As many of you may know, I am a fairly big Google fan boy, and when possible encourage adoption of Android smartphones over Microsoft, Nokia, and on occasion Apple alternatives. Personally feel the iPhone is a superior phone on a fair few categories, but the price of the contract considering you are getting the same thing, data, minutes and texts, is hard to reconcile.

That said, I have to admit, a year on, owning a T-Mobile branded HTC Desire, I do feel a little left out in the cold by the whole Google ecosystem. The phone is powerful, without doubt, but due to it being bloated with T-mobile junk, I continuously had to fight with free memory on phone, having to remove apps to make room. Even after the 2.2 update when apps could now be partially or entirely stores on sd card as well as internal rom. An iPhone user does not have this problem, as the ecosystem is entirely controlled by Apple, no branded phones exist, only a vanilla Apple experience, which does not require special considerations when rolling out updates. This means everyone gets them at the same time, and they generally work first time.

I recently thought to root my phone, and allow a third party Android build on the phone, desperate to receive 2.3 update, which would allow my phone to integrate with the Voip system we have. The experience has been eye opening! Not just is 2.3 fantastic, the cosmetic changes of CyanogenMod 7 make the phone feel like it is all new and shiny again. Worst revelation, is the amount of free memory remaining, with a non-bloatware T-mobile OS, I have tons of free memory! Literally have installed everything I had before, and still not filled a third of the memory compared to my busting at the seams T-mobile branded version.

Have to say, I am very disappointed that these great phones are being bloated with software that can not be removed, and I in part blame Google for not taking a firmer approach with mobile carriers, to ensure a smooth upgrade cycle and better user experience. Don't mind bloatware, as long as it can be removed by a fairly non-technical person, then it is all fair.

F8 IT Solutions Ltd does not encourage anyone roots, or modifies a mobile phone, this is simply a post to highlight how with exactly the same phone, a very differing user experience can be gained if the mobile carriers and Google started controlling the ecosystem to favour user experience and conforming with a more 'pure' Google experience.

F8 Desktop Solutions is now open for business. A home user branch of F8 IT Solutions Ltd. For all your home computer needs.

see www.f8-desktop.com for more details.

Microsoft is still dominating the operating system market. With Windows XP (2002) still accounting for the highest percentage of computer users.  Apple users may be much smaller in number, however the adoption rate of newer operating systems is far higher. Microsoft is clearly doing a fantastic job at keeping Microsoft users loyal, however they still have a terrible stigma with new operating systems being unreliable. In our experience, Windows 7 is the first operating system Microsoft has released, that just worked on launch. This is perhaps as Vista was a learning curve for the significant changes Vista introduced, and 7 took the best part of.

In the UK, Google currently has over 85% market share on all Internet searches carried out. Microsoft's Bing search is in a distant second place. We took a look at the Bing equivalent of Google AdWords, which is called AdCenter. At first glance, it felt incredibly similar to Google AdWords, using the same terminology and layouts. 

Setting up is fairly similar to AdWords, campgaigns, groups and keywords as you would expect, pay per click system etc. You could easily lose a few hours making each advert fit the limited character limits, with relevent keywords.

The big problem we had, was with geolocation. For example, if we wish to advertise our business in the Aylesbury area with Google, we can set criteria, such as Aylesbury and 12 mile radius, as well as all the local towns by clicking on them on a map. With AdCenter, you get only the choice of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire or UK.  What is worse, you don't get to chose a radius from the city, so Aylesbury is literally what is defined inside Aylesbury. This is not acceptable, as even sitting at the office, searching within Aylesbury, we could not get the adverts to display. So what chance would we have of prospective clients being classified as Aylesbury?

Contacting Microsoft Adcenter support was easy enough, opening a support chat window and explaining the problem. The rep was very quick to understand my problem and said he would email back within 24 hours with suggestions. The email arrived, and in short, it explained that Microsoft AdCenter does not currently support accurate geolocations within England, with searches all being considered 'London' rather than the region someone is searching from. To achieve what F8 IT was looking for, the words of towns and villages should be added to the end of all keywords (30+), such as Server Support Aylesbury, or Outsourced IT Support Aylesbury. With the region being set to UK.

This is not suitable for small businesses who have a defined region and aim advertising to that region. Microsoft AdCenter is only really viable for nationwide companies. 

Check out this video from Google to explain the new +1 system they are introducing to Google account holders using Google Search and the internet in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RyY2-ofP4g

Hacking social networking accounts has become silly easy, with freely available software to rival those seen in blockbuster Hollywood movies like Mission Impossible or James Bond.

First we had Firesheep, which is a add-on for Moozilla Firefox that you ran from a laptop. Now we have FaceNiff which is available on rooted Android phones. Both are designed to allow amateurs to hack other people. I mention this to inform you of what dangers are out there, and not in any way shape or form encourage the use of such hacking tools.

So it goes something like this: 

Joe Hacker spots a coffee shop with free wifi inside and sits down with his laptop, firing up Firesheep in the background. At that point he can carry on surfing the internet and look innocent enough. Eric enters the same location for coffee and free wifi. Eric logs on to his Facebook and Amazon, to check both for updates and promotions. Facebook and Amazon challenge him for user names and passwords, and upon successful authentication, issue him with a cookie for the remainder of their session, to avoid continuous challenging of credentials.

Joe now has Firesheep displaying profile pictures and social network information of both Sarah and Michelle, which means Firesheep succesffuly captures the cookie sent to both Sarah and Michelle, so he can also use that session to browse around profiles as if he is either of them. At that point, he can capture all the information for identify fraud, including pictures for identification and a whole bunch of unsavory uses. 

It gets worse, FaceNiff now enabled Joe Hacker to compromise your accounts from the comfort of a rooted Android phone, so he never even has to pay for a coffee and sit down inside. This is particularly dangerous around holiday destinations in which a lobby is used to offer clients inclusive wifi. Video of it in action: http://youtu.be/3bgwVM7t_s4 

The only way this can be fixed, is by all traffic between the user and the social network going over a SSL connection, much like shopping carts with online retailers. This encrypts the messages between both and makes the hacking much more of a mathematical challenge rather than snooping cookies like the two ways mentioned above. Sadly this is all in the hands of the big social networks.

Moral of the story, if you are going to use social networking sites, make sure you use them from trusted locations only, such as a secured home network. Or more simply put, if you are in a cafe, don't share your cookies with strangers! (had to shoe horn that one in sorry)

Everything Everywhere and BT Wholesale are trialing the UK's first LTE 4G broadband connection from September through to December of this year, concentrating on a specific area in Cornwall.  LTE, stands for Long Term Evolution, and is considered the next step in mobile internet access. 

At present we have GPRS, Edge, 3G and both types of HSPA. These are displayed as no letter for GPRS, E for Edge, 3 or G for 3G, and H for HSDPA and HSUPA (one is faster download, other is faster upload, depending on location, mostly both in good signal areas)

No letter - GPRS is up to 56k modem speeds
E - Edge is usually between 56k up to 400k (typically if signal is good enough for that strong a edge signal, you get bumped up to 3G or HSPA)
G - 3G is up to 1.8mb and very signal strength dependant
H - HSPA (HSDPA and HSUPA - D for Download, U for Upload) represents up to 7.2mb on modern phones or USB dongles.   

Now that that is in perspective, LTE 4G looks to offer up to 40mb connections through a cell network, so no need for a phone line or anything. Phones in the US are already pushing this technology on a select few handsets, with even fewer areas offering coverage, but it is happening.  

Microsoft has bought Skype for an incredible $8.5bn. Leaving us to wonder what awesome things could come from the best of both worlds.

5 things that spring to mind:

1. Skype through Microsoft Xbox 360 with Kinect as video device, rivalling modest business video conferencing hardware.
2. MSN utilising Skype's international calling plans, utilising Skype's existing international coverage and relationships.
3. Imagine Windows Server with VoIP components to integrate mobile, desktop phone and computer in to a single solution.
4. Windows Mobile face time alternative.
5. Windows Mobile merging Skype and MSN identity in to 1 and utilising VoIP to make free calls to other such users. In particular as bandwidth is getting much larger every year.

Big question now, can Microsoft keep us all saying Skype as a verb. They have done well to keep the name 'Microsoft Skype'. 

Interesting times ahead.

BBC Technology News have confirmed that Spotify is cutting back on what it offers to unpaid members. 

The plan is to reduce unpaid members free time from 20 hours to 10 hours per month, and reduce each song to being played no more than 5 times. What is not clear, is if that is 5 times in that month, or ever.

Spotify users with existing accounts will see this take effect in May, however new users will have 6 months of free content until these changed take effect. Makes you wonder, if the play-list information can be exported, why not just keep signing up for new accounts?

So much for a free lunch paid for by advertising, this will kill the subscriber numbers, but probably make Spotify more profitable in the process.

Engadget are suggesting that a 500GB TiVo Solutions is coming to Virgin Media customers late spring. With recent pricing for the TiVo service, it would hopefully open up the market of people who do not wish to pay for XL package. At present that is a prerequisite of getting the service, that you upgrade to the "all channels" service, then get the privilege of paying for TiVo. I am on the smallest TV package and pay a little extra for the HD set top box and channels, but that comes in at just under £10 a month with discounts. XL package would be roughly £16 a month more, then the £3 TiVo subscription, and £149 for the install. It is the £16 for channels I don't want that is the show stopper. 

Hopefully this will be a dignified way of VM offering the smaller solution to less inclusive packages without offending any of the XL customers. Fingers crossed!

Link to the article

It is very difficult to imagine using a laptop without use of a keyboard, but then it is also an alien thought to heavily multi-task without more than one screen. Is this the answer?

Acer Iconia features two 14" screens with the one sitting in place of a keyboard, providing a smilar experience to tablet users on-demand keyboard. Acer has also included a additional menu system that appears when five fingers are pressed down at once. So not for anyone wishing to wear gloves or down a digit.

Part of me is delighted, the ability to multi-task will be tremendous, but the tactile experience of a keyboard coupled with the F and J keys point of reference would be sorely missed. I guess the key benefit is the ability to choose. If out and about, you may find the experience very rewarding, consuming media on 2 screens, and when back in the office, hook up a real keyboard and possibly mouse. Only a matter of time before the laptop can be places like a open book in front of us, on a stand, with both halfs of the laptop providing duel display alternative. 

Only problem I envisage is the simple fact that our spines won't accomidate looking down that much. To get a good look at the 14" keyboard screen, you will need to look down at a unhealthy angle, with the head leaning forward outside of a natural posture. Same as when we put a TFT screen too high, we get neck and shoulder pains, and if we have our seat too high and looking down, we get lower back pains.

Time will tell.

I love everything hardware and design wise about the Apple iPad 2, but still am totally shocked at home much of an Apple tax you pay for having internet access on the thing.

Rummors are suggesting the base 3G model will be £199 + £720 over the course of 24 months. This is 2011 people, if you want internet on a device, make sure your phone has tethering, or better yet, wifi tethering. Then all your wifi devices can utilise one cost effective 3G contract, assuming you need 3G at all, won't you be at home or in the office most of the time it is on?

A 3G dongle with exactly the same amount of data plan, and fair usage, as well as often including the 3G dongle, costs £240 over 24 months. So if we deduct that from the £920 apple solution, you are still paying £680 for the base model which retails for £429-499 (not confirmed yet). 

The mobile phone companies need to have a good long think about how they can add value in to this space, either inclusive data on certain systems, like Skype or Facetime, maybe even a email mailbox. Not saying they will make it worth it, but right now it's simple enough, we know you want it, so we can charge silly money.

If you are that enthusiastic a user that you want the latest iPad, then for the love of God give us a call and lets talk about how to get internet access through your phone or a wifi router you can carry around. Infinatly better solution, and scales to more than just 1 device.

Google has released a graphical video representation of Android phone activations since initial launch 2 years ago. Naturally it does not pick up momentum until it has a great phone to promote, which in the US was the Droid. It is a shame we did not see a similar graph for Europe with HTC Desire & Wildfire.

F8 IT Solutions highly recommends Google Android phones. For more information, just ask via contact us or usuall numbers.

Windows Service Pack 1 is due for release February 22nd. So thought I would cover a few ground rules for when service packing a computer.Service packs often fix a considerable amount of bugs and introduce new feature sets to ensure compatibility with the rest of the Microsoft Windows family. However, service packs can also go wrong on install, if precautions are not taken.

Thankfully many of the recent service packs make changes to windows on reboot, when it has no third party applications or services running.

So, the easy wins. Close all other programs and windows while updating and make sure the computer will not be interrupted during the update processes, such as low battery or someone working on the electrics in the building. If using any real time scanners, such as anti-spam, anti-spyware, parental controls, disable them momentarily. Also make sure you are logged in as an administrative users. To test your are elevated to administrator account, see if you can change the time on the clock. (Quick way of checking).If given the option during the later stages of the update, make sure you opt to save the ability to roll back to non-service pack state. Not sure if this update will include that, but always worth the little bit of hard drive space it consumes, to have the ability to remove an update

Sadly no interesting new features in this update, nor any negative things imposed. So all is fair.

At present, all our sites are facing the internet on a public IP address. This IP address is much like a phone number, registered at a directory. IPv4 addresses have a maximum number of combinations possible, and accross the whole interent, we are almost out. 

IPv6  which there is already support for on Windows server 2008 & Windows Vista onwards, includes a great deal of changes for us in the business.  More from BBC Technology news below.

"The event that triggers their distribution is widely expected to take place in the next few days.

When that happens each of the five regional agencies that hand out net addresses will get one of the remaining blocks of 16 million addresses.The addresses in those last five blocks are expected to be completely exhausted by September 2011".

More from BBC Technology News