Technology & Business
Quickly uninstall apps from windows, even the sneaky ones
When you first started using your computer, it was silky smooth and fast. Now it is a sluggish mess. Especially now that many of you are stuck at home, you may be trying new apps that turn out to be a disappointment. How do you make sure you remove all the files when you uninstall that application? Why doesn't the app you just installed have an uninstall option in add/remove applications? The free app I am going to talk about will help with all of the above and more.
A very short summary about computational photography
Computational photography is a field of image processing that uses computer algorithms to improve the quality of digital images. It was coined by Michael Abrash in 1999, and has seen a number of innovations since then. Smartphones use computational photography to improve the quality of their images, and this has had a major impact on traditional mirrorless camera vendors. By incorporating techniques such as deep fusion, which combines multiple images to reduce noise and increase resolution, smartphones are able to produce high-quality images even in challenging lighting conditions.
The Google Pixel 4 isn't a good deal
Many friends and colleagues asked why I am not buying the Pixel 4, here is my diatribe. I am a big gadget geek. I love everything new and shiny, I have been an early adopter of every single Nexus, and Pixel phone Google has ever made. The Pixel 4 is their first device I will not acquire and here is why. Why I buy Google-branded devices? I am a big fan of Google-branded devices because they show what Google believes their software can do running on optimized hardware.
Don't buy the Zendure SuperPort or SuperTank
The Zendure SuperPort and SuperTank are positively talked about on hundreds of blogs throughout the internet. I ordered (I paid for it) 2 SuperPort USBC chargers and a SuperTank 27,000 mAh battery. Both devices have the same design defect. When you have something plugged into the 100-watt port and then plug/unplug another device in the 60-watt port, it resets the 100-watt port every time. My first 2 SuperPorts were sent back to Zendure for engineering review and the 2 replacements also exhibit the same behaviour.
How to install Firefox on a Chromebook
There are many reasons why you may want to install Firefox on a Chromebook (could be for security, privacy or just as a technical challenge). You could install the Android app but that isn’t a full featured browser. Here are the instructions on how to install it in the Linux container. Go to Settings <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/44e5e1a112.jpg" alt=""> Search for Linux and Turn it On. <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/0405fafba9.jpg" alt=""> You will get the installation window. Continue and let it complete. Prepare Linux You will then be presented with the terminal window, run an update then an upgrade.
The Phoozy spacesuit for your smartphone
What is a Phoozy? The Phoozy is a NASA space-suit inspired jacket for your phone that protects it from the searing rays of the sun or the frigid battery killing cold of winter. Have you ever gone to the beach and noticed your phone refusing to start with a temperature warning message (even though it was "protected" from the sun by a sun-umbrella?) The same happens at the other temperature extreme where the phone refuses to start because the components are too cold and the phone tries to protect itself.
Review of the Asus C434 Chrombook
I am lucky enough to have the chance to test a tone of devices every year. Chromebook testing is an interesting endeavour because the higher end units usually are fantastic to use, while the cheaper products are slow and clunky. Chromebooks that live in the middle ($500-600) typically inherit the bad characteristics from both categories. The mid-priced ($600) Asus C434 doesn't fall into this typical model. Build quality Most (non-premium) Chromebooks feel cheap and flimsy. They creek and crack when you grab them from an edge.
VPN Support coming to Linux apps on Chromebooks
It seems everyone has jumped on the VPN bandwagon these days. On Chromebooks, we can use VPN extensions, but these don't protect Android apps. We can use Android VPN apps, which protect the entire ChromeOS (including Android apps but not Linux apps). So what happens today? Even if you have an Android VPN running, the Linux apps go our via your origin IP bypassing the VPN network adapter. If you need to use a VPN with the Linux container today on ChromeOS, you have to install a Linux VPN client in the container itself.
Smartphone chargers just got a powerful upgrade
This is NOT a sponsored post. Anker Atom PD-1 <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/1ac68fe707.jpg" alt=""> At first glance, the Anker PD-1 may seem unremarkably normal looking. After all, it looks like the small wall charger that came included with your iPhone. It is almost the same size as that iPhone charger, but it delivers a full 30 watts of USBC power (it’s 35-40% smaller than the equivalent MacBook charger). Ravpower 45W PD Charger <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/89d899c494.jpg" alt=""> Ravpower have taken the same technology to greater heights by designing a slim (14mm) 45 watt USBC charger .
Exciting new multi-monitor feature coming to Chromebooks
Every professional understands the power of a dual screen setup. The additional real estate enables a more fluid and productive work process. I use a tone of platforms (mainframe & mini to Mac, Windows and Linux) and I find that ChromeOS handles multi-screen setups with ease and grace. Every time I have hooked an external display to a "good" Chromebook (something that costs $500 or more), it has worked flawlessly immediately without having to fiddle or fine tune. I have successfully connected 2 external monitors to my Pixelbook at work using a Lenovo USB hub but this isn't something most people will have access to and therefore the 3 monitor option normally isn't used.