In December, BT published research that highlighted the importance of learning new digital skills among the older generation. Its report (see www.snipca.com/44641) found that 39 per cent of older adults feel they aren’t ‘tech savvy’, but are still keen to master new technology. It listed 40 digital skills that the over-60s have learnt in the past 10 years, which ranged from basic everyday activities such as online shopping, taking photos on a mobile phone and streaming TV shows to more advanced tech tasks including connecting to Wi-Fi, setting up a VPN and using QR codes.
Most Computeractive readers should comfortably be able to tick off all 40 items in BT’s list, but technology is constantly evolving and there are always new skills to learn if you want to keep up with the latest changes. In this feature, we recommend 16 secret PC tricks you should master to expand your digital expertise.
We reveal how to perform activities you’re already familiar with in a faster, smarter and safer manner, and suggest the best free software for these tasks. To keep things fresh and forward-looking, these all involve using new programs or tools that have been introduced in the last 12 months. Once you’ve mastered these skills, you can pass on that knowledge to your less tech-savvy friends and family members.
IMPROVE YOUR VIDEO CALLS
1 Enhance the quality of 1 your video calls
During the Covid lockdowns, millions of us discovered the benefits of making video calls on our PCs. Software such as Zoom, Skype and Google Meet lets you have free face-to-face chats with friends and family anywhere in the world, so you can stay in touch when you can’t meet in person, and make group calls to several people at the same time.
However, a common problem with desktop video calls is poor sound quality. Provided you and the person you’re speaking to have decent webcams and are sitting in adequately lit rooms, you can usually see each other without any problems, but you might not be able to hear each other properly. Muffled audio, background noise and echoing voices can all affect the clarity – and your enjoyment – of the conversation, almost as much as accidentally muting your microphone.
To ensure all your future video calls are suitably clear and audible, install Krisp (www.snipca.com/44596) on your computer. This program uses AI to remove background noise and echo from video calls, and enhance the quality of your voice. Specify which video-chat tool you use, from options including Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams, and Krisp will provide instructions for setting it up with that service.
In Zoom, for example, click the Settings cog in the top-right corner, choose Audio and select Krisp Speaker and Krisp Microphone from
