August 2004
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August 2004 | Sponsored by |
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Contact Notebook News | |
| 1 | Met Police encrypts data on own PC's |
| 2 | Apple recalls Notebook batteries |
| 3 | Fujitsu launches new PDA |
| 4 | HP launches a PDA telephone |
| 5 | Microsoft XP2 causes problems. |
| 6 | Virgin to boost Wi-Fi on trains |
| 7 | Fujisu gets smart with Ipass |
| 8 | Lindows changes it's name |
| 9 | Online backup Guaranteed |
| 10 | Spam locations listed |
| 11 | BT changes prices for access to Internet |
| 12 | Broadband will be available over longer distance |
| 13 | Ofcom reveals charges base for Internet calls |
| Met Police encrypts data on own PC's | |
| The Metropolitan Police in London City area will be using Keydrive software (mentioned here previously) to secure it's notebooks and desktop PC's. With the number of break in's and computers sold with personal data still on it,it is more sensible to encrypt it. The software creates an extra encrypted virtual drive on the hard drive, which has to be authenticated by a USB Dongle (Key) which goes in the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.Files can only be seen and manipulated while the dongle is in place. Without the USB key the PC's contents are useless to anyone who steals the computer. The USB key also requires a password t be entered. | |
| Apple recalls Notebook batteries | |
| Apple Computer has agreed to recall about 28,000 batteries used in its 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers. The batteries, made by LG Chem of South Korea, could overheat and pose a fire hazardThese aluminium power books are the only ones being recalled (see picture).If you are unsure please check the website address. | |
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| Fujitsu launches new PDA | |
| Handhelds of the Pocket LOOX 700 Series are equipped with a slot for SD I/O and for CF cards. The VGA screen of the Pocket LOOX 720 with its 640 x 480 is almost twice the resolution of current PDA's. Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Second Editionand a Intel PXA272 processor. The built-in 1.3 megapixel camera with integrated flash and video function offers WLAN (IEEE 802.11b WI-FI certified) or CONNECT2AIR GSM/GPRS card to establish connections via GPRS, Bluetooth 1.2, and Infrared.starting at € 599 (In Germany, incl. VAT and subject to correction). Storage media such as the Memorybird or Storagebird from Fujitsu Siemens gives up to 12 hours' uninterrupted use. | |
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| HP launches a PDA telephone | |
| HP has launched in the USA a PDA/Telephone with T-Mobile that works on the GPR/GSM telephone system as in UK. It also has a VGA sized screen and Wi-Fi capabilities. It will be available during the summer from HP.COM or T-Mobile stores only. The HP6300 is designed for VOIP. The VGA screen, but not the processor will enable notebook type applications to be run without changing the screen resolutions. With built in Bluetooth you can also use a handsfree headset. There is a built in camera and an add-onkeyboard for SMS and email. The CPU is not Intel or ARM, but a Texas Instruments OMAP™ 1510. It's weight is 6.7 oz (190 g) with 64Mb internal RAM.. Three LED's indicate which Radio service it is using on the Pocket Mobile 2003 Phone edition. | |
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| Microsoft XP2 causes problems. | |
| Warning on XP 2 upgrade by Microsoft now out. Compatibility after loading XP2 to Microsoft and other products is dodgy as it enables the firewall and locks applications such as MS MSM Server remote tools and SMS Server Administrator.Other programs that were allowed through a third party firewall might now be blocked. The only way to find out is to turn off the built in firewall.AOL also have warned users that it might take 5 hours to download and to start this at 01:00hrs as they are getting overloaded by Microsoft users having auto-update switched on, when ever they access the Internet. | |
| Virgin to boost Wi-Fi on trains | |
| Virgin Mobile is to improve the Wi-Fi connectivity on it's trains after complaints. The new Voyager and Pendolino (tilting train) trains were introduced to it's network. But the thicker metal carriages and smaller windows have reduced the mobile andWi-Fi Signal strength. Broad Reach networks with the LA for it's 1st Class Station Lounges is working with Orange and other operators to solve the problem. Virgin is expected to try and signal booster device in it's carriages to connect to the 3G and GPRSnetworks that support the ReadytoSurf service. | |
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| Fujisu gets smart with Ipass | |
| Fujitsu is securing it's mobile users access to it's network via Ipass as it does not rely on a single network supplier. Previously they had used BT's network and this caused problems when trying to validate other network providers telephone numbers.`Fujitsu were having to provide two lines (one a BT one) to it's 14.500 users to validate expenses claims from home. The Ipass client now sits on the home notebook or PC which allows them access through dial-up, ISDN, Broadband, Wi-Fi, GPRS or3G services. Over 200 companies in the Forbes Global 2000 rely on it to provide a global wide (150 countries) VPN access to their corporate network. | |
| Lindows changes it's name | |
| Lindows has changed it's name to Linspire. Now up to version 4.5, it installs in only 10 minutes according to the blurb. This Linux version of Windows look-a-like now contains less now due to pressure from Microsoft in courts across the world. The Laptop edition costs $49.95 if you download it or $59.95 for a retail package. Linspire Office now costs an extra $49.95.It also sells through retail outlets in the USA such as ASDA. | |
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| Online backup Guaranteed | |
| Connected has launched a Notebook backup service on-line with Fujitsu Siemens Computers. The automated backup and recovery service is done over the Internet from Connected's datacentres. Customer's data is encrypted and transmitted safelyover the Internet to the company's highly secure, geographically separated, redundant Data Centres. Restoration is to any computer with an Internet connection (not necessarily the same computer as with other backup products).The Web site has a free trial for your first 30 days. Plans cover 250Mb (Megabytes) to 30Gb (Gigabytes) of data storage, starting at just $79.95 (USD) per year, or $9.95 (USD) per month. A Valid credit card required at time of registration. | |
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| Spam locations listed | |
| Nearly 86 per cent of all Spam messages sent since May 2004 came from the USA, according to Email security firm CipherTrust. But just 28 per cent of IP addresses used to send this Spam are located in the USA. The company's research also shows thatrelatively few people around 200 - are sending the world's Spam. Korea also accounts for 28 per cent of IP addresses used to send Spam. China and Hong Kong, are the location for 23 per cent of the IP addresses.The UK barely registers in both areas, accounting for just 0.21 per cent of the total Spam volume and 0.54 per cent of the IP addresses used to send it. | |
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| BT changes prices for access to Internet | |
| From 1 June 2003, BT lowered the evening retail price for local calls (from 1.5ppm to 1ppm) and the weekend retail price for national calls (from 2ppm to 1.5ppm). This is good news for people who use dial-up services for access to the Internet.But this effected the 0845 and 0870 revenue paid to other ISP's and thus their profits based on the number of calls made to the Internet over BT lines. These Internet Service Providers have complained to Ofcom.Ofcom has started an investigation of it's own into a possible monopoly issue (Case Reference: CW/00647/07/03) as BT not only supplies other ISP's with dial-up telephone access on a wholesale basis, but is also an ISP itself. | |
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| Broadband will be available over longer distance | |
| Broadband should be available through 99.4 per cent of phone lines by next summer thanks to a technical breakthrough by BT. By extending the distance which meant only homes within 6km of the local exchange could have ADSL service. The faster 1Mb/s service will also be available up to 6km from the exchanges, rather than the existing 4km limit. If you have been refused service due to this distance requirement, you should try the service calculator again on BT's Openworld site.The changes will start in September 2004 and extend through to Summer 2005 before covering all of the country. BT have already have conducted trials to prove the technology which it can resell to all UK ISP's. check URL! | |
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| Ofcom reveals charges base for Internet calls | |
| Ofcom has determined the average PPP ppm charge to be 0.012 ppm (currently 0.044 ppm[price per minute]) and the PPP FRIACO charge to be £18.91 (currently £31.18 [cost to use BT's service]).BT has confirmed that it will backdate the revised PPP charges to 1 July 200 and repay the ISP the difference. But now it allows the customer to judge what the comparative costs are between Internet Service Providers.BT is the majority provider is dial up lines and you will often see "that this product requires a BT line" on the small print of the other ISP's. This change only effects BT's charges. | |
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