Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a free Linux based Operating System (OS) distributed under the open source license [1].  It is based on the Debian GNU (Linux) distribution and is developed by thousands of people around the world whose aim is to produce the best OS free of charge. It is used both as a desktop OS as well as a server OS.

The main features of Ubuntu are:

• Builds over onto the Linux kernel - this does not allow for viruses to infect the OS, and once set up there is less space for security holes, providing a secure and robust OS
• Supports x86 (32 bit) and 64 bit architectures
• Makes use of Cloud Computing
• Incorporates a lot of the features present in Mac OS and Windows providing robust functionality and stylish user interface
• Can be booted from a “live” CD or a USB drive which makes it invaluable if the current OS is malfunctioning or the PC is infected and there is data to be saved
• Thousands of free apps available
• Comes with Libre Office (an excellent free open source alternative of MS Office)
• Good database of drivers and it recognizes most, sometimes all, of the devices automatically
• Support section on the website with a forum to ask for help and advice on solving problems
• Canonical sponsors the development and provides training for the business [2]
• In comparison to older versions it benefits from Menu Panels and not just the Terminal for user interface
• The Terminal is the more powerful option, sometimes the only one, for solving problems and setting up the system however, it requires a certain level of knowledge
• The support forum [3] provides a lot of information that helps with difficult situations
• You can use the power of the Terminal to create unique settings that are not possible to be done in a non Linux OS and to modify the OS as if it is Open Source
• Once set up Ubuntu’s use as day to day work does not require technical knowledge and it is easy to get used to it.
• Training is offered by Canonical and there are many online resources. The Ubuntu community is quite strong and willing to offer help.

An online preview of the Ubuntu features can be found on the Ubuntu website http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/whats-new. Download the latest version of Ubuntu for trial or installation here:  http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download.

Reference:

[1] http://www.ubuntu.com/

[2] http://www.canonical.com/

[3] http://ubuntuforums.org/

[4] http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/whats-new

[5] http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a model for delivering information technology services hosted over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). It is called “Cloud Computing” because the information being accessed is found in the "clouds", and does not require a user to be in a specific place to gain access to it.

What can my organisation achieve with cloud computing?

• Lower total cost of ownership: - Pay only for what you use, as you use it.
• Reduce IT hardware, software, and/or services costs: - By placing all the workloads (hardware, software, services) in the cloud, you would not need to manage all these at your site and thus would reduce capital expenditure investments.
• Reduce data centre facility costs: - Having fewer servers would mean a smaller data center which would result in direct savings on real estate, power, and cooling. A data center may not be required for a public cloud model which offers services to small and medium-size businesses.
• Increased Storage: - A cloud may be able to hold more storage than a personal computer.  It takes away the need for the upgrading your own computer memory.
• Mobility: - It allows users to connect even without their own computers, meaning you can do your work from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection and a computer access.

What issues I may face if I move towards Cloud Computing?

• Security: - There is no control over Business Assets (Data) which may have valuable company information. The Physical location of hardware and software is unknown. Site inspections and audits are hard. A recent example of Security Breach is Amazon and Sony Cloud hacking.
• Dependency (Loss of Control): - You may get tied to the financial strength of the other company. You may face Quality problems which you may have no control over.
• Decreased Flexibility: -You would not be able to customize the services you would receive.
• Knowledge: - All the knowledge of the working processes of a Cloud service provider will not be accessible by its users.
• Integration: - Integrating the Cloud services with Printers, local IT equipment etc. may not work.

Which set of business functions can be moved to the cloud?

• IT management and self-service
• Including application development and hosting
• Server infrastructure
• Server virtualization
• Email/messaging
• Team collaboration

Examples of Cloud Computing Services

• (Saas)  Google Docs, Salesforce CRM, Microsoft’s Office 365
• (Paas) Google Apps, Social Networking Apps
• RackSpace Cloud Servers, Cloud Files

References

http://www.microsoft.com/en-GB/cloud/reports/9389.aspx

http://www.slideshare.net/maikelm/disadvantages-of-cloud-computing

http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/cloud-computing
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cloud-computing.asp#ixzz1VB7rCYzc

http://www.eval-source.com/blog/2011/05/09/amazon-sony-cloud-hacking-outages-raising-saas-concerns/

Gadget Show Live 2011

 

Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 12 - 17 April 2011, this year’s Gadget Show Live was the third incarnation of the annual event, and proved to be biggest and most successful to date with an attendance of more than 100,000 people over the five day period. This was a 50% increase on the number of visitors attending last year’s show.

The actual event itself was split into two parts:  First you have the stage show featuring, among others, TV series hosts Pollyanna Woodward and Ortis Daley. Each performed entertainment on stage while incorporating tech into their performances.  You can see highlights from their show here. 

Secondly we have the Expo itself which took over five of the NEC’s main halls hosting booths from 250 exhibitors, including big names such as: HP, Alienware, Packard Bell, Sony, Nintendo, EA, Nvidia and many others. 

The actual show floor itself was bustling with activity and filled with all the latest tech you could hope for.  Exhibitors from all walks of life including fashion, health, sport and the building industry were all present waiting to display the latest developments of tech in their respective field.  

One of the main themes I picked up on for 2011 was the introduction of wireless functionally to both the consumer and commerce market.  For example the wireless kitchen would allow you to cook a meal or boil water from one central source. Whereas WirelessHD allows you to connect a monitor/TV to a PC or laptop using a newly developed wireless network card.

Another noticeable attendee this year was the travel industry with their introduction to electric vehicles. Toyota introduced their new electrical car ‘The Leaf’ whereas such brands as Felia, Pacific Europa and Segway introduced more mobile transport such as electrical bikes and scooters.  If you were feeling brave enough you had the chance to take one of these vehicles for a spin around the Gadget Show Live test track.

Also in attendance was the entertainment industry whose primary focus was to show their latest advancements to their respective 3D tech. I was shown a 5 minute demo by Nvidia and have to say that what I saw blew me away and highlighted how, in the right hands, 3D tech really could be the future of home entertainment.

Another highlight for me was ‘The Centre for Computing History’ booth, which had set up mock living rooms from the 70s, 80s and 90s filled with all the tech from that era.  Not mentioning how old it made me feel but seeing the size of a Betamax player again certainly made me appreciate my portable DVD player a lot more.

If like me you have an interest in tech then I would highly recommend attending next year’s show, which takes place from the 11^th - 15^th April, as it highlights the direction the industry is heading and what future tech is just around the corner.

Jamie Freer

Information Systems Officer

NMBS Ltd.

BlackBerry PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook is a hand held tablet device which, along with others, is aiming to go head to head with Apple’s iPad series. 

The version I tested was the entry level 16GB Wi-Fi version retailing at £399 but 32GB, 64GB and WiFi+3G variants are also available.

                                                Specifications

Height         5.1" / 130mm                                                              1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU

Width          7.6" / 194mm                                                              1 GB RAM

Depth          0.4" / 10mm                                                                Symmetric multi-processing.

Weight       0.9 lbs /    425g                                                           3G/4G network access.

7" LCD display, 1024 x 600 screen resolution                              Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n

Multi-touch capacitive screen                                                       Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR

Design and Build.

When handling the PlayBook for the first time you cannot help but notice the impressive build quality.  The device feels study and robust and with its smaller compact design this makes it an attractive alternative as well.  However, for its small size the PlayBook is not a light piece of kit and I certainly knew it was there while carrying it around.

Screen & Sound

For me the most impressive feature the PlayBook has to offer was the clarity of its 7” 1080p HD screen. Images are crisp and clear, colours are vibrant in nature, videos play smoothly with action scenes having a real pop to them and with on tearing or ghosting being found only helps the experience.   Viewing text is also easy, with no eye strain being experienced after an hour’s reading.

The two stereo speakers also produce a good quality sound with both music and voice coming across clear.

Battery

When using the PlayBook for video I would average approximately 4 – 5 hours, whereas viewing web pages only would extend the battery life to between 6 - 8 hours.  When fully depleted the PlayBook took approximately 4 hours to recharge back to 100% using the standard plug.  By purchasing the Blackberry rapid charging pod you are able to reduce the charge time by up to 50%. 

Buttons, Connectivity & Camera

Along the top edge you will find the power button, as well as buttons for operating the volume and playing/pausing your media.  Also along the top you will find an audio jack socket for your headphones.

Meanwhile along the bottom you will find a miniUSB socket to connect the device to a PC, a miniHDMI to connect to a TV or Projector, and finally the power sockets.

The PlayBook comes with both front (3 Mega Pixel) and rear (5 Mega Pixel) facing cameras for use with video chat, video captor or for just taking photographs.  Being that images can be captured in 1080p the final results are impressive.

Touch Functionality

I found the touch functionality for the PlayBook to be a little disappointing, with it not being as responsive as I would have hoped.  On numerous occasions I found myself having to press on a link several times before it loaded a page.  Additionally if you have a group of links located close to each other it was difficult to select link you desired and would often load the wrong link.  

Operating System

For the PlayBook, BlackBerry has chosen to adapt their own RIM operating system currently in use on all their mobile phone devices.  Although RIM has been successful ported to the PlayBook, it does come with one major drawback which I will touch on shortly. 

Like other tablets currently on the market RIM for PlayBook includes all the standard apps you would expect such as a web browser, music player, video chat, YouTube and ‘App World’ which is BlackBerry’s utility to download new applications to your PlayBook.

Now onto that one major disadvantage.  Currently the BlackBerry PlayBook lacks any form of email application.  You do have the option of using a web based email account such as Google’s Gmail or Microsoft’s Hotmail but due to the limitations of the touch screen, it is no way near as user friendly as a built-in email application.  Blackberry has said that an email application is in development, but the time it takes for them to release this vital function could be the deciding factor in whether the PlayBook is a success or failure.  Only time will tell.   

Conclusion

For me the BlackBerry PlayBook is a good little device and if you are planning on using it more for recreational use then with its HD screen should defiantly be worth your consideration.  However if your primary use will be as a business tool then, in its current state at least, I would have difficulty recommending it.

I really want to like the PlayBook but ultimately for me I can’t help feel that Blackberry has rushed its release with its lack of an email application and issues with the responsiveness of the touch screen.  In the long run Blackberry’s eagerness to release the PlayBook may cause it more harm than good.

Jamie Freer

Information Systems Officer

NMBS Ltd.

Apps now available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry

NMBS are proud to announce that their latest development, the merchant locator is now available on all 3 main smart phone platforms - iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

The merchant locators allow the user to find merchants close to their current location or entered postcode. Based on chosen criteria it then displays a list of merchants and allows the user to view their contact details and even location on the map.

The apps were created as 'launcher' style apps. What this means is that you have an app that sits on your phone, however when you launch the app it creates a gateway to the NMBS website and then launches web rich content in the app. The major benefit of designing the app in this way was it allows us to make changes quickly and easily without having to send a new version live every time. Due to updates to merchant details and new additions had we not done it this way it would have meant regular updates for the user, which in turn would mean if the user didnt update they would not have the latest data on the app. The second benefit is that because we launched on all 3 platforms, it meant that the main back end coding is the same for all 3 versions, this mean that when we make a change for the iPhone version we can easily make the same change for the Android and Blackberry. Therefore the majority of the coding is in HTML, had we developed all 3 apps to run locally then it would mean maintaining 3 different types of code and a lot of it, this way means maintaining 3 different sections of code but all written in the same way with the same style. The obvious requirement for the apps however is that to work there needs to be a data connection present, this however doesn't appear to be too much of an issue as most smartphone packages come with data downloads included as standard.

With regards to development of the apps, NMBS are continually looking to improve, with the next development allowing the user to search by town as well as postcode. If you have any questions about the NMBS apps or questions about smartphone app development then please contact us on it.department@nmbs.co.uk.

I Love Independents - Using Social Media

NMBS have been delving into the world of Twitter and Facebook to highlight their new campaign ‘I Love Independents’. Designed to showcase the benefits for the end user/tradesman to trade with Independent Merchants, the campaign has been a huge success to date, with over 70 fans on Facebook and over 85 followers on Twitter.

Social Media is becoming an increasingly popular form of marketing as it costs very little to get your message out to a large number of recipients.

Twitter enables us to leave snippets of information for our followers who can also send us direct messages – often your followers will re-tweet your messages to their followers, which means your message has the potential to be in front of hundreds of users.

Facebook provides a forum to start discussions, upload photos and keep Fans up to date with the latest developments – you can also include links to videos and other media to help keep your page interesting.

The main thing with Social media is to ensure that you actively show responses to all feedback/comments as and when they occur – even bad feedback can be turned around to something positive if you respond quickly enough. You can use tools such as Tweetdeck to keep an eye on what is happening on all Social Media which means that as soon as someone mentions you or comments on your wall you will be informed and can reply to them.

To find out more about the I Love Independents campaign visit www.iloveindependents.co.uk, become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/iloveindependents and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/loveindependent

Can you run a business on free software?

There is a wealth of free software available to companies on the market, no matter what job they need to do there will be some form of free software available to do it. What the user needs to ascertain is whether that software provides the same level of functionality that they require or that a paid equivalent will provide.

If you did decide to take the free software route, then there are two options available, complete system using free software, which includes operating systems, mail server, file server, web server, word processing packages, spreadsheet packages, graphic packages... the list is endless. Or you could just use free software for some of the roles required, e.g. instead of using Microsoft Office you could opt for the free Open Office application instead of Photoshop, you could use GIMP (Graphical Image Manipulation Package).

It is of course possible to run a business on free open source software. You can use a linux server such as Ubuntu, that can look after you mail and file servers. This can be extended to housing your own webserver using apache to run html or php scripts. Whether it is feasible is a different matter. Although there is a lot of support and help on the internet for Linux, it is still not close to Windows when it comes to setup and maintenance. Where Windows predominantly use GUI interface to run commands, Linux although is using more and more GUI interfaces, still requires a lot of command line functions to administer functions. This if you have the time to learn them is not a problem, however if time is an issue or if you are not IT trained and are just ‘dabbling’ to help provide support for the company then using linux could be more costly in time spent setting up, understanding the systems and maintaining than it would be to buy an Microsoft setup that you may already understand. You could just decide to swap Microsoft Office for Open Office. Open Office is a free office application and with Office 2010 professional coming in at around £200 per license then it would be a change worth considering. Open Office fully integrates with Microsoft Office documents, and you can even get a portable version that can be run from a USB. So if you need to change a document and the machine you are on hasn’t got a office application installed, then you can just run it from your USB device and still make the change.

There are many arguments for and against using free software, it is down to each individual to weigh up the benefits and costs of switching over to new systems, new maintenance screens, new software packages. If your company users Microsoft office now, what would be the fallout if you switched over to open office? Below are a number of resources used to help put this article together and also a list of paid software solutions and the free alternatives.

Please use the blog and the Tech Club forum to post you thoughts on using free software, have you a good or bad experience? Are you considering the switch? If you have switched over, what were the benefits or implications if any?

Resources

http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT7506682379.html

http://www.linuxforsmallbusiness.com/

http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/running-your-business-on-free-software-2860285.html

NMBS SMS Text Message Service

NMBS will soon be going live with their own text messaging service which will allow users to send up to 5000 texts per day at a cost of 5p per recipient. Each message can be up to 160 characters long and can be scheduled to be sent at a certain time. The message can also be personalised come from a company name or entered telephone number.

The service is quick and easy to use, and you can send a text within 10 simple steps. Each user also gets 5 free texts each day to try the service.

Once the system goes live, all potential users will be notified.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the NMBS IT department on it.department@nmbs.co.uk

Portable tools all on one USB!!

Portable Tools that you can carry around on a USB

In recent months there has been an increasing output of free tools that can be run from a USB device. What this gives you the ability to do is carry around your PC tools with you. Put yourself in situation where you are out of the office, but need to make an amendment to a document. You have access to a PC/Laptop but no access to the application that can edit the document. By carrying a usb, with a free version of the portable application, you can simply run the application from the USB, make your change to the document and away you go.

Of course this means that the document would need to be in the same or compatible format as the portable tool, however most applications such as this are cross compatible nowadays.

Please see below a small list of tools that you can carry around on USB and use without having to install

• 7-Zip Portable – portable file archiver for zipping and un-zipping files
• CheckDisk Portable – a tool to search and repairs errors on disk drives
• Dr Web CureIt! – Standalone Antivirus utility
• Foxit Reader Portable – portable PDF viewer
• Google Chrome Portable – portable web browser
• Emsisoft Emergency USB Stick – portable malware removal tool
• RoboForm2Go - gives you the freedom and flexibility to carry all your passwords, contacts, and bookmarks, with you for use on any computer
• Restoration Portable – allows you to recover deleted
• Open Office Portable – carry a free portable office suite around with you
• PortableApps.com – portable installation application that hosts a number of apps that you can run from your USB device.

Resources

http://www.magnesiummedia.com/pcutilities/pcuguideto8.html

http://www.portableapps.com/

Google Chrome OS

The Google Chrome OS was launched in beta in December last year, and should hopefully be winging its way to our shelves in the first half of 2011.

The underlying principle behind Google Chrome OS is that it is all web based. You run all your apps in the ‘cloud’, they are all browser based apps not desktop. However they should still work when you are in offline mode. The OS is device independent, it is designed to give the same experience no matter which device you pick up. Google are also claiming it is the most secure desktop environment ever shipped, having a guest mode to allow other to use your machine without viewing your information, and also a boot verify, so if the OS have changed since last boot you can roll back to the last know good configuration.

The OS is fast, allowing you to go from being switched off, to being live and ready for action in 10 seconds, this is due to both the fact it uses solid state storage and also fact Chrome OS has been optimised for speed. Once the results of beta are back, hopefully google will start to ship the devices and the OS.

For more information please use either of the below links -:

http://www.talkincloud.com/google-confirms-chrome-os-netbook-cloud-enterprise-plans/

http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/google-chrome-os-what-you-need-to-know-914070

Cardboard USB Stick

A company in Russia has designed a cardboard USB stick that is said to be the first green USB device. The stick can be branded with your own logo or written on. Once major benefit for users are that they are lightweight and can be posted anywhere at a small cost, it also means you can hand them to others without worrying about getting your USB stick back. Although they are yet to go into production, so how cost effective they are is still to be seen, could this be the end of CDs and DVDs as the rewritable media that can easily be handed out to other. Someone asks for a copy of some files, it usually ends up on a CD that they can keep, with this it can be a USB stick that they can keep.