Category: Tech Talk

Would you like free access to daily newspapers, magazines, books and more, all at your fingertips ? Today’s libraries offer far more than shelves of printed literature. With a smartphone or tablet and an internet connection, you can borrow books, read daily newspapers and magazines, listen to audiobooks, and access a wealth of other resources… Continue reading Free Reading – anywhere, anytime

For many years, logging in to websites has relied on a combination of: This system is still widely used today, however passwords have weaknesses: Because of the inherent weaknesses of using passwords alone, many organisations are now adding extra layers of security to log in. For many people, these extra steps can seem inconvenient and… Continue reading Login Confusion

Most homes connect to the internet through a modem-router or Wi-Fi router supplied by the internet provider. This device is the “gateway” between your home devices and the internet, for which a few simple changes to the settings can greatly improve the security of your home network. Accessing Your Modem-Router Settings Most modem-routers have a… Continue reading Modem-Router Security

Desktop and Laptop Accounts One of the simplest ways to improve desktop and laptop computer security is to avoid using an administrator account for everyday work. Administrator accounts have full control of the system, which means that if malicious software is encountered whilst logged into an account with Administrator privileges, the malware can also gain… Continue reading Safer Computing

Regular backups are essential to protect your computer’s system and data in the event of hardware failure, accidental deletion, malware, or a failed system update. What to Back Up: System vs Data System BackupsSystem backups include your operating system, installed application programs and system settings. If your computer fails, a system backup lets you restore… Continue reading Computer Backup

A few simple habits can dramatically reduce the chances of being caught in a scam or attacked by malware. Start With the Basics • Use strong, unique passwordsAvoid easy passwords like birthdays or pet names, and don’t use the same password on multiple sites. Many of us would benefit from a password manager which can… Continue reading Cybersecurity

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is today’s buzz word with claims of revolutionising the workforce and society itself. Scott Farquhar, tech billionaire and co-founder of Atlassian with Mike Canon-Brookes, gives his take on AI to the National Press Club in this edited 4 minute video here. His advice is for us to use AI every single day… Continue reading AI

Computer technology wasn’t around when we were growing up and going through University. After all, the first productive personal computer program (the spreadsheet, VisiCalc) appeared in 1979, and the public Internet (World Wide Web) began in 1991, when we were already over 40 years old ! Whereas our children and grandchildren have grown up with… Continue reading Internet Etiquette