Computer Club Topics Documents
Earlier this year, I produced a set of documents which contain extracts from the Computer Club blogs, organised by topic. I first mentioned this at the Club in May – see the May blog for more:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/05/
Since May, I have added additional documents covering:-
- Cloud Storage (Inc. OneDrive, Google Drive & iCloud)
- Network Extenders, Powerline Adapters, Mesh Routers
- Windows – Local vs Microsoft Account
- (Deleting) Cookies
- Resetting/Erasing Devices & Uninstalling/Resetting Apps
- Linux
- Digital Legacy
- Smart Devices (including Echo, Roku, Chromecast, TV’s)
You can access these 18 documents (and any further ones I may add) via my web site:-
bit.ly/rogersdocs
You can also click the link on the right of this blog (except on the mobile version).
On the Roger’s Documents web site, click on the Computer Club tab to find the current list of documents and then click on any document to view or download it from Dropbox.
As we re-visit any of these topics in the future, I will append that blog entry to the relevant document.
Paid Version of Facebook/Instagram in EU
At the Club in September, I mentioned the possibility that Meta might offer paid-for versions of Facebook and Instagram in the EU – see the blog at:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/09/
This will NOT apply in the UK. People in the EU can choose to pay €9.99/month for ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram, or they can agree to Meta collecting the necessary personal data to serve up adverts and have the apps for free. This will get around the requirement of the EU regulator by giving users a (paid) option if they do not consent to data collection. See this BBC article for more:-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-67226394
We had a brief discussion about EU regulations and some of their unintended consequences. Their latest idea (Article 45) essentially seeks to break HTTPS encryption to allow government bodies to 'snoop' on their citizens. You can read more about this on the Electronic Frontier Foundation web site:-
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/11/article-45-will-roll-back-web-security-12-years
AI Makes Scams More Convincing
AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s Copilot/Bing can help you create documents, which is potentially very useful. However, they can also help the bad guys to create well-written, very convincing scam emails, without the spelling and grammar errors that we have come to expect from scammers. So we need to be even more vigilant when looking at our emails and other messages.
Which? talks more about this and offers some advice in this article:-
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/are-ai-chatbots-risking-a-new-wave-of-convincing-scams-aAsqP2V6I0pE
And it’s not just text-based messages. AI can now make convincing fake voice calls or videos based on a relatively short sample of video/audio. Be aware of anything that asks you for logon details or personal information, especially if it seems to be pressurising you to act quickly.
George mentioned an episode of Law in Action which covered an AI fake documentary which appeared to use the voice of Stephen Fry. You can hear this on BBC Sounds at:-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001s5l9
Book Recommendations
George recommended a couple of books. One on the development of AI - Genius Makers by Cade Metz which is available on Amazon:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genius-Makers-Facebook-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/184794213X
Also, Chip Wars by Chris Miller on the history of the microchip:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chip-War-Worlds-Critical-Technology/dp/1398504122
Telephone Number Spoofing
Brian asked if there was any progress in preventing the "Caller ID" number from being spoofed or falsified by scammers. Since the meeting, I have found this article from ISP Review which has more on this topic:-
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/04/ofcom-uk-test-new-way-to-detect-and-block-spoofed-numbers.html
Apple Apps
You can find a quick overview of the standard Apple apps that you can find on their various devices by going to:-
https://www.apple.com/apps/
They are grouped by categories:-
- Communication
- Creativity
- Productivity
- Exploration
- Entertainment & Home
- Health & Fitness
- Features
Along the top, you can select, for example, iPad or iPhone to see just the apps applicable to that device. It’s worth a browse around, just to remind you of the Apple apps that are available on your device(s).
Microsoft Money
I have used Microsoft Money for many years. It is an obsolete product with the last version being 2005. However, it still works, so I will continue to use it. I was interested if anyone else used software for personal financial management. It turns out that, other than John who also used MS Money, most people just use spreadsheets.
If you want to find an alternative for any software (e.g. MS Money or anything else), how would you go about it - see the next item for one possibility.
Alternative Programs
If you are looking for alternative software, there is a web site that might help you:-
https://alternativeto.net/
Just enter the software you currently use in the search box at the top to find alternatives. You will see some description and possibly some comments on these alternatives. The information is crowd-sourced by users who sign in to this site.
Having found a possible alternative, it is a good idea to search for further reviews.
Reporting Scams
Linda had a problem reporting a phishing email. She sent the report to:-
report@phishing.gov.uk
It submits the email to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) who will investigate, although you are unlikely to receive a direct response.
In this case, the email included a suspicious attachment which may have been detected and refused. The NCSC recommend scanning an email to avoid it being detected as malicious. This may mean it is not possible to send the attachment.
See the NCSC for more at:-
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-email
Accidental Roaming
Roaming on your mobile phone allows you to connect to non-UK networks when abroad. Ensure you understand the charges that may be involved. In certain geographical locations within the UK, it may be possible to connect to a non-UK network, for example near the coast, on islands, in Northern Ireland, etc. To avoid this (and the extra charges involved), turn off Roaming in your phone settings when not needed.
Next Session
Wed 13th December 2023 at 2pm by Zoom
