GEEX

Microsoft has fixed a critical bug that has been present in every version of its operating system since Windows 95.

The bug was discovered by IBM researchers in May and was patched in this week’s Patch Tuesday run, but with Windows XP no longer receiving security updates, the critical bug could still exist in what remains the world’s second most used version of Windows.

Despite the severity of the flaw, Microsofts’s fix does not cover Windows XP because the company is sticking to its policy of leaving XP unsupported. The bug was patched in Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1.

The flaw could allow attackers to run code remotely on affected systems. “The bug can be used by an attacker for drive-by attacks to reliably run code remotely and take over the user’s machine” said IBM researcher Robert Freeman.
A drive-by attach is when malicious software is automatically downloaded to a victims PC without the need to tempt that person into clicking anything. The simple act of visiting a website is often enough.

However, freeman concedes that IBM “hasn’t found any evidence” that hackers had taken advantage of the flaw but did say “it’s only a matter of time” before experts detect attacks that use the flaw to take over windows XP computers, which remain vulnerable.
The researchers believe the bug would probably have been worth a small fortune had some uncovered it earlier and sold it to hackers.

Are you still running Windows XP in your Business?

We can lease your business a new PC from as little as £4.00 per week and look after it for the full 3 years and refresh your equipment every 18 months so you have the latest equipment. Give us a call on 0121 285 0098 to discuss how it all works.

Now Office Apps are available for free for IOS and Android, here is a look at the Pro’s and Con’s of using them:

The Excel Pro’s:
The free version will come close to being able to meet most users needs.
The touch interface is well thought out with Dropbox integration.
Almost every function from desktop Excel is available to use with the numeric keypad speeding up formula entry.

The Excel Con’s
Compared to the desktop version some of its functionality is lacking or missing.
It is not possible to access images on OneDrive, only on IOS device.
Unless you’re creating and editing graphs in Excel for IOS it is free.

The Powerpoint Pro’s
An addition of presenter view using; video, audio (limited) and animation support.

The Powerpoint Con’s
There are fewer features on the IOS version to the desktop version.

The Powerpoint Pro’s and Con’s
You can see comments added on Mac or PC, but not edit them or add new comments. Comments are also entirely absent from viewing on a iphone.

The Word Pro’s
Free document creation and editing for most word documents.
With integration with DropBox a new version for smaller IOS devices is available.

The Word Con’s
Multi-user file editing for shared files is slow and has been deemed not up to scratch.
Problems also occur when files that are stored on Dropbox are being edited by multiple users.

Anyone who is after concentrating on in depth editing or the use of presenter view should look to go for a paid for subscription when it comes to using Powerpoint in particular. However iOS Office as a free tool is perfectly well developed and easy to view, create and present native documents.

NASA has designed its new spaceship to have control panels that look like that of replicas from the Gemini mission back in the 1960’s.

Their reasoning behind this to help astronauts to adapt easily to new digital influences, if the interface is recognisable and familiar as an object it helps make it almost immediately obvious how it works.

However, critics are arguing that skeuomorphic is not innovative and it therefore put constraints on the a computers full capability.

NASA calls the UI a ‘glass’ interface, as the manual controls are simulated on computer screens and given that the control panels are not innovative and operated by the touch there is reasoning behind this such as floating objects floating in space and knocking against the control screen and setting off an undesired action and also due to the controls often being operated by fingers covered in spacesuit gloves.

To operate the glass interfaces virtual buttons and switches, astronauts must rely on a series of edge buttons, which help them to quickly scroll through screens.

In the past the weight of all the buttons and switches added up and now the crew is now able to fly a lot lighter as the number of manual buttons have been reduced to 60 with remaining controls cut down to three screens.

Designed by app developer Yose Widjaja the two handed slide keyboard feels natural to use yet extremely fast. With so many other third party IOS 8 keyboards available standing out from the crowd can be hard. The Nintype Keyboard can do a few things that others can’t.

By typing with both hands you can just slide from letter to letter as opposed to having to tap each letter individually, even entering words much quicker than people typing using a keyboard. Its possible to use a combination of taps and swipes to write words and also insert punctuation.

It easily learns and saves words that are not in the dictionary and with its sliding capability by just entering as little as two letters of a word by flicking up from the bottom it will automatically input a word that you previously typed before. With the customisable top box it is also possible to display previously typed words for quick and easy use.

The app also includes a built in calculator, support from multiple languages, a tool for counting words per minute and a ‘word transformer’ for stylising the words you type.

Ayan Quershi from Coventry has become the youngest person to pass the Microsoft Certified Professional exam

Whilst Ayans peers were play fighting, he was building an IT network with his IT Consultant father. He was first introduced to PC hardware at the age of three. His father found that whatever he told Ayan, he would remember everything the next day. Ayan’s mastery of the motherboards convinced his father to enter him for the Microsoft Certified Professional exam. The exam, which takes around two to three hours to complete, includes up to 90 multiple choice questions.

Sample questions on the Microsoft website include:

You have a computer that runs Windows 7. You start the computer and receive the following error message:

BOOTMGR is missing

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

You then start the computer from the Windows 7 installation media. You need to ensure that the computer successfully starts Windows 7. What are two possible ways to achieve this goal?

A. Run Startup Repair

B. Run System Restore

C. Run Bootrec/RebuildBcd

D. Run Bcdedit/createstore

The father said that the hardest challenge was explaining the language of the test to a five year old. But he seemed to pick it up as he has very good memory.

I think we need to recruit Ayan as our newest member of GEEX

Office 365 users will soon be able to access documents through Dropbox and save them directly to a cloud storage device.

The collaboration will mean a seamless approach to opening documents in dropbox with them the option to open it in Office 365. Users will also be able to share new or edited files from Office 365 applications.

Until now, Office 365 documents have automatically saved to OneDrive and could only be accesses and shared through that cloud service.

Access to this service will be available from the next round of Office Apps updates for iOS and Android which will be available in the next coming weeks.

To find out more about Office 365, read our blog here..

Sony Pictures have dropped Aaron Storkin’s Steve Jobs movie after being in the casting process and moving towards full fledged production.

Following the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, Sony brought the rights to produce a film based on a biography of Mr Jobs written by Walter Isaacson.

It is unknown why Sony dropped the film. The movie is now in turnaround which allows another large studio to purchase and take over. It’s rumoured that Universal Studios will be picking up the movie.

Apple published a patent application to build smoke alarms into future Mac and iOS devices.

 As users move towards a smart home through services like Apples Homekit, devices like Macs, iPhones and iPads could intelligently monitor for signs of a fire and trigger various mechanisms accordingly.

This means in the event of a fire the device will send a text or email alerting them of danger, calling 911 or even activating fire suppression equipment.

Apples patent application is based on a light detection system, with in-build light sensors determining if beams of light are illuminating smoke particles, or whether a certain location is smoke-free.

The device will work out where in your home the fire is and then alert other linked devices. So your iPhone could wake you from a message sent by your Mac.

It seems someone in Copertino has an eye for safety as this isn’t the first time Apple have filed for patents dealing with fires. A recent filed patent shows new halogen free, flame-retardant materials for use in future devices.

You can ‘Oooo’ now.

We have blogged a number of times this year about the iPad Pro. Well now it appears that Apple maybe ditching the iPad Mini in favour of the iPad Pro. You may recall that Apple’s iPad Pro is rumoured to have a screen size around 12-13 inches. It is thought that that it will be slightly thicker than the new iPad Air 2 and it may have stereo speakers and an ultra high definition display. It was thought that the Pro was going to appear in late 2014 but Apple delayed this in order to focus on the iPhone 6.

It is thought that with consumers now preferring larger screen sizes, declining iPad sales and increased competition has led to Apple feeling that the iPad mini is coming to the end of its life cycle. When you consider the recent Apple event the iPad Mini 3 really only gave us Touch ID Support it kind of suggests that Apple aren’t really overly focused on the product.

Apple do have a history of not updating products when they have fallen from grace. Just look at the iPod Touch and the 13” MacBook Pro, these haven’t been updated in years and Apple seems to be letting them have a slow death.

So could October 2014 have witnessed the last iPad Mini and will 2015 bring us the iPad Pro? Only time will tell but with Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 being well received amongst businesses the Pro could be just the product that Apple needs in the New Year.

Last week Microsoft caught everybody out by releasing its Microsoft Band. In line with the modern trend this is a fitness focused device that you wear like a watch but it can connect to both iOS and OS X and it will even integrate with Apple’s HeathKit.

Retailing at just $199 and providing two days of runtime of a single charge the band will track your heart rate 24 hours a day. A built in GPS feature allows you to track runs which is a great feature for those of us who do not like running with a phone strapped to your arm or bashing around in your pocket. It is also worth noting that the new Apple Watch does not come with GPS.

Users will also be able to follow routines on the band. It will provide complete work outs telling you when you should stop and rest through a buzz on your wrist. In addition to the “Guided Workout” service you will also be able to test the UV Index at your current location. The Band will even tell you how long it will be before your burn. We can only assume that this was designed with California in mind rather than Birmingham! Even still is a cool addition.

You get the usual smartphoneesque array of features including messaging, mail and calls. To customise the Band you will be able to choose between an array of colour styles and wallpapers. Microsoft is also launching a cloud-based health service called Microsoft Health. This will gather data from both the Microsoft Band and other fitness data gathering devices. The service spans the web and multiple mobile platforms like iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

As fans of all things Apple we often find ourselves having conversations with our customers about how amazing the products are. The new 27” iMac with 5K Retina Display has led to many hours of debate.

So it is rare that we have conversations regarding Apple equipment that uses words such as “hate” or “despise.” However, when it comes to Apple keyboards it would appear that people either love the wireless keyboard or hate the fact that it doesn’t have a numeric keypad.

So if you would like the functionality of the wired numeric keyboard but without the wires then NewerTechnology may have just developed the answer. The aptly named Wireless Aluminium Keypad provides the dedicated numeric keypad set in an aluminium housing that sits perfectly with the wireless keyboard.

Battery powered the keypad pairs with your wireless keyboard via Bluetooth and is connected to the keyboard via a white plastic bracket. Reviews have stated that this is a shame as the keypad itself looks and feels that it has been made by Apple but the white plastic connection lets the aesthetic down.

So if you have always wanted an Apple numeric keyboard but with the look of the wireless keyboard there is now a solution for you.

Last month Apple launched the amazing iPad Air 2 with its upgraded A8X processor, Touch ID, slimmer form factor, improved camera, and more it has been well received. However, we have seen an increasing number of businesses start to turn towards Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 Tablet.

Whilst there could be a number of reasons for this, not lease Microsoft’s claims that the Surface Pro 3 replaces a laptop, the keyboard functionality seems to be a real attraction. Logitech do provide a keyboard cover the iPad Air for around £80 but we have been stuck by the ClamCase Pro for the iPad Air 2.

If you want a more laptop type device then the ClamCase provides a really good solution for you. Retailing for $169 it isn’t the cheapest accessory out there but it does give you a decent sized keyboard that comfortably allows the more skilled amongst us to type at 70 words per minute.

As you would expect from a cover it has all the right holes in all the right places. The only exception being the mute/orientation lock switch. Apart from that the look and feel of the product is spot on for an Apple accessory. To insert your iPad into the ClamCase you simply hold the iPad in landscape, slide it in towards the hinge side and then snap it into the case. Once in the case you can use the iPad like a traditional laptop or fold it back on itself to use in tablet format.

As more and more apps are being developed with keyboard support coupled to the popularity of the Office apps, it would seem that there is an increasing demand for products like the ClamCase. So if you have always wanted to use your iPad more, but felt you couldn’t achieve the productivity levels you wanted then check out the ClamCase.

Over recent months the news has understandably been dominated by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. It has killed thousands in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and with no known cure or vaccine for the virus fatality rates are between 50 and 75%.

In an attempt to provide assistance to the research community and help bring technology, governments together Microsoft is making its cloud platform available to tackle the challenge of Ebola.

Researchers must be affiliated to an academic institution and your aim must be focused on developing a better understanding of the spread of Ebola, with the aim of creating a cure for the virus. Researchers are required to submit a proposal of no more than 3 pages and this must details the intent of the project and how they intend to use Microsoft’s resources to achieve that.

It is always easy to be cynical about big business doing charitable events but we think Microsoft should be applauded for opening up their technological expertise to help researchers fight a virus that has been described as the biggest threat to humans since AIDS.

We have all seen Apple’s HomeKit app that allows you to use your IOS device to control everything in your home from turning on the lights to shutting the curtains. Well know it appears as if Apple has its sights firmly set on your car.

A new patent that has been registered for a vehicle accessory and this will allow the user to control a number of in car functions, including opening the doors, starting seat warmers, selecting music and alike. What could be really cool is that you won’t have to do this manually. The software, in conjunction with a GPS signal, will detect when you are near and the commands will be sent automatically. Ideal if you have your hands full of shopping bags.

Also, if you are the type of person who struggles to remember where you parked your car in a crowded car park then the App will be able to help you locate your car. The patent highlights just how serious Apple are about competing in the Internet of Things. Soon we might be able to control our whole lives through our Phones!

As you would expect with any new release Apple’s new OS X Yosemite has been well received but also criticised in equal measure. One of the best articles we have seen appeared in MacWorld and was written by Kirk McElhearn who not only highlighted the most common complaints but provided a solution to solve them.

Missing your iTunes Sidebar?

If like us you are missing your iTunes sidebar then there is an easy fix. You won’t get you sidebar of old back but you will get pretty close. Just click on the “Playlists” link at the top of iTunes 12 when in Music, Movies, or TV Shows, and a sidebar showing your playlists appears.

Safari and the Missing Full Web Address

One of the biggest gripes that we have seen across various blogs is that the new Safari only shows you the top level domain in the address name. So if we sent you a link to the amazing 27” iMac with 5K retina display http://localhost/geex-wp/products/apple/imac-27-with-retina-5k-display-3-5-ghz/ Safari simply shows “www.staging.mygeex.flywheelsites.com”.

That’s fine if you’re just looking at one page on a site, but if you need to see the full address, it’s nowhere to be seen. So if you would like to see the full address, go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced, look for the Smart Search Field section of the pane and then check “Show full website address”.

Translucent Menubars

If the translucent menubars aren’t for you they are a simple fix. Simply go to System Preferences > Accessibility, click on the Display button, and then check the Reduce Transparency box.

Spotlight

We are big fans of Apple’s Spotlight function. Now you get search results from your Mac, Wikipedia, websites and alike. However, some are commenting that the search results can be overwhelming. Again dive into System preferences and you can refine what Spotlight searches on. Go to System Preferences > Spotlight and uncheck those items you don’t want to see. Further improvements can be made by highlighting the items you want to see first near the top of the response list. Simply drag the categories up or down into your preferred order.

Overall Yosemite has been well received and clearly it has been designed to emphasis the brilliance of the retina display models. However, perhaps its biggest contribution is that it brings OS X and iOS closer together. A move that will mean we are all even more locked into the world of Apple.

Last week Apple introduced the amazing 27” iMac with 5K Retina Display. Immediately, we couldn’t help but think what does this mean for the relatively new Mac Pro and if you were in the market for one of these machines which one would you choose? Here we try and look at the various aspects and see which machine is suited to which user.

On our lease the new Retina iMac starts at just £17.99 + Vat per week whilst the Quad Core Mac Pro starts at £22.70 + VAT per week. The strength of the iMac has always been that when compared to the Mac Pro it has its screen already built in. With such a significant price difference the iMac starts with a real advantage over its big brother.

When looking at performance between the two machines the first’s tests have centred on the iMac’s 4.0GHz i7 Haswell processor and the six core Mac Pro that is based on Ivy Bridge technology. In these tests the iMac is 25% faster that the 6 core Mac Pro in single threaded tasks and only 15% slower in multi threaded tasks. That really does make the iMac look impressive.

Performance figures haven’t been produced for the iMacs new Graphics card but the workstation GPU’s in the Mac Pro will undoubtedly give it the edge in OpenCL and professional 3D applications. The Mac Pro is also more expandable than the iMac and can support up to 64GB RAM compared to 32GB.

Perhaps the iMacs biggest selling point however is its amazing 5K display. That equates to 14.1million pixels. 4K by comparison is 8.3 million pixels and operates at its optimum on a 24” display. The 5K is at its peak on a monitor of 27 – 30 inches.

The arrival of the 5K iMac immediately leads most of us to think that Apple will launch a 5K Thunderbolt display. However, to drive a 5K display you will need Thunderbolt 3 technology as Thunderbolt 2 uses Display Port 1.2 and that doesn’t have the bandwidth to support 5K. This means that we are at least a year away from seeing a 5K Apple display.

A big consideration of high end users is noise and heat. Here the Mac Pro will win. Even under extreme workloads it is incredibly quiet and its workstation quality processors, graphics cards and error correcting RAM all mean that it is less likely to trip up than the more consumer led iMac.

So which machine suits who best? It’s probably easier to look at who is best suited to the Mac Pro. If you are heavily using OpenCL apps, need multithreading CPU power and have a lot of Thunderbolt devices then the Mac Pro is the machine for you.

If however, you are a photographer, graphic designer or an agency then the 5K Retina Display iMac is the model for you. Its cost saving coupled to its performance and amazing display mean that it is hard to justify the extra cost associated with buying the Mac Pro and a 4k display.

If you are interested in either model please feel free to contact us on 0121 285 0098 or email info@localhost

Earlier on this year, we blogged about the disappointing news that Sony was pulling out of the laptop market. Its Vaio laptops provided an alternative to Apple’s MacBook range and gave the Windows user a chance to work from a stylish machine.

Last week Microsoft introduced its next Windows Operating System, Windows 9. No hang on that is wrong. We are not going to get Windows 9, instead we are skipping one and going straight to Windows 10.

On the day many commented that the skip was down to Microsoft wanting to show that this was not just an incremental improvement, but a whole new operating system. However, as time goes by it might be that the reason for skipping 9 is no more than a logistical issue.

The trouble that Microsoft had with using Windows 9 was that so many 3rd party applications referred to Windows 9, simply as a legacy of Windows 95 and Windows 98. Apparently, there is a longstanding code short cut that is designed to differentiate between 95 and 98 and that wouldn’t grasp that there was now a Windows 9.

So if we need to jump to 10 for pragmatic reasons, has Microsoft developed an OS that will prompt people to upgrade? Earlier this year we blogged that 49% of Windows users were on Windows 7, while 28% continued to use the 12 old and unsupported XP. Take up of Windows 8 and 8.1 was just 11% earlier this year.

Well Microsoft does seem to be listening. Windows 10 sees a combination of Windows 7 familiarity with its Start button coupled to the live tiles from Windows 8. This is a deliberate attempt by Microsoft to make the OS familiar and productive for users. Some of the main highlights are:

Expanded Start menu. The familiar Start menu is back, providing a new space to personalise with favourite apps, programs, people and websites.

Apps that run in a window. Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop programs do. They can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing users to maximise, minimise and close with a click.

Snap enhancements. New quadrant layout allows up to four apps to be snapped on the same screen. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping, and it will even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps.

New Task view button. The new Task view button on the task bar enables one view for all open apps and files, allowing for quick switching and one-touch access to any desktop created.

Multiple desktops. Instead of too many apps and files overlapping on a single desktop, it’s easy to create and switch between distinct desktops for different purposes and projects.

What we also really liked about Microsoft is there Windows Insider Programme that will provide beta testers with Windows 10 previews. Microsoft is open to engage with its users and take their input to develop a Windows 10 OS that is welcomed rather than being dismissed like previous efforts.

For the past couple of years October has been a key month for Apple. It has been using October as the month to release its latest version of the iPad. After the buzz surrounding Septembers event and the launch on the new iPhone and the Apple Watch things haven’t been plane sailing for the tech giant.

We have long been fans of Apple’s fantastic Retina Displays. The 15” MacBook Pro Retina Display model is one of our best sellers due to its impressive display. However, like many Apple fans, we have been continually wondering when Apple will provide a Retina Screen for the iMac.

Well, it seems as if the wait could be over if the latest rumours are to be believed. Speculation is that Apple is working on a 27” 5k Retina iMac with a resolution of 5120 x 2880. More significantly is that the rumours are that Apple is preparing to launch the new model at this month’s media event which will see the latest iPads released.

The new 5k display will have double the resolution of the existing 27” model which is 2560 x 1440 and will be limited to the 27” model. The 21.5” will continue to use its current 1920 x 1080 display.

If the new 27” iMac is to be released this October it will still have to use Intel’s haswell processors as the Broadwell processors will not be ready until the middle of next year. We would also anticipate that the design will remain untouched although reports do suggest a move away from NVIDIA graphics to AMD.

If you would like to be kept up to date with the latest 27” iMac with Retina Display developments then please sign up here and we will keep you up to speed. Alternatively, if you are interested in the current range, then please click here to view the current models.

A question: How do you make a racing car faster?

The answer: Use 3D technology, duh.

Further proof that we are taking huge leaps into the future of race car design, 3D printing is now being used in race cars to make them lighter and more enduring. 3D printing is a way of trying new things and seeing how they work in the cars, whether they are effective or not. It’s a much cheaper way of testing new designs. Racing cars used to take a minimum of four weeks to be developed; using the new technology they can be ready for the road the following day.

Strakka Racing’s new baby, the Strakka Dome S103 is a tough little thing, built for the World Endurance Championship. The car will travel further than an F1 vehicle manages in a whole season in just one race, the Le Mans 24 hour. Not bad for something made up of bits of 3D technology.

The new materials are strong and essentially very light, meaning they can really hold their own against more traditional materials. Dan Walmsley, the Team Principal at Strakka Racing explains that their new car is merely a taste of what’s to come.

“We’ve probably under-utilised it on this car, in the future you’re going to see cars with a much high proportion of it.”

The 3D printing industry is growing at a huge rate of nearly 46% a year, proof that in the future it won’t be just race cars benefiting from this technology. 3D printing has already been used in the fashion industry for several years, in jewellery design, the film industry, dentistry, prosthetics and art. This is a very exciting time for all spheres, not just exclusive to racing.

It appears to us that Microsoft is in a bit of a pickle right now. Faced with the failure of its Windows 8 software, they got all excited about replacing it with Windows 9. So excited in fact, that they accidentally posted a mock up of their new Windows logo on a Chinese social media site.

The rumour mill is frantically churning out tales that the new operating system will be with us by the end of the month. If this is true, it’s exciting but it still places Microsoft in a pretty uncomfortable position, faced with the daunting task of coaxing their loyal XP customers into finally upgrading.

It goes like this: Windows 8 was expected to attract more people than ever, with Microsoft confident that users would kiss goodbye to XP and jauntily skip over to the new system. Not so, even when Microsoft stopped support for XP in April, it seems that 24% of computers connected to the internet are still using XP, which makes it the second most popular operating system.

To put this all in perspective, 51.21% use Windows 7, 13% use Windows 8 or 8.1, and around 4.29% use Mac OS X 10.9. Even with companies who are moving towards Windows 7 or 8.1, research tells us that it takes around 7 months for them to complete the move. Awkward, when so much business is now completely reliant on the internet.

The challenge for Microsoft is clear; short of bribing people, how are they ever going to convince people to leave behind the trusty 15 year old XP? (In technology years that’s practically Jurassic.) Windows 9 is going to have to be a very impressive operating system to manage that. We’re looking forward to seeing what the software giant is going to unveil at the end of the month, but we wonder whether anything will ever be strong enough to shake the mighty Windows 7 and XP from their thrones.

Oh September. A time of new beginnings, autumn leaves and that back to school feeling. The air is crisper, full of the sounds of birdsong and the mangled cries of outrage as half a billion iTunes users wake up to realise U2 have mysteriously managed to hack their way into their music libraries in the night. Sneaky Apple, why couldn’t you have given us something we actually wanted?

So, whether it was a publicity stunt, U2 have been hobnobbing with the CEOs of Apple, or a glitch hastily covered up with the declarations of ‘it’s a big moment in music history!’ and also ‘you’re part of it!’ we will begrudgingly forgive them because this is the month we finally get to play with the iPhone 6. And its big sister, the fun loving iPhone 6 Plus, though good luck fitting them in your pocket.

They’ve already been well received and eagerly anticipated and now they’re dropping into stores everywhere. Just as exciting, a new Apple Watch is being released early next year.  It genuinely looks like something from the future. It’s basically a very small phone for your wrist; with roughly a thousand features, you can even record your heartbeats and send them to a loved one. Practical and romantic! (Or gross, you decide.)

October has become the traditional (if anything about Apple can be referred to as that) month of the iPad launch, so what will this October bring us? Whispers along the grapevine tell us that there’s an event planned for October 21^st, potentially to announce shiny new iPad shaped things, but nothing has been confirmed as yet. It would make sense however, so that Apple can target that lucrative Christmas market. Hold tight.

Whispers continue that this year’s event might just introduce updated iPad models that include the faster A8 processor, anti-reflective displays and Touch ID fingerprint sensors. We still can’t tell for certain whether this will be across both the Mini and the Air. All very science fiction, we’ll just have to wait and see.

One thing we are pretty sure about is that the OS X Yosemite will be with us in October. We were told about it in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference – and it doesn’t take a genius to assume that if Apple does have an event in October that Yosemite will be probably released on the same day. 

And not to forget the Mac contingency, the Mac Mini, MacBook Air, iMac and Apple TV are all due a spruce up but the delays in Intel’s next generation of processors will probably mean just that: delays.

We’re guessing that the Mac Pro might receive a speed bump upgrade and there are exciting new rumours about an ultra-high definition 27” monitor. We’re sure they’ll have something up their sleeve in any case.

Is Apple returning to the glory days? Or are they trying too hard to keep up with Steve Job’s legacy? He’s left some big boots to fill in California, and just how well are they being filled? If you fancy leasing any of our Apple products you can call us on 0121 285 0098, or check out our Apple products here.

The internet, a place of wonder and magic, somewhere to while away hours for your own amusement or pursuit of knowledge and where you can manage and buy services in a huge digital marketplace. However, it’s also a place where you can be very easily hacked and your credit card details stolen, which we can all agree isn’t very wonderful or magical.

With the vast amount of transactions taking place online these days everywhere we store card details they must be backed up with usernames and passwords. Very commonly these usernames are simply our email addresses and the passwords vary very little between different websites – how would we remember them all? It’s all very well trying to make every single one unique, but according to the CSID Consumer Survey the average user could have as many as 17 private passwords, and 8.5 for work.

The recent security scares at eBay, Sony, Adobe and Apple have sparked speculation on how safe our details really are. If Apple can download a U2 album into half a billion accounts, what can they take out? A breach in Apple’s security meant that quite a few famous young actresses have just had their very private photos stolen and thrown to the blood-thirsty wolf pack that is social media. If someone has stolen my Adobe details, it’s not because they’re planning on ransacking my Photoshop liberties. It’s because they want free access to my card details, and bank account. It’s very easy to ignore these scandals, shrugging them off and assuming that it won’t happen to you. With the eBay scare, it was only because eBay contacted me so promptly requesting an immediate password change that I took positive action. Security scares from other companies are filtered to us through the lens of the media, and we are more likely to react and actually change passwords if the company gets in touch. However, there is a clever little website that tells you if you’ve been hacked into or affected by any security breaches: haveibeenpwned.com.

Type in your username or login details of whatever site you suspect has been compromised. The website then checks all its lists of cached copies of the stolen lists to check if you are at risk. If your name comes up you can quickly change the passwords to limit damage – or call your bank manager. Nifty eh? We discovered this through an excellent article by Stephen Cassidy on PC Pro – the perfect and simple way to find out if you are at risk. Be clever about your online presence, there’s no need to be targeted if you’re wise to what can happen, it’s a big wide web out there. Take a few minutes to change your passwords or adjust them, so that if your details are stolen you can ensure they are not easily transferable between your various online profile. Be safe!

Adobe deciding to stop releasing its Creative Suite products every two years in favour of a Cloud solution was never going to be without consequences. This basically means that its faithful customers now have to pay for a monthly deal instead, and they wonder why their sales haven’t quite been up to scratch.

The thinking behind it was sound, more or less – why sell a product once, every two years, and watch sales drop after the first initial spike when you can make people pay for a product monthly, meaning continuous cash flow? Except it isn’t continuous cash flow, as Adobe have just reported a 46% year on year drop in net profits. Have people lost interest in Adobe’s Creative Cloud? Or do they not want to pay for something monthly that’s sort of like a library book; you never actually get a physical product to keep. 

Understandably this has made small businesses reluctant to convert to the new system. Graphic designers and other people reliant on these services have taken angrily to online forums to air their disapproval and fear of losing their work, with varying levels of success and eloquence. It’s not that Adobe haven’t been successful in shifting Enterprise clients across, it’s just that in doing so, they’ve had to massively slash their rates in a bid to lure in new users – students, teachers, photographers, and other individuals with a burning desire for Photoshop or other online apps.

For those who aren’t familiar with Adobe’s Creative Cloud, it’s basically a series of packages you can buy tailored for specific purposes, such as businesses or private use, containing creative apps and services such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Cloud storage, mobile apps, web fonts and ProSite portfolio websites. The intention is that you can work anywhere, laptops, desktops, tablets or mobile phones, with the materials that you most need. But before you could buy similar packages and have them, as yours. Now you cannot, though on the plus side they are updated more regularly than once in two years.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Adobe has signed up 2.8 million users, up from 2.3 million last quarter. Promising? The revenue is still down by 2%, which is another clear indication that they’ve had to lower their prices to get those users in the first place. They’ve tailor made new packages, the cheapest of which is a handy Photoshop and Lightroom combination for £8.78. ‘Great!’ you cry, then realise it’s that much a month. Fair enough if you need those products but wouldn’t you rather pay for it in a bulk and then actually own Photoshop? 

The business model is moving away from the sharp peaks and troughs in profits of the Creative Suite days, but is this a sustainable future for Adobe? Should we all just stop whining, get on with it and embrace the updates?

What do you reckon? Let us know @mygeex

Isn’t it annoying when you’re at work and you’ve got numerous documents to print, the office printer is over 3 steps away from your desk, and you have to resort to physically standing up and taking numerous strides towards it, whilst attempting to bypass the awkward chit chat, “hello how are you”s and “good weekend?”s from those colleagues that you haven’t even bothered remembering the names of.

Wouldn’t it be great if all of that hassle was taken away and the printer actually came to you? Well that’s exactly what Fuji Xerox have come up with. They have been testing the first ever robotic printer, one that does all the work for you, including the walking.

The incentive behind this is to keep sensitive documents secure and avoid them from falling into the wrong hands. The printer is so new that it’s currently nameless. It incorporates numerous technology in order to travel to your desk and print your documents, including URL addresses on desks, smartcards for identification and the same Lidar sensors that Google use on their self-driving cars in order to avoid collisions with nearby objects and people.

So what do you think office life will really be like with this new technology? It appears to contradict the health advice constantly on repeat for office workers of taking regular breaks away from your desk and going for small walks around the office. But encouraging laziness certainly isn’t the idea behind the robotic printer. It’s designed to keep private documents exactly that… Private.

Is this the answer to the potentially big, but also unlikely, problem of colleagues stealing other people’s printing or will it just be a huge distraction in the office workplace by becoming a challenge for people to trip up? We may like to think we’re mature and responsible grown ups but when it comes down to it, we think there’s a child in all of us that will attempt to chase / be chased by the Doctor Who style office furniture and it’s sensor technology.

More and more of us are increasingly turning towards the internet to buy IT components. However, as people are attracted by incredibly low prices they are moving away from established businesses and buying from people on auction sites.

Now we like a bargain as much as the next person but sometimes things can be too good to be true. Recently, we have read a lot about fake capacity USB Flash Drives or SD Cards. Sold incredibly cheaply, on line, these are usually high capacity drives such as 16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB.

The drives appear to work perfectly and Windows will even show them to have the correct level of storage capacity. However, a 64GB drive may only contain 2GB of actual memory. So it will work fine whilst you transfer the first 2GB of data but after that it will corrupt all of the data on it.

So how do you test a USB Flash Drive or SD card? Programs such as ChipGenuis will allow you to reveal the true size of the memory. We also sell a lot of Kingston drives and a good way to test whether it is a genuine part is to check that Kingston have printed text onto the metal USB connector which has the model number and capacity plus other numbers. If your Kingston drive has no printing on the connector, it may well be a fake.

It seems that when faced with the failure of its Windows 8 software, even Microsoft can’t help but get excited about replacing it with Windows 9. So much so that last week it mistakenly posted a mockup of its Windows logo on a Chinese social media site.

Rumours are gathering strength that the new Operating System will be with us by the end of this month. However, Microsoft is still facing a huge task of getting people to upgrade.

Windows 8 was meant to attract more people than ever. Microsoft expected users to leave behind Windows XP but this never happened. Even with Microsoft stopping support for XP in April, 24% of computers that are connected to the internet still use Windows XP. That makes it the second most popular operating system!

To put it into perspective 51.21% use Windows 7, 13% use Windows 8 or 8.1 and around 4.29% use Mac OS X 10.9. Even with those companies who are moving towards Windows 7 or 8.1, research has shown that it takes around 7 months for them to complete the move.

Therefore, the challenge for Microsoft is quite clear. Windows 9 needs to be an Operating System that compels people to leave behind the 15 year old XP. We look forward to seeing what the software giant release at the end of the month.

For years now we have been supplying customers with licensed products of Microsoft Office and Office for Mac.  These are great products but the downside was that the retail boxed version only provided the user with 1 installation.

This is great if you sit at a desktop all day and then don’t touch your work until you arrive at the office the next morning. However, the impact of mobile devices on our working patterns means that most of us need access to our Office Apps when away from the office. With Office 365 Small Business Premium you now have the ability to access your data from anywhere and there are some really cool benefits, such as:

1)     Enjoy a consistent and familiar Office experience across PCs, Macs, Windows tablets, iPads, and most mobile devices. In fact each user can install Office onto 10 devices. 5 PCs/Macs and an additional 5 mobile devices including the iPad.

2)     Always have the latest versions of Office, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Notes, Publisher, Access and Lync. There is no need to pay for version upgrades; updates are included in your subscription.

3)     Business Class email through the familiar Outlook experience. You can access your emails from your desktop or from a web browser using the Outlook Web App. Get a 50 GB mailbox for each user and send attachments of up to 25 MB.

4)     Connect with other Lync users via instant message, voice calls and video calls. Share presence, IM and audio calling with Skype users.

5)     OneDrive for Business provides 25GB of storage for each user. You can virtually access your documents anywhere, share files with others inside and outside the organisation, control who can edit and share each file and easily sync files with PCs and other devices.

6)     Get a guaranteed 99.9% uptime, financially backed service level agreement.

All of the benefits above are genuine but it is the ability to install Office up to 10 times that really appeals to us. Some many of us will use a desktop, laptop, iPad and mobile device during the day and the ability to access your data across all of these platforms is ideal.

Also it has a real cost benefit as well. To buy an annual subscription to Office 365 Small Business Premium is £99 + VAT. To buy a single licence of Office Home and Business 2013 or Office for Mac 2011 Business Edition is in the region of £200 + Vat. So if you need your Office apps over multiple devices we strongly recommend the 365 solution.

If you are interested in leasing or purchasing Office 365 call us on 0121 285 0098 or email info@localhost

There was a time when we all operated without a backup solution. Then as people started to think about disaster recovery we all rushed out to put a backup solution in place. For the majority of businesses however that backup solution is usually right next to the server and is never taken off site. Without an offsite backup solution you can fairly argue that you don’t have a backup solution at all.

Now that sounds harsh but the reality is that if you have a fire or theft is unlikely that either will politely leave you backup alone for your business to continue. With most businesses going bust within 12 months of a fire or flood the importance of an off-site solution is vital.

At GEEX we can offer a number of solutions but a favourite is our cloud storage. But what is Cloud Storage?  “Cloud storage” generally refers to a product which enables people and/or businesses to store data remotely in secure servers. Meaning, you can store your files in a secure place on the internet and then download or view the files through an internet connected device.

Our Backup folder is like a mirror of your hard drive. The software that we use creates a copy of the files on your computer and places them in the Cloud. This makes sure that you never lose your files, even if their computer is stolen or breaks.

As you would expect, if you create, edit, or delete a file on your computer, the same will happen to the file in the cloud.

The costs of our cloud service are £291.67 + VAT per annum and include the following:

Installation and transfer of data across to the cloud archive.

Simple, Secure Online Backup
·        Completely hassle free – monitors files as you work
·        Unlimited storage – it doesn’t matter how many files you have on your computer, we’ll back them all up
·        Extremely easy to use and install
·        Keeps up to 30 versions of any file
·        Easily restore files using our restore software
·        Keeps copies of deleted files
·        100% safe and secure
·        Support for software via telephone support

Many of our customers have account managers who are on the road, who like to access PDFs and alike when out in the field.  Then we can add our Briefcase solution to your package for £49.99 + VAT per annum and gives an additional 512MB of data.

The briefcase technology lets your employees access their files anywhere. It adds a new drive to their PC or Mac, and files they put there are synchronised between all of their computers. They can login online to view and even edit their documents from the web browser, and they can use our free mobile apps to access their files on the move. We can add extra 512MB of data for £14.99 + Vat per annum if you thought you would need more for the briefcase solution.

If you have any questions regarding our offsite backup please contact us via info@localhost or  call 0121 285 0098

Here at GEEX we are always looking out for interesting products that can make a real difference to our customers. But one recent customer enquiry has really opened our eyes to a potential problem and we really like the solution.

A customer approached us stating that they had a serious neck and back issue, that meant working at their computer was causing them so much pain that they were unable to work effectively. The medical advice that they had been given was to raise their work station, ideally to a standing position.

Now trying to find effective solutions to raise your computer is not as easy as you might think. However, when we discovered Varidesk we knew that we had found a great product. Varidesk is an adjustable height desk, which sits on top of your existing desk, allowing you to switch from a seated to a stand position in just 3 seconds.

Our customer loved the solution but what really opened our eyes was when we spoke to Varidesk. Most of us are now desk jockeys and when you consider the working day is 8 hours long that is a long time sat down.

Studies have shown that if you sit down for five hours or more a day, you have a 34% increased risk of heart failure than compared to chair avoiding counterparts, no matter how much you exercise. Diabetes risk is doubled and you have a greater chance of depression and cancer.

Now switching to a stand up desk increases your metabolic rate and 3 hours of daily upright time will burn an extra 30,000 calories a year!

We are able to sell 4 models of the Varidesk range. The Single and Pro models provide space for single or dual monitor capability. We can also sell the Single + and Pro + which include a keyboard lift. Prices start from £229 + VAT and we can also include these on our lease deals.

If you are interested in standing up and improving your health call us on 0121 285 0098 or email info@localhost

This week we are providing a great deal on The Hp ProDesk 400 G1 SFF. Normally this office workhorse, with a 24” monitor and Microsoft Office would cost you £8.90 + Vat per week. However, for this week only we are providing this package for £8.00 + Vat per week.

That’s a saving of over £140 + VAT over the course of the 3 year lease. The Hp ProDesk 400 SFF might be a small form factor model, but there is nothing small about the power that this model punches. It comes with an Intel i5 Quad Core 3.5GHz processor, 4GB RAM, a massive 1TB Hard Drive, Intel HD 4600 graphics, DVD-RW, Keyboard, Mouse and Windows 7/8 Professional.

As part of the bundle we will provide a Full HD 24” BenQ GL2450HM monitor.  It features a dynamic ratio of 12M: 1, speakers, response time of 2ms and DVI and HDMI connector, this 24″ 16:9 LED monitor delivers you the audiovisual enjoyment.

Lastly, we will include Microsoft Office Home and Business 2013 giving you, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook. Together these three components provide any business with the perfect office workhorse.

If you would like to take advantage of our special Spring break offer email us info@localhost now.

To celebrate the Spring Bank Holiday we have put together a great package for those need a mobile workstation.

Based on Lenovo’s amazing ISV certified W540 Mobile Workstation, this package is ideal for people who require a CAD based machine but are always on the move.

The Lenovo comes with an Intel Quad Core i7 4700MQ Haswell 2.40GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, 15.6” Full HD LED Display, NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2GB Graphics, DVD-RW, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Webcam, Windows 7/8 Professional.

We have paired this with a 27” LG LED Full HD Display and a Lenovo ThinkPad Ultra Dock Docking Station. Throw in a wireless keyboard and mouse and Microsoft Office Home and Business 2013 and you have one amazing bundle.

However, to really help those professionals who are on the move we are including 500GB of cloud back up for free! That is worth over £200 + Vat.

If you would like to take advantage of our special Spring break offer email us info@localhost now.