Technology
How to manage photos, videos on new laptop with limited space
We recently received an email from Sylvia, who just got a new laptop that has significantly less space than her old laptop. She emailed us wondering how to store photos and videos on a computer with only 82GB of storage space:
“The newer laptop does not have as much storage space (indicates 82.1 GB free of 225GB) as the old one (indicates 322 GB free of 446 GB). What is the best way to store my photos and videos to free up space on the new laptop?”
Great question, Sylvia. This is a common issue for anyone who has purchased a lightweight laptop such as a Chromebook or Windows-based ultrabook. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to store files off your hard drive.
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A woman typing on her new laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
A quick breakdown of file sizes
82 GB should be more than enough for basic tasks like web browsing, using office applications or streaming video. However, if you plan to store large files such as high-resolution photos, videos or games, or if you’re using software that requires a lot of space, 82GB might fill up quickly. Here’s a rough breakdown of how much space different types of files typically take:
- Text documents: A single text document is typically a few kilobytes (KB) in size. So, you could store millions of text documents in 82GB.
- Photos: A high-resolution image can be about 5 megabytes (MB). With 82 GB, you could store about 16,000 such photos.
- Videos: A one-hour HD video can be around 1-2 gigabytes (GB). So, you could store about 40-80 hours of HD video in 82GB.
- Games: Modern games can take up anywhere from 1GB to 100GB. So, you could store 1-82 games in 82GB, depending on their size.
It’s also important to leave enough space on your computer for the operating system to run smoothly. As a rule, keep at least 10%-15% of your hard drive free to prevent application slowdowns. An external hard drive is an excellent option for storing photos and videos to free up space on your new laptop. Another great way to save space is by storing your photos in cloud storage. Whether it’s a hard drive or cloud space, having a backup is a good idea.
As you can see from the breakdown above, photos and videos can take up a significant amount of storage space on your laptop. If you are a photographer who deals with RAW images, this amount could be even higher, as with video professionals who work with 4K content.
Even if you’re not a video professional or photographer, having a lot of home videos and photographs can take up a lot of space. You will need a secondary storage solution with less than 100GB of space left. Here are a few options you might consider.
A Mac laptop next to an external hard drive (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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External hard drives
An external hard drive is one of the most practical and reliable solutions for expanding your laptop’s storage capacity, especially if you have many media files like photos, videos or other data-intensive content. These portable storage devices connect to your computer via USB (and increasingly via USB-C for faster transfer speeds), offering the flexibility of storing and backing up massive amounts of data without consuming your laptop’s internal space.
Types of external hard drives
There are two main types of external hard drives: HDD (hard disk drive) and SSD (solid state drive). HDDs are typically more affordable and come in larger capacities (up to several terabytes), making them an excellent option for those needing vast storage space on a budget. However, their mechanical components make them slightly slower in data transfer speeds and more prone to physical damage.
SSDs, on the other hand, are faster, more durable and lighter, though they tend to be more expensive per gigabyte of storage than HDDs. SSDs are ideal if you frequently transfer large files, work with high-resolution media like 4K videos or require speedy access to your data. They are also less prone to damage from drops or movement, which makes them perfect for on-the-go use.
Storage capacity
External hard drives come in various sizes, from modest capacities like 256GB to massive options exceeding 10TB. The amount of storage you need will depend on the types of files you’re dealing with. For example, a 1TB drive can store over 200,000 high-resolution images if you need space for photos. A larger capacity drive might be necessary for video files, especially HD or 4K, as these files can easily consume tens or even hundreds of gigabytes.
An external hard drive plugged into a laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Portability and convenience
One key advantage of external hard drives is their portability. Compact and easy to carry, they provide an excellent solution for photographers, videographers or anyone needing access to large files while moving. Some models are designed to be ultra-durable, with rugged, shockproof and waterproof features, ideal for outdoor and travel use.
Many professionals label and organize their drives by project or period, allowing for easy archiving and retrieval. As mentioned earlier, a simple organizational system, such as labeling your drives with the dates or types of content they contain, can help keep your data structured and easily accessible. This is especially important when you accumulate multiple drives over time. See Kurt’s picks for the best external hard drives here.
Cloud storage services: Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive
Cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive offer convenient, flexible options for storing large files without consuming your laptop’s limited space. These services allow you to securely store your photos, videos and documents in the cloud, freeing up valuable storage on your device. One significant advantage of cloud storage is accessing files from any device with an internet connection, whether on your phone, tablet or another computer.
Most cloud services provide a certain amount of free storage (typically between 2GB and 15GB) before upgrading to a paid plan. For instance, Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage shared across Google services, while Dropbox provides 2GB for free with options to upgrade for more space. OneDrive provides 5GB for free, but Microsoft users can get additional storage through Office 365 subscriptions, granting access to the Microsoft Office suite.
Additionally, cloud storage services come with features like automatic syncing and backup, making it easier to organize and safeguard your files. This can be particularly helpful for large photo and video libraries, which can be set to upload automatically from your phone or computer. With features like file versioning and collaboration tools, cloud platforms offer more than just storage. They enhance productivity and allow seamless file sharing with friends, family or colleagues.
Finally, many cloud storage providers offer encryption and other security measures to protect your files for added peace of mind. However, it would always be best to take extra precautions, such as enabling two-factor authentication and using strong, unique passwords, to ensure your data is safe. Kurt’s favorite cloud services can be seen here.
iCloud: A comprehensive cloud storage solution for Apple users
Free storage and subscription plans
iCloud offers 5GB of free storage to all users, which is sufficient for basic services like iCloud Keychain, testing other features and storing some files. However, for users who need more storage, iCloud+ subscriptions are available. These plans include:
- 50GB for $0.99/month
- 200GB for $2.99/month
- 2TB for $10.99/month
- 6TB for $32.99/month
- 12TB for $64.99/month
Integration and usability
iCloud is tightly integrated with Apple devices, making it highly convenient for Apple users. Files stored on the desktop and in documents folders on Macs are automatically synced to iCloud Drive, which is especially useful for devices with limited storage space like the MacBook Air. iCloud Drive can also be accessed from Windows machines through a dedicated file folder and files can be managed via icloud.com.
Automatic syncing and backup
iCloud provides robust automatic syncing and backup features. iCloud Backup automatically backs up important data on iPhones and iPads when connected to power and Wi-Fi, ensuring that your device’s data is always up to date. This backup can be used to restore your device or set up a new one seamlessly.
Security and privacy
iCloud uses 128-bit AES encryption to secure all files. Additionally, iCloud+ subscriptions include advanced privacy features such as iCloud Private Relay, which protects your browsing history and identity, Hide My Email, which generates random email addresses, and Custom Email Domains for personalized email addresses.
Collaboration and compatibility
While iCloud is highly user-friendly for Apple users, it can be less reliable and glitchy for non-Apple users. Collaboration is limited to Apple users, but files can be shared and accessed across different Apple devices using the Files app on iOS and iPadOS, the Finder on Mac or File Explorer on Windows PCs.
Sign-in page for iCloud (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Steps to protect yourself and your data
When storing your photos, videos and other important files, it’s crucial to prioritize data security. Here are some essential steps to protect yourself and your valuable information.
1) Use strong passwords: Create unique, complex passwords for all your accounts and devices. Consider using a password manager to generate and store secure passwords.
2) Enable encryption: Encrypt your external hard drives and cloud storage accounts to add an extra layer of protection to your data.
3) Implement two-factor authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA on all accounts that offer this feature, especially for cloud storage services.
4) Install and maintain strong antivirus software: Use a strong antivirus program and keep it updated to protect against malware and other security threats. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
5) Regularly update your operating system and applications: Keep your devices and software up to date to ensure you have the latest security patches.
6) Be cautious with public Wi-Fi: Avoid accessing sensitive information when connected to public networks or use a VPN for added security. Using a VPN (virtual private network) service can enhance your privacy by encrypting your internet traffic, making it harder for hackers and third parties to intercept your data, especially on public Wi-Fi. A VPN masks your IP address, helping to obscure your location and online activity. While VPNs don’t directly prevent phishing emails, they reduce the exposure of your browsing habits to trackers that may use this data maliciously. With a VPN, you can securely access your email accounts from anywhere, even in areas with restrictive internet policies. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
7) Back up your data regularly: Create multiple backups of your important files, including at least one offline copy.
8) Use secure file transfer methods: When sharing files, use encrypted transfer methods or password-protected links.
By following these steps, you can significantly enhance the security of your data and protect yourself from potential cyber threats.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Managing storage on a laptop with limited space requires thoughtful planning, especially when dealing with large files like photos and videos. While 82GB may be sufficient for basic tasks, media files can quickly add up. By leveraging external hard drives or cloud storage services, you can keep your laptop running efficiently while ensuring that your important files are safely stored and accessible. Whether you opt for physical or cloud-based solutions, remember to prioritize data security using strong passwords and encryption where necessary. With the right strategy, you can make the most of your laptop’s storage without sacrificing performance or losing precious memories.
Do you have a way of storing photos and videos that we didn’t mention? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Amazon’s rolling out a free software update for Echo Hub devices that gives the home screen a much-needed update to the interface it launched with in 2024. It had already added Alex Plus AI support, but the new interface has a cleaner, fully customizable layout that fits more smart home info and controls on the screen than the previous version.
The Echo Hub is also getting access to Ring AI’s Video Search feature that lets you use natural language to search through your smart home camera footage, as well as Alexa Plus summaries of detected camera events.
These are the five new features Amazon highlighted for the Echo Hub:
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The FBI calls it a “distress scam.” It is also known as a grandparent scam. The scam works by making an older adult believe a grandchild is in serious trouble and needs money right away, often before a court date or legal deadline. Victims reported more than $5 million in losses to this type of fraud in 2025. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center also noted that reported losses likely show only part of what scammers actually stole.
The Federal Trade Commission found in August 2025 that some of the fastest-growing scams targeting older adults use fear and urgency to override good judgment. A caller may claim your bank account was hacked and say you need to move your money immediately to protect it. However, the money does not move to safety. It goes straight to the scammer.
HOW TO HAND OFF DATA PRIVACY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS TO A TRUSTED LOVED ONE
AI voice-cloning tools have made these scams even more convincing. Scammers can use a birthday video, voicemail or social media clip to mimic a grandchild’s voice. Then they place the call. The voice sounds familiar, the emergency feels real and the request for bail money seems urgent. The FBI counted $352 million in AI-related scam losses among victims 60 and older this past year.
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Scammers are using stolen personal data, AI voice cloning and urgent phone calls to trick grandparents into sending money. (ljubaphoto/Getty Images)
What makes grandparents worth targeting
The same three pieces of data are required for identity verification at most banks, brokerages, pension recordkeepers, and Medicare: date of birth, last four digits of a Social Security number, and a current mailing address. For most people in their sixties and seventies, all of those accounts are open.
Those three fields have turned up in breach after breach. The Conduent Business Services breach pulled names, SSNs, dates of birth, and home addresses for more than 25 million Americans from systems that process Medicaid records and employer health plans. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it the largest data breach in U.S. history in February 2026.
Americans between 65 and 74 held a median net worth of $409,900 in 2022, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, more than ten times the median for adults under 35. The FBI found average losses of approximately $38,500 per victim among Americans 60 and older in 2025, nearly double the figure for younger filers.
Why elder fraud losses are often underreported
Older adults reported $2.4 billion in fraud losses to the Federal Trade Commission in 2024. However, the FTC’s December 2025 report to Congress estimated that real losses may have reached $81.5 billion that year. Most cases likely went unreported.
That gap makes identity theft harder to stop. A fraudulent wire from a pension account may never alert a bank. A new credit account opened with stolen information may not reach the victim until it appears on a credit report. By then, weeks may have passed since the application was approved.
Account protections worth setting up
Scammers move fast, so it helps to set up account protections before anything goes wrong. These steps can give banks, brokerage firms and family members more ways to spot trouble early.
1) Add a trusted contact to brokerage accounts
Brokerage accounts have a protection option many account holders never activate: a trusted contact designation. Under FINRA Rule 4512, brokerage firms must ask for a trusted contact when you open or update an account. A trusted contact can be a family member, attorney or accountant. The firm can contact that person if it suspects financial exploitation or cannot reach you. However, that person cannot trade, withdraw funds or view your account balances. FINRA, the SEC and the North American Securities Administrators Association asked investors in August 2025 to contact their firm and add one. You can name more than one trusted contact. You can also change the designation at any time.
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Families can help protect older adults by adding trusted contacts, verifying urgent calls and blocking online Social Security changes. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
2) Ask about holds on suspicious withdrawals
Under FINRA Rule 2165, brokerage firms can place a temporary hold on disbursements when they reasonably believe financial exploitation may be happening. That hold can last up to 55 business days. In January 2026, FINRA proposed extending the window to 145 business days. Ask any firm holding a pension, brokerage or annuity account about its policy on disbursements after an address change.
3) Verify urgent calls before sending money
When a caller claims a grandchild is in trouble or a federal agent needs immediate action, hang up. Then call back using a number you already have, not the number in the message. The FTC found that 41% of older adults who reported losing $10,000 or more to impersonation scams in 2024 said a phone call was the initial point of contact. That makes one simple habit especially important: verify the story before you act.
4) Block online changes to Social Security
Social Security lets you block electronic and automated telephone access to your account record. Once blocked, no one can change your direct deposit information or mailing address online or through the automated phone system. After that, any changes must go through a live SSA representative at 1-800-772-1213 or a field office visit. FINRA also operates a free Securities Helpline for Seniors at 844-574-3577, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Identity theft recovery is harder on your own
Even strong account protections may not catch every scam attempt. That is why identity theft monitoring and recovery support can help families respond faster when personal information gets exposed or misused.
Some identity theft protection services monitor dark web marketplaces, data broker sites and people-search sites for exposed Social Security numbers, addresses and other personal information. If fraud happens, recovery support may help contact creditors, file disputes with the three credit bureaus and organize the documentation needed to restore an identity.
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Older Americans remain prime targets for identity theft because scammers can exploit exposed Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Some plans also include identity theft insurance for eligible recovery costs, such as lost wages and legal fees.
No service prevents every misuse of an older adult’s identity. However, family monitoring and fraud resolution can shorten the time between when theft happens and when you or someone in your family acts on it.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
Kurt’s key takeaways
Grandparents have become a prime target because scammers know where the money is and how to create panic fast. A familiar voice, a stolen Social Security number or a fake emergency can turn one phone call into a devastating loss. The best defense starts before the call comes. Add trusted contacts to financial accounts, block online Social Security changes, verify urgent requests through a number you already know and talk openly with family about scam warning signs. Identity theft protection can also help spot exposed personal information and speed up recovery if fraud happens. No family can stop every scam attempt. However, a simple plan can give older adults more time, more backup and a better chance of keeping their money safe.
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Technology
A warrantless wiretap law is about to expire — but surveillance networks aren’t actually ‘going dark’
Congress has failed to pass a three-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), with the House voting 218-198 against reauthorizing the controversial warrantless wiretapping authority through July 2nd. After a short-term extension earlier this year, the spying program now appears set to lapse for at least a week. This is the nightmare scenario FISA’s proponents have been warning about — but it doesn’t actually mean the US has lost its surveillance capabilities.
Proponents of a clean extension claim a lapse will hinder intelligence agencies’ efforts to thwart potential terrorist attacks, with surveillance networks “going dark”. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) stressed the importance of reauthorizing Section 702 ahead of the World Cup. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said even a brief lapse would be disastrous. “Democrats in the Senate are playing political games right now with the lives of Americans,” he told reporters Wednesday. “It’s a very dangerous situation.”
In March, the FISA court recertified surveillance under Section 702 until 2027. The Brennan Center for Justice notes that a lapse won’t allow telecom companies to flout requests to hand over communications information to the NSA and other spy agencies. In 2008, after Yahoo failed to comply with a Section 702 request during a lapse, the FISA court ruled that the directives issued under Section 702 are effective while the certification is in place — even in the event of a lapse.
“The phrase ‘going dark’ is significantly misleading,” Andrea Sawka Fiegl, the senior policy director for media and technology at Common Cause, said on a Tuesday press call. Fiegl added that companies don’t choose whether they participate in surveillance under Section 702. If they don’t comply after being served with a directive, they face fines starting at $250,000 a day.
“The ‘going dark’ framing is basically a pressure tactic designed to strip Congress of its leverage to negotiate reforms by creating this false binary,” Fiegl said. “There is ample time for Congress to consider and pass reforms.”
Among those reforms are a warrant requirement for queries involving US persons, including so-called “backdoor searches” in which intelligence agencies identify a foreign target with ties to a US person, and then search that person’s communications, thus granting them access to their desired US target. Reformers also want to prohibit intelligence agencies from buying Americans’ data from private brokers to get around warrant requirements.
“Every day that Section 702 is in effect without reforms is a day that Americans’ rights are under threat,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said in a statement Wednesday night, after Senate Republicans blocked his request for a five-week extension of Section 702 with new transparency requirements. “If there is going to be an extension of these authorities, there needs to be some guardrails or at least some transparency that would allow Congress and the American people to understand the abuses that have taken place and the need for reforms.”
Though President Donald Trump and Republican leaders in both chambers have called for a clean reauthorization of Section 702, there’s bipartisan appetite for reform — and a handful of Republican holdouts stand in the way of a clean reauthorization. Most Democrats — even some who have supported reauthorization in the past — have objected to a clean extension due to Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.
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