Clever s*ds - help required please!!

[clvrlad]

yep an anti virus/mal ware app is a good idea

basically only download from recognised sources (play store/ amazon)
be careful what apps you install look at how long they've been available android has been known for mal-ware to be on recognised sources for a day or two

if not at home try to use secure versions of web sites
make sure you activate androids password just in case it gets stolen its harder for them to get your personal details

oh and keep the OS updated

other than that im sure your usual practices apply here too

EDIT
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/12 ... -browsing/
for more detailed help

[giraffe]

I want to print some labels. I have an old disk that I have always used before, but it says it isn't compatible with my version of something or other. I probably haven't done it on this laptop, or it has updated the software and the disk is 14 years old so I'm not really surprised. The program on the disk asks me what type of labels I'm using and then just lines them up perfectly. I have just gone into word and I can't see how you tell it what type of labels you are using. There are 21 labels on a sheet, but word wants me to have 30 labels on a sheet, so they won't print right.

How do other people do this?
It ought to be simple, but I haven't a clue.

[giraffe]

I've managed to do it. Took me about an hour and a half, whereas the old method I could do it in 5 minutes, but I have saved the instructions for next time.

[SparkOut]

Glad you got it sorted. Usually it would be something involving the "Avery" type label code which tells how large the labels are and the margins and so on. But the specifics vary version to version, so not sure what other help I could have been, but well done!

[giraffe]

I had the code, but couldn't work out how to use it. Word seemed to only offer Microsoft labels, Avery ones were well hidden. Also the labels I had were Staples ones, which didn't have the Avery code on the latest box, so I had to dig out an old empty box. I wanted to put a picture on the labels and it only seemed to let me put words in, but eventually I googled print labels and got a sheet of very helpful instructions, but then I couldn't follow the instructions and read them at the same time as it wouldn't let me swap screens so I had to print the instructions. etc. Also our new printer arrived at the weekend, so I'm still working out how to use it. All in all a 5 minute job took a long time.

[MBH]

I've still got use of the borrowed eee-pc notebook but really need to get a laptop for use in the living room. My main problem is a serious lack of money, so I suspect I'll be on the 'refurbished' market. Anyone got a tame supplier they could point me to, or any advice on the sorts of (stupidly large) memory/storage numbers I should be looking for?

I'm coming back to this little subject, and have found an item in Currys that I'd like some comments on.

Lenovo 15.6" widescreen laptop.
Intel Core i3-3110m processor [allegedly 2x faster vs Core 2 Duo ]
8Gb Memory
1 Tb Hard Disk

Windows 8

Up to 5 hours battery
2x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0 [OK - I need some definition on this as well. USB is USB to me. ]

Intel HD Graphics (Ideal for multimedia and HD gaming.... it says)

The thing that draws me to this rather than every other laptop I've had my hands on is what it calls an 'Accutype' keyboard. Still not ideal but it does feel better than the horrible, flat, small keys I usually get. [I know I can plug in a real keyboard, but a better in-house keyboard is a major plus-point]. The staff at the places I visit don't believe just how much laptops slow down my typing speed.

Price point for it is £399, which for a professional business based laptop for a restart of Taylor Made Solutions doesn't sound too bad if it will DO THE JOB. I don't know enough about processor chips to know why this might be better or worse than the 10 other options. [OK perhaps an exaggeration.. just ]

I didn't know the make Lenovo, but I've been told it's some small outfit that used to be known as I.B.M So that should be OK.

So - any advice welcome.

[SparkOut]

Lenovo is not my personal favourite but it's one of the brands I would happily use myself. I'm not sure how much of the IBM legacy remains within the brand but it's not really important, they do make robust, solid, durable, dependable, etc equipment, compared to other makes (Acer). You may always find you get one of the ones that is a problem machine, and you may find an Acer that lasts for 10 years without problems but playing the statistics, I think you'll find Lenovo good enough.
At that price, with the specs quoted you can't really say whether it's the best value machine going, you'd need to have much more detail about all the components to say whether it fits the bill concerning budget. Without shopping around and saying that component is lower end of spec versus that component in that brand, I think you can safely say that you aren't being ripped off with a terabyte HDD and 8GB RAM as the baseline. In this price band the main factor becomes your personal touchy-feely experience and I think if you already are drawn to it because you have a better feeling for the keyboard then that counts for more than the "satisfaction" you may get from saving a buck or two, or getting a better spec component in one area or another - and again, it doesn't seem that any components in this Lenovo are going to be something you'll be disappointed with.
USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0 : if you have a USB 3.0 device, the data transfer rate will be rather better (so if it's say a USB flash drive, it will save data faster than a USB 2.0 drive). Chances are it's mostly irrelevant unless you have new peripherals you plug in. A printer, well the print speed is slower than the data transfer rate whatever USB version, who cares? But you have 2 of the modern high speed ports to plug things into as well as the "standard". So I doubt you will find anything to complain about. All in all, I'd say if you already like the keyboard, then you won't be going wrong if you say yes to the Curry's person. See what you can get bunged in with it - MS Office Suite bundled would be a major plus, practically everything else, bleagh. See if you can get a "downgrade" to Windows 7

[Bunnylump]

Right, so this time I need some advice from anyone who knows stuff about cheese and wine please. I'm trying to organise my new year's eve do, and I want to do something along the lines of tasting different European wines and cheeses, then matching them to the countries. So far I have a Rioja (Spain), a Chianti (Italy) and a Merlot (France). I was thinking of having three white wines too, so possibly a German wine (I need suggestions!) Also, has anyone got any suggestions for other identifiable white wines from two other European countries, which also have identifiable cheeses which could go with them?

I was also thinking it would be fun to have cards with a range of adjectives on them, to "write your own tasting notes" with a view to seeing if anyone could identify them from other people's descriptions. So some suggestions for suitably poncy (or even sensible / likely) wine tasting adjectives would also be very helpful / appreciated.

And yes, I know it sounds completely crazy.

Oh, and if anyone's got any fascinating wine or cheese trivia questions, that would also be good, please!

[gill216]

Top of head :
Riesling. German. Surprisingly I've just googled german cheese and comes up with emmental and brie. I'd not have put them there.
Retsina, Greece. Identifiable because it takes like sh**. Feta to go with it.

[eirian]

Wulfruna is the person to talk to about German wines - she knows them well - and she's quite good on cheese too!

[Wulfruna]

It's really annoying that German wine has gone out of fashion and can be hard to find - we are missing out on some wonderful vintages. Whatever you do, keep well away from Liebfraumilch, which is probably single-handedly to blame for the prejudice..... By far the best bet is Riesling, if you can find it. Otherwise go for Niersteiner. Unfortunately the Germans don't go in for cheese (why should they, when they have Holland to the North and Switzerland to the South.... ), so an Austrian smoked is the best I can suggest (they are really great) .
I would endorse Gill's suggestion of Greek retsina - though not her verdict about the taste, which is terrific once acquired...... At least it is distinctive - and the feta to go with it is obvious! You should find Kourtaki retsina in major supermarkets.

[SparkOut]

For an alternative challenge - try putting 6 samples of the same white vinegar in the test and see who can tell it's not actually wine.
(speaking as a philistine who can't stand wine at all)

[giraffe]

I remember a school friend, whose dad was a doctor, and at all her birthday parties we played a game, where we were blindfolded and her dad used to give us things to taste on the end of those lollipop sticks doctors use to keep your tongue down when you say ahhh. Things like mustard, olive oil, vinegar etc.

[Bunnylump]

Ah, yes, Retsina is a good call - hasn't it got pine resin or something unlikely in it? Feta also a good idea. Right, so Niersteiner or Reisling, rather than Liebfraumilch (crikey, that's a blast from the past, I think I used to drink that when I was about 15! I just don't know about white wines because I never drink them, so this is useful.

Oh, and now you mention smoked cheese, I seem to remember seeing Bavarian smoked cheese in Sainsbury's ages ago. I'll have a look.

And no, I'm NOT giving my guests vinegar, I'm not that mean!!

[Scurra]

And no, I'm NOT giving my guests vinegar, I'm not that mean!!

<audience, all together>Oh yes you are. </panto>

[Bunnylump]

Well, I might give YOU vinegar!!

[MBH]

Lol. I'm with sparkout on the wine, and eat VERY limited cheese so I'm fairly useless for you here.

Good luck

[Wulfruna]

I seem to remember seeing Bavarian smoked cheese

. Of course - I should have remembered the Bavarian smoked - it's really nice and definitely German! And yes, the Retsina is matured in barrels soaked in Pine resin which gives it the distinctive flavour. The Kourtaki brand is quite mild!

[gill216]

Now that I'm home( been in Scarborough for xmas in a wonderful house!) -and out of the snot monster bed- I thought tell you about the xmas wine quiz we were presented with. I got it 100% on sight only because I don't like red wine. I was also the only one to get it right

Three bottles of red, all of the same grape, for tasting and ordering. One cost £6.99, another 13.99 and the big beauty £54. All of the red wine drinkers went for the cheapie as the most expensive then divided over the other 2 bottles. The prize was meant to be the winner got the £54 bottle to finish off. I didn't even taste it!!! The looks of disgust I got were quite funny.

[LAT]

I picked up a quiz yesterday which consists of various proverbs and sayings to be found from the given initials and final word. We think we have them all except for

E B I N business

any ideas anyone?