iPhone
12 Interferes with Pacemakers
The
iPhone 12 has a fairly strong magnet built in which is designed to allow it to
clamp to wireless charging devices.
However, magnets can affect the function of heart pacemakers. If an iPhone 12 was placed in the left breast
pocket, it could potentially temporarily disable some functions of a
pacemaker. This article has more:-
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/doctors-issue-warning-on-new-iphone-12-and-pacemakers
Windows
11
As you may know, on Windows 10, you can sign in with either a Local Account or a Microsoft Account. Local Account sign-in is the way things used to work back in Windows 7 and earlier. When you set up Windows 10, you are encouraged to create a Microsoft Account and use that to sign in to the machine. This has a number of advantages, especially if you use several machines (as they can sync together) or you use other Microsoft services such as OneDrive. Windows
11 Home will be more insistent that you use a Microsoft Account The option to sign in with a local account
will not be readily available. However, it looks
like there could be a couple of workarounds:-
- One is to disconnect the internet just after the set-up process checks for updates.
- The other is to sign in with the Microsoft Account, then go to Settings, Accounts, Your Info and select Sign in with a local account instead.
See
this article for more:-
https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-microsoft-local-account/
Windows 11 Pro will, however, still have the local account option.
Chrome
93 – Secure Indicator
We
are currently on version 92 of the Chrome web browser. This also applies to other browsers which are based on the Chromium platform such as Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, etc. When you browse to an encrypted website, one
that has “https://” at the beginning, you currently see a small closed-padlock
symbol to the left of the address. If
you go to an unencrypted site, one that begins with “http://”, you will see an
exclamation mark in a triangle instead of the padlock and a message saying “Not
secure”.
Starting with version 93, Google will replace the padlock symbol with a down-arrow. Clicking this will reveal the site details (as clicking the padlock currently does). The “Not secure” warning will remain the same. With version 94 in September, sites that don’t offer “https” will bring up a full-page warning if the users opts in to HTTPS First Mode. This will become the default in later versions.
Google’s
mission is clearly to persuade all websites to use “https”. You can read more in this Google blog:-
https://blog.chromium.org/2021/07/increasing-https-adoption.html
What3Words
https://what3words.com/
Available through the above website or, perhaps more usefully, via a smartphone app, this is a geographical location service. What3words divides the world into 3-metre squares. Each square can be uniquely identified by a 3-word code. This is used by all the emergency services. For example, if you were out in the countryside and had a medical emergency, you could use the What3words app to define your position and then call 999 and give them that 3-word location.
It
works in several languages, but the 3 words will be completely different in
another language, not just translations.
Windows Updates - Image Backup
John raised this issue. If you are performing a big update to Windows - perhaps the forthcoming update to Windows 11 - you may want to ensure you have a way of reverting to the previous version if the update failed.
To do this, you can use the Windows Image Backup function. An image backup includes everything on your storage drive, i.e. Windows, all your apps and all your data. You can use an image backup if you are replacing the hard drive, possibly upgrading it to a solid-state drive, for example. Once the image is restored, the system should work exactly as before.
To access the image backup in Windows 10, go to:-
Start, Settings, Update & Security, Backup
Then, under the heading "Looking for an older backup", click on:-
Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)
A new window will open and you need to click on Create a system image near the top left and follow the instructions.
You can read more about this in my document "Backup in Windows 10":-
https://bit.ly/CE-Backup
You can also access Backup and Restore (Windows 7) by clicking Start and typing Control Panel. This also works in Windows 11.
Windows 11 Requirements
Cherry raised a question about the requirements for upgrading to Windows 11. Windows 11 will need a fairly recent processor, 4GB RAM and a TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module). TPM 2.0 has been around since about 2015.
This Microsoft site has more details on Windows 11:-
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-11
If you scroll down the above web page you will find a "Check for compatibility" heading. This is not currently available, but you will soon find a link here to the PC Health Check app which will tell you if your current PC can be upgraded to Windows 11. In most cases, if your PC is not compatible, you will have to purchase a new one.
However, if the TPM is not found when you run the check, it may just be disabled. Remember all PCs since about 2015 should have a TPM 2.0. To enable the TPM, you will need to venture into the machine's BIOS settings. You may be able to access the BIOS/UEFI by using the Advanced Startup in Windows 10, or by pressing the appropriate key (usually F2 or Del) at boot up. This article explains more:-
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-enable-trusted-platform-module-tpm-your-pc-if-its-supported
I suggest you search for the details of how the TPM is enabled on your specific make and model of PC.
How Much RAM?
Cherry asked if more RAM improves the PCs performance. The answer is - up to a point. Programs and data are all stored on the storage drive (either a hard drive or SSD). To run, the program and necessary data have to be moved into RAM. If the RAM is too small to accommodate all the necessary information, then data will have to be swapped back and forth between the RAM and the storage device. This continual swapping slows the system down. Once you have enough RAM to accommodate the applications you use, this is the optimal point - increasing the RAM beyond that point will not help. For most average users, 8GB is probably optimal.
Removing a SIM Card
In response to a question from Linda, we had a discussion about how to replace the SIM card in a mobile phone. The SIM card is provided by your mobile network provider and it determines the phone number you use.
This video shows how to access the SIM card which could either be via a tray in the side of the phone, or you may need to unclip the back cover of the phone:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_EQFjUexI8
MiFi
We briefly discussed these devices. MiFi is actually a trade name which I believe belongs to Three, but other operators have similar devices. Essentially, these are small routers which connect to a mobile network and then several wi-fi devices (these could be tablets, PCs, smart speakers, etc) can connect to the MiFi using wi-fi. You could use one as a backup in case your broadband fails at home. It could also be useful if you are travelling with multiple devices.
This site has more details of the devices from the various operators:-
https://broadbandsavvy.com/best-mifi-deals/
File Explorer Popping Up
Brian had a File Explorer window popping up every couple of hours relating to a particular external drive. This happens when you plug in an external USB drive. This suggests that this particular drive is disconnecting and then re-connecting for some reason.
Next Session
Wed 8th September 2021 at 2pm via Zoom.
