Sunday, October 31, 2004
MP3 files seem to be costing Australian Millions
Employees who bring an MP3 player to work could be costing Australian businesses as much as $60 million a year.
That's the finding of a new study which examined the costs of employee downloads of MP3 files to build music and video collections at work. The company has to fork out a fee per megabyte downloaded in most cases so an MP3 of about 4mb could cost up to $0.80 to download. This apparently costs Australian businesses, which spend $450 million a year on Internet costs. The downloading is estimated at $4.9 million a month for employees' music and video files, according to a study undertaken by Melbourne-based Exinda Networks which collated recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and one of the nation's largest private Internet service providers.
It seems Australian employees are downloading the equivalent to one million MP3 files daily and this is causing lost productivity and slowness to networks as material is being downloaded for MP3 players that can store up to 40 gigabytes of music, movies and programs.
Australian business are starting realize this cost and are looking for solutions, it is believed network monitoring equipment could save businesses $225 million in Internet costs for the problem which has accelerated in the last 12 to 18 months.
That's the finding of a new study which examined the costs of employee downloads of MP3 files to build music and video collections at work. The company has to fork out a fee per megabyte downloaded in most cases so an MP3 of about 4mb could cost up to $0.80 to download. This apparently costs Australian businesses, which spend $450 million a year on Internet costs. The downloading is estimated at $4.9 million a month for employees' music and video files, according to a study undertaken by Melbourne-based Exinda Networks which collated recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and one of the nation's largest private Internet service providers.
It seems Australian employees are downloading the equivalent to one million MP3 files daily and this is causing lost productivity and slowness to networks as material is being downloaded for MP3 players that can store up to 40 gigabytes of music, movies and programs.
Australian business are starting realize this cost and are looking for solutions, it is believed network monitoring equipment could save businesses $225 million in Internet costs for the problem which has accelerated in the last 12 to 18 months.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
VOIP has big guns worried
VoIP has the “Copper Telco’s” in a spin as take rates increase so does the fall in PSTN long distance telephony.
Firstly what is VOIP?
Short for Voice over Internet Protocol, a category of hardware and software that enables people to use the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls by sending voice data in packets using IP rather than by traditional circuit transmissions of the PSTN. One advantage of VoIP is that the telephone calls over the Internet do not incur a surcharge beyond what the user is paying for Internet access, much in the same way that the user doesn't pay for sending individual e-mails over the Internet.
There are many Internet telephony applications available. Some, like CoolTalk and NetMeeting, come bundled with popular Web browsers. Others are stand-alone products. VoIP also is referred to as Internet telephony, IP telephony, or Voice over the Internet (VOI)
It provides the abilities to transmit “better than telephone” to “studio quality” audio across the internet via broadband technologies. It is an almost free medium (classed as almost free because you have to factor in broadband costs, phone line rentals and Voip provider rental) as calls to and from voip users are free, its usually only when someone uses a voip dial up gateway to access PSTN lines it starts costing to place a call.
In Australia two major broadband providers and one locally based (Port Macquarie) provider are using VOIP as a value added service to make people want to take up broadband. Big businesses are using VOIP to link sites PABX systems together and save on communications costs.
Voip companies provide VOIP Gateways or points of presence, they are basically a Remote Infrastructure Multiplexer (RIM) integrated with a VOIP router. The RIM accepts calls and places them to and from the PSTN hardware on the standard “copper network”
Voip has the “copper telcos” scrambling to compete and it should bring the costs of telephone calls down in the long term. However, mobile phone costs are artificially high to protect the “copper teclcos’ because mobile telephony is actually cheaper provide than PSTN telecommunications because it does not require the massive amount of terrestrial wire and fiber like PSTN networks do.
To use VOIP all you need is an instant messaging tool like MSN, SKYPE, ICQ and others. Or you can sing up with a voip provider and use a SIP phone plugged directly into your broadband router.
What is SIP?
Short for Session Initiated Protocol, or Session Initiation Protocol, a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, presence, events notification and instant messaging. The protocol initiates call setup, routing, authentication and other feature messages to endpoints within an IP domain.
Firstly what is VOIP?
Short for Voice over Internet Protocol, a category of hardware and software that enables people to use the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls by sending voice data in packets using IP rather than by traditional circuit transmissions of the PSTN. One advantage of VoIP is that the telephone calls over the Internet do not incur a surcharge beyond what the user is paying for Internet access, much in the same way that the user doesn't pay for sending individual e-mails over the Internet.
There are many Internet telephony applications available. Some, like CoolTalk and NetMeeting, come bundled with popular Web browsers. Others are stand-alone products. VoIP also is referred to as Internet telephony, IP telephony, or Voice over the Internet (VOI)
It provides the abilities to transmit “better than telephone” to “studio quality” audio across the internet via broadband technologies. It is an almost free medium (classed as almost free because you have to factor in broadband costs, phone line rentals and Voip provider rental) as calls to and from voip users are free, its usually only when someone uses a voip dial up gateway to access PSTN lines it starts costing to place a call.
In Australia two major broadband providers and one locally based (Port Macquarie) provider are using VOIP as a value added service to make people want to take up broadband. Big businesses are using VOIP to link sites PABX systems together and save on communications costs.
Voip companies provide VOIP Gateways or points of presence, they are basically a Remote Infrastructure Multiplexer (RIM) integrated with a VOIP router. The RIM accepts calls and places them to and from the PSTN hardware on the standard “copper network”
Voip has the “copper telcos” scrambling to compete and it should bring the costs of telephone calls down in the long term. However, mobile phone costs are artificially high to protect the “copper teclcos’ because mobile telephony is actually cheaper provide than PSTN telecommunications because it does not require the massive amount of terrestrial wire and fiber like PSTN networks do.
To use VOIP all you need is an instant messaging tool like MSN, SKYPE, ICQ and others. Or you can sing up with a voip provider and use a SIP phone plugged directly into your broadband router.
What is SIP?
Short for Session Initiated Protocol, or Session Initiation Protocol, a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, presence, events notification and instant messaging. The protocol initiates call setup, routing, authentication and other feature messages to endpoints within an IP domain.
The storm that killed my computer
The storm killed my computer:
Well the storm hit over the last couple of weeks and besides the damage we have seen to houses and infrastructure we are also seeing roll on effects on computers being damaged due to the effects on the infrastructure.
The key things that fail after or during a storm:
· Dial up modems
· ADSL Modems
· Power supplies on computer equipment (usually the tower)
· Hard drives – as they power down and suddenly come back up often suffer from mechanical problems
Many People make a dive for the power points during storms and unplug the power point but often forget about the telephone line plugged into the modem. Unfortunately, with 60 percent of us having internal modems our computers often suffer major damage from spikes on the telephone lines. This is because the internal modem is plugged directly into the main board so the electricity flows directly into those components and destroys them.
What people need to protect themselves:
A surge protector
What is a surge protector?
A device that shields computer and other electronic devices from surges in electrical power, or transient voltage, that flow from the power supply. Standard Australian voltage for home and office buildings is 230 to 240 volts. Anything over this amount is considered transient and can damage electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet. Even though power surges are so brief that they are measured in nanoseconds, they can cause considerable damage to electronic equipment.
A surge protector works by channeling the extra voltage into the outlet's grounding wire, preventing it from flowing through the electronic devices while at the same time allowing the normal voltage to continue along its path. Electrical surges can damage computer equipment by burning its wires or gradually over time wearing down the device’s internal components and even wipe out any saved data. Surge protectors can also protect telephone and cable lines as these also carry electric current.
It is a common misunderstanding that surge protectors will protect systems from lightning, the most familiar source of power surges. Even the most effective surge protectors can not protect equipment from the sudden increase in electrical pressure of millions of volts that lightning can supply. The best way to prevent damage during from lightning storm is to unplug devices that could be irreparably damaged. Surge protectors more commonly protect equipment from lower-voltage surges that occur frequently in modern electrical wiring. For example, devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners require large amounts of energy to switch motors and compressors on and off, creating surges in power that disrupt the steady flow of voltage. Faulty wiring, downed power lines and faulty equipment at the power source (utility company) can all cause power surges as well.
UPS – uninterruptible power supply.
What is a UPS?
Short for uninterruptible power supply, a power supply that includes a battery to maintain power in the event of a power outage. Typically, a UPS keeps a computer running for several minutes after a power outage, enabling you to save data that is in RAM and shut down the computer gracefully. Many UPSs now offer a software component that enables you to automate backup and shut down procedures in case there's a power failure while you're away from the computer.
There are two basic types of UPS systems: standby power systems (SPSs) and on-line UPS systems. An SPS monitors the power line and switches to battery power as soon as it detects a problem. The switch to battery, however, can require several milliseconds, during which time the computer is not receiving any power. Standby Power Systems are sometimes called Line-interactive UPSes.
An on-line UPS avoids these momentary power lapses by constantly providing power from its own inverter, even when the power line is functioning properly. In general, on-line UPSs are much more expensive than SPSs.
These are the most common devices used to protect computers, whilst most common surge protectors cannot protect against lightening there are a few “self destructing” type surge protectors that “blow out” and break the circuit to the equipment. These are very expensive and usually single use only. You require also a surge protector that monitors the telephone line was well.
Well the storm hit over the last couple of weeks and besides the damage we have seen to houses and infrastructure we are also seeing roll on effects on computers being damaged due to the effects on the infrastructure.
The key things that fail after or during a storm:
· Dial up modems
· ADSL Modems
· Power supplies on computer equipment (usually the tower)
· Hard drives – as they power down and suddenly come back up often suffer from mechanical problems
Many People make a dive for the power points during storms and unplug the power point but often forget about the telephone line plugged into the modem. Unfortunately, with 60 percent of us having internal modems our computers often suffer major damage from spikes on the telephone lines. This is because the internal modem is plugged directly into the main board so the electricity flows directly into those components and destroys them.
What people need to protect themselves:
A surge protector
What is a surge protector?
A device that shields computer and other electronic devices from surges in electrical power, or transient voltage, that flow from the power supply. Standard Australian voltage for home and office buildings is 230 to 240 volts. Anything over this amount is considered transient and can damage electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet. Even though power surges are so brief that they are measured in nanoseconds, they can cause considerable damage to electronic equipment.
A surge protector works by channeling the extra voltage into the outlet's grounding wire, preventing it from flowing through the electronic devices while at the same time allowing the normal voltage to continue along its path. Electrical surges can damage computer equipment by burning its wires or gradually over time wearing down the device’s internal components and even wipe out any saved data. Surge protectors can also protect telephone and cable lines as these also carry electric current.
It is a common misunderstanding that surge protectors will protect systems from lightning, the most familiar source of power surges. Even the most effective surge protectors can not protect equipment from the sudden increase in electrical pressure of millions of volts that lightning can supply. The best way to prevent damage during from lightning storm is to unplug devices that could be irreparably damaged. Surge protectors more commonly protect equipment from lower-voltage surges that occur frequently in modern electrical wiring. For example, devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners require large amounts of energy to switch motors and compressors on and off, creating surges in power that disrupt the steady flow of voltage. Faulty wiring, downed power lines and faulty equipment at the power source (utility company) can all cause power surges as well.
UPS – uninterruptible power supply.
What is a UPS?
Short for uninterruptible power supply, a power supply that includes a battery to maintain power in the event of a power outage. Typically, a UPS keeps a computer running for several minutes after a power outage, enabling you to save data that is in RAM and shut down the computer gracefully. Many UPSs now offer a software component that enables you to automate backup and shut down procedures in case there's a power failure while you're away from the computer.
There are two basic types of UPS systems: standby power systems (SPSs) and on-line UPS systems. An SPS monitors the power line and switches to battery power as soon as it detects a problem. The switch to battery, however, can require several milliseconds, during which time the computer is not receiving any power. Standby Power Systems are sometimes called Line-interactive UPSes.
An on-line UPS avoids these momentary power lapses by constantly providing power from its own inverter, even when the power line is functioning properly. In general, on-line UPSs are much more expensive than SPSs.
These are the most common devices used to protect computers, whilst most common surge protectors cannot protect against lightening there are a few “self destructing” type surge protectors that “blow out” and break the circuit to the equipment. These are very expensive and usually single use only. You require also a surge protector that monitors the telephone line was well.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Other web browsers
(1) Is it true that both the US Department of Defense and the German Federal Office for Information Security have advised against using internet explorer because of the security hazards it poses?
Ref: http://www.w3reports.com/index.php?itemid=574
Sav:- Not sure on the US government angle but I can count numerous organizations with in Australia that do not utilize the Internet explorer browser due to hassles with spyware and other security issues. Firefox and opera seem to be popular choices for these companies. Firefox is popular because of the fact it is open source and problems are quickly identified and a new stable release issued, where as with internet explorer you have to contact Microsoft and hope someone is listening at the time and even then often the fix doesn’t actually come out until a new version or major service pack is released.
(2) I understand that Firefox is the fastest growing browser alternative in the market. Is this true?
Ref: http://enterprise-linux-it.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Firefox-Tops-Two-Million-Downloads&story_id=27235
http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=node/view/875
Sav - Certainly has made big inroads into the industry and people are utilizing the new features. ISPs are really taking note with many helpdesks here in Australia recommending the software to people. Firefox and Thunderbird are now probably two of the best open source products on the internet today. My feeling is yes it’s a great product and many people are adopting for both IT departments and home users. So yes its true enough that the big guys are either hiding under the bed or trying to emulate the features Firefox has to offer.
(3) Is it true that Firefox includes many feature enhancements like tabbed browsing, type ahead find and a full powered popup stopper?
Ref: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Yes, my testing has shown these features to be quite good, tabbed browsing is ok on unlimited plans but if your on a light plan or capped plan it can be a pain because the tabbed websites download in the background each time the browser is activated and thus runs up the download megabytes. But it does save on heaps of time and is a great option for most users. Pop up blockers are becoming standard in most browsers now, but Microsoft’s tends to put strains on system resources when it blocks the pop ups. However, it appears the firefox pop up blocker does stop most pop ups and doesn’t put a strain on resources when doing so.
(4) How do I obtain Firefox and how hard is it to install?
Sav: many of the magazine CD’s have both firefox and thunderbird on the cover for both linux and windows environments. I’m more familiar with the windows install and its just a case of follow the bouncing ball. You can also download them from http://www.mozilla.org/products
(5) If it really is the best web browser on the planet, how can I help other people hear about it?
Ref: http://www.spreadfirefox.com/
SAV: Word of mouth, tech TV, media and internet services providers keep telling people about the advances in open source technologies we should see the adoption rate increase.
Ref: http://www.w3reports.com/index.php?itemid=574
Sav:- Not sure on the US government angle but I can count numerous organizations with in Australia that do not utilize the Internet explorer browser due to hassles with spyware and other security issues. Firefox and opera seem to be popular choices for these companies. Firefox is popular because of the fact it is open source and problems are quickly identified and a new stable release issued, where as with internet explorer you have to contact Microsoft and hope someone is listening at the time and even then often the fix doesn’t actually come out until a new version or major service pack is released.
(2) I understand that Firefox is the fastest growing browser alternative in the market. Is this true?
Ref: http://enterprise-linux-it.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Firefox-Tops-Two-Million-Downloads&story_id=27235
http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=node/view/875
Sav - Certainly has made big inroads into the industry and people are utilizing the new features. ISPs are really taking note with many helpdesks here in Australia recommending the software to people. Firefox and Thunderbird are now probably two of the best open source products on the internet today. My feeling is yes it’s a great product and many people are adopting for both IT departments and home users. So yes its true enough that the big guys are either hiding under the bed or trying to emulate the features Firefox has to offer.
(3) Is it true that Firefox includes many feature enhancements like tabbed browsing, type ahead find and a full powered popup stopper?
Ref: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Yes, my testing has shown these features to be quite good, tabbed browsing is ok on unlimited plans but if your on a light plan or capped plan it can be a pain because the tabbed websites download in the background each time the browser is activated and thus runs up the download megabytes. But it does save on heaps of time and is a great option for most users. Pop up blockers are becoming standard in most browsers now, but Microsoft’s tends to put strains on system resources when it blocks the pop ups. However, it appears the firefox pop up blocker does stop most pop ups and doesn’t put a strain on resources when doing so.
(4) How do I obtain Firefox and how hard is it to install?
Sav: many of the magazine CD’s have both firefox and thunderbird on the cover for both linux and windows environments. I’m more familiar with the windows install and its just a case of follow the bouncing ball. You can also download them from http://www.mozilla.org/products
(5) If it really is the best web browser on the planet, how can I help other people hear about it?
Ref: http://www.spreadfirefox.com/
SAV: Word of mouth, tech TV, media and internet services providers keep telling people about the advances in open source technologies we should see the adoption rate increase.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
MSN Messenger 7.0 Beta
MSN messenger 7.0 beta hits the testers this week
A select group of testers next week will get an early look at MSN Messenger 7.0, the next version of Microsoft's popular instant messaging client.
MSN messenger 7 will have a mass of new features, which include ways to grab a contact's attention, dubbed "winks" and "nudges." Users can now send a sound animation, called a wink, or make the contact's Messenger window vibrate on screen, a nudge. There is also an enhanced set of options to allow users to set their status before they sign on to the service. A user can select a status such as busy, on the phone, out to lunch, away or "appear offline" when logging on.
A select group of testers next week will get an early look at MSN Messenger 7.0, the next version of Microsoft's popular instant messaging client.
MSN messenger 7 will have a mass of new features, which include ways to grab a contact's attention, dubbed "winks" and "nudges." Users can now send a sound animation, called a wink, or make the contact's Messenger window vibrate on screen, a nudge. There is also an enhanced set of options to allow users to set their status before they sign on to the service. A user can select a status such as busy, on the phone, out to lunch, away or "appear offline" when logging on.
media player 10
Microsoft have released the next version of their media player program, version 10 has a lots of new features According to Microsoft “Windows Media Player 10 gives you more music and more choices, and for the first time makes it possible to sync high-quality music, video, and photos to the latest portable devices”
The program is designed to play video and audio services, sync with devices and link with xbox and other media devices to provide the user with a complete media center. The player also interfaces with pay per download networks for access to internet music.
The program is designed to play video and audio services, sync with devices and link with xbox and other media devices to provide the user with a complete media center. The player also interfaces with pay per download networks for access to internet music.
