California just approved a new kind of license plate. It uses e-ink to display messages, like: "This car has been stolen." It could be the beginning of a trend.
With the "RPlate," by Reviver, you control your license plate's messages from an app on your phone. Compared with a personalized license plate, the RPlate can display much more info, such as your business's website and phone number.
The new plate uses a monochrome e-ink screen protected by a cover six times stronger than glass. Its battery lasts five years, and it works with Bluetooth, allowing the plate to join the "Internet of Things." The cost is $20 a month or around $215 for four years. A wired version for fleets adds GPS and back-lighting. More info at ArsTechnica.
MAKEUP PRINTER
This takes the cake: a 3D printer called "Mink Makeup Printer."
Users are encouraged to upload a picture of their favorite celebrity. The app analyzes the star's makeup, sending the information to the printer to create an exact replica. The printer takes the ink and deposits it on a powder. More info at Mashable.com.
PHONE CAMERA WORTH AN UPGRADE?
Is it worth upgrading to get a better phone camera? My zoomed-in photo came out fuzzy. That's because I don't have optical zoom.
Optical zoom means you have multiple cameras on your phone to mimic the effect you get with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. "Hybrid zoom" is optical zoom plus artificial intelligence. It allows your phone's camera to "imagine" the perfect resolution, then implement it. With this approach, the iPhone 14 Pro Max can enlarge images up to 30 times.
A much cheaper alternative is a telephoto lens that clips onto your phone. But I found that photos taken by my photo-buff friend with his $18 clip-on could not compare with those taken by his old Canon point-and-shoot, let alone a DSLR. Alternatively, the $99 Photoshop Elements photo-editing software did a great job sharpening the zoomed image. It was no longer fuzzy.
If your photo is already crisp, and you want to zoom in on the focal point, try the free app "Zoomy Zoom Effect Pics & Video" for iPad or iPhone. It turns a still picture into a quick video that zooms in and out. The premium version, for $4, removes the watermark.
COMING SOON FOR ANDROIDS
A new "Archive" feature is coming to Android phones, to help save storage space on your phone. It could make a big difference. For example, according to TheVerge, the Google News app uses only 1.4 megabytes in archival form. The full app takes up 32 megabytes, about 23 times as much.
You'll see the "archive" option when you start to uninstall an app. After archiving, the app will show up on your phone with a little cloud around it. To reinstall, just tap. That saves the trouble of looking it up in the app store.
NAME THAT TUNE
While watching a YouTube video the other day, I couldn't name the familiar tune that accompanied it. So I added the "Shazam" app from the app store to my phone. Now when I play a YouTube video or any other source of music, I can switch back to Shazam to identify it. For example, Shazam just identified a Bach piece playing in the background of a documentary.
INFLUENCE FOR CASH
A woman with 5,500 followers on TikTok makes money as an "Amazon Influencer." In other words, she gets a commission when people buy what she recommends. To sign up, search on "Amazon Influencer."
COOKIE MONSTER
"When is it OK to accept cookies when visiting a website?" a reader asked.
According to a Reader's Digest article, "Three Times You Shouldn't Accept Cookies," it's okay to accept them most of the time, if you don't mind advertisements tailored to your interests. But there are times when you should say no.
First, don't accept cookies if you're using free public wireless data and stumble upon a site that has an unlocked symbol next to the site's address at the top of your screen. That could be a rogue site. Second, if a pop-up asks you to accept cookies from third-parties, say no. You don't want the site to sell your info to others. Third, don't accept cookies if you're sharing banking or medical info.
If you've already accepted cookies and want to clear them from your phone, here's how: In the Chrome web browser, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Tap "History," then "clear browsing data." Firefox makes it even easier when you use it on your phone. It automatically clears cookies when you close tabs or quit the app.
APP HAPPY
"Google Keep," a note-taking app, also allows you to record reminders and add labels to keep your notes organized. Until recently, I hadn't used it in years. So I was surprised to see I had three voice notes. What a keepsake. More info at Keep.Google.com.
INTERNUTS
• Search on "Doodle House" to see a man walk through his house as everything in it gets covered in doodles, including the walls, the ceiling, the furniture and his clothes. The doodles spread rapidly to the tune of Aram Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance."
• UnscrambledWords.com tells you how to pronounce words. In a survey, the top search term was "acai." It's pronounced "ah-sa-EE." Another popular look up: "charcuterie," pronounced "shahr-koo-tuh-ree."
Joy Schwabach can be reached by email at joy.schwabach@gmail.com.