How to opt out of LinkedIn using your data to train AI models

LinkedIn is making changes to its privacy settings. One of those changes involves feeding user data (your data) into the company's generative AI (GenAI) models to help train them. Users in the UK, European Economic Area, and Switzerland are not yet impacted by this change, but users in other areas of the world may automatically be opted in.

See below for how to opt out of letting LinkedIn train its GenAI models on your data. These steps apply to the desktop version of the website, but should be similar for the mobile version.

• While logged into your LinkedIn account, click the "Me" icon on the bar across the top of the screen.
• From the drop down menu that appears, select "Settings & Privacy".
• Select "Data Privacy" on the left sidebar.
• Select "Data for Generative AI Improvement".
• If the toggle for "Use my data for training content creation AI models" is set to On, select it to turn it Off.

How to find the IP address for a Konica Minolta bizhub 368e copier

To view the IP address for a Konica Minolta bizhub 368e multifunction printer that's connected to a network:

- Tap Utility on the home screen (near the bottom)
- Tap Device Information

The IP address (IPv4 and/or IPv6) will be displayed on-screen.

How to change the paper size on a Ricoh Aficio 3035 / 3045

Many of the older lower-volume Ricoh copiers use the same basic system for setting the paper size in a paper tray.  There is a dial located either in the front or the back of the tray, and depending on where you set the dial, the system looks for that size paper.  If the dial is set wrong, the copier will jam.

On a Ricoh Aficio 3035 or 3045, the paper dial is located in the back left section of the paper tray.  If you have four paper trays on your copier, each tray will have its own dial.  (Other Ricoh Aficio models that are set up the same way include the 350, 450, 1035, 1045, 2035, and 2045.)  The paper dial is just a green plastic wheel with several common paper sizes and orientations, and it must be set correctly depending on what size paper you have loaded in the tray.  The paper size that shows through the little cut out in the back of the tray is the size that is currently selected.

If you are using a special size paper that isn't shown on the dial, set the dial to the asterisk (*) to signify a non-standard paper size, and you can specify the exact page size in the copier's user settings.  To get to the paper size settings, press the User Tools/Counter button on the operation panel, then on the touch screen select System Settings.  Go to the Tray Paper Settings Tab.  There will be a button labeled Tray Paper Size: Tray 1, as well as additional buttons for each paper tray that the machine has.  Touch the button for the tray you are using, and choose the paper size from the list that appears.  (You can scroll down to see more sizes.)

If the size you are looking for is not represented, press the Custom button, and you can input the paper dimensions manually.  Use the number pad to enter the width and length in inches, and press OK to save your selection.

Any time you change the paper size or orientation (for example, if you change from 8.5" x 11" portrait to 8.5" x 11" landscape) you have to change the dial as well, to let the copier know what dimensions to look for when it feeds the paper through.  If you try to run copies with the wrong paper size selected, the machine will detect timing errors and show a paper jam.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, July 2010)

(Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay)

Tips for loading toner in a Ricoh MP 2550 or MP 3350 copier

Ricoh manufactures a broad range of multifunction office machines.  The MP 2550 and MP 3350 are essentially the same copier, just with different processing speeds.  (25 copies per minute and 33 copies per minute, respectively.)  Both are good low-volume copiers for a home business or a small office.  Like their predecessors, replacing any of the consumables (toner, photoconductor, staples, or paper) is a simple task.

Loading toner is something you will have to do quite a few times over the life of the machine, but once you've done it the first time it's a piece of cake.  The new toner should come with installation instructions, but this article will walk you through installing new toner in your MP 2550 or MP 3350 copier.

The first thing you should always do is make sure you have the right toner.  Depending on where you ordered your toner from, you might have been shipped toner for a different copier by mistake, and they are not compatible.  The correct toner for both the MP 2550 and MP 3350 is type 2120D -- this number should be printed on the toner bottle.

Each toner bottle comes with a large black screw-off cap.  This outer cap gets removed; the inner cap (much smaller and gray) stays on.  Removing the inner cap before installing the toner can cause a huge mess and wreak havoc on your machine.

To remove the old toner bottle, open the copier's front door (the main cover in the front of the machine with the Ricoh label on it).  Lift up -- gently -- on the green toner handle, and then push down on the green lever to the left-hand side of the toner unit.  The toner hopper (the tray that the toner bottle rests on) should pop out.

Remove the old bottle, and be sure that the inner cap (the gray one) is still attached.  Occasionally this cap can come loose and remain in the toner hopper, causing problems when the new toner bottle is installed.

If you haven't already, remove the black screw-off cap from the new toner bottle.  Set the bottle on the toner tray with the top of the bottle facing toward you (away from the machine).  Slowly push the toner hopper all the way in, until the green lever on the left side snaps into place.  Gently push down on the toner handle until it, too, locks in place.

Once you close the front door, the machine will cycle the toner.  If there was previously a low toner or no toner message displayed on the screen, the copier will now load the new toner, which may take a couple of minutes.  Once the toner has been loaded, your copier is ready to use again.

These tips also apply to older copiers in the same family -- the Ricoh Aficio 1022, 1027, 2022, 2027, 2510, 3010, 3025, and 3030.  All of these copiers use the same toner (type 2120D) and it is installed in exactly the same way.  Each toner bottle is rated to last about 11,000 copies, but of course this depends on what you are copying -- how much text or image fill appears on each page, what size paper you are using, etc.

If you are having trouble installing the toner bottle, call your local service provider to see if they can walk you through the installation over the phone.  You can also visit Ricoh's Support and Downloads web page to download the product manual for your MP 2550 or MP 3350, if you don't already have it.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, 2010)

(Disclaimer: I earn a commission on Amazon sales made from links in this post.)

How to change the output trays for a Ricoh Aficio MP 5500 copier

A typical Ricoh Aficio MP 5500 copier (as well as the other copiers in the series -- the MP 6500 and MP 7500) has two options for paper output -- the finisher upper tray and the finisher shift tray.  Some MP 5500s are purchased without finishers; for these machines the only option for paper output is the plastic copy tray that hangs off the left side of the copier.

For stapled, sorted, or stacked jobs, the paper must exit out of the finisher shift tray, because of the paper path.  However, for other copy jobs -- and for jobs printed from a computer or from the document server -- the user can specify which tray they want the paper to be sent to.

When the MP 5500 is first set up, the output trays are not designated, and all output (except for stapled or collated jobs) defaults to the finisher upper tray (if a finisher is installed).  If you had previously designated output trays and then for some reason you disconnected the finisher and turned the copier on, the output tray selections would be erased, and you would have to re-enter them.

The output trays can be set up or changed through the copier's configuration settings.  To get to the output tray selections, press the User Tools/Counter button (to the left of the display) and then on the touch screen select System Settings.  The first tab is "General Features" (it should be the active one) and on the right side of the screen you should see options labeled "Output: Copier" and "Output: Document Server."  (If you have the print function installed, you'll also see an option for "Output: Printer.")

Pressing any of these choices will bring up the tray selection for that function.  If your copier doesn't have a finisher, "Copy Tray" will be the only option you can choose.  If the copier does have a finisher, you'll see options for "Finisher Upper Tray" and "Finisher Shift Tray," and "Copy Tray" will be grayed out.

To make a selection for one or more of the functions, choose that function, press the appropriate choice for the output tray that you want to use, and then press OK.  You can have all of the functions output to the same tray, or you can set the trays up any way you want.

You can use the same process to change output trays on other similar families of Ricoh copiers -- the 2051/2060/2075 series and the MP 6000/7000/8000 series, among others.  You can change the output trays any time you want, except when the copier is in the middle of a job; it won't let you into the System Settings screen while it's running.  Some error codes will also prevent you from accessing System Settings.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, 2010)

(Image by Crea Park from Pixabay)

How to change the hole punch mode on a Ricoh Aficio 2075 copier

The Ricoh Aficio 2075 copier, when used with a finisher that has a punch unit installed, can make hole punched copies with either two or three holes.  To choose the hole punch option (assuming the punch unit has already been installed) just click the Punch icon on the lower right corner of the Copy screen before making your copies.

However, even though the punch unit is capable of punching either two or three holes, it is not always set up to do both.  Some users may not even be aware that it has that ability.  You can change the punch mode from three holes to two holes, or vice versa, or enable both modes, from within the copier's User Tools.  (This article also applies to the Ricoh Aficio 2051 and Aficio 2060 copiers.)

To change the punch mode, click the User Tools button on the operation panel.  On the menu that appears on the touch screen, select Copier/Document Server Features.  Go to the Input/Output tab, and scroll down to the next page (page 2 of 2).  Touch the button on the left side of the screen labeled Select Punch Type.

You'll see two different buttons appear -- one for two-hole punch and one for three-hole punch.  You can select either one of these, or both of them; the option or options that are highlighted will be enabled.  You can also de-select both options if you don't want the hole punch option to appear on the main Copy screen.

Once you've made your selection and pressed OK, exit out of the User Tools menu and go back to the Copy screen to verify that the changes were saved.  If you've only enabled one of the two hole punch modes, the mode that you selected -- either two- or three-hole punch -- should appear under the Punch section of the screen.  If you selected both modes, only one will show up on the main screen, but when you touch the Punch button, both options will pop up and you can choose the one you want.

Note that not all paper types and orientations will work with both hole punch modes.  For example, you can't use three-hole punch mode when copying onto legal-sized (8.5" x 14") paper, because there is not enough room on the paper for all three holes.  If the paper size you're using and the punch mode you've chosen are incompatible, a message will flash across the screen and you'll have to make another selection.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, 2010)

(Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay)

Tools for basic DIY home electrical repair

Most homeowners probably have a sufficient toolbox or toolkit for many of the jobs they need to do around the house.  However, for electrical repairs, there are certain tools you should always keep around.  You may already have some of these tools, but if not and you plan to do any basic electrical work, you should consider investing in them.

- Screwdrivers

If you don't already have a good pair of flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, buy one now.  If possible, get a driver set that comes with multiple-sized bits of both types, because you'll find screws of varying sizes all over your house.  Depending on your price range and what you like, you might want to consider magnetic screwdrivers or ratcheting screwdrivers.

- Wire cutters

A pair of wire cutters is useful for exactly what you'd think: cutting wires.  They can also be used to cut plastic clamps or clips, or -- used carefully -- to strip wire or cable insulation.  Get a pair with rubber handles.

- Needle nose pliers

A small pair of needle nose pliers comes in handy for bending wire, gripping cables, securing clips, and many other things.  Like with the wire cutters, you'll want pliers with rubber handles.  Some people prefer spring-loaded needle nose pliers, while others like them better without any spring action between the handles.

- Electrical tape

Electrical tape can be used for many things, and is nice to have in your toolbag because you never know when you'll need it.  Electrical tape is useful for covering exposed wires, securing wires or cables to each other or to another surface, and even for creating a makeshift bandage (along with a paper towel or napkin) when you just want to stop the bleeding but don't want to stop working.  Be careful when using electrical tape anywhere heat might be a factor, because it tends to stretch or expand and lose some of its adhesiveness when exposed to heat.

- Outlet tester

You can buy a decent outlet tester for just a few bucks, and they are great for checking power at an electrical outlet.  Just plug the tester in and you can find out if the outlet has power or not.  Many testers will even give you more information, such as whether the outlet is wired correctly or not.  A multimeter (see below) can be substituted for an outlet tester, but an outlet tester is quicker and easier.

- Multimeter

A multimeter is a must for anything but light electrical work.  Similarly to how an outlet tester can tell you whether or not an outlet is getting power before you take it apart, a multimeter can be used to test the current or voltage to any electrical device or component, including wires and cables.  A multimeter can allow you to make sure power has been cut to an electrical device before you handle it, and it can also tell you whether the device is getting the correct voltage, or whether a fuse is good or bad.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, 2013)

(Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay)