Re-purposing Old Smartphones
We discussed making use of old smart phones at the last meeting. And I have used an Old Motorola MOTO G3 running Android 6 as a webcam which I used for this Zoom meeting.
I used some free software call Iriun. You can download a Windows, Mac or Linux version here:-
https://iriun.com/
You also need to install the corresponding mobile app from the app store. By running both the mobile and desktop apps, the desktop device will see the Iriun webcam which then works just like any other webcam. The mobile device can either be used wired or wireless, provided it is on the same network as the PC.
I purchased this gooseneck mobile phone stand to mount the phone just above the top of my monitor:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KZH3K2S?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Vodafone FTTP Installation
Brian gave a description of his upgrade to Vodafone’s FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) broadband. All seems to be up and working now, but there were various problems along the way, including Open Reach accidentally breaking the existing copper connection - twice(!) - before the new fibre was active.
Linda mentioned Zzoomm (https://zzoomm.com/) who are installing fibre near her. These are one of many independent fibre operators similar to Lila Connect (https://lilaconnect.co.uk/) who have installed fibre in my area. These operators offer a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband service which is separate from Open Reach, as used by Vodafone, BT, PlusNet, Sky, Shell Energy, TalkTalk, etc.
UK Emergency Alerts System
We mentioned the proposed introduction of the UK Emergency Alert System at the Club in January this year – see the blog for details:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/01/
On 23rd April at 3pm, there will be the first national test of the system. You will hear a siren-like sound together with a vibration and your phone will display a message similar to this:-
You will need to acknowledge the message by pressing OK, although I believe the siren will cease after about 10 seconds.
Remember, this message should be received by any mobile device with a SIM card capable of receiving via a 4G or 5G cell connection. The message is broadcast from every UK cell tower – the system does not know (and does not need to know) your actual phone number.
You can opt out of these message on a device. Perhaps, if you have multiple devices, you might choose to opt out on some of them. Also, vulnerable people who have a ‘secret’ phone should disable it on that device. In general, I would suggest you make sure this is enabled for your own safety. Refer to the January blog to see how to check/change your settings.
Refer to the government site for more details:-
https://www.gov.uk/alerts
The New Bing – Available to All
Last month, I mentioned that the new, ChatGPT-based version of the Microsoft search engine was becoming available to people who had signed up on the waiting list. Now, since 15th March, the new Bing is available to everyone. It is based on the OpenAI chatbot, ChatCPT which I demonstrated last December. That used ChatCPT-3. There have been further developments in the technology since then, and we now have ChatGPT-4 – this is what the new Bing uses. Also, Bing has full access to current live Internet information, which ChatGPT did not.
You can use it by going to https://www.bing.com/ in the Edge browser, which is available on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. However, on iOS and Android it is probably better to use the Bing app which is available from the Apple or Google app store.
For more details, refer to last month’s blog at:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/03/
Google Bard
I have mentioned Bard a couple of times recently, including last month when we talked about the new Bing. Bard is Google’s version of an AI chatbot and is now available. Just as Microsoft initially did with the new Bing, Google have asked anyone who is interested to sign up on their waiting list for Bard. Eventually, you then get an email confirming you have access at:-
https://bard.google.com/
(Also use this address to sign up on the waiting list using your Google credentials)
Unlike Bing, Google's Bard is available in any browser.
Just like Bing, Bard can answer questions, and create poems and stories, etc. Having asked one question, you can continue the ‘chat’ by asking follow-on questions and it will understand these are part of the same thread.
It is still somewhat experimental and it displays a warning that “Bard may display inaccurate or offensive information that doesn’t represent Google’s views.”
George mentioned that the AI chat function is appearing in Microsoft Office apps such as Excel or PowerPoint. You will be able to ask it to generate spreadsheets or PowerPoint shows based on your information. 2023 will, I think, be the year of the AI chatbots, so we will see more of this kind of thing over the coming months.
ChatPDF
ChatCPT, Bing Chat and Bard, as mentioned above, are all Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots which uses what is know as a large language model to provide conversational responses based on an enormous data set – for Bing and Bard, they access virtually the whole Internet.
However, suppose you would like answers based on a relatively small data set – such as a single PDF document. Well, there is a free web site which will do just that at:-
https://www.chatpdf.com/
As an example, I submitted a PDF of the Service Manual for a Canon MP620 printer and I asked:-
What does error code 5012 mean?
This was it’s response:-
“Error code 5012 indicates a flatbed motor error that occurred in the scanner. The possible causes of this error are cable connection issues or a faulty scanner unit. Please refer to page 11 of the manual for more information.”
This might be easier than reading through the manual yourself to find the answer!
The free version allows you to to submit up to 3 PDFs a day, each with up to 120 pages. The subscription plan of $5/month increases these limits to 2000 pages and 50 PDFs a day.
Password Managers – Browsers vs Dedicated App
We have discussed, on previous occasions, the pros and cons of using your browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Safari, etc.) to create/store passwords compared to using a dedicated password manager app such as Bitwarden or 1Password. This GHacks article gives their views on the topic:-
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/03/28/should-you-use-your-browsers-password-manager-or-a-dedicated-app/
In general, password managers such as Bitwarden have a number of advantages, including being cross-platform and capable of storing additional notes. This probably requires a certain level of expertise. A browser password manager is limited to working in just that browser - the passwords will not be available in other browsers or when signing into apps. The average user may find the browser password mangers simpler and easier to use. Using any password manager is probably better than none, as you can create long, random passwords for each site and you don't have to remember them or type them in yourself.
Linux Mint Demo
Dave kindly gave a demonstration of Linux Mint. We have mentioned several times in the past that an old PC can still be put to good use by installing Linux instead of Windows. Back at the Club on 27th May 2020, John showed us the process for installing Linux Mint – see:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2020/05/
We could see from Dave's demo, that Linux Mint has a fairly intuitive user interface with many similarities to Windows. The Firefox browser and LibreOffice come pre-installed. Dave showed how the system is updated and how additional software packages can be installed.
For anyone who did not attend the Club or who would like an alternative overview of Linux Mint, have a look at this 17 minute video:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZAH7LWl-o
The above video suggests using Balena Etcher to create the USB install media. This can be downloaded from:-
https://www.balena.io/etcher
I have previously suggested using Rufus to create the USB media which can be downloaded from:-
https://rufus.ie/en/
Both of these pieces of software do a similar job. Some people may prefer the more graphical interface of Balena Etcher.
Note that you should check the ISO file of Linux Mint that you downloaded to ensure it is valid and has not been tampered with before you create a bootable USB stick. There are instructions on the Linux Mint site, but this video takes you through that process:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc3G2U2Fujk
When you initially boot from the Mint USB, it will run Linux Mint without installing anything on the system drive, so you can see if everything works before installing it.
Linda asked about adding anti-virus software to a Linux system. In general, this is not regarded as necessary and it could even be counter-productive. This recent article starts with a view on this topic:-
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/security.html#:~:text=You%20don't%20need%20any,even%20decrease%20your%20security(!).
If you still want to add anti-virus, Dave mentioned ClamAV which is available here:-
https://www.clamav.net/
Adaptive Charging
Some people worry about leaving their phones (and other devices) charging all night and fear this might damage the battery. Modern devices have all sorts of systems to ensure that batteries do not over-charge, so for all mainstream devices, this is not an issue.
iPhones and many Android phones have an additional feature called Adaptive Charging which is designed to further protect the health of the battery. (Note, older devices may not have this feature). This function learns your charging routine, so it knows when to expect you to take your phone off the charger each morning. It will charge the battery up to around 80% and then maintain it at that level until shortly before the expected time that you will remove it from the charger. During that last period, it will complete the charge up to 100%.
On iPhones, you can find this setting by going to Settings, Battery and turning on Optimized Battery Charging.
Similarly, on Android, go to Settings, Battery and look for Adaptive Charging. On a Pixel phone, this is found under Adaptive Preferences – other manufacturers may be slightly different.
Turning this setting on could help to extend the life of your battery.
Public Charging Stations Risk
Beware of using public charging points (e.g. at airports, etc) to charge your smartphone. The FBI in the States have warned that these charging points can be interfered with by the crooks so that they inject malware into connected phones. See this Ghacks article for more:-
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/04/11/fbi-warns-avoid-public-charging-stations/
To protect your devices from this sort of attack, carry your own charger and plug that into a wall socket. Alternatively, it is possible to get a charging-only USB cable which does not have the data connections which would also protect you from this kind of attack. These charging-only cables are a little difficult to find, but since the Club, I have found this little Data Blocker on Amazon for under £5:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PortaPow-PPSCA01-3rd-Data-Blocker/dp/B00QRRZ2QM
Next Session
Wed 10th May 2023 at 2pm by Zoom
