Blog

  • Pembrokeshire Men’s Sheds

    Neyland Men’s Shed has been going for a few years with a regular attendance on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Johnston and Milford Haven Men’s Sheds to follow.

    Their new website has been launched.

    Open day 2022

  • iOS update 17.5.1

    I noticed this update was available even though I had automatic updates enabled on my iPad. So I had to manually install it. I was still on 17.4.1 so the iPad was about a month behind. It’s important to keep devices up to date. Even iPads and iPhones, which are regarded as highly secure have been the subject of malware by Israeli firm Pegasus and no doubt other threat actors unknown to us.

  • Get ready for end of Windows 10

    With 17 months to go, it’s a good time to start getting ready for the end of Windows 10 support. After October 2025, you will no longer receive security updates for your Windows 10 device. Some Windows 10 computers can be upgraded, but other might need a cpu upgrade or full replacement. Contact Adam on 01646 737225 for a survey and upgrade estimate.

  • Carew Newton Farm

    This customer was referred to me by a friend. Their previous hosts had gone AWOL and taken the site down so I had to use WayBackEngine to get their site files. https://carewnewton.co.uk/

  • Nuisance Calls

    Today, I have been assaulted by nuisance callers.

    I had 3 calls from various UK landline numbers, with a recorded message saying “this is BT, we are going to cut your line off, unless you press 1 to talk to our technical department.” Needless to say, I didn’t. It would probably have costed me an international call rate.

    Then I had an almost identical call “This is your Internet Service Provider….” same scam.

    Then I had a call from an (International) mobile number asking for me by name. I said it was Adam speaking, then the person started reading out my address. CREEPY! I asked who it was, and he hung up.

    So what can I do? I am already with the telephone preference service so I shouldn’t be getting these calls, but of course, that is only respected by genuine kosher companies.

    A Google search came up with this page which has some useful advice.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/cymraeg/consumer/scams/scams/scams/reporting-a-scam/

    One of the options is to contact Action Fraud. This sends the info to the police, but I wasn’t asked to leave any details. Perhaps they can do something about the number but I know how pressed they are for resources. If enough people report attempted fraud to the police, perhaps something will get done about this national menace. I’ve had about a dozen customers taken in by various Internet scams. We need more protection for people, many of whom are vulnerable and not streetwise.

  • The “look down generation”

    The “look down generation”

    Technology is a wonderful thing. To be able to video chat to your family 1000s of miles away; to be able to find and then order an obscure book and download have the hard copy the next day or a Kindle version within seconds is incredible.

    Some things are not so good about technology. Kids who walk into you because they are looking down at their phones. Going to concerts and can’t see the band because of 100s of phones in the air in front of you. Texting your kids to come down for dinner (or worse, taking the dinner into “the den” because they are in the middle of an “important quest” on their game.) Parties where 80% of people are on their mobiles instead of talking, flirting, drinking, dancing..

    ..and generally, technology drives people into communicating in a virtual way instead of talking face to face.

    So, it bring people who are 1000s of miles away closer together, but pushes people who live in the same house (or town or village) further apart.

    Facebook addiction
    Facebook addiction – as much a problem for older users as the young’uns

    …but I’m not letting the older generations off either! All the people who talk to each other on Facebook. Married couples who says “I love you” etc etc, when there are much more personal ways they could do it!

    I think addiction to technology even includes the health risks of other more recognised addictions….. neck, back and wrist stain, not to mention obesity, increased risk of heart problems through lack of exercise and so on.

    We need to stop glorifying technology and this obession with the latest gadget and start to think of it as a tool, and how practical is it to do a job, just like a spade or a hammer.

    Some companies have a “no internal phonecall” day. Perhaps at home, we should allow ourselves a “non-technology” day, where we turn off our phones/computers for the whole day. Could you do this?

  • Webb Computers, Tenby

    Sadly, it appears that Webb Computers has ceased trading. Their webpage is down and the shop has gone. I have found no official statement, they just appear to have gone. One of their former customers, who came to me with a computer problem, says they are not answering the phone. It is sad to see a reputable Pembrokeshire firm close down. People in Tenby and Saundersfoot now have to travel much further for IT support.

  • Indian cold callers claiming to be from Microsoft at it again!

    They appear to target an area for a while before moving on, claiming to be  from microsoft and that you have errors on your computer and that they will fix it. At least one case I know, they put a password lock on the computer to stop the person logging on and then demanded £400. This is an article I wrote on 2010

    https://pcrescue.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/latest-phone-scam-asian-cold-caller-trying-to-take-over-my-pc/

  • Fibre Optic Broadband / BT Infinity myths debunked

    With BT Openreach digging up roads all over Pembrokeshire (and the UK), let’s examine some of the “sales speak” of the misleading adverts.

    Fibre Optic broadband is faster than copper

    False, at least in all practical purposes.
    Firstly, the fibre optic cables only go as far as the street cabinets, and from the street cabinets to homes is using copper cables.
    Secondly, copper is capable of speeds of at least 10 gigabit, i.e 10,000 Meg. BT Infinity is currently running at 80 Meg.
    Thirdly, the maximum speed of both copper and fibre optic cables is far quicker than computer hard drives (even solid state) can operate, so any extra speed is irrelevant.

    So what IS special about fibre optic?

    The key advantage of fibre optic over copper is the preservation of data. Signal to noise ratio of copper degrades over distance, so for traditional broadband, the maximum practical range is around 5.5km from the exchange. With fibre optic, the range is, in practical terms, unlimited.

    So, it’s better for people who live a long way from the exchange, who struggle with slow speeds.

    Should I get fibre optic broadband?

    If you watch a lot of TV online, eg BBC iPlayer, on a single computer/internet enabled TV, and you get good regular broadband speeds, then you don’t need fibre optic. BBC iPlayer HD is streamed at 2800kbps (or 2.73Mbps) so any speed comfortably in excess of this should suffice.

    You can check your speed at the BT Wholesale page

  • Little Milford Foray

    We had an excellent foray on Sunday organised by John Steer of the Wildlife Trust. At least 22 species were found and mostof these identified.

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