Health Dangers from Display Screen Blue Light

Recent studies have shown that the blue light emissions from displays and screens. (see the article from Harvard Universaty link below)

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

Basically, the blue emissions affect chemicals in the brain which stop you from sleeping. This means that we have to have about 2 or 3 hours of blue light free time before going to bed. However that is a disaster for our new gadget way of life. Not being able to use our phone, tablet, computer NO..NO IMPOSSIBLE....SO, if you are having trouble sleeping.......PUT THAT PHONE DOWN!.....

Relax, there is an answer,  f.lux (www.justgetflux.com)  is a piece pf software which removes the blue component from your computer on a schedule set by you. 

JPEGs and PDFs

Working with JPEGs and PDFs - Getting your messages out there

First a couple of definitions:

JPEG stands for 'Joint Photographic Experts Group', which is the name of a body which set the standard on how a photograph is compressed and stored. 

PDF stands for "Portable Document Format" which is a format where files are presented independently of any particular application software or system. 

Both of these formats have their own particular use and features. It is useful to understand how and where these types of files can be used. 

JPEG's can be uploaded to Facebook, just like any other photograph, where as PDF's cannot. So if you have just created a poster for an event in WORD then a conversion to JPG is needed to get your message on your Facebook page. 

PDF's can be used to send via email as all computers usually (I say usually!) have a PDF Reader such as ADOBE ACROBAT, or PDF Gear, So everyone can read the poster you have just sent. What about if my poster is in WORD you ask? Yes you can send it in WORD format, but if you have used any non standard FONTS which you recipient does not have, then to poster may not look as you would like it and there is no way to tell beforehand. 

So converting to and sending in PDF is the best way to distribute your message. Some of the PDF software allows you to convert to and from PDF to many other formats. Have a search on the web. Although, If you display your WORD doc or PDF on your screen, the Snip & Sketch Tool can create a JPG for you. Snop & Sketch is in the Windows apps menu, but an easy way to access this is to use the shortcut  WIN + SHIFT + S  Keys.

 

Is your WiFi not making it?

In certain circumstances that your WiFi signal may not reach parts of your house, this could be that your house is too big, or in my case, a certain part of the office was shielded by a couple of walls. 

So what is the solution? A WiFi Extender?

There are several versions and manufacturers of these. One such is made by TP-LINK, I happened to see one in 'Staples'.it was about £12.50 which seemed a good price, although it was a 150Mbps version (the 300Mbps was about £28).

Setting it up:
The instructions enclosed with the item (no searching on the net?) seemed quite straight forward with 2 methods described:

Method No 1 was to use the WPS button on your router access point. I have a Virgin Super Hub 2 and tried this button, but could not make it work!

But not to worry, the instruction described method No 2, which was connecting the extender to your computer with an Ethernet cable. However, although the instructions seem straight forward, I did have a little bit of trouble getting it set up, but YES.....it works.

So if you have a WiFi black spot in your house, then the inexpensive WiFi Extender is the answer for £12 or £28 take your choice.

WAZE - Super maps on your phone

One of the best map/sat nav apps for my iPhone is the Apple Maps app itself, it is always upto date and very smooth in tracking my location. Although I do like Google maps the Apple version seems much smoother. However, just recently someone introduced me to WAZE, which is a free map app with the option to join up with friends. It also includes Safety Cameras and other road hazards free of charge. It has a very nice 3D display and auto changes colours during the hours of darkness. Give it a try.

Free Office Software

As most people know, Microsoft Office is the default package used by lots of companies and individuals alike. However, although there is now a free on line version, there are also a number of alternative Office packages available completely free of charge...and with no catches...3 different ones spring to mind:

Soft Office, Open Office and my own favourite

Just do a search on the web, download and run the installer. 

However, please note...these free packages default to an open document format when you save a file. To make it completely compatible, change the save format to WORD Doc format so it integrates with the MS Word software.

There are also free versions for the MAC OS and also Linux

Use the comments to let me know your favourite......

Are your passwords secure.......watch this short video

Each time you register with a new shopping site or email or newsletter or bank, you have to give some user name (can be your email or a bespoke made up name), plus you need a password.  The site usually has some rules on how this password is made up. 

All now are saying at least 8 characters, some with upper case, and/or numbers/ and or symbols. However, as the interview on the video suggests even these 8 character password are easy to crack by a auto program running on a computer.

So watch the video and as the question....'are my passwords good enough', take the advice and change it....let me know what you think in the comments....thanks to my colleague Vic for searching out this video clip.....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzGzB-yYKcc

Chrome Incognito mode Desktop Icom

Sometimes it is useful to have a desktop icon to launch Google Chrome in incognito mode, this is especially a good move if, like I do, use pool laptops for courses and job seeker usage. It is easier for learners to open chrome directly rather than opening in normal mode and looking for the incognito menu option, which is very easy to forget.

1. Navigate to Chrome's installation folder

C:\Program files (x86) \Google\Chrome\Application

2. Right click on Chrome.exe and select  Send to  - Desktop
3. Go to the new desktop icon, right click and select Properties
4. Go into the Target field, at the end of the field after the quote mark (") add a space then type   -incognito (don't forget the minus sign before the i)
5. Apply and then OK
6. Go on to the icon description, right click and then rename to "Incognito Chrome" or "Private Browse" or something else relevant.

 So a double click on this icon should launch direct into the incognito mode

Please try this out and comment if it works for you......