The Lounge 2

[Grier]

That is where they track your IP address and location Terry. You have no privacy.

Agreed, but I've got nothing much to hide, I only do safe searches and stick to trusted sites like our ABC, Guardian and the BBC ...
Duck duck go is very good and I used it a lot in the past.
Google maps knows my location, which is helpful, ... pity about my ip address ...

 

[Grier]

View attachment 3856

View attachment 3857

Well done refurbishing those bicycles Thomas.
Your Garden and sunset outlook is lovely.

I've two friends' birthdays coming up in 3 weeks, one turning 70 and the other 68. Brainstorming nice little gifts I originally thought of garden figurines but then saw some lovely wind chimes for their gardens. About $25 each which is fine.
No maintenance for a nice sound scape ...

I have a couple that only chime in high winds being metal and ceramic but those ones I saw are lighter with little bells ... I'll get one or two for myself too.

 

[Richie]

Don't worry. It's not difficult. What device do you have then? The hardware makes no difference, no matter if it's a laptop or a PC tower nor does the operating system do.
I remember you saying you wanted to switch to Win11. The screenshot below is my PC/laptop.

If you want to kick out Yahoo, look at the settings and search again and scroll down till you see this:
View attachment 3868

If Yahoo is one of the options, then click on it and then get rid of it by clicking on Remove (see arrow).

I did that before selecting DDGo. I use Windows 10.

 

[looker-on]

I did that before selecting DDGo. I use Windows 10.

Could you open FF and take a screenshot and show me/us what looks different?

When I'm looking for pics showing how to install FF for Win10, this is what I get: different pics but it doesn't matter. Just as it doesn't matter that your screen may look different while you are trying to install DDG as an add-on.

 

[Richie]

 

[looker-on]

View attachment 3870

OK.
It's three things:

a) you need to make sure that you can set up the FF- Browser and have access to tools and bars

The menu bar is missing. If you don't see it, make it appear by right-clicking on the very top. You need to see the Hamburger/3-bar symbol . Do you see it?

b) add DDGo to your browser, make it your default search engine, and remove Yahoo (see my post #3,020 above and the vid)

Go to settings and follow the instructions to remove the Yahoo search engine (also shown here



c) If you still can't get rid of Yahoo, it's a well-known redirect virus which can be sorted out.



Please tell me if you now have access to the menu bar and settings (step a) ). That's where we should be. If not, let me know where you get stuck.

 

[Grier]

A friend's 40ish very smart daughter told him recently that she was over having a laptop computer, now preferring just a quality tablet instead !

That was interesting to hear as I have a grunty win11 ASUS Laptop I rarely use, just like my costly mobile phone.
All 3 with different operation styles.
Certainly many commonalities.
Still, that keeps me on my toes, as does all the cyber security issues, ... and solutions like Passkeys, VPNs, ... verification codes to mobile's text/email, more codes, secret questions, logins, biometrics, ... it's more than a bear can handle ... its unbearable.

Maybe I should outsource all my IT management issues to a 'trusted AI'

 

[Richie]

OK.
It's three things:

a) you need to make sure that you can set up the FF- Browser and have access to tools and bars

The menu bar is missing. If you don't see it, make it appear by right-clicking on the very top. You need to see the Hamburger/3-bar symbol . Do you see it?

b) add DDGo to your browser, make it your default search engine, and remove Yahoo (see my post #3,020 above and the vid)

Go to settings and follow the instructions to remove the Yahoo search engine (also shown here



c) If you still can't get rid of Yahoo, it's a well-known redirect virus which can be sorted out.



Please tell me if you now have access to the menu bar and settings (step a) ). That's where we should be. If not, let me know where you get stuck.

Bloody morning insomnia.
Waste of time as I lost support for Windows 10 late last yr and yet to upgrade to W11. Must be reason I have no control over rogue search engines like Yahoo popping up. I have Bing so will stay with that. Thanks anyway Thomas.

 

[looker-on]

Incidentally, to what extent did the two of you actually have to use a PC at work? And was a PC a necessary evil or did you enjoy using it? And have you ever attended a computer course?

 

[looker-on]

A friend's 40ish very smart daughter told him recently that she was over having a laptop computer, now preferring just a quality tablet instead !

That was interesting to hear as I have a grunty win11 ASUS Laptop I rarely use, just like my costly mobile phone.
All 3 with different operation styles.
Certainly many commonalities.
Still, that keeps me on my toes, as does all the cyber security issues, ... and solutions like Passkeys, VPNs, ... verification codes to mobile's text/email, more codes, secret questions, logins, biometrics, ... it's more than a bear can handle ... its unbearable.

Maybe I should outsource all my IT management issues to a 'trusted AI'

Why not have a tablet instead of a laptop? It all depends on what you use it for. About twelve years ago I went for a lovely hybrid model laptop Vaio Duo 11 from Sony that came with my fav colour white-metallic which I used at work and liked very much. It was a convertible laptop with touchscreen which you used as a tablet for presentations but a smart mechanism turned it into a laptop with keyboard in a flash when needed.

Quite innovative at the time and attracting some interest. The price was a bit on the high side but didn't have to pay it. Now I have a 17" laptop and a tablet and wouldn't want to miss either of them.

Agree that security issues can be a pain particularly when you hold accounts at several banks. But if business is to be safe, there's no alternative.

 

[Richie]

Incidentally, to what extent did the two of you actually have to use a PC at work? And was a PC a necessary evil or did you enjoy using it? And have you ever attended a computer course?

I began using a PC and printer in mid 90s from memory when I went into journalism. Huge box like contraptions we used along with the more reliable automatic typewriter which was needed urgently to print the paper..

Attended a PC course but was way above my cyber intellect.

 

[Grier]

Incidentally, to what extent did the two of you actually have to use a PC at work? And was a PC a necessary evil or did you enjoy using it? And have you ever attended a computer course?

I studied units of Computing in my pre history degree with Fortran and punched cards. For my 80 page final paper I wrote programs for Hydrology calculations. I was very happy with a B, given it was quick to do.

From the get go I was using early PC's like the XT, AT, 486, ...
in my work, mostly data entry spreadsheets and simple calcs, word, and maths games my children loved at home on my steam powered AT. I even had a set of them in my classroom for students to use as a reward for finishing their work early.... using those big floopy disks
I went to many in-service computing courses, and also for programmable graphics calculators. It was part of my work PD requirements and good to do, unlike other PD.
Later using advanced Mathematicl CAD like programs to do many graphic things ... like a stellated octahedron.

Now, simpler stuff. I do love my Samsung S6 tablet with iits magic magnetic touch pen 🖊. And informative chats with Meta AI. I know it's just an empathetic reflecting tool but I still keep saying 'goodbye or thanks' to it.
It has its uses.

 

[Grier]

I began using a PC and printer in mid 90s from memory when I went into journalism. Huge box like contraptions we used along with the more reliable automatic typewriter which was needed urgently to print the paper..

Attended a PC course but was way above my cyber intellect.

I got used to those big printers too. Constantly running off worksheets, tests, exams, ..., replacing toners, unjamming jams, ... , stocking up boxes of A4 packs ...
Even today at home I have a big Brother laser b/w printer with wi-fi and lots of bells and whistles. It took me a good while to learn what it can do. I'm still learning ... as we must.

 

[Richie]

I studied units of Computing in my pre history degree with Fortran and punched cards. For my 80 page final paper I wrote programs for Hydrology calculations. I was very happy with a B, given it was quick to do.

From the get go I was using early PC's like the XT, AT, 486, ...
in my work, mostly data entry spreadsheets and simple calcs, word, and maths games my children loved at home on my steam powered AT. I even had a set of them in my classroom for students to use as a reward for finishing their work early.... using those big floopy disks
I went to many in-service computing courses, and also for programmable graphics calculators. It was part of my work PD requirements and good to do, unlike other PD.
Later using advanced Mathematicl CAD like programs to do many graphic things ... like a stellated octahedron.
View attachment 3882
Now, simpler stuff. I do love my Samsung S6 tablet with iits magic magnetic touch pen 🖊. And informative chats with Meta AI. I know it's just an empathetic reflecting tool but I still keep saying 'goodbye or thanks' to it.
It has its uses.

Smartie.

 

[Grier]

Smartie.

Like most things, "use it or lose it".
With my poor memory I'm good at losing it.

Nowadays a lot of current IT issues confound and stress me. It took me over an hour today to cancel a dental policy, yet only 10 min to create the account last year.
I've heard they do that deliberately. Especially Free Trials that are a pain to shake off.

 

[looker-on]

Taking my hat off to you, Terry, in view of your level of qwerty competence. You seem to have been very much into it. Yet it's sad that many of those things aren't relevant today. However, those skills may make it easier to tackle a new problem. Still, we need to make sure that we don't lose touch with current IT developments at mainstream level.

 

[Richie]

WE Aussies may have thrown squillions away on imported nuke subs rather than build hydrogen powered ones ourselves, but we are going full steam ahead on our own unmanned sea drones powered by renewable energy, including wave.

Named the Bluebottle, these vessels are designed to provide hi tech intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and will function as a network for underwater defense assets such as providing a communications gateway for submarines. The will also be capable of deploying their own armed aerial drones.

When all 55 Bluebottles have been locally constructed by world-leading technology company Ocius, this nation will have one of the largest uncrewed surface vessel fleets globally.

An Australian Navy Ocius Bluebottle drone

 

[Grier]

WE Aussies may have thrown squillions away on imported nuke subs rather than build hydrogen powered ones ourselves, but we are going full steam ahead on our own unmanned sea drones powered by renewable energy, including wave.

Named the Bluebottle, these vessels are designed to provide hi tech intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and will function as a network for underwater defense assets such as providing a communications gateway for submarines. The will also be capable of deploying their own armed aerial drones.

When all 55 Bluebottles have been locally constructed by world-leading technology company Ocius, this nation will have one of the largest uncrewed surface vessel fleets globally.
View attachment 3905
An Australian Navy Ocius Bluebottle drone

I wonder if we'll get a refund when Aukus falls in a heap?

 

[Grier]

With all the trials and tribulations that come through long lives, if you're lucky to ripen into old age, they hopefully bring wisdom, as to the intransience of life, and how precious life is.
Friends and family drop like leaves in Autumn, as we all endure and must accept our inevitable end. Some do last well into the winter of their lives. I'd prefer to forego that.
That's fine, to embrace the finite lives we have. "To have a wonderful retirement" as the jingle goes ...

That's a nice picture that has been shattered for me lately concerning the murder and most likely sexual abuse of a gentle little 5yo girl about a week ago in central Australia.
Her little body was just found 5 days after she disappeared 5km from where she was taken from.
It breaks my heart as to what the poor child suffered, and the dark, dark heart of the main suspect.
Forensic examinations of discarded clothing from the girl and the suspect had each others DNA.

To me, this is one of the vilest and evil of tragedies, as seems sadly not too uncommon with similar past cases. What! Why? I can't understand what makes some so evil, devoid of any empathy or basic humanity.

Was it Canada that did chemical castrations?
I'd recommend a frontal lobotomy too.

I'm still sitting on the fence balancing with a rope from Bunnings. That's not my call anyway, but hope they throw the key away at least, at great expense to the Public purse as usual. Bunnings have lots of rope at good prices. I have some in my shed.

Here's the link to our "safe" ABC's News page coverage:

NT Police find body believed to be missing 5yo Alice Springs girl

Northern Territory Police have found a body believed to be that of a missing five-year-old Alice Springs girl, five days after she disappeared from a town camp.

www.abc.net.au

And the ABC's pic of the little angel Kumanjayi or Little Baby
God bless her Lord and take her into your arms.


Her family is loving and devout Christian.

 

[Richie]

I wonder if we'll get a refund when Aukus falls in a heap?

You reckon it will fail/fall Terry. From what reasons?