Windows 10 Cortana

[Dane Trethowan]

Hi!

I've just managed to get Cortana working on my Windows 10 Desk Top 
computer, even though I've been using Windows 10 for quite some time its 
the first time I've been able to get Cortana with voice commands 
working, better late than never I guess.


Its an interesting experience issuing voice commands to a desk top 
machine though I'm obviously used to issuing Voice commands to mobile 
devices.


Cortana seems quite happy to do most things though some things the 
system certainly seems to have problems with.  For example Cortana will 
open Apps such as Word 2016 and Mozilla Thunderbird but try opening 
things such as the Chicken Nugget Twitter client which I have installed 
on my machine, such requests are certainly not appreciated.


And here's a strange one, on every other device when I ask "What's The 
Current Time" that device recites the time back to me through its TTS 
engine but not Cortana which prefers to search for "What's The Current 
Time" using whatever your default search engine just happens to be - in 
my case Google -.


Cortana doesn't seem to know about the Windows 10 Maps either, say 
something like "Take Me To Gordon Smith's Place" and Google pops up again.


And finally forget about making phone calls by saying something like 
"Call 03 9921 2389", that's just out of the question and Cortana will 
tell you so, this feature only works on Windows Phones it seems and 
that's a pity, I have Skype on my system, another Microsoft product 
which is perfectly capable of making calls to PSTN lines etc.


A lot to learn still about Cortana so perhaps I'll find ways around a 
lot of things.



--

**
Those who don't need help are prepared to help themselves

Five signs an ATM has been tampered with | Daily Mail Online

[Dane Trethowan]

The article linked to here discusses the increase in ATM fraud.

Given the staggering increases the article sites I wonder if its worth 
the banks continuing to use ATM's? The risk must be so great.


And the other question I have is why the banks don't monitor their ATM 
facilities with closed circuit TV?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/saving/article-3545646/Criminals-taking-quick-hit-approach-cash-machine-fraud-expert-warns-five-signs-ATM-tampered-with.html

--

**
Those who don't need help are prepared to help themselves

Apple Presents Problems Of Mind Mangling Complexity

[Dane Trethowan]

Yep quite true so here’s the challenge I’m facing that others may have a view 
on.

I’m thinking of my future with Apple and that is whether I should get a Macbook 
Air, Macbook Pro or iPad Pro.

The iPad Pro now has storage up to 256GB which is damn impressive for a tablet 
so what do the Macbook series offer over this apart from being able to run OSX 
whereas the iPad runs IOS.


**
Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the 
halfwits in this world behind.

Solar Charger

[Dane Trethowan]

Hi!

Can anyone recommend a good solar battery charger to charge an Android or IOS 
device?

I’ve seen plenty around - both Google and eBay went absolutely mad when I typed 
various combinations of solar IOS/Android battery charger in but the problem 
was cost, the cost of all the items shown seemed to cheap to be useful and I 
doubt the quality wouldn’t be anything good. -.

I was expecting to see a unit with just a solar panel but the units I saw had 
batteries in them so I guess the way the charger worked was to sit in the sun 
with panel exploded to charge its internal battery.  Then when the battery of 
the device was running low the user would plug the charger into the phone to 
boost the juice.


**
Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the 
halfwits in this world behind.

Braille Pen

[Dane Trethowan]

Hi!

Has anyone used a Braille Pen Braille Display?

I’m looking at getting a smaller display to use with my IOS/Android devices and 
trying to make up my mind.

Clearly - given I already have a Focus 40 Blue display - the smaller Focus 14 
is a favourite but no harm in looking at what else may be available.


**
Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the 
halfwits in this world behind.

Re: Yamaha P115 Piano Arrives

[Joshua Gregory]

Hi, so what is the point in the voices? Seems kind of odd for a piano.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 18, 2016, at 1:27 PM, Gordon Smith  wrote:
> 
> Hello all
> 
> Well,it’s here!  I confess to being a little surprised that this unit is 
> shipped without cables.  In other words, it has MIDI, USB 3.0 and external 
> audio support, but the only accessory shipped with the unit is the power 
> supply.
> 
> All that said, it does not put me off the unit.  I am quite excited by its 
> range of versatility.  Also there is no touch screen to worry about, it’s all 
> physical switches.  One can have any combination of the 14 internal voices, 
> plus any of the external Yamaha voices which you download from their website, 
> playing at any one time.  I’m also puzzled by Yamaha’s policy of charging 
> their customers for all but the first downloaded voice profile.  But I’m sure 
> they have their reasons.
> 
> Nevertheless, this instrument looks like a class act in its own right.  But I 
> guess I need something like ProTools or Adobe Audition to get the best out of 
> the piano.
> 
> I haven’t yet played it, but looking at the keys, they are real quality.  
> They are beautifully weighted, just like a real grand piano is.  It really 
> does give the player a feel of being in front of a classic baby grand.
> 
> The music rest mechanism is rather flimsy though.  It’s just a piece of 
> plastic, in essentials, which drops into a groove on the top surface of the 
> piano.  Odd to say the least.  When paying all that money for an item I 
> expect quality.  And my final little gripe is the absence of a sustain 
> peddle.  I guess you need to go back to Yamaha for that, maybe it’s 
> considered an accessory.  Although I fail to see how one can produce smooth 
> rhythmic music without one.  Everything will have a staccato sound to it as 
> soon as you lift your finger from the key.  Oh well, in for a penny, in for a 
> Pound, I guess.
>  
> 
> 
> My compliments and kindest regards
> Gordon Smith:
> 
> 
> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
> Hartlepool Blind
> Avenue Road
> Hartlepool
> TS24 8BB
> Cleveland
> Work Phone:
> +44 (0)1429 272494
> Mobile/SMS:
> +44 (0)7907 823971
> 
> 
> 

Yamaha P115 Piano Arrives

[Gordon Smith]

Hello all

Well,it’s here!  I confess to being a little surprised that this unit is 
shipped without cables.  In other words, it has MIDI, USB 3.0 and external 
audio support, but the only accessory shipped with the unit is the power supply.

All that said, it does not put me off the unit.  I am quite excited by its 
range of versatility.  Also there is no touch screen to worry about, it’s all 
physical switches.  One can have any combination of the 14 internal voices, 
plus any of the external Yamaha voices which you download from their website, 
playing at any one time.  I’m also puzzled by Yamaha’s policy of charging their 
customers for all but the first downloaded voice profile.  But I’m sure they 
have their reasons.

Nevertheless, this instrument looks like a class act in its own right.  But I 
guess I need something like ProTools or Adobe Audition to get the best out of 
the piano.

I haven’t yet played it, but looking at the keys, they are real quality.  They 
are beautifully weighted, just like a real grand piano is.  It really does give 
the player a feel of being in front of a classic baby grand.

The music rest mechanism is rather flimsy though.  It’s just a piece of 
plastic, in essentials, which drops into a groove on the top surface of the 
piano.  Odd to say the least.  When paying all that money for an item I expect 
quality.  And my final little gripe is the absence of a sustain peddle.  I 
guess you need to go back to Yamaha for that, maybe it’s considered an 
accessory.  Although I fail to see how one can produce smooth rhythmic music 
without one.  Everything will have a staccato sound to it as soon as you lift 
your finger from the key.  Oh well, in for a penny, in for a Pound, I guess.
 


My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:
>

Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Hartlepool Blind
Avenue Road
Hartlepool
TS24 8BB
Cleveland
Work Phone:
+44 (0)1429 272494
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971





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