Google contacts search sucks

The new google contacts suck so much I am thinking of investigating alternatives.  I wonder if hotmail still exists?

Anyway I went to search for chris and I get 7 suggestions.
I don't see the chris I want.
Maybe I got the name wrong.
Eventually I find the last name and I search for Chris Cot...
and low and behold his details are in my contacts.

What is the point of 7 suggestions with no scroll bar and no indication there are more than 7 matches.
The problem with google is that they keep changing the stuff that works and don't simply fix the shortcomings.  The old contacts manager was much better.

Adding pictures to Blog from google photos

The problem I have is adding pictures from google photos
When I take photos on my Anroid phone and then open the photos app on the phone, the photos are automatically uploaded to google and appear at
photos.google.com        all OK so far.

When I compose a blog with blogger I should be able to insert a picture from google photos.

Method 1 - Does not work
Within  blogger choose "From Google Album Archive" - The photo does not appear.  It seems to be a bit random what photos appear here.

Hang on ? Update - 15 minutes or so later and the dog picture is now visible here.

 Method 2 - Does not work
Using a URL from photos.google.com and pasting that into the blogger option "from a URL" even though if I post that URL directly into the browser, it does bring up the photo

photos.google.com
Accessed from web browser.

From inside blogger (on desktop browser).
Choose Add Image and this screen comes up.  Note it offers a couple of tiles with one or two pictures from 2019.

This is from
photos.google.com
Choose the create link option

It actually does not matter whether I use the link created above
https://photos.app.goo.gl/n4dJ6zqebkX2fvKD7
OR the URL
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMGBAMtk594a5tyth4GytNqc61pL4513v-2wqC5
Either type of link creates this error.

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Interestingly when I open the bit where I select google applications I see all sorts of interesting programs like "Keep" Classroom, Jamboard and collections.  I note google+ which I think is being discontinued.  I cant help thinking that google create and kill off so quickly.  Because they create quick there are rough edges.  Shortcomings.  Half baked.  If they spent a little more time refining they might find more people using.

Lucy Arrives 2am

A fun Lucy adventure

It's 2am and I'm awake. Not unusual because I'm a poor sleeper. The cat is sitting up on my bed. I am listening and I can hear the light rain and trees rustling and feel the coolness blowing in the window.

 I can hear a tinkle sound and noise at the back door. I'm wondering if I've got a possum or animal trying to get in and because I'm half asleep at 2am I'm thinking maybe a burglar.

 Guess who I find at the back door? I open it and there's Lucy.

Wet and skittish. She's come all the way from Megan's house at Sherwood. She runs in and out and in again and up and down the back stairs. As she pauses briefly I pat her and feel she's wet.

I gather towels and dry her and make her a bed. Now she's sleeping soundly

Reformat Toshiba Z20t

see https://thomsoneu.blogspot.com/2017/06/restoring-toshiba-z20t-notebook.html

1.  Backed up everything to external hard drive

 2.  Did the restore and delete my files thing
Setting>Update & Security>Recovery
choose "Remove Everything"

3 Install Microsoft Office 365

4 Install open source programs from Ninite.com
   7zip
   firefox, Chrome
   Notepad++
   Windirstat
   K-lite Codecs
   VLC
   GIMP
   Classic Start
   PDF Creator
   Foxit Reader


5 Install non Ninite programs
   Adobe Acrobat Reader (Be very careful not to accept the dodgy spam includes)
    E-Drawings Viewer.    http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/
    Screen Hunter  http://www.wisdom-soft.com/downloads/downloadfiles.htm

6 Thunderbird - Install & Configure

Downloaded & installed Thunderbird mail client.
On first run it pops up a wizzard
a.  Said no to create a new account
b.  Mail Account Setup
     Your Name:  Frank Thomson
     Email_Address: frankt2010@gmail.com
     password:   xxx
     Remember password ticked
It says looking up configuration editor etc etc etc
Configuration found in Mozilla ISP database
c.  Select the IMAP (remote folders) option.  Click Done.  And wow there are my folder and it is busy trying to download all sorts of things.

d Fix the email address - Change to frank.thomson@syndetic.com.au
   Tools>Account Settings
       Account_Name:  frankt2010@gmail.com  -> left as is
       Your Name: Frank Thomson
        Email Address:    frankt2010@gmail.com  -> frank.thomson@syndetic.com.au
       Reply-to-Address: (blank)   -> frank.thomson@syndetic.com.au

e SIGNATURE
  Tools>Account Settings
  in the signature text box in the middle of the window, add:
Frank Thomson
Director
Syndetic Pty Ltd
4 / 20 Cansdale St
YERONGA 4104 Brisbane Australia
Tel +61 7 3255 8900, Mobile +61 414 329 164, Fax +61 7 3255 8901

f Fix default reply to behaviour -
   Tools>Account Settings>

   Select "Composition and Addressing", Then,
    Drop down Box, select "Start my reply above the quote"
    OK
g Address Book Synchronisation
   Tools>Add ons>
    gContactSync (Google Contact Sync)
    Restart Thunderbird
    Window popped up: "Welcome to the gContactSync Wizard"
        Use an existing account....
        Sign in.
        Allow access
        Address Book to synchronize:
        Groups and Contacts to Synchronize: All groups and contacts
        Pick the direction for synchronization:  complete
        Clear the box - skip contacts without an email address (to get all)
    Tools>Addons > Extensions.
    Under Zindus, click Options.
        New window opens with nothing in he accounts box.
        Click Add

h. Thunderbird Calendar
Give up on Lightning. that seemed to have been installed automatically.  "Removed" it.
Down load extension "Open Google Calendar" - It just worked.  I did not even have to reenter my credentials.

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7 Remove wakeup Password
Start>Settings>Accounts>Sign-in options
Require Sign in (Drop down box at the top) --> Never
PIN  -->  "Remove" 
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-prevent-windows-10-requiring-password-when-resuming-sleep
a. Open Settings.
b. Click on Accounts.
c. Click on Sign-in options.
d. Under "Require sign-in," choose Never from the drop-down menu to complete the task

Press Win+R, enter "netplwiz", which will open the "User Accounts" window.
Un Check the “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer” option and
click Apply.
Restart your computer and the system should not prompt you to enter your password at the login screen.
This is obviously less secure.


8  Brother P-Touch 9800
Get the driver and the ptouch editor from
http://support.brother.com/g/b/downloadlist.aspx?c=au&lang=en&prod=9800neas&os=10011
Select "Brother peer-to-peer network printer"

P-touch Editor5.x
PT-9800PCN Printer Driver

9  IMAGE RESIZER
http://www.bricelam.net/ImageResizer/

10 Remove Microsoft Teams
What a pain in the ass.  Where did it even come from.  When I boot my computer up comes this thing wanting me to log into microsoft teams.  Sounds like google plus from a different multi national.
Start>Control Panel>Programs and Features>
Find microsoft teams.
Click uninstall.
ahh.  Reboot just to be sure,
aghhh it's come back again and again
fixed here
https://thomsoneu.blogspot.com/2019/03/stop-microsoft-teams-opening-on-startup.html

11 XAMPP

Download and install
Run XAMPP & Configure PHP
Make these changes
post_max_size = 8M   Unchanged
upload_max_filesize = 2M   -> Changed to 8M