July Meeting: Grey Power Whakatane
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July Meeting:
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday July 11 at the Knox Presbyterian Hall, 83
Domain Road, commencing at 1:30 pm. Our guest speaker for this event will be Megan
Steven from Kiwi Bank, Megan will be speaking about the phasing out of cheques and
how this can be managed in the short term together with explaining the many benefits
of Internet and Cellphone Banking, plus elucidating on the workshops Kiwi Bank will be
organising in Whakatane to assist people in understanding and using Internet Banking.
Following her presentation Megan will be available to answer your questions on various
aspects of banking.
In accordance with our normal practice, light refreshments will be available following
the meeting.
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From our family to yours, with
Dignity. Proudly Supporting Grey
Power in the Eastern Bay
For further information
Contact (07) 308 6102 or Click here
for website
1
Grey Power AGM – May 20 thru 22 – Wellington
Susan Anderson and myself, as the Director of Zone Three attended the above, I would like
to report that there was positive change, news ways of thinking, actual action being taken
to bring the organisation into the times, sadly I can report none of these things.
Yes, the meeting was well controlled, and there was a good reason for this; our president,
Mac Welch wanted to make the point that the meeting could be held over just two days in
lieu of the current two and a half.
Whakatane submitted three Remits to the Federation for this event; however only one was
allowed, we are only too well aware of the reasoning behind this, two of them called for
change, in fact one related back to when Grey Power was founded, and this too was
rejected. We were not the only association to have their Remits denied, Rotorua had one
also calling for radical change to the structure of the organisation, this was of course
rejected.
Our Federation is endeavouring to fight causes on multiple fronts, one of the remits rejected
that we submitted was that they focus on one major issue, housing, ACC for example, this
would draw attention from all New Zealanders, pretty much along the lines of when the
organisation was founded, the president of one association within our zone stated that
either Grey Power adopt and embrace change, or in five years maximum it will cease to
exist in any meaningful way.
Several associations spoke about the declining membership, all saying there needs to be a
higher public profile, adding that many people had not heard of Grey Power. The boards
response to this, especially the President was to say that membership is the responsibility
of the associations; however, when asked to explain why people should join, there was a
distinct lack of response!
We in the associations know the work that Grey Power as a lobby group does, the point
many of us were trying to put across was that very few members of the public do, in fact
Grey Power membership is a mere 7.5% of those over 65, hence the absolute need for a
high public profile, sadly unless there is a major shift in members of the board, this will
never happen.
Finally, we had excellent guest speakers, on the Monday Winston Peters and Tracy Martin
from New Zealand First spoke, this was actually on TV1 News. Now you would think that
knowing this, whoever organised the event would have ensured that the name GREY
POWER was brazenly advertised so as the cameras could not miss it; sadly this was not the
case, anyone watching the item on the news would have no clue that it was at a Grey
Power AGM, to many of us, this clearly demonstrated the lack of understanding of media
presence, this was a golden opportunity, and it was absolutely totally missed. On the
Tuesday morning Jacinda Ardern spoke, with Simon Bridges and Maggie Barry giving and
excellent after dinner presentation.
Brian Newton
2
The DEA, the Farmer and the Badge
A DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) police officer stops at a ranch in Texas; and talks with
an old rancher. From the first second he had a bad attitude about him, annoyed he had to
muddy his clean boots out in the country. He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your
ranch for illegally grown drugs." The rancher says, "Alright, you can search the ranch, but
do not go in that field over there."
The DEA officer, clearly angry, says, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government
with me." Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays
it to the rancher.
"See this badge? DO you?!? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish, on any
land, no questions asked, or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you
understand me?!?" He shouts.
The rancher nods quietly, apologizes, and goes about his chores.
A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for
his life chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis Bull. With every step the bull is gaining
ground on the officer, as he runs for all he's worth.
The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs:
"Your badge ….. Show him your BADGE!!!"
The Posher Side of Life
Overheard in Britain's poshest supermarket, Waitrose ...
1. "Jemima, you'll have to take the rosemary off the focaccia before we feed the ducks,
darling ... They can't digest it!"
2: I suppose we could have a coffee. I've just spoken to Susan and she's still doing the
ironing and there's nothing worse than being in your own house when the cleaner is
still there."
3: While working on the meat and fish counter, I had a couple ask for 'your dry aged
sirloin steak'. They asked for two thick slices costing around £16.00 (NZ$31.00). I
wrapped up the meat and I told them to enjoy ... surprisingly the man responded
with "We don't eat meat; we are both vegetarians ... this is for our dog Clifford ...
it's his favourite”
3
The 85 characters long Maori name for a hill in Hawke’s Bay is the longest place name
found in any English-speaking country. It is:
Taumatawhakatangihangaoauauotameteaturipukakapikimaungah-
oronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, which roughly translate, “the place where Tamatea, the
man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as the land-
eater, played his nose flute to his loved ones”.
With more than 400, New Zealand has more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in
the world.
New Zealand broadcasted the first weather report in Elvish language in 2012. Of course,
they would, they are home to the Lord of the Rings movies!
The kiwi fruit is not native from New Zealand. It’s actually from China, but it was
named after the kiwi bird.
The Kiwi, which is a little flightless bird native to New Zealand, lays eggs that are about
20% of the mother’s body. Kiwi eggs are six times as big as normal for a bird of its size
In 1990, New Zealand became the first country in the modern world to appoint an Official
National Wizard. “The Wizard of Christchurch”
New Zealand is listed as a state of Australia in the Australian constitution and can join the
Australian Confederation if they choose to.
About one-third of the country is protected national parks.
If you can stay calm while all around you is chaos,
then you probably haven’t completely understood the situation.
4
You’re deliberately
Putting yourself at
risk of ill health by
being Over 65
Irish Vasectomy.
After having their 11th child, an Irish couple decided that that was enough, as they couldn't
afford a larger bed. So the husband went to his doctor and told him that he and his wife
didn't want to have any more children ...
The doctor told him there was a procedure called a vasectomy that would fix the problem,
but it was expensive. A less costly alternative was to go home, get a large firecracker, light
it, put it in a beer can, then hold the can up to his ear and count to 10.
The husband said to the doctor, "B'Jayzus, I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but
I don't see how putting a firework in a beer can next to my ear is going to help me with my
problem."
"Trust me, it will do the job", said the doctor.
So the man went home, lit a cracker and put it in a beer can. He held the can up to his ear
and began to count:
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5," at which point he paused, and placed the beer can between his legs so he
could continue counting on his other hand.
This procedure also works in Australia
Regular naps prevent old age,
especially if you take them whilst driving
5
Terminal Added as a Category 1 Historic Place
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has added the Whakatāne Airport Terminal to the
New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero as a Category 1 historic place.
The listing formally recognises the outstanding heritage values of the landmark building,
which has become an iconic example of 1970s award-winning architecture.
“The Whakatāne Airport Terminal has sparked debate ever since it first opened its doors to
the public in May 1974,” says Alexandra Foster of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga,
who worked on the listing.
“Designed by architect Roger Walker, the brief for the terminal building was to come up
with a distinctive design that sought to make the ‘Sunshine Town’ of Whakatāne appealing
to visitors as a holiday destination, and to contribute to a distinctive regional identity.”
Inspired by the ultra-modern Japanese Metabolist movement, the then 29-year-old’s design
met the brief brilliantly.
“The Whakatāne County and Borough Councils had a very clear idea of what they wanted
right from the conceptual stage, and declined the offer of pursuing a more ‘vanilla’ Ministry
of Works design. Instead – to their great credit – they went with Walker’s
concept,” Alexandra says.
The building received a Tourism Design Award in 1975, in which it was described as
‘excitingly different’. In 2011, when the Whakatāne Airport’s new master plan appeared
to indicate that the terminal building could be at risk of demolition, a number of architects
and architectural historians came to the building’s defence. In 2013 the building received
an NZIA Bay of Plenty Enduring Architecture Award, and in 2017 was included as a heritage
building in the Whakatāne District Plan.
Architect Roger Walker said he was honoured by the news.
6
“The clients wanted something different, something that stood out. They did not want their
airport terminal to look like every other provincial airport terminal throughout New Zealand.
As such, it was a joy to work on this design and I think it is a great example of the creativity
that began to emerge among New Zealand designers in the 1970s,” he says.
“I thank Heritage New Zealand for recognising the terminal’s value as an iconic example
of what we were doing in that decade so that people in the future can experience the 70s
in all its glory.”
The End of Cheques
As the majority of you will have heard, Kiwi Bank are ceasing the use of cheques as from
February 2020, the exact date to be confirmed. Steve Jurkavich, CEO of Kiwi Bank gave a
presentation on this subject at the Grey Power Federation AGM, he explained that he has
been employed to drive Kiwi Bank into the future, further explaining that of their million
customers only nominally 5,000 use cheques, thus rendering this method of financial
transactions not only a minimal part of their business, but also an expensive aspect of it to
maintain. Steve added that Kiwi Bank is investing in the future, as such since there will be
fewer and fewer people using cheques, the cost per cheque will become higher and higher,
accordingly it is not a viable option.
By far the majority of financial transactions, both business and personal, are now done via
internet banking, one thing is for certain, now that Kiwi Bank has announced this, the others
will follow suit sooner or later. Internet & Cell Phone Banking are accepted to be the most
secure method of financial transactions and are in fact used by a high proportion of our
members.
We fully appreciate that using this method for financial transactions my appear daunting,
Steve stated during his presentation, he then announced that Kiwi Bank would be holding
training sessions at the local branches to educate and train people to be competent using
this medium. We have emailed Steve and asked him for further information in respect of
these sessions, in the meantime, for those not confident using Internet and/or Cellphone
Banking, Senior Net in Whakatane, organise courses on Internet Banking, both stand alone
and jointly with Westpac. For further information please call them on 07 308 0564 or click
on the link below:
http://seniornetwhakatane.nz/
Every day, man is making bigger and better fool-proof things, and every
day, nature is making bigger and better fools.
So far, I think nature is winning.
7
Inventions That Were a Complete Accident
It is quite sobering to realize that some of the greatest modern inventions we depend on
an everyday basis were a complete (or partial) fluke. For example, if it weren’t for the mould
in Alexander Fleming’s office, we would possibly never have antibiotics.
Still, we’re not sure there is such a thing as complete coincidence, as it takes quite a lot of
observation, vision and hard work to see the potential in these half-baked inventions. Let’s
celebrate this spirit of discovery by looking at some of the greatest and most fun accidental
scientific innovations in history.
1. The Microwave
Did you know that this low-key household item was actually
discovered by accident? Like many inventions, the
microwave was born out an attempt to build new military
technology.
More specifically, in 1945, Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon, a company
manufacturing mostly military technology and weapons, noted that the supposed radar
vacuum tube he was working on at the time did something very interesting: it melted the
chocolate bar he kept in his pocket. This sparked his interest, and he aimed the “radar” at
other foods, such as popcorn and eggs, both of which got heated rapidly (they say that the
egg exploded in the face of one of the experimenters).
Spencer realized that the microwave radiation the tube emitted were responsible for the
heating effect, which urged him to patent the technology and develop the first microwave
oven. The first microwaves were nothing like the countertop one you likely have in your
kitchen, though: it weighed 340 kg (750 lbs) and was 1.8 meters (almost 6 feet) tall.
The first countertop microwaves were manufactured in 1965 and all of them were,
interestingly, called “RadaRange”, which was likely an homage to the radar origins of the
microwave oven.
2. X-Rays
This next discovery was one of the most notable
breakthroughs in medicine, as the X-Ray is the first ever
imaging method: it allowed doctors see what’s going on in
the human body without surgery. The technology is used to
this day, but it was discovered by German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen in the distant 1895.
While experimenting with electromagnetic radiation with different kinds of tubes, he noticed
that the crystals he kept in his office omitted a strange fluorescent glow when exposed to
the tube. Based on this observation, he concluded that the tube was omitting a previously-
unknown kind of ray, which he called the X-ray (because it was unknown).
8
Trying to block the ray using different materials, such as black paper, as well as heavier
materials, he found that the rays could still shine through, but less so through metals and
bone. So, by using these rays, he could produce contrasted images of human bones and
other dense body tissues.
The first X-ray image Roentgen produced was that of his wife’s hand. Soon, the technology
Roentgen invented was used for medical purposes, as can be seen from the 1986 image of
a hand deformity below.
5. Super Glue
While developing a clear plastic intended for gun sights
during WWII, Harry Coover Junior created a sticky substance
that was too sticky to be moulded. He moved on with his
work, now trying to produce heat-resistant coatings for jets.
In search of a solution, he returned to the same type of
substance.
Trying to measure how well it would reflect light, he put a sample of the substance between
2 lenses under a refractometer. Trying to disjoint the lenses after the examination, he
noticed that they were flushed together. This, second time, Coover immediately understood
the commercial potential of this adhesive substance, and the rest is, as they say, history.
4. Penicillin
Yet another ground-breaking discovery was that of penicillin,
the first ever antibiotic, that marked the beginning of the so-
called antibiotic revolution. Until its discovery, infectious
diseases were rampant and there was nothing doctors could
do to treat them.
Luckily, in 1928, Scottish professor of bacteriology Alexander Fleming made an outstanding
and completely accidental discovery. While growing cultures of Staph bacteria in petri
dishes, he noticed a strange growth in some of the petri dishes.
After observing these peculiar petri dishes under a microscope, he noticed that the growth,
which he later realized was Penicillium mould, prevented the growth of bacteria. Quite soon,
Fleming produced a filtrate of the mould cultures that had a marked antibacterial effect,
which he called "Penicillin".
In a matter of a few years, penicillin was already being used to treat various infections and
saved countless lives.
At every party there are two kinds of people: those who want to go home
and those who don’t. The problem is, they are usually married to each
other.
9
The Farmers Quandary
A farmer needs to get a corn sack, a chicken, and a fox across a river.
The farmer is only able to bring one of the above items along with him at a
time.
The only problem is if he leaves the fox
alone with the chicken, the fox will eat
the chicken, and if he leaves the chicken
along the corn sack, then the chicken
will eat the corn sack.
How does the farmer get all three items
across safely?
Solution will be published in our next newsletter
Bob, a 70-year-old, extremely wealthy widower, shows up at the
Country Club with a breathtakingly beautiful and very sexy 25-
year-old blonde-haired woman who knocks everyone’s socks off
with her youthful sex appeal and charm and who hangs over
Bob’s arm and listens intently to his every word. His mates at the
club are all aghast.
At the very first chance, they corner him and ask, ‘Bob, how’d you
get the trophy girlfriend?’
Bob replies, ‘Girlfriend? She’s my wife!’
They are knocked over; but continue to ask.’ So, how’d you persuade her to marry you?’
‘I lied about my age,’ Bob replies.
‘What, did you tell her you were only 50?’
Bob smiles and says, ‘No, I told her I was 95.’
"Dad comes to his son and tells him he's adopted. The boy screams. 'I
knew it! I wanna see my real parents!'
Dad replies, 'We are your real parents, son. Pack your stuff, they're
waiting.'"
10One of the things spoken about by the two New Zealand First speakers, Winston Peters &
Tracey Martin, at the Grey Power Federation AGM was the super gold card, and the
forthcoming changes; you may or may not have heard that Winston Peters has allocated
nominally seven million NZD to the this.
One of the aspects of the changes is that the Ministry of Social Development will be
launching a smartphone / iphone app, by accessing this anywhere in New Zealand you will
be able to identify those outlets offering discounts upon presentation of the card. No definite
date was announced, so I guess watch for future news on this topic, doubtless it will be
advised in the MSD letters which come out on a regular basis.
Whilst on the subject of the Super Gold Card, we have been advised that “Reduced to Clear”
grocery store on Peace Street offer a 5% discount on presentation of a gold card every
Tuesday, for further information click on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/ReducedtoClearWhakatane/
Can I improve my eyesight?
Everyone worries about their eyesight – and we’re all resigned to the
fact that as we get older, it’s only going to get worse. But could we
actually improve our eyesight – simply through what we eat?
Michael Mosely
Long and short-sightedness are the problems that most of us think of when we think about
how good our eyesight is, and those are affected by the length and shape of our eyeball
and the thickness of our lens at the front. But at the back of our eyeball are all the light-
sensitive cells – the retina – and the condition of this is essential to our eyesight.
A specialized part of the retina is called the macula - this part of the eye is responsible for
central vision, and it is protected by a kind of natural sunscreen to prevent the sensitive
vision cells from being damaged by the energy from blue or UV light. This natural sunscreen
is made up of a yellowish ‘macular pigment’ – a mixture of three light-absorbing
compounds; lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin. Our bodies cannot make these three
compounds – in fact they are made by plants to absorb light in order to carry out
photosynthesis, by which they capture energy from the sun. So we get them from our diet.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are found commonly in dark green leafy veg such as kale and
spinach, and also bell peppers, corn and saffron. Meso-zeaxanthin is generally not found in
plants – it is thought to be made in our bodies from lutein (although it is also present in
some fish, especially in their skins, so we may be able to take it in in our diet too).
11These pigments, once we eat them, appear to be important in our vision and in helping
keep the macula healthy.
Recent work, such as that by Professor John Nolan and his team at the Waterford Institute
of Technology, south east Ireland, suggests that increasing the levels of these three
compounds in our diet can improve our eyesight. So we put this to the test.
Experiment
Michael Mosley took supplements containing the three macular pigments every day for 12
weeks. He had his blood levels of the chemicals, the amount of macular pigments in his
eyes, and his eyesight thoroughly tested before and after taking the pills.
Results
Overall, Michael showed an improvement in many aspects of his vision – but especially his
perception of yellow/blue colours and his night vision) and increase in his macular pigment
density and an increase in these compounds in his blood.
So what should I do?
There’s good evidence now that increasing the amount of these pigment chemicals in your
diet can help improve your eyesight. There is also some evidence that it may help prevent
damage to your eyesight through macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration
(AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the UK, and Prof Nolan’s group have seen
evidence that boosting the macular pigments can help.
The question, then, is how best to get these compounds into our diet. The strongest
evidence at the moment is around supplements containing all three of the macular
compounds. However, many researchers believe that simply eating a diet rich in leafy green
vegetables should be enough to keep your levels healthy. Be aware, though, that carrots –
despite the myth that eating them will help your vision – do NOT contain particularly high
levels of any of these compounds!
If you are at all worried about your vision, then do see an optometrist as soon as possible.
Early intervention in the case of vision problems is key.
Courtessy of “Trust Me – I’m a Doctor”
Q: Why wasn't Jesus born in Australia?
A: He couldn't find 3 wise men or a virgin.
12Members’ survey – highlights so far
Pete Matcham, National Vice-president
We are generally healthy 79% rate our health better than someone
else our age, but 25% of us are waiting for some kind of
medical procedure.
We exercise a lot: 65% of us walk or run for pleasure,
do regular exercises, and 13% go cycling
30%
We’ve got green fingers, and socialise a lot
65% garden regularly, and 68% of us meet up with family and friends
each week, while 61% of us also attend an interest or activity group.
We use the internet a lot. 31% use it for
socialising, and
69% use the internet for banking.
But we use the phone just as much.
60% use it for social calls
and 22% for banking
Some of us need a bit of help. 16% have been assessed for home care and most of
those are happy with the assessment and the service being provided
But we are not so well off as we used to be,
16%
13have to cut back on
essentials to meet regular payments
And although 76% of us own our own homes,
Over a quarter 26% of us are still in paid work
Gold card travel is much appreciated, and where regular public
transport is available like Wellington and Auckland we use it a lot
78%
41% 47%
13% 50% 32%
Where there isn’t good public transport, we’re good at sharing
26% share rides with family or friends
We pay our way
We contribute the equivalent of $351,000,000 to the New Zealand
economy each year, through voluntary and unpaid work.
Fun fact
We’re getting the message that electric bikes boost older
peoples’ mental ability and well-being - more than twice as
many members use e-bikes than use mobility scooters
14Internet Terms Everyone Needs to Know
With the rise of the Internet, terms like encryption, cloud computing, and URL have become
household words, but we often lack the in-depth understanding of these words, no matter
how important and widespread they may be. And it’s not our fault either, as most of us
weren’t taught any of this in school. At the same time, we use the Internet to connect with
others, to make purchases and even to manage our banking or healthcare, and not
understanding Internet jargon may leave us helpless or, in the worst-case scenario, it can
even expose us to hackers and identity theft.
If this is about you and you think you’re missing some knowledge about Internet lingo, on
this list you will find 10 essential Internet terms that every internet user, beginner
or experienced should understand.
1. Web Browser
Every time you’re accessing the Internet to search for
something or visit a website, you’re using a web browser.
Browsers are pre-installed or downloaded software the task of
which is to help you navigate through the Internet. Most
browsers are free, and you can have more than one browser on
your smartphone or computer.
Some of the most popular web browsers are Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Internet
Explorer.
2. URL
URL is an acronym for the term
“Uniform Resource Locators”,
which, in essence, is an address
that your browser uses to find a
specific file or webpage on the
Internet. These addresses are
everywhere on the Internet and in
real life. Every time you click on a
link on Google, for example, it
takes you to a new URL address
via a link.
Nowadays, anything starting with ads to business cards contain a URL, which usually looks
something like this: https://www.ba-bamail.com/. This can be shortened to www.ba-
bamail.com, as your browser adds the https:// part called a protocol automatically. As for
the ending, it can also be different depending on the type of website you’re visiting: .com,
.net, .edu or .org and many others exist.
153. Web page
A web page is any window displayed through a browser that
has a specific URL address. When browsing through the
Internet, you’re skipping from one webpage to another,
much like you would through a page in a magazine.
Webpages can contain a variety of different content, such as
text, images, videos, links, and advertisements.
Unlike a magazine page, however, the elements of a
webpage are dynamic and interactive: you can scroll through the page or click on
specific areas that will expand more information or direct you to other related pages.
Several related web pages can make up a website.
4. Blog
Think about a blog as an online version of a writer's column.
Anyone can start a blog, and you can find blogs written both
by amateur and professional writers on a vast variety of
subjects starting from sports commentary to gossip to tech
tips and everything in-between.
Blogs can be a good source of information, but they can also be not so credible, so
always be critical and think about whether or not the author is qualified enough to give you
advice in a specific field. Like a writer’s column, blogs are often written in a more informal
style and are very personal, and you can often comment on a blog post in the comments
section. Many blogs today are very highly developed and serve as a source of income for
their authors.
5. Social Media
Any online media outlet that promotes interaction with other
users can be called social media. These sites are free to join,
and many of these sites have millions or even billions of users
that can connect and interact with each other through a
specific social media outlet. Facebook and Twitter are some
of the largest social media sites out there, but there are a lot
of others, too.
YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat and Reddit
are all popular social media sites as well. When selecting a social media to join, ask your
friends which one they use the most and decide what content you prefer to watch: if videos
are your jam, YouTube is your best bet, but if you’re more into sharing photos or writing
your thoughts, Instagram and Twitter respectively are best for you.
Apart from connecting with friends, social media offers all kinds of entertaining and
informative content. Many public officials, community centres and businesses have official
16social media pages nowadays, which can be very useful. At the same time, beware of
hackers and protect the information you share with others by managing privacy settings on
your page.
6. E-Commerce
Electronic commerce sites, also called e-commerce, are
online businesses that enable their customers to make
purchases through a website. E-commerce has exploded in
the past few years, and every day, billions of dollars are
spent online.
E-commerce sites can either belong to a specific brand and offer a certain kind of goods,
or it can be a retailer that usually offers a variety of different goods produced by other
companies. eBay and Amazon are some of the most famous online retailers that sell just
about anything, but nowadays, most businesses, starting from clothing brands and
ending with pharmacies or grocery shops have websites as well.
When shopping online, you will have to enter credit card information or your PayPal
information. Before purchasing something from an e-commerce website, make sure their
webpage is secure, which we will teach you about below.
7. http:// and https://
Hypertext Transfer Protocol, which is usually shortened to
HTTP is a tool that ensures all the content and data for a
specific webpage are shown and work correctly in your web
browser.
An improved version of this protocol is HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure).
Webpages that begin with “https://” have an extra layer of encryption that protects your
personal information and passwords from being accessed by others.
This is especially important for e-commerce websites, governmental sites, and online
banking because on these sites you use your ID and payment information. So, to know that
a web page is secure, look at the URL address of the website and make sure it starts with
an “https://” instead of just “http://”.
8. Spam Emails and Email Filters
Spam is a term that means unwanted emails, basically trash.
Spam is annoying and often dangerous, and there are 2 main
types of spam emails:
1. Advertising.
2. Emails sent out by hackers aiming to steal your passwords
and personal data.
17Most email services today have a filtering system that, for lack of another word, filters out
any important emails you’re getting from spam and puts all of these potentially useless
emails into a folder titled something like ‘spam’, ‘trash’, etc.
The main problem with this filter system is that it’s imperfect, and some important emails
may sometimes end up in the spam folder, and, what’s more dangerous, emails from
hackers may appear in your incoming emails instead of the spam folder.
That’s why it’s always important to be wary of the emails you receive, even if they arrive
from your bank or a person you know. For example, your bank or government officials
should never ask for your bank details or social security number via email. If an email looks
suspicious, don’t click on any links it contains; this may endanger your personal information
or passwords.
9. Authentication and Encryption
When you’re entering your email or login name and password
to access your account on a site, you’re going through a
process called authentication. Some sites and apps also
offer fingerprint scanners and face authentication. This
process is made easy for the users, you, that is, but behind
the scenes, it’s a complex process that is aimed to protect
your data and personal information.
This protection system is called encryption, and what it does is scrambles your data
following complex mathematical patterns so that it’s protected from eavesdroppers.
Businesses and social media sites alike use encryption, and it makes sure your personal
information and banking information is kept private and safe.
10. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing refers to any storage or software that exists
online and you don’t need to download and install in on your
computer. Essentially, when you’re using your email, for
example, you’re using software and storage space that exists
only on the Internet, also called “the cloud”, and not actually
downloading each email to your computer or smartphone.
You can access the cloud storage through your browser or via an app. But your email isn’t
the only instance of cloud computing. Many services, such as iCloud by Apple or Google
Drive, you guessed it, by Google let you store your files, photos, and other media on virtual
storage space and use online software to share or change these files.
Cloud computing is very convenient, as it allows you to access your data from multiple
devices at the same time without sending it to that specific device. Apart from that, cloud
computing lets multiple people from different corners of the Earth work on the same project
simultaneously, which definitely enables collaboration on a whole new level.
18President: Betty Hudson 027 235 0459 whatarau61@gmail.com
Secretary: Susan Anderson 021 116 9115 susananderson46@gmail.com
Treasurer: Brian Newton 022 095 2862 whakatanegreypower@gmail.com
Committee: Kate Ross 021 147 2758 kivrin52@gmail.com
Maud McKinnon 07 308 0358
Siva Padanadam 027 280 7122 siva_panadam@hotmail.com
Mailing Address: PO Box 830, Whakatane, 3158
email Address: whakatanegreypower@gmail.com
Website: http://greypowerwhakatane.org.nz
Membership Renewals
To renew membership or become a new member, please click on the appropriate link below &
complete the on-line form, details of our membership fees and bank account for internet
banking are included on the form.
https://greypowerwhakatane.org.nz/gpw/renew-member/
https://greypowerwhakatane.org.nz/gpw/new-member/
Disclaimer:
Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors. All information is given
in good faith and is believed to be accurate and reliable at the time of issue; however,
neither Whakatane District Grey Power Association Inc. nor the editors, accept any liability
for its contents.
Prepared & Edited by Susan Anderson & Brian Newton
We express our sincere thanks to Gateway
Funeral Services for printing this newsletter
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