Author: Christine Betterton-Jones
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A selection of Digital Easter Eggs
On Thursday April 17 we played around looking for digital Easter Eggs – little jokes hidden in programs and websites by programmers. Here are a few we actually found – and some we found out about later! Google Search: “do … Read more
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Digital Easter Eggs – past and present”
Because it’s Easter, this Thursday, April 17, we’ll try to find some fun Digital Easter Eggs – These are secret messages and jokes hidden in software and websites. They often pop up unexpectedly and programmers have been creating them since … Read more
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The Pros and Cons of Smart Homes
On Thursday April 10 we discussed Smarthomes, and whether it was something we could all aspire to. Several members used “smart plugs” “…a Wi-Fi-enabled power adapter that allows you to remotely control the power to connected devices, like lights, … Read more
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Should I make my home into a Smart Home? – what are the advantages and disadvantages?
One definition of a Smart Home is: A home which enables the owners “to control appliances, thermostats, lights, and other devices remotely using a smartphone or tablet through an internet connection” This Thursday, April 10 we’ll look at the ins … Read more
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…and the best AI chatbot is?
On Thursday, April 3, we challenged ChatGPT, https://chatgpt.com Microsoft Copilot (integrated into the Edge browser) and the new chatbot, DeepSeek https://deep-seek.chat with several different tasks. First, Chris noted that there were new developments daily and that ChatGPT had gone … Read more
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There’s a new kid on the AI scene – DeepSeek – How does it measure up?
This Thursday, April 3 we will take a look at the new AI Large language model, DeepSeek and see how its output compares with that of ChatGPT and Co-pilot when given the same challenge. Is it better than the others … Read more
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Amazon isn’t so bad after all
On Thursday, 27 March we discussed why shopping on Amazon seems worse than it used to be. It has certainly changed over the years, sometimes not for the better. Here are some comments on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonprime/comments/1aqz3kg/why_is_amazon_so_bad_now_what_happened/ and Hacker News : … Read more
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Shopping on Amazon is changing – and not necessarily for the better
Have you had any problems with buying stuff from Amazon recently? It has become a shop front for all kinds of weird sellers. Perhaps the item is not what you ordered, perhaps the delivery was late (or not at all). … Read more
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The How and Why of social media account hacking
On Thursday 19 March we looked at the hacking of social media accounts and its consequences. Hacking requires getting access to log in credentials . There are many ways of doing it. e.g: The use of weak passwords, or using … Read more
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Someone stole my Facebook account! – How? Why? Can I get it back?
Identity fraud is nothing new, but social media has created new avenues for stealing and impersonating our digital identities. This week, Thursday, March 20 we examine these frauds, their impacts and how to spot and prevent them. We’ll also discuss … Read more