBar and Show the Index -> Command Option i
  • Click on the "My Search Templates" on the right side.
  • Click the '+' on the bottom of the right window.
  • In the Name Field put in "ebay Sold items"
  • In the Template URL put in: "https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=*&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1"

Launch Bar Search Templates
Follow along from the earlier instructions

Tips on Using this Action

  • Use the LaunchBar shortcut and type in "ebay"
  • First time you run this action, you may be asked permissions to lauch Chrome or Safari.
  • This action makes it so much quicker to find sold items on eBay. Once you use it a few times you'll see the benefits.

 

Wine Glasses

The recycling of wine glasses is a process that many people are not familiar with. Wine glasses can be recycled by breaking them into small pieces and then sorting the glass by color. The different colors of glass are then melted down and formed into new wine glasses.

The recycling of wine glasses helps to reduce the amount of waste that is produced each year. It also helps to conserve natural resources, such as sand, which is used to make glass. By recycling wine glasses, we can help protect our environment and conserve valuable resources.

Some Practical Recycling Ideas

If you have a few wine glasses that are no longer usable, don't throw them away! You can recycle them by using them as vases or candle holders. Another option is to use them as drinking glasses. If they're not in too bad of shape, they can still be used for this purpose.

If your wine glasses are too damaged to be used as drinking glasses, don't worry! You can still recycle them by breaking them down into small pieces and using them in your garden as mulch or soil amendment. This will help keep moisture in the soil and improve the quality of your plant's growth.

Not for the Recycling Bin!

Lots of glass items can be recycled including glass bottles and jars. There are some types of glass such as Pyrex, oven-proof glass, and drinking glasses that can't as they are designed to withstand higher temperatures when being recycled.

Drinking glasses are not accepted in your local council's kerbside recycling bin, box, or bag.

You need to throw away the drinking glasses - including fancy wine glasses in the trash.

 

ORB Brochure

The Iomega Zip Drive was introduced in 1994, in 1999 Castlewood Systems introduced the ORB Drive.

About the Orb Drive

The Orb Drive is a 3.5-inch removable hard-disk drive introduced by Castlewood Systems in 1999. Its original capacity was 2.2 GB. A later version of the drive was introduced in 2001 with a capacity of 5.7 GB. Manufacturing of this product ceased in 2004, but it remains popular among computer enthusiasts and collectors due to its low cost and small size."

The Orb Drive's popularity can be attributed to several factors: its low price, small size, and ease of use. The drive was one of the first to offer a large storage capacity relative to its physical size; at just 3.5 inches wide, it could hold up to 5GB worth of data - more than ten times what an average floppy disk could hold."

Despite being discontinued more than a decade ago, the Orb Drive still has many fans among computer enthusiasts and collectors due to its combination of features and low cost

Download the Brochure

Download a copy of the brochure that I got at MacWorld San Francisco. You can still find the Orb Drive and disks on eBay. The drives are going for about $75 and the disc cost about $20.

Orb Brochure PDF

It appears you don't have a PDF plugin for this browser. No biggie... you can click here to download the PDF file.

 

Telephone at The Table

Did you know there is a need in restaurants to have telephones at the table? In the 1990s, George & Jeanie Douglas thought it was and came up with this business idea.

This is part 19 of many ideas that are on the "George & Jeanie Douglass Run A Computer-Based Business From Home" Cassette Tape.

It's funny listening to this idea from the 1990s and how the cell phone industry took over this market.

 

Top Ten Lessons Learned

Top lessons we've learned about large-scale internal Web deployment.

Web deployments can be tricky, especially when you're dealing with a large scale. Here are some of the top lessons we've learned about deploying Web applications:

 

Craiyon

Craiyon is a fun site that generates images based on a particular query.

You can get some design ideas from the results.

Website Description

While the capabilities of image generation models are impressive, they may also reinforce or exacerbate societal biases. While the extent and nature of the biases of the DALL-E mini model have yet to be fully documented, given the fact that the model was trained on unfiltered data from the Internet, it may generate images that contain stereotypes against minority groups. Work to analyze the nature and extent of these limitations is ongoing, and will be documented in more detail in the DALL-E mini model card.

craiyon
https://www.craiyon.com/

Sample Output

craiyon-quality

 

Magnet App

Back in 2018, I wrote about Magnet - an awesome productivity tool for multi window management. Since it's been a few year, I thought I do a quick follow up Post.

Magnet App

Four Things I Learned

 

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