Digital

Category: Miscellany

  • Using Zoom safely

    Updated 13th May

    Since this article was originally written back on March 31st, some other U3A have started using Zoom, and I thought it sensible to Review this article and see if I should change anything in it. Any changes will be marked in red. However, before I start, a couple of things.

    Zoom have recognised that there were defficiencies in their security model and have moved in their new client (version 5) to implement end-to-end encryption – that’s what you get from WhatsApp. After May 30th, all users will be using version 5 because a forced upgrade will occur on any person attempting to join a Zoom meeting after that date. However, you are recommended to upgrade before that day and you can do that from this link.

    A member has also sent me this really useful Infographic on implementing Zoom which I would recommend reading carefully …

     

    I could stop here, but there's a few things I differ from the advice in that infographic which will be highlighted below and which I've also discussed in another article here.

    You might also like to take a look at this article with video that explains the new features on Zoom v.5.

    So here’s the original article, as I said published on March 31st …

    Since writing this article, just over a week ago – gosh it seems longer than that – more groups have started using Zoom, and it’s also clear that it’s being used very widely by friends, families, communities, etc. It’s also clear that Zoom has responded to some of the criticisms that have been levelled against it and disabled some of the “unintended” consequences of allowing people to Login using their Facebook credentials. That is all good news, so my concerns have been diluted, but I think it’s still wise to “proceed with caution” and to this end I’ve collected together some guidelines which I hope will be of use. First of all – you need to get started by signing-up and installing some software on your device.

    Installing Zoom on your Desktop, Tablet or Phone.

    Zoom is a multi-platform piece of software – that puts it in a great place to serve the maximum number of people who are all using different equipment. This puts it in the same category as Skype and Google Hangouts.
    It’s important to remember that the software was intended for business users, and so some of the language might be slanted in that direction. No matter, what you do need to do, is sign-up to get an account. I would not recommend using your Facebook credentials; I might be tempted to link my Google account to Zoom and use it to Login; but overall, it’s probably better to setup an account directly. I have given advice before to use a “throwaway” email account – one you’ve created which is separate from your main email account for this sort of thing. You can have many Google (gmail) accounts – I probably have 6 or 7!
    Once you’ve provided an email address – you’ll be asked to confirm it from an email that will have arrived in your Inbox. Then you’ll be asked to provide normal identity stuff – your name, and then provide a password for your account-you’ll  get a screen which provides you with this information. This is what you can do with your account – you don’t need to press Upgrade Now.

    It might be a good idea to allow your self the time before your first meeting to look at the three videos which are in your welcome email – they will give you a flavour of what Zoom is all about and how to take part in a video call.
    If you’re going to use a Windows PC or an Apple Mac, now would be a good time to have a look at this page and install the app on your desktop or laptop – but if you’re really careful with your privacy, see the cautionary note below about using a desktop or laptop. [I don’t have this fear now, so I would disregard my cautionary note.]

    If you’re using a smartphone, or tablet, it would be a good idea to check this page and install the app on your device.

    If you’ve done all that and have an idea how it’s going to work – you’re ready to start. I’d suggest having a go with a friend or family member first, to practice and test your understanding. If you’ve got a problem with anything add a comment to this post and someone will try and get back to you with an answer/solution.

    So now we come to making things safer for you. As I said before there have been concerns about Zoom’s Privacy policies or procedures, so although they have tightened up these there are a couple of things you should do. [I’ll add some screenshots from my iPad shortly. I didn’t and I won’t be doing this.]

    First of all some tips on which device to use and how to use it …

    • I’ve said this already, but I’ll repeat it. Don’t sign into Zoom with Facebook. This stops Zoom from collecting your Facebook profile info. Although, if you’re already giving all your private info to Facebook, maybe it doesn’t matter.
    • Use a separate device if you need to do anything during the call, if possible, in that way you stop Zoom from tracking any other activity on the device.
    • If you’re an Apple user, use an iPad or iPhone instead of your Mac. Zoom’s iOS app is subject to Apple’s App Store rules, which gives an extra degree of security. The Mac version is a direct download from Zoom, so you have no idea what’s inside. The same is probably true for Windows – but I haven’t checked. So it’s generally safer to use a Mobile device rather than a desktop/laptop. [I don’t consider this a problem now. Zoom have increased their security and it’s MUCH MORE convenient to use a laptop/desktop as you can more easily see everyone on the call in a Gallery view – rather than having to scroll across images of people on a smaller screen device.]

    Hints and tips on staying safe …

    If you do decide to use Zoom, the company offers a few good tips on its blog for staying safe. First, don’t share a meeting link on social media or any public forum, because then anyone who sees it can join. This can lead to “Zoom bombing,” where bad actors crash the party, and drop off a payload of porn and/or other disruptions, before leaving. Something you definitely want to avoid!

    Next, if you’re hosting the event, do not use your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) to do it. “Your PMI is basically one continuous meeting,” says Zoom, “and you don’t want randos crashing your personal virtual space after the party’s over.”

    I use Scheduled Meetings even for Recurring Meetings, I can then send a Meeting Invite round in Beacon, that users just click on to join. This is much easier than sending out invites to every meeting.

    Also, consider making use of the Zoom “Waiting Room,” which is a way to control who can get into your meeting. [This is now the default setting for a meeting.]You can then decide who you want to admit to the call. [This may not be relevant to your calls, but it’s worth bearing in mind if someone you don’t know somehow appears on the call. Next time they won’t because you’ll have implemented the Waiting Room.]

    For more information on staying safe, read Zoom’s blog post, as mentioned above.

    Zoom changed a couple of their Default settings from today – 5th April. Now when you join a meeting the default setting from the host is to ENABLE a Waiting Room, from which the Host can invite people in.

    The second change is to set a Password on Personal Meeting IDs (PMI). It’s not recommended anyway to use PMI as it’s like a permanently open meeting; far better (if you’re the host), as I’ve described above and elsewhere, to create a specific meeting ID which sets a password anyway. Here’s a link that better explains these changes.

  • Setting up a Zoom meeting as Host

    I've been asked by a couple of members how I set up the Zoom video-call meeting. This short video hopefully explains how I have done it – I'm sure others would suggest alternatives .

    Look also here – an earlier post.

  • WhatsApp location finder.

    If you want to share your location with a friend eg if your delayed on a train – WhatsApp may come in useful.

    1. Open individual chat or group chat, in text box, tap the paper clip icon. Tap Location in the box that pops up, (ensure you’ve already allowed whatsApp access to your location)
    2. On next screen a google map of your exact position appears, and below this a list of nearby locations as well as the option to share live location.
    3. Tap Share Live Location & choose how long to share your location (can be between  15 min -1 hour  & 8 hours)
    4. You can also add comment here eg train running late.
    5. Tap the Send arrow,  you’ll then see your location on the app map & an option to Stop Sharing – which can be used any time

  • GPS jamming exercises – Ofcom

    Thought you might be interested in seeing this. Don’t rely on your GPS signal if you’re within 50 miles of Sennybridge at the beginning of April …
    The Ministry of Defence conduct occasional tests on military systems which may result in some loss of service to civilian users of the Global Positioning System (GPS) including in-car navigation devices and networks which rely on GPS signals.
    — Read on www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/information/gps-jamming-exercises

  • Wikipedia … oh dear!

    I’ve known for a long time – in fact ever since my Librarian colleagues brought it to my attention and advised me to use it with great care – that Wikipedia was, and is, not a reliable source for information. Along with the myth of “just google it” to get information on almost anything … and then not subsequently and consciously make a decision on whether the search results returned were reliable, or even the best, the other myth has been “just look it up on wikipedia”.
    I’ve subscribed to this myth – quite literally – donating regularly when asked, thinking that a collective is, and was, a good way to collect and curate information – harnessing the power, enthusiasm and knowledge of the crowd to plant, weed and publish articles. Whilst I realised that it could NEVER be an authoritative reference source, I accepted it as a good, quick and easy way of looking things up. My online dictionary/encyclopedia. Not any more.
    I’ve written about why this came to my attention on my other blog – “Just thoughts …” in this article – “Well this is fascinating, and very disturbing …” but I thought it important to bring it to your attention on this blog as well. The issue is that reputable professionals are being targeted by anonymous “editors” on Wikipedia and having entries about them taken down.
    As I understand it – and please add to my knowledge if incomplete or incorrect – the way Wikipedia works is that once you’ve established the right to create an entry – a page – that article can be modified through voting up or down proposed changes. Beyond that however it would appear that if you have a privileged position – obtained it would seem solely by virtue of the amount of your activity – you can propose deletion of any other entry, and then it’s up to others to vote to keep an article, or indeed support the deletion. It is therefore very easy to co-ordinate an attack on a Wikipedia page to have it removed. In the case of an individual, if they didn’t create the page for themselves, no reference will be made to the person targeted, they do not have any rights to object, they may not even know the page written about them is under discussion for deletion. They can cease to exist on Wikipedia!!!
    So we have an extension to our world of fake news; that is the deletion of truth. What is the world coming to!
     

  • "It's getting to be a bit like Christmas" – 22 Nov 2018

    Boot-up
    These were the suggestions from last time that you came up with …
    Password Manager [Aelfryn] Creating and updating a website [Martin] Google settings [Paul] Facebook settings [Me ???] Windows settings [Don] Backups (and archiving) [Stella] Labels (next session) [David] Photos – organisation and folders (finding) and editing [Toni] Video-editing [Toni] Building an internet browsing computer using Linux from an old laptop [David – Digital Projects maybe] Have I forgotten any? Send me any further suggestions.
    Charging your phone overnight
    News
    Not much …
    Facebook execs deny knowing anything!
    YouTube video-streaming in Europe may be curtailed due to EU Copyright legislation.
    Google runs into “problems” with use of health data.
    Black Friday, Voucher Codes, etc. etc.
    … anything else???
    Labels
    You need a printer! If you’re using an iPad/iPhone – you need a printer that supports AirPrint.
    Sorry … nothing I could try out for Android tablets, or phones – does anyone want to research this?
    Finding a solution that works on every machine is challenging. Using Google suite the best bet – Contacts, Sheets and Docs with an add-on from Avery.
    Start with Contacts. If you don’t use gmail for contacts, go to the Contacts in your eMail application – you need to Export chosen Contacts as a .csv file.
    So for Google (gmail) – go to contacts.google.com …

    You also need to add the Avery Label “add-on” to Google Docs
    – docs.google.com
     

    Then in Google Sheets (sheets.google.com), you Import the .csv file

    Back to Google Docs and choose new merge from Avery Label Merge Add-on …

    Select the Avery Product Code – L7160 – 21 labels is a pretty good starting point …

    … and then the .csv file you want to merge …

    Select the fields that you want to print from the panel on the right-hand side of the Google Docs screen …

    … and then Merge at the bottom of the Panel. A message should appear telling you that a new document Avery_L7160 has been created, and it should look something like this …

    … which you should then be able to print – once you’ve loaded the Label Printer Paper!
    Also a demo of using Label Printer for iPad/iPhone.
    Here’s a good summary of how to do it in Word, Pages (Mac) and Google Docs
     
     

  • Social media – is it worth getting involved? – 8 Nov 2018

    Boot-up
    Meeting – 25th October. Creating a magazine – any questions or issues arising? Apologies for not writing the article – I will get round to it asap!
    What’s  a VPN, and should you consider using one? But first – How does the Internet work; how can you confuse it? Or … how to use your mobile phone in Starbucks to access your bank!!!!!!
    We discussed split train ticket fare websites. Sites where you can say what your journey is, and you will be given a set of tickets that split the journey into pieces using different tickets. Remember NOT to book seats though, otherwise you’ll need to move your seat, otherwise you just present the correct ticket for the portion of the journey you’re travelling. I used to travel from Cardiff to Paddington with tickets from Cardiff to Swindon and Swindon to Paddington and that saved quite a bit of money.
    These are the sites that offer split-ticketing. I can’t give a recommendation, but I think I used the first one – Split Ticketing. Others you could try Split your ticket, Raileasy, SplitMyFare and TicketClever.
    What would you like to get out of these sessions; any themes or features you’d like me (or someone else – volunteers welcome) to lead a discussion on.
    These were the suggestions you came up with …
    Password Manager [Aelfryn] Creating and updating a website [Martin] Google settings [Paul] Facebook settings [Me ???] Windows settings [Don] Backups (and archiving) [Stella] Labels (next session) [David] Photos – organisation and folders (finding) and editing [Toni] Video-editing [Toni] Building an internet browsing computer using Linux from an old laptop [David – Digital Projects maybe] If I’ve forgotten any, please add as a comment.

    News

    Flickr goes subscription – let’s have that discussion again about free software. Apple vs Microsoft vs Google. [I’m going to write a Public blogpost on this one.]

    Social media

    It’s important to remember that almost without exception (WhatsApp and Instagram might have been that exception once) these are advertising, PR and marketing tools. They are not free, you just have to accept an intrusion into your lives for the service they provide. Some are more intrusive than others!!!
    Facebook – newsfeed, pages, Messenger – hugely popular but now in disgrace somewhat, attempting a charm-offensive. Just remember to Logout!
    A couple more rules for Facebook in addition to
    Rule 1 – always logout because if you don’t Fb will track whatever you do away from their site;
    Rule 2 – think very hard before you post photos; their terms and conditions allow them to do whatever they like with your images, and what you write;
    Rule 3 – don’t use Facebook Identity Services to login to another website when it’s offered as an alternative to creating a login identity with a username and password – see Rule 1 above, for the reason why. [Using Google credentials is probably acceptable.] WhatsApp – an encrypted messaging app primarily for mobile devices, owned by Facebook. Their previous owners have now left; this may give rise to monetising of the platform – look forward to targeted ads some day soon!
    Instagram – can be almost as annoying as twitter for promoting the trivial, eg photos of cute cats which you can like, or comment on. Allows you to easily alter the appearance of your photos with filters. Aimed at mobile devices for upload, but can be viewed on a desktop machine too. A marketing platform for many companies with links to their websites. It is also owned by Facebook and its original owners have also now left the company, so expect similar directed advertising, and tracking of what you’re doing, and where you’re doing it some day soon!
    Twitter – simple public chat; announcements; keeping-in-touch with friends, family and colleagues and letting your thoughts be known by all. A private messaging facility is also available. Promotes the trivial, annoying at times, but hugely influential in “breaking stories” quickly (instantly); good that you’re limited to a certain number of words.
    YouTube – simply the most popular video-sharing platform owned by Google; it allows you to comment on videos that are publicly shared, or on private ones you’ve been invited to view. You can embed your videos in a website, or share a link to them in an email. If you’re taking videos on your phone, you should at sometime seriously consider uploading them to YouTube
    Flickr – now owned by SmugMug, it used to owned by Yahoo! (Oath), is the most popular photo-sharing site – again you have the option for private sharing of images, but the strength of the platform is in the ability to share with like-minded people your passion for photography. There are other sites, such as Google Photos, but they are really more photo storage sites.
    LinkedIn – associated with the business and world of work; a marketplace for job-seekers and job-recruiters; a place for you to display your skills as well as keep in touch with former colleagues.
    Pinterest – much-liked by those who use it, I gather, but I just don’t see the need (perhaps that’s me). You gather together collections of pins, of your interest, and others add to them, or comment on them. I gather recipes are popular!
    Snapchat – introduced for teens and young people, it has the possible strength of reducing their digital footprint as snaps are removed after they’ve been seen by the recipient. The facility to build “Stories” is a recent addition which allow public sharing of snaps which are then permanently displayed (until user-deleted, I presume) rather than just temporarily displayed to named recipients.
    Reddit – a place for opinionated people who want to argue their point. It has a nice voting mechanism so that views can be upgraded, or downgraded, bu those that read the posts, or comments. Essentially for commentary on events and news items.
    Tumblr – owned by Yahoo! Its death has been forecast for many years, very much a niche-market of specialist users – micro-blogging. Simple publishing of ideas, and views to people of a similar mind who follow your writings.
    Blogger – Google blogging platform; had the advantage of its close integration with Google+ (Google’s attempt to rival Facebook), but now beginning to look more than a little dated. Very few options for customisation.
    Wordpress – two options available with this blogging/website creation platform – a commercial (but free) offering (this link is a site my daughter built) which is managed for you with more limited customisation and the ability to pay for extended services, eg backup; and a free service which you manage yourself and is almost limitless in what and how you can customise its look and feel through themes, and functionality through plugins, on your own hosted domain.
    Here’s a review of the most popular Social Media sites currently (updated Oct 18, 2018)
    And here’s a directory of my Internet presence on about.me.

  • A new year starts … and finally we look at Evernote – 13th Sept 2018

    Boot-Up
    Welcome
    Issues & follow-up
    We had a demonstration of the Beacon member website from Alison Firth;
    David Hughes described the latest scam he’d been alerted to as it appeared to come from him and was going to a friend in the same membership organisation. As this person was a hotmail users, I suggested it was more likely they had had their email account hacked, rather than his gmail account. Last year we looked at Have I been pwned which allows you to check whether an account you have might have been compromised.
    Digital Projects – I explained the idea behind Digital Projects – I showed this list as possibilities or examples of projects …

    • Buying a new computer;
    • Building a website for a project, hobby or for the family;
    • Family history software;
    • Under the hood – breaking down a PC into its components;
    • Building a server;
    • Using Linux to bring life to an old laptop;
    • Adobe Lightroom Training;
    • Video-editing for beginners including on a tablet (iPad);
    • Audio – analogue and digital working together;
    • More with Google Photos – further steps to link cameras and computers, and working with tablets.

    News
    Apple event yesterday – new iPhones and a new Apple Watch. You might like to watch the keynote speeches on your computer.
    New privacy and security features in Google Accounts – you might wish to review your privacy settings in the light of GDPR legislation.
    BT hike costs of email offering – ways of avoiding the increased charges for an email service from BT. IT’s going up from £5 a month, to £7.50 if you don’t have a BT line/account.
    Fact checking – a review of websites that are allegedly “fair” and which have no obvious political leaning and also ones that debunk “fake news”.
    Split-ticketing – an article that explains how a group managed to save c.£950 on a return journey by using the split-ticketing website. [Sianed told us that some train managers are happy to do this as well !!!] Topics for today
    What is a browser? Look at this article which I wrote this week “Just Google it…” – it essentially suggests you should use a browser, ie Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera or Brave rather than the Google app on your smartphone or tablet for a better internet experience.
    Thought grazing – features and demonstration. I explained the difference between the Public-facing pages on the site and the Private area available for Cardiff U3A Computer Group members (and past members). I’ll write some notes on how to post a note on the site and how to comment on posts before the next meeting.
    Evernote – Here’s a Guide/manual to using Evernote. I gave a demonstration of how I use Evernote. Colin (I think) asked whether it could be linked to a Calendar – I said I would check and I’d report back in a reply/comment to these notes.

  • Online buying and selling; Fb still in the news and meeting notes – 12th April 2018

    Issues
    1. You can recall a message in Gmail for a limited time after you’ve sent it – as long as you’re using the browser version or the Gmail app; will not work with email clients, such as Outlook, or Apple Mac Mail.
    2. Problems with Spam from BTinternet – investigated; could not find anything specifically that is a current problem.
    3. How do you clone Mac – if you want to rebuild your system; resolved and answer given to Renee
    4. Topics for the future
    • Cookies and internet history – managing them
    • Buying a new system; transferring your old system to a new one on a Windows PC. This has been covered for the Mac in response to Renee viz. cloning.
    News
    What do you use different forms of storage for?
    • Internal hard disk drive
    • External hard drive
    • Solid-state drive
    • USB Memory Sticks, and Memory Cards (SD Cards, Compact Flash)
    … and then there’s …
    • Cloud storage
    Topics
  • ICE – that’s In Case of Emergency

    ICE – that’s In Case of Emergency

     

     

    Recent discussion in U3A has been on what role a Group Convenor should have in case of emergency. It's a difficult one, I haven't fully resolved in my mind what responsibility I should have – I think it's one that's worth discussing. Should I, can I request that information be lodged with me? Should the group member provide it to a membership record on a database system that the Convenor can access? Or, should – and this is the purpose of this post – the individual take the responsibility upon themselves. This can be done by either carrying a card – this one is used by The Ramblers – there are many providers of this sort of card, eg ICEcard, or should we use the facilities on our Smartphones which allow access without unlocking the phone from the Home screen.