WSCC Latest News: CCN 854

CLUB CORROBOREE NET

At Wangi RSL

Editor: Annette Stuckey westlake@bigpond.net.au No. 854

7 January 2018

Hi Silver Surfers,

Stay cool out there today. It's a good thing the Cricket is one so we can at least stay indoors. Don't forget to drink plenty of water.

DO DROP IN DAY

(Wangi RSL)

EVERY WEDNESDAY

"One on One" 1 hour Session 1pm –2pm - 3pm

Help available with anything- Computer –Tablet – Phone

You can bring your own equipment if you wish

Internet available

Phone:4975 3360 : Email: westlake@bigpond.net.au

to make a booking

$5.00 per session

MICROSOFT CLIP ART

Do you like to add clip art to different things like M.S Word, Power point etc.?

Of late I have been very mad with Microsoft when I want to get some clip art.

If I went in and searched for Man I would get a whole lot of photos and all I wanted was the old fashioned clip art. Today I noticed a little box with a tick in it that said Include Bing content. I un-ticked the box and my old favourite clip art was back. T.G

Software... Firmware... Hardware...

… three things that sound dirty but aren't? No. Well, yes… but more importantly, they're computer terms that you may have heard, but may not be 100% clear on the meanings of. So let's start with the easier two of the three…

SOFTWARE: Programs. Windows, Office, World of Warcraft. Anything that you install on your computer and run is software, so called because there's really nothing to it but code. Nothing really exists of software in the real world, it's all just bits and bytes on your hard drive, and yet it allows us to do such wonderful things! Forget Harry Potter, this is the real magic for me.

HARDWARE: Motherboard, hard drive, CD drive, monitor. Anything that exists in the real world that is part of your computer or something that you add on to the computer is hardware. Hardware is literally what makes your machine run, because without it there would be nothing for the software to run on.

FIRMWARE: Firmware is the programming that makes your hardware go. A more common term for firmware is "drivers", because these are the things that "drive" your hardware. So when you hear about a camera or something requiring a "firmware update", that's what this means… there's a modification of the program that runs your camera that will make it run better or fix some glitch with the previous version of the programming.

Now here are a couple of "wares" that you may have heard but aren't clear on at no extra charge. Completely for free.

ADWARE: Installs something on your computer that allows you to be bombarded with advertising, such as pop-ups every time that you open a browser window.

MALWARE: Viruses, trojan horses, adware. Anything that will harm you or your computer.

USERWARE: Macros, add-ons, bots, etc., usually designed by users to enhance your experience of the software. These range from things like user-created templates that you can download for Microsoft Office to additional quests and bonus/enhanced gear for games.

~Randal Schaffer

Now here are a couple of "wares" that you may have heard but aren't clear on at no extra charge. Completely for free.

ADWARE: Installs something on your computer that allows you to be bombarded with advertising, such as pop-ups every time that you open a browser window.

MALWARE: Viruses, trojan horses, adware. Anything that will harm you or your computer.

Rename Start Menu Sections

Here's an easy one for all Windows 7 users out there! Say you want to rename something under your start menu – let's say you want "Games" to be called "Entertainment".

So click Start, and then Right-Click on Games.

Now Choose Rename and type in your new name for the section.

And there you have it! Instant customisation! Now you can rename Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Games and Computer to whatever you want!

QUICK TIP

If you would like to view the Rulers in Word 2007 & 2010 did you know that there is a little icon at the top of the scroll bar on the right?

If you click the icon the rulers will appear click again and they disappear.

The following tips are from Cyn's Tech Tips and are used by permission

(I thought I would share with you some very handy 2018 hints Cindy sent me . May I suggest you copy and past them and keep them for safe keeping.~Annette)

Happy 2018!

A new year calls for a new outlook. I think it's a good time to make some tech resolutions. Are you with me?

1. Secure your device. Install third-party security programs and make sure you protect your lock screen with either a password or a biometric lock like a fingerprint reader. Consider password-protecting important files if you have that option.

2. Make sure your security software is up-to-date, preferably by using automatic updates. You'll also want to make sure your operating system has all of the latest updates. Not only does this protect your device, but it also keeps it running smoothly.

3. Double-lock everything! If your email or any other account offers two-factor authentication, use it! Yes, it's an extra step for you, but it's also an extra step that could deter crooks.

4. Password review. A new year is a good time to institute new passwords. You'll want to make them as long as possible and avoid using the same one for more than one account. Also, this is a great time to make sure that you have the right phone numbers or email addresses set for password retrieval in case you forget one.

5. Clean it up! Regularly, give monitors and keyboards a good cleaning. Make sure your PCs vents are dust-free. If you have pets and a desktop, you might even consider opening the tower (after turning off your PC) and using canned air to blow out dust and fur. Clean the screens of all of your devices and use that canned air to blow out all of the ports.

6. Clear it out! Run file and disk cleanup programs to remove junk. Also, go through your files, deleting anything you don't need. Look at unused apps and programs on your device. If you don't use them, get rid of them.

7. Back it up! Run regular backupsfor both your PC and phone. Make sure you transfer copies of all those photos on your phone to a safe place. The same goes for music and documents. Consider both a cloud and physical backup for all of your devices. I'd also suggest keeping at least one of your backups offsite. If your backup and your device are both in the same house and there's a fire, you're going to lose both of them.

8. Try something new! Try a new device like a smart speaker or a new service like Facebook, Netflix, Spotify, or Kindle Unlimited. Commit to learning a program like Photoshop, or even better a free program like GIMP.

9. Plan for the future. Set up a tech fund and put just a few dollars a week in it. If you put $10 a month away between now and January 2020 when support for Windows 7 ends, you'll have $240 to put towards a basic laptop or desktop. Your phone, PC, or tablet isn't going to last forever. You should always be looking towards replacing it when the time comes.

10. Don't stress! I want you to enjoy your devices and not panic when something goes wrong. Panic is what leads people to fall for scams or accidentally make things work. Take a few deep breaths and make time to learn about the everyday tech in your life. It's all going to be okay.

Protect your batteries: watch the temperature

You've probably heard about the big stink over Apple slowing down older iPhones. The company says it did it to stop older phones, which have older batteries, from crashing.
As the phones age, the lithium-ion batteries age as well. And since those batteries do a ton of work, they often start to show age pretty quickly. The older they get, the more sensitive they get to things like temperature.

There are a couple of tips that can extend the battery life of your iPhone. These tips aren't only for iPhones, they apply to any device with a lithium-ion battery like a laptop or tablet.

Watch the temperature. Temperatures higher than 95 F (35 C) or lower than 32 F (0 C) can hurt your phone. Your device might crash or slow way down. The ideal temp is 62 to 72 F (16 to 22 C). This also applies to battery storage.

If your phone or tablet is in a case, you may want to remove it before charging. Cases can cause some devices to get pretty hot while charging. You'll also want to avoid direct sun exposure for your device.

Be careful storing. When storing your phone or laptop, make sure that the storage environment isn't too cold or too hot. The battery power should be at around 50%. Storing fully charged can cause the battery to lose some charging capacity. Storing it with no charge can make it incapable of holding a charge. Make sure the device is powered completely down. If you're planning on long-term storage, take the device out every 6 months and make sure the battery is recharged to 50%.