Hello, and welcome…
Rick’s Daily Tech Tips Update for Friday, March 11, 2022
Topics covered in this issue…
• How to use AirPods Pro earbuds as hearing aids
• How to reduce the thickness of the Taskbar in Windows 11
• Q&A: Should I use Windows’ unzipping tool or install 7-Zip?
• Did you know there are smoke alarms for protecting the deaf and hearing impaired?
• Info about my photo / file recovery service
Today’s Sponsor…
NewEgg has the computer parts you need, with great prices and fast shipping.
Have something you’d like to tell thousands of awesome subscribers?
Click here to sponsor the next available issue.
Welcome, new subscribers….
You can make sure these updates keep landing in your Inbox by adding my email address to your Address Book or Contacts List. Click here for instructions.
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Click here to subscribe.
Today’s Quick Tip….
How to use AirPods Pro earbuds as hearing aids
Do you have minor hearing loss that makes it difficult to understand everything that someone is saying to you?
If so, Apple recently added a new accessibility feature to their AirPods Pro earbuds that will allow you to use them as a handy substitute for hearing aids.
In a nutshell, this “Conversation Boost” feature will help you hear and understand the person you’re talking to better by focusing on their voice and boosting it just a bit.
As mentioned above, this is meant to assist people with minor hearing loss. Those who have moderate to severe hearing loss are unlikely to receive much of a benefit from it.
But that being said, if you typically hear most of a conversation but tend to miss a few words here and there, a set of AirPods Pros in Conversation Boost mode just might help you avoid having to buy a pair of expensive hearing aids. And you’ll be able to enjoy awesome-quality music to boot.
If you already have a set of AirPods Pros you can easily enable Conversation Boost and give it a try. Here’s how:
1 – Make sure your AirPods Pros have the latest software updates installed.
2 – Visit https://www.apple.com/accessibility/hearing/ and click (or tap) the + (plus sign) in the lower-right corner of the “Conversation Boost” section.
3 – Click (or tap) on the relevant links to instructions for enabling Conversation Boost on your devices.
Pretty cool stuff, am I right?
The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips Tech Blog…
• How to reduce the thickness of the Taskbar in Windows 11
Do you dislike the thicker Taskbar Microsoft has given to Windows 11? If so, this post explains how to make it thinner.
• Q&A: Should I use Windows’ unzipping tool or install 7-Zip?
A reader wants to know if there is any advantage to using 7-Zip instead of Windows’ native unzipping tool. This post has my answer.
• Click here to see today’s ‘Picture of the Day’.
Every morning I post a new photo that I find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain beautiful to look at. Jumpstart your day by checking it out.
Pro blogging tip…
Rick’s Daily Tips is hosted by InMotion Hosting. Click here to find out why.
Rick’s Daily Pick…
VidBox Video Conversion Suite (#ad)
Have a stack of VHS or Beta or other video media that you’d like to convert to digital format?
Download and install the software on your PC or Mac, then connect your VCR or camcorder to your computer with this device and you’ll be able to make digital copies of those videos (as long as the tapes themselves are still in working order, of course).
Today’s post from ‘My Daily Smile’…
Did you know there are smoke alarms for protecting the deaf and hearing impaired?
There are indeed smoke alarms that can help alert deaf and hearing impaired folks in the unfortunate event of a house fire. This post has the details.
Tech news that caught my eye…
• HBO hit with class action lawsuit for allegedly sharing subscriber data with Facebook
• New features are coming to your Android phone
• T-Mobile introduces a credit check-free version of its 5G home internet
• US extradites Canadian for ransomware as officials seize $28M in cryptocurrency
• The Steam Deck now runs Windows
Wondering how you can help me keep doing what I’m doing?
1 – If you’d like to help support my work, you can do so by leaving me a tip.
Every penny of your tip will go towards my blog’s web hosting and other related fees, which are substantial.
2 – You can Forward this email to a friend along with a short note of recommendation. (Just click the “Forward” button or link.)
Rest assured that anything you can do to help me keep helping folks will be greatly appreciated.
Rick’s Photo / File Recovery Service…
Do you have precious photos and/or other irreplaceable files that you’d like to recover from a non-working computer?
Chances are I’ll be able to recover them for you, even if the machine won’t turn on or start up correctly.
Have a question, comment or suggestion? Hit the Reply button and reply to this email. I love hearing what you have to say…
Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse
https://www.RicksDailyTips.com