Q: I'm in a chorus, and we have recorded songs on my Samsung Galaxy S5 phone using the "Voice Recorder" app. That app stores the music in the M4A file format. I also have songs that I've downloaded that are in the MP3 file format. Now I can't combine the two types of music files into a working playlist on my phone. What can I do?
Pam Baldwin, Baton Rouge, La.
A: Your current music app, like many others, is too limited. It plays MP3 music files, but not songs recorded in the M4A format.
You can switch to one of a handful of music apps that play both types of files, or download software that will convert your M4A files to the MP3 format. For a list of Android apps that play both file formats, or some free file conversion software, see tinyurl.com/zax2tmq. Another alternative is to buy a $40 to $50 digital voice recorder that uses the MP3 file format, and record your chorus with that.
Your dilemma underscores a sad truth about the computer industry: The best technology doesn't always win. After MP3 music files became popular, the M4A format was invented to replace them. Because M4A uses a different method of compressing sound into computer files, it has better sound quality than the MP3 format, even though its files take up less storage space than MP3 files. But MP3 quickly became a universal music-playing standard, and as a result, every music app plays it. The M4A format didn't catch on, so most Android music apps ignore it.
Q: When I write an e-mail using Yahoo Mail, the program offers suggestions about which people should receive the message. Since I usually copy several friends on e-mails, all I have to do is select them from the Yahoo list that pops up.
But recently, the pop-up list began including people that I don't know and have never copied on an e-mail. I think these people got in the list because I had received e-mails on which they were copied. While I can delete these names from the pop-up list, they often reappear later. This is really annoying. How can I get rid of this "suggestions pop-up window"?
Roger Rayburn, Colorado Springs, Colo.
A: The feature you're describing is called "auto-suggest," and it can't be turned off in the "full-featured" version of Yahoo Mail that you're using. However, you can eliminate it by going to a more bare-bones version of Yahoo's service called "basic mail."
To do so, click the gear icon at the right side of Yahoo Mail, click settings and then on the left click "viewing e-mail." On the right, see where "full-featured" is checked, then check "basic" instead. Click "save."
Q: I've been unable to upload photos and videos to Facebook from my Windows 10 PC using its Edge Web browser. Facebook's troubleshooting suggestions didn't help. Any suggestions?
Ruth Ascher, Canby, Minn.
A: Other Edge browser users have reported problems with Facebook, even though other websites worked fine. The best solution is to use Microsoft's internet Explorer browser (included in Windows 10) or Google's Chrome browser (tinyurl.com/qbud93e) instead of Edge.
E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com. Include name, city and telephone number.
