Wednesday 8th January 2020
Printing From iPad/iPhone
We had a discussion about printing from an iPad. Normally this is quite straight forward, provided the iPad and the Printer are connected to the same wireless network. The process for printing is described here:-
Most modern wireless printers support Apple AirPrint which is the technology required to allow printing from iOS devices. To connect your printer to the wi-fi network, look for instructions in the printer's user manual or on their web site. You can connect the printer in one of these ways:-
https://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Wireless-Printer-Connection
FaceTime Notification Sound (iPad)
You can change the ringtone, i.e. the sound made when someone calls you on FaceTime by going to Settings, Notifications, FaceTime. Tap Sounds and select a ringtone from the list.
- Pressing WPS button on both the Printer and the Router if they support this function.
- Use the Printer's front panel buttons and display.
- Use an app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Connect the printer to a PC by USB and set it up from there.
https://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Wireless-Printer-Connection
FaceTime Notification Sound (iPad)
You can change the ringtone, i.e. the sound made when someone calls you on FaceTime by going to Settings, Notifications, FaceTime. Tap Sounds and select a ringtone from the list.
If you can't hear the ringtone, check volume and mute settings. To do this, pull down from the top right to access the control panel where you will see the volume setting. The bell symbol indicates sound is on, or, if it has a line through it that the sound is muted.
Reading Floppy Disks or CD/DVDs
Modern laptops often don't have a CD/DVD player and they certainly don't have a floppy disk drive. However, you can purchase USB-connected CD/DVD or Floppy Disk drives if you have old media that you wish to access. Here are example products:-
https://www.cclonline.com/product/241294/EBAU108-11/External-Optical-Drives/LiteOn-eBAU108-0-5-Inch-8x-Speed-0-75MB-Dual-Layer-DVD-RW-Dual-Layer/RAM-USB-2-0-External-Slim-Drive-Black-/CDR0315/
Converting Cassette/Video to Digital
We had a brief chat about converting older media, such as VHS tapes, to a digital format so they can be edited and stored and viewed on modern devices. This is not my field of expertise but there is, of course, a lot of information on the Internet to help. You will need a VHS player and you will need to purchase an analogue to digital converter - look on Amazon and read the reviews to pick the best one. This is one of many videos on YouTube on this topic:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYiukdB0SVc
Windows 10 Clipboard
The
1903 Windows 10 update introduced an additional feature to the clipboard.
The clipboard is the notional location of items that you have copied or cut. Having
copied/cut an item, you can then, of course, paste it. This new feature gives you
easy access to the last 25 items that you copied/cut. To access this feature hold
down the Windows Key + V. When you do this for the first time you
will need to turn on the feature by clicking the button.
Emoji
In Windows 10
If
you want to insert an emoji (or a symbol) when using Windows 10, just hold down the Windows
Key and press the full-stop. Give it a try. 😊
Typing the € Symbol
Linda asked how to type a euro symbol. in Windows. You can do this with a key combination - hold down the Alt Gr key (which is just to the right of the space-bar) and press the 4 key (on the top row of the keyboard).
Completing PDF Forms
Brian raised a question about this. Some PDF forms allow you to enter details so that you can complete a form and print it or return it as an email attachment. Not all PDF documents permit this. Adobe Reader allows this, but I'm not sure about other PDF viewers.
There are some online solutions which allow PDF forms to be completed without the need to install any software on your machine. This one appears to be free to use, but I have not tried it:-
https://www.pdfpro.co/pdf-form-filler
Shortcuts
Linda raise a question about keyboard shortcuts on Windows. I have recently updated a document on this topic which you can find at:-
bit.ly/CE-Shortcuts
You can find all my documents by clicking the link on the right of this blog, or by going to:-
bit.ly/rogersdocs
Streaming TV
We had a chat about various streaming devices which you can attach to your TV via an HDMI port, such as Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, etc. These devices essentially make a TV 'smart' by offering Internet services such as BBCiPlayer, Netflix, Now TV, Amazon Prime, etc. Most modern TVs have these services built in. These services need the device or TV to be connected to the Internet, by a cable or by wi-fi.
The streaming services require you to create an account and sign in. While the UK catch-up services such as iPlayer, All 4, ITV Hub, etc are free, services such as Netflix require a monthly payment - £5.99 per month for Netflix basic. For more about Netflix or to sign up, go to:-
https://www.netflix.com/gb/
Remote Controls
Tony raised a question about remoted controls (for TVs, digiboxes, etc) becoming intermittent. I find this sometimes happens to old remote controls due to an oily substance which is released from the rubber material that forms the button. Dismantling the remote control, removing the rubber button mat and washing it in detergent, and wiping the circuit board clean has usually cured this for me, but try it at your own risk!
Next Session
Wednesday 12th February 2020, 1:30 to 3:30 pm.
Typing the € Symbol
Linda asked how to type a euro symbol. in Windows. You can do this with a key combination - hold down the Alt Gr key (which is just to the right of the space-bar) and press the 4 key (on the top row of the keyboard).
Completing PDF Forms
Brian raised a question about this. Some PDF forms allow you to enter details so that you can complete a form and print it or return it as an email attachment. Not all PDF documents permit this. Adobe Reader allows this, but I'm not sure about other PDF viewers.
There are some online solutions which allow PDF forms to be completed without the need to install any software on your machine. This one appears to be free to use, but I have not tried it:-
https://www.pdfpro.co/pdf-form-filler
Shortcuts
Linda raise a question about keyboard shortcuts on Windows. I have recently updated a document on this topic which you can find at:-
bit.ly/CE-Shortcuts
You can find all my documents by clicking the link on the right of this blog, or by going to:-
bit.ly/rogersdocs
Streaming TV
We had a chat about various streaming devices which you can attach to your TV via an HDMI port, such as Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, etc. These devices essentially make a TV 'smart' by offering Internet services such as BBCiPlayer, Netflix, Now TV, Amazon Prime, etc. Most modern TVs have these services built in. These services need the device or TV to be connected to the Internet, by a cable or by wi-fi.
The streaming services require you to create an account and sign in. While the UK catch-up services such as iPlayer, All 4, ITV Hub, etc are free, services such as Netflix require a monthly payment - £5.99 per month for Netflix basic. For more about Netflix or to sign up, go to:-
https://www.netflix.com/gb/
Remote Controls
Tony raised a question about remoted controls (for TVs, digiboxes, etc) becoming intermittent. I find this sometimes happens to old remote controls due to an oily substance which is released from the rubber material that forms the button. Dismantling the remote control, removing the rubber button mat and washing it in detergent, and wiping the circuit board clean has usually cured this for me, but try it at your own risk!
Next Session
Wednesday 12th February 2020, 1:30 to 3:30 pm.
