4G? How about some 2G Mobile Coverage says consumer group
What do we want from next year's auction of mobile phone spectrum? The fastest networks in Europe, or a huge windfall for the Treasury? One consumer group says there should be another priority - making sure the millions who cannot get any kind of decent connection aren't left out as the rest of the country gets ever faster mobile networks. The Communications Consumer Panel, a bo...full article >>
ISPs 'still mislead' on broadband
Broadband speeds in the UK now average 6.8Mbps (megabits per second) but there is still a huge gap between advertised and actual speeds, according to Ofcom. Almost half of broadband users are now on packages with advertised speeds above 10Mbps but few achieve this. Ofcom's biannual report into the state of the broadband market urged changes to advertising. Virgin Media, which fa...full article >>
Traffic light plan for online music search results
A music body wants online search results to steer fans to legal download sites. The Performing Rights Society (PRS) For Music wants search engines to show which sites offer content illegally. Links to sites that offer legal downloads would get green tags, while links to illegal download sites would be flagged in red. The PRS says the new system is needed as some people don't kno...full article >>
Google to warn PC virus victims via search site
Google has begun issuing warnings to millions of people that their PC has been infected with a virus. The malicious code pipes browser traffic through sites that promote the scammers' wares which include fake security programs. Those hit by the virus will be warned with a message that will appear at the top of searches carried out via Google. The search firm estimates that more ...full article >>
Ofcom cuts rural broadband prices
Rural broadband bills could fall after telecoms regulator Ofcom moved to cut the wholesale price that BT charges other internet providers. The company has exclusive control of many telephone exchanges and often charges ISPs more in the countryside than in towns and cities. That has led to a lack of competition in some areas, meaning customers often miss out on cheaper deals. The red...full article >>
BBC to survey UK mobile coverage
The BBC is conducting a major survey into the state of mobile phone coverage in the UK. Over the course of the next month, the project will attempt to chart the availability of 3G and 2G services up and down the country. Mobile operators offer their own coverage maps but no independent survey has yet been carried out. Measurements will be made using an app developed by network analy...full article >>
Phone hacking: Are you safe?
Can my mobile phone be hacked? A question a lot of us have been asking over recent days, for obvious reasons. So I set about finding out about the threats to your phone and mine. I called the network I've been using recently, O2, in search of reassurance. They told me that the original hacking technique which made the phones of anyone who used voicemail insecure does now appear to b...full article >>
Facebook adds Skype video chat feature
Facebook has announced a partnership with Skype to add video chat to the social networking site. The move is likely to be seen as a shot across the bow of Google, which recently launched a Facebook rival, Google+, also featuring video calling. This is not the first time Facebook and Skype have teamed up - they already share some instant messaging tools. Skype is in the process of be...full article >>
Printer produces personalised 3D chocolate
Chocolate lovers may soon be able to print their own 3D creations thanks to work by UK scientists. A 3D printer that uses chocolate has been developed by University of Exeter researchers - and it prints layers of chocolate instead of ink or plastic. Although still a prototype, several retailers have already expressed interest in taking on the device. 3D printing using plastic and me...full article >>
UK to follow US on piracy policy
The UK could soon be following the US by blocking websites that pirate movies and music. The warning came from communications minister Ed Vaizey in a speech to a conference in London. In his speech Mr Vaizey said that a voluntary code of practice being drawn up by US ISPs and content owners could be a "game-changer" in other countries. Many other nations are looking at sit...full article >>
Suffolk Online email system update
In this article, we thought we'd address a few popular queries/issues some customers have had since our email server upgrade a couple of months ago. 1. Spam seems to have increased since the upgrade - what is happening about this? 2. I'm unable to send 'bulk' emails to a lot of people at once like I did before. Is this an issue? In answer to the queries above. 1...full article >>
Cutting cookies cuts traffic
Remember the warning that an EU directive on cookies was going to destroy any hope that British web firms could compete with their American rivals? That was an over-reaction, according to consumer groups and regulators - but now the body that oversees compliance with the directive appears to have proved the point. Because, by doing what the directive says, it's managed ...full article >>
BDUK broadband tender will exclude smaller companies
Smaller network operators may find themselves excluded from being able to bid for broadband projects under the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) tender framework which is looking to find up to 12 suppliers to deliver broadband services ranging in size from regions of the UK to smaller local projects. It is thought that the tender could be worth £2bn in total which includes some of the £5...full article >>
Facebook's 'awesome' plan to hook up with Skype?
MicroSoftFaceSkypeBook vidchat deal rumoured Facebook is reportedly about to launch a new video chat product powered by Microsoft-owned Skype. The move follows on from the company founder Mark Zuckerberg's comments last week that Facebook would have an "awesome" new feature to shout about on 6 July. TechCrunch, citing an insider with knowledge of the partnership, is no...full article >>
Who'll keep taking Windows Tablets in the iPad era?
Andrew's Review Notes I have a lot of sympathy for people who steal their technology from the hearse, just as its driving through the gates of the great technology knackers' yard. While it is obligatory to be savoir faire with the latest in design and innovation, when it comes to my personal spending I'm right there with the laggards, on the extreme right of the Technology Adopt...full article >>
Microsoft bags two more Android patent deals
Microsoft has inked two more patent licensing agreements with Android hardware manufacturers. Onkyo Corp and Velocity Micro have each signed agreements with Redmond that will mean Microsoft receives royalties on Android tablets sold by the two companies. Details of the agreements were not revealed, but it's standard practice for Microsoft to license part of its patent portfolio ...full article >>
