Visual Unlimited

Some seem like a good idea. The problem is that a whole lot of people get the same idea, which leads to the passwords becoming very, very common. What passwords are the most common? Here are a bunch of them, broken up into categories for your convenience: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/most-common-passwords/

The official servers for the and the will be shut down on April 8, 2024. This is different than losing the Nintendo Eshop as it can impact games already installed on your system as well as any physical games you own. The exact impact, however, will vary depending on the game. Here's a quick overview of what the server shutdown will do: http://articles.visualunlimited.net/3ds-wii-u-offline/

is testing out using to help state staff in their jobs. Governor Josh Shapiro said in a statement, “Generative AI is here and impacting our daily lives already – and my Administration is taking a proactive approach to harness the power of its benefits while mitigating its potential risks."

Here's a rundown of what's going on: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/pa-ai-test/

Sometimes it's obvious when an item has a battery in it. Sometimes it is not so obvious. Either way, you need to be mindful of the batteries in your stuff. A leaky battery can destroy your beloved treasures. On the bright side, a little mindful can help keep your goodies in great shape for years to come. Here are some tips to help you mind the : https://articles.visualunlimited.net/mind-batteries/

We wish you a warm and happy time with your loved ones today and always.

and are making their way into many places, some of which you may not have thought about. For example, the fast food industry has started implementing AI and in order to try to streamline ordering, food creation, and more! Let's take a dive into cutting edge tech making it's way towards the humble burger joint: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/fast-food-tech/

When hunting for bargains, watch out for fake shops. Fake shops have been on the rise this year. On the mild end, you may get ripped off by someone selling bootleg junk. On the dangerous end your credit card information can be stolen, your personal information sold, and your computer might even end up with a virus. Here are 5 kinds of fake shops to watch out for and how to avoid them: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/fake-stores/

seems to be everywhere this year! Tons of early sales are popping up in stores of all sizes and online as well. Why would someone want to shop those early "Black Friday" sales? Here's our take: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/bf-early/

Bluetooth allows devices to easily connect to your phone, tablet, computer, and more! Unfortunately, some hackers have learned how to use devices like the Flipper Zero to crash your phone via it's Bluetooth. Yes, is affected by this, as well as . In fact, this Bluetooth weakness is everywhere from your desktop computer to your tablet! How do they do it? And how do you protect yourself? Let's find out: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/bluetooth-dos/

When was the last time you rebooted your phone? What about your computer? Your game console? Your tablet? It sounds silly, but rebooting your devices on a regular basis is very important! This small action can help prevent or even help fix quite a few problems, and it requires zero technical skill! Come learn why rebooting is very important: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/restarting-is-important/

If you are interested in voting by mail, now is a great time to apply! The Virginia Department of Elections is accepting applications for absentee ballots until Friday, October 28th. You can sign up here: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

For those of you curious about how absentee voting works and how it came about, we have an article on that: http://articles.visualunlimited.net/vote-by-mail/

You may have heard about a "Heap Overflow Error" that is affecting browsers. This error is causing computer slowdowns, crashes, and even data loss! It's also hitting a lot more than just Google Chrome. This error is actually is caused by a flaw in 's Libwebp package. Anything that uses Libwebp to load .WEBP files can be affected. This means programs like Telegram, Microsoft , The GIMP, Brave Browser and Inkscape are in trouble on all platforms ranging from Windows to iOS to Android. Yes, Linux, too.

So what is a "Heap Overflow " and how do you protect yourself from it? Let's find out: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/heap-overflow/

Many people own and love tracking devices. Using Tile, , Pebblebee or other little discs can make your life so much easier! Just attach one to your car keys, luggage, remote control, or anything else that might get lost and suddenly your phone can find it for you! The only problem is that thieves and stalkers can use these little tools to find you, too. Here is how to find if you are being tracked: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/unknown-tracker/

and are embedded pretty deep in . They pop up all over the place when you least expect it! Click the wrong icon or try to do a search and suddenly you're using Bing or Edge. This can be very annoying. It may be a little tricky, but it's fully possible to get rid of Edge and turn Bing off! Here's how: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/remove-bing-win11/

We all have nostalgic games we grew up with. Wouldn't it be great if you could buy a brand new , Genesis, or even a that works on your current TV? It's not just a dream! You can actually do this and even hook your PS5 or Xbox controller up to it. Let's dive into the world of modern retro hardware: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/new-hardware-old-games/

We all know that get hot in the summer sun. But did you know that they up very quickly, even when it's only a little warm outside? This week we explore how fast a car heats up, how hot it really gets in there, and why this matters for any tech items you keep in your car: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/car-hot-fast/

is retiring ! We aren't referring to the popular character from the Halo games. We are talking about the Siri competitor that never quite caught on. This week we learn more about the Cortana virtual assistant and what went wrong: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/goodbye-cortana/

Mercedes Benz has two self-driving cars that will be going on sale soon in California and Nevada. What's unique about these cars and how do they differ from Tesla's self-driving cars? Let's find out: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/self-driving-car/

's browser has a new AI tool called "Turing Image Super Resolution." Currently it is available for their Canary beta testing users, but will be rolled out to more people over time.

This new feature uses to automatically zoom in and enhance images! Although this sounds cool on paper, it may not be the best answer for every user. Here's why you might want to turn image enhancement off:
https://articles.visualunlimited.net/edge-image-enhancement/

Most you are familiar with .zip (archival) and .mov (QuickTime movie) files. These filetypes have been around since the 1990s and are still in use today. recently made a questionable decision: .zip and .mov are now web addresses, too. This week we explain more about this change and how to make sure what you are clicking really is a file and not a web site: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/zip-and-mov-www/

What do you do with that old phone when it's upgrade time? Don't pitch it in the trash: give that old phone a new purpose! Here are seven new tricks you can teach your old phone: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/old-phone-new-tricks/

Lately there has been a rash of bad apps and malicious extensions in official stores. Official sources are usually safe when you are dealing with software from a single maker. App stores and extension stores have millions of files from millions of makers. With that many files sometimes bad apples make it in. How can you spot bad apps or browser extensions? Here are some tricks: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/official-bad-apps/

Oh no, your computer is running slow! And where did that toolbar come from? Why is there an ad there? This looks like the work of a PUP! No, not a cute doggie. PUP is short for "potentially unwanted program"- a kind of software that can sneak in and cause all kinds of trouble. Let's learn more about PUPs and how to get rid of them: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/bad-pup/

assisted engines are popping up all over. Some of them are behind pay walls. Others require giving them your phone number just to be able to make a search. Thankfully, we founds three options that are free and don't require a cell phone number. And yes, we tried them out for you, too! Check it out: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/3-ai-search/

Did you know your can be dirtier than a toilet seat? On the bright side, it is fully possible to make your keyboard sparkling clean! Here is how to do a deep cleaning on a keyboard: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/deep-cleaning-keyboard/

The eShop is closing for , and systems on March 27, 2023. A lot of people are stocking up on their must have games, but what if you miss the deadline? How will you get new games then? Here are three ways to find new games without using the eShop: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/new-games-e-shop-closed/

It's tough being a doctor or a nurse! Long hours doing highly specialized work plus lower staff than they would like can make anyone exhausted. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a way to lighten the load while improving speed and accuracy? Here is five ways AI can help out in medicine: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/5-ai-medicine/

can be a real hassle. But what options are out there for someone who wants to avoid DRM but also does not want to mess with piracy? Well, here are four legal ways to avoid DRM: https://articles.visualunlimited.net/4-avoid-drm/

Modern DRM is everywhere. Sometimes it's obvious like tag-along programs that can slow your system down. Other times it hides by calling itself a "launcher" or "store". This week we look at how DRM has advanced from the 2000's to now:

https://articles.visualunlimited.net/modern-drm/

Early (Digital Rights Management) was physical. For example, the code wheel bundled with the classic game "The Secret of Monkey Island" actually is DRM! This week let's dive into Early DRM from the , and :

https://articles.visualunlimited.net/early-drm/