PC Update
PC Update is the Melbourne PC User Group magazine/newsletter. The first issue of PC Update appeared in March 1984 under the title MELB-PC.
The name was changed to PC Update in September of the same year and has remained unchanged ever since. The magazine has won a number of International Awards.
PC Update has been published in various formats, firstly as a printed newsletter, then a printed magazine, then an e-magazine, and currently as a e-newsletter.
Apr 2023
A journey through the world of HiRes music
Greg Eden Digital music is digital music, some say. No, there is a very wide spectrum of quality. If you are hearing impaired this article is of no use to you. For me this has been a long journey of… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report – March 2023
Neil Muller After welcoming members to the March meeting of East SIG, host Frank Maher outlined the night’s agenda below: Presentation 1: Q&A with George Skarbek Presentation 2: Latest SCAMs to be aware of by Dave Botherway Presentation 3: Recover… Continue Reading…
Humans have been predicting eclipses for thousands of years, but it’s harder than you might think
Sabine Bellsted The coastal town of Exmouth in Western Australia is due to experience one of the most spectacular astronomical phenomena on April 20 2023 – a total solar eclipse. Eclipses have entranced us for millennia. But it turns out calculating… Continue Reading…
Member of the RACV? Get an extra 5c off per litre of petrol at all EG branded Ampol service stations.
Greg Eden Great, but how do we get that scan code down to the servo? You could just waste a sheet of paper and print it out, or make a link on your phone. You need an active data connection… Continue Reading…
Most people already think climate change is ‘here and now’, despite what we’ve been told
Ben Newell A quick search on the internet for “climate change images” readily yields the familiar photograph of a lone polar bear on a shrinking block of ice. Despite signifying an impending crisis, such images make climate change seem abstract… Continue Reading…
Online stumble-ons
David Stonier-Gibson Just a few of the interesting things I stumbled on this month … Progress in 3D printed homes. An article in The Conversation https://theconversation.com/3d-printing-promises-to-transform-architecture-forever-and-create-forms-that-blow-todays-buildings-out-of-the-water-198954 Artificial intelligence: Have we already passed human level IQ? An article in The Conversation… Continue Reading…
Our next Monthly Meeting is on Wednesday 3rd May 2023
This will be run as a “hybrid” meeting, meaning we will be in person in the Borrett Room at the club but also opening it up to members via Zoom. Click here a little before 7pm to join the meeting on Zoom or make sure… Continue Reading…
Owning an EV means much to learn
Greg Eden You have many things to consider. First you have to stop thinking like a petrol car owner. I have purchased a Cupra Born EV and installed a 7 kW home charger in the carport. A Born is a… Continue Reading…
President’s Report April 2023
Hugh Macdonald, President Dear members, It’s somewhat crazy to believe that we’re already a quarter of the way through the year. I hope the month of April has been good for all of you. Thanks Peter Bacon Peter Bacon was… Continue Reading…
Publishing Information
The newsletter of Melbourne PC User Group Suite 26, Level 1, 479 Warrigal Road Moorabbin 3189 Office hours 9.30am – 4.30pm (Mon-Friday) Email office@melbpc.org.au ABN 43 196 519 351 Victorian Association Registration A0003293V Editor Hugh Macdonald (editorpc@melbpc.org.au) Deputy Editor Malin Robertsson… Continue Reading…
Mar 2023
April monthly meeting
The April 2023 monthly meeting will be next Wednesday, 5th of April. This will be “in person” at our clubrooms. Please make sure you have secured your raffle tickets at the door and are seated before 7pm. Our MC, Peter bacon, will… Continue Reading…
ChatGPT could be an effective and affordable tutor
Anne Trumbore, University of Virginia Imagine a private tutor that never gets tired, has access to massive amounts of data and is free for everyone. In 1966, Stanford philosophy professor Patrick Suppes did just that when he made this prediction:… Continue Reading…
Colonizing the Cosmos: Astor’s Electrical Future
publicdomainreview.org /essay/colonizing-the-cosmos Iwan Rhys Morus During America’s Gilded Age, the future seemed to pulse with electrical possibility. Iwan Rhys Morus follows the interplanetary safari that is John Jacob Astor’s A Journey in Other Worlds, a high-voltage scientific romance in which visions of… Continue Reading…
Darwin awards
Yes, it’s that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honouring the least evolved among us. Here is the glorious winner: When his .38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up… Continue Reading…
Free Tutorials – How to use Smartphones, Tablets and Computers
Geoff Amor Over the past 12 months Committee member Stewart Gruneklee has started a training program for people struggling with our modern “device centric” lifestyle. With the increasing trend of everything moving to the internet, it is important that all… Continue Reading…
From The Editor and President March 2023
Hugh Macdonald David Stonier-Gibson is enjoying a nice jaunt around New Zealand so I’m back in the editor’s chair temporarily. This month, we’ve got a good selection of articles on ChatGPT, space, robots, some little known tips on using Google,… Continue Reading…
Futurists predict a point where humans and machines become one. But will we see it coming?
John Kendall Hawkins, Philosopher, University of New England Sandy Boucher, Lecturer in the Philosophy of Science, University of New England Most people are familiar with the deluge of artificial intelligence (AI) apps that seem designed to make us… Continue Reading…
Online stumble-ons
Some interesting things I’ve stumbled into recently roaming the Internet. Do you know any languages other than English? This site gives an indication of how difficult various languages are to learn. https://thelanguagenerds.com/2019/map-reveals-how-long-takes-to-learn-different-languages/ Apple’s enormous profit margins on iPhones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GZWn5Z1BTY Want to know… Continue Reading…
Robots are performing Hindu rituals – some devotees fear they’ll replace worshippers
Holly Walters Visiting Lecturer in Anthropology, Wellesley College It isn’t just artists and teachers who are losing sleep over advances in automation and artificial intelligence. Robots are being brought into Hinduism’s holiest rituals – and not all worshippers are happy… Continue Reading…
Three years into the pandemic, it’s clear COVID won’t fix itself. Here’s what we need to focus on next
Michael Toole Associate Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute Brendan Crabb Director and CEO, Burnet Institute On March 11 2020 the World Health Organization classified COVID as a pandemic. Three years on, it remains just that. As much as we don’t want… Continue Reading…
Using Google
A little bit of frivolity. Did you know that Google Search has a few extras built in? Well, a lot of extras but we will just look at a few. Open a Google search page on your computer and type… Continue Reading…
Feb 2023
All Melbourne PC User Group members now have Google Workspace. So what?
Greg Eden, grege@melbpc.org.au The transition is complete. Our email is working. Our johnsmith@melbpc.org.au accounts are functioning in Outlook or Thunderbird. All is well, thank you – the end. But that is not the end, that is just the start. This… Continue Reading…
ChatGPT – Product warrantees & consumer law
I quite often see posts on social media that suggest the poster is blissfully unaware of their rights under Australian consumer law. Don’t get fobbed off by a retailer who may well be ignorant of the law and your rights,… Continue Reading…
ChatGPT as a programmer?
David Stonier-Gibson Does ChatGPT have any use in computer programming? I took it for a spin. I saw something online about a fellow who used ChatGPT to write a WordPress plugin for his wife. Well, I barely know what WordPress… Continue Reading…
ChatGPT: God, religion and so much more
This ChatGPT conversation blew my mind. For one thing it without doubt blows the Turing Test out of the water. It is a 2-way conversation between my good friend, an Italian/Canadian/American named Fred, and ChatGPT. Fred has Christian faith, but… Continue Reading…
ChatGPT: students could use AI to cheat, but it’s a chance to rethink assessment altogether
Sam Illingworth Associate Professor, Edinburgh Napier University ChatGPT is a powerful language model developed by OpenAI that has the ability to generate human-like text, making it capable of engaging in natural language conversations. This technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we… Continue Reading…
Device transmits radio waves with almost no power – without violating the laws of physics
Zerina Kapetanovic7-8 minutes This experimental setup shows an ultra-low-power wireless communications device that could one day be used in tiny remote sensors. Zerina Kapetanovic, CC BY-ND Published: January 25, 2023 12.23am AEDT Authors Joshua R. Smith Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering… Continue Reading…
Digital Transducers: What?
Phil Sorrentino, Contributing Writer, The Computer Club, FL Computer Input Devices are transducers. They convert the user’s physical actions into commands that the computer can understand and use. Technically speaking, a transducer is a device that converts one form of… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report – November 2022
Neil Muller After welcoming members to the November meeting of East SIG, host Frank Maher outlined the night’s agenda below: Presentation 1: Q&A with Georg Skarbek Presentation 2: Reducing Vulnerability to Scams by John Swale Presentation 3: Man-in-the-Middle Scams by Dave Botherway… Continue Reading…
Facebook and Instagram are bombarding young people with targeted alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food ads
Alliance for Gambling Reform https://www.agr.org.au/ Facebook and Instagram are bombarding young people with targeted ads for alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food, new data shows, prompting calls for reform to protect young people from harmful digital marketing. Researchers at the University of… Continue Reading…
From the editor’s keyboard
So, I’m back to editing the newsletter. Hugh Macdonald became President, and I have taken this one burden off his shoulders. But it’s in a much changed format, as pioneered by Hugh. I hope I’ve managed to cobble it… Continue Reading…
How to maximise savings from your home solar system and slash your power bills
Wasim Saman Soaring electricity prices have made 15% of Aussies think about installing solar panels, a recent survey found. Another 6% were already weighing up the move, on top of the 28% who had panels. With costs falling, the average system size is… Continue Reading…
March monthly meeting guest
The March 2023 monthly meeting will be a hybrid (Zoom or Room) meeting. Our guest is Brendan Lewis. Title = “A story on Old people in America and Artificial Intelligence” Brendan Lewis is a seasoned technology leader with extensive experience… Continue Reading…
President’s Report February 2023
As this is my first President’s Report for 2023, I’d like to begin by wishing all members a Happy New Year. I hope your Christmas and New Year break was a happy and safe one. Some of the things that… Continue Reading…
Publishing Information
The newsletter of Melbourne PC User Group Suite 26, Level 1, 479 Warrigal Road Moorabbin 3189 Office hours 9.30am – 4.30pm (Mon-Friday) Email office@melbpc.org.au ABN 43 196 519 351 Victorian Association Registration A0003293V Editor David Stonier-Gibson (editorpc@melbpc.org.au) Technical Editors Roger… Continue Reading…
November/December 2022
Easily Accessible Dictation Software
Hugh Macdonald I’ve never really given much consideration to dictation software before. I’m the kind of person who likes to think as I type and I feel like if I’m dictating something then I’m breaking the concentration I like to… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report October 2022
Neil Muller After welcoming members to the October meeting of the East SIG, host Frank Maher then outlined the nights agenda below: Presentation 1: Q&A with Georg Skarbek Presentation 2: Current Scams and Preventions by Dave Botherway Main presentation: Multimedia home… Continue Reading…
From The Editor November/December 2022
Hugh Macdonald So like they say all good things must come to an end, and with my recent decision to become President of Melbourne PC User Group, I no longer feel that I can give PC Update the attention that… Continue Reading…
From The President November/December 2022
Hugh Macdonald Welcome to my very first president’s report in PC Update. To recap I became president at the November Annual General Meeting and I said I would focus on a number of things for the coming year; to… Continue Reading…
Interesting Internet Finds
Steve Costello While going through more than 300 RSS feeds, I often encounter things I think might interest other user group members. The following are some items I found interesting. What To Do If You Forget Your Android Phone’s… Continue Reading…
Not everything we call AI is actually ‘artificial intelligence’. Here’s what you need to know
George Siemens, University of South Australia In August 1955, a group of scientists made a funding request for US$13,500 to host a summer workshop at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. The field they proposed to explore was artificial intelligence (AI). While… Continue Reading…
Revisiting Chromebook
Hugh Macdonald I’ve used a Chromebook in the past and the premise of its operating system, Chrome OS is a great one. It’s a very lightweight operating system that doesn’t require premium CPUs, extensive amounts of memory, or large amounts… Continue Reading…
The dawn of AI has come, and its implications for education couldn’t be more significant
Vitomir Kovanovic, University of South Australia The release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot has given us a glimpse into the future of teaching and learning alongside artificial intelligence. Educators immediately pointed out the chatbot’s ability to generate meaningful responses to questions… Continue Reading…
October 2022
Buying A New Computer
David Kretchmar From time to time, every computer specialist is asked, “What computer should I buy?” The answer is usually, “What do you intend to do with it, and how much can you afford?” This article addresses the major decisions… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report September 2022
Host Frank Maher welcomed members to the September Zoom meeting of the East SIG. Frank then outlined the nights agenda below: Presentation 1: Q&A with Georg Skarbek Presentation 2: Tuning Windows 11 – Personalisation and Privacy issues Main presentation: Electric Commercial Aircraft by… Continue Reading…
Flatpaks with Linux Mint
Cal Esneault Linux software is installed using pre-compiled “packages.” The traditional method, called dynamic packaging, separately installs the main application and additional supporting sub-components (“dependencies). Mint uses the Debian package management system and provides a graphical Software Manager program to… Continue Reading…
From The Editor October 2022
Hugh Macdonald Welcome to the October 2022 edition of PC Update. This month our two main feature articles are about buying a new PC and using Flatpaks in Linux. It’s always fun buying a new PC, whether it’s a laptop… Continue Reading…
In disasters, people are abandoning official info for social media. Here’s how to know what to trust
Stan Karanasios, The University of Queensland and Peter Hayes, CQUniversity Australia In an emergency, where do you turn to find out what’s going on and what you should do to stay safe? Traditionally, government agencies have been the “go-to” sources… Continue Reading…
Interesting Internet Finds
Steve Costello While going through more than 300 RSS feeds, I often encounter things I think might interest other user group members. The following are some items I found interesting during May 2022. Amazon Dropping MOBI Support On… Continue Reading…
Why are there so many data breaches: A growing industry of criminals is brokering in stolen data
James Martin, Deakin University and Chad Whelan, Deakin University New details have emerged on the severity of the Medibank hack, which has now affected all users. Optus, Medibank, Woolworths, and, last Friday, electricity provider Energy Australia are all now among… Continue Reading…
September 2022
DOTW Highlights
Roger Brown DOTW has made the transition to SPACES Perhaps we should first remind readers about what exactly DOTW is meant to be. Precisely what the acronym “DOTW” stands for has been shrouded in controversy over the years but in… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report August 2022
Neil Muller Host John Swale opened the August meeting, again via Zoom. After welcoming members, John outlined the nights agenda below: Presentation 1: Q&A with John Hall Presentation 2: Google Maps Tips and Tricks Main presentation: “Ransomware Protection” by Dave… Continue Reading…
Foxtel Cancellation, Network Switch Failure and Lifetime Warranty
Steve Stubberfield This is my story about how cancelling our Foxtel subscription lead to a network switch failure and what is meant by life time warranty. It all started when we decided to re-assess what subscription services we required. With… Continue Reading…
From The Editor September 2022
Hugh Macdonald Hello and welcome to another edition of PC Update. This month we have a couple of interesting articles from members. There’s one from Steve on his experiences of cancelling Foxtel and on the way discovering that his network… Continue Reading…
Interesting Internet Finds
Steve Costello While going through more than 300 RSS feeds, I often run across things that might be interesting to other user group members. The following are some items I found during August 2021. Internet Problems? Here’s How To Tell… Continue Reading…
My First Encounter With Linux
Stewart Gruneklee The personal computer operating systems that I have used over the years started with Digital Research DR DOS in the mid 1980’s and then Microsoft’s DOS followed by various versions of Windows starting from version 3.11 up to… Continue Reading…
The Tesla Optimus robot is not very impressive – but it may be a sign of better things to come
Wafa Johal, The University of Melbourne In August 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the electric car manufacturer was planning to get into the robot business. In a presentation accompanied by a human dressed as a robot, Musk said work… Continue Reading…
What is multi-factor authentication
Jongkil Jay Jeong, Deakin University; Ashish Nanda, Deakin University, and Syed Wajid Ali Shah, Deakin University Data breaches are becoming commonplace in both small and big tech companies. The most recent victim was Australian telecommunications company Optus, resulting in unauthorised… Continue Reading…
August 2022
Book Review: How To Stay Smart In a Smart World
Tim McQueen How to stay smart in a smart world Gerd Gigerenzer Allen Lane 312 pp. Gerd Gigerenzer is Director of the Hamburg Centre for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam and a former Professor of Psychology at the… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report July 2022
Neil Muller Host Frank Maher opened the May meeting, again from home via Zoom. After welcoming members, Frank outlined the nights agenda shown below: Presentation 1: Q&A with John Hall Presentation 2: Best free VPN by Trevor Hudson Presentation 3:… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report June 2022
Neil Muller Host Frank Maher opened the May meeting, again from home via Zoom. After welcoming members, Frank outlined the nights agenda which is shown below: Presentation 1: Q&A with George Skarbek Presentation 2: Creating Short custom URL Links Presentation… Continue Reading…
Even if TikTok and other apps are collecting your data, what are the actual consequences
Ausma Bernot, Griffith University By now, most of us are aware social media companies collect vast amounts of our information. By doing this, they can target us with ads and monetise our attention. The latest chapter in the data-privacy debate… Continue Reading…
From The Editor August 2022
Hugh Macdonald Dear Readers, Firstly my sincere apologies for not getting an official issue out in July. The June issue came out belatedly in early July and I lacked the energy to get another issue out by the end of… Continue Reading…
Interesting Internet Finds
Steve Costello How to Fix Bluetooth Pairing Problems https://www.techlicious.com/how-to/how-to-fix-bluetooth-pairing-problems/ This post title is self-explanatory. I recently switched cell phone carriers and got new phones since then I have had intermittent problems connecting to some Bluetooth devices. I think you will… Continue Reading…
Posters with Canva
Caden and Nathan Kang Nowadays, many flyers and posters are created and shared online. Canva is an online program that allows you to create posters, flyers, videos, cards, and even social media posts and share them with other people in… Continue Reading…
Publishers vs the Internet Archive: why the world’s biggest online library is in court over digital book lending
Joanne Gray, University of Sydney and Cheryl Foong, Curtin University Earlier this month, the Internet Archive asked a US court to end a lawsuit filed against it by four large book publishers. The Internet Archive is a not-for-profit organisation founded… Continue Reading…
Taking Technology Too Personally
Greg Skalka When I was growing up, there seemed to be more universal and unifying experiences in our lives related to technology. Today, we had much less tech, but it served us well and was more common in its applications… Continue Reading…
Zooming
Barry Horn They’re calling a meeting and said I should go but I’m stuck at home, there’s a virus you know. They said not to worry, we’re going to Zoom, it will all be on-line, you can stay in your… Continue Reading…
June 2022
Did you bring it with you – the cloud is always with you
Phil Sorrentino There is just so much room on your phone for pictures, videos, music, and such. So, what if someone asks about that video of your grandchild or pet or that list of current movies that you keep up… Continue Reading…
DOTW Winners April 2022
Roger Brown DOTW is a lighthearted look at some of the sillier events of the week which has been posted weekly in the Chit Chat group in Yammer. From the start of June, this poll will transfer to Spaces as… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report April 2022
Neil Muller Host Paul Woolard opened the April meeting, again from home via Zoom. The first presentation of the night was by George Skarbek presenting his usual Q&A segment. This month there were only two questions, the first resulted in… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report May 2022
Neil Muller After 15 years as convener of East SIG, Paul Woolard has decided to retire from the role. On behalf of all members present, new host Frank Maher, thanked Paul for his many years’ service to the Melbourne PC… Continue Reading…
From The Editor June 2022
Hugh Macdonald I’m back and so is PC Update after a one month unscheduled hiatus. I do apologise about that. I took back the reins from David Stonier-Gibson, thinking I’d be right to produce the May issue, but had some… Continue Reading…
Interesting Internet Finds
Steve Costello While going through more than 300 RSS feeds, I often run across things that might be interesting to other user group members. The following are some items I found during August 2021. Internet Problems? Here’s How To Tell… Continue Reading…
It’s 2022. Why do we still not have waterproof phones
Ritesh Chugh, CQUniversity Australia While manufacturers have successfully increased the water-repelling nature of smartphones, they are still far from “waterproof”. A water-resistant product can usually resist water penetration to some extent, but a waterproof product is (meant to be) totally… Continue Reading…
Locate files and folders instantly
Jasmine Blue D’Katz I have been watching Tech for Seniors for several months, and like attending our monthly club meeting, I learn about different programs available to make using my computer easier. Recently, during his Evernote presentation, one of the… Continue Reading…
Monthly Meeting July 2022
David Stonier-Gibson The July 2022 monthly meeting will be on Wednesday 6th July via zoom only: Click here to join meeting on Zoom a little before 7pm. Our MC, Peter bacon, will start at 7pm sharp. Guest segment: The Nordic… Continue Reading…
So this is how it feels when the robots come for your job: what GitHub’s Copilot ‘AI assistant’ means for coders
Ben Swift, Australian National University I love writing code to make things: apps, websites, charts, even music. It’s a skill I’ve worked hard at for more than 20 years. So I must confess last week’s news about the release of… Continue Reading…
Spaces Highlights April 2022
Dennis Parsons Google Spaces, a replacement for Yammer With Melb PC moving away from using Microsoft services for the general membership we’ll shortly be closing down Yammer as the host for our Online SIG. It was recently announced after a… Continue Reading…
April 2022
Beer Wine Spirits
Beer and spirits have more detrimental effects on the waistline and on cardiovascular disease risk than red or white wine Researchers are working to tease apart how various alcohol types contribute to weight gain and disease risk. Brittany Larsen, Iowa… Continue Reading…
Bitcoin
The Other Side of the Bitcoin By David Kretchmar, Computer Technician, Sun City Summerlin Computer Club https://www.scscc.club In the April 2021 edition of the Gigabyte Gazette, I contributed an article titled “Bitcoin – the New Gold?”. I stated that “Gold… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report – March 2022
Neil Muller Host Paul Woolard opened the March meeting, again from home via Zoom. The first presentation of the night was by George Skarbek presenting his usual Q&A segment. Q. I have a hard drive with 5 partitions on it… Continue Reading…
Editorial April 2022
From the president (and editor) David Stonier-Gibson Zooming into the future While we still live in the shadow of Covid, there are clear signs we are emerging back into the world. But it will be a different world. Within Melb… Continue Reading…
Green Hydrogen
Australia plans to be a big green hydrogen exporter to Asian markets but they dont need it Andrew Blakers, Australian National University and Cheng Cheng, Australian National University In its latest budget, the federal government has promised hundreds of millions… Continue Reading…
Monthly Meeting May 2022
May monthly meeting special guest Our monthly meeting for May is on Wednesday 4th at 7pm. This will be held as a hybrid. You are encouraged to attend at Moorabbin in person, or if you’d rather stay home you can… Continue Reading…
Reflecting on Linux as my daily driver
Using Linux as my daily driver Hugh Macdonald I initially wrote an article of October 2020 where I announced I was going to spend more time using Linux, use Ubuntu as my distribution of choice, and use Linux as my… Continue Reading…
Start a New Habit in ’22 – Back Up!
By Kurt Jefferson, Editor, CKCS Newsletter. https://ckcs.org/ As we start a new year, it’s a great time to start a new habit – back up your PC or Mac data. It’s easier than ever. The review site, The Wirecutter, has… Continue Reading…
March 2022
An open letter to Scott Morrison
An open letter to Scott Morrison On March 15 the full federal court ruled that the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley does not have a duty of care to protect young people from the climate crisis when assessing fossil fuel… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report – February 2022
East SIG Report – February 2022 Neil Muller Host Paul Woolard opened the February meeting, (our first for 2022), again from home via Zoom. The first presentation of the night was George Skarbek presenting his usual Q&A segment. Q. For… Continue Reading…
Editorial March 2022
Editorial March 2022 David Stonier-Gibson Hugh Macdonald is temporarily indisposed, so I am holding the editor’s quill for him until he’s back onboard. More precisely: I’m curating the content, and Stephen Zuluaga is doing the online posting part. Here is… Continue Reading…
Free Tutorials – How to use Smartphones, Tablets and Computers
Free Tutorials – How to use Smartphones, Tablets and Computers Committee member Stewart Gruneklee has taken the initiative to start a training program for people struggling with our modern “device centric” life style. With the increasing trend of everything moving… Continue Reading…
Make a Wi-Fi QR Code Using Android
Make a Wi-Fi QR Code Using Android John Krout, Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society Instead of forcing family, friends, and user group members to type a long, convoluted password to access Wi-Fi, use your Android phone to make a… Continue Reading…
Monthly Meeting April 2022
Monthly Meeting April 2022 David Stonier-Gibson With a federal election on the horizon, there is much speculation about the large number of independents putting their hands up in predominantly government held seats. At the last election in 2019 Tony Abbott… Continue Reading…
Potential Problems Ahead For Users of Three Popular Web Browsers
Potential Problems Ahead For Users of Three Popular Web Browsers By Kurt Jefferson, Editor, Central Kentucky Computer Society Three of the most popular Web browsers in use today are about to hit version 100. That is a major milestone for… Continue Reading…
Tiny satellites are changing the way we explore our planet and beyond
Tiny satellites are changing the way we explore our planet and beyond Shane Keating, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Oceanography, UNSW Sydney Clare Kenyon, Astrophysicist and Science Communicator, The University of Melbourne Want to go to space? It could cost… Continue Reading…
February 2022
Club Notices February 2022
A Commodore 64 challenge for Melb PC Harry Lewis Melb PC was approached recently by local poet Ted Holmes. Between 1999 and 2001 Ted published three volumes of poems. For publication at the time he presented his publisher with 3.5″… Continue Reading…
East SIG Report November 2021
Neil Miller Host Paul Woolard opened the November meeting, again from home via Zoom. The first presentation of the night was George Skarbek presenting his usual Q&A segment. With most members on their computers during the latest lockdown, many questions… Continue Reading…
Editorial February 2022
Hugh Macdonald Hello and welcome to another edition of PC Update and welcome to another year in the life of Melbourne PC User Group. I’m sure I wrote something similar last year, but we can only hope that this year… Continue Reading…
How to become a Linux expert by installing Arch
Roger Brown You too can amaze your friends and colleagues by becoming a LINUX EXPERT who runs the very best rolling distribution – Arch Linux. For various reasons, people regard Arch Linux as a Linux distribution requiring a true Linux… Continue Reading…
How To Delete Your Social Media Accounts
Sharon Horwood, Deakin University For more than a decade we’ve been deeply immersed in a love affair with social media. And the thought of ending things can be painful. But like any relationship, if social media is no longer making… Continue Reading…
Interesting Internet Finds
Steve Costello Nearby Share On Android: All You Need To Know https://joyofandroid.com/nearby-share-on-android/ If you are an Android user and want to know about Nearby Share, check out this post. I don’t use it myself, but not because of anything in… Continue Reading…
Mandatory logins for ABC iview could open an intimate window onto your life
Michael Cowling, CQUniversity Australia Last week, the ABC announced it will begin to track the viewing habits of all users of its iview streaming platform from March 15. This will be done by making users create an account and log… Continue Reading…
Member Fiction: How The World Is Run
George Wright There was once a leader of a country who wanted to be safe from atomic attack so he asked another friendly country to provide a facility to protect them. Unfortunately the facility could not be constructed in the… Continue Reading…
Monthly Meeting February 2022
The November 2021 Monthly Meeting was held online on Wednesday 2nd February 2022, with about 90 members in attendance via Zoom. Guest segment: Zero to One Million Hits in 14 Days A discussion with Sue Barrett and Jobst Schmalenbach around… Continue Reading…
Using Google Workspace
Greg Eden Part 1 – Document scanning and OCR Can you use your Android phone as a document scanner? Yes. As a way of copying old photo prints? Yes. Is it as good as a stand alone scanner? Probably not,… Continue Reading…
Yammer Highlights January 2022
Dennis Parsons Linux Frank plugged his Kobo eBook into his Linux computer but couldn’t get it to connect properly. The reader was showing as connected on the reader but the computer wasn’t seeing the reader at all – it wasn’t… Continue Reading…
