Friday, June 28, 2019

Free Friday - Google Family Link

It's Friday again!

Today's free stuff is going to be a bit unusual for me. Those of you who know me are aware that I frequently complain about a lack of privacy and have been known to leave electronic devices at home because I don't want to be tracked. I don't have Facebook on my phone. My privacy rants are rather long. Yet, there's my smart phone.

That said, there is room for concern when it comes to parental concerns over their children on the internet on their devices. It's important to know how they are using their phones and tablets.

Sometimes Google gets it right. They developed Family Link to help parents monitor what's going on between kids and their devices. It helps them control the devices and assists parents in teaching their kids to develop healthy relationships with electronic media.

Parents can view their kid's screen time and manage their apps. You pick what they can download and what they can spend on in-app purchases. You can also hide specific apps that they are not to use. You can also pre-approve apps and view recommended apps for kids that come from reputable sources. You can set time limits and lock the device.

Tracking is also something that Google's Family Link does. This one kind of made me wince because it's what I dislike the most. But, I understand a parent who wants to use it. It's a safety thing.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Mobile Monday - Nothing Wasted

Here are four new various wallpapers to grace your mobile phones. All are 720x1280 as I make them for myself and share because it makes me happy.

Click to go to the full size version for download. On mobile, long press and save. On desktop, right click and save as, then transfer to your phone. Enjoy!

Casino Louie The Coffee Dog
Raised Roses No Wasted Time

Friday, June 21, 2019

Free Friday - Paint(dot)Net

It's Friday! Yay!

Is there anyone who hasn't heard of Paint(dot)net? You haven't? Oh my. You are in for a treat.

The story behind the name and URL is long and I'm not going to go into it here. It's called Paint.Net, but the URL is actually GetPaint.net. If you go to Paint.net, you'll get a store that sells paint. Like wall paint.

Have you ever looked at Adobe Photoshop and thought that it would be nice, but it's too expensive? Looked at Microsoft Paint and said to yourself, "Well, it's okay for making 4chan memes. Paint.net is somewhere in between. It's free. It's powerful. Yet it's still a simple image/photo editor tool. It's extendable and has loads of intuitive features, including easy to use special effects. There is clear documentation and support for a wide userbase, including an active online community that posts tutorials and plugins.

I used paint.net when I used Windows and I was always happy with the program. If you are looking for a full-featured, native image editing program that's free and a step up from MS Paint, but not quite Photoshop (or The GIMP), GetPaint.net is probably what you are looking for.

Click on the screenshot below or (any of the links) to take you to GetPaint.net

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Firefox Patch

Yes it's late, but if you're using Mozilla Firefox make sure you have this critical update! To check your version, click the pancakes in the upper right corner of FF>Help>About Firefox. Click below to read the article from Hacker News.

Monday, June 17, 2019

Mobile Monday - Happy Summer!

Here are four new summer wallpapers to grace your mobile phones. All are 720x1280 as I make them for myself and share because it makes me happy.

Click to go to the full size version for download. On mobile, long press and save. On desktop, right click and save as, then transfer to your phone. Enjoy!

Summer Boat Drink UP!
Say Hello To Summer Summer Fronds

Monday, June 10, 2019

Mobile Monday - Bright

Here are four new wallpapers to grace your mobile phones. All are 720x1280 as I make them for myself and share because it makes me happy.

Click to go to the full size version for download. On mobile, long press and save. On desktop, right click and save as, then transfer to your phone. Enjoy!

Denim Coffee
Dinosaurs I Heart Gentlemen

Monday, June 3, 2019

Flowers, Leaves and Horses

Back from a quick break last week. Here are four new wallpapers to grace your mobile phones. All are 720x1280 as I make them for myself and share because it makes me happy.

Click to go to the full size version for download. On mobile, long press and save. On desktop, right click and save as, then transfer to your phone. Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Leaf Overlay
Horses Black, White and Red All Over

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Spiked! Online article about Silicon Valley

This is an awesome article at Spiked! Online about "Internet addiction". It might change the way you look at the issue or at least give you something to chew on.

Why Silicon Valley is turning against the machines