Gadgets for Geezers? - Comments Page 1

Hi Bob. Thanks for continuing to dispense good computer advice to us novices. I am 65 and use my laptop and/or desktop daily. Even with the bigger screens, I have trouble with surfing the web with my smartphone, because of my fingers and eyes. My biggest pet peeve is the malware/viruses that seem more frequent and sneakier. I have followed your advice about keeping safe for several years now, but recently had to have a geek wipe and reset my laptop. I was taking a MOOG online class at a major university and got an infection. Keep up the good work.

Wow! You hit all the bases. My wife and I have dimiished visual acuity. I have 76-year-old ears that miss the high frequencies. We have a keyboard with black on yellow and I believe my wife has one that glows. I will check out the hearing aids so I can watch TV without the sound filtering back to the bedroom. Thanks!!!

Have been using a trackball for years now since I got fed up with a mouse running off the pad so much. I know they have wireless now but I love my trackball and it works so well with Windows 10. I don't have diminished motor skills yet but am sure the trackball will be fine for a long time to come.

I set my screen resolutions at 800x600 on my computer. Once in a while I have to switch them back to 1024x768 when I can't scroll sideways. The trackball I like using is made by Logitech.

Your hint on using CTRL+Scroll wheel to Magnify small print was a blessing, I'm always looking for the three horizontal bars then scrolling to the right magnification each time I need to read an artical.....Thanks

I know of friends that could make use of the information provided, thanks alot.

In addition to the Windows tips listed in the sidebar, Ctrl-0 (zero) returns screen type to its default size.

Thank you so much for the Ctrl + Scroll Wheel to enlarge the print. I have kept using settings to enlarge the print. Using the Ctrl + Scroll is much easier. Like many commenting, I am 66 and my hearing and eyesight are diminishing. I have a box which connects to the TV/computer/MP3 player that transmits wireless to a receiver/transmitter I wear around my neck. It in turn transmits to my hearing aids. Cell phone as well via Blue Tooth technology to my hearing aids. Love all the technology that assists us older ppl :) Makes life more enjoyable.

Years ago I used a VAX at work. Its keyboard had the up and down keys above and below the left and right, so I didn't have to look down to see where my fingers were. Any hope such a keyboard will be available for the PC? Would help us seniors.

As an old geezer,I find it annoying that i can't print something from Firefox, because they say they do not support my printer. HP Photosmart. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I can print with IE, but it is a pain switching back and forth.

Besides the advantage of regular hearing aides, TV Ears provide increased sound that allows the volume level to remain at a comfortable level for those with normal hearing, or can be eliminated for them.

Can you eval and cover the finer points for using Cortana and 'facial' logging-on to the computer [WIN10], for different accounts on the same computer,,,i.e. each account has its own Cortana access and 'facial' log-on recognition?? My aging parents could gain access easier and I RE-gain my sanity? Thankz n Advanz inHISmitts

Thanks, Bob, for bringing together this nice assortment of helpers.

I've been using a Maxwell Large Print Keyboard, http://www.amazon.com/Maxell-Keyboard-Large-Print-Letters/dp/B00PYHVSLO/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1444428687&sr=1-5&keywords=maxell+large+print+keyboard, available from Amazon, for several years. Besides the larger type, I especially like the extra keys at the top, which give me quick access to media, speaker volume, browser, email, search, file manager, calculator, and even power. My only improvement on it would be making it wireless.

Good article as always, Bob. There's also a variety of tools as a standard part of the windows operating system to improve accessibility and the help menu makes them easy to use - with Windows 10 they are listed under "settings>ease of access"

Just two of the useful tips in Comments, here, suggest to me that Bob should carry a regular small column devoted to such tips for Seniors. For example "Your hint on using CTRL+Scroll wheel to Magnify small print was a blessing".
Also, "...CTRL+0 returns screen text to its default size". Wow, this big/small text option is gold-dust to us old farts. By accident, years ago, I also found out that CTRL+F lets me search a whole document, even a whole book, for a word or object. Gold-dust which has revealed diamonds.

Thank you, Bob, for not having toe tags on your Gadgets for Geezers list. Wowzers!

For Glen's Firefox printing problem:

1. If you have any add-ons installed in Firefox, try disabling them one at a time. An incompatible add-on could cause this glitch, per HP support.

2. Make sure that HP Smart Print is enabled. It replaced HP Smart Web Printing long ago. http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01812475

For Glen's Firefox printing problem:

1. If you have any add-ons installed in Firefox, try disabling them one at a time. An incompatible add-on could cause this glitch, per HP support.

2. Make sure that HP Smart Print is enabled. It replaced HP Smart Web Printing long ago. http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01812475

Bob, another gadget I use, from Amazon, is the
Carson 5x MiniBrite LED Lighted Slide-Out Aspheric Magnifier with Protective Sleeve (PO-55, PO-55MU). Its probably the handiest, quality,
small high magnification piece I've used, and I
have used quite a few as I get older. Price
seems to vary from $8 to $12. I whine at $11
but I own three, now.

The easy Eyes all failed after a while and I had to crash my Computer to remove it. I installed the ivations 7 color on all my Desktops, one caviat, be sure to plug it into a USB port that turns off when the computer does or else it will stay on never turning off. For my Notebooks I buy large letter stickers for about $13.00 covers all but the F keys and has various sizes for Caps Tab etc. as there may be two or three different sizes.