Links
Material from lectures
U3A Websites
New Zealand U3A Websites
Signposts/GEMS
General interest
Special interest
Useful computer stuff
Adobe Acrobat Reader
The links on this page were all working on 10 November 2011. Links that were broken or did not respond have been removed.
Material from lectures
From time to time speakers provide material relevant to their lectures that is available on the web or can be posted on our web site. Links to such material will be placed here.
Note: The files are in pdf format and require software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader to be installed on your computer. Generally, a broadband internet connection is recommended for downloading these files.
Matthew Trundle(13, 20, 27/5/08)
History & Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
Lecture notes
Slides for lecture 1 - Broadband recommended
Slides for lecture 2
Slides for lecture 3
Malcolm Clark (19/9/08)
Deepwater Discoveries in the Antarctic - The Tangaroa Voyage to the Ross Sea in 2008
Neil Plimmer (21/8/09)
Wellington Sculpture Trust
Geoff Chambers (30/4/10)
The Four Horsemen of the New Enlightenment
Four Horsemen article NB: This article is made available on the understanding that it is for private use and study only.
Robert McLean & Alison Dangerfield (1/6/10)
Revitalising a City - The Challenges of Economics and Heritage
Jonathan Boston (23/7/10)
Cooking the Planet - The Politics & Economics of Climate Change
Ken Scadden (17/8/10)
Hazards of 19th Century Ship Travel to New Zealand
Gesine Pufal (20/8/10)
Dispersal strategies in NZ alpine Veronica
Bindi Thomas (20/8/10)
Satellite tracking wildlife
Mjr. Jon Martin (10/9/10)
Kiwis in the Hindu Kush a large file; broadband & patience required.
Martin Manning (6/5/11)
Some climate change questions - has 2010 been a turning point?
George Cunningham (24/6/11)
Cape to Cairo
Matthew Trundle (9 & 16/8/11)
Life in Ancient Sparta - part 1; part 2
Murray Gibb (9/9/11)
Water - The New Carbon? Lecture notes; slides
Barbara Pezzotti (13/9/11)
Italy in Crime Fiction
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U3A Web sites
U3A - The Third Age Trust: UK U3A National Website
http://www.u3a.org.uk
This is the biggest and the best U3A site, with interesting information about the origins of the U3A movement and its philosophy of 'self-help' lifelong learning.
U3A Online
U3A Online is a 'virtual' University of the Third Age delivering online learning via the Internet. Courses are open to people anywhere in the world. They are especially suited to older members of the community who are isolated either geographically, or through physical or social circumstances (including carers).
This site is also the major 'portal' website for Australian U3As. It has been developed by Griffith University and is kept up to date to provide Australian and New Zealand U3As with valuable links, contacts and resources.
http://www3.griffith.edu.au/03/u3a/
Please welcome U3A Nigeria to our WorldU3A family of
organisations. http://worldu3a.org/nigeria/
The Virtual U3A of the United Kingdom is now available at
http://vu3a.org/
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New Zealand U3A websites
New: Here is a link to help locate a U3A anywhere in New Zealand: www.u3a.net.nz . Just click on the map...
Below are links to all NZ U3A websites that I have been able to locate. Several U3As are listed on the 'Grownups' website (www.grownups.co.nz) , requiring you to register before you can access the U3A details. Registration is free and should be perfectly safe, and will grant access to the whole 'Grownups' site.
U3A Warkworth
U3A Havelock North
U3A Tauranga
U3A Browns Bay
U3A Franklin
U3A Hawera
U3A Mana
U3A Manawatu
U3A Manurewa
U3A Meadowbank
U3A Motueka
U3A Wairarapa
Canterbury U3As
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GEMS (Formerly known as Signposts)
GEMs for Enquiring Minds; a U3A Online email newsletter sent monthly to
people in any country who like to keep their minds active.
* Please send snippets of possible interest to the editor.
* Feel free to copy any of this information for your own newsletters.
* Back-issues http://www.u3aonline.org.au
Membership of U3A Online costs individuals only $25/year and entitles them to free access for a year to more than 35 high quality courses covering fields as diverse as history, science, religion and writing. There are forums in which to "meet" other like-minded learners U3A Online is freely hosted by Griffith University
GEMs is edited and issued by Rick Swindell in Brisbane, Australia on behalf
of U3A Online. Please note that this is an announcement list (contact
Rick to subscribe). If you know of others who would like to be on this
worldwide list, please ask them to email ricks1912@gmail.com and they
will be added.
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December 2011
RESEARCH GEMs (Aim: To provide you with readable information about the latest research that may
help you to improve your quality-of-life)
**Exercise GEMs
- More Years to Life and Life to Years Through Increased Motivation for an Active Life
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101171042.htm - Physical Activity Impacts Overall Quality of Sleep
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122143354.htm
**Diet GEMs
- Health Risk from Eating Well-Done Meat May Be Underestimated
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101125945.htm - U.S. Population On Track to Getting Even Fatter
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116132920.htm - Eating Fish Can Reduce the Risk of Diabetes, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111095120.htm - More Power to the Cranberry: Study Shows Juice Better Than Extracts at Fighting Infections
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028103725.htm - Study Suggests New Benefits of Eating Nuts for Patients With Metabolic Syndrome
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111095222.htm
**Cognitive fitness GEMs
- Memory Fitness Program Improves Memory Abilities of Oldest Adults
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829131310.htm
FUN GEMs
Thanks David Wilson (Australia) for the following four GEMs
- The kleptomaniac http://tinyurl.com/493r2dz
- All you Louis Armstrong/Danny Kaye aficionados – how good is this?
http://tinyurl.com/673hxb - Stats as you’ve never seen them before. Watch how the last 200 years come alive in this 4 minute
video to show how development and longevity are linked
http://tinyurl.com/2e9l6r4 - Get a job. Get a life. Sure it works but why would someone spend his/her intellectual talents
programming this?
http://tinyurl.com/25lrpsj
TECHNICAL GEMS
Thanks Bob Rankin for the following four GEMs
- Get rid of the crapware. I just got a new laptop, and I want to remove all the non-essential
programs that came preloaded and load the best freeware for everyday computing.
http://tinyurl.com/7w2grws - What is Cloud-Based Antivirus and how effective is it? http://tinyurl.com/ccxofgy
- Thinking about dropping your cable TV in favor of online TV and movie streaming? Options may not yet be
available in your country but they’re coming quickly. This article will help with your mental “pump priming”.
http://tinyurl.com/cmn2wyk - 10 Ways To Boost a WiFi Signal
http://tinyurl.com/cv96f34
Thanks Gizmo’s Best Freeware for the following four GEMs
- Best pick for disk imaging software that ensures you can safely recover from a system crash or a
bad virus infection without having to worry about reformatting and reinstalling the operating system.
http://tinyurl.com/y4x9hd3 - The main purpose of Simplehelp.net is to help beginner-to-intermediate computer users learn how to do various things with their computers. http://www.simplehelp.net/ teaches a wide variety of topics to all levels, such as troubleshooting email, preventing spam and removing spyware.
- This highly rated tool could be the ultimate safe computing environment
http://tinyurl.com/bujz6j9 - Wedding anniversary, partner’s birthday, court appearance? Never Forget An Important Date Or Task With Future Dated Emails
http://remind2.me/ - In a group of people, getting everyone to smile nicely, keep their eyes open or look at the camera
at the same time can be a challenge. The bigger the group, the more likely someone is going to ruin
the picture, so next time take a bunch of the same pictures and use Microsoft's Photo Fuse to create
the perfect group shot! ty Data Doctors
http://tinyurl.com/cspkv6m
January 2012
Happy 2012 to all
Ty Gizmo Best Freeware for the following two GEMs
- This single page of hundreds of useful links may be helpful to parents/friends who don’t know their way easily around the web
http://www.allmyfaves.com/ - Tipnut is a site where you can find tips and projects about cleaning, DIY projects, food, household, health etc etc
http://tipnut.com/
RESEARCH GEMs
(Aim: To provide you with readable information about the latest research that may help you to improve your quality-of-life
Exercise GEMs
- Physical Fitness Trumps Body Weight in Reducing Death Risks, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205165120.htm
Diet GEMS
- Eating Fish Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130095257.htm - Mid-Afternoon Slump? Why a Sugar Rush May Not Be the Answer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116124714.htm - Vegetables, Fruits, Grains Reduce Stroke Risk in Women
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201163556.htm - Fruits and Vegetables Reduce Risks of Specific Types of Colorectal Cancers, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926083346.htm - Young Women May Reduce Heart Disease Risk Eating Fish With Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205165118.htm - Mediterranean diet gives longer life, Swedish study suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220154122.htm
General GEMs
- Life after cigarettes: Compared with those who continue to smoke, quitters are both happier and more satisfied with their health http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213120833.htm
- Smoking Cessation Interventions Appear to Be Effective for Some Current Smokers
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128182428.htm - Smoking is strongly associated with squamous cell carcinoma among women
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208173714.htm
FUN GEMs
- Play your favourite music from 1950-1989 plus many other genres all free. (Thanks Robin Wendleman, Australia) http://www.tropicalglen.com/
- The 45 Most Powerful Images Of 2011 (Thanks Gizmo’s Best Freeware)
http://tinyurl.com/6nsgwx7
TECHNICAL GEMs
- The link to "This highly rated tool could be the ultimate safe computing environment" was compromised in the last GEMs newsletter. Here it is again.
http://tinyurl.com/6sbqte6
Thanks Bob Rankin for the following four GEMs
- USB flash drives are highly vulnerable to malware infections. Here's what you need to know.
http://tinyurl.com/858xrkk - How to Learn Almost Anything For Free
http://tinyurl.com/6rdr9gm - Ten Identity Theft Protection Tips
http://tinyurl.com/79qq4tj - The Best Free Software - Part Two
http://tinyurl.com/7mh9c4h
Thanks Gizmos Best Freeware for the following four GEMs
- Is Your Computer Infected? Here's How to Find Out
http://tinyurl.com/cpjz58h - The Ultimate Guide to Tablets
http://tinyurl.com/75vx43m - Best Free iPhone Apps from Gizmo’s iphone reviewer
http://tinyurl.com/76ou3b7 - How to Fix a Windows XP System That Won't Start
http://tinyurl.com/7f6dabq
February 2012
The new U3A Online website is now open for business. 43 courses are available for self study 365days a year. Check out the free resources
www.u3aonline.org.au
Newsletter editors, writers, others needing quick access to special characters will want to bookmarkthis site (Ty Gizmo Best Freeware)
http://copypastecharacter.com/
RESEARCH GEMs
(Aim: To provide you with readable summaries of the latest research that may help you to improve your quality-of-life)
**Exercise GEMs
- Boost for Health? Researchers Isolate Protein Linking Exercise to Health Benefits
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133520.htm - Global Study Sheds Light On Role of Exercise, Cars and Televisions On the Risk of Heart Attacks
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111090611.htm
**Diet GEMS
- Increase Dietary Fiber, Decrease Disease http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111103854.htm
-
Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Are Heart-Healthy Foods of Love, Dietitians Say
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113093818.htm - Alzheimer's: Diet Patterns May Keep Brain from Shrinking
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229092036.htm - An Apple a Day Isn't Enough: Many People Not Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140221.htm - Diet Rich in Slowly Digested Carbs Reduces Markers of Inflammation in Overweight and Obese Adults
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111154043.htm - Penny-Per-Ounce Tax On Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Keeps the Doctor Away and Saves Money, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109212023.htm
**Cognitive fitness GEMs
- Lifelong Brain-Stimulating Habits Linked to Lower Alzheimer's Protein Levels
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163348.htm - Enhancing Cognition in Older Adults Also Changes Personality
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118101528.htm
**General GEMs
- Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Add a Decade or More Healthy Years to the Average Lifespan, Canadian Study Shows http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021074730.htm
- Sexual Satisfaction in Women Increases With Age http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103134907.htm
- Elderly Can Be as Fast as Young in Some Brain Tasks, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142535.htm
FUN GEMs
- There are only nine non-trick questions to this quiz for people who seem to know everything. Run this in your newsletters. (ty Ross Schumacher, Australia)
http://tinyurl.com/3kfonpx - The new year has turned up some surprising new heroes/heroines. Who’s your role model for 2012? (ty Mick Head, New Zealand)
http://tinyurl.com/3kfonpx - How to keep your reflexes and sense of rhythm honed in later life (ty Jim Hales – Australia)
http://tinyurl.com/2sgd89 - Funny cats (ty Allan Gray USA)
http://tinyurl.com/7c4333
Thanks Viv Atkins, NZ, for the following three GEMs:
- Grace, poetry and power of dance. Nicolas Besnard (former Cirque du Soleil performer) and Shenea Booth (twice Sport Acrobatic World Champion)
http://tinyurl.com/6ul9vnk - Try to guess what this ad’s for before the brief video clip ends http://tinyurl.com/3ofv22y
- David Attenborough demonstrates the problem-solving abilities of the New Zealand Kea - one of the smartest animals on the planet http://tinyurl.com/7v3qgvq
Thanks David Wilson, Australia, for following two GEMs:
- When the logging industry was young http://tinyurl.com/6wv5bpu
- Vacuum cleaner ad
http://tinyurl.com/6uj7f6p
TECHNICAL GEMs
- The Australian Government’s cybersecurity website provides information for internet users on the simple steps they can take to protect their personal and financial information online
http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/
Thanks Bob Rankin for the following three GEMs (Scroll down for readers' comments on Bob’s advice):
- Should You Buy Discount Ink Cartridges? http://tinyurl.com/7mt6bbm
- Many schools, non-profits, and government offices have dumped Word in favor of Docs. What are the pros and cons? http://tinyurl.com/6odussb
- How long will your hard drive last? Is it giving you subtle signs that a data disaster is looming? How will you know when it's time to buy a new hard drive?
http://tinyurl.com/74f3yrj
Thanks Gizmos Best Freeware for the following four GEMs:
- The 5 Tips Gizmo Readers Liked Most in 2011 http://tinyurl.com/6ngp5je
- Microsoft Security Essentials was voted best Freeware product for 2011 by Gizmo readers plus two others you might like to review
http://tinyurl.com/6whvgpd - Most average PC users will learn a lot by reading one or more of these plain English mini-tutorials
http://tinyurl.com/8ygcebe - More than 300 how-to articles in many different categories (not just technology) in The Wired How to Wiki http://howto.wired.com
Thanks Data Doctors for the following three GEMs
- For many people their phone is also their primary camera. Here are 11 tips on how to make your phone photos look great
http://tinyurl.com/73nwy9y - Thinking of buying a tablet? This end-of-2011 review of 16 current contenders is a must-read first.
http://tinyurl.com/73qd96c - Need to help a parent/friend with a computer problem, or log in from afar to your own computer? Try the free version of LogMeIn http://tinyurl.com/22o48z
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General Interest
Here is short document (pdf file) sent by Dr Rick Swindell on the topic of heart attacks in women. It does happen, and it is important to recognise the signs.
Victoria Continuing Education
Victoria University's Continuing Education provides a wide range of seminars, courses and study tours of interest to U3A members. U3A members are entitled to a 10% discount on fee-bearing seminars and courses. Some activities are developed in partnership with U3A Wellington City.
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/ceed/personal
On Line Opinion is Australia’s free internet journal of social and political opinion
www.onlineopinion.com.au
Bookworms amongst us can catalogue their libraries on line and, if they wish, interact with other readers with the same taste. Definitely worth a look – click on http://www.librarything.com/ and then on the ‘take the tour’ link.
Grownups.co: Here is an interesting website aimed at the 50+ generation in New Zealand.
www.grownups.co.nz
Spiked – describes itself as “an independent online phenomenon dedicated to raising the horizons of humanity by waging a culture war of words against misanthropy, priggishness, prejudice, luddism, illiberalism and irrationalism in all their ancient and modern forms.
http://www.spiked-online.com/
Arts and Letters Daily was created by Dennis Dutton (Otago University) and gives access to current reviews, articles and essays on the arts, science, literature, philosophy and politics, as well as to major world newspapers and periodicals. Always fascinating reading, addictive and highly recommended.
http://www.aldaily.com/
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[Top of page]
Special Interest
Te Ara - The Encyclodedia of New Zealand A comprehensive guide to New Zealand's peoples, natural environment, history, culture, economy and society.
Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Science/technology groups: have a look at these teaching resources on nanotechnology. They are aimed at school students but their content is generalisable to discussions about the future. Other topics also. http://www.accessnano.org/teaching-modules
Bonzer for writers and readers:
http://www.bonzer.org.au/
This 12 lesson course in Latin suitable for people who learned at school and since forgotten it:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/latin/beginners
Over 90 science programmes and free educational resources for teachers, students and the general public:
http://www.vega.org.uk
A BBC site
which helps you to brush up your basic English and maths skills
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/
We have been advised by the Customer Specialist at the Wellington City Libraries of the following website address which may be of interest to you: www.wcl.govt.nz/popular/senior.html
The Modern Antiquarian is a massive resource for news, information, images, folklore & weblinks on many ancient sites across the UK & Ireland.
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com
History Groups: The Old Bailey Online project is complete.
200,000 trials from 1674 to 1913 fully searchable can be found
at http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/
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Useful computer stuff
Want to learn more about Seniornet? Visit their web site at http://seniornetwgtn.blogspot.com
Here is a wonderful site that gives free computer tutorials for computer beginners
http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk.
Bootlog claims to be a major new resource for users looking for technical support. It is certainly worth a browse.
http://www.bootlog.co.uk
Windows Genuine Advantage may not be what it sounds. See http://windowssecrets.com/comp/060629/
When buying goods online you can tell if a site is secure by looking at the browser’s status bar and checking whether it contains an image of a closed padlock. Here's a tutorial on how to recognize when you're communicating over a secure connection http://security.getnetwise.org/tips/secure-web.php
Visiting grandchildren? Pages from http://www.papertoys.com/ might keep them off your computer.
Tutorials based on pictures, not words. They're the easiest way to learn computer subjects. There's no complicated multimedia, just pictures that show exactly what to do. Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word http://inpics.net/
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC.
A lightning strike has fried your computer. It’s a comparatively simple job to replace your mother board according to Bob Rankin.
http://tinyurl.com/29vv3pr
The speakers that come with most portable computers are a step above terrible yet the computer audio chips are usually very good. Read tips on selecting great portable speakers for your computer
http://tinyurl.com/22vd2lp
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Adobe Acrobat Reader & Foxit Reader
To download and read pdf files (Portable Document Format) you need to have suitable software installed on your computer. Two common examples are Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit Reader.
Many computers will have Adobe Acrobat Reader already installed, but if it is an old version you may still have difficulty reading the pdf files available from the U3A website.
You can download and install an up-to-date copy by clicking on the button below. Note: The Adobe Acrobat Reader is a large file (over 20 megabytes), and is not really suitable for dial-up modem connections.
The download is free, and you need do it only once.
Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is the only software that you need to download. You do not need to download the extra software that is offered to you on the Adobe download page.
Foxit Reader
If you have a dial-up modem connection, an alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader is the Foxit Reader which is only 2 megabytes and will happily read the pdf files. Download Foxit Reader by clicking on this link.
You need to install the reader by double-clicking on the downloaded file.
