Editorial

By January 7, 2014 Read More →

Phone accessories for your jogging stroller…?

Well yes we did call this a pointless peripheral when we first saw it back in 2009 Orlando Stroller Rentalbut 5 years later it does, perhaps, have some merit?

With far more parents using jogging strollers and pushchairs and taking baby for a walk being used for exercise, is the hands-free clip for your phone on a stoller as silly as it seemed?

Recently we had an Orlando Stroller Rental and, as we spend so much time working, even when we’re on a Disney holiday so we found it better to have it secured there in front of us rather than in pockets all the time.

Just an idea…

 

Posted in: Editorial
By January 5, 2014 Read More →

Should Google Glass be banned for drivers?

Should Google Glass be bannedGoogle Glass isn’t even on sale here in the UK but the authorities are already looking to pre-emptively ban its use by drivers of motor vehicles. There have been similar motions from law enforcement in the US too.

According to Stuff Magazine, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said:

“We are aware of the impending rollout of Google Glass and are in discussion with the Police to ensure that individuals do not use this technology while driving.”

“It is important that drivers give their full attention to the road when they are behind the wheel and do not behave in a way that stops them from observing what is happening on the road.”

It’s at this point I have a real issue with the ban. “It is important that drivers give their full attention to the road” – so does that mean that looking at my instrument cluster in my car should also be banned? Looking at my speedo requires me to look down, take my eyes off the road and to shift my focus. Then what about tuning the radio, or looking at the directions on SatNav? All of these things potentially shift my attention from the road ahead to something inside the car. So on the same basis should everything that the driver looks at inside the vehicle also face the same ban?

As a Google Glass user and convert I have to say that the ‘authorities’ have really got this wrong and that the technology-backward bureaucrats making these decisions clearly do not understand Glass nor have they, most likely, even tried it for themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for road safety, but I firmly believe that tools such as Google Glass can improve road safety, not reduce it. Glass shows information in front of the user, and you don’t have to ‘take your eyes off the road’ to see it. Showing navigation directions, vehicle speed and other important, relevant to driving alerts in what is effectively a HUD is way better than having to look down at the inside of the vehicle, instrument cluster or elsewhere in the vehicle. If HUD systems are good enough for the military, and costing billions in development, then why not similar systems for in-car use.

There also seems to be a general lack of understanding when it comes to Google Glass. They are not ‘always on’ or ‘always recording’ and the display only turns on when the user wants it to. When there is an info update there’s an audible alert that then allows the user to turn on the display if appropriate or to simple ignore it.

Further consider the safety aspects of Google Glass, and other similar products when they come to market, when there is an incident on the road. If Glass was linked to the vehicle systems it would know if there had been a collision, if an airbag had deployed, the vehicle location via GPS etc. With its compass and G-sensors the direction and severity of the impact could be recorded and upon there being a collision the camera could be enabled and video could be captured for evidence at a later date.

So yes, I think the ban is all backwards. Should Google Glass be banned? NO! There is much that Google Glass does to improve safety rather than detract from it and I firmly believe that the authorities have this one totally wrong. Perhaps a proper study into the safety would be better rather than this whole technophobic approach to something new. If the authorities would like to properly investigate then I’m sure Google would lend them a couple of headsets to try out or you can contact me and I’ll let you try mine out!

Google: Please fight this!

 

So readers, what do you think? Are the authorities right to ban?

Posted in: Editorial, News
Tags: ,
By December 31, 2013 Read More →

Top Technology Toys and Tools of 2013

2013-tech-futureJust one year ago we didn’t have watches that run your favourite apps or a palm-sized HDTV streaming device. The technology advances in 2013 brought us even more ways to enjoy TV, watch our homes and talk to our smartphones. Check out these favourite tech toys which are the new stuffed animals for kids and tools of the year and add some of them to your must have list of technology for 2014.

Posted in: Editorial, News
By December 27, 2013 Read More →

BYOD Security: Balancing Risks and Rewards

Employee on LaptopAs more and more employees are bringing their own mobile devices to work, the debate over the risks and rewards of bring your own device, BYOD, is heating up. On one side of the argument, analysts such as Nucleus Research are pointing out hidden costs of BYOD, such as increased support and security requirements, and wondering if the gains truly offset these expenses. On the other hand, the BYOD trend seems destined to win over all objections, with Gartner predicting that half of employers will require workers to supply their own devices by 2017. Given this eventuality, rather than resisting BYOD without reservations, the prudent strategy for enterprises is to investigate BYOD’s potential risks and rewards and develop security practices suitable for the oncoming mobile device era.

Securing Your Mobile Perimeter

Data security remains one of the biggest challenges facing enterprise BYOD adoption. A Dimension Data global enterprise survey released this October found that 70 percent of business leaders view employee use of mobile devices at work as potentially dangerous and expensive. Careless mixing of business and personal device usage can compromise both enterprise and consumer information and introduce malware to corporate networks.

To address this, mobile providers and security specialists have been developing innovative approaches to securing devices. For instance, the latest BlackBerry 10 operating system employs a new technology called Balance which, as the name implies, helps manage the act of balancing business and personal use of mobile devices. BlackBerry Balance lets enterprises create a virtual partition on devices separating business and personal workspace. Encryption by a 256-bit AES safeguards company data and email accounts within the device’s business workspace. Users can swipe apps pages to switch between business and personal profiles, but they cannot share files across the enterprise-protected wall.

Discouraging Device Theft

Another BYOD risk that concerns employers is stolen devices. Lookout Mobile Security, a company that recovers lost smartphones, estimates that lost mobile phones cost Americans $30 billion annually. In the District of Columbia alone, 1,829 smartphones were stolen during robberies last year. Mobile devices are most frequently lost at bars and pubs and during festivals and are also prone to get misplaced during bus and plane trips.

The Seltzer Law Firm, which specializes in employment law, has developed some recommended best practices to help address this type of issue. Among other precautions, it recommends that employers require workers to activate apps for finding lost smartphones and to report stolen devices within 24 hours.

Planning Disaster Recovery Policies

What can employers do in the event a device is stolen or a network is breached, or even if an employee simply leaves the company with sensitive data on their smartphone? As with any other area of IT, it’s vital to have policy for how to respond in the event of a data disaster. In its BYOD best practices manual, software provider Citrix recommends that employers should design networks so that they can remotely terminate access to company apps and databases, close employee software-as-a-service, SaaS, accounts, and selectively wipe work-related data from worker devices.

Posted in: Editorial, News
By December 25, 2013 Read More →

Merry Christmas

xmasOn behalf of the team here at tracyandmatt I’d just like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers and listeners a very Merry Christmas! Thank you all for fab support and for following us on twitter etc.

Thanks also from me to the guys that work with me on the site, Gareth, James, Phil and Chris. Your helps and support is amazing and greatly appreciated.

Over the next few months we have a lot planned and there will be some changes as well as more of the same news, reviews and videos. We’ll be further developing our podcast hangouts and there’s a few other things up our sleeves too.

We’ll be be back to posting news and reviews again in a few days.

By December 11, 2013 Read More →

Getting the Most Out of Your DSLR Camera: 7 Tips

6860378070_c0501eef67A DSLR camera is so much more than a point-and-shoot tool to take nice family pictures. With a few basics tips and a lot of practice, you can create artistic-studio quality work that you will be proud to share with family and friends. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your purchase.

Start with the Basics

Read your manual; it’s a time investment you won’t regret. The great thing about the user manual is everything you read can be applied right away. If the thought of reading the whole thing at once intimidates you, start with a chapter at a time, and experiment with what you learn. Remember to thoroughly clean the camera lens before each photo session. 

Posted in: Cameras, Editorial
Tags:
By December 6, 2013 Read More →

Anti-Patent-Troll bill passed

url4It looks as if we will hopefully see an end to these over-long and costly patent wars between the big companies. For years we have been hearing about Apple suing Saumsung, Samsung suing Apple, Apple suing HTC, HTC suing Nokia, Nokia suing Apple etc… I’m sure you get the idea.

A recent bill passed through the “House,” or “Crib” as the Representatives residing there might call it, outlines a Patent trolling lawsuits. This initially seems like a good idea, however it might not protect the average Joe inventor who needs the system to help protect their discovery. If you legitimately make an awesome discovery, your right to profit from it.

The real problem is that the patent office is totally incompetent and will give you a patent for obvious “inventions” if you dress it up nicely enough. Not just for practice uses, but for business method patents. That’s what gives these trolls the ammunition to shake down legitimate businesses.

Source: Arstechnica

Posted in: Editorial, News
Tags:
By December 4, 2013 Read More →

Business process outsourcing

repeatableWhen an individual decides to set up their own business, they will have a clear vision of what they aim to achieve. In an ideal world, this mission would be the sole focus of the business with all staff working to deliver it.

In reality, secondary issues and tasks become involved. IT issues, HR processes and finance problems can all reduce the amount of time your staff members can allocate to achieving the dream. After all, less time equals less team output. If you would like assistance with your business finances, then go to the site to contact a professional. 

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that so many companies outsource their business processes. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to doing so, as this post will explore.

Reduces pressure

As you will be aware, offices can be incredibly stressful environments. In fact, research carried out by Viking and published in the Daily Mail has found that 40 per cent of office workers are stressed to the point where their health is at risk. As this shows, the last thing you or your employees will need is added tasks on your to-do list.

One of the main benefits of outsourcing business processes is that it removes the pressure on both you and your staff. Letting another company deal with these tasks will significantly reduce your company’s workload, helping to alleviate stress in the process.

Aids time management

As we have already mentioned, outsourcing business processes saves your staff a lot of time by delegating some tasks to an external company. This allows extra time for more pressing matters within the business.

However, it can save you time in other ways too. In order to keep costs down, many companies will try and turn their hand to a number of tasks. Having a limited knowledge base and trying to do so could result in tasks taking longer than they should to complete. A specialised company will have all of the programmes and skills to carry out tasks quickly and efficiently, so are a much better option.

Privacy issues

One of the main concerns of many business owners is the privacy and security of their important data and details. Generally speaking, many people think that if they keep all of their processes in house, they are protecting them from theft and hacking. Giving their information to a third party company is unsecure, in many people’s eyes. If you need any additional information on data privacy, visit here.

However, there are ways of combatting this. Choosing a reputable business process outsourcing provider is one way of doing so. Nashtech is a good example of this. As they are a worldwide company who provide a service to millions, you know they are going to be both reliable and effective.

This post has documented just a few of the advantages and disadvantages associated with business process outsourcing. However, as many companies will agree, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, making this kind of outsourcing a vital cog in the workings of any business. As time progresses, we are sure to see even more businesses making use of this useful service.

Posted in: Editorial
By December 4, 2013 Read More →

Green Computing and How It Can Help Your Business

Green ComputingRising energy costs and the stark reality of global warming have resulted in a growing movement around the world to implement more environmentally-friendly computing practices, referred to as “green computing,” in an effort to reduce energy use and environmental waste. Looking for climate action that fits your business? A reputable company like CarbonClick makes it easy to reduce your climate impact across your business.

Green computing is a must for any business in order to save money, conserve energy and benefit the entire planet, to make sure if this can help your business, consider the opinion of an expert like Bob Bratt. A recent report by the World Wildlife Fund highlighted the huge savings that can be wrought by taking carbon-reduction measures. Corporate projects to reduce carbon have generated a better return on investment for approximately 80 percent of large American companies.

Using less energy benefits a company through significant savings and helps increase the bottom line as well as being the environmentally responsible way to run a business. Learn here how you can implement green computing in your business through community organizing.

Replacing equipment

When it’s time to buy new equipment, replace those older CRTs with new Energy Star labeled LCDs that are more energy efficient and occupy less desk space. When servers need to be updated, be sure to purchase energy efficient models; nearly all manufacturers today are producing more “green” servers. The more Energy Star compliant devices you have, the more you’ll lessen your environmental impact while reaping greater financial savings.

Another thing you may want to consider is replacing faulty and broken laptop screens rather than disposing of the whole laptop. This can be cheaper than you think and you should find a replacement for most model frofm  Laptop-LCD-Screen.co.uk

Recycling computers

If computers are not properly recycled by it recycling companies uk and end up in a landfill, their toxins are released into the environment, contaminating water and soil.

Inquire about programs in your community for repurposing old equipment such as through local schools and other organizations which may be able to refurbish and put those items to good use. If this isn’t an option, do some research to find a way to properly recycle, such as through Computer Recycling Center at CRC.org. There is no shipping cost, and the national organization offers to recycle old computers or donate them for use in public charity and community programs.

Energy providers

In some regions of the country, you may be able to choose an energy company due to deregulation. This generally helps make the marketplace more competitive, encouraging suppliers to become more innovative in how they generate energy, lessening environmental impact and lowering prices which according to experts like Andy Defrancesco can help a business save on its monthly energy bill.

If your business is located in one of these markets, research the history of energy suppliers to learn about the wide range of choices you’re likely to have for providers.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting can be an important part of any company’s green computing strategy. Living Green magazine reports that it’s been estimated that as many as 40 percent of jobs held in the U.S. could be done from home, which means fewer tailpipe emissions and greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Just some of the many benefits of telecommuting to an organization include lower energy costs as well as reduced real estate requirements.

By December 3, 2013 Read More →

Manage Emails So They Don’t Manage You

emailThe convenience of email can be both a blessing and a curse: never has it been so easy to keep in touch with so many people across the world. At the same time, most of us have inboxes that are creaking under the strain of their simply being too many messages to cope with.

And once email overload starts to take a grip, it’s tempting just to ignore it altogether.

Using email should be a pleasure and/or a convenience, not a chore, and the key to improving the quality of your inbox experience lies in email management. Whether you set up a system of your own or employ a selection of apps and extensions to do the job for you, getting an organized routine in place can make a world of difference to the way you use email. Here  are ways on how you can do it:

Take control

Emails can quickly swallow up a substantial part of the day, if you let them. It’s important that you dictate how much time you spend checking messages, rather than simply responding to the volume of messages that come in. Decide how often you’re going to spend managing email, and resist the temptation to keep checking in too regularly. If you’re going to look at your emails, deal with them at the same time.

How this works in practice will be different for everyone, both in and out of work. Email communications may be crucial to your job or a distracting annoyance. Whatever the scenario, it’s crucial that you’re calling the shots and setting the ground rules, rather than reactively organizing the rest of your day around the demands of your emails.

Software and apps

If you’re at your wit’s end with email overload, don’t despair: help is available. Whichever app you’re using to access your messages, whether on the web or the desktop, you should find anti-spam and filtering tools that can help you take charge. Consider filtering out messages from all but your most important contacts, for example, ready to be dealt with at a later stage.

There are also many extra add-ons, extensions and third-party applications that you can employ to manage your email. The majority of these tools take the stress and strain out of organizing your email for you, cutting out unwanted messages and protecting you against viruses and phishing attempts at the same time.

 

Enterprise management

For those managing a business, a more comprehensive enterprise management system is required. Again, there are many options to choose from, such as the solutions offered by Mimecast, covering security, archiving and migration from other services. Pick a cloud-based service and much of the hard work is done before the messages arrive on your local system, which means you can enjoy a more optimised email experience.

Any time you take in waiting to address the issue of managing your emails is going to compound the problem and make it more difficult to untangle yourself from the mess. Get help with email management and it can transform the way you deal with emails and your communications with the outside world.

Posted in: Editorial
https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks