Wi-Vi with my little eye: looking through walls with wireless

By on July 8, 2013 in Blog, New technology

Scientists have developed a technology which allows them to see through walls using WiFi signals.

Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory are calling the technology ‘Wi-Vi’. It is similar to radar but, rather than using high-power signals, this innovation relies on standard wireless to track movement.

How does it work?

A Wi-Vi unit sends WiFi radio waves through a barrier such as a wall and then measures the signal that is returned. As only a fraction of the signal penetrates the wall, the researchers had to find a way to cancel out the unwanted interference.

The answer came by transmitting two signals, one which was the inverse of the other. As all static objects create identical reflections, if one signal hits a stationary object such as the wall, the other signal cancels it out. However, moving objects change between the two signals and so are picked up by the receiver.

How might Wi-Vi be used?

The inventors of Wi-Vi say that the technology could be used in a range of applications – for example, in locating victims after a natural disaster, police gauging the number of people in a room before a raid or even for video gaming.

Some privacy advocates have warned that the technology could be misused.

“Your location is something that’s worthy of privacy,” Fakhoury said. “We know that, even within your house, where you go can reveal a lot about yourself,” Hanni Fakhoury, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told techhive.com.

However, the MIT research team argued that because of the low resolution, the system could actually enhance privacy in some ways. For example, rather than installing cameras in the room of an elderly parent, the system could be used to monitor them without being over-intrusive.

Read more

Apple & Blackberry crumble. Windows sweet as pie

By on July 8, 2013 in Blog, Microsoft, Mobile devices

According to recent statistics revealing the current positions of the major platforms, Windows phone has doubled its market share, while Apple and BlackBerry have taken a tumble.

The data released by kantarworldpanel.com found that Microsoft’s share of the smartphone market increased from 4 per cent to 8.4 per cent in the three months leading up to April 2013. This recent boost for Microsoft is likely to be fuelled by the sale of Nokia handsets, using Windows as their primary platform.

graph

Elsewhere, Android remains the frontrunner with a 56.9 per cent market share – a 6.8 per cent increase on the previous year. Apple’s iOS lost 1.6 per cent of its market share; although with 28.7 per cent of the overall UK market, it still remains well clear of the rest of the pack.

Blackberry OS was the biggest loser with its share of the market falling from 13.6 per cent last year to 5.6 per cent. The figures pushed the once dominant force in the smartphone market and innovator of mobile email into a rather dismal 4th place.

European markets display similar pattern

Kantar also looked to other major European markets such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain, where the story was found to be much the same.

Reports established that iOS was down 1.8 per cent year-on-year across all the countries; a statistic which many say is a confirmation of Apple’s continuing fall from grace.

Android held an impressive 69.9 per cent market share across the five major countries. This domination is probably being spearheaded by Samsung’s Galaxy range, which continues to go from strength to strength.

With Windows device sales on the up, Blackberry’s continuing to tumble, Android becoming ubiquitous with a range of devices and Apple gearing up for the launch of its next generation of devices, all eyes will be on results for the rest of 2013 to see whether any of the tech giants can buck the current trends.

Read more

Adding public holidays in Outlook

By on July 8, 2013 in Blog, Microsoft, Tips & tricks

Most of us use the Outlook calendar as our main diary, so it’s useful to have a record of upcoming public holidays. But adding these dates manually would be time-consuming.

The good news is that you don’t have to. There is a far quicker and easier way – simply follow the instructions below.

Instructions for Outlook 2010 (may vary for other versions)

Click on the File menu and then on Options.

1

You will then be taken to the Outlook options dialog box. From here, click on calendar from the left-hand menu. Then, from the list of options click on Add Holidays. Click on OK to confirm.

2

A new dialog box will now appear with a list of countries. Check the box adjacent to the country whose holidays you wish to add to your calendar – you can select more than one country but your boss may not allow you to take them all off!

3

Holidays will now be installed. Following this procedure, go to your calendar and take a quick look to check they are now in there.

Read more

The new and improved Windows 8

By on July 8, 2013 in Blog, Microsoft

After months of speculation, a preview for Windows 8.1 has been released and it looks like Microsoft has listened to consumer demands for an improved user interface and enhanced functionality.

The highly-anticipated Windows 8 faced a backlash from critics and consumers upon its release in October last year, with many bemoaning the loss of the familiar Start menu of previous Windows packages, and others condemning the all-new user interface.

Now Microsoft has released a preview of Windows 8.1 and first impressions indicate that the software giant has taken on board the criticisms of its first offering. It’s a tall order to completely remould an operating system in just eight months but Microsoft has managed to include a number of key enhancements – crucially reintroducing the hallowed Start button.

A final release date for Windows 8.1 (codenamed ‘Blue’) is yet to be announced, but it is expected to be later this year. From what we’ve seen, there is plenty to look forward to.

1. A better desktop experience

Windows 8 was designed to take full advantage of touchscreen technology, geared primarily towards tablet users. However, this left many desktop lovers feeling a little neglected.

Fortunately, with 8.1, Microsoft has delivered a number of improvements for those who prefer the comfort of a keyboard and mouse. It has reintroduced boot-to-desktop and brought back the Start button, meaning that, if you so wish, you need not see a Live Tile again.

2. A more seamless user experience

One of the most common criticisms of Windows 8 was the disjointed relationship between the desktop and the modern UI, with users feeling they worked at odds with each other. Microsoft has sought to improve this. The walls are still there and users will still find themselves taken from one UI to another, but the transitions are smoother and less frustrating. With the re-introduction of the Start button, and users now able to carry over their desktop background to the Start screen, there is a feeling of greater control over the UI.

3. App snapping

It seems from the preview that Windows 8.1 will be offering a more flexible Snap function. Users will now be able to keep multiple apps open at once – in the previous version, only two could be kept open at any given time. Depending on your screen resolution, you can now have up to four apps open on a single screen and can dictate how large you want each to be.

4. Improved search results

The Search charm of Windows 8 was pretty handy, but the new Smart Search makes it look pale by comparison. This feature pools all search results in one cohesive page, amalgamating those found in apps, setting and files categories. It also lists results from Bing, SkyDrive and video and music apps. This is one very powerful search feature.

5. New features everywhere!

There’s a treasure trove of new features hidden within every nook and cranny of the Window 8.1 preview. In fact, it could take you some time to discover them all.

Some notable features include 3D printer support and Photosynth-style panoramas in its Camera app. A number of new apps have been introduced and some older ones have received a makeover, such as the greatly improved Windows Store.

Read more

From disaster to new systems in 5 days

By on June 25, 2013 in Blog, Company news

From disaster to new systems in 5 days

Last week M2 computing was contacted by a company in distress. It was only a small business but like all businesses in today’s environment they could not live without email and access to documents and accounts.

The systems were on their knees, the server was hanging and had to be powered down every hour to bring it back to life. The PC’s running Vista were like snails and the managers and staff morale was extremely low and very little work could be done.

M2 came up with the solution, negotiated the deal and implemented a completely new system within 5 days and the client is now fully functioning and ready to forget the past.

Well done team! another happy customer

Summary

 Wednesday and Thursday

  • Current system audit
  • Workshop testing and set-up for server and PC’s

Friday

  • Migrated the entire email system to Microsoft Office 365

Saturday

  • Users and profiles created and tested
  • Mobile devices connected to new platform

Monday – onsite

  • Set-up and installed new Server hardware running on Microsoft Server 2012
  • Replaced all PC’s with new and installed all applications
  • All data migrated to the new server
  • Printing configured
  • Secure offsite backup configured and running
  • Safely disposed of all old redundant equipment
  • Now supported by M2 Computing management and support contract
Read more
Invu

The cost of filing is bigger than you think

By on June 11, 2013 in Blog, Productivity

The cost of filing is bigger than you think

UK SME’s waste more than £42.2 million per day in revenues looking for documents.

Background Invu commissioned independent research from specialists YouGov to determine just how much traditional filing is costing UK SMEs.

The survey sought the opinions of more than 800 UK managers and directors across a range of industries. Their feedback reveals that valuable time is spent trying to locate paper documents, resulting in staggering financial losses. In fact, the 4.5 million SMEs in the UK waste an estimated £42.2 million in total per day.

Results

Paper versus electronic documents

First we asked respondents to estimate how much of the information they deal with is paper-based. Just 8% of SMEs could say that the total is less than 10%, with the majority pitching the figure at 41 – 50%.

A breakdown by sector revealed that accountancy, legal, education and financial professionals deal with an above-average percentage of paper at 54%, 56%, 57% and 52% respectively.

Time spent searching for information

Unsurprisingly, those who deal with fewer paper documents waste least time searching for information.

Among those who say they spend no time searching for information, the majority estimate their paper documents make up just 11% – 20% of the total. Conversely, for those who spend over two hours per day locating information, the average is 52%.

Similarly, those professions which are paper-intensive show the highest averages for time spent looking for documents. The legal industry, which has one of the highest average percentages of paper documents, spends the longest amount of time searching for information at an average of 39 minutes per day.

The average time spent searching for information across all SMEs is 31 minutes. 86% of respondents spend up to two hours.

On this basis traditional filing is costing SMEs up to £11,000 per year.

The cost of wasted time Only 7% of respondents feel that none of the time they spend searching for documents is wasted.

The average percentage of time wasted is 21%. Given that the average hour is worth £88.02, that equates to £9.37 per day per manager/director – a staggering £42,165,000 in total for all UK SMEs.

Some professions fared worse. Accountants, for example, waste 26% of their document-searching time at a cost of £10.13 per accountant per day. That means that for the accountancy industry alone, a mind-boggling £2,737,958.70 is wasted in time spent searching for information every day.

The Data Protection Act

We asked respondents if they knew whether the following statement is true:

‘Since October 2007, the storage and processing of paper-based files containing personal data in companies must comply with the Data Protection Act (1998).’

6% said it was false, and almost a quarter – 23% – didn’t know.

Only 74% could say for sure that their company is compliant with the Data Protection Act.

Use of Digital Document Management systems

87% of the managers and directors surveyed believe that paper filing doesn’t work for their company. However, only 35% of SMEs have a system in place to store and manage the mix of paper and electronic documents they deal with. We asked what was preventing them from making the change.

The majority, at 33%, are concerned that the upfront expenditure will be too great. (In fact, Invu can cost as little as £1 per user per day, and return on investment is typically achieved within 6 months.)

23% worry about the amount of time the initial scanning and filing might take. (Scan and file with Invu typically takes seconds, not minutes.)

The benefits felt by Digital Document Management users

Among the 23% of respondents who have Digital Document Management, over a third state the ability to quickly and easily search through archived documents as the main reason for choosing the system.

Other reasons include: to save time when looking for documents, to decrease the amount of storage space paid for, to comply with legal regulations and to save money.

What would SMEs do with more time?

With the average SME spending more than half an hour per day looking for information, and some spending up to 2 hours, we asked respondents what they would do with more time.

31% would spend it on business development. A further 21% said they would simply go home on time, while 13% would spend it with their team.

Conclusion

SMEs spend up to two hours searching for documents per day at a cost of £11,000 per year.

Traditional filing and coping with a mix of paper-based and electronic documents is the cause of this. Most SMEs know they have a problem but are put off doing something about it by unfounded concerns.

Those who have employed a Digital Document Management system are saving time and money, and are more efficient and competitive as a result.

For a demonstration of a document management system please get in touch … https://www.m2computing.co.uk/contact/

Read more

Tips for iPad security

By on June 7, 2013 in Blog, Mobile devices, Security, Tips & tricks

It’s reputed to be one of the most secure devices on the market, but don’t take that for granted – the iPad can still be left vulnerable without due care from its owner. Here are our tips to make your iPad as safe as possible.

1. Creating a strong passcode and encrypting your data

The first action you should take is to create a strong passcode, so if your iPad does fall into the wrong hands, they won’t gain automatic access to your data. This passcode also enables data encryption. You should go a step further and select the strong passcode option since the 4-digit numeric passcode is not effective enough – instead, you should create a complex password, containing a variety of letters, characters and numbers.

2. Enable Data Wipe on Failed Passcode setting

If you have data on your iPad that you really wouldn’t want to fall into the wrong hands, there’s a feature you can enable to wipe it should someone enter an incorrect passcode too many times. You’ll find the option to enable this when setting up your passcode: In the Settings App, select the General menu and then click on ‘Passcode Lock’; At the bottom, switch the ‘Erase Data’ option to ‘On’ – you’ll need to read the warning that comes up and then select the ‘Enable’ button.

BEWARE: If you have kids who could get their hands on your iPad and start playing around with it, it may not be wise for you to set up this feature – a child could quite easily mess around with it and enter a passcode incorrectly more than ten times, and just like that, all your data will be gone!

3. Lojack your iPad

Another security essential to take care of straight away is to enable the ‘Find My iPad’ app. You’ll also need to enable location services for this to work. If you ever lose your iPad, or it is stolen, this feature will allow it to be located, providing it is connected to a wireless network so that it can communicate with Apple’s services.

4. Use WiFi securely

If you’re going to access a wireless network away from home, make sure you do so with caution. Only connect to a WiFi network you know is secure, since otherwise, your activity could be subject to “eavesdropping”. If in doubt, leave it out – or at the very least, limit what you do on a network you aren’t 100 per cent sure about, avoiding emailing, online shopping and banking.

Ultimately, the most secure way to work on public WiFi is through the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which will channel all your traffic through a secure server. There are a number of affordable services you can buy into for this. Finally, when you’re not using your WiFi, disable it to save the life of your battery and enhance security

Read more

Google Glass will not use facial recognition…yet

By on June 6, 2013 in New technology, Security

Many will be relieved to hear that, according to the company’s official Google+ page, Google Glass will not be able to utilise facial recognition software at any time in the near future.

The announcement is an attempt to silence the concerns of privacy advocates, who are worried that the new digital jewellery will be able to profile people without their consent.

The Google Glass spectacles feature a small screen which sits above the eye, as well as a microphone and speaker; giving the wearer instant access to augmented reality applications, which are layered over the real world. While many have branded the project as a gimmick, there are equal numbers who believe that the Glass Project could dramatically change the way people both consume media and communicate.

The Google Glass project is currently in a beta stage, with testers – who have been coined ‘Explorers’ – trialling the hardware before the search giant brings the device to market.

No facial recognition without strong privacy protection

Google said: “We’ve been listening to you, and many have expressed both interest and concern around the possibilities of facial recognition in Glass. As Google has said for several years, we won’t add facial recognition features to our products without having strong privacy protections in place.

“With that in mind, we won’t be approving any facial recognition Glassware at this time.”

Google also ruled out the possibility of voice identification any time in the near future. The new terms made available to Glassware developers said that applications should not “use the camera or microphone to cross-reference and immediately present personal information identifying anyone other than the user…applications that do this will not be approved at this time.”

While Google has left its options open, its biggest concern at the moment seems to be quashing the concerns posed by privacy groups, as it prepares to take its newest product to market.

A spokesman for Google said that by listening to the Explorers, the organisation was continuing to refine and evolve its Glass policies.

Read more

Would you like to eat that password or wear it?

By on June 5, 2013 in Blog, Security

Reports this month suggest that Motorola is looking to make the process of signing into digital accounts all the more seamless by making wearable and edible versions of passwords.

In a presentation at All Things Digital’s D11 conference last week, the technology giant announced its intent to develop a line of tattoos and pills that transmit signals to devices outside the body. These are programmed to contain the user’s unique log in details; granting them instant identification when prompted.

Although the concept of password tattoos might seem more science fiction than reality, the company’s senior vice president of Advanced Technology & Projects Regina Dugan was able to showcase a stick-on electronic tag during the presentation.

Ink of a number

The device consisted of a wireless power coil, temperature ECG, phone sensors and a small LED antenna border, which is used to transmit signals to the mobile phone. Ms Dugan acknowledged that today’s 10 – 20-year-olds don’t tend to wear watches on their wrists, but said she was adamant that they’ll warm to the idea of an electronic tattoo.

Other companies have developed similar devices to the tattoo password, which could be why Motorola is looking to put its plans into action as soon as possible. The company is reportedly working with inventors from the Cambridge, Massachusetts firm MC10 to create its very own password authentication technology, featuring a range of designs.

Body of evidence

For mobile users that aren’t interested in tattoos, whether in dark green or floral patterns, Motorola is also planning to develop a form of “vitamin authentication” for people to swallow. Early details suggest the pill, when taken daily, will be capable of sending out an 18-bit, ECG-like signal to the device.

“Essentially, your entire body becomes your authentication token,” Ms Dugan explained.

Allthingsd.com claims the pill doesn’t require batteries in any form because it will be powered by stomach acid, although Ms Dugan did stress that the cyber medication won’t be put on sale any time soon.

Read more

Switch data off or expect ‘bill shock’

By on June 4, 2013 in Blog, Mobile devices

Holidaymakers travelling outside of the European Union (EU) this summer are being warned to switch data off on their mobile devices or face the financial consequences.

The warning comes from you uSwitch.com, which found that nearly a fifth of travellers failed to switch off data roaming while abroad. The price comparison website calculated that an average user travelling outside the EU could rack up £300 in data charges from a modest amount of video streaming, emailing and web browsing.

IT said that by simply visiting one or two webpages and updating a Facebook status, overseas travellers could expect to be charged almost five pounds, regardless of carrier.

Cases of ‘bill shock’ are falling  

Cases of customers discovering monumental data charges – known in the industry as ‘bill shock’ – have fallen in the EU since regulations were introduced in 2012, which caps roaming charges within European countries. Furthermore, EU carriers will be forced to make further caps from 1 July 2013.

The new regulations will enforce a £43 (50 euro) cap on overall data usage, while outbound calls will cost a maximum of 21p per minute.

Technology expert at uSwitch, Ernest Doku, said that travellers should speak to their network provider to see if there were any ‘bundles’ available to reduce costs. However, Doku said that the only way to really limit the damage was to switch data roaming off altogether.

“If you want to use the internet, wait until you can get WiFi at a hotel or café,” he explained, adding that travellers with unlocked phones could also buy local SIM cards as a way of sidestepping heavy charges.

The price comparison website said that it was worth checking which countries were actually part of the EU. Of the 1000 adults interviewed by uSwitch, almost half identified Croatia as being part of the union, when in fact it is not. Also, almost a third incorrectly identified Turkey as being part of the EU.

Read more