Quote for the Week!

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."


Bill Gates


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£2.1m Broadband Pledge from NCC

Nottinghamshire County Council is “chipping in” to the central government funding pledge to improve the county’s broadband access.

In August, the Government provisionally allocated £4.25m to Nottinghamshire County Council to improve broadband infrastructure county wide.  However with 23.7% of properties in Nottinghamshire having no or limited broadband access, the county council has decided to invest a further £2.1m.

Councillor Keith Girling, deputy cabinet member for culture and community, said: "At the moment we are losing businesses to South Yorkshire because broadband is better for them there.

"We've got to look at it sensibly. Rural areas depend on good broadband and it is up to us to make it happen."

But the county council said it needed Nottinghamshire's district and borough councils to match the funding to ensure the "vital" broadband improvements. Furthermore, the county council is seeking £8.5m from whichever telecommunications operator is appointed to carry out the improvements.  Work is not expected to start until 2013.

Got a question about broadband connectivity? Ask the experts, Ask Adodo 

Quote of the Week!

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome."

Booker T. Washington 

Are You Ready for an IT Failure?

A total 1,750 IT bosses were questioned in a report by IT group EMC that suggests almost three-quarters of firms and public sector organisations across nine European countries may not fully recover their computer systems or data after an IT failure.

The survey that covered Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Russia as well as the UK claimed 74% were "not very confident" they could fully restore their networks.  Furthermore, 54% admitted they had lost data or suffered systems downtime in the past 12 months.

Its report found that the most common cause of data loss and downtime was hardware failure, followed by power outage and software malfunction. 

EMC said firms needed to put more focus on backup and recovery systems.  Adodo wholeheartedly concurs!  Find out more about Adodo's Disaster Recovery Solutions.

Mobile Customer Service is Better

New Ofcom research reveals that consumers are more satisfied with their mobile phone provider than they are with landline or broadband suppliers.

In September the communication regulators interviewed 3,000 people, quizzing them on recent contact from their providers and the levels of service that they received.   The results showed that whilst service ratings for landlines had improved with BT, Sky and Talk Talk since 2009, on average, these satisfaction levels were still below those for mobile services.

It seems broadband speeds are still a major bone of contention and the underlying reason for many customer complaints.  Consumers having to contact their providers to change the deals that they signed up for proved the most common gripe from dissatisfied customers.

The telecommunication industry gets a lot of bad press for poor service, overcomplicated tariffs and for tying customers into long term contracts.  However, there are still some good guys out there that put a strong emphasis on customer service, simple tariffs and 30 days rolling contracts.  If you have a telecoms query then please feel free to Ask Adodo.

Contact Lenses of the future?

It seems Scientists are a step closer to new technology that, if approved, could allow users to read floating texts and emails right in front of their eyes, Terminator-style.

After a series of successful animal trials, these futuristic contact lenses could be a lot closer than we think. Researchers at Washington University who are working on the device say early tests show it is safe and feasible.

There are still wrinkles to iron out, like finding a good power source. As currently, their crude prototype device can only work if it is within centimetres of the wireless battery.

Initial safety tests in rabbits have gone well, with no obvious adverse effects, which has given the researchers renewed faith about the device's possibilities.  They envisage hundreds more pixels could be embedded in the flexible lens to produce complex holographic images.  For example, drivers could wear them to see journey directions or their vehicle's speed projected onto the windscreen.

The researchers in Washington are not the only team working on this kind of technology. Swiss company, Sensimed have already brought to market, a smart contact lens that uses inbuilt computer technology to monitor pressure inside the eye to keep tabs on the eye condition glaucoma.

Adodo are big believers in New Technology but are we ready for this kind of technology? Are we not 'hooked up' to enough technology already? Or is this just what we have been waiting for? Could this improve efficiency across your company?

Quote for the Week!

"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year."


John Foster Dulles 


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Broadband Speeds Drop by 35% In the Evenings

According to comparison site uSwitch, UK broadband speeds drop by an average of 35% from their off-peak highs during the evenings when most people go online.

The report said that peak surf times were between 7pm and 9pm, meaning that was the slowest time to be online.  It went on to say that the best time to be online was between 2am and 3am.

There were also huge regional variations between evening and early morning surfing times.  Users in Evesham, Worcestershire, fared worst, according to the survey, with a massive 69% drop-off between off-peak morning and evening surfing.

Broadband speed is becoming more important as bandwidth-hungry services such as on-demand TV become more popular.  Telecoms regulator Ofcom recently revealed that British households download an average of 17 gigabytes of data every month over their home broadband connections.

Critics say consumers are being misled by internet service providers who continue to advertise their maximum broadband speeds, even though many users do not get them.

Questions about connectivity or broadband speeds? It's easy, Ask Adodo...

Welsh ‘notspots’ Prevent Competitive Business

Tourism chiefs claim that a lack of fast broadband is preventing companies based in Wales from being able to compete.

The Wales Tourism Alliance said "tech-savvy" visitors expected make to bookings online and then to stay connected during their trip.  One Pembrokeshire hotelier even spent £8,000 putting in wireless broadband to solve the ‘notspot’ problem faced by so many in Wales. 

However, Bristol-based firm, Avonline believe they have a solution.  They claim that their service uses a powerful satellite over Europe launched earlier this year to bring a guaranteed minimum 6mbps service.  Avonline said it was starting its UK promotion in Wales due to Ofcom's assessment of the poor broadband provision.

A spokeswoman said the Welsh government did not promote or endorse any individual company, system or technology within the broadband support scheme.  According to the Welsh government said there were more than 100 active applications from Pembrokeshire for its broadband support scheme, including five community schemes.

Questions about connectivity or broadband speeds? It's easy, Ask Adodo...

Quote for the Week!

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live”

                

Flora Whittmore

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Africa’s Mobile Boom

After Asia, it seems Africa has the biggest mobile market in the world.  It certainly has the fastest-growing according to an association of worldwide mobile phone operators. 

The number of subscribers on the continent has grown almost 20% each year for the past five years, the GSM Association report on Africa says.  It expects there will be more than 735 million subscribers by the end of 2012.  Analysts believe that the poor and expensive landline service in Africa is the cause for rising mobile phone usage. 

Nigeria has the highest number of mobile phone subscriptions in Africa - more than 93 million, representing 16% of the continent's total mobile subscriptions, GSMA says.

The report says African countries have allocated far less spectrum to mobile services than Europe, the Americas and Asia, which inhibits connectivity to many people in rural areas.  It has been suggested that to take full advantage of the rising interest in mobile connectivity, African countries need to allocate more spectrum for the provision of mobile broadband services, as well as introduce tax cuts for the industry.

National Campaign Warns of Smartphone Scams

We’ve been talking about it for months but now a national computer security campaign is urging smartphone users to do more to protect themselves from unwittingly downloading malware applications.

A joint initiative between the government, police and industry, called Get Safe Online, said it was concerned that users of smartphones, such as Android devices, were not taking steps to protect their devices.

Their claim; is that that there has been an increase in smartphone malware as the market has grown.  As predicted, criminals are typically creating Trojan copies of reputable apps and tricking users into installing them. Once on the phone, the app can secretly generate cash for criminals through premium rate text messages.

If your smartphone is not armed with protection, then please take advantage of our FREE smartphone security trial!  Click here to find out more.

Quote of the Week!

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."


Albert Einstein


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MP’s Want Mobile Operators to Get on with It

A committee of UK MPs is urging mobile operators to stop fighting over how to share out the airwaves that will deliver next-generation services and get on with it.

The switch-over to digital TV has been key to providing the much-needed bandwidth for data services following the exponential rise of smartphones.  The result freed up a spectrum of airwaves that are now being fought over by the top mobile operators. 

The spectrum being auctioned is particularly valuable because it is low frequency and therefore covers greater distances. Regulator Ofcom hopes to hold the sale mid-2012, meaning that the UK is on track to be one of the last European countries to hold its 4G auction.  

Amidst a complex list of complaints, Ofcom has made clear that it wants Three to remain as a competitor in the UK mobile landscape because it has ensured that consumers get innovative services and low prices.  Therefore, in its proposals for the spectrum auctions the watchdog set mechanisms to ensure that Three got a portion of the 4G spectrum at a minimum price.  This angered O2 and Vodafone who threatened legal action over the floors, claiming they amounted to state-aid for Three.

Three, Vodafone, O2 and Everything, Everywhere are all planning to meet with Ofcom and the Government during the second consultation period in December to try and decide how the auction should work.  

Apple Blames Bugs for Battery Problems

Apple has finally made a statement that admits to "a few bugs" in its latest mobile operating system iOS 5.

Apple's servers were overwhelmed by demand for iOS 5 when it was released last month, but ever since its release, there have been thousands of complaints about poor battery life posted on Apple's forums.  In some cases, people claimed that their phone battery was draining by up to 15% every hour, even when the handset was not being used.

Initially Apple would not comment on the matter but have now issued a statement: "A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices," it said.

"We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks," it added.

It seems that Apple is certainly starting to feel the pressure from competitor challenges on the global stage, with vendors using Google’s Android Operating System turning up the heat. 

Analyst firm Canalys revealed that HTC has become the number one vendor in the US, overtaking Samsung, and pushing Apple into third place.

Is Apple’s perceived market dominance over?

Do You know that a smartphone can be infected by viruses in the same way as a PC? Are you protected?  Get FREE Smartphone Security trial here.

Quote For the Week!

"We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."


Charles R. Swindoll 


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IBM Appoint first Female Chief Executive

For the first time ever, IBM has appointed a female Chief Executive. 

Virginia Rometty, currently a senior vice president, will take over from the current chief executive, Sam Palmisano, in January. Mr Palmisano, who took the top job in 2002, will step aside whilst remaining chairman of IBM.

Commentators describe, Ms. Rometty, known to most as “Ginni”, as the ‘logical’ choice, given her experience running the largest portion of the business by revenue.

She joins a relatively small circle of top female chief executives, including Pepsi's Indra Nooyi, Xerox's Ursula Burns, Kraft Foods' Irene Rosenfeld and DuPont's Ellen Kullman.  Recently, Hewlett-Packard - a longtime rival to IBM - appointed Meg Whitman as its boss.

Nokia to be Reborn with Windows Phone

Nokia have shown faith in the future of Windows Phone and launched two new smartphones based on Microsoft's new operating system.

The Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710 mark the beginning of Nokia's fight back against Apple's iPhone and rivals using Google's Android software.  Until recently, Nokia, were the world's largest maker of smartphones.  All future Nokia smartphones will be built on the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system, otherwise known as Mango. 

New boss, Stephen Elop, believes that the launch of the new range, that includes four new basic phones, will mark the "rebirth" of Nokia.

In an unusual move for the company, it will start shipping the Lumia 800 range almost immediately and hit the shops in France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain and the Netherlands in November.

No Link between Cancer and Mobile Phones According to New Study

The health risks associated with mobile phone use have been much debated over the last 20years, but the latest study suggests that there is no link between mobile phones and brain cancer. 

The study led by the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark looked at more than 350,000 people with mobile phones over an 18-year period.  The researchers concluded that users were at no greater risk than anyone else of developing brain cancer. The findings, published on the British Medical Journal website, come after a series of studies have come to similar conclusions.

However, there has also been some research casting doubt on mobile phone safety, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that they could still be carcinogenic. 

As the debate rages on, have the questions over mobile phone safety ever curbed your personal usage?  Do you take precautions against potential over use?

Quote for the Week!

"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."

Theodore Roosevelt 


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HTC Dealt Disappointment in their battle with Apple

HTC has faced a major blow in their ongoing legal battle with Apple over patents. 

HTC had asked the court to ban imports of several Apple products in to the US citing patent infringements.  However, The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Apple did not violate patents as claimed by HTC in a complaint lodged last year.

This is a further knock to HTC, whose shares fell 6% after the ruling.  Over the summer the Taiwanese phone maker was also found to have infringed two iPhone patents in a case brought by Apple at the ITC.  Despite the result, HTC are sticking to their guns.

"This is only one step of many in these legal proceedings. We are confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to protect our intellectual property," said Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel.

Did you know: Around 80% of European smartphone users have been hit by spam?  Protect yourself, click here for a free mobile security trial!

Quote for the Week!

"Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals."


Paul J. Meyer 


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Dr. Dennis Ritchie, has died

Pioneering computer scientist, Dr. Dennis M. Ritchie, who helped shape the modern digital era by creating software tools that power things as diverse as search engines like Google and smartphones, was found dead on Wednesday at his home. He was 70.

Dr. Ritchie, who lived alone, was in frail health in recent years after treatment for prostate cancer and heart disease, said his brother Bill.

He was one of the creators of the hugely influential Unix operating system and the equally pioneering C programming language.  A vast number of modern technologies depend on the work he and fellow programmers did on Unix and C in the early days of the computer revolution.

Those paying respects said he was a "titan" of the industry whose influence was largely unknown.  It is thought his influence could rival that of Steve Jobs, but is just less visible.

Apple iOS 5 Downloading Problems

For die-hard Apple fans, the arrival of the new iOS 5 Apple Operating system has been long awaited, but problems downloading the software are not quite as welcome. 

The free software update, which promises 200 new features, has been so popular that Apple's servers appear to have struggled to keep up with demand.  Many users complained on Apple forums that the download was taking time, with some having to retry many times.  Others blame software bugs for "bricking" phones.

Technology consultant Jay Freeman said the problem was down to over-demand. But others thought the problems could be more serious.  One member of the public claimed that he experienced a hardware fault on his iPhone as a result of the download.  Stating that “if [he] had not updated the phone, it would be in perfect working order today".

Compensation Discussed for Blackberry Users

Consumer talk has turned to compensation following the Global Blackberry Blackout, but Research In Motion (RIM) have yet to comment on the speculation.

Blackberry's founder Mike Lazaridis has said services are "fully restored" following a three-day global blackout, but with millions of users affected and many turning to twitter to express their anger, is their any way back?

This is the largest crash the firm has ever experienced. Prior to the 2011 problems, the last significant blackout was in 2009.  With no answers as to why the switch failed or why the back up failed to kick in, the next priority is a "root cause analysis" of why there was a core switch failure within RIM's infrastructure.  Although, the server problems are believed to have originated at RIM's UK data centre in Slough.

When questioned on compensation for consumers following three days of disruption, Research In Motion declined to comment.  However, some operators, such as Telefonica owner of the UK's O2, are mulling whether to provide compensation for affected users.

Unsurprisingly, many corporate clients have switched to Apple iPhone after they made a concerted effort to improve its support for secure business email systems. News that couldn’t come at a worst time for RIM, who have been losing market share to Apple over the last few months.  That said; Apple’s newly-released operating system, iOS 5, has been causing problems for some users trying to download it this week!

So after a week of problems for smartphone users worldwide, it seems that all new technology comes with niggles, and unforeseen difficulties – we can either embrace new technology and understand this or stick with the tried and tested “brick” of a model that simply does the basics! 

Problems will always occur, but the test of the supplier is how they recover from them.  For the sake of competition, let’s hope RIM bounces back!

Find out more about Smartphone Security 

Quote for the Week!

“The key to success is often the ability to adapt”

Anon

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Intel Join Android in the Smartphone Race

The world's biggest chipmaker in the computer and server market has finally joined the smartphone race!

That’s right, Intel, who has so far played second fiddle to Cambridge-based designer ARM Holdings in the market for low power consumption chips, has teamed up with Android, the world's leading operating system for smartphones.

Google have been pushing their Android operating system, tying up with manufacturers, and with the ever increasing demand for mobile phone and tablet computers it will be interesting to see what comes of this new collaboration. 

The Oak Trail processor range is Intel’s answer to ARM's designs, but has only just seen the light of day.  The hope is that the new partnership will help Intel increase its foothold in the Android market.

Don’t forget, a smartphone can be infected by viruses in the same way as a PC? Make sure that you are protected, find out more, here.

Samsung Vs Apple

Round 3 in the ongoing patent battle between Samsung and Apple has fallen in favour of Apple, but is Samsung on the ropes or out for the count?

Initially a Europe-wide ban was placed on the sale of Samsung Galaxy Tablet following a ruling that elements of the tablet were copied from the iPad.  This was then lifted amid concerns about the court's power to impose such a broad embargo. The latest hearing upholds the original decision in Apple's favour, and means the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is again banned from sale across Germany.

The re-imposition, albeit only within one country, marks yet another round in the ongoing patent battle between Apple and Samsung.  Samsung phones have also been banned for sale in the Netherlands following court action.

The two electronics giants currently face each other in courtrooms in Australia, North America and Asia.

Whoever is your electronic giant of choice make sure that you are protected against those who take advantage of mobile technology.  Be Protected for FREE.

Quote of the Week!

"The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity."

Ayn Rand 


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HTC V’s Apple (with Google’s Help)

HTC have brought a fresh grievance to the ongoing war with Apple, filing their third complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

The Taiwanese smartphone maker claims that Apple's computers and mobile devices infringe patents involving wi-fi capability and processor communication technology.

The legal tussle between HTC and Apple has been a well publiscised one, but they are not the only company going head to head with Apple.  Samsung Electronics, which makes the Galaxy series of smartphones and tablet PCs, has also been fighting a legal battle against Apple.

Both HTC and Samsung use the Android operating system, suggesting that this is becoming more than just a simple disagreement between manufacturers.  There is a suggestion that this is very much a battle between Apple and Android.  Whilst Apple currently has the upper hand, the combined force of Google, HTC and Samsung could be a huge force to be reckoned with…it’s an interesting watch…

Did you know, despite the growing threats of mobile viruses, spam, and smartphone theft around 86% of mobile phone users do not have any security software installed?  Get protected for FREE here

Google and China – Friends at Last?

It’s good news for Google, as the Chinese Government have renewed their licence for another year.

The relationship between the Chinese Government and the Internet giants went sour in 2010 when Google started to redirect Chinese users to its Hong Kong website due to concerns over censorship and hacking. 

China regulates content on the internet through licensing and oversight of internet companies.  This means sites such as Google's YouTube, Facebook and microblogging site Twitter are amongst the list of websites that are popular in the international online community but censored in China. 

Domestic Chinese internet companies, such as search firm Baidu, are the market leaders in China.  That is unlikely to change despite the renewed license secured by Google, but it does imply that all is not lost in China for the Internet Giants.