The UK can not afford Microsoft? Civil service staff suggested replacing operating systems on computers with free alternatives in response to a call for ideas for Prime Minister David Cameron’s cost-cutting drive. The prime minister asked the 600,000 government workers last month to make suggestions on saving money as his administration seeks to cut Britain’s record budget deficit. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne today published a sample of the 56,000 submitted ideas, which including abandoning Microsoft, switching office lights off and centralizing stationery procurement. Open-source software such as Linux and Openoffice offers free or very cheap alternatives to Microsoft’s Windows and Office, the world’s most popular operating system and productivity software. The Chancellor said before the Conservatives won power in the May 6 election that he favoured the idea:- “We need to follow the example of businesses all over the world and take advantage of open-source technology”.
And Russia can not afford Microsoft. According to an article in the Moscow Times, the Russian government is working on a Linux-based "national operating system" for its computers. "The operating system, for use on the computer systems of government agencies and state-run companies, will be 90 percent based on the open-source Linux operating system, Deputy Communications and Press Minister Ilya Massukh said.
Have your say! The new coalition government has setup a website for anyone to post suggestions for government. The site has already received a hundred thousand visitors and records several thousand suggestions for changes. Suggestions about the much bemoaned school visitor system have already resulted in changes. Others like restoring the death penaly have been rejected. So have your say: http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/
Have Apple lost the plot - again? The rise of Apple in recent months is no suprise to many. However, the restrictive practices adopted by Apple (and of course the odd technical mistake) are pushing developers away from the Iphone towards Google and its open platforms. It is a repeat of the mistakes Apple made in 1990s which pushed the majority of customer to Microsoft. Googles phone operating system Android is now being touted as the operating system of the future – not only for mobile phones, but also for tablet computers, televisions, car dashboards and anything else with a screen. Google are happy to hand Android out to manufacturers just as Microsoft allowed unfettered access to Windows in the 1980s and 1990s, and the effects of this are now beginning to show. In short, Android usage is rocketing – and it's not going unnoticed by the developers, on whom both Apple and Google rely so heavily for added value; well over half of developers believe that Android has the best long-term outlook, and one recent survey shows that, for the first time, there are now more Android developers than iPhone developers. Interesting times.
Microsoft give new life to XP. Microsoft has backtracked on its schedule for users moving to Windows 7. Microsoft had said that after the release of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 early next year, customers buying Windows 7 machines or licences would no longer be able to downgrade to earlier versions of the operating system, as is popular in many companies. “To support our customers we have decided to extend downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional beyond the previously planned end date at Windows 7 SP1,” Microsoft Windows communications manager Brandon LeBlanc said in a blog post. In a surprise move, the company has put no time limit on the extension, leaving IT departments apparently free to choose when they upgrade to Windows 7.
Cheaper Printers and Screens Likely next year. A World Trade Organisation panel has ruled that the European Union was wrong to impose duties on three types of electronics products from the US and other countries. The European Union has argued that added functionality meant some of these products were now also consumer goods not covered by the agreement, rather than information technology products, and therefore should not benefit from the lower duties. As a result, it imposed duties ranging from 6 to 14% on the three products. The report will be published around the end of August, after which the EU has 60 days in which to appeal.
Change your router password. Many domestic broadband routers may still use a default manufacturers password. A rogue website could easily exploit this is and change your connection details in a moment of time. One outcome would be to transparently re-route your connection to a bank elsewhere. So please dig out that manual and change the routers password now!
Switch your phone calls away from BT. BT has announced a 10% call charge hike. It is easy to re-route your calls and save a packet by dialling a simple prefix. Hear are a couple of examples:
http://www.1899.com/
http://www.call18866.co.uk
A bit of housekeeping. Take a few moments today to look at the programs running on your computer. Pick just one you do not use and remove it. Repeat this process a few times and I hope you will be pleasantly surprised how your system speeds up.
I hope this information was helpful. Do you want more information? Were you unimpressed, are not interested, and would like to be removed from the distribution? Please email me by clicking: mailto:bernard@elbourn.com?subject=Newsletter Response. There is a real human (me! Berni), and not a mail list machine, at this email address. I fully respect your privacy.
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