My PC and the Web
'Computing for seniors'
Seminar: ‘preparing for retirement’
European Parliament, European Commission
Luxembourg, JMO M6, 2009-Q2
http://www.aiace-luxembourg.eu
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My PC and the Web: overview
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A PC - what for?
Where to buy, where to go for help, which access provider?
Hardware
Software
The PC and other electronic equipment
Finding out more
Questions and answers
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My PC and the Web
> A PC - what for?
 Communication: messaging, chat, telephony, exchanging, sharing
 Accessing the Institutions' intranet sites
 Keeping up with current events: press, news, RSS feeds
 Getting information on ...
 Internet shopping and managing your finances
 Travel
 Learning
 Playing
 Your Health
 Practising a hobby…
e.g. digital photography
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My PC and the Web
> A PC - what for?
> Communicating: e-mail
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A programme (MS Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird for Win, Mail for Mac OSX)
One or more e-mail addresses as appropriate
Take care in setting up your e-mail address book
Avoiding ‘spam’ (unwanted emails)
Avoiding excessively large or numerous attachments
Sending several ‘zipped’ files ( Quickzip )
Subscribing to ‘newsletters’ or notifications (e-mail or RSS a video to explain)
Do not open attachments from unknown senders…
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Communicating: ‘chat’ – e.g. Google talk
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Communicating: ‘video chat’ – e.g. Google talk
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Communicating: telephone calls
http://www.skype.com
Internet telephony
with webcam or not
Tomorrow?
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Communicating: telephone calls
http://www.jajah.com
Internet telephony or
www.voipbuster.com
www.voip.com
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Communicating: exchanging, sharing
Exchanging views, voicing your opinion
 Forums ( e.g photography )
 Wikis ( e.g.
www.wikipedia.org…
 Blogs
(e.g. AIACE-Luxembourg, French language educational blogs, a blog on
information sciences, some blogs hosted by the ‘ Le Monde’ newspaper
Sharing
 Your photos (www.flickr.com)
 Your videos (www.youtube.com, www.myspace.com )
 Your bookmarks ( www.delicious.com)
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Your documents : ( docs.google.com, www.zoho.com , www.slideshare.net )
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for? > Overview of social media (1)
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for? > Overview of social media (2)
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for? > Web trend map (3)
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for? > Web trend map (4)
For a better view of this map, have a look on
http://www.flickr.com/photos/formforce/3409362834/sizes/o/
Source: Information Architects
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Communicating: your own personalised homepage for your browser
www.netvibes.com
Google,
Yahoo …
offer similar
possibilities
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Accessing the Institutions’ intranet sites
 European Parliament
 Commission: https://intracomm.ec.europa.eu
 Other EU institutions
See www.aiace-luxembourg.eu for practical advice
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Keeping up-to-date with current affairs: press, news, RSS feeds
 Press
 International press ( Courrier International )
 Newsletters, forums, blogs, surveys
 RSS feeds
 The Guardian, BBC, The Independant, The Economist
 International Herald Tribune
 Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération,
 Süddeutsche Zeitung
 IlSole-24Ore
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Keeping up-to-date with current affairs:
> e.g. news on Nepal
Google Alert FAQ ( english version )
Google Alert FAQ en français
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Keeping up-to-date with current affairs: a RSS feed
Google reader help
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Google Earth is a
free programme to
be downloaded to
your PC or Mac
My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Travel: Google Earth
Google Earth
and UK Met office,
global warming
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/index.html
For UK: ordnance survey
For France, see also the
site of the Institut
Géographique National
www.geoportail.fr
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Travel:www.geoportail.fr
For UK:
ordnance survey
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Travel: by air
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‘Low-cost’ airlines
Ryanair, Wizzair, Airberlin, and others in Europe
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Airports
In Luxembourg, Germany, France, the UK …
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Maps and hotel reservations
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www.maporama.com, www.viamichelin.com, maps.google.com
Formalities: e-Tickets
Useful addresses
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www.skyscanner.com
www.bravofly.fr, www.flylc.com, www.easyvoyage.com, www.sprice.com
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
>Your Health
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The Web as a location to exchange your health concerns ( USA Online
Health Search 2006 PEW ): Pros and cons
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Your Genome ? 23andMe , DecodeMe
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Websites
EN: Revolutionhealth , WebMD, Medlineplus (site gouvernemental)
FR: HAS, Doctissimo, eSanté, Medinet.be , Canadian-Health-network
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The seniors americans seniors and eHeath (an english survey)
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Day to day life and gerontology (rapport Ministère Santé en FR)
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Fondation Health on The Net HON@CODE as a quality label.
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My PC and the Web
>A PC – what for?
>Health care and technology
The Economist April 18 th 2009
A special report on health care and technology
http://www.economist.com/specialreports/
a free download supported by Philips
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Google Health
https://www.google.com/health/html/about/
Of course, you must have an account by Google
http://www.healthvault.com/ by Microsoft
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Finding information
> Using G Y M ?
 Google ( www.google.com )
 Yahoo ( www.yahoo.com )
 Microsoft (www.live.com )
 and other search engines
(a list of search bookmarks can be found on www.delicious.com , bookmark
sharing site )
Searches must be properly defined to find relevant hits …
The « Google guide » from Nancy Blachman: a must to use properly Google
Information evaluation ( Berkeley University )
Browsing the web with www.wikipedia.org as a starting point
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Internet shopping, managing your finances
On-line shopping:
 Is it safe? Bank cards and ‘https’
 The big players:
Amazon (books) ...
 Auctions: eBAY
 the long tail
Managing your finances:
 banking (on-line transfers and account statements etc.)
 on-line financial and economic information, stock-exchange etc.
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Learning … languages
 Honing your skills:
Multilingual language tests / vocabulary exercises in … ( Goethe Institut )
BBC learning english ( BBC )
www.elearning.lu ( Uni.Lu )
www.firdaous.com/Cours-d-arabe.htm ( arabe )
 Resources …
Language tools – Dictionaries (in FR)
Learning languages via the Internet (FR as a teaching medium)
BBC languages (EN as a teaching medium)
The Economist Style guide
Babylon (on-line translations whilst browsing the web)
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Games
 Games?
Happy Neuron:
Scientific research proves that to stay fit and at the top of our
game, our brains need exercise just like our bodies. Happy Neuron’s entertaining and
challenging games are fun AND scientifically developed to keep our brains fit. Based on
personal progress, Happy Neuron will also provide you new challenges. Track your
progress, challenge your friends, Play Smart!
 Crosswords, Sudoku: example
 Play with your kids
(and check they are doing)
http://www.e-enfance.org/
http://www.filtra.info
 Fitness: Wii Fit
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My PC and the Web
> A PC – what for?
> Practicing a hobby…
> for example: digital photography
 image software (Adobe Photoshop CS4 , Lightroom 2 range)
 transferring your photos to your PC (USB cable or, better still, card reader)
 filing your photos (Adobe Album PhotoShop Elements 7 to begin with)
 choosing which photos to keep and which to delete (most difficult of all)
 correcting the images (PhotoShop Elements 7 or Picasa 3 to begin with)
 sharing your photos (by e-mail and or publishing them on the Internet): an
example with ultralight planes
 printing your photos on photo paper (expansive to buy a printer), printing
an paper album concerning a given event
 saving your photos (formats, media) and what if disaster strikes
 training? Last but not least, an excellent address: www.ciel.lu
 Hi-spec equipment: CPU, RAM, graphic card, screen(s), graphics
tablet, memory card reader, printer (?), CD-DVD burner, external HD
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My PC and the Web
> What and where to buy
> how to connect to the Internet
> troubleshooting
What to buy?
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Portable or NetBook
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Desktop
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+ : price, modularity, evolution, demands (graphics, simulations, games)
- : size
Components
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+ : mobility (relative), small size
- : more expensive, performance, limited battery-life
Processor and cards, random access memory (RAM), screen, hard disk, CD-DVD
reader/burner, speakers, keyboard, mouse or touchpad, HD back-up
Printer (keep an eye on consumables)
Internet connection
Software
How to eliminate your old PC ? Save energy
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My PC and the Web
> What and where to buy
> how/where to connect to the Internet
> troubleshooting
Where to buy?
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Local store
By mail
Pay attention to after-sales service
Price vs service (the cheapest is not always best)
Price, an indication
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Desktops from 349€ ( ? ) or less for an NetBook
Portables from 499€ ( ? )
Software and peripherals
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My PC and the Web
> What and where to buy
> how to connect to the Internet
> troubleshooting
How to get an Internet connection?
Choosing an internet service provider (ISP) ?
 Life expectancy of ISP?
 Service? Home installation
 Speed? ADSL … watch out for location
 WiFi? (encryption to protect your line!)
 Troubleshooting
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My PC and the Web
> Hardware
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Keyboard, mouse, screen, speakers …
Electricity (mains or battery)
Central processing unit (CPU), cards …
Working memory (RAM)
Mass storage (hard disk - HD), external HD for backup
CD / DVD reader/burner
Printer and paper
Various local connections and to the outside world
… finding out more
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My PC and the Web
> A PC: how does it work?
Software on your PC … or elsewhere
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Operating System
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Microsoft XP and Vista, Apple OS X, Linux, ‘Web OS’
Applications (software)
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Drafting, calculating, presenting, communicating
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Communicating with the Internet: browsers and HTTP
MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Explorer) , OpenOffice-Firefox-Thunderbird, Google applications (via the Internet)
MS Explorer 7, Mozilla Firefox 2, Apple Safari, Opera
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possibly other software depending on your needs
Exchanging messages and files (SMTP)
MS Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird
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Viewing or playing images, sounds, videos …
Reading certain files
PDF, Flash, Java
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Protecting your PC (Karpinski Antivirus, Avast ),
Avoiding unwanted e-mails (spam)
Other software, free of charge or not, according to your needs
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My PC and the Web
> A PC: how does it work?
> Software … elsewhere (on the Web)
http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/
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My PC and the Web
> A PC: how does it work ... With you
>Ergonomy
Bad positions
Practical guide to work at screen and keyboard (OSHA-USA)
Guide pratique du travail à l’écran ( www.rh.inserm.fr )
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My PC and the Web
> A PC: how does it work?
> Internet service providers (ISP)
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Luxembourg
www.pt.lu/, www.tele2tango.lu/fr/private/tango/, www.coditel.lu/
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France
www.orange.fr , www.free.fr/ , www.neuf.fr
Example: ADSL 100% Neuf Box >>> high-speed Internet up to 20 Mb/s
Unlimited telephone calls
- to landlines in France and more than 30 other countries including Algeria
AssilaBox (see list)
- telephone subscription included without need to change number
High Definition Television
- 69 channels included (see list)
- integrated digital tv tuner
- optional (paying) access to over 150 channels
- digital video recorder with control over direct
- access to video on demand with more thatn 1000 titles available
Nine gigabytes (9 Gb) of partitionable on-line storage
WiFi ‘Neuf Box’ included
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My PC and the Web
> How does it work ?
>Internet Service Providers (ISP)
How many ISPs and
Internet players will ther
still be in 10 years’ time?
In the meantime >>>
Telecoms, ISPs
ISPs account for most consumer complaints in 2006
Difficult times for ISPs' set to continue. The DGCCRF, the DirectorateGeneral for Competition, Consumption and Repression of Frauds,
which is currently organising meetings with ISPs to check the quality
of their customer services, has just published its 2006 assessment of
complaints in the telecommunications sector. The conclusions could
not be clearer: with 17 322 complaint procedures, ISPs represent the
most criticized sector of activity.
In total , 29 704 complaint procedures were recorded, i.e. 4.1% less
than the previous year. Despite these rather optimistic results, the
DGCCRF notes that "the level of the consumers' dissatisfaction
remains high". Indeed, the complaints against Internet services now
account for 58,3% of all recorded procedures. Their number increased
by 17.4% in relation to 2005, where 14 755 complaints had been
lodged by private individuals.
The principal reasons for complaints relate to technical problems (29%
of the total), difficulties in cancelling services (22%) and problems
relating to invoicing (9.7%). Another complaint factor is that with the
generalisation of total local loop unbundling which enables the
subscriber to have a telephone line while freeing terminating the
subscription to France Telecom, technical problems which may affect
the proper functioning of the Internet may also affect the telephone
line.
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment
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Mobile phones, personal organisers (iPhone, PDAs)
iPOD (MP3 players)
GPS (global positioning system)
Digital cameras (stills and video)
Digital HDTV
Computer accessories (typically via a USB connection):
Printer (multifunction: scanner, fax), scanner, photo printer,
graphics tablet, external hard disk, USB memory stick,
memory card readers, Webcam, headset with microphone,
video projector , joystick, speakers…
Game consoles (Sony PSP and PS3 , Nitendo DSi and Wii, MS Xbox 360)
Networked PCs
Towards a local or external ‘media centre’
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment > Digital camera
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment > Video
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment > GPS
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment >Games
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment >Phones
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment >eBook reader
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment > Netbook
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My PC and the WEB
> PCs and other electronic equipment > iPOD and MP3 reader
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My PC and the Web
> Addresses to help understand the Web and its evolution
How big is the Web? The Hidden Web
A possible future of research? See the article on Freebase
The stakes in the international governance of the Internet: documents
Why a new Internet protocol (IPv6)
After ‘DNS’, ‘ONS’ towards an Internet of objects identified by ‘RFID’:
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My PC and the Web
> Questions and answers
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Want to know more?
Download the presentation and the links from www.AIACE-luxembourg.eu
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Any questions?
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Ask them today, or
Submit them in writing - on the same site (under
‘comments’) or by e-mail jraybaut@pt.lu
Thank you
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