Posts for May 2013

Could Do Not Track hurt your online business?

Do Not Track is a relatively new initiative designed to make it easier for people to let websites know when they don't want their activities to be tracked.

From the perspective of companies trying to do business online, tracking internet users is important. It allows them to see how people use websites and target advertising more accurately.

Yet privacy advocates argue it's currently difficult for people to control and understand what data websites collect about their internet use.

The EU cookie mess

It was this situation that led to the EU cookie law, which came into full effect about a year ago. The result? A proliferation of confusing pop-up messages about cookies that don't really change anything. Well played, EU cookie law people.

Can Do Not Track make things clearer? It aims to put power in the hands of internet users via a new setting in their web browser. If you don't want websites to track what you do, you can just turn Do Not Track on.

Do Not Track doesn't work, yet...

Fine in theory. The thing is, Do Not Track is entirely voluntary, so it only works on websites that have agreed to take notice of Do Not Track requests. Currently, the list is pretty small.

But if your business relies on tracking internet users, keep an eye on Do Not Track over the next few months.

Momentum behid the technology might be growing. Microsoft Internet Explorer now comes with Do Not Track switched on as standard. Firefox will be the same from later in the year.

If political pressure or legislation forces more companies to take notice of Do Not Track requests, then it could start becoming harder to track what users do online.

And while many will argue it's about time people had better control over their internet privacy, this could have a significant impact on the online economy.

• What was the EU cookie fuss all about?
• How the EU cookie law affects email marketing
• How to selectively delete cookies on your computer

An essential IT guide for freelancers, consultants and other independent professionals

Francesca Geens runs Digital Dragonfly, a company that helps independent professionals find and use the best technology for their needs.

She's just written The ultimate guide to technology for independent professionals, a really comprehensive ebook that's packed with useful advice and information for independent professionals.

If you work for yourself as a consultant, writer, lawyer, accountant or other type of independent professional, it's really worth you hopping over to the Digital Dragonfly site and downloading this book.

At the very least it'll give you lots of ideas about how you can be smarter about how you use technology. And you might even find it saves you money next time you're looking to make an IT investment.

Download now from Digital Dragonfly >>

Of course, we have lots of information on IT Donut for independent professionals too. Don't forget to check out the three online tools every freelancer should try and this first-hand advice from a freelance writer and editor.

• Get the right broadband for your business
• Upgrade RAM to extend your computer's life
• Where to find reliable IT freelancers

Business tech bargain: cheap domain names

If you're looking to bag a cheap domain name for a new project or to safeguard your brand online, domain name specialists 123-reg have a good tech bargain on at the moment.

EU domains for £1.99

You can register a .eu domain of your choice for just £1.99 (+ VAT) for the first year.

While it's fair to say .eu domains aren't the first choice of most brands online, they can be useful if you want to flaunt your international credentials, or simply need a cheap domain for a development or side project.

It's also not a bad idea to grab your business name as a .eu if you're worried about someone else using it for nefarious purposes.

Register a .eu domain >>

This is a decent saving and you'll almost certainly pay more if you buy from elsewhere. Domain names ending in .eu currently cost £4.99 from 1&1 or £14.99 from Easily.

Just remember that this is a deal for the first year, so you'll pay more to renew your domain in subsequent years.

• See our previous business tech bargains

Microsoft's 'proper' Windows tablet is here. Almost.

A few months ago we took a good look at the Microsoft Surface RT. This tablet computer from Microsoft is nicely built and well-rounded, but it has one glaring problem.

Although it runs a version of Windows called Windows RT, it can only run special Windows RT apps, and not your standard Windows software.

On the basis that a key reason to buy a Windows tablet is to run traditional Windows software, we reckoned most businesses would want to wait until the Surface Pro was released.

(If you do want a Windows RT tablet, Dell's XPS 10 is cheaper in any case.)

The Surface Pro is a more powerful model that does have a 'proper' version of Windows on it. This means it can run all your standard Windows software.

It's been available in the US since February, but Microsoft has finally announced it'll be available this side of the Atlantic from Thursday.

Surface Pro is your computer

Surface is a big bet for Microsoft. So far the software giant has struggled to make inroads into a tablet market dominated by Apple and Google, and it hopes this device will change that.

And maybe, just maybe it will. Initial reviews are reasonably positive.

Microsoft has done something genuinely different, building what's effectively a fully-functional Windows PC into a device that works like a tablet. While you'd struggle to use an iPad or Android tablet as your only business computer, Surface Pro can do the job pretty well.

That's because it's built from similar components as many of the super-light, super-thin ultrabook laptops on the market. The only difference is that Microsoft has crammed those components into a tablet device with an optional detachable keyboard.

Plug in a mouse, keyboard and external screen and you can quite happily use it as your main computer while you're in the office. But disconnect it and it's good to slip in your bag - even if it is a good bit thicker and heavier than other tablets of this size.

Available this week

And I think that's where the Surface Pro sits in the market. With prices starting at £719 (plus another £100 or so for the keyboard), Surface Pro isn't really a direct competitor to Apple's iPad, which starts at £399.

But if you're in the market for a thin, light laptop, maybe you'd consider opting for the added tablety flexibility of a Surface Pro instead. PC Pro and the Daily Telegraph both have in-depth reviews to help you decide.

• Should you buy a Microsoft Surface?
• Microsoft wants every computer to have a touch screen
• Dell XPS 12 review

Friday tip: pause your inbox to get more stuff done

Research suggests over half the email we receive isn't important, so if you interrupt what you're doing to check your inbox every time a new message arrives, you're probably killing your productivity.

The problem is that while shutting your email down altogether removes the distraction, often it isn't an option, because you need to refer to your inbox to get your tasks done.

So, for this Friday tech tip we explain how to pause your Google Mail inbox. This means you can keep your email open but not get distracted as new messages arrive.

How to pause your inbox

You'll need to be using Google Mail and either the Firefox or Google Chrome browser for this to work. (If you use Microsoft Outlook, you might want to turn off new message alerts instead.)

1. Go to the Inbox Pause website
2. Click the big Download Inbox Pause button
3. One or more messages may appear asking permission to install the software. If so, click Allow, Yes or Install.
4. Once Inbox Pause has installed, go to your Google Mail account.
5. Go to your inbox.
6. You'll see a blue PAUSE button near the top left of the window.
7. When you need to get on with things, click this button.
8. A message will ask if you want to send an auto-reply to people who email you.
9. Choose your preferred option, then click Pause

That's it - your inbox is now paused. Although incoming messages will be saved safely, you won't be able to see them until you unpause your inbox.

An obvious message will show in a yellow bar when your inbox is paused. But when you're ready to see what new messages await you, just click UNPAUSE. Easy!

• Control yourself - and your emails
• How to keep on top of your Outlook inbox
• How to cut email replies down to size

Are businesses really flocking to the cloud?

Would you believe that 7% of businesses don't have an internet connection at all, and 2% rely only on smart phones or tablet computers with mobile internet access?

It seems scarcely credible that any company could survive without being online, but according to the Open University's quarterly survey of British small businesses, there's a small group that still manages without broadband of any kind at all.

And while IT suppliers and industry experts are often quick to talk up the popularity of cloud computing, this survey paints something of a different picture.

More than 21% of respondents said they're now using cloud providers for back office services, which is a significant increase on the 8% two years ago.

However, it still suggests the majority of businesses aren't yet using the cloud for tasks like accounting, customer relationship management (CRM) and business planning.

According to this survey, that's because many companies still have significant concerns about security, privacy and reliability. Take Keith Appleyard, a survey respondent who's an honorary trustee of Fiveways Playcentre, a Brighton-based playgroup that's been established for over 30 years.

"I don't trust the cloud," he explains. "I don't honestly think we'll put children's records in the cloud."

As a former American Express IT director, he's perhaps better-qualified than most to understand the issues. "With cloud computing, you don't even know where it is ... I speak at conferences, at IT security conferences; I'm the biggest sceptic on the planet."

It's easy to get taken in by the hype around cloud computing. But in truth, are businesses really turning to it as much as some pundits would have us believe?

• How do businesses use cloud computing?
• Q&A: cloud computing security
• How to prepare for the cloud

Hackers: they're everywhere, every day

Hackers. They attack someone, somewhere, every day. They are omnipresent on the internet. Their main targets include governments, TV channels, banks and big companies.

With the internet evolving so quickly, we must face a new reality. While the internet offers many exciting possibilities and is an essential part of our private and professional lives, we also have to face the downsides.

Security breaches are a reality and internet security is now more important than ever before.

Hacking is nothing new

Hacking is no novelty. It was back in the 1980s that the first hackers managed to access to sensitive data. But it wasn't until the 1990s that hacking started to become a serious problem for big institutions and companies.

High profile victims have included Apple, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook, no less. The financial damage can be significant, but for organisations like these the more profound implications come from the loss of trust and the knock on effect on their image.

This associated damage is hard to measure and even harder to fix.

Who would want to share personal information on a social network knowing its owners are not able to protect their security? Who would want to use an online bank service if it's easy for hackers to access sensitive information

Essential SSL?

Internet security is essential for everyone who wants to succeed in today's modern, fast paced and constantly changing world. Big companies and banks have been using secure connections (encrypted connections protected by SSL certificates) for many years now.

But what about smaller companies? What about a person who wants to sell online? Who guarantees customers are safe when paying for goods and services from smaller companies online?

It's easy to lose track of the possibilities and threats in a world that changes so rapidly. SSL certificates might be an obvious choice for big companies, but they are crucial for smaller organisations and individuals who sell through online shops too.

This is a guest post from Symantec. If you run a company that sells goods or services online, you'll find a wealth of information in Symantec's interactive security guide.

• SSL encryption for your website
• Make sure your online shop is legal
• How to set up an online payment system

Friday tip: upgrade RAM to extend your computer's life

Computer on a go-slow? Microsoft Excel taking an age to do the simplest of sums? You may be thinking it's time to buy a new computer, but actually a relatively simple and cheap upgrade could give it a new lease of life.

For this week's IT tip, we look at how to upgrade the RAM (random access memory) in your computer. This can often create a dramatic boost in performance, making programs run faster and allowing you to keep using your computer for longer.

What is RAM?

RAM is data storage that your computer uses as it runs software and opens files. You can think of it as your computer's working memory. RAM comes in the form of computer chips soldered to a small circuit board.

Data is stored in the RAM temporarily, as it's needed. For instance, when you open a piece of software, it loads into the RAM, because data in the RAM can be retrieved quickly by your computer's processor.

If you don't have enough RAM, your computer may slow down as it's forced to shuffle data in and out of the RAM, creating a performance bottleneck.

Will adding RAM help?

Computers are generally sold with enough RAM to run the preinstalled software at optimum speed. However, as you add more files and try to run more pieces of software at once, your RAM may no longer be adequate.

This can cause a slowdown, especially when you're trying to run several pieces of software at once or work with large files. In these circumstances, adding extra RAM will certainly help.

It's not uncommon for RAM issues to slow computers a year or so after purchase. At this point, you should consider adding extra RAM.

How much RAM do I need?

There's no such thing as too much RAM. Nowadays computers tend to come with 4 - 6GB (gigabytes) of RAM, so moving to 8GB, 12GB or even16GB should result in a real difference.

Depending on how your computer is set up, you may be able to simply plug extra RAM into a spare expansion slot. However, some PCs come with all ther RAM slots full. In that case, you need to remove the existing RAM chips and replace with higher-capacity ones. Either way, RAM just clips in and out is usually easily accessible within your computer.

Where should I buy it?

Your computer manufacturer will probably offer some sort of RAM upgrade kit. However these can cost quite a bit more than buying from a specialist RAM supplier.

Reputable suppliers include Crucial (who have a useful tool to find the right RAM for your computer) and Kingston. However, you can also buy RAM from Amazon, Dabs, eBuyer and other online merchants.

How do I install RAM?

There's no need to be intimidated by the idea of installing new memory into your computer. Although it does mean opening up your computer's case, RAM is almost always easy to spot and clip into place. It's usually even easy to add RAM to laptops.

The instructions do vary a bit depending on what model of computer you have, but here's a video to give you the general idea. Simple, isn't it?

Have you ever upgraded your RAM? Did it deliver the performance improvement you'd hoped for? Leave a comment and let us know.

• How to share large files with Dropbox
• Mobile dropped in water? Here's what to do
• How to remove comments from a Word document

Malware is evolving. Is your website security keeping up?

A shopkeeper would never consider leaving his store unlocked with the lights on and the cash register open and then going home for the evening.

He’d quickly be out of business and the loss of his store could be a blow to his community—letting down  customers who depend on him and the staff who would be out of a job.

Your website is like that shop

Now so many people have set up websites, either as businesses in their own right or to augment  existing bricks-and-mortar stores, plenty of criminals have followed them into cyberspace.

No matter what sort of website you runm it may be vulnerable to attack from criminals. They can mount their attacks from any location in the world as long as they have internet access.

You could run an online shop from your home in Wisconsin, for example, and be a ripe target for a hacker who lives halfway around the world in a country you’ve never even heard of.

Just as you have to defend your bricks-and-mortar store against burglars and keep the premises  safe for your employees, visitors and loyal customers, you must defend your website against attacks from hackers and other criminals who use malware.

Spend time on security

It’s not uncommon for business owners to spend little or no time on security as they focus on selling through the websites. There are other demands on their time, too - like making sure they publish fresh content regularly to stay relevant in the eyes of search engines.

However, you don't need to be a computer programmer or security expert to ensure the safety of your website against malware. You can take advantage of an intelligent malware detection and removal service that will monitor your site for you.

What is malware?

Malware is malicious software designed to do things like steal personal information and take control of a user's computer, so the criminal can use it for their own purposes.

The consequences of malware can include identity theft, financial losses and damage to your company’s reputation.

What’s more, if your site has been infected with malware, search engines will downgrade you in their search results. If the hackers haven’t completely trashed your site, being blacklisted can push you over the cliff, resulting in a catastrophic decrease in traffic as people avoid your infected website.

In the early days of the Internet, malware quickly spread from computer to computer, infecting them by the thousands. It has grown to include a whole range of threats, including trojan horses (software that seems innocent but causes destruction), keyloggers that record your login information and viruses that can wipe out all of your data.

The battle against malware

As people take steps to defend their websites, the criminals and hackers keep improving their malware. This evolution of malware demands the evolution of website security. You cannot be complacent. You must do something to safeguard your online business.

For example, a denial of service trojan can send so much traffic to your site that it will crash. Other types of trojan can expose you or your customers’ personal information to hackers. Some malware can rewrite your site’s source code, enabling hackers to run adverts for unscrupulous companies.

As you can see, there are plenty of nasty tricks that hackers use to destroy your website and ruin your business. That's the last thing you want.

Don't rely on vulnerability assessments

You may be approached by a security firm that proposes doing a vulnerability assessment of your website.

While it’s always a good idea to pinpoint weaknesses so you can make improvements, these assessments are not enough to protect you. Because you can never patch all your vulnerabilities all the time (what happens when you're on holiday, for example?), your site will remain vulnerable to the next unanticipated attack.

Similarly, malware detection that relies on recognising the characteristics of known malware (called 'signature-based malware detection') will not provide significant protection. New malware appears every day, and it isn't alway sadded to the signature databases in time.

The best way to stay safe from malware is to use a malware detection service that can detect these new strains. This is the only way to guarantee your site will be protected from malicious code.

This is a guest post from Anirban Banerjee, CTO & co-founder of StopTheHacker, a leading website security company offering cloud-based malware detection and protection for website and online shop owners.

• Why you need a security policy
• How to prevent IT disasters
• Three things you can learn from NatWest's IT woes

How one hour can critically damage your business

Do your staff understand the full risks involved if they lose their business smart phone or another mobile device that contains company data?

Quite possibly not, according to new research carried out on behalf of Kaspersky Lab. It found that over three-quarters of people working in European small and medium-sized businesses would wait more than an hour before telling the company about the theft or loss of a business-owned device.

An hour doesn't sound long, but if a company smart phone falls into the wrong hands, 60 minutes is time enough to do a whole lot of damage. Racking up call charges to premium rate or international numbers is the least of your worries. Being slow to report a stolen device could see your valuable company data being siphoned off.

Data that's easy to lose

Customer and employee contact details, financial information, confidential emails, access to company Twitter and Facebook accounts ... these days a smart phone is as powerful as a computer, only harder to secure and easier to lose. You need to treat it with the same amount of care.

What's more, the research questioned IT managers too. 29% of them reckoned it would take a whole day for employees to tell them about a lost or stolen device.

Take more care

David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, has some good advice for companies that want to take better care of their mobile devices.

“The ever-growing abilities of mobile devices make our lives much easier," he confirms. "However, what we don’t always consider is the ease with which such tools can be stolen, leaving a wealth of business critical information in the hands of thieves."

"To a seasoned cybercriminal, it will take only a matter of minutes to bypass the four digit password protection used on most devices, especially smart phones. If your mobile device is lost or stolen, it is critical that the IT department is informed as fast as possible. They can then block access of this device to the corporate network and, in the best case, wipe all of its data.”

Of course, you can't remotely wipe a device unless you've put in place systems to let you do this. If you're a sole trader or run a very small company, it's probably enough to take steps to back up each individual device and install a remote wipe app. Read our advice here.

Larger businesses will want to look into mobile device management (MDM) solutions. MDM software gives you much greater visibility and control of the mobile devices in your business, so you can restrict how they're used, what's stored on them and - crucially - scrub them clean and lock them out of the company network.

• Protecting your smart phone from theft
• Where to start with mobile security
• Yes, you need to secure your smart phone too

Business tech bargain: Asus Fonepad tablet under £180

Asus has just launched a competitively-priced, powerful 7" tablet computer called the Fonepad.

It's going head-to-head with devices like Google's Nexus (which is actually built by Asus) and the Amazon Kindle Fire. At £179 it offers exceptional value for money.

With good reviews, plus features and build quality that are comparable to these two key competitors, Asus hopes the Fonepad's built-in 3G and smart phone features will sway buyers towards its product.

It envisages the Fonepad as being a single device to replace both your smart phone and tabet.

We've mentioned these so-called 'phablets' before, and it's possible the Asus is one of the most elegant implementations yet.

With a slot for a 3G SIM card, you can use the Fonepad to access the internet via your mobile phone network.

And - of course - you can make and receive calls. It might be a little large to hold against your head for long features, but with a hands free kit you'll be all set.

You can buy the Fonepad online now, for £179 from these retailers:

Amazon  |  Carphone Warehouse  |  Laptops Direct

• See our previous business tech bargains