Wednesday 10th June 2020
Chromium-Based
Edge
We
mentioned this totally new version of Microsoft’s web browser, Edge, last time.
Microsoft is now starting to distribute this new Edge using the Windows Update
system. The update process will remove the legacy Edge and install the new
chromium-based version.
Also,
the new Edge will be available on Windows 7, MacOS, plus Android and iOS mobile devices.
Windows
10 – 2004 Update
Last
time, I mentioned that the next major update to Windows 10 (version 2004) was about to be
released. This has now happened, but Microsoft has decided to roll this out
very, very, slowly. It may, therefore, be some time before your PC picks up this
update automatically. If you check for updates, you may not even be offered the
update at all. Alternatively, you may get a message indicating your system is
not yet suitable for the update. My advice would be to wait a few months and
see if it happens automatically.
If
you want to force the update, you can use the Media Creation Tool:-
You
can click Update Now to perform the update, or click Download Tool
Now. The latter option allows you to download and run the Tool which can
create an Installation USB Stick which you can then use to install
Windows 10-2004 on other PCs.
OneDrive
– Deletion Policy
If
you have a Microsoft Account - maybe created to sign in to a Windows 10 PC –
you automatically get 5GB of free storage in the Microsoft cloud, known as
OneDrive. If you don’t use this OneDrive
storage for 2 years, Microsoft will send an email stating that it will be
deleted. If you want to keep your OneDrive storage, just go to onedrive.live.com and sign
in with your Microsoft Account details. Alternatively, if you don’t want to use
your OneDrive, just do nothing and it will get deleted. See this article for
more details:-
Google Drive/iCloud
We briefly discussed iCloud storage. You get 5GB of free iCloud storage with Apple, but this is needed for device backups, storing any files and all your photos. Photos can quickly fill up your iCloud storage, so I recommend installing the Google Photos app on your iPhone/iPad and turning off iCloud Photos (Settings, Photos). Any photos you take will then be automatically uploaded to Google Drive, where they do NOT count to your storage quota - provided you stick with the default of storing photos in "High Quality" (rather than "Original Quality"). So, there is no limit to how many photos you can store for free with Google.
iTunes Backup
iPhones/iPads normally backup automatically to your iCloud storage (provided you have sufficient space available). However, you can also connect your mobile device to a PC (or Mac) with a USB cable and backup using iTunes. This creates a backup of your iDevice on your PC and is independent of any backups you may have on iCloud. For more on backing up your iDevices, see:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203977
Amazon
Smile
Some
of you may remember that we discussed this at the Computer Club last November.
While we are in some form of lockdown, I’m sure we are all ordering more
online, including from Amazon. Amazon Smile is exactly the same as the normal
Amazon, except that Amazon donates 0.5% of your purchase price (excluding
VAT and shipping) to a charity of your choice. This costs you nothing and
benefits your charity – what’s not to like!
To
find out more, go to:-
To
use Smile from your web browser, simply go to:-
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ (instead of the usual amazon.co.uk)
If you use the Amazon app on your mobile device:-
- First, set up Smile on your web browser and select your charity.
- Launch the app on your mobile device
- Tap the Menu (3-bars)
- Tap AmazonSmile
- Follow the on-screen instructions
Contacts - iCloud and Outlook
Linda had issues with Contacts on her iPhone. Mainly, she stores contacts in Outlook on her PC. The iPhone/iPad allows you to add other accounts, in addition to your Apple iCloud account. You can do this on the iDevice by going to Settings, Passwords & Accounts. Here, you can see what accounts you are already signed into and add further accounts, if required. If you have more than one account on the iDevice, then one of them will be set as the default. So, with contacts, they will be sync'ed with the default account. You can select which one this is in Settings, Contacts, Default Account.
With regard to syncing Outlook contacts on the PC with iCloud, this should be possible by installing and running the iCloud for Windows app on your PC - see here for more:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204283
However, this did not seem to be available in Linda's case as she has Outlook 2007 which is no longer supported by the iCloud for Windows app. So the alternative is to export the contacts from Outlook and then import them to iCloud. This site explains the process:-
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-import-contacts-from-Outlook-to-iCloud
To be clear, to import them into iCloud, sign in to icloud.com on your PC and click on the cog
(lower left) to find Import vCard. The extra problem is that you have to convert the CSV file exported from Outlook into a vCard file which can be imported into iCloud. I don't have a personal recommendation for software to do this, but googling reveals suggestions such as these:-
https://www.ilovefreesoftware.com/06/windows/file/file-converters/free-csv-to-vcard-converter-software-windows.html
Tablet Mode on Windows
Margaret mentioned an issue which she had, which was caused by Windows being in Tablet Mode. Tablet Mode removes items from the Taskbar and causes all apps to open in a full-screen window. You can toggle Tablet Mode on or off by clicking on the Notification button (extreme right-hand end of Taskbar) and clicking on the Tablet Mode button at the bottom (if this button is not visible click on Expand).
For further Tablet Mode settings, go to Start, Settings, System, Tablet mode.
iPad Control Panel
If you swipe down from the top right of an iPad, you see a control panel where you can control volume, brightness, rotation-lock and other features.
Linux is Pronounced Linux!
If you want to confirm the pronunciation of Linux, have a look at any of the hundreds of videos featuring Linus Torvalds, its creator. Here is just one example from 2012:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFKxlYNfT_o
Washing Machine Beeps
Why not - washing machines have computers in them too! Margaret's washing machine had stopped beeping when it finishes its cycle. The beep sound at the end of the washing cycle can often be adjusted for volume by some combination of button presses. If you have lost the instruction manual you can google for your particular make/model of machine or look for a YouTube video. Here, for example is how you do this on a Bosch VarioPerfect model:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSjdtkFZL-4
Linda had issues with Contacts on her iPhone. Mainly, she stores contacts in Outlook on her PC. The iPhone/iPad allows you to add other accounts, in addition to your Apple iCloud account. You can do this on the iDevice by going to Settings, Passwords & Accounts. Here, you can see what accounts you are already signed into and add further accounts, if required. If you have more than one account on the iDevice, then one of them will be set as the default. So, with contacts, they will be sync'ed with the default account. You can select which one this is in Settings, Contacts, Default Account.
With regard to syncing Outlook contacts on the PC with iCloud, this should be possible by installing and running the iCloud for Windows app on your PC - see here for more:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204283
However, this did not seem to be available in Linda's case as she has Outlook 2007 which is no longer supported by the iCloud for Windows app. So the alternative is to export the contacts from Outlook and then import them to iCloud. This site explains the process:-
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-import-contacts-from-Outlook-to-iCloud
To be clear, to import them into iCloud, sign in to icloud.com on your PC and click on the cog
(lower left) to find Import vCard. The extra problem is that you have to convert the CSV file exported from Outlook into a vCard file which can be imported into iCloud. I don't have a personal recommendation for software to do this, but googling reveals suggestions such as these:-
https://www.ilovefreesoftware.com/06/windows/file/file-converters/free-csv-to-vcard-converter-software-windows.html
Tablet Mode on Windows
Margaret mentioned an issue which she had, which was caused by Windows being in Tablet Mode. Tablet Mode removes items from the Taskbar and causes all apps to open in a full-screen window. You can toggle Tablet Mode on or off by clicking on the Notification button (extreme right-hand end of Taskbar) and clicking on the Tablet Mode button at the bottom (if this button is not visible click on Expand).
For further Tablet Mode settings, go to Start, Settings, System, Tablet mode.
iPad Control Panel
If you swipe down from the top right of an iPad, you see a control panel where you can control volume, brightness, rotation-lock and other features.
Linux is Pronounced Linux!
If you want to confirm the pronunciation of Linux, have a look at any of the hundreds of videos featuring Linus Torvalds, its creator. Here is just one example from 2012:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFKxlYNfT_o
Washing Machine Beeps
Why not - washing machines have computers in them too! Margaret's washing machine had stopped beeping when it finishes its cycle. The beep sound at the end of the washing cycle can often be adjusted for volume by some combination of button presses. If you have lost the instruction manual you can google for your particular make/model of machine or look for a YouTube video. Here, for example is how you do this on a Bosch VarioPerfect model:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSjdtkFZL-4
Next Session
Wed
24th June 2020 at 2pm video conference.
Topics - Windows 10S
Topics - Windows 10S
