Re: [Techno-Chat]: Vipre Security Products On Sale; Save 20%

[Dane Trethowan]

X-SpamDetect-Info: - Start ASpam results ---
X-SpamDetect-Info: This message may be spam. This message BODY has been altered 
to show you the spam information
X-SpamDetect: *: 9.0 sd=9.0 Close nspam=1 nok=0 1.00  
$0.99(X-Mash:sameip) 0.04(X-myrbl:Color=white) $0.90(X-LangGuess:English) 
0.20(dnswl_low) $0.20(X-Phrase:clean) 0.37(X-PhraseHits:odd)
X-SpamDetect-Info: - End ASpam results -

I’ve been using Vipre products for quite some time.
Their tech support - on the rare occasion that I’ve had to use it - has been 
outstanding.
Vipre Mobile Security for Android is at a price anyone can afford.
Having said all that however - if you don’t wish to purchase Vipre Anti Virus 
or Internet Security for your Windows PC - then the Microsoft alternative - as 
part of Windows 10 - may well do you.
I base this on the fact that - those users I know who use the Windows 10 
operating system along with its built-in security and protection tools - have 
not up until this time been infected by Malware of any kind and nor have they 
suffered for ransomware, any downtime due to any virus infection etc so that 
alone in my view speaks volumes and good on Microsoft for building security 
that seems to function well into their operating system.
Having said all that - and regardless of whether you choose to use a Third 
party security App or Microsoft’s built-in solution - security and safety of 
your computer does indeed begin with you.
Don’t just accept free offers that pop-up when you’re carrying out searches for 
software for example, don’t click on links in email messages unless you’re 
absolutely sure what they are, simple prevention measures will save you a lot 
of headaches in time.

> On 17 Oct. 2016, at 5:45 am, Gordon Smith  > wrote:
> 
> Hello
> 
> In my humble opinion, this is a great offer! I just acquired it because I’ve 
> trusted Vipre for years, and the ratings when set against its competition 
> speak for themselves. They scored 100% in threat detection, and 0% false 
> positives. Cyber crime is on the up! And this time of year seems to be one of 
> the worst times for data and identity theft.
> 
> Christmas is coming, and of course, (although I personally am dreading it), 
> the cyber criminals just can’t wait! From now on in, people are Christmas 
> shopping, and obviously criminals make juicy promises which some people just 
> cannot resist.
> 
> Sadly, some people don’t bother to check the authenticity of their mail. 
> Inboxes get filled with juicy-sounding junk, and the criminals sit watching 
> and waiting for the gullible.
> 
> Anyway, Vipre Internet for Windows won’t slow you down, (unlike some of the 
> competition), and Vipre Security for Android is cheap enough to suit 
> anybody’s budget.
> 
> People tell me that Android users don’t need security protection. But the 
> evidence so far this year points to that conclusion being utterly wrong! No 
> operating system which talks to the Internet, no, not even OS Sierra, is 
> totally secure! There are always leak and holes, which is why producers of 
> software such as Apple and Microsoft are always having to fight the fight 
> against the cyber criminals.
> 
> That’s not a criticism of either Apple or Microsoft. Neither is it an 
> endorsement of same. It’s just plain strait forward fact!
> 
> Which ever option you choose, don’t be fooled into thinking that Microsoft’s 
> internal (free) solutions are all you need. Just do your research,  (it’s not 
> for me to do that for you) but the facts speak for themselves.
> 
> One of our list members has, or had, in his signature a sentence which read: 
> “Those who deserve help are those who help themselves”, or something similar. 
> I wouldn’t generally endorse that comment, but this is an exception. In this 
> specific instance, in my view at least, that comment is spot on correct.
> 
> I’ve seen the results of cyber crime this year for myself, on a PC which 
> belonged to a family member who wouldn’t take my advice and who just went 
> along with the word “Free”! Now, she’s involved in the process of recouping 
> just over £1100.0 from her bank. The money was taken directly from her 
> account because she didn’t think she needed protection over and beyond that 
> offered by the static firewall in her router. Subsequent to that theft, she 
> is now coming to me for advice and, what’s more, she’s taking it! Don’t allow 
> yourself to become another statistic added to that list.
> 
> Sorry for the waffle, but it’s your call!
> 
> 
> 
> My compliments and kindest regards
> Gordon Smith:
> mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>
> 
> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
> Mobile/SMS:
> +44 (0)7907 823971
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

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

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Vipre Security Products On Sale; Save 20%

[Dane Trethowan]

I’ve been using Vipre products for quite some time.
Their tech support - on the rare occasion that I’ve had to use it - has been 
outstanding.
Vipre Mobile Security for Android is at a price anyone can afford.
Having said all that however - if you don’t wish to purchase Vipre Anti Virus 
or Internet Security for your Windows PC - then the Microsoft alternative - as 
part of Windows 10 - may well do you.
I base this on the fact that - those users I know who use the Windows 10 
operating system along with its built-in security and protection tools - have 
not up until this time been infected by Malware of any kind and nor have they 
suffered for ransomware, any downtime due to any virus infection etc so that 
alone in my view speaks volumes and good on Microsoft for building security 
that seems to function well into their operating system.
Having said all that - and regardless of whether you choose to use a Third 
party security App or Microsoft’s built-in solution - security and safety of 
your computer does indeed begin with you.
Don’t just accept free offers that pop-up when you’re carrying out searches for 
software for example, don’t click on links in email messages unless you’re 
absolutely sure what they are, simple prevention measures will save you a lot 
of headaches in time.

> On 17 Oct. 2016, at 5:45 am, Gordon Smith  wrote:
> 
> Hello
> 
> In my humble opinion, this is a great offer! I just acquired it because I’ve 
> trusted Vipre for years, and the ratings when set against its competition 
> speak for themselves. They scored 100% in threat detection, and 0% false 
> positives. Cyber crime is on the up! And this time of year seems to be one of 
> the worst times for data and identity theft.
> 
> Christmas is coming, and of course, (although I personally am dreading it), 
> the cyber criminals just can’t wait! From now on in, people are Christmas 
> shopping, and obviously criminals make juicy promises which some people just 
> cannot resist.
> 
> Sadly, some people don’t bother to check the authenticity of their mail. 
> Inboxes get filled with juicy-sounding junk, and the criminals sit watching 
> and waiting for the gullible.
> 
> Anyway, Vipre Internet for Windows won’t slow you down, (unlike some of the 
> competition), and Vipre Security for Android is cheap enough to suit 
> anybody’s budget.
> 
> People tell me that Android users don’t need security protection. But the 
> evidence so far this year points to that conclusion being utterly wrong! No 
> operating system which talks to the Internet, no, not even OS Sierra, is 
> totally secure! There are always leak and holes, which is why producers of 
> software such as Apple and Microsoft are always having to fight the fight 
> against the cyber criminals.
> 
> That’s not a criticism of either Apple or Microsoft. Neither is it an 
> endorsement of same. It’s just plain strait forward fact!
> 
> Which ever option you choose, don’t be fooled into thinking that Microsoft’s 
> internal (free) solutions are all you need. Just do your research,  (it’s not 
> for me to do that for you) but the facts speak for themselves.
> 
> One of our list members has, or had, in his signature a sentence which read: 
> “Those who deserve help are those who help themselves”, or something similar. 
> I wouldn’t generally endorse that comment, but this is an exception. In this 
> specific instance, in my view at least, that comment is spot on correct.
> 
> I’ve seen the results of cyber crime this year for myself, on a PC which 
> belonged to a family member who wouldn’t take my advice and who just went 
> along with the word “Free”! Now, she’s involved in the process of recouping 
> just over £1100.0 from her bank. The money was taken directly from her 
> account because she didn’t think she needed protection over and beyond that 
> offered by the static firewall in her router. Subsequent to that theft, she 
> is now coming to me for advice and, what’s more, she’s taking it! Don’t allow 
> yourself to become another statistic added to that list.
> 
> Sorry for the waffle, but it’s your call!
> 
> 
> 
> My compliments and kindest regards
> Gordon Smith:
> mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>
> 
> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
> Mobile/SMS:
> +44 (0)7907 823971
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

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

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo

[Iaen Cordell]

the current/older echo has amazing hardware, pity it it was not supported in 
Australia.
yes the tips taken from this list did help me in setting it up [my thanks to 
Dane] but in this global age international support should be a given.
IC
  - Original Message - 
  From: Dane Trethowan 
  To: techno-chat@techno-chat.net 
  Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 5:25 AM
  Subject: Re: [Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo


  Hmm. will be interesting to see whether the new version is compatible with 
other countries outside the U.S.
  Perhaps I’ve miss-read something but the options described in what you’ve 
posted sound remarkably similar to what is available already.
  I myself have been meaning to order one - having set one up already I’m 
impressed by the performance and functionality - however there’s the Google 
Home coming and of course Apple TV will offer similar functionality however 
that will be limited to the Apple TV box itself and not a separate unit.


On 17 Oct. 2016, at 4:49 am, Gordon Smith  wrote:


Remember though, these options will apply to the old version. The new one 
does not hit the market until 28 October.





My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:



Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971









  On 16 Oct 2016, at 18:27, Chris Moore  wrote:


  I love mine, and with the help of wemo switches and ITaTT I have my 
lights automatically coming on at sunset  

  Sent from my iPhone

  On 16 Oct 2016, at 4:25 pm, Dane Trethowan  
wrote:


Hi!
I know someone who bought one and he's extremely happy with it though 
he had to do a little fiddling to have it work properly in Australia.
Even now the Echo still doesn't read phone numbers correctly - we have 
8 digit phone numbers whereas the U.S. have 7 digit phone numbers. -
Part of getting the Echo working correctly was to set it to a location 
with the same time zone as Australia, Guam was the obvious choice here.
Then the problem arose of getting the App from the IOS App store, the 
Echo App isn't available in Australia so a workaround had to be put into place.
I don't recall all of what had to be done now as it was some time ago - 
I actually posted all the steps required to techno-chat at the time - but now 
my friend can sign into his account on the web and control the echo from there 
- well most of it -.
As was written in the original mail, there are 3 different echos 
available right now and a review of each model was in Access World a couple of 
months ago, turns out the original echo is by far the best one to buy and - 
from the demos I've heard - I'd be pretty happy with that too.
Amazon does have competition from the Google Home device, the Google 
Home was demonstrated on the BBC Radio 4 Today show a month or so back, I 
actually heard the demo live, Google is to launch the Home soon.
If you'd rather get ahead of the Home and the Echo - and you have an 
Android phone - then you can either try the Google Allo App or - if you'd 
rather your Android device be shiny and new with all the features of Amazon 
Echo and Google Home Built-in - buy a Google Pixel smartphone.


On 15/10/2016 6:22 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:

  Hello everybody 


  I’ve been silently watching this one for about 5 months now, and 
tonight I placed an order for one. It isn’t just a speaker that you can listen 
from, it’s a “Listener” that you can talk too. You add all your commands 
verbally, and you can now have it do quite a wide range of tasks for you. It’s 
the first step along the way towards a “Smart” home; read on:


  Amazon's voice-activated smart home speaker is undeniably futuristic, 
but it's also practical and accessible. With a rapidly growing slate of 
features and integrations, it's easy to get excited about the Echo's potential.

  THE BAD The Echo's sound quality is uneven at times, with weak bass 
at high volumes. The growing list of "Skills" in the Alexa app could also 
benefit from better organisation.



  THE BOTTOM LINE More than a year after its debut, the Echo is smarter 
than ever, and one of the best connected home products money can currently buy.


a.. Autumn 2016 updateSince introducing the original Amazon Echo in 
November 2014, Amazon has continued to refresh and expand its lineup of 
hands-free, voice-enabled speakers. In April, the company introduced the Echo 
Dot, which is a smaller version of the Echo, and in September returned with an 
updated version of the Dot, simultaneously cutting its price almost in half to 
$50(US) or £50 (UK Sterling).



  This new Echo Dot, has a slightly sleeker design than the original, 
though it comes equipped with the same array of seven microphones and advanced 
noise-cancelling technolog

[Techno-Chat]: Vipre Security Products On Sale; Save 20%

[Gordon Smith]

Hello

In my humble opinion, this is a great offer! I just acquired it because I’ve 
trusted Vipre for years, and the ratings when set against its competition speak 
for themselves. They scored 100% in threat detection, and 0% false positives. 
Cyber crime is on the up! And this time of year seems to be one of the worst 
times for data and identity theft.

Christmas is coming, and of course, (although I personally am dreading it), the 
cyber criminals just can’t wait! From now on in, people are Christmas shopping, 
and obviously criminals make juicy promises which some people just cannot 
resist.

Sadly, some people don’t bother to check the authenticity of their mail. 
Inboxes get filled with juicy-sounding junk, and the criminals sit watching and 
waiting for the gullible.

Anyway, Vipre Internet for Windows won’t slow you down, (unlike some of the 
competition), and Vipre Security for Android is cheap enough to suit anybody’s 
budget.

People tell me that Android users don’t need security protection. But the 
evidence so far this year points to that conclusion being utterly wrong! No 
operating system which talks to the Internet, no, not even OS Sierra, is 
totally secure! There are always leak and holes, which is why producers of 
software such as Apple and Microsoft are always having to fight the fight 
against the cyber criminals.

That’s not a criticism of either Apple or Microsoft. Neither is it an 
endorsement of same. It’s just plain strait forward fact!

Which ever option you choose, don’t be fooled into thinking that Microsoft’s 
internal (free) solutions are all you need. Just do your research,  (it’s not 
for me to do that for you) but the facts speak for themselves.

One of our list members has, or had, in his signature a sentence which read: 
“Those who deserve help are those who help themselves”, or something similar. I 
wouldn’t generally endorse that comment, but this is an exception. In this 
specific instance, in my view at least, that comment is spot on correct.

I’ve seen the results of cyber crime this year for myself, on a PC which 
belonged to a family member who wouldn’t take my advice and who just went along 
with the word “Free”! Now, she’s involved in the process of recouping just over 
£1100.0 from her bank. The money was taken directly from her account because 
she didn’t think she needed protection over and beyond that offered by the 
static firewall in her router. Subsequent to that theft, she is now coming to 
me for advice and, what’s more, she’s taking it! Don’t allow yourself to become 
another statistic added to that list.

Sorry for the waffle, but it’s your call!



My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:
mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>

Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971







smime.p7s
Description: S/MIME cryptographic signature

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo

[Dane Trethowan]

Hmm. will be interesting to see whether the new version is compatible with 
other countries outside the U.S.
Perhaps I’ve miss-read something but the options described in what you’ve 
posted sound remarkably similar to what is available already.
I myself have been meaning to order one - having set one up already I’m 
impressed by the performance and functionality - however there’s the Google 
Home coming and of course Apple TV will offer similar functionality however 
that will be limited to the Apple TV box itself and not a separate unit.

> On 17 Oct. 2016, at 4:49 am, Gordon Smith  wrote:
> 
> Remember though, these options will apply to the old version. The new one 
> does not hit the market until 28 October.
> 
> 
> 
> My compliments and kindest regards
> Gordon Smith:
> mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>
> 
> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
> Mobile/SMS:
> +44 (0)7907 823971
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On 16 Oct 2016, at 18:27, Chris Moore > > wrote:
>> 
>> I love mine, and with the help of wemo switches and ITaTT I have my lights 
>> automatically coming on at sunset  
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On 16 Oct 2016, at 4:25 pm, Dane Trethowan > > wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi!
>>> I know someone who bought one and he's extremely happy with it though he 
>>> had to do a little fiddling to have it work properly in Australia.
>>> Even now the Echo still doesn't read phone numbers correctly - we have 8 
>>> digit phone numbers whereas the U.S. have 7 digit phone numbers. -
>>> Part of getting the Echo working correctly was to set it to a location with 
>>> the same time zone as Australia, Guam was the obvious choice here.
>>> Then the problem arose of getting the App from the IOS App store, the Echo 
>>> App isn't available in Australia so a workaround had to be put into place.
>>> I don't recall all of what had to be done now as it was some time ago - 
>>> I actually posted all the steps required to techno-chat at the time - but 
>>> now my friend can sign into his account on the web and control the echo 
>>> from there - well most of it -.
>>> As was written in the original mail, there are 3 different echos available 
>>> right now and a review of each model was in Access World a couple of months 
>>> ago, turns out the original echo is by far the best one to buy and - from 
>>> the demos I've heard - I'd be pretty happy with that too.
>>> Amazon does have competition from the Google Home device, the Google Home 
>>> was demonstrated on the BBC Radio 4 Today show a month or so back, I 
>>> actually heard the demo live, Google is to launch the Home soon.
>>> If you'd rather get ahead of the Home and the Echo - and you have an 
>>> Android phone - then you can either try the Google Allo App or - if you'd 
>>> rather your Android device be shiny and new with all the features of Amazon 
>>> Echo and Google Home Built-in - buy a Google Pixel smartphone.
>>> 
>>> On 15/10/2016 6:22 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:
 Hello everybody
 
 I’ve been silently watching this one for about 5 months now, and tonight I 
 placed an order for one. It isn’t just a speaker that you can listen from, 
 it’s a “Listener” that you can talk too. You add all your commands 
 verbally, and you can now have it do quite a wide range of tasks for you. 
 It’s the first step along the way towards a “Smart” home; read on:
 
 Amazon's voice-activated smart home speaker is undeniably futuristic, but 
 it's also practical and accessible. With a rapidly growing slate of 
 features and integrations, it's easy to get excited about the Echo's 
 potential.
 
 THE BAD The Echo's sound quality is uneven at times, with weak bass at 
 high volumes. The growing list of "Skills" in the Alexa app could also 
 benefit from better organisation.
 
 
 THE BOTTOM LINE More than a year after its debut, the Echo is smarter than 
 ever, and one of the best connected home products money can currently buy.
 
 
 Autumn 2016 update
 Since introducing the original Amazon Echo in November 2014, Amazon has 
 continued to refresh and expand its lineup of hands-free, voice-enabled 
 speakers. In April, the company introduced the Echo  
 Dot, which is a smaller 
 version of the Echo, and in September returned with an updated version of 
 the Dot, simultaneously cutting its price almost in half to $50(US) or £50 
 (UK Sterling).
 
 
 This new Echo Dot, has a slightly sleeker design than the original, though 
 it comes equipped with the same array of seven microphones and advanced 
 noise-cancelling technology. Amazon says that the new Dot features a more 
 powerful speech processor, which delivers improved far-field speech 
 recognition accuracy. It's curr

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo

[Gordon Smith]

Remember though, these options will apply to the old version. The new one does 
not hit the market until 28 October.



My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:
mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>

Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971





> On 16 Oct 2016, at 18:27, Chris Moore  wrote:
> 
> I love mine, and with the help of wemo switches and ITaTT I have my lights 
> automatically coming on at sunset  
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On 16 Oct 2016, at 4:25 pm, Dane Trethowan  > wrote:
> 
>> Hi!
>> I know someone who bought one and he's extremely happy with it though he had 
>> to do a little fiddling to have it work properly in Australia.
>> Even now the Echo still doesn't read phone numbers correctly - we have 8 
>> digit phone numbers whereas the U.S. have 7 digit phone numbers. -
>> Part of getting the Echo working correctly was to set it to a location with 
>> the same time zone as Australia, Guam was the obvious choice here.
>> Then the problem arose of getting the App from the IOS App store, the Echo 
>> App isn't available in Australia so a workaround had to be put into place.
>> I don't recall all of what had to be done now as it was some time ago - I 
>> actually posted all the steps required to techno-chat at the time - but now 
>> my friend can sign into his account on the web and control the echo from 
>> there - well most of it -.
>> As was written in the original mail, there are 3 different echos available 
>> right now and a review of each model was in Access World a couple of months 
>> ago, turns out the original echo is by far the best one to buy and - from 
>> the demos I've heard - I'd be pretty happy with that too.
>> Amazon does have competition from the Google Home device, the Google Home 
>> was demonstrated on the BBC Radio 4 Today show a month or so back, I 
>> actually heard the demo live, Google is to launch the Home soon.
>> If you'd rather get ahead of the Home and the Echo - and you have an Android 
>> phone - then you can either try the Google Allo App or - if you'd rather 
>> your Android device be shiny and new with all the features of Amazon Echo 
>> and Google Home Built-in - buy a Google Pixel smartphone.
>> 
>> On 15/10/2016 6:22 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:
>>> Hello everybody
>>> 
>>> I’ve been silently watching this one for about 5 months now, and tonight I 
>>> placed an order for one. It isn’t just a speaker that you can listen from, 
>>> it’s a “Listener” that you can talk too. You add all your commands 
>>> verbally, and you can now have it do quite a wide range of tasks for you. 
>>> It’s the first step along the way towards a “Smart” home; read on:
>>> 
>>> Amazon's voice-activated smart home speaker is undeniably futuristic, but 
>>> it's also practical and accessible. With a rapidly growing slate of 
>>> features and integrations, it's easy to get excited about the Echo's 
>>> potential.
>>> 
>>> THE BAD The Echo's sound quality is uneven at times, with weak bass at high 
>>> volumes. The growing list of "Skills" in the Alexa app could also benefit 
>>> from better organisation.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> THE BOTTOM LINE More than a year after its debut, the Echo is smarter than 
>>> ever, and one of the best connected home products money can currently buy.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Autumn 2016 update
>>> Since introducing the original Amazon Echo in November 2014, Amazon has 
>>> continued to refresh and expand its lineup of hands-free, voice-enabled 
>>> speakers. In April, the company introduced the Echo  
>>> Dot, which is a smaller 
>>> version of the Echo, and in September returned with an updated version of 
>>> the Dot, simultaneously cutting its price almost in half to $50(US) or £50 
>>> (UK Sterling).
>>> 
>>> 
>>> This new Echo Dot, has a slightly sleeker design than the original, though 
>>> it comes equipped with the same array of seven microphones and advanced 
>>> noise-cancelling technology. Amazon says that the new Dot features a more 
>>> powerful speech processor, which delivers improved far-field speech 
>>> recognition accuracy. It's currently available for preorder and will ship 
>>> on 28 October.
>>> 
>>> The original, more expensive Echo can fill a room with sound. The Dot 
>>> features much of the same functionality as the Echo, just with a less 
>>> powerful speaker and a line-out plug on the back. In April, also Amazon 
>>> introduced the $130.00 Echo Tap. Because it runs on a battery, you need to 
>>> hit a button to initiate interactions; it's less convenient than the 
>>> always-listening Echo and Dot, but it's also portable. And once you do push 
>>> the button, you can issue voice commands to Alexa, play music from your 
>>> phone or stream it over Wi-Fi, check the weather or news, and issue 
>>> commands to control your smart home.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I can’t wait! 

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo

[Chris Moore]

I love mine, and with the help of wemo switches and ITaTT I have my lights 
automatically coming on at sunset  

Sent from my iPhone

> On 16 Oct 2016, at 4:25 pm, Dane Trethowan  wrote:
> 
> Hi!
> I know someone who bought one and he's extremely happy with it though he had 
> to do a little fiddling to have it work properly in Australia.
> Even now the Echo still doesn't read phone numbers correctly - we have 8 
> digit phone numbers whereas the U.S. have 7 digit phone numbers. -
> Part of getting the Echo working correctly was to set it to a location with 
> the same time zone as Australia, Guam was the obvious choice here.
> Then the problem arose of getting the App from the IOS App store, the Echo 
> App isn't available in Australia so a workaround had to be put into place.
> I don't recall all of what had to be done now as it was some time ago - I 
> actually posted all the steps required to techno-chat at the time - but now 
> my friend can sign into his account on the web and control the echo from 
> there - well most of it -.
> As was written in the original mail, there are 3 different echos available 
> right now and a review of each model was in Access World a couple of months 
> ago, turns out the original echo is by far the best one to buy and - from the 
> demos I've heard - I'd be pretty happy with that too.
> Amazon does have competition from the Google Home device, the Google Home was 
> demonstrated on the BBC Radio 4 Today show a month or so back, I actually 
> heard the demo live, Google is to launch the Home soon.
> If you'd rather get ahead of the Home and the Echo - and you have an Android 
> phone - then you can either try the Google Allo App or - if you'd rather your 
> Android device be shiny and new with all the features of Amazon Echo and 
> Google Home Built-in - buy a Google Pixel smartphone.
> 
>> On 15/10/2016 6:22 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:
>> Hello everybody
>> 
>> I’ve been silently watching this one for about 5 months now, and tonight I 
>> placed an order for one. It isn’t just a speaker that you can listen from, 
>> it’s a “Listener” that you can talk too. You add all your commands verbally, 
>> and you can now have it do quite a wide range of tasks for you. It’s the 
>> first step along the way towards a “Smart” home; read on:
>> 
>> Amazon's voice-activated smart home speaker is undeniably futuristic, but 
>> it's also practical and accessible. With a rapidly growing slate of features 
>> and integrations, it's easy to get excited about the Echo's potential.
>> 
>> THE BAD The Echo's sound quality is uneven at times, with weak bass at high 
>> volumes. The growing list of "Skills" in the Alexa app could also benefit 
>> from better organisation.
>> 
>> 
>> THE BOTTOM LINE More than a year after its debut, the Echo is smarter than 
>> ever, and one of the best connected home products money can currently buy.
>> 
>> 
>> Autumn 2016 update
>> Since introducing the original Amazon Echo in November 2014, Amazon has 
>> continued to refresh and expand its lineup of hands-free, voice-enabled 
>> speakers. In April, the company introduced the Echo Dot, which is a smaller 
>> version of the Echo, and in September returned with an updated version of 
>> the Dot, simultaneously cutting its price almost in half to $50(US) or £50 
>> (UK Sterling).
>> 
>> 
>> This new Echo Dot, has a slightly sleeker design than the original, though 
>> it comes equipped with the same array of seven microphones and advanced 
>> noise-cancelling technology. Amazon says that the new Dot features a more 
>> powerful speech processor, which delivers improved far-field speech 
>> recognition accuracy. It's currently available for preorder and will ship on 
>> 28 October.
>> 
>> The original, more expensive Echo can fill a room with sound. The Dot 
>> features much of the same functionality as the Echo, just with a less 
>> powerful speaker and a line-out plug on the back. In April, also Amazon 
>> introduced the $130.00 Echo Tap. Because it runs on a battery, you need to 
>> hit a button to initiate interactions; it's less convenient than the 
>> always-listening Echo and Dot, but it's also portable. And once you do push 
>> the button, you can issue voice commands to Alexa, play music from your 
>> phone or stream it over Wi-Fi, check the weather or news, and issue commands 
>> to control your smart home.
>> 
>> 
>> I can’t wait! I’ve ordered the full Echo, so if there’s interest I shall 
>> produce an extensive audio demonstration to show it off in all its glory.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> My compliments and kindest regards
>> Gordon Smith:
>> 
>> 
>> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
>> Mobile/SMS:
>> +44 (0)7907 823971
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo

[Dane Trethowan]

Hi!
I know someone who bought one and he's extremely happy with it though he 
had to do a little fiddling to have it work properly in Australia.
Even now the Echo still doesn't read phone numbers correctly - we have 8 
digit phone numbers whereas the U.S. have 7 digit phone numbers. -
Part of getting the Echo working correctly was to set it to a location 
with the same time zone as Australia, Guam was the obvious choice here.
Then the problem arose of getting the App from the IOS App store, the 
Echo App isn't available in Australia so a workaround had to be put into 
place.
I don't recall all of what had to be done now as it was some time ago - 
I actually posted all the steps required to techno-chat at the time - 
but now my friend can sign into his account on the web and control the 
echo from there - well most of it -.
As was written in the original mail, there are 3 different echos 
available right now and a review of each model was in Access World a 
couple of months ago, turns out the original echo is by far the best one 
to buy and - from the demos I've heard - I'd be pretty happy with that too.
Amazon does have competition from the Google Home device, the Google 
Home was demonstrated on the BBC Radio 4 Today show a month or so back, 
I actually heard the demo live, Google is to launch the Home soon.
If you'd rather get ahead of the Home and the Echo - and you have an 
Android phone - then you can either try the Google Allo App or - if 
you'd rather your Android device be shiny and new with all the features 
of Amazon Echo and Google Home Built-in - buy a Google Pixel smartphone.


On 15/10/2016 6:22 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:

Hello everybody

I’ve been silently watching this one for about 5 months now, and 
tonight I placed an order for one. It isn’t just a speaker that you 
can listen from, it’s a “Listener” that you can talk too. You add all 
your commands verbally, and you can now have it do quite a wide range 
of tasks for you. It’s the first step along the way towards a “Smart” 
home; read on:


Amazon's voice-activated smart home speaker is undeniably futuristic, 
but it's also practical and accessible. With a rapidly growing slate 
of features and integrations, it's easy to get excited about the 
Echo's potential.


*THE BAD* The Echo's sound quality is uneven at times, with weak bass 
at high volumes. The growing list of "Skills" in the Alexa app could 
also benefit from better organisation.



*THE BOTTOM LINE* More than a year after its debut, the Echo is 
smarter than ever, and one of the best connected home products money 
can currently buy.



 *
Autumn 2016 update

Since introducing the original Amazon Echo in November 2014, Amazon 
has continued to refresh and expand its lineup of hands-free, 
voice-enabled speakers. In April, the company introduced the Echo 
Dot, which is a 
smaller version of the Echo, and in September returned with an updated 
version of the Dot, simultaneously cutting its price almost in half to 
$50(US) or £50 (UK Sterling).



This new Echo Dot, has a slightly sleeker design than the original, 
though it comes equipped with the same array of seven microphones and 
advanced noise-cancelling technology. Amazon says that the new Dot 
features a more powerful speech processor, which delivers improved 
far-field speech recognition accuracy. It's currently available for 
preorder and will ship on 28 October.


The original, more expensive Echo can fill a room with sound. The Dot 
features much of the same functionality as the Echo, just with a less 
powerful speaker and a line-out plug on the back. In April, also 
Amazon introduced the $130.00 Echo Tap. Because it runs on a battery, 
you need to hit a button to initiate interactions; it's less 
convenient than the always-listening Echo and Dot, but it's also 
portable. And once you do push the button, you can issue voice 
commands to Alexa, play music from your phone or stream it over Wi-Fi, 
check the weather or news, and issue commands to control your smart home.



I can’t wait! I’ve ordered the full Echo, so if there’s interest I 
shall produce an extensive audio demonstration to show it off in all 
its glory.




My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:
mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>

Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971

Re: [Techno-Chat]: Victor Reader Stream Update

[Gordon Smith]

Actually mate, it’s the 6th.  I have 2 Samsung Galaxy phones, an iPhone, the 
Logitech SqueezeBox Boom, the Stream and the Blaze.  Own yes, and not to 
mention that Panasonic radio which I have never got working on the Internet, 
despite the fact that it will handle Internet radio.  Maybe one day.  But the 
Stream, especially with the customised playlist which my contact at HumanWare 
Europe sent me this afternoon, is now a very useable platform.  I suspect that 
the interface of the Blaze is probably better, I will get around to playing 
with that later on. But I’m certainly not complaining  Regarding the Samsung 
phones, I’ve never tried talking to that unit.  When over at Hartlepool where I 
used to work, my supposed support worker tried talking to it and she got more 
and more frustrated because it wouldn’t do what she was telling it to do.  I 
sat there with tongue in cheek because she wouldn’t listen to my advice not to 
shout at it and not to hold the microphone right up to her over-large mouth! 
But I haven’t tried talking to mine, and I’m not totally sure how you activate 
the interface actually, shame on me! I’m going to give it a whirl, assuming 
it’s something like SIRI on iOS where you just hold in the button for a couple 
of seconds and speak calmly and nicely to it. I’ve always found that I achieved 
best results on SIRI if I speak nicely to it. I frequently use speech on that 
interface to quickly make phone calls. I admit that sometimes I find that more 
beneficial than opening up my contact list and double-tapping on the person I 
want to call.  I’m sure that should work on the Samsung phones as well, I’ve 
simply never tried. I must address that gaping hole in my knowledge base.

I do know somebody over here who, quite a while ago now, believed that SIRI 
wouldn’t work for him. So, he decided one day to be a smart Aleck, and holding 
down the home button, he got the speech bubble, then said “Dial 9 9 9”. His 
phone obediently dialled the emergency services number and before he knew what 
had happened he got a message back saying “Which service do you require?” 
Thinking it was his phone talking to him rather than a real person, he 
responded “Police”. As you can imagine, he got a rather nasty shock when he 
found himself actually speaking to the police switchboard service. His mobile 
number was, of course, logged at the police station and traced. He received an 
official portion for playing games with the emergency services. That is 
absolutely true, so now he seems to have a lot more respect for SIRI – I wonder 
why!



My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:
mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>

Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971





> On 14 Oct 2016, at 17:58, Dane Trethowan  wrote:
> 
> That's the second portable Internet radio unit you have  - or perhaps the 
> third - let truth be told.
> 
> Not only do you have your Blaze ET but you also have the Samsung Galaxy 
> phone, command it to "Listen To BBC Radio 4" and see what happens .
> 
> Happy Listening whatever and however you're listening.
> 
> 
> 
> On 15/10/2016 3:14 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:
>> Hello everybody
>> 
>> I posted a couple of days ago regarding the Victor Reader Stream and the 
>> Blaze ET.  I’m very pleased to be able to report now that my Victor Reader 
>> Stream (2013 Generation) has decided that it does like my network after all, 
>> and it has now gone online and downloaded a major update to its firmware. 
>> I’m delighted to say that the V4.7.2 update has reinstated the working links 
>> to the BBC’s radio services and, as such, they are all working again.  That 
>> is, for me at least, a pretty major plus point. I’ve been looking for a 
>> portable radio solution that gives me Internet radio services for quite some 
>> time, and now, I have one sitting on the arm of my chair.
>> 
>> One thing I like about the Victor Reader Stream is its Internet playlist 
>> support. Tell it which country you want to listen too, and you get a menu 
>> full of stations from that country.  I think, from memory, the International 
>> playlist is actually all grouped into one, which could  be better. But at 
>> least it works.
>> 
>> Incidentally, I have also been researching the Victor Reader Stratus, to see 
>> what the differences are between it and the Stream.  It appears that the 
>> Stratus is a far less portable version of the Stream.  It contains a CD 
>> drive, SD card slot, USB port, I think that is a fun size port. But it does 
>> not handle miscellaneous audio  books, has no Audible support and is far 
>> less flexible about text and other files.
>> 
>> Given this information, I see absolutely no advantage in the Stratus. I 
>> don’t see anything that it will do better than either the Stream or the 
>> Blaze ET.  So as far as I’m concerned, I have the right models to suit me.
>> 
>> ===

[Techno-Chat]: Amazon Echo

[Gordon Smith]

Hello everybody

I’ve been silently watching this one for about 5 months now, and tonight I 
placed an order for one. It isn’t just a speaker that you can listen from, it’s 
a “Listener” that you can talk too. You add all your commands verbally, and you 
can now have it do quite a wide range of tasks for you. It’s the first step 
along the way towards a “Smart” home; read on:

Amazon's voice-activated smart home speaker is undeniably futuristic, but it's 
also practical and accessible. With a rapidly growing slate of features and 
integrations, it's easy to get excited about the Echo's potential.

THE BAD The Echo's sound quality is uneven at times, with weak bass at high 
volumes. The growing list of "Skills" in the Alexa app could also benefit from 
better organisation.


THE BOTTOM LINE More than a year after its debut, the Echo is smarter than 
ever, and one of the best connected home products money can currently buy.


Autumn 2016 update
Since introducing the original Amazon Echo in November 2014, Amazon has 
continued to refresh and expand its lineup of hands-free, voice-enabled 
speakers. In April, the company introduced the Echo  
Dot, which is a smaller version 
of the Echo, and in September returned with an updated version of the Dot, 
simultaneously cutting its price almost in half to $50(US) or £50 (UK Sterling).


This new Echo Dot, has a slightly sleeker design than the original, though it 
comes equipped with the same array of seven microphones and advanced 
noise-cancelling technology. Amazon says that the new Dot features a more 
powerful speech processor, which delivers improved far-field speech recognition 
accuracy. It's currently available for preorder and will ship on 28 October.

The original, more expensive Echo can fill a room with sound. The Dot features 
much of the same functionality as the Echo, just with a less powerful speaker 
and a line-out plug on the back. In April, also Amazon introduced the $130.00 
Echo Tap. Because it runs on a battery, you need to hit a button to initiate 
interactions; it's less convenient than the always-listening Echo and Dot, but 
it's also portable. And once you do push the button, you can issue voice 
commands to Alexa, play music from your phone or stream it over Wi-Fi, check 
the weather or news, and issue commands to control your smart home.


I can’t wait! I’ve ordered the full Echo, so if there’s interest I shall 
produce an extensive audio demonstration to show it off in all its glory.



My compliments and kindest regards
Gordon Smith:
mailto:gor...@mac-access.net>>

Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.
Mobile/SMS:
+44 (0)7907 823971







smime.p7s
Description: S/MIME cryptographic signature

[Techno-Chat]: A message for Gordon, I suspect

[Roger Firman]

X-SpamDetect-Info: - Start ASpam results ---
X-SpamDetect-Info: This message may be spam. This message BODY has been altered 
to show you the spam information 
X-SpamDetect: **: 6.0 sd=6.0 Close nspam=3 nok=17 0.15  
0.90(X-LangGuess:English) $0.90(spf2_failed) 0.20(dnswl_low) 
0.20(X-Phrase:clean) 0.70(X-myrbl:unknown) Sane2 6.0
X-SpamDetect-Info: - End ASpam results -

Dear Gordon,

Regarding broadcasting of radio over the internet, I have a memory of your
mentioning some software you thought was particularly useful, was it Icecast
and Shoutcast? I also was wondering whether you have a piece of software
linking either of the programs just mentioned, or can you use one or the
other to undertake both live broadcasting and automated broadcasts?

Do you have any suggestions for how best to deal with the issue of how many
concurrent listeners can tune in?

Kind regards,

Roger.