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Arrests made over record-holder's sudden tragic death

Arrests have been made after Kelvin Kiptum's father claimed that four men had attended his home looking for the Kenyan superstar before his death. The marathon world record holder tragically <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/world-record-holder-dies-tragically-at-age-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a> at the age of 24, after a horrific collision that occurred in Western Kenya on Monday killed both him and his coach Gervais Hakizimana. Kenyan police have arrested four unidentified men after Kiptum's father, Samson Cheruiyot, called for an investigation into a visit that he said occurred just before the accident. "The four were taken to Elgeyo Marakwet for further investigations," Keiyo South Sub County commandant Abdullahi Dahir said. "They all come from Uasin Gishu County." Kiptum's devastated father broke down as he spoke about the death of his own child. "There are people who came home a while back who were looking for Kiptum, but they refused to identify themselves," Cheruiyot recalled. "I asked them to provide identification, but they opted to leave. It was a group of four people." He also recalled the moment he found out about his son's death. "I got the news of my son's death while I was watching the news," Kiptum's father said. "I went to the scene of the accident but the police had taken the body to Eldoret." Kiptum broke the marathon world record that was previously held by Eliud Kipchoge, after storming through the race in Chicago in just two hours and 35 seconds. Cheruiyot said that he last spoke to his son a day before his death. "He told me someone will come and help us build a house," he said. "He said that his body is now fit and he can now run for 1:59. "Kiptum was my only child. He has left me, his mum and his kids. I have no other child. His mum was sick for a while. Right now I'm deeply saddened." Images: Getty

Legal

World record holder dies tragically at age 24

Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum has tragically died at the age of 24. The Kenyan athlete and his his coach, Rwanda's Gervais Hakizimana, both passed away after a horrific traffic collision on Monday, that occurred in western Kenya. The crash happened on a road between the towns of Eldoret and Kaptagat, where a noted high-altitude training centre for long-distance athletes is located. In October 2023, Kiptum set the world record of 2 hours and 35 seconds at the Chicago Marathon. The record was only made official by World Athletics on February 7th, just five days before his untimely death. Kenya's Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba spoke out on Kiptum's death, writing on X, "Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya has lost a special gem. Lost for words." Former prime minister Raila Odinga described Kiptum as a "Kenyan athletics icon" in a statement on social media, writing, "Devastating news as we mourn the loss of a remarkable individual." "My deepest condolences to his loved ones, friends, and the entire athletics fraternity." <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> "Our nation grieves the profound loss of a true hero." After making his marathon debut just over a year ago, Kiptum ran three of the fastest seven marathons in history during his brief career. The Kenyan athlete had declared his goals to take home a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the weeks before his death. Image credits: Getty Images </div>

Caring

How to make your phone or tablet battery last longer

There’s nothing more frustrating than having your phone or tablet run out of battery when you need it most. Batteries of today seem to be draining at a more rapid pace… but rather than lugging your charger everywhere with you, here are a few easy ways you can help your device last the distance. Screen brightness The brighter your screen the more power it consumes. Lower the brightness levels slightly (your eyes will adjust) or change it to auto-brightness which will enable your phone to automatically adjust to the optimal level of brightness while conserving battery. GPS The GPS is a great feature in ensuring you’ll never get lost again. However, it also needs a substantial amount of battery power to function. It’s one of the biggest consumers of power so if you’re not using it switch it off. Wi-fi Keeping your wi-fi turned on at all time when not connected will quickly drain your battery. It’s because your phone is constantly trying to search for a wi-fi network to join so if you’re not using wi-fi switch it off. Just remember to turn it on again when you’re connected to a known wi-fi network like one at home otherwise it will eat up your data. Bluetooth Bluetooth is a convenient and useful feature in connection to other devices wirelessly but it also drains your power. Only switch it on when you know you’re using it. Apps We tend to have many apps running in the background that we’ve simply forgotten we opened up. But if apps are open they will be using battery power. Close the ones you’re not using. Turn it off It’s the most obvious solution and the most effective. If you know you’re not going to be using your phone for a few of hours (like when you’re watching a movie or going to bed) switching it off will stop any energy consumption. Image: Getty Images

Technology

3 easy ways to back up your photos on your phone and tablet

Do you have all your photos stored on your phone or tablet? Do you back them up? If the answer is no, then please back them up! There are too many sorry tales of people losing all their precious memories in the snap second technological devices decide to play up. Backing up your photos is also a great idea if you’re phone or tablet is running low on space. Here are three simple ways to do it. Directly transfer photos from your device to a computer. This is one of the easiest and most straightforward way to back-up photos. Connect your phone or tablet to your computer with the supplied dock connector cable. A window will automatically pop up asking if you want to “import” the photos to your computer. After they have been imported, you’ll be asked if you want to “delete” the images you’ve imported. If you press delete, the photos will be deleted from your smartphone or tablet. This is a fast way to free up space on your device but if you still want to keep photos on your phone, don’t click delete. Save your photos to a cloud system like <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dropbox</a> A cloud service lets you store information on a remote computer or server connected via the internet. It’s a handy platform that will ensure your photos are saved even if your device and computer decide to play up. You can also sync photos without physically plugging in your device. The free service Dropbox is one of the simplest versions around allowing you to upload photos directly from your tablet or phone. You will have to sign up for a Dropbox account before you are given 2GB of free storage. To automatically backup photos to Dropbox from your computer Once Dropbox is installed on your computer, you can turn on Camera Upload so photos are automatically uploaded to your Dropbox. Connect your device to your computer and go to Dropbox > Settings > Preferences and click the “Enable Dropbox camera import.” This will allow Dropbox to automatically import photos to your Dropbox account when your device is connected. To automatically backup photos to Dropbox from your device Dropbox can also automatically upload images straight from your device. You will have to download the Dropbox app. Go to the Dropbox app > Settings > Camera Upload > On. Make sure you click the option to only upload pictures when Wi-Fi is on so it won’t eat up your cellular data. Back up your photos to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flickr</a> Another popular and easy-to-use photo sharing and cloud storage system is Flickr. It has the advantage over Dropbox because it offer 1TB (1,000GB) of free space. You can upload your photos and share them privately or publicly. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Good news for New Zealand passport holders: No more queues at Heathrow!

New Zealanders who travel to British airports are now able to skip the long immigration queues due to UK authorities giving the all clear to go through the ePassport gates. The British High Commission announced that electronic passport gates are now available for New Zealanders who carry electronically enabled passports. The self-serve terminals, which are similar to the ones that are used at Australian airports, significantly speed up the processing of arriving travellers due to the use of facial recognition. The facial recognition software matches the traveller with the image printed in their passport, which eliminates the need to come face-to-face with border officials. British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said that the change offers New Zealand travellers a “smooth” arrival into the UK. “Our new global immigration and border system will improve security and fluidity for passengers coming to visit or work in the UK,” he said in a statement. “Expanding the use of ePassport gates is a key part of this and allows us to improve passenger experience arriving in the UK while keeping our border secure. The change is also applicable to eligible Australian nationals. With Heathrow being the busiest airport in Europe and having 80 million passengers passing through it last year alone, anything that speeds up the arrival process is a good thing.

International Travel

No scrubbing necessary! Genius way to remove stains from stainless steel pots

Unfortunately, dirty pans and pots with impossible to remove stains are sentiments we know all too well in the kitchen. After a few uses or even after one bad mix up in the kitchen, our stainless steel appliances can become scorched and stained, and require a muscle workout to get them looking sparkling clean and brand new again. However, there is a solution that has become extremely popular on social media that has proven to work wonders – and the best part is the cleaning trick requires no elbow grease and zero scrubbing! To get a pot or pan back to its glorious original condition, all you need is a dishwashing tablet, a little time and boiling hot water. By placing a dishwashing tablet in your dirty pot with boiling hot water, the dirt, grime and hard-to-remove stains will lift and instead be replaced with a sparkling, unscratched surface. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7826196/dirty.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/666454068f4e41649065b66095be0cab" /> Dishwashing tablets have proven to be a magic trick in the kitchen – and not just for the dishes. Not only are they reported to do wonders on your stainless steel kitchen appliances, cleaning whizzes say they're also able to transform a dirty oven door and also your clothes as a replacement for laundry detergent. Will you be using this simple trick in your kitchen anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below.

Home & Garden

Scam alert: Is this happening on your phone or tablet?

You may have noticed a variety of pop up advertisements appearing instead of an Over60 article recently, whenever you click on a link from the Over60 Facebook page. These often appear without an option to close the pop-up and can be very annoying, especially when you’re trying to read a story. Unfortunately, this could be due to malicious software you have picked up from other seemingly safe websites. The Over60 team has worked hard to find a solution to stop this from happening, as it is not something we have any control over, and the ads are not coming from the Over60 website. We have outlined the steps below to follow to help stop the ads popping up on your device. For Apple users (iPhone and iPad) 1. Go to the Settings app. <img style="width: 230.94688221709006px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824644/iphone_step_1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d9ccbe9da5724fd989a0abc9c7aafd54" /> 2. Scroll down and click on the Safari app. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824645/iphone_step_2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/41ff514462e84150a05cc21185624f1e" /> 3. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click Advanced. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824646/iphone_step_3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a4e4b823b9bd47c098b9d97ee5228c6a" /> 4. Click Website Data. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824647/iphone_step_4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8f3326f4cda44fe693fc3226448406a1" /> 5. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click Remove All Website Data. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824648/iphone_step_5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/92e177380a0c4f0eaf1a6a88d78e0f55" /> 6. Once nothing appears, you are done. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824649/iphone_step_6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1d8b964d533c439494c0246e61f1eb37" /> Don’t worry about your saved passwords or website history being removed. That won’t happen. Removing website data doesn’t impact your saved passwords or website history. For Android users <ol> <li>Head to the Settings menu. This can be found by tapping the cog icon in your notifications.</li> <li>Find Apps (or Applications, depending on your device) in the menu and then find your internet browser, this is likely to be Chrome.</li> <li>Tap on Storage and the buttons for clearing the cache and app data will become available.</li> </ol> However, if you don’t want to go through each app and clear out the cache, there’s a simpler way to clear your cache settings for your entire phone. Go to Settings > Storage > Cached Data and then tap OK in the confirmation window to remove all cached data from your phone. Whilst Over60 continually take significant steps to ensure our website is kept safe for our community, we do encourage all of our users to periodically clear their cache to protect themselves from malicious software threats. Did this solution work for you? Let us know in the comments.

Technology

The big change just announced for Kiwi passport holders

Kiwi passports holders planning a trip to the UK can expect for their journey to become a lot less stressful. On Tuesday, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond revealed that Kiwi travellers will be given permission to use electronic passport gates at all UK airports. While making a UK Budget speech, he said: “We’ll open the use of e-passport gates at Heathrow and other airports, currently only available to EEA nationals to include visitors from the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.” Previously, only EU citizens were given the privilege of using the electronic passport gates but in the lead-up to Brexit, the British government is changing its border policy for non-EU travellers. The electronic passport, also known as the ePassport, refers to an embedded electronic microprocessor chip used to authenticate the passport holder’s identity. Reportedly the privilege will be available to the five countries in the middle of 2019. Chief executive of Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, says he “welcomes the move”. “As passenger numbers continue to rise, UK Border Force must be adequately resourced and adopt new approaches in order to prevent a repeat of last summer, where lengthy border queues were experienced at a number of UK airports,” he told <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/108205257/new-zealanders-granted-right-to-fasttrack-at-uk-airports">Stuff</a>. “This announcement is a welcome step in the right direction, enabling millions more travellers to be processed more quickly.” There are currently 250 e-passport gates at 22 air and rail ports across the UK. Are you planning a trip to the UK? Let us know in the comments below.

International Travel

Why you're tripling the risk of developing a deadly disease if you take these heartburn tablets

A new study has found that popular heartburn pills can triple the risk of potentially deadly infections. The research found that patients on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were more likely to fall ill with deadly bugs, including E. coli. Researchers believe the drugs could be allowing harmful organisms to spread by reducing levels of the stomach acid that normally kills them. The drugs, including brands like Zanprol, Prevacid and Prilosec, are prescribed to an estimated 55 million patients in England alone. <img style="width: 500px; height: 305.993690851735px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821146/1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/11eb887af851492099913bbf604cd8e1" /> The tablets work by reducing the production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. Microbiologists at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust studied 126 hospital patients sick with drug resistant bugs called ESBL-enterobacteriae. These bugs, such as E.coli, occur naturally in the bowel where they do no harm. However, if they escape to other parts of the body they can become life-threatening. The reports of ESBL-bugs are increasing and don’t respond to commonly-used antibiotics like penicillin. Patients in the study were asked if they had taken heartburn medicines in the past six months. The study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, found infected patients were three times more like to have taken PPIs than a group of healthy volunteers. In a report the scientists explained: “PPIs are widely overprescribed and heavily promoted by the pharmaceutical industry.” “This is the first time this risk factor has been identified in a UK hospital population, and the magnitude is greater than in previous community-based studies. “Reducing inappropriate use of PPIs may reduce transmission.” Several studies in recent years have linked over-use of PPIs with stomach cancer, stroke and even reduced sperm count in men. Despite PPIs only being prescribed for normally four weeks, it’s feared that millions stay on the tablets for years. Research shows 25 per cent of patients are still on them after a year and four per cent continue on the pills after five years. Less than half of those who remain on the tablets long-term are advised by doctors to try to come off them. Do you take heartburn tablets on a regular basis? Tell us in the comments below.

Body

8 amazing senior world record holders who will inspire you

There are world records for all sorts of things, but many of them are not just for doing something truly amazing. Some of them are given just for being the oldest person to do something. These interesting stories show that age shouldn’t be holding us back to do what we love. 1. Oldest person to climb Everest Yuichiro Miura hold’s the record, for reaching the summit of Everest at the ripe old age of 80. 2. Oldest person to give birth Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara was 66 (actually almost 67) when she gave birth. Conceived via IVF with donor eggs, this record is even more interesting as she actually had twins. 3. Oldest person to have a number one album Dame Vera Lynn is the oldest living artist worldwide to have a number one album. At 92, she beat the Beatles and Dylan when she released her album We’ll Meet Again – The Very Best of Vera Lynn. 4. Oldest person to be adopted Mary Smith was 76 when she was adopted in the US by 92-year-old Muriel Banks Clayton (who just so happens to be the oldest adoptive parent). 5. Oldest bride Minnie Munro from Australia was the oldest woman to be married when she got hitched at age 102. Her beau was 83-year-old Dudley Reid. 6. Oldest yoga teacher Ida Herbert of Canada is still teaching a weekly yoga class, and at the age of 95 is officially the oldest yoga instructor in the world. 7. Oldest male twins Dale and Glen Moyer of the US both reached the age of 105, making them the oldest recorded male twins in the world. 8. Oldest person Jeanne Louise Calment was 122. She lived and died in southern France. Which record would you like to hold? We would love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Retirement Life

Our favourite 5 tablet accessories

More and more people are using their tablets as their main device these days. We’ll admit it; we’re just slightly addicted too. From Skyping the grandkids to taking photos and even paying bills, tablets are great to do just about anything no matter where you are. So if your tablet goes everywhere with you too, then you’re probably running into these problems – battery power, scratches or more serious damage from dropping and the sometimes finicky keys. We’ve compiled a list of top tablet accessories that will enhance your tablet using experience and prolong its life as well. Car charger Have you ever grabbed your tablet on your way out only to realise its low on battery? There are many products which offer you the convenience of charging your tablet in the car. <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/tablets-accessories/belkin-2-1-lightning-car-charger-dsau-a8792" target="_blank">BELKIN 2.1 Lightning Car Charger ($34.98) – compatible with iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone and iPod</a> Waterproof pouch If you’ve ever worried about your electronics at the beach or by the pool, a waterproof pouch is for you. This clear pouch offers 100 per cent waterproof protection to a depth of one metre while still letting you enjoy all the features of your tablet. <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/tablets-accessories/dry-tablet-dsau-se4052" target="_parent">Dry Tablet ($36.95) – Compatible with all tablets</a> Keyboard Sometimes the touchscreen of a tablet is not ideal for fast typing. There are many keyboard-and-stand combos for your tablet meaning you get the best out of a traditional keyboard and the ease of a tablet. <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/apple-ipad/belkin-yourtype-keyboard-dsau-xb4400" target="_blank">Belkin YourType Keyboard ($69.98) – Compatible with iPads only</a> <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/tablets-accessories/logitech-tablet-keyboard-dsau-xb7020" target="_blank">Logitech tablet keyboard ($99.98) – Compatible with Android or Windows 8 tablet</a> Adjustable cases Using a case for your tablet is generally a good idea to protect from environmental elements as well as from any unexpected drops. But don’t just settle from any old case when there are plenty of cases out there with an adjustable stand that you can customise for ease of viewing. Just make sure the case is for your specific tablet size and design. <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/tablets-accessories/leather-7-inch-galaxy-folio-black-dsau-xb4600" target="_blank">Leather 7 inch Galaxy Folio ($39.98) – compatible for Galaxy Tab & Tab 2 (7 inch)</a> <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/apple-ipad/apple-ipad-smart-case-dark-grey-dsau-xb1013" target="_blank">Apple iPad Smart Case ($49.98) – compatible with iPads</a> Stylus Tired of fingerprint smudges on your tablet screen? Frustrated when you press one app only for something else to pop up? A stylus designed for a tablet might be for you. The soft, durable rubber tip allows you easily control and navigate your tablet without scratching the screen. <a href="http://www.dicksmith.com.au/tablets-accessories/targus-slim-stylus-black-dsau-xb6020" target="_blank">Targus slim stylus ($14.98) – Compatible with all tablets.</a>

Technology

Here’s why you can’t take photos on your smartphone

Lisa Du is director of <a href="http://www.readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology. Many people encounter an issue when they can't take any more photos on their smartphones or tablets. The reason for this is because the physical storage on your device is full. <img width="294" height="171" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34538/why-you-cannot-take-photos-on-your-smartphone-image-1.jpeg" alt="Why You Cannot Take Photos On Your Smartphone Image 1"/> You can quickly free up some physical storage by deleting things such as: <ul> <li>Music</li> <li>Photos</li> <li>Videos</li> <li>Unused apps (applications)</li> <li>Messages sent via text message </li> </ul> That's the quick solution. To check how much storage your applications are using up On Apple devices: <ol start="1"> <li>Tap Settings</li> <li>Tap General</li> <li>Tap Usage</li> </ol> On Android devices: <ol start="1"> <li>Tap Settings</li> <li>Tap Storage </li> </ol>

Technology

5 common issues with tablets solved

Bigger than a smartphone but much more lightweight than a laptop, we can all agree tablets are nifty pieces of technology. But like all pieces of technology they do experience the occasional hiccup. Those problems often leave us feeling frustrated and wanting to throw our tablets to the wall! Instead of doing that, we’ve rounded up the 5 most common problems and some easy fixes that should get your tablet up and running again in no time. My screen is frozen! When a tablet isn’t responding to your touch, it may be frozen. Restarting your devices lets it rejuvenate so simply turn your device on and off. If that doesn’t work, you can reset your tablet. For iPads, hold the Sleep button and the Home button at the same time for around eight seconds or until the Apple logo appears. Once the logo appears, you will know your iPad has been reset. For Windows and Android devices, hold down the power button and the volume-up key until the tablet vibrates and resets. My tablet is plugged in but it’s not charging! Check that your cord is securely plugged in both ends. If you are charging your tablet through your computer or laptop, switch to a power point. Sometimes computers do not supply enough power to charge tablets. If your tablet is still not charging, check the charging points are clean. Grime can build up which prevents the charger connecting properly. Clean it out with a folded paper or a sharp object. My tablet is running slower than it usually does! A common reason for a slow tablet is there are too many apps on the tablet. This slows down your device as it eats up on the space. Delete any apps you don’t use and this should free up the memory for your tablet to work smoothly. For iPads, there may be too many apps open in the background. To clear these, double-tap the Home screen and all the apps running in the background will show. Simply swipe up to get rid of the ones you are not using. If the problem still continues, reset your tablet. I can’t access my Wi-Fi! There could be many reasons for this. Firstly, check whether your tablet picks up your network when it’s next to the Wi-Fi router. If it is working, then your settings are fine but your router needs to be in a better location so your device can pick it up. If it’s still not working, restart your router. Sometimes the connection falls out and it simply needs to be reset. Another option is to disconnect and reconnect to your Wi-Fi as the connection could be faulty. Simply select “Forget this Network” and re-enter your details and password to access the Wi-Fi. My apps are constantly crashing! If your apps are crashing – they can’t open or automatically close down by themselves – first restart your tablet. If that doesn’t solve the problem it may be because your app is out-of-date. Check if there is a recent update in the App Store (Go to App Store and then Update tab) and if so, update your app. Sometimes apps become corrupted over time so delete the app completely and reinstall on your iPad.

Technology

9 mistakes that put your computer at risk of hacking

Forget the days of safes, bank lockers and filing cabinets – today, most of us rely on hard drives and motherboards to keep our important personal data safe. That’s why it’s essential to take every possible measure to prevent your information being corrupted by hackers. Here are nine mistakes you may be making that could put your computer at risk of corruption. <ol start="1"> <li>Using the same password for everything – yes, it’s the easiest way to keep track of all your online accounts, but if a hacker cracks the code for one site, they can easily crack the rest. If you have difficulty remembering your passwords, try a free program like <a href="https://lastpass.com/" target="_blank">LastPass</a> or <a href="https://1password.com/" target="_blank">1Password</a>, which store your passwords and let you unlock accounts with one master password.</li> <li>Using an easy-to-guess password – forget using your name and birthday. Even your pet’s name may be too easy. Experts recommend using a mixture of numbers, upper and lower case letters and punctuation. They’re much more difficult to crack, and if you use one of the programs above, they shouldn’t cause too much of a hassle to your memory.</li> <li>Not blocking your webcam – sadly, even our humble webcams aren’t safe from hackers. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg covers his laptop camera and microphone with tape to stop hackers secretly recording your activity.</li> <li>Giving your information too easily – if you click “allow” when asked for access to the camera and microphone on your computer or tablet, you may be giving the hackers exactly what they want. If the app has no need for such access, simply deny it.</li> <li>Delaying updates – software companies don’t issue updates just to annoy you – they contain essential security updates. So bite the bullet and update right away.</li> <li>Using public Wi-Fi – we’ve <a href="/news/news/2016/09/think-twice-before-using-public-wifi-networks/" target="_blank">covered this before</a>, but using unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots in public can leave your information open to anyone else on that network. Stick to hotspots labelled “WPA” or “WPA2”, or opt for mobile data instead.</li> <li>Keeping your home Wi-Fi network public – just like above, if your home network isn’t secured with a strong password, you’re only making the hackers’ job easier.</li> <li>Making an account with every online retailer – while it’s fine to leave your details with reputable online stores that you frequently use (or with PayPal), sharing your credit card information with too many websites could spell disaster – especially if you don’t know much about the retailer’s reputation.</li> <li>Opening every email – if you recognise the sender, go for it. If there’s something that comes through from an unknown contact, it may be malicious spam. Your best bet is to avoid clicking on any links in emails from senders you don’t know (or even senders you do know, but that send suspicious emails) – even “unsubscribe” links can put you at risk.</li> </ol> How do you keep your personal data safe? Share your tips with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/09/think-twice-before-using-public-wifi-networks/">Think twice before using public wifi networks</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/09/popular-phone-recalled-due-to-exploding-batteries/">Popular phone recalled due to exploding batteries</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/07/sony-recalled-a-camera-that-could-see-through-clothes/">Sony recalls a camera that could see through clothes</a>

News

6 tips to speed up a slow iPad

They say a watched pot never boils and the same could go for a slow running iPad. No matter how many times you click “load” the content just never seems to appear. Talk about frustrating. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can speed up your iPad and return it to a state resembling its former glory. 1. Remove unused apps Apps take up valuable storage space and freeing that space up makes it easier for your operating system to work effectively. 2. Slim down large files One of the easiest ways to trim down the apps/software you do want to keep on your device is by getting rid of unnecessary files. To do this Click Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage then tap Manage Storage and look for items that are taking up lots of space. Tap an app to view its contents, and then swipe left across any item you don't want and tap Delete. 3. Restart and refresh Once you’ve cleared your iPad of unwanted apps, restart it. The restart refreshes the memory and enables it to start from scratch. To do this, hold down the Sleep button until you see the ‘Slide To Power Off’ control slide and power down your iPad, then press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again to wake it back up. 4. Check out your web browser Safari in particular is one app that can end up moving very slowly. This is often due to a full cache. To clear the stored sites, tap Settings > General > Clear History and Website Data to remove all of the Safari cache information. 5. Switch off “Location services” This feature sits in the background churning through battery and reducing performance of your device. If you don’t need it to be working, then switching it off can be helpful. To do this tap Settings > Privacy > Location Services and set Location Services to Off. Tap Turn Off. Say no to notifications - Scanning for and providing notifications can slow down your device. Tap Settings > Notifications and, for each app, set Notifications to Off. What’s your favourite and most useful iPad app? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/07/how-to-back-up-your-ipad/">How to back up your iPad</a> <a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/07/apps-to-help-forgetful-people-to-remember-things/">Apps to help forgetful people to remember things</a> <a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/06/14-tricks-that-will-change-how-you-use-your-ipad/">14 tricks that will change how you use your iPad</a>

Technology

How to back up your iPad

It's important to have a digital insurance policy should a tech disaster strike. One way to backup an iPad is to plug it into a computer running Apple's iTunes music software, which makes a complete backup of the tablet and stores it all away in hidden folders. This is handy if you've bought a new iPad and you're looking to copy across everything from your old iPad, but it's not very user-friendly if you need to dip into the backup to recover a single lost file. Another way to backup an iPad is to use Apple's iCloud online storage service. The benefit of this is that backups run automatically, uploading to the cloud. You can access and edit individual Keynote, Pages and Numbers files via a web browser on your computer – which could be a godsend if your iPad is lost, stolen or meets with some other disaster. Apple automatically enables iCloud backups on new iPads, but unfortunately it's not as set-and-forget as you might hope. By default, you only get 5GB of free iCloud storage, which you can chew through pretty quickly when it's uploading photos and movies. What's really stupid is that when the iPad calculates that its next backup will exceed 5GB, your backups stop dead. At this point the iPad doesn't try to back up as much as possible, it doesn't prioritise iWork productivity files or even backup newer versions of files which are already in the cloud. You'd expect better from the likes of Apple. Trim your iCloud backups The easiest way to keep your iCloud backup under 5GB is to tell the iPad to stop backing up the photos and videos in the Camera Roll. To do this, go to Settings, iCloud and disable Photos backup. If this isn't enough to get you under the 5GB limit, then tap on Storage and Manage Storage. Under backups you'll see the name of the iPad, tap here and then tap Show All Apps to see a complete list of apps which are backing up to iCloud and how much storage they're using. This list can take quite a while to calculate the storage needs for each app. If it seems stuck, start working down the list and disabling backups for apps that you're certain aren't important. Backup elsewhere You can back up iPad photos and videos to a range of third-party cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Flickr and Amazon Cloud Drive – these can work out a lot more cost-effective than iCloud but you'll need to test the apps for a while to be sure they meet your needs. Another option is to back up the iPad's Camera Roll to your computer or Network Attached Storage drive using an iPad app like PhotoSync or FileExplorer. From here it can be easier to backup those files to the cloud for safe-keeping. Got any smart tech tips to share? Let us know in the comment section below. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/06/the-best-technology-for-keeping-in-touch/">The best technology for keeping in touch</a> <a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/05/hints-for-using-gmail/">5 hints for using Gmail</a> <a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/05/trick-to-dramatically-free-up-storage-on-your-iphone/">Trick to dramatically free up storage on your iPhone</a>

Technology

5 tips to stop eye strain from phones and tablets

If you’ve ever spent a block of time staring at your smart phone or tablet, you’ll know the impact it can have on your eyes. Tired, itchy dry eyes and even blurred vision and headaches are all modern afflictions caused by overuse of our favourite devices. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to give your eyes a break. 1. Blinking Blinking often helps keep your eyes moist which reduces dryness and irritation. Keep your eyes well lubricated by blinking 10-15 times every 20 minutes or so. 2. Take a break Stick to the 20-20-20 rule. This concept encourages you to take a break from looking at your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds while looking at something 20 feet (about six meters) away. This helps relax your eye muscles and gives them a much needed “focus” break. 3. Adjust your brightness If you’ve ever accidently turned the brightness down on your phone and wondered why you were straining so hard to see clearly, you’ll know the impact it has on your eyes. Having your screen to bright or too dark stresses your eyes and makes focusing difficult. Make sure you adjust brightness accordingly in your settings if you feel as if it isn’t quite right for your eyes. 4. Keep your screen clean We often forget to do it but regularly wiping down your smartphone screen with a damp cleaning cloth helps remove distracting dust, fingerprints and smudges. 5. Tweak your text size Adjust your smartphone text contrast and size can provide much needed relief making it easier to read web content, emails and other messages on your screen. How do you ensure your eyes are safe from the strain of your devices? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/05/things-to-do-to-avoid-eye-strain/">4 things you can do to avoid eye strain</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/the-brick-wall-optical-illusion-fooling-everyone/">The brick wall optical illusion fooling everyone</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/04/the-reason-we-close-our-eyes-when-we-kiss/">The reason we close our eyes when we kiss</a>

Body

Dr Chris Brown’s four-step guide to giving your pet a pill

Bondi Vet’s much loved veterinarian, Dr Chris Brown, shares his four step guide to giving your pet tablets. Pets might be our best friends, but sometimes something as simple as giving a worm tablet can feel like you’re torturing them. But there is a way that you can pop any pill while saving fingers and friendships at the same time. 1. Grab two dessert spoons. 2. Place the tablet between the dessert spoons and grind it into a fine powder. 3. Add a dollop of vegemite (for dogs) or anchovy paste (for cats) to the powder and work it into a paste. 4. For easy patients, simply let them lick this mixture off your finger. For more suspicious pets, smear the paste on the inside of their gums. The far corner of their mouths is often a perfect spot! Do you have tips to giving your pet medicine? Share your tips with us in the comments below. For more tips on your pets, follow Dr Chris Brown on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dcbpets/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook here.</a> Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/reasons-your-dogs-health-is-as-important-as-your-own/">6 reasons your dog’s health is just as important as your own</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/scientists-say-dogs-are-smarter-than-we-think/">Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/why-cats-like-boxes/">Why do cats like boxes?</a>

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Dr Chris Brown’s four-step guide to giving your pet a pill