There are myriad file formats out there and recently I received the following question about a .smi file: What is a .smi file and how do I use it? It was a file with a movie and I am concerned it may be malicious or a virus. -Mae Bennett Good question Mae! The .smi file you encountered is most likely a Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange file or “SAMI” file. These files allow for captioning for video files and the basic format
The Google Pixel XL is a simply amazing photographic device when it comes to quickly capturing the moment. The following three photos showcase some very difficult lighting scenarios which the Pixel handles with aplomb. The sky, water, and people are all in focus and well exposed with minimal blown highlights and shadow depth is retained as well. The first two family photos have a filter applied for punchier color, the last fishing photo is straight out of the camera and
Have you heard the phrase “Super 7” or “Super 7+1” mentioned in a tech article about Intel? If so, you may be wondering who or what exactly the Super Seven are 🙂 The Super 7 are not superheroes but rather a set of companies that are very important to Intel. Currently, as of 2017, the Super 7 are: Google (USA) Facebook (USA) Amazon (USA) Microsoft (USA) Baidu (China) Alibaba (China) Tencent (China) AT&T (USA) *new to the list in 2016 These companies
If you read my blog you probably know that I am a big ThinkPad fan. Lenovo has continued the classic IBM lineup and now there is a ThinkPad for almost any taste. My current favorite is the Lenovo ThinkPad T470. This 14″ beauty is nearly perfect for work and travel. However, from the factory it does suffer from a (fixable) issue that seems to plague many modern ThinkPads… terrible sound! Specifically, the sound is extremely echo prone… After listening to
If you need to cancel your OnStar service, you will need to do it by phone or via the dedicated OnStar button in your vehicle. Sadly, OnStar does not allow you to cancel online 🙁 Their specific cancellation policy is as follows: If at any time you wish to cancel your OnStar service, press your blue button to speak with an Advisor or call 1.888.4.ONSTAR (1.888.466.7827). Cancelling your service cannot be done online. Source: OnStar Help & Support
If you have been getting calls from (417) 622-0514, it is most likely solicitation from Sirius XM 🙁 I received a number of calls from that number trying to sell me a Sirius XM subscription after my free trial ended. I recommend blocking the number.
One my clients uses a number of Lenovo mini PC systems. The systems perform very well for their intended purposes, however, some of the systems were sporadically shutting down (blue screen of death). Thankfully, disabling Bluetooth devices/adapters in Device Manager seems to have permanently resolve the issue. The client did not need the bluetooth capability in the first place, so now all is well 🙂 For reference, here is the error message and assorted diagnostic info: Problem signature: Problem Event Name: