Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

How Can I Turn Off Echo Making Phone Calls?

Watch Steve from Redondo Beach, CA Comments

Steve wants to turn off in his Amazon Alexa. He can't stop his 4-year-olds from making calls. Leo says that he may have to call Amazon Support at 1 (888) 280-4331 and ask them to disable it. Presumably, it's a safety feature in case of emergencies. He could turn off the option in the Amazon app, turning it off device by device. Go to preferences - then communications. There's a disable option by device. Steve said that he looked and the option isn't on in the app. But it still works. So only a call to Amazon will prevent that from happening.

Are Amazon Renewed Laptops Good to Buy?

Watch Bobby from Lakewood, FL Comments

Bobby needs to replace the hard drive for his HP Elite. But he's considering getting a refurbished replacement instead since it'll cost $160 to replace the drive. Leo says that it largely depends on how the law works for refurbished in Bobby's state. In California, it's illegal to sell an open box return as "new." So they are listed as refurbished, and if bought from an original manufacturer, it'll come with a warranty. So that's a good deal since it'll save a few hundred dollars. But if Bobby buys them from third parties, then that warranty may not apply since it's considered a used computer, even if never really used.

Amazon's refurb is called Amazon Renewed and does include a limited warranty. 

Has Leo heard of Chuwi? Leo says he hasn't, but it's a Chinese company. Still looks OK, but he'd recommend a major company like the Lenovo Thinkpad. They are very fixable and are built like a tank. And with a two-year warranty for an extra $60, that's a good deal.

And if Bobby goes to the Thinkpad SubReddit, he can learn how to fix it up and get it up to date.

How Can I Clean Up and Manage My Personal/Business Contacts?

Watch Rich from Rochester, NY Comments

Rich has a need to remove contacts from his personal contacts account and then replace it in his business account. Leo says that he doesn't know any automated way to do that. The only real way is to do it manually. He recommends turning off syncing. Then export contacts as a CSV file. Clean up that contact list, then make a copy of the cleaned-up version. He can also use an app like Contacts+ to merge duplicates. Do this for both personal and business contact lists, then import them. Rich will likely have to do this periodically. But keep sync off. It'll mess things up and eventually ruin all hard work. So it's like mowing the lawn. Once done, it'll have to be done again.

 

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

How Do I Transfer Data From an Old Phone to a New One?

Watch Rene from Anaheim, CA Comments

Rene doesn't have a computer or WiFi. She relies on her mobile phone for her internet. Her phone is four years old and she is looking at the Samsung Galaxy S10E. Leo says that it's a year old, but there's nothing wrong with it. The latest model is the Galaxy 20, but there's no "E" model. Will it be difficult to transfer data? Leo says no. There is an app that will copy data from one phone to another, and it's really easy. She'll just have to be sure her Samsung Account is logged in and the backup is turned on. It'll be in the backup and reset settings. She can also back up to Google as well. That includes Contacts. Photos. The works. If she uses Samsung Gallery for photos, check in the settings there too. 

Should Rene buy a Picture Keeper backup stick that can plug in her phone and backup to photos and data? They're $109. Leo says that's way too much. She could use a USB key, but may also need a USB to go cable or OTG cable that can attach it to and backup that way. But the phone has to support it and you need a special app to do it. Leo says just use the built-in cloud backup. It's free. 

Don't waste money on Picture Keeper. 

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

Should I Build a Gaming Computer?

Watch Kyle from Northridge, CA Comments

Kyle is building a gaming computer and wants a decent budget system. Leo says the real key is the video performance. He'll want it to be smooth. So Frame Rate is key. Here's the thing. Building a computer doesn't give that much advantage anymore. He's not going to save money. The real benefit is learning how a computer works. But he'll be his own support because who does one call if there's a problem? Each part supplier will pass the buck. 

Leo says to start at PC Perspective and look at their Hardware Leaderboard. They have four tiers based on budget. Low end. Mid Range. High End. and Dream System. Each tier shows the best parts in each tier. Note they all recommend AMD Ryzen now, which gives better bang for your buck. Start with the processor and build around that. Choose an SSD for the hard drive and 16GB of RAM.  Remember, he'll also need a keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

Where Do I Get Linux Drivers?

Watch Patrick from Fallbrook, CA Comments

Patrick has put an SSD on his old iMac and he's going to install Linux on it. Will printers and audio cards work? Will they have drivers? Leo says they will work, but he won't get Linux drivers from the manufacturers. He'll get them from the Linux community. Look up CUPS for printer drivers for Linux. It's open-source. But he shouldn't need separate drivers, Linux should support it. But Epson does have a Linux support page. 

Also, Linux installs are a greater challenge on a Mac. That's where problems arise. Recent Macs have T chips that work with the secure enclave and that'll make it harder to install. He may not even be able to install an internal hard drive.

What Computer Should I Buy For Word Processing?

Watch Lee from Menefee, CA Comments

Lee wants to know if she can buy a computer to use as a word processor. Leo says that since Lee has a Chromebook, she already has all she needs. Just use Google Docs. Or, she can also use Microsoft Office Online. So there's no need to buy a separate device. And the best thing is, Chromebook will back up everything you do in the cloud, protecting data automatically. Learn to love the cloud.

But if she doesn't, and insists on a separate device, then it comes down to budget. She can get a decent computer for basic word processing for the $400 budget Lee is looking for. But Lee also has an old Windows 7 computer. Leo says that the device is safe to use, as long as she never puts it online. The computer is just fine and Windows won't stop working. So again, there's no need to get another computer if old devices still work. Then she can use the Chromebook to get online.