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How do I get my Chromebook to print?
Is an old mobile phone safe to use as a security camera?
Robert Irvine’s Easy When You Know How column in Issue 603 on using an old mobile phone as a surveillance camera got me wondering about security. I like the idea of this, but is it safe to use an old mobile phone this way? Many will no longer receive manufacturer updates, so would it be sensible to install security software?
This is an interesting question. In a broad sense your concern is valid: an old mobile that no longer receives updates could have flaws that make it vulnerable to attack when connected to the internet. That’s true of both iphones and Android phones, though the former are generally more secure – because Apple controls so much of what can be installed on or done within IOS.
However, in terms of Robert’s specific example – using the Alfred service ( https://alfred.camera) – the risk is limited. By this, we mean any flaw would need to be specific enough to allow wrongdoers access to the Alfred app’s inner workings. That’s certainly not impossible, but it isn’t likely. Moreover, while older Android and IOS versions might themselves be unsupported, the Alfred app remains a live, supported project.
With Android, for example, Alfred supports some phones running versions as old as 5.0 (Lollipop) – released back in 2014. If some critical flaw were found in Android 5.0 that allowed hackers a way into Alfred, we think that developer Alfred Systems would withdraw the app for that version of Android.
Moreover, it’s not unknown for Google or Apple to issue emergency fixes for versions they no longer support because both companies know that many millions of users continue to use old editions – and releasing these fixes is just a good PR move. In short, then, the risk you identify is real but is unlikely to affect Alfred specifically.
Additional security software can be a good idea on Android phones. Any such apps for IOS are largely pointless because – as stated above – Apple controls everything. However, there’s no guarantee you’ll find reliable security apps that run on very old versions of Android. For example, Avast’s popular mobile security app ( www.snipca.com/38611) requires at least Android 5.0. Still, if your spare phone is running a version older than that then the Alfred app itself won’t run.
How do I get my Chromebook to print?
Thanks for the ‘Should you buy a Chromebook?’ feature in Issue 604 (page 60). I think it would have been worth mentioning their printing limitations. My new HP printer works well with my Acer Chromebook, but I cannot get my old Canon Pixma ip7250 printer to work with it. When I add a printer in Settings, the Canon is shown on the list, but when I try to set it up, it’s not listed and I can’t find a PPD file. The Chromebook doesn’t recognise the printer’s IP address either.
I’d be grateful for any suggestions. Russ Reid
Yes, connecting older printers to Chromebooks can be a problem. Canon has stated that it will support Chrome OS (which runs on Chromebooks) in future, but this won’t help owners of older printers – like yourself. One option is to try connecting your Canon printer via a USB cable. If that’s not possible, we’d suggest choosing one of Chrome OS’S generic printer entries (see screenshot left): it may let you use at least some of the printer’s basic tools.
Where’s my Windows 10 product key?
Thanks for answering my question in Issue 608 about my Windows 10 Pro PC, which has 8GB of RAM (not all of which is usable). I’d like to follow your instructions to upgrade from 32bit to 64bit Windows, with a clean install. However, my version of Windows 10 Pro was an upgrade some time ago so the only product key I have relates to the original Windows 7 Pro. So, how would I upgrade to Windows 10? Tom Jones
When you upgraded from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10, your old licence would have been subsumed into a new one – for Windows 10. This is a digital licence attached to your Microsoft account and specific PC setup. You can download Microsoft’s media-creation tool from www.snipca.com/38613 (pictured below), and use that to perform a clean install of Windows 10 Pro. As the operating system has been previously activated on your PC, you will not be asked for a product key.