Learn how to do a tech job; Google will show you how
Many businesses would rather hire a skilled high school graduate than an unskilled college grad, especially from Google’s new “Certificates” program.
For $39 a month, people from all walks of life are getting trained for tech jobs. No prior experience is necessary. The new program has already placed 75,000 people into jobs with a median salary of $66,000. One of the recent grads got a job in tech support for the NFL. The training requires less than 10 hours of study per week for three to six months.
To get started, search on “Google Certificates.” Choices include “Digital Marketing and E-commerce,” “IT Support,” and “Android Development,” among others. There are 150 participating companies offering 1.5 million jobs. The site also lists jobs for veterans and resources for educators.
I tried their free interview practice, which you can find by Googling “Google Certificates interview tool.” Without having to sign up, I answered questions like “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Google’s artificial intelligence provides a transcript, so you can see if you have too many “uhs,” or if you repeat yourself. Their A.I. software suggests ways to improve. Even though only the robot heard me, I was a bit embarrassed by my flubs.
UPGRADING YOUR PHONE
Wild horses couldn’t drag me into a phone store to buy a new phone. That’s despite the fact that my three yearold Android phone, the Pixel 3a, stopped getting security updates this month. I’m frugal.
Phooey on security updates. I can rely on the free antivirus app, Avast Mobile Security. What’s troublesome is the battery. For now, I don’t mind lugging my Excitrus power bank around if I’m going to be gone all day, because it’s a little shorter than my phone, and only a little fatter. I just plug it into my phone to get charged up. I briefly considered a $36 iFixit do-it-yourself battery replacement kit, but there’s a chance of destroying my phone in the process. The user guide mentions that there’s less risk of cracking the screen if you use their tools, but just the mention of cracked screens spooked me. My mechanic friend backs me up. For about $50, I can have an expert do it.
Recently, a reader asked about upgrading his iPhone
7. The current iPhone 13 boasts a bigger size, better water resistance, better photo resolution, better video definition, and a better battery life, among other plums. Even if your phone is only a few years old, you’ll probably notice these differences.
The latest version, the iPhone 14, will launch September 13. TomsHardware says it could be the biggest upgrade in years. It will boast a sleeker design, a faster chip, a sharper camera and possibly a USB-C connection to replace the USBC-to-lightning cable, though some say this won’t happen until 2023. When it does happen, it could improve data transfer and charging speeds. In other news, the iPhone Mini will probably be replaced by a new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max.
On Quora.com, I looked at the answer to “What are the pros and cons of buying a new iPhone every year?” One guy says: “No pros that I can see in buying the same expensive crap over and over. The cons are easy: Wasting money and being laughed at by normal people.” But another guy says: “You get the best possible phone every year, new features, excellent performance, and the right to brag.”
My bragging goes in reverse. On eBay I bought the original iPhone SE, which came out six years ago. It still has the latest operating system, iOS 15, and a good battery, though it won’t get iOS 16 when it comes out in the fall. But if something happened to my Android, I’d switch to it as my main phone. I’d just add the free “Avast Security and Protection” app.
HEARING BETTER ON THE IPHONE
The iPhone has a hidden setting called “Voice Isolation.” It helps isolate your phone call from noises around you so you can hear better. But it doesn’t work on all iPhones.
I just tried it on the iPhone SE. It didn’t work. That’s not surprising since my SE came out in 2016. If you have a newer iPhone, try swiping down from the top right to get to the Control Center. Tap on “Mic Mode,” and choose “Voice Isolation.”
Voice Isolation could be handy at a noisy restaurant or concert. But even my old iPhone has superior sound, especially when I’m using the “Cell Phone Headset with Microphone Noise Canceling & Call Controls” from Arama, which I bought for $33 on Amazon. The headset makes a huge difference, and I don’t have to fiddle with Bluetooth settings.
INTERNUTS
■ olli.uark.edu is the Arkansas chapter of a fantastic organization called the Osher Learning Institute. It offers classes in a huge variety of topics, taught by your fellow lifelong learners. In my neck of the woods, Newton Minow, a 96 year-old former head of the Federal Communications Commission who played a role in bringing Radio America to Cubans during the Cuban Missile Crisis, taught a class on Russian literature. I’m enjoying a class on documentaries. “Hate the films, love the discussions,” say some participants. Many films are free through Kanopy, Hoopla or YouTube.
■ TriviaGenius.com. I just learned that Bill Clinton was the first president to receive an email. After several days with no response, the prime minister of Sweden asked the White House what was going on. They hadn’t set up an email system yet.