Technology

Trying to keep up with technology like mobile phones, tablets, e-readers and computers is a never ending cycle. Just when you think you've got the hang of a gadget or service, something changes or something new comes out. Add that to the deterioration in hearing, eyesight and mobility that some of us experience with getting older and it's no wonder we can sometimes struggle a bit.

So, here are a few resources that you can call on if you need some help or suggestions to make things a bit easier, like adjusting the display or volume settings of your device, setting up voice activation to make it easier to use, getting articles read out to you or sharing your location with family or friends:

The Library

The Library

East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure offer free, one-to-one support sessions and have learning advisors if you need help with smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. Have a look here:

https://www.ercultureandleisure.org/libraries/learning-in-libraries/

...or pop into our local library and ask about it. They don't do it in Neilston Library but I'm sure they can put you in touch with someone to help you.

Charities

Age UK - have step-by-step guides on making your smartphone, tablet or computer easier to use. They also offer a downloadable PDF version here.
AbilityNet - offers free in-person I.T. support by phone or home visits, and has lots of online resources to help individuals with any disability and of any age to use all kinds of digital technology.
Independent Age - a UK charity with lots of advice and information for older people trying to get online.
Scope - a disability equality charity in England and Wales that has some useful tips on using your smartphone.

Since we use WhatsApp for our group chats, here's a few things that might be useful:

How to format your messages - this'll tell you how to format text as bold, italic, underline, quote or code; or create bulleted or numbered lists.
How to use polls - polls are a simple way to ask questions and get real-time answers.
How to use live location - this'll let you share your location with a contact or group chat.
WhatsApp Tip and Tricks - a PDF cheat sheet for Android and iOS WhatsApp users.

You can see the full range of WhatsApp help topics here: https://faq.whatsapp.com/

Facebook Messenger

If you use FaceBook Messenger, here's a few things that might be useful:

Polls on Messenger - polls are a simple way to ask questions and get real-time answers.
Send your current live location - this'll let you share your location with a contact or group chat.
Send a pinned location on Messenger - useful for sharing things like places to meet or places of interest.

You can see the full range of FaceBook Messenger help topics here: https://www.facebook.com/help/messenger-app/

Online Safety

Here's a few resources on keeping yourself and your devices safe online:

Get Safe Online - Provides practical advice on how to protect yourself, your computers and mobiles devices against fraud, identity theft, viruses and many other problems encountered online.
Ask Silver - A free, AI-powered scam checking tool that lives inside of WhatsApp and is also available via Get Safe Online (see above).
NCSC Email Security Check - A free, online application from the UK National Cyber Security Centre that can be used to identify vulnerabilities pertaining to spoofing in mailing systems and issues related to breaches of privacy.
NCSC Cyber Aware - The UK government's advice on how to stay secure online.
Which? Scam Alerts - a newsletter that keeps you informed about current and ongoing scams.
Google Safe Browsing - A free, online utility to let you check if Google thinks a website is currently dangerous to visit.
ScamAdviser - A consumer advice service that lets you check if a website is fake or a scam.
Take Five - To Stop Fraud - A UK campaign that offers straight-forward and impartial advice to help everyone protect themselves from preventable financial fraud.
Scam Spotter - An initiative by Google and the Cybercrime Support Network designed to help people spot the most common patterns used by scammers and offers some practical advice to help you avoid them.
Stop Scams UK - The organization behind the 159 phone number that provides an easy route back to safety when you get an unexpected phone call about a financial matter. 159 works in the same way as 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS. It’s the number you can trust to get you through to your bank safely and securely, every time.

Others

Here are a few more useful online resources about making things easier for older folks:

Sharing your mobile device's location can be a useful thing to set up if you're prone to wandering or getting lost so here are guides on how to set that up:

If you know of any similar technology-oriented sites or apps not shown here, then please e-mail the details to neilstonmensgroup@gmail.com

Technology

The Library

Charities

Whatsapp

Facebook Messenger

Online Safety

Others