CST News
Not a lot to report from CST at present. The boys in the workshop are busy so I guess that is important. However, there is always time and room for another job.
Because it is Sue’s birthday this month, we will do the data swap to a new computer or laptop bought from CST this month for nothing. If you buy a second hand PC or laptop, we will do the data swap for half the normal cost. This special will last until 15th June.
A warning that the Indians “from Microsoft” seem to be trying again locally. We got a call at 9.30pm a week or so back at home and I said to the non English speaker that I could guess the purpose of his call – that I had a serious problem with my computer and he would fix it. After a few seconds, I heard the phone go down so maybe he got the message, but I doubt it. A reminder NOT TO LET THEM ACCESS YOUR COMPUTER. They are up to no good.
We are always looking at our advertising and trying to judge its effectiveness. To help with this, we would appreciate you sending me an email giving the name of the radio station you listen to. Use this link to send me a mail saying either Big River, Clutha or the name of the national or Dunedin station you follow. At the end of the month, I will put the names of all the respondents into a hat and draw one for a lucky prize. Email me here.
Windows XP Support
We have been asked frequently lately about what happens when Microsoft support for XP stops next April – 12 years after it was introduced.
- Will computers running XP suddenly stop?
- Will they suddenly be taken over by some outside agency?
- Will they automatically upgrade themselves to something newer?
The answer to all three questions is no. What it means is that Microsoft will stop doing fixes on Windows XP from April next year.
This is a worry for the people and businesses who still have the old girl running because there will no longer be crucial security updates, patches, bug-fixes, and so on, that are part of a normal operating system. In particular, the lack of security updates creates weaknesses in the system that viruses, malware, and hackers can exploit. Vulnerabilities that remain unpatched will continue running, leaving your computer open to some pretty nasty intrusions.
We would strongly advise businesses to upgrade to a newer version of Windows. We believe that it is just too great a risk to run a business on a computer or computers for which there is no support for the operating system.
For the home user, the upgrade is less critical and more of a personal choice. Those who do banking or trademe etc would be best to change to a new version of Windows. If you just play Solitaire, the upgrade is not so critical.
Microsoft is taking the line “use XP at your own risk after April 2014”. We have all been given heaps of notice and the option is ours.
Website of the Month
Go to this site. Click the Next arrow to scroll through this set of pictures of 3D tattoos. I am still not sure whether these are for real or not.
Apple Knockoff
I guess everyone has heard of parallel imports and knockoffs these days – these are the likes of Chinese made shoes with Adidas labelling on them. The photo below is the Apple knockoff which I found mildly amusing!
Computers and Irlens Syndrome
Computers are fraught with user problems from poor posture to problem screens. A condition that most will not have heard of but which affects 18% of the population is Irlens Syndrome.
Some individuals with apparently normal eyesight, experience discomfort when viewing computer screens. Some report that the words appear to move, wobble or flicker while others say that the screen appears too bright or the words are too close together. Others report eyestrain or headaches after using the screen for a while.
In some cases these symptoms can be relieved by changing the screen colours.
This can be achieved by changing the Windows Display Properties. However, this process is cumbersome and counter-intuitive.
Screen Tinter is a free utility which allows the screen foreground and background colours to be changed at the click of a button.
You can find Screen Tinter here.
If you or a child have difficulty reading screens or books, find problems in brightly lit rooms (fluorescent lightning), get in touch with Sue here at CST. She has a deep knowledge of this stuff and a series of tests she can perform to find out whether Irlens Syndrome is the problem. There are a variety of symptoms but the fix can be as simple as changing the screen colour on your PC or using a coloured overlay on a book.
Screens and Insomnia
In a similar vein to the article above, I have just read an article that suggests that those who use their computer late at night might finish up with insomnia. Apparently the bright lights that run computer screen suppress the production of melatonin which is important in the normal sleep-wake cycle.
There are lots of references to this on the net but this is an easy one to read and understand.
Free Useless Piece Of Information
I was reading an article on the net the other day about Windows 8. Windows 8 is the new operating system – that is the system that makes the computer work. It is what you see when you first turn the computer on.
The talk is that is that Microsoft are going to bring out an improved and updated version of Windows 8 because they miscalculated how much users would struggle with the new interface. Apparently it will be called Windows 8.1.
However the useless information is that Windows 8 has been out for six months now and Microsoft have sold 100 million copies of Windows 8 in six months. What a stunning figure – that is 100 million computers!!!
For those who want to read a little more, have a look here.
LATE NEWS: It has been confirmed by Microsoft that a trial version of Windows 8.1 will be released to developers and the industry in late June with the public release version by the end of the year. In the interim, we have found a piece of third party software which makes Windows 8 look and behave much more like the old versions of Windows. So if you are thinking of replacing a PC we can help to make it more familiar.
Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are simply combinations of keystrokes that do things quickly without having to resort to a mouse.
Here is a list of some of the handy keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key.
| To do this | Do This |
| Move from one window to another | Press WinKey and Tab |
| Maximise your current window | Press WinKey and up arrow |
| Minimise your current window | Press WinKey and down arrow |
| Show or hide desktop | Press WinKey and D |
| Access main computer settings | Press WinKey and X |
| Launch Windows Explorer | Press WinKey and E |
| Zoom in to the screen using magnifier | Press WinKey and + |
| Zoom out if magnifier is running | Press WinKey and – |
Finally
