Computer Glasses Can Minimize Eye Strain

Protect Your Eyes from Harmful Rays with Computer Glasses

Staring at Screens All Day Can Cause Headaches and Eye Strain;
Wearing Computer Glasses Can Alleviate This

Computers have changed a lot over the last few decades.  We went from green screens, to color VGA, and now, we have 4k capable monitors.  And although the visuals improved, one aspect of computing continues to plague us, and that is the issue of eye strain.

Back in the late 80s, I spent a lot of my day staring into computer monitors.  I began having terrible headaches on a daily basis, and I was convinced it was related to my screen time.  A colleague, who was having similar issues,  and I both sought medical help around the same time. Both of us were referred to an Optometrist, and both of us were prescribed reading glasses with a special coating.

Different optometrists told us that the act of focusing on a screen was tiring our eyes.  As our eyes tired, they lost their ability to adjust focus from closer to farther things.  In theory, reading glasses could help prevent this. They would help our pupils learn to better adapt, sort of like exercise for our eyes.  The special coating would reduce glare, helping to protect our eyes from further damage.  We both started wearing our glasses while focusing on a monitor, and we both experienced substantial relief from eye strain and the associated headaches.

Somewhere over the decades, I stopped wearing my computer glasses.  We were told monitors improved to the point emissions and glare were no longer threats.  We began working on larger monitors with better screen resolutions, which made things easier to see. We learned to bump up text size when our eyes were feeling strained.  But then came the Cell Phone Revolution. Along with it came the tendency to make screens smaller and more portable.  We began trading our desktop PCs for laptops.  And a lot of us started experiencing the eye strain of the past again. Only we didn't realize it.

Quick Tip: Bypass Paywall Monthly Article Limits

Quick Tip: Read a News Article
Despite Having "Reached Your Monthly Limit"

Get Around Those Annoying "Subscribe to Continue" Pop-Ups

 

I like to follow the news using an RSS Feed Reader.  I follow a "Top News" RSS feed that contains stories from numerous news sources.  And of course, a lot of the linked headlines come from places like the New York Times and the Washington Post, both sites that limit how many articles you can read without subscribing.  Many friends share news stories on Facebook, and I'd LOVE to be able to click-through without encountering one of those nasty "You've reached your limit of free articles. Click here to choose a subscription plan to continue" pop-ups.

In the old days, I'd cut and paste the link into a different browser, hoping I hadn't exceeded my monthly allotment there as well. If I hit a paywall again, I'd attempt to clear my cookies or use Reader Mode to bypass it, both tricks the paywalls got wise to too soon.

What if I told you I'd discovered an easy way to bypass these paywalls, and you didn't need to use a different browser or clear anything to use it? And it does NOT depend on using some browser extension that may disappear at any time. In fact, this trick involves nothing more than a right-click on a link.

Improved Dictation in Windows 10 with the April, 2018 Update

The Latest Windows Update brings
Improved Voice Typing to Windows 10

Talk to Type in Any Text Field

Windows is about to push another major update, beginning on April 30, 2018.  This update will include several new features most of us won't use.  However, there is one new and improved feature that will excite many of us, especially those of us who have come to rely on it when using tablets or smartphones. That new feature is improved dictation.

Windows has had limited dictation abilities for several releases.  Previously, dictation was hidden amongst the accessibility features, and it did not work very well.  One could do limited voice typing within notepad or within a handful of word processing applications, but the recognition engine was bad, and it was clunky to access. You also needed a separate microphone for voice typing to work at all.  The April, 2018 update changes all of that.

Windows 10 has an Emoji Keyboard

Quick Tip: How to Access the Emoji Keyboard in Windows 10

Did You know Windows 10 includes a hidden Emoji Keyboard?  And that this Emoji Keyboard has a lot of the more popular emojis, including smileys, food, transportation, and celebration emojis?

You can access this hidden keyboard using a keyboard shortcut:

Help! I Can't See ANY Comment Sections in Firefox since it Updated!

Quick Tip: Fix Display Issues with
Third-Party Comment Plug-Ins and Page Elements
in the Mozilla Firefox Browser

At some point today, Firefox updated itself.  And afterwards, I found I could no longer see Facebook Comment Sections on third-party sites, (like Buzzfeed or USAToday.)  Certain embedded elements, like Tweets and Instagrams, were also being replaced with the ALT text.  I did NOT like this behavior at all!  Refreshing the page did nothing, nor did disabling ad-blockers.

Amazon Will Stream the Super Bowl for Free

Watch the "Big Game" for Free on your Fire TV

No "Cable Provider" Log-In Required!

Are you a cord-cutter?  Do you want to watch "The Big Game," and are concerned about reception?  Were you thinking you'd need to go out to watch the game, when you'd much rather party at home? Well, you are in luck if you are a Fire TV owner.  Amazon has announced that they will be streaming "The Big Game" live on February 4, 2018.  Even better? All you need to do is say "Alexa,  play the Big Game" to queue up the Super Bowl.

Streaming coverage will begin at noon, EST.  All the pre-game coverage will be streamed for free, as well as the Half Time Show and all of the commercials.  Streaming is free for ALL Fire TV users, regardless of Prime membership status.

You will need to download either the NFL app for Fire TV or the NBC Sports App before The Big Game.  To do so, click on the appropriate link. You will be brought to the Amazon App Store. Make sure you are logged in, then select "Deliver to Fire TV" and click on "Deliver." The app will be available on your Fire TV within minutes. You may also download these apps through the APP Store, accessed via your Fire TV. (Personally, I find it easier to navigate the Amazon App Store on my PC than using the Fire Stick.)

This can also be a cost-effective way to add Super Bowl viewing capabilities to supplemental TVs, especially if your Cable Provider requires "boxes" to access sports packages, and you do not rent boxes for supplemental TVs.  A Fire TV Stick's cost is not much more than the cost of an OTA (Over The Air) Antenna, and many of us get better picture quality through streaming than we do on OTA TV.  

If you do not own an Echo Device, Amazon has a deal going on right now where you can purchase a Fire TV Stick and a Dot for only $70.  Having both a Dot and a Fire TV will allow you to control your TV via voice.  (Click the link for a how-to on voice controlling your TV with a Fire TV and Alexa.)  And you will be able to queue up the Big Game by merely saying "Alexa, Play the Big Game," starting at Noon on February 4th.  

If you do not yet own a Fire TV, the good news is that you still have plenty of time to purchase one before Super Bowl Sunday, even without Prime Two Day Shipping.  And you will not need any type of "log-in" to watch the game, other than your Amazon account.

Ask My Buddy and Alexa Can Summon Help in an Emergency

Alert Your Personal Emergency Network
Using Only Your Voice,
 with Alexa and Ask My Buddy

Turn Your Smart Speaker into an Emergency Alert Device

Alexa and other Smart Home technologies can make life a lot easier for people who live alone, people who have disabilities, and a lot of older people.   Smart Home technologies and Smart Speakers can automate a lot of tasks, and make physical tasks simpler for those with physical limitations.  Smart speakers and other assistive technologies can help a person continue to live independently, in his or her own home, for a longer time. But what these technologies cannot yet do is to call 911.  Wouldn't it be great if Smart Speakers, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, could summon help when an individual needs it?  Well, now they can, thanks to a service called "AskMyBuddy.net."

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

Most of us have seen the commercials. A senior citizen is in distress, but s/he cannot get to a telephone to summon help.  However, the individual wears a pendant, and by pressing a button, s/he can summon assistance from a personal emergency alert network.  And although these devices are marketed to seniors, I know a few women and people with disabilities who live alone and wish they had this "yell for help" capability, but they do not want another monthly expense, especially when they figure they will not use it often. Many people in this category have Alexa or a similar Smart Speaker.    However, despite the fact Alexa has limited calling abilities, she cannot dial 911, no matter how many times you ask her to.  Wouldn't it be nice if Alexa could summon emergency help with a voice command?

Our Top Post of 2017

Happy New Year from Techlaurels!

As the year 2017 draws to a close, TechLaurels would like to thank all of our readers for taking this journey with us.  Despite the fact we have been publishing for less than a year, our readership continues to grow, and new readers continue to find us every day.

This year, we've learned about Smart Homes, privacy issues, security scams, Alexa, gadgets, software, quick tips, how-tos, and a lot more.  We will continue to explore all of these topics in 2018, as well as anything our readers want us to explore.

Today, to celebrate the end of the year, TechLaurels is reprinting our most popular post of 2017, a quick tip on how to protect your e-mail address.  No, leaving a space in your e-mail address is no longer enough to protect it from harvesting.

If you have anything you'd like to see TechLaurels cover in 2018, please let us know in the comments, on Facebook (facebook.com/techlaurels), or on Twitter (twitter.com/techlaurels). We hope you'll continue to join us throughout 2018.