Cell (Mobile) Phones can fight back!

If your smartphone was ever lost or stolen, would you know what to do? Lock it remotely, call your carrier or use a tracking app. That’s a start.

But you know what weapon most people sleep on?

That weird 15-digit code called your IMEI. Your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is like a Social Security number for your phone. Every phone has one, and it’s not tied to your phone number or SIM card.

Why does this matter?
Let’s say someone nabs your phone and jams in a shiny new SIM. They think they’re slick. But your carrier can use your IMEI to block the hardware itself from the entire mobile network. Boom. The phone is now a $900 coaster.

It doesn’t get you the device back. Think of it as your phone’s self-destruct button, minus the explosions. Those cost extra.

Find your IMEI
This part is easy. Just open your phone app and dial: *#06#

That’s star, pound, zero, six, pound. You don’t even have to press call. Your IMEI number will pop right up on your screen and in most cases also your device's Serial Number.

Grab a pen. Take a screenshot. Email it to yourself. Save it in a secure notes app. Etch it into a cursed amulet you hang above your door. Whatever works.

Just don’t only store it on your phone (reminder: likely the missing item in this future scenario). This is one of those tiny tech things that makes a big difference, and that’s exactly why I’m sharing this knowledge.

ADDENDUM to Recording Live Audio Streams in Windows (11/19/2014)

ADDENDUM 

https://drbray.blogspot.com/2014/11/recording-live-audio-streams-in-windows.html

On Wednesday, November 19, 2014, I wrote on my BLOG how to use the program, "Audacity", to record 'live' Audio Streams using the Windows OS. That tutorial article was for Windows 7, 8, & 10.

Now using Windows 11 computers the hardware setup and software manipulations has changed as the Operation System has been rewritten.

The user "no longer" needs a "Y" connector to be plugged into the speaker port, so, the single speaker output plug is ALL that is needed.

To have your computer running Audacity to AUTOMATICALLY record when the audio from your computer's audio source starts, just make sure your input source is now set to 'Windows WASAPI' and the program will start its recording task(s) as soon as any audio starts to be produced by the computer! (see accompanying image)

Streaming Movies onto Your Large Screen SMART TV

 

How to STREAM cinema features on your big screen Smart TV from off sites such as the Internet Archive.

First of all, you must have a computer that has a HDMI output port.

Purchase and connect the proper HDMI cable from the computer HDMI output port to one of the big screen Smart TV HDMI input ports.

1.) Download the VLC Media Player software (Mac OS & Windows OS) from the site Official download of VLC media player, the best Open Source player - VideoLAN

2.) Load the software onto the computer.

Two examples of how to find the locations of cinema features on a site such as the Internet Archive follows:

EXAMPLE ONE

1.) Go to the website [https://archive.org].

2.) Type the name of the movie that they are trying to retrieve in the search dialog block {it is 'better' if the user includes the director's name after the movie's name (e.g., Film Title - Director)} and then click on GO.

3.) In the far-left column, the classification of "media type" is requested, click on the 'movies' box.

4.) The user will be presented with many choices as to what source to view.

5.) If the feature is available, then a streaming screen will appear on the monitor.

6.) Highlight and then copy the actual streaming link of the cinema feature to your clipboard.

EXAMPLE TWO

To gain ACCESS to the many media features that are available at the below links, after you have clicked on a link and opened that particular page, scroll down the page and click on the H.264, H.264.1a, & MPEG4 links to show what is available for either downloading and/or streaming from that particular site!

Woody Allen : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Ingrid Bergman : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

ℋᴜᴍᴘʜʀᴇʏ 𝓑ᴏɢᴀʀᴛ : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

All James Bond Films : Amazon Prime : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Charles Bronson : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive 

Jeff Chandler: Free download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive

Julie Christie : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Montgomery Cliff : Free Download, Borrow, And Streaming :Internet Archive

Joan Crawford : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming :Internet Archive

𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Bette Davis : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Kirk Douglas : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Britt Eckland : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Henry Fonda : Free Downoad, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive

𝙂𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙣 ℱℴ𝓇𝒹 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Clark Gable : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

𝓣𝓮𝓻𝓲 𝓖𝓪𝓻𝓻 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Alec Guinness : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

𝓒𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓽 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Goldie Hawn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


Audrey Hepburn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Stanley Kubrick : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming ; Internet Archive

𝓑𝓾𝓻𝓽 𝓛𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Dorothy Lamar : Free Download, Borrowing, and Streaming : Internet Archive

David Lean : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

𝑰𝒅𝒂 𝑳𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Virginia Mayo : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive

Shirley MacLaine : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Steve McQueen : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

𝙋𝙖𝙪𝙡 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙢𝙖𝙣 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

David Niven : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Film Noir: Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive

Kim Novack : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive

Maureen O’Hara : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Gregory Peck : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Sidney Poitier : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Tyrone Powell : Downoad, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Otto Preminger : Free Download, Borrow, Streaming : Internet Archive

𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙧 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Randolph Scott : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Spy Thyme'd Features : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Barbara Stanwyck : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙩 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

William Wyler: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming Internet Archive

Highlight and Copy the streaming site to your clipboard by pressing Ctrl-C

=================================================

To STREAM the cinema feature of your wish onto your big screen Smart TV, start the VLC Media Player software.

First click on the word “Audio” found at the top of the page.

A drop-down menu of all the possible audio outputs will appear and you should chose the output that applies to the big screen Smart TV.

Then click on the word “Media” found at the top of the screen.

Then choose “Open Network Stream” from the drop-down menu.

Paste the saved location for the streaming origin into the dialog box that will appear.

Click on the PLAY icon at the bottom RIGHT of the screen and the cinema feature should then be streaming through your HDMI output port.

Choose the proper HDMI input port of the big screen Smart TV and enjoy the streaming of the cinema feature.
.

The Inexpensive Utility Item that Everyone Should Own

1.) https://www.armysurplusworld.com/brand-new-5-56-ammo-can-50-cal 

2.) https://www.armysurplusworld.com/ammo-can-lock-kit

Rarely does one use some object, gadget, and/or device during their military experience(s) that even years later is still a useful object, gadget, and/or device that can easily be adapted for civilian use!

One such object, gadget, and/or device is the U. S. military designed 50 caliber ammunition container (1st link). First of all, it is constructed out off a thick enough metal, steel, that it is basically indestructible. Then it is constructed so that its contents remain impervious to any outside water damage. It's also stackable, meaning if you have more than one, they neatly perfectly fit on top of each other. They have a built-in carrying handle which makes them very portable. 

Next with a $6.75 USD modification (2nd link), they can be made into a locked security container to store valuable items and/or papers within! [attached image] 

 

 

Finally, used ones are sold on the surplus market for around $17.00 USD each. (See the attached video for ideas on many other uses) (11) Why Buy Ammo Cans? 25 Survival Uses - YouTube

I bought and modified one to be a locked device in which to store my ammunition for my Chicom Type 56 Carbine some forty (40) years ago to make sure my sons never could get into dangerous mischief if I wasn't monitoring them at every moment. I also have another plain model in which I have 'copies' of important documents stored that can be just grabbed and carried away in case of any type of emergency!

For a price of only ~$17.00 USD, probably most people would find some use for one as a toolbox, emergency medical supplies container, and a host of other practical uses.

P.S. -->> I found that performing a simple wiping with a cloth saturated with acetone {wife's fingernail polish remover 😀} removes all of the military nomenclature that is often written on the side of the ammunition can!! 

 

How to use the Internet to Research your Genealogy

On April 01, 2022, the U. S. Department of Commerce and its division The U. S. Census Bureau will release the results of the 1950 U. S. Census population and housing data. This is mandated by federal statute that 72 years after the census data has been gathered and collated the results are then to be available to the public for study.

Did you know that the U. S. Census is available on the internet for you to use to research your family's genealogy?

It is really convenient with the internet searches today and generally can be a great place to start to research your family's genealogy. I have now made up a chart for all my granddaughters that traces back their genealogy at least five (5) generations!

METHOD #1

Enumerator -> a person employed in taking a census of the population.
Enumeration District -> an area that could be covered by a single census taker in one census period.

All of the U. S. Census Population and Housing data is stored and initially accessed through the Enumeration Districts (ED). Knowing where the person(s) you are trying to research resided during the year of the U. S. Census that is being analyzed may be a good way to find the data that you wish to obtain.

Using the site https://stevemorse.org/census/unified.html to find the Enumeration District (ED) for the known location of the person(s) you are researching most times will be less bothersome and time consuming than trying to find said person(s) by their given name & surname {Don’t be surprised at the great number of exact and similar names there are in most searchable databases}. Once you follow its directions and list all of the significant data that its search engine requires{Using Google Earth Pro to find the location and then switching to Google Maps Street View to obtain the cross streets its search engine will also request can zero in on the exact ED for which you are searching}. The same site also has links to the actual maps which you can view and download to help anyone with their research.

Next you click on the Enumeration District that the search engine indicates and you will be offered your choice of viewers that can show you each of the data sheet pages for that particular ED. This 1^st method probably will be the preferred method for researching the 1950 U. S. Census Population & Housing data that is released on April 01, 2022 because it will take quite a while for all the names of the many persons to be entered into a searchable database that will be available to the general public to access.

METHOD #2

1.) Go to the site http://www.stevemorse.org/census/freesearch.html and type in your relatives' names at the proper places about 3/4 of the way down the page. At the top of the page there will be a dialog box with the year's census you want to search. Be sure to indicate which year's census you want to research. {please note the 1890 census data was destroyed in a fire} It is helpful if you know the state in which your relative(s) resided; otherwise you are going to have to guess in which state they may have resided.

......If you were successful, you should be directed towards a site with many people with the same name as your relative(s); click on the highlighted one that may be your relative. That will bring up a summary sheet of the data on the actual census sheet. If that ISN'T your relative just move on to the next name in the collection. Save a copy of the correct summary page.

.....At the bottom of the summary page there will be listed the "GS Film number" & the "Image Number"; write these numbers down!

2.) Then go back to the site http://www.stevemorse.org/census/freesearch.html and near the bottom of the page you will see places to enter the "GS Film number" & the "Image Number".

.....Then click on the "SEARCH" icon; that should bring up actual census page you are seeking and you can right click on the page and save it to your storage device as a JPG image.

These are just two of the many methods that are available, that the savvy computer user may gather data from the U. S. Census to perform genealogy research!

Using an ANALOG time keeping device (watch or clock) as a compass!

It's possible to determine your orientation using an analog watch (i.e., one with hands) in place of a compass. The direction will be correct if the watch is set for true local time, without adjustments for daylight savings time. And the further you are from the equator, the more accurate this method will be.

Know the time, but don't have an analog watch? A simple drawing of a watch on a piece of paper or a clock face on the ground, as long as it shows the correct time (you only need worry about the hour hand), works just as well.

Can't see the sun clearly, or otherwise having difficulty determining its direction? As long as the sun is able to cast a shadow (which it can often do even through fog), you can determine its direction by holding a thin object (like a pencil or a stick) straight up and down; the resulting shadow will point away from the sun.

Wonder why you're bisecting angles? As the earth rotates once (each day), the hour hand goes around the clock face twice. So you need to divide the angle by two (i.e., in half).

Inexpensive Computer OS and File Security

How to Spend ONLY ~$25.00 to Have a Backup Way to Protect Your Computer!

Recently in the news we have been reading & viewing features about computers in many countries all over the world having Malware placed on them that encrypts the users' files, demands a "ransom" of $XXX.XX to decrypt the user’s files, and when or if the "ransom" is paid, the Hacker(s) never release the files that they took 'hostage'!

Well, I have been trying to inform my many friends for years how to have an emergency SAFEGUARD  backup method of protecting your computer's Operating System as well as your critical Documentation Files, Audio Files, & precious Photographs + Videos.

Equipment wise the user will have to buy two (2) Flash Drives or SD Cards. I personally purchased a 32GB Flash Drive and a 64GB Flash Drive from Amazon for $10.00 & $15.00 each.

1.) Then you need to plug the 64GB [or greater] Flash Drive into the computer and proceeded to copy every folder that on the computer holds any Documentation Files, Audio Files, & precious Photographs + Videos. {depending on what microprocessor the computer has, this might take 30 - to 45 minutes [you don't have to do it in a single setting]} but you then have a good backup of ALL your important data! Remove the 64GB [or greater] Flash drive from the computer when the task is completed!

2.) Next plug the 32GB Flash Drive into the computer, then RIGHT click on the Windows Icon located on the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen and then LEFT click on the word search that appears in the dialog box.

3.) Type the phrase "Create Recovery Disk" in the space provided followed by pressing the "Enter" Key; a pop-up dialog box will appear that will guide the user through now making an Operating System Recovery Disk on the 32GB Flash Drive. {This may also take some time, [drink a cup of coffee, a soda, or a beer while you wait] so be patient} When the process is completed click on finish in the dialog box and remove the 32GB Flash Drive.

NOW if you ever have a virus and/or malware that finds its way onto your computer that your Anti-Viral & Malware software can't seem to eradicate, you are no longer up-the-creek-without-a-paddle!! First contact your Anti-Viral & Malware provider, if they can't help you there is now the option open to you of re-installing your Operating System and your computer's Documentation Files, Audio Files, & precious Photographs + Videos.

A.) Turn the power off that goes to the computer!

B.) Plug the 32GB Flash Drive into the computer!

C.) Turn the computer on WHILE holding down the F8 or F12 key {depending on your computer brand}!

D.) When the computer starts, it will take you to the BIOS start menu!

E.) Chose to Erase & REFORMAT the Hard Drive!

F.) Repeat option C and chose to start the computer by loading the Operating System from the 32GB Flash Drive (which is now the Recovery Disk)

G.) After the Operating System has been re-installed, you can use the 64GB [or greater] Flash Drive to reinstall the computer's Documentation Files, Audio Files, & precious Photographs + Videos.

H.) The ONLY last set of task(s) is to download and reinstall all of the Application Programs* that the user prefers!

Like I cautioned in the beginning, this is an emergency method to always have in reserve, just in case the computer user has to deal with an terrible situation!

* I wrote a blog in October 2011 about some of the FREEWARE programs that I use as an "alternative" to some of the expensive commercial programs to include:

Office Suite* → Microsoft Office ↔ LibreOffice ↔ (http://www.libreoffice.org/)

Optical Character Recognition ↔ ABBYY FineReader ↔ FreeOCR ↔ (http://www.paperfile.net/)

Image Manipulation → Adobe Photoshop ↔ GIMP ↔ (http://www.gimp.org/)

Sound Editing → WavePad Masters ↔ Audacity ↔ (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)

File Compression → WinZip ↔ Ken Ward's Zipper ↔ (http://www.trans4mind.com/personal_development/zipper/index.html)

Well six (6) years later, the latest versions of these programs are still very viable and excellent alternatives to the commercial programs of similar function! If you are repopulating your computer, it may be a time for you to try a few of them and see if they can serve your programming purposes!!