Any Tech predictions for 2011?
December 2010
It's usually customary to look back at the end of the year at what's landed on our desks. But in the IT industry we generally prefer to look forward rather than back. So what are our tech predictions for the next year? Well, firstly it looks like the iPad is going to find a slew of competitors coming its way soon, as the market for tablet PC's has now been established. Secondly, we will see more services being hosted on-line 'in the cloud', which will bring its own problems for SmB's. And finally, it looks like 2011 will see the death of Windows XP. Windows 7 has been a solid, reliable operating system, but it can't carry Microsoft forever. We wish you all the best from TechDivision, and here's to a well-earned break and a prosperous 2011 for us all!

Read the BBC's predictions here: BBC News website

Competitor to Apple iPad released
November 2010
We've been asked by a number of customers about the merits of using Tablet PC's in business (we recommend them, by the way - for certain applications, such as e-mail and web browsing, they're fantastic. For heavy keyboard entry or spreadsheet work, not so good). Up until now, the Apple iPad has had the market all to itself. But now there's a new kid on the block, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, powered by Microsoft. Is it any good? Have a look at the following link.

Read more about this article here: Silicon website

Microsoft launches Windows Phone 7 smartphones
October 2010
In a desperate attempt to claw back market share from the iPhone and many of the smartphones running on Google's Android operating system (not to mention Symbian, which is what Nokias run on), Microsoft have now released a their latest version of software for the smartphone. The reviews sound quite positive so far, but it is interesting to us how powerful smartphones are becoming as a business tool. If you don't currently use one for internet browsing and e-mail, or for updating your social media networking sites, you really should.

Read more about this article here: BBC News website

Pigeon beats broadband connection
September 2010
So you think your broadband's slow? Well, in an act of desperation to prove how slow rural 'broadband' connections can be, 10 pigeons complete with USB sticks carrying a 300MB file flew 80 miles to deliver a video file. 1 and a quarter hours later, they arrived at their destination - in the meantime, only 24% of the file had been uploaded via the broadband link. So beware the headline speed of 'up to 8Mbit'. You could well be getting a lot less for your money. You can check out your true broadband speeds using a tester like this one.

Read more about this article here: BBC News website

Google and Verizon offer net neutrality proposal
August 2010
So what is net neutrality, exactly? And how does it affect you? Well, net neutrality is about the prioritisation of Internet traffic from certain providers - so broadcasts from the Murdoch empire for example, could be prioritised over independent broadcasters. When Verizon and Google tried to quietly work out a deal for prioritising web traffic according to how much money people pay, there were howls of protest from the egalitarians. Not good news for the small businesses - the corporates are desperately looking for ways to tilt the Internet in their favour - and they have the deep pockets to do it.

Read more about this article here: ZDNet Website

Customers turn to Twitter to complain
July 2010
This piece was originally published in January, but it's very relevant. Twitter is increasingly being used to lodge complaints, even in preference to going to the helpdesk, so one more reason to get wise in social media - your business may be being discussed already, and not even know about it!

Read more about this article here: This is Money Website

Office 2010 released
June 2010
Well, after the storm of controversy that Office 2007 caused when it was released with its 'Ribbon' interface, and new OpenXML document format, Office 2010 is now the follow-up act. But does it really have anything compelling enought to persuade people to upgrade? Here at TechDivision, we've been running it for a few months, and in summary it seems a compelling upgrade for users currently on Office 2003, or buying a new PC, but not necessarily Office 2007.

Read more about this article here: Microsoft Website

Remote working for Small Business
May 2010
Ever thought that a VPN might be too difficult or complex to set up for a small business? It's entirely possible - and can bring great benefits when you can't get into the office. We've set up a number of VPN's for our clients, and the greatest benefit they report is that it frees them up to spend more time out in the field meeting their clients. Definitely worth considering, because if you're not meeting your clients face to face, who is?

Read more about this article here: PC Pro Website

Virtual assistants - the key to freeing up your valuable time
April 2010
At TechDivision, we're always on the lookout for ways that technology can enhance the life of small business owners. Virtual assistants are one of those - thanks to Internet connectivity, someone in a different country can now arrange your diary and answer your calls for you if necessary. Definitely worth a look.

Read more about this article here: Silicon Website

Microsoft Offers Web browser choice to EU users
March 2010
As part of an anti-trust settlement, Microsoft have agreed to allow users within the European Union a choice of browsers. From March 1st, a number of our customers will see a screen prompting them to choose which browser they would like, from a range of options. Our tip? Choose Internet Explorer if you're running Windows, as there are a number of other software programs that seem to rely on Internet Explorer being the default browser. Which is a pity, because our favourite web browser here at TechDivision is Firefox.

Read more about this article here: BBC News Website

Google takes on Facebook and Twitter with networking site
February 2010
In further proof that social networking techniques such as Twitter and Facebook are here to stay, Google have now launched into the space with a concerted effort. We have started getting into Twitter here at TechDivision, and it's amazing how many businesses there are out there. If you want to follow our boss's tweets about what the possible benefits are of running a Twitter page for a very small business, have a look here

Read more about this article here: BBC News Website

Apple iPad launched to lukewarm reception
January 2010
After the latest series of game-changing products that Apple has launched onto the market (i.e. the iPod and the iPhone), there was a lot of buzz around what they would release next. In the event, there was disappointment that Apple had tried to re-hash the tablet PC (a format that never took off under Microsoft). It's hard to see which niche this product fits, being too small to be a laptop, and too big to be a phone, but maybe we're leaping to conclusions here? Only time will tell if this product is a success, but it could be a rare slip from Steve Jobs and the crew.

Read more about this article here: Silicon

To view past eNews letters please click here