Author: Philip Edwards

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Best kept secret

The Best Kept Secret.

Philip Edwards.

A few weeks ago during one of our regular meetings, somebody brought up the topic of Apple News+. One of the features of the service is that it gives you access to over 400 magazines to peruse at your hearts content. This made me sit up and listen, because I knew of a service called Pressreader. This provides access to 7,000 newspapers and magazines from more than 120 countries in over 60 languages, all for free.

How do you access this service? It might involve a trip to your local library.

First, you need a library card. You might already have one, but to make this work, you need to ask your librarian for a P.I.N. number. Both are free. Make sure you keep your details of your library card and P.I.N. You will need them to sign up to the service and you really don’t want to suffer from a nasty case of Passworditis do you.

Next, go to pressreader.com and sign up. You’ll be asked to select your local library…probably Cardiff. You’ll also be asked for your library card number and P.I.N. number. And that is it. You can then browse the catalogue, check the news in the latest newspapers or find absolutely anything from their huge range of magazines….and I’ll say this again, all for free through your local library membership.

If you’re new to the world of on-line reading, you might want to check on another service, free through your library card membership. Visit libbyapp.com

This is a more general library service, giving you access to thousands of electronic books and audiobooks which you can borrow, again, all for free; all part of the library service.

Probably best to load the libby app onto your laptop, tablet or wherever you think you’d enjoy sitting back to read your recently borrowed Agatha Christie

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/fhBBthPO3m4twXjknStaWcvSZS045foqnjpQifTqApD

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Apple Trade In Scheme

I had an Apple MacBook Air. I bought it early in the lockdown year 2020. At the time, I bought the base model with just 256 Gb of storage. I decided that I could probably get around that limitation simply by storing things in my Apple Cloud. For a while, that appeared to work. Then a few weeks ago I decided to find out how much actual storage I had left available. I’d actually used nearly 200 Gb.

It was then that I discovered that Apple operated a trade in scheme. It works like this. You log on to the Trade In website and provide the details of your device; serial number and the state of its general condition. The then give you an indication of the estimated value. I was offered £275. Considering that I’d made good use of this laptop for about five years, I felt that was a good deal.

Problem was, until then, I really hadn’t thought of getting a new computer. Perhaps about two years in the future was my thinking. However, if my laptop was worth £275 now, I really didn’t think it would be worth that much in two years time.

I’d heard so many good things about the Apple Mac Mini that I decided that this might be for me. It dawned on me that although I’d bought a laptop five years ago, I had never ever taken it out. I had it connected to a large monitor. I also had Apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I really didn’t need a laptop.

You start the Trade-In process by filling in an on-line form. Basically, you get asked about the device’s condition. Any scratches, bumps or bulges, that sort of thing. From this, you get awarded a valuation. If you accept, in a few days time, you receive a delivery; a box to pack your device and some instructions on how to proceed.

This isn’t just limited to Apple devices. They accept other brands but they only pay out in the form of an Apple gift card.

I had to create a back-up using something called Time Machine. This, supposedly creates a file containing all of your documents and settings from your old machine. This can then be plugged in to your new machine, which will then set itself up just like your old machine. Well. We’ll see.

I then had to re-set my laptop to day one, thus deleting everything from my old laptop. After that, I packed up the laptop using the provided box and took it to the post office.

I’ll be honest, I found this process a bit emotional. Watching the laptop delete all of the data, then handing it over to the post office, it was a bit like taking an old dog to the vet for the last time. But, hey ho, we must move on.

I made one mistake. Apple devices have a feature called Find My. This is a security device. If your device is lost or stollen, Find My helps you to locate it. It has to be turned off before you start the procedure. They can’t proceed until it is turned off. Eventually I found that you could turn off this feature ‘in the cloud’.

Be prepared for a wait. This isn’t a fast process. It appeared to me that every step along the journey takes 3-5 days. 3-5 days to receive your box. 3-5 days for your device to be delivered to Apple. 3-5 days for them to confirm your valuation, 3-5 days to receive your Apple gift card. Only then will you be able to order your new device.

I suppose you need to think long and hard before considering this service. You could find yourself without your computer for three to four weeks. Also, I estimate that I’m going to get about 25%-30% of my original purchase. Maybe I should have delayed or found another way to fund my new computer. However, I console myself by looking at YouTube videos that tell me that the new Mac Mini is indeed the best thing since sliced bread.

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A.I. and magpies.

Hi Group.

You probably don’t know this but there have been times in the past when I’ve done a bit of writing; even managed to get things published. Sadly, upon retiring, I entered a deep period of ‘writer’s block. Strangely though I think A.I. has managed to draw me out again.

We regularly feed the resident birds in our garden. The magpies are my personal favourites. When grandchildren are around I often try to teach them the magpie rhyme; the one that goes, One for sorrow. Two for joy, three for a girl. etc. It got me thinking. Maybe I should buy them a book that illustrates the rhyme. However, I was really shocked to discover that there wasn’t one. Not even on Amazon.

So, I decided to write one myself.

I had tried using A.I. to generate images in the past. Along my A.I. journey of discovery though, I found out that it is possible to get Chat GPT to generate images for you. (There are restrictions though. You’re only allowed 3 images per day with a free account)

I started experimenting and found that I was stunned by some of the images.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/uzB47k9GyWb5yOCwsgUVgRVsMKCrvoC4NVfwA8jrZjg

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/uzB47k9GyWb5yOCwsgUVgRVsMKCrvoC4NVfwA8jrZjg

I learned to be quite specific in my requests. It was possible to constrain the images to a certain size. It was also possible to get A.I. to add a certain number of magpies to the image however, it appears not to be able to count past three. If I asked for say seven, I’d often get some random number.

It even managed to offer me suggestions. For instance, when I asked it to suggest an image to illustrate, “seven for a secret never told,” it gave me the idea of a locked chest, lost in a forest. Genius.

Another surprise for you….I have an illustrator. A young lady by the name of Sue Rundle-Hughes. We’ve worked on projects in the past. Now, I feel that it would be wrong to use the A.I. images to illustrate a book, but surely it would be OK to use the images to illustrate my thoughts, then get the artist to flesh out the ideas with real paint and canvas.

I’ll keep you informed on the progress of the project.

— Forum Responses —

And another thing. Chat GPT appears to have an imagination. You can ask it to form an opinion. For instance.

Can you think of a good way to illustrate the line from the magpie rhyme, “four for a boy”?

Gave this response.

For “four for a boy,” an engaging illustration could depict a scene with four magpies interacting near a young boy in an English countryside or garden. Here’s an idea to bring this line to life:

To add more depth, consider adding elements that evoke a classic British setting—soft wildflowers, a gentle path, and perhaps a quaint garden wall or rustic fence nearby, creating an inviting scene of youthful discovery.

Imagine a serene, lush meadow with a young boy, perhaps around five or six years old, sitting on the ground, joyfully examining a small collection of wildflowers, pebbles, or other natural “treasures.” Nearby, four magpies are perched on branches, fence posts, or hopping around the boy, almost as if they’re sharing in his curiosity. One magpie might be holding a small trinket like a shiny button or coin, as magpies are known for their attraction to shiny objects.

Philip Edwards November 9, 2024 11:15 am

Both these posts are really interesting and I can see we now have two items to discuss when the group reconvenes. Your Composers “sapp” and this Magpie rhyme book – both using AI.

Thanks for sharing.

David Harrison November 9, 2024 3:55 pm
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The Rule of Six:- Smart watches.

Remember the digital chip that was inserted into the Covid 19 vaccine….the one that would kick into action at some unspecified date and force you to do things that you might not have considered before? Mine forces me to buy tech products. That digital chip even knows my P.I.N. number. An Apple Watch was one of my most recent purchases but I might say that I’m absolutely delighted with the device. It looks after me; a bit like having Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder. It does things for me that are really useful, potentially even vital.

  1. It has a feature called Fall Detection. Those who know me will know that I’ve had a few falls over the last few years. I’ve sustained quite a few injuries including three broken ribs once. Believe me, falling over is no fun. Luckily, every time it has happened there have been kind Samaritans around, but what if I took a tumble whilst on a park walk, where there was nobody around? That is where Fall Detection comes in. The watch will know when you’ve fallen over. On the screen it will show a message, “You’ve fallen over. Are you O.K.?” You then have one minute to respond to that message. If you don’t respond within one minute, it will send for an ambulance, sending it to the GPS location provided by your watch. Here are a couple of videos.  https://youtu.be/yZgzAhBa7Kc?si=2eTcmhPMFsJgIpKi.    And https://youtu.be/OWasOBv15qk?si=zjaMW5gnKDcX8j2H
  2. Medical I.D. You can tell your phone and your watch your ailment and prescription details. Now, I know we should be wary of giving computers too much sensitive information but as far as I know, this information can be gained from my watch by medical professionals in times of trouble only. 
  3. Health monitoring. The watch can give you all sorts of information about your health. This includes a step counter, sleep monitor, it can even monitor your walking steadiness. It is even said that it can detect atrial fibrillation although you might want to check that out yourself. The more expensive models have blood oxygen and ECG apps included. I went for the cheapest model, the SE second generation. (£219 at the moment). I think that is sufficient for my personal level of hypochondria. 
  4. A torch. Nifty ! There are a couple of ways to get the screen to light up, giving you roughly the illumination level of a candle. Sufficient to help you find the toilet during night time excursions in unfamiliar hotel rooms. Use Siri  (yes, the watch has Siri) and simply say ’Torch on’, or for Harry Potter fans, say ‘Lumos”. To switch off, simply place your hand over the watch face.
  5. Answer the phone. If your phone is in another room and rings, you can accept the call from your watch, speaking and listening to your watch. You can also send text messages to your watch using Siri.
  6. Alarm clock / timer. Simply ask Siri to set an alarm. It wakes you with vibrations on your wrist. This is actually a really pleasant way to be woken up.

Things to be aware of.

The Apple Watch works in conjunction with your iPhone. It won’t do much on its own.

I haven’t looked in to this, but I’m pretty sure that there are alternatives in the Android world that will do pretty much the same thing. 

There are other, far cheaper brands of Smart Watch available. I tried a £40 model but I had to stop using it because it made my wrist itch.

Oh, and just one more thing, especially for the gentlemen in the group.

From How An Older Man Should Dress | Older Man’s Clothing Tips 2024

Older Man Clothing Tip #4: Own the Latest Technology

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On-Line Reading.

From the presentation used on April 29th, 2019. Philip Edwards.

You can find a .pdf version of the presentation here.

Just a quick word of warning. I originally wrote this article on my old laptop. I wiped that machine without taking one last look to see whether there was anything of value stored on its drive. Lesson learned. That’s why I’m writing this out again.

You probably know this, but just in case you don’t, if you love reading, there is a wealth of reading material available on-line which can be read on a desk-top, lap-top, tablet or mobile phone. This is what you do.

Ebooks and Audiobooks from Cardiff Library.

This is not straightforward, but once you have the system up and running, everything works like a dream.

  1. You need a library membership card. Make a note of your membership number.
  2. You also need to ask the library to issue you with a PIN number.
  3. On your tablet or phone, download the Borrowbox app. This will be in the App Store for iPads and in the Google Play Store for Android devices.
  4. Open the app and login, providing your account number and PIN number. You’ll only have to do this once.
  5. You can then borrow eBooks and Audio Books for free. You can also reserve real books for collection. You can keep the borrowed eBook or Audio Book for up to three weeks. If you forget to return it, your tablet will do that automatically.

Magazines

This is a very similar procedure. You need the same account number and PIN number, but a different application.

It used to be that you needed the RB Digital app but it appears that things have changed. You now need an app called Libby (from April 30th.) RB Digital app goes offline on April 30th.

It is being replaced by a new app called Libby.

It is already available and very easy to use.

It also appears to be able to find ebooks as well as magazines:- a one-stop shop.

The home page is simply a joy:- far more inviting than either Borrowbox or RB Digital.What if you want to buy reading material?

Things you should know.

Kindle ebooks will play on Kindle devices, on any type of tablet or mobile phone.

You can also read Kindle content on a desktop or laptop by using the Kindle Reader application.

Is it possible to buy and read Kindle content without purchasing a device?

Things you should know.

As far as I know, Apple ebooks will only play on Apple devices.

Well, actually it might be possible but it doesn’t look easy.Another thing you should know.

Audio books are available for Kindle, P.C.s, laptops and non-Apple devices.

You have to buy a subscription for £7.99 per month but then have access to their whole library.

Another thing you should know. Apple audio books are available individually.

Just one more thing you should know. You usually have to pay for Kindle classic novels. Apple classic novels are free.

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Lockdown:- It helps to have a project.

Harry Davies’ Pantomimes?

Soon after retiring and  joining U3A I was asked to prepare something to show people how to use computers to research their family tree. Well, that really sparked an interest. I started researching my grandfather, George Henry Davies (Harry). He was a colliery farrier from Blaenllechau in the Rhondda Valley. I was two years old when he died. Sadly, I have no memories of him.

As a younger man, he joined the army in 1915. After a very short period in France, he was shipped to Salonika in Greece. These days, not many people remember that any fighting went on there. Harry stayed in Salonika until early 1918.

During 2020 the whole world changed beyond all measure as countries around the globe suffered the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. For many, including myself, had to endure many months in lockdown with limited opportunity to go out and socialise. My music making with my recorder group, Morris dancers and folk sessions all came to a grinding halt. For many months I simply didn’t feel like playing any music at all. Then a friend introduced me to the idea of making Acapella videos .

Using this system it is possible to create little arrangements with myself playing all of the parts.

Around the same time I learned that the Imperial War Museum had a set of pantomimes from the First World War Salonika front. These pantomimes were performed by a party of traveling ambulance men, the 85th Field Ambulance. With the help of the Salonika Campaign Society, I’ve managed to get scanned images of the three pantomimes, Dick Whittington, Bluebeard, and Aladdin in Macedonia. They provide a strange and unique insight into the lives of soldiers posted to this long-forgotten battlefront.

At the moment, I’m trying to put together some of those Acapella videos, trying to breathe new life into those old tunes. I’m keying in each note of the tunes into Musescore software. This must be a bit like following a knitting pattern stitch by stitch with no idea what the finished item will ever look like. I’ve created some musical videos with the help of Apple iMovie and Acapella :- Pitch Perfect.

Initially, I thought I’d try to learn one or two of the tunes. I couldn’t be certain that my grandfather Harry had ever attended any of these pantomimes but after a short period of study, I feel that he probably did.

The Macedonia front was quite unlike the experience of the Western Front in France. During Summer, it was fiercely hot but Winter brought freezing conditions and snow. For most of the time, the battle lines were fairly static. There was little chance of any entertainment. Only lucky soldiers managed to visit the town of Salonika. Curiously, soldiers developed a strange form of entertainment:- Racing tortoises. Well, that was impossible during Winter as the tortoises would be in hibernation.

Also, it appears that these pantomimes were incredibly popular, frequently out-performing pantomime productions staged at Drury Lane.

Let’s imagine then that grandfather Harry did manage to get a ticket for the pantomime. Imagine him trudging through the snow to a small barn, nicknamed The Kopriva Palace Theatre. We’ll take a seat beside him and enjoy some of the tunes that he would have enjoyed all those years ago.

I’ve finished three videos of songs from Music of Macedonia. You can see them here.

I experienced a strange coincidence when I was looking through the music from Aladdin in Macedonia. Look at the name of the composer. Not my grandfather, G.H. Davies but a strange coincidence, another G.H. Davies.

Farewell from Dick Whittington.