Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

From staying healthy and finding work to saving money or keeping in touch, there are lots of ways that being online can make both the things you love and life’s little jobs quicker, easier and cheaper. If you’ve never touched a computer or a tablet before, or you just need some tips to make the most of being online, Communities First can help. Digital 'drop in' events are being held in Ammanford, Llanelli and Llwynhendy Libraries for ‘Get Online Week’ when there will be free information and support to make the most of the internet, computers and tablets. The session at Ammanford Library will take place this Monday (October 12) from 1.30 to 3.30pm. The Llanelli session is this Thursday from 10am to 1pm, and the Llwynhendy session this Friday from 1-3pm.

Carmarthenshire residents are being asked to test out the county council's new i-Local site to check that it’s easy to use and access. The site, which was launched by the county council at the National Eisteddfod in August, is now being tested. The Council’s E Government Officer employed via the Communities 2.0 project is assisting to ensure that i-Local is easy to use and as accessible as possible, the results from testing will be used to make improvements to the site. Executive board member for communications Cllr Pam Palmer said: “We are asking local residents to get involved to test areas of the website so that we can improve the service. “We want to make sure that i-Local is as easy to use and accessible as possible and we believe consulting the people who use the site is the best way to achieve that goal.” The first testing session took place recently at the Felinfoel Resource Centre, facilitated by the Communities 2.0 E Government Officer and was the first time Carmarthen...

Save time - do it online. That’s the message from Carmarthenshire County Council. A digital campaign has been launched to encourage more people to contact the council via the  iLocal pages on the website, and social media. Whatever people want to do – whether it is to pay for a service, report something, or find out information – it is available online. The My House feature also lets people know where their nearest things are, such as schools, surgeries, car parks, libraries, playgroups, recycling centres and a whole host of other services. The site has been designed to make it easier for people to contact the council both during and outside office hours. They can pay their council tax or business rates online, order and pay for a compost bin, or arrange collection of bulky goods. Requests can be made on iLocal for a number of things including housing repairs, disabled facilities grants, new council tax bills, leisure centre memberships and bus timetables. Residents can report ...

Aberystwyth University students living in University seafront residences will be able to enjoy super-fast internet access following the installation of a new Dark Fibre Network. Working with Pinacl Solutions, the University has invested over a quarter of a million pounds in the new network that connects the Penglais Campus with the seafront residences which provide accommodation for 450 students. The new Dark Fibre Network connects eight University buildings covering a total distance of 3,400m and consisting of over 58,000m of singlemode fibre and is operational from 30 April. The new development means students will be able to access multimedia material and video on the internet much quicker than previously. Initially this wide area network will run at 1 Gigabyte per second, facilitating download speeds that are much quicker than those experienced by most people through their home broadband. For the longer term it has the capacity to deliver speeds of 10 Gigabytes per second and beyo...

RDP Sir Gâr’s Rural Community Inclusion (RCI) project is hosting an open evening to help try and improve broadband for those living in rural areas. They will be in Bryn Chapel Hall in Llangynin on Thursday November 1 with suppliers Bluewave, TFL, ResQ and Telemat to let you know the options available to you for getting a better broadband connection. RCI offers a package of support that is designed to increase access to basic services and facilities in rural communities - including broadband service. The project is funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Registered charities, voluntary organisations, town or community councils, social enterprises, not for profit organisations and individuals all stand to benefit from RCI support and expert Project Development Officers will be on hand during the evening to discuss your project with you. The event is free and all are we...

People who would like to skype surf and search but don’t know where to start can join a computer course at Ammanford Library. The First Click course is for absolute beginners with no computer experience. It runs for three Fridays between 10am and 12.30pm, starting on October 5. The course is taught by helpful and knowledgeable tutors who will teach participants to carry out basic computer functions by the end of the three weeks. To book a place call Ammanford library on 01269 598150.

BBC News - Pembrokeshire council to show meetings on internet Pembrokeshire council is to broadcast its meetings on the internet, claiming to be only the second authority in Wales to do so. The move will cost about £15,000 a year and would be phased to show full council meetings initially. Cabinet and planning meetings are among others which could follow if it proves successful. The council's corporate governance committee approved the plan on Monday.

Dyfed Powys Police supports Safer Internet Day 7th February 2012 | Dyfed Powys Police | Heddlu Dyfed Powys Dyfed-Powys Police is supporting Safer Internet Day (SID). The day is organised in February of each year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people across the world. Safer Internet Day 2012 – the ninth edition of the event – centres on the theme ‘Connecting generations and educating each other’, and users young and old are encouraged to ‘discover the digital world together safely!’

SOPA, PIPA: What you need to know - Political Hotsheet - CBS News Having trouble using Wikipedia today? That's because the popular crowd-sourced online encyclopedia is participating in an "Internet blackout" in protest of two controversial anti-piracy bills: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate companion, the Protect IP Act (PIPA). The bills are intended to strengthen protections against copyright infringement and intellectual property theft, but Internet advocates say they would stifle expression the World Wide Web. In essence, the legislation has pitted content providers -- like the music and film industries -- against Silicon Valley.

Older people in Carmarthenshire have been encouraged to surf the Net at a special event organised by Carmarthenshire 50+ this week. The Computers, the Internet and You event in Carmarthen Community Education Centre was a chance to encourage people to get online and to encourage those already online to make better use of the Internet. Those attending had a chance to see demonstrations on looking local, how to use Facebook or Skype and how to use Internet banking. 50+ Steering Group members went round conducting 1 minute interviews on ‘how can we get as many older people as possible on-line in Carmarthenshire?’ There were stalls to browse including CAVS media project, looking local/communities 2.0, community education and Age Concern. Mary Evans of Johnstown said she had found the event very informative. “I have a visual impairment and have come for one-to-one advice. When I worked I had that support from my employer but I’m retired now.” Carmarthenshire County Council deputy leader and ...

And the music is great, too! You can watch it BIG size on You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8