admin – Page 10 – Whycal’s Blog

NBN

At long last this part of the state is (slowly) getting connected to the NBN.

I am getting FTTN (Fibre to the Node) and, according to the NBN Web Site, it is due this month. I am hoping that the lines will support the NBN 50 (50Mbps down) speed which will seem very fast compared to my current top “speed” of 2.0 to 2.5 Mbps down and up is measured in Kilobits.

A friend was lucky enough to get FTTC (Fibre to the Curb)and he got connected last week. FTTC will support the top speed of NBN 100 (100Mbps down) but he opted for NBN 50 which is more than enough for his needs.

He decided to stay with Telstra and contacted them by phone to make the arrangements. He reports that they were quick and efficient and a new “Smart” modem was delivered within 48 hours. Then it was just a matter of disconnecting the old modem and plugging in the new one.

After changing his WiFi password on his devices it was “all systems go”. A speed test showed he was getting 45Mbps down and 18 Mbps up.

TELEPHONE

For the record his fairly old phone works after being plugged into the NBN modem. It is not one of those original Telstra Phones that don’t need to be plugged into the power, but still it is probably well over a decade old.

SPLITTERS

He only has one phone line into his house and it has the old “610” type socket.

Previously he used a splitter to connect to the RJ11 sockets on his phone and modem.

For the NBN he left the splitter in place and connected the new Smart Modem to the splitter using the ADSL Plug.

The speed test confirmed that this did not affect performance but it is important not to plug into the “Phone” outlet as, apparently, it is the Splitter’s “Phone” line that has the filter.

This is good to know as I have an outside central splitter that was installed by my Home Alarm company.

The Alarm company has since moved over to the Mobile Phone system but at least I know that I can just keep using the current internet outlet and it won’t be necessary to get the outside splitter removed.

AUDIO BOOKS–UPDATE

Please refer to my previous post “Audio Books” and in particular comments about transferring from audible.com to audible.com.au.

Since then, Amazon has sent out an email to update information about the matter. As mentioned in my previous post, I had more or less decided to transfer. However, before proceeding I read through their “Help” page.

This sentence caused me to re-think: The following content will transfer to your new Amazon account, as long as the content is available for purchase from the new Amazon website.

So items that I had paid for and are in my library but are not available on the local site would be lost.

It might cost a bit more to stay on the U.S. site and be billed in USD but it is not much.

audible.com USD $ 14-95 (AUD $20 ) VS
audible.com.au AUD $16-45

Difference is about AUD $3 to $4 per month subject to exchange rate variations– not much. On the other hand I don’t often re-read (listen to) books in my library but it applies to both Audible and Kindle and I have books in both libraries not available on the Aussie site.

In the past, I have often bought additional credits when I wanted more that one audio book in a month. Audible sells 3 credits at a discount of a bit less that USD $12 a credit/book (AUD $16) or a couple of dollars more than the cost of a paperback.

From now on, I will not buy extra credits but get additional audio books free of charge from my local council library. Dispensing with this cost will more than cover the extra cost in remaining on the U.S. site.

Consequently, I think I will not transfer and wait and see what happens. We might be forced to transfer, or the exchange rate might increase the AUD cost up to a point where I will change my mind.

In the meantime it will be a case of “if in doubt – do nothing”.

AUDIO BOOKS

I have been an Audible subscriber for almost a decade and I really like the audio book format. You can listen while driving or flying on long trips and, even better, while doing boring jobs like mowing the lawn. I almost never use my Kindle.

Nearly all new books are put out in audio at time of publication (or not long after) and an increasing number of older publications are getting the audio treatment.

The only negatives are:

An occasional narrator that an individual listener may not like; and
Cost – Audio books purchased on an individual basis can be 2 to 3 or more times the cost of a paperback.

However, cost can be less of a problem as there are now many options and, with a bit of planning and a monthly subscription for 1 book a month, you can get audio books for not much more than the cost of a paperback.

For example, Dan Brown’s “Origin” costs:

BIG W PAPERBACK – AUD$12

AUDIO BOOKS:

AUDIBLE.COM.AU (Australian site – the U.S. site is no longer available to new customers from Australia.)

Subscription Member – 1 Credit AUD$16.45 (monthly subscription but you can cancel on line at any time)

Non-Members AUD$40.15 – ( members get a 30% discount if you don’t use a credit).

iTUNES

AUD$33.99

GOOGLE AUDIO BOOKS

USD$14.95 (AUD$21) (There is now an App for iPhone and iPad / IOS).

Prices vary so it is always a good idea to check.

LOCAL LIBRARY – FREE (Well nothing is “free”, it is paid for by the rate payers of local councils and you usually have to provide proof of a local address to join. Renters are not excluded as part of their rent no doubt pays the rates for the owners.)

There are other options, but I have just covered a few popular sites to give an idea on the cost. See https://www.techradar.com/au/best/the-best-audio-book-sites

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/03/five-best-audiobook-services/

GEO BLOCKING

I agree with the reader comments on the Lifehacker article (see link above) that blocking sales based on the country of the purchaser is a problem. Australians are faced with restrictions resulting from arrangements between publishers and local distributors.

Most audio book companies boast large numbers of audio books but, unless you are in the U.S. or U.K., Geo Blocking is the big problem with these services. As a result, titles available to Australians are usually far fewer. It may not be illegal to use a VPN to get around geo blocking but you can bet that it is a breach of “Terms and Conditions”.

Even with Geo Blocking, there is still plenty of choice from Audible and it is only occasionally that I have not been able to get a particular title. When I first joined Audible, there was no Australian site and sign up was to the main U.S. site but restricted titles were clearly marked as not available. When the Australian site was set up, all new customers were directed to the local site. Existing Australian customers were (and still are) encouraged to migrate to the local site but you could choose to stay with the main U.S. site. That is what I did even though with exchange rate differences, it would be cheaper on the Australian site. The reason I remained with Audible.com was concern that availability on the Australian site would be more restricted. As luck would have it, for a glorious period after the establishment of the .au site, there appeared to be no restrictions on those who remained, and I was able to get a couple of books that had previously been blocked.

Unfortunately, this has now ended and while there is no warning under the title, if you attempt to buy a geo blocked item, you are stopped at the check-out. This seems to have started again about the same time that Amazon (Audible’s owner) was having a “disagreement” with the Australian government about payment of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) (but this is just speculation).

As a result, there is no longer any point in staying with the U.S. site and I will migrate to the Australian site. I have been a little hesitant as, once you migrate, you can’t go back. Although I will have time to think about it as the transfer site has this note: This feature will be temporarily unavailable from June 8th until later in 2018. Please check back here for updates.

Before deciding to migrate to the Audible Australian site, I checked to make sure that “The Great Courses” series is available. It is.

One of the good things about an Audible subscription is that you can cancel (and re-join) on line at any time and you don’t lose titles you have bought (and downloaded.) So, if migrating does not work out, I can cancel and try one of the alternatives like Google.

I have also joined my local Library. Just like paper books, there are limitations on the number of copies of an audiobook title that are available to be borrowed as well as the usual catalogue size limits that all libraries have.

The total size of the audiobook catalogue for my local government council libraries is relatively small with about 8000 audiobooks, and there are about 19000 eBooks for downloading to an E Reader like Kobo, Nook or Sony as well as iPad, iPhone and other similar devices. Amazon Kindle is not yet on this list, but instructions are available on how to sideload on certain Kindles.

In comparison, Audible.com.au says that it has 200000 titles and Audible.com 425000.

The library Apps allow reservations and extensions and the number of audiobooks that you can borrow at one time is more than generous. The time allowed varies from 7 days to 21 days with extensions available.

The library has 3 Apps –

1. Bolinda / Borrow Box

2. Overdrive / Libby

3. RBDigital

All three Apps are needed to access the full range.

The easiest way is to first set up a library account on line with a password and then, with the temporary membership number provided, visit the local library branch with photo ID to get your permanent library card / number. After you get your card, install the Apps on your phone / device.

With “Bolinda / Borrow Box” and “Overdrive / Libby” you sign into the App with your library sign in name (card number) and PW. However, With RBDigital you set up a separate account with RBDigital. During the set up you input the library card number but then sign into the app with the RBDigital account name and PW.

My only concern is that all three Apps seem to drain the battery on the iPhone even after I turned off all of the notification functions. I will just have to remember to close out the Apps after each use. I have just updated to IOS12 and battery problems with Apps are not uncommon after updates. Hopefully this might get fixed.

I have used the Bolinda/Borrow Box App to get an Audiobook and it was easy. When you finish, you just tap the “return” button and it is deleted from your device. (I borrowed “Wake in Fright” by Kenneth Cook. It is an excellent book.)

I used the Overdrive/Libby App for my next one and then will try the RBDigital App. I note that RBDigital has some of the “Richard Sharpe” series by Bernard Cornwell. I will try to remember where I was up to and get one from this excellent series.

Unlike when I first discovered audiobooks, we are now spoiled for choice.

OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES

Win 10 Version 1809

My Windows machines have been updated to Win 10 version 1809. It is a big update made all the more time consuming by my very slow internet combined with the need to download on more than one computer.

While I have not had time to discover all the things that have changed I have to mention two very welcome updates:

No 1 – DELIVERY OPTIMIZATION

See https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-10-windows-update-delivery-optimization

This appears in “All Settings/ Update and Security” and it looks like it is designed for people with multiple Win 10 computers and/or people with slow internet connections. I qualify on both counts.

It will allow updates to be downloaded once and then applied to other computers on the network. This is very welcome, and I have turned it on.

No 2 – RANSOMEWARE PROTECTION

I have this turned on but when it blocks wanted programs and Apps including normal Windows .exe files and Windows Store Apps, sometimes it is hard to find the blocked items to add them to the Allowed Apps list.

With 1809 this is no longer a problem as you get an option to select “Recently Blocked Apps” under “All Settings/ Update and Security /Windows Security/ Virus and Threat Protection/ Ransomware Protection/ Manage ransomware protection / Allow App through controlled folders/ Add Allowed App.”

SNIPPING TOOL

The replacement for “Snipping Tool” called “Snip and Sketch” is now available and there is a prompt to use it when you use Snipping Tool (as I did for the above screen captures). I have started to use it and there are no problems, although I note that at this stage you can only save screen shots as .png files.

No doubt there are plenty of other useful updates and I look forward to Mary Jo and Paul covering it in future Windows Weekly podcasts as well as on their web sites.

MAC OS MOJAVE – VERSION 10.14 AND IOS12

I have also updated my MacBook to Mojave and iPhone and iPad to IOS 12. I have had even less time to look at the changes on this platform. One thing I picked up from MacBreak Weekly is the ability to use the camera on iPad or iPhone (updated to IOS 12) to scan a document or take a picture and have the image immediately available on your Mac (running Mojave) for use and inclusion in say Pages and other Mac programs.

In say Pages click “Insert/ Import from iPhone or iPad” and select either “Take Photo” or “Scan Documents”. If your iPhone/iPad is nearby it will open the camera and after you take a photo, click “Use Photo” and it will appear on your Mac where you have your cursor.

There are plenty of “How To” videos on YouTube. Just search for “Continuity Camera on MacOs Mojave”.

X Box One vs PS4

I have now upgraded both my consoles to the X Box One X and the PS4 Pro.

I have a large screen 4K HDR tv and comparing the latest 4K / HDR games on each console, I can’t see any difference despite the fact that the X Box One X is the more powerful machine.

My opinion remains unchanged, if you want to play on line with your friends, select the console they are using (see post 25/Mar 2015 “Update X Box One and PS4”).

The biggest difference between the consoles is that the X Box One X (and S) will play 4k Blu Ray discs and the PS4 Pro won’t. This is probably less of an issue if you have fast internet, but it remains relevant for people like me with very limited speed/bandwidth.

SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER

I am currently playing “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” on X Box One X and it is a great game, in my opinion the best Lara Croft game so far. There are more puzzles than previous Tomb raider games. As well as raiding tombs, Lara has to solve heaps of other challenges and puzzles and not only fight the baddies but also survive attacks by wild animals and deadly piranhas and killer eels. Also when you finish, a “New Game Plus” option is unlocked so that you retain your skills, weapons upgrades etc, if you want to play it again, which I definitely will. (“The Last of Us” also has a similar option).

One of the best features is the ability to fine tune difficulty levels to suit all skills. Instead of having to set the overall game at Hard/Normal /Easy you can set say “Combat” at hard and “Puzzles” at normal and “Exploration” at easy or any other combination.

It is available on X Box, Play Station and PC and well worth the price.

WIN 10 PC RESET–Surface Pro 4 Screen Flicker

As I have mentioned before, doing a re-install of a computer Operating System (OS) is not the nightmare that it used to be. Both Microsoft and Apple have streamlined the process and in the case of Windows 10, a PC Reset can even be easy particularly if you pre-plan.

A full explanation of all of the Win 10 options can be seen here https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/12415/windows-10-recovery-options

In “All Settings / Update and Security / Recovery / Reset this PC” you are given the choice to “Keep my Files” OR “Remove Everything”. I have never had a reason to use the “Remove Everything” option and in most cases the “Keep my Files” will be all that is needed. This option keeps all your files but removes traditional programs that you have installed including Microsoft Office. It keeps some of the Store Apps but even when these Apps are not put back automatically, when you re-install from the store they come back with your settings intact.

The following are my tips:

Tip No 1 – Use Microsoft Store Apps when you can.

I have learnt, via trial and error, that wherever possible you should get an App from the store rather than installing a program. The only problem here is the lack of choice in the Microsoft Store, BUT things are improving.

For example, you can get iTunes in the store and my advice is to use this version, rather than downloading from Apple. When you do a “PC Reset / Keep my Files” you have to go to the store to re-install, but the store knows that you own the App. Moreover, it re-installs with your settings, even in my case knowing that, with my Surface Pro 4, I have my iTunes library/ Media file on an SD card with an allocated Drive letter inserted in the card slot under the hinge. It also comes back with Playlists, Podcasts etc..

It is the same with things like the Money App that re-install with your personal settings/ Watchlists and so on.

Tip No 2 – Make list of non-store programs to be re-installed including location of install media and / or Web Sites – with Activation Codes.

If you have to download a program from the internet, make sure that you only re-install from the program’s home site. I will not use any of the download sites and if I can’t find the home site I will not install. If you want VLC go to https://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Use Wikipedia to get the URL if you don’t know it.

When you do a PC Reset, Windows provides a list on the Desktop of the programs that it has removed. However, I only put back the essentials like printer software and other programs that I always use and re-install anything else when needed. With my scanner/printer I keep the install .exe files in a folder in my Downloads. These things rarely change. UPDATE – CARE! Don’t store in Downloads as Disk Clean-up now deletes Downloads.

Tip No 3 – Have your Email Passwords handy.

I use the Mail App and on completion it automatically installs the Email for your Microsoft Account (that you sign into the computer with) IF you have used a Hotmail/Live/Outlook Email for your Microsoft Account. (You can use any Email address for your Microsoft Account and if say you use a G mail address it won’t put back that G Mail.)

You will have to re-input all other Emails. The only one I have any issues with is my Yahoo Email. It comes up with a flag to “Fix” but if you just keep clicking “Fix” and re-inputting the password, it eventually repairs itself. Also, if like me, you have Email on your own Domain name, be sure to keep the server / port details so you don’t have to go looking for them.

Tip No 4 Back Up First

You should be doing a back up in any case so this is a “no brainer”. I just use the inbuilt Win 10 Back Up to an external drive. So, go to All Settings/ Update and Security / Backup (attach your back up drive if applicable) and run a backup FIRST.

Comments

The thing that takes the longest time for me is re-installing Office 365, but this is down to my SLOW internet.

Otherwise it is a simple process made even easier when you pre-plan.

SCREEN FLICKER

I did have, however, one particular concern with the Surface Pro 4 (SP4) and it occurred for the first time when I did a PC Reset a couple of days ago. The issue was with “Screen Shake/ Flicker” which, if you search on line, appears to be a problem for a number of SP4 owners.

I was aware that this problem exists, and it apparently is a driver issue for the Display Adaptor. I immediately went to Device Manager/ Display Adaptor and tried to update the driver but got the notification that the most recent driver was installed. I then went to the Intel site and downloaded their driver, but I got the same notification.

I was starting to panic a bit as the flicker was bad enough to almost make the screen un-readable. However, I found this solution on line – and it worked. Go to Device Manager/ Display Adaptor and un-install the Intel HD Graphics 520. Then do a complete shutdown by holding down together the power button and the volume up buttons for 15 seconds. (Turning it off with only the power button does not fully shut it down.) Then when I started it again, it found the “new” hardware (the Intel HD Graphics 520) and installed the driver. This fixed the problem for me at least.

UPDATE – SCREEN FLICKER

This page contains the official Microsoft Instructions for a complete shutdown and restart of Surface products.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4036280/surface-force-a-shut-down-and-restart-your-surface

Procedure to reinstall Display Adaptor:

Go to Device Manager / Display Adaptor and right mouse on the Intel Display Adaptor and click “Uninstall Device”. (It will default to the Microsoft Basic Display Adaptor)

Complete a hard shutdown and restart as per the Video (40 seconds in for SP4/3 & Surface Book) – Hold down the Power Button for 30 seconds, release and then hold down the Power button and the Volume Up together for 15 seconds. (Note if you press longer than 15 seconds the UEFI will come up – just click/tap Exit and Restart)

The Windows Hello camera will not work on the restart so press the Space Bar and log in with your PIN.

Go to Device Manager/Display Adaptor/ Microsoft Basic Display Adaptor – Right Mouse / Update Driver. Select the Search Automatically option and download and install the updated Driver. This will take a few minutes.

Device Manager/ Display Adaptor will then show the Intel Adaptor and Windows Hello and everything else will work as per usual.

NOTE! I am beginning to accept opinion that the screen shake problem has more to do with heat than Display Adaptor drivers. Last time it happened it was a hot day (about 37°C) and I had the SP4 located next to a TV that gives off heat. So I detached the keyboard and put the SP4 in the fridge for 15 minutes and the issue went away. Be careful with this and don’t put it in the freezer. The temperature range for SP4 is 0°C/32°F to 35°C/95°F – So a fridge should be OK for a short period but not a freezer. This is just my opinion so anything you do is at your own risk.

Surface Diagnostic Toolkit

There is a good free “Surface Diagnostic Toolkit” from Microsoft .

I first read about it on thurrott.com , however Paul Thurrott gave it more coverage in the Windows Weekly podcast as his “App Pick of the Week” in Episode no 581 (Starts at about the 1 hour 56 minute mark).

This App is built specifically for Microsoft Surface products and the diagnostic tests it performs are tailored for each type of Surface product.

You can download it from Microsoft here

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4037239/surface-fix-common-surface-problems-using-surface-diagnostic-toolkit

However, if you go to the “Surface” App that comes with all Surface computers, you can get it there.

The Surface App looks like this:

Open the “Your Surface” page from the menu on the left>

Click the link under “SUPPORT – Surface Diagnostic Toolkit” to download the App and run it.

It does not appear to be a program that installs traditionally and it looks like you have to download it each time.

When you start the App, the first part checks all updates including drivers followed by a reboot. When the computer re-starts, wait a few seconds and a full set of diagnostics will be performed to test all of the things that pertain to your particular type of Surface device – e.g. the tests will be different on a Surface Book than for a Surface Pro as the Surface Book has the detachable keyboard etc..

PROBLEM SOLVED – Google and Bing not seeing my move to HTTPS

Please refer to my two previous posts. I have solved the problem with a cached HTTP page showing up on search results for my site/blog.

I simply added a new “Static Home Page” to my WordPress Blog. Now the first result in both Google and Bing goes to the new (HTTPS) Home Page.

There are some good tutorials on YouTube on how to add a Static Home Page and WordPress makes the process simple. I then installed a widget called “Recent Posts Extended” to appear on the first (Home) page. This widget has a large number of options to vary the appearance.

Thankyou YouTube and WordPress.

UPDATE to “Google and Bing Not Seeing My Move To HTTPS”.

Please refer to my previous post. It has now been 4 days since I inserted the “site map” and this is what has happened:

When I search for whysun.com and / or Whycal’s Blog the first result is the old “HTTP” Home Page. However, my “About” page as well as the July post for “Google and Bing Not Seeing My Move To HTTPS” plus a number of (but not all) individual topic headings come up as HTTPS.

But, it just so happens that I was listening to the latest Episode (No 674) of the Security Now Podcast and the hosts were discussing this subject or more particularly the move by Google Chrome to start flagging non HTTPS sites as not secure. Starting at about the 52 minute mark, Steve Gibson explained that, where the search terms do not specify HTTPS, the default is to display the HTTP page.

So that would mean, with my site, as long as there is a cached HTTP version of the Home Page somewhere in the search chain, the HTTP version will continue to be returned until any cached versions are removed. This appears to be what is happening.

Version 68 of Chrome will start flagging non-HTTPS sites as unsecure, but the default will continue to be to display the HTTP version first.

I had version 67 of Chrome so I updated to 68.

The co-host Jason Howell said the he uses a Chrome Extension called HTTPS EVERYWHERE that looks for HTTPS first. You can get HTTPS EVERYEHERE from the Chrome Web Store.

I went ahead and installed this extension, but it made no difference.

Consequently, I decided to use the Google “Remove Outdated Content” tool to ask it to remove “http”. I will wait and see what happens now.

Some minutes later this request was declined with a number of generic reasons listed including things like “already removed” and “duplicate request” etc.. But the one that caught my eye was “The content you submitted for cache removal appears on a third-party page.”

Numerous Google searches suggested that the “third party” would more than likely be WordPress and/or GoDaddy and there is supposed to be a “clear cache” option in both.

I have informed Google and Bing search, cleared my Browsers and flushed the DNS cache on my computer, altered all of the links in WordPress and the GoDaddy WordPress Application (see previous post for details) plus the link in Open Live Writer that I use to write these blog posts.

Therefore, the problem is almost certain to be with caching of the home page by either WordPress or GoDaddy. I logged into my WordPress Admin but the only “Clear Cache” I could find was in Google Analytics and clearing this did not solve the problem. Same with GoDaddy C Panel, I could not find a way to clear any cache.

So, it looks like I will have to live with the problem until it fixes itself.

GOOGLE AND BING NOT SEEING MY MOVE TO HTTPS

A month ago I purchased an SSL Certificate for my website/WordPress Blog. However when I search for whysun.com or Whycal’s Blog I still get sent to the old HTTP address.

The actual purchase and implementation via GoDaddy and their C Panel was simple and a check by typing the new URL into the address bar confirmed that it activated immediately.

However using the search bar continued to bring up the old HTTP site.

I recall reading that it can take between 4 days to 4 weeks for Google and Bing “crawlers” to index the change. So after about a month I thought I would look into it further.

As a first step I logged into the Admin of my WordPress blog and under Settings / General I noted that the change to HTTPS had to be altered manually in the sections for

WordPress URL, and
Site Address URL

Then I went to my GoDaddy C Panel and under Web Applications / WordPress /My Applications / View Edit Details (wrench icon) /Files and Tables, I found again that I had to manually amend the box for “Location URL”. (Don’t forget to click “Save All” which is hidden right at the bottom of the page.)

I checked every day for a week or so and there was still no change when using the search bar at least for the home page. Although my “About” page plus a number of individual posts show HTTPS.

A Google search for a solution turns up a number of suggestions but most involve actions in areas that I don’t fully understand so I decided to continue to wait.

However I ran across this YouTube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ulj7DBMyGo

The author “Jakson” suggests a very simple solution using a WordPress plugin to insert an XML Sitemap.

This is a very well made video and no further comment is needed. I have installed my sitemap so I will check daily to see if it works and report back.