Bob's Tech Talk
Q. Some years ago I had a photo book printed, but I no longer see that option in my photos app. Where did it go?
A. There are photo printing services online that print photo books. If you were using a Mac, you might be referring to its legacy photo service, which was discontinued years ago.
Today, no matter what device you use, consider Photobooks Pro (see the link in the box). They are a high-quality photo printing service that offers dozens of book designs.
And if my guess is correct that you were talking about Mac legacy software, Photobooks Pro has support for reprinting Apple legacy books. Search their help section for details.
Printing a gallery of photos creates a priceless gift, and I encourage you to explore the possibilities before gift season.
Q. Someone I do not know sent me money on Venmo. Because I had no idea who sent it, I did not accept the transaction. How can I find out if this is a scam? What should I do?
A. It is safe to assume it is likely a scam. You did exactly the right thing by refusing to accept the payment. If you had accepted it, your only option would be to ignore that money until the legal owner comes looking for it.
One of the classic Venmo scams is to send someone money, then message the recipient to ask for the money back, claiming it was a mistake. If you assume the sender is honest, the chances are near certain that you will pay twice.
First, the payment you “returned” to the sender, and second, later, when Venmo deducts the money from your account. That happens because the original sender used a stolen credit card. It takes time to investigate fraud, and by the time the party who was defrauded seeks a resolution, the original fraudster has moved on to another victim. That leaves you holding the bag.
It is a good idea to report any suspicious activity to Venmo support to create a record, although in practice that money may remain in your account for some time.
The best thing to do is remember that Venmo is a simple money transfer service intended for people who are in contact with one another and mutually agree to the transaction before it happens.
Q. I had to send a fax for the first time in years, and it cost over $40. Talk about sticker shock! Why are faxes so expensive, and are there alternatives?
A. Those of us who remember the days before email existed surely remember fax machines. Those things were everywhere, and the idea of sending a fax was as routine as paying a dime a page to use a copy machine. What started as an expensive technology for fast-track communication ended up virtually free.
Back when laptops had built-in modems, those modems could reach out and send a fax to any fax machine for the price of a phone call. Then fax machines became obsolete.
Unfortunately, computer fax modems have mostly disappeared, replaced by a combination of broadband internet and by online fax services.
That leaves us today in a situation where it is generally more expensive to send a fax than ever. Not because of technology costs, but basic supply and demand.
If someone asks you for a fax, ask them if email is an option. Generally, email has replaced fax machines, except in rare cases. That leaves consumers with very little choice for sending urgent documents that cannot be sent either as email or via the postal service.
Free, low use fax services can be found online, although they usually require a subscription. Afterward you have to remember to cancel it before it renews.
All this assumes the document is on your computer to begin with. In circumstances where signatures are required, the most difficult part of the process may be scanning the pages into a computer.
Unless your local copy shop charges an outlandish fee, the easiest way is to overpay and consider it a “convenience” fee.
You can also subscribe to an online fax service or buy an inexpensive fax modem for your computer, but that tradeoff has diminishing returns for the occasional fax.
So there are alternatives, but the right answer depends on each person’s specific circumstances.
Wander the Web
Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month:
Photo Book Printing
Here are three services that supply printed photo books from your device’s photos:
Costco/Shutterfly: http://www.costco.com/photo.html
Photobooks Pro: http://www.photobooks.pro,
and Presto Photo: http://www.prestophoto.com
Old School Fax Modem Hardware
USB 2.0 Fax Modem, 56K External Hardware Dial Up V.92 Modem. Check the usual online retailers for discount pricing.
http://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/usb56kemh2
Virtual Sandbox
Miss the beach this summer? Play with digital sand inside your Web browser.
Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.
