tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249161043885381982024-02-19T14:41:02.101+00:00The Technology Company's BlogTips, reviews, tutorials, technology news and more from The Technology Companythetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-83162243997701961632015-05-23T13:30:00.001+01:002015-05-23T13:31:01.400+01:00Beware of the Cryptowall Virus<p>Unfortunately there is a new incarnation of the <a href="http://thetechco.blogspot.com/2013/10/warning-of-serious-cryptolocker-virus.html" target="_blank">original Cryptolocker virus</a> doing the rounds. It even nastier than ever so we’d suggest following some of our suggestions below.</p> <p>If you get the following screen (or similar), unfortunately it’s too late – all your files would have already been encrypted (see above link) and in most cases unrecoverable. You’d need to turn to your back up if you have one.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hu_FEnJ4WuZeg5pzuCUaAoIboSwsE1teLnec2fn_wxqR3JCXSo8UQqOd6kPRcG1qYW6foS3QvLwXpZ9WcVtCPFpiWrz97tP1ZUruhHNRxpYcpoa37gjkL5tei7HQjFdsQoFCjIu6cIYs/s1600-h/Cryptolocker_virus%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Cryptolocker_virus" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Cryptolocker_virus" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyKS4LDP06pLZyLMLUEA5mA7S3iCjrv147ycGXf0J3tknslwJFHsWwmZ73dvkR54pJDlqOPzgsBHbNyvKiqlBsze0lZCyMVybyuH2Ciq_miYdmnO8IhNOsruX7euI_WAuXH0uJCb3KOP4/?imgmax=800" width="500" height="375"></a></p> <p>But for most of us lucky ones, it’s better to not get infected in the first place. The virus comes along in the form of an email with a ZIP attachment. So be very wary about opening any attachments you don’t trust. Make sure your virus protection is up to date. We’d suggest also suggest running the Premium version of <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/search.php?search_query=malwarebytes&x=0&y=0" target="_blank">Malwarebytes</a> alongside your general anti-virus. Also it’s crucial you have a backup of your machine – ideally you’ll want a backup that takes a snapshot at a regular interval.</p> <p>The above steps in most cases should be enough safety precautions but if you want to take your protection a step further there is a free utility that specifically prevents you from picking up the virus called <a href="https://www.foolishit.com/cryptoprevent-malware-prevention/" target="_blank">CryptoPrevent</a>. We’ve not tried this but it is well-regarded.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-78687415482713334912015-05-06T15:21:00.001+01:002015-05-06T15:35:27.727+01:00How to fix your hijacked web browser<p>The first sign that your browser has been hijacked is a change to your normal homepage. Typically you’ll also start seeing ad pop-ups on your screen, and your machine can start to slow down. You may also be unable to browse to certain web pages. <p>Depending on how severe the hijack is, you may be able to fix the issue yourself. Resetting your browser can remove basic browser hijacks. To do this in <i>Internet Explorer</i>, click on the <i>Tools</i> cog then <i>Internet options</i> and the <i>Advanced</i> tab:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQTYvqikkAsIPFii7HZyKsA_e8gW3p2nNS15mT6jV36ShdZmoaYzYuvPOb-RlyXro8PmQf52FaupEEfROy7tzaueBiluvlc_5KzSK_O51OrP5LXs1-IxeYPnwxozhnf4EJFGJAMV8YTsM/s1600-h/SNAGHTML5a0d351%25255B1%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML5a0d351" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML5a0d351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdehKE7clzQyzgsBdjD8_nKmYYpClEuo4nf5UAcCeuiTYIXY-pU5iI0V1DIjuToP8Kmrp7FQUaQ3TH1qwi240ESER8DVwu6mJNFyF_rfVCHHD8Kqt4SZeG_4M4fgpVroKXctMk9qUO8nM/?imgmax=800" width="500" height="373"></a> <p>Click <i>Reset</i>, ensure the <i>Delete personal settings</i> is enabled and confirm the reset. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMfdXiErarvk6RwdLxNBFhKcT-U9R4Qo9xEF7yrDsi53n_jU2o-q0TJgxg9gGKZALWoi1G5Xb6fp_SWzAugUTMouoZXhNP6u8RatPE2_TpqnzlJAD4pd3gKlbsOM12J1IXsxFTdu1a3Rz/s1600-h/SNAGHTML5ad06f9%25255B2%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML5ad06f9" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML5ad06f9" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-yiJvGEKUA5MgZZmEBbgNyzdhLkM0dLWToZj92dmSaCkm_q_xbXZy-xY4AEQ5sZMRIO9MEFJghWS7WLA67wZpyANgVk0ptGa9MqWYtKNFcsD2-qTmjweuOXnM4kFxIxusdLWb3sTGYO0/?imgmax=800" width="500" height="199"></a> <p>When you restart Internet Explorer you’ll need to restore your <em>homepage</em>. Visit the page you’d like to load when you first open your browser. Then click <i>Tools</i> cog and <i>Internet options</i> as above (1, 2) and click <em>Use current </em>and then O<em>k:</em></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T2u0evyyE0YRnHc9GbM7xp8FY9eeiPFtrWYlyFcaT8WWAXz82rBe4otk_4IMh6zxyGcdYFf8ifwaEYnruJk2zwjz10jKrTA1HPGvQg906BKCT_kSofF6uo5ToyOPv-_v9JsF8uTEk-e_/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMHvvuhmO9Q5P3J0U1wt_9g84CkXgLwIRe2RWjR4eN9_wQhHQXgnjbITIgEZAL4-gcUrGmyUnNBgaMFJpfTLGZ_wS10EBstWpzKrd14QbWCWac1xDJw75McqOdGRQaM8sHy2OyUSgtMcB/?imgmax=800" width="375" height="480"></a></p> <p>If the above doesn’t work for you, you may have a nastier infection which I’ll try and cover in a future post.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-738503402603476982014-10-14T19:12:00.001+01:002014-10-15T07:41:38.835+01:00Problems updating Malwarebytes Premium<p>Malwarebytes Premium will usually update itself without any issues but if you find you do have a problem, usually after an update, our best recommendation is to uninstall and then reinstall the program.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeTLriPeh_nT76zCTusFUKI4Ddln5Yup5StwwsGl61E2gHLQO9IHkfYwmDzSBvYkaIOsMF3HiIK83VbA7duVgPA9NecmoGoA-JtjUARrWPyIvY2_0sWUTQzG6X_KQSbSw5voquB_Ub-U0/s1600-h/image%25255B16%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqM6lhYCERE0LuPh59pMPBmIAApASSglt0wU8xKB5hO9E_ftfzGK4vUfatsrPq2NewkyM87edlqEh6733ORKCsBIcYPerNPv9kGkRTi0rFRmMd10gtQQfp1vZLGgHDX8KblQYOMv1Lfqd/?imgmax=800" width="500" height="323"></a></p> <p>Don’t worry if you can’t find your license key since the program will remember it when you reinstall.</p> <p>You can uninstall the program from <em>Add Remove Programs</em> or just type <em>Malwarebytes</em> from <em>Search</em> in Windows 8 or after clicking the <em>Windows Orb</em> in Windows 7. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYE-lHlz5MeIukiVnD9ClElhHdQjLMpY9zJIS7pQ3T69kH1J0uUg7OP7ih6_BwEYqXgHLEYaGHWwCVbsL77yrkLBl6Em8SDY4u4dAafgyRCtUSFy-ilThCJ0TRn6DNZwmKWvA3nT8EnfSk/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTybe6a9hFT4mNZYVFPAYDVqdBkOC9eBUx_bo4sroDCM-1roF7vlovJAGs_qv7bJpX0-W0T4hRkkhgKMqje_26vRE2Vmu3rxa9TRFYT8eAtCvChQI7CvbbsoAJxXSfZLLt98ZzyabWLGz/?imgmax=800" width="317" height="331"></a></p> <p>You’ll probably be prompted to reboot the system. After the reboot visit <a href="http://www.ninite.com/malwarebytes" target="_blank">http://www.ninite.com/malwarebytes</a> to reinstall the software and everything will be working as it should:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphZx2vNV4LrciqCs5-R7LL0VXI1ySsS9bDbIWmcUes0JjM6UhBEIGI33lGRHx6r5pDw0PKdnSjW5rbB8zzHZtHSfkYXvKhdhT8Gs1EPVFwLP6epeRhqjEQwOi86nBtHT3DXO-ls-paMxF/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AWrFleI2pHuDxmaZgkfj30zsZn5aW8ot7yGncD6Y9m4EP_uQvuaGoMeqhPGP5bJNeCz76ltEsgDpXL_zZBnhY8WrhHOhSVdS5PPGey1ed4UJy1oe3WtUrfgftA86Eh-6S7qrdj6SK28s/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="327"></a></p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-24772239394712281772014-09-25T16:53:00.001+01:002014-09-25T17:52:24.740+01:00Return of the Cryptolocker virus<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFmxGbYPo5vN34OBLMxkryB7m4oHqZlT4M05dzgL_ae6BFnqqZmmIc5cE_ukxxn8YwwHoFKSmHdoq-6j0JIcn3TR2fwutUzuUPbWh9AzMylxWDVULI1N-LbHL6E2sRqxMN-XazCUAieQd/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="display: inline" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgtGwGD99w8-85XkLtmS0VBvySnyXO9Xd0GvqfVzCRkwS4DTBJKxz3JGHKPQq_cqsiYM14vCW6RDt_S197Bp68ci78bJRZIsdBN4xuwPzZ0s0-MyRulBbyhd8CmD_cFLL35c6ZM3ajq1x/?imgmax=800" width="436" height="253"></a><br><a href="http://thetechco.blogspot.com/2013/10/warning-of-serious-cryptolocker-virus.html" target="_blank">Last year we warned of a nasty virus</a> that encrypted all your files and then charged you to decrypt the files. We haven’t seen this for a while but unfortunately it’s back in a slightly different form and is referred to by the anti-virus community as <em>Torrentlocker</em> – although it still calls itself <em>Cryptolocker</em>. </p> <p>It may just be possible for us to recover your files and clean off the virus, depending on which version of the virus you have. Please turn the computer off and bring the machine into us if you see any message like the one above.</p> <p>But the best thing is not to get infected in the first place! Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and for added security consider <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/malwarebytes-anti-malware-pro-edition-lifetime-license/" target="_blank">Malwarebytes Pro</a>.</p> <p>This customer’s laptop we had in yesterday got infected from an email link which I captured below:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kSHJbp1sl5a6GdxqnT60r0Oh0PQWOjmcsvo3nW9QCjWrJji62EDMtuU5B73s863r_2aXtXbnWKRvUUln1H-JdjZ7paP3A3X4DZO6yaqZCMWQCwxd8Yh5M3iaR9TP-UGfHyahDhRj4YPQ/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="display: inline" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ_OHRIkMIxCEyfh4bZoVNYvndKMzwtWCD13HQfXyIa3OfY84lvwOgOqAYBqC2FXGexUzjsi_oSbOsa1E5dTOybZs3EH11GJ2lNESHgWi0pSoc3Zk7fGJiRfq6KptU1CoomSjwUK9ucZ9/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="100"></a></p> <p>The link is purporting to be from Royal Mail and alerts you to a parcel delivery you missed. All looks very genuine.</p> <p>If you click on the link, you get the message below:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPquuimW0Y6ETlGc4LCq1yH1D31MStDU_8SMbk7jTTWDjle6CkSmj-tl1ip4uOxrn2MlqTL-BXWLcCGKkhGT25FKosSxW7B_A8x-4rh81fuvoZo8r2E3iyGYx-irOz76Bc44wix5jb1aA5/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="display: inline" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLI0St2zvS-UkaXRnyx5v7-wgJpXm_yKvtSN4RUMeoAi48qhoV8WaPSBIdat7pI9ot7RlMk6_m8drGzVL1BDzyqLDCLX00wBgSU8jw_JXEtVC9Zndb1ou3Z3AF-2VFSmZzFLr152p6aueh/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="168"></a></p> <p><strong>Do not open the email or click on the “view information” link</strong> – delete the email immediately.</p> <p>For your benefit and our curiosity we did follow this link in a safe, sandboxed environment. You can see what transpires in the video I’ve quickly put together below (easier to see full screen):</p><!-- copy and paste. Modify height and width if desired. --> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:765f3c5e-32fb-415d-a87e-5790101010a5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aCxW0rYXnX8?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aCxW0rYXnX8?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div></div> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-33692722193173835332014-09-10T17:05:00.001+01:002014-09-10T20:01:11.053+01:00All you need to know about passwords<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLHG9ytgAgRCCgE0UWtFZrBW2sJPa7iOQLrhgCq41xZtn4E4eF1s80kGdPVlCUcr6SINonzdljNszD59VsuhGM7L380b4rGHSEzg_zQG3BE7h73ixFo0gL8TLw0C1B6IU2reNDbWwZrIF/s1600-h/password%252520login%25255B15%25255D.png"><img title="password login" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="password login" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfyksh-V9DbC7xzNQ7Z425y5kBzwwy3pOnmHNXmh-vC6xeOSPJXPVxEKN0v-sunRWvSGriquPNa9kpcOEAUzP0BnGgBiaCCej8XDxIZRh00lXf_4bUdqz8S9zsfpuWD4iwcILgwVEB2UO/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="215"></a></p> <p>Passwords have always been a source of frustration but it’s worse than ever now with the average user having to remember at least 10 web logins. And gone are the days where you could use the name of your first pet or your mother’s maiden name. I used to shudder when a website asked me to change my password – to something I’d not used before!</p> <p>And rarely can you get away with just adding an extra digit. More likely you’ll have to capitalise a letter or add a symbol which makes the password you’ve had for years instantly forgettable!</p> <p>It’s best to come up with a password yourself rather than appending various characters and digits to an existing old password. This is very hard to remember.</p> <h2>Choosing a strong password</h2> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfg_ICjQngk9I4da4ywFURUezyFJU99gwY7pWuNFntT-xZWHl_F34PypKSbsr1Y2R6hwLUFNX-j_NOKc4lzJ94r6IfMd1NFMF5SkOlfQ0WH19gFjJKcTBbSgfvD9F2tAmYuLuriXqGtVGy/s1600-h/ttc-password-post-it-150262%25255B10%25255D.png"><img title="ttc-password-post-it-150262" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="ttc-password-post-it-150262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d8HSc1kvwJZszB6afj6SWjL_dxfiVRtpMNAlt6F_Mc1yyEHjt-vSNow6YYzG1rwWW3lTRMuuVyjo4iigMcEaik7b4ZzbjDq4cyJNiiR-xjKKfXCxLe-2ZFHWjVl9nNAOqAg0ZZcoMZWH/?imgmax=800" width="240" height="229"></a></p> <p>My advice is to try and use a strong password for your important online accounts like email and online banking. It’s painful but these need to be different. For your other sites like clothing stores for example, just ensure the password you use is different to the one used for your important accounts.</p> <p>But how do you choose a strong password and how do you remember it? Dealing with the latter first, there’s nothing wrong with writing it down but try and keep it in a secret place!</p> <p>One idea for a secure password is to choose a phrase that only you know and adding a capital letter and number. You can include spaces in this. </p> <p>For example: <em>It was sunny when I got married in 2002</em>. </p> <p>You can check how well you’ve done by using Microsoft’s password checker: </p> <p><a title="https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx" href="https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx" target="_blank">https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx</a></p> <h2>Password managers</h2> <p>Personally I use a <em>password manager</em> which is software that runs on my computers, smartphone and tablet and relies on a very secure master password. It can then generate and remember random secure passwords for all your web logins and will encrypt these with your master password. It’s very convenient too since the software bookmarks your favourite sites and will automatically direct you to the site and log you in. I’ve used a program called <a href="http://www.roboform.com/?affid=gidon" target="_blank">Roboform</a> for almost 8 years and can recommend it – in fact I’d be in trouble without it! </p> <h2>Keep your security information up to date</h2> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjs-37wxZ6Q8VqTcVKG8lyhnQltBcSg6CD3dQ52yfZjTzR7hCCc-Bc0fvMfTRZREPY__iyXDIBhn0YI6vyNzTx4R14rsGJwhDSjD-1IjhTjVQFdt2Xjy1DhxMBYWwryoW6ZVPmG0We9_Q/s1600-h/SNAGHTML96a334%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML96a334" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML96a334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDc9Fj4SrRcyWuZNRPcljVDwmVLKIn1YTa7yKe7bRitkUSPcjIhok8lBWOLDJboVc1N3kzBTOEcBA275FSoKxOLRVWQ-LywNtJ8knlsshntlU8_iD-34xXLr1YTIZDZq9EOT7mSx1ylkB/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="271"></a></p> <p>As a final note it’s also important to setup your password recovery options, especially with your email accounts. If you get locked out, this offers a way of getting back into your account. For a <em>Hotmail</em> account, visit <a href="https://account.live.com">https://account.live.com</a> and click <strong>Edit Security Info</strong>. You can also turn on 2-way authentication for <em>Hotmail</em> and <em>Gmail</em> which reduces the chance of your account getting hijacked. I use this now with the free <em><a href="http://code.google.com/p/google-authenticator/" target="_blank">Google Authenticator</a></em> smartphone app. This links your phone to your account and gives you an additional pin number or <em>token</em> that changes regularly but can be read straight off your phone.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-31905379105577256212013-11-16T12:17:00.001+00:002013-11-16T12:23:28.934+00:00How to setup parental controls in Windows 8<p>Parental controls keep your children safer online and can also limit their computer use.</p> <p>Most recent versions of Windows come with these controls or you can download them for free.</p> <p>In the video below I show how to setup Microsoft Family Safety in Windows 8. I also show how you can use an alternative free program called <a href="http://www1.k9webprotection.com/" target="_blank">K9 Web Protection</a> if you prefer or if you’re using a different version of Windows (XP, Vista, 7) or a Mac.</p> <p>Of you’d like to watch the video at a larger size click the YouTube link towards the bottom right of the player:</p> <p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:c36cf29d-5c24-48f8-a7e6-78d44400bb3d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5_8EOJn2etQ?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5_8EOJn2etQ?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">How to setup parental controls in Windows 8 using Microsoft Family Safety</div></div></p> <p>At a minimum we’d recommend adding an additional user account for the children as in the video above (or looks at the steps below). This <em>standard</em> account has limited privileges and even on its own provides some protection.</p> <p>Type <em>user</em> from <em>Start</em> menu and select <em>Add, delete and manage other user accounts</em>:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3HV0CEtu04xe5CZ6zB9n1gf5C2pJC1pwalsAITmEb0BdbJv10_vzT_EH4KpF-FDlx3yf10tpDOfs_itlFMtVaesHn7TI8Aos36dXf5X06Laa25yF0Xjh9UP9h-XqLu8ObaVOJWj5YafN/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkjQbOeGykihEq26qgEEKSwsp9RWUt1dngJxdsdof8MXcn__oYNz2Bq0qAbAFCD3ZBI3T6y530tzqv88TyL-NB9DMmVaimwUAA-KDeqCqMxUHC3cZ-L8ITW7oAzeLzVpwQLU90ZQuZh1G/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="212"></a></p> <p>Select <em>add an account</em>:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDXSH0rG60VCCl7-XuVzHg29aJeid2H800udN7oaBRyRdizZRYFSgG5GUFtH1eprplloFWywvPs-391jmcLoxbLxsz4VffSsQ7jQVeIDLAqDe31cj-UjhitiN5FiAXBAtLkxWGUOrLR9G/s1600-h/image%25255B15%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI1fs1OtRSr0ihoG4IxZjitO-4TVTR0PizODhsfHx-mAHTb-h6TyFuVvXE0otAglaVlg_xQEjhpEjsitn_tPL2EW9x8jsPTwA9Zt9rjQPOBFpgP7MF_-lQh8t5MkXzjxq_834W1t9r7nD/?imgmax=800" width="404" height="99"></a></p> <p>And create the child’s account:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3TGh2-W-e2IHTnmsttzPUah5cqIS8OeupMl_ZhaU17MMsIyeQTbS6Chvew2V0ZEBuoSCqd8HXamUEuqrxlcNG8XmICkeGaNrZGlcmJDBCzsRhGModMlCdiro3zq575J9zUABIaL4mutM/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyihoPgR5Ac8SGiIJ7icNeeYmuMs9N7Q-poWRo1_GeF7bBXJfBV-cEdx4UfFr5qg6aqY6eU7X4HgoutCPOUpL97mnBeiGLWUrWFsihbk6R7bPvcikUm13iG4i8JpPz_aufFGilYljfLdjC/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="279"></a></p> <p>You can tick the checkbox below if you’d like to continue to configure <em>Family Safety</em> as in the video above:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXnonzz20s_V2Olj-w3RDdcVJKndimTZ_TPcfZxhAWa28RUzuhgacsDLexWIA9THfisKbmjOVcT2y5lCVLjvHu47z_qokligxhQFnk_tcFzJdVH4vs3ppEh3hCiu4LVnr8zxczt34nn4m/s1600-h/image%25255B19%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4B4mNS3kScGxlheB9nep2au8DhEgt0xYVZiHtdtAyITYfvVFukkZCW7gnonjHxEh1sCbNKKFmuDcgQwayNHjFf-wKDGvLkiZfHqwhw_muku3CxZyIPYG90M6XoyoTE7CN6QC-icnlPGL/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="258"></a></p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-30309920422929039812013-11-06T16:18:00.001+00:002013-11-06T16:18:51.409+00:00The Gadget Show @ Christmas 2013<p>A little early for Christmas perhaps (barely November) and I’m not sure about the @ sign, but I eagerly joined thousands of other tech lovers at a change of venue this year: London’s Earls Court. </p> <p>The journey up from Devon was fairly smooth apart from a 90 minute delay at a kink in the line! Lots of fake snow (it’s Christmas) and huge SONOS adverts lined the entry corridor and I set off on my usual Drunkard’s walk around the venue. Earls Court was fairly easy to navigate and I quickly spotted a few areas of interest.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXUj5yhDzMiD9fRDfY1kVK6_WFVFCv8UE3x0ravpGaU_wdKcrZIZWklBd8MumQTTZrfdgOoY9aP5oLYO96l1BlR8S5g7rP44aF0ogFQz2kzUQ0tuVEC5l3nL2iOH6XCon21jia7fpPZyG/s1600-h/sonos%252520with%252520inset%252520play1%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="sonos with inset play1" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="sonos with inset play1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3NHE0aDysU8BMkEALN7tXS6qUPHXdyckrBiv5kl6UIbYp5UvcDCqJK2mOOgoTdrnlVtwLdv0nPkhzc0kuVTioEF0YEhSRFS62ORD1rAauA-MMnBM0cpGfLjirbpAsvAovcg9pDel3HdT/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="379"></a></p> <p>First off: the SONOS stand of course. There was lots of excitement over their latest addition to the family: the PLAY:1. A fantastic little speaker that has a sound that belies its size and at only £169 by far the least expensive entry into the world of <a href="http://thetechnologycompany.co.uk/sonos/" target="_blank">Wireless HiFi that is SONOS</a>.</p> <p>On to the Microsoft stand where the latest laptops, hybrids (half tablet, half PC) and tablets were showing off Microsoft’s latest 8.1 release of Windows.The Start button is finally (sort of) back and performance has been improved. Their own <a href="http://surface.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/html/pbPage.PDPS/productID.286902200?tid=shV2dUegL_dc&cid=5366&pcrid=31704739365&pkw=surface%20pro%202&pmt=e&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=pointitsem_Microsoft+UK_google_Surface+-+UK&WT.term=surface%20pro%202&WT.campaign=Surface+-+UK&WT.content=hV2dUegL&WT.source=google&WT.medium=cpc" target="_blank">Microsoft Surface Pro 2</a> was everywhere. This is a fully fledged Windows 8.1 computer with a fast Quad-Core i5 processor and SSD but in tablet form. There is an optional add on keyboard that clips on magnetically. It also comes with a pressure sensitive stylus which makes it very attractive to illustrators and budding artists. </p> <p>If you’re undecided between a tablet and a new powerful and lightweight laptop – this could be for you! It’s a little on the heavy side and slightly more bulky than I’d like, but they’ve improved the battery life and the kickstand. The all-day battery life, making use of the latest Intel Haswell processor, is more than acceptable. And the new kickstand means that with the optional keyboard it can be used comfortably on your lap.</p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:597e883e-acfb-4ddd-8dc6-4552e1146858" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vc4_f_eXWuY?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vc4_f_eXWuY?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Vernon from Extreme Fliers with their new Micro Drone 2.0</div></div> <p>I had to visit Vernon on the Extreme Fliers stand. He was skilfully showing off the new <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/extreme-fliers-micro-drone-2-0/" target="_blank">Micro Drone 2.0 Quadrocopter</a> which has the option of an on-board camera. See my full review of the Quadrocopter <a href="http://thetechco.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-and-video-of-micro-drone-20.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>I’m always looking for new gadgets for the shop and the <a href="http://www.jackpen.com" target="_blank">Jackpen</a> caught my eye. Basically a minute ballpoint pen that fits in the headphone socket of your phone! I think this is a genuinely useful idea and we should be getting some in for Christmas …</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknzItW836I-jdnQjTMSmzS4Fyik-NhbiD3s-O2dBcOKo8XjgJRW6YK_ZcF1gjS1bdqrNL9vlD-21B93NfBvWuRCACLr4UaQI1ViJ4idfI31F_CwrjgHktX1OzxlUvXnZ32LMvzb38pYPO/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_R2qU7NiW0fjqOsttREZCHRsafVBj2yy-DTKQZBIW5irZiJfg6fqZ7QaEphgDe-7VRZ80aobdplJFgSQXNP490KmqdU9cdfd5WnaO1ekqyP6ZZBPvQOlsxWNqxSBEJZpqN3VdaM2HVO_/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="337"></a></p> <p>More toys that caught my eye were the inflatable remote control Star Wars characters – I know my children would love them!</p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:8e8c572b-03cd-44ab-a911-6f7991cfc3b3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPp0gM66fs0?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPp0gM66fs0?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Remote control inflatables</div></div> <p>I didn’t quite know what to make of <a href="http://getnarrative.com" target="_blank">Narrative</a>, a clip-on camera that takes a photo every 30 seconds. They call it <em>lifelogging</em> technology and the small device has a 5 megapixel camera (of iPhone 4 quality) and integrated GPS. Much of the innovation is in the supporting software which attempts to identify useful shots from thousands of mainly uninteresting ones! It uses location, changes in contrast and time to do this but I imagine you’ll still have to sort through a lot of rubbish. You can also tap the device to force a picture to be taken. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdiyHvEQqfSC7B5i-ydZ84n4xo2sgYMI-dm5de5y52sjLShOVvE8DnFow9RM_sTLckQw5Ht-ojm1CmDEH6Lla-ifFv0DsVEGJZK0-zTIS3sAeszqFE2hGxNnh4FaiROE8HeIoHoIyKDB0/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrbhdIpHM7qrGh9XzuBB6F8UaAviaQJc5glYCtxSfHaFZ7eOHingEaqlgzFl71-21nmEr0chQ655oOhDxkaRYgigMjXYkQb4XaKhPc7s8Dhvc65fDh4bTIKJgn20ZhsMpb0iKxmGOkWMK/?imgmax=800" width="197" height="240"></a></p> <p>I was surprised at the price at over £200 and an additional charge for the hosting of your pictures. Not really a casual purchase at that price but I’m sure they’ll have takers!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQAUpJDq9UqheG2fRA4KxRtDstMWqnNZV_bgsQ_axc0Qpk1Mmwf_i6RhHnDgD_KCnkG657_8eP3lhyphenhyphensuRY1tgHj-vRRb81vNuMCZ-ENwXoEJKOPX8vCK394R-X2H0YJs-Z__uFtEl3m8q/s1600-h/image%25255B22%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjww1tox-kGdBzVA84YmfGsZmfVIYPO2HWexjoQyJ4pPDhW8HP2LpjN5qBGCtvF_SYCAkrkeoWnnX7doqxwoS2C2g0wlXWVZ6cuth4Px-MVp68sdDkpcD-E_0kQi4UlxFP7zvW6WjSJYRTc/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="379"></a></p> <p>Half of the show was dedicated to gaming, with the new (to be released this month) PlayStation 4 and Xbox One taking centre stage and the centre of the hall staging a massive Minecraft competition.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-42796523463305141202013-10-17T20:08:00.001+01:002013-10-17T20:14:30.356+01:00Warning of serious CryptoLocker virus<p>We’ve seen one of the nastiest viruses we’ve ever encountered in the shop this week, called <em>CryptoLocker</em>. After the infection, the virus encrypts all your documents and photos. It then demands a payment of up to 300 Euros to decrypt the files, which needs to be acted on within a time limit after which decryption will no longer be available: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jvH4Rm-4k1HsV85MzQOwZes5BeHXRh3EUL1qbm8nVp_1vtGXQ0bCJXOYR6RPlQY_K_XidpgXtEXwwmpu9bWwOy5bUc1gk1dtJ94IA7C0uhdk5TPbF5cUfeWOOJrRpy_xAx890iKI9utg/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90oRmnDxIW88UAHMDIyPu8fESkZYLZz9TVHoSxKkZT7oqCPDNAMY4MQNODrd_e-WnE6w8jtA4Wdz3rEXPMpCMlh11HiNeLnkiSNGIy2MC6nf5Y45GA7HIIQF6a-PQekjn-pAktK9EF2e2/?imgmax=800" width="480" height="376"></a></p> <p>The bad news is this isn’t the usual scare-mongering we often see with so-called <em>Ransomware</em>. The virus has genuinely encrypted the files and there really is no way to unscramble your data without paying the fee which we wouldn’t recommend and has of course no guarantees! If you do get the virus, disconnect your Internet connection to prevent further files becoming encrypted.</p> <p>The virus is relatively easy to remove but your files will still be unusable. You will have to rely on a backup, or the slim possibility of a little known feature of some versions of Windows called <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy" target="_blank">Shadow Copy</a></em>. </p> <p>According to <em>Sophos</em>, a security software company, the virus is spread via email or <em>botnets</em>. Botnets exist on already infected machines and allow further viruses and malware to be attached, so it’s vitally important that you have your virus protection up to date and we’d suggest running a full scan of <em><a href="http://www.malwarebytes.org/" target="_blank">Malwarebytes</a></em> as well. Our recommendation would also be to have <em><a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/malwarebytes-anti-malware-pro-edition-lifetime-license/" target="_blank">Malwarebytes Pro</a></em> active on your machine for real-time malware protection.</p> <p>The video below from Sophos shows the virus in action:</p> <p><iframe height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gz2kmmsMpMI" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>Please do give us a call on 01822 618544 if you have any concerns.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-92201254133455549442013-10-08T13:30:00.001+01:002013-10-09T20:16:38.984+01:00Review and video of the Micro Drone 2.0 Quadrocopter with on-board camera from Extreme Fliers<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYczDjCWSS1kGW4fMUsC_vgvuDJ8rqsqTaUzMTVwwYAUJwkrN1pms_mbgoRY7BjiSD8gXjZxn5rz146VKcB7KpuVQuk5Ii56qMGO5K86WbrUB1MaotsL-163kVXg9_47ClzK-VNI7u6Sa/s1600-h/IMG_0065%252520md%2525202%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_0065 md 2" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_0065 md 2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPM1UZuTaoFcoyL6zA4LuRnbXVJqx-kiUyUKk5wf8Lyt3Q4Wx3i0ranANPlQIYQ1twoN0uVZxnmMbmNaRaRwLQ7mNBL8JGvu22xmWh3UumubA8iFRJ97HQs2jGshpJvToGLo91wyERRbX/?imgmax=800" width="500" height="349"></a> <p>We’ve had a range of toys and gadgets from Extreme Fliers over the last few years and they’ve all been a lot of fun. We saw the company on Dragon’s Den originally and then at a trade show. Their <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/extreme-fliers-robocopter-gst-remote-control-helicopter-with-gyro/" target="_blank">Robocopter GST</a> is easily the best RC helicopter we’ve had our hands on. It’s stable and robust and if it does have a nasty crash most of the parts are available from us or direct from Extreme Fliers.</p> <p>Last year they released their Micro Drone Quadropter, with four rotors, 100m plus range and the ability to perform a variety of flips and other stunts. This is fantastic fun – simple to start flying but a challenge to master – which is exactly what you want! And at a good price too (£70 RRP). It’s still available at a reduced price whilst stocks last.</p> <p>This year they’ve brought out version 2.0, which can take an optional on-board camera and has further improved stability. You can chuck this one in the air and it’ll right itself – impressive stuff!</p> <p>We’ve had a chance to try it out with a standard definition camera attached and have been impressed. Take a look at it in action in the video below. In case it’s not obvious I am no master flyer! Plus there are a few obstacles in the shop to avoid. But it’ll work outside too and we’ve had lots of fun with version 1.0 out on the moors.</p><iframe height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rWd39FLQEqU" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p>I think you’ll agree the video is surprisingly good for a £20 add on. The build quality of the Micro Drone is good, especially considering the price point (also £70 RRP). Again, most of the parts are replaceable and the device charges off a USB port on your computer in around an hour. You’ll need 4 AA batteries for the controller and they’ll last a fair few flights.</p> <p>It’s easy to pick up: you plug the battery in, turn the remote on and push the thrust slowly forward and then back. You’ll hear an encouraging beep and then you can start flying. It has two modes of flight: mode 2 and mode 4. The difference is how the two sticks control movement. I prefer the switch to the left which banks left and right with the right stick and turns left and right with the left stick. But it’s a personal preference. The manual appears to have this the wrong way around in its description but you’ll soon work out which control method your prefer.</p> <p>It’s useful to know that the black blades / white LEDs are always at the front of the Micro Drone. So practice with it lined up this way and learn how to take off and go forwards and backwards.</p> <p>The range is excellent and you can easily send the Quadrocopter flying over 100m into the sky. Flick the stunt switch to stunt mode and you can perform a range of flips and acrobatic manoeuvres. It’s very impressive but give yourself some space when trying these for the first time!</p> <p>The camera attaches to the base of the Micro Drone with the supplied double sided tape and then plugs into its main board. All the drone’s lights come on and as you switch the camera on and off the lights respond accordingly. The function button is used to perform a simple flip even in standard mode. Now it turns the camera on and off to start recording video or to take a photo. Make sure your stop recording before unplugging the battery and removing the MicroSD card otherwise the recording will be corrupt.</p> <p>The camera module kit comes with a 1GB MicroSD card, card reader, some screws and even a screwdriver. The camera itself seems decent enough build-wise for the price and I’m impressed with the quality of the footage. But the accessories are an afterthought. The card reader is poor quality and you’ll have to be careful inserting the very thin MicroSD card into its slot. Ensure it goes into the reader slot itself and doesn’t disappear into the housing! If it does you’ll have to gently open the housing to retrieve it. Still with careful use it does the job.</p> <p>Overall this new Micro Drone from Extreme Fliers is a hit and I expect it to do well this Christmas with young children and children aged over 40! I’m having trouble putting it down!</p> <p>You can buy it here: <a href="http://thetechnologycompany.co.uk/gadgets">http://thetechnologycompany.co.uk/gadgets</a>. And if you’re local, come and try out all our toys in the <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/find-us/" target="_blank">shop</a>.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-64026139911947685262013-10-04T22:56:00.000+01:002013-10-04T23:00:34.437+01:00Extending WiFi coverage using Powerline adapters<p>One of the most common questions we have from customers, is how to extend wireless coverage around the house. First, try and locate your router as high and visible as is possible. This can often improve your signal dramatically.<br><br>If this offers no improvement then you have several options, but by far the easiest method is to use Powerline adapters. These simply plug into household power sockets and use your existing electricity cabling to reliably extend your Internet access around the house. They are generally bought in pairs: one end is wired to your router; and the other end can be plugged in wherever you like, thereby extending your wireless coverage.<br><br>In the video below I show the basic installation of the popular <em>TP-Link TL-WPA281</em> pair of adapters:</p><iframe height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JCmn90jPGlI?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both">The smaller adapter is plugged into a power socket near your router. </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both">Connect this adapter to your wireless router using the supplied Ethernet cable. Plug the longer wireless adapter into a socket where you'd like to extend wireless coverage to. A new wireless network (<em>TP-LINK_XXX</em>) will be created which you can connect to with any wireless device:</div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnau999wtWpSqRrwupPA_rcqNLALGLwP_f7JXrG6Ty2uGYLzyVtGOApn5Sxs0VlWCfgyK6Zi8oGVNKLWUo_gqQJq7CMVBIaPzwg6uw9fEmN1NBF-y5__PLQrEhBs2TIOhS5k5HB1H_i6AT/s1600-h/image%25255B20%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv88RPmL7XJCX2equiviBsRUBP5lTEJdoEp8OKsRZX2zMQv64O-qofj-6LgQ4ga0i6127dpWyO7FYHcbppkDbm47j0QvMLNvDs3AyQHowHF3PCzLHzUkKFNy6CxAD-9EttyMzpp7W7TqL0/?imgmax=800" width="404" height="308"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both">If you'd like to setup security on this network which we’d recommend, you will need to access the configuration page. The easiest way to do this is using the supplied CD. Or you can download the file <a href="http://www.tp-link.com/Resources/software/Powerline_Scan.zip">here</a>. Running the file will locate the adapters on your network and allow you to connect:</div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNqnArXrXH8VnS6O6aJXNNFffxDwoWK6uq30A1HGvctLRVeS6RQoJqw6Taqfbrt-uHgSHV9wI7FxssNqpoS7nagD0CFdc8ktBZJUyBAhLO5HtSFc5VnJI-nVosHZe1RdTO1smVJAXsLjm/s1600-h/SNAGHTML341ec7%25255B7%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML341ec7" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML341ec7" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR-erPlny6L29PM2IzagxZZQAS84FBozBevf9-BGPJ-7Y2NzaVJ2ZdEzVYod2jIPRGz2vNuX8UsJVveMqiu1RCo5n9473l1DM1unZ-oXaemMihVMrIXMPFtsWNfWrgTszKgwTiQfy66xK/?imgmax=800" width="400" height="302"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both">Enter <em>admin</em> for username and password. In the configuration page click on <em>Wireless Security</em> down the left hand side, click on the <em>WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK</em> radio button and enter a password of at least 8 characters in the PSK password box. You have now secured your network. </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0fwXTO8WLn9CRAbjkoWbbWZctY3bWjTHuCZRgvHAAxV44JmfNGKKMyNJF5MR8LIS0eVw8mEuXtySvermhxkhiQ7POokxvMawaC2jQvKocXFKbmrmyDVVU-2XYeIUAiRSgAXSJ7kYHR_n/s1600-h/SNAGHTML384cd8%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML384cd8" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML384cd8" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jQObNNhS3o2OLegFaedgvCAawNQxn1LGDduQEP4ZmItQ9HKnPPf03pwfoQpXIlJXbf65lKSn-qXXtCmZAsQU9kZZIVDe6e2l9vA7OLNvK3YFDw0fH0b_HM3G3d5FmuA3UaWTpQEfoUzN/?imgmax=800" width="400" height="257"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both"> </div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both">This step is optional but It's worth setting the wireless channel to something that doesn't interfere with your existing network. There are three non-overlapping wireless channels: 1, 6 and 11. Log in to your router and find out the wireless channel it’s using. Then select one of the other two for the Powerline adapter.</div> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-51655341441413438452013-10-03T14:14:00.001+01:002013-10-04T10:37:12.556+01:00Logging into a remote computer with Windows Remote Desktop Connection<p>If you’ve ever needed to access your work machine from home, Windows Remote Desktop Connection offers a very convenient solution. You can sit at home as if you were in front of your work machine. You can use all your work applications and even print of straight to your local home printer.</p> <p>In the video below I go through how to set up a connection. Give it a try and let me know how you get on! </p><iframe height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_NFydB_4Uto" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen></iframe> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-81683639258356445892013-09-23T09:28:00.001+01:002013-10-04T10:39:32.100+01:00How to use your own wireless router with Sky Broadband<p>I reluctantly moved to Sky for my Broadband a few months ago. Their low prices and unlimited downloads were just too tempting.</p> <p>I’ve been fairly happy with the service I’ve had – speed and reliability have been about the same as from <strong>Zen</strong>, my previous provider. But unfortunately Sky forces you to use their wireless router. And their provided router is fairly limited in functionality and more importantly has inferior wireless coverage to the <strong>TP-Link 8960N</strong> it replaces.</p> <p>In the video below I’ll show you how you can still use your existing router, or even a new one <em>together</em> with Sky’s router:</p><iframe height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/id7mLqemtfc?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen></iframe> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-16745828523083870322013-09-20T08:39:00.001+01:002013-09-20T08:39:36.215+01:00Apple’s new iOS 7: overview and first impressions<p>The latest iOS update has just been released from Apple. With a completely new design and some significant new features I thought I’d give a brief overview and my first impressions.</p> <p>Updating a iPhone 4s and an iPad 4 should have been straightforward but Apples’ servers were overloaded and the first several attempts disappointedly failed. Late last night though the update was successful on the iPhone and this morning with America asleep, the iPad update was swift.</p> <p>First impressions on the 4s were not great. The new <em>flat</em> interface looked very refreshing but animations were no longer smooth. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16b-18H6jcc4kqjoyCQZ_-sQMPCt9g6bC3Xz0wHynD0WOZMRRB3QsshCwzSMJqBvpYmgwNGfyVW5Vd_9_rU-mSwOIe0JRAD0OcjAeESEbhI6P6nnKfDF96SU19d01ua9tVH7eprE0JscO/s1600-h/image4.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHlj1dsPHLMySi5ln9jZ8ALkUWGFEunQ70v4Og_S65eFl3v-4h-TGEkTsPoSdpAKbKg8Urz7jjun08sYGZehqNCABdkpMgA2TZGDEOlLtYKIiKdBCPCn5gLFsPOVJSq7qLjAdhmqAlHdW/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></a></p> <p>However my iPhone had started to lag slightly in the previous iOS version so I decided to use this new iOS as an excuse for a fresh install and completely wiped the iPhone and started from scratch. With a significant improvement in speed I started to explore iOS 7’s new features.</p> <h2>Control Centre</h2> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueYoNWhyhu1A7Bd0VxQ4Y8cxbJn5bvj34PGB82RxEsTK42OemlhUtM_wPYjN5zpxkkbfKH17YPGZYHmlLoASvt0YLs2JcvF2wiExfdFHtYVaQfElaLRrAITYyD6g9aHmUhyphenhyphenak3ektVFRU/s1600-h/image10.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8M7gurJKmQ3L44nXY34v8O6HsVaSdYdTSqmrOZA_O_lMLijxI2F2ocAL_Bmvo1g9fk1FmB2JryNCwAJTy3b6zey82GBBCpcc3HKBYXVUFjsR6nOn5-iOvQeVLBLjdWRnuvIPPYoFFtr_6/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></a></p> <p>A swipe up from the bottom of any screen, including the lock screen, reveals the new C<em>ontrol Centre</em>. You can now activate the LED flash as a torch, which is surprisingly handy. The calculator, camera and stopwatch apps are also easily available. And the brightness control is now conveniently placed.</p> <h2>General Interface</h2> <p>Search can now be accessed from any home screen by swiping down from the middle of the screen and application switching and closing is now animated and far easier to use. A double click of the <em>home</em> button lets you flick between open apps and swiping up an open app closes it rather satisfyingly.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoliFGljSDrwQvK1j-Ka_yJRjd_9Xnlh7opeZljFET-EuxNJOhs22ARsXHI6eGj0EOHdq9s7Z-V-4eFp8f1qz2IuyhRNd5490xC_NnXp34UgdlKiP7ytMf2rKh7vOQPKFwUUJSbBYIdnZ/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gBdD6SoIFJbDCFGOu3K7GrJWJpNE6X70MWYDc-GUK8Mvef96oim1Y8VUMAriJbxQLrwmB_9o4WfxFY_CNedmMPcIRLy_kdsO3xXx-bkvcO7YgSsTX0Oj6rYyP2_OHE52q09XnKJgpo8/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocrcVKQhtceH6Pa8BF0qfGPEazbwhH-eJwBK7juwwYbJyy1AWHtZA45P-f43IQKJ4U8dBjPUJZvR7ZMnuSpmeESlAU-9wgH2bjZ29v2G4vLe7QGGhc__BKiZ-miiGOzqxvf6VFT88ccc4/s1600-h/image%25255B10%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeKZ43T_5c6xwCnMd3iZB9trhAzX8Tn5aNbWZOXitO01_5tQP9eFga11spzBz0FnxzXVl1rGQksrDeOFDUj6BeKs1-GYw-xjAl3dQVEU7_Hg1pZpBybBBB5aiYYhEjctWJoX_wyGLWUeM/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></a></p> <h2>New Camera App</h2> <p>The camera app has been overhauled. You swipe across the screen to change between photo, video, panorama and a new square mode. And you have an <em>effects</em> mode which is not something I’d use but I know a lot of people will.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf7QBmW3M8Eq3MojlcnC3fR2-HpYtw6mIsMPxVeS_eIdZW0oQqk0PDnxsT28DH2eyTcZ41I7gCBWV4RoCfO5ykUYEDDF1MuBo2N7s_OY2dUS0pc9mkeLuOnnqzI31G1Pxn1LxrGOznRbp/s1600-h/image%25255B15%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL_D8FPq1mzr9gZGeehQlzH_DMCyijZFPerCVUmEfrhgaCF7msjbwXwND_L2uthCjopAPqnn3q1jZrbCuevE0V28SHKNC_4UYWQmxJapCZhf2MP0Bk8-G2x-wtAse7h9DRjDNNRh4nCD5/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></a></p> <p>Overall the new app is welcome but won’t really change how I use the camera.</p> <p>The photos app has been redone and looks quite confusing at first. You can now share videos through iCloud, but videos don’t sync via Photostream as I understood they would. This would have been handy – unfortunately you still need to use a cable to transfer videos to your computer or a third party app. I use <a href="http://www.photosync-app.com/">Photo-sync</a> which works very well between iPhones, iPads, Macs and PCs.</p> <h2>Airdrop</h2> <p>Which brings me onto Airdrop, another feature I was looking forward too. Airdrop allows easy sharing of files via WiFi or Bluetooth between iOS devices. However Apple have seen fit to only allow this option on iPhone 5, iPad 4 and newer devices. I can’t imagine why, especially since the iPhone 4s will still be available alongside the new iPhone 5s/c/.</p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD01l8cRu5OAml7gCybXwiCEunh8aZB2vUgeOp6vKkfe6440HiQy9NIRhlbEUMmU9RDdEg3IkzoflCQR8U6X9IUyQPCp8FCGEP2ZqiWBOCjNtBqQ6NPjOjhZfopcBa4LaBy-0l6FqqcTOD/s1600-h/image%25255B20%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwbibRVpUQRAQl-m_76gGX_yo_m_DUQwwJBg7yj7P8Jz8OkWW4uJtVISCsaJDe4U-YYu9YD2D2Zr0bhoUS1p0xIz_BHWtJZRiGcv_AjdASJQseePatkKHQhKxkQGk5udBCxmZe86sfbVj/?imgmax=800" width="505" height="480"></a></p> <h2>Safari</h2> <p>The web browser has been updated too and again feels a little confusing at first. There are some nice touches though, like the animated cascaded open tab view allowing you to flick between open pages:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nYlJ6WQnULG7mFavkvfgSG58Sv_pjTo4XkBc5wY5-3yDrvJKUJbDHpQuXjIZhm6lwYtWVrWAQCkrbbuBE6TZ124k6EWfNen6htHqjjHAdEvu4T20boVlNfFqO8KeEqNEwgpA7G2lBrts/s1600-h/image%25255B25%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91QjMjl5_rUhVJlAieoiDzFuP9qXQeOnM162-NAhPtgPDIoZHeesHkyUsKDBFCDHihwuSfbxmxvqnRzT9jLO6Ol7VRFU5kPzEnR1DkwryZf1vbRpCiXRHxBxIUylTlkGFZrmWeFVt7EeC/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></a></p> <p>iOS 7 in general tries to use as much of the screen as possible and apps like Safari hide icons as you flick through a page. This can be a little disconcerting since it’s not immediately obvious how you move to another page! Tapping on the address bar or flicking down a page off the screen again reveals the hidden icons.</p> <h2>Conclusion</h2> <p>Having spent a couple of days with the new OS now, my general impression is good. iOS was in need of a change – it was starting to look dated. It works very well on the new iPad 4 but does still lag a little on the 4s, even after the complete refresh. Good job I’m due an upgrade!</p> <p>But I would exercise caution in upgrading older devices especially the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2.</p> <p>A very nice added bonus of the update is devices activated after September 1st 2013 can download all of Apples’ productivity apps for free – worth over £30! You’ll get prompted to download Keynote, iMovie, iPhoto, Pages and Numbers. And then these will be available across all your iDevices.</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-64805438939644218182013-09-13T13:32:00.001+01:002013-09-13T13:32:47.771+01:00Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition needing activation<p>Many version of Windows 7 came with this completely free edition of Office which was only limited on features but not time.</p> <p>However an Windows update on Tuesday (10th September 2013) has caused users to be prompted to purchase the full version of Office when trying to open <em>Word</em> or <em>Excel</em> documents:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABiRQKUfHICVWcuALQuBq4MntTv_uMm2zCcYuG2B_RPRa4t2hgDOT_gIrWiprJlJFjhaIkHVRVe7q-apZhwnLvSZwBGKLCzzwwvQ6nNnRARj3m9W6DxjRbOLel5Qz3AcOO9ijCTKE2plA/s1600-h/Activate%252520office%25255B4%25255D.png"><img title="Activate office" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Activate office" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-nuJDXGuMRN3xFzwKjXAt4PGF2NrLd1GE0t4GIx9VnlWAunjog9NCu9kQCA1oJARAqCLzl_sL4do_wA1bqymbZZEk6AqMjjTfhyphenhyphen4wcG9_VklsAuMZnb4RqhkIckL-9uB9pkfmBIMm_wX/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="293"></a></p> <p>Fortunately there is a simple solution, not involving parting with any money to Microsoft. You’ll need to uninstall <em>Microsoft Office 2010.</em> Click on the <em>Start</em> orb at the bottom left of the screen, and type<em> add remove</em>. Click on <em>Add or remove programs </em>as below:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wdYfKkDY_jHKUEnV1iKcnLuCnnqGcz3y7t9C-DFO9K6U0b70cKkhkuVYOCiJbPWXTqn8MgeNhA40jkh9eCxSR-w_uKwADZQFLpV4XFDYOyVF7e0hEvznbDHNqnko0noIU5H8ABFrCfqs/s1600-h/add%252520remove%25255B4%25255D.png"><img title="add remove" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="add remove" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9m3tu3Sm-Gt15xyFnbULFgwuKSqEoBjUJCio3MmrcruS0UjY1h1NoqB6UUJSymofSAt90k3uV-MalFenTQ7XQLUgGDEXepM24ie0zirwmBgAHnL7n8557F1XD0UngQ51drzZ8MunCUO0D/?imgmax=800" width="375" height="300"></a></p> <p>Next click on <em>Microsoft Office 2010</em> and <em>uninstall</em>:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGasShhKWb49dX-MCgREyUqSnNoqi889KbkDyuh3-0XNuoLERYzqkZVqTP3QDUBP_MeP56C1f3e3VOb1txAYOTG4DTwS1V9ffdfZObTQxxdVJBguKAKkapP4opAqWC_2LGi4qfq0Vz5Ow/s1600-h/uninstall%252520program%25255B4%25255D.png"><img title="uninstall program" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="uninstall program" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3q16f_o6UbNXGWeRVkhRJc68HqwCq8vdD-BoQcrZjss5Jqb85NROw13j6hLJmlhS03oEo7HxHbjPlOwO0McTuW2vmMEDtS2wZPUsn7XZFB8LsZ2hlMkOXSGniDSp8IV_s-s7iABTFfe1/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="249"></a></p> <p>You should then be able to run Word and Excel as before.</p> <p>If you’re using <em>Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition</em> and have not yet been effected, this is the update you need to watch out for (<em>KB2589275</em>). So you could also un-tick the update before it causes any trouble. Or you could uninstall the update, but I prefer the above method.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLAYba8SPJDA5Y1Mmcqn4Cvsl5p05zwranb_tNij55HgV_wTIbHqAA_MQFqfI8HHq4UdxZyEYA7Fgwg8ydJ3Muf_F7dfQWejhIiXyicW3RbAYoZm44Sg0D4FAeFzj95F1J3K7WQ6L5ADk/s1600-h/Culprit%252520update%25255B4%25255D.png"><img title="Culprit update" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Update to Microsoft Office 2010 (KB2589275) 32-bit Edition" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnPGvyBtHSjVqidlrNMKZffvPlqSLblcJO92wXvnJH4W_WImP5Tcn6S0WrURPA6z8rVYt0GiypQVKWTv4fhM8rPVxsnXaU31_yyZIREjoadCKsWtooesePf9_DpaEa684P2HSXtAscQVB/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="216"></a></p> <p>Please let me know how you get on!</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-70199159924030124832013-09-11T13:32:00.001+01:002013-09-11T18:45:50.555+01:00Syncing Google Calendar with your Android phone or tablet<p>By default, synching your calendar from your Android phone doesn’t always work as it should. Often calendar updates will only happen one way – from Google Calendar on your desktop to your phone or tablet, but not the other way around. To get them working both ways make sure you complete the following steps. Note that Android devices vary so the screenshots may not look exactly like yours –these are taken from an Asus Fonepad.</p> <p>Open up the device’s calendar app and click on <em>settings</em>.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iumPT7XcgWWKr4MHfyEjLlIfnYNJ9Du0yBlfLZw5deDPZ5RAl_7hlnxTzH-VCWxZoSjhw2l3yZ9PvEWnHfBKu0w2HE6wZr5UrHk3zEHVUOl3BIZgMoVgy-MDE4voP26mXc4k9B02qchO/s1600-h/image%25255B40%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU9S6cjPEK4zxga83Ngj3WxQm0UmwOq1Bu6OoWIodJRzv9vtkIekI_3gGhh14jNXIfowwEgCTeGf7kHVKGBuCDdziVGPmp7Ly986k-Jt_fuc9_lXm2iVb870wwRPOEnwCEtu7ZRf8S8am/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="512"></a></p> <p>If you don’t already have your <em>Gmail </em>account here, you’ll need to add it. Then we need to select this account and enable it to be synched by checking the tick box:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4hO8YSgCcC8ffG3NDBU353MtMdweRb6g0K1g6iaFIwWaprQN-1Gcjdew2MbsV0RzWsXz91c40r7S2xjqF3n_ROO_-oba8DHH-l6I3Bk-R5uoFjPwiMTTviSKmIwahEw5H6Y6dRE0xYi5/s1600-h/SNAGHTML149f8a9e%25255B9%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML149f8a9e" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML149f8a9e" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MkdmSGYmnU10YUhBXsXqosTErhKhPHIdHZEY8Bso478FCX8oqWBhodfberGjDCqIF0fGntyqJsECWvkWOz5m0tWf6emagmckHfBg771iZdTVVwhi-DTYWs7HWBcbtPnsvm81UFr3lmfn/?imgmax=800" width="351" height="249"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3wfghIFqe4ZDYbisZhrcvLAm3HuYrI5q39g_n_wOvcPue19yZpajv6ZWrsBUBgdwQ05Q4NP1ByJD_bUT4XbL2EQzbKp9TQNU8LpOlZr_byZh7fOK-rxl64Sx1wTTN-QVir_7-y4xFR3V/s1600-h/image%25255B52%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdXVB9a5te6YOcG2Yhy-rfXpAYqkleam8XlPBXuoO-f1q2vl2zNhaxNUaoJHikKsXgPI9isISLFROy6AAa7lA3gLzgec4c_QRi25gxOvwdfmh5a9n1VoeR0RLwqgVkXF1ggadlWERlh5i/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="175"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXHSvCaRu4h0tTXOqpYK0XqgTcvcw_TX6KP5n0IjBlW30qz89k9oi4vqmrrga6cXR-LQgQ3nnkGou-f6rrx3Ho4aA4_M_3PnaH5zZUXweUMjD4xj-ZX_8Rl9wXjC8dsGu6929hPCVp-Mz/s1600-h/image%25255B53%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdr1gzzoAG_eesPGcjqj-8M2wRVWbx5OkJCqdRxf8EA26L8c6-qwU9PSt-fLXbLHdp69qrAsPC1IyRw-JsOgIIXglmupQS-IqX8uNt4laK2Txw3xXec3gzRRlz9BoSE8U0GZQoqOHyRul/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="153"></a></p> <p>Next click on this calendar as below:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErclH1ZtkOBp2CwbdpGw7cnXumMoO2TNR4pCfij0adE-ML3bovOGdoPVKHzCCiKjD8jNtUnXDxXr-42kMeLiI5wybYzPPvRhKD9UhWYuU7PiIlURStODbnmokuflqe9z1wzcxxm2oXKMT/s1600-h/image%25255B54%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkwO3YzDkjawUjT7P-HfCKl9SzENvL19IrLsr4UcmFJPfLuilhttd4vQnwEpfR_gYomCulGTpr2qv2c1fhLsd0Mv6myTFwdrRNCV35fX97QPjXYj8xkNvtniYPCU9DthezYcGnLLoaIF0/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="300"></a></p> <p>Now when you add an event, make sure this same calendar is selected as below:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZi_XxQAmLYVLPdMejlb1zUMmxhhyphenhyphennrn_CIZzVRjt2DkqMoL1Ar30OFVaGFuw5Yns-8x4Z6UlwET-hWJIVZ9EuaBP8YKHDjWwxBJ6eBi_3yicKjkKQOp7M983oWS0Sk_o17RXQoK5wewv/s1600-h/image%25255B55%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqvBgJvcjxtiB4bSjxOFwkTSp0Xi0MzQPD7Ty5-Axv8VUcerDy_KRkPvZc8Hxj0bYrhBniFK1C7r0yZ1XuAm68KUsXKmRgVN3l1E_-Zn2bA-TYSV01P1gEeOGW7pZ1aV2rGNFIBRE3INj/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="326"></a></p> <p>You’ll now find calendar events will sync both ways. Good luck!</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-58427357681195168192013-09-03T17:08:00.001+01:002013-09-04T22:46:54.848+01:00Sharing bookmarks across all your devices with iCloud and troubleshooting<h3>Setting up iCloud Bookmarks Synching</h3> <p>This is very handy feature using Apple's iCloud, but can be frustrating when it doesn't work as it should. I'll firstly go through how to enable the feature and then describe how to deal with any issues that can arise. Bookmarks sync works across iOS devices (iPhone and iPads), Macs and PCs. To enable the feature on your iPhone and iPad, simply slide the switch in <em>Settings / iCloud</em> to <em>on</em>:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAZ5-ZaLF5bVVa9IAkfgao8JwfLaYwQLzWjPdHYNh2P7WWPfaKW8o1dD9eDo3tLX3IqlXte9lb6k48ASD-rBLivBVkK__CeRPOoLbVUKNk8LzQ0kl82ZuZTmTtxuFjcuVm2mZH8f0HIN0/s1600-h/IMG_4254%252520iphone%252520enable%252520icloud%25255B6%25255D.png"><img title="IMG_4254 iphone enable icloud" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_4254 iphone enable icloud" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eD0LHLPGUmCyxTEM_k3JNSQjvmMqQQCwgPrSd5gZtzcoXOPNL27HTyGIFgHDJkGhw4htD8GwJMi2lKPX3jcCyEIrMfZQ07VvmYq_f8MYJ6YckzFwhLN2zwSBp9uCaWp2eIFNwjjQL91o/?imgmax=800" width="200" height="300"></a></p> <p>On your Mac, select System <i>Preferences / iCloud</i> and tick <i>Safari</i>:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6b0HelmPHQp-0UGMTmqnBp4YPmw_OfyUrOG8zIadQROHd6p__qbHPMd98cJoehpvSCMPblG7nEJenGrkRpew_wsWgqIEY9mCwyPtH8q5M1mYfRhJjEyJa9q2GuEe5MhxL1ouNhsqtceXp/s1600-h/2013-09-02_22-52-57%252520macbook%252520icloud%252520enable%25255B6%25255D.png"><img title="2013-09-02_22-52-57 macbook icloud enable" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-09-02_22-52-57 macbook icloud enable" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItYESEy13cP9ZN909_5xzXcH2OtCZdZ-H4DqSt1HWvUrQ4KIY-bSghTCGd1FMrFL8LNCoE0tUNQg4yZYA2f3XIogzfggnwRLLIukE4uePfOyOA4nzJ9dyDGe8qbwR0SlKW3ne9z29P0Yt/?imgmax=800" width="420" height="296"></a></p> <p>On your PC, you'll need to download the iCloud control panel from here: <p><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1455">http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1455</a> <p>After installing, you're need to enable <i>Bookmarks with Internet Explorer</i>. If you have Safari installed, you'll have an option to sync with Safari bookmarks instead. With Safari installed, <i>Reading Lists </i>are also synched. Note that <i>iCloud Tabs</i> are only synched across Apple devices. <p>That's it - all your bookmarks should sync across all your devices. <h3>Troubleshooting iCloud Bookmarks (<em>Advanced</em>)</h3> <p>This normally works fine, but synching across many devices with hundreds of bookmarks can get iCloud in a muddle. Duplicates can appear and you may have to resort to resetting your bookmarks across all devices. This is easier said than done since there is no way of explicitly removing the iCloud bookmarks. <p>This is the procedure I've found to work - and I've tried a few ways! Please remember, it's unlikely you'll run into any problems. I'm probably pushing this feature to its limits synching across 6 devices with bookmarks going back over 15 years! <p>Firstly switch off synching on your iPhone and iPad: as above but slide the switch to off. You'll be prompted to delete the bookmarks stored. <b>Confirm this operation</b>: <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPneXJG6Dg72gVIh8OKereq7rM9kvzNvVXhDbmLY9n-65wMaIuhd_ILLgbhHFzOk9j_1z6LlrNiADnwKPS5iqvVkR9JdAP45ID3M7o6-GlJVD-78Nzndi1cPnAVj9or7wR6iKUGYseZC29/s1600-h/IMG_4253%252520iphone%252520delete%252520bookmarks%252520icloud%25255B7%25255D.png"><img title="IMG_4253 iphone delete bookmarks icloud" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_4253 iphone delete bookmarks icloud" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2x523ZPOs02FEJDMy_LCTuFYZpZQk7jklhJ01Co16eKM3ETYHtUuVBxdIT7Zgf5-OMuZPOHQl90FD-qalMFwi4uTi9FPaRGQ5CAsUlLKBexArsjkGpXiyWSlWB0GnfSMv-EsvcOYDtRhV/?imgmax=800" width="200" height="300"></a> <p>Now turn off on your PC(s) too. Then delete all your favourites (bookmarks) too. For Internet Explorer: <p><i>Windows Key + R</i> and type <i>%userprofile%\favorites</i> as below: <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFkp_0FXHBFtC9INPJ57D0kizbvGiyH5wMI1htvD6YntA_duyz1Koo8fB_D97QglBHh1uaHju_g03YyGoPI1-0PvgRiULxsLcgOSZgzV39NTwZmDKqfG5n4GKoRqq53bbGa8zNTlCOvdL/s1600-h/02-09-2013%25252021-00-29%252520delete%252520favorites%25255B11%25255D.png"><img title="02-09-2013 21-00-29 delete favorites" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="02-09-2013 21-00-29 delete favorites" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg77Uqa1ALh370rF-_3vIVQfmVY2cdAuuL30pFJ_hrLYRi7r9_tdX6ANU5wn0Yh-O-nrrxXP99NIDEfSZSwa1D0n8N5eFtFVTofQ1MuF93aCqBVNu2N2vjNrleDq2yeggSZSorRkOnn5w/?imgmax=800" width="302" height="175"></a> <p>Now select all folders and files and <i>delete</i>. Or copy to a temporary folder if you need a backup to restore at the end of this procedure. <p>Finally on the Mac, again make a backup of your bookmarks if you're wanting to restore from them. Then with iCloud Safari sync still enabled, delete all your bookmarks (<i>Show All Bookmarks</i> and hold the delete key down is one way!). Wait for this to propagate through to iCloud - leave 15 minutes if possible. Then exit Safari and turn off iCloud sync as above and completely delete bookmarks by deleting the <i>bookmarks.plist </i>file as below. In <i>Finder</i> you'll need to hold down the <i>alt</i> key to see the hidden <i>Library</i> folder: <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KTJnf_4GWehOJCVQuHVOcYW4WQHy9xXp4fojqQGLbJfRS5Ni3ztDSxUJSg1uyi9m6RoOORMR1t_eScNOC2ZgeEPX5vAhWZeW25J2CrJcxPE-2jIk0gkVMj2S-MDZHjMowjH8M2ISfg5E/s1600-h/2013-09-02_21-19-58%252520delete%252520plist%252520bookmarks%252520safari%25255B21%25255D.png"><img title="2013-09-02_21-19-58 delete plist bookmarks safari" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-09-02_21-19-58 delete plist bookmarks safari" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1xnZBPPK43pp9LAUkPy71VBb-RBSSZdnSWQQmqcS5L7qd24f0IIpt8G-vEqx7KIHZ2lMkCpMNNgYib-kw7t-j4p0HTk3yrDyZiWmcxYqvoulZOJH_EGkDqPnA3tZiz4le0v0c-rlBI8A/?imgmax=800" width="501" height="262"></a> <p>Now enable iCloud Safari sync again and open Safari. Wait a while and check no bookmarks still left in iCloud don't reappear. <p>This next step is important if you’re using Windows 8. You need to turn off Internet Explorer syncing, which is part of your Microsoft login. This is not an issue if you logon on to a local account. Here’s how to switch it off: <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDcXEHx7wsVNVp4fNy_q_u4QRh3KGn1OZyriwwryE9est9nVREv0P1jOW0iMYolcqq3xDQN__o8ImsRo0ZHC-KHPSWw2d8iOJQozKYx6RTsOEiyOrnP4oE1nb-MwYGAUxJA11J954JuWP/s1600-h/SNAGHTML7982dda%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="SNAGHTML7982dda" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="SNAGHTML7982dda" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sk4zBgy-HsrKW_lzxOvR-NsxfROmVbqcrmw7-JvKTHmFt-TdzThhCdq4w3ROseuLg_KgYVnxwMIyKMhV_0wM9hY5w1X2MDLkilhWjERrN6D8k1Sr_w3kBKstvD044omQVBpAhwNJsbiM/?imgmax=800" width="454" height="191"></a> <p>Now restore your bookmarks and enable iCloud sync on your other devices. If you're not using a Mac, you'd complete this final step on the PC. But do it on one PC first. <p>Good luck and please let me know how you get on!</p> thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-6413034583862933162012-12-07T12:43:00.001+00:002012-12-07T12:56:59.279+00:00Gadget Show Live ChristmasThe train just about made it to London with all the recent flooding causing havoc. Most of my fellow travellers were heading to Twickenham for what was to be the astonishing English defeat of New Zealand. <br />
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I was heading for the new Gadget Show Christmas exhibition at the Excel centre. Their annual show at the NEC obviously wasn't enough for true tech addicts. It's a smaller show but I found for the limited time I had, it was big enough!<br />
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I was keen to see the new Windows 8 and all its associated gadgets. Microsoft had the biggest stand at the show unsurprisingly, with their latest Surface tablet taking centre stage. They had the latest smartphones, hybrid laptops, ultrabooks and of course XBox all sporting some variant of Windows 8 and all with a reassuringly consistent feel.<br />
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Surface had a queue just to touch and feel it which must be very satisfying for Microsoft. These are the new tablets running Windows RT, a special version of Windows 8 designed to run on mobile devices. But it feels exactly the same as the full Windows 8 and runs very quickly with no delays flicking, scrolling or pinching! It comes with Microsoft Office 2013 which is a real bonus. Plus it will support many USB devices, so you can plug you USB memory stick in and continue working on that Word document you started on the laptop.<br />
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You will have seen all the Surface adverts with enthusiastic dancers attaching and the detaching the cover/keyboard. The tablet comes on its own from £399, or with a choice of two cover/keyboards. One thin keyboard (with no feedback but available in lots of colours). And one thicker keyboard in black with proper keys which would be my choice. The attachment mechanism is very nicely designed and the built in stand on the back of the tablet is well thought out. With this built in stand, proper keyboard and Microsoft Office, this really is a tablet that could comfortably replace your laptop in many situations. <br />
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Microsoft also had a number of interesting full Windows 8 hybrid laptop with flipping, swiveling and rotating screens, mostly with touch. I did find the range a little baffling and would like Microsoft to set some guidelines. Windows 8 does work a lot better with a touch screen or at the very least an advanced touchpad which supports the main touch gestures. However, some budget laptops have no touchscreen and limited touchpads which leaves you having to use the rather unintuitive mouse and keyboard controls. <br />
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The Asus Taichi had a double-sided screen which when closed acted as an (albeit fat) touchscreen tablet. Open it up and you had a standard laptop with no touch which I found myself contantly trying to touch!<br />
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The Windows Phone 8 smartphones were very appealing with their large bright and very responsive displays. Kids Corner is a nice feature that lets your children safely play with your phone with your choice of apps. But it doesn't stop it being slung across the room! <br />
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Moving on from the Microsoft stand and running out of time, I enjoyed a nice demonstration of a 3D printer from MakerBot. These are really coming down in price (£1500 + VAT) and I can see them being available at high street prices within 5 years.<br />
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I dashed around the rest of the show pausing to look at Sonos Wireless HiFi, Jacuzzis (!), far too many smartphone and tablet covers and loads of flying gadgets, before heading off home with hoards of drunken rugby fans.<br />
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thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-12814717357220802382012-10-09T08:52:00.001+01:002012-10-09T22:59:45.126+01:00Tablets rule the world ...<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqeXTkuEDeFb6PBPgC3J-5BcOnPBm4IYHuJVEGlVCEUMPpAp3Pwnw747_01Vz0GdKyuk2YF89YjXx9axccBC1Z_SbB-QxclUmHYjsEvIepvkoHP4fumIcUTxN7u1TdMTuZLG3L9AlwLl0/s472/Photo%2525209%252520Oct%2525202012%25252022%25253A01.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqeXTkuEDeFb6PBPgC3J-5BcOnPBm4IYHuJVEGlVCEUMPpAp3Pwnw747_01Vz0GdKyuk2YF89YjXx9axccBC1Z_SbB-QxclUmHYjsEvIepvkoHP4fumIcUTxN7u1TdMTuZLG3L9AlwLl0/s472/Photo%2525209%252520Oct%2525202012%25252022%25253A01.jpg" id="blogsy-1349819950970.4797" class="alignnone" alt="" width="472" height="368"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Finally the price of tablets have come down - something we've all been wanting to happen <a href="http://thetechco.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/tablet-revolution-continues.html">for a while now</a>. Although it's mainly the smaller 7" tablets that we're seeing for under £200. There have been many cheap and rather nasty tablets until fairly recently, with the sudden glut of impressive 7" offerings from Samsung, Google (Asus) and Amazon.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Google Nexus 7" was the first tablet that really caught my eye. £159 for the 8GB version with a fast quad-core processor and an HD screen. But sadly no expandable memory slot and no rear camera (of arguable usefulness). And then, just recently, Amazon announced their new Kindle Fire and higher resolution Kindle Fire HD, £129 and £159 respectively, available in the UK this time at the end of October. These appear to be great value but again lack expandable storage or a rear facing camera. More importantly these devices are mainly for consuming ebook and video content from Amazon. Although they <em>can</em> be used as a general purpose tablet, you'll have to live with Amazon trying to sell its wares at any available opportunity.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">And finally we have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 which has expandable memory via MicroSD and a rear facing camera albeit only 3MP all for just under £200. But it has a lower 1024x600 resolution than the Nexus or Kindle Fire HD and a slightly outdated processor.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">But the biggest factor for all these devices, for me at least, is the screen size. If you're already using a decent smartphone, with a 3.5 to 4.3" screen, I'm not convinced the extra screen size of a 7" tablet is enough. I still find myself having to zoom in on most webpages, online newspapers and magazines.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">However it all depends how and where you'll use a tablet. For reading books and watching video content on the move, the 7" tablet makes a lot of sense and has already proved very popular. And the general downward trend is pricing can only be a good thing. Let's just hope we see some decent sub-£200 10" tablets soon.</p>
<br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-31322451850326470602011-10-26T11:20:00.002+01:002011-10-26T20:59:44.141+01:00The London International Technology Show (LITS) 2011This new consumer technology show run by Dennis publishing looked promising, so I joined numerous tech-lovers at the Excel centre in London on Saturday.<br />
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Arriving at the exhibition centre brought back slightly nervous memories: the last time I'd been there in my previous life at BT, I had the rather onerous responsibility of preparing a demonstrator of our research activities for senior BT managers including the chief executive!<br />
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This time there was no such pressures and I walked into the hall to be greeted by two chaps walking around in their underpants. Regardless of the fact that 99% of the attendees were male this seemed a strange publicity stunt!<br />
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The main stand greeting new arrivals was from Scan (an online computer component retailer) and this typified the focus of the show - gaming. Which for me was slightly disappointing since there was nothing new here. They had an overclocking tutorial for people trying to eke out the last drop of power from their gaming PC.<br />
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Walking past the Zotac stand I was asked to guess how much a gaming chair cost for a nice little LED torch. Despite several wrong attempts I was still awarded the torch with a correct guess of £10,000! The torch kept my children occupied for some time, but of course are no match <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/torches/">for our LED torches</a>!<br />
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The custom PC builder Yoyotech has their latest and greatest machines on display and were demonstrating extreme overclocking keeping everything cool with liquid nitrogen:<br />
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They also had the exact machine used in the <a href="http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/gadget-news/up-close-with-the-battlefield-3-simulator">Gadget Show's Battlefield 3 simulator</a>.<br />
<br />There was still lots of 3D TV and gaming with Samsung demonstrating their latest monstrous 3D TV. But not much else from Samsung unfortunately. Not even their latest tablets. And not much from the other big vendors either.<br />
<br />All in all I'm afraid the show was a little disappointing. But this was the first LITS and these type of shows need to gain a little momentum. Hopefully next year will be better ...thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-26505310134995691412011-06-14T14:08:00.000+01:002011-06-14T14:08:11.425+01:00Protect yourself from fake anti-virus programsMost people have anti-virus software on their computer. And this keeps a lot of the popular types of viruses at bay. But one of the most common virus infections we see in the <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/pages/Find-Us.html">shop</a>, rarely gets detected by your Norton or McAfee and can also con you out of £50.<br />
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This new breed of virus uses a variety of methods to trick you into downloading a piece of software. Once you allow this program to install, it takes over your machine and effectively holds your computer to ransom until you "activate" it for around £50. Of course if you do hand over the money, the crooks also have your credit card details and to make matters worse you are still infected!<br />
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In our latest video, we show a live infection of a Windows 7 machine with a very popular and typical version of this rogue security software called Security Shield. We show how you can avoid getting infected in the first place and how you can try and remove the virus yourselves. We also show how using Malware Bytes Pro Edition available from <a href="http://link.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/mbam">The Technology Company</a>, together with your usual virus guard will prevent future infections in the majority of cases.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="329" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4m0sf7OcX3U?rel=0" width="540"></iframe>thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-49489853310754871412011-04-21T10:15:00.024+01:002011-04-21T11:28:12.455+01:00The Gadget Show Live 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFF2hEgJU8sbOdQy0uhqyItdbEToHT2aFHlx-yegg6gNjgtH20eDzrkafYKWKS9C00zyWHNYzWtiDi9Uy3NspEaKDqyc5Ddk0DtlrO0NG1chf9HTDmeALPVyLXVxzi5KD7uo_P_J3Cj9Y/s1600/SAM_1505.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597964228156659698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFF2hEgJU8sbOdQy0uhqyItdbEToHT2aFHlx-yegg6gNjgtH20eDzrkafYKWKS9C00zyWHNYzWtiDi9Uy3NspEaKDqyc5Ddk0DtlrO0NG1chf9HTDmeALPVyLXVxzi5KD7uo_P_J3Cj9Y/s400/SAM_1505.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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It’s the third year running for this popular exhibition and I’ve not yet been, so with a free invite to the preview trade day last Tuesday, I eagerly handed over my money for the not-so-free train ticket up to the Birmingham NEC.<br />
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It’s fairly large event, with many of the big names in electronics attending. I was expecting to see plenty of enthusiastic examples of 3D, and Tablet PCs galore and my expectations were indeed realised.</div><div><br />
I’ve yet to be converted to 3D for televisions. And I won’t be until perhaps glassless 3DTV that doesn’t make you dizzy is a reality, and I think that’s a way off. But although I’m not a gamer, I can see the attraction of 3D for gaming. Playing the latest games, you’re already immersed into a virtual world, with engrossing visual effects and sounds. Donning a pair of £100 3D glasses to enhance your virtual world is a natural next step.</div><br />
However for our family of six, we’d have to spend £600 on 3D glasses that will possibly last 6 months with careful investigations by a 1 year-old. Not to mention we’d have to sit there looking quite ridiculous!<br />
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Sony and Acer were showing off their latest 3D gaming laptops which come with a “free” pair of specs. Sony’s latest F series F21Z1E retails at a hard-to-swallow £1800, especially considering expensive gaming laptops like this will only play the latest games for around a year! Still it did look fantastic and if I could have smuggled one home with me, it would have made the train journey back less arduous.<br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG75qTgCK1AtG63nnSZn0daICioRTAPkq4Shyxk6d6wZRDhx8udPMAlgFzbzCIQxHl8ilRijgLYfNMq0DGN-eym9qsaKXRQ6fH5LikY6QIGIhIFHtkxzp_WLcomU8vWlSQkcSq7pTqYJbD/s1600/c843583b0c.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597968013493391330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG75qTgCK1AtG63nnSZn0daICioRTAPkq4Shyxk6d6wZRDhx8udPMAlgFzbzCIQxHl8ilRijgLYfNMq0DGN-eym9qsaKXRQ6fH5LikY6QIGIhIFHtkxzp_WLcomU8vWlSQkcSq7pTqYJbD/s400/c843583b0c.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>Nearly every likely suspect had a tablet on show, but the ones that grabbed my attention were the much anticipated Motorola Xoom featuring the new Android Honeycomb, and HP’s WebOS based TouchPad. Both were well built and both felt responsive. But the price will be what mainly dictates whether they will be iPad beaters or not, unless of course you’d just prefer an alternative to Apple. And unfortunately the prices look very similar to the lower end iPads. The 32GB Motorola Xoom is available now for £480 and HP’s TouchPad launches in June, price to be announced.<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P9MYYF1KWvqkD5ndxpjQXi-BkfPOSzLN5V5s5W1dUywKbCS2od8LzrhrhNeXjjYdm4BhO6v5MBQPwmuHgqvaKJlegOqW80I8BFZdyxnZHh8I5lvm5zN8C3YlcuF5OpXpq-RqXuP0wfBh/s1600/l_09752543.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597968836954623714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P9MYYF1KWvqkD5ndxpjQXi-BkfPOSzLN5V5s5W1dUywKbCS2od8LzrhrhNeXjjYdm4BhO6v5MBQPwmuHgqvaKJlegOqW80I8BFZdyxnZHh8I5lvm5zN8C3YlcuF5OpXpq-RqXuP0wfBh/s400/l_09752543.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 355px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Sony also had on display their new camcorders with built in projectors. Playing back HD content is not particularly easy, so I welcome any innovation that makes this simpler. You’ll need a darkened room to play back your footage - these pico-projectors produce a very limited light output unsurprisingly given their size and battery operation. But I’m sure it won’t take long for significant advances in that area. And for the time being, it’s quite exciting having to draw the curtains and dim the lights to watch your movies, just like in the olden days! The prices aren’t too bad either considering the features, starting at £580 for the Sony PJ10E with full HD, 16GB of memory and 30x optical zoom.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRKBfjbsloZaQEuWUXLpf0RQzf2dSSAaCHnsij3hQu6JxtpiDKdTB8SQPPw4jZoc15ejm-TN8gVJfQOpsmpLYPxuhqiDJtgRV3Z7LcOLdGUas6g_zcHv1Gv1VPsauD6r2lbyaeR_zr_Ia/s1600/SAM_1503.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597969658093747682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRKBfjbsloZaQEuWUXLpf0RQzf2dSSAaCHnsij3hQu6JxtpiDKdTB8SQPPw4jZoc15ejm-TN8gVJfQOpsmpLYPxuhqiDJtgRV3Z7LcOLdGUas6g_zcHv1Gv1VPsauD6r2lbyaeR_zr_Ia/s400/SAM_1503.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div><br />
Although not a new release I got to have a good demonstration of the Sonos sound system. It’s a very impressive piece of kit that allows you to stream music wirelessly from the Internet or your own music library to either a single set of speakers or up to 32 rooms simultaneously! What’s novel is how the multiple Sonos devices connect together. Rather than relying on your home WiFi setup, they form their own network, connecting to each other, rather than a central point. This makes the range almost limitless and improves reliability. And it enables the devices to all play in sync with each other which is vital. The whole system can either be controlled by a Sonos remote, which is expensive, or a free app on an iPhone, iPad or any Android device. We hope to be selling the Sonos range soon.<br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMAVq_J5nttS1rLAfsD8UUF_jT8HTwG5rNZEa4kUYM7OelBOaQbsnoDQJqw1tXF6khBc_fbYHSIL2nFcj1lPsOaTLAHkROOsBHxezyimYvuGb_rHlaRLdmh9MXE6cUTKVyxkTzOo_W2RL/s1600/SAM_1509.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597970688225810194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMAVq_J5nttS1rLAfsD8UUF_jT8HTwG5rNZEa4kUYM7OelBOaQbsnoDQJqw1tXF6khBc_fbYHSIL2nFcj1lPsOaTLAHkROOsBHxezyimYvuGb_rHlaRLdmh9MXE6cUTKVyxkTzOo_W2RL/s400/SAM_1509.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div><br />
<div>There was an awful lot to see and in one day I probably only got to visit around half the show. Some of the smaller stands had some interesting products too. One such product that caught my eye was Sugru – a silicon based product that you mould like plasticine and then let it set. It will stick to most substances so is a great fun DIY aid. It looked fun for children too, but unfortunately it’s not suitable in its unset form and apart from that, it’s a little pricey to be squeezed into a ball and chucked behind the sofa! </div><div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AeJsH5WL9IE" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div>thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-28486443407014572862011-03-26T13:14:00.023+00:002011-05-04T13:45:09.721+01:00Drift HD170 Action Camera ReviewI <a href="http://thetechco.blogspot.com/2011/02/near-miss.html">promised last month</a> I'd write a review of the <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/products/Drift-HD170-Action-Camera.html">Drift HD170</a> action camera after I'd given it a thorough test, and here it is!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprp2oxKinbEdzELogON9D8fJGcs2zNsUlziGVq_tBk1eiMd1HAAik-oxTW-jfyiSIyMcMFszYR_PccUfV9eBAgBNX4B3L3zPqmA8Ml0UD5HvpzJwVuerloScqwFri7H3Sp2UZAgODtIVI/s1600/drift-hd170.jpg" onblur="function onblur()
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The review is mainly based on my experience of using the camera with my road and mountain bike. I have also included two videos I have produced. The first video reviews the camera and the second video shows real full HD footage from the camera on my commute to work.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/products/Drift-HD170-Action-Camera.html">HD170</a> is a very well featured action camera. It's the only one to come with an integrated LCD screen which makes setting up and reviewing your footage a doddle. The lens swivels so you can adjust the recorded footage however you have the camera mounted. And it comes with a generous selection of mounting options which together with the swivelling lens means you can attach it pretty much anywhere!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mhh3IwelmPlf2DZfwcmodP9PW4akSopUBhY911BCgI3UlNTRQE6JHtCZ2d1S5CvjjPcDwbpHZbZcA6RUhtYUmfREi01ga0cTgOUSYP5kMUSIYg9gNNa2WlSJC4E0PaIKMxXWMDZulj0u/s1600/drift-hd170-access.jpg" onblur="function onblur()
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First off we tried the handlebar mount on a Specialized road bike. It has over sized handlebars which makes for a slightly tight fit but a fit nonetheless. This is a nice position to have the Drift mounted since you can see what you are recording and can start and stop the video easily. But depending on where you are riding, the recorded footage can be a little shaky! And off road it will get drenched in mud too.<br />
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A more sensible option is to mount it to your helmet. It easily mounts to a vented cycle helmet and I found the best position directly on top of the helmet. The camera records a huge field of view so as long as you get it roughly level, you should capture most of what you can see. The video review below shows the camera mounted on my cycle helmet.<br />
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Fortunately you get a distinct sound when you start and stop the recording so you don't need to remove the camera to start and stop recordings. In fact you can also use the supplied remote for this purpose which works very well over a good range (doesn't need line of sight). I would like the sound to be a little louder ideally but it is audible without too much background noise.<br />
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The camera records in full 1080p HD and 720p. I've mainly used it in full HD mode but the one advantage of the 720p mode is you achieve the full 170 degree field of view mode - which gives a nice fish-eye retro look to the video.<br />
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Full HD quality is very impressive (see for yourself in the video below) - better than I was expecting. Although don't expect too much indoors or outside in low light - this camera is just not designed for that. It has a night mode but I'd avoid that like I'd avoid digital zoom. You're far better off applying any post-processing via your computer. Together with decent software you'll achieve far better results.<br />
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Photo quality, although not a feature I'll use much, is also surprisingly good (although grainy in low light). And since you get the massive field of view, it can be quite useful:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire3TBpRCdVEnlhNVb3kY4hlfe3CcIw6mipgtpVmqOD8eJgfS91PcBPfMN07MY9Q0vOpGHuWIJuO413B02jyiteLyEW5etz3HFNsEjLh57YqwKSQVtR9k6kvb-nRvlfSumE5YqoZXGcUfD/s1600/FILE0005.JPG" onblur="function onblur()
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Another nice feature of the HD170 is that unlike many of its competitors, it has a standard tripod mount which is very handy, as demonstrated in the review video.<br />
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Getting your videos and photos off the camera is a fairly basic affair. If you use the supplied USB cable, you can drag and drop the created files to your computer. Or for quicker transfers you could use a card reader. The camera doesn't come with any software and you will need a decent computer to edit full HD video. But the MP4 files can easily be uploaded to Youtube or such like for sharing. Or you can use the supplied cable for playing to your TV.<br />
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The Drift is water-resistant - not submersible. This means it can get wet and will probably survive a dunking, but you shouldn't use it for very wet activities like water sports. I've got it drenched on my cycle helmet cycling home and it's been fine.<br />
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The device does record audio but since the microphone is covered with plastic to give it water resistance, the quality is not great, but no worse than other action cameras. But the Drift does have the advantage that it can take an external microphone which will improve sound recordings significantly. You will lose some water resistance though and it needs to be used with the optional rear silicon cover to get any water resistance at all.<br />
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In conclusion:<br />
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<em>Positives:</em><br />
Very good image quality<br />
LCD screen<br />
Swivel lens with huge field of view<br />
Generous mounting options<br />
Standard tripod mount<br />
External microphone option<br />
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<em>Negatives:</em><br />
Low light performance (but no worse than other action cameras)<br />
Audio quality (although external microphone an option)<br />
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Please take a look at our video reviews of the Drift HD170. In the first video I review the camera and the second video shows real footage in full HD of the camera recording my commute to work! You can choose the playback quality and size from the bottom right of the video.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ci-926pHj3U?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nXntOqnaW38?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Drift HD170 camcorder and accessories available from:<br />
<a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/">http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/</a>thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-81671653779196714112011-03-03T13:00:00.010+00:002011-03-03T14:00:46.591+00:00The tablet revolution continues ...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykMFM1dNUqHVUB4-3gMLx50C_AgOaGVL5xDjx5IGzJuP9pPLARVDmDscjkjFM5YHgNr6VsDSEnrda3e7p3fexXYVt1i-WvJgtrZsSHyWgvQAhjM8TMX7BGHMcpKn5wcSrjlGvmWKIGgm2/s1600/ipad2_white_hand.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579851070949851394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykMFM1dNUqHVUB4-3gMLx50C_AgOaGVL5xDjx5IGzJuP9pPLARVDmDscjkjFM5YHgNr6VsDSEnrda3e7p3fexXYVt1i-WvJgtrZsSHyWgvQAhjM8TMX7BGHMcpKn5wcSrjlGvmWKIGgm2/s400/ipad2_white_hand.jpg" /></a><br />Yesterday the <a href="http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/365662/apples-ipad-2-launch-live"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> 2 from Apple</a> was revealed. The first generation <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> was a huge success with Apple's usual slick user interface and superb design. It defined a new genre of computing devices - the tablet. Basically an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">over sized</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">smart phone</span> - who'd have thought it?<br /><br />The truth is tablet PCs have been around for over 10 years - defined basically as a computer with the main interface being a touchscreen. Microsoft first came up with the concept but it was never very popular. The fact is these early devices probably tried to do too much. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> is fairly basic in its capabilities. At launch it didn't even support multi-tasking. It has no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">USB</span> ports, no memory card slot, no camera, doesn't support Flash (which many websites use to display video and other content) and has no keyboard.<br /><br />So why has it become so popular? It's all about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">implementation</span> and marketing. What the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> does do, it does very well. It's the perfect device to consume information (not create it), whether it be reading emails or newspapers online, viewing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">web pages</span> and films, playing games, trying out the latest app etc. And Apple very clearly explained what it was for in their marketing messages - they showed it being used to browse the web, watch videos etc. No one was ever quite sure what the original tablet PCs were for.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">There</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error">'s</span> no doubt the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> is a nice device to own. It's great for having on the coffee table for a quick browse of the web. Or in your hotel room to amuse yourself. But it's very much a secondary device - you'd still want your laptop or desktop PC and your phone - it's won't replace either of them.<br /><br />So what about the new <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> 2? Well it adds a camera, is thinner and it's quicker (but the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> is pretty nippy). It has an £30 add on that lets you connect it to a TV. None of these things are groundbreaking. But Steve Jobs very proudly boasted that it will cost the same as the original <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span>.<br /><br />And for me that is the problem. If someone can come up with a device like the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> that costs between £100 and £200 I'd probably get one. But with the new <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPad</span> 2 also costing from £430 to £700 it's still too expensive. If I were Apple I'd have concentrated on getting the price down, not adding features that whilst nice are probably not necessary.thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-54412044254987668122011-02-19T11:34:00.014+00:002011-02-19T17:57:04.028+00:00Do you trust PC World with your computer repair?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqU64Y9Alh7V8P3ab_9oVnGUfmJ23PM7MUml5mSREk-84397u4i4maF09D02MNz7RHjckK-9mvWiTw8r049ib-Lo1EZUMK3lBv4yYHRjcS0qF1czrkvk88i5mtuAfba1CsrhvySFPhApYz/s1600/which+pc+surgery.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 345px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575395012328364978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqU64Y9Alh7V8P3ab_9oVnGUfmJ23PM7MUml5mSREk-84397u4i4maF09D02MNz7RHjckK-9mvWiTw8r049ib-Lo1EZUMK3lBv4yYHRjcS0qF1czrkvk88i5mtuAfba1CsrhvySFPhApYz/s400/which+pc+surgery.png" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqz6rO8KnDqOrjEdd4Z37t77shMDdaqcfcXOz_hZhz-M9-0bXaEudEFdEyZw0Tgmqyid_JLHdhqWgImTiCXx_YTKcgCFOdcV_SUmtl-0ji-ByWLXsLVHRfcG3wzvz_HllCWapMmpgDSPC/s1600/which+pc+surgery.png"></a></div><br /><div>I was gobsmacked to read this month's (March 2011) article in Which? magazine: "Would your PC survive high street surgery?" Which? took 24 computers (both laptops and desktops) with very basic faults to PC World, Comet, Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse and found the chances of getting them fixed was no better than 50:50!</div><br /><div>But what shocked me more were the prices they quoted or charged for the repairs. For a laptop with a fairly basic software boot-up fault, Comet quoted for a new motherboard for £275! Best Buy came in at £160 charging for a new version of Windows plus a diagnostic fee of £40.</div><br /><div>The <em>most</em> <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/pages/Services.html">we</a> would charge for these repairs would be £50. On top of that I was staggered by how long they took to repair these machines, typically 5-15 days with some repairs taking as long as 28 days! If we had a tricky repair with components needing sourcing, it's very rare for a repair to take longer than 3 or 4 days and typically it's 1-2 days. So why do these large retailers with plentiful staff need up to 4 weeks to fix the most basic repair not even requiring parts?</div><br /><div>The desktops had an even more basic fault than the laptops - a cable had become detached from the motherboard. PC World charged £69.99 to repair this and took 4 days! Typical charges were £49.99 and I was pleased to see some offered the repair free of charge. </div><br /><div>We offer free diagnosis on all our repairs and we wouldn't dream of charging you for the five seconds it took to plug a cable back in you'll be pleased to hear!</div>thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724916104388538198.post-9733230025512107312011-02-12T09:19:00.001+00:002011-02-12T10:21:59.309+00:00Near miss ...Some of you may have spotted me on my daily cycle to our shop in Tavistock. I'm the one with the really bright front light! Well last week (on the 4th of February) I was trudging up the A386 to Grenofen on my way back from work, when I felt a sudden sharp blow to my right elbow. I looked up to see a Ford Escort white van speeding off with its wing mirror flipped in. Luckily I didn't come off and I only came away with a slight bruise. But the road is wide here and I am clearly visible with a super bright rear light too! The driver of course didn't stop and unfortunately I didn't get his number plate.<br /><br /><div><div><div>After many near misses I've often thought of recording my journey to work with a helmet camera. But after this incident and further prompted by the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12334486">recent BBC news article</a> on helmet cameras I decided to look into this further. Of course the opportunity to try out a new gadget also came into the equation!</div><br /><div>I wanted something that would easily attach to my cycle helmet, would record in high quality and was weatherproof. There were three contenders: the Contour HD 1080 (RRP £230), the Drift HD170 (RRP £280) and the GoPro Hero HD (RRP £300).</div><br /><div>They all have their own merits but for me the Drift HD170 came out on top. It's also the only one to have its own LCD screen which makes setting up and playing back your recording far easier / possible! Looking at endless video clips on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlnA0fl9nbY">Youtube </a>and <a href="http://vimeo.com/channels/112431">Vimeo</a>, I preferred the quality too. Plus it's made by <a href="http://driftinnovation.com/">Drift Innovation</a> who are based in the UK which is a nice change. </div><div> </div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgEqxbPVw6LShLf60e1z7rteaLXOZj79gvpsZECoLZSh-L5kzQi8LCMK-7PHTH7ZOMnBJVBWzJ1_vS3U-dGiz2Qy5ANnIHZM_Z5KaY8Qq43LXOV1CMhdO3vnobCqaFBs9lHoFV8qojWSF/s1600/Drift_HD170_560.jpg"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4HygUvSZoyAzRp2zMVgLf_vaK1BLhoI-_mBR-dnc-gFnZOmrogwQiv0qCa50fKKsmZ7qxgDPGbDTJc0m912zgwxdYJ7M_DZEloJKoClof_jenlU_hqdMImnGbor5YG3mSMNBY8-Dx-FO/s1600/Drift_HD170_560.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 261px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572739956695970066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4HygUvSZoyAzRp2zMVgLf_vaK1BLhoI-_mBR-dnc-gFnZOmrogwQiv0qCa50fKKsmZ7qxgDPGbDTJc0m912zgwxdYJ7M_DZEloJKoClof_jenlU_hqdMImnGbor5YG3mSMNBY8-Dx-FO/s400/Drift_HD170_560.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div> </div><div>I should be receiving one soon and will be giving it a thorough test. If it does the job we'll be stocking it in our <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/pages/Find-Us.html">shop</a> and <a href="http://www.thetechnologycompany.co.uk/">online</a>! With the amount of outdoor activities here on Dartmoor - walking, cycling, mountaineering, horse riding, kayaking etc, I'm sure it'll be popular! Look out for a review coming soon.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgEqxbPVw6LShLf60e1z7rteaLXOZj79gvpsZECoLZSh-L5kzQi8LCMK-7PHTH7ZOMnBJVBWzJ1_vS3U-dGiz2Qy5ANnIHZM_Z5KaY8Qq43LXOV1CMhdO3vnobCqaFBs9lHoFV8qojWSF/s1600/Drift_HD170_560.jpg"></a></div></div></div>thetechcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11678399883893963131noreply@blogger.com0