Training Survey

Posted on 2017-02-27 by George Bowden

Please fill out this training form.

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Gmail no longer supporting Chrome Browser version 53 and below

Posted on 2017-02-05 by Faith Shannon

Starting February 8, 2017, Google will show a banner at the top of the Gmail interface for users who are still on Google Chrome Browser v53 and below to encourage upgrading to the latest version of Chrome, currently version 55 and/or above. Chrome Browser v55 contains several important security updates. Gmail users that are still on Windows XP and Windows Vista are the most likely to be affected, because v49 was the last released version which supported those operating systems. As previously announced in April 2015 and November 2015, these systems are no longer maintained by Microsoft, and we strongly encourage you to migrate to more secure and supported systems. What happens if users continue to use Chrome Browser v53 and below? Continue reading →

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Bodies in the Bathroom, Bottom of the Stairs

Posted on 2017-02-03 by George Bowden

If you fall in the bathroom, you may be in for a terrible time trying to raise a neighbour. To counter this, “Fall Alert” devices, worn on the wrist or around the neck, can be rented for about $40 per month and up.  There are also free apps for smart phones that use the smartphone’s accelerometer . This 2014 article from National Institute of Health in the USA gives great info, concluding “… the performance and usability of current systems remain limited…”  But if you carry a smart phone, you might google “google play fall alert” and try out a free app anyway.

Recognizing that phones are not well suited to showering, I thought a different approach might work for me — a hazard count-down timer “app” that I click before entering a hazardous situation, like a shower. Continue reading →

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Smart phones at Seniors SIG

Posted on 2017-01-31 by George Bowden

George presented Smart Phones at the Seniors SIG Jan. 30.  The slide show can be viewed here.  Included were

    • Cell phone evolution
    • ​Phone relationships: Love ‘em or Hate ‘em
    • Smartphone Uses
    • Choosing a smart phone
    • Wireless communications
    • Smart phone sensors
    • Phone and networking purchase plans
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Feb 28th Presentation – The Importance of Computer Security in our Daily Lives

Posted on 2017-01-27 by George Bowden

In our era, most of us are connected to the internet almost all the time. Although this connectivity brings a lot of opportunity for all of us, it raises unprecedented threats for some of us too. In this talk, we introduce a brief picture about the history of computer security and the most known threats in cyberspace. Some of the best practices and well-known stories on this subject will be delineated in detail for the audiences to get more familiar with the risks and counter measures.

Presented by Seyed Dawood Sajjadi February 28th, 2pm at Silver Threads, Les Passmore 286 Hampton Road, Saanich.  Click for a pdf of this presentation.  And here are links to the videos:

Optional lunch of soup and sandwich for $7 is at 1pm. Choose which sandwich (salmon, egg, or chicken salad) in your RSVP to BigBlueSocial@gmail.com for lunch and/or presentation. Arrive for lunch by 1:45 please

Even if you are only coming to the presentation please RSVP by Sunday, February 26th so that we will know which room to set up.

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Seniors SIG workshop on LastPass Jan. 16th

Posted on 2017-01-11 by George Bowden

On January 16th at 10am at the Seniors SIG, George will lead a workshop on using LastPass, a password manager you can use from multiple computers, including those at the clubhouse.

To prepare for the workshop, please bring

  • your email login and password,
  • plus a different password of more than 14 characters to be used as a LastPass master password.  Test its strength here .
  • plus a couple of other account logins and passwords, like facebook, gmail, yahoo, shaw or telus,  or someone you have online accounts with, like BC Hydro,

We will be installing the LastPass extension in your browser, preferably Chrome.  You can do this on a club computer, and use LastPass later at home, or bring your laptop to the SIG.

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Annual General Meeting Tuesday January 24th, 2pm at Silver Threads

Posted on 2017-01-10 by George Bowden

The Annual General Meeting of the club will be held Tuesday January 24th, 2pm at Silver Threads, 286 Hampton Rd, Saanich, BC V8Z 1H1. Lunch is at 1pm. Please email RSVP for $7 lunch requesting sandwich type (fish or chicken or egg) to bigbluesocial@gmail.com

Here is a map:  https://goo.gl/maps/zdXPxpss6Q72

Agenda includes:

  1. Approval of last year’s AGM minutes.
  2. Directors reports for the end of our fiscal year, December 31 2016:
    • President’s report: A report of the club’s progress in moving services to Silver Threads. Notice has been given to our current landlord that we will not renew the lease.
    • Treasurers report, which has been emailed to members along with this notice
    • Membership report, giving the counts of  current members
    • Clubhouse report
  3. Setting of member dues.  It is proposed that dues remain unchanged until the move, and then drop to $25 per year.
  4. Election of officers for the year. Nominated are:
    • George Bowden, President.
    • Dorothy Cushway, Vice President
    • Martin Brooks, Treasurer-Secretary
    • Iain Fletcher, Membership
    • Barkley Cox, Clubhouse
    • Rick Weatherhead, Training Director
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2017 Global Fraud and Cybercrime Forecast by IT Canada

Posted on 2017-01-05 by George Bowden

What fraud and cybercrimes will 2017 present?  IT Canada offers this prediction, that most hacks will originate from phones. But what can our members with smart phones do?

https://www.rsa.com/en-us/resources/2017-global-fraud-and-cybercrime-forecast

https://www.rsa.com/en-us/resources/2017-global-fraud-and-cybercrime-forecast

 

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Web Mail and Client Mail Differences

Posted on 2016-12-06 by sysop

Here is Rick’s document on web mail and client mail differences

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Results of Nov 22, 2016 General Meeting

Posted on 2016-11-23 by George Bowden

A General Meeting of the Victoria Computer Club was called to order at 2pm, Nov 22nd 2016.  32 members in attended.

Moved by Paul Thomas seconded by Sharon Duncan:  Add the following to the constitution of the Victoria Computer Club: “The society is a member-funded society.”

Unanimously carried

Background, emailed to all members Nov 8th: Changes to the BC Societies Act allow the Victoria Computer Club to consider adding the following to its constitution:  “The society is a member-funded society.”

Being a small society with few board members and a low budget, the loosening of reporting requirements and increased flexibility is appealing.
Here is an explanation, including some arguments against adding the clause to our constitution.

 

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