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The Oldie - first with the news

You might be amused that the very current story about the Government changing the laws so that it can follow our emails (click here), a story spread all over the media, was mentioned in my column in the January 2011 issue  (you can see it here) over a year ago!

The Oldie is always first with the news.

Please support the people who helped to save my son's life

My son Duncan was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in early 2010, his final year at university.
He had seven months' worth of chemotherapy, which fortunately resulted in him being declared in complete remission late last year, and he has been well ever since.

This is a cancer-related story with a happy ending, but we all have many friends whose families have been as directly affected by cancer as ours with less happy results.

Because they know how lucky we have been, Duncan and his big sister Celia (that's them on the left, at Duncan's Graduation) have decided to raise money for Cancer Research UK, a charity that is instrumental in finding cures for various types of cancer, including the one Duncan had.

Research into cancer saved Duncan's life and has saved the lives of so many others and we'd love it to continue so even more lives can be saved. They have decided to start by asking for donors to support them running in the Brighton Marathon on 15th April 2012.

Their friends have already been very generous, but I can't tell you how much I'd appreciate any donation from anyone who reads my column in The Oldie in support of this splendid charity.

If you feel you would like to contribute, however modestly (or generously), please click here and push the "Donate now" button.

It only takes a matter of minutes, is totally secure and you can leave a message with your donation too, if you want, or remain anonymous. If you pay UK tax, Justgiving will automatically reclaim 28% Gift Aid on your donation at no cost or effort to you, so it's even better for the charity.

Here's that link again: click here and press the "Donate now" button.

If you do feel able to help, thank you very much indeed - but in any event, thank you for finding the time to read this post.

Some Terms and Conditions - a few links

In a recent article I discussed Google's new Terms of Service - here are few more from the big internet players and a short video from Google. Not exactly exciting reading, but you are agreeing to them all when you use one of the sites.

Click to read more ...

What the Welsh think of the English

This, apparently, is the text of the Team Talk given by Phil Bennet, Welsh Captain, before playing England in 1977.  Is it any wonder that they won that match!

What facebook knows about you

A couple of months ago the Austrian law student Max Schrems asked facebook to send him all their data stored about him. All Europeans have a right to do this, because facebook is based in Dublin, in thye EU. It took a while and then facebook sent Max a CD with 1222 PDF files.

He made this video to alarm you:

Security software links

These are the free ways to protect your Windows computer that I especially use and recommend; the links are up to date as at February 2014.  However, websites change - please let me know if you have troubles.

• Microsoft Security Essentials, which runs all the time and protects against most things.  Note - you should not have this and another similar product (such as AVG Free) installed at the same time.  They will argue!
  Note that if you are using Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 you already have Windows Defender, which include Security Essentials. To turn it on, from the Start screen or Search charm search for "Windows Defender" and tap or click Windows Defender, then follow the instructions on the screen.
  In Windows 10: select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Update & security > Windows Defender.
  Click here to download Security Essentials 
• Spybot – use this to run scans of your system every so often; it will find stuff which you want rid of, and which sneaked in under the radar.  Most of it will be benign, just related to advertising, but it will certainly be slowing you down.  You can install it with Security Essentials without causing problems.
  Click here to download Spybot
• Malwarebytes - Like Spybot, this aims to detect and remove all traces of malware including worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware and more.  You can install it with Security Essentials without causing problems.
  Click here to download Malwarebytes

I’d be pleased to hear how you get on; email webster@theoldie.co.uk or click here

Update on November 2, 2013 by Webster

Ad aware - warning

In the past I have recommended ad-aware - but I have now withdrawn that recommendation.  The latest version seems to be messing up computers royally, and so it is best avoided, at least for the time being.  They have also made it more difficult to get the free version, which is irritating.

Another scam warning...

I've written before about the crooks who ring you up and try and give the impression they are from Microsoft, then load foul stuff on your computer and take money.  

Rule 1: Microsoft will NEVER telephone you out of the blue to "sort out" your computer.  If someone does call making those claims, put the phone down at once and pat yourself on the back.

I've written about scams here and here.

Lock-a-folder - a warning

In the latest edition of The Oldie I recommmended a useful little widget called Lock-a-folder, which is supposed to put passwords on individual foldres.

It's a good idea, but it seems that the latest version (not the one I tested) has some bugs in it, so PLEASE DO NOT TRY IT until I am satisfied that it is corrected.

I will post a note here when the coast is clear.

I'm very sorry if you've been caught out by this - it's very irritating.

How to find your stolen computer

There is a great story in The Telegraph about how a bright chap was able to find his stolen laptop, by connecting to it after it dissappeared...

It would have been even easier for him if he had installed the Preyproject software that I recommended in my column.

Click here to see the full story