Online Stores - User Guide

18.11.20: have you tried these Android buying apps?

They also work on your computer.

I have recently purchased good quality golf grips, smartphone back protectors, USB phone cables, Tens unit pads, sunglasses, and much more, at very inexpensive prices.

Here are my buying guidelines for using these stores.

As with any phone app, you need to ensure you are comfortable with using your credit card online.
I have been doing it for many years with eBay and never had a security concern. I have paid (total cost) from $.08 to over a $1,000 ... and made over 400 eBay purchases.

I don't buy from these stores if duties are identified as this increases the cost.

eBay
I use PayPal payment method as it offers up to $2,000 protection for refund. I have two seller problems and PayPal processed a refund within minutes!
eBay is very good protection from incorrect seller descriptions/deliveries and, via the eBay policy, refunds occur within 4 days. I have had a few of these and am very comfortable with eBay's commitment to customer service satisfaction.
The only concern with eBay is delivery which can be up to 45 days ... but there are no customs duties from Hong Kong.
If you buy from a USA seller,  you will probably incur customs duty charges if UPS or FedEx are involved. Or the USA seller will include customs charged in your price.
In summary, eBay is very good if you can wait for delivery. The only caution is try to ensure USPS is the delivery method for a USA purchase as they don't usually include duties. For purchases from other countries, check to ensure UPS or FedEx is NOT used as they may try to include duties.

Amazon.ca
You can only use a credit card to pay.
There may be duties included, if the seller is in the USA. You need to check where the seller is delivering from.
I have a Prime membership ($79/year) I acquired for free (don't know how) and I receive many purchases THE NEXT DAY!
You may incur tax, as many sellers may include.
In summary, Amazon.ca is great, if customs charges are not involved and you want fast delivery.

AliExpress
Another connection to Alibaba. You can only use a credit card to pay. There will probably not be any customs duties implications, as they use China postal service but, again, delivery can take a while and they will indicate how long. If delivery is longer, they indicate you get a fast refund.
I have just started using this app and will update this blog entry as time goes on.
The one real benefit I see so far is the order cancel button. I made a purchase and decided to cancel an hour later. It appears the sellers may wait up to 24 hours before confirming delivery and you can press the cancel button before the delivery notification appears in your account.

Getting into online store buying does involve a learning curve and experience. If you attempt it, let me know if i can help anytime.

Bottom Line
While I have used eBay the most, times are changing and I now use Amazon.ca with Prime (free 2 day delivery). 
I also use AliExpress and eBay, when I can wait up to 45 days for delivery. Hard to beat their prices and buyer protection.

Always check total Canadian cost and delivery schedule, before clicking the 'pay' button.

If you have questions, observations, or comments, pls respond.

Is your laptop slowing down?

17.12.20: If your laptop seems slow to respond when you press the mouse key or when opening the browser or another application, there are various causes you can easily correct with a free app called Advanced SystemCare - I have been using for years - and it can fix many types of Windows 10 problems with one touch. Here are the selections I choose:
1. startup sluggishness
2. registry problems
3. privacy problems
4. security issues
5. system vulnerabilities
6.  shortcut errors
7. Internet responsiveness
8. system optimization slowness
9. disk optimization slowness

When you install the app, this screen appears.
If you press SCAN, it will take a couple of minutes to run thru the items you checked off.
It will then show you how many items it found and when you press FIX (see 2nd pic), it will complete all the fixes without you doing anything.

The third pic is the screen after everything is completed. It shows you are now running your laptop more efficiently than before.
IMO, this app should be run at least monthly and more often if your laptops starts to slow again.

Be advised, the first time you run this app, it may take quite a few minutes to complete the many fixes it finds necessary, as the security issues require Microsoft updates to be installed.

Before initiating the Scan, there is a check box Automatically fix and if you click on the options you can elect to Auto fix & Shut down PC. This allows you to start the process and walk away.

Understanding Smartphone USB

17.12.15: As we all know, there is a small cable we can connect from our smartphone to our computer or wall outlet. 
This cable is used to recharge the smartphone battery and transfer data to/from the computer. 

Most of us take pictures on our phone and, at some point, want to move them (and other items) to our computer. 
If your phone has a micro SDcard, you can take the card out and (using an SDcard port) place it in the computer. This is a faster way to transfer data than using a cable or Bluetooth. 

For those smartphones without micro SDcard slots, you need to plug a USB cable into the phone and computer to move data. 

When we mention USB, we are referring to: 
1. the computer USB socket (see pic)  
2. the USB cable adapter that connects to the computer 
3. the USB cable 
4. speed of data transfer from/to computer/smartphone via the USB cable



1. Computer USB Ports: 

Older computers have USB 2.0 technology with Type-A sockets with black insert.
Newer computers have USB 3.0 with Type-A socket (with an SS indicating USB 3.0). 
The newest computers have USB 3.1 (with Type-C sockets) and USB 3.0 ports.
The USB 2.0 and 3.0 sockets are the same (Type-A), to allow both types of USB to be used.
As you can see, the Type-C socket is smaller.

My laptop has four USB 3.0 sockets. The "SS" (SuperSpeed) beside them indicates USB 3.0.
This allows me to use a USB 3.0 cable instead of the older (slower) USB 2.0 cable.

If not sure, here is how to check your laptop for USB 3.0 right-click start select Device Manager, left-click Universal Serial Bus controllers, andyou should see three entries with USB 3.0 and one entry with SuperSpeed


2. USB Cable Computer Adapter:
The newer cables, you can buy (eBay item for less than $4 delivered to your door), are USB 3.0. They look like USB 2.0 adapters but have a blue insert. 

The older computers only allow a rectangular USB 2.0 Type-A adapter with a white insert. 

The newest computers allow a Type-A adapter with blue insert (USB 3.0) and a Type-C adapter (USB 3.1). 





This is a cable with Type-C adapters (USB 3.1) at both ends - reversible. 

Eventually, it is expected all computer and smartphone manufacturers will use this approach. But these cables are not of any use for the foreseeable future.

Here are the phones already using the Type-C smartphone adapter. 
So, for instance, if you have one of these phones and your computer has a Type-C port, you can use a reversible USB cable ... but you can't take advantage of the USB 3.1 speed because the smartphones and computers have fast enough write speeds.

3. The USB Cable:

One cable aspect is battery charging. The other aspect is data transfer speed. All smartphone cables will charge your phone from the wall (with a wall connector) or the computer.

Data transfer is separate and some basic smartphone USB 2.0 cables won't work. 

Each smartphone cable we have been exposed to so far has a rectangular Type-A adapter on one end. This adapter plugs into the computer's USB 2.0 Type-A port or the wall plug connector. The smartphone end can be of many shapes (depending on the make of phone). 

The newer cables are USB 3.0, if they have a Type-A adapter with a blue insert and the wire is braided (more wires than USB 2.0 cables) .

Some newest cables are USB 3.1, if they have a Type-C computer end adapter and are braided. 

Beware of the term "reversible" cable as it may only refer to the smartphone end adapter being used either up or down. 




4. USB Speed:
The reason for different USB versions (2.0, 3.0, 3.1) is speed. 
Speed requires more power by the computer and results in more data being transferred in less time.

USB data transfer speed is Mbps or Gbps, where G is 1000x M. 
USB 2.0 is maximum of .5 Gbps (480 Mbps).
USB 3.0 is maximum of 5 Gbps (5,000 Mbps).
USB 3.1 is maximum of 10 Gbps (10,000 Mbps).
The computer USB port symbol includes "SS" for the newer USB 3.0 technology and "10" added to the "SS" for USB 3.1 technology. As you can see, the 3.0 speed is 10x higher and the 3.1 is 20x higher.


In Summary: 
This analysis pertains to USB connection of a smartphone to a computer and includes:
 a. read/write speed of an attached smartphone (my LG G6)
 b. read/write speed of my computer's hard drives
 c. speed of USB 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1 connections

Known Facts:
a. A storage device write speed is always lower than its read speed.
b. 5400rpm HDDs can write at a max of approx 320 Mbps (40 MB/s).
c. 7200rpm HDDs can write at a max of approx 810 Mbps (90 MB/s).
d. A smartphone can write at a max of approx 810 Mbps (90 MB/s).
e. SSDs can write at a max of approx 4,120 Mbps (515 MB/s or 4 Gbps).
f. USB 2.0 can transfer data at a max 480 Mbps (60 MB/s).
g. USB 3.0 can transfer data at a max 5,000 Mbps (625 MB/s or 5 Gbps).
h. USB 3.1 can transfer data at a max 10,000 Mbps (1,250 MB/s or 10 Gbps). 
   
Conclusions:
1. USB 3.0 cables are faster when transferring data from smartphone to a computer's SSD or 7200rpm HDD but not to a 5400rpm HDD.

2. USB 2.0 cables are adequate when transferring data from phone to computer 5400rpm HDDs.  


When I used a USB 3.0 cable for a large file transfer from/to computer (7200rpm HDD)/smartphone, it was twice as fast as the older USB 2.0 cable.
When I did the same with my 5400rpm HDD, it was the same speed as with the USB 2.0 cable. 
This testing supports the Known Facts. But I wouldn't bother buying a new cable just for this speed increase.
I am buying new cable because I find 3 ft to be short and longer ones are less than $5 (to my door) on eBay.


Bottom Line: 
When buying a USB cable:
    a. be sure the seller confirms one end fits in your phone and the other fits in your computer's USB port, plus
    b. only buy USB 3.0 cables in future, and
    c. when buying a USB cable make sure the cable is braided, and 
    d. do not buy a USB reversible cable unless it has a Type-A computer adapter and the seller confirms it works for your smartphone

Clear as mud? If not, let me know.

Inactive auto shutdown

17.09.07: How to auto shutdown laptop after inactivity

All of us with laptops want to save our battery from being replaced as long as possible.
Many new laptops have batteries you can't detach!

We all like to leave our batteries in the laptop and trust it will last a long time when we need it to run on battery only.
Leaving your battery on your laptop will not prolong battery life.

Theay is a way to shutdown your laptop after minutes of inactivity ... which dramatically increases battery life.
This is helpful when you are using the battery and step away and forget it it's running on battery only.

Pls follow the instructions exactly as indicated!

Click on the windows icon

Type regedit

Right-click on regedit icon, click Run as administrator

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0

Double click on Attributes

Enter number 2.

Go to Advanced power settings (click on Windows button, write power options, click on Power Options, in the selected plan click on the Change plan settings, click on the Change advanced power settings).

Click on the Change settings that are currently unavailable

Click Sleep, then System unattended sleep timeout, then change these settings from 2 Minutes to 20 for example.

I have this running on my laptop and it does shutdown exactly when I indicated.

It does give you warning and you can override the shutdown  ... useful when not in battery mode.

Win10 - Automatic Backup - maybe finally here...

15.12.24: Backup is a word that means "effort I must do ... but not right now".

I agree. It should not mean you need to spend time doing something the system should do for you.

About 20 years ago, I developed a Dos BAT pgm (this is a techie term not used today) that automatically only updated files that have been changed. It worked well and I didn't need to think about backing up critical files on my computer.
For some reason, this approach is no longer used. Such is technology progress...

I should indicate, at this time, I do not use the backup approach outlined here, as I maintain a USB hard drive for backup and I also backup all my important files on my alternate system (I have Win10 and win7 on separate discs).

If you are still with me on this process, I will simplify the Backup and the Restore steps.

Backup

With Windows 10 File History, an easier and more comprehensive backup system is available to the average user.

File History will look after all aspects of file backup ... without you being involved. What could be easier!

It retains and manages iterations and deletes oldest when space is limited and much more.
It works with USB attached drives and much more.



Now, you need to understand a few basics before getting into this auto backup.
If you have any questions, before going further, let me know.
  1. Using a backup system requires a storage device. It shouldn't use your existing system drive (in case of hard drive failure). You will need to decide if purchasing a storage device (if you don't have extra storage devices) is agreeable right now.

2. Consider how much space is required for your important changeable files only. Pictures, music, videos should be stored elsewhere as they don't change (require updating).

3. There are other things in File History we will not go into at this time ... keep it simple.


Backup - Getting Started:

To begin using File History, you need to determine where the files will be stored and which files will be backed up. You should use this system only for important files that change ... not pictures or songs or movies.

First, you need to click on Settings in the Start Menu. 
Select the Upgrade and Security and then Backup to open the Using File History page.
Then click the Add A Drive button and Win10 will list a few locations that could hold your backup files.

Next, you need to configure File History (click the More options to link to display the Backup Options page) and determine how long to retain files. 
To save time, I suggest 'until space is needed', as it will automatically delete the oldest saved version when space is needed.
Then, you need to use the Backup These Folders section to specify the important folders you want to backup. You can also exclude files within these folders.

What Not To Backup:
Now to decide on an important item ... static important files (pictures, songs, movies, etc).
In my opinion, they should be backed up but, as they never change, I strongly suggest one-time copying to an external source such as DVDs or USB sticks or SDcards. They now have 256GB SDcards for around $10 on eBay. While they don't work as a drive your system can us, you can copy data to them and use as external storage device.

Go back to the top of the backup section and click on Backup Now. 

The initial backup may take some time so don't turn your computer off until it indicates backup is completed.

That's all you need to do to setup and run the back up of your files.

The next consideration is restoring a file from File History (covered in this blog item).

Restore - Before investing in a backup procedure, you should always ensure the restore process is easily understood and really works as you expect. Win10 has included a quite comprehensive restore you should find works quite easily.

Restore - Getting Started

Let me know if you have any questions, during the review of the above and any time afterwards.

Micro SD cards

16.10.03 - Have you ever wondered what a micro SD card is or where they are used or, more importantly, which card is best for a specific device?

As I am currently upgrading my cards (smartphone and camera) to 128gb size, thought I would let you know what i have reviewed.

Micro SD cards come with a case to enable use in devices that can't use the micro card itself.
As i want to interchange usage, I always buy the micro card that comes with the case.

My preferred method of use is extract the micro card from the camera or smartphone, place it in the case and then insert in the computer card slot, to back up data. 

Most cameras and smartphones allow for storage size of 128gb now and some allow for 200gb. But the 200gb cards are still quite a bit more expensive for high speed read/write.

Understanding read/write speed is important for certain applications on cameras and smartphones.
It is getting a little complicated and I will try to simplify in this blog item.

A Few Specifics:
1. Faster speed is better but more expensive
2. Read speed is always faster than write speed
3. Most manufacturers present read speed and not write speed
4. Write speed is important for HD and 4K (coming soon) video
5. Higher read speed helps when transferring data to your computer
6. The quality manufacturers are: SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, Toshiba and Lexar 
7. Class 10 should be the only type SD card you buy

MicroSD card Specs:
1. MicroSDXC (XC - extended capacity) are cards above 32gb
2. MicroSDXC UHS-I (ultra high speed or U1) writes at higher than a Class 10 minimum speed and reads up to a maximum of 104MB/s (MB/s - characters per second)
3. U3 (UHS-III) and V30 refer to video speeds that cannot be used on current equipment but are the highest available today and will be supported in new devices 
4. Refer to the pic (click to enlarge) or check this link for rated speeds of various manufacturers

In my opinion, you are best advised to buy a UHS-I microSD card. 
SanDisk Ultra is a tried/true 128gb product and it has approx 80 read and 60 write ... which will work very well for everything you do on a smartphone or camera (even 60fps 1080p video).
If you are interested in the best price (and can wait for delivery), eBay has the 128gb for $15 (including delivery).
A good alternative is the Samsung Evo+ 128gb ($16 on eBay) which has 80 read and 20 write speeds.

But, check your user manual to ensure it handles 128gb and UHS-I type cards. 

Protecting your PC - Windows 10

16.02.01: When you install a new operating system (Windows 10, etc), it is important to ensure you can recover if a problem prevents you from starting your computer.

As a lot of PC owners are now moving to Windows 10 (most times without really wanting/needing to), it is very important you to do two things after moving to the new system.

Backup and Restore in Windows 10

Here is a very good section that outlines various methods of preparing for recovery from inability to access your Win10 system - Backup and Restore in Windows 10 - right-click the Start button, and then select Control Panel, and then Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

On this screen, you will see two main approaches to recovering your PC: 
 - Create a System Image - lots of space (hard drive or disc) required, 
 - Create a System Repair Disc - one disc required. I suggest Repair Disc.
You will also notice File History on bottom left of this screen. Pls refer to blog item Win10 - Automatic Backup for details on this backup type.


Following, are the two minimum things you should do after installing Win10. 



1. Create a System Repair Disc



It is quite easy and not time consuming to create a disc (or USB device).
a. Right-click on Start icon and then Control Panel.
b. Under System and Security, select Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
c. Select Create a System Repair Disc and place a blank DVD or CD in the drive and select 'create disc'.
d. When it is finished, label the disc and date it. 


2. Create a Windows 10 System Restore Point 


This Microsoft site outlines backup procedures for Win10.
a. In the Create a Restore Point section, right-click the Start  button, then select Control Panel and then System and Maintenance and then System.
b. Ensure all drives under Protection Settings are off except the c-drive.
c. click on Create and enter a description. 
d. You are now ready to create the first restore point.





3. Now you need to review my blog item Windows 10 - What to Watch out for to ensure you agree with the defaults Microsoft has made on your behalf.