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The Internet Explorer Bug That Puts A QUARTER Of Web Users At Risk

Post author By mygeex
Post date March 15, 2017
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On Saturday Microsoft announced that it is planning to fix a bug that affects versions 6 to 11 in Internet Explorer, that’s 55% of the PC browser market. However, the fix will only be for versions 9 to 11 which still accounts for just over 26% of the PC browsing market.

Whilst some financial and defensive firms have been hit in the US the big problem is for businesses who still use Windows XP and they will not receive any fixes for the bug. In their adversary Microsfot said that the vulnerability could allow a hacker to take complete control of an infected system. This would allow the hacker to undertake tasks such as deleting data, installing malicious programms and alike.

The simplest method to avoid the bug is to switch your internet browser or as we have been recommending for some time to upgrade your operating system to Windows 7 or 8. If you believe that upgrading to a new operating system, or a new PC is going to be expensive click here to see how affordable our PCs and laptops are on our flexi-lease model. The prices shown include a full 3 years warranty, telephone and remote support and the opportunity to upgrade after just 18 months, whilst keeping the original equipment.

If you have any concerns over your Windows XP machines feel free to call us here on 0121 285 0098.

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The Machine By Hewlett Packard Labs

Post author By mygeex
Post date March 8, 2017
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Hewlett Packard are making some pretty big claims with what their ‘Biggest Project’ can achieve.

To understand what HP are trying to do you need to know what a Memristor is. Not to bog you down with all the technical stuff, it is one of the technologies predicted to replace flash memory. HP built the first working memristor in 2008. If you were using memristors and you pulled the plug out of your computer, you could turn it back on and everything would still be the way you left it. It is best explained like a water pipe, it expands as you push water through it, and if the water stops, it stays expanded until the water is put back on.

‘The Machine’ is not a concept, it has been in development now for many years and a prototype is set to debut this year. Utilizing most (75%) of their best R & D scientists and highly skilled engineers working round the clock to make ‘The Machine’, HP really are throwing the kitchen sink at this and with such bold claims, its no surprise why.

So ‘What is the Machine?’ you might be asking, Well simply put, its throwing 70 years of computer history out the window and redrawing the map to the way HP thinks will make faster and more efficient computers, and that’s putting it mildly.

The Machine is designed to compete with servers that run corporate networks and the services of companies such as Google and Facebook, although 1 day could be incorporated into smaller devices.

Since the 1940’s computers have relied on 2 types of memory, RAM and Hard Drive space. That’s just the way it is, there are no alternatives, until now.

HP claims to be able to join the 2 together and this will be part of what makes the Machine so special.

Instead of moving data back and forth between RAM and HDD, something called Memristors are used.

To make this project a reality HP are still working out the kinks. They have released a software called Linux++ that mimics what the Machines hardware and tools will be able to do, so that software experts and developers can start to test and develop their code against the new operating system. HP say later they will release an operating system made from scratch specifically for ‘The Machine’ called Carbon

Laptops

HP Elite Slice and Wave Pavilion at First Glance

Post author By mygeex
Post date September 5, 2016
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Available in USA, Soon to be available in the UK. Call GEEX on 0121 285 0098 for more Information

The close of August 2016 saw the unveiling of the new HP Elite Slice and the HP Pavilion Wave desktop, bringing the modular concept to desktops. The most publicized feature of these two new desktops is the ability to snap on additional devices without having to install new software, purchase new hardware or worrying about the technicalities. So no more engineer visits for installation of new components.
Though complete specifications are still awaited, here is a first Glance at the latest from Hewlett Packard.

The Semantics

The HP Elite Slice has unique and intriguing name. Rather than simply call it a modular PC, HP elected to give it a more exotic name of Elite Slice. The name presumably reflects its generation as well as capability – Elite because it comes in the era of the GenX where DIY is preferable to calling in service and the fact that it brings a new concept to the world of desktops. Slice because of its ability to “slice” components in a way that you can easily snap them on and off.

The Outside

The Wave Pavilion comes in a unique triangular tower cabinet covered with woven fabric which is “engineered for acoustic transmission” which means it is sensitive to sound. There is a parabolic reflector and a speaker on the top. The Elite Slice unit is 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.38 inches in dimension with a weight of 2.31 lbs. It has a USB port, a Display Port and HDMI. The Desktop comes in the standard HP colours with copper accents. The desktop is modular and can be connected using a 3.1 USB cable. HP has also promised a QuadHD display which can also be connected with a 3.1 USB cable.

The Inside

The new HP gadgets come with greater than ever capacity to accommodate the snap on components without much upgradation. The Wave Pavilion has a quad core processor with 2TB hard disk, 16GB DDR memory, and 128 GB SSD. You can also add on a Radeon R9 M470 for some gaming if you wish. The Slice is powered by a 35W quad core i7-6700T CPU, has 512 GB storage, and an 802.11ac, Gigabit, USB, DisplayPort, and HDMI.

Oh and it can charge your phone too.

The Modularity

The most unique and the most publicised feature of the new desktop is its modularity, that is, its ability to stack on capabilities based on need. You can add on audio with Bang and Olufsen speakers. The cover can charge the device wirelessly and the collaboration cover is great for conference calls. You can also add on an ODD (Optical Disk Drive) if you need to port a large amount of data.

The Meeting Room

HP has also announced the HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms; – we at Geex have dubbed it The Meeting Room (MR). This is a device that combines the Slice, the Collaboration Cover, and the Audio Module to facilitate video calling for meetings with a single touch. What this means for you is that your conferences are easier even from distant geographical locations.

The Pricing

All three devices are expected to be available come September. The Wave Pavilion has an expected price range of $529.99 USD while the cost estimate for the Elite Slice is $699. The Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms is estimated at $949 a pop.

Summing Up

Says Brett Howes of Anandtech, “I think it would be hard to dispute that HP has really turned a corner, with some innovative designs that stand out from the desktop crowd.” And we agree! As with anything new though the pricing is high. It remains to be seen how businesses adopt and adapt to this new concept in desktops. Stay tuned for more on this in forth coming blogs.

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Apple

Control Your Apple TV with your Apple Watch

Post author By mygeex
Post date September 1, 2016
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Imagine sitting in front of your TV with your remote in one hand a cup of coffee in the other and a sandwich – in the third? Well now you no longer need the remote – if you are using Apple TV that is – so your two hands will suffice! The new apple watch comes with a built in app to control your Apple TV very much like the remote. Voila! Your wrist becomes your third hand to hold the remote!

Some Tech Talk

Simple right? Well yes once you know how. Things are not quite so hunky dory though! You must know a few things for it to work properly before you can sit back and relax. Here are a few basic facts straight from Apple that you should know and understand.
 Apple uses IR technology to connect between devices. IR or Infrared technology uses invisible light to connect devices. This can cause some problem if there is interference.
 Devices will read other devices within range even without pairing.
 So if you have more than one apple device within a room – or in the next room if the distance is short, you may run into trouble.
 You can prevent interference by pairing your devices though so pairing is important.
 If you only have one apple device within range, you need not pair the devices. They’ll work anyway.
 Pairing is not the same as Linking. Pairing ensures that there is no interference. Linking selects the device with which you want to connect at the moment.
Given these basic facts, let’s see how we can turn your wrist Opps! Apple watch into a TV remote.

Pairing

As mentioned earlier you don’t need to pair if you only have your watch and TV within range. In that case you can skip this part and move on to operations. If you have other devices though, you will need to pair. You don’t need to download the app for your watch – it’s built in – and if you need to pair it with your TV it’s only for the first time you use it.
In order to pair your watch with your TV, go to the home screen on your watch – Press the Digital Crown to do this if you are not already there. Open the app and hit Add Device. This will give you the pass code for the watch.
Turn on your TV if you haven’t already. Go to the menu and hit Settings. Go to General Settings and hit Remote. Hit Add to add a new device. You will be asked for the pass code. Type in the pass code for your watch and hit Done.
There you are! Your apple watch and TV are now paired for ever! You should see the TV icon on your watch.
If you run into trouble, reboot either the watch or the TV or both and try again but read the next section before doing that just in case you are not looking in the right place.

Operation

Your Apple watch and TV are paired for life; true but you still need to establish the connection every time you sit down to watch. This is quite simple. On your home screen, tap on the remote app. Then hit the apple TV icon and your link is established. Now you can manage your TV by swiping left, right, up or down. Once you have what you need on your screen, simply tap on it to select. Use the play/pause button for starting and stopping videos. For fast forward and rewind swipe right or left after hitting Play. Use the menu at the bottom left corner to move between screens. Hit the list button at the top and select device to return to the device screen.

Unpair

If for any reason you need to unpair your watch, simply go to the General – Remote settings on your TV. Select the apple watch icon and hit Unpair Remote. You can also remove the TV icon from your watch by long pressing Menu and hitting Edit. This will show you paired devices. Tap the X on the device you wish to remove, and then confirm your action by hitting remove. You can always re-pair it again if you wish.

To Wind Up…

That’s about it. Apple has provided us with some of the best technology for day to day use. What’s more if you are an apple fan, you can sync all your devices and they’ll talk to one another, making your life sweetly comfortable. You can pair most apple devices the same way you do with the TV and watch. Look out for our blogs on specific devices to know more.
Don’t forget though that at the end of the day it is technology and it does require some knowledge and maintenance. We at Geex are just a call or click away.

Tags apple TV, apple watch

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How 2 Install Your Apps onto Windows 10

Post author By mygeex
Post date August 31, 2016
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Introduction

Techxperts claim that new technology is born of the desire of consumers to have new features. This only underlines the old adage, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” and it’s just as true for Windows 10. All the problems with Windows 10 not withstanding, one good thing about it is that it has further narrowed the gap between mobile devices and PCs by making apps portable across devices. However there is really nothing dynamically different from the earlier version – Windows 8. Windows 10 for the most part brings you the same features that Windows 8 brought but with a difference. You will find yourself doing the same things but in a better way with improved apps. What’s confusing is that Windows 10 uses the same apps on all devices. Installing apps can therefore be slightly tricky given that mobile devices function differently from stable devices not to mention the grey area of laptops and palm tops or iPads. Here is an overview of the best way to install apps on your new OS.

Background

One thing that both Windows 8 and Windows 10 have in common is a single place where users can go to find the apps they need. The windows store in the latest version is better than its predecessor in that there is better device portability. This means that the same app can run on most of your devices. Another good thing is that it has done away with the need to download a lot of stuff like iTunes to be able to download and use the apps. You still need your Microsoft account though! So how would you install apps on your Windows 10 device? Let’s find out.

Installing Apps

If you are using a PC click on the windows button (Start Menu). If you are using a touch screen device tap on the Windows button in the task bar. Once you see the Windows Store Live, click or tap on it. You can now see all the apps available for purchase or download. You’ll also see a search bar which you can use to find the app you are looking for. Check the pricing and reviews to make sure you really want to install the app. You can also see the various platforms on which the app will work as well as the languages available for the particular app. Once you are sure you want to install the app just tap or click install. When the apps are installed, they automatically appear on your start screen or menu depending on which device you are using. Right click or tap and hold to pin them. That’s about it. This method of installation works for games too. Remember though, there are a few important points to keep in mind when selecting games or apps to download.

Some important information to note

While you can have many games and apps for free there are some that are chargeable. These may be one time buys or may demand in-app payment. Most apps will sync data automatically, but you will probably have an option to turn it off. On a note of caution, you should check out the app’s rating to see if the app is suitable to download. Most apps come with inbuilt feedback requests which force users to rate the app on a scale of five. When installing they will most likely show you the average rating. Generally you may presume an app is safe if it has more than 50% (3.5) average rating. This means that more than half the people who used it found it good, safe, and suitable. Don’t forget Pokémon Go though! So stay cautious. Apps and games will also show you other details such as device compatibility, and appropriate age group, to help you decide. These are usually on the mark and if they do err, they do so on the side of caution since the developers are concerned about their reputation. Be warned that there is no clear indicator for Xbox One support in most apps. So if that’s your primary objective, check again. One great thing about Windows 10 is that it allows you to install any game or app on 10 devices once you have downloaded it. So one download can serve the whole family. Great news isn’t it? Of course you will need Microsoft account on all of them.

On its website, Microsoft gives you the standard procedure for downloading and installing any program on Windows using the exe file. There is a lot more to it though. Through this blog we bring you the correct way to install not just apps and games but any software. We at Geex are always here to help you download and do a lot more!

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Bring Your Own Device to Work or NOT

Post author By mygeex
Post date August 11, 2016
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TO BYOD OR NOT

According to Bob Egan of Forbes, the concept of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) for business died a natural death nearly two years ago. The concept was however extremely popular when smart phones, iPhones, and Blackberry first came on the scene, primarily because of the convenience it offered for both employers as well as employees. As time passed, the thrill wore off and problems emerged. The question then remained was – Is BYOD good for business? Well the simple answer is “Yes it is.” Egan qualifies his opinion about the death of BYOD by saying “BYOD as we know it is dead”. There is little doubt though, that the phenomenon has changed the way businesses function. Let’s see what has changed and whether BYOD is still a good business practice.

The Good

Let’s begin with some stats. One survey by Entrasys shows that BYOD is practiced by 74% companies. IDC 2011 however differs by saying this figure is underestimated by about 50% which means more than 74% companies are using it. Roger Bjork, of Dell Enterprise Mobility Solutions says that employees who are allowed to bring their own device to work put in more hours as compared to those who are not. These figures show that BYOD is definitely good for business. Simply put BYOD facilitates easy access to CRM, knowledge base, database and other resources allowing employees to work from anywhere. Surely it is advantageous for this reason alone.

Another major plus is that your database / knowledge base stays up to date right up to the minute which in turn means you have access to real time data that you can effectively use for lead generation, conversion, and increasing ROI. You can also effectively reduce costs – particularly hardware costs – by allowing employees to use their own hardware devices. BYOD means your employees – and you too – can work even when the office is closed.

Expansion is another area where BYOD will work in your favour. Expanding across time zones is much easier if you just allow those working with you to use their own device instead of insisting that they have one dedicated to your business. With so much in its favour, why did the practice lose steam?

The Bad

One thing about BYOD is that there is a lot of grey area. Who for example would provide technical support for the devices owned by the employees but used for office work? The employees would naturally look towards their employer which means additional costs for round the clock support. After all if you want them to work round the clock you should too. Another big thing going against BYOD is the fact that data on mobile devices is exposed. Most people leave their private phones lying around carelessly and many of them are not secured by passwords or pins, for the simple reason that they are personal. Loss of personal devices is another big threat when business data is available on personal devices.

Another argument against BYOD is that employees who quit carry sensitive data and information with them. They may still have access to your database unless you ensure their account is deactivated. Even then they may have data and information downloaded on to their device. This is a leak that can easily go unnoticed unless you are alert to the possibility.

Data on personal devices could therefore mean a ticking time bomb for your business. Data exposed in this manner means exposure to breach leading to loss of ROI and additional expenses for recovery. It is for these reasons that

business owners hesitate to adopt the practice of BYOD and why the practice petered out. We at Geex however feel that the advantages far outweigh the risks. After all there are ways to mitigate risks.

The Way to Go

So! Like everything else, there is a good and a bad side of BYOD. But the question still remains, how to mitigate the risks? Managed care is the simple answer to that one. At GEEX we can provide you complete BYOD management. Our services will help you mitigate the risk of data loss by defining and implementing protocol. We will provide you a single window service for all types of devices used by your employees. We can ensure secure data transfer through encryption. Enforcing protocol is achieved through monitoring access to corporate resources. Data loss is prevented by techniques such as need based access, automated memory wipe, remote locking, and device tracking. We also help you conduct periodic audits to identify potential leaks and plug them well in time. As your managed care consultant, Geex can help you establish and implement the protocol for all devices that your employees bring with them. Following these guideline, we can guarantee almost 100% security. Well we’re not God so 99%.

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Flash Storage – The Flip Side

Post author By mygeex
Post date July 15, 2016
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hdd-ssd-2

Will HDD outlive Flash?

HDD (Hard Disk Drives) have held court for decades mainly because of their low price, easy availability, and seemingly unlimited capacity. The main and conceivably the only drawback is its inability to retain data in case of a power outage. For this reason flash storage is gradually displacing HDD. Flash drives on the other hand are portable, use less power, and are not susceptible to high power or magnetic fields. These are some of the reasons why flash storage is gaining the march over HDDs. As with everything though, there is a flip side. We have put together some of the things you should look out for when considering a switch.

Price vs. Performance

Rick Delgado on SmartDataCollective opines that though its high performance lures users to flash storage, there is a price tag – literally. The cost of flash storage is considerably higher than HDD. Solid State Drives come at an estimated price of £60 per TB as compared to 1 penny for HDD. True enough. But we feel the price will issue will resolve itself as the technology becomes more popular and gains advantage of bulk manufacture. So if you are considering a shift, allocate a high budget for hardware. It will surely generate ROI albeit in the long term.

Capacity

HDDs come cheap with high capacity. The best flash storage devices can barely touch 1 Tetra Byte. Also reports show that flash storage with high storage capacity trades off on performance. This can be a big disadvantage for enterprises that have large volumes of data and high performance requirements. However, research has by no means stopped nor has advancement. As we mentioned (or did we?) earlier that as the technology becomes popular, many issues will be resolved and we hope that new research will find a way for flash storage to store large volumes of data.

Re-usability

The life of a HDD is almost equal to the life of the machine that uses it. Moreover HDDs can be easily replaced at low costs. Flash storage devices on the other hand have limited capacity for reusability. That is to say that you can write and erase to and from flash storage devices only so many times. After that the device must be scrapped and replaced. This means additional hardware costs – definitely a no-no.

Security

Many flash storage devices have no write protection unlike CDs. This means that your data can be accidently overwritten. This is something that no business would like to risk. Security is a major concern for business enterprises big or small. Hence flash storage may not be the storage of choice for most businesses. Once again, at the cost of repetition, we hope this issue will be resolved in the near future.

Portability

Though its small size makes USB flash storage devices highly portable, this very characteristic makes it a great risk for business. Flash devices are small in size and easily lost. The metal tab may be broken or damaged if left exposed – and this is highly probable because the even smaller cover may be lost or misplaced. Losing a flash drive does not only mean losing data; it also means exposing your data to unscrupulous elements who may misuse it or sell it for a profit, not to mention the cost in terms of lost opportunity and the cost of recovering / recreating the data.

The Solution

There is little doubt that the time is ripe to move on to a more advanced storage system. However flash storage is apparently not the solution of choice because of its many disadvantages. As technology advances however, we would likely see an improvement in this storage method. Data Reduction technology is perhaps the next step towards taking full advantage of flash drives. Look out for our blog on Data Reduction and Alternative Modes of Storage next month.

Inspired by:

http://www.smartdatacollective.com/rick-delgado/281126/reviewing-benefits-and-drawbacks-flash-storage

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Your Network is Your Business – Keep it Secure

Post author By mygeex
Post date July 11, 2016
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Ensuring Complete Network Security

Network security has gone from being static to dynamic within the past decade. Traditionally, security lay at the bottom of the priority list with a few routine tasks associated with it such as backup and clean-up. That is until networking, virtualization and cloud computing came along and changed things. In the earlier scenario, when a security breach occurred, only the computer on which the breach occurred was affected. With more and more devices being connected, the entire network is at risk even if just one device is compromised. Networking and virtualization have also posed some new security risks as has cloud computing. We at Geex make it our business to find out what these risks are and how you can deal with them. Here’s a list of precautions you can take to protect your network.

Virus Scans

virus_scan

The oldest and the most trusted way to avoid virus, worms, and other malware, is to use a security suite. Yes its tiresome when you boot up and your computer makes you wait while it runs the virus scan but remember its not just your computer or node but the entire network that’s at risk. Also remember to keep your security suite up to date so that it can take care of all the new malware that is released almost every day! At Geex we have a practice of monitoring the update of every security suite we install or manage. We also keep track of any new malware that has emerged and its antidote.

SPAM and Phishing Filters

Spam

Although harmless, spam has a high nuisance value when it keeps appearing in your in-box. Phishing on the other hand can be really harmful if it succeeds in extracting personal and sensitive information. Most email service providers have built in filtering for spam and phishing. There are also some commercially available filters that you can use. Stay up-to-date on the latest about these filters and ensure that you are not bothered by Spam and Phishing.

Encryption

1.2.3-EncryptionandSecurity-encryption

Some unscrupulous individuals use a program known as a packet sniffer to cull information from data packets flying across the internet. If your information is encrypted though, the sniffer will be unable to make sense of the information culled. Make sure all information you send out is encrypted. Many sites and service providers have inbuilt software for encryption and decryption. If your data is really sensitive, you can purchase stronger software – or have your own code written – to make the transmission even more secure. We at Geex can help you obtain the software and keep it up to speed.

Mind the Hardware

One much ignored breach is loss of hardware. With more and more people using mobile devices, loss of hardware can lead to a serious breach in the database. Cloud computing complicates things further since many of the devices are logged on to clouds which house business databases. The solution to this problem is not as simple as installing a software – though you may need that too. What is required is a complete security protocol for one and all. We at Geex can study your business and recommend the best protocol for you.

Sign Out and Stay Secure

remember-sign-in-and-sign-out-every-day

“Do you want staff to to remember the password for this site?” Sounds familiar? And we all too often hit yes thinking “What if I forget the password?” But this can be a dangerous practice especially if you are using a shared computer on a network. Never leave a computer signed in. And of course you should never ask your computer to remember your password for you. Change your password frequently. Clear the cache frequently. Check the Delete History box on your browser setting. Phew! That’s a lot to remember right? We can help by establishing the protocol for you.

Pssst! BYOD

This one is really tricky! When employees change jobs, they often carry their mobile device with them. The best thing to do for this is to present your employees with office devices which they leave back when they quit. What happens when you upgrade though? Well back to protocol! Esta blish a clear protocol for disposing obsolete hardware safely. Make sure all sensitive data is deleted before it leaves your office premises.

executive-summary

Summing up ….

In today’s world where people conduct their day to day transactions using their mobiles, security becomes a great concern. However, as the risks increase, the security solutions improve too. We at Geex can help you manage your network ensuring complete security for your data. Just leave your name and number and we’ll tell you how.

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Windows 10 – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Post author By mygeex
Post date July 6, 2016
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Windows 10 Update What to Expect

“Windows Updates aren’t always a good thing”, says Sarah Tew of CNET while narrating the story of Teri Goldstein, travel agent from California and her experience with the latest version of Windows. The new update for Windows 10 rolled out on 29^th July last year. Many Windows 7 and 8.1 OS users received free updates. The anniversary update is expected on August 2^nd this year. Those who have not yet upgraded are being shown the pop up screen informing them that the free upgrade is soon to end. Geex has put together the good, bad, and the ugly about Windows 10 for your convenience.

Feature Highlights

The anniversary update (2^nd August), is expected to improve Cortana, Ink, and windows Hello. The IE browser will be replaced by Edge so if you decide to upgrade you should upgrade your browser too. Edge supports biometrics so you can use your fingers to login.

Cortana and other applications will be more tuned in to the Surface Pen to make your work easier. This means that you can simply write down a note as you would on paper and Cortana will add the reminder for you. Similarly you can use the pen for drawing a route on your Google Map.

Google devices can be unlocked with wearables in the new OS. Other features include pre-loaded Skype apps, better menus, coloured title bars, additional features in the Start menu, messaging via Cortna if you have a Windows 10 phone, and better browsing using Edge. Although Edge extensions are not supported, this is expected to be included in updates in the new future.

What Users Say

Business Discussion

Windows 10 had more than its share of teething troubles. Some claim that the product was launched prematurely without fine tuning. While this claim is disputed, the fact is that the new version of Windows is significantly different from its predecessors. With the new release, Windows OS has moved to the category of service rather than software – at least conceptually so you can expect regular updates. Automatic updates bring on board new features and services. The next one is expected on the anniversary and one may assume there would be several more to come.

Says Matt Egan of PC Advisor, though the fall update had many new features, they were insignificant. Users have been asking whether or not to install the new update but apparently they do not have a choice.

Installation

Of those who have already installed the updates, many are happy and enjoying the new features. Others discovered to their peril, that all was not good and dandy with the updates. Some users complained that the update never ran beyond 44%. This bug was reported and resolved. Apparently you need to free up space – not an easy task considering Windows 10 requires 20 GB to install! Another fault (?) noticed by users is that the installation changes or deletes existing software, most of which is monitoring software. There are those who questioning, “Is Microsoft removing potential rivals to pave the way for their own offering?” One really quirky thing about Windows 10 is that you have to wait a month before you can install the next update. Naturally people ask why? Some unlucky users simply do not see the update despite waiting the required 31 days! These users have to find a round about way to install the new update. And finally when all is well, the welcome installation dialog box will appear. But wait! Make sure you have taken a complete back up just in case some of the apps or software gets changed or deleted remember?

Do you really need it?

Good Question! As of 29^th July 2016, it will no longer be free. It will cost you a good £99.99 for the home version while the professional one is priced at £189.99. That’s one good reason not to install right? Well Microsoft is really pushing for an upgrade with its “Sorry to interrupt…” screen. And why not? There are some great features included in the new OS. Besides older versions like Windows XP and Windows 7 may no longer be supported so you really have no choice.

What you need to know though is when the right time to install is. If you are the type who never installs paid software, then the time is ripe for you to upgrade. What about the problems with installation you ask? Well woes betide if your system crashes like Goldstein’s! We at Geex offer you a way out by planning your upgrade and installing it with care so that your system rem

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WWDC 2016 – Expectations and Revelations

Post author By mygeex
Post date June 30, 2016
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WWDC 2016 – Expectations and Revelations

The World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is one of Apple’s most awaited events every year. Held in San Francisco, the 2016 conference was a huge success right from the start. Entry tickets cost 1599 USD and were sold by lottery. As usual the event was preceded by a lot of speculation. Expected were the launch of the new iOS, the new OS X and the new versions of tvOS and watchOS among other things. Read on to find out what emerged …

True to form, Tim Cook and company met most of these expectations, unveiling their latest equipment at Bill Graham Auditorium during the WWDC 2016 event from June 13^th to June 17^th this year. With thirty million registered members, the event was a huge success. Tickets sold out within a short while after opening. Scholarships were awarded to 350 students. More than a 100 attendees were underage with the youngest being just 9 years old.

News about the Apple Car and Apple Watch 2 was eagerly awaited. Other highlights included Apple Music, iOS 9, and OS X EI Capitan. New MacBook and the much discussed, much awaited, larger than life Apple Television.

The event revealed…

watch OS 3

Major improvements were seen in the watchOS 3. A new version of the Apple Watch OS with improved features and promises to overcome some of the glitches and complaints of users which included speed, background updates, a dock to keep your favourite apps, and faster refresh. Another interesting new feature is the ability to swipe between apps just as you do on an iPod. Messages now have built in replies that you can select from or you can install scribble and create your own replies. Activity sharing is one more new feature in the watchOS 3.

tvOS

For those who are allergic to the Apple TV remote, Apple has introduced a new feature whereby you can use your iPhone as a remote for your Apple TV. You can also use your phone gyroscope for gaming. Siri has gained approval for Apple TV. You can now search for movies and You Tube by categories such as “high school comedies”. Video channel apps have been enhanced for ease of use. Downloading apps on your phone will automatically download them on the big screen too.

MacOS Sierra

OS X is now a thing of the past. MacOS – which is OS X with Siri – is the new Apple OS. This one is named MacOS Sierra. The focus in the new OS is continuity, Siri, and iCloud. Continuity does away with the need to enter a password every time you unlock your Mac. If you are wearing your Apple Watch, your Mac will unlock automatically when you come close. The universal clipboard is another new continuity feature which allows you to copy and paste between your Mac and iPhone. The overall Mac experience has been enhanced with tabs for multiple windows. Siri has been permitted on the mac OS. It will reside on your dock and you can use your voice to operate your Mac. You can do a lot with Siri on your Mac such as pin your results to notification, drag the results into docs, and send messages. Basically it works the same as on your iPhone. Though the full release is expected in the fall, the beta version is immediately available to developers.

Apple Music

Apple Music has been completely redesigned making it easier to use with a host of new features. The use of 3D has been enhanced in the iOS 10. The phone now wakes up merely by raising your hand. Notifications have become interactive. You can even manage them without unlocking your phone. Messaging is also possible without unlocking. There is a much bigger space for music on your lock screen. Access to widgets, music, and the camera is easier.

Siri

Siri is now being offered to developers, which bodes well for app development. Siri has also been linked to WhatsApp as has Slack. Uber and Lyft can also use Siri as can Pinintrest, MapMyRun, Skype, and Runkeeper. Quicktype has become more intelligent offering location and calendar enhancements like auto-fill and pre-fill.

Pictures and Photos

Facial recognition has been introduced and you can pin your picture to a map to know where you took the photo. You can also search your picture based on its contents such as mountains, sea-shore and so on. The picture enhancement comes bundled with Memories, a new UI.

Maps

Similar to Google, Apple maps will now suggest alternative routes based on traffic. Information about restaurants close by and turn by turn directions have also been introduced. Apple Maps is also being offered to developers among other things.

News

After a somewhat bumpy beginning, Apple hopes to enhance this feature by dividing it into sections. The topics have been revisited as have the subscriptions. You can now see subscribed content in your app.

Homekit

Like News, Homekit did not have a great start. But the new updates have enhanced this feature. There are now cameras and door locks within Homekit. It has a new name too. It’s now simply called Home. You can personalize it and keep all your accessories linked to it. Scenes, a new feature, allows you to have different scenes for bed time and day time. Siri has been linked to home. The app is available in Control Centre and you can use it on the go. So when you are close to home, it will turn on the lights, heating etc. for you even before you arrive. Voicemail transcription, another new feature transcribes your voice mail so that you can read it instead of listening to it. Spam labelling has been introduced. Links can be played inline and images will pop up from links directly. Emojis have become predictive and three times their size. Words which can be turned to Emojis will be highlighted as you type.

Summing Up…

The biggest thing that emerged, considering that the WWDC is a developers’ conference, is the new iOS 10, the enhanced MacOS, and the fact that Siri has been opened to developers. The new iOS 10 which comes out this fall, has many new features, some useful some not so useful. Same for the MacOS. A preview will be available in the next month. We are waiting for users reactions to the new features and hoping for many more in the next conference.

References

http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/apple-spaceship-campus-facts-pictures-video-info-video-3489704/

http://www.in.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/WWDC-2016-everything-on-the-gigantic-changes-Apple-announced/articleshow/52156103.cms

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The Dreaded Blue Screen of Death!!!!!!

Post author By mygeex
Post date June 30, 2016
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How Managed Care can help you avoid BSoD

If you’ve ever experienced a system crash you’ll understand the frustration that goes with it. BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) so named because of the blue screen displayed when the phenomenon occurs is a system failure of a windows PC when there is a problem with the hardware or software which causes the system to shut down. When a BSoD occurs, you could lose important data that can cost you a pretty penny to recover, not to mention the loss in business because of down time. Read on to find out how you can avoid this disaster.

Run a virus scan

Webroot-SecureAnywhere-Antivirus-1Y1U-500x500

A virus in your computer can cause your software to mal-function resulting in a critical error which cannot be resolved by your OS. The only option then is to re-boot which means data in your RAM will be lost. The best thing you can do to avoid such a situation is to ensure there are no viruses in your computer. This is easily done by running periodic virus scans. If you have managed care for your business, your technician will ensure that your anti-virus software is up to speed and will run scans every time he visits.

Install all Windows and other updates

Every device your computer uses such as a mouse keyboard or printer requires software called a driver to use it. Older versions of drivers may not necessarily be compatible with new devices. This can cause problems which older versions of OS may not be capable of resolving, resulting in the dreaded BSoD. Regularly updating your hardware and software will ensure that there is no incompatibility. Upgrade to newer versions of OS as they are released. OS manufacturers usually ensure that newer versions are compatible with new software. This will help you avoid a crash and loss of valuable data.

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Uninstall unnecessary applications

We often download applications that we think may be useful but are never actually used. Some applications are downloaded simply while surfing the internet. Consider what happens when you try to run a video. You will usually be offered the latest version of Flash Player for download. Clicking on the download button will download the software which may intrude into your presentations and other media files you may have in your system. If your OS or other media applications are not compatible with the latest version of Flash, your system is likely to crash. Such situations can be avoided by regularly checking for applications that are not frequently used, and uninstalling them from your computer. Your managed care technician will check for unused applications when he visits and let you know which ones may be uninstalled.

Don’t change settings you don’t understand

Remember the days when you could not paste something you had copied from excel into word? Well now you can and it’s convenient. What we don’t realize is that the two applications have been synched to work with one another and changes to one may affect the other. This is true of many applications running on windows today. Applications often prompt us to change settings and we click yes thinking that it can do no harm even if it does no good. This is a big mistake since settings for one application can affect another in a windows set up. Your managed care technician will suggest the ideal settings for your software based on your requirements.

Computer-Geek

Make sure you have enough RAM for any applications you install

As you probably know, applications reside on your hard disk and run in the RAM of your computer. Modern applications incorporate more and more user requirements and hence require more space to run. Ensure that your machines have enough RAM to house not only the application itself, but also the data that it will be using. Consider a simple task of writing a blog. At the very least you will have a browser and MS-Word open. That’s a good deal in and of itself. In addition to this you will have the data you typed into word and the data downloaded through your browser. You will also have your OS already residing on the RAM along with any other applications such as virus scan or clean up running in the background. Quite a lot for the RAM to handle don’t you think? So it’s important to have a big RAM if you expect your computer to handle multiple tasks and still stay up to speed. Your managed care technician will let you know when you need to upgrade your RAM so that you do not run into problems.

To Sum Up…

You need

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Ransomware Will Seriously Ruin Your Day!

Post author By mygeex
Post date June 6, 2016
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dfsxdf Ransomware 101 fake-ransomware

What Ransomware is and what it can do to your business?

Alternate Titles: Understanding Ransomware and its business risks

What Cryptoware (Ransomware) can do to your business

Business Risks of Ransomware / Cryptoware

The increasing cases of ransomware threats has made it necessary for business persons to understand what it is and how it might affect their business. Quite simply ransomware is software that takes charge of your data or applications, encrypts them, and then offers you decryption solutions for a fee. That’s the reason its also called cryptoware. The risks? Well here goes…

Introduction

Ransomware is an out an out criminal activity. Its not merely an attempt to steal your data. It’s a blatant kidnapping of your computer and possibly your entire network! Not only is your data encrypted, the criminals – yes it’s a criminal activity – have access to that data and they can use it as they please! One thing to remember though is that they are after money and not the data itself. Often the data may be of no use to them.

The Threat

Cryptoware encrypts your data using code which has a key. The criminals then offer you that key for a specified amount of money or else. They will threaten to make all your data unrecoverable after some time. Your data will then be in their control and they may publish sensitive information that could harm your business. Some of these criminals even pose as law enforcement officials and threaten to prosecute you! As time passes, they’ll increase the amount of ransom and worse harm even your bootstrap software so that your machine crashes. They will warn you that your entire network may become useless unless you purchase the key from them. They will give you deadlines by which you must purchase the key or risk losing your data.

ransomware

The Impact

When ransomware targets individual machines, it affects only that one machine but when it targets your business, if even one machine is affected, it can spread quickly over the entire network. This means all data on the server and cloud plugins like

OneDrive, Dropbox and Livedrive is affected. Once a gateway is opened through one computer on a network, the data on the entire network can be encrypted and your business held to ransom.

The Consequences

Says Mitchell Berenson of Intermedia, the dilemma for a business affected by ransomware is whether to pay ransom or spend precious hours recovering data from backup – which often is slack because of lack of time in the first place! Whatever you do, you’ll face serious downtime which means lost business. The downtime is anywhere from 2 days to more than 5 days. Imagine all the customers that would turn to competitors in that time, not to mention all your employees being paid for sitting around doing nothing! Add to that the overtime you would pay your IT staff for recovery. And if your backup procedure is slack…

Some Hard Facts

Cryptoware is not limited to individuals or SMEs. It can impact big business just as easily. A survey by Intermedia found that 60% of the businesses impacted by Ransomware had 100 or more employees. 25% had more than a thousand employees. The impact began with 2 or more computers and quickly spread to over 20 in 86% of the cases. Quoting Luke Skibba – Gigabitgeek on Twitter, “After shutting down the computer of the affected user and taking her off the network, we determined she had been hit with the CryptoWall ransomware. We had 90 percent of our files be encrypted. This impacted every user in our whole company.”

Don’t Panic

Ransomware is a rapidly growing threat to businesses with even IT firms falling victim. The attacks are expected to increase in complexity. The time to take action is sooner rather than later. As they say, a penny in prevention is worth a pound in solution. Walter Chamberlee, Director (IT) from Signaturefd.com says, “Ransomware attacks are on the rise and are growing in complexity. Without the right protection measures in place, ransomware can be majorly disruptive to a business. In these cases, it’s the user downtime and the hassle for IT that’s far costlier, even if you pay the ransom.” That is not to say these attacks cannot be prevented. Managed antivirus protection can help you avoid an attack. So go for it now before it’s too late.

Call GEEX today and we can protect you from Ransomware and many other types of virus’s

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Windows 10 Upgrades to Cost £99 After July 29th

Post author By mygeex
Post date May 6, 2016
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windows-10

Some of us love to hang on to a computer for years. If you have a Laptop or Desktop that has Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 on it and havn’t upgraded, do it before July 29th, or it will cost you £99 for Home and £130 for the Pro version.

Over 300 Million devices are running Windows 10 and GEEX can also happily give the operating system the thumbs up for many reasons.

Windows 10 has some great features, such as Cortana, Microsoft’s version of Siri.

Have you heard about Microsoft’s new web browser called EDGE. you can freeze web pages and save them for offline viewing. Xbox gaming is also heavily integrated.

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Windows has been designed so that everyday use is a breeze. Nothing too gimmicky. Its a very sensible operating system.

GEEX suggests if you’ve not already upgraded, do it now. You will have 31 days to roll back to your previous software if you don’t like it.

All GEEX PC computers have windows 10 Pro as standard. We also offer windows parallels 11 for those of you using Apple.

If you need any help or have any questions about Windows 10 or what other Windows operating systems GEEX can offer, call us on 0121 285 0098 .

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Microsoft Outlook Premium On Its Way, ADD FREE, Custom Domains

Post author By mygeex
Post date April 5, 2016
No Comments on Microsoft Outlook Premium On Its Way, ADD FREE, Custom Domains

Microsoft have rolled out a Premium version of Outlook as an invite only to select customers while they test it out

If you have Office 365 you will get it free, if not, around £3 a month with the first year being free.

What this gets you is 5 free personalised domain names instead of the standard Outlook address.

You also will have an ADD FREE inbox, with NO ADD Banner or popups to annoy you.

Microsoft have partnered with GODADDY to arrange this. its still in the pilot phase but within the next few months it should be rolled out worldwide.

We can see this becoming a popular service from Microsoft, were even a little surprised it has taken this long for such a thing. Its very innovative and for £3 a month, it wont break the bank (even if some are already calling it a rip-off)

If you don’t want to wait for this service, CALL GEEX and we can arrange all of this for you Today

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The Keywords on Key things

Post author By mygeex
Post date March 9, 2016
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Connection Options

USB A 2.0 – A cable used for transferring data from one device to another. 280MB/s

USB A 3.0 – The new generation of USB cables. 5GB/s, Note USB 3.1 is out now. 10GB/s

USB B – A cable to transfer Data. Usually found on printers.

Mini USB – a smaller head than standard USB

Micro USB – An even smaller head than Mini USB, used of phones and cameras, etc

Micro USB 3.0 – The new generation of Micro USB

DisplayPort – A cable used for transferring data.

Mini DisplayPort – A smaller version of the Displayport. Found on Thunderbolt 1 & 2

HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface, Transfers audio/video data to monitors, TV’s, projectors and such.

VGA – Video Graphics Array, provides a resolution of 720 by 400 to connect a monitor to a PC. Does not transfer sound.

Firewire – Also known as IEEE 1394, Used to connect different equipment so they can easily and quickly share information. Can connect up to 63 devices in a daisy chain achieving up to 400MB/s.

Thunderbolt – Very Fast Transfer speeds. 10GB/s in bi-directional channel. Mini Displayport

Thunderbolt 2 – Very Fast Transfer Speeds. 20GB/s input or output. Mini Displayport

Thunderbolt 3 – Transfer speeds of 40GB/s. USB type-C

RJ-45 – Used to connect computers onto a LAN, especially Ethernets

Ethernet – LAN technology, Used for Transferring Data between a network , Gigabit Ethernet has transfer speeds of 1GB/s. A 10Gigabit Ethernet can transfer 10GB/s

PS/2 – a 6-pin connector used for connecting some keyboards and mice to compatible computers

Expansion Slots

Note – Card will have different transfer speeds for high-end and low-end users. Micro & Mini SD cards can fit in Standard SD slot with adapter.

SD Card Speed Class

Full SD Card – 32mm x 24mm, Used to add storage to a compatible device. Max 2GB

SDHC Card – 4GB to 32GB

SDXC – 32GB to 2TB

Mini SD Card – 11mm x 15mm, Used to add storage. 2GB/128GB

Micro SD Card – 21.5mm x 20mm

Storage

HDD – Hard Disk Drive, spinning head, cheaper than SSD, Higher storage options.

SSD – Solid State Drive, no moving parts, much faster than HDD, no noise

Fusion Drive – Apple’s hybrid drive, very fast, quiet and very reliable. It pairs 128GB flash with either 1 or 3 TB hard drive.

Display

HD/720p – High Definition, usually 1280 x 720 resolution 921k Pixels

FHD/1080p – High Definition, 1920 x 1080 2.07M Pixels

WQHD/QHD/1440p – 2560 x 1440 3.68M Pixels

UHD – 3840 x 2160 8.3M Pixels

4K – 4096 x 2160 8.85M Pixels

5K/UHD+ – 5120 x 2880 14.75M Pixels

FUHD/UHD 8K — 7680 x 4320 33.17M Pixels

QUHD – 15,360 x 8640 132.70M Pixels

Retina – The name given by Apple to High resolution screens. Over 163 pixels per inch is Retina

UltraSharp — the name given by Dell to its high resolution screens

Hardware

4xxx – 4^th Generation Intel chip

5xxx – 5^th Generation Intel Chip

6xxx – 6^th Generation intel chip, Brand New

Intel i3 – All are dual-Core

Intel i5 – All are Quad-Core, better than i3.

Intel i7 – Quad-Core, Supports Hyper-Threading. Vastly superior to i3/i5

Processor – The brains of the computer, used to do all the calculations to make the computer work

CPU – Central Processing Unit – Another term for processor

GHz – Gigahertz, one GHZ represents 1 billion cycles per second. The clockspeed is measured in GHZ. Each computer instruction requires a fixed number of cycles. The faster the number of cycles, the more powerful the processor is.

Clock Speed – The speed of how many cycles a second a processor can complete. Expressed in MHz or GHz

Core – A processor will have a number of cores. The more cores, the more tasks can be served at the same time.

Turbo Boost – Allows a processor to dynamically increase its clock speed whenever the need arises to increase performance.

Cache Size – When a CPU uses the same data over and over it stores that data in its cache for faster access. It’s like RAM, only faster.

Hyper-Threading – Only found on i7 models. Allows a core to do 2 jobs at once. Useful for high end video editing and heavy duty tasks.

RAM – Random Access Memory, the more you have the quicker your computer will be.

Integrated Graphics – Shares memory with the CPU and provides a more economical alternative to a stand-alone graphics card

Architecture – Allows the system to connect easily to devices and programs made by other manufacturers with the same architecture, I.E 32/64bit.

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GEEX Success At The Birmingham Business Growth Show

Post author By mygeex
Post date March 4, 2016
No Comments on GEEX Success At The Birmingham Business Growth Show

If you run a business you have to promote what you do to attract new customers and to help build your brand.

GEEX recently attended the Birmingham Business Growth show to reach out to business’s who may be interested in leasing new computers, and even those who didn’t know you could even do such a thing.

The event was held at the Edgbaston Cricket ground. We arrived prompt at 7.30AM (Thanks Boss). It was raining and moggy. We carried our display equipment and stands inside to a large conference hall.

The staff were still getting things ready, such as hoovering the carpet, connecting extension cords and testing the mic for the sound system.

By 8AM we were set up and ready for business, the same could be said for about 5 or 6 other companies. Most would arrive later on.

By 9AM the show was ready to start but due to a delay and several empty stands we were told doors would open at 9.20.

At 9,15 the company with the stand next to us had not arrived so we were told we could have both booths. Happy days, we started to spread across and of course, a nice lady arrived with all her stuff ready to set up her stand. lol. We moved our things back to our stand. It turns out it was a very nice lady who ran a magazine and we had good talks with her and other nearby stands throughout the day who were all very interested in what GEEX were offering.

By 10am the hall was bustling with people going round the 100-120 or so stands and the hall had really come to life.

We had many people interested in GEEX. They didn’t know such a service was possible.

We spoke to all sorts of business’s who had asked for a quote and call back.

On display we had a 21.5 retina iMac, a Macbook an iPad Pro and a Surface book 3. Everyone turned their heads to see what it was all about. We had our website on the iPad Pro for people to browse and people really liked the size of the screen and how great it looked.

At 12pm lunch was served. there was a selection of sandwiches and you could take as many as you wanted. I had 2.

What was really popular was our offering of free heroes. People were gobbling them up. Way better than celebrations I might add.

As the afternoon went on and speed networking events and key note speakers were progressing, GEEX was busy speaking to business’s and making contacts.

All in all it was a great day. We wrapped up at 3pm and money well spent. We met hundreds of people and had well over 100 business’s asking us to give them a call to discuss leasing.

After 3pm when all the visitors had cleared the hall we started to pack up. We were very happy with what we had achieved.

We walked in from cold and rainy cloud filled skies, and walked out to sunny skies with a refreshing breeze with a feeling of satisfaction and optimism.

We will continue to be going to more events and have no doubt will meet more great people along the way.

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Round Up Of Apple News 26/02/16

Post author By mygeex
Post date February 26, 2016
No Comments on Round Up Of Apple News 26/02/16

Apple News Update 26/2/16

Apple has been in the news the last week or two for many interesting reasons.

vs

Ding!

The iPhone of a terrorist who shot and killed 14 people several weeks ago in America is locked and the FBI want access. The FBI have asked Apple to create an IOS they can put on an iPhone 5’s RAM so that they can try as many passwords without the phone locking. They have also asked for Apple to set up software so they can break the password with brute force. Apple is fighting it tooth and nail and has had support from Google, Facebook and Twitter to name a few.

Apple says this is bad because it could allow for millions of iPhones to be unlocked, The FBI disagrees. Apple is very afraid they would be forced to give up their source code if things heat up. Its ongoing at the moment.

Apple say they have released an update that fixes the “error 53” code on phones that have been repaired by non-authorised Apple technicians. I guess they have enough going on at the moment without dealing with the class action lawsuit that was recently filled by angry iPhone users left with bricks.

The iPad Air 3 should be on the shelves by the end of next month. Apple says it has all the features and great insides of the iPad Pro. They want it to have the keyboard and the pencil. It also should have speakers in each corner like the Pro. Can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Apple has said its latest IOS will now feature Siri, Fantastic. Siri, Can you explain the ending to Lost please.

The iPad pro has a pencil. The latest IOS update took away much of the functionality of the pencil. Apple says the next update will bring it all back. Happy Days

Lastly, Apple now want to use dual lense cameras on their new iPhones. It makes for a much better picture, especially up-close. Apple really want people to consider the iPhone to be capable of replacing your Nikon or Canon camera but were not sure if they are quite there yet. Exciting stuff.

iPhone-7-Dual-Camera-800x450 linx_cameras

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A.I And What It Would Might Become?

Post author By mygeex
Post date January 29, 2016
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We don’t want to bore you with technical what ifs, who’s doing this, who’s doing that. We just want to have a bit of fun and dream of what life would be like if A.I became a reality, and we made it that powerful that it solved a lot of our problems.

Every single thing that could affect my health is recorded. An A.I is constantly monitoring my health. It tells me what to eat, how much exercise I should do and tells me when I’m getting sick and what preventative treatment I should seek.

The Police now rely on A.I. It scours the cities CCTV and knows who we all are. It knows when crimes are reported and can allocate resources efficiently.

Teachers. They simply ask A.I what to teach the kids. The A.I knows all the kids, knows what they like and don’t, It will create perfect lesson plans.

Around the home you’re A.I uses integrated robots to keep your house clean and safe by only letting in people you know. It monitors you and knows what temperature and humidity and such to keep your home. It will order your food for you, even cook it.

When all cars are self-driving, A.I will make it all work. People of importance will get priority.

A.I will scour all the research in the world and work out solutions to our problems. It will perform its own research and tell us what to do.

The implications are endless right? We build robots, we connect them to A.I, we all get enslaved lol. Who knew that would be the undoing of the human race. James Cameron and Steven Hawking, but what do they know right?

This will be life if we ever develop A.I and then super boost it so that it has a brain the size of a city. In the same way a calculator or computer does things so fast that a human can never compete. A developed A.I will be able to work things out that a human never could.

It’s both very scary and very exciting at the same time.

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Apple News – India, CarPlay, 3.5mm, Child Labour And Curved Screens

Post author By mygeex
Post date January 20, 2016
No Comments on Apple News – India, CarPlay, 3.5mm, Child Labour And Curved Screens

Bringing you some of the latest news about the one, the only, The Apple.

First off, those of you who have visited India but couldn’t find an Apple store will be pleased to know that an application has been filled and now Apple wants to share with India the same experience we now have of walking into an Apple store. No major details yet but if its anything like launches in other countries, it will create quite a buzz in the cities Apple does decide to open shop in.

Apple has just released an update for both its IOS software for phones, tablets and Ipod Touch devices and also one for the mac range.

The final release for IOS 9.2.1 is mostly security updates and bug fixes but also something else interesting which I will explain in a minute.

The Release of X El Capitan 10.11.3 is mostly security updates and bug fixes.

If you were wondering what happens to your Apple account after you die, its not good. It gets closed down and all the apps, music and films goes with it. Apple did decide to make an exception though for a one Peggy Bush, 72 from Canada. Her husband sadly passed away and when she realised she needed a password, Apple asked for a court order. Happily in this case, they backed down and provided her access to the account. R.I.P David.

Apple CarPlay will now also be a feature in the 2017 models of Kia’s, BMW and Honda to name a few. If you didn’t know what it was, well, it syncs your iPhone and its contacts, maps, music and such to your on-board display, you can even read text’s and such. Still quite rare but 2016 is the year it becomes mainstream.

There have been allegations that child labour is being used in the Democratic Republic of Congo to source Cobalt that is used in Apple lithium-ion batteries (also many other companies). Small suppliers use children, then sell on Cobalt to larger Chinese companies who sell it to companies to make batteries.

Apple is a big company and their practices are scrutinised by the world. Apple has tried hard the last few years to make its supply chain transparent and make sure workers are treated fairly. Get this, if a child is found to be working in the supply chain, Apple demands the company pay for that child to return home, pay for the education they request, continue to pay the child’s wages and them offer them a job when they are of legal working age. If a company says no, then well, they are cut out by Apple and for obvious reasons, Apple holds all the cards.

LG has ramped up its production capabilities for OLED curved screens giving even more merit to the rumours that Apple is about to shift its screens to OLED in 2016/2017.

And the big one I promised you a few paragraphs above, you have probably already heard but here it is again, Apple is rumoured to be getting rid of its 3.5mm jack on the iPhone 7. Its not definite but the code in the new IOS release hints that there will be no jack. You will have to use Bluetooth or a lightning connector pair of headphones. The reason, it will make you iPhone even thinner, YaaaaY! We will have to just wait and see.

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Skype Can Now Live Transfer Your Live Conversation

Post author By mygeex
Post date January 15, 2016
No Comments on Skype Can Now Live Transfer Your Live Conversation

We all new it was coming and finally its here, you can chat with someone in a different language and Skype will translate for you.

Any Star Trek fan will know that when 2 different aliens are having a conversation on the show, its the universal translator that allows us viewers to hear it in English and allows them to communicate. It was the stuff of science fiction, now its only a matter of time before we can call that normal life, apart from aliens of course.

Over 50 different languages work on instant chat and 7 work on voice calls and we’re sure it will only grow from there.

Voice translator – Chinese mandarin, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish

Microsoft makes no promises that what you say will come out how you want but hey, its cool, were grateful anyway.

Whatsapp and FaceTime now will be sweating, because after all, a worldwide communication service that can’t translate is no match for one that can.

Fun Fact – Germany and Ghana is the most used translating corridor.

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New Year, New Equipment

The new year has begun and you might be thinking it’s time to have a look at what computer equipment you have, and what you are going to need for the year going forward. Here at Geexs we understand that you are going to want value for money.

If you have been shopping around for the best deal, look no further, we have the best prices. If you want a printer added on, software, installation for our 10 PC user network, give us a call and we can have a no-strings chat.

We have a wide range of laptops and desktops available as well as tablets and networking systems but also we can get most things from our suppliers if you have seen something you like on another site.

Your email keeps crashing, you can’t install a new piece of software or the new printer you just paid a fortune for won’t connect wirelessly, your screen goes all funny. These are just some of the problems you can have from time to time.

Here at Geex we don’t just rent IT equipment, we provide unlimited remote support to help fix any problems and issues you will face on a day to day/month to month basis.

SECURITY— In this day and age most companies have to worry more and more about threats coming from their computers. Just imagine, you’re going about your daily tasks and a message pops up saying, your system has now been taken over and you must pay $500 dollars to have it unfrozen, it happens, you may have seen it in the papers. We like to take pre-emptive measure to make sure your firewalls and anti-virus is all top notch and doing what it is supposed to do, protect you at all times.

Here are some photos from google

It is in our interest to keep your business IT running smoothly so you can recommend us to all your clients and friends and hopefully stay with us for the long-haul.

What we offer is a multi-angle approach to protecting your business IT in terms of security and reliability and can give advice on what equipment you will need for what you need it for.

If you are not sure about what type of IT equipment to pick, here is a few questions you might be asking yourself

Do you want Apple or Windows?

Do you need an SSD or will a normal hard drive be ok?

Do you want a 13”, 15”, 17” laptop?

With your desktop, what sort of monitor do you want, standard screen, or something special and what size?

Do you want an i3, and i5 or an i7 processor?

What software do I want, office, office 365 premium?

Here at Geex we like to work with our customers when they are looking for their equipment, that way we can make sure you are getting what will work best for what you are trying to do. We have had some customers who think they can run a high end graphics card on an i3 processor. Some customers who are getting an i7 processor would be more suited to a high end graphics card. Some customers will need an SSD hard drive, some will be able to save money with a normal hard drive. All customers have different needs and we get that and want to get the best value money deal we can.

If you need to lease IT equipment, call the Geex, we will look after you every step of the way.

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HP Want To Change The Game!

Post author By mygeex
Post date January 4, 2016
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HP Labs are making some pretty big claims about their ‘Biggest Project’ (their words) which has 75% of their R & D team dedicated to this.

I’m not going to sex up what HP are trying to do, but it is a very very very very very very big deal if they can pull it off.

It’s called ‘The Machine’ and HP boast it will be able to handle large companies (Google/Facebook/Amazon) network requirements at a fraction of the cost and space. They say instead of having large equipment filled warehouse sized data centres, you can have a computer the size of a fridge instead.

Set to change the future of computer architecture that has been the same for 60 years.

This isn’t a concept and HP claim to be able to debut the first prototype this year, and later releasing a dynasty of computers based on this. Last year they released Linux++ which aims to let developers test their code as it mimics the hardware and tools that ‘The Machine’ will deliver when it has its own (from scratch) operating system, called Carbon.

The Machine’ works by utilizing memristors, which I will explain in a second, as well as swapping out copper wiring for fibre optic and something called silicon photonics.

A computer has RAM and HDD. Your files are on the HDD and when you want to do something like write a Word Document or play Solitaire, the processor transfers your program from the HDD to the RAM so you have fast efficient access to it.

A memorister is a nanoscale chip. It consists of a grid wires with a stack of thin layers of materieals at each intersection. When a current is applied to the wires, the materials’ resistance is alterd, and this state can be held after the current is removed. Hence remembering all the 1’s and 0’s. They can be built memristers with traditional semi conducting equipment.

A memrister will be both your RAM and HDD. HP built the first working one in 2008. A Memorister simply put is what makes the whole thing work. Using fibre-optic instead of copper allows for light speed transfer (literally) of 1’s and 0’s.

Imagine that your hard drive was pure ram, sat on the motherboard next to the processor for instant access to all your files.

Facebooks Data centre Replaced with ‘The Machine’

‘The Machine’ is a whole new concept of computer and will require a new Operating System to match. Current applications are designed to wait for data, where as this new system, there will be no waiting.

It’s going to be a huge effort but since OS for Android are also being worked on we guess this will trickle down to phones and tablets.

Experts around the world are all paying close attention to this because they realise this may very well be the biggest leap in computing, since the stone age. Exciting stuff

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Microsoft Office 365 Business & Premium

Post author By mygeex
Post date December 21, 2015
No Comments on Microsoft Office 365 Business & Premium

Microsoft Office 365 is an online based service that Microsoft claims will transform your small business allowing you to compete with the big boys. We are putting the key points down so you can see straight away what you get.

If you are still thinking about upgrading to Microsoft Office 365 Business or Premium, think no more. We recommend you do it ASAP and here’s why.

For one, you can have access to your software (be it Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Etc) anywhere that you have a web connection as Microsoft has based all these tools in the cloud. Don’t worry about security, everything is encrypted and Antivirus signatures are kept up to date.

You can work on your documents and save them on the SkyDrive and access them from any computer connected to the web. You can collaborate and share all your documents with this streamlined service.

Microsoft offers 1TB of online storage and sharing space. That’s a great deal.

With The Premium service you have Business-Class email with 50GB of mailbox storage.

Also with the Premium version you will be able to video conference in HD using Skype.

If you are going to be working on web based system, you want to know there will be minimum downtime. Rest assured, Microsoft Office 365 Business has a 99.9% all systems go record.

A huge selling factor is the maintenance side of things. Microsoft takes care of all that for you. Updates, patches and upgrades happen in the background and you don’t have to give it a second thought. You will always have the most up to date version of Office direct from Microsoft’s servers.

You can use all the excellent applications on your Apple devices and your Android ones too.

If you use the Contacts and the Calendar service, you will be please to know it will sync with your iPhone and Android devices.

One feature we like is that each user can have up to 5 copies of the Office desktop application installed on any device, such as Mac’s Tablets, Phones etc. If you have several machines you want to use, then yippy, you’re on easy street.

You will get 24/7 full phone & Web support from Microsoft, It can be hit and miss on how good the quality will be, but you will have GEEX support to rely on if you think Microsoft is letting you down.

Don’t worry about what system you are using, Microsoft Office 365 will work with pretty much anything you are using at your office and home, even XP.

If your business relies on Office 365 to do government work or have auditing concerns, no problem, all services are compliant with ISO 27001 standards, completed SAS70 Type I and II audits and achieve the EU Safe Harbour seal.

All in all, the service is excellent value for money and the affordable price will more than pay for itself with the time you save and the value it adds to your business. We at Geex highly recommend office 365 business to all who are wondering to take the plunge

Call Geex today to talk to us about how to move all you systems across to Microsoft 365 business and Premium.

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Thunderbolt 3 And USB 3.1 Gen2

Post author By mygeex
Post date December 15, 2015
No Comments on Thunderbolt 3 And USB 3.1 Gen2

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

News from Computex 2015 suggests that Thunderbolt 3 is upon us.

The first big change is the cable will not use the Mini DisplayPort as found on T1 and T2 but will now be using the USB type-C plug s it’s new connector.

Now supporting USB 3.1 (i.e Gen 2, up to 10GB/s) .

The Thunderbolt transport layer sees its max bandwidth doubled from 20GB/s to 40GB/s (bi-directional, full duplex).

Thunderbolt 3 also offers an optional 100W of power, in accordance with the USB Power Delivery spec. Without USB PD, Thunderbolt will provide up to 15w.

Thunderbolt 3 is backed by Intel’s new Alpine Ridge controller.

There will be 2 versions. 1) that uses four PCIe 3.0 lanes to drive two Thunderbolt ports 2) that uses two PCIe lanes to connect a single Thunderbolt port.

With the increase in bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 now supports up to TWO 4K @ 60Hz displays or a single 5K @ 60Hz display running off a single cable.

DisplayPort 1.2 will be the native standard for the Thunderbolt 3 .

At launch there will be 1 passive cable to support Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 but that will only allow a bandwidth of 20GB/s. This will be a standard cheap USB Type-C cable. There will also be an active cable that allows 40GB/s transfer speeds, but drops DP 1.2 connectivity.

We are very excited with the adoption of Type-C connector leading the way to tablet connectivity.

With such a fast transfer speed it is only a matter of time before you will only need 1 cable to connect all your devices.

Bring on The Future

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The History Of Hard Drives

Post author By mygeex
Post date December 11, 2015
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This article is dedicated to normal hard disks, Not solid state drive.

We will upload similar blogs on RAM, Processor’s, Megapixels on phone cameras’, Screen resolution, SSD Hard Drives and SD/Micro SD cards, Wifi and 4g speeds, Battery Life, Connectivity and Old Apple vs New Apple.

When it comes to hard drives, things have moved pretty quick In the last 30 years.

In 1985 the average cost for 1GB of storage was £50,000. If you wanted to burn a blue-ray on to a hard drive in 1985, you’re looking at a million pounds per film. Shocking really.

15 years later it was down to £300 for a blue-ray. Today just 30p. If things keep moving at the same pace, in 15 years you could theoretically have 20 blue-rays worth of data for a penny. That’s 2p a TB.

The first hard disk drive 60 odd years ago made by IBM at the San Jose California laboratory.

The IBM 305 RAMAC was the first commercial computer that used a moving-head hard disk drive.

RAMAC stood for “Random Access Method of Accounting and Control”

It was a vacuum tube computer and weighed over a ton.

In today’s money it leased for around $30,000 a month. Around $1.5million to buy. It holds 3.75MB.

Some old time adverts on what people would pay for storage space. When you factor in inflation, its crazy how quickly technology has developed. These are from the 70’s and 80’s

Here are some graphs on how much a GB cost over the years.

1980– £300,000

1985– £60,000

1990– £6,000

1995– £600

2000– £6

2005– 75p

2010– 6p

2013– 3p

2015– 1p

Old School Hard Drives

Once worth hundreds, now worth pennies.

Timeline of events

1956: IBM ships the first hard drive the RAMAC 305 system. It holds 3.75MB

1963: IBM comes up with the 1311. The first removable HD with a wopping 2.6MB.

1970: Western Digital is founded.

1973: IBM announces the 3340, the first modern “Winchester” HD.

1978: The first Raid technology patent is filled.

1979: Seagate is founded.

1980: IBM reveals the first gigabyte HD. The size of a fridge, weighs 550 pounds and costs $40,000

1980: Seagate releases the first 5.25-inch hard disk.

1983: Rodime releases the first 3.5-inch hard drive, the RO352. 10MB.

1984: WD makes the first Winchester HD controller card for IBM and sets an industry standard.

1985: Control Data, Compaq and Western Digital collaborate to develop 40-pin IDE interface.

1986: The official SCSI spec is released and Apple’s Mac Plus is one of the first computers to use it.

1988: Prairie Tek releases the 220. The first 2.5-inch HD for the growing notebook market. 20MB

1988: Connor introduces the first 1-inch high 3.5-inch hard drive, still a common form factor.

1990: Western Digital introduces its first 3.5-inch Caviar IDE hard drive.

1991: IBM reveals the 0663 Corsair. The first disk drive with think magnetoresistive heads. 1GB

1992: Seagate comes out with the first shock-sensing 2.5-inch hard drive.

1992: Seagate markets the Barracuda. The first 7200-revolutions per min HD. 2.1GB.

1994: WD develops Enhanced IDE

1996: IBM stores 1 billion bits per square inch on a platter.

1996: Seagate introduces the Cheetah family, the first 10,000-RPM hard disks.

1997: IBM introduces giant magneto resistive heads, the Deskstar. 16.8GB

1998: IBM announces the Microdrive, the smallest HD to date. 340MB on a single 1” platter.

2000: Maxtor buys Quantum’s HD business. Maxtor now world’s biggest hard drive manufacturer.

2000: Seagate produces the first 15,000-RPM hard drive. The Cheetah X15.

2002: Seagate releases the Barracuda ATA v Serial ATA hard drive

2003: IBM sells its Data Storage Division to Hitachi, thus ending it’s involvement in the HD industry.

2003: Western Digital introduces the first 10,000-RPM SATA hard drive. The raptor 37GB#

2004: The first 0.85-inch hard drive. Toshiba’s MK2001MTN. On a single platter 2GB

2005: Toshiba reveals the MK4007 GAL. The first HD using perpendicular magnetic recording. 40GB

2006: Seagate completes the accusation of Maxtor.

2006: Seagate Momentus 5400.3 notebook HD is the first 2.5” model to use perpendicular magnetic recording which boosts capacity up to 160GB.

2006: Seagate releases the Barracuda 7200.10. The largest HD to date. 750GB

2006: Cornice and Seagate each announce a 1” hard disks. 12GB

2007: First 1TB hard drive

2008: First 1.5TB hard drive

2009: First 2TB hard drive

2010: First 3TB hard drive

2010: First HD manufactured using the Advanced Format of 4,096 bytes a block instead of 512.

2011: First 4.0 TB hard drive.

2011: Floods hit many HD factories. Predictions of a worldwide shortage cause prices to double.

2012: Western Digital announce the first 2.5”, 5mm thick and the first 2.5” 7mm with 2 platters.

2012: TDK demonstrates 2TB on a single 3.5” platter.

2013: Seagate announces it will ship 5TB HD’s using shingled magnetic recording.

2014: Seagate introduces 6TB hard drives that don’t use helium, bring down costs.

2014: Seagate ships the first 8TB hard drive.

2015: in June HGST ships Ultrastar Archive HA SMR HDD. The world’s first 10TB HDD

We will let you imagine how much space and cost/TB will be available in the next 30 years.

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The Worlds Top Ten Super Computers As Of Nov15

Post author By mygeex
Post date December 4, 2015
No Comments on The Worlds Top Ten Super Computers As Of Nov15

Here at Geex we love computers, so lets not get started about how much we love Super Computers.

In the last few years (and which we mean 5/6) the power of these SC has grown well beyond what was expected.

They are used for everything from Global Warming, Weather, Nuclear warfare, and Fuel Efficiency simulations to name a few.

The first Super Computer was named Colossus and housed in Britain. It was used to read and crack German messages in World War 2, it could read 5,000 characters a second. Now the Worlds No1. Can read 33,000,000,000,000,000 a second. (that’s a lot of emails)

In 2009 the first Super Computer to top 1 Petaflops/s was called Roadrunner and built by IMB. Now there are 68 systems that can perform over 1 pf/s/

The No.1 spot accounts for 10% of the computing power on the Top 500 list.

In the Top 500 list, HP 179, IBM 110, Cray Inc 71

In fifteen years time it is theorized that the fastest Super Computer will be more powerful than every laptop on the planet today which is a jaw dropping statement.

No. 10 – Stampede – Texas, United States

Pflops/s – 5.168, MAX 8.520

Built By – Dell

Operating System – Linux (CentOS)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2680 (8Core) + Xeon Phi

Cores – 522,080

Nodes – 6400

Total Memory – 270TB RAM

Disk Storage – 14 PB

Power Usage – 4.5 MW

Number of racks – 182

Approx Weight – 500,000 lbs

No. 9 – Shaheen II – Saudi Arabia Cost $80,000,000

Pflops/s – 5.537, MAX 7.235

Built by – Cray Inc.

Operating System – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2698v3

Cores – 197,568

Nodes – 6174

Total Memory – 790 TB RAM

Disk Storage – 17 PB

Power Usage – 2.8 MW

No. 8 – Hazel Hen – Germany

Pflops/s – 5.640, MAX 7.404

Built by – Cray Inc.

Operating system – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2680v3

Cores – 185,088

Nodes – 7,712

Total Memory – 965 TB RAM

Disk Storage – 11 PB

Disk Drives – 8,300

Power Usage – 7.4 MW

No. 7 – Piz Daint – Switzerland

Pflops/s – 6.271, MAX 7.779

Built By – Cray Inc.

Operating System – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Cray Xc30

Can computer in 1 day what a laptop would take 900 years

Nodes – 5,272

cores – 115,000

System Memory – 169 TB RAM

Disk Storage – 2.5 PB

Power usage – 7.7MW

No. 6 – Trinity – United States Cost $174,000,000 (due late 15/2016)

Pflops/s – 8.101, MAX 11.079

Built by – Cray Inc.

Operating System – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2698v3

Cores – 300,000

Disk Space – 82 PB

Used to simulate the safety, security and effectiveness of U.S nuclear deterrent

No. 5 – Mira – United States $50,000,000

Pflops/s – 8,586, MAX 10.066

Built by – IBM

Operating System – Linux (RHEL and CNK)

Processor Type – PowerPC A2

Cores – 786,000

Weight – 100 Tons

No. 4 – K Computer – Japan

Pflops/s – 10.510, MAX 11.280

Built by – Fujitsu

Operating System – Linux

Processor Type – SPARC64 vIIIfx

Cores – 705,024

Cabinets – 864

Nodes – 82,944

Power – 12.6 MW

Annual running cost of $10,000,000

No 3. – Sequoia – United States – Cost $655,000,000

Pflops/s – 17.173 Max 20.133

Built by – IBM

Operating system – Linux (RHEL and CNK)

Processor Type – PowerPC A2

Cores – 1,572,864

Racks – 96

Nodes – 98,304

Memory – 1.6 PB RAM

Power Usage – 7.8 MW

Used for Nuclear weapons simulation.

If everyone on earth used hand held calculators to work on a calculation every second of every day for 320 years, it would take Squoia 1 hour.

No. 2 – Titan – United States – Cost $97,000,000

PFlops/s – 17.59 MAX 27.11

Built By – Cray Inc.

Processor – Opteron 6274 + Tesla K20X

Cores – 560,000

Memory – 710 TB RAM

Disk Space – 40 PB

Nodes – 18,688

Power Usage – 8.2 MW

No. 1 – Tianhe -2 – China Cost $390,000,000 (Available to lease for about $3m a week)

Pflops/s – 33.86, MAX 54.90

Built by – China National University of Defence Technology

Operating System – Linux (Kylin)

Processor – Xeon E5-2692 + Xeon Phi 31s1P

Cores – 3,120,00

Disk Storage – 12.4 PB

Memory – 1 .4 PB RAM

Cabinets – 170

Power Usage – 17.6 MW, With cooling 24 MW

Its worth noting that although this is the no.1 in terms of calculation speed, the ease of use is not good for researchers. It could take a decade to write some of the code needed. The super computers in the US and Japan are far in front of Tianhe-2 in terms of practicality.

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Apple Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse2, Magic Trackpad2

Post author By mygeex
Post date November 24, 2015
No Comments on Apple Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse2, Magic Trackpad2

——-Please Note all Geex leases come with Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard as standard and Magic Trackpad 2 available on request.

When Apple designs and creates accessories for its product range it doesn’t mess around.

You can count that they will be sleek and sexy, practical and well designed and of course, not cheap.

It’s true you will get what you pay for and when you buy Apple you pay a premium.

The 3 products we want to give a quick over-view on are the magic keyboard, magic mouse 2 and Magic TrackPad 2

Starting with the Magic Mouse 2

Originally released in 2009, the new model has one main thing that stands out over the previous model, and that is the rechargeable battery.

Just 2 hours of charging and you can be rest assured, you will have a month of use before needing a re-charge.

Other upgrades include replacing the runners underneath with improved material that provides smooth movement providing an easy feel glide across your desk.

The Magic Mouse 2 is slightly lighter than the previous version 99g Vs. 109g.

One last thing, the Apple logo underneath has been changed from grey to black.

Our Verdict – If you like the Magic Mouse 1, then you will probably like the Magic Mouse 2.

Moving on to the TrackPad2

Redesigned to provide a more stress free user experience.
The first change we would like to point out is that the new TrackPad 2 is white with a metallic finish around the edge.
The new TrackPad is 20% wider and has 30% greater surface area than the previous model and its surface feels smoother, making it less taxing on your wrists.
Force Touch, I repeat Force touch is a big upgrade. Four force sensors underneath the TrackPad surface allow you to click anywhere and detect subtle differences in the amount of pressure you apply.
Now rechargeable, 2 hours gives you a month of use. That’s pretty good.
An important change to note is that the TrackPad seems to require less force from your fingers to operate, which means a better experience for the user. It’s easier to click on links and right or left clicking takes less effort. It’s easier to reposition open applications or browser windows because of the new width of the pad.

Our verdict – a bit expensive but the larger surface area and improved design make it a great buy.

Now, the Magic Keyboard

Apple claims to have completely re-designed the scissor design and boasts it has improved key stability by 33% meaning when you touch a key, it responds with a crisp, consistent motion (their words).

Now rechargeable. 2 hours charge gives you 1 month of full use.

Sleeker and slimmer than the Apple wireless keyboard.

Automatically pairs with your Mac.

The aluminium chassis is barely bigger than the keys it houses, sticking with the bare essential design Apple is known for.

Weighing just 231g, 13% smaller than the previous model. Only 10mm thick at its widest point.

The Magic Keyboard now is designed like a wedge, elevating the keys for a better user experience

With full size function buttons and seamless Bluetooth pairing, you will really notice how much improved this keyboard is over the previous generation.

Our Verdict – Apple fans will have been waiting for this upgrade for years and we think they will be happy.

—————Note that if you lease an iMac with Geex you will be receiving the new Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard as standard and optional Magic TrackPad if required.

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5 Cheap Things That Would Benefit Your Device.

Post author By mygeex
Post date November 24, 2015
No Comments on 5 Cheap Things That Would Benefit Your Device.

SD cards

Thank yourself that floppy disks are not the main way to add storage to your device.

SD cards can increase your device by up to 512GB but you are most likely going to buy a 32/64/128Gb models. Make sure you check the read and write speeds of your card. They can range from 10mb/s to 100mb/s. Anything over 30mb/s should be fine depending on what you use it for, prices can vary considerably.

Power banks

Running out of battery? Want to keep your screen on max brightness all day? Well why not buy a power bank. Try having a wall socket in your pocket (copyright pending). You can get a lighter sized PB to charge your phone or go for a bigger model (that still fits in your pocket) that can charge your phone many times or keep your tablet going for an extra 20 Hours.

Tablet Cases

There are many reasons to get a case. You shield it from damage, an extra place to store things like pens and business cards. Your case can open into a stand to make use more practical. The case hides what device you have from thieves. You protect your device from water. You can personalise your device because there are many different cases on the market, both generic universal and device specific. Definitely worth a few quid.

Surge protector

If you are using any computer equipment and there is a surge in power, your device can get damaged. We recommend a good quality extension cable that has not only surge protector, but also a built in battery so your desktop will not shut down, thus losing all the data you failed to back-up.

Screen protector

There are times when you will drop your device and the first thing that enters your head is, “Please don’t let the screen be cracked”. We have all seen people pull out a phone or a tablet and the screen is cracked but they still use their device. We all hope it doesn’t happen to us. Screen protectors are great for tablets and can be bought for not very much and might just save you from some heart break one day.

Blog

Security Vs Privacy

Should the police be able to unlock your devices?

—–Although we recognise that there are many things we can discuss regarding this subject, we are not covering all of them.

For quite some time law enforcement have criticised Apple and Samsung (to name a few) for creating devices that cannot be unlocked if they suspect incriminating evidence is stored inside a device.

After recent events the pressure has been stepped up. Not only are devices out of reach of law enforcement but so is encrypted messages which comes as standard on apps such as Whatsapp.

The government wants backdoors built into the encryption to have access should be needed. Apple and Samsung are fiercely opposed to the idea. Tim Cook (head of Apple) recently said, “Would you leave a key under the matt for cops, when a burglar might find it” to sum up his opinion on the matter
No matter how secure backdoors may be, there will always be hackers who find an exploit them, leaving people open to fraud and theft.

When Edward Snowden came forward to tell the world that government agencies had access to secure encrypted messaging services by having access to backdoors, and even companies themselves using compromised encryption techniques, companies like Apple wanted to re-assure customers that their data would be kept private. The consequence was allowing criminals and terrorists to send secure messages that the government and security services couldn’t access.

Currently it is a crime to not provide the police the pin number or password to a device but still, if not provided they could be getting away with a much bigger crime.

If you say, if you have nothing to hide, why fear? Well the answer is simple. The police don’t always follow the rules and sometimes target sections of society who are fighting a cause we have sympathy with, such as animal rights activists, or anti-fracking campaigners, and why should we give them the access to all of our most personal information simply because they suspect us of a crime.

What do you think is the right move? To keep things the way they are and guarantee we all have access to encryption to keep our information private, or do we allow the government to be able to rip up the encryption rule book and give them the keys?

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16 Quick Fun Facts About Apple

Post author By mygeex
Post date November 18, 2015
No Comments on 16 Quick Fun Facts About Apple

On January 9, 2007 Apple Computer Inc would become Apple Inc.
In the first quarter of 2014, Apple earned more than Google, Facebook and Amazon combined.
If you went back in time to 1991 it would cost you $3,000,000 to build the first iPhone using existing parts. $1.44m just for the RAM.
If you smoke around your computer you invalidate your Apple warranty-even if you have AppleCare.
The time on iPhone photos is the time Steve Jobs unveiled the phone 9:41AM
Apple creates fake projects for new and senior employees to work on. If the project leaks, then they know the source and fire the employee immediately.
Steve Jobs was awarded the National Medal of Technology from Ronald Reagan.
The first Apple computer called the Apple-1 was sold for $666.66
Apple made the first consumer digital cameras, the Apple Quicktake in 1994 and was discontinued 3 years later.
Steve Jobs created Pixar, later bought by Disney.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is the first and currently only open gay person in the Fortune 500. This was leaked by accident on live TV.
The name i-pod comes from the line “Open the pod bay door Hal!” from 2001: a Space Odyssey.
Jonathan Ive, senior VP of Industrial Design has worn the same G-Star T-Shirt in every Apple product introduction video since 2000.
Apple was the first company to introduce the mouse and trackpad.
Apple employees often know when a team is working on something new, because a team of carpenters moves into the office and builds walls around their desk. Walls are quickly erected with security doors and transparent windows are frosted. The employee carries on as before in a secure enclosure.
Apple’s First iPod had a secret game. Go to the “About” menu and hold down the centre button for roughly 3 seconds and you get a Breakout (Pong) game that you can play while you are listening to your music.

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The Apple i-Car

Apple I-Car? One of the most advanced technological cars ever made.

Rumours are running rampant about Apple dipping its toe into the car market ever since taking on some major players in the auto industry, and when we say toe, we mean launching a tsunami inducing cannon ball splashing everyone within a mile radius.

Apple has already changed our world with hand-held gadgets so why stop there? Apple create their products to look sleek, sexy, hip and of course trademark White.

Here are some artist renditions of what the i-Car might actually look like.

Apart from a fresh design, we would expect Apple to cram the I-Car with the type of gadgets that would make a 22nd century James Bond cream with envy. Siri on hand for voice-activated controls, seamless integration of Apple products with on-board systems, internet connectivity would all be expected, but Apple has always brought things to market that stand out as being a cut above the competition and we see the I-Car as no exception.

So rather than stay grounded, we want to just take a guess at what apple could bring to the table.

Our wish list

Revolutionary safety features that boast life-saving technology that is well, revolutionary.
Electric, better than the rest, pollution free technology that delivers speed and distance.
500 miles on a 20min charge.
When appropriate, completely sound proof.
A car body that changes shape.
Technologically advance panelling to change colours, even turn your i-Car invisible.
Technology to overcome the annoyance of pot-holes.
Some form of bypass system so when your car breaks down, you can still get home.
Rocket boosters to fly to the moon.

We may not get what we wish for but if Apple wants, it can get serious, buy a major car company, and make the Apple car a reality. They have an army of fans who would be willing to trade in their non-Apple cars and probably even upgrade every year. Can you imagine a world with the i-Car?

Apple

3 Best iPad Apps For Small And Medium Sized Businesses

Post author By mygeex
Post date June 30, 2015
No Comments on 3 Best iPad Apps For Small And Medium Sized Businesses

The iPad has become an integral part of our professional life. Until some years back, iPads were extremely prized possession affordable only to few businesses, but today it is being lapped up by small to medium sized businesses, too. Learning from their big budget competitors, many SMBs have realized that the choice of right apps is necessary for achieving success with an iPad. Here are the 3 top productive iPad apps that can help SMBs improve the efficiency of their daily operations.

Expensify
You don’t know how much your employees or business partner is spending, how much you have spent on petrol last week, and worst of all you forgot the last credit card transaction made. You have no visibility on your business expenses? Relax, you can easily manage it all with Expensify.

This is a free iPad app that works like your virtual accountant. It helps you capture receipts and financial transaction (credit card and debit card) reports. Your employees can clock working hours and you can calculate mileage by entering distance using your GPS. What else do you need to track expenses efficiently with easy –to-understand expense reports?

TripIt
You have many meetings lined up for the week and don’t know how to manage them. Not sure who to turn to? You can easily win over such travel fiascos with a dedicated and free i-travel planner – TripIt.

TripIt allows you to enter hotel, airline, restaurant and car rental information into the app and access it to keep track with the next thing on your itinerary. You can get directions to travel, weather information and maps. It allows you to synchronize your travel itinerary with Outlook, Apple Calendar or Google Calendar. You can manage your travel without spending a fortune on travel planners.

Priority Matrix
What’s the priority? This is the big question bothering every business owner. Perhaps you have created and deleted several to-do lists every week, and are still unable to decide on the things that needs your attention first. Priority Matrix is an app that will alleviates the stress and helps you with efficient time management. You can manage to-do lists, items, ideas, activities and plans with it.

Would you like to get a productive iPad app for your business, but don’t have a fortune to buy a laptop? Lease an iPad from the leading computer leasing expert GEEX. This leasing will not only allow you to avail an iPad within your budget, but also help you to save on investments in the form of fixed repayments, equipment upgrade, technical help and three years warranty and support.

Apple Macbook Pro

Apple MacBook Pro 13

MacBook Pro13 is a device that looks very familiar (and similar) to other MacBook models, but it performs better and lasts longer.

Multimillion Pixel View
The MacBook Pro with over four million pixels offers stunning presentation over 2560 x1600 resolution with pixel-for-pixel accuracy.

Lasting Battery
MacBook Pro 13 offers 10 hours of non-web service on a single charging and up to 12 hours of iTunes film playback.

Fifth Generation Dual Core Processor
MacBook Pro13 is empowered with fifth –generation dual –core Intel Core i5 processor and it allows you to enjoy the performance of apps.

With a choice of MacBook Pro13 available for lease, it is time to reach out to us at GEEX.

Our key benefits include – easy product availability, fixed payments, 100% tax efficiency and three years support and coverage.

Apple

Apple MacBook Air

Apple MacBook Air is a hot selling device right now. Every techno-geek — including many people we know — wants to get their hands on it. Here’s a sneak peak into the main features of the Apple MacBook Air

Thin and Ultra-Fast
Equipped with fifth generation Intel Core processors with Intel HD Graphics 6000 that allows photo-editing to web browsing easily. This powerhouse is encased in a 1.8 kg, 1.7-centimeter unibody design.

Powerful Apps
You can enjoy working with apps such as Pages, iMovie, Keynote, iPhoto, Numbers and Garage Band. There’s even an app to search for new apps!

OS X Yosemite
It is the most advanced operating system for desktops. It is equipped with a selection of everyday- use apps and enables you to team it with iOs and Mac devices.

Up to 12 Hours of Service
The 11-inch MacBook Air offers up to 9 hours of service while the 13-inch model lasts 12 hours between charges.

With a choice of 11-inch MacBook Air or 13-Inch MacBook Air available for lease, what are you waiting for? When you lease from GEEX, your advantages include – fixed payments, 100% tax efficient, easy budgeting and covered with three year support package.

Leasing

5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Lease A Computer

Post author By mygeex
Post date June 11, 2015
No Comments on 5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Lease A Computer

If you are a start-up or a medium sized business with a limited budget, you have to make many compromises on the technology and office essentials. If technology is holding your business back then it is best to consider leasing laptops or computers. Here are the reasons why leasing is perfect for your business:

Easily Available Financing
If you plan to take an equipment loan from the bank, you are required to face verification of your financial records for the last 2-3 years and the waiting period will be longer, if any discrepancies are found. Leasing companies are more lenient and understanding. Many reputed computer leasing experts in UK also offer you benefits of quick delivery after the approval of leasing.

Manage Cash Flow
Leasing helps small businesses to take care of their finances and manage cash flow efficiently. There are no down payments involved in leasing, while equipment loans require people to make a payment of up to 25%. There are various short term leases available that will require less capital than required to purchase a new equipment. Also in terms of depreciation, leasing is a feasible option than buying.

Opportunity to Keep in Touch with the Latest Technology
The lease period usually lasts for two to three years – which is the average lifetime before the equipment will require the next upgrade. Many leasing agencies offer benefits of annual upgrades, which means smaller companies can meet the technology competence of their big budget competitors without draining their finances. Leasing also protects these businesses from technological obsolescence that they may have to bear at the end of the lease period. They can upgrade to new equipment to keep in pace with the competition.

Predictable Monthly Investments
Leasing companies allow companies to pay predictable monthly payments which will help them to manage their finances for developing the business. By leasing, businesses can cut down on additional costs that they may incur on software, installation, maintenance and training for employees.

Complete Equipment Support
Leasing agencies allow clients to concentrate on their business and stop worrying about equipment upgrades, warranties, software and hardware related issues and problems by offering full support.

Ideal for technology start-ups as well as established businesses, GEEX allows companies to lease their computers – Apple products, PC/laptops and desktops. By leasing their branded computers such as Apple, Samsung, Sony and HP from GEEX, companies can remain worry free and update themselves with recent technologies. To know more about leasing benefits with GEEX, feel free to contact us at 0121 285 0098.

Macbook Pro News

The Upcoming WWDC And What It Brings For Businesses

Post author By mygeex
Post date June 3, 2015
No Comments on The Upcoming WWDC And What It Brings For Businesses

The World Wide Developer’s Conference 2015 (WWDC15) is just around the corner scheduled for 8th to 12th of June in San Francisco. The focus of the conference will be IOS and OS X platforms which are key Apple platforms for new Apple products. The introductory email promised one hundred technical sessions with more than a thousand engineers from Apple helping developers to understand and adopt new technologies. The Apple Design Awards for the best new apps are also scheduled as a part of the conference.

Apple TV

WWDC 15 envisages the launch of new Apple products including the Apple TV including new gaming capabilities and the launch of the dedicated Apple TV App Store. According to AppleInsider, the new Apple TV supports Siri voice input and the recently introduced A8 processor. John Paczkowski of Buzzfeed News reported that the processor, used in iPhone6 and iPhone6+, features on-board storage of more than 8 gigabytes.

MacBook

Rumour has it that the 15” MacBook Pro with Retina Display is to be launched in the WWDC15. With faster processors, Force Touch trackpad, and flash storage, the new MacBook is expected to be slimmer, sleeker and more easily portable. It is believed that Broadwell, yet to be introduced by Intel, is the technology behind the new MacBook Pro.

Thunder Bolt Display

The Apple 27” 5K Thunderbolt Display is expected to be seen in the WWDC 15. According to T Gap, the iMac Retina 5K display is the best so far, particularly from a photographer’s perspective. This also fits in with the launch of the MacBook Pro Retina Display discussed earlier. Sources say that the launch is long overdue and much awaited.

iOS 9

It is expected that the next version of the iOS (iOS 9) will debut at the WWDC 15. Apple fans hope that the new iOS will be free of the glitches seen in its predecessor the iOS 8. Bugs in the Maps, music apps and split screen view are the expected reforms from the iOS 9.

OS X

Apple is also expected to launch the OS X 10.11 in the upcoming WWDC. ‘Applites’ hope that an improved UI with Siri integration, a more navigable App Store with more products and better customization options will be the highlights of the new OS. Apple sources have thus far remained secretive about this product.

iPad Pro

Although there is no confirmation from Apple, it is expected that the long awaited 12.9 inches iPad will be launched at the next WWDC. The production of this new gadget has supposedly been delayed because of supply problems.

All in all, it is expected that the June 2015 WWDC will witness the launch of many new and much awaited Apple products to entice Apple loyals even further and rein in more Apple devotees. As a business owner, this means you can lease better and faster Apple products from the leasing experts Geex.

References: Macworld , AppleInsider , BuzzFeed , Ecumenical News , T-Gaap , IBTimes

Available in USA, Soon to be available in the UK. Call GEEX on 0121 285 0098 for more Information

The Semantics

The Outside

The Inside

Oh and it can charge your phone too.

The Modularity

The Meeting Room

The Pricing

Summing Up

Some Tech Talk

Pairing

Operation

Unpair

To Wind Up…

Introduction

Background

Installing Apps

Some important information to note

TO BYOD OR NOT

The Good

The Bad

The Way to Go

How Managed Care can help you avoid BSoD

Run a virus scan

Uninstall unnecessary applications

Don’t change settings you don’t understand

Make sure you have enough RAM for any applications you install

You need

What Ransomware is and what it can do to your business?

Introduction

The Threat

The Impact

The Consequences

Some Hard Facts

Don’t Panic

Call GEEX today and we can protect you from Ransomware and many other types of virus’s

Some of us love to hang on to a computer for years. If you have a Laptop or Desktop that has Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 on it and havn’t upgraded, do it before July 29th, or it will cost you £99 for Home and £130 for the Pro version.

If you need any help or have any questions about Windows 10 or what other Windows operating systems GEEX can offer, call us on 0121 285 0098 .

Microsoft have rolled out a Premium version of Outlook as an invite only to select customers while they test it out

If you don’t want to wait for this service, CALL GEEX and we can arrange all of this for you Today

Connection Options

­­Expansion Slots

SD Card Speed Class

Storage

Display

Hardware

If you run a business you have to promote what you do to attract new customers and to help build your brand.

GEEX recently attended the Birmingham Business Growth show to reach out to business’s who may be interested in leasing new computers, and even those who didn’t know you could even do such a thing.

Apple News Update 26/2/16

Apple has been in the news the last week or two for many interesting reasons.

vs

Ding!

Bringing you some of the latest news about the one, the only, The Apple.

The new year has begun and you might be thinking it’s time to have a look at what computer equipment you have, and what you are going to need for the year going forward. Here at Geexs we understand that you are going to want value for money.

HP Labs are making some pretty big claims about their ‘Biggest Project’ (their words) which has 75% of their R & D team dedicated to this.

Microsoft Office 365 is an online based service that Microsoft claims will transform your small business allowing you to compete with the big boys. We are putting the key points down so you can see straight away what you get.

If you are still thinking about upgrading to Microsoft Office 365 Business or Premium, think no more. We recommend you do it ASAP and here’s why.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

News from Computex 2015 suggests that Thunderbolt 3 is upon us.

Some old time adverts on what people would pay for storage space. When you factor in inflation, its crazy how quickly technology has developed. These are from the 70’s and 80’s

Here are some graphs on how much a GB cost over the years.

Old School Hard Drives

Once worth hundreds, now worth pennies.

Expansion Slots