FOCUS - May 2020

computers to fix problems. He says this would be
more efficient than driving round visiting clients in
New Milton and Barton – but I keep saying it is the
personal contact that makes the job, the chat, smiling
faces & cuppas (but maybe in the current climate I
may have to consider his suggestions.)
In my last bulletin (exactly 3 months ago) I suggested
ways to speed up ageing technology using Solid State
Devices, more memory or even replacing the
Motherboard. – if you missed that issue drop me a
line and I will send you copies by email.
Web cameras on laptops and desktops have really
come into their own in the current climate, with us
older readers trying to keep in contact with the
generations below (and occasionally above) us.
I have helped a large number of Focus readers order
web-cameras with integrated microphones for their
PCs or even laptops. The latter often having poor
microphones or faulty cameras. Sadly, the sellers are
taking advantage of the demand and prices have
hiked up to double (or more) the price they were
selling for before the lockdown. Do be careful if you
try and order one. I saw one advert on Amazon “out
of stock currently but due in 30 th April” and drafted an
order for 2 of them but stopped at the checkout to do
a final check – just as well as the delivery date was
now listed as mid-June 2020. (Glad I checked!)
I am more than happy to try to help people with
technology issues and some faults are definitely
fixable without needing to touch the computers.
With regard to video communications, many people
rely on ‘WhatsApp’ on their smart phones or iPads –
great medium, its free and can even be installed on a
PC, though with the latter no video communication is
currently offered. Many families create “groups”
ensuring families stay in contact and share video clips,
sound clips (I get both from my other Son and his
family in Laos).
Skype too is extremely popular now coming bundled
with the 2016 & 365 Microsoft Office suites. It was
available before being purchased by Microsoft so if
you have it already installed, you should be able to
resurrect it with a little perseverance/password
update or download etc. (Phone me if you get stuck.)
As an alternative to having it installed on your
desktop an ‘online’ version is available, this may be
more appealing to some people. The url: https://
www.skype.com/en/features/skype-web/
Zoom is probably the most popular currently with
many organisations and groups electing to use that
for multiple users. As a Quaker I have joined in
several times with our Bournemouth Coastal Area
weekly service – the last one being joined by over 50
worshippers. This is also free; however for groups
greater than 3 people the free one has a 40-minute
max time-slot, for less than 3 users there is no time
limit. The monthly cost of upgrading to remove the
time limit is around £15. The url https://zoom.us/
The final video conferencing product I have tried and
well worth a try is Jitsi.org. The url to access it:
https://meet.jit.si. New Milton Men’s Shed meet
regularly with this application and seems a little faster
and easier to use than Zoom. The other advantage is
that you do not need a responsible host.
All the
above work well in the Apple world as well as in the
Android/PC world. There are other video conferencing
applications e.g. Facetime but as I do not own any
Apple devices I cannot confidently talk about them.
That’s all – hope this bulletin is of some use.
David Mason: 07851 335749, 01425 626112
david.mason1948@gmail.com
LETTERS & ITEMS TO THE EDITOR
A Barton Resident : This poem (not written by me)
might be enjoyed by a number of Focus readers of a
certain age, as am I!!! (Thought to be by Pam Ayres)
I'm normally a social girl
I love to meet my mates
But lately with the virus here
We can't go out the gates.
You see, we are the 'oldies' now
We need to stay inside
If they haven't seen us for a while
They'll think we've upped and died.
They'll never know the things we did
Before we got this old
There wasn't any Facebook
So not everything was told.
We may seem sweet old ladies
Who would never be uncouth
But we grew up in the 60s -
If you only knew the truth!
There was sex and drugs and rock 'n roll
The pill and miniskirts
We smoked, we drank, we partied
And were quite outrageous flirts.
Then we settled down, got married
And turned into someone's mum,
Somebody's wife, then nana,
Who on earth did we become?
We didn't mind the change of pace
Because our lives were full
But to bury us before we're dead
Is like a red rag to a bull!
So here you find me stuck inside
For 4 weeks, maybe more
I finally found myself again
Then I had to close the door!
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