Thursday 22 January 2015

Get IT Together - Gywnedd answers your digital inclusion questions

Daniel Richards, Project Coordinator for Get IT Together - Gwynedd writes a regular newspaper column for The Daily Post,  answering readers questions about IT and digital inclusion:

Q1 – I am getting a lot of emails at the moment from companies wanting to help with debts –though I do not have any! How do they get my details and how do I stop them?

A1 – Your email address is no more a secret than your house address and post code is – anyone can get the information, but knowing a Mr Green lives in  Picket Cottage does not tell you anything about him or his life. Just after Christmas you should expect emails advising of help with debt, weight loss etc .

The senders go for what is in the news as worrying us the most. You cannot stop them, but best to try and reduce them by putting in the junk file as you receive them. Have a look through your junk mail as well – you will soon see their pattern. Please ensure you never open any attachment though – no matter how much they say the voucher is worth!

Q2 I am trying to help my friend get more use out of their internet – they now shop and use email - any suggestions of anything else we can try?

A2 Something new for you to try is joining your local library, and understanding what they have on offer online. I have been using their e-books service for a while, and think it is great – but recently I have started using their e-magazine service, where you can download, for free, copies of your favourite reads. Ask at your local library for more information.

Q3  I have been with my internet provider for 5 years, with no problems- but recently I have been taking more note of the various advertised prices from both their competitors, and my own supplier as well! Is changing supplier a lot of trouble?

A3 The broadband market is full of super deals, especially if you include your phone line as part of the package. I have recently changed from paying over £40 per month for both, to just paying line rental and getting the broadband for free!

If you do your research, and gather your info well, it should be no hassle. The old and new supplier should agree a date to handover, and you get your new box to connect. Remember you will need to connect all your devices to the new broadband, and there is a good chance you will lose all your emails if your old supplier gave you an email address for free.

Now might be the time to set up a new email address that is internet based e.g. Hotmail – so you do not get the same hassle the next time you swap.

For further information or to book a place on a course in Gwynedd, please contact:

Daniel Richards, Get IT Together – Gwynedd, Project Coordinator
Email: daniel.richards@citizensonline.org.uk
Telephone:  07854 690 529

Tuesday 6 January 2015

Daniel answers your digital inclusions questions

Daniel Richards, Project Coordinator for Get IT Together - Gwynedd writes a regular newspaper column for The Daily Post,  answering readers questions about IT and digital inclusion:

Q1 – I have been online for a couple of years now, use email and Skype regularly, and enjoy Facebook a lot. I am thinking of doing some shopping online, but am nervous of how to go about it. Any tips?

A1 – Your first port of call needs to be some safety advice – try getsafeonline.org – there are a load of important facts there for you to study. Once you are confident on the safety aspects, start out small, and get used to the processes involved.

Most reputable companies will want you to set up an account with them, and you will need to register payment methods and contact methods. Use the reviews provided, and do your own research on the goods/services, especially if new to you.


There is no point googleing BHS, but be aware that a polished, all singing web site could be run by one man in his attic, but would cover London, Paris & Peckham! Search for reviews, the more the better!   

Q2 I am getting frustrated with delivery companies! As I work office hours, I am never home when items I have ordered online are delivered. How can I work around this?

A2 This is an age old problem for shopping online- yes, you can order a brand new telly from the warmth of your bed, on a cold wet Sunday night, but that is no use if you are out fixing Mrs Williams’s dodgy central heating for the rest of the week!

The reality is, that out here in the wilds of Wales, a lot of delivery firms only come up once a week, if that. So if you are not in for white van man on Monday, his next available delivery date is probably next Monday.

Look for alternative answers – a lot of retailers offer delivery to alternative addresses, or even local pick up points. Check if you can give special instructions for delivery- such as your mobile number for them to call you when they are in the area-after all, you are the customer.

Q3 I have gone a bit crazy on my computer in the last few weeks, having insured my car (saved £150), insured the house (£200 less) and even changed my internet provider. I did both the insurance deals through a cashback web site my friend recommended –was that wise?

A3 Congratulations, now you are making your computer pay its way! Cashback sites earn commission from companies for bringing in business – and they offer you a share of the commission in return for using them.

There are a lot of similar sites, and most give you access to you ‘commission’ after a set time has passed, usually after they have received their share. Remember to research the site, as there are a few rogue ones out there, and try to cash in your money as soon as you are allowed to do so.

I have heard of people making great savings through using these sites, but be warned, they can be addictive! I would be very weary of buying a product from a specific supplier, based purely on the size of the cashback. As with all ‘offers’, check the fine print.

For further information or to book a place on a course in Gwynedd, please contact:

Daniel Richards, Get IT Together – Gwynedd, Project Coordinator 
Email: daniel.richards@citizensonline.org.uk
Telephone:  07854 690 529

Get IT Together in Gwynedd is supported by BT’s Connected Society programme, BT’s commitment to help people right around the world gain the skills and confidence they need to join the online community and Communities 2.0, Gwynedd Council, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd.

A tablet for Christmas

So, your loved ones have taken the numerous hints you have been given, and have purchased you a shiny new tablet for Christmas, what do you actually do with it?

Once you switch it on, and have a play with it, you need to immediately change two settings, in order to stop you throwing the confounded object out of the nearest window!

For Apple products, tap the settings icon (picture of a cog), tap Display & Brightness, and adjust the screen brightness to a comfortable setting. Then select the General setting, and scroll the screen down until you see the Auto-Lock feature. Tap this to amend to, say 5 minutes.

For Android devices, the Setting icon is usually a square icon, with three sliding switches indicated inside.  Tap this icon, and select display – and then select both brightness and Sleep in order to adjust.

As tablets are marketed as having impressive battery life, it is logical that they leave the factory with settings to give the optimum battery life – so the screen brightness is set low, and the devices are set to go into standby after 2 mins of inactivity – which can be frustrating as you just put it down for a second to grab another mince pie!

Now, you have played about with it – got it linked to your house broadband (remember that those passwords are case- sensitive), you are now keen to join the world of Apps!

To start downloading Apps, you first of all need to register with the App Store for Apple, or Playstore for android devices.

The Playstore is actually Google Playstore for Android, so to sign in to the Playstore, you need to sign in with your gmail address as your username, and the password for your gmail as your password. If you do not have a gmail email address, you will need to set one up.

For the Apple Store, you need to set up an Apple ID, by going to the App store, selecting a free app, and the device will ask for your Apple ID – SELECT Create an Apple ID, follow the on screen instructions . When you're asked for payment information, choose None as the payment type.

You are now ready to get some Apps =you can flick through those selected, or search by name using the search box provided (look for the magnifying glass symbol).

Here is a selection of useful Apps for you to try:

BBCi player – To catch up with all the shows you miss whilst sleeping off the turkey, also load all the other channels, such as 4OD, etc.

Boat Watch – This App utilizes the GPS connection on your tablet to show you what boats are out at sea, anywhere in the world.

You could also load Flightradar24 Free, which you hold it up to the sky and it tells you what all the airplanes you can see are, where they are going, how high, how fast, the pilot’s name and what’s in the sandwiches (well nearly).

Similar apps are available to show you the name of the stars, or even the location on the International Space Station up above (ISS Spotter).

Spotify and Shazam are two popular Apps for music lovers.

7 minute Workout is a good App for getting rid of the overindulgence on the Yule log, and there are a number of exercise Apps out there.

The most popular Apps being loaded at present are YouTube – well worth getting to know, whether you search for videos of cyclists riding flat out down a mountain in Ffestiniog, or the 1979 Penrhyndeudraeth Carnival  which is a blast from the past, even if just to be amazed at the cars people used to drive!

Only after you have explored some of the above Apps should you allow yourself to be drawn into the strangely addictive Apps such as Candy Crush Saga (allowing grandma to have a go at this may ensure the sherry bottle gets some peace though).  Logos quiz starts off as a casual quiz but will have all the family racking their brains.

All the above Apps are just a taster for you to get a feel for your device, and start to search for more Apps. There are news Apps (Daily Post is a nice one), game Apps, shopping Apps – there are no limits to what is out there!

Do remember that those of you with an Android tablet need to consider looking for an Antivirus , I advise looking at free ones such as AVG, as recent reports say they are just as good as paid for ones.

Also remember that your tablet is able to surf the Web, so have a go at finding new Web sites. Gwynedd Council have just updated their Web page, and not only can you check for the next refuse collection to take all you Christmas wrapping paper away, you could also use their site to link to web cameras that allow you to see the weather on top of Snowdon, or how the surf looks on Hells Mouth – all part of your get fit campaign while you have a few days off, well, maybe next year!

Finally, for the jokers amongst you, there is an app called Crack My Screen, that gives an image to look as if you have already broken your new toy – the look on the faces of those who have given you the tablet will be priceless – just what Christmas is for!

For further information or to book a place on a course in Gwynedd, contact:

Daniel Richards, Get IT Together – Gwynedd, Project Coordinator

Email: daniel.richards@citizensonline.org.uk

Telephone:  07854 690 529

Get IT Together in Gwynedd is supported by BT’s Connected Society programme, BT’s commitment to help people right around the world gain the skills and confidence they need to join the online community and Communities 2.0, Gwynedd Council, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd.