How to Fix Situation When You Can't Open a URL File into Chrome with a Double-Click of URL File in Finder

Select URL file

Command-I for info window

Turn off Hide extension checkbox

Confirm that you want to Turn off Hide extension for all of this type of file.

"Open with" might indicate Safari (default) even though Chrome is your default browser. You can probably ignore this; your Mac might not allow you change it anyway.

This should correct the situation.

Note: extension file is .webloc

See also ...

Google Chrome won't open URL files by double click - Ask Different

(not the solution, but background information)

double clicking chrome url in finder is not opening chrome - Google Search

How to Delete Program Reminders in Xfinity X1 -- Annoying Reminders Fill Whole Screen and Have No Cancel Button

One of the most annoying features of the Xfinity service is the Program Reminder. You might have set your Xfinity box to alert you when your favorite baseball team is about to play, for example. Unfortunately the reminders fill the whole television screen. If your watching something important, you might be interrupted by a program reminder that fills your screen and causes you to miss what your watching. Unfortunately, when the reminder pops up, there is no way to cancel future reminders directly on the reminder pop-up.

Then the method to delete program reminder is very difficult to find, and not intuitive at all.

Here is how it is done ...

Access the Scheduled Reminders List:

Press the xfinity button on your remote.

Navigate to Saved using the cursor control.

Press OK at the center of the cursor control.

Use the right arrow button to go to Scheduled (it might be third from the left).

Press OK at the center of the cursor control.

Find the View option on the left (it might be in the second row).

You might need to press the down arrow on the Cursor Control where you will see View"Recording"

Press OK to switch the view from "Recordings" (if applicable) to "Reminders". 

(if nothing happens, you probably don't have any reminders scheduled)

No you have to Cancel each Reminder:

Move the cursor up or down with the Cursor Control to highlight the reminder you want to cancel.

Press the INFO button on your remote.

Highlight Reminder Options and press OK.

Highlight Cancel Series Reminder (or just Cancel Reminder for single events) and press OK.

A confirmation message will appear.

Repeat this process for each reminder in your list. 

Important Notes:

Reminders are listed for the next 14 days.

You can also cancel reminders directly from the on-screen guide by finding the program with the reminder and using the INFO button. This method is recommended if you are trying to find the program reminder you want to delete. It is only useful if you are already positioned on the program that needs a reminder delete.

How to check that you are using Xfinity xFi Complete

Here's how you can check if you're using Xfinity xFi Complete. The method uses the Xfinity app:

- Open the Xfinity app on your device.

- Go to the "Security" tab.

- Tap on "Advanced Security."

- On the "Advanced Security on the go" page, choose "I Agree."

By completing these steps, you can make sure you're using Xfinity xFi Complete in the Xfinity app.

X.com stops posting automated dlvr.it messages - "discarded item"

Discarded item after attempting to post for X minutes: Your social rejected our post attempts for unspecified reasons. This may be related to the content itself violating community standards or content posting too frequently to this social.

Looks like X.com is rejecting social posts on x.com/chgowxobserv

What does my error message mean? – dlvr.it support

Why are my posts not posting? – dlvr.it support

Fall bugs affect Apple iPhone: one causes overheating, and another can cause a drained battery

Apple released the iOS 17.0.3 update to correct a bug causing iPhones, especially the iPhone 15 Pro, to overheat. 

A second update, iOS 17.1 beta 3 corrects a bug that drained iPhone battery life due to increased power consumption when the device was paired with an Apple Watch running watchOS 10.1.

Apple did not disclose the power consumption bug until after after the release of iOS 17.1 beta 3.

watchOS 10.1 bug caused Apple Watch to drain iPhone battery - 9to5Mac

Warning for iOS 17.1 Beta Testers: Update to Beta 3 or Your Wallet App May Crash - MacRumors

iOS 17.1 Beta 3 Prevents Action Button From Activating the Camera or Flashlight in a Pocket - MacRumors

iOS & iPadOS 17.1 Beta 3 Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation

iOS 17.1 will make the iPhone 12 legal in France again - The Verge

Missing: Amazon SiteStripe down for a short time on Thursday evening, September 28, 2023

Locating settings to find Amazon SiteStripe controls to enable SiteStripe: If SiteStripe is still missing when SiteStripe is configured to be enabled, the feature may be temporarily unavailable, or you may have to check to see if browser or Internet settings are causing the missing feature.

Amazon SiteStripe was not available for a short time period, Thursday evening, September 28, 2023 in Chicagoland. A quick check of the SiteStripe confirmed that the SiteStripe was enabled.

When logged in as an Amazon affiliate (Amazon Associates), follow this path to the settings for SiteStripe ...

Tool (tab/menu): SiteStripe: Learn more (in paragraph): confirm or configure slide switch to Enabled

Check to see if SiteStipe is visible.  If SiteStripe is still missing when SiteStripe is configured to be enabled, the feature may be temporarily unavailable and you will need to wait until it is working; or you might check to see if browser or Internet settings are causing the feature to be missing.

The Amazon SiteStripe feature allows Amazon to create links directly from the Amazon.com site without having to visit Associates Central. It lets you build links to any page on Amazon, and even share those links on Facebook or Twitter. It also has handy short-cuts to some other useful Associates pages.

How to Program a PL Tone (CTCSS/DCS) on a Radio Shack Pro-160 Scanner

Instructions for adding a PL Tone (CTCSS/DCS) to a frequency programmed in a Radio Shack Pro-160 Scanner. The Pro-160 was manufactured by Uniden Japan for Radio Shack. The Pro-160 is the base/mobile version of the Pro-162 and uses the same software and cables.

Amazon Ads Are Not Displaying Due to SSL Certificate Expiration

Amazon's SSL certificate is expired for the domain that serves native ads for Amazon to Amazon Associates websites. The certificate expiration causes Amazon ads to be blocked from display on websites that are configured with https. Web browsers do not display results of code that is not configured with https, and does not display results of code that is configured properly without a valid SSL certificates

The certificate expired on Monday, January 10, 2022 at 5:59:59 PM Central Standard Time. Ads have been blocked from display from at least January 11, 2022 through January 14, 2022.

Amazon provided no alert to Amazon Associates regarding any effort to resolve the issue. 

Amazon Associates use Amazon ads to provide income to fund website operations, or use Amazon ads to sell products as a major source of income.

Industries That Use Video Walls

Live Production Mastery - YouTube

Video walls are popular pieces of technology that are finding their way into many industries. You have likely seen and maybe even used video walls at some point. Video walls offer a ton of benefits such as improving communication, accessibility to important information, and so much more. Learn about some of the industries that use video walls ahead.

Best Technology for Your Warehouse

Warehouses are essential to supply chain management and logistics. Every product needs proper storage before delivery to customers and retailers. While products sit, warehouse managers need the best services and telecommunications for their facility. Still, there are some ways they can further improve their daily operations. Here is the best technology for your warehouse, including automated, sustainable, handheld, and management systems.

Tips for Improving Live Broadcasts

From the outside looking in, news broadcasting seems like a simple task. You look at the notes, sit down, turn the camera on, and begin the entertainment. However, there are many different forms of technology that are necessary for the broadcast to run. Not only is that tech necessary, but it’s also evolving quite consistently. Take a glimpse at these tips for improving live broadcasts with the best and most efficient tech on the market.

Optimize Your Lighting Set Up

Like many of the production factors we’ll discuss in this guide, lighting is incredibly important to viewer engagement. If viewers are trying to watch a news broadcast, but the lighting is either way too dark or way too bright, why wouldn’t they stop watching and head over to a news station with better video quality? A great piece of guidance to use when buying a contemporary lighting setup is getting LED lights. The popularity of LED lights in broadcasts has increased for a bevy of reasons, including their low power consumption and flexibility in outdoor environments.

Use Modern Teleprompter Methods

Another key piece of technology used for live broadcasts is a teleprompter system. These long-used pieces of video equipment provide necessary talking points to presenters during the broadcast, often set up behind or beside the camera. Today, productions can obtain teleprompter rigs that have a slot for iPad use. An iPad can be easily transformed into a teleprompter with the right app and a compatible teleprompter system. These iPad teleprompter systems are recommended because they can be used for your normal broadcasting needs or can function as a quick back up if anything happens to your current system. Technical difficulties aren’t rare during live broadcasts, so having a Plan B for any production is a good idea.

Test Your Tech Before Broadcasting

As mentioned above, technical difficulties can occur during a broadcast. It’s not that rare but it can be avoided with the proper precautions. Before going live, test all of the essential equipment to make sure it runs smoothly. Proper lighting, camera functions, lighting arrangements, and all of the important production equipment make your show as great as it can be. That way, if something fishy is going on with your equipment or the broadcast itself, you can catch it early on and fix it. Whether it’s a loose power cord or a network connection on the fritz, you’ll be happy you caught it before the stream, as opposed to halfway through.

These tips for improving live broadcasts will help your production flow smoothly while staying up to date with the most useful production technology, and techniques, available today. By keeping a close eye on the shifting video production tech market, you can keep your broadcast relevant and functioning on a regular basis.

What to Do With a Broken Television

No matter how high end they may be, all products have a set lifespan. This includes televisions. While certain TVs may retain their quality and performance a bit longer than others, every TV will eventually break down. In addition to the excitement of shopping for a newer, better model, you will also need to consider what to do with the now unusable TV. There are several different options for what to do with a broken television, each which may better suit different circumstances. As such, take into account your TV’s model and the extent of damage when considering what to do with your broken television.

DIY Electronics Projects for Beginners

If you have a love for technology, you will probably come to the point where you want to learn how to make devices of your own. There are lots of things you can build with the right parts, some patience, and a quick tutorial search online. But what should you choose as you start out your journey into becoming a maker? We suggest trying these fun DIY electronics projects for beginners, each of which has many easy-to-follow tutorials on the web.

How to Care for Your Video Game Consoles

The days of Xbox’s circle of death might be behind us, but that doesn’t mean video game consoles are invincible. A video game console can be quite the investment, especially with the next generation of technology on the way, which is just one reason why you should take care of it. For some tips, learn how to care for your video game consoles ahead.  

Allow Air to Circulate 

A common mistake many gamers make with their video consoles is not allowing for air to circulate. Video game consoles require a lot of firepower to work properly and it’s important for them to remain cool. Therefore, place your video game console on a TV stand that has an open back. Also, avoid keeping anything on top of or underneath your video game, as this can also keep it from having circulating air flow.   

Remove Any Dust or Grime 

Another good way to take care of your video game console is to remove dust or grime by keeping regularly cleaning it. Simply use a duster, microfiber cloth, or Swiffer to carefully remove any dust that might have gathered on your video game console. As for any grime, you can use a conservative amount of cleaning solution to wipe the console down. Be sure to keep any liquid drinks away from your console at all times and use disinfectant wipes on your video game controllers too.  

Be Cautious When You Move It 

You are bound to move your video game console at some point, and this is when a lot of damage can occur. First things first, make sure your console is off and unplugged when you are moving it, as well as making sure there is no disc inside. Moving it while a disc is inside the console can make your game unplayable. If you haven’t thrown out the box your console came in, also keep on hand as well, or invest in a console transport case. If you are transporting your console in a vehicle, make sure to place it on the floor or on a flat surface and don’t pile items on top of it.  

It’s important to know how to care for your video game console so you can keep playing for a long period of time and potentially get a good price if you ever decide to sell it.  

How to Reopen the Offices After COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic starts to wane and states start to open back up, businesses are making plans of their own. At least they should be. There won’t be a throwing open of the doors like at the start of the Kentucky Derby. State and local governments are slowly easing their lockdown restrictions and opening business a little at a time. Large companies and offices should take this time to prepare their reopening strategy so that, when they get the green light, they can bring everyone back. Here are some tips on how to reopen the offices after COVID-19 so your team can be successful going forward.

Change the Floor Plan

There is going to be a push for more space in the office, so get ready to shuffle things around. If you had the dreadful open office plan previously, now you can change it up. Look at some different concepts and plans that are effective. The multi-use office is gaining popularity among management and employees alike. It has different workstations for different kinds of work—couches, desks, long tables, and cubicles so employees can work and maintain distance in the ways that are best for them.

Give Employees Time

Don’t rush anyone back to the office. Different people have different views on the pandemic and what should happen next. Some will be ready to get back to work and out of the house, while others want some more time and prefer to work from home. Give them that option, or create a flex schedule of coming in or staying home until everyone feels safe being in the office. There is always the option of leaving full-time remote working on the table for those that want it.

There’s No Time Like the Present

If you were planning an office renovation, now is a great time to get that done. With the entire team working remotely, use the time to get rid of that open office concept and create a new workspace. This will allow you to create more space between employees and disinfect the office from the studs to the workstations. A new workspace will revitalize the team and allay some of their fears in the process.

Increase the Cleaning Budget

Whatever you are spending on office cleaning, double it. If the custodial staff was only cleaning the office twice a week, increase that to daily. Encourage the use of hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes, and provide them for anyone who wants them. Tell the team right away what steps you have taken to keep the office as clean as possible. When you’re considering how to reopen the offices after COVID-19, you’ll want to give your employees a sense that the company cares for and is concerned about their health and wellbeing.

Newest Technologies in Medical Devices

Wearable and disposable medical devices use advanced methods in their design, manufacturing, and operation. From diagnosis to treatment, the newest technologies in medical devices pave the way for faster testing, safer sampling, better usability for patients, and better educational methods for medical students.

Wearable and Mobile Technologies

Far beyond counting steps, wearable technologies have advanced to monitor data on pulse and blood pressure. Some can even track irregular heart rhythms and message doctors. COVID-19 made everyone aware of the need to monitor blood oxygen levels, and some smartphones already can do just that. Mobile ultrasound scanners help in areas that can’t afford or access the big machines. They aren’t as good at imaging as the larger machines found in medical suites, but they are a great improvement on no scanning at all.

Augmented and virtual reality are already in use in medical schools and surgical environments. Soon, it will come to rehabilitation, offering an alternative to boring, repetitive exercises and more ways to re-engage injured areas of the brain and encourage the development of new neural pathways.

Wearable devices are now extending to headsets and implantable devices that target certain areas of the brain to deliver stimulation meant to treat mental illness.

Diagnostics and Disposables

Developers of disposable diagnostic devices use advanced prototyping with advanced 3D-printing, stereolithography, and computer numeric control to save time and increase precision for new diagnostic medical devices.

Digital inhalers can measure inspiration (inhalation) and track how often a patient uses the inhaler. They can then send the data to a smartphone app, and the patient can share the information with their doctor. Hearing aids can now detect when a wearer has fallen and offer assistance. Stick-free glucose monitors have sensors that can measure blood glucose levels without puncturing the skin. They can gather and compare data to display trends and even work through clothing.

New technologies in medical devices include devices still under development that show promise, like cyborg eyes and smart tattoos that flex with the skin, are waterproof, and can detect and transmit medical data. Artificial organs, bioresorbable electronics that report data wirelessly, and 3D-printed prosthetics are in the pipeline of advanced medical devices. Each year is sure to bring new advances that improve the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

Holidays Science Aficionados Celebrate

Everyone can grasp what National Donut Day is all about. But for STEM nerds, there are some special days that are all their own. Check out these holidays science aficionados celebrate, fire up your calculators (or, for you purists, your slide rules), and glory in geekhood for a while.

March 14

You already know, right? National Pi Day. This one was so obvious, but did you know that this day even has its own website? March 14 is also Einstein’s birthday.

April 25

The Human Genome Research Institute touts National DNA Day on April 25. This is a day to study and celebrate the pursuit of genetic research. Scientists encourage non-scientists to learn more about what makes each person unique at the genetic level.

May 20

National Metrology Day celebrates the science of measurement, which, as any STEM nerd worth their lab scale knows, includes the study of uncertainty. Two, four, six, eight—everybody calibrate! Seriously, metrologists and calibration professionals keep the scales honest and know the answer to “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” Well, maybe not the “Kenneth” part, but still.

October 9

Get small with National Nanotechnology Day. Selected in celebration of the nanometer scale (10-9 meters), this day celebrates advances in the science of tiny things. Celebrate with a 100 billion nanometer dash! Check Nano.gov for more fun activities at the nano level.

October 23

Speaking of measurement, let’s hear it for Avogadro’s number (6.02x1023)! Without this measure, chemistry simply wouldn’t happen. This is a day of celebration for anyone who can recite the periodic table from memory. Give yourself bonus points for knowing the atomic weight of each element. The magic happens when elements combine into compounds with a calculable molecular mass. Wow, we could do this all day!

May 5, 2025

Math fiends, this is a day for you, and you will already have deduced that this is National Square Root Day. You’ll probably get a few of these in your lifetime, but to celebrate them all, you have to live for at least a century.

Black Hole Friday

NASA wants to take your mind off shopping on the day after Thanksgiving for long enough to contemplate the mysteries of the universe. Take a break from spending this Friday, November 27, and instead look for interesting discoveries about the most confounding astronomical phenomena on NASA’s website.

Computer Science Education Week

Anyone can organize an Hour of Code any day of the year, and computer science education is so important it gets a whole week. This year, the event takes place December 7-13. If the pandemic teaches us anything good, it is that the world working from home (and working anywhere else) runs on code. Celebrate computer science and engineering in December, and help the world have a better year in 2021.

There are several online calendars where you can find holidays for science aficionados and events devoted to multiple STEM pursuits. Check your birthday, or just tomorrow, to see if you were born on a science-related day.

Best Upgrades to Improve PC Performance

When you’re using a computer for regular tasks, you don’t need it to boast a lot of power. Activities like gaming are another story, though, so you may want to bolster your PC to not only accommodate such purposes, but also reach maximal functioning. What are the best upgrades to improve PC performance, though? Focus on the following aspects of your computer to see the greatest results.

RAM

RAM, which is short for random access memory, is the short-term memory your computer uses to retain information on programs that you’re currently running. It helps when you are actively using programs and when you switch to different ones while keeping multiple ones open at the same time. By adding more RAM, your computer’s capacity for running applications increases so that you have the responsiveness you want.

There are different amounts you can add on depending on what you’re using your PC for and how much RAM it can handle. For example, 8 GB is considered a moderate upgrade for basic gaming, video streaming, and other similar tasks, while 16 GB is optimal for more complex, large-scale videogames and video editing. You can even go above this to 32 GB if you so choose.

Storage Drive

In addition to RAM, your PC may also benefit from a peripheral storage drive, particularly a solid-state drive (SSD). This type of memory retains data even after the computer is shut down, unlike RAM. It’s useful when you find yourself running out of storage space on your PC or when you’re after greater speed.

You’ll notice the difference in things such as boot-ups and application launches where the computer is retrieving stored information. This means less time spent on loading screens while you wait for your computer to catch up to the commands you’ve input.

Graphics Card

A graphics card is one of the best upgrades to improve PC performance when you’re heavily into gaming or video editing. It’s responsible for forming the images you see on the monitor, so the better your graphics card is, the higher the quality of visuals your computer can display. When you’re dealing with low frames per second in gaming, a better graphics card can take a lot of the burden off the CPU in the associated calculations, allowing it to perform its operations and create the images faster.

Many computers come with an integrated graphics card built into the motherboard, but this is often not enough for demanding tasks. You’ll want to augment your PC’s performance using discrete graphics cards that are separate from the motherboard but which can be connected to it as an enhancement.

Smart Parking Solutions: The Future of Parking Lots

The Internet of Things (IoT) is creeping into every facet of life. More things are connected to the internet today than ever before. IoT is the idea that everything should be or is connected to the internet in some fashion. Smart technology that connects home appliances to a central hub is a prime example of this. Things that one wouldn’t associate with “smart” technology are popping up all the time, including parking lots. Why would a parking lot need connectivity and what on earth are smart parking solutions? Smart parking lots are more prevalent than you know—learn more about them here.

What’s a Smart Parking Lot?

A parking lot is still a parking lot; it’s a place for you to leave your car when you go shopping or see a movie. Smart parking solutions are vehicle parking systems that help drivers find an empty spot. Each space in the lot is equipped with a sensor that tracks movement within the lot and reports back to an attendant or parking app. Using sensors in each parking space that detect the presence or absence of a vehicle, signs direct incoming drivers to available locations. Parking apps that help drivers find a vacant spot use this information as they drive and help ease the congestion on the streets. Smart counter systems keep track of cars coming and going through a lot and any specific area. A connected counting system can detect when a vehicle enters and leaves the parking facility. This way, IoT-based platforms can offer drivers a real-time counter of available spots. Facility managers can use counter systems to increase the parking facility’s efficiency, determine trends and patterns regarding customer flow, and predict future vehicle surges.

The Future of Parking Systems

In the past, when a lot was made, the only concern was how many parked cars could fit there. As time went on, new regulations and laws were passed that carved out space for disabled drivers and kept a minimum distance between vehicles. The Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for parking lots provided a certain number of handicapped spaces in lots. Now, with the IoT of parking lots, construction teams and design engineers have to consider where to place sensors in the pavement, how many to place, and their signal strength and functionality. Automated parking structures are coming into the fold now, too. They go up, rather than out. A driver pulls their car in and a series of elevators move it to an available spot and deliver it when the owner comes back. It’s like a building-sized car vending machine.

How Computer Modeling Benefits the World

Computer modeling greatly improves how engineers, meteorologists, and scientists plan for the future or respond in a crisis. Specifically, computer modeling utilizes a variables plugged into a computer algorithm that can functionally simulate what will happen with certain conditions. Through computer modeling, technology saves all kinds of professionals the time and effort of going through with an action until they know more clearly how it may play out. If you’d like to learn more about how computer modeling benefits the world, continue reading.

Infrastructure Design

First, modeling affects how infrastructure takes shape. Architects must consider the overall integrity of the structures they design—bridges, office buildings, schools, and more—and do so by accounting for many complex, interacting forces on the structure. It’s difficult to know how gravity will act in certain areas and whether your foundation will sustain the weight of your materials. To simulate all of this without laying a brick, architects use computer modeling that’s equipped to include these forces. You can even use it to test how your structure will react to adverse conditions, such as a storm, which illustrates its flexibility. To give an example of one type of modeling, finite element analysis (FEA) helps those in the oil and gas industry determine how fluids will act on a system, as well as other applications in other fields.

Weather Prediction

Computer modeling depends on a significant data set to give reliable feedback. That’s a particular strength of weather-predictive modeling, which has years of data to feed into its predictive algorithm to track future weather patterns. The global forecast model (GFS) and others are important for day-to-day forecasting, but become integral when predicting the path of a hurricane or determining the extent of other extreme storms. If the computer model used correctly anticipates the storm’s path and danger, it saves lives.

Tracking and Projecting Infectious Diseases

Finally, most important now during this COVID-19 pandemic, computer modeling benefits the world by predictively determining where and how infectious diseases will spread. The challenge with computer modeling for these purposes is that, because computer modeling must mimic real life closely, it needs many variables inputted correctly to adequately guide action. Because much about the coronavirus is either recently known or still unknown, it’s difficult to incorporate these variables together. It’s likely more appropriate to model the virus’s transmission via more limited models when information is lacking.