The intended title and subject of the topic was "fix-it" software for Windows (10 &11).  However, a bit of investigation revealed that the market for problem resolution applications has hugely diminished both because Windows 10 & 11 are far more robust than earlier versions and contain all the utilities needed to resolve and avoid most problems.  The presentation gives an overview of common  Windows problems and provides links to a few of the websites describing how to go about their resolution.  We also went over recommended maintenance actions.  The presentation can be seen by clicking here.

In this, the 3rd session we have had on the history of computing, we covered events that primarily occurred in the 1980s or later, albeit with lead into the story where it helped.  The main topics were personal computing in the UK, the IBM PC and compatibles, operating systems, the RISC architecture and ARM, World Wide Web and a mention of AI.  Obviously, this breadth sacrificed depth somewhat.  The slides can be seen by clicking here.

The title says it all.  We covered the computer developments that occurred or at least started in the 1960s and 1970s.  Really, it was only a glimpse into what was going on in this period that laid the foundation for much of the computing we know today.  If you would like to see the slides, click here.

We covered the history of computers up to the end of the 1950's. There is so much information on this topic that I had to restrict myself to significant milestones.   I intend to cover the period 1960 on across the next two meetings.  You can see the presentation by clicking here.

The topic of this month's meeting was the use of computing in medicine.  It is an absolutely huge topic and we could only really skim the surface, dipping in a few areas.  What I found fascinating in researching the topic was the degree to which advanced computing techniques are very much in use today. ​If you would like to see the slides used please click here.

This month we looked at Smart Homes.   What is generally meant by a Smart Home; what sort of functionality and capabilities are available on the market; who sells what; integration and problems.  ​If you would like to see the slides used please click here.

This month's topic centred on NFC, the technology used in bank cards, passports and mobile phone payment systems.  We started with the more general Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), looking at its development and capabilities before diving into NFC and its applications. If you would like to see the slides used please click here.

We reviewed the main threats involved in connecting to and making use of the internet, together with ways of defending against the risks.  I have attached the presentation used.  If you need further clarification or more detail, the last couple of slides of the presentation give an overview of recommendations and a couple of excellent websites that provide advice.
To see a pdf file of the slides, click here.

Although the original question was "how do they design integrated circuits", in order to explain the design process the presentation covers what ICs are and the building blocks that go together to make them, followed by a description of the IC fabrication process.  The slides can be seen here.

The questions covered were "If you only want to buy a laptop or a tablet, which should you choose?"  (assumption that everyone needs a phone - but not necessarily a smartphone. Although….), and "If you have both a desktop and a tablet, what would you use each for?"
We had a look at the technical characteristics of both and then discussed how you would decide.  You can see the slides backing up the discussion here.