Drones
Tony has recently acquired a small drone. There are some rules about flying drones, which are briefly outlined in this Currys article:-
https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/photography/caa-drone-new-rules.html
For more detailed information, including where you can or cannot fly drones, see this Civil Aviation Authority page:-
https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/open-category/drone-code/
WhatsApp Usernames
Until recently, to communicate with a person or group on WhatsApp, you would have to give them your phone number. Now, WhatsApp is introducing usernames. If you register your unique username, then you can give the username, instead of your phone number, to allow people to contact you, thus keeping your phone number private. This feature is being rolled out gradually, so it may not be fully available yet on your phone.
To take advantage of this, you need to create a username. From the main WhatsApp screen, press the 3-dots (top right), Settings, Account, Username.
Even if you don’t think you will use a username, by creating one now, you are more likely to get a name you like before someone else registers that name. You can subsequently change your username, but the old name will then be available to someone else.
Once you have set up a username, you can also set up a Key. This is an additional security measure when someone contacts you via your username – they will also need the Key. This would prevent someone from generating random or guessed usernames to make contact. To set this up, go to your Username as above. Tap Contact me by username to select either:-
- Everyone, or
- People who know my key
When you select the latter, a Key (a 4-digit code) will be generated for you. If you ever want to change the Key, just tap on it and it will generate a different one.
See this Which? article for more details:-
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/whatsapp-usernames-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters-avprt1r1bWYj
You can find more details on the WhatsApp FAQ pages:-
https://faq.whatsapp.com/
In the left-hand column, click on Get Started, Usernames.
I would suggest reading About usernames and How to contact someone by username.
Even when you have set up a username, you can still give someone your phone number to allow them to contact you if you wish. Also, people/groups you have already chatted with will retain your phone number.
If you would like to learn more about other features and security tips in WhatsApp, see this PCMag article:-
https://uk.pcmag.com/social-media/154253/10-must-know-whatsapp-tricks-to-maximize-your-messaging
Phones & Motion Sickness
If you are one of many people who suffer from motion sickness when using a phone, tablet or laptop while in a moving vehicle, there may be features that can help.
The problem is that the screen you are looking at is essentially fixed, but your body senses the braking, accelerating and cornering of the vehicle. This mismatch can quickly make some people feel queasy. The solution to help with this is to add some dots to the screen which move in sync with the vehicle.
Apple have had this feature for a year or so. They call it “Motion Cues”. To access this feature, go to:-
Settings, Accessibility, Motion, Vehicle Motion Cues.
You can set the feature to enable automatically when the phone detects that you are in a moving vehicle, or you can operate it manually. See this Apple Support page for more details:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph55564cb22/ios
Google is adding a similar feature to Android called “Motion Assist”. It is being rolled out gradually on Android 17, starting with Google’s own Pixel phones. To access the feature, go to:-
Settings, tap your name/photo (aka your Profile) and look for Motion Assist under Personal & device safety.
Some other Android phone manufacturers (e.g. OPPO) have introduced a similar feature of their own. See this Android Authority article for more:-
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-17-motion-assist-rolling-out-3702494/
New iPhone 18 and iOS 27
Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone 18 range today (9th September), including its first folding phone. It seems that the folding phone will be called the iPhone Duo, not Ultra as previously thought, and could be launched in October. The standard iPhone 18, 18e and Air 2 will not be available until Spring next year. To learn more, see this MacRumors article:-
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-september-2026-what-to-expect/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky
iOS 27 is also expected to be announced today and released later this month. The main change is a brand-new version of Siri that uses AI and can perform much like ChatGPT or Claude. There will also be a Siri app. For more details of iOS 27, see:-
https://www.apple.com/uk/os/ios/
Windows 11 September Update
In addition to fixing 966 flaws (mostly found by AI), yesterday’s Patch Tuesday update introduces some notable features. It will allow you to move the Taskbar to the top or side of the screen (a feature Windows 10 had!). You will also be able to adjust the size of the Start Menu. This Windows Central article takes you through some of these enhancements and how to enable/disable them:-
https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11s-september-update-reshapes-key-parts-of-the-os-and-these-3-customizations-instantly-make-the-new-release-feel-faster-cleaner-and-more-personal-to-use
Windows 11 26H2, the annual version update, is expected to arrive in October. It will not have any major new features and will be what Microsoft call an “enablement update”. This means it is small and quick to update and essentially just ‘enables’ features that were downloaded with previous updates. See this PC World article for more:-
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3206876/windows-11-26h2-arrives-in-october-heres-why-you-shouldnt-skip-it.html
Will AI Kill Us All?
Evan Hubinger, a researcher at Anthropic, hit the headlines today (9th September) by posting a statement that he believes there is a greater than 10% chance that AI could kill all humans within the next 10 years. This BBC article is one of many that reported this:-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgwy1k42w4o
Anthropic, producer of Claude AI, is one of the major AI companies in the USA, along with OpenAI, the producer of ChatGPT. Many other companies have AI products, including Microsoft (Copilot), Meta, X (Grok), Google (Gemini), and there are many more around the world, including in China. It is difficult to see how any common controls can be applied to AI worldwide.
Chrome Update
Dave mentioned that the latest Chrome update is available - Chrome 153 on Windows, Mac and Linux - which fixes a number of bugs. See the Chrome Releases blog for more details:-
https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/
As I mentioned last time ("AI Finds Lots of Bugs"), Google is looking to release Chrome updates more frequently and finding a way to ensure they are installed more quickly.
Hearing Aid App
Brian had a problem with the app for his Oticon hearing aids crashing when opened. It then requires a reboot of the phone to get it working. I suggested he could try swiping the app off in the App Switcher to close the app, rather than rebooting the phone - tap the square button at the bottom of the screen, or swipe up from the bottom and pause in the middle.
I suggested contacting Oticon tech support. They have a support page at:-
https://www.oticon.co.uk/support
but I can't find any way to contact them directly other than their phone number in Denmark.
Microsoft Rewards
Linda asked how she could use her Microsoft Rewards. You can use 1,000 Reward points to buy Windows 10 extended support. Visit:-
https://rewards.bing.com/dashboard
to see your points. Go to the Redeem tab to see ways of spending or donating your points.
Next Session
Wed 14th October 2026 at 2pm by Zoom
