Technology Headache’s – use a TABLET

Well firstly I aught to write this on a tablet to re-enforce the usage of the technology, but I am writing it on my trusty work horse reconditioned high spec second user laptop, one of the main reasons for this is that I do like the physicality of a keyboard and find that when I use APPS like SWYPE to make typing easier on touch screen technology, auto-correct jumps in and starts to change what I’m trying to say.

For those that are NEW to my ramblings, I am a massive proponent of DIGITAL INCLUSION, having gotten into this significantly through the DAIN PROJECT http://www.dainproject.com – which is all about helping those that are not techno wizz’s across the DIGITAL DIVIDE – the following, quite busy, video I put together, discusses the DIGITAL DIVIDE in 1 min 30 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWKPCfJYks

I personally feel and the course discusses at length that for “GENERAL PURPOSE” computing , TABLET technology is the way forward as opposed to desktop and laptop solutions, some of the reasons for this are as follows :-

• It just works
• No annoying updates every other day
• Very portable
• Free or very inexpensive software solutions
• Instant ON
• Very personalised
• Similar to the phone in your pocket

WEA Mansfield http://weamansfieldbassetlaw.wordpress.com/were asked by WARSOP INFOTECH http://www.warsopinfotech.org.uk/ if we could provide a course about using TABLET technology for the members of the WARSOP community. Now this is not as simple as it sounds, like for example CAR’s, one tablet is not the same as the next, they all have slightly different software on them and all have slightly different technical features, so to deliver a course on TABLET technology we needed to focus on things that would be useful to ALL the learners and those things that are common to ALL TABLETS that a learner could bring along.

We initially decided on a 3 week 2 hr sessions – introduction to TABLET technology, the following information sheet gives more specifics of the course Tablet Course Information Sheet the course was broken down as follows :-

Week 1

• Why use a tablet rather than a desktop or laptop
• What is a TABLET device – components – what’s there, what’s not there
• Gestures
• Accessing networks on the move

Week 2

• Where we get STUFF for our tablet from
• What is an APP and how is it developed
• How many APP are there, what types are there, examples.
• Paying for STUFF, in APP PURCHASES etc
• Location based services

Week 3

• Managing your electronic STUFF
• The CLOUD
• Security

A vast amount of material to get through in just 6 hours – we did our best and A LOT was learn’t !

The next deployment of this course is currently scheduled to start on Tuesday January 14th 2014 at 1pm – Warsop Infotech near Mansfield  http://www.warsopinfotech.org.uk/contact.html

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The following are details of specific areas that were covered in the course :-

Paying for STUFF 

Consider using a prepayment gift card (available from most supermarkets) for the GOOGLE PLAY store or ITUNES.

Consider using a separate payment card for your ONLINE purchases, so it doesn’t affect your bank account.

Be careful passing the device to others, say the grand-kids to play games, if you have credit registered on the device, TURN OFF (if possible in your SETTINGS) – IN APP PURCHASES

Consider registering credit on the device if you like to do regular small purchases i.e. do you want to enter your payment details every time you buy a book, piece of music or app ?

There’s an APP for that

As of writing there are currently approximately 1 million apps for your tablet, many are free, but some you need to pay for, some of the free one’s get you to pay them later via the IN APP PURCHASE process.

If it’s free and you don’t like it, just delete it and find another app you might like.

The following are just a few examples of FREE applications that are available on both the IPAD and ANDROID tablet solutions :-

SECURITY 

Currently, due to the APP development process, there are no IPAD security APP’s for VIRUS and MALWARE checking.

MALWARE and SECURITY checking can be carried out on ANDROID via the following solutions :-

• AVAST
• AVG
• Lookout
• Norton

GAMES

• Candy Crush
• Angry Birds
• Plants versus Zombies

OFFICE TOOLS

• Google quickoffice
• Kingsoft office
• Olive office

EBOOK readers

• Kindle
• KOBO
• Ebook reader
• NOOK
• Zinio – Magazine reader

Lot’s of FREE books out there, AMAZON used to give away a book for FREE on the KINDLE everyday

Communication

• Facebook
• Twitter
• WordPress
• Skype

Shopping

• Ebay
• Amazon
• Barcode / QR code scanner

Media

• BBC Iplayer
• Demand 5
• ITV Player
• Love film
• Netflix
• Doubletwist

Browsers

• Google Chrome – same look and feel on all the devices you use

Tools

• Speedtest.net
• Google maps
• Met Office

Security

• Security APP’s – see app section above
• Physical security – used in public tablets are very easily picked up and walked off with
• Application access security – user id and password built into applications
• Screen lock security – pattern’s pin’s and password’s
• Find my device applications
• Solutions / APPS to WIPE and BRICK your tablet, make the device completely useless if lost, as soon as the device is connected to the WEB by a thief !
• Browser security – HTTPS and PADLOCK – see WWW.NWOLB.CO.UK versus WWW.NATWEST.COM

Electronic STUFF

The following are digital things that will take up storage space on your device and at some point you WILL need to manage that storage space, possibly by connecting your device to another computer using the data cable that it came with and synchronising or moving stuff off the storage that is seen by the computer connection.

• Documents
• Photo’s – the DCIM folder is generally where pictures are stored
• Music
• Books
• E-Mail
• Videos
• Apps

Your current storage usage statistics are available under your system settings option.

You can also move stuff off to the CLOUD, the cloud is storage space on the WEB that you can access from any digital device that can connect to the WEB, as of writing, some current FREE cloud services being :-

• Google drive – 15 GB FREE
• Drop Box – 2 GB FREE
• SKYDRIVE – 7 GB FREE

Eventually you will need to manage your CLOUD storage as well !

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If you got this far and enjoyed what you have read – comments are always welcome.

If you got this far and have burning questions :-

(i) Google is your friend (there are many other search solutions available as well !)

(ii) Your local WEA will have a Digital Champion that can provide you with help and support

(iii) Contact me directly and If I provide you a solution, you could send a donation for my time, please note that technical issues to specific technologies may need resources with technical knowledge of that specific technology (see the CAR quote above!) .

Ubuntu !

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