Our toolbag of new ways in which to make the most of the internet continues to grow! Ian began the session showing us visions of the Future with a you tube video on older people responding to the use of Google Glass. I had to do some googling at home then watch the second video before I accepted Ian's Google Glass video wasn't a joke! (Both videos take about 10 mins).
It's always good to have a reliable reference source - Ian recommended Koroush Ghazi's 'Tweaking Companion' 'the complete system customization and optimization guide for all Windows users'. There is a free Regular Edition and a Deluxe Edition which is available as a PDF E-Book 'for around the price of a cup of coffee'.
Safety issues were further explored, beginning with an introduction to malware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0's free product and Wickr, a combination of messaging apps which doesn't keep a record of users' communications.
Netflix has arrived since we last met. Ian gave us an article comparing different streaming services then demonstrated his trial subscription to Netflix - he's finding the quality good, no buffering, smooth streaming. We can subscribe for one month free - if we don't want to keep it, we need to make sure we set a cancel date before the end date. According to Ian, it's worth $9 a month not to have ads!
Subscriptions to a streaming service such as Netflix and/or to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) both reduce the possibility of being found guilty of illegal downloading or 'pirating'. This has become of increasing concern to downloaders with producers of the Dallas Buyers Club winning a case (to be appealed) against internet provider IInet this week. Ian showed us examples of correspondence likely to be received by people found to have breached copyright by downloading files illegally.
Broadly speaking, Virtual Private Networks (VPN's) don't record who has been doing what and when. They circumvent 'geoblocking'. With a VPN network subscription of around $40 pa we can go to a server in most places in the world - in London, for example - to select and watch eg. BBC I-view which would otherwise be geoblocked.
In the final part of the session, Bev introduced three easy to learn web design platforms - Weebly, Wix and WordPress - available in free versions on the web (see Bev's notes and links). Our U3A Benalla website is currently being redesigned using Weebly, which is easy to manage and learn by anyone with word processing skills. Bev provided an overview of the website and encouraged class members to have a look at it-- the web address is http://u3abenalla.weebly.com. Feedback is important and welcome! Next session will include some time spent learning how to develop a simple web 'blog'.
Finally, on an ironic note as Benalla awaits the NBN, we read that Simon Hackett, the NBN Co director employed by the LNP Government to implement its cost saving change to fibre to the node technology, recently said he is a strong supporter of connecting premises directly to fibre!
Safety issues were further explored, beginning with an introduction to malware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0's free product and Wickr, a combination of messaging apps which doesn't keep a record of users' communications.
Netflix has arrived since we last met. Ian gave us an article comparing different streaming services then demonstrated his trial subscription to Netflix - he's finding the quality good, no buffering, smooth streaming. We can subscribe for one month free - if we don't want to keep it, we need to make sure we set a cancel date before the end date. According to Ian, it's worth $9 a month not to have ads!
Subscriptions to a streaming service such as Netflix and/or to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) both reduce the possibility of being found guilty of illegal downloading or 'pirating'. This has become of increasing concern to downloaders with producers of the Dallas Buyers Club winning a case (to be appealed) against internet provider IInet this week. Ian showed us examples of correspondence likely to be received by people found to have breached copyright by downloading files illegally.
Broadly speaking, Virtual Private Networks (VPN's) don't record who has been doing what and when. They circumvent 'geoblocking'. With a VPN network subscription of around $40 pa we can go to a server in most places in the world - in London, for example - to select and watch eg. BBC I-view which would otherwise be geoblocked.
In the final part of the session, Bev introduced three easy to learn web design platforms - Weebly, Wix and WordPress - available in free versions on the web (see Bev's notes and links). Our U3A Benalla website is currently being redesigned using Weebly, which is easy to manage and learn by anyone with word processing skills. Bev provided an overview of the website and encouraged class members to have a look at it-- the web address is http://u3abenalla.weebly.com. Feedback is important and welcome! Next session will include some time spent learning how to develop a simple web 'blog'.
Finally, on an ironic note as Benalla awaits the NBN, we read that Simon Hackett, the NBN Co director employed by the LNP Government to implement its cost saving change to fibre to the node technology, recently said he is a strong supporter of connecting premises directly to fibre!
