Apple AirPrint
Most wireless printers are "Apple AirPrint enabled". Provided that both the printer and your Apple device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, it should be possible to print from the iPhone/iPad. This Apple support page explains more:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201387
Fake Pop-Up – “Your Computer Was Locked”
On your PC you may encounter a malicious or corrupted web site that displays a message in you browser saying something like “Microsoft has blocked this computer”. The web site uses techniques which make it difficult to navigate away from this web page, giving the impression that your PC is locked. The message will suggest you phone a number or click a link to solve the problem – obviously, you should not do either of these things!
You can usually resolve the issue by either:-
- Closing the browser tab,
- Closing the browser (using Task Manager, if necessary), or
- If the mouse is not responding, press Ctrl-Alt-Del, then select Task Manager by using the arrows keys and press Enter.
- Rebooting the PC.
- If you can't do any of the above, hold down the power button for about 10 seconds until the machine powers off. Then reboot.
This article from CyberNews discusses this in more detail:-
https://cybernews.com/malware/remove-microsoft-computer-blocked-virus/
Similar browser lock-up situations can happen on mobile devices, but just swiping the app off in the app-switcher would normally resolve this.
[To access the app-switcher on iOS, swipe up from the bottom to the middle of the screen and hold. If you have an iPhone/iPad with a Home button, double-press the Home button.
On Android, if using the navigation buttons, tap the button on the left which is either a square or 3-bars. If using gestures rather than the navigation buttons, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold.]
Windows Safe Mode
We briefly discussed rebooting into Safe Mode. This is a simplified version of Windows which may allow you to perform tasks that are not working in normal mode. The easiest method is to click on the Restart button while holding down the Shift key. The PC will reboot to an option screen where you need to select Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart. After the PC restarts again, you may be asked for the BitLocker Recovery Key if the drive is encrypted. Then you can select, for example, Safe Mode by pressing 4.
Seeing AI
Seeing AI is a free app from Microsoft designed to assist blind and partially sighted users. It was first released for iOS some years ago, but is now also available on Android – just download it from the relevant app store. Take care to download the Seeing AI app by Microsoft Corporation with this logo:-
There are a number of options, called Channels, which the user can select. The Channels are:-
- Short Text Channel – this will identify and read aloud text.
- Document Channel – this will detect the document edges, capture and read the document.
- Product Channel – will help you find a product barcode and identify the product.
- Person Channel – this will identify and describe people.
- Scene Channel – this will describe the items and scenes around you.
- Currency Channel – this can identify and speak the value of a note, e.g. “ten pound”
A blind user would use the app with accessibility functions such as VoiceOver on Apple or TalkBack on Android which enables them to use the device without being able to see the screen.
This is a very impressive app just to try out as a sighted person. It could be very useful for a visually impaired user. If you know anyone who is blind or partially sighted, you might like to check that they are aware of this app.
If you would like to know more, this video describes the more recent Android version:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3VxrOCCdY
This video article, by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, describes the iOS version and has links to a series of Microsoft videos:-
https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/getting-support/information-and-advice/how-can-technology-help-me/apps/seeing-ai/
Google Gemini
Gemini is Google's the latest AI technology introduced last December and it has now been integrated into Google Bard which we mentioned last year – see the Computer Club blogs for:-
- February 2023 - https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/02/
- April 2023 - https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/04/
- June 2023 - https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/06/
- December 2023 - https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/12/
While Bard was originally trained on a text-based Large Language Model (LLM), Gemini is “multi-model” which means it supports input and output images and audio, in addition to text. So this is described as a Large Multi-modal Model (LMM).
This article from The Conversation dated 15 December 2023 discusses Google Gemini and includes a Google demonstration video:-
https://theconversation.com/googles-gemini-is-the-new-ai-model-really-better-than-chatgpt-219526
You can access Bard using the mobile app or by going to:-
https://bard.google.com
Copilot App for Android
Copilot is Microsoft's AI chatbot. It replaces Bing Chat. On a PC, you may find the Copilot Preview app on the Taskbar and you can also use the Copilot button in the top right corner of the Edge browser.
Now, there is a Copilot app for both iOS and Android which you can install for free from the app store. It will accept input by text, speech or image and can produce text and image outputs.
As an experiment, I used the Android version of the Copilot app and typed the following prompt:-
“Create a sketch of a dog on a skateboard using a mobile phone”
This was the result:-
I then added:-
“Make the dog more realistic but include it flying a kite”
This was the result:-
See this TechCrunch article from last week for more:-
https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/03/microsoft-copilot-is-now-available-on-ios-and-android/?guccounter=1
Real-World Applications of AI
The above led to a wide-ranging discussion about AI. After the meeting, I found this Forbes article from May last year which describes 15 real-world applications of AI:-
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/05/10/15-amazing-real-world-applications-of-ai-everyone-should-know-about/?sh=a497d7885e8d
Windows 10 After October 2025
It's less than 2 years now before Windows 10 reaches the end of its supported life in October next year. While it will continue to work after that date, it will not receive any further security updates and patches, so, over time, it will become less secure to use online.
Upgrading to Windows 11 is the obvious answer, if you can, but your machine may not meet he hardware requirements. This ZDNet article discusses this and suggests 5 possible options:-
https://www.zdnet.com/article/when-windows-10-support-ends-you-have-5-options-but-only-2-are-worth-considering/
This Microsoft document explains how to install Window 11 on a PC that does not meet the usual TPM and processor requirements. It involves creating an entry in the Registry, which an average user would probably not be willing to try:-
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ways-to-install-windows-11-e0edbbfb-cfc5-4011-868b-2ce77ac7c70e
We discussed the idea of just using such a Windows 10 PC off line, for example, for word-processing. You could use another device for online access, such as a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook.
Disposing of an iPhone/iPad
If you are selling or giving your iPhone/iPad to someone else, it is important that you sign out of your Apple/iCloud account and then erase all the content. This Apple Support page explains this in more detail:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201351
Disposing of an Android phone requires a similar procedure which is described in this Wired article:-
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-reset-your-phone-before-you-sell-it/
Email Authentication
To help prevent spoofing of email addresses, authentication protocols called SPF, DKIM and DMARC have been developed. Email servers sending emails should have implemented these protocols and email servers (including Gmail) who receive emails may verify these protocols and refuse to accept emails that do not comply.
The objective is to reduce spoofing, phishing and spam. Major email operators will have implemented these protocols. However, if you operate your own email domain (e.g. yourname@yourdomain.com) you will need to ensure your domain host has got things set up correctly. Otherwise, you could find some of your emails are rejected and maybe returned as "undeliverable".
If you want to delve further into these protocols, you could read this TectTarget article:-
https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/answer/Email-authentication-How-SPF-DKIM-and-DMARC-work-together
Spam Email Issue
Linda had an issue with an iPad with two mail accounts - Gmail and iCloud. Gmail was being accessed in the Gmail app and the Apple Mail app. The Gmail app was just handling the Gmail email and had no issues. The Apple Mail app was handling both accounts and was receiving a lot of spam in a Spam/Junk folder. The Mail app lists the Mailboxes separately, so it should be obvious which account is producing the junk mail. Logically, as no spam appears in the Gmail app (which only handles Gmail mail), the offending spam must be coming via the iCloud account.
Next Session
Wed 14th February 2024 at 2pm by Zoom
