Previously Asked Questions and Answers
Q I'm an avid but amateur computer user running Macs (iPhone, iPad and iMac). I'm looking for some straightforward & safe software to enable me to connect to my pal's Macs to help him when he gets stuck. I've looked at Jump Desktop ... seems terribly technical. Any ideas? Regards Mike
By the way, I'm based in the Scottish Borders a member of EBU3A (East Berwick U3A) and to my knowledge there are no Computer Groups in the adjoining U3A areas.
Fred Hi Mike You can setup remote with the mac without extra software. Details of how to do this are on the Apple Support Site.
Q I have just bought a new 'Smart TV' and discovered that it doesn't have any scart sockets on the back. My DVD played is rather old, and it used to be connected to my old TV by a scart lead. So my new TV has hdmi sockets but no scart connector whereas my DVD played has scart sockets but no hdmi connectors! I don't want to get rid of my old DVD player/recorder as it was working perfectly well with my old TV. What should I do?
Fred You just need a scart to hdmi converter - it's a small black box which you can buy on ebay for example for less than £10. You then connect the Converter to your DVD player using the scart lead, and connect the other end of the converter to your new TV using one of the more modern hdmi leads.
Q I would like to spend some time during lockdown converting my old home movies from their old VHS tapes to a dvd disc which can be played on my DVD player. How do I go about this?
Fred Firstly, you need to get hold of a vhs to digital converter. For example, the "Easy VHS to DVD3 Plus" is available for about £50 from Roxio.com, although other makes are available. You simply connect your old VHS video player to one side of the Converter and connect the other side of the Converter to your computer. You then just play the tape - if you have 3 hours worth of video on the tape, you have to leave it playing for the full 3 hours. The converter will convert all your home movies to a digital format, which will be saved into a folder on your computer. You can then use the Roxio program (or similar) to edit the digital files, add titles, make an index etc. If you then burn the digital files onto a dvd, you should be able to play that on your dvd player.
Q Following our recent 'lockdown', I am now unable to visit my family. They suggest that we use something called 'FaceTime' to keep in touch, but I don't know anything about it. Is it easy to use and how do I get it on my computer?
Fred: Unfortunately facetime is only available on apple devices, it doesn't work on android or windows. So, if you have an Apple device such as an iphone or ipad it can be downloaded from the apple store.
For windows a good option is Skype which can be downloaded from the website www.skype.com, or you can get the app from the windows store .
Skype can also be used on android and phones. Skype will have to be on the all devices at both ends but it does work well.