Clever Techie Stuff

[Grandad]

I know that I have been critical in the past of how the smartphone seems to be taking over peoples lives, particularly the younger element among us. Since buying a 'decent' smartphone I am finding myself adding 'apps' to use more and more functions.
Our family have a 'Group' on WhatsApp by which we can share messages and pictures just within the family. It has been very useful this last week with #2 son and his wife and Louis skiing in the French Alps. First time skiing for Louis (10) and his dad has posted videos of Louis on nursery slopes with dad following with camera.
Not too easy to see on the small phone screen BUT I have found it possible to pair WhatsApp with my computer. I then switch on the App on my phone and I can see all pictures and videos on the large computer screen.
Clever stuff I think

[LovelyLadyLux]

I'm still operating off an old clam shell style phone whose only apps are a contact list so I'm probably not the best to comment but what smartphones can do is truly amazing.

On reading about them I'm not too thrilled they can trace and track my every move. Even my laptop is now getting all manner of advertisements in Spanish from Mexico! Hmmm - now how might THAT have happened? I sure wasn't out there searching for things yet all these things have somehow managed to find me in Spanish.

I do think closed groups (if they're truly closed) are good and can be excellent for sharing family info and photos and keeping in touch.

I keep thinking I should start to think about a smart phone but then I think about the learning curve and shuffle the idea again to the back of my brain.

[Grandad]

LLL, you probably had your laptop with GPS switched on. That way cookies can detect where you are and send you what they think may be of interest from your location. When you return home the system will still send things of interest from your previous location.
Smartphones are not that difficult to use. Most have an online user manual that will answer your questions as they arise and you can gradually build up your knowledge of the smartphone. But they are not difficult, you use a laptop and Kindle Fire so you would soon get to grips with a smartphone....

[LovelyLadyLux]

@Grandad - I didn't realize my laptop HAD a GPS and if it does it probably was on. I never even thought about it, didn't realize it might even have one and, for sure, I didn't turn it on or off. Not even sure where I would find the button to turn on/off anyway. I'm kinda techie challenged. I seem to do well if I'm shown something but reading through manuals and trying to relate what I'm reading to something in cyber world doesn't come easily to me.

Modern gadgets are definitely interesting though.

[Mad Dilys]

As far as I can see the average internet user hasn't the skills to completely protect themselves from unwanted outside observation. I no longer fret about it as I really can't do anything about it except for the usual covering camera lens firewall the best Norton protection available and I hope I don't have the resources to be interesting to anyone else.

[Grandad]

My attitude is much like yours MD
I have nothing to hide and if some creepy Cookie links me back to something I JUST looked at on Amazon or John Lewis etc, I can ignore it or delete it.

Back to GPS though. @LovelyLadyLux
LLL, somewhere you will have a 'Settings' menu. There is usually a settings button on the bottom of your home screen or, if you have a touch screen, you can sometimes swipe down from the top to expose your settings menu options.
When you find it you should be able to switch off GPS tracking...

[Mad Dilys]

Thank you Grandad, we live and learn.

My daughter linked to me when she last visited so that I had the kettle on, and was standing by the door when she arrived. It never ceases to amaze me.

[LovelyLadyLux]

@Grandad - Just had a quick look for it and see nothing that says "GPS" but will look again shortly. I'd prefer NOT to have GPS going (not that it really is a huge thing) but I'd rather have it off if I could.

I am on FB and have always refused to provide a phone number (which is apparently for MY security but can't see it) OR to state a place where I live.

Lately I've been get adverts online from "Ghostery" ....... not too sure what this is (and I don't really want to click on it to find out) but apparently it lets you SEE people/sites without anybody knowing it? I'm thinking this is maybe more for Dating Sites so you can check out a potential 'mate/suitor/lover' without them known but am not sure. Just getting this advert appearing in the upper Right corner of my laptop often now.

[Grandad]

LLL, if you have found 'settings' menu, there will be something like 'location' or similar. Different systems use different terminology.

[BBLUX]

I don't think it has anything to do with GPS. It is more likely to be IP targeting. Whenever you travel abroad and use your laptop on local internet sources you will get targeted advertising based on your location. Google and Amazon use it and I'm sure many others do it.
Here in Egypt we get Egyptian based adverts and when I'm in France it is French adverts.
If I am using my VPN then i see adverts from the country I am using as a virtual source.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I'm gues-timating as I didn't specifically track but I'm thinking the Spanish language Adverts starting appearing about 5 days to a week after I got there.

[Grandad]

I don't think it has anything to do with GPS. It is more likely to be IP targeting.

Probably so BB I was basing my assumption on the fact that when out and about, your location is posted on social media sites (if location is switched ON on your device)
I am finding ads more and more intrusive, some seem to be locked on the screen such that you cannot read what they are covering and you can't get rid of them

[bigken]

Talking about smartphones I called into the Samsung shop in the Trafford Centre the other day. The new S10 and s10plus was on display. The plus version starts at a cool £899 for the 128gb going up to a nice £1399 for a 1TB/12 GB ram [emoji54], 1400 notes for a phone

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[Grandad]

BK, the first house we nearly bought but turned down was £1500. Should have waited and bought a phone instead.

[LovelyLadyLux]

@BK - "WOW" That is a hefty chunk of change! I have a stupid phone. Cost me $29.99 + tax and once a year I feed it $100CDN which gives me 100 units of talk and text time. If I feed it again prior to expiry (so I guess I lose one day per year) I can roll over my un-used units and get another 100 units of time. It is black and white screen, doesn't talk and the only game on it is Suduko.

[Grandad]

I know this is old news but I had a pop up on Amazon yesterday offering an Amazon Smartplug for £9.99 (normal price is £24.99). I am a sucker and couldn't resist so, with the benefit of Prime, said plug arrived this afternoon.
It is really just a smart mains socket. I plugged it in, switched on the wall switch and in no time Alexa was telling me that she had detected a smart plug. I can use this anywhere in the house particularly when we are away, to turn a light on and off remotely. You just need the Alexa app but if you have Alexa you will already have it. And you don't need any kind of hub as you do with 'Hive' that I also have.
I tried to order two but the system would only allow one at the special price.
I love techie stuff

[LovelyLadyLux]

In terms of new cool techie stuff I just bought a Nikon CoolPix A300 20MP and will pick it up when I get to the States end of the month. It is quite small but I wanted a small camera I can keep in my purse for when I'm out and about and traveling. I absolutely LOVE my big camera but either it is getting heavy or I'm getting old. We also have a really awful social issue happening here re: thieving homeless attacking people which is not getting better so I rarely go outside with my big camera anymore as I don't want to make me a mark.

I saw this one on sale on Ebay and bought it. The little camera I have now is giving way too many "lens error" messages where the lens won't move and the camera is probably 12 - 15 yrs old so I figured it was about time I replaced it. Would actually hate to be somewhere and suddenly find it is no longer working at all. This new Nikon Coolpix will use the same batteries (so I have 2 extra now) plus has bluetooth and wifi which I think somehow allows me to download my photos from the camera to my laptop wirelessly. Need to read the manual and am Not confident I'll get that figured out so might still be taking the card out and downloading that way.

@Grandad - your light socket idea sounds wonderful and at that price a good security feature. I have Alexa who now lives in my bedroom as she talking with the TV too often! And most often kept thinking I wanted to buy something on TV requesting a credit card (can't remember the exact phrase) so she is now in my bedroom and lives a life of solitude unless the Grandkids come to talk to her and ask questions. They like asking questions and usually find her answers amusing.

[Grandad]

Don't intend to bang on about this techie stuff but I am finding that there are often hidden things that can be done. For instance; I mentioned that as I have difficulty reading small print I downloaded the audio version of Wolf Hall to listen to as a bedtime story. That didn't last long as I kept falling asleep
When checking out the new 'smart plug' that I bought in the week, I accidentally found that if I say 'Alexa read Wolf Hall', the reading continues from where I last stopped, but now on my desktop Amazon Echo. So I might continue listening when at my desk AND AWAKE
This has nothing to do with the smart plug by the way, just found it by accident....