Free TV/Movies online

Watch free TV and movies online

 

On-demand internet streaming is all the rage and while Netflix is the flavour of the moment, it’s handy to know that there are still a number of free online video streaming websites available. Each of the five major free-to-air television stations in Australia has its own website where you can catch up on your favourite TV shows and watch movies on your computer or device.

How to watch ABC iView

ABC iView is the ABC’s free online player. The television shows are streamed directly to your computer, so even though the service is free, it is a good idea to note that you are using your internet data. You can watch the most recent one or two episodes of currently airing shows, just in case you missed one. There are also hundreds of older shows in the archive, with full seasons available for you to enjoy at your leisure. You can watch the programs featured on the homepage, look for your program in an alphabetical list, or use the search box in the top of the page to find your program.

How to watch SBS on Demand

SBS on Demand gives you free access to SBS programs, movies and live events. You can stream the shows or movies to your computer – the only cost is to your download limit. There is also a large back catalogue of past programs, so you can browse through documentaries, foreign films and more. You can find your television program or watch a movie by clicking the icon that feature three horizontal lines at the top left of the screen. Once you have found a program you want to watch, click the arrow on the icon to begin playing.

How to watch Plus7

Channel 7’s catch up TV is hosted at the Plus 7 website. You can find new and popular shows on the homepage, or click the ‘Browse A–Z’ tab to find your show by name. If you click a show on the homepage the latest episode will start to play automatically. If you click on a show from the A–Z list then you will need to choose an episode from the list on the right hand side of the page. Once you click an episode, it will begin to play automatically.

How to watch 9Jumpin

You can watch Channel Nine catch up TV on the ninemsn website. The most recent shows and the shows which are about to expire will be available from the homepage. If you wish to look for a particular show, you can either browse the selection by using the ‘Find a Show’ search bar in the top right hand corner of the page. Once you have clicked on a show look through the list to find the episode you wish to watch. Then, click the arrow on the video and your program will play automatically.

How to watch Ten Play

Channel Ten hosts its catch up videos at the Ten Play website. You can browse the videos casually or, if you sign up for an account, you can save your favourite shows into playlists to make them easier to find next time. If you are simply browsing, you can find your show by name or genre. Once you have clicked on a show, click on the ‘Episodes’ tab. Next, click the tab number relating to the season you wish to watch. Scroll through the available episodes to find the one you wish to watch, and click ‘Watch Episode’. Your video will begin to play automatically.

 

 

Browser History

Hide your browser history

Did you know that your internet browser keeps a record of every website you visit? Read on to find out how to delete your browsing history for each browser you use and keep your online footprints to yourself.

Google Chrome

To view your history, open up the browser, then click either the ‘Wrench’ (appears as a small wrench) or ‘Menu’ button (appears as three small horizontal lines) in the top right hand corner, then click ‘History’. From here you can view and search all of your history and delete individual entries or by clicking the ‘Clear browsing data’ button, you can delete entries in bulk.

If you would like to browse the internet without recording a history, you can open an ‘Incognito Window’ by pressing ‘Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows’ or ‘Command + Shift + N’ on Mac.

Mozilla Firefox

To view your history, open up the browser and then click the ‘Menu’ button (appears as three small horizontal lines) at the top right hand corner, then click ‘History’. From here you can view and search all of your history. By clicking the ‘Clear Recent History’ button you can delete in bulk.

By clicking the ‘Menu’ button again you can click ‘New Private Window’ to open up a window which will not record any browsing history. 

Safari

On the desktop version of Safari: First, open up the browser and then click ‘History’ at the top menu bar. From here you can view your recent history and by clicking ‘Show History’ you can view more detail. To delete your history, click ‘History’ on the menu bar again and then click ‘Clear History and Website Data’.

On iPhone and iPad version of Safari: Open up the ‘Settings’ app on your device, scroll down until you see ‘Safari’ then tap it. Now scroll down until you see ‘Clear History and Website Data’, tap this icon and confirm that you would like to delete your history.

Internet Explorer or Edge

First, open up the browser, then click the star icon at the top right hand corner of the screen.

Now click the ‘History’ tab where you can view entries. By right clicking, you may delete individual entries.

To delete your history, click on the ‘Tools’ icon (shown as a gear, next to the star) and then select ‘Internet Options’ from the dropdown menu. On the ‘General’ tab, underneath the ‘Browsing history’ heading, select ‘Delete’. Now you can select the types of data you would like to delete. Click ‘Delete’ when you’re ready and your tracks have been covered.

 

 

August Apps

App of the month August

 

With these free apps you can turn the scraps in your pantry and fridge into a meal and use this online dating app to find the perfect match… for your dog.

Tindog

Popular mobile app Tinder has taken off by making online dating accessible and fun, and this new app has taken that same idea one step further (and more fun) by including dogs. Rather than looking for a match for yourself, you can look for a match for your dog (although the app does still support matchmaking for dog owners). Using the app is simple, you take a photo of your dog and you can then view details of other nearby dogs, and give them a heart or a cross. If your dog makes a match, a chat window opens up so you can talk to the other owner, and if things go well, maybe head to a local park and let your pooches play!

What do you think, will this take off or is it just a fun idea?

Available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. 

Supercook

Okay, it’s not technically an app, but the Supercook website has the popular functions of similar apps available – without the price. It’s also optimised for mobile so it’ll be easy to use on any smartphone or tablet. Supercook allows you to enter all the ingredients you have to hand. It will then crunch the data and look for recipes that use those ingredients. You can also choose to exclude ingredients if you have dietary restrictions or allergies.

Head over to Supercook.com and you’ll be met with a list of random ingredients, select the ones you have by selecting them on the screen, then tap the refresh icon to get a new list. You can also add specific ingredients by using the search function. You can highlight an ingredient by tapping it and recipes using that ingredient will be prioritised. Tap the three lines at the top right of the screen to swap over to the recipe panel and see what you can whip up with what you have on hand!

Supercook is available on any device with web access.

 

Bookmark

How to bookmark favourite websites

How often do you have to type in tricky addresses when you want to visit your favourite website? Bookmarking webpages means you can visit websites at the click of a button, instead of trying to remember its name each time.

Here’s how to add a website to your bookmarks in your preferred web browser.

Mozilla Firefox (Mac or PC)

1.      Navigate to the website

2.      Click on the ‘Bookmarks’ tab at the top left of the screen

3.      In the drop-down menu click ‘ Bookmark this page’

4.      From pop-up menu, you can change the name of the bookmark and select its location. Adding bookmarks to the toolbar,located just below the search bar, means they’ll be easily found next time.

 

Google Chrome (Mac or PC)

1.      Navigate to the website

2.      On the right of the search bar is the outline of a star

3.      Click on this star and it will turn yellow

4.      From pop-up menu, you can also change the name of the bookmark and select its location. Adding bookmarks to the toolbar, located just below the search bar, means they’ll be easily located for clicking.

 

Apple Safari (Mac)

1.      Navigate to the website

2.      Click on the ‘Bookmarks’ tab at the top of the screen

3.      In the dropdown menu, click ‘Add bookmark’

4.      From the pop-up menu, you can change the name of the bookmark and select its location. Adding bookmarks to the toolbar, located just below the search bar, means they’ll be easily found next time.

 

Internet Explorer (PC)

1.      Navigate to the website

2.      On the far right of the screen, at the top, is the outline of a star

3.      Click on this star and it will turn yellow

4.      In the dropdown menu, click ‘Add to favourites’

5.      From the pop-up menu, you can change the name of the bookmark and select its location. You can create and name folders to keep track of your bookmarks.

6.      To access the bookmark, click the star and then select the ‘Favourites’ tab

7.      Here you’ll find all your bookmarks and folders.

 

 

 

 

Board Game Apps

Five best board game apps

Playing games has changed a lot since we were kids, with many of our old favourites being converted to smartphone versions. We take a look at the five best nostalgic boardgame apps.

Yahtzee

Since its inception in 1956, there was no greater rush as a kid who played board games as rolling five dice and yelling out “Yahtzee!” Nowadays, you don’t need to throw dice to attain the thrill of scoring the elusive Yahtzee, as it has evolved into a colourful dice game available on your smartphone.

In the new version of Yahtzee, players roll coloured dice instead of numbered ones, and face off against colourful computer-animated characters. The smartphone version is visually appealing, with hyper-colour graphicsand players competing with one another in various multiplayer modes. Players can also earn special awards for scoring various dice combinations and other accomplishments, such as total points achieved. It may not have the tactile sensation of throwing dice, but it’s still a lot of fun.

Available on iPad, iPhone and Android

Boggle

The smartphone version of Boggle looks and plays much like its boardgame counterpart, and is as entertaining for the whole family as the original. Players can connect to Facebook to compare and view high scores,but the game is also still playable without connecting to social media. As with the original, players test their brains by creating words from a random grid of scrambled letters, and the game can be played solo or in ‘passandplay’ mode, whichmeans you can play with a friend using just one phone.

Available on iPad, iPhone and Android

Battleship

The mobile-phone version of the classic boardgame Battleshipemploys the same type of strategic back-and-forth style of play as the original, but it is has much more ‘bang’, visually and aurally. Instead of yelling out “hit” as you did with the board game when your peg hit your opponent’s ship, the smartphone versiondisplays each hit as an actual missile strike, including smoke, fire and loud explosions. The Battleship app features multiplayer gamesbetween people on the same wifi network, or between two players using the same phone in pass and play mode.

Available on iPhone and iPad

Scrabble

Scrabble has always been a great game for learning new words and extending your vocabulary, and the mobile version is no different. In pass-and-play mode, players can play with friends in the same room or you can play and chat with your friends remotely by playing Scrabble through Facebook. In Facebook mode, you can also play matches against random Facebook users. There’s even a‘party play’mode where you use your phone as a tile rack and play againsttwo to four friends.

Available on iPhone, iPad and Android

Monopoly

The family favourite board game Monopolyreally comes to life in the digital version. Players move through a visually appealing virtual world of real estate and money management, with participants employing their ‘inner mogul’ by bartering and negotiating with players for pixelated property. The digital version of Monopoly has the same high-engagement factor, and the addition of three new game modes makes for a captivating and novel gaming experience.

Available on iPhone, iPad and Android

 

Sensitive Files

Shred your sensitive files

 

Deleted files on your PC can sometimes be recovered using special software. Using AVG’s File Shredder, you can delete files permanently, so they don’t fall into the wrong hands.

Most people assume that when you delete a file on your computer, it’s gone for good, but it’s not quite as simple as that. When you delete a file, your computer marks the space where the file was stored on the hard drive as free. But the file still exists in this space; it will only be truly deleted when the computer needs the space for something else and writes over it.

Consider it as a developer marking a block of land as empty, even though there is an abandoned house still there. The house isn’t being used by anybody, but until it’s demolished, it can still be accessed. When the block of land is needed for a new house, the old house is demolished and a new one built over the ruins.

But you can use software, such as AVG’s File Shredder to ensure that the file is destroyed completely – so you don’t have sensitive information sitting around on your computer.

To use File Shredder you must have AVG installed on your PC. To do this, visit this websiteand install Antivirus FREE 2015.

Once you have the antivirus software installed, you can shred files or folders by right-clicking on them and selecting ‘Shred content with AVG’ and then clicking ‘Shred it’. 

You can also shred the entire contents of your Recycle Bin by right clicking on it and selecting ‘Shred content with AVG’ and then ‘Shred it’.

 

 

 

 

Smartphone

Hi, I thought this video explaining how you can use your smartphone to navigate might be of interest: http://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/video/using-your-smartphone-to-navigate  

Space

Free up space on your device

Deleting items you don’t use will free up space and make your device run faster. Click on the link to your device below for some simple tips for clearing space. 

iPhone

iPad

Android

PC

Mac 

 

NBN Rival

NBN rival to launch in 2016

Drew Patchell

Earlier this week, Singaporean telco MyRepublic announced plans to launch services in Australia by mid-2016 as a rival to the NBN. Co-founder Malcolm Rodrigues heavily criticised the NBN suggesting the government had “completely stuffed it”.

Telstra’s outgoing chief executive David Thodey labelled tier-three disruptors including MyRepublic as the biggest threat to the company, more so than TPG or Optus.

MyRepublic currently provides services in Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand with a 100Mbps unlimited plan being sold at $79.99 per month to our Kiwi neighbours. “We're going to come in with an unlimited 100 megabit per second offer at the $80-$90 per month range.” said Mr Rodrigues

Mr Rodrigues believes that Australia will fall behind as a nation if, by 2020, 50Mbps is used as the national internet benchmark. “More and more Australians will leave the country looking for jobs and you'll continue to be a resource based economy – the hope of building IT jobs and a digital economy will kind of be more difficult to achieve,” he said.

Read more from www.theage.com.au 

Opinion: Competition good for consumers

MyRepublic co-founder Malcolm Rodrigues didn’t hold back his critical opinion of the internet landscape in Australia. He pointed out the short-comings of the NBN and current broadband providers, stating that MyRepublic would be entering the Australian market with competitive plans far below the current rates offered by the current telco (or providers).

Unlike companies that have in the past promised the world and failed to deliver, MyRepublic has already proven itself with successful launches in Indonesia and New Zealand in recent years that deliver low-cost, unlimited 100Mbps plans. Executives at TPG, iiNet, Telstra, Optus and even the NBN should be worried as the entry of MyRepublic into the Australian internet market next year promises a huge shake-up in the price of internet access.

It’s been several years since a major player entered the internet market in Australia and there can only ever be positive outcomes for the consumer when competition increases. Based on the overseas pricing of MyRepublic and the recent statements by Mr Rodrigues, I wouldn’t be surprised if Australian internet prices dropped by 10–15 per cent as current providers strive to remain competitive.

What do you think? Will you consider moving your internet plan to MyRepublic once services launch in Australia? Have you looked around for a better internet deal recently? Do you agree with Malcolm Rodrigues that Australia will suffer with an internet benchmark speed of only 50 Mbps?

Scam

New Windows ransomware scam

Leon Della Bosca

Yet another malicious virus is catching out unsuspecting Windows’ users. This time the nasty scam is impersonating Microsoft in order to hack into users’ files then hold them to ransom.

This new scam is tricking Microsoft users who are eagerly awaiting upgrades to the new Windows 10 operating system, by using a clever ‘update@microsoft.com’ email address to lure in its prey.

The scam starts its life as a harmless-looking email that appears in your inbox. At first, it probably won’t ring alarm bells, but on closer inspection you may notice weird characters in the body of the email, along with telltale grammatical errors and an IP address that shows the sender is based in Thailand. See the image below for a visual description.

And don’t take any notice of the disclaimer that says the email’s content is virus free. It’s just another way to get you to click on the attached file, which, once extracted, will display an image (below) to let you know you’ve been had. If you see this image, your files have been ‘kidnapped’ and you have four days to pay a ransom to recover them.

One way to ensure that you don’t fall for this scam is to remember that your Windows 10 update will appear directly on your PC and NOT via email.

You can also protect yourself from ransomware by doing the following:

·         always back up your data frequently (i.e. minimum weekly) and store them offline (i.e. external hard drive)

·         be wary of spam and stay away from illicit websites

·         install antivirus software and keep it up to date

·         if in doubt, don’t click it.

 

Find out more about this scam at www.zdnet.com

 

Mindfulness

Using apps to practice mindfulness

Leon Della Bosca

There may be a few arguments for and against meditation as a great way to de-stress, relax and unwind, but these free apps may help you whether a mindful practice is right for you.

Stop Breathe Think

Stop Breathe Think provides users with a solid background in the basics of meditation, and features various exercises, such as mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation, which are ideal for both short sessions at work or for longer sessions at home.

This app harnesses an emotional ‘check-in’ component, which prompts you to input how you feel, mentally and physically, before suggesting custom meditation practices based on your response.

The look and feel of the app is very accessible, and it provides plain-English instructions of what meditation is and how to do it, so it’s ideal for newcomers to the practice.

Available for iPhone and Android

Calm

The Calm app evolved from Calm.com – a free web app where users can select ambient scenery and sounds, then set a timer and relax for a few minutes. In its app form, Calm consists of a seven-steps-to-calm guided meditation alongside its more ambient sound offerings.

Calm may not be the perfect meditation app, but it is good for catching a few blissful moments in which to do absolutely nothing.

Available for iPhone and Android

Mindfulness Training App

This app gives you a taste of teachings from key mindfulness instructors curated by Sounds True, which is a major publisher of meditation books, audio and other meditation media. For those who are new to meditation, this app aptly (pardon the pun) provides you with some ‘basic training’. For the more seasoned practitioners, extra talks are available that concern the science of mindfulness, including various definitions of the practice, such as neuroplasticity and happiness.

And once you have played the first practice, there are six further meditation practices from which you can select to further your mindfulness training.

Available on iPhone

Headspace

This well-designed app provides 10-minute meditation sessions free of charge for 10 days. The app’s guided meditations are easily understandable, which make it more accessible for those who’ve never tried meditation before.

Available for iPhone and Android

Insight Timer

Insight Timer is a meditation-timing device coupled with guided meditations delivered by many well-known teachers. Insight Timer is not only an ideal way to get in touch with your inner self, but also an ideal way to share your meditation times with friends as well as other mindful practitioners in your area. This mobile mindfulness app allows you to ‘sit in’ on virtual group meditations.

Available for iPhone and Android