WEEK 80 CORONAVIRUS: iPHONE UK TELEPHONE NUMBER FORMAT NOT WORKING - WORKAROUND

TECHNOLOGY AT ITS MOST CHALLENGING: IPHONE WORKAROUND

If the iPhone telephone numbers are correct but the spacing is wrong i.e. European spacing, the number will not work. [0123 456 7890 or 01234 567890 to 01 234 56 78 90] . Very tiresome.... but here is the workaround.  The problem is FORMATTING.    

[1] Get into the region as this is where the workaround all takes place:

SETTINGS - GENERAL - LANGUAGE & REGION - REGION  UK

[2] The REGION NEEDS TO BE 'RE-SET'.  Done by (1) 'unsetting' it.  Tap on 'United States ' bar and a menu appears 'Change to ENGLISH (US) (2) Tap on that  (3) wait until it has done that, then (4) go back and do the same thing again the other way around, i.e. Scroll up one bar to 'United Kingdom and tap on it. Tap on 'Change to ENGLISH (UK) and wait for it to change.  Now back where you started. A long way for a short-cut?!   But this works.  And it may need to be done again as another device (or iCloud/) seems to cause it to go into European format again.

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TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST

We had an occasion to use the  NHS Test and Trace kit which was given to us some months back when we were at our local vaccination centre.

Iain has a cold, and, as it turns out, does not have covid.  He tested himself; it was all quite impressive. 

It is a half hour DIY test kit where you take 2 samples and place them in a small test tube then place a drop on a measuring stick (left in photo).  After 30  minutes you read the calibrator: C for negative and T for positive. Easily done and came with a well laid out, clearly written instruction booklet.  And it also required that one report to the central government statistical data collection point, again well laid out and done without difficulty!