Wednesday 13^th May 2020

Blink XT2 Security Camera

Tony is looking into getting one of these systems and had a few questions. There are several similar security camera systems available. The one from Blink has the advantage that you do not need to pay on-going fees to store video clips on their server. You can store about 2 hours of video, but it will normally only record 5 to 10 seconds clips when it is armed and triggered by motion.

You can purchase a 2-camera Blink system from Screwfix for £180:-

https://www.screwfix.com/p/blink-xt2-wireless-smart-camera-system-with-2-cameras/330ht

You can add additional cameras if required.

The Blink system has a sync unit that would connect to your router by wi-fi. The Cameras use a proprietary wireless system to communicate with the sync unit over a distance of about 100 feet (probably less if walls are in the way). The system is controlled from a smartphone app. The cameras are powered by lithium AA batteries which have a stated life of about 2 years.

Google Maps, Your Timeline – Correction

Last time, I indicated that you could not delete your Location History via the mobile app. This was incorrect, you can delete Location History on the mobile app – here’s how:-

Open the Google Maps app

Tap the Account Circle (top right) or 3-bars (top left), depending on the version

Select Your Timeline

Tap the 3-dot symbol (top right)

Select Settings and privacy

Scroll down to Delete all Location History

You can also select Delete Location History range to delete history between any two dates.

Windows 10 – Version 2004

The next big update (i.e. a “Feature Update”) to Windows 10, is thought to be scheduled for release in a phased manner from 28^th May, although this date has not been confirmed.  The changes are relatively minor – for more details, see here:-

https://thewincentral.com/top-new-features-in-next-windows-10-major-update-2004/

A new feature which could be useful, although hopefully you will never need it(!), will be found by going to Start, Settings, Update & Security, Recovery. This currently allows Windows to be re-installed from a local backup. The new version will also give you the choice of downloading and installing an up-to-date version of Windows from the Cloud.

Browser Problem

Margaret was having issues with her web browser (Chrome). It seemed that her default search and perhaps other things such as start page, have been changed. The simplest way to correct this may be to reset the Chrome browser. To do this proceed as follows:-

1. Open Chrome
2. Click on the 3-dots (top right)
3. Select Settings
4. Scroll down and click Advanced
5. Scroll down again and click on Restore settings to their original defaults
6. Click Reset settings

This will reset the startup page, new tab page and default search engine which hopefully will resolve the issue.

Connecting Wireless Printer

Linda had a query about a wireless printer that was no longer visible on the network. This sounds like the printer needs re-connecting to the wireless network. On some printers, this can be done from the control panel on the printer, where you can select the network and enter the network password. If the printer does not have a control panel feature to do this, there should be an app that could be installed on an iPad/iPhone (from the App Store). Check the installation instructions for the particular printer which you will be able to find on the manufacturer's web site.

If there is a PC available on the network, this could be used to set up the printer, possibly by initially connecting via a USB cable and using setup software downloaded from the printer manufacturer's web site. Again, check the installation instructions for the particular printer.

Mail App Problems

Margaret had a problem with the Windows 10 Mail app which had ceased providing access to her Gmail account, although it was still working OK with 2 other email accounts. Personally, I don't recommend using the Windows 10 Mail app. For many people with a single email account, webmail is probably a better option. Another free app that could be used is Thunderbird from Mozilla. In fact, I should have mentioned that she could simply go to gmail.com in any browser and sign in with her email address and password (and 2-factor authentication if applicable) and access her mail there, at least until the issue with the Mail app is resolved.

With regard to this issue, I suggested that Margaret should open the Mail app and click on the Settings cog (lower left), then Manage accounts. Here you will see all the accounts. Click on the Gmail account and then select Delete account from this device. Having done this, return to the Manage accounts menu and click Add account and follow the subsequent screens to set up your Google account in Mail again from scratch.

If this does not work you could try uninstalling and re-installing the app:-

Click on Start, Settings, Apps, Apps & features

Scroll down to locate the Mail and Calendar app

Click on it and select Uninstall

Next, go to the Microsoft Store (you can click Start and type Store if you don't have shortcut icon)

Click Search (top right) and type Mail

In the results, click on Mail and Calendar to re-install the app.

Then open the app and add back all three accounts.

NHS Contact Tracing App

Allan raised an issue on this. The NHS app, currently being trialed on the Isle of Wight, is not, as I understand it, based on the protocol developed jointly by Apple and Google which we discussed last time. This is because the NHS want to be able to capture more location information than the Apple/Google system would allow. The NHS want to be able to identify possible Covid-19 hot spots so that they can clamp down on them to suppress any outbreak.

Zoom Security

Allan asked about this. Zoom has become extremely popular for making group video calls since the coronavirus lockdown. Zoom was previously used mainly by businesses and organisations where they were trained and experienced in its use. The number of daily users has increased by a factor of 30 since the end of last year. 

A big issue has been "Zoombombing" where someone uninvited joins your meeting and then shares their screen to display racial abuse, propaganda or other offensive material. In most cases, this could have been prevented if the host had made the necessary changes in settings. The latest update of Zoom has changed the defaults, in particular, to require a meeting password, enable the Waiting Room and reserve screen-sharing to just the host.

In the last few days, Zoom has purchased security company Keybase to help them develop end-to-end encryption - something which Zoom falsely claimed to have at one stage.  See more in this article:-
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/5/7/21250560/zoom-keybase-facebook-google-encryption-video-chat

With these new changes, Zoom is probably safe enough for the average group meeting, although it has a bit of reputational damage to restore.

Wi-Fi Problems
Tony raise a scenario where an iPhone was getting a poor wireless connection upstairs, but was OK downstairs. The first thing to try is using another device to figure out if it is a problem with the router of the iPhone. Another possible issue is that the iPhone might be connected to the 5GHz band rather than the 2.4GHz band. Many modern routers are "dual band" and provide wi-fi on both these frequencies. 2.4GHz was the original wi-fi frequency, but it has become very crowded as we all have more devices. The 5GHz band provides a less crowded alternative which may work better in some circumstances. However, the 5GHz signals cannot travel as far or through walls/ceilings as easily as the 2.4GHz. If the iPhone has been connected to the 5GHz band, this could be the problem.

A way of improving wi-fi coverage throughout the house, particularly a large house, is to use a mesh router. Mesh routers consist of several nodes rather than a single device. For example, I use the TP-Link Deco 4 with 2 nodes - one downstairs and one upstairs. This TP-Link site shows their range of mesh routers:-
https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/deco/
BT offers the Whole Home mesh systems:-
https://shop.bt.com/learnmore/bt-branded-products-and-services/bt-whole-home-wi-fi/
Here is a review on Techradar of the best mesh routers:-
https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/best-wireless-mesh-routers

Installing Linux On An Old PC

If you have an old PC that has an out-of-date version of Windows, you could consider installing Linux for free. John will talk more about this next time.

Next Session

Wed 27^th May 2020 at 2pm via video conference.