Saturday, 28 June 2025

Chrome 138 the last supported



Chrome 138 the last supported

 Hey Everyone, Chrome 138 is the last version of Chrome that will support Android 8.0 (Oreo) and Android 9.0 (Pie). Chrome 139 (tentatively scheduled for release on August 5th, 2025) is the first version of Chrome that requires Android 10.0 or later.

https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/352616098?hl=en

Taken from a post on support.google.com 


Sunday, 8 June 2025

USB safe charging

 


Do you charge your device in a public or on a non secure work space ? if the answer is yes then you are leaving your device open to be hacked.


Here is what Gemini has to say


A USB charge-only cable is a type of USB cable specifically designed to deliver power to a device without allowing any data transfer. Unlike standard USB data cables, which have four wires (two for power and two for data), charge-only cables only have the two power wires connected.

How it works:

Standard USB ports on computers or public charging stations are capable of both power delivery and data transfer. A charge-only cable physically blocks the data lines, ensuring that only electrical current flows between the charging source and the device.

Advantages:

 * Security: This is the primary benefit. By eliminating data transfer, charge-only cables prevent "juice jacking" (a type of cyberattack where malicious software or data is transferred to or from a device through a compromised charging port). This is particularly useful when using public charging stations in airports, cafes, or other unsecure environments.

 * Simplicity: If you only need to charge a device and don't require data syncing, a charge-only cable is a straightforward solution.

 * Potentially faster charging: In some cases, with all power dedicated to charging and no diversion for data processes, it might lead to slightly faster charging times.

Disadvantages:

 * No data transfer: The obvious drawback is that you cannot sync data, transfer files, or connect your device to a computer for any function beyond charging.

 * May not be explicitly labeled: The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) doesn't mandate clear differentiation between charge-only and data cables, so it can sometimes be difficult to tell them apart without testing or looking for specific markings. Data cables tend to be slightly thicker due to having more wires.

 * Slower charging in some cases: While sometimes faster, if a device "handshakes" with the charger to negotiate optimal power delivery, and that negotiation relies on data lines, a charge-only cable might result in slower charging if the device cannot communicate its charging needs.

Applications:

 * Public charging stations: The most common and important use case is for safely charging devices at public USB ports where you cannot guarantee the security of the source.

 * High-security environments: In corporate, government, or defense settings, charge-only cables can be used to prevent accidental or malicious data transfer from mobile devices.

 * Travel: For general peace of mind when traveling and needing to charge your devices in unfamiliar locations.

Some products exist that are "USB data blockers" which are small adapters that you can plug onto your regular USB cable to turn it into a charge-only cable, offering flexibility

Sunday, 13 April 2025

Emergencies go bag(s)

 


Today, emergencies happen often. Below is a list of emergency supplies that you should have available. This list is not made in stone. For instance, if you do not have children, then you do not need the baby stuff.

I have linked some products that may help or not..

Medical Supplies 

A first aid kit (or some first aid items) including items such as 
Bandages, 
Waterproof plasters, 
A thermometer, 
Antiseptic, 
Eyewash solution,
Sterile dressings and gloves, 
Medical tape for dressings, 
Tweezers.
At lest 7 days supply's of any prescription medicines.  

 

Hygiene
Hand sanitiser 
Wet wipes 
Bottled water – there is no standard figure for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people use different amounts. A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended by the World Health Organisation for survival. 10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs. Additional water might be needed to make up baby formula, for medical devices and for pets.
Non-perishable food that doesn’t need cooking, such as ready-to-eat tinned meat, fruit or vegetables (and a tin opener or buy packet food for lightness if you have to travel). As with water, how much you need will vary based on your own circumstances. Don’t forget food for pets.

 

Baby supplies 
Such as nappies and baby formula – ready made or ‘ready-to-feed’ formula is best as you may not be able to boil water.

 

POWER AND LIGHT.

A mobile phone use only when required,remember if thère is a power cut you may not have service. 
Battery or wind-up torch – torches are safer than candles. These can also be recharged. 
Battery or wind-up radio to get updates during a power cut. These can also be recharged. 
Portable power bank for charging your mobile phone and other devices
Spare batteries for torches and radio and a backup battery for any medical equipment you rely on. Rechargeable would be good as these can be recharged when the power comes back on
Do not forget the battery charger.
Keeping warm

No electric in the winter means no heating other than log burners.
Wear warm clothes.
Use a portable gas heater or cooker to heat one room,if you have one.

 Some of the content comes from Get prepared for emergencies and from the author.


Sunday, 30 March 2025

Some mobile phones will stop working 2025

 

4 and 5G phone



The G2 and G3 network is closing down, What does this mean to us the general public and why is it happening.


The network is being shut down to make space for new faster infrastructure, effectively making your handset obsolete if you do not have a phone with G4 upwards you will however be able to use the phone when logged on to a hot-spot or your home Wi-Fi. This will allow you to use the phone as normal if you have Wi-Fi calling switched on, also you will be able to use WhatsApp with a bit of juggling.

This will effect G2 and G3 phones only by the end of 2025. 

Providers affected 

02

Tesco

Three

Virgin Media

Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Will your game play on Windows

 Here's a link to a checklist to help you determine whether your Windows device is game-ready.

Saturday, 7 December 2024

Samsung Android Keyboard

 

If you have a Samsung phone or pad and the keyboard is set to Google give the Samsung one a try.


Just go into the keyboard settings and set the default  keyboard to Samsung.  You should now have access to extra functions. These included all the Ctrl +y,z,x,c,v that are used in Windows there is also a clipboard viewer, Text functionality ,emojis and translation.

If you do not like it just switch back.

Monday, 9 September 2024

Passwords Made Easy





Today i thought i would write about password security.

As we are all aware passwords are important but we continue to use very poor passwords when prompted for a new password. Here are some of them that have been used in the passed.

123456

password

123456789

12345678

12345

1234567

admin

123123

qwerty

abc123

I have even seen google used as a password.

 Use a password generator and a password checker like the links below to find a safe password. 

Password generator

random password generator#android

The alternative is pick a random word of about eight letters, chose 4 digit or more number and pick a couple non alfa numerically character @#£% etc. You then stich them together like mydaDd@987690#

Try using a password generator and a password checker like the links below to keep you surfing safely. These web sites will help you to secure your computer and application.

The alternative is pick a random word of about eight letters, chose 4 digit or more number and pick a couple non alfa numerically character @#£% etc. You then stich them together like mydaDd@987690#

If you found this useful why not buy me a coffee..


Chrome 138 the last supported

Chrome 138 the last supported  Hey Everyone, Chrome 138 is the last version of Chrome that will support Android 8.0 (Oreo) and Android 9.0 (...