Rumours of the ‘iPhone Math’ start to add up

By on February 10, 2013 in Blog, Mobile devices

Apple is rumoured to be preparing a release for two new handsets in June – the expected iPhone 5s and a 4.8 inch-device that insiders from Asia have labelled the ‘iPhone Math’.

Citing upstream supply chain sources, chinatimes.com believes Apple will unveil three new members of the iPhone family this year. The first two will be an enhanced version of the current iPhone 5 and the tentatively-dubbed ‘iPhone Math’, which is expected to be the largest Apple smartphone yet.

Any signs of a release date for the third device are yet to emerge from Silicon Valley, although insiders expect it to boast a 12-megapixel camera and be the cheapest iPhone to date.

Bigger than the iPhone 5

For now though, the online community is abuzz with rumours about the Math. Sources claim it will be almost one inch longer than the iPhone 5 and include an eight-megapixel camera with Largan Precision lenses.

Not only is the tech giant capable of speeding things up when it comes to new releases, but Apple clearly knows a thing or two about keeping details of its products under the radar.

However, washingtonpost.com highlights that developers took great care in bumping the iPhone’s screen from 3.5 inches up to four inches, with great attention paid to ensuring that programs adapted to both sizes. Should the screen increase by a further 0.8 inches, they would need to go through a similar process again.

Meanwhile Apple is said to be working hard on a phone made of cheaper materials in order to address a growing lower-end market; pointing to a late 2013 release for the mysterious third device.

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Tips to ensure your battery goes the distance

By on February 8, 2013 in Blog, Mobile devices, Tips & tricks

When travelling, the last thing you want is your device to run low on battery. Fortunately we have devised some tips to keeping you working for longer, so check them out if you have any power left.

1) Buy a battery case

For an extra boost to your battery life, you can invest in a battery case. The majority of those on the market have connector plugs that pair up with the charge port on your phone. As well as keeping you operational for longer, these cases also provide the usual protection from drops and knocks.

2) Emergency backup

If you can’t find a battery case for your model of phone, you can go for an external battery pack. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, these devices are easily portable, so can be taken with you in case of emergencies. A simple online search will reveal a variety of packs with multiple adaptors, which can be used for charging most models of phone and tablet.

3) Change your settings

A smart way to save battery life is to make a few minor adjustments to the set-up of your device.

  • Many phones have auto-brightness settings that adjust the brightness of your screen automatically, using less battery when less light is required. If you can put up with your phone being on the lowest brightness setting, you’ll save even more battery.
  • You don’t need it to be constantly lit up. As a guide, a minute is probably more than enough time for your screen to remain at full brightness before timing out.
  • If you’re not using them, switch off your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. Airplane mode is often a quick way of disabling all your wireless features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS without having to go through all your settings individually.
  • Delete any apps you no longer want or need. They consume a lot of energy whilst running in the background.
  • Switch off vibrate – it uses more battery than a regular ringtone. If you don’t want to disturb others by your ringtone, there are times when leaving it on silent and keeping an eye on it for calls and texts will suffice.
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10 tech terms we don’t really need

By on February 7, 2013 in Tips & tricks

Since the beginning of the year, we’ve seen the customary predictions of technical innovations that the coming 12 months hold in store. But what about the phrases that could become obsolete by the end of 2013?

The once buzz words of technology can soon become tired, antiquated or lose meaning over time and this idea inspired a recent Daily Telegraph blog. Perhaps technology moves at such an alarming pace that our vocabulary simply cannot keep up? Well, review this list of top ten endangered technical phrases and decide for yourself.

1. Artificial intelligence

A broad term that seems to be applied to every new thing a computer is taught to do by humans. But until computers can actually ‘think’ like humans – and they can’t – this term seems somewhat erroneous.

2. Cyberspace

This is one that is certainly superfluous to requirement. What does it even mean? It was Sci-Fi writer William Gibson who coined the term in 1984, defining it as “a consensual hallucination daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts”. He went on to dismiss the term some time later as “essentially meaningless”.

3. Surfing the web

Hasn’t our internet behaviour changed since this phrase was first coined? It may have been appropriate to describe the haphazard browsing by users in the early days of the web, looking to see what amusing things they could find. But now with practically everything imaginable online – ranging from the daft to the serious – this term seems a little flippant.

4. Webcam

Cameras are now being built directly into PCs and tablets, so could this word soon become defunct?

5. Search engine

Does anyone apart from SEO geeks (search engine optimisation geeks to give them their full title) use this phrase anymore? Today people are far more likely to refer to the actual search engine in question i.e. “I just Googled it” or “Check it out on Bing” etc.

6. Smartphone

We can all agree that phones are getting smarter and smarter. Soon, there won’t be any alternative to the smartphone as other models become redundant (shall we refer to these as dumb phones?). So when should we start thinking about dropping the ‘smart’ prefix?

7. Floppy disk

Do you remember the last time you used one? And for those who are old enough to remember, they were never what you could describe as ’floppy’ anyway, were they?

8. Tape

Most of us haven’t actually ‘taped’ anything for years, and although the word ‘record’ is widely used we cannot seem to quite shake off this old favourite. Meanwhile new verbs like ‘Sky Plus’ and ‘Tivo’ do not always fit the bill.

9. Set-top box

Today’s screens are so flat you can’t perch an awful lot on top.

10. Hyperlink

Is the “hyper” part really needed anymore?

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12 essential Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts

By on December 5, 2012 in Blog, Tips & tricks

Some are even faster than using the touchscreen

By Tim Greene, Network World
December 05, 2012 08:27 AM ET

Network World – Get over it. Windows 8 is different from Windows 7, which means learning new stuff including keyboard shortcuts that can save valuable time vs accomplishing the same thing using touchscreen commands.

Here are a dozen of the most useful ones:

1. Admin Menu: It’s not the Start Menu so familiar in earlier versions of Windows, but the Admin Menu is as close as it gets in Windows 8. Windows + X pops it up from the bottom left corner.

2. Charms: When you hit Windows + C the Charms bar pops out from the right-hand side of the screen. Charms, a new Windows feature, are a set of tools such as Search, Share and Settings that are located in a Charms Bar that can be flicked in from the right side of the display on a touchscreen.

3. Settings: One of the Charms is Settings. To avoid calling out the Charms bar then choosing Settings it’s possible to go directly to Settings: Windows +I. This will reveal the Power button, too. Click on that to reveal the Sleep, Shut down and Restart options, options users say are way too hard to find.

4. Sharing: If you are in an application and want to email or share its content with someone on a social network, hit Windows + H.

5. Second screen: If you are connecting to a second screen as you might presenting a PowerPoint in a conference room, use Windows + P.

6. Search: There are three layers of Search: Apps, Settings and Files. Using touch it calls for whisking out the Charms bar, selecting Search then choosing one of the three layers. With shortcuts, each layer can be reached with one command. They are: Apps: Windows + Q ; Settings: Windows +W ; Files: Windows + F

7. Snap an app: It’s possible to snap an application on hold in the right or left quarter of the screen with a second active app occupying the rest of the screen. To snap to the right, press Windows + . ; to snap to the left, press Windows + Shift + .

8. Running Apps: Thumbnails of apps that are running are concealed off the left side of the screen. Pressing Windows + Tab reveals them.

9. To close an app: It’s just like it was in Windows 7: Alt + F4 .

10. The desktop: While it’s different from the traditional desktop, it is much more familiar territory than the Start Screen. Typing Windows + D brings up the Desktop.

11. Explorer: To launch the familiar Windows Explorer, type Windows + E.

12. Lock the PC: Windows + L brings the computer back to the lock screen, which requires a password.

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Comprehensive IT support service for du Boulay contracts

By on August 23, 2012 in Case studies

du Boulay Contracts based in London specialise in the commercial fit-out and refurbishment sector of the construction industry. Over 35 years, they have built a reputation for exceptional quality fitting for licensed premises including restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs. With contracts ranging from £200,000 to over £1m, they have also completed many projects for offices, casinos, hotels, airport lounges and high street multiples. du Boulay employs 20 people who often work remotely on client site, handling complex projects, frequently under tight deadlines.Every day they co-ordinate designers, planners, project managers,suppliers, deliveries and clients.

“We have used many different IT support companies over the years and without hesitation would say that M2 Computing provide the most comprehensive service of them all.  Their support staff are excellent with a speedy response to any issues we may have and the directors are on hand should anything more serious need resolving.  As a growing business we need to keep up with the latest technology and know that M2 Computing will maintain our system at its optimum level with new ideas and products.  We have recently made a partial move into the Cloud and it has proved a seamless operation with the technical skills of M2 Computing” David Budd, Financial Director, Du Boulay Contracts

View Du Boulay Case Study

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