ON LINE AGAIN

ON LINE AGAIN: The good news is that we are on line again thanks to the hard work of our Technical Team. This means the Newsletter has been emailed today (Sunday).
We again ask, if your email address changes - please let us know. If you don't, then it will mean you will probably miss out on the Newsletter as we do not normally have the time to chase people up.

TERM TWO : This is quickly approaching. If you want to do a course starting in May, please complete an application as soon as possible so you don't suffer from this.

TODAYS WEBSITE: Want to read a newspaper. This link - click here - takes you to over 400 newspapers from around the world.

SYSTEMS PROBLEM

Members are advised that we currently have a problem with our Internet connection at the Centre. It is being worked upon by our Technical Team but it has meant a delay of a few days to our Newsletter being emailed but inward emails are being checked by Webmail and answered off-site.

MARCH NEWSLETTER

The March Newsletter will be emailed this week and posted to those not on email. The number not on email continues to fall and for this quarter is down to 66 members.

So keep your eyes on your inbox.

INTERNET SAFETY - FREE DOWNLOAD

Leo Notenboom operates a computing advice website at

http://ask-leo.com/

He produces the e-book (in PDF format) noted above, Internet Safety - Keeping your computer safe on the Internet. It is, as he says, intended to inform and entertain but it will never replace common sense. If any member wishes us to email them a copy of his excellent production please email us with LEO in the subject line. Also why not visit his site where you can sign up for his free email newsletter.

FREE PHOTOHOSTING

Did you know if you are a Telecom Xtra customer you can get a free Flickr Pro photo account to store your photos. Just go to the XtraYahoo! site and sign up.

Of course there are many other free sites such as Photobucket which allows you 1GB for free (500-1000 photos depending on the size).

Most people use more than one host and these days there is no excuse that photos can be lost. Another option is for special pictures to be also placed on a personal Blog.

LAPTOPS AND BATTERIES

Laptops and batteries. It is suggested that if you run your laptop on external power most of the time that it may be a good idea to run down the battery and remove it. Go into Google and have a look at the various theories and make up your own mind. Most sites seem to think it is a good option. Another tip is to regularly (monthly??) fully drain your battery fully and recharge it overnight.

Other tips for your laptop as well as your Desktop PC are:

Never keep drinks nearby - if something spills, turn your laptop off immediately and unplug it. Let it dry out completely before turning it back on. If it is only water, it could dry out and work. If it is something sticky, you will probably need to have it cleaned up inside.

Screens are fragile – they must be treated gently. Never leave your laptop sitting on a chair or flat on the floor – that is an invitation to sit or step on it. Store it on its side.

Treat your laptop like it is made of glass.

Don't download any software you don't know or have investigated.

As with any PC you should run defrag, do a disk cleanup and check for spyware regularly.

Be sure to reboot your laptop at least once a week. Leaving it in hibernation over a long period of time will make it run very slowly.

Your hard drive can be damaged if your laptop is moved while it is still running.Shut it down before you move it.

Do we need to remind you to back up all of your important files regularly and to Save (Ctrl + S) every time you breathe!!!.

Extreme temperatures can damage it.

Keep your laptop away from anything that generates a strong magnetic field – large stereo speakers and some portable phones can cause damage.

When storing your AC adapter, do not wind up the cords tightly around it. Remember that there are thin wires inside the cords which can break if they are bent frequently.

Never use spray or liquid cleaners. You may use a damp (never wet) cloth to wipe off your screen.

Always unplug the AC adapter before closing the back flaps of your laptop case. Never close the case with the AC adapter still plugged in. It can damage the port which is attached to the system board.