Mrs PC is off on adventures soon. Taking a sabbatical.

Those of you who have got to know me over the years, through having lessons with me, will not be surprised to hear that I am taking time off to dedicate myself to some serious adventures.

I have always enjoyed the outdoors and mountains in particular.  Skiing is one of my passions.
2016 is a year with a significant birthday for me, and I have chosen to take some time off to train for and to go on an expedition which involves boats and skis and being out of touch with civilisation for a month.  No Wi-Fi and no emails, no Facebook, no calls.  It will be a bit of a culture shock for someone as addicted to technology as me.

I am starting my sabbatical in August 2016.

After family holidays, I will  be training in the Alps in September, and working hard on fitness before leaving for a very remote destination in Mid November.  Will be back in time for Christmas and starting back to work in January 2017.

Goodbye for now, and see you all again next year!

Should I install the Windows 10 free update?

Should I install the Windows 10 free update?

On the 29^th July 2015, Microsoft announced that current Windows 7 and 8.1 customers would be offered the chance to download and install Windows 10 as a free upgrade.  Windows XP and Vista users have to pay for the upgrade, so it is not quite such an attractive option for them. 

Most Windows users became aware of the update because of a new icon on their screen and a rather large marketing campaign on TV and in the press.  Reminders about the upgrade have been popping up even more insistently on everyone’s computers in the last month or so, because the upgrade is only free for a year.  On 29^th July 2016, you will have to pay for it.  So you will have to make up your minds soon.

I am always cautious when it comes to updates, and never rush into major ones until all the glitches are fixed, so my advice at first was to wait a while.  As the deadline approaches I have been repeatedly asked what my opinion is on this matter, hence this article.  In fact the answer is by no means clear-cut.

Some clients have upgraded with no trouble at all, others have upgraded and then chosen to roll back to Windows 7 and some have had lots of trouble after the update, with software not working correctly, and difficulties with their printers.  Quite a few people find it hard to adjust to using the new system and need a lesson to get used to a new look.  So it’s a real mixed bag. 

If you are using an older computer but you like your operating system, and all is working fine, then it’s perfectly acceptable to retain what you have.  If you have older software or printers they may not work with Windows 10, so an upgrade may cause you all kinds of complications and distress.

Some older computers simply don’t meet the requirements of Windows 10 because they don’t have enough space on their hard drive, so you won’t have much choice.   When you eventually have to retire your computer and buy a new one, it will come with the latest operating system already installed, so you will have to get used to Windows 10 at that stage.  Don’t be filled with horror, it really isn’t that bad! 

The biggest concern when upgrading to a new operating system is that it doesn’t go wrong.  The upgrade is a big deal, and if it crashes you could lose data, so you should back up all your files and also make a system image backup of your current operating system.   So if you want to take the plunge and decide to go ahead with the upgrade, then please be sure to do this first.  The upgrade takes quite a while to install, so bear that in mind as well.  If the update fails, or you don’t like it, you will need a back up to restore to.  You can rewind to Windows 7 for 30 days after the upgrade. 

If you are running Windows 8 and aren’t happy with it, you may as well try Windows 10 and see what you think.   You will find it is a very solid operating system, which is fast and secure.  It has a better search function and the ability to use voice control with Cortana.  Updates are automatic and it is easier to snap several windows together on your screen.

Common misconceptions are that Microsoft will start charging a fee to subscribe to updates (untrue) and that they are spying on their customers with Windows 10.  Data is collected to see how customers use their product and to make improvements and if you don’t want to share this information, you can opt out.

Hope this helps you to come to a decision that is right for you and your computer. 

Never too old for tech!

So proud of my student Pam who is very excited about her latest gadget, a selfie stick!

Mind body and soul fitness with Mrs PC

I have recently been surrounded by a lot of people on diets, and carrying out New Year’s resolutions to become fitter or healthier, counting their daily steps or calorie intake, and I felt it would be topical to discuss all the options available to help you if you wanted to join in.

There are many apps, some free and some not, that can be downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet to help you to improve your fitness both in body and mind.

For the battle of the bulge my Fitness Pal is very effective.  You basically put your details – age, height and weight into the app, and it will count calories for you.  You have to log what you eat, and you can look up food values on the app, so it can help you to know how many calories are in common foods, or even branded foods and drinks.  There is a database of about 5 million foods.  You can even scan the barcode of foods to assess how many calories are contained in it.  The app can help you set your goals and track your progress and motivate you to keep up your diet. 

As we all know, calorie counting alone is not enough to keep you in shape, and some exercise should be thrown in to the mix as well.  Most smartphones come with apps for tracking fitness.  The latest software update for iPhone included an app for health.  Look for the white app with the red heart.  If you keep your phone in your pocket all day long, it can then be used to track your exercise- count your steps, how many floors you have climbed and how far you have walked or run.  It’s incredibly incentivizing. 

If you want to track other activities, you can use Runkeeper, Nike Fitness, Strava or many others.  They will map your activity, be it walking, hiking, cycling, running etc and show you how far and fast you have travelled, and compare your workouts over time.  You can also see how many calories you have burned. 

Freeletics is an app that was recommended to me to try.   It brings a gym workout to your house.  It’s free, and it gives you short movies to follow like an exercise class.

Some people find that wearing a fitness watch is a good way to track both calories and fitness, as well as hours asleep.  Fitbit is one of the first of these type of trackers and reasonably inexpensive.  It is worn like a watch, and tells the time, your heart rate, how many steps you have taken, miles you have run, how many floors you have climbed, and hours slept.  It works with an app on your phone.  You can also input your food and water intake.

If it is your mind you want to train, there are lots of options.  I have just downloaded Fit Brains, which will help you to work on many different brain areas, and tests your speed as well.   You can set a daily reminder so that you keep up the training, and it will decide which areas you need to focus on.  Again your progress is tracked in the app, and you will notice that you do improve dramatically with practice.  The tests start off quite simple and become more complicated.  It takes about 5 minutes to complete your training.  Scrabble or Sudoku would also do the same job I expect.

In our busy world, that there is often so much rushing about, that we spend very little time resting our brains, which can lead to stress overload, anxiety, depression and insomnia.   Spending 10 minutes daily on a guided relaxation or meditation could be the very thing that you could try to include in your daily life.  I found an app called Headspace, but there are many more.  It is incredibly soothing to be guided into a state of tranquility.

Hope you may be inspired to try one of these suggestions, or to learn more about the technology you already have.  Do contact me if you would like to know more, or if there are any topics you would like me to cover in future articles.

Happy Easter to everyone.

Protecting your smartphone

The chances of smashing your phone's screen if the phone lands on the pavement or rough ground face down is very high.  It is awful if it happens to you.  The glass crazes and you can no longer use your phone.

The cost of a screen repair for an iPhone is around £85.
Buying a case with a front or protecting your screen with toughened glass is a really good idea.
Take a look at this, it isn't very expensive.

Gorilla Glass

It is available from Amazon.

I found it very easy to fit to my phone's screen.  A matter of a few minutes.

The first email

Could you guess when the first ever email was sent and by whom?

It is an interesting story.

You can read all about it here.

Who sent the first email and when?

Beware of Facebook Hacking

Do ensure that you use tight security on your Facebook page so that others can't log in and pretend to be you.  At the very least, add a mobile number so that you get a text if there is a log in from an unknown place or device.  If it was you, you get a code which comes as a text and you can enter to verify that it was actually you.

If you click on this article, you will find other useful information.
Tips to help you protect your Facebook account.

New Year's resolutions

Wishing all my readers a very happy new year and frustration free computing in 2016.

To start the year, I thought it would be good to recap on a few things that I have mentioned in previous articles. 

A new year often starts with taking stock of one’s situation and looking back over the previous year, the highs and lows and salient points.  You can do this with your computer as well.  Now is a good time for you to take a look at what you have on your computer tablet or phone, and decide if it’s still relevant to you in 2016.

On your computer, take a look at the Desktop- the first screen you see.  Is it covered in icons you never use or have no idea about?  (Icons are a shortcut to programmes loaded on your computer.)   If your screen is cluttered, take a moment to discover what the icons do- double click on them to find out, and if you don’t think you will find them useful, drag them into the bin.  This process won’t delete the underlying programme, but makes your screen look tidier, and you will feel more in control of your computer.

Next, take a look at your folders one by one, do this using Windows File Explorer or Finder.  Are your documents and photos a mess or can you find things easily?  Take time to delete anything irrelevant and create subfolders so that everything can be tidied up.  If you have lots of duplicate information, get rid of duplicates.  Many of my clients have lots of copies of their photos in different folders and no idea of what is where.

On your tablet or phone, look at the Apps on the main screen.  Do you use them all?  Are there other more useful Apps on other screens that are hard for you to find?  If so, drag the Apps around so they are where you want them, or delete ones you don’t need any more.  You can also create folders if you have a lot of Apps.

Make sure that you have updated all your programmes and keep your operating system up to date.  Don’t ignore those annoying messages that keep popping up from time to time.  If you don’t understand what the computer is trying to do, ask for help, or Google the problem.  If you don’t take action, some parts may not run as well as you would like.

Run Utility programmes such as Defragmentation and Disk cleanup to delete stray files and temporary Internet files.  This spring-cleans your computer’s hard drive.

Make sure you have backed up your computer, tablet or phone.  I would suggest you do this regularly.  Get to know how to do it, and don’t risk losing vital information or precious photographs because you don’t understand how to do it.

I would suggest that you need 2 external backups for photographs.

Once you have tidied up the inside of your computer, you can give your screen a wipe, and spring-clean your keyboard and mouse.  Use a microfiber cloth and some cleaning solution.  Make sure your keyboard isn’t full of dust and crumbs.  Turn it upside down and tap it.  For cleaning a laptop’s keyboard, turn it off, then turn it upside down and tap it lightly so all the mess falls out.

The start of a new year is a good time to tackle new challenges.  For those of you who want to learn something new, I would be more than happy to hear from you and help you. 

Happy New Year to all my blog readers and students.  Hope 2016 is a good one for you all. 

Wishing you frustration free computing and a desire to learn new things.