Alchemist Technologies

The Big Freeze!

2010-12-01T10:20:00.001Z

Look at the view from my back window – which despite being very beautiful is also very inconvenient. Thankfully I have a Land Rover so can get around reasonably well but every morning this week I have watched my neighbours struggle to get out of the street, a lot give up and just come back to their homes to make the phone call to their bosses to say they can’t get in today. I am in the very lucky position that all I need to work is a laptop, broadband connection and my mouse (I get too frustrated using the laptop mouse and have been known to stop using my laptop in a strop because of it)

So in honour of the recent weather I thought I would revisit a blog I wrote back in May which spoke about the weather last year and how it cost businesses 124 million working hours. Reports this week are suggesting that they current deep freeze is going to cost the county £1.6 billion per day.

This is set to be one of the coldest winters on records and the snow looks as if it is settling in for the duration so if you have a business that allows a portion of your employees to work from home temporarily then it is certainly worth considering buying them a laptop and setting them up with a VPN connection from home – reasonably cheap and very to achieve.

Blog from Wed 26th May 2010

‘If you’re not there for your customers come rain or shine one of your competitors will find a way to do it for you. Given the really bad weather at the start of the year more and more small business are starting to look now into options which allow their staff to work from home so they are not caught out again next year.

In the UK 124million hours of work were lost due to the heavy snowfall in January. This was not only due to employees being unable to actually get to their work premises but also down to employees having to stay at home because the schools and nurseries were closed and there was no one to look after their kids.

It has been reported only 11% of the people that were unable to get into work had the option to work from home – myself being one of them give me my laptop, broadband and a VPN connection and I am ready to go. How many of your staff can say the same?

There are a number of technologies which can help keep your business running and ensure that you can access your business server wherever you are - which in the current climate is more important than ever for SME’s

Don’t be caught off guard again this coming winter – SME owners should be thinking now about how you can facilitate your employees to work at home in case the big freeze hits again!’

I predicted this back in May – now if only I could get the lottery numbers right!

Festive Cheer

2010-11-30T10:11:00.001Z

Well folk another week closer to Christmas and until about 48 hours ago I was very excited. My shopping is almost done, our turkey is ordered and I have been excitedly reworking my Christmas playlists which I am going to start listening to on the 1st of December. So, what happened 48 hours ago I hear you all ask?? I caught a nasty bug and now have a stinking cold! They type that makes your ears hurt and you struggle to keep your eyes open all day and then some how at night can never sleep. It would be fair to say that I am not in a happy place at the moment and have decided that for this weeks blog I wanted to find something that would make me laugh and I found a few little funny Technology stories and jokes that brought a smile to my bright red and blotchy face.

The Frog

A man was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will tell everyone how smart and brave you are and how you are my hero." The man took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it, and returned it to his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will be your loving companion for an entire week." The man took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it, and returned it to his pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for a year and do ANYTHING you want." Again the man took the frog out, smiled at it, and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, that I'll stay with you for a year and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"

The man said, "Look, I'm a computer programmer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog is cool."

The Sultan

The Sultan of Brunei was getting a bit cheesed off as he had 6 children, all girls, and therefore had no son and heir. Imagine his joy then,when one of his wives presented him with his only son and heir.

Just before his son's sixth birthday, the Sultan took him to one side and said, "Son, I am very proud of you. Anything you want, I shall get for you."

His son replied, "Daddy, I would like an aeroplane." Not wanting to do anything by halves, his father bought him British Airways.

Just before his son's seventh birthday, the Sultan took him to one side. "Son, you are my pride and joy. Anything you want, I shall get for you."

His son replied, "Daddy, I would like a boat." Not wanting to do anything by halves, his father bought him P&O Ferries.

Just before his son's eighth birthday, the Sultan took him to one side. "Son, you bring so much happiness into my life. Anything you want, I shall get for you."

His son replied, "Daddy, I would like something to watch films on." Not wanting to do anything by halves, his father bought him MGM Studios and their cinemas, where he watched all his favourite Western Movies.

Just before his son's ninth birthday, the Sultan took him to one side. "Son, you are an inspiration to us all. Anything you want, I shall get for you."

His son, who had caught the 'Western' movie bug, replied, "Daddy,I would like a cowboy outfit." Not wanting to do anything by halves, his father went and bought him Microsoft.

App of the Week - Battleship

2010-11-22T10:32:00.002Z

I am a big fan of traditional games which is why I adore today’s app of the week – Battleship which is a bargain 59p.You can launch strikes with touch-driven precision and witness 3D guns blazing and smoke-billowing carriers sinking to their dooms. A great little 5 minutes to spare game.

Engage in the authentic Classic Mode or fire at will in the intense Salvo Mode.

Employ an array of lethal power in Super Weapons Mode or deploy your secret unlocked weapons for Multiplayer supremacy.

Sink competitor’s battleships with Hotseat, two-player WiFi, Bluetooth, and Pass & Play capabilities.

Demonstrate strategic and tactical skills to earn Super Weapons. Improve your rank from Seaman all the way to fully-fledged Admiral!

Why Alchemist?

2010-11-18T11:05:00.001Z

We are always asked by potential clients - Why Alchemist? Why Outsource? What makes you special? These are questions that most businesses are asked and I thought I would put down a few of our answers in this week’s blog. Beside the standard answers – ‘we can save you money!’ Which let’s be honest every business in the world claims this, so I thought I would give you a bit more and explain why I believe we are the best IT company around for Small to Medium local business.

Benefit from access to a whole team not just one or two people - When you have in-house IT support you will perhaps get the benefit of one or two IT people – when you outsource your IT to Alchemist you get the benefit of our entire team’s knowledge and skills which total over 50 years of IT experience. We can give you advice on keeping up to date with the break-neck speed which technology moves and ensure you stay ahead of your competition.

Gain access to extremely wide and specialised skills set - With our large team of diverse engineers there are very few IT problems they have not come across during their many years of IT experience this can benefit your business greatly. We can offer you a very high level and large skill set from simply setting up a wireless network or installing a VoIP phone system to extremely complex high-end IT solutions.

One Stop Shop - Our services are so varied now that we can provide you with all your business IT & Communication services - Broadband, Phone System, System Support, Spam Filters, Back-Up and much more meaning that we are the only company you need to deal with for all your business IT & comms needs. If there are any issues and calls need to be made to external companies we will deal with these for you – ensuring your attention is 100% on your business 100% of the time.

We help your business grow - When you have an IT issue it is so problematic and disruptive for all your staff. Your management team will probably have to get involved in trying to fix the problem, they may have to phone several companies and hotlines trying to find a solution to the problem – wasting your time and the time of your staff. With Alchemist you simply pick up the phone and call us, we will respond quickly and do everything to ensure that your team are back up and running again as quickly as possible.

Established Track record - Alchemist was founded in 2003 by 2 well respected local guys and has always had an outstanding reputation in Dumfries and Galloway as one of ‘The’ IT companies in the region to provide your business with a professional, friendly and knowledgeable service. This has continued and grown further since opening our Glasgow office in 2007. We still have many of the same customers today that we had when the business first started almost 8 years ago – which we are very proud of.

Last but by no means least - We're brilliant and can save you money

Did you know we are an Official Acronis Partner?

2010-11-15T11:50:00.002Z

Earlier this year our technical team became fully certified as Acronis Partners and I would like to share some of the benefits of this powerful backup solution for your business.

The point of the Acronis software is to minimise the recovery time and disruption if the server ever has to be fully recovered. If there was no Acronis backup image and the server completely failed, we would need to rebuild and configure the server from scratch which could take as long as 1 or 2 days. This would involve reinstalling the operating system, installing all the applications, setting up all the email, printers, users and much more.

Just imagine how your business would cope without its systems and data for a day.

Acronis provides a local backup image, this means that the backup is done from the server onto an external hard disk connected directly to the server, this external hard disk can remain connected. The advantage of having this type of backup alongside your existing backup is the recovery time, if the server was to completely fail it can be recovered within minutes from the backup image. This image is a snapshot of the entire server including the operating system, all the applications and most importantly all of the settings.

Acronis works alongside Alchemist Vault to provide you with the best possible Back-Up and Disaster Recovery plan for your business.

The Brilliant Playstation Move

2010-10-07T11:07:00.002+01:00

My household has a brilliant new toy – Playstation Move. For those of you who don’t know what this is, PlayStation Move is a motion-sensing game controller platform for the PlayStation 3, based on a handheld motion ‘wand’ and a PlayStation Eye camera used to track the wand's position.

We ordered the Playstation Move starter pack (£49.99) which comes with a wand, Playstation Eye and a demo disk of the games which are currently available and a few which are due to be released soon. Within half an hour of trying it we were in the car on the way to our local Game to buy a second controller and a full copy of the brilliant Sports Champions – this has lead to what can only be described as Table Tennis and Disc Golf grudge matches between my husband and I.

The System

The Move technology has crazy pinpoint accuracy due to the microphone style wands having an accelerometer and a gyrometer to sense motion on three axes, so it'll responded to users simply turning a wrist or moved backwards and forwards and the slightest movement.

One of my favourite wand features is the impressive glowing ball, which is powered by a full colour 24bit RGB LED which can change colours – this can either be used so the camera can differentiate between different controllers if you're playing with a friend or to show different game states - it might glow red if your character is injured, for example.

Next on our to-buy list is the Move navigation controller which is a one-handed supplementary controller designed for use in conjunction with the wand during game play. Very similar to the Nintendo Wii’s Nunchuk the move controller has a d-pad, an analogue stick, and two shoulder buttons and when held in your left hand, adds extra input possibilities for Move games.

Games

As you can imagine there are only a hand full of games available at the moment but already for me this is where the Move really excels next to the Wii. The games are for adults, there are a few kids’ games thrown in for family evenings but this definitely a toy for the grown-ups. My favourite games so far are:

Sports Champions

People will tell you this is like Nintendo’s Wii Sports – it’s not! It has 6 different sports you can play, Beach Volleyball which you will feel like a prat playing but is great fun, Table tennis which is a fantastic two player game, Gold Discus which is a golf style game played with Frisbees, bocce (boules) which is fun and frustrating at the same time, Swords which is a gladiatorial battle game, and my personal favourite archery which I must admit I have become slightly addicted to.

Tumble

I am a bit of a puzzle freak so this was right up my street! This Jenga style game requires you to build towers out of differently shaped blocks using the Move controller to pick them up and carefully place them. This for me is the game which shows the technology off best the slightest of movements can send your tower crashing to the ground. A bargain at only £7.99 from the Playstation online store.

EyePet

My 11 year old niece went crazy for this demo – you can get down on the floor and play with your eyepet, giving it showers and tickling its tummy. I would buy this but I have two lovely little cavalier dogs and I don’t think they would be too happy with me tickling a virtual tummy with they have actually tummy’s they like to have tickled!

Other games of note are Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 – obviously a golf game and The Shoot - has you blasting your way through a series of movie sets featuring sci-fi, horror and western environments. The one I am most looking forward to getting is Virtua Tennis 4 which is due out next year; reports from those who have tried it are suggesting that the game will be brilliant and a stand out seller for Sony next year.

All-in-all a fun addition to the Playstation stable - I would suggest if you are thinking about buying this for Christmas get along to your local shopping centre now because I think this is going to be very difficult to get in December!

7 Tips to stay safe when using public Wi-Fi

2010-09-30T10:42:00.000+01:00

Here are some great tips on keeping your computer and data safe when using public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Make sure your firewall is activated

A firewall will help protect your laptop by preventing unauthorized users from getting access to your computer through the Internet or a network. The Firewall will act as a block to protect your data which will check all incoming traffic and then either stop the traffic or allow it through.

Make your folders private and encryption

When you use a public Wi-Fi network encryption will more often than not be out of your control. It is important to make sure the folders on your laptop are private, this can make it harder for hackers to access your files. To further secure your files you should consider encrypting them, which requires a password to open or modify them. You can learn how to encrypt a file here

Don't type in credit card numbers or passwords

Try to avoid typing any sensitive information, such as your passwords, credit card number or any other financial information while you use a public wireless network. If you must enter credit card numbers while using a public wireless network make sure there is a locked padlock icon at the bottom right corner of the browser window, and make sure the Web address begins with https: (the "s" stands for secure).

Try to choose more secure connections

Opt for wireless networks that require a network security key or have some other form of security such as a certificate. The traffic sent over these networks is encrypted which will help to protect your computer data. The security features of different networks appear along with the network name as your PC discovers them.

Disable file and printer sharing

File and printer sharing is a feature that enables other computers on a network to access resources on your computer. When you are using your mobile PC in a hotspot, it's best to disable file and printer sharing—when it's enabled, it leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers. Remember, though, to turn this feature back on when you return to the office.

Consider completely removing sensitive data from your notebook PC

If you're working with extremely sensitive data, it might be worth removing it from your laptop altogether. Instead, save it on a corporate network share and access it only when necessary. This way, you have multiple safeguards in place.

Turn off your wireless network when you're not using it

If you're not surfing the Internet or sending e-mail, but still using your computer in an area where there is a public wireless network, disable your wireless connection.

How good are your Business Passwords?

2010-09-22T11:29:00.001+01:00

I had a bit of a nightmare over the weekend, I did something to my laptop and lost all my saved passwords - my laptop is my own so it is okay that I have my passwords saved (don’t do this on any PC’s that anyone else has access too!!) Like most people I use a combination of about 4 different passwords in various different connotations. Long story short it took me the best part of 2 hours to remember/ work out my passwords and get myself back into all my accounts – except Amazon that one has me really baffled!

So I thought I would give you all some advice on your getting your business passwords as good as they can be to ensure your business critical data is as safe as it can be.

Make sure that your staff are not using dictionary words as passwords as these are easily guessable and there are lots of software programs for hackers to use to scrawl passwords and they all start with dictionary words.
Tell your staff that they should not use words that are personal to them – spouses or children’s names, favourite football team, the street they live in are all bad choices and easily guessed by someone with a little knowledge on the end user or access to their Facebook account.
Passwords should be 6-8 characters in length the more characters you have the more secure the password will be. Alphanumeric characters are best - enforce a rule on your network that a combination of letters, numbers and symbols must be used or the password is rejected.
It is advisable to set up a maximum duration for each user’s password, forcing users to change their password regularly – this can be done monthly, bi monthly or even 6 monthly.
Tell staff not to write down their passwords anywhere.
Users should be encouraged not to use the same password for multiple programs / systems
Staff should never give their password to anyone, even IT personnel – if someone needs access to their system the End user should log in themselves and stay with the person and monitor what they are doing on their user account.

These are all very basic tips and should be common sense – remember to keep your business data safe it is one of the most valuable assets your business has!

What exactly is Foursquare & Do I need it?

2010-09-15T14:07:00.000+01:00

I am a modern woman of the 21st century – I like to think of myself as a bit of a hip chick, I like JLS, I know who Alexa Chung is and every six month I dedicate 4 weeks of my life to pouring over the fashion week shows from New York, London, Paris & Milan. But for the life of me I cannot work out Foursquare - I am reliably informed that it is ‘THE’ new social network but despite reading bits and pieces about it I am still none the wiser is it a game? Is it a facebook style social media to connect with friends or is it a twitter approach of the more the merrier? So I thought this week I would make a concerted effort to find out what it is and if I need it.

What is Foursquare?

Basically it is a location based social network/game. It allows you to tell you friends where you are and in return you can see where your friends are and possibly meet for a cocktail!

How does it work?

The whole game is based around what is known as "checking-in". You check-in with foursquare from bars, restaurants, hotels, cafes, clubs and any other kind of nightspot, add a little message about where you are and what you're doing - all very brief.

You’re friends will then get a message to let them know where you are and the idea is that they can then join you if they fancy or just be pleased that you're not at home watching Eastenders on a Friday night.

From the other side of things, if you're on your own stuck at home and bored you can see where your mates are and pop along and join them at a bar. All pretty simple.

The other two things you can do are create a to-do-list of places you've always wanted to go and add to a Top 12 list of your recommendations for other people.

The Game?

So it is also a game - you get points for checking-in. The idea is that it encourages you to use it, which then gets the system up and running and propagates the idea.

Find a new place in your neighbourhood? +5 points. Making multiple stops in a night? +2 points. Dragging friends along with you? +1. And as you start checking-in to more interesting places with different people, you'll start unlocking badges - this is where the real addiction lies. There are badges for discovering new places and for travelling to faraway places, spending too much time singing karaoke or hitting the gym consistently.

Foursquare points aren't good for anything other than bragging rights with friends and on the online leader board on the site with the top users which can get very competitive. Also, if you check-in from the same place more regularly than anyone else you might find yourself crowned Mayor of that place! - An honour that your friends may try to wrestle from you grasp, that's part of the fun.

Can anyone use it?

Yes and no. The game is city specific so there are different networks for a number of different locations. If there doesn't happen to be one in your location then it's not going to be too much fun for you. You'll also need a mobile phone to check-in from or better still, there's an app for Android, iPhone and Blackberry.

So it is really clever and sounds like great fun for people in the late teens or early 20’s in Uni with tons of friends but for people 30+ with kids and spouses it is unlikely that this is a going to catch on. I know that if I want to see my friends I tend to have to make plans to do so I can’t just drop everything because one of my friends is in a bar I like – Plus I kind of enjoy watching Eastenders on a Friday night!

What to Look for When Buying a Laptop

2010-09-08T11:32:00.002+01:00

When checking out new laptops online I found a great little buying guide on the HP website that I thought I would share with you all - some fantastic tips!

1. Portable form factor

Ultraportables excel for frequent fliers who need just the essentials while on the road. Screen sizes are small - usually 10 or 12 inches - and their keyboards are petite. Beware though to make these machines so small, features such as internal optical drives, large and fast hard drives, and extra ports are frequently not included.

Mainstream laptops are like budget desktops: They're good for general tasks but won't win any contests for their performance or features. Though they don't qualify as thin or light, they still offer some portability. With 14-inch or larger screens, a standard selection of ports, and big keyboards, they're suitable for everyday use.

If you want desktop power, you need a desktop replacement. With screen sizes of 15 to 17 inches, travel weights as heavy as six kilos, and average battery life of less than three hours, these behemoths are not for people on the go. They can accommodate a wide range of performance parts, however, and are just right for power users of all kinds.

2. The processor and you

When it comes to processors, go with the fastest you can afford, regardless of the notebook's form factor. You have a lot of options, so here are the basics.

Intel's Pentium M CPU line offers speed while enabling great battery life. These chips, combined with Intel's wireless LAN electronics and either the 915 Express or 855 chipset, make up Intel's Centrino mobile technology. The biggest downside is price -- Pentium Ms are still costly.

AMD's mobile processors are more affordable than Intel's, but they generally lag behind Intel's on our MobileMark tests. AMD's Turion 64 processors may change that, however. AMD says the chips will offer optimisations for high performance, wireless capability, and long battery life.

3. Screen sizes

Wide-screen notebooks, which have an aspect ratio of 16:9, offer larger, sharper, and all-around better images than their 4:3 standard-screen cousins. They're great for allowing you to have two documents or Web pages open side-by-side. A spacious 17-inch wide-screen laptop is a nice luxury if you're not planning on traveling with it.

4. Memory memiors

Having enough memory is vital to system performance, and lots of RAM lets you run more applications simultaneously. Sufficient RAM is also necessary for graphics work, image editing, and video editing, and crucial for 3D gaming. This is especially true in notebooks, because notebook graphics processors frequently have little or no memory of their own and share the main system RAM.

5. Typing and mousing

As notebooks shrink in size, so do their keyboards. If possible, try some simple typing exercises before you buy. Pay particular attention to the spacebar, Shift, Ctrl, and Backspace/Delete keys. Be sure all are in a good location for your hand size and typing style.

Computing today relies a lot on mousing. With a notebook, all you get is a touch pad or pointing stick. Test the notebook's input device for comfort and responsiveness. Some touch pads include extra features, such as a dedicated area for scrolling.

6. Vying for video RAM

If you're not planning on doing much graphics work or playing 3D games, shared memory should be fine. But if you have a choice, aim for a graphics chipset that shares at least 64MB of system memory.

7. A slot for all reasons

Like a PCI slot in a desktop, a PC Card (or PCMCIA) slot in a notebook provides expansion opportunities. Additional USB and FireWire ports, wired and wireless modems, and wireless LAN radios are all available in PC Card form. PC Cards and slots come in three sizes: Type I, II, and III. Type I cards are normally used for memory, Type II for input/output devices, and Type III for mass storage and firewalls.

8. Get connected

Ports, especially USB and FireWire, are necessities, but on notebooks they're usually in short supply. At a minimum, look for two USB ports, and if you have any legacy devices, such as parallel printers, look for those ports, too. If you'd like to use a digital camcorder or iPod with your notebook, make sure the notebook has a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port. Connecting a monitor will require a VGA port. And if you want to output video to a television, find a notebook with an S-Video out.

9. Go wireless

Integrated wireless networking (Wi-Fi) has become an indispensable feature. Most notebooks ship with a choice of 802.11b or 802.11b/g. Capable of data throughput of 11Mbps, 802.11b is fine for ordinary use. Public hotspots typically use 802.11b or 802.11g.

10. Power on the go

Lithium-ion batteries have all but replaced nickel-cadmiums because they're lighter, have a higher energy density, and don't suffer from recharge-inhibiting memory effect.

Also look out for battery capacity (measured in milliamp hours, or mAh), and the number of cells. Typical batteries have a mAh rating between 2,000mAh and 6,000mAh; higher is better. Cells are the actual compartments where power is produced and can range from four to 12; the more the better.

App of the Week - Tiger Woods PGA TOUR

2010-09-06T13:09:00.000+01:00

I thought for today’s app of the week I would go for the brilliant Tiger Woods PGA TOUR BY EA SPORTS – now as a woman I must admit that I am not a big Tiger Woods fan after all the revelations last year but my goodness the boy can swing a club (granted not too well recently). Also, I thought with my favourite sporting event coming up – the Ryder Cup, this is a great wee app to get us all in the mood. – FORE!!!

MULTIPLAYER IS HERE!

Play a round of golf or two with a buddy using local WiFi & Bluetooth Multiplayer.

TAKE ON GOLF’S FINEST

Play as or against Tiger Woods or a great line-up of other pro golfers like Annika Sorenstam, Vijay Singh, Natalie Gulbis & Retief Goosen!

CHOOSE YOUR GREEN

Golf over 120 holes across 7 of the most famous courses in the world including Pebble Beach & St. Andrews.

THE REAL DEAL

Hear the crack of the club and the roar of the crowd as each fairway comes to life with realistic sounds, 3D graphics, and dynamic camera angles.

CONTROL YOUR GAME

Master the exclusive Swing Meter and get visual feedback on your moves. Manipulate the direction of your ball spin & watch it soar through the air!

FAMILIAR VOICES

Real-time commentary by former pro-golfer Sam Torrance and The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman.

TIGER IS 3.0 READY

Hit the green in style. Listen to & control music from your iTunes® Library while you shoot a hole-in-one!

2010-08-31T11:08:00.003+01:00

This week’s app of the week is a big favourite of mine it’s the BBC News App. It is my go to app first thing in the morning and several times throughout the day to keep me up to date with the latest goings on. The news stories all include one minute video news summaries to keep you informed on the go.

You can also personalise the app to suit your interests and download content for offline browsing which include - Top Stories, World, UK, Local News, Entertainment, Sport, Business, Politics, Health, Education, Science & Technology and Features. Plenty of stories and categories to keep you up to minute with events and world news.

My favourite feature is the live streaming of the BBC news channel which I am always popping on to during the day to see what is happening.

This is a must have app for news junkies like me and best of all it is Free!!!

Technology on Campus.

2010-08-25T18:26:00.001+01:00

This has been a big week for my little niece – it has been her first week at High School. As you can imagine and I am sure sympathies with this seems to be a much bigger deal for the adults in the family than it is for her. All of a sudden our cute little girl that used to put the bows from presents in her hair on Christmas morning is far too cool for us. Her big brother has just started 5^th year and his thoughts are now turned towards university (I think we have successfully now convinced him that International Rock God may not necessarily be the wisest career choice!)

With this on my mind and also the English exam results being received yesterday it got me thinking about kids going off to Uni with their backpacks, text books and pencils.....wait a minute! That was 10 years ago - now they go off surely with a Laptop, EBook and iPod???

The university experience has changed – instead of notebooks and pens in their backpack, students now carry to class the latest laptop with a copy of windows 7 and office 2010 Home and Student edition to help with all those essays and projects. Not only is this technology great for students but it also works well for parents whose kids are leaving home to go and study – just make sure that you install Skype on the laptop and you can talk to your kids while looking at them on screen. Also, this is a great way to ensure that your little cherub doesn’t have pink hair or a new piercing!

Text books you would think would survive technological advances and to a certain extent they do, but so many course text books are being converted to E-Book format. It would be silly to lug around massive heavy books if you could carry them round in a neat little E-book reader like the incredibly popular Amazon Kindle which has (finally!!) being released for sale in the UK at a very reasonable £109.

A lot of universities are also encouraging their lecturers to record and upload their classes as podcasts. I think this is such a fantastic idea - as it gets closer to exam time to be able to actually go back and listen to exactly what your lectures have said 10 months or ever years earlier in a class is invaluable.

Now for the serious part of this blog – with all this technology being used in such a vital way for you or your kid’s education it is absolutely essential that they are backing up their laptop as many ways are possible. As a minimum it should be backed up to an external hard drive every day and if you wanted to be really safe you should be backing up to an online backup facility of which there are many.

This laptop will have all the class notes, essays and projects stored on it, it may possibly have text books and class podcasts so be careful get a good anti-virus and a good backup plan and that way the only thing to worry about is the amount of washing they will bring home at Christmas!

App of the Week – WhatsApp messenger

2010-08-16T13:29:00.000+01:00

This week’s app of the week is the brilliant WhatsApp Messanger a must purchase for all you texing nuts out there. This is a brilliant app for busy offices with lots of people on the go - it is a great way to stay in touch!

WhatsApp messenger is a smartphone to smartphone messenger currently available for iPhone, BlackBerry and Nokia phones only. The application utilizes push notifications to instantly get messages from friends, colleagues and family. Switch from SMS to WhatsApp to send and receive messages, pictures, audio notes, and video messages at no cost. All features are included in our base price without the need for extra in-application purchases.

* NO HIDDEN COST: Once you and your friends download the application at a bargin 59p, you can use it to chat as much as you want. Send a million messages a day to your friends for free! WhatsApp uses your Internet connection: 3G/EDGE or Wi-Fi when available.

* SAY NO TO PINS AND USERNAMES: Why even bother having to remember yet another PIN or username? WhatsApp works with your phone number, just like SMS would, and integrates flawlessly with your existing phone address book.

* NO NEED TO ADD BUDDIES: Your Address Book is used to automatically connect you with your contacts. Your contacts who already have WhatsApp Messenger will be automatically displayed under Favorites, similar to a buddy list. (You can of course always edit Favorites any way you like)

* OFFLINE MESSAGES: Even if you miss your push notifications or turn off your iPhone, WhatsApp will save your messages offline until you retrieve them during the next application use.

* STATUS: Use the status feature of WhatsApp to inform your contacts if you are busy, in a meeting, at the gym, or available for a chat.

The Gadgets that Time Forgot

2010-08-11T12:50:00.001+01:00

As technology evolves, there are bound to be some bumps in the road; some gadgets which seem like a great idea at the time, but are eventually revealed to be epic flops. This is a list of some of my favourite gadget flops from recent history.

Sega Dreamcast

When I was a young pup Sega used to compete with Nintendo to be the games console of choice in playgrounds all over the country. Then Sony came along and changed all that with the launch of their Playsation. Sega finally gave up the fight just 3 years after its UK launch in 2002, announcing that it was switching its focus from making hardware to just making software.

Sony MiniDisc

I had a Sony MiniDisc when I was in high school for about 5 minutes before I got bored of it. The idea behind the MiniDisc is it was like CD but smaller. It was a pity that the designers at Sony didn’t see the MP3 revolution which was just around the bend. The Sony MiniDisc trudged on for most of the 90’s, however thankfully it seems that Sony let that one finally go to the gadget neverland.

Amstrad E-m@iler

Having the misfortune to look like an early 90s IBM trying to procreate with a telephone, the E-M@iler charged lucky users to check their email, once they'd wrestled their way past a calamitous keyboard and OS. Its USP - that it allowed anyone to email - looked out of date from the moment it hit the shelves in 2000.

Robot Vacuum Cleaner

This is the one I wish the designers and tech bods had got right. It promised so much and delivered so little - What was promised as the gadget to end domestic suffering turned out to be a wheelie bin lid driven by three bickering, blind mice. Not only do these machines take hours to get around your house, they usually fail to pick much up, too.

Segway

We thought we were given legs to walk, it turns out this is not true, or at least that is what Dean Kamen tried to convince us in 2001 which the launch of his Segway. The personal mobility Scooter/bike/ personal green transportation – whatever it is, never really took off with only 50,000 units shifted in 8 years. For the sake of our waist increasing nation let’s be thankful for that!

Zune

Billed by Microsoft as an iPod Killer but by everyone else as the iPods ugly cousin. Zune was criticised for its ugly design, bad sound quality and flawed music sharing interface. Apple never really had anything to fear.

Lights, Camera,Technology - Best IT Movies & TV Shows

2010-08-11T10:42:00.001+01:00

It is one of my life time ambitions to go to Comic-Con in the States - I am a complete movie/TV buff and nothing makes me happier that combining my two hobbies technology and Movies. So I thought as my blog this week I would give you a run down on my favourite Tech movies & TV Shows for you to check out this weekend.

Minority Report - Released in 2002 this science fiction movie was directed by the fantastic Steven Spielberg and was loosely based on the short story ‘The Minority Report’ by Philip K Dick.

In 2054, an experimental Washington, D.C. police force called Precrime has completely neutralized murder in the city. Precrime employs three "precogs", mutated humans with precognition to view murders that occur in the future; the officers of Precrime then analyze and interpret their visions to track down and stop the murder before it happens. John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is chief of the force, working under its director Lamar Burgess, however, he hides the fact that he is addicted to an illegal psychoactive drug called neuroin since the disappearance of his son Sean, which also caused his wife Lara to leave him leading to all kinds of trouble. I won’t give away anymore but I will say to watch out for the eyeball transplant scene - yuck!!

This movie has to have your full attention all the time as it can get quite confusing but definitely worth putting in the work.

Matrix - One of the best trilogies’s of all time. The film describes a future in which reality as perceived by humans is actually the Matrix: a simulated reality created by sentient machines in order to pacify and subdue the human population, while their bodies’ heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Upon learning this, computer programmer “Neo” is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, involving other people who have been freed from the “dream world” and into reality. The film contains many references to the cyberpunk and hacker subcultures; philosophical and religious ideas; and homage’s to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Hong Kong action cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, dystopian fiction, and Japanese animation.

Make sure you have all 3 movies & a whole day before you start to watch as you will want to view them all in one sitting.

War Games – The film follows David Lightman (Broderick), a young hacker who unwittingly accesses WOPR, a United States military supercomputer programmed to predict possible outcomes of nuclear war. Lightman gets WOPR to run a nuclear war simulation, originally believing it to be a computer game. The simulation causes a national nuclear missile scare and nearly starts World War III.

Classic movie must see movie!

IT Crowd - Set in the offices of Reynholm Industries, a fictional British corporation in central London. It focuses on the shenanigans of the three-strong IT support team located in a dingy, untidy and unkempt basement – a great contrast to the shining modern architecture and stunning London views enjoyed by the rest of the organisation. The obscurity surrounding what the company does serves as a running gag throughout the series – all that is known is that the company bought and sold ITV and once made part-year profits of "eighteen hundred billion billion". The team consists of a dynamic go-getter - Jen, a genius -Moss and a workshy Irish man - Roy.

Such a fun TV show and I will promise that if you have an IT dept or know people in IT you will know a Moss, Roy and a Jen.

24 - An American serial drama television series starring Kiefer Sutherland as federal agent Jack Bauer. The show is presented in the semblance of real time, with each 24-episode season covering 24 hours in the life of Bauer.

Bauer is the only character to have appeared in all eight seasons, as well as appearing in every episode of the series. The series begins with him working for the Los Angeles based Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), for whom he is characterized as a highly proficient agent, but one taking an "ends justify the means" approach regardless of the perceived morality of some of his actions. Throughout the series most of the main plot elements unfold like a political thriller. A typical plot has Jack Bauer racing against the clock as he attempts to thwart multiple terrorist plots, including presidential assassination attempts, nuclear, biological and chemical threats, cyber attacks, as well as conspiracies dealing with government and corporate corruption.

The writers of 24 clearly don’t come from an IT background as their outrageous use of IT ‘lingo’ drives true IT geeks daft. You can’t send anything to a screen and who knows what opening a socket will do?? But the tech toys and gadgets make it worth watching if you can get past all the gushy scenes and emotions that the Americans do so well.

Also worth a little mention is the brilliant Big Bang Theory which I think is one of my favourite TV's shows of all time but more Geek chic that IT based.

Digital Compact Camera Guide

2010-07-29T14:18:00.003+01:00

Is it my imagination or is it getting increasingly difficult to buy a digital camera – megapixels, wide lens, SLRs, compacts, ISO, Optical v Digital Zoom – where do you even start? Most people want a digital compact – a little camera that will easily slip into a pocket or handbag, these normally range from about £50 to £300.

Let me answer the important questions for you on picking a Digital Compact.

Megapixels?

A lot of compacts will boast of 12MP resolution – which is as good as my existing D-SLR camera. In truth, usually 5MP will be perfectly good enough to get a good size print in excellent quality. The only reason to go for something larger is if you intend to use a crop tool on your images, however this puts demands on lens quality that small compact camera lenses seldom really live up to - 7MP should be ample for a compact camera.

Optical zoom v Digital zoom?

For me optical zoom is much better –Digital zoom is something best ignored, as all this does is crop a central portion of the image to give the effect of having zoomed in, and therefore reducing quality software that can leave jagged edges and fuzziness in fine detail.

Usually on a compact you can expect to have 3x zoom lens which will give you a reasonable wide lens and short telephoto.

Some of the more expensive compacts will offer you a ‘Superzoom’ which will give you 10 or 12x optical zoom – the theory being that they offer so much control, the user won’t actually need an SLR. The downside is that superzooms are bulkier than other types of ‘compact’, and ideally need a decent image-stabilisation system when shooting at the telephoto end of the zoom to prevent blurry images.

Creative compact – Do I need it?

A creative compact will allow you to change the shutter speed, aperture etc – this is only really to be used if you are interested in photography and will take the time to learn what effect each function will have on your images.

For most people a simple point and shoot setting is what is required.

Other Info

Make sure that you get a nice big view finder – approx 2.5 – 3inches

Most cameras offer an ISO range which can be as limited as 400 or as high as 10,000. Be warned that, in general, the higher the ISO setting, the noisier the image. Sensor and optical forms of image stabilisation will allow you to shoot at lower ISOs without flash or the need for higher ISO settings.

When buying a snapshot camera, opt for a major brand, and don’t spend much less than £100. My top tip is don’t be swayed by fancy but pointless features and super cool marketing campaigns!

App of the Week

2010-07-26T13:41:00.001+01:00

I thought as a fun little Monday morning treat I would start to tell you about my app of the week. This will usually be a fun little game or gadget for you to chase away your Monday blues!

Our first ever app of the week has to be the brilliant Angry Birds.

The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs - Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs’ fortified castles.

Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and lots of replay value. Each of the 120 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy.

Protect wildlife or play Angry Birds!

Okay so the concept of Angry Birds is that you get little birds which you have to sling shot at structures which have the evil green pigs inside them which you have to kill - why are they evil you ask? The answer is I’m not sure they just are so those piggy’s gotta go!!

Angry birds has been the top selling app for months now all over the world and at a bargain 59p it would be rude not to try it. Once you start this game you will not be able to put it down, a fantastic little game to play during your lunch hour to chase away the Monday slump!

Tweet us your highest score and see if you can beat the mighty Alchemist Blogger.

An eBook Fairytail

2010-07-01T12:30:00.001+01:00

There are fewer things in the world I love more than reading a good book – I love browsing book stores (I have been known to spend well over an hour in Border books just looking – oh how I miss Borders) I enjoy rubbing my hand over the shiny new cover and the first time I crack the spine of a new book never fails to make me smile. I love reading the ‘About the Author’ at the front of the book and flicking the pages as I get ever nearer to the conclusion of the story which has me so enthralled.

Ok, I think you all now understand how I feel about reading and books now let me tell you about recent developments which have convinced me to give up books forever – and by ‘recent developments’ I mean I am running out of space for my books, actually no let me rephrased that I HAVE run out of space for my books – they are everywhere. Once I find a book that I love I hang on to it for dear life, this is this reason that I am thinking about investing in an eBook Reader.

We have one in our house already but up until this point I had always resisted the lour of this gadget. It makes me so sad to think that never again would I smell a new book by my bed and is there really any satisfaction in powering down your eBook Reader instead of closing the back page of a book after you have just finished it with a slam and satisfied sigh? My hearts says no hold on to your books – those enticing covers and delicious noise they make as I quickly flick the pages are not to be given up, but my head says that books are so inefficient and un-environmentally friendly that soon they will probably be confined to museums rather than libraries.

Both I think make a good argument for their cause but does Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Sophie Kinsella & Belinda Jones really care that you’re not reading it in physical form – no they just care that their stories are being told!

Ok guys so I have decided that an eBook Reader is now in my near future let me bring my next problem into the equation - in my house there is probably close to 800 books. Will I be able to get all of them in electronic form? Probably not, and even if I could how much is it going to cost to transfer my existing collection - probably somewhere in the region of £7000 and that is before I have even thought about buying a new title! That is quite a lump of cash for something that I already own.

The transfer from CD to download seemed so much easier & cheaper! But still I am not deterred from making the move to an eBook Reader – this is no different from converting from VHS to DVD, collections are not built up in a few weeks or even years a collection is an entire life time of choices.

Will I miss books? Absolutely! It is the end of an era but perhaps the beginning of a new one.

http://www.alchtech.co.uk/index.php/it-blog

Learning the Lingo - IT Jargon made easy

2010-06-23T16:47:00.003+01:00

How confusing is IT lingo? – Very is my answer! If you don’t know your Spyware from James Bonds Tux or your Apple from well your Apples then this is the blog for you. I have listed some of the most common IT engineers Jargon words and translated them into English for us mere mortals.

Bandwidth - This is the amount of information or data that can be sent over a network connection at any one time.

Cookie - Is a small file created by a browser to store information about a web site. They will typically store information about previous visitors to the site, remembering their user names and passwords, and customizing the site to suit returning visitor’s tastes.

Firewall - A program or device that is designed to limit the external access to a computer for security reasons.

Malware - Software which includes viruses, adware and spyware. It is designed to intentionally damage a computer and causes inconvenience.

Modem - Is a device that will allow computer information to be sent over a telephone line.

OS - Operating system - OS is the software that controls a computer system - The OS is loaded when the computer is started. The most common OS’s include Windows, Linux, Unix and Mac OS.

Peer-to-peer - Peer-to-peer technology allows 2 computer users to share files directly without using a server.

Router - A router will decide the correct location for data being transmitted between networks

Server - A central computer that delivers information to other computers in its network in response to a request.

Spyware - Is a program designed to steal private information from your computer, such
as passwords and credit card details. Software which is downloaded from the Internet may contain spyware.

USB - Universal Serial Bus - This is a standard type of port for connecting hardware such as a digital cameras, MP3 Players, keyboards and printers.

Virus - Viruses are deliberately written by vandals they do not arise by accident. A virus is a self-replicating sequence of instructions that spreads from one computer to another by replicating itself into a files / program.

VPN - Virtual Private Network - This refers to a secure network connection that uses the internet to transmit data.

Wi-Fi - This is a set of standards which ensures the compatibility of wireless network devices manufactured by different companies.

Wireless network - This is a computer network where data is transmitted via radio signals instead of cables.

3D - Fade or The Future?

2010-06-16T14:11:00.000+01:00

I remember the first time I ever saw anything in 3D I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. How was it even possible? As an adult I am still as impressed with the technology but I am not entirely convinced it has any place in the home, as a glasses wearer I find it awkward enough at the cinema for a few hours sitting with glasses on top of my glasses without sitting at home watching Eastenders or Corrie like that!

The problem with using 3D in the home is the size of the screens – at the cinema you feel like you are in that moment actually experiencing the sensation of something flying at you or the scale of a large scene. I just don’t think that same feeling can be transferred to a 40 – 60 inch television screen, our peripheral vision is too vast to become absorbed in the technology in the same way.

I do however think if you have a large amount of money to burn that 3D could be great for gaming in the home. Nintendo today has released details of its new 3DS handheld console that comes complete with glasses-free 3D technology – the 3D effect level can be controlled or even switched off on the machine using a simple slider. For all you gadget geeks there are even 3 cameras on the 3DS that takes 3D pictures, allowing you to see your double chin from all angles - how clever is that? Sony are also already assuring PS3 owners that there will be a firmware update which will allow their current systems to support 3D meaning it is only a matter of time before most driving games and shoot ‘em up’s are all in 3D format.

Sony have predicted that by 2014 40% of new TV’s sold will offer 3D capabilities – they may well offer 3D capabilities but I don’t think it will be utilised. I have been known to be wrong about new technologies in the past, I thought the iPod was a novelty that would never last, only time will tell if I am right or wrong!

Technology & The Greatest Show on Earth

2010-06-10T13:42:00.001+01:00

In times of war and hatred I am always comforted that for 31 days every 4 years the world comes together as one for the greatest show on earth! If your team made it or not it doesn’t matter, it is a spectacle to behold 32 countries going head to head to become world champions of the greatest game on earth! I love that every time there is a World Cup technology advances allowing more people to be part of it - beaming to so many more homes, bars and gatherings around the world than ever before.

I read a lovely story the other day - a small Ghanaian Village for the first time ever will get the chance to watch the World Cup through a scheme promoting the use of solar energy. People who are outside the national grid who have never before watched their National Team take part will get to see it for the first time thanks to huge advancements in technology – don’t you think that is just brilliant?

This year’s games will be broadcast to 7 ‘Fan Fest’ locations throughout the world in 3D, only last year the first ever World Cup qualifying games were broadcast in HD and a year later in select areas around the globe people can watch in 3D. Do I want to see Wayne Rooney in 3D giant form in central London? The answer to that is probably not, but I am still impressed with the technology because it adds a sense of occasion to it all.

Also this year for the first time ever the official Fifa World Cup site is enabling deaf people and people with hearing impairments across the globe to follow all 64 matches of world football’s showpiece event by having video reports from all 64 matches which will be broadcast in International Sign, these will be online ‘quickly’ after each game has finished.

Wither you are supporting: France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, USA, New Zealand (like me) England (like my very Scottish dad – who knows what that is about?? I am putting it down to his age!) Technology has provided us with more viewing & information options to get involved than ever before. You can follow Fifa World Cup on Twitter & Facebook, watch games in 3D, HD or on the internet – just don’t tell your boss! You can watch on projection screens at pubs, 60inch plasmas at home or even on your mobile phone. You can also get involved on media micro sites, my favourites are the guardian and BBC sites.

Gathering ground my small 28inch TV when I was 14 in 1994 watching a grainy picture of Roberto Baggio ballooning THAT penalty in the final against Brazil never felt further away than it does right now!

www.alchtech.co.uk

30 things everyone should know or have done by the time they are 30

2010-05-13T15:25:00.000+01:00

1. Work from home or a coffee shop as effectively as you do at the office.

2. Use your 3G phone as a Wi-Fi Access Point

3. Be able to identify all computer components on sight

4. Run 2 monitors from 1 PC or Laptop

5. Set up a website without Googling for help

6. Transcode a DVD to play on a portable device

7. Remove a Virus from a PC

8. Protect your Wi-Fi connection – and be able to identify and mess with anyone who tries to steal it.

9. Know what Joomla & Druple are

10. Know at least 20 keyboard shortcuts

11. Know how to back up your pictures to an external hard drive

12. Complete a computer game in full

13. Twittered at least once

14. Have a facebook page

15. Be able to PhotoShop out all your wrinkles & grey hairs – god bless PhotoShop

16. Use a DSLR camera in Manual Mode

17. Download TV shows & Music on the internet (legally)

18. Be able to sell things on eBay

19. Solve a Rubik’s Cube at least once

20. Be able to quote vital scenes from all the Monty Python movies – He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boys

21. Watch the full 6 Star Wars movies in order in 1 sitting

22. Have a plan how to make your first million and a backup plan if the first plan fails.

23. Be able to explain to your kids/nieces/nephews that just because you did it when you were their age it does not make it okay for them to do it now – and win the fight!

24. Be able to tell the difference between Coke & Pepsi

25. Know now that your 18 year old self was seriously misguided when they thought 30 was old – you’re still a young pup!

26. Doing your Christmas shopping the week before Christmas day is never ever a good idea!

27. Know that your Mum & Dad were not lying when they told you they know best (and still do)

28. Have a quarter life crisis

29. Understand that we work to live not live to work – it’s only money not happiness!

30. By the time you are 30 you should know Yourself!!!

Viva la Twitter!

2010-04-28T12:04:00.000+01:00

Ever since time began the media has been very influential in what we do, wither we want to believe it or not they withhold information that they don’t necessarily want us to hear, they give us selective quotes and hype up thing that they feel are right and cast down things they don’t approve of.

This has never been more apparent than during Election time when Parties wait with baited breath to find out who the big hitters in the media will back. Thanks to the internet for the first time ever the Editors and Owners of these media outlets are losing control of the Election and they don’t like it!

Case in Point: Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems are for the first time I can remember keeping up with the big boys – this is not because an Editor has decided to throw their might behind them but because of the debates, where only the party leaders control how their policies are portrayed and the public are responding to how they feel about these policies via twitter. Every second tweet on my list at the moment is about the #GE (general election) and even if I don’t agree with the sentiment I am enjoying the build up to the election this year, I feel involved and engaged.

In a frantic attempt by the newspapers to assert what they feel is their right to be judge and jury over the political manifestos of the day the claws have come out for the Lib Dems -I am sure they got quite the fright when they woke up and realised that they were front page news as they normally get a small mention on the 7th page of the papers!

I should point out that I am in no way a staunch Lib Deb Supported in truth my vote is still available to who I feel responds best to my needs in the last debate. I just am so excited that people are engaging with the General Election by using the internet. I am not suggesting that my Parents or Grandparents will vote differently because of Twitter, but it’s undoubtedly engaging millions of young and thirtysomething voters – the demographic that has traditionally turned their back to politics. I wouldn’t mind betting that the turnout at this General Election will be highest we have seen in a long time.

I just feel really please that the same people that make Jordon a ‘Celebrity’ no longer get to have such a massive influence on what the public think, the Editors and Owners are scared – and so they should be!

The internet and technology has changed the face of politics and voting forever by giving the public a real voice!

www.alchtech.co.uk

A Virtual Leap!

2010-04-08T13:43:00.000+01:00

virtual - adjective, temporarily simulated or extended by computer software

When the technical team started talking about going virtual, I thought brilliant the future is here, when does my cool visor and headset arrive? I had visions of a second life / Sims style working environment - I would sit at home in my slippers and via a stylishly designed image of myself visit customers and the office in some online virtual world. I was halfway through designing my alter egos outfit when I was brought back to the real world with a bump. It seems that the technology employed by Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Reports is not quite with us yet, unfortunately!

So what is virtualization then?

When IT companies talk about virtualization, they are usually referring to server virtualization – this means the partitioning of one physical server into several virtual servers. Each virtual machine can interact independently with other hardware, applications, data and users as though it were a separate physical server.

You may already know a bit about virtualisation if you've ever divided your computer's hard drive into different partitions, where a hard drive is divided to create two separate hard drives - this is virtualization just on a smaller scale.

Why have virtual servers instead of a real one?

Save money - By needing less hardware - the average server will run at approximately 10% to 15% of total capacity, with virtualisation you can run several functions on one server cutting down on wasted server space. In the reduction of hardware you are also saving on powering and cooling the servers (which is also good for the environment)

Increased Capacity - Many businesses are turning to virtualization when they want to boost the capacity of there IT network without purchasing new hardware.

Flexibility - Virtual servers can be moved around easily without rearranging your server room or office. Virtualisation also frees up valuable office space by cutting down on your server footprint.

Efficient - Functions such as backing up, archiving, desktop management and disaster recovery are easier and quicker with virtual servers. Less time will be spent maintaining the physical hardware as there is less of it – which means less down time for your business.

Is virtualisation for you?

If you are a small business with one server and a few desktops then this is probably not a great investment of your IT budget at the moment.

If you have more than one server it is something to think about and consider next time you are looking to improve or upgrade your IT network.

If you have 3 or more servers this is something that you should seriously consider implementing into your infrastructure.

The momentum around virtualisation is likely to continue in the next few years with companies who are looking to cut their carbon footprint, save money and invest in a more efficient reliable network, taking the leap into a virtualized world.

Watch this virtual space!

Truth or Myth

2010-03-25T12:50:00.001Z

Security threats are hyped by Software companies to sell Anti Virus

MYTH – Research by the BBC showed that one in 10 web sites now harbour malicious code designed to attack your PC. One in 44 emails was found to have malicious intent, and half of those contained links to Trojan horses, which can do untold damage to your PC. Being smart about what you access on the internet can reduce the risk to your PC but an Anti-Virus is still an essential piece of software for everyone.

Flat screens are bad for your health!

MYTH – This is a complete con conceived by specialist internet companies trying to sell us equipment like screen protectors and glasses to save our eye sight. In fact, flat screens are less damaging than many older monitors, which worked by redrawing the screen many times a second. Just please remember folks to not stare at your monitors too long as this can strain your peepers!

Apple Macs can catch a virus!

TRUTH – the only reason Macs don’t contract viruses is because it is not financially beneficial for hackers to write them, due to there not being enough Mac users in the world (sorry Steve Jobs). With PC protection continuing to get better and better it may just be a matter of time before someone decides to pick on Apple. Loyal Mac followers have become complacent at their peril.

Wi-Fi gives you cancer!

MYTH – With the increase in Wi-Fi networks all over the country there are concerns being raised about Wi-Fi emitting dangerous radiation, this is not the case - Frequency emissions from Wi-Fi devices are 600 times lower than the maximum recommended dose for humans.

Once I delete something from my PC is it gone forever!

MYTH – There are programs all over the internet to retrieve deleted files from hard disks. There are 2 ways to avoid someone being able to retrieve them – do a completely wipe on your hard drive, to ensure this is done correctly you are best to get a professional to do this or take a hammer to your hard drive – just remember to watch your thumbs!

Using a third party ink will void your warranty

MYTH – Although they may not produce the best result, according to Canon, Epson and Lexmark, using another company's ink cartridge or refills does not automatically invalidate your warranty.

Laptops on your knee can make you infertile

TRUTH – In 2004 scientists in America claimed that men who rest hot laptops on their laps risked making themselves infertile, head researcher Yefim Sheynkin said: “This is not a short-term occasional exposure, but a repetitive use of a computer, a couple of times a day for many years.”. More research is currently being done to determine if this is a temporary or permanent effect. Male laptop users (or their wives) may be wise to invest in a laptop rest.

Mobile phones can crash a plane, cause a petrol station to implode and literally stop a heart beating!

MYTH – Despite being told we are not allowed to user our mobile phones in certain area, hospitals, petrol stations and planes specialists state that the claims against mobiles are based on absolutely no evidence. Just to be on the safe side don’t call your Mum from 30,000 feet – it may be a myth but it is not one I am prepared to question too much!

By the Music Industry for the Music Industry!

2010-03-18T15:01:00.000Z

With all the media hype around at the moment for the controversial Digital Economy Bill - I can’t help but think that the record industry who are currently playing the ‘poor us’ cards from their multimillion pound offices in central London and Manhattan have brought this all on themselves. Before downloading became mainstream record company’s would happily charge the ‘fans’ £12 - £15 an album. With the average pocket money at that time being between £5 - £10 a week an album was a serious investment, so it is no surprise that it was the teenagers and college student’s that really took this technology to their hearts and embraced illegal downloads. I can’t help but think that if the record companies and music shops were fair from the start with their pricing then downloading illegally would not have become so popular.

Despite that fact that I’m delighted to pay 79p a song on iTunes, at just 10p more than a mars bar I actually think it is a fair and reasonable price, I can’t help but oppose a bill which is essentially written by the music industry for the music industry! It's becoming clear that it won't get the proper scrutiny that is required for a bill of this importance due to the rush towards election – it is effectively legislation on the hoof!

Should the bill become law one of the biggest worry for me is that it could spell the end for Wi-Fi hot spots, with cafes, pubs, airports and hotels being told that if anyone downloads illegally on their connection they will be held accountable, meaning that Wi-Fi hot spots will probably disappear and innocent business could be prosecuted. This also could cause a similar problems for homes with wireless routers who are not password protecting their connection, when I am at home there are at least 10 other Wi-Fi connection that I can piggy-back on to and illegally download files if I want to with no ramification for myself.

Putting all this to one side what troubles me most is that the music industry is supposed to the filled with the most creative minds of our generation (Jedward aside) and the best solutions they can come up with to encourage people not to illegally download it threaten them! Very worrying!

The Oscar goes to...

2010-03-11T12:08:00.005Z

The awards season came to a crashing crescendo this past Sunday with the Oscars being given out to the best movies of the last 12 months. Whether you were rooting for the mighty Avatar or the gritty Hurt Locker we all know that 2009 was a vintage year for movies. As the last champagne bottle was drunk and the last canapé was stamped into the carpet it got me thinking what were the technological highlights of 2009.

Let’s look at the nominees....

Social Network explosion

2009 will for most be remembered for 2 things the banking crisis and the year that Social Networking exploded! Sites like Twitter & Facebook of course existed prior to 2009 but I think last year was when everyone sat up and noticed. Micro blogging has been passed off by Tech snobs as nothing more than a passing fade for the masses – I completely disagree Social Networking is the future.

An App a day!

I have only had my iPhone for a month or so and I have to tell you I am living for Apps at the moment. Since the launch of the Apps Store by Apple in 2008 2 BILLION apps have been downloaded by iPhone and iPod touch users. You can buy apps for SatNav, Games, Travel Planners, News, Music, Radio, Sports, Medical, Finance – in fact there are so many different types that I can’t even list them all. Apps one day will rule the world, and one day I will score more than 20,000 points on Doodlejump!

Microsoft is coming to get you.

Last year Microsoft started the fight back with the launch of Windows 7, released in October 2009 replacing the disastrous Vista. Vista was plagued with problems from the very start and was not a great time in Microsoft history. However with the launch of the simplified Windows 7 all is forgiven with people all over the globe adopting Win7 much faster than Vista, this could be out of desperation but I also like to think it is because it is just a really great OS.

Dad can I get a Netbook? Dad can I get a Netbook? Dad can I get....

Netbooks really grabbed the attention of the Tweenie generation in 2009. Although Netbooks have been around now for quite a while it seems that everyone one I know under the ages of 17 no longer wanted a laptop they all want Netbooks this past year. When asked what she wanted for her birthday last year my niece asked for ‘one of those cute little laptops that are for kids’ – she was turning 8!

The world welcomes the computermabob!

Now technically this is not a technological advancement but I have been trying to find a way to work comparethemeerkat.com into my blog for weeks. Compare the meerkat is without exception one of the greatest advertising campaigns of all time – so good in fact that I spent 59p on an Alexander App (I paid to be advertised to – I am every marketing persons dream, I know!) With his own twitter and Facebook accounts Alexander & Sergi with his computermabob may not be the technical highlight of 2009 but he is without question my highlight of 2009! Simples!

Windows 7 was my idea!

2010-03-03T14:50:00.002Z

I love windows 7!

There I said it, along with chrome I feel that I have reached desktop nirvana - there is nothing more I could possibly need to do on my desktop that I don't have the ability to do right now. I have made a list of my 5 favourite Windows 7 features, they maybe aren't the best features or the most useful but I feel they are the features which have changed my life!

Snap!

One of my favourite features is the snap – simply drag your window to either the left or right of the screen and it will automatically resize to half the size of the screen (can also be done by clicking the Win + either the left or right arrow) - GENIUS!

Night!Night!

I almost always sleep my laptop rather than shut it down and it is a personal hate of mine that I have to click to change the setting from the Shutdown button every time I want to sleep my laptop – the lovely designers of windows 7 have changed this for me. We can now change the default Shutdown power button to the power button we prefer. Right-click on Start, select Properties, and choose the Power button action that you use the most - BRILLIANT!

Shaken not stirred!

If like me you keep what seems like hundred of windows open on your desktop all day this is a great little feature designed especially for you – if you want to minimise all your windows except one, grab the top of the window you want to keep open and give it a shake about this will minimise all other windows. COOL!

Ctrl + Alt + thank you

In Windows 7 you can create a shortcut for any program you want. Right click on the program icon and select properties, select shortcut tab, click Shortcut Key to set the keyboard shortcut for the program – SIMPLE!

Preview it!

When you hover over a minimised window on the taskbar you will get a preview. This feature was also available in Vista but in Windows 7 is you can close a window within the preview screen. Also, if you are listening to iTunes on your desktop you can play, pause and skip tracks while in preview. CLEVER!

My name is the Alchemist Blogger and Windows 7 was MY idea!

Facebook Etiquette - the 7 Golden Rules

2010-02-24T14:43:00.005Z

I got a phone call from my Mum the other night to ask me if it was okay to ignore a friends request in Facebook. My initial reaction to this was – ‘you have Facebook?’ once I had recovered from the bombshell that my mum was voluntarily engaging with technology I got to thinking – what are the etiquette rules of Facebook?

I did a little Google investigation and these are the acceptable rules of facebook.

You do not have to accept an invitation to become friends with someone you don’t know. Facebook is not a competition to see how many random people you can collect as friends.
Do not write your status updates in local dialect i.e. ‘I cannae wait’ – this is not big or clever!
Do not post anything on your Facebook that you would not want your boss or mother to read - you don’t know who your friends know.
Do not poke for the sake of poking!
Do not Facebook after a few drink – you will only regret it tomorrow.
Consider other peoples feeling before you upload a picture of them. If you look stunning and your friend looks like they has just been dragged through a bush backwards the nice thing to do would be to keep that one for your private collection – or at least ask before you post it!
Application overload, most people do not care that you are a Mafia God in Mafia Wars, have reached Mastery level 2 in Strawberries on Farmville or that you have made a peach cobbler on Cafe World and we definitely do not want to get a copy of your star sign every day. If there is an option not to publish you app update please do so.

Buzzed off!

2010-02-18T12:48:00.003Z

We all know Google rules the world but have they hit a bit of a blip in their latest venture with Google Buzz. Claiming that it will be the ultimate in social networking seems for the moment to have fallen slightly short of the mark.

Google Buzz has now been active for just over a week and has already had several issues. The biggest concern for many was Google’s decision to give users an automatic group of friends based on the people they most frequently e-mail – unless you knew to change the setting in your profile this list could automatically be made public. Declaring to all who you correspond with most (this would not be a great feature if say you were a Chelsea player). This issue has been resolved quickly and Google now only suggest people who you may want to be friends with, but this was not a great start for Buzz!

This issue pales into insignificant for me personally compared to Google Buzz Mobile which updates your status and using a Google map will also show where you are updating from. This would not be a massive issue if it only showed your trusted contacts where you are but it shows anyone updating their Buzz anywhere nearby. Of course Buzz does ask if you want to share your location data when you are setting up your account but there is no way that most people could anticipate that their location would be broadcast to the world at large, I know I didn’t!

This is the first big public attack that Google has faced and their War Room is going to have to step it up a notch if they want to come out of this smelling of roses. People take their privacy very seriously and will only tolerate these sorts of issues for so long. However the public loves Google and the great apps which they have given us over the years, they will be forgiven for this blip.

Our report card for Google is ‘Must do better next time!’

To outsource or not outsource that is the question.

2010-02-09T14:15:00.004Z

In the current financial climate more and more companies are paying-off their permanent in-house IT staff in favour of outsourcing to one of the many IT companies capitalising on businesses need to reduce wage bills.

Benefits of outsourcing.

Reduction in wage bill

Think how often do you use your IT team? Do you really benefit from having an IT Pro sitting in your premises all day every day claiming a large salary and requiring costly training to stay up to date with the latest technologies? By outsourcing you will almost definitely save money on your IT budget. Don’t be fooled into thinking that to really know and understand your IT infrastructure that your IT support has to be in-house – it doesn’t!

Increase in staff concentration on your Core business.

By outsourcing your IT needs your staff will be able to fully focus on your business without being distracted by IT problems. If there is a problem you just pick up the phone and call your IT helpdesk and then the problem is transferred to your IT company to resolve, this can often be done remotely so you won’t have the inconvenience of having IT engineers in your office!

Access to vast knowledge base.

When you choose to outsource your IT you are more often than not committing to a company with several IT staff. At Alchemist for example we have 9 engineers and 4 account managers so you are not buying into one persons knowledge you are actually getting the benefit and knowledge of 13 experienced IT professionals.

These are just a few of the main benefits of out sourcing your IT. You also have to consider the Innovation, specialized skills, increased service levels and value added services that an external IT company will introduce into your existing IT network - Can you afford not to outsource?

First post!

2010-01-22T13:21:00.002Z

This is my first blog for Alchemist.

Hopefully you will find them useful and possibly even entertaining.

I am currently working on a new website which will hopefully be live in the next few weeks.