Editorial

Upgrading Your Rural Home Technology

You enjoy an uncomplicated life in a place far removed from most people. Now you’ve decided to upgrade your home with a few high-tech capabilities. You immediately run into obstacles, because rural America lacks the infrastructure that larger communities already have. Sixty percent of households in rural areas still do not have access to the Internet. It’s time to upgrade, but you’ll need to start with getting reliable network access.

The Internet Access Puzzle

Start by checking with your local telephone companies to see if they have any network options available to you. They may have DSL available, but it is very dependent on your location. Dial-up may be available, but there are so many things you can’t do with a dial-up connection.

You can also research local satellite Internet providers for options. Two-way communication via a satellite dish is available and doesn’t require additional cabling. The upload speed on this set-up is much slower than the download speed, but it is still an improvement over dial-up.

Tied to Your Phone

Some carriers have put their expansion dollars into building cell towers instead of overall network access. If you live in an area with limited Internet options, but have reliable cell phone service, you might look at tethering as an option. Tethering gives your computer the ability to connect to your cell phone and access the Internet through that connection.

Mashable reviews several tethering apps that run on the cell phone. Normally, all that is required is a cable from your computer’s USB port to the phone. Run the app on the phone, and your computer will now have Internet access. Because apps and phones vary, you’ll want to research how this might affect your cell phone bill. In some cases, you will have access to the Internet for free. Other carriers may require changes to your data plan and a monthly fee.

Secure Your Home

More home security options become available to you with a network connection. Home automation is now available and affordable to the homeowner and will let you do things remotely, such as:

• Turn lights on and off
• Lock and unlock doors and windows, if you are looking for replacing your doors and windows, you can learn all about door and window replacement cost here.
• Turn alarm systems on and off
• Watch or record activity in your home with video cameras

Various devices can be connected to your home network. When you are away, you can use a computer or smartphone to access your home network to control these devices. You gain peace of mind when you are away from home and wonder if you turned your alarm system on before you left.

Make Your Home Wireless

Installing cables throughout the home for network access in each room can be replaced with affordable and easy-to-install wireless devices like a wireless router. If you have a large home with many rooms, or more than one story, you may need a device called a wireless repeater, which captures your home network signal, and amplifies it so there are no weak signal areas in your house.

You can purchase wireless printers that connect to your network and network attached storage (NAS) devices that act like wireless disk drives. With a total home wireless system, you can access printers, disks and other computers from anywhere in the house, with no wiring required.

Have your own tips? Share them in the comments.

Creative Commons image by paul_irish

The UK Rural Broadband Initiative – How Fast will it get Here?

In July 2013, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that the UK Government’s plan to roll out its “Rural Broadband Programme” was likely to miss its 90% coverage target by nearly 2 years. May 2015 is that target date and the 90% coverage applies to a speed objective of at least 24 megabits per second (Mbps). The remaining geography is planned to be able to connect at 2 Mbps or better. Specific wording of the NAO report’s key facts indicates a revised March 2017 date for completion of the programme.

Other aspects of the project highlighted as not up to speed included the aspect of fair competition as, so far, there has been a monopoly on the business being awarded to provide the infrastructure. To date 26 of the 44 local projects have reached that particular milestone. Additionally the local rural residents’ feedback on the progress is reported as “poor” – although with a government run project, perhaps eliciting feedback and hoping for something positive might be a long shot.

Purpose

One of the driving factors behind the programme, officially referred to as “The Rural Broadband Programme”, is that of business growth – it is recognised that superfast broadband access is essential for the UK economy to recover from the current recession. The global business world is reaching into the corners of the globe and being run out of small corners of the country, including more and more home run businesses. Comprehensive superfast broadband coverage is considered the catalyst for world class communications and thus world class services.

In the UK, as expected, a large proportion of the rural landscape is centred on the farming industry. Already under pressure from large supermarket chains in terms of competing in the modern world, this sector contributes to approximately 20% of the British economy.

Businesses need to be run from far afield

The aim to create “The best superfast broadband network in Europe” already has a pretty good head start, with the UK having a high 70 plus per cent broadband coverage at the initiation of the programme in December 2010. This figure was ahead of Euro-business heavyweight Germany, the United States and even Japan. The UK does have a wide and competitive selection of internet service organisations fuelling our need -this is the website of UK broadband provider TalkTalk.

Implementation

Delivery of the programme is the responsibility of a specific unit, Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) – which is itself an entity within The Department for Culture, Media & Sport. This organisation essentially administers grant funding to the local body handling the rural area’s infrastructure build, which then receives support in providing the coverage. This assistance includes a contract framework for use by the local authorities which also includes safeguard assurances with the objectives of addressing:

1. Processes for the procurement of potential suppliers – intending to promote healthy competition.

2. Some assertion that the bidding cycle will be reduced risk by means of a call-off procedure.

3. The provision of mechanisms for in-life contracts as this is the phase where ultimately the initial expenditure needs to be returned.

This strategy of assisting funding and providing “support” allows the implementation to be technology-neutral, as the reliance on and re-use of existing infrastructure and differences in geographical challenges means there isn’t a one size fits all solution. It is thus envisaged that a blend of fixed wireless, satellite or cable may be required. It is hoped that a healthy dose of fibre optic cable will be used further into the outlying rural network although the Fibre To the Cabinet (FTTC) and Fibre To The Home (FTTH) solutions will have to be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Despite the previous seemingly impressive figures for the UK’s broadband capabilities, the download speed compared to Europe is far from the gold medal placing due to the legacy copper metal construction.

Funding

Nothing comes for free, even if it comes really slowly, and the need to help out the remote but vital areas of the economy is in conflict with the business cases for those providing this infrastructure. The numbers make sense in the more densely populated regions – where the subscriptions more quickly make up the initial outlay – but this is not commercially viable in the isolated towns, villages, hamlets, farmsteads and smaller communities.

For this reason some incentive in terms of finance was required and a government subsidy to stimulate the commercial activity which has until now been absent.

The government has set aside £530 million of public money for this rural broadband programme and this funding was approved by the EU in November 2012. When an application for a grant is accepted, the local body is usually required to match the grant, but with an option to pay more in return for a superior level of coverage. This money is then available for the winning telco to use to complete the work.

At the outset of the programme 44 areas were identified as being in need of assistance, some quite large – Scotland and Wales – and others at county level size. The funding allocation model was not just a measure of area, but considered other factors and as of July 2013 £462 million had been assigned.

Timeline

Referring to the original milestone target of May 2015, the delay in roll-out is partly because of an extended period of negotiation with the EU, which was required under the State Aid Rules for this nature of government funding, that took 6 months longer than planned. There has been an official revision in timing and definition of the milestone: with “securing delivery by December 2016” and expecting the actual reach to be 4.6 million premises in total by March 2017. Additionally, a slight shift in the coverage statistics is anticipated, with an increased figure of 92 per cent of premises in areas covered by the Programme having access to superfast broadband, although with four of the 44 local areas now falling short of the target 90%.

The Final 10 Percent

Once the programme is complete to whatever definition finally evolves, it is clear that around 10% of the country will still be in the slow lane. This is already prompting local community groups to come up with imaginative solutions – in the form of sort of hi-tech neighbourhood watch teams.

One such example Lancashire co-operative is B4RN – BB for the Rural North – whose members are taking matters into their own hands with 3.5m funded by share issue. Once operational, the broadband connection subscriptions will eventually cover the costs. This project was featured recently in a BBC Countryfile broadcast.

The Future

This ambitious project was never going to be a walk in the park (or the woods, fields or farmland). Even the local wildlife seems opposed to their natural habitat being information superhighwayed – badger setts in the way of broadband rollout. However, those of us living in the connected areas must understand what an advantage this provides whether for business or pleasure – it’s nice to visit the country to get away from it all, but there are occasions when communication is essential.

Related government projects are underway to likewise improve the quality and coverage of mobile phone voice and data services (the Mobile Infrastructure Project) and create super-connected cities.

A super-connected vision of the future

The average speed of UK broadband at home recently hit double figures at 12Mbps and many are in the position to further upgrade their packages to 30Mbps and beyond. Hopefully the rural areas won’t be running hard just to standstill or worse still continue to be left behind.

What’s clear is that the landscape is changing on an almost daily basis and there could be more to add to this superfast broad-brush resume of the superfast broadband situation very soon.

Windows Server 2012 is Still Where It’s at in 2013

Choosing a server operating system is a lot more complicated than "Just put the latest version of Windows on it," which is the treatment most workstations get. Server operating systems have different needs and requirements from your workstations, such as administration plug-ins, higher security requirements, and compatibility with common server hardware configurations. Windows Server 2012 is the latest Windows server operating system, with a number of new features that enhance Windows hosting and other server applications. Here’s everything you need to know about Windows Server 2012.

Cloud Effects

You can immediately tell cloud computing had a big effect on the design philosophy behind Windows Server 2012. Microsoft focused heavily on its Hyper-V technology that enables platform virtualization, allowing for the creation of public or private clouds that are completely virtualized and isolated from other users in the environment. The Hyper-V improvements will hopefully help Windows catch up to Linux in the cloud environment, as the OpenStack platform has gotten a great deal of attention for Linux cloud servers. Hyper-V virtualization can also be used in non-cloud virtualization tasks for your network. Centralized control features allow admins to keep track of everything from a single workstation, instead of going from server to server.

Many of the new security features are also cloud-oriented, such as authentication changes. The Deployment Wizard included with Server 2012 makes it easy to deploy services and policies, greatly simplifying administration tasks. Other advantages include enhanced disk encryption, Direct Access, and Active Directory Domain Services, as Redmond Magazine outlines.

Application Platform

The application platform is another improvement in Windows Server 2012. Microsoft designed the technology to work better with Windows Azure, along with adding frameworks and tools focused on simplifying application and cloud application development. PHP is supported natively in 2012, making it much easier to use PHP scripts than in previous versions, according to Microsoft’s website.

Data Control

Server Message Block 2.2 has gotten a big overhaul, allowing it to transfer 6 gigs of data per second. The scalability has also been addressed, allowing file servers to scale to take advantage of the amount of data transfer available now. Dynamic Access Control improves the permissions on shared folders, allowing you to specify a great deal of parameters that controls who can access folders. This allows administrations to have fine-tuned control over data, improving the security of the network overall. PowerShell increases the automation opportunities within the Windows server environment, allowing administrators to work smarter, not harder, on common and complex admin tasks.

Considerations to Keep in Mind

The development of Windows Server 2012 reflects a few Windows 8 influences, notably in the user interface, according to State Tech. The Metro interface, designed primarily for touch screens, eliminates the start button and provides a different Start screen, as well. Since this is a new operating system, carefully investigate hardware and vendor compatibility. Not all vendors have drivers available for this OS yet. Some are working through compatibility issues.

What are your thoughts on Windows Server 2012? Share them in the comments.

What Is It That Makes Online Casinos sites So Secure?

When you put your card details in to any website, you need to be sure that you can trust that website to keep those details safe? But how can you be sure that the online casino that you are choosing to bet on is reputable?

There are some casino sites out there that may take a while to pay out your winnings, or at least that is what I have found, but I have thus far managed to keep my card details between me and the company I gave them to. I have, in the past perhaps, taken chances with companies that were under threat of being hacked, but I have learned to steer clear of anything that doesn’t meet my checklist now.

Recent shudy shows that trusted online casino malaysia is very important factor among malaysian online casino players. Generally there are 3 types on online casino malaysia players. The biggest type are called “trusted online casino malaysia” players. These gamblers generally wager large amounts of money and trust is very important to them. Second type of players are bonus hunters. These players deposit small amounts and are mainly looking for no deposit bonuses instead of trustworthyness. Thir type of players are real money online poker players. Poker players like only trusted online casino malaysia because they keep large amounts of Malaysian money on their playing accounts.

There are some basic steps that you can take to gauge a website’s credibility. A simple Google search should return results that say rogue or blacklisted if there are any issues. Google might even recommend you to go for legitimate sites like https://www.sbobet-thai.com/reviews/icbc/.

Once you are on the website, check for good design and mention of where the company is registered. You can visit https://www.don99.poker to see a great example of a trusted online casino. Make sure they have signed an agreement with a gaming body that has a code of conduct and a list of rules regarding the site, including the Ecogra seal of approval.

Companies such as Winagames Australia use numerous reputable banking options such as credit and debit cards, Neteller, PaySafeCash, ClickandBuy, Direct Bank Transfer and more. Make sure that the green padlock appears next to the web address on any page where you are asked to put in the details of these accounts and cards.

Reputable software is part and parcel of online gaming. Companies such as Playtech, Microgaming and other big casino software vendors will only deal with reputable companies, so you can look out for their software as a seal of approval too.

On the security tab on the casino website, check for P128-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Digital Encryption, ISO certifications, PCI Compliance, and various anti-fraud measures which you can double check by running through Google.

Another way to make sure that you have chosen the best option for your money is by using forums where people discuss websites. Perhaps start a discussion in these forums and mention the names of various sites that you want to play in. By checking with other players and checking the minimum deposit malaysian casino, you can feel relaxed about playing games on a website that won’t rip you off or sell you details to third parties who could use them for simple spam or something more nefarious.

Pro tip: If you don’t know where to start your online gambling, one of those most trusted sites to play is judi bola. Go check it out now.

Say Bingo! With the Best Mobiles for Online Gaming

With online gaming sites like Jackpotjoy increasingly making their online content more mobile-friendly, it’s now easier than ever for gaming fans to access an ever-widening range of gaming experiences on the move. As the UK’s favourite online bingo destination, mobile gamers heading to the Jackpotjoy bingo site are not only greeted by an array of fun games variants, but story slots and more. However, some places are restricted by the aforementioned website. But the good thing is that there is still another source of bingo games like www.umbingo.com, which offers quality gaming experience and is quite popular globally.

With the selection of content on the increase, and the in-game graphics, sounds and features improving in quality all the time, when you’re playing on the move you want a phone that can keep up, to deliver the best mobile gaming experience possible. Thankfully, today’s smartphones and mobiles are more than capable of doing just that. In the space of a few short years they’ve gone from being simple communications devices to gaming powerhouses.

So for those looking for a little fun-on-the-go, we’ve take a look at some of the best mobiles out there right now, from bargain to high-end.

HTC One X+

HTC’s One X+ has Featuring a powerful 1.7GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, the HTC One X+ offers up best-in-class gaming capabilities in a smartphone format. The fact that this phone’s processor is a Nvidia means you’re also given access Tegra Zone, and that means a whole range of apps with upgraded graphics is at your disposal. Add to this the supremely beefed-up battery – a 2,100mAh battery that’s far superior to the one the HTC One X came equipped with – and you have even longer gaming power. We also love that fact that the LCD screen gives a a top notch 720p, so those graphics always looks clean, bright and crisp.

Nokia N95

Consistently rated one of the top ten best mobile casino phones in recent years, the Nokia N95. Truly revolutionising the smartphone market when it first appeared (and with an eye-watering original SIM-free price tag of £630 to boot), it wins points for its Symbian operating system, which has earned the reputation of being the most reliable OS for mobile. We like that you can plug in heaphones as well as stereo speakers, for better gaming sounds, and a nicely textured keypad makes navigating your way round bingo and gaming sites a cinch. This is one for players looking to invest in a great all-rounder – offering up superior Sat Nav, phone, connectivity, media player and camera capabilities.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

At the more affordable end of the smartphone market (around £100-£150 SIM-free), this phone is an all-out appeal to the serious gamer. A much-hyped PlayStation phone that features a slide-out gaming interface, it’s the only phone on the market that features gaming controls straight out of the box without the need for extra accessories. With a 1GHz processor it’s fast and fun, runs all Android games, offers access to 32-bit PlayStation games, and is equally adept at handling touch-screen online games like Jackpotjoy bingo too.

Personalise your laptop with a laptop cover

Laptops are useful tools and they’re becoming indispensable in many homes. But, it can be a little dull to look at the same cover day after day and as with mobile phones, it’s sometimes nice to change the look of your device. In homes where two or more identical laptops co-exist then it can be important to be able to easily distinguish between them, too. This is where laptop covers come in very handy.

Works of art or humour?

People get very attached to their laptops and the way they look has become as much an extension of the owner’s personality as phone covers have. There is a huge range of covers available and a simple web search will lead you to any – from plain coloured ones to some absolutely gorgeous designs. There are many based on common themes, current memes and trends and a few arty ones, but look at websites promoting and selling an individual artist’s work in different formats for some really unique ones. There are even sites that allow you to design your own cover, if you have the cash to spend on something bespoke. A good way to start is with a simple search for “laptop covers” plus an interest of yours.

Decals

If you like smaller designs, then decals may be an alternative answer. They’re just as easy to change as covers, if you feel like a change and are sometimes a more affordable option. You can get a big variety of designs too. If you’re a Mac user then it’s worth looking out for clever decals that make good use of the apple logo. Available from the internet, you can find plenty of humorous, interesting and beautiful decals and one benefit is that since they don’t necessarily take up the whole space you have much more say over the positioning of your decals.

Practical decoration

As well as looking good, there are some practical benefits to using a laptop cover. Making your laptop more individual makes it easy to identify it immediately; Useful where, as mentioned before, identical laptops co-exist, or in the library if lots of people are studying and moving between books and computers. Covers also provide a level of protection from minor bumps and scrapes. Finally they’ll keep some of the everyday dirt off of your laptop. You can get covers that have inserts to stop lint getting into the USB and charger ports but even a simpler one will protect from little scratches and general dust to some extent. This will all help to extend the life of your laptop, or keep up the resale value when you need to upgrade. You can of course get paid cash for your netbook if you do decide to upgrade.

There are so many different kinds of laptop covers, decals and other decoration that it’s really very hard to choose between them. You can easily spend hours searching for just the right decals and covers related to your interests or deciding between glorious art works.

TV Faster Than the Speed of Reality

Our living rooms are filled with more screens these days. Smartphones tell TV viewers more about their favorite characters as they watch. You can play “Words with Friends” while you’re waiting for the commercials to end. And laptops allow people to multitask on homework during halftime.

Meanwhile, marketers are trying to reach consumers on second, third and fourth screens. Let’s pull back the curtain to show the tactics being used in order to maximize the budding romance between advanced smart TV technology and the ever-present Internet.

Faster is Better

We demand high-speed Internet, uninterrupted TV signals, and Wi-Fi on our phones wherever we go. Why should our views of TV be any different? Now, TV programmers are shifting their focus to fully integrate with users on multiple devices. So far, Twitter is the platform of choice.

Many TV shows allow viewers to give instant feedback or ask questions through the social channel while a show is broadcast. TV programmers put hashtags on screen and use them as immediate sounding boards for their shows. TV show hosts often respond back to viewers’ questions in real time, empowering those at home to feel like they are a part of the show. As long as your tv antennas are working, you can enjoy shows anytime.

Networks have also introduced connected TV apps. Bravo’s “Bravo Now” app allows viewers to answer in-program poll questions during the show “Watch What Happens Live.” The answers are displayed on the show in real-time.

Is Reality Finally Real?

TV programmers are driving viewer engagement by allowing faithful followers to have a direct impact on a show’s outcome. For example, the “Miss USA” pageant lets fans vote for their favorite contestant online. The contestant who received the most votes automatically makes it past the first cut during the live telecast.

This is not only gets viewers interested in the live pageant before its television debut, but it is also a way to ensure direct participation from a wide group of individuals. Plus, the higher the interest level from viewers, the more the pageant can charge for advertising and sponsorships. Reality shows such as “Survivor” also are using social media as a way to encourage fans to vote for contestants they feel should win prizes or special awards.

Let the Games Begin

Smart TVs and second screens have created another trend – gamification. For the 2012 show, “The Great Escape,” TNT created an app that allowed viewers to take their own journeys alongside the show’s contestants. The app rewarded the player for watching the show, and used game mechanics to keep interest high.

Other shows jumping on the bandwagon, too, to fuel fan loyalty and amplify viewer numbers. As the programs shift in this direction, programming providers are doing so, as well, notes http://www.Direct4TV.com.

What Does the Data Show?

TV show apps can provide content creators and advertisers with rich data and targeted consumers. Not only can advertisers better target their ads, TV writers and producers can even better tailor their content and interactive elements based on second screen user demographics of their most invested viewers.

And while networks are expanding their reach, websites are creating content to enhance the TV screen, too. TV networks and program providers are embedding videos directly on their Web pages to increase SEO and enhance the probability for more social likes. By showing segments of popular TV shows or creating new content, the TV and the Internet continue to intersect.

Whether it’s through real-time interaction by way of Twitter during a live telecast, or through audience participation in a specially designed gamified app, the strong ties between TV and the Internet are undeniable.

What’s New (and Improved) on the PS4?

If you thought the PS3 could do everything, just wait until the PS4 comes out later this year. However, if you were hoping that the PS4 would be able to make you coffee and do your taxes, you may have to wait for the PS5 for that. The PS4 introduces some cool new features like improved controllers, social sharing, facial recognition technology and the ability to stream games using cloud technology-not to mention that the PS4’s CPU is discernibly more powerful than the PS3’s. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of these new improvements.

Improved Hardware

Although the leap in graphics from the PS3 to the PS4 isn’t as big as the one we saw from the PS2 to the PS3, it is still significant enough that hardcore gamers will be impressed by the improvement, according to the Los Angeles Times. What stands out on the PS4 is the 8 GB unified memory and a GPU that has 18 processing clusters with 64 cores each. This means faster response time and increased parallel computing power.

DualShock 4 Controllers

The new controllers are fitted with motion sensors, and the PS4’s new camera will be able to track each attached controller with pinpoint accuracy. The controllers also have a high-resolution touchpad. If that isn’t enough, the controller also features a share button. Since the PS4 automatically records the previous several minutes of your game, you can simply push this button and share those recordings with your friends.

Playstation Move

If you have been waiting for facial recognition capability from a game system, you won’t have to wait much longer. The new Playstation Move will track the light bar on your controller and then identify your face to your game avatar. The new Move will also have two dual-color cameras, a three-axis tilt sensor and four wide-baseline microphones. It is not yet known whether the PS4 will launch alongside the new Move controllers and Eye Camera or if it will be a console upgrade that updates the current camera and sensors, as explained on TechRadar.com.

Sony’s Cloud and Streaming Games

Unfortunately, the PS4 will not have backwards compatibility for PS3 games, or PS2 games and PS1 games for that matter. However, the Official Playstation Magazine – UK stated that GaiKai (a cloud technology provider that Sony acquired in 2012) is claiming that after the PS4 is released, we are likely to see PS1, PS2 and PS3 games be made available through the Playstation Network. So eventually, every game on every PlayStation could be available via the cloud.

Of course, identity theft is still on the rise and there is always the possibility that the PSN could be hacked like it was back in 2011. So if you’re afraid of having your identity stolen, take the advice of an article published in the USA Today and get an identity theft monitoring service like Life Lock in addition to making your password more unique and trickier to crack.

Confirmed Games

It’s easy to get caught up in all the new game console features and forget about the actual games. If you don’t like the games you are playing, what good does an expensive game console really do you? The good news though is that Playstation does have a pretty awesome list of games debuting with the PS4. Some highly anticipated game releases include Diablo III, Knack, Assassin’s Creed 4, Infamous: Second Son, and Killzone: Shadow Fall among others.

The Television Revolution Continues

Satellite television revolutionised viewing opportunities; live events beamed around the world became common place.  The Internet followed and these two factors have ensured that the revolution has continued. Everyone can get access to information and entertainment day or night.

Sport value

One of the major beneficiaries has been sport and its stars have suddenly found their incomes multiply out of all proportion because the major stars can expect earnings from business that wants to reach the consumer.
The value of sports clubs has risen dramatically as business has diverted its promotional budget towards popular sport and its stars. What better way to persuade consumers of the quality of their products, whether luxury or everyday than to get them associated with world sports stars in soccer, golf, tennis and beyond?
Marketing strategists understand that a prominent logo on clothing sends a positive message to the audience that for major competition can be spread right around the world.