Setting up Emergency Information on your Android Phone

Did you know, if you have an emergency situation where you are unable to communicate, your phone can be a life saver.  Anyone with access to your phone can call 911 even if your phone is locked.  First responders can call emergency contacts that you have set up.  Your Android phone makes it easy.  Here is how you can set it up:

1.        Go to settings and select “Users

2.       Select “Emergency Information” 

a.       From here “Info” you can provide medical information like Allergies and your medication

b.      Click on “Contacts”

Now click on “Add Contact”

c.       You can now select a family member or friend you would like to have contacted in case of emergency

Now, when your phone is locked, your medical information and contacts are accessible by First Responders.  It may save your life.

How to Wirelessly Cast Your Android Phone

Today, I had the privilege to present to the Port Perry Seniors Club. There were a surprising number of attendees looking to learn how to use their technology..  I did the entire presentation from my Android Phone ( a Nexus 5X ) and wirelessly projected it through my projector.  The class included both a Powerpoint Presentation and a functional demonstration of Android all from my phone.

As you may know, the recent versions of Android ( Marshmallow and Nougut ) have eliminated the ability to cast your device using the industry standard, Miracast.  And it turns out,  Chromecast doesn't support connection through my WiFi hotspost which I found strange since it works with any other standard wireless router.
  This called for a new solution.

So here is how I put it together:

1. I powered on my hotspot.
2.  I connected a $25 HooToo wireless extender to my hotspot.  This device is a router is really meant for people to who travel and spend times in hotels and want to have a secure device to extend the WiFi from the hotel.
3.  I wirelessly connected the Chromecast device to the HooToo router..
4,  I connected the phone to the HooToo router.

That allowed to me walk around during my presentation and pay attention to the audience and not have to be concerned with the technology.

Get help with Windows 10 - Quick Assist

Are your grandchildren your main access to technical support?  If you have Windows 10, they now don’t have to come to your home to help you out..  If you are having a problem with your computer, need to get the right app or simply adjust a setting to make using your computer easier for you to use. You can get that help very easily with a new feature in Windows 10 called “Quick Assist.”   Quick Assist is a very simple way to allow one of the grand kids, or maybe a technically savvy friend, to access your computer remotely and quickly fix the issue you are having.

Here is how it works: 

1.        Make a phone call to the person (helper) who is going to help and while you are speaking with them.

2.       Click on Start – Window Accessories – Quick Assist (or just type “quick assist” into Cortana and hit enter) The following screen will appear:

3.        Click on “Get assistance”  - you will now see this

 

    4.       Your helper will now, on her/his computer, will run “Quick Assist” and Click on “Give assistance.”  Your helper will see this”

.

            5.  When your helper tells you the security code – key the number in to where it says “Enter code” and then Click on “Allow”

.       

Your helper now has remote control of your computer.  You, also, can and use the computer to show the helper the trouble you are experiencing.  Either of you can stop sharing at any time by clicking on the “X” in this window:

Simple huh?

Making "OK Google" Available on Every Home Screen

I use “OK Google” on my Nexus 5X for everything from asking “What’s the score in the Blue Jays game?”, to Google searches, to sending SMS messages.  When I first purchased Nexus 5X, I found “OK Google” only on what I call the notification screen.  I really wanted to have it on every home screen and now I can.  It wasn’t easy, so, I thought I would share it with everyone else who would like to do this.

Here’s how:

1		2
Go to the notification screen (swipe from left to right at the home screen)  and Click on the Hamburger Menu.		Now Click on Settings
3		4
Click on Voice		Now Click on “OK Google” detection
5
Notice that it says “any Home Screen” So turn this switch on		You should now see the “OK Google” at the top of every Home Screen

Microsoft Releasing Anniversary Update

Microsoft will be releasing an Anniversary Update for Windows 10 on August 2, four days after the expiration of the free update from Windows 7 or 8.
Windows 10 has had excellent improvements over the past year and there is more to come with this new update including well needed improvements in Cortana and Microsoft Edge.  There will be major update for the Microsoft apps included with the OS.  These include enhancements to Groove Music, Photos and many others.
There is only 2 weeks left to upgrade to Windows 10.  If you can you should do it now.  You can always return to your previous version of Windows 7 or 8.

Ubuntu Mate – Renew your old computer!

Not know what to do with an old computer?  Maybe Ubuntu Mate is the answer.  Although it is based on Linux, it is a very Windows like experience and all the software and games are free and easy to install from the Software Boutique.  The file system has very familiar Documents, Music, Pictures and Video Folders.  The display much like Windows.

 

Ubuntu Mate 16.04 comes with a full office suite preinstalled, it is called LibreOffice and is compatible with Microsoft Office.  It will read Microsoft office documents and Excel Files as well as play PowerPoint presentations.  Anything you create with LibreOffice can be easily exchanged with Windows users.

 Applications in the Software Boutique are free, as easy to download as the Microsoft, Apple or Google Play store, and are safe and secure. 

  

If, like I do, you to love Google Chrome and casting YouTube videos to your television screen you can.  Previously in any Linux distribution you had to go out to a web site, choose your flavor of operating system, download, install it and hope it works.  The Software Boutique avoids all that.  Just select the program (in my case Google Chrome) and in a single click it is installed.

Music apps, video apps, news and personal finance apps all are available for the Software Boutique.  Love to watch Movies and TV Shows – Kodi is also available.

You can download and try it on your old system without first destroying it.  Just download the ISO (DVD System Image) install it on a DVD and it will be able to boot up on your system without destroying what you already have.  When you are ready just click install and your old system will be new again.  You can download Ubuntu Mate 16.04 from here: Ubuntu Mate Download

Anyone familiar with Linux knows that it is for the command line junkie, not so with Ubuntu Mate.  This is not your grand father’s Linux.  You never, ever have to enter a command line.  Is it still available if you are a geek? – of course.

Yes I still love Windows 10 that I got as a free upgrade to my Windows 7 computer but my Thinkpad R61 that came with Windows XP – it’s now happily running Ubuntu Mate.

Your Email has been Hacked!

WARNING!  It is getting easier for Hackers to get your password.  Why?  Because you give it to them.

Have you received an Email from a friend or contact that looks like this?

"Unable to show full message.
You can view it by clicking here"

Notice that there is nothing personal in the note and it is not signed.  When you click the "here" it will ask you to sign on with your Email User ID and Password.  That is not a real sign on.  What you have done is give both your user ID and your password to the hacker, who can now sign in to your Email and send that same message to all your contacts.

If you accidentally fall for this - Change your password immediately.

Technology Classes Finished For The 2015-16 Season

The technology class we held a Rock Crusher are over for the season and Bettyann and I would like to thank everyone who attended.  The classes were held on very warm days here is Florida and attendees had lots of options to choose from, including swimming, golf, biking and just touring around.  Instead they chose to learn about their computers and to upgrade to Windows 10.

Thank you all again.  We very much enjoy sharing our knowledge and expertise with all of you.  Your smiles keep us coming back.

Here are just a few of your comments you made about the classes



Thanks again for making this window a joy! - JD

Thanks so much for the classes this year.  Once again you've gotten me out of some IT jams - CT

Thank you so much for the countless hours you have spent here at Rock Crusher teaching the computer class.  You share so much valuable information and your hour devoted each week for individual questions is so helpful.  Thank you so much! - CF

Thank you so much for dedicating some of you time here to offer us a wonderful computer class.  I have absorbed something new from every class - TF

Thank you for helping me with Chromecast & cleaning up my computer - TF

...  f or all your special help - Thank you.  Sandy

Fix driver problems before moving to Windows 10

Over the past 5 months, conversions from Windows 8 / 8.1 were never a problem and most Windows 7 conversions when without a hitch.  However, the occasional older Windows 7 upgrade experienced problems.  These all seemed to be directly related to old / un-updated drivers.  Only one of the Windows 7 computers I dealt with was unable to stay on Windows 10.  On that (Acer) computer both the USB and more importantly the wireless LAN driver that worked perfectly on Windows 7 failed on Windows 10.   This, in spite of the fact, that the Windows 10 update app said that the system was compatible. The only solution was to return to Windows 7.

I recently had a chance to review a program that could possibly have fixed the driver problem on these systems.  That program is called Driver Talent.  You can download it from here: Driver Talent   There is a free version and one you can purchase it for $16.95.  The free version will scan your system and allow you to download the most up-to-date drivers to c:\Window\OSTotoFolder. 

You will have to install the drivers yourself once downloaded.  I had to use 7Zip to unzip the driver files that were downloaded.  You can get it here:  7Zip.  Once unzipped, the drivers can be installed from Device Manager.

If you are uncomfortable with this, the purchased version of Driver Talent will automatically install the drivers for you.  Let me know if this works for you.

Microphone doesn’t appear on Cortana

If have newly installed Windows 10 and find that Cortana (on the task bar) doesn’t have a mic icon.  You are not alone.  You can go into Cortana and set up the mic but for some reason it doesn’t allow you to use it.  This is a problem I remember having when I was downloading previews of Windows 10 on the Windows Inside program prior to the release.  I thought it would be resolved by now but apparently not.

It seems to be a problem Canadians have had since upgrading from Windows 7.

Here is how to fix it”

Windows key (Start Menu) – Settings

Time & Language – Region & Language

Under Country or region select United States

Under Languages - Add a Language

Select “English (United States)

Restart your computer and Click on Cortana

No Recycle Bin on Desktop

As you may know, I provide education and tech support for the folks at Rock Crusher in Florida in the Winter.  I had a problem I hadn't seen before and a solution I hadn't seen before.
Sandy had a bunch of problems with her computer that we resolved very quickly and then she brought up the since she upgraded to Windows 10 in the summer she wasn't able to find her Recycle Bin it was no longer on the desktop.

I went into Setting - Personalization - Themes - Desktop Items Settings.  Sure enough Recycle Bin had been selected.  Hummm!  I went to File Explorer and selected Desktop.  There were program Icons showing there that also were not on the desktop.  I had not idea why that would happen.

Today, I was playing with Desktop Background settings and I found a very simple solution but until now I had no idea this existed.

Solution:  Right click on Destop - click on View and look what's on that menu.
"Show Desktop Icons."  Problem solved!