Here are solutions to a few of your commonest queries. If you’ve got a query a couple of tech problem, fill out this submission kind or e mail us at yourhelpdesk@washpost.com.
Cutting down the classics
Can you counsel an easy-to-use video enhancing software program for residence movies? I’ve plenty of residence films that I had transferred into digital format. I wish to clip out small sections to make use of them individually and likewise to create one longer (and extra watchable) compilation. I’m overwhelmed with video enhancing software program decisions. I’ve tried a pair however they’d so many capabilities I used to be overwhelmed once more. Please assist!
— Jen Jameson, Fort Mill, S.C.
Because you’ve already had your outdated residence films digitized, that’s one main hurdle behind you. With the suitable instruments, I believe you’ll discover the method simpler than anticipated.
If you’re a Mac consumer, there isn’t a choice that’s less complicated — or cheaper — than iMovie, the free video-editing app that Apple affords for its telephones, tablets and computer systems. (In case it isn’t put in in your Mac, you possibly can shortly obtain it from the App Store.)
Here’s a straightforward approach to get began chopping down an extended video right into a number of juicy chunks:
- Open the app, drag the video file you wish to work with into iMovie’s timeline.
- Scrub via (or simply watch) the video till you discover the bits you need.
- Position the playhead (the white line that exhibits your progress via the footage because it performs) by clicking on both facet of the second, then press Cmd+B to separate it from the remainder of the clip.
- Do the identical factor on the opposite facet of the second you wish to save and voilà — a clip.
- Repeat that course of for the remainder of the moments you need you retain, delete all of the clips you don’t need, and organize your keepers subsequent to one another on the timeline.
If you’re a Windows particular person, and your PC is operating Windows 10 or 11, I’d suggest making an attempt Microsoft’s ClipChamp video enhancing software. Like iMovie, it’s free to make use of, although you can pay further for entry to inventory footage and music. Even higher, the directions I laid out for iMovie apply on this app, too. (The solely distinction: You press the S key to separate up components of the video file, not Cmd+B.)
Because video editors have to interrupt lengthy stretches of footage on a regular basis, among the apps you’ve already downloaded and put in most likely allow you to do that, too. With these steps in thoughts, it’s price taking a re-examination to see if making the movies you need is as daunting because it first appeared.
Preserving treasured messages
My husband died final May, and I wish to ensure that I’ve all the texts we despatched to one another over time (even the boring ones, and sure, even those after we have been irritated with one another). I haven’t canceled his telephone but, and I’ve the texts on my telephone, nonetheless; nevertheless, I’d love to have the ability to obtain them someway (on iPhones).
I’m sorry on your loss, Amy. I hope the numerous messages you and your husband shared over time give you some measure of consolation as you look again on them. Thankfully, saving this correspondence doesn’t take a lot work in any respect.
You see, each time you again up your iPhone, the complete file of present conversations together with your husband — and everybody else you’ve been texting — are saved elsewhere. The greatest apply for these sorts of backups is to avoid wasting your information in as many locations as potential, so in case you have sufficient space for storing obtainable, I’d suggest you again up your telephone to iCloud and in your pc.
The latter is particularly vital as a result of, with the assistance of software program like iPhone Backup Extractor or iMazing, you possibly can dive into these backup information to learn — and reread — these saved messages in your pc even when one thing occurs to your telephone. (You can’t view messages saved in an iCloud backup, sadly.) And after getting these backups in place, it’s also possible to take steps to protect the messages inside them in different methods — say, by saving them as PDFs, and even as printed copies.
So far, I’ve been speaking about saving your data of your conversations together with your husband. But in the event you’re fortunate sufficient to have full entry to your husband’s telephone, it is best to again that up, too. Apple has full directions for cloud and computer-based backups right here.
While you’re at it, chances are you’ll wish to think about saving any outdated voice mails he could have left you. It’s simpler than you would possibly suppose, and you’ll’t have too many recordings of a beloved one’s voice.
Hello! I not too long ago re-discovered my fifth era 80GB iPod and have been actually having fun with shuffling all songs on my every day commute. So easy, basic and funky 🙂 But I get the sensation that the battery is on the brink of go … How would you suggest going about selecting a battery alternative package? Is this simple to do at residence? It seems like there’s plenty of choices on the market to sift via, and I don’t know what to search for in a package.
— Josh Rhoads, Staunton, Va.
Consider your self fortunate, Josh. Beyond getting reacquainted with a beloved outdated gadget, you’re additionally the proprietor of what many followers imagine to be the final really great-sounding iPod. My recommendation: Hang onto that factor.
The difficult half, as you notice, is discovering a dependable stream of alternative components. Rather than muck round on eBay, attempting to find simply the suitable low cost battery to purchase (which may get complicated actual quick), I’d suggest trying out the alternative kits from iFixit. For round $20, you get the battery itself, plus the tiny instruments chances are you’ll must crack the iPod open and — in contrast to some random e-commerce sellers — customer support that’s truly respectable.
Here’s the catch: It isn’t all the time simple to carry out an iPod battery swap, particularly in the event you’ve by no means performed it earlier than. Depending on which mannequin you’ve got, the issue ranges from “mildly inconvenient” to “a proper pain to disassemble.” Thankfully, your iPod skews extra towards the previous. If you think about your self even a little bit of a tinkerer, you possibly can most likely pull this off in below an hour, as long as you’re following the suitable directions.