Silicon Chip Magazine, May 2017 (click on image for link to preview - see Peter to borrow article.
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Clare, Peter, David and Les met at Rustik for discussion over coffee on Wednesday 26th, discussing LTE Broadcasting which Telstra has been trialling and will be rolled out nation wide next year. It is basically aimed at high quality video or multimedia services for mobile devices including smart phones and tablets although obviously the content could be cast to a TV receiver from your mobile using a Chromcast or similar device. Telstra is a very early adopter of the technology and the content to be provided is not fully decided but could range from sporting events to first release movies. It will obviously require devices capable of receiving 4G LTE–B transmissions. Late model Samsung and other devices should be ok but Apple products are doubtful at this stage. Maybe a software update could fix late models. LTE (Long Term Evolution) and the trend of mobile communications technology were also discussed. Both Telstra and Optus appear to be looking ahead for new products and services to replace existing ones in life after NBN. Les Rodgers Reading: Wright, M (2017) #MWC16: LTE-Broadcast: coming to a device near you Telstra Exchange/Network https://exchange.telstra.com.au/mwc17-lte-broadcast-coming-to-a-device-near-you/ (accessed 24 May 17)
David, Len, Peter and Brent and myself appeared at Rustik this morning circa 10.30 am.
We talked about the requirement of the NBN for a VDSL2 modem which would likely be provided by an ISP, who may also provide a wifi router as part of that. Experience suggests the wifi router provided by the ISP may not meet everyone’s needs for speed and security. We explored some of the offerings available and found the Google wifi particularly interesting in terms of security and adequate speed (throughput around 100 mb/s) as well as ease of setup. Google wifi was released overseas late last year and is much in demand. It is not yet available in Australia. Another interesting one not yet available is the F-Secure SENSE. It is to be released around the middle of this year. Both Google and the SENSE need to be continuously on line for updating of security patches and offer protection against a wide range of possible intrusions. Google updating is free while SENSE will cost $8 per month. Both of these claim to protect home networks including any IoT things which are very vulnerable in some cases. Cheers Les Discussion was general and ranged across things like high frequency radio and ‘ham’ radio generally. We also learned something about life on Willis Island. A pleasant hour quickly passed. Not much to say really, just a pleasant conversation between three people with similar interests.
Les Rodgers The Tech Savvies Workgroup 2017 – a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) Les Rodgers Considering the “Techsavvies” subgroup’s previous decision of purpose: "The purpose of the group is to identify new products and services suggest how they might be used for the benefit of U3A Benalla and its members. To do this we would
I would suggest changing it (additions in italics), assuming the others agree to: "The purpose of the group is to identify new technological products and services likely to be of interest to members related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and suggest how they might be used for the benefit of U3A Benalla and its members. To do this we would
The Internet of Things (IoT), a term first used in 2014, is now ubiquitous although there are several definitions. In effect it is all embracing and covers all technologies and delivery mechanisms and can mean whatever you want it to mean. It does not limit what the TechSavvies subgroup can do unless we want it to. There may be an educational role here or at least sharing of information. The ITU (International Telecommunications Union) version of the IoT is shown in this diagram on the next page. As you can see it covers just about every eventuality.  In the first instance Telstra is talking about narrow band IoT integration (see ‘Telstra Launches Home Platform’ ). Everybody seems to think IoT is a “good thing” but the regulatory bodies are still wondering what to do with it. It will get really interesting when broadband is involved especially with 4g LTE and 5g mobiles.
Recommended reading: Gutierrez, Peter (2016) ‘Telstra Launches Home Platform’ http://iothub.com.au/news/telstra-launches-smart-home-platform-421230 Recommended website: IOT Hub http://www.iothub.com.au/news Les has been adding key articles he he has selected for discussion to the U3A Drop box folder each month. Don't forget to check them out - but don't actually check them out!
Tech Savvies contributor - Bev. "Last year in 'Making the Most of the Internet' Ian introduced us to Google Glass via a video - it wasn't until I saw a second video on the topic I really grasped it. (Click this link to go to the first two videos). Download this show has just revisited the topic.... check this out."
A featured slide show from Slide Share this month - lots of slides, could be useful for reference.
Techsavvies discussed the recent interest in sleep deprivation as a result of using screens of various types for long periods before going to sleep at night. The problem seems to be particularly troubling for young people using smart phones or tablets who develop bad sleeping habits from prolonged usage just prior to sleep. The problem also affects older people and is thought to be due to the high amount of light emitted from screens at the blue end of the spectrum. There are a number of strategies to counter the problem. Apart from behavioral aspects, there are apps for shifting the colour temperature away from the blue end towards a warmer colour and reducing the intensity of the blue light. One manufacturer produces a ‘low blue light monitor’ for pcs.
Other topics discussed included issues around changing to windows 10. Things to watch are to make sure whether you need a 32 bit version or 64 bit version. Some legacy software may not run correctly on the wrong version. Also a 32 bit machine would not work properly with the 64 bit version. There may be some hardware incompatibilities for example if the graphics card in the computer is too old there may not be an appropriate driver in windows 10 for it to work correctly. Windows 10 will default to internal software graphics in this case but it is of poor resolution and a new card would be needed. Support from Microsoft for windows 7 seven will eventually phase out. There was some discussion about the use of chromecast and similar hdmi dongles and also the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). Les Rodgers Covenor's Note: Both Claire and Peter have expressed a keen interest in finding out more about VPN. Ian has been contacted and has agreed to present on this topic - perhaps initially to the Techsavies working group? Bev |
