Accident outside 59 Parker St, Lower Templestowe

Almost 1000 properties, including the Templestowe Hotel, lost electricity for four hours after a car ran into a power pole.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

DANIEL Popovic wins Australian PGA.

DANIEL Popovic started the Australian PGA as the longest of long shots.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Daniel Popovic surges to lead at Coolum

Young gun Daniel Popovic surges to lead at Coolum after Day One... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

John Vincent is putting away his tools after nine years as Milgate Primary School's maintenance man

Little John, as he is affectionately nicknamed to distinguish him from former vice principal Big John, has been a popular handyman at the Doncaster East school for about nine years.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Internet Explorer 10 - The preferred Australian English spelling now available

I’m pretty excited to announce I’m now making available the preferred Australian English spelling file for Internet Explorer 10 running on Windows 8.

Internet Explorer 10 has Australian English spellchecking built in, but like Microsoft’s Office products, the spellchecker accepts thousands of secondary spelling variations such as words with “ize”, American spelt words such as “mom” and some errors. The preferred Australian English spelling file corrects these issues.

If written communication matters to you the preferred Australian English spelling file is a must have. If you’re a student, applying for jobs, or write reports or sales material, the preferred Australian English spelling file is a must have.

You can find the preferred Australian English spelling file for Internet Explorer 10 at www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
The creator of the preferred Australian English spelling dictionary.

New site for The Preferred Australian English spellcheck dictionary

Recently Google changed their algorithm which significantly impacted the position of the Australian English spellcheck dictionary in the Google search results. From number one position to nowhere to be found. In essence traffic to the site dropped 80% overnight. This should be a warning for anyone who puts a lot of time and money into obtaining a position in Google. All your time, energy and money could be wasted overnight by decisions Google makes in terms of generating traffic to your site.

The preferred Australian English spellcheck dictionary is the only free service available to Australians to assist them with using the preferred Australian English spelling. Over a thousand people a week used the site and Google simply changed their algorithm making the page almost impossible to find. The original page will remain (www.justlocal.com.au/clients/oooau), but in addition, you can now find the main page at www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au.

 

The site www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au will become the main site for my dictionary work.

 

You can still find the main page if searching (“Australian Dictionary”) using Bing, where the site is positioned in first position and in Yahoo where the site is positioned second. My apologies for any inconvenience. What Google does is outside of my control.

I hope you find my work to be of assistance.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au   

Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro upgrade is not a straight forward upgrade for all Windows 7 editions.

I decided to buy the Windows 8 Pro upgrade from the Microsoft Online Store this morning. I have an older development machine I’d like to install Windows 8 Pro on. The machine is currently running the trial version of Windows 8 Enterprise Edition which expires after three months. I opened my notebook and went to download. From the first screens presented on the Microsoft Online Store I couldn’t just buy and download Windows 8 Pro and then burn it to a disk. The screens take me through the steps of checking my machine and at this point I decided I’d rather go to Officeworks and buy Windows 8 Pro on special for around $9 more. I’m hoping the special also includes the DVD so I don’t have to spend the time downloading and burning a DVD.

The problem I find with downloading programs is things can and do go wrong. When I support people I take into account people have a range of skills. If things go wrong for me, then they’ll go wrong for others and really, I want people to have the best experience they can, given what technology often puts us through. On a number of occasions when I’ve assisted people who have downloaded their software, they don’t have a copy of their software to reinstall when there is a major problem. This means to fix the problem they have had to buy the software again. In other situations people have lost their product key, or the product key is in their emails on their computer which is no longer working. People should have a copy of their software and their product key stored separately to minimise the chance of having to incur additional costs and delays.

One big surprise for me was the following statement on the Microsoft Online Store.

“If your PC is running Windows 7 Home Basic or Home Premium, your files, programs and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8. If your PC is running Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, Windows XP or Windows Vista, you will need to reinstall your programs. Some features such as touch may require a new PC. To check compatibility, visit your PC manufacturer’s website and check out www.windows.com/upgrade to run the Upgrade Assistant to check for compatibility and get more details on system requirements.”

To me an upgrade is you insert the disk, run the program, the upgrade occurs and you continue working. This is generally relatively easy for anyone who is comfortable working with technology. Having to reinstall all your programs is much more time consuming. You never know if you’ve got all the disks, the licence numbers and even if some of the programs such as drivers will even work. Reinstalling your software can often wipe existing data for some applications and that is pretty scary if you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve often reinstalled Windows and then spent hours downloading and updating drivers for sound cards, video cards and other devices in the computer. An upgrade to a new version of Windows can mean some of your peripheral devices don’t work and may never be able to be used again with your upgraded computer.

What surprised me and I didn’t know, even though I’ve spent numerous hours researching, installed Windows 8 Release Preview, installed Windows 8 Enterprise Edition, and attended a Microsoft day-long seminar, that the upgrade will only work easily with Windows 7 Home Basic or Home Premium. I mostly now support micro and small business clients (as well as home users) and for business I’d always recommend the Pro version of Windows. People buying Home editions would often bring a computer into a large business or government environment wanting to use their computer for work, but couldn’t because it couldn’t connect to their network at work. There were also other features missing in the Home edition. Thus it was safer to purchase the Pro edition of Windows.

Now every one of those computer running the pro edition of Windows 7, will now effectively have to do what is nearly a complete reinstall of their computer. That is a very costly exercise if you are using an IT consultant to upgrade your computers. I wouldn’t upgrade a machine without first doing a review of the machine, determining what programs and data the user has on their machine, performing a backup of their hard disk, and then installing the new operating system, reinstalling all their applications, bringing across their data and then fixing any issues that have been created, such as drivers for hardware or peripherals not working. This could easily be a $300-$500 (or more) cost per machine. I personally find it hard to justify putting that amount of money into an older machine.

Windows 8 is not a simple upgrade anymore and it is now an upgrade you need to think seriously about. If you have to pay $300-$500 to upgrade an older machine, that sum of money could easily go a long way towards the cost of purchasing a new machine. With a new machine at least you know the machine has been designed to run the new operating system. You don’t have to try to fix things that didn’t work in the upgrade. Because your data is still on your old machine you can take your time to migrate your data and applications. I often leave the old decommissioned machine with the client for two weeks just in case something they hadn’t realised the was something on their old machine they needed to be migrated and now doesn’t work on their new machine. Then after that period the old machine can be cleaned and reused in another part of the business.

As an extra tip I don’t generally buy the Office software licence with the machine as that software can only be used with that machine. I purchase the more expensive stand-alone version of the Office. That enables me to use the software on two machines (a desktop and a notebook) and to transfer the software to a new machine. (I’ll need to recheck the licence to see if this still applies.) I’ve had clients who have had their computers stolen. The insurance companies won’t pay for the software and the software is only licensed for the machine that was stolen. The client can’t use the software on the new replacement machine and are thus out of pocket hundreds of dollars. I’ve also confirmed this with Microsoft.

Until today I didn’t realise that only the Home editions of Windows 7 will be a relatively straight forward upgrade exercise. That means for me, the majority of machines could potentially be equivalent to a reinstall and that is a much more time consuming and thus expensive exercise. Many of those who purchased a machine recently running Windows 7 with a $14.99 upgrade to Windows 8, will probably now be regretting they didn’t just wait and buy a new computer and save themselves the time and energy required to upgrade. I’ve recommended that my clients defer purchasing machines until after Windows 8 ships. Retailers who just wanted the sale would have been pushing out machines and not advising clients of the time and effort to upgrade. Consultants who have advised clients to purchase a Windows 7 machine and then to later update may get some agro from their clients. Some consultants would have done this knowingly to obtain additional support work and others would not have known the upgrade wouldn’t be a simple upgrade.

I’m posting this article to all my blogs including my Online Connections blog (www.blog.onlineconnections.com.au) and also each of the JustLocal postcode blogs I maintain, to ensure people I support now know if they are thinking of upgrading to Windows 8, there is more work involved than previously anticipated.

If you’d like to be kept informed with technology related news, most news is posted to my Online Connections blog (www.blog.onlineconnections.com.au). For clients I also provide the MyAnswers solution database where I post problems and solutions I find when working with clients. This enables me to share solutions between clients reducing the costs overall for all clients. You can keep updated on new solutions on the MyAnswers site (www.MyAnswers.biz)  by looking at the Recent solutions posted. I expect to post quite a number of issues and solutions relating to Windows 8.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham, Templestowe Lower, Lower Plenty, Doncaster East, Montmorency, Bulleen, Warrandyte and Research with no travel or call-out fee. For suburbs outside this area travel time is chargeable.
 

Windows 8 release date in Australia is today. Windows 8 Pro upgrade available now.

Windows 8 Pro upgrade is now available for download from Microsoft’s Online Store for $39.99. There are a number of things you should keep in mind.

1. Whilst at $39.99 the Windows 8 Pro upgrade is a bargain compared to previous upgrades, if you have an ageing computer think about whether it is best to save the money and put it towards a new computer, or to install Windows 8 Pro to keep your existing computer going and use the latest version of Windows.

2. Keep in mind Windows 8 is very different from what you are used to. At first this will be frustrating for most, but as with all past changes, once you get used to it, it won’t really matter.

3. Around 10% of older computers I’d estimate won’t be able to be upgraded. I estimate there will be over 100 million computers currently being used worldwide which won’t handle the upgrade. Check Microsoft’s refund policy, or the policy of the store where you purchase the software. The system requirements stated on the Microsoft web site do not take into account many computers which exceed the minimum requirement cannot install the Windows 8 upgrade. This is based on testing the Windows 8 Preview Release and I don’t believe this has changed.

The Microsoft Online Store provides a link to the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which you can use to test if your computer can install Windows 8. I’d recommend running the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant before purchasing the Window 8 Pro upgrade. On the netbook computer I use (it is around three years old) 11 issues were found and one was quite serious.

4. Keep in mind only upgrading from Windows 7 is what we’d normally consider a real upgrade. Windows Vista and Windows 8 will require reinstallation of your applications and isn’t an upgrade to me. My concern here is people running the upgrade on a Vistra or Windows XP machine will end up with a machine where there programs won’t run if they don’t understand how the upgrade works. I’d suggest Windows XP and Windows Vista users consider the upgrade to be like a fresh install. If you had to do a new install of your computer what do you need to save first.

5. You should perform a backup of your data (including programs you may have download and any settings your programs may store) before you perform any upgrade to your computer.  

I’m suggesting to my clients they should purchase the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro even if they don’t install the upgrade right now. Until January 31^st 2013 you’ll be able to buy Windows 8 Pro via download for $39.99. After that date the price will most likely revert to the very expensive upgrade prices of past, which means it may no longer be worth upgrading an older machine. This of course may change and Microsoft may decide to keep the upgrade prices at a reasonable level, but I wouldn’t count on it. Based on what I’ve read the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro on DVD could cost as much as $290. To me it doesn’t make sense to pay that much money to upgrade an older machine when that money could go to a new and faster machine.

You can buy Windows 8 Pro upgrade from a retailer, or save some money and download the upgrade from the Microsoft Online Store. The upgrade from a retailer will cost around $20-$30 more. I’m not sure at the moment, but I suspect the retail version may include a DVD. You should check if the DVD is included in the purchase from a retailer.

As I find issues with Windows 8 I’ll add the issues and solutions to MyAnswers for clients. I’ve already identified and documented a shortcoming of Windows 8 Mail which largely stops me from using Windows 8 Mail and may stop others.

Most importantly, do run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant first to make sure upgrading your computer won’t cause you any grief. Well, no more grief than normal.

If you forget where you can download the Windows 8 upgrade, the Microsoft Online Store is available on the main page of JustLocal (www.JustLocal.com.au). JustLocal is an advertising service I’ve created to help local businesses advertise cost effectively.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

NOTE: The link to the Microsoft store above is an affiliate link. Purchasing using this link means I receive a commission but does not affect the price you pay.

Brooke Cairns is hoping to raise enough money to pay for her horse, Ace's, cancer treatment

Mrs Cairns, a single mum of two, who lost her own horse to illness earlier this year, said the support of the community had been wonderful, and she was proud of Brooke.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Women warned over sex pest

WOMEN are being urged to travel in pairs at night and carry a phone in their hand as police continue to investigate a spate of sexual assaults across Manningham, Whitehorse and Boroondara.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Google search Australia and Google advertising has now been removed from JustLocal.

Recently Google updated their search algorithm which resulted in my dictionary page going from the number one position in Google when people search for “Australian dictionary” to nowhere to be seen. That means around a thousand people each week using my free Australian English dictionary service will no longer find a free Australian English dictionary service. If Google can do that to me so easily, they can do it to any business.

I’ve also noticed that between 25% and up to possibly 40% of searches coming to my site have no search term, which means people are logged onto a Google service and whatever they search for is being tracked to them individually.

These actions concern me. I don’t want to encourage people to put time and effort into creating a presence in Google search results when any time, effort, or money they outlay, could easily end up being wiped away so easily. I’m also very concerned about the privacy of Australians. Over 90% of Australians use Google for searching with 25-40% of those having their search activity tracked to them individually. I’ve read this information can be handed to law enforcement agencies without a court order. How this information is being used by others is not known to us and for me that is a concern.

Whilst I can’t stop using all Google services, I’ve decided at this point to remove Google advertising from my site and the Google custom search engine.

JustLocal has been designed to provide single click access to businesses in an area. Something which is very difficult and time consuming with a search engine. For example, a very popular fish and chip shop called Shark Tank Seafood opened a few months ago in Templestowe. My blog entries appear in Google’s search results, but the page with the menu at http://www.justlocal.com.au/clients/shark-tank-seafood-templestowe/ cannot be found. If you visit www.JustLocal.com.au/3106 (the page for Templestowe), you can access the Shark Tank Seafood menu with a single click.

JustLocal offers single click access to local businesses. Google offers endless searches with no guarantee of finding what you want.

By continuing to include Google’s custom search in JustLocal, people will continue to unproductively search for local businesses often being presented with large overseas businesses, or business not in the area with deep pockets to advertise. Once people realise there is a better way to find a local business using JustLocal, JustLocal will grow to service locals better. Shark Tank Seafood receives over a hundred views of their menu a month as a result of JustLocal’s efforts to promote them. That’s a lot of potential business.

 

Thank you for your continued support and I trust JustLocal assists local businesses and residents.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
Help to build a stronger local community through stronger local businesses.

Templestowe Heights Preschool director Geraldine Hill

Templestowe Heights Preschool director Geraldine Hill said although she had to restrict three-year-old hours, "we are all working ... to ensure that our four-year-old program is of the highest quality ... ". ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Will the government automatically refund red-light camera fines and demerit points they weren't entitled to?

Eight red-light cameras have now been shown to have an incorrect timing for the amber light causing thousands of motorists to be fined and lose demerit points.

The cynic in me wonders whether the government will show integrity and refund the money and points they weren’t entitled to. If the government requires people to lodge some form of request they know full well there will be a large number of people who won’t be bothered and many who simply won’t even realise. A way to gain revenue I do not consider to be ethical or appropriate.

For those who were fined at the red-light camera on the intersection of Doncaster Road, Manningham Road and Tram Road I’ve posted videos of the traffic lights as they were when people were fined when the amber timing was set to 3 seconds, and after they’ve been corrected which shows the amber light at 4.5 seconds.

Manningham Road, Doncaster Road, Tram Road Red-Light Camera. Amber Traffic Light set at 3 seconds

Manningham Road, Doncaster Road, Tram Road Red-Light Camera. Amber Traffic Light set at 4.5 seconds

The first picture is taken 0.5 seconds after the light turns red which would indicate anyone with a fine of up to 2 seconds may be entitled to a refund.

The details of the red-light cameras which were not set to AustRoads guidelines are the following:

Terminal Drive & Centre Road, Melbourne Airport
AustRoads guidelines: 3.5 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 16 Nov 10 - 24 Jan 12

Doncaster Road and Williamsons Road/Tram Road, Doncaster
AustRoads guidelines: 4.5 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 5 Oct 11 - 7 Aug 12

Fyans Street & Moorabool Street, South Geelong
AustRoads guidelines: 4.0 secs
Actual time: 3.5 secs
Incorrect amber period: 11 May 10 - 24 Aug 12

High Street & Mahoneys Road/Keon Parade, Thomastown
AustRoads guidelines: 4.5 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 20 Oct 11 - 26 Sep 12

Warrigal Road & Centre Road, Bentleigh East
AustRoads guidelines: 4.0 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 1 Aug 10 - 16 Aug 12

Heatherton Road & Gladstone Road, Dandenong North
AustRoads guidelines: 4.0 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 29 Dec 04 - 16 Aug 12

Foster Street and McCrae Street, Dandenong
AustRoads guidelines: 4.0 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 18 Oct 10 - 16 Aug 12

Stud Road & High Street, Wantirna
AustRoads guidelines: 4.5 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect amber period: 28 Dec 06 - 23 Aug 12

Whilst I haven’t confirmed (as I was not able to get through on the Fines Victoria telephone line) you should review your fine with regards to the time difference and keep in mind the first picture is taken at 0.5 seconds after the light turns red. Thus I suspect you should be able to add the 0.5 seconds to the time difference between the AustRoads guidelines and the Actual time.

In an ideal world the money and points should be automatically refunded. Being far from an ideal world it would be prudent to lodge a submission for a refund of the money and points.

There is still no guarantee the government will be refunding anything, just that the situation will be reviewed.

My own experience at the Manningham Road/Doncaster Road intersection is that during the time whilst the amber light timing was incorrectly set it created a very dangerous situation for drivers. Whilst approaching the lights at normal speed, well below the 70kph speed limit, the amber light changed so quickly you have to brake much harder than normal which could easily cause a car behind to crash into the rear of a vehicle. I believe the intersection should also be reviewed for crashes which may have occurred as a result of the amber light timing being incorrectly set.

Please let others know about the situation at the intersections mentioned above. The number of people who have been incorrectly fined could easily be in the tens of thousands and may be someone you know. They may not have even mentioned being fined as many people are embarrassed by being fined. In this case they could have easily been fined for something which was not their fault, but the fault of VicRoads, if VicRoads is in charge of setting the timing for the amber light.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Doncaster Road and Williamsons Road/Tram Road red-light camera

“The Government has asked Victoria's Road Safety Camera Commissioner, His Honour Judge Gordon Lewis, to broaden his investigation into the issue of amber light timing at red-light camera intersections after a VicRoads review identified seven additional sites that were found to be inconsistent with the Austroads guidelines.” – State Government Victoria Fines site.

Doncaster Road and Williamsons Road/Tram Road
AustRoads guidelines: 4.5 secs
Actual time: 3.0 secs
Incorrect Amber period: 5 Oct 11 - 7 Aug 12

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Bus stop relocation for routes 305, 318, 905, 906, 907 and 908.

On the Smartbus 905 I noticed a bulletin which read the following:

"Bus stop relocation for routes 305, 318, 905, 906, 907 and 908. Effective Tuesday 25th September 2012 until further notice.

Due to construction works, the city terminus for bus routes 305, 318, 905, 906, 907 and 908 will be relocated east of Lonsdale Street, near the corner of King Street."

Allow extra time for the walk to the station and a brolly for Melbourne's often unpredictable weather.



Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

A PLAN to hand control of almost a third of Melbourne's bus routes to one company

Public Transport Victoria will appoint a single operator next year to run 30 per cent of the city's bus network - including the four heavily used Doncaster rapid-bus routes and three growing orbital routes that ring the middle and outer suburbs.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Attacker approached a 48-year-old woman at 6.35pm as she walked along Kanooka Avenue, Lower Templestowe

On Friday, August 3, the attacker approached a 48-year-old woman at 6.35pm as she walked along Kanooka Avenue, Lower Templestowe. Detective Sergeant Phyland said the woman was attacked from behind and forced to the ground.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Five pedestrians including crossing supervisor hit in Manningham

POLICE are urging motorists to look out for pedestrians after five people, including a crossing supervisor, were hit in Manningham during the past week.... Read More

I’ve often felt shopping centre car parks are accidents waiting to happen. On one occasion I checked all around the vehicle and then started to reverse when a person came out from behind another car and walked past the back of my car. Often all it would take is for a  number of walkways to be placed in car parks for pedestrians. For example in The Pines in the underground parking area there is one walkway. There needs to be more. Ultimately it is the driver that needs to be more careful, but small children walking behind the many four wheel drives in the area is a real concern. Outdoor tables and seats going all the way up to cars forces people to walk behind cars and again creating a situation  where accidents can happen.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Frightening attacks on women in Melbourne's east

In each case the offender approached the women from behind and pulled them to the ground before indecently assaulting them in Lower Templestowe, Templestowe, Doncaster and Box Hill. In one case he placed a woman in a headlock before dragging her to the ground.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

LOWER Templestowe's $1.6 million Ajani Centre has finally been unveiled.

Works on the original Thompsons Rd building began in May 2011 with an extensive redesign to include a Scout hall, sports pavillion and community hall. Disability service Onemda also has its own building.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Push to sell Lower Templestowe pocket park (23A Marcus St, Lower Templestowe) defeated

A MOVE to sell a pocket park to fund upgrades to Ruffey Lake Park and Reischiecks Reserve was resoundingly defeated by Manningham councillors last night.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Doncaster railway line 'could be built for $840m'

A RAILWAY line to Doncaster could be built for $840 million and paid for using taxes raised from the higher property values it would generate, says a report.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Halls for Hire to cost more in Manningham

I recently read an article indicating Manningham council will make hiring security mandatory when hiring a hall.

Manningham Council chief executive Lydia Wilson said the council had liaised with Doncaster police to change the policies of its Party Safe program to make hiring security mandatory on council-owned property.

If you’re considering hiring a council owned hall for your next event you should enquire about, or at least make an allowance for hiring security.

When I checked the Manningham site for the halls they hire I noticed it didn’t cover the community owned facilities where functions are regularly held and young people attend.

It is a pity there are gate crashers in the area and my own experience verifies young people turning up to a party uninvited.

When looking at hiring a council owned hall compared to having a function at commercial premises make sure you take into account costs such as security as council owned halls. Commercial premises I’ve checked out make no mention of security and often already have security in place.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require computer support.
Providing support in Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and surrounding areas.

Directories clogging up Google search results for Australians

Often I find the results provided by Google search are next to useless. If you search all pages you end up getting many directories and large sites from overseas. The actual sites of the business I’m looking for is unlikely to appear. If you reduce the search to pages from Australia it is better, but then the results of overwhelmed by directories of review sites. I find others feel the same way.

To make it easier for Australians for find local businesses I’ve decided to add a Search feature to JustLocal. JustLocal doesn’t require people to search. The aim is for people to have single-click access to businesses in an area. However, I appreciate it will take some time until the goal of JustLocal is realised. In the meantime, people will still search to find sites on the internet, but the Search feature on JustLocal now makes it easier for Australians to find local businesses.

First the Search is limited to only find results from pages on sites which use Australian domains. That removes large overseas companies dominating the results. Next I’ve identified and filtered out dozens of directories and review sites.

Now if I search for “Doncaster East Pizza” I get a good list of the sites in the area and that is the result I want.

Give the Search feature of JustLocal a go and let me know what you think. If you find a directory or review site in the search results I’ve missed, let me know and I’ll add the site to the exclude list.

Kelvin Eldridge
http://www.justlocal.com.au/
Helping the local community prosper by strengthening local business.

Simon Palomares will perform at Caffe Macchiato

COMEDIAN Simon Palomares considers himself part of the bridge generation - in his words, where your parents hit senility and your kids hit adolescence at the same time.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

St Mark's Anglican Church's new vicar, the Reverend Michael Goodluck

THE happiness of parishioners at St Mark's Anglican Church can be put down to good luck - the Reverend Michael Goodluck.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

HELEN Jurcevic

HELEN Jurcevic has lost count of the number of friends she has made since forming the Women’s Friendship Group five years ago.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Current positions at Manningham Council

Finding local jobs can be difficult. I noticed the following page on the Manningham Council site for current positions with the council.

www.manningham.vic.gov.au/work/home_employment/home_current_positions.html

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require computer support.

Edna Hastie, 104, is a popular resident at Templestowe Pioneers Village

TEMPLESTOWE Pioneers Village resident Edna Hastie takes her position at the end of the “bowling green” carpet seriously.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Templestowe Heights Primary School teacher Amy Icke, with Elin and her friends Lily and Angie

HER small fingers tightly clasping her mother’s hand, Elin Vouloumanos was nervous when she returned to school last week, and understandably so. ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Doncaster Rail Study: Options divide community

I often think about the prospect of rail to Doncaster and often for me it doesn’t seem to make sense. One argument is we are the only municipality without a heavy rail line. Does that really matter? We have a line to Eltham to the North and a line to Box Hill to the South. I’m sure there are other areas around Melbourne that need to travel further to their rail line in a municipality that has one.

Where is the parking? Parking at existing stations is inadequate so are we to expect parking at new stations will magically be any better. Certainly paid parking at Shoppingtown would kill parking in that area for train travel and free parking would create a conflict with paid parking at Shoppingtown.

Interestingly I thought the comment was probably the best aspect of the article. The commenter suggested a light rail (tram) from Doncaster to Box Hill. That made me think about the Balwyn tram line and how it finishes in the middle of nowhere. On a Sunday to get from the end of the tram line to Shoppingtown can take hours between buses. That simply doesn’t make sense. That isn’t a public transport system that people will use.

Why not extend the Balwyn line to Shoppingtown and then to Box Hill to create a loop.

For me the missing element of public transport is a bus from The Pines in Doncaster East along Foote Street, Templestowe Road to Heidelberg Station. As it is now the delays caused by multiple buses means it isn’t a timely way to travel yet it would knock of a considerable amount of time having to go to Eltham first.

The biggest bottleneck is the bridge joining Bulleen and Heidelberg. If the Greensborough ring road was extended to East Link much of the traffic would be removed from that area making it much better for public transport. As it is now, buses are delayed with the heavy traffic.

What is really missing is for politicians to use public transport. If they did we’d have the best system in the world. As it is they make decisions on public transport they wouldn’t even use themselves. Force politicians to use public transport and we’d get some real world decisions being made.

Ultimately however JustLocal is about getting people to think about doing more locally. Do we really need a heavy rail system? If we put the same amount of thought and funding to create local jobs the need for heavy rail systems to the area and for much of the car traffic is reduced. Remember according to council figures only 15% of people regularly use public transport which means 85% don’t use public transport.

Next time you’re thinking about buying a product service think about buying local. Make sure you don’t get tricked by businesses outside the area with bigger advertising budgets. Use a local business. Buy locally if you can. Build a stronger local community and we’ll reduce our impact on the environment, save time and resources and heavy rail just won’t seem so important.

MANNINGHAM residents have failed to back any one of the three rail options proposed by the Doncaster Rail Study.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Teen and father hurt as youth mob punches on at Doncaster McDonald's

Doncaster police have called for information relating to a scuffle outside Doncaster McDonald’s involving about 15 youths. ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Donvale Calisthenics Club has moved to a new home at the Ted Ajani Centre

Growing membership has forced the 40-year-old club to move from its Wesley Hall base to the roomier Ted Ajani Centre in Lower Templestowe.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

David Cursio, Michelle Serret-Cursio, Sebastian, 1, and Anthony

Michelle Serret-Cursio impressed audiences and judges on reality TV singing competition The Voice during her blind audition last week.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Nurse and cancer survivor Nicole Willis is doing a charity ride to raise money for cancer research

LOWER TEMPLESTOWE nurse Nicole Willis is planning to cycle 200km to raise money for cancer research despite not riding a bike since she was 10.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Upgrading Templestowe College's science facilities

But after promising to spend $5 million on upgrading Templestowe College’s science facilities, the government will provide only half that amount by the end of the next financial year.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Broken Telstra pit

Barry says there's a broken pit lid on the corner of Waratah and Glenair streets, in Templestowe Lower and that it's been broken since December... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Vet Kevin Foster is offering free diabetes checks for Manningham pets

A LOWER Templestowe vet clinic is pushing for increased public awareness of pet diabetes.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Red light camera on corner of Williamsons Road and Doncaster Road, money spinner for the government and a warning to locals

The following article shows just how much money the government is raising from the red light cameras in the area, and in particular the red light cameras at Shoppingtown.

A NEW red light and speed camera outside Westfield Shoppingtown in Doncaster has generated $1.27 million in fines in three months - more than $14,000 a day.... Read More

I’d like to share a warning for drivers who are turning right from Williamsons Road in front of Shoppingtown, into Doncaster Road. When turning right most people will move with the flow of traffic, but what happens if the car in front of you stops in the middle of the intersection for no reason. You are then trapped behind the car. You’ve entered the intersection whilst the light was green. Whilst we are always watching for poor driving behaviour of others and take appropriate care, if is very difficult to plan for the incompetence and stupidity of other drivers. Once the car decides to move what do you do. Move ahead and clear the intersection, or sit slightly in the intersection.

What most people don’t realise are the sensors aren’t before the line cars stop at, but they are after the line. Hence if you’ve moved off and you need to stop because of the driver in front stops, your rear wheels may be on or before the sensors. If you move your car the traffic camera will go off and snap two pictures of you. If you don’t move your car you may slightly annoy others and be placed in a dangerous situation, but will the cameras go off? A very difficult choice.

A person I know who lives out of the area was faced with exactly this choice. Their rear wheels on or before the sensor and blocked whilst the turning light remained green, waiting for the driver who obviously didn’t know what they were doing. Another driver to the left of the stopped car also stopped in the intersection because of the and unpredictable behaviour of the driver. No one knew what the car was going to do. Was it trying to move across multiple lanes whilst in the intersection so it could go down Elgar Road? No one knew. The car did move off after the lights changed and went into the bus lane heading west along Doncaster Road.

The person I knew was not speeding at all. Entered into the intersection as we all would whilst the turn arrow was green.

The result was three demerits points and the easiest $305 dollars the government has ever made.

In hindsight, had the person I know simply sat in the intersection and not moved they may not have set off the sensors and not incurred a fine. I consider that would have been potentially more dangerous and not appropriate.

I wonder how many people now focus on the traffic lights rather than watching the surrounding traffic. If you don’t watch the lights very closely now, with the government so eager to raise money through fines, you can easily be out of pocket $305 and be on your way to losing your licence through what most people would not consider their fault.

The government is always talking about the research they perform, but I wonder what the research is, on how much fines should be. At what point does a fine become a disincentive to people to stop speeding? Above that it is just revenue raising. A local business person once said to me they have no problem with fines. Whilst they’re fining others they’re not putting their taxes up. Whilst true, I don’t consider excessive fines for revenue generation to be fair on the general public.

A question I have is: how many people are getting fined whilst turning right from Williamsons Road into Doncaster Road in similar situations?

In the article the first three lanes caught 2,958 drivers and the other three lanes only caught 1,322. Are the first three lanes including the two right turn lanes? These are usually people who are moving at low speed with the right turn arrow. Not the so called speedsters Acting Sgt Mark Wickman keeps an eye out for on the intersection of Williamsons and Doncaster roads as stated in the picture in the article.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

PS. It should be noted a request for reconsideration was lodged but denied by the driver.

Computers solutions in the MyAnswers database now available for purchase at a price you decide.

I like trying new approaches and enjoy seeing how people like or don’t like the approach. There is no right or wrong way to do things, just better ways. I always learn something when I try something new.

The MyAnswers database is a database of my notes on problems I’ve solved for clients and the solution to the problem. I use the solutions frequently myself and for assisting my clients. This saves myself and clients a lot of time and given time is money, that means a financial saving for clients.

I created the MyAnswers database so clients could request solutions to problems and use the DIY approach. If people can solve their own problems with a little assistance then why not. Clients can request solutions they are interested in from that MyAnswers database. If the solution doesn’t help them there is nothing to pay. If the solution solves their problem, I now let clients decide for themselves how much they wish to pay.

Check out the solutions at MyAnswers. There are a large range of solutions covering many aspects of IT, and some areas of interest to me. Because of my nature I often investigate things which interest me that aren’t IT related and I’m happy to share what I learn from those investigations as well.

You can find MyAnswers at www.MyAnswers.biz.  Please note the solutions are only available to clients. It is only because of the support of clients that the bills are paid each month. I hope and trust clients take advantage of the MyAnswers service to help them solve their problems themselves and in doing so, increase their knowledge, have some fun and at the same time, save some money.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au

 

Google now tracking potentially 10-25% of Australians on the internet

The other day I was checking the statistics for a page on my site. I’m able to see what people searched for in Google and thus why they came to my site. I find this to be useful information. But lately I’ve noticed for the keyword a value of “(not provided)” started to appear, and more recently, on some pages this had become a considerable portion of the traffic.

I decided to investigate. Initially I didn’t know what may be causing the keywords used from not being provided. A bit of research indicated That recently Google decided to stop passing on keywords for searches on their overseas sites and more recently that was implement in Australia.

Knowing how and why people get to your site is quite important information and can assist you to make better decisions and where to direct your efforts. But if Google hides this information in effect, all you really know is they came from Google but you don’t know why.

Now what started to concern me even more, if what I read is correct, is the keyword is not provided if people are logged onto a Google service. The concern here for me, is Google is now able to identify and log an individual’s activity on the internet without them being really aware and I’m inadvertently assisting Google by using their services.

For example, most people will accept that if they perform a search that Google knows about the search. What may not cross their mind is, if they are logged onto a Google service, the searches can be associated and tracked to them. From what I see people don’t even realise they’re logged on to a Google service when they’re searching because they don’t make the connection with Google’s internet search and Google’s other services. I’d even suggest many people forget they are logged on. For example, many people use Gmail. They log on and then don’t log off so that when they open the Gmail site there are their emails ready for them to read. People at work are using the internet all day for work and during the day flip over to check their email.

In addition people are using other services such as YouTube and again remain logged on. Google have a range of services including their Android mobile phones, all potentially logging the activities of an individual without them realising it.

Even when you’re not thinking you’re using a Google service you may be. When you visit a site with advertising is that advertising provided by Google (as it is in many cases), are you being tracked. I’d guess you are. When you view a YouTube video, a Picassa photo, a page that has Google’s services embedded such as their analytics, are you being tracked? I’ve done searches on Google early in the day to visit a site later in the day, and found Google has remember what I searched for at the start of the day and provided ads later in the day based on the search I entered.

I was at a customer’s the other day and signed them up for hosting. When they went to a site with Google advertising that wasn’t related to hosting, there was a hosting ad in the middle of the page. Both the customer and myself was quite shocked to see the obvious tracking occurring, but had I not been there the customer would not have realised, as most people won’t realise.

The page that I originally noticed this keyword “not provided” message has today received 3,407 unique visitors. Of those 91.73% came from Australia and 12.24% produced keyword “not provided”, which from what I gather means they were logged onto a Google service at the time. In other words, 382 Australians were being individually tracked, or over a year that would be 4,000-5,000 people. That’s just from my site. What about the millions of other Australian sites.

Most of us don’t yet understand what is being done with our data or how it can, or even is affecting us. I don’t even know. As an example however, a while ago I searched for travel insurance and the usual ads appeared at the top of the page promoting super discounts and special offers. I decided to check them out. Most were around $700 or more for what I wanted. I then went and got a quote from the company I’ve previously used (I researched a number of companies a while ago) and ended up with insurance for around $450.

If Google knows what you’re doing and interested in, advertisers can use that to their advantage and present you with what looks like good offers, but in fact you end up paying more. The power of tracking you gives away your bargaining position. You’ve told the company already what you are interested in and since they know they have an interested buyer, you’ve lost your negotiating position and can easily pay more than you should or could. When you look at an advertisement in a newspaper they don’t know who you are and generally have to offer a much better proposal to you to get your interest.

The concern I have is Google is gathering too much information on us individually and not just as an anonymous pool of user statistics. How that information is used we aren’t fully made aware of. I’ll leave that to people’s creative imagination to come up with how they think their data could be being used both for good, and perhaps to their own disadvantage.

As an example I read about a leading GPS company overseas that uploaded data from people using the GPS unit. The authorities purchased the data and used the data to determine where people would speed and then they were able to book more people who were speeding. The people using the GPS units ended up potentially creating the situation where the fine they received only occurred because of the information they had themselves provided. Their own information from a service they were paying for had been used against them.

Whilst I can’t change the world, a change I will now make across the JustLocal site is to remove the Google Search facility. JustLocal has been designed to make it very easy to find a business in the local area. You don’t need to search. You just need to go to the postcode page and then click on the logo for the business you are interested in. Trying to find a local business in Google is often close to impossible. You’re more likely to get a list of directories than the business itself. JustLocal solves this problem by providing single click access to a local business advertising on JustLocal. In addition we don’t track what people do.

If you’re concerned about being tracked on the internet there are a couple of things you can do.

1. Make sure you log off any online service you are using when you finish. Don’t leave it logged on in the background.
2. Think about using Bing and Yahoo search as well as Google. If you split your searches evenly Google only sees a third of what you are doing.
3. Make sure you don’t have any toolbars from installed in your browser that may be tracking your searches.
4. Think about varying your use of browsers. Keep in mind Chrome is produced by Google and Firefox receives over 80% of their income as a result of searches using Google.
5. Install all three search engines in Internet Explorer. On my Fun With Search page (www.justlocal.com.au/clients/search-fun/) I provide links which enable you to easily install Yahoo, Bind and Google as search engines in Internet Explorer. You can then easily vary which search engine you use.
6. If you have an Android mobile phone or tablet it is very difficult not to use a Gmail account. It is possible. For a while I used the tablet without having any Google account. Only when I need to download an app would I re-enter the account and then delete it again after. You can use an email account that isn’t a Gmail account for your email. You can also log on to web based services from a Smartphone rather than use the built-in apps.

Right now over 90% of Australians search using Google. Giving a single company, no matter which company it is, access to all your online activities I don’t believe is the best idea.

As JustLocal grows and I have the resources available, I hope to remove the Google services I’m currently using and further reduce the ability for Google to track JustLocal users. This blog entry for example uses Google’s blogger. Sorry. I do this for business reasons and will be able to change once JustLocal’s momentum reaches a certain point. I look forward to that day.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Low cost web presence for small and micro businesses

I am often amazed at how much people pay just to have a web site. In fact I remember one company paying $500 dollars to have a domain registered. I asked the business owner what was his site address thinking this was quite a sum of money and would like to check out his site. He said he didn’t have a site, this was just the registration of the domain name.

It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to get your business started on the internet. With a small amount of knowledge it needn’t cost your anything, but I suggest spending an appropriate amount where the business has a single page site and the domain name reflects their business name or service. A one page site will enable the business to have an internet presence they are in control of, will enable their customers to find them on the internet and provide important contact and product or service information.

My approach is different to most web designers. As a computer consultant I charge for my time so my approach is to assist clients with my knowledge and empower them by setting them up so they are in control. Most web designers will set clients up using their facilities (most likely reselling larger companies services) and the designer retains control. I set clients up so they are the owner of the domain and in control of the hosting. Since most people don’t know how to create a web page I create the page for them, but they are free to use anyone, even a family member to create the page, or modify the page I create for them. The small business owner is not tied to me in any way.

The latest site I set up is Herding Dog Training (www.HerdingDogTraining.com). The cost or registering the domain was $12 for two years (discounted from $9 per year). I assisted the client to set up their hosting service which is where they’ll host their web page so the page can be found by others on the internet. I have a hosting company I suggest for reasons which provide future opportunities for the client, but the client is free to use their own preferred hosting company if they know one. The cost for hosting is around $10 a month which they pay directly to the company each month.

What I do is act as a facilitator. The time involved to register the domain and set up the hosting is around an hour.

Most people can’t create their own web page, so I’m happy to create the web page for their site. Once created however they are free to change it and update it if they wish to learn the skills, or know someone who already has the skills. The cost of creating the page can vary from one to two hours, but the approach I use is to have the client create a web page using a product they know such as Microsoft Word. There can be a lot of time involved in designing even a simple page, so if people design the layout themselves, that is a lot of time and thus money that can be saved. I then take the design they’ve created in Word and recreate the document as a web page. The software I use is reasonably priced commercial software and can be purchased by the client to maintain their own page if they want. Converting a page usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half.

An additional benefit to the client is the time from when they provide the material to the time the site goes live, which can be a matter of only days. One client provided their material on Tuesday morning, the web page was provided for review on Wednesday and changes were made. We organised a meeting for the Friday to set up the hosting (they already owned a domain), I then did the rest and they were live Friday afternoon. Their site appeared in Google in the first position when searching on their business name on Saturday night. I use some techniques which enables Google to quickly find sites and with some luck, usually provides the client with a very good position in Google. I say luck, but whilst the technique consistently works, I cannot control what Google may or may not do. As part of creating the page I also perform basic search engine optimisation (SEO) as part of the service, something others may charge hundreds of dollars for.

So in summary, if you’re thinking about a site to start your presence on the internet keep in mind it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can purchase an Australian domain for around $24 for two years and hosting for around $10 a month or less. If you don’t have the skills to set things up and don’t want to take the time to learn what you’d need to learn from the information provided on sites, a consultant like myself can assist you. I suggest to allow around an hour for registering the domain and setting up the hosting. If you need a page created and can create a document (most people are able to use Word to create a printed document they’d be happy to hand out to advertise their business) then you can have a web page created in one to two hours. You also don’t have to wait weeks or months as a site can be live within a matter of days. Keep in mind it also isn’t just about having a site. My approach often provides a strong presence on the internet, so make sure whoever you use can also give you a strong presence for your site to get you started without additional SEO costs.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Helping small and micro businesses get started on the internet.

Adele Highmore, a year 8 student, raised more than $4000 during the shave for a cure campaign

Two months later the year 8 Templestowe College student had organised for eight heads to be shaved, 100 cars washed and more than 200 sausages sold, raising $4298 for cancer research.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Templestowe Veterinary Clinc Manningham Road

Templestowe Veterinary Clinic has friendly felines - one tabby, one black and white, and one black and grey - to be picked up from the Manningham Rd clinic.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

SEVEN poker machine venues across Manningham face a hike in rates

Five of the affected venues – Doncaster Inn, Shopping Town Hotel, Cherry Hill Tavern and Manningham Club – are owned by the ALH Group, Australia’s largest poker machine operator with 13,000 machines. Templestowe Hotel, Yarra Valley Country Club and the Veneto Club are the others. ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

NBN Co rollout plan map now available covering the next three years

A while ago I booked into the NBN Co for a tour of their demo facilities. I was the only person who turned up for the tour so I was given special treatment. For me that meant the ability to ask all the questions I wanted to ask so I could assist my clients with respect to the NBN rollout.

For me it is about knowing whether or not NBN is about to be rolled out to a particular area and how that couple affect a client. For example if a client is about to invest in new equipment to connect to the internet, it is a good idea to know if that equipment will be obsolete within the next twelve months.

One thing that I found very interesting was the thickness of the actual fibre optic cable. The cable is about the thickness of a match. Most of us won’t ever see the actual cable as we’ll see it enclosed in a protective sheath such as when it comes into our properties.

When ADSL first arrived I found many people would plug directly into their ISP’s connection with little to no protection from the internet and could easily infect their computer. I standardised on an approach which would provide clients with a better level of protection and greater flexibility. The same thing can happen with initial users of NBN’s service so it is a good idea to make sure you get professional advice to ensure you’re adequately protected and have the flexibility you require for your home or business needs.

The NBN for some now is just around the corner. If you’re considering moving to a different ISP, or purchasing new equipment, now is a good time to pause and consider your options.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.

NBN Co rollout plan for Templestowe Lower (Lower Templestowe) 3107

NBN have now released maps for the rollout plan for the next three years.

According to the NBN site Templestowe Lower is not in the schedule for the next year. According to the NBN site the NBN rollout activity is:

Fibre | Work to commence within three years - we will commence work in your area from Sep 2014 in phases with last work scheduled to commence in Sep 2015*.

It is estimated that the average time from work beginning to NBN services being available is 12 months.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.

 

One page web sites for local businesses.

Over the years I’ve been amazed that local businesses often don’t have a presence as simple as a one page web site. I suspect the main reason is if they approach a web designer they’ll often be quote hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, when to get started it can cost much less.

To put this in context, all a small business generally requires is one new customer, or keep an existing customer from going elsewhere and their web presence can pay for itself.

Many times when I’ve wanted to buy take away for family or friends, the only menus we can find online are the big companies, yet most of the time we use the smaller local businesses for ourselves. I’ve done some testing over the years and small take-away businesses can get a reasonable amount of business by having their menu online. At worst they don’t lose potential business from good customers when the customers need to see a menu online.

To show local businesses the value of promoting themselves online I’ve now sponsored a number of local business to provide them with an online presence. They are the businesses I use so now they’ll gain my business when I need an online menu.

 

Flying Dragon Chinese Restaurant, Papa Loui's Pizza and Pasta, Bolton Fish Shop, Panic Pizza Doncaster East, Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips

If you own a small business and would like to have your menu online for your customers, but don’t want to pay a small fortune, then send me an email. The way I set up a small business is I create a one page site with their menu and then help them sign up for hosting and registering their domain, By getting the business to register domain and sign up for hosting they retain total control which is a strategy in business. Most web design businesses tie businesses in so if they want anything done, they have to go back to the designer to get expensive changes done. My approach is to have businesses use me if they want to, but because they have total control over their site, they can easily have someone else, including a family member or friend, look after their site. No lock in means businesses use my services because they want to, not because they have to.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Helping micro and small businesses with a cost effective online presence.

Woman tasered at ATM bank machine in Templestowe Lower mall

The woman's son, Bruce Watt, said she sensed someone was standing too close and was about to turn around and ask him to step back when she felt an electric shock.... Read More

Victoria Police News - The man is described as Caucasian, aged 25 -35 years, large build, 180cm tall and weighting approximately 90kgs, with light brown hair and unshaven. At the time of the incident the man was wearing a Khaki cap, a fluoro yellow and orange jumper and khaki work pants... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Comedian George Kapiniaris at his favourite local coffee haunt, Caffe Macchiato, where he will perform

Kapiniaris grew up in Doncaster after his parents, Greek migrants, moved to the area in 1974. He said he had drawn much of his material from Manningham.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

The Persian Fair, at Abbotsford Convent on Sunday, April 22

Organiser Jackie Jafari, of Lower Templestowe, said the day would be a chance for people to learn more about the ancient culture. ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Doncaster Pizza - Papa Loui's Pizza and Pasta

I decided recently to drop in to The Village on High Street and purchase a Pizza from Papa Loui’s. I ordered a capricciosa and said hold the anchovies. The pizza was very enjoyable. OK. I have to admit, I do like pizza and wasn’t disappointed.

Papa Loui’s is located on High Street in Doncaster. They’re well positioned for picking up a pizza on the way home to Doncaster, Templestowe or Templestowe Lower. Papa Loui’s prices are also very good.

You can now find Papa Loui’s menu on the JustLocal 3108 page. Call ahead when picking up pizza and save some time.

Bon appetit.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Peter Bovo Templestowe Lower

Speaking from his Lower Templestowe home, Bovo recalls a particularly memorable childhood incident that raised his mother’s ire. Briefly ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

How much electricity does a computer use and thus its cost to run?

When I reviewed the electricity usage of appliances around the house, one device which stood out in terms of electricity usage I must say I’d never really thought about.

I’d turn the computer on in the morning and leave it on all day. I work from home so for me having the computer on made sense. Often I’d even have a couple of computers on. The children even had their computers on as well. But the real surprise wasn’t when the computers we on, it was when they were off.

An off computer isn’t off. It is in standby and it keeps consuming power. The LCD screen looks off, but again it is in standby consuming more power than you’d think. Those additional devices such as the printer, the scanner, the external drive, all sitting there sipping away at the power and ready to immediately jump into action at your beck and call, even when you are asleep.

All those devices even when not used are in standby up to 24 hours a day in some cases (such as when you go away for the weekend) and all consuming power which is costing you real money.

Yet amazingly the answer is simple. When you power down your computer turn it off also at the switch on the wall. When you power off the devices at the wall you save power, you also prevent the situation of a brown out where the power drops and your computer ends up in an unknown state and doesn’t want to work and you also reduce the chance of a power spike taking out your computer during a storm.

Determining how much your computer is costing you when it is running and how much it is costing you when it is in standby is very easy. You can purchase a cheap power meter for under $30 and measure the power usage in watts. Then use the Electricity Cost Calculator I provide,  enter the power usage, the time the device is on, or the time it is in standby and the calculator will let you know the daily cost and the yearly cost. If you use your electricity retailers tariff you’ll get an even better idea.

I’d highly recommend that everyone should measure how much the devices in their home are using. We’ve reduced our daily electricity usage to around 6.5kWh down from around 12-14kWh per day. From what I’ve read the average power usage for a home is around 18kWh. We now save around $400 to $600 a year off our electricity bill and it all started with the purchase of a low cost power meter. We’ve added a couple of convenient foot switches and one remote control power switch (all quite low cost), some simple changes to how we turn devices off and the impact on our power bill has been significant. I know I prefer the $400-$600 in my pocket than the power company’s.

I wrote the Electricity Cost Calculator to help me when selecting high cost energy efficient lights compared to the lower cost normal lights. The calculator helped me make better purchasing decisions. I found the Electricity Cost Calculator was also very handy for working out the cost of appliances we had running in the home which helped me make informed cost saving decisions. I’d found the government and media would focus my attention on what they wanted (such as installing solar panels for their carbon certificate scheme) where I could achieve the same or better result with almost no cost.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 if your require computer assistance.
Covering Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Electricity tariffs increase in January has now been adjusted in the Energy Cost Calculator

In January the price for electricity from my retailer increased as it did for a lot of people. The biggest increase which people often don’t notice, was the Service to Property Charge which increased by a staggering 25%. For me that’s another $62 added to the bill which I can’t control. I can control my usage, but when the increase is added to the Service to Property Charge that has nothing to do with usage.

I’ve now updated the Energy Cost Calculator with the latest peak energy rate which is 22 cents per kilowatt hour. The Energy Cost Calculator allows you to determine how much your devices are using over a year and the cost. It really is amazing how just a few cents a day saved on a single device can add up to quite a bit over the year.

When comparing electricity prices don’t forget to compare the Service to Property Charge as well. The best approach is to take a couple of bills and do the calculation for each bill with each of the electricity retailers you are thinking of using. I’ve seen some retailers with quite high Service to Property charges, whilst their usage rate compares well or better than others, it was when the full calculation was done they were shown to be worse than a higher usage rate.

With basic changes to our families electricity usage we’ve move than halved our electricity bill and now use around 6.5kWh per day. By using a low cost power meter and the Energy Cost Calculator, I was able to determine which devices were using how much energy, the cost per year, and with some basic changes, we now make considerable ongoing savings.

You can check out the Energy Cost Calculator at http://www.justlocal.com.au/clients/energy-cost/.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Outlook Express French spell check (spelling check) fix for British and Australian users

If you’ve installed Microsoft Office 2007 or Microsoft Office 2010, then you’ll now find the spelling check in Outlook Express only offers French spelling as an option. The options of English (United Kingdom) and English (United States) are no longer available. The other situation is if you’ve set up or purchased a computer and never installed a Microsoft application such as Office or Works, then the Outlook Express spelling check will also not be available.

Both of these situations are easily fixed using a program I’ve written. The program provides American spelling and British spelling. Whilst British spelling is sufficient for Australian users, those who have access to an older version of Office 97 or Word 97, are also provided with instructions on how to obtain the Australian dictionary so they can have Australian English spelling.

You can find the program at http://www.justlocal.com.au/clients/oespellcheck/.

Kelvin Eldridge
http://www.onlineconnections.com.au/

Computer PC repair: Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham areas

Computer PC Repair: Covering Doncaster, Templestowe and Eltham area with no call-out fee or travel charge. Other areas covered with travel time charged so the closer you are to Templestowe the better.

If your computer is giving you grief and you need assistance give me a call on 0415 910 703. I’ll visit your home or business at a time convenient to you. If you live in, or your business is based in Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Lower Plenty, Montmorency, Eltham, Doncaster or Doncaster East, because you’re local, there is no call-out fee or travel time.

I’ve found a number of people who are stumped by a problem and have taken hours to try to fix the problem, but because I’ve seen the problem before I’ve been able to fix the problem very quickly at minimal cost. I don’t charge a minimum fee, a call-out fee or travel time for locals, so people only pay for the time to fix the problem. Where problems are tricky I’m also happy to set a fixed fee so people aren’t concerned about costs blowing out. I’ve seen one real estate agent have a virus removed for over $700, something which is 2-3 times more than you’d expect to pay. At that price you could purchase a new computer. You don’t want to experience that type of shock to your budget.

If you have a desktop computer, notebook or netbook computer which is giving you problems, give me a call. I offer a satisfaction guarantee which gives you peace of mind that you’ll get your computer fixed at a reasonable price.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 is you require assistance.

Search Australia search option added to JustLocal to search for Australian sites

One of the problems I have when I use Google is I either get a large list of directories and not the actual site I’m looking for, or I get large overseas sites making it near impossible to find the local site I’m interested in. Another issue is often I get government sites which effectively means the government is often competing against businesses using the money they raise from the businesses against them. Since the presence of government sites is reportedly given precedence in Google results, the business owner is again disadvantaged and their site difficult to find.

I decided to use Google’s custom search engine feature to help with this issue and added a Google Custom Search engine to the JustLocal pages. Because my desire is to help businesses flourish I’ve not included government sites at this stage, but instead sites registered using Australian domain names. Clients using domains other than an Australian domain are welcome to submit their domain for inclusion, but this may not be necessary because all clients are generally promoted on JustLocal or in the JustLocal blogs.

JustLocal isn’t a search engine, but a structured approach enabling people and businesses to find businesses in an area. By adding Google’s search engine, if people want to search, now they can.

Please enjoy,

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Brumby's Bakery Templestowe Lower Motivated Sellers seek offers above $120,000K

Established bakery located in busy suburban location neighbourhood shopping strip – Macedon Plaza Lower Templestowe – one of Melbourne’s most sought after areas.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips menu - Example of single page web site for a small business

Do you need a single page site up on the internet for your business to let your customers and potential customers know about your products, services and contact details?

 

I regularly order fish and chips from Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips when I visit family in Camberwell. The problem is I don’t really know what they have on their menu so generally just stick with the basics, even though they have quite a bit to offer. I asked Jenny the owner, for permission to put her menu on JustLocal so I could more easily check their menu next time, make it available to other family members and that also means it is available to her customers. I also felt it would be a good example for other small business owners to see what they could easily do to help promote their businesses.  You can find the Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips menu at www.justlocal.com.au/clients/middle-camberwell-fish-and-chips/.

The work involved in putting your business information onto the internet for others to find isn’t that large, if you approach it in the right way. If you’d like a relatively low cost presence to get your business started on the internet, give me a call on 0415 910 703 or send me an email at sales@onlineconnections.com.au.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au

 

Baillieu Government's Doncaster Rail Study

The alternatives have been put forward by the Baillieu Government's Doncaster Rail Study.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Manningham pokies levy jackpot

MANNINGHAM Council is expected to vote next month on increasing rates for five of the municipality’s eight pokies venues, where gamblers spent more than $65 million last year.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Apple iPad 3 Australian release date

The Apple iPad 3 has now been announced in the States. The new features are:

Higher resolution display

A5X chip with quad-core graphics

5 megapixel camera
1080p HD video
4G
Personal Hotspot for 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.

The operating system has been updated to iOS 5.1 and includes some new features.

 

The iPad 2 will be reduced in price.

The Apple iPad 3 will be available in Australia on Friday the 16^th of March, which is the same time as the United States.

 

This information is provided for those interested in the Apple iPad 3. This isn’t meant to be a recommendation. You should review the iPad 3 against your requirements as you would any computing device. I assist clients with their Apple devices including services such as connecting their Apple devices to their home or business networks, setting up email, and general support.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for assistance with your computers.
Servicing Templestowe/Doncaster/Eltham and the surrounding suburbs.

mcupdate.exe can not start. File mcupdate.exe is infected by W32/Blaster.worm. Please activate Internet Security to protect your computer.

A new client from Lower Plenty dropped off their computer on Friday which had a virus. The program, Internet Security, which warned the user,  was the actual virus. As I understand it, Internet Security is a scam designed to infect the computer and then trick the user into purchasing a solution.

If you end up with the program Internet Security on your computer, you have a virus and need to get the virus removed.

I’d suggest that people obtain a fixed price quote for removing a virus. My approach is to first neutralise the virus, install the anti-virus software I have confidence in (many anti-virus products from retailers or which come with the computer I’ve found aren’t as good), perform a quick scan to locate any additional viruses and then perform a full scan which can take a number of hours. In this case the computer was a netbook and a full scan took 4-5 hours. You don’t want to be charged for the total elapsed time, just the time involved in fixing the problem. A full scan can be run whilst other work is done so there isn’t a need for the time to be charged. If you have a business and call someone out to fix the problem, you’ll often be charged the full time as the person needs to be onsite for the full amount of time.  Because I work locally, I’ll often take the computer away for clients so as to minimise the time involved.

Some virus infections are very difficult to remove. I suggest to clients to set a limit to their cost of around an hour and a half. In this case it took less time so the charge was reduced appropriately.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you need assistance with your computer.
Servicing Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Doncaster, Doncaster East,
Montmorency, Lower Plenty, Eltham, Warrandyte and Bulleen

Templestowe Valley Primary School principal Graeme Renshaw

Templestowe Valley Primary School principal Graeme Renshaw (pictured) said he had manned the crossing himself on several occasions.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.