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28 January 2022
Why not share your photos with the rest of us? E-
© 2022 Lower Henlade and Stoke Road Residents’ Association
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Before parting with money to a web site you don’t know, always try out their contact details to see if they work. Be wary if no address is given (but don’t assume an address is anything more than a post box).
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Never give bank account or credit card details unless you are on a secure site. This is indicated by “https://” (instead of “http://”) in the address line and a little padlock symbol either on the right or left of the address bar, depending on which browser you are using.
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Be aware that reviews can be written by the company selling the goods. Is just one product reviewed or lots of competing products? Is only one product approved of?
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Beware the terms “Free Scan”, “Free Download” , “Free Software” or “Speed up your PC”. Apart from risk of nasties being introduced into your PC, free scans will probably find hundreds of errors on your PC and may claim to fix a few of them for free, but will try and tempt you into paying full price for their software to fix the rest. Their software may or may not work and may or may not harm your PC.
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There are plenty of free downloads that are perfectly safe and really useful. Make sure to distinguish between “free” and “free trial”, and try and find impartial reviews of free downloads or only get them from reputable sites.
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Don’t expect PayPal to look after you.
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You have virtually no consumer protection if you buy from outside the EU.
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PC Tips -
Many years ago the late Denis Kirk recommended I.T. Know Howe to me and now it seems to me they have several customers around here.
Martin Howe has now closed the office in The Crescent, Taunton, but still provides a great service. His newsletters are interesting and useful, too.
Telephone 01823 350500, web site http://www.itknowhowe.c o.uk, e-
I have no hesitation in recommending him -
Gill
PC Tips -
Confused by tech-
Talking of dictionaries, here’s an ordinary one: http://dictionary.cambridge.org. Not comprehensive but useful if you don’t have your old fashioned paper version to hand. (Of course now you can just Google ‘what does xxx mean’ and get a pretty good idea without going any furher.)
Do you ever wonder how to pronounce words? There is a brilliant web site which does just that: http://www.howjsay.com. It even told me how to pronounce the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull! Sadly, as of 12 October 2018, it isn’t listing that one any more.
For postal price calculations and comparisons click on this link: http://www.royalmail.com/price-
Another useful Royal Mail site is their postcode finder: http://www.royalmail.com/postcode-
Test your broadband speed on any of these sites:
Note you do not need to fill in your details for these to work. These are ‘snapshots’ of your service at any one time and will vary each time you test.
http://www.broadband.co.uk/broadband-
http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest
If you are thinking of buying electronic goods you could try Trusted Reviews or Tech Radar for amazingly comprehensive descriptions and ratings of lots of items. http://www.trustedreviews.com and https://www.techradar.com/uk. Having said that, I just (12 Oct 2018) searched for a review of my phone on Trusted Reviews and it didn’t come up. I had to Google it to find it ON TRUSTED REVIEWS!!
Amazon and eBay often have really useful consumer reviews of their products written by people who actually bought them. http://www.amazon.co.uk and http://www.ebay.co.uk.
And here’s another thing: you can’t necessarily trust reviews these days! Businesses
have been known to write their own 5-
Lastly, there’s always Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page -
PC Tips ! -
It’s probably best just to Google what you are looking for.
If you do use the above or any other download sites ...
... YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU:
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You may not notice that some of the items are adverts (it may well say so, but you need to look carefully).
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As stated above, check that ‘free’ is genuinely free, not just ‘free to try’.
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Of course you can take advantage of ‘free to try’ if you are only going to need to use the software for a limited time, but then you need to remember to terminate your contract/payment in good time.
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Be sure to click on the RIGHT download. These sites often show a confusing array of download buttons, most of which you will not want.
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You are unlikely to need the downloader or installer software offered.
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Check again after you’ve hit the “download” button that you are saving the software YOU want and not the software someone else wants you to have.
PC Tips -
This is where YOU tell US about anything of local interest or share your skills and knowledge.
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This is YOUR page.
Contact us to tell us what you want to see in it!
We offer space here free of charge to any member with goods or services to sell.
That’s right -
Contact us if you’d like to advertise.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of backing up your files on a regular
basis. Don’t be caught out like I was a few years ago. Hard drives DO crash and it
really is best not to have to take your PC to the experts to have them recover -
Karens Replicator, free sofware that works like lightning and stores your files just as they appear in your Windows Explorer, is my top recommendation. It has done a fine job for me since 2011. Previous link given was to cnet.com but you have to be too careful what you click on with them nowadays. This one from Karen’s web site will be better: https://www.karenware.c om/powertools/ptreplicat or
Karen’s site is being kept up by her friend Joe Winett following her death in 2011.
Ideally, back up at least once a week to an external hard drive, and store it safely as far away as possible from your PC. (Or to the Cloud, but that will take longer.)
Your first back-
Gill
PC Tips -
Cairns is a very talented photographer and artist.
Click here to take a look at some of her photographs -
We can’t show you her paintings here but they encompass a variety of styles and subjects, all unique and highly individual.
Residents’ Association members will be given an introductory discount. Contact Jacqueline on 07974 425708 or e-
Photography
Contact Paul Stroner for more info on 01823 444174 or e-
Live music for your party
You will be aware of the efforts made to revive The Brewhouse after its closure in 2013, and our own resident Andy Childs from Lower Henlade has been heavily involved in bringing cinema to the venue.
You can click here for the Brewhouse web site listings for the current season.
Brewhouse films -
Problem Pests ? -
I just feel like recommending someone who sorted out wasp nests for us with minimal fuss and at a reasonable rate.
Martyn O’Hara lives in Minehead but came to us twice this summer and fixed our problem wasp nests
Pitcher and Associates hold monthly auctions of antiques and collectables at the Ruishton Inn.
Having sold items through them myself I can say I would be more than happy to do so again, and the auctions are good natured and fun to attend.
Click here for their web site.
Gill
Local Auctions -
Great news that with ‘Recycle More’ we are getting kerbside collections for plastic tubs and tray, batteries and more. Our collection day changed to Wednesday and big bins will be emptied every three weeks. Click here for more information on what can be recycled and the collection calendar to October 2022.
They keep changing the rules and recycling centre opening hours so it’s probably best just to give a link to their web site here https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/
You will find all sorts of useful information there, including collection days, what can and can’t be recycled, and recycling centre addresses and opening hours. You can also sign up to receive their newsletter.
Refuse & Recycling -
The promised defibrillator is now in place outside the first bungalows at Dinhams as you drive through the village from the A358. There is a sign high up on a lamppost nearby.
These are the guidelines as given in the December 2018 Village Hall newsletter:
If you come across someone who is not breathing or breathing erratically, the most important thing is to call 999 and start CPR. The operator will give you a code to open the defibrillator cabinet. If you are on your own, do not stop CPR to get the defibrillator as it is important to keep blood flowing around the body. Defibrillators are designed to be used by lay persons; the machines guide the operator through the process by verbal instructions and visual prompts. They are safe and will not allow a shock to be given unless the heart’s rhythm requires it.
Defibrillator in Ruishton -
(But a lot more needs updating on this page!)