Wednesday 9th October 2019
Auto-Fill
Margaret asked a question about names, addresses etc being automatically entered in web forms. This is a feature of most web browsers called Auto-Fill. Each web browser handles this independently, so you would need to check the settings in whatever browser you are using. For example, in Chrome you click on the 3-dots, Settings, Auto-fill (on left). Here you can enable or disable the auto-fill functions for Passwords, Payment Methods and Addresses and edit or delete existing information. Other browsers are similar - google for how to control auto-fill for any particular browser if you can't figure it out.
Printing Web Pages
We briefly discussed printing forms, etc from the web. With any web-based document or form, you should look for a print button or link within the page/document itself, rather than using the browser's print function. This will ensure you print the desired information without printing toolbars etc. This blog is an example - you need to scroll down to the bottom of this page to find the Print button to get a 'printer-friendly' version of this blog.
Android
– Factory Reset Protection
Last
month, we talked about Activation Lock on Apple mobile devices which prevents a
stolen iPad/iPhone from being reset and used by someone else. A similar feature
also exists on Android devices – Factory Reset Protection (FRP). This feature applies to Android 8.1 and later.
If
your android device has a Google account on it – and it usually does – if the
device is erased, it cannot be setup again until your Google account
credentials are entered. If you are selling or passing your device onto someone
else, you will need to turn off FRP first. To do this, you will need to remove
your Google Account from the device. To do this, go to Settings, Accounts
(or Users & Accounts). Select Google in the list of accounts
and then Remove. You will need to enter your PIN, password or pattern to
complete this. If the menu on your device differs significantly from the above,
you may need to Google for “how to remove a google account” for your make of
device. Note this is only removing your Google account from this particular device, all your other devices and online data will remain unchanged.
Once
you have done this, you can Factory Reset your device - this is usually done in Settings, System, Reset.
iOS
13 and iPadOS 13
iOS
13, the new version of Apple’s iPhone operating system, was released on 19th
September 2019. Unfortunately, it was found to have some serious security bugs,
so was rapidly replaced by version 13.1 released on 24th September.
New
features include Dark Mode, faster loading of apps, and the ability to sign
into third-party apps with your Apple ID (rather than creating yet another
login).
For
a full list of all the new features, refer to Apple’s web site at:-
For
the first time, the iPhone and iPad operating systems have been separated. So,
on iPads, the replacement for iOS 12 is iPadOS 13. iPadOS 13 is based on iOS 13
and has many of the same new features. These new iPad features seem aimed at
making the iPad more usable for business as a replacement for a laptop/MacBook.
These features include Multitasking, a new Home Screen layout (which can have
more icons), Apple Pencil, using the iPad as a second screen for a Mac, and
accessing files on a USB drive.
For
a full list of all the new iPad features, refer to Apple’s web site at:-
There are new gestures for Copy, Paste, Undo, Redo, etc.
This YouTube video explains some of these gestures:-
iOS 13 is supported on iPhone 6 and later. iPadOS 13 is supported on the iPad Air 2 and later. See this site for a list of all supported devices:-
If you have an older device, you will not be able to update it.
"No Sender" Bug in iOS/iPadOS 13
Tony had experienced this issue. Apparently, the Apple Mail app shows "No Sender" and "No Subject" for all emails after updating to iOS/iPadOS 13 for some users. There are a number of web sites offering possible solutions to this issue such as this one:-
I don't know if any of the suggested solutions are effective. Presumably, Apple will fix this in the near future with a further update.
Android
10
Google
has also released the latest version of its Android operating system on 3rd
September – Android 10. Currently, its only available on Google’s own phones,
the Pixel, but I’m sure it will soon start to appear on other manufacturer’s
phones.
Previous
versions of Android had a letter and a dessert name in addition to the number
(e.g. Android 7/N – Nougat, 8/O – Oreo, 9/P – Pie), but they are now just going
with a number!
Like
Apple, one of the new features is Dark Theme, which is designed to be easier on
the eyes. For a full list of features, refer to:-
Windows
10 - 1909
The
latest big ‘feature update’ to Windows 10 is expected soon. This update will
not introduce many new features and will be installed as a update to version
1903, rather than a complete new installation. For more information, see:-
Windows 7 - End of Support
Just to note that support for Windows 7 ceases on 14th January 2020, so anyone still using W7 might want to think about a suitable replacement system.
Amazon Prime
Margaret raised the issue of how easy it is to accidentally sign up for Amazon Prime. You are presented with a box and a large button to sign up for Prime when you place an Amazon order. You have to look closely for the link that allows you to continue without Prime. Subsequently, I have found this Which? article on the subject:-
Next Session
Wed
13th November 2019 1:30 to 3:30pm.
