Virgin Media tries to rustle up the broadband bandits
Sadly while WiFi was brilliant and fast in the home a few years ago for many people they are now finding that the old 2.4GHz band is becoming congested and giving very variable speeds particularly in more densely populated areas. The clever people have for sometime bought broadband routers that add the 5GHz band to their network, and Virgin Media will soon have available i...full article >>
Windows 8 to be redesigned by Microsoft as PC sales plummet
When Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer first revealed his software for the touchscreen world in February 2012, he said he was "betting the company" on it. There were "no compromises" made in replacing the time-honoured desktop with Windows 8's colourful tile-based interface, Ballmer insisted. But just six months after the official releas...full article >>
Government consults on changes to planning rules for mobile masts
Some 92% of individuals in the UK have a mobile phone, and 39% own a smart phone complete with mobile internet access, so the Government is keen to encourage improvements to the patchy mobile coverage around the UK. The latest move appears to be less about throwing small amounts of money at the problem, but more about changing the rules governing where and how big mobile masts ca...full article >>
Rural Broadband - What has it ever done for me?
If you want to know more about available support to help you grow your business online, most business support services are delivered locally, so in the first instance contact your local County Council’s Economic Development Unit. If you are an agricultural, horticulture or farming business, Defra has a scheme providing subsidised training for up to 90,000 rural busines...full article >>
Rural Community Broadband Fund Opens for Applications
The Government has announced that the third round of the Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF) is now open for applications. The RCBF will provide up to 50% of total 'eligible' costs to communities located in hard-to-reach locations who can demonstrate a local need and a demand for superfast broadband, and the ability to make it happen at a reasonable cost. Applicat...full article >>
4G auction results leave hole in Chancellor's Budget
The 4G auction process is now almost complete, although as things stand before the final round of bidding, the auction is £1 billion short of the Governments target of £3.5bn that was announced in the Autumn Statement in 2012. There is a final short round of bidding to take place to determine where exactly in each band the blocks that have been assigned will precisely resi...full article >>
The importance of full fibre broadband
Over the past few days, thousands of delegates have gathered in London for the FTTH Councils'Fibre-to-the-Home Conference at Excel in London. This event has been designed to bring together network operators, equipment suppliers, contractors, policy-makers and investors to help promote FTTH adoption across the EU. When we talk about fibre-optic broadband in the ...full article >>
Will Apples plans for an iWatch herald a new era of wearable tech
Apple and Google are just two of the giants working on gadgets that were once the realm of sci-fi – but that also push the frontiers of the privacy debate. Apple has already transformed two industries: music and computing. Now, as the company reportedly attempts the redefinition of the watch – one of man's oldest pieces of technology – the next phase of the t...full article >>
Kaspersky anti-virus cuts web access of thousands of PCs
Thousands of computers running Microsoft's Windows XP operating system were unable to connect to the internet after installing an anti-virus update. Users said they were also unable to access their internal company networks. Russian IT security company Kaspersky Labs told users to disable its anti-virus software or roll back the update. Two hours later it issued ...full article >>
Twitter hack - how to find out if you're affected, and what to do
Around 250,000 people have had their passwords reset after 'sophisticated' hackers broke into Twitter's database and may have stolen emails and encrypted passwords. Here's a guide on what you need to know. Q: how can I find out if I have been affected? Go to a web browser, go to twitter.com, log out (if you're logged in) and try to log in with...full article >>
Children are upset by online violence, study finds
Researchers say too much attention paid to pornography and bullying when children also upset by violence and animal cruelty. Children are as upset by violent videos on YouTube that feature animal cruelty or beheadings and by insensitive Facebook messages from divorced parents as they are by online bullying and pornography, according to the biggest survey of young B...full article >>
BlackBerry Z10 review
Neat and tidy, but unique? Not really... Asked repeatedly what the company behind the BlackBerry has learned from the iPhone, its UK managing director struggled to answer. "It's unique," said Stephen Bates, reassuring listeners in a stilted appearance on BBC Radio Five Live. "We have a unique proposition." The USP – uniq...full article >>
PC shipments drop by about 6% as consumers opt for tablets
The story for the PC business keeps getting worse. Figures released by the research groups IDC and Gartner show that in the fourth quarter of 2012 sales of PCs dropped by about 6% year-on-year to 90m, as the business undergoes what Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa called a "structural shift", with people buying new tablets instead of updating older PCs. ...full article >>
Landmark agreement may make wayleaves easier for rural broadband
To the average person wayleaves seem a very simple issue, but for broadband projects they can be critical both in times of deployment time and cost. Traditionally every landowner had to be approached individually and negotations taking place, with solicitors on both sides generally being the biggest winner. The Country Land & Business Association (CLA) and the Nati...full article >>
Landmark agreement may make wayleaves easier for rural broadband
To the average person wayleaves seem a very simple issue, but for broadband projects they can be critical both in times of deployment time and cost. Traditionally every landowner had to be approached individually and negotations taking place, with solicitors on both sides generally being the biggest winner. The Country Land & Business Association (CLA) and the Nati...full article >>
Essex broadband contract signing not expected until July 2013
If you live in Essex and are looking for better broadband then it looks like it won't be until late 2013 before the first benefits from the BDUK project for Essex start to appear. The blanket EU State Aid approval has kick started some projects, but in the case of Essex they are not set to start searching for a company to partner with until February 2013, and announcing the ...full article >>
Fibre Broadband and BDUK: Broadband take-up is the new rich vs poor divide
What's happened with Broadband Delivery for the UK? Broadband take-up is the new rich vs poor divide Southern England is soaring ahead in the UK’s wired-up race as wealth becomes a major issue holding back broadband adoption. Many people can’t afford broadband even where it’s available, placing a new obstacle to Britain’s plans ...full article >>
Ofcom report finally sets baseline for judging copyright infringement
Assessing levels of copyright infringement and the effect it is having on the various copyright holders and their respective industries is very difficult to judge, and even more so during a period where many people are cutting back on unnecessary spending which may result in reducing spending on films/music/software being blamed on increased copyright infringement. Ofcom as the b...full article >>
Broadband promises - public does not believe the politicians
Back in June 2009 when the Digital Britain report was originally published there was a sense of optimism for broadband, but while great strides have been made it seems the public still need lots of convincing. In our most recent poll we asked our visitors to vote on whether they think Labour would have actually met its 2012 deadline for 2 Mbps to be available to virtually all househo...full article >>
EE and Vodafone sign agreement giving access to Virgin Media WiFi
Virgin Media with its London Underground WiFi service which has been available for free during 2012 is set to switch on the billing side of the network in 2013. With agreements now signed by EE and Vodafone that will allow these firms customers free access to the network, then once 2013 starts the reality is that the majority of Londoners will continue to have free acce...full article >>
Should I upgrade to Windows 8?
I consider myself fairly technology savvy and I'm pondering upgrading toWindows 8 on my Windows 7 laptop, which is less than ayear old. I've typically waited until I'm in need of a new computer before upgrading the operating system. However, the low price of Windows 8 Pro is enticing. I've run the upgrade assistant and I'm happy with the r...full article >>
Digital by default for government services risks widening divide
The UK is already one of the most digitally engaged nations in the world, and the desire to push to its ultimate conclusion where we stop picking up the telephone to ask questions about tax codes and or heaven forbid try to talk to someone physically in an office is very strong. The belief that a fully digital strategy would generate £1.7 to £1.8 billion a year ...full article >>
Bill to cut broadband roll-out red tape goes before Parliament
On Thursday 18th October the Growth and Infrastructure Bill was put to Parliament. The bill aims to boost the economy by reducing the amount of red tape in many areas of business in the UK. The news back in September that the bill would seek to remove the requirement for planning permission in Conservation Areas when broadband and mobile phone/broadband street furniture is being...full article >>
iPad mini review
Remember the iPod mini? When Apple launched that in January 2004, at a time when a huge swathe of the fast-growing digital music player market was still up for grabs, people thought Apple was crazy. Only 4GB of storage – less than in the original 5GB model launched in 2001? A $249 price tag – only $50 less than the base level "iPod&quo...full article >>
Ofcom to address mid-contract price rises
While some broadband providers are very good at notifying customers who are still within contract about price changes, others try to play fast and loose. Also many consumers miss the clauses that allow for reasonable price rises during the course of a contract. Of course in a perfect world we would all read every contract and more importantly understand the clauses every time we sign...full article >>
Openreach launches Disputed No Access process
With Openreach able to raise a charge to the communications provider who actually retails the service to the consumer for those times when an engineer arrives at a property to find no-one home even though an appointment had been booked, it seems only fair that those people who have sat at home all day and this charge is raised have a formal method for disputing this and can get a new...full article >>
4G timetable agreed by UK mobile network operators
The UK's mobile operators have agreed a new timetable for the roll-out of 4G services. At a meeting with communications regulator Ofcom and the government, rival operators agreed to settle their differences and get services up and running quickly. The government said high-speed data services should launch by spring 2013, six months earlier than planned. O2 and Vodafon...full article >>
Time to forge ahead with 4G for everyone
The 4G roll-out has been a complex beast, on one side we see the politicians hoping for a handsome dividend from the 800 MHz spectrum freed up as part of the Digital Switchover plus a bonus for the sale of the 2600 MHz spectrum, and on the other hand we have the mobile operators keen not to bankrupt themselves in a fight for bandwidth. The to and fro of this saw one breakthrough ...full article >>
Weather causes broadband problems for more parts of the UK
The last week has not been kind to the attempts underway to improve broadband across the UK, and there is some evidence of this in the form of Openreach updating their Matters Beyond Our Reasonable Control (MBORC) list. Declaring MBORC changes the rules on various things like compensation and service level agreements, and as such should be used only when it can be demonstrated t...full article >>
BT confirmed for Suffolk as every property guaranteed 2 Mbps
For those who believe BT winning the BDUK contracts is a bad thing it is a sad day as BT wins the contract for the USC and superfast coverage of Suffolk. For those just looking for better broadband and with little concern over who builds it, the news that the slowest connection will be 2 Mbps and that only 2% will have speeds less than 5 Mbps. Suffolk County Council has confirmed...full article >>
Microsoft warns of new zero-day flaw targeting Internet Explorer
Hackers have already targeted flaw that affects IE versions 7, 8 and 9, and could be exploited on XP, Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft is urging Windows users to install a free piece of securitysoftware to protect PCs from a newly discovered "zero-day" security flaw in its Internet Explorer browser which hackers are already exploiting to take remote co...full article >>
iPhone 5 Review
With features including Siri, turn-by-turn navigation, new maps, a panoramic camera, 4G, restore to iCloud and a new digital dock, the iPhone 5 has it all – and it is ahead of the competition again. The digerati mostly greeted the iPhone 5 last week with a collective yawn. So much was already known – a longer, larger (yet not wider) screen, thinner body, a new conn...full article >>
EE launches 4G LTE service in the UK
EE is the new brand for Everything Everywhere, and while a rebranding was expected for the launch of the 4G LTE service utilising the 1800 MHz frequency band, the joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile is also launching a fibre based broadband service under the same EE brand name. The promotional website refers to the 4G product as 4GEE. The 4G LTE launch is promising download...full article >>
UK broadband aided by planning permission rule changes
The government is changing planning permission rules to aid the rollout of faster internet speeds across the UK. This includes permission for firms to install broadband cabinets and other related infrastructure on public land without local councils' permission in England. It is also consulting about ways to shorten the time it takes to agree approval for cables and cabine...full article >>
Tim Berners-Lee: the internet has no off switch
There is no "off switch" for the internet, says the British inventor of the world wide web – and that is a good thing, because it could only be undone by governments around the world coordinating to turn it into a centralised system. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who launched the first web page on Christmas Day 1990, was speaking at the launch of a global league table...full article >>
Nokia's new Windows 8 phones launched
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer took to the stage in New York on Wednesday to help Nokia, the once mighty European mobile phone giant, unveil two new smartphones in a make-or-break bid by both companies to create a hit product capable of taking on Apple and Samsung. In a lavish launch event squeezed in to grab attention ahead of next week's iPhone ...full article >>
Watching them, watching you, tracking BitTorrent use
Have you ever used your broadband connection and thought someone is watching you? Well if you have used BitTorrent then some UK based researchers may have uncovered who it is, and that would be monitoring firms that log BitTorrent use. The BBC News report covers a Birmingham University study that created a BitTorrent like client for the simple purpose of loggi...full article >>
BT Wholesale continues its 21CN ADSL2+ roll-out - Faster speeds for those enabled
ADSL2+ has been available in the UK for many years now, and TalkTalk leads the way in terms of national coverage with their service available to around 93% of UK homes. BT Wholesale is rolling out its own ADSL2+ service, and has now caught Sky in terms of coverage with BT Wholesale offering its service to around 85% of UK properties. This means that on those exchanges affected, other...full article >>
80% of UK households now have Internet access
The Office for National Statistics is good at doing what it is meant to do and produce statistics. The latest set of Internet Access figures for Great Britain have been published, and show how incredibly digitally connected the UK is. Key Figures: 21 million households in Great Britain have Internet access, a rise of 3% points since 2011; 93% of ...full article >>
£150m rural mobile coverage boost to have limited effect
£150m of investment from the government to help improve mobile coverage in rural areas may not achieve the aims it had set out. The Chancellor, George Osborne, announced the funds in October 2011 and stated that the government were aspiring to bring mobile phone reception to 99% of the population and this funding could help reach 6 million people, but this figure...full article >>
Google alters algorithm as Hollywood lobbyists win latest copyright battle
Move to downgrade websites that persistently breach copyright follows prolonged lobbying from media and film giants Google is to make a significant change to its search algorithm from Monday, downgrading websites that persistently breach copyright laws. The move is a victory for media and entertainment giants, which have complained for years that Google does not do enough to ...full article >>
2015 to 2017 broadband funding agreement signed by BBC Trust
The general budget for broadband improvements in the UK of £830m has been known for sometime, in fact the current Government detailed its plan before it was elected into power. The recent announcement of £300m from the BBC for broadband upgrades from 2015 to 2017 is thus nothing new, the only thing that appears to have changed is that the BBC Trust has si...full article >>
Windows 8 to go on sale in October and to PC makers in August
Windows 8 will be "released to manufacturing" in the first week of August, and will move to "general availability" for everyone by the end of October, Microsoft has announced. Speaking at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in the US, Tami Reller, the vice-president for Windows, gave the dates when the finishedsoftware would be sen...full article >>
UK rural broadband network on hold as European commissioners dig in heels
Consultants paid £3m by government help to design scheme in which just two suppliers are chosen, but Brussels wants rival firms to have access to infrastructureThe government has paid consultants nearly £3m to help civil servants select companies to build a rural broadband network, only for the scheme to become trapped in a deadlock with Brussels. The BDUK process, und...full article >>
Openreach announces further 98 exchanges for its full and partial fibre roll-out
A further 98 exchange areas has been announced as part of the £2.5bn fibre roll-out by Openreach. The press release suggests a mixture of full fibre (FTTH) and partial fibre (FTTC) solutions, but there is at this time no indication of which areas will get the future-proof full fibre solution. List of 98 exchange areas ADEL ...full article >>
Norfolk and Suffolk projects a step closer to delivering a connection
While the precise funding mechanism for BDUK arose from the current Government, it was the previous Labour Government that set the ball rolling, and a degree of cross party support for improved broadband helped the agenda get going. The local authority projects in Norfolk and Suffolk are now edging closer to picking a telecommunications partner from the remaining two that are in the ...full article >>
New EU roaming charge limits now in effect
The EU has been working on getting lower pricing for calls and data roaming across Europe for some time, and today 1st July 2012 a new set of charges including a €50 daily charge cap come into effect. Current and proposed retail price caps (excluding VAT) Current 1st July 2013 1st July 2014 ...full article >>
LinkedIn investigates hacking claims
LinkedIn has launched an investigation into reports that its password database has been compromised with more than 6 million users' details posted online. The business social network is examining claims by security analysts that millions of encrypted passwords have been published on a Russian hackers' website. Graham Cluley, the cyberthreats expert, said the pass...full article >>
IPv6: Trillions of new net addresses now possible
A new standard which will enable the creation of trillions of new internet addresses has been enabled. Several companies switched to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday. The new system is necessary to prevent the internet running out of available addresses for new devices. Experts said users should not notice any difference in their web use, and n...full article >>
Work and live in rural UK? Get your applications in to receive superfast broadband
The way the £20 million rural broadband fund will be spent is much clearer now, as Defra has started taking applications for projects that will utilise the £20m of funding that is available. The application and expression of interest postbox is open until 6th July 2012, with more detail on theDefra website, a companion page with a link to a toolkit (aka PDF) is ...full article >>
Just how covered is the UK with basic broadband?
Compared to ten years ago, the can I get any broadband questions on our forums, have changed drastically, around 2006 the why can't I get broadband type questions tailed off significantly, and now in 2012 it is questions about whether people can get fibre broadband and when it is coming to their area. Thus it is interesting to see a letter to European Commissioner Neelie...full article >>
Lazy parenting could result in mandatory porn blocks
The coverage of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection two weeks ago has as yet not died away, and it would seem the Prime Minister David Cameron has stepped into the fray, after a breakfast meeting with creative-industry figures, as reported in The Times. It appears the Prime Minister is keen to get laws changed requiring broadband providers to blo...full article >>
The cities allowed to enter the next round of urban broadband funding announced
The push to make the UK look uber cool with respect to broadband continues. The Chancellor announced a further £50m of funding for smaller cities in his most recent budget, some six weeks later the actual 27 cities that can enter this race have been announced. Aberdeen, Brighton & Hove, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Coventry, Derby, Dundee, Exeter, Glouceste...full article >>
Is speed to vanish from broadband advertising?
New rules governing the use of up to in broadband advertising have gone live today, though the guidelines have been around for some months, and new campaigns in that period were expected to adopt the new guidelines. The short summary is as follows (the full help note): The words UP TO if preceding a speed figure e.g. 6 Mbps should mean that at least 1...full article >>
New advertising rules for unlimited broadband come into play
It is now six months since the new guidelines for how the word 'unlimited' can be used in broadband advertising and product promotion were published, the long gap was to give broadband providers chance to slowly adjust their advertising and product site wording. Now it is 1st April 2012 the new rules are live and apply to claims of 'unlimited'. The Help ...full article >>
New law to be announced to allow internet contact monitoring
While en-masse monitoring of postal services is something that does not go in the UK, if a new proposed law enters the statute books, then internet communications will become one of the most monitored aspects of UK life. Over the weekend it was revealed that the Queen's Speech will be used to announce a new law that will allow to see who people in the UK are sending emails t...full article >>
We may have spent the spare money from Digital Switchover Fund too soon!
Ofcom is consulting on long term changes to the radio spectrum below 1GHz, looking at timeframes of 2020 to 2030. Planning so far ahead is crucial, as decisions made in the next year or two will govern how devices like Freeview set top boxes are designed. The concern is that both the USA and Asia-Pacific parts of the world are looking to assign the700MHz band to mo...full article >>
Game Group to enter administration
Fears for 6,000 UK jobs as troubled retailer's shares are suspended and it admits its business is worthless. The future of Game Group is hanging by a thread as it said it would appoint administrators and admitted the business was worthless. The troubled retailer remains in last-minute rescue discussions with a potential investor, and its shops are still open. Th...full article >>
Android retains lead over iPhone
Share of handsets sold nudges 50% but analysts think it could hit a ceiling – while Nokia's Windows Phone devices start making inroads. Android is back in cruise control at the top of the UK's smartphone market, after the jump in sales of Apple's iPhone 4S dented its lead over Christmas. New figures from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech cov...full article >>
BBC iPlayer now on Xbox 360 with no live subscription
The Xbox 360 is the last of the major gaming platforms to receive the BBC iPlayer. Xbox 360 users now have access to the iPlayer service, and importantly there is no requirement to have a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription. The implementation of iPlayer on the Xbox adds gesture recognition and voice commands to the service for those with the Kinect add-on. There is also the ne...full article >>
Rural mobile coverage improvements announced
One part of the budget covered the cities, for connectivity in rural areas we are looking at a budget of £150m that was announced back in 2011. The Infrastructure Delivery Update reveals that the sum is going to be spent on extending mobile coverage to some 60,000 rural homes and improving coverage on ten key roads. Northern Ireland: A2 (Derry) and A2...full article >>
Super-connected cities announced in Budget by Chancellor
Four of the cities from the ten super-connected cities lottery were already known, in the form of the four national capitals, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. The 2012 Budget had the Chancellor announce the remaining winning cities shortly after 1pm on Wednesday 21st March 2012, which are Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. A...full article >>
BT Openreach announces another 73 exchanges for FTTC
The roll-out of the original ADSL services took a few years, but now most people have had a taste for broadband, the addiction is kicking in, and announcements of the superfast broadband roll-outs are always being asked about. Openreach has announced another 73 exchanges as part of phase 9b for its Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL2) service. The 73 exchange areas cover some 7...full article >>
Google's privacy policy too vague says UK Data Protection boss
UK data protection boss David Smith concerned how Google is sharing information between mail, calendar, call logs and searches Google's privacy policy is too vague for users to control how their information is shared, according to Britain's data protection boss. In his first public comments since Google's revised policy came into effect on 1 Ma...full article >>
Progress report on BDUK superfast broadband projects
The Superfast Broadband and 2 Mbps Universal Service Commitment are one of the showcase technology projects for the UK Government, but two local authorities have decided to skip the scheme and go it alone. North and South Tyneside did not submit a plan to the BDUK by the February 2012 deadline, though they are working towards the same goals independent of central ...full article >>
Ofcom reports says satellite broadband ok for web browsing
Ofcom has published a report that should be required reading for local authorities taking part in the BDUK process, Understanding Satellite Broadband, though at 95 pages long, and 69 pages of appendixes it is not a quick read. The report used volunteers to assess how good a Ku Band service was, i.e. what was available prior to July 2011 when the data for the report was being...full article >>
BT and TalkTalk loses appeal over infringement letters
The Digital Economy Act has never really gone away, and has been simmering on the back burner, today sees it make a leap forward with the appeal launched jointly by BT and TalkTalk failing. BT and TalkTalk were claiming the Digital Economy Act was incompatible with EU law, and would represent an invasion of privacy and disproportionate costs for both internet providers and c...full article >>
Mobile phone bill shock to be tackled by Ofcom
UK mobile phone companies have been told to let their contract customers restrict how much they spend, to avoid unexpectedly high bills. The regulator Ofcom says the measures are needed to stop so-called "bill shock". It says its research shows that 1.4 million customers with mobile phone contracts have been hit by surprisingly large bills in the past six months. ...full article >>
Ed Vaizey announces £180m from 4G auction to fix digital TV interference
It seems that more of the money raised from the 4G auctions has been allocated even before the amounts the bidders are willing to pay is known. The terms for the auction are not due to be firmed up until later in 2012, with the actual auction happening event later. Some £180 million from the auction is to be reserved for fixing interfence caused by 4G mobile networks to the...full article >>
Web domains to get major overhaul with custom names
Applications will soon open for new top-level domains in the biggest change to the system in over two decades. From Thursday it will be possible to register almost any word as a web address suffix. Familiar endings like .com and .org could potentially be joined by the likes of .pepsi, .virgin or .itv. The proposals are controversial but Icann, the organisation which regulates domain...full article >>
Ofcom moves a step closer to a better migration system for the UK
Ofcom is consulting on a series of changes to how moves between telephone and broadband providers can be made to work better in the UK. The consultation runs until 23rd April 2012, and it will be a year or more after that before any changes take place, so if you are changing provider now, carry on as you had planned. The new proposals for a variety of migration systems ...full article >>
Schools kit scam could cost schools millions
Schools across the UK are being charged up to 10 times too much for laptops and other IT equipment through mis-sold lease agreements, a BBC Radio 5 live investigation has found. In some cases, head teachers are being chased for payment by finance companies for equipment they were told was free. An industry insider says the overcharging could run to hundreds of millions of pounds. Th...full article >>
New technologies unleashed at International Consumer Electronics Show
The first technologies have been unveiled at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Waterproof smartphone coatings, diet-aiding armbands and a social network that warns drivers of the latest police speed-traps were all on show. Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer will present his company's last keynote at the three-day event. The firm's pullout has...full article >>
Microsoft sees a future through cleaner Windows
Windows 8, the PC giant's new operating system, is stylish, award-winning, multi-platform – and critical to its future Among the many criticisms lobbed at Microsoft by Apple's late founder Steve Jobs, one of the best remembered was about design: "They have absolutely no taste. And I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don&#...full article >>
Internet Explorer: Microsoft plans silent updates
From January, Internet Explorer (IE) users will be automatically updated to the latest version of the browser. Microsoft said it was starting the project to update millions of machines to improve security online. Future updates to the browser would be applied without a user's knowledge to help beat scammers catching people out with fake updates. Those who did not want their brow...full article >>
DIY fibre broadband
In rural Britain there is a growing impatience about the wait for superfast broadband. The Countryside Alliance voiced that last week with its revelations that work had yet to start on the government's fast broadband pilots. But some people aren't sitting back and waiting - they're doing it themselves. Today comes news of an initiative from one of the more remote parts of the co...full article >>
Ofsted sends ICT to the naughty step
We've heard it from games companies and Google, from pupils and teachers - and now we are hearing it from Ofsted. ICT teaching in schools just isn't up to scratch. This morning Ofsted has published a report into ICT in schools in England over the last three years. It's couched in fairly bland language but the conclusion is clear - young people are being failed by the standard of...full article >>
Ofcom: UK lags on fast broadband but loves to shop
Only 4% of homes in the UK are taking advantage of superfast broadband, according to a report from Ofcom. Despite this, UK surfers remain very connected, shopping more online than any of their European counterparts. Britons also get a good deal on their net and phone services, with only France offering cheaper prices, according to Ofcom. But the UK remains in danger of falling behin...full article >>
BT announces next 178 exchanges for its fibre based services
With the announcement today of another 178 exchange areas, Openreach has now announced some 80% of its foot print commercial fibre roll-out, which is primarily fibre to the cabinet, offering up to 40 Mbps now, with upgrades to an up to 80 Mbps in 2012. The final goal of the Openreach £2.5 billion investment is to offer its fibre products to two thirds of households in the UK. We conti...full article >>
Rural broadband stalled, says Countryside Alliance
The Countryside Alliance says plans to bring fast broadband to rural areas have stalled. The government named four pilot areas last year, but local councils have admitted that they have not yet started work on their broadband projects. Feedom of information requests were sent to councils in each area. The responses revealed that none had received any money from the Treasury, chosen ...full article >>
UK shopping habits transformed by technology, KPMG says
UK shoppers are embracing technology, and at a faster pace than many other countries, a survey of global shopping habits by KPMG has suggested. Seventy-seven per cent of British shoppers prefer to buy goods like CDs, DVDs, books and video games online - compared with 65% globally. But when it comes to mobile banking, consumers in the UK are more reluctant than those in other parts of th...full article >>
Microsoft prepares major update for Xbox 360 console
The BBC iPlayer will be added to the Xbox in 2012 as Microsoft tries to centre its console on entertainment rather than just games. The big update to support this change will start hitting Xbox 360 consoles around the world on 6 December. Microsoft has signed up 40 media firms to provide both live and on-demand movie and TV services for the console. The update also lets people contr...full article >>
Business groups worried over 4G mobile broadband
Plans to replace the current 3G mobile network with new 4G technology have been criticised by business groups. The Federation of Small Businesses and the National Farmers Union (NFU) say the rollout is taking too long and won't cover enough of the UK. They are worried hundreds of thousands of people, mainly in rural areas, could be left behind. Ofcom says the project is moving a...full article >>
Ten cities will receive superfast broadband boost
£100m sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider that Australia is investing some A$27.5 billion in its National Broadband Network, one can perhaps better judge the Governments commitment to Broadband as a national infrastructure project. The Chancellor did not talk about the £100m that would be shared around ten UK cities in his speech, but it was covered in the National...full article >>
Government backs call for classroom coding
The teaching of computer science must become more relevant to modern needs, said the government. The government said the current teaching of IT was "insufficiently rigorous and in need of reform". The call for change came in a response to an industry report which looked at technology teaching in the UK. Without reform future UK workers would lack key skills and the nation ...full article >>
Parts of Norfolk gain faster broadband via Wireless ISP
A new wireless ISP thinkingwisp.co.uk has launched with an offer of free installation for the first 200. The service uses a fixed link from Norwich airport to a transmitter near Marsham that then rebroadcasts out to the local area, with service currently available in Aylsham, Cawston and Reepham, though the providers website shows more places being covered, so do check by using their online con...full article >>
Voice recognition: has it come of age?
The man sits down in front of the computer and says, affably: "Computer!" Nothing happens. In a now-hear-this tone, the man repeats: "Computer?" Still nothing happens. Puzzled, he picks up the mouse and speaks into it: "Hello, computer?" Beside him, the impatient owner says: "Just use the keyboard." The first man replies, "A keyboard?" T...full article >>
Facebook users average 3.74 degrees of separation
There are on average 3.74 degrees of separation between any one Facebook user and another, a study suggests. The number of degrees represents the number of people in a friendship chain, excluding the people at either end. Or, as the authors put it: "When considering another person in the world, a friend of your friend knows a friend of their friend." The study was carried ...full article >>
Our 4G future
Over the last week, I've had a taste of our mobile future. I've downloaded an episode of David Attenborough's Frozen Planet in about a minute and viewed YouTube videos in the middle of London without a hint of buffering. I've even tested a live broadcast using nothing but a laptop connected to a mobile phone network. All of this has been thanks to 4G - a technology which...full article >>
Google kills off seven more products including Wave
Google has announced that it is dropping seven more products in an effort to simplify its range of services. The out-of-season "spring clean" brings an end to services including Google Wave, Knol and Google Gears. It is the third time that the US firm has announced a cull of several of its products at the same time after they had failed to take off. Experts said the strate...full article >>
Broadband's rush-hour revealed
UK broadband speeds drop by an average of 35% from their off-peak highs when most people are online in the evening, according to a report. The research, conducted by the comparison site Uswitch, was based on two million broadband speed tests. The peak surfing times between 7pm and 9pm were the slowest to be online, the report said. There were also huge regional variations between ev...full article >>
Suffolk residents and businesses broadband survey time
Suffolk is the latest County Council to be seeking input from those within the county via a survey, only by standing up and making your voice heard will the spending of some £45m be able to be targeted at the right parts of the county. The £45m is a mixture of BDUK funding, council money and private investment. Suffolk has a population of 715,700 with only one third living in th...full article >>
Western European PC shipments fall 11% in third quarter
PC shipments in Western Europe fell 11% in the third quarter, according to the technology research firm Gartner. A total of 14.8m units were shipped by the major manufacturers, which was a fall of 11.4%. The mobile-PC market was particularly hard hit with a 12.6% decline, driven by more than a 40% decrease in mini-notebook shipments in the third quarter of 2011. Shipments of desktop...full article >>
Wanted: a cheap laptop for gaming
John Abbott wants to buy his computer-game-loving grandson a laptop for around £500, but it's hard to get a PC gaming system for that sort of price. Over Christmas, I have a 13-year-old grandson visiting from New Zealand. I would like to get him a laptop that he could use for schoolwork, but his great love is computer games. Any suggestions around the £500 mark? John Abbot...full article >>
Illegally downloaded games up 20% in five years
The number of illegally downloaded video games has gone up nearly 20% in the last five years. Figures from research firm Envisional also suggest the top five games from 2010 were pirated online almost a million times. Industry executives are worried these figures mean a generation of people will expect to get games for free. But some gamers dispute industry claims about how much of ...full article >>
Adobe abandons work on Flash plug-in for mobile devices
Software developer Adobe Systems is halting development of its Flash Player plug-in for mobile devices. The multimedia software is used to run movies, games and other applications. Adobe says it now believes the alternative HTML 5 technology offers the "best solution" because it is "universally supported". The Flash plug-in works on Android devices and Blackberry...full article >>
Rural Britons 'trapped' on mobile networks
One in four mobile phone users is prevented from using the network of their choice, new research has revealed. Customers in rural areas in particular often receive no signal at all, or are limited to just one ‘3G’ network, communications regulator Ofcom found. Modern 3G networks from all the major operators were not available to 27 per cent of UK premises. The new data w...full article >>
Smartphone scams: Owners warned over malware apps
A national computer security campaign is urging smartphone users to do more to protect themselves from unwittingly downloading malware applications. Get Safe Online says that there has been an increase in smartphone malware as the market has grown. Criminals are typically creating Trojan copies of reputable apps and tricking users into installing them. Once on the phone, the app can...full article >>
Record Industry gives deadline for BT to block The Pirate Bay
The Telegraph reports that various record labels have issued a 14 day deadline to BT for it to add The Pirate Bay to its CleanFeed blocking system. The short history of this request is that it follows the High Court requiring BT to block access to Newzbin and that The Pirate Bay has not acted to remove links to some 1,000 pirated songs and albums. If BT does nothing then it is likely that t...full article >>
Cloud computing: the lowdown
Much of our computing (including the storage of our personal data) is now being done remotely via the 'cloud'. But what is it? Here is a brief history of this radical shift while, below, we assess the relative merits of four cloud computing services. 'Where did the computer go?" was the slogan Apple used in 2004 when it launched the first of its current range of iMac deskto...full article >>
Essex Online is here - £300 Bursary available for Essex organisations
Suffolk Online is delighted to announce the launch of a new service - Essex Online. Working in partnership with it's partner organisation Suffolk ACRE and Essex RCC (RCCE), Essex Online will be a multi product ICT Service Provider for Third Sector organisations based in Essex. Offering the same products that Suffolk Online currently offers to Suffolk based organisations, ...full article >>
Free wi-fi in central London courtesy of Nokia
Nokia has switched on a trial of a free wi-fi service in central London. From today until the end of 2011, the public will be able to use the high-speed service in certain parts of the city courtesy of the phone firm. If the two-month trial is deemed a success, the Finnish company plans to turn it into a fully fledged free wi-fi service early in 2012. The initiative is one of many t...full article >>
BT fibre broadband cable UK rollout accelerated
Telecoms provider BT is accelerating its fibre broadband rollout. It now plans to offer "super-fast" internet speeds to two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014. The target is a year ahead of its original plan. The firm says its main product will offer maximum download speeds about 10 times faster than at present, at 70-100Mbps on average. That will help it compete aga...full article >>
Use your knowledge of the internet to help others
Digital Inclusion and helping those who want to get online but face obstacles is very much part of the remit for broadband in the UK, and Martha Lane Fox as the UK Digital Champion is working Race Online 2012 to encourage all the 30 million daily internet users in the UK to help another person get online. This is not a call for donations or money or hardware, but rather an idea that since t...full article >>
Gigaclear to mark completion of first fibre village
Gigaclear and Hambleton are evidence that those in an area where enough people want fibre and are willing to pay for it that it is possible, and in a timescale that is much shorter than the current BDUK schemes. This Saturday will see GigaClear and Rutland Telecom celebrate the delivery of the network with a party in the fibre village. Hambleton with its small population and unusual geograp...full article >>
Blackberry boss Stephen Bates answers your questions
One week on from when Blackberry services crashed for a second time we've put your questions to the managing director of RIM UK, the company behind Blackberry. Speaking to Newsbeat, Stephen Bates defended his firm's handling of the outage but admitted mistakes were made. Tens of millions of people around the world were left without services like BBM, email and internet for three...full article >>
Android shows Ice Cream Sandwich
Google has unveiled the latest version of its industry-leading Android smartphone software. Ice Cream Sandwich adds a range of new features and a redesigned interface. The system was launched in partnership with Samsung, whose Galaxy Nexus handset will be the first to use it. Android's main rival, Apple, released an update to its iOS software last week, although many owners were...full article >>
Apple's iOS 5 breaks internet traffic records
The difficulty of predicting and coping with bandwidth demands is highlighted by the release of iOS 5 which created unprecedented levels of traffic demand, with BT Operate reporting that within BT's UK broadband network that peak usage exceeded previous massive events. The spike was in fact twice the size of the previous largest event, an England World Cup match that took place during busin...full article >>
iPhone 4s - The Stephen Fry review
Apple's loss last week was enormous. I wrote all that I felt I could in the blog farewell on my websiteto a man I was lucky enough to know a little and admire a great deal. Most are probably now profoundly sick of hearing either how much he was under or overestimated as a man and as a figure of his times. I never knew of any human beings whose achievements were exactly estimated....full article >>
BlackBerry service crash affects BBM messaging for millions
Tens of millions of BlackBerry users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been unable to receive or send emails and messages through their phones, following an outage at the server systems of parent company Research In Motion (RIM) in Slough, Berkshire. The outage, which occurred at about 11am BST on Monday, was still affecting users more than four hours later with no time given...full article >>
Internet providers offer parents bar on web content
Four leading web providers are to offer customers the option to block adult content at the point of subscription. BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin will offer the protection for smartphones, laptops and PCs. It comes as David Cameron is set to meet industry representatives amid concern over sexualisation of children. The prime minister will also launch Parentport - a website to help pare...full article >>
Tougher rules for UK broadband advertising
ISPs face changes to the way they advertise broadband services. From April next year, providers will no longer be able to advertise maximum speeds for net packages unless 10% of customers can actually get them. The new rules come from the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP), the body responsible for writing advertising codes. But Which?, one of the main campaigners for change, ...full article >>
Amazon Kindle Fire to enter tablet computer market
Amazon has unveiled a colour tablet computer called the Kindle Fire. The $199 (£130) device will run a modified version of Google's Android operating system. Until now, the company has limited itself to making black and white e-readers, designed for consuming books and magazines. As well as targeting Apple's iPad, Amazon is likely to have its sights on rival bookseller...full article >>
iPad has 80% of North American tablet market
Apple's iPad captured 80% of the tablet computer market in the US and Canada in April to July, a report has said. The iPad accounted for six million of all 7.5 million tablets shipped in North America during the second quarter of 2011, according to research group Strategy Analytics. It described Apple as a "formidable market leader". Yet it added that Amazon - which is...full article >>
EC to test broadband performance across member states
The European Commission is launching a major new study of broadband performance across Europe. The project, led by measurement firm SamKnows, aims to give a clear picture of speeds and reliability of net services in all member states. ISPs, regulators and consumers will have access to the results when they are completed. The European Commission is seeking 10,000 volunteers for the p...full article >>
More users to get fast broadband
A FURTHER 134,000 homes and businesses in Suffolk are to benefit from the latest phase of a project to roll out super-fast broadband. Communications giant BT has announced that 12 more communities will be connected to the high-speed Openreach network by autumn 2012 as it forge ahead with its £2.5billion roll-out programme. The communities that will see speeds boosted by the Openre...full article >>
BBC unveils map of UK 3G coverage
A BBC crowd-sourcing survey into the state of mobile Britain suggests that 3G has some way to go before it offers comprehensive coverage across the UK. Despite operator claims of 90% or more 3G coverage, there are still many notspots, including in major towns and cities, according to the map. Those testers able to receive a data connection only got a 3G signal 75% of the time. For n...full article >>
Men jailed for Facebook incitement to riot to appeal
Two Cheshire men jailed for using Facebook to incite disorder during last week's riots are to appeal against their prison sentences. Jordan Blackshaw, 21, from Marston, and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, from Warrington, were jailed for four years at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday. The judge said he hoped the sentences would act as a deterrent. The men both admitted encouraging cri...full article >>
Rural broadband funding ready for England and Scotland
Rural areas in England and Scotland have been allocated nearly £363m to improve their broadband connections. Cumbria gets one of the largest shares of the £530m pot, with over £17m to cope with its 96.2% of homes eligible for subsidies. By contrast, London gets nothing as it assumed that private investment will cover all parts of the capital. It is a change of stra...full article >>
Suffolk ACRE Public Tenders Invitations - 2 Broadband Networks
Suffolk ACRE (the charity that operates Suffolk Online) has issued two invitations to tender for the design, installation and operation of a wide area wireless next generation broadband network in east Suffolk and also a fibre to the premise network in Parham. Companies interested in bidding should in the first instance email: broadbandbids@suffolkacre.org.uk. Closing date ...full article >>
Ofcom considers options for price of Copyright Infringement appeals process
The 'three strikes and you end up on the Serious Infringers List' (SIL) scheme that is part of the Digital Economy Act, has as yet not taken effect in the UK. The intention of the act is that broadband providers maintain a copy of the Serious Infringers List of their customers, and upon a court order will provide this to copyright holders or their agents who can then decide to pursue se...full article >>
UK rural broadband take-up higher than urban
Ofcom has published its eighth Annual Communications Market Report, which covers the world of TV, radio, internet and telecoms services. The figures show some interesting variations across the UK regions, and are usefully split out to show differences between urban and rural areas. Take-up of broadband services in English and Scottish rural areas surpasses that of the urban areas, though Sc...full article >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Google+ challenges Facebook in social network battle
Online search giant Google has launched a new social networking website in its latest attempt to take on Facebook, which now claims more than 500m users. Google+ allows individuals to share photos, messages and comments but also integrates the company's maps and images into the service. It also aims to help users easily organise contacts within groups. But some analysts say Goog...full article >>
Further News on plans for wireless network to cover broadband ‘not spots’
EVERY home and business in rural areas of east Suffolk should get a super-fast internet connection as part of a project to cover the “not spots” ignored by the main service providers, it has been claimed. Rural charity Suffolk ACRE is planning a wireless broadband network to cover even the most remote areas that currently have little or no internet connection. Project leader...full article >>
Nokia unveils N9 smartphone
Chief executive says he has 'increasing confidence' of shipping Windows Phone devices by the end of the year. Nokia has launched a new smartphone, the N9, which uses its own Meego software, while chief executive Stephen Elop said he has "increased confidence" that the struggling Finnish mobile phone maker will launch its first Windows Phone device this year and ship in...full article >>
Openreach announce further 66 exchanges for fibre broadband
BT Openreach have announced 66 further exchanges to be upgraded with fibre-based broadband today which include different areas of the country. This will cover nearly one million new homes and businesses, the majority of which will go live next year, but some are to be enabled by the end of 2011. Those who sign up will have access to speeds of up-to 40meg downstream and 10meg upstream through fi...full article >>
BT and TalkTalk denied Digital Economy Act appeal
Court of appeal's decision means long-running battle by UK's biggest ISPs is effectively over. BT and TalkTalk have been refused permission to appeal against their failed legal challenge of the Digital Economy Act. Britain's two largest internet providers were looking to overturn a high court judicial review of the controversial legislation at the court of appeal. ...full article >>
iPhone 5 to launch in September
Upgraded Apple handset will look like iPhone 4 but feature A5 processor and 8MP camera, according to reports Apple is on track to release an "iPhone 5" in September, according to reports from component suppliers in Asia who are gearing up to build the next generation of the company's smartphone. Although reports vary on the naming – with some sources suggesting that ...full article >>
eBay to raise fees for private Buy It Now listings
eBay is introducing a flat 10% fee for private sellers using its "Buy It Now" fixed price listings from next month. The changes will affect users trying to sell all items except mobile phones sold under contract, motor vehicles and property. The new fees will be capped at £40 and will be introduced on 21 July. The auction website says the changes will not affect smal...full article >>
Australia strikes broadband deal with Telstra and Optus
Australia's two biggest telecoms companies have joined the government's A$36bn (£24bn) plan to roll-out high-speed internet across the country. Telstra and Optus will close down their infrastructure and transfer customers to the state-owned National Broadband Network Company (NBNC). About 60% of households have broadband, but speeds are slow compared with many industrialis...full article >>
FBI targets cyber security scammers
A gang that made more than $72m (£45m) peddling fake security software has been shut down in a series of raids. Co-ordinated by the FBI, the raids were carried out in the US, UK and six other countries. The money was made by selling software that claimed to find security risks on PCs and then asked for cash to fix the non-existent problems. The raids seized 40 computers used t...full article >>
Twitter users who breach injunctions risk legal action
People who use Twitter to breach privacy injunctions may face legal action, according to the government's senior law officer. Attorney General Dominic Grieve said that individuals could be prosecuted for contempt of court for publishing sensitive material. Enforcement was normally a matter for whoever had taken out a privacy order. But Mr Grieve told the BBC he would take action...full article >>
Apple boss Steve Jobs shows off iCloud service
Apple has unveiled its much-anticipated iCloud service at its annual developers' conference. Apple boss Steve Jobs returned from medical leave to show off the features of the web-based service. He said iCloud was necessary because the PC was no longer the digital hub of users' digital lives. The web-based service aims to synchronise and co-ordinate the key content people sto...full article >>
Google's Chromebook set to transform how we think about computers
With its promise of hassle-free computing, Chromebook marks a radical departure for the search giant On 15 June, Google will officially take the next step on its road to global domination. From that day onwards, online shoppers will be able to buy the Google Chromebook, a device that the search giant hopes will change the way we think about computers – and in the process rain on t...full article >>
How safe is life online?
How safe are we living our lives online and whose job is it to make sure of that? When you hand over your photos, your credit card details, your e-mails to companies which will store them on vast banks of computers somewhere the other side of the world, what are you risking? And if you try to access all that personal data when you are on the move, is there a danger that someone else mig...full article >>
How the smartphone is killing the PC
The smartphones in our pockets are far more powerful than the desktop computers we dreamed of in the 1980s. This year they are outselling PCs – and soon they could replace our wallets as well. When he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last summer, Tim Smith was given a blood sugar monitor, and a notebook with a pencil. The monitor, obviously, to test his sugar levels; the noteboo...full article >>
Mobile signals to interfere with digital TV
Interference from future mobile signals might make digital TV unwatchable for some Britons, Ofcom has said. The telecoms watchdog is starting a research programme to find out how to help people affected when future mobile technology is switched on. About 3% of TV-watching Britons could suffer interference from fourth-generation (4G) mobile, said Ofcom. Filters will solve the problem...full article >>
Toshiba prices its new tablet to undercut Apple's iPad2
Toshiba has announced its foray into the fast-growing tablet market with its latest gadget called Thrive. The Japanese electronics maker has priced its entry level model at $429 (£262), which is cheaper than the base model of Apple's iPad2. The company said its base model comes with wi-fi ability and is targeted at consumers who use tablets at home. The tablet will go...full article >>
Windows 8 previewed by Microsoft
Microsoft has shown off early releases of the next version of Windows. Demonstrations of Windows 8 running on tablets, phones and desktop computers were given at separate conferences in the US and Taiwan. As expected, the software can be used via either traditional keyboard and mouse or by gestures on a gadget's touchscreen. No date has been given for the release of Windows 8 bu...full article >>
ISPs face blow as Judicial Review against DEA is dismissed
The Judicial Review examining the Digital Economy Act (DEA) has been dismissed on four counts being protested by BT and TalkTalk with a fifth being partially granted. The two companies were protesting the act on initially four grounds with a fifth being added a month ago. These were: Breach of the Technical Standards Directive by failing to notify the European Commission Breach of...full article >>
78% of broadband users say broadband hasn't improved in the last year
Three quarters of broadband users feel that their service has not improved over the last 12 months according to a survey we carried out of over 1,200 users. Only 21% of users believed their broadband service improved. The survey also asked users what their biggest broadband complaint was, and there was dominating trend toward broadband speeds. Around a quarter of those questioned felt that ...full article >>
Row over BT access prices threatens Vaizey's plan for superfast broadband
Fujitsu's promise to put fibre-optic links to 5m rural homes depends on Ofcom forcing down charges by BT and more government funding - which look unlikely. Plans by communications minister Ed Vaizey to encourage rollout of superfast broadband using fibre-optic cables to rural homes and businesses are under threat from internet service providers and infrastructure providers angry at what...full article >>
Two tablets to take on iPad
At last they are coming, the products that will give Apple's iPad a run for its money. I've had a glance at a couple of tablets in the last few days, that might just challenge Apple's dominance in a market that the company kickstarted last year. var emp = new bbc.Emp(); emp.setWidth("512"); emp.setHeight("323"); emp.setDomId("rory_1304"); emp.setPlaylist("http://playlists.bbc.co.uk/...full article >>
Fujitsu offers UK fast rural broadband network
Fujitsu is to create a superfast broadband network for rural parts of the UK, rivalling BT's service. Virgin Media and TalkTalk have already said they will use it to provide internet services. It will also be open to local authorities. Much of the system will be built on BT infrastructure, such as underground ducting and phone poles, which it has been forced to open up to competitor...full article >>
UK internet economy worth billions
The internet is worth £100bn a year to the UK economy, a study has concluded. The research, which was commissioned by Google, found that the internet accounts for 7.2% of the UK's gross domestic product (GDP). If the internet was an economic sector it would be the UK's fifth largest, said the report from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). This would make the sector lar...full article >>
Sweden has most wired economy
Sweden and Singapore are the most competitive countries in the digital economy, according to a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Nordic and Asian economies are best at using information and communications technologies (ICT) to boost their growth, the WEF said. Finland is in third place, Switzerland fourth and the United States fifth. The WEF said ICT was "a key enabler o...full article >>
Intel launches Oak Trail tablet processor
Intel has formally launched its Oak Trail processor, designed for use in tablet computers. The new microchip is smaller and uses less power than other models in its Atom range. Despite being the world's largest manufacturer of microprocessors, Intel has been largely pushed out of the growing tablet market. Until now, most devices have used chips designed by Apple and Cambridge-b...full article >>
UK to pass 250,000 super-fast broadband connections this month
The UK is expected to pass 250,000 high-speed broadband lines this month according to broadband analysis firm Point Topic. The company has projected figures based on December 2010 data to determine that the number of broadband lines with a speed of greater than 25Mbps at the end of March was 236,000, and should exceed 250,000 in April. "We went on from [first-generation broadband 10 ye...full article >>
Facebook shares green data centre technology
Facebook has announced that it will share the design secrets behind its new energy-efficient data centre with rival companies. The social network's facility in Prineville, Oregon is said to use 38% less power than existing centres. It hopes, by making the innovations public, to cut the amount of electricity the industry consumes. Despite Facebook's advances, some enviro...full article >>
Mobile phone users overpaying by £200 per year
Three-quarters of mobile phone subscribers are wasting an average of nearly £200 a year because they are on the wrong contract, research suggests. People over-estimating how many minutes they would spend on the phone was the main reason, with most using just a quarter of their monthly allowance. Researchers concluded that the UK's mobile phone users were wasting nearly £...full article >>
UK's slowest mobile towns mapped
People living in Milton Keynes get the slowest 3G mobile broadband speed in the UK, according to new research. The average speed for mobile broadband in the Buckinghamshire town was 1.73Mbps (megabits per second), compared to 3.6Mbps in Peterborough, the fastest town. Mobile speeds are increasingly crucial to users as smartphones become ubiquitous. The data was compiled by broadband...full article >>
UK broadband connections reach 19.5 million in Q4 2010
Ofcom regularly publish market data on the communications sector, and have this month released it's communications market report for Q4 2010. Key factors for broadband were a 728,000 increase in broadband lines (3.9%) more than the previous year, pushing total connections to nearly 19.5 million. BT Retail's share of the market remains dominant at 27.7%, a 1.7% rise over the Q4 2009. ...full article >>
BT Issues Response to ISP Complaints
BT have issued a statement in response to the letter sent to Ed Vaizey by some of the mainstream UK ISP's. This letter is detailed in our earlier piece here. "It is very disappointing that this letter was shared with the media several hours before ourselves. It's a shame that some of the companies involved seem keener to spend more time talking about this process than actually ...full article >>
ISPs tussle over broadband access
Internet service providers have asked the government to intervene over the price being set to give them access to BT's physical infrastructure. Giving rivals access to BT ducts and poles is seen as a crucial element to get fast broadband to rural areas. But ISPs argue that the prices set by BT are four to five times higher than their underlying costs. BT said that its prices wer...full article >>
Android now the most popular smartphone
Google's Android operating system has overtaken all other operating systems, including the iPhone, according to research from YouGov. Android phones have edged out the iPhone to become the most popular smartphone in Britain, according to research. Some 28 per cent of smartphone users owned an Android, with 26 per cent using an iPhone and 14 per cent a BlackBerry, the YouGo...full article >>
Sites hit in massive web attack
Hundreds of thousands of websites appear to have been compromised by a massive cyber attack. The hi-tech criminals used a well-known attack vector that exploits security loopholes on other sites to insert a link to their website. Those visiting the criminals' webpage were told that their machines were infected with many different viruses. Swift action by security researchers has...full article >>
The Importance of Honesty in IT
It should be every IT provider or company's duty to be honest with their clients or prospective clients but there are some from our experience that don't. We've seen and heard the horror stories, whether it be not re-wiring a server fan up after completing the job and causing the server to overheat and not owning up to it, or selling items to clients based on incorrect fac...full article >>
BT Wholesale equipment problem takes 9,000 customers offline
A number of users were disconnected from the Internet across various broadband service providers yesterday evening following a BT network problem. What was initially rumoured to be a fibre cut appears to be a hardware failure which took out users on both some 20CN and 21CN segments of the network. Reports suggest the issue seemed to be mostly restricted to smaller broadband providers u...full article >>
Progress being made on Superfast broadband in Cornwall
Super-fast broadband has gone live in parts of Cornwall under a £132 million investment programme launched last year by BT with additional funding provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The new faster broadband service is available to over 1,000 customers with 14,000 more expected to be live in a matter of days. 50 customers in the area have already been connected. Aro...full article >>
iPad 2 demand leaves Apple struggling
Apple's iPad 2 is already in short supply across the UK just days after going on sale. Demand for Apple's second-generation tablet computer was always expected to outstrip supply, but few people expected reserves to run dry after one weekend. Apple stores in London, where queues for the iPad 2 surpassed those for last year's launch, have urged customers to reserve a ...full article >>
Apple iPhones hit by summer time alarm glitch
Some iPhone owners were heading in to work late on Monday after a glitch caused their alarms to malfunction. Users found their wake-up alert coming one hour late, one hour early or not at all. The problem, related to the clocks going forward for British Summer Time, does not appear to have affected everyone. Apple has yet to comment on what caused it, but similar problems have previ...full article >>
Charity Technology Trust calls for tax breaks on computer hardware donations
Chief executive Richard Craig says voluntary organisations do not have the computer equipment they need. The Charity Technology Trust will lobby the government to provide tax reliefs on the donation of computer hardware to charity. Richard Craig, chief executive of the trust, which works to improve charities' access to technology, told Third Sector that charities often do not have t...full article >>
Ofcom says mobile users to benefit from rate cuts
The cost of calling mobile phones from other networks and landlines is set to fall after Ofcom imposed cuts. Termination charges - the fee mobile phone firms charge rivals for handling calls from their networks - will fall by 80% over the next four years. Mobile operators charge between 4.18p and 4.48p to the cost of delivering a call to another network. But Ofcom wants this reduced...full article >>
ISP’s in speed slowing deal
The UK’s main internet service providers including BT, O2, Sky, TalkTalk, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone, have signed an agreement, which amounts to a new code of practice compiled by the Broadband Stakeholders Group. The idea is to ensure that the UK broadband network is in good order, but this may mean that there could be restrictions placed on the connection speeds, in other...full article >>
Suffolk Twestival March 24th 2011
If you have any interest in using social media in business and third-sector etc, check out some of the many Suffolk Twestival (tweet festival) events on March 24th. http://suffolk.twestival.com/ Full programme of events http://suffolk.twestival.com/blog-entry/604/programme-of-events-24th-march-twestival-suffolk.html It’s all in aid of the Suffolk Foundation and Suffolk Dis...full article >>
Business Registration Update 2011-2012 - Scam Warning - Please Pass On
An email which reports that it comes from the "Europe Business Guide" has proved to be an eloborate scam, catching out thousands of businesses and voluntary organisations. The email, which looks like the below text, and includes an attached form, appears to offer the chance of free registration to a European Business Guide. In fact, following registration and despite suggesti...full article >>
iPad 2 review
Just under one year ago, Apple shocked the computing world with a 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet that few truly expected. Some called the original Apple iPad a large-format iPhone. Others berated the name and made jokes that were not remotely funny. The early reviews were marginal at best – we handed the device a solid four stars. Technical folks decried the lack of Adobe Flash and t...full article >>
ISPs agree voluntary code of practice on traffic management
Some of the UK's major ISPs have agreed on a voluntary code of practice (COP) for transparency on traffic management on broadband services. The code has been put together by the Broadband Stakeholder Group in collaboration with BT, O2, Sky, TalkTalk, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone to try and clarify for end users what traffic management is in place, and the affects this will have on a use...full article >>
Microsoft Kinect fastest-selling device on record
Microsoft has sold more than 10 million Kinect sensor systems since launch on 4 November, and is the fastest-selling consumer electronics device on record, according to Guinness World Records. The sales figures outstrip those of both Apple's iPhone and iPad when launched, the body said. Kinect is an infrared camera add-on for Microsoft's Xbox 360 games console that allows it to ...full article >>
Home wi-fi 30% slower than fixed broadband
People relying on home wi-fi are getting significantly slower speeds than from their fixed broadband connection, research suggests. The study ran one million tests over 14,000 wi-fi connections in the UK, US, Spain and Italy. On average, the results showed a 30% drop-off compared to the speed coming into the home. However, the research also suggests that users tolerate slower speeds...full article >>
New net rules set to make cookies crumble
How websites track visitors and tailor ads to their behaviour is about to undergo a big shake-up. From 25 May, European laws dictate that "explicit consent" must be gathered from web users who are being tracked via text files called "cookies". These files are widely used to help users navigate faster around sites they visit regularly. Businesses are being urged t...full article >>
Apple boss Steve Jobs explains ban on Flash
Steve Jobs has used an open letter to defend Apple's decision not to allow Flash on many of the firm's products. Neither the iPod, iPhone nor iPad can run the software despite the widespread use of Flash technology on websites for video and animations. He said Flash was made for an era of "PCs and mice" and performed poorly when translated to run on touchscreen smartph...full article >>
£50m of funding from BDUK available for local authorities
The chancellor has today committed £50m of funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), the body set up to help arrange investment into broadband, from the £530m which the government intends to spend over the next four years. This money will be available to local authorities who apply for to help improve broadband in their area. "Broadband is crucial for the country's eco...full article >>
BT fibre-to-the-premises trial takes 7 hours per install
Knee deep in cable BT's new fibre optic upgrade is delivering better real world speeds than the company's old copper-based network when compared to advertised "up to" broadband rates, according to the latest figures from Ofcom. Meanwhile, the UK telecoms giant is continuing to test out its latest fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) kit. As part of that process, BT invited The Reg...full article >>
Android hit by rogue app viruses
More than 50 applications available via the official Android Marketplace have been found to contain a virus. Analysis suggests that the booby-trapped apps may have been downloaded up to 200,000 times. The malicious apps were copies of existing applications, such as games, that had been repackaged to include the virus code. All the apps found to contain the malicious code have now be...full article >>
Innocent People chased to pay for illegal porn downloads
Thousands of people around the UK were sent letters by a controversial law firm, accusing them of allowing their computers to be used for illegal downloading but a whistle-blower claims not everyone who was sent a letter was guilty. When "Sharon" opened her letter from a law firm, which came on bland, official-looking headed paper, she was shocked by its contents. Sharon - not...full article >>
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 web browser goes live
Microsoft has said the latest version of its internet explorer web browser puts it ahead of competitors like Google and Firefox. The software giant, which is losing market share, made the bold claim as it unveiled what is known as the release candidate of IE9. This is the final test drive for the new browser - a chance to catch any last-minute bugs before its debut. IE9 has been dow...full article >>
What is IPv6?
Whether you connect to IPv6 natively through a Teredo tunnel, 6to4 or natively, having IPv6 connectivity will become a necessity in the near future. Below is an informative guide courtesy of Think Broadband. What is IPv6? IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, the Internet addressing protocol which has been used for many years since the early days of the Internet. When the Internet was firs...full article >>
Wi-Fi operator The Cloud expected to be bought by BSkyB
BSkyB are looking into competing with BT on Wi-Fi are reportedly expected to announce a deal to buy Wi-Fi operator The Cloud, later this week. The Cloud are a direct competitor with BT Openzone, BT's Wi-Fi service which has over 2 million hotspots across the UK. The vast majority of these are BT users who have their BT Home Hub or BT Business Hub enabled as an Openzone hotspot. Around 3,900...full article >>
BT announce 41 market towns to benefit from super-fast broadband
A further 41 market towns have been announced today to receive access to BT's next-generation fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband service which will deliver broadband speeds of up to 40Mbps from Spring 2012. This will enable a further 300,000 homes and businesses to get online using this new faster technology from BT. Topography of market towns means that not everyone in an area will get acc...full article >>
Facebook still top of the search terms
Once again, the social networking site Facebook has blitzed the search terms for 2010; as it did in 2009 according to data collected by the Hitwise, part of the Experian Marketing Services group. Hitwise analysed the top one thousand search term over the year and found that the once again it is Facebook that tops the table accounting for just over two per cent of all searches. In fact,...full article >>
XP still holds over 50% of the OS market
It seems no matter what the competition does in the operating system market, Microsoft are still the masters of the OS holding a combined ninety per cent of the market, while the other hunt around for ten per cent of the scraps. Here are the latest figures for the operating system market in per cent; Windows XP(56.7%), Windows 7 (20.9%), Windows Vista (12.1%), Mac O...full article >>
BT Race to Infinity: Winners Announced
At the beginning of October, BT announced its 'race to infinity' campaign, to gauge demand for super-fast broadband from communities that weren't currently scheduled for a fibre upgrade. Over 360,000 votes were cast in the competition and six exchanges have been announced as winners, are: Baschurch, Shropshire Blewbury, Oxfordshire Caxton, Cambridgeshir...full article >>
Microsoft warns on IE browser bug
Microsoft has issued a warning about a serious vulnerability in all versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser. If exploited by a booby-trapped webpage the bug would allow attackers to take control of an unprotected computer. Code to exploit the bug has already been published though Microsoft said it had no evidence it was currently being used by hi-tech criminals. A workaround ...full article >>
43% of broadband users want a faster connection
A survey conducted on the thinkbroadband website of over 1,600 broadband users has shown that there is a large demand for faster broadband speeds leading into the coming year. We asked users what they would most like to see in 2011, and the overwhelming majority (43%) put faster download speeds at the top of their wish-list from their broadband provider. Improvemen...full article >>
Did the UK government just announce the biggest leap in broadband
Shortly after coming into power the coalition government shifted the implementation date for the 2Mbps Universal Service Commitment from 2012 to 2015 in a move that upset broadband campaigners. The first Budget for the current government allocated £300m from the television license fee to the £230m already set aside from the surplus left in the digital switchover fund, and the option...full article >>
The digital divide is growing, and only going to get worse
The governments ambitions to have the best broadband in Europe are in danger of slipping through the cracks according to broadband analysis firm, Point Topic. Analysis conducted by the company shows that the digital divide between rural (final third) and urban areas is widening, with rural areas lacking the technology which is generally available in the urban areas which can deliver better and ...full article >>
Gamers queue as Xbox Kinect hits Europe
Gamers around Europe have queued overnight to get their hands on Xbox Kinect, a new hands-free motion control system for the Xbox 360 console. Stores opened at midnight for fans to buy the £130 (149 euro) controller, which Microsoft says offers a revolutionary new approach to gaming. It uses a camera, motion sensors and a microphone to allow users to control the Xbox 360 without h...full article >>
Does BT spell big trouble for rural broadband projects?
When the BT Group does not bring its fibre based services to an area it is accused of ignoring an area, but if it does bring it to an area it can be accused of being a monopoly and using its might to crush any local initiatives. The latter is what Dr Charles Trotman at the Country Land and Business Association is saying. "We've experienced problems and concerns with BT coming into ...full article >>
Digital Economy Act will be reviewed by High Court
The Digital Economy Act will be reviewed by the High Court following a campaign by the UK's two largest ISPs, BT and TalkTalk, who appealed against it. A judicial review will evaluate whether the Act is legal following concerns that cutting off persistent file-sharers would be in breach of European human rights laws. The Act has been very controversial after it was rushed through parlia...full article >>
Rural broadband hopes dashed
HOPES that rural Suffolk would be one of the first parts of the country to be logged on to a new superfast broadband service have been dashed. Suffolk MPs who met culture minister Ed Vaizey last month left hoping that the county would be included in a pilot scheme to ensure rural areas had faster broadband speeds. But now it has emerged that the only areas of England to be included in t...full article >>
Would music albums for £1 reduce piracy problems?
Competition between supermarkets has seen some brand new CD albums appearing for under £10 in a bid to persuade modern consumers to buy music rather than pirate it. Amazon offer albums for as low as £3, well below historical music prices, however this has not yet seen any reduction in piracy levels. Rob Dickins, who ran the Warner Music label for some 15 years until 1998, is cal...full article >>
Government confirms £230m broadband investment
With the governments spending review due to be released on Wednesday, setting out the four year plan of how public spending will be focused (cut), it comes as good news that George Osborne has set out plans to help keep investment going to broadband. The government have decided not to cut back on the digital switch-over underspend which was promised to be used as investment into faster broa...full article >>
Ofcom announce new framework to support super-fast broadband
Ofcom is bringing some new acronyms into the UK broadband lexicon today, VULA - Virtual Unbundled Local Access and PIA - Physical Infrastructure Access. These terms arise from a review of the wholesale local access market and are an attempt to improve the level of competition in Next Generation Broadband, which generally means more options for consumers at lower prices, which will then drive ta...full article >>
BT announce superfast broadband upgrades in Suffolk
BT announce superfast broadband upgrades in Suffolk On 29th September 2010, BT have announced a further 159 exchanges today which will see faster broadband made available using Fibre-to-the-Cabinet technology. The new exchanges are part of Phase 6 of the roll out of fibre-based broadband which offers speeds of up to 40Mbps using technology installed in road-side cabinets. Only a handful of ...full article >>
BT - The Race to Affinity begin
Over the next five years BT is rolling out superfast fibre optic broadband across the UK. If you're not on the announced roll out plan The Race to Infinity gives you the opportunity to fast track your area to get BT Infinity next. The five areas with the largest percentage of votes by December 31st 2010 will win the chance to bring superfast broadband to their area. BT will also donate ...full article >>
BT competition seeks out UK's next generation broadband hotspots
Communities that are keen to obtain fibre-based broadband are being asked to publicly declare their desire for high-speed net access. BT will log responses to a website to get a better idea of the potential demand for fibre-based services. The telecoms firm said the results would influence its future plans on where it deploys the technology. BT said it would commit to wire...full article >>
DSL research demonstrates 700meg DSL Service
A prototype of 700meg DSL has been demonstrated by Huawei in Hong Kong. The company have shown a prototype of the new technology that boosts broadband speeds to much higher speeds by using bonding technology to connect four phone lines together. Using SuperMIMO (multiple input multiple output) technology, the company has managed to improve on the current maximum data rate of 100Mbps which has b...full article >>
South African pigeon 'faster than broadband'
Broadband promised to unite the world with super-fast data delivery - but in South Africa it seems the web is still no faster than a humble pigeon. A Durban IT company pitted an 11-month-old bird armed with a 4GB memory stick against the ADSL service from the country's biggest web firm, Telkom. Winston the pigeon took two hours to carry the data 60 miles - in the same time the ADSL ...full article >>
No net gains as BT snubs region
RURAL campaigners have criticised BT for not including Suffolk in a list of places earmarked for broadband upgrades in the region. BT announced this week that more than 74,000 homes and businesses in East Anglia will have access to faster broadband by next spring. Customers will gain access to broadband speeds of up to 20 megabits per second – more than double the maximum speeds...full article >>
Government broadband summit aims to boost broadband Britain
Today is the first broadband summit hosted by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is looking to set out governments ambitions to deliver the best broadband network in Europe by 2015. The government are aware of the hurdles that lie in place and are bringing industry together to see if they can find a way through which will allow the country to receive faster broadband throu...full article >>
Race Online 2012 'Networked Nation' manifesto launched
A manifesto from the UK's Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox, calls for urgent action to get millions of people online by the end of 2012 and also has an ambition to get everyone of working age online by the end of this Parliament to ensure that when people retire, they will have the skills to reap the benefits that the web delivers. Around 10 million people in the UK have never used the Int...full article >>
Can the Internet cope with The World Cup?
As England fans rejoice beating Slovenia 1-0, Internet Service Providers are carefully assessing the impact of the World Cup on their network capacity. The match between England and Slovenia kicked off at 3 p.m. and this meant that more users were resorting to watching it online on BBC iPlayer or other streaming services whilst still at work. This phenomenon resulted in sharp traffic increa...full article >>
UK urged to up its game in fibre rollout by FTTH Council
The UK is at risk of being left behind if we don't rapidly increase our fibre broadband rollout according the Fiber-to-the-Home Council. The UK has only 5,000 homes connected to directly with fibre connections to the home, rising to 2.5 million in Europe, whilst the Far East steams ahead with 38 million connections. "The Digital Agenda for Europe document goes some way to addressin...full article >>
UK's culture secretary lays out broadband plans
Jeremy Hunt, the UK's culture secretary has today spoken on broadband for the first time and put forward a "series of actions" that he hopes will help boost our broadband infrastructure to be comparable with other countries around the world. The previous governments commitment to roll out 2Mbps broadband to everyone under a universal service commitment (USC) is described as &q...full article >>
What will the new coalition governement do in relation to rural broadband?
Since the arrival of the new coalition goverment, Suffolk Online's focus continues to be on the needs of rural Suffolk in terms of getting 100% coverage and also Next Generation high speed broadband access to as wider area as possible. Clearly the new government will have higher priorities at this particular time but at Suffolk Online we would like a clear direction on how it see's ...full article >>
Suffolk steps up the Broadband Campaign with County Conference
What:Suffolk Broadband Conference When: Wednesday 12th May from 9.30am – 3.30pm Where: Trinity Park, Ipswich Next week the Suffolk Broadband Partnership steps up its campaign to secure better and faster high speed broadband infrastructure for Suffolk by hosting the first countywide broadband conference. High speed broadband is vital to our county’s future p...full article >>
Mcafee Update affects thousands of PCs
A Mcafee update that was recently released as affected thousands of computers around the world as it wrongly identified Windows as a virus. The update paralysed computers and made them continually restart. Commerical customers of Mcafee were mostly affected. Mcafee have sinced apologised and released a new update to fix the issue. Click here for more info.
Rutland Telecom - an example for many rural parishes
Rutland Telecom has today launched a high speed broadband service in the village of Lyddington in Leicestershire. Village residents and businesses will expect to receive broadband speeds of up to 40Mbps, with average speeds reaching 25Mbps, putting the rural village at the centre of Broadband Britain, with services comparable to, if not sometimes better than, those in the centre of London and o...full article >>
Digital Economy Bill Passed
The digital economy bill passed through parliament late last night. What does this mean for you? Essentially this bill is to provide protection for some of the creative industries such as Music, Film & Games against copyright infringement. This bill has the capacity to cut any user off from their broadband connection if there is sufficient evidence that copyright infringement has be...full article >>
Broadband Campaign "Final Third First" launched
A number of organisations including the Country Land and Business Association have launched a campaign called Final Third First with the aim of lobbying government on behalf of those living in what is commonly referred to as the 'final third' of the UK. The Digital Britain Report earlier this year coined the term 'final third' to describe the areas within the UK where a pure...full article >>
Internet access is a fundamental right
Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests. The survey - of more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries - found strong support for net access on both sides of the digital divide. Countries such as Finland and Estonia have already ruled that access is a human right for their citizens. ...full article >>
T-Mobile and Orange merger approved by EU
Approval has been granted for the merger of T-Mobile and Orange in the UK by the EU. The approval was conditional on an amendment to the network sharing agreement between T-Mobile and Three as the EU were concerned that the merger could threaten the viability of Three, the smallest mobile network operator in the UK. The other concession was that the combined network would have to give up 25...full article >>
ISPs outraged at amendment to Digital Economy Bill
Amendment 120A to the Digital Economy Bill was voted through the House of Lords yesterday that could force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block websites that are deemed to contain content that infringes copyright. Whilst this in itself isn't anything new (section 97A of the Copyright Act allows the same thing), 120A breaks the balance that currently exists under 97A between rightsowne...full article >>
Next Generation Broadband
Speed up Suffolk broadband campaign gets off to flying start The high speed broadband campaign for Suffolk has got off to a flying start thanks to the amazing support from the people of Suffolk! The Speed up Suffolk campaign caught the attention of so many people struggling to work or study online that since January the EEDA EREBUS website has registered the Suffolk voting tally as being on...full article >>
BBC Iplayer goes HD and more
The BBC has recently released information that will excite those that watch BBC Iplayer. It is going HD and also releasing various tools that will help you decide if IPlayer is something that your broadband connection can handle. For more information on this article please click on the link below. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/04/bbc_iplayer_goes_hd_adds_highe.html For the diagnos...full article >>
Free broadband for Swindon
You may have heard about this in various forms of the media, but Swindon Council and partners will be rolling out a wireless broadband network across the borough. The service will be free of charge and should allow for basic web browsing and email but will be limited in some forms. There will be a low cost, less restricted service available. The partners who are operating the scheme, hope to mak...full article >>
Brightspace - A Social Enterprise Park - Coming Soon
Brightspace is a unique concept of a not-for-profit Social Enterprise Park in the heart of Ipswich for organisations and individuals driven by a social purpose. Opening in 2010, Brightspace will be Ipswich's centre for Social Enterprises. Suffolk ACRE is the organisation behind the exciting new venture, providing low cost office space for charities and social enteprises looking to make a diffe...full article >>
Are you happy with 2Meg speed broadband?
A survey that was recently completed by propertytalk Live!, suggests that three quarters of people would not buy a property if the best speed it could achieve was 1Mbps and people would be happy to compromise on a property to get the broadband speed they desire. In terms of the speeds people said they would require, 61.7% required more than 4Mbps, 20.8% 4Mbps exactly, 10.8 requiring 2Mbps and...full article >>
ADSL 2+ Not the Answer for Rural Areas
Norfolk Future Conference this week will see a senior BT executive address the audience, and if the content in terms of BT pushing its ADSL2+ product as reported by Evening News 24 is true, then it is a case of not much change for Norfolk. Many of the exchanges that will be enabled by BT, already have been enabled by other providers, this means Norfolk residents living in Norwich, Kings Lynn and ...full article >>
How a pigeon was faster than Broadband!
A pigeon in South Africa has proven that ADSL from the country's biggest web firm Telkom is not faster than a carrier pigeon. An IT firm in Durban decided to race the pigeon against uploading data over ADSL from the company's call centre in Howick to it's office in Durban. Winston, the pigeon carried a 4GB microSD memory card between the sites which are approximately 60 km apart. To ensure the tes...full article >>
UK Ranks 25th in Broadband Network Rankings
A study looking at the quality of broadband networks has ranked the UK 25th out of 66 countries. The study conducted jointly by Oxford University's Säid Business School and the University of Oviedo's Department of Applied Economics, on behalf of Cisco, looked at whether broadband connections were fit for today's use by looking at applications consumers use such as sharing photos, video calls ...full article >>
Wyverstone Community Cafe
Wyverstone Community Cafe is a regular fortnightly event held at our village hall in Wyverstone, Suffolk. We pride ourselves in serving excellent coffee and home-baked cakes, as well as our popular bacon and egg baps. We also have local produce on sale in a mini farmers’ market – currently organic vegetables and eggs, fruit in season, home-made cakes, chutneys and jam...full article >>
Why don't you get your full broadband speed?
Broadband users aren't getting the speeds they are paying for, says Ofcom. One reason is because the signal degrades over distance when sent through copper wires, so where do the missing megabits go? Nearly one fifth of those on an eight megabits per second (Mbps) connection actually receive less than 2Mbps. They aren't lost in the way that you would lose water pressure through a leaky water pip...full article >>
Windows 7 soon to be released
Microsoft has just confirmed that Windows 7, the new version of it's operating system has been signed off and is due for a consumer release on October 22nd 2009. This is a follow up to Windows Vista which lets say has had a mixed review since it's release. Windows 7 has been trialled by Suffolk Online and our verdict is that it is a improvement on Windows Vista whilst not being vastly diffe...full article >>
Faster Broadband on the way for all of us
BT speeds up fibre rollout BT have announced the next locations where their fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) based broadband will be available. The 69 locations cover areas all across the UK including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. By March 2010, a million homes will be covered, and by early summer 2010, they expect to have a reach of 1.5 million homes, continuing to 40% of the UK ...full article >>
Is the CD dead? - Maybe not
Is the CD dead - clearly not! Two thirds of music lovers prefer CD's over digital downloads according to research by media and technology research agency, The Leading Question. A survey of over 1000 music fans showed that 73% were still content to buy CDs rather than download music. 66% of 14-18 year olds also prefered CDs, and 59% of music fans still listen to CDs every day. The research sh...full article >>
Digital Britain Report
The highly anticipated digital britain report was released on Thursday 16th June and here is Suffolk Online's and many other comentators main summary of the report. The full report can be found at www.culture.gov.uk The key points to arise from the report are the following: The UK is to have a Universal Service Commitment of 2Mbps (2 Mega bits per second) by 2012, this is to be fun...full article >>
Can't get Broadband - Find out how to Register this
Do you live in an area which either can't get broadband at all, your property can't receive broadband or you are unhappy with the speeds of broadband you currently receive? Visit http://www.broadband-notspot.org.uk/ and register your details so that the respected website thinkbroadband.com can get an idea of the areas of the country where their is either no access or slow access. This data, ho...full article >>
4 things you probably never knew your mobile phone could do
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it. FIRST - Emergency The Emergency Number worldwide for mobile phones is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the ...full article >>
Safe to use Torrents
Safe to Use Torrents? You may have heard in the news recently that the owners of the torrent download site piratebay.org was recently convicted of copyright offences. Lets get one thing clear…piratebay.org didn’t actually host any legal material it provided the links for users to be able to get the illegal material. Torrent sites work by users of the site hosting files on their own systems ...full article >>
