7 minute read
Technology
Technology Satellite TV and Internet by Stuart Wallace
As I sit here in the wee small hours, typing away far faster than I should and very grateful for auto-correct, it doesn’t really feel like spring has arrived. It’s wet and very windy (and also dark, but that’s because it’s 12.17am so not really the fault of the weather). ‘A bit like your bum’ Mrs W kindly said to me. It’s the little things like that which keep us together. That said, I’m glad she went to bed. Can I even say ‘bum’ these days? Is that allowed? It’s hard to keep up with the world. Ricky Gervais said it best when he said that you can say whatever you want. You just have to accept the fact that some people may find it offensive. Then, you need to decide whether you give a duck (thanks auto-correct) or not. Anyway, hello everybody. I hope you’re all keeping safe and well. Shall we just get on with it? Let’s stop ducking (thanks again auto-correct!) about.
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I know I say it every month, but Freesat is not the same as Freeview.
For those of you with a Sky subscription package who purchase a new digibox, you need to be aware that if you pay for the premium services such as sports and/or movies, you’ll need to pair the viewing card to the new box. You can do this by going to www.sky.com/quickfix. You’ll need your Sky ID and password, but once logged in, you can enter the details of the new digibox and the pairing will be done almost instantly. It’s way better than the old system of having to call them and hoping you don’t reveal that you’re based in France!
Whilst on the subject, I have seen various websites saying that ‘Sky TV is now available in France!’. Well, it always has been so that isn’t really news. It’s just that these companies are trying to legitimize it. However, it is still not technically allowed by Sky. The viewing card is not supposed to be used outside of the UK or Channel Islands. So, yes you can have Sky TV in France, but don’t believe any company which tells you it’s not dealing in shades of grey!
If you have a Freesat box, be aware that you don’t have to enter your WiFi code to use it. The only reason to link the Freesat box to your WiFi is if you plan to use the catch-up services like BBC iPlayer. However, to do this, you’ll need to have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which makes services like iPlayer think you’re in the UK. So, if you don’t use a VPN then there is no need to worry about the WiFi code.
If you subscribe to the Neosat satellite internet service (and why not? It’s pretty good), then you need to ensure that you have the activation codes they send you, to hand. I have been to more than one installation where the letter containing all the required details is not readily available. This letter from Nordnet contains not only the service activation code, but the exact longitude and latitude details required for set up. Without this, it is usually impossible to finish the job.
I went to a call out last month where another ‘installer’ (I use that term loosely) had told a client that even though the dish was literally hanging off the wall (one top fixing bolt was missing and another was barely hanging on) that all would be fine as he’d managed to get a (rubbish) signal. This was despite the fact that when the wind blew, the dish and bracket moved. There was barely any signal in good weather and nothing at all in bad. To be clear, the installer concerned does not advertise in this magazine. However, whoever you may choose to use, do not accept shot (thanks once again auto-correct) like that.
As always, please feel free to get in touch if you would like any further information or would like to discuss your requirements. Contact details can be found on the advert. Have a good month.
Stuart runs The French House Satellite TV tfhsatellite@gmail.com Other contact details in his advert in the Buildings & Renovations section of the magazine
TECH BYTES
Technology News & Views
Alexa - Amazon Wish List Notifications
COMING SOON ….. If you have an Amazon Alexa device and make use of wish lists on the Amazon web site, you will soon be able to use a feature that will give you verbal warnings when/if any item on your your wish list is about to become available at a sale price. You will be able to order by simply asking Alexa.
For those of you who feel this is NOT a feature you want, the good news is that you will have to enable this feature for it to work. It is not yet available in Europe.
Post BREXIT Mobile Roaming Fees
Like many, I retained my UK mobile contract following my move to France. It allowed friends and family to contact me without an international call and meant I didn’t have to contact loads of people with a new number. Recently, my UK provider (Three) blocked my service with 7 days’ notice because I had been out of the UK too long. Fair enough – COVID meant I had not visited for many months.
I needed the number to be available for several important reasons at the time, so tried to convince Three to enable my account - they were unwilling to do so.
Looking for other options I have come across XPATFONE (which is DEVYCE by another name). They offer a VOIP (internet based) service which, to a caller, mimics a UK mobile number; allows incoming and outgoing calls and SMS. They also allow the transfer of your old mobile number to them. The service costs less than £10 a month (equates to the cost of a UK contract in my view). There are offers of a few free days to try the service (without needing to transfer your number). I tried it, I liked it and I have now transferred my Three account to them, and it works a treat.
Be aware though – you MUST have a local (French in our case) mobile contract with a data package attached as the XPATFONE/DEVYCE requires internet access to function. Of course, once indoors the data is provided by my broadband but when out and about my French mobile package provides that data.
Microsoft OneDrive Changes
If you use OneDrive as your cloud solution and have not yet moved on from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, you should be aware that, as from March 2022, your OneDrive is no longer automatically synching between your laptop/PC and the cloud folders.
You can still manually upload files to your OneDrive folders via the web service but this is fiddly and not really recommended.
QR Codes : Pros & Cons
QR codes have been around for a while now but seem to, recently, be gaining more of a foothold. If you are not familiar with them, they are (generally) square, bar code like images (there is one on our front cover) that will allow you to scan them with a mobile phone to display information or provide a link to a website (as ours does). This all sounds fine and dandy BUT as they become more popular, the pond scum out there will start trying to scam us by using them.
The problem may come from directing you to a web site that either immediately downloads some malware to your phone or presents a scam of some kind to you.
As with all this sort of thing, the vast majority of QR codes are absolutly fine but you should treat them like any other unsolicited contact (e.g. an email). Some tips for protecting yourself ...
1. Don't scan a QR code from a source you do not trust. If you are not sure, don't do it.
2. Only use a QR reader application with built-in security features. Understand that some QR reader apps are more secure than others. One important feature to look for is the reader showing the content of the link before it is visited. More advanced applications will check the link presented by the QR code against a database of known malicious links.
3. If you are scanning from a poster, or similar, feel the QR code to see if a sticker has been applied over the original and legitimate QR code.
If you do find a malicious QR code, report it to the owner of the business where you discovered it.
