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    Computer Family to provide IT Support from the top of Africa!

  • Keep your online wallet safe while your kids enjoy your tablet or phone safely

    Keep your online wallet safe while your kids enjoy your tablet or phone safely

  • Safer Internet Day – 5 February 2013

  • Protecting kids online when using android tablets and other devices

  • Parents Guide to the Internet – how to keep kids safe online?

  • Laptop repair – thank you Computer Family!

  • Lisa’s Blog – a search for family IT safety, online security & support

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Aug 13 2013

Computer Family to provide IT Support from the top of Africa!

Kilimanjaro Expedition – 16th to 24th August 2013

Our very own Christian Shuker will provide some computer support from the top of Africa whilst also raising money to tackle child poverty at home in the UK.

He will be updating a blog on this site with all of the gory details, and maybe some photos.

Obviously support from such a remote location will be difficult, so we have got in some extra cover for customers while Chris is away . We are using IT partners that we have known for years who work with similarly sized businesses . Stuart at head office in Halesowen is still the main point of contact for support calls , but if he needs backup then Stuart can always call on these guys to help. Lisa Winstanley will be helping out with telephone support also.

Mount Kilimanjaro awaits…

 

He will travel with a team of fellow adventurers to raise money for the Oakland Foundation, which has focuses on help for children under the age of 16 and their families living below the poverty line.

The Royal Seal of Approval , Chris got to meet Princess Anne on her visit to Oakland International and the opening of the Oakland Foundation Charity

 

The challenge will take the group over 50 miles, following the Rongai Route up Mount Kilimanajaro, and up to 5895m above sea level . The group will climb steadily over a period of 5 days camping out each night. The pace is slow and steady to allow for acclimatisation. Altitude Sickness is the biggest threat and the way that each member responds to this will be largely out of their control. On the fifth day the final push to the top will start at midnight, with the ascent to the top taking around 6hrs. The group should be rewarded with a fantastic dawn view on the top of Africa. They will then proceed back down the mountain for another 6 -7 hrs (13hrs total at between 50 and 60% oxygen levels.

I think Chris will deserve a pint at this stage, but may not have the energy to drink it.

 

The team on one of our training trips to Brecon Beacons.

From left to right – Ken Hurst-Earl (Acupuncturist , AKA Dr Pain), Christian Shuker (Super Hero), Patrick Shuker (Entrepreneur), Edith Hurst-Earl (Sales and Marketing), Dean Attwell (MD of Oakland International Ltd), Stuart Starkey (MD of Starkey Electrical, and Halesowen’s Strongest man), Keith Davies (Accounts), Cory Winstanley (Out of work but hoping to become leader of any team that will have him).

Kilimanjaro Expedition – 16th to 24th August 2013

By admin • Blog • 0

Keep your online wallet safe while your kids enjoy your tablet or phone safely

Mar 1 2013

Keep your online wallet safe while your kids enjoy your tablet or phone safely

Keep your online wallet safe while your kids enjoy your tablet or phone safelyKeep your online wallet safe while your kids enjoy your tablet or phone safely

Stopping children from purchasing apps and other items online is another major concern for parents. As with stopping them from accessing unwanted sites, you also need to protect yourself from accidental unwanted purchases by your children, otherwise one day you may get a large unexpected bill come to your door.

An article from the BBC today has highlighted this again with a story about a 5 year old boy managing to run up a bill on Itunes of 1,700 pounds!
To read more visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-21629210

I know from my own experience of this as my own son likes to play a certain racing game, and often clicked on the app’s in-game coin purchase, which can be very easily done without close supervision.

Buying apps has become easier, and with most free versions of apps coming with adverts, there are more and more ways to accidentally purchase something without realising it, especially where children are involved.

Apple have released the ability to lock your iphone or ipad down using its own Guided Access mode. To find out more about how to do this, please read this article: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/10/01/how-to-lock-the-ipad-to-a-single-app-for-kid-mode/

Andriod on the other hand has a lovely and easy to use “Kid Mode” app, which parents can download for free. This locks your device and only lets them access specific games and videos.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zoodles.kidmode&hl=en

By admin • Blog • 0

Jan 31 2013

Safer Internet Day – 5 February 2013

5 February is  Safer Internet Day – Help keep your kids safe online and Connect with Respect.

Visit UK Safer Internet Centre to see how you can get involved – like other schools and organisations.

This website is a great esafety resource – for both parents and professionals alike.

It includes tips, advice, quizzes and games to help teachers, carers, parents and young people themselves stay safe online.

Safer Internet Day is an annual day dedicated to promoting online safety.  In its 10th year, it is also being supported by Disney who is donating £3 million over the next three years to help promote the importance of keeping safe online through its channels and website.

With young people using online media more than ever before, it’s never been more important to reinforce the message of staying safe online.

Whether we are gaming, chatting or sharing online,  some simple rules can help us to stay safe:

  • Treat everyone with respect
  • Be a good online friend – as you would if you were face to face
  • Report any online bullying or if you think someone might be in trouble
  • Always check before sharing personal information, photos or videos
For more on organisations supporting Safer Internet Day, see
CEOP
 Childnet
Disney – Club Penguin

Have fun and happy safe surfing!

By admin • Blog, Uncategorized • 0

Dec 20 2012

Protecting kids online when using android tablets and other devices

xmas technologyChristmas is coming, and as usual, many of us will wake up with the same thought on our minds.. ‘has Santa been?’ swiftly followed by ‘who’s peeling the sprouts?’ but this year I fear we may do better to ask ‘who’s protecting our kids online?’.

This occurs to me as it becomes clear as a Mum to a 7 year old, that this year’s hot, ‘must have’ items in our Santa letters include several new gadgets namely… android tablets, smartphones, laptops, Kindles and gaming devices among others….

I know that my daughter would love a tablet for gaming, having tried it on our smartphones. What I want to be sure of, is that when she is using any device online, she is safe from unwelcome content, online strangers and also not going to run up a huge bill for downloading chargeable content. So, as this is relatively new technology to me…I want to ask the experts at Computer Family how I can set up some protection on these sorts of devices before she gets her hands on one!

 

Hi Lisa, the latest technology is brilliant for kids and adults alike, but you are right, we have to be careful when giving children access to any online device.

At Christmas children will be expecting the latest and greatest gadget for playing music, video, games and surfing the web. These can all be accomplished with the versatile tablet.

Tablets for Kids

But as with the original meaning of ‘tablet’, these should only be given after carefully understanding the health warnings.

Unfortunately, the safe way to administer these 21st century gadgets to our kids is not clearly plastered all over the packaging, you have to delve a little deeper to understand how.

There are some simple approaches to protecting kids online, while at the same time letting your child embrace this wonderful technology.

Each of the popular devices out there has built in features and also software add-ons.

None of these is fool-proof, and depending on the age of the child, I would not leave them with internet access unaccompanied.

Not only are there damaging images, videos and text that could scar and remove the innocence of your child but also the risk of costing you lots of money.

It can be very easy for your child to buy services/games/music if you have set up your account on the device from a previous purchase.

Starting with the android tablet, I would like to introduce you to both the built-in features as well as the add-on software that is available, to help keep your families safe online.

By admin • Uncategorized • 0

Dec 13 2012

Parents Guide to the Internet – how to keep kids safe online?

A video guide to Online Parenting from CEOP’s thinkuknow – with great tips on how to keep kids safe online

This ‘easy to watch’ video discusses ways to keep kids of all ages safe online and is both entertaining and informative.

It covers the key issues facing today’s families who are getting to grips with ‘online parenting’ such as:

  • how to get involved and engage with your child’s online world
  • what to be aware of to keep content to an age appropriate level
  • online gaming, music, movies and meeting people online
  • limiting social media site access e.g.  to family, close friends or school groups etc.
  • how to adapt access to the internet to grow with your family as they grow
  • tips on safe use of the internet via laptops, computers, tablets, mobile phones and gaming devices
  • what you can do if you have any concerns about cyberbullying or other online content that your child has been exposed to.

This video comes from CEOP’s thinkuknow programme, where you can find more resources to help keep your children safe online.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/

By admin • Blog • 0

Dec 3 2012

Laptop repair – thank you Computer Family!

laptop repair replacement jackI love Mondays like these…the guys at Computer Family have done a fab job and my laptop is working again! A fast laptop repair from Computer Family, got my laptop back working with no fuss and minimal cost. That ‘fizz pop’ last week wasn’t as terminal as I feared…..

For anyone with home PC or laptop issues – I can’t recommend the Computer Family highly enough.

Their expertise & honesty means I haven’t been charged for parts I didn’t need – replacement jack and we’re in business.

Thanks Stuart & Chris – for diagnosing the problem and fixing my laptop.

A very happy WORKING Mum 😉

By admin • Blog • 0

Nov 26 2012

Lisa’s Blog – a search for family IT safety, online security & support

Hi – I’m a working Mum of one, and am being dragged into 21st century (technology-wise!) by my 7 year old daughter… and my work of course!  I was already looking for ways to keep my family safe online, our gadgets running smoothly via wi-fi and our data secure, before the past week which saw my house get broken into and my laptop go up in smoke…

When I was growing up in the 1970’s, my homework involved reading, reciting times tables and learning my spellings…pencil, paper, book – job done. Technology was a luxury item for entertaining us (Space Invaders or the Spectrum only after our homework was done…!)

Nowadays, technology has become an integral part of family life – not just for entertainment – but as a necessary tool to get our jobs and homework done.

Most weeks my daughter has homework to ‘…do a Google search to research this topic….’; independent learning and IT skills are part of the curriculum even at primary school.

And once her homework is done, she may want to watch a film on netflix, play a game on the Wii or my android phone… gone are the days of choosing one of three TV channels.

So, it seems most households now have at least one PC, and with the advent of smartphones, laptops and tablets, there are more and more ways to access the internet from gadgets in our homes.

So, the question this raises for us as parents is how can we protect our children online when they are exploring the worldwide web….?  Technology may have simplified some everyday tasks, but the art of keeping our families safe is made all the more challenging in this multimedia age.

Fortunately for me, I am working with the Computer Family – where Chris & the team are helping to keep my gadgets working, my family safe and our photos and data secure from cyber threats of all sorts. It’s a jungle out there – but with their know-how and support we will have peace of mind that we will be safe online.

http://www.computerfamily.co.uk

 

 

By admin • Blog • 0

Feb 17 2012

Top 5 Windows Shortcut Keys

Hi and welcome to the Computer Family’s top 5 windows shortcut keys

  • 1. Windows key + L – Our favourite shortcut out of them all and it’s great for
    business users and home users. What does it do? Well it locks your desktop
    stopping anyone just coming on straight onto your PC. It’s nice and easy instead
    of ctrl + alt + delete then clicking on lock computer.
  • 2. Ctrl + C – This is the nice and easy way to copy what you’ve highlighted, instead
    of having to right click then click copy just highlight what you want then press
    Ctrl + C to copy what you want.
  • 3. Ctrl + V – And where would Ctrl + C be without Ctrl + V as you probably guessed
    by now it’s the paste function again saving you from having to right click then
    click paste just click where you want it to go then press Ctrl + V.
  • 4. Windows key + M – This is a great little shortcut if you have a lot of documents
    open and want to go straight to your desktop, windows + M simple minimises
    everything to your task bar.
  • 5. Alt + F4 – Alt + F4? Simply closes the application you have open currently, but
    don’t worry if you haven’t saved your document yet it still prompts you if you
    want to save. This is just a nice and fast way to close applications down.

Remember there are plenty more shortcut keys in windows to use and speed up your
use on the computer.
If you have any difficulties or would like to know more please feel free to email us on
pcrepair@computerfamily.co.uk

By admin • Blog • 0

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