On-line backups

Backing up your data is important. Many things can cause a total or partial loss of your data files; fire, flood, hardware failure, or even theft of your PC. If you are a home PC user and you lose your data it may be annoying (e.g. Loosing irreplaceable photos). If you are a small business loss of your data could cause significant financial problems, or even in some cases failure of your business.

Now with broadband being widespread a number of suppliers have launched on-line backup services. With on-line backups your data files are encrypted and then sent automatically in the background to a remote server across your broadband connection. As you modify your files or add new ones, the changes are also sent to the backup server automatically. If you loose any of your files you just tell the on-line backup software which files or folders to send back to your PC, and they are downloaded across your broadband connection. On-line backups have the advantage that they are automated so do not rely on someone having to remember to do the backup, ideal for busy people.

We have been testing some of these on-line backup services and Mozy seems to be one of the better ones. If you are a home PC user it will backup your data for free. If you have large amounts of data, or are a business, then there is a small monthly charge for the service.

 Mozy Free (Home Use)

Mozy (Business use or for large amounts of data)

Chris Moody
ASL Computer Services
01788 298034

BBC iPlayer

 

The BBC is launching a new easy-to-use service that lets you access television programmes via your PC. Initially, BBC iPlayer is offering “seven-day catch-up television” – meaning that BBC TV programmes can be downloaded for free up to a week after transmission.

The programmes will be free for UK licence fee payers, at high quality and with no advertising. Once you have downloaded a programme to your computer you have 30 days within which to start watching and seven days to finish watching it.

BBC iPlayer plans to incorporate radio and live streaming of TV at a later date as well as looking at offering BBC iPlayer on a range of platforms including cable and mobile.

iPlayer is in it’s final stages of testing prior to general release. If you wish to get your hands on the BBC iPlayer before it’s general release just go to the following website to register http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayerbeta/find_out_more.shtml

Remember it is a Peer to Peer (P2P) application (The BBC do not make that totally clear from their website). So be aware that by running iPlayer some of your Internet bandwidth will be used when others are downloading the TV programs.  If you are on a capped download / upload broadband connection this application may not be right for you.

I would like to say thanks to Tim F for telling me about BBC iPlayer.

Chris Moody
ASL Computer

VoIP is ‘important’ for small businesses

From Enterprise Nation Homeworking website.

“Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is set to increase in popularity among small firms in the UK as they seek to cut costs, an expert has declared.  According to Ian Godfrey, director of VoIP distributor ProVu, aside from the cost benefits available to small businesses, the new technology can also give firms the chance to establish a new business model.”
http://www.enterprisenation.com/content/technology/TopStories/article_46_813.aspx

Also, the National Business to Business Centre in Coventry has an article on a West Midlands based DVD and Video production company that uses VOIP to keep costs down and manage calls when they are away from the office.
http://www.nb2bc.co.uk/images/showcase/file22.pdf

At ASL we have been using VOIP for all our incoming and outgoing calls from our office for about a year now. It has some really innovative features like emailing the answerphone messages to us when we are out of the office. (as WAV files).

Chris
ASL Computer Services

A couple of interesting IT questions and answers on Freshbusinessthinking.com

I receive a couple of newsletter style emails every month from www.freshbusinessthinking.com and one of them recently contained a “computer questions and answers” section.

 You can see the Questions and Answers on their website. The second and third questions were both very good questions and probably are relevant to the majority of small businesses. So it’s worth taking a look at these questions and the authors answers.

This got me thinking.  ASL Computer Services could run a monthly or weekly question and answer article on this blog.

How would it work? Small business owners send in their questions to me by email . I will then publish the first three received with an answer every month, or if it becomes popular every week. So let’s give it a try. Send us your IT questions by email and we will publish the first three received with answers (the questions will be published as Mr W from Daventry or Mrs T from Rugby to protect peoples identity).

Chris Moody
ASL Computer Services

Switching broadband supplier will be easier from Valentines day

Just found an article on Tech Digest’s Blog on how a new Ofcom ruling will make is easier to switch broadband suppliers.

From February 14th, broadband providers will be obliged to provide the MAC (Migration Authorisation Code) for free to any customer that requests them. These codes are the key to switching service with minimal disruption, but in the past, some providers have withheld them, or charged a fee, making the switch difficult.

 You can read the full article here

http://techdigest.tv/2007/02/switching_broad.html

Chris
ASL Computer Services