Gizmo guide to computers
January 26th 2012 00:04
Welcome to the first issue of your gizmo guide for 2012.
As we're celebrating Australia Day too, we'll have slighly reduced operating hours: 9am - 5pm (EST), but back as usual from 8am 27 January 2011.
Stay safe,
gizmo
Q: I have 2 laptops, one picks up my wireless internet signal in seconds, the other can take up to 10 minutes (even if I'm next to the router). Why?
A: Every computer contains a NIC (Network Interface Card) which essentially is the hardware that 'talks' in order to connect a computer and a network. Different computer brands will 'talk' a little differently, some taking a little longer to make that connection.
If this has only happened recently or is affecting all connected devices, chances are another wireless network is using the same channel as you and is causing some interference. Your router will support a number of different channels specifically for this reason. If you want to give changing the channel a go yourself, there is an app that will tell you what wireless networks are broadcasting in your area and their channel, called inSSIDer. Otherwise, best to get it looked at by a professional.
Q: I'm working on a report in Word, and I have some images that are too large for the portrait layout. Can I mix portrait and landscape layouts in the one document?
From Simone.
A: You can combine the 2 layouts within Word via a few easy steps.
Highlight the text or images on the page that you wish to change to Landscape. Then:
1.Go to the Page Layout tab
2.Select Margins
3.Click on Custom Margins
4.Change the Orientation to Landscape, then in the Apply to drop down box, select whole document
5.Your document will now appear with the various layouts.
Q: I keep seeing these odd looking black & white images of dots in a square. What are they for and what do they mean?
From MaryAnne.
A: Called ‘Quick Response Codes’ or QR codes for short, these are codes which Tech junkies (like our gizmotechs), have loved for years (this isn’t new technology, as it was originally developed for the car manufacturing industry), as what you can put on them is endless and you may never know where they may take you.
Now that the adoption of Smartphones is so high, it has made these QR codes very quick and easy to read, so they are starting to become very common on magazine advertising and shop fronts.
What exactly are they used for?
These black modules which are arranged in a square pattern on a white background contain messages that the creator of it has encoded. What can be encoded includes a simple message such as a phone number, a company logo or a website. It can also contain special promotional offers, or even a map leading you somewhere. It’s endless.
How do you read it?
If you have data enabled on your smartphone, along with a built in camera, then you’re almost there. The camera is what will actually scan the image, but you will need an app in order for your camera to recognise it.
Open your phones app store such as the App Store on the iPhone or Android Market on an Android-based phone and look up ‘QR reader’ – you should be able to find one for free. Then scan away. Try this one...
For more help please contact 1300 275 449 or help@gizmo.com.au
Q: I'm getting hundreds of spam emails from Nigeria. How do I get out of this situation?
From Margaret.
A: Hi Margaret, large email providers like Gmail and Hotmail provide a good level of spam filtering and should block those emails automatically. If your provider doesn’t do this, then the easiest way out is to delete the spam emails as soon as they arrive. You may also like to look at getting spam protection for your computer; we recommend McAfee Internet Security. Whatever you do, don’t reply or click any links in the email, even the unsubscribe link! Any replies or interaction with the email aside from deletion can alert the spammers that your account is active; prompting them to increase the amount of junk they send to you.
For more help please contact 1300 275 449 or help@gizmo.com.au
Q: Can I get a list of inappropriate/explicit websites so I can block these and stop my children accidentally accessing them when they are online?
A: Unfortunately there is no single list of all the 'adult entertainment' websites in the world which makes blocking them on your website difficult! But, there are several ways you can protect your children from these websites whilst online. gizmo recommends the use of a free Internet Filtering service known as K9 from BlueCoat which is available for both Windows and Mac that allows you to specify 'allowed' content based on a filter. Using this in conjunction with the Parental Controls web security system that comes with the latest edition of both the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, is quite effective in protecting your child whilst online. If you need help setting them up, contact us and ask for our Kids Safe Online service.
For more help please contact 1300 275 449 or help@gizmo.com.au
Q: My laptop has recently started telling me it has failed a SMART test, does this mean my laptop is dumb? Can you please help me?
A: Not at all, modern Hard Drives contain a Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology Hard Drive Monitoring system, also known as SMART. This Monitoring System is used to detect and report on various indicators of reliability of a hard drive and can often anticipate Hard Drive Failures. If your Laptop is indicating it is failing a SMART test, something has changed on your hard drive and it is going to fail, this could be tomorrow or 6 months from now, but you need to address it now.
Given all of your data is saved here make sure you have a back up and get a Tech out to replace the Hard Drive before it fails for good.
For more help please contact 1300 275 449 or help@gizmo.com.au
Q: I bought my new computer in January from a local computer retailer, and was wondering why my Word 2007 won’t work. It’s saying that I need a "Product number"? Can you please help me?
A: It sounds like you’re using a Trial Version of Microsoft Office. Quite often, new PC’s will come with trial software for a range of applications that will contain a Trial License. This license allows you to use the software for a set time frame, or set number of operations. If a notification has popped up saying you need a Product number, it means your trial is up.
You can purchase a full version of the Microsoft office software at your local computer retailer. Need help or further information contact gizmo on 1300 275 449.
Q: My friends keep talking about people hacking into their wireless connection and "stealing" their Internet service. What does this mean and how can I make sure it doesn't happen to me?
A: Your friends are dead right! If your wireless Internet connection isn't secure, people can hack in and use your Internet service for free. And with all new laptops and smart phones offering built-in Wi-Fi, wireless security becomes even more crucial. Most older modems have WEP (Wired-Equivalent Privacy) security, which to be honest, is pretty darn easy for those in the know to hack into. WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) on the other hand, is more modern and significantly more secure. It's the best way to keep less-than-honest people away from your Internet service. If you'd like to secure your wireless Internet, give gizmo a call on 1300 ASK GIZMO.
Q: I need to re-size an image and make some colour corrections, but I can’t afford Photoshop, nor do I want to spend the time learning how to use it. Is there another option?
A: Sure is. Preview has the ability to re-size images and adjust colours. Simply open up the image in Preview, select ‘tools’, and ‘adjust size’ or ‘adjust colour’
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