The gaff - 24th August 2018
on: 24/08/2018 | 16:35
The gaff banner by: brulaw
24th August 2018/Issue #280
giffgaff Happenings
by bluemoonbaz
Heads up - Huawei Phones Promotion Coming Up
Before this goes live to the public, I wanted to give our community a heads up and please feel free to share this with friends and family. From Thursday 16th August through to Wednesday 19th September, giffgaff will be running a few amazing exclusive promos on the Huawei range including:
- the fantastic P20 Pro with a FREE TABLET for just £699
- the outstanding P20 with Free JBL Go 2 Bluetooth Speakers for just £499 (previously £529)
And if neither of those phones float your boat or you are looking for something simpler but yet great then look no further: the Huawei P Smart will also go down in the price to £149 (previously £199!) Let us know what you think of these and feel free to ask any questions to Carlos @lausef on the announcement thread here.
Community help - what's next
@roxy_r has some news for us on how the community help is changing, some of them might come sooner and some might take a bit longer to arrive but this is what we have planned for the near future:
- Your 3 recently active help questions.
- Asking a question on the Help and Support board (stage 1).
- We are doing a bit of work on how we display who set a best answer.
Roxy is excited about getting these changes up and running, learn from them and figure out where we go next. You can read all about them and give your feedback here.
More efficient way to keep helpers in the loop
Our helpers do some amazing work and we want to make things as easy as possible for them when advising our helpees on what their next best step is in order to get their issue fixed or their question answered. Part of that is making sure that the helpers are as up to date as possible with our recent changes and new features available on giffgaff. giffgaff plan to get this out asap and locking the thread so that the members that subscribe to it only get notified when an update has been posted, but this thread here will stay open, to share your thoughts, ideas and feedback.
Lab Highlights
by as7861
Special Mentions
- @stellamobile has commented on an idea. Nice one!
- @claire1uk has commented on an idea. Nice one!
- @johnsmith140289 has commented on an idea. Nice one!
New / Old / Amazing Ideas (written by ijustcantdoit)
- Links in emails should be treated with suspicion - so web pages should be findable from My GiffGaff by @snozboz. Fantastic idea and a real benefit to the members.
- Activation offer by @giffin. Would this help bring more members to giffgaff?
- Allow rounding up of a top up by @not_me. This would be a great help if it could be done.
High-Tech Highlights
by jammydodge
Wi-fi could be used to detect weapons and bombs
Ordinary wi-fi could be used to detect weapons and explosives in public places, according to a study led by the Rutgers University in New Jersey. Wireless signals can penetrate bags to measure the dimensions of metal objects or estimate the volume of liquids, researchers claim.
Initial tests appeared to show that the system was at least 95% accurate. It could provide a low-cost alternative to airport-style security, researchers said. The team behind the research tested 15 types of objects and six types of bags.
The wi-fi system had success rates of 99% for recognising dangerous objects, 98% for metal and 95% for liquids. When objects were wrapped inside bags, the accuracy rate dropped to about 90%.
The low-cost system requires a wi-fi device with two or three antennas and can be integrated into existing wi-fi networks. The system works by analysing what happens when wireless signals penetrate and bounce off objects and materials. It could be utilised in museums, stadiums, theme parks and schools or wherever there is a perceived public risk.
“In large public areas, it’s hard to set up expensive screening infrastructure like what is in airports,” said Yingying Chen, co-author and a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Engineering. “Manpower is always needed to check bags and we wanted to develop a complementary method to try to reduce manpower.”
She added: “This could have a great impact in protecting the public from dangerous objects. There’s a growing need for that now.”
The future of The gaff
by willp789
In case you didn't read in last week's edition, we have opened a survey for you to complete. The survey is mostly multi-choice and should take less than 5 minutes to complete, so please hit the button below and let your voice be heard.
The survey will close at midday on Monday 27th August 2018, so please make sure you have submitted your responses by then. Any responses submitted after this date can't be considered. If you wish to know more or have any questions, I have posted a thread on contribute fully explaining how it works.
Photo Of The Week
by brulaw
This week's featured photo is The swallows return by @illneverrememberit. Some of the comments were "What an incredible shot" (frenchielove), "He looks like he is about to be eaten" (ellieclarke1989), "This is a terrific photo you did so well to capture that" (412834), "Well captured photo with a funny turn to it. The look on the waiting to be fed little fellow lol... He doesn't look happy waiting" (oliverspooner), "Now that is a cracking photo there" (bobrobinson), "Excellent timing" (markulous).
Another week, another tough choice. Thank you again all you giffsnappers, great pictures as always. Click here to see the original post.
Tech Developments
by revilo10
What data does Google keep about you?
We are all becoming more and more aware of the data that companies hold on us. With the EU's recent passing of GDPR, we have more rights than ever. But do you really know how to control who has access to what about you?
We use Google on a daily basis, in a lot of different ways. Google Maps, Google Search, YouTube, Advertising interactions and so much more. Google holds our location, search history, watch history, ISP info, purchase info, emails and so much more that we just seem to forget about.
However, there is a way to control and delete the data that Google holds on you. Just visit https://myactivity.google.com whilst logged into your Google Account, and you can customise your ad preferences, search history settings, location history settings and much more. You can also download a copy of the data that Google holds on any account of yours (Did you know that Google records and stores all instructions you give Google Home devices?)
Finally, please be aware that turning off some settings could hinder the personalisation of your account. Stay safe!
Previous Edition | Next Edition (31st August 2018)
on: 24/08/2018 | 17:20
Thank you very much @willp789 - I must admit that I was very pleased with that shot 
on: 24/08/2018 | 18:26
@willp789 and TEAM GIFFGAFF
On a smashing Friday edition👍
I love to read it and hope it continues
And it's great to see photo of the week📷
Cheers to everyone who has participated
Yvonne
