iOS 7 review - see how the new iPhone and iPad operating system will look, and what is new

To coincide with the imminent release of both next generation iPhone and iPad, rumoured to hit the shelves within the next two months, Apple has made available beta version of its new iOS to software developers.  

Having spent some time using iOS 7.5 Beta I can say that this is by far the biggest advancement Apple has implemented to its mobile device operating system. Below are just a few of the new additions you can expect to find.

Sporting a completely different look and feel, gone are the detailed icons and colours of old, having now been replaced with an easier on the eye look using a pastel colour pallet for both its Home screen icons and menu environment.  Dynamic wallpapers have also be included which result in your screen now having a layered or 3D feel to them.  

It is also easier to search for apps and functions on your devices, as now all that is required is to action a quick downward flick of your finger to bring up the search box and onscreen keyboard.  Additionally this can now be performed on any Home screen.

New to iOS 7 is an application known as Control Centre, which is launched by swiping a finger up from the bottom of the screen.  

Here you can quickly access or enable/disable functions such as Wi-Fi and Blu-Tooth, lock your screen so that it does not flip between portrait and landscape, alter brightness and volume. If utilising iOS 7 on an iPhone you have the added function of turning your camera’s flash into a touch!  

As with before you can give the Home button a quick double press to display a list of all your active applications, which you can then close to free up system resources if needed.  

However this time around it also displays an image of what each application is doing, as to avoid accidently closing something you may not have wanted to do. Again this action has been made easier as now all that is needed is to simply swipe upwards to close.

Currently iOS 7 will be made available to the following devices and have different levels of functionality depending on the type of device you own, which I have highlighted in the table below.

Overall I feel that this is an improvement over iOS6, with Apple focusing on ease of use and presentation. However if you do wish to fully utilise all the available benefits within Apples new OS you may find yourself having to upgrade your hardware sooner that you had originally planned.

With Apple expected to hold their next press event on or around September 10^th 2013 we should get a clearer idea of when we can expect to receive the free consumer version of iOS 7.

For additional information and features included in iOS 7, please click the following link. http://www.apple.com/uk/ios/ios7/

iOS 7.5 Beta Preview – Jamie Freer

Tips to improve SEO - Search Engine Optimization

Successful SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Search engine optimization has become an increasing important part of the IT, sales or marketing department’s role in most companies. To such a degree that some companies employ people just to work on ensuring that they stay high in the search engine listings. The art of SEO requires a lot of thought as to how you want to be found, and a lot of hard work working on your pages to ensure they are to the right requirement. For the purpose of this article we are going to focus on Google SEO, but don’t forget there are other search engines to focus on as well, such as Bing, Yahoo and others

Below are 7 steps which if you follow should help get you on the road to improving your SEO rating.

1) Quality Content: Ensure the content represents what information you are trying to get across on the page. You will see the phrase “Content is King” used on all the SEO tips websites. Stay clear and concise with the content; do not veer away from the main focus of the page.

2) Titles: Make sure each page has a title that is relevant to the page. The titles are what display in the top of the browser you use. Take the below example from the BBC football transfers gossip section

Here the page title is “BBC Sport – Thursdays gossip column: Football transfers & Rumours”. This related directly to the content in the page, had the page title just been “Football” it would not have had as much relevance.

3) Use Meta tags: A Meta tag is another way of telling a search engine, what your page is about by using descriptive and key words. Referring to the above example see the below Meta tags used in the gossip page

<Meta name="description" content="Real Madrid still confident of landing Bale, Manchester United to offer £40m for Cesc Fabregas, plus more." />

<meta name="keywords" content="BBC, Sport, BBC Sport, bbc.co.uk, world, uk, international, foreign, british, online, service" />

These tags are all in the code and are not visible in the page for visitors to see

4) Label Images properly: If images are used in a page, then use a name that relates to what is in the image and also give the image an alt tag. An alt tag is the text that displays if you leave your mouse over the image. It is firstly a way of letting the user know what should be there if the image doesn’t load and secondly the search engine can read the alt tag and reference it.

5) Updates: Keep your sites and pages updated. Don’t let content get old or sterile. If something is out of date then remove it or replace it. As well as this keep updating and adding new content to keep your site fresh.

6) Videos: use videos on your website to inform users of products or services you offer. YouTube videos now come up in search listings so it gives you another avenue to get people to visit your site and view your products/service offerings.

7) Links: Use sensible link names, for example don’t just use click here for a link to another page, use text that is relevant to that page you are linking to. For example referencing the earlier BBC example, they could have a link on another page that says For the Latest Transfer news from the entire English league click here. To show what click here would link to, google click here. It takes you to the adobe reader page!

Staying with links, get other companies to link to your site from theirs. For example if you have a trading partner or a supplier then they can link to you and you could link to them, it all builds up the indexing done by Google.

These are just a few simple steps to help improve your Google rankings, as mentioned earlier don’t forget about the other search engines, you may miss possible customers by not submitting yourselves to those.

To find out how to submit your website to Google, Bing and yahoo click on the respective links below:

http://www.google.co.uk/submit_content.html

http://www.bing.com/toolbox/submit-site-url

http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html

To find out more about SEO then please view any of the following links:

http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.co.uk/en/uk/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf

http://www.millwoodonline.co.uk/blog/how-to-seo-10-top-tips

http://www.bristolmedia.co.uk/news/1399/top-10-seo-tips-for-2013#.Ug3iDZLCa-0

http://templatic.com/news/top-10-seo-tips/

Ubuntu Edge - the Phone & PC in one!

It has been a while since Ubuntu announced their Ubuntu Phone OS. This time their project Ubuntu Edge is for an all-in-one device creating a hybrid combining a smartphone and a desktop PC. The Ubuntu Edge dual-boots the Ubuntu phone OS and Android. The Ubuntu phone OS allows the phone to be converted into a fully integrated Ubuntu desktop PC using a docking station. The OS does not need high spec phone because it does not use JAVA Virtual Machine. The performance overhead is kept low and the apps run native. Ubuntu offers navigation improvements with simple natural swiping gestures from the edges of the screen: open favourite apps on the left edge, switch between open apps from the right, and use the system and app toolbars at the top and bottom respectively.  

The Ubuntu Edge is made from textured amorphous metal with 4.5in 1,280 x 720 HD sapphire crystal display, a material so hard only diamond could scratch. It is designed to use the fastest multi-core CPU at the time of production, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone benefits from dual-LTE chip for using 4G Networks, GPS, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, compass, barometer, 8mp low-light rear camera and 2mp front camera. The battery is Silicon-anode Li-Ion giving an extra amount of energy. The Ubuntu Edge promises a powerful platform for $695 and delivery is estimated May 2014. The phone can be purchased only at Indiegogo.

The Ubuntu Edge project is run by Canonical who is seeking to crowdfund a goal of $32,000,000 by August 21, 2013 so that the project can materialise. The project proves to be of big interest breaking crowdfunding records. It is the fastest project to hit $2 million (7hrs 59mins), and the highest ever 24-hour total ($3.45 million). However there are only few days left for the campaign and so far it has raised a little less than a third of the amount. That makes it highly unlikely to succeed, nevertheless projects like this point at where the mobile development could go.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge

http://www.ubuntu.com/phone

http://assets.ubuntu.com/sites/ubuntu/515/u/img/campaigns/22072013_gogo/ui/ui-3.jpg

http://assets.ubuntu.com/sites/ubuntu/515/u/img/campaigns/22072013_gogo/dark/edge-1.jpg

Remote control system: The Arduino as a web server

An inexpensive (£25) pocket sized programmable computer system that can be used as a web server for wireless remote control of any 240v device. The single board Arduino (fig 1) has direct access in/out ports that permits logical connection to the outside world.

Combine this with a Ardunino Ethernet shield compatible board (Fig 2)(£25)(piggy backed onto the Arduino), an off the shelf, ‘remote control socket control system’(Fig 3)(£10), and a CMOS 4016 bilateral switch (Fig 4)(£1)(the inter-connection part of the device), we have a web controlled power socket that can be operated from a smartphone.

The CMOS device replaces the function of the button(s) on the remote control unit. The trigger for the CMOS switch is derived from the digital input/output, HI/LOW port state of the Arduino.

The Ethernet shield board provides a direct connect to the internet and thus a web enabled device, such as a smartphone. A small amount of soldering, setup, and programming is required for the full operation of the web based remote control unit however there are many tutorials available for interfacing the Arduino digital in/out ports to external devices on the internet.

By Dr M. Jackson (June 2013)

Renewable energy: The NMBS Solar Farm

Always thinking ahead and making best use of new and affordable technology NMBS has had an 8KW photovoltaic system recently installed (April 2013) that is more than capable of powering its computer based server farm. All of the NMBS computer servers and other equipment now have an alternative power source. 

During day light hours (average 11.5 hours/per/day/per/year. source: www.projectbritain.com) the system is capable of producing over 8KW/per/hour on bright sunny day, dropping to approximately 2KW/per/hour on a very overcast day, producing an average of approximately 5KW/per/hour). The server farm requires approximately 5.6KW/per/hour during normal business hours to operate. On this basis the farm should be self-sufficient for the majority of the working day. Any excess power that is generated is fed directly into the national power grid; conversely, any short fall of power requirements are met by the external power grid. 

The NMBS server farm includes all systems that operate the NMBS back office system, the Report Centre, all of the NMBS websites, and the download centre (electronic trading), which are used by both internal and external customers.

If you use the NMBS Report Centre or any of the other computer based services provided by NMBS you can be safe in the knowledge that you are helping the fight against carbon emissions and global warming.

 By Dr M. Jackson (June 2013)

Raspberry PI

Released in 2011 with the intention of teaching Britain’s Youngsters basic computing knowledge, the raspberry pi is still going strong today. With the raspberry pi being only the size of a credit card and around £20-£25 the idea of a cheap computer to help Children learn programming has become a reality.

Teenagers in Britain are applying for Computer science university courses with very little knowledge about reading and writing in code or programming, this is in contrast to the 90’s where most applicants programmed during spare time. This is what led to the concept and creation of the Raspberry Pi.

There are many things that can be accomplished on the raspberry pi an extremely good example of this is Minecraft Pi edition. Minecraft is a popular indie game that was first released for Pc gamers but soon became available for android and apple phones and also the Xbox 360. With one of the main reasons the pi was created being the ability to teach Children about programming, this port of Minecraft will get them creating and learning programming in no time as Minecraft extremely popular with Children.

Once you have gotten to grips with how Minecraft works you can start to mess about with code and manipulate things within the game world. Martin O’Hanlon who runs a website called stuffaboutcode.com has manipulated the code of Minecraft pi edition to recreate a fully functioning version of the classic game Snake.

For more information about the Raspberry Pi you can visit the site: http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Or you can read the free online Magpi magazine which has articles and examples of things to try out on your Raspberry Pi: http://www.themagpi.com/

Sources:
http://www.raspberrypi.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

http://www.themagpi.com/

i-Exhibit

NMBS developed an exciting new App, ‘iExhibit’ for those suppliers who exhibited at the latest NMBS Exhibition. Prior to the Exhibition all visitors were provided with a badge with a unique QR code on it. Suppliers were then able to use the iExhibit App to scan any visitors to their stand and store information regarding conversations, orders and follow up dates.

The app is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and is compatible with the following platforms:

• iPhone 4.0.1
• iPad2 and above
• Android 2.2

The QR codes also allowed NMBS to introduce the Fast Track Registration service, which involved the scanning of badges to allow visitors speedier access to the Exhibition.

How does the app work?

1. Scan the QR Code on the visitors’ badges to store their details to your device. The QR code contains information such as name, email, phone numbers, company and address. Once you have scanned the badge you are able to add extra information such as any order details or follow up actions.
2. View the saved information and amend or delete information if required, all directly on your device. At this stage visitors can be saved as a contact on your phone or tablet.
3. Upload the information to the NMBS website. You will then be able to logon via your computer and download the submitted information as an Excel spreadsheet.

How can this kind of app & QR Barcode help your business?

Improve the experience at events or meetings by including QR codes on delegates’ badges. As with the NMBS Exhibition these can then be scanned to register visitors or take down their details in a fast and efficient manner.

QR codes can be generated from internet sites or alternatively contact NMBS if you require them to be generated in bulk. They can hold up to 3kb of information which is more than adequate for storing a person’s contact details.

For other uses of QR barcodes please click here.

Ubuntu for Android

Ubuntu for Android is a project developed by Canonical that converts an Android Smartphone into a fully functioning PC. All you need is a docking device, keyboard, mouse and screen. The aim is to give an Android Smartphone the capability of a desktop PC. 

Combining Ubuntu (a free Linux based OS with over 20 million users) with Android (Linux based mobile operating system dominating the market) is possible as they share the same Linux Kernal Operating System (OS). This allows the two OSs to run at the same time merging the phone experience with a desktop PC. The benefits are one address book, a single place for text messages, one mail inbox, web browsing, office applications as well as the full range of desktop applications, all of this in a single device fitting in a pocket.  Personal information like contacts, calendars, photo galleries and music can be accessed from both the phone and the desktop interface.

When the phone is docked Ubuntu starts automatically, if the phone is undocked Android takes control back. When the phone is docked once again Ubuntu will load and you could resume working where you have left off. 

While working on Android you benefit from the touch and gesture interface in contrast to the mouse pointing device and the keyboard while on Ubuntu.

How would you handle calls or SMS? The two OS are running at the same time while the phone is docked. If a text message is received it will appear on the user’s desktop and calls are handled like Voice Over IP (VoIP).  Ubuntu for Android merges the desktop with the phone world, seamlessly. 

In order the two OSs to work together the mobile device needs to have a dual-core with at least 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM, docking capability and hardware support for HDMI and USB. Requirements possessed by most modern smart phones. 

As official release date for this new technology has not yet been confirmed, to find out more information and stay updated with its progress visit: http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android

You can watch a video demoing the first prototype here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wzc0uMXGFBY

Image URL: http://www.ubuntu.com/sites/www.ubuntu.com/files/active/02_ubuntu/android-features-hero.png

SMS – Prices Cut by 40%

Important Update – NMBS have now reduced the cost per text message from 5p to 3p giving you a 40% saving. A text message sent to 1000 people previously would have cost £50 + VAT  (1000 x 5p = £50), whereas now it will only cost £30 + VAT (1000 x 3p). Members can start using the system today and make use of it, like others have… the system has been used to send over 64000 messages since it was launched just over a year ago! Please see below for more details.

The NMBS Text messaging service was launched to members in April 2012 and has gone from strength to strength. Since its implementation the system has been used to send out over 64,000 texts, with a number of the users helping to contribute to its further development. The updated system now provides the user with an audit trail so they know who has been sent certain messages, and we have also added an opt option at the bottom to ensure we comply with email & sms marketing laws. 

With a number of regular users, the service has been used by members to inform customers about:

• Special offers
• New products
• Breakfast mornings
• Branch opening times
• New branches

Brian Atkinson from JT Dove is a regular user of the SMS service – “The SMS Service is good and provides the basis for sending multiple texts that are either informational or marketing orientated to our customers. Its quickly available for use and the option to send free/test messages is a bonus as layout and examples can be set up. Support for the service is good and efficient which are strong points, I would also say that being able to reach 500 customers (that can be selected) for £30.00 ** is a more economic communication method than mailings/leaflets”.

** With the new cost per text, it would actually only cost £18 now to send to 500 customers!!!!

Click here to view more information about the SMS service

If you are a member of NMBS and would like to find out more about using the text message service, then please contact Jatin Dhawan on 0116 2614926 or jatin.dhawan@nmbs.co.uk

PhoneGap

PhoneGap is an open source mobile development framework that enables developers to create a single app to be available over multiple platforms.

Apps are developed using web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript and are supported by the following platforms:

• Apple iOS
• Google Android
• HP webOS
• Microsoft Windows Phone
• Nokia Symbian OS
• RIM Blackberry

HTML5 is the latest and most advanced mark up language available for web development and CSS3 is the latest version of cascading style sheets used to style various elements on a web page.

The mobile framework allows developers to target all smartphones with a single codebase by enabling a Foreign Function Interface (FFI) to an embedded Webview or Webkit. In simple terms applications are actually shown in an embedded virtual browser within an app, appearing to us a normal app.

How can PhoneGap help your business?

PhoneGap is a very useful tool as developing a single app will then create a readymade product that will be available over 7-8 app stores. This will dramatically reduce the time that would ordinarily be required to create an app available to all users.

The NMBS Exhibition App, iExhibit, took 3 weeks to develop for use with the iPhone. To make this available to all users the same timeframe would need to be applied to all platforms, a total of 21 weeks. Another alternative would be to employ extra developers to speed up the process, both costing time and money. With the use of PhoneGap this timeframe would be reduced to just 3 weeks for the app to be developed for use over all 7 platforms, reducing the labour and cost.

To create an app on all 7 platforms without the use of PhoneGap, developers will need to be competent in the relevant programming language, such as Java or objective-c. This could then cause the need to employ extra developers with the relevant knowledge, again increasing costs. Developing with PhoneGap only requires the use of HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript to develop for across all 7 platforms. Reducing the need to employ multiple developers to deal with each platform.

To get started with PhoneGap please take a look here on their website.

The Merchant Pages

Be a part of the latest online development by NMBS – “The Merchant Pages”. NMBS have just finished developing the Merchant Pages system and are now actively working with suppliers and members to build the database of products up. Interested?… read below to find our more information and how to get involved:

‘The Merchant Pages’ is a central database of building products sold in the UK. Developed by NMBS in partnership with H&B & NBG Buying Groups, this information can be downloaded directly into a spreadsheet or into a Merchants Computer System, which can then be used for ordering or simply catalogue/product file updating.

It provides a central source for

• Price Data
• Product Data
• Product resources –Iimage, Image URL, COSH data etc

The Objectives:

To create a single source of reference for all building product data throughout the UK, by creating an industry standard output and a ‘one stop’ shop for all independent merchants and suppliers.

 The system would make it easier for suppliers to distribute information to merchants and make it far easier for members to access and download up-to-date price lists.

The Benefits:

Merchant Benefits -:

• Instant access to all uploaded Supplier price and products
• Download the data in standard Excel/CSV format which should be easily imported in systems
• Unique EAN for Barcode production
• Portal for notification of new products and price increases
• Up to Date product data for website/trading portal
• Allows merchant to manage pricing better

Supplier Benefits

• Only a few price lists to manage
• Prices and Products instantly available to over 700 potential customers
• Easy to maintain
• Supplier Data will always be available for the merchant
• Easy notification of price increase
• Price History held

How to Get Involved:

Suppliers – Provide us with a product file in our required format and we can upload

Merchants – Contact NMBS for unique username and password to start using

To access the Merchant Pages go to www.merchantpages.co.uk

If you have any questions please contact Andy Hextall (NMBS IT Development Manager) on 0116 2614940 or via email on andy.hextall@nmbs.co.uk