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Are Automotive Autopilots The Future Of Personal Travel?

Just for a change, let us venture away from the technology of personal computing and productivity, and into the automotive area. On-board computers have been getting smarter, just like hand held technology, so automotive manufacturers have had plenty of scope for adding new features like smart cruse control, automatic breaking and auto-park. Now those features have been taken a stage further so it is possible to see automotive autopilots becoming the future of personal transport.

Since it became known that Google has been using using driver-less cars for some time, a few things have happened. Firstly people have divided into two camps, those vociferously against the idea on all sort of grounds, and those for whom this technology could be start of the brave new world. Secondly, legislators have started to take notice. The US state of Nevada has set in motion Assembly Bill 511, which requires the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to write rules of the road for self-driving cars.

According to news announcements, Google’s fleet of six Toyota Priuses and an Audi TT drove more than 140,000 miles and almost all of them were on auto-pilot, though Google staff manned the cars but not the controls. The only incident occurred when a car driven by a person rear-ended one of Google’s cars. The trials were conducted with safety as paramount, and having informed local law enforcement, and each trip was preceded by a normally driven car recording the route to be traveled. Never the less this is a significant step forward in motor transport technology.

The knockers have had plenty of ground for resisting this particular advancement, including potential loss of jobs, issues of safety, challenge of unpredictable circumstance and personal resistance. One commentator puts it succinctly when he said (in the style of the American NRA) “You’ll have to pry my 5-speed manual transmission from my cold, dead hands.”! This attitude has been captured by marketing types, as one automotive manufacturer, Dodge, have even incorporated this resistance into their commercial for the new 2011 Charger, see below.

On the plus side, the expected advantages of this technology include potentially safer roads, less pollution, higher traffic density due to the elimination of human response times, and freeing up of personal time for the driver. It could even allow for platooning, which is a concept of grouping vehicles into platoons which decrease the distances between cars using electronic, and possibly mechanical coupling, as a method of increasing the capacity of roads. The idea is attractive to local government organizations responsible for roads as it does not require expensive road sensors to be be built into the carriageway, or special trackways like some earlier attempts at driver-less cars.

Whatever your point of view, this is a technology which has the potential to change the way we use the roads, and may make the future for personal transport completely different to everything which has gone before. Automotive Autopilots may be the future of personal travel.

For more on the subject of Google and their auto-piloted cars, see the following links:

If you want to see the 2011 Dodge Charger Commercial check out Dodge Rebels Against Robots in New 2011 Charger Commercial

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Add a Mac Mini Server to your network

Have you ever considered adding a Mac server to your gadget collection, but were afraid of the hassle? Does your Mac work group need a server to share essential resources like your media library, without cluttering up your individual machines? Have you ever wondered if you could set up a Mac server to control your Mac work stations?

Well the answer may be to get yourself a Mac Mini, preloaded with Snow Leopard Server. You can buy one of these little dynamite machines for less than £900 including VAT in UK, or $950 US, and be up and running in less than an hour. The standard Apple Mac Mini Server comes with a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB RAM, and two 500 GB Hard drives as standard, with a Geforce 320M graphics adapter, and of course Snow Leopard Server 2 installed.

Be warned, however, that this machine does not include an optical drive, as does it’s client cousin, or a keyboard or mouse, and you will need your own display. It does have two graphics ports, a HDMI port, with an included HDMI to DVI conversion lead. It also includes Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible), Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones, and four USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire 800 port. Not bad in such a tiny form factor!

If you want to use a VGA display you can buy an optional adapter Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter, which allows you run up to 2560-by-1600 resolution. Please note that the Mac Mini Server has a Mini DisplayPort, not a Mini DVI port, so you need an Apple MB572Z/A Mini Display Port to VGA Adapter cable, or equivalent. See the link below for a suitable product, or contact Apple.

The setup is quite simple, with a Mac quality Assistant to guide you through the process. One note of caution is offered here; if the server you are setting up will serve as an Open Directory Master and DNS server, you should not set up a new Open Directory domain until you have read and understand the implications. One of the pitfalls of simply walking through Mac OS X Server’s automatic Server Assistant tool, is that the Assistant offers you the option of setting up a new Open Directory domain. This can cause problems if the server you are setting up will serve as an Open Directory Master and DNS server. See Understanding Mac OS X Open Directory later for more information.

Another thing to be aware of of if you are a hands on person and just want to get going. Make sure you have the server software serial number cards that are essential during the setup process! That is one of the first things the Server Assistant requires, and if you have thrown away the packaging in your enthusiasm to get going, you will have a problem. Not that anyone we know would have done that, you understand!

In use, the Mac Mini Server runs cooler that the client version with its built in internal optical drive. Is seems that the internal optical drive generate most of the heat in a Mini, while the disk drives generate very little, which contributes to the heat savings claimed by Apple. As a benchmark, a Mini with Snow Leopard Server should handle a work-group or small business of 25 users with a bit of room to spare.

For the corporately minded, who like the server bolted into a 19″ rack, there is even a nifty little attachment you can buy, which allows two Mac Mini Servers to be secure in a 1U rack mounted enclosure. Neat!

Further reading about Mac OS X server:

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Microsoft launches Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft has launched the finished version of its Internet Explorer 9 web browser, and at the same time started a campagn to rid the world of the dreaded IE6. The site called The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown, appears to be set on moving the world off Internet Explorer 6 – and about time too!

However, the joy at the launch of IE9 may not be ubiquitous; While Windows Vista or Windows 7 users can now download the full release version of IE9, XP users and Mac OS X or Linux users are not so fortunate. There are plenty of other browsers of course, including Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, and many others to chose from, so there are plenty of alternatives to IE6.

Meanwhile on another front, a Downing Street petition is calling for the UK government to drop IE6 and move to a more modern browser. The petition highlights IE6 security flaws and uses outdated technology, creating a burden for developers. The petition comes as the Department of Health advised the NHS to move away from the old browser. How long will it be before other government departments catch on and realize that it is time to ditch the bad egg, which is well past it’s use by date.

If you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7, you can click here to download IE9

For a more critical view of the new browser from the Microsoft stable, read Five Reasons not to “Upgrade” to Windows’ Internet Explorer 9

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Google Changes its Ranking Algorithm.

Just when you think you have worked out how to optimize your website to get the best ranking for you site for your favorite search terms, Google goes and changes the ranking algorithm! In a move intended to counter criticism for allowing content farm sites to rank above high-quality sites Google has anounced a change to its search engine to demotes ‘low-quality’ websites. Apparently the change will affect about 12% of Google search queries in the US.

According to an announcement on the official Google Blog, this update does not rely on the feedback received from the Personal Blocklist Chrome extension, which was launched a few weeks ago. The post by Amit Singhal, Google Fellow, and Matt Cutts, Principal Engineer notes that “If you take the top several dozen or so most-blocked domains from the Chrome extension, then this algorithmic change addresses 84% of them, which is strong independent confirmation of the user benefits.”

At the moment it is impossible to speculate how any of the changes made by Google will impact on any online business in the long term, but we will keep our finger on the pulse, and let you know what we find.

If you want to read the official Google Blog announcement click here

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How To Add New Fonts To Your Graphics

While we were experimenting with layouts for a news letter for a project currently in the marketing department, we came upon the need for some additional font options for the headline and titles. While the built in fonts on a Mac are impressive, the headline wanted something more futuristic and stylized than those provided by default. A quick Google search identified that there are several sites which offer free fonts, and as the newsletter must be re-creatable, we wanted a freely available font for the headline on the style guide. After all you don’t want to pay for a custom font which you have to license for every user who may recreate the newsletter in the future.

On a Mac it is simple to install extra fonts. You just download them and then open the Zip or Archive file in Finder and then double click the font so that it opens in Font Book. If the font is what you are looking for just click the Install Font button. OpenType fonts work in Mac OS X, and TrueType fonts work in Mac OS X and earlier versions.

There is a little bit more to do in Windows, and you must be an Administrator on the target machine to install or remove fonts.

To install a font in Windows the hard way, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. Type the following command, and then click OK:
    %windir%\fonts
  3. On the File menu, click Install New Font.
  4. In the Drives box, click the drive that contains the font that you want to add.

Alternatively, you can also browse to a file in Explorer and then either

  • right-click on the font file, and then select ‘Install’ from the drop-down menu.
  • double-click on the font file to open the font preview and click the ‘Install’ button.

We are installing the new font for embedding in a header graphic, so everyone will see the same result. We tend not to use these custom fonts on web pages as most viewers will not have them installed, and you dont want to lose fancy twirls and long descenders.

A great site to visit is dafont.com where they have an excelent selection of Free, Shareware, Free for Personal Use and Public domain/GNU GPL fonts which will meet most needs. We particularly liked the Sci-Fi selection which includes gems like Star Jedi and terminator! We discounted fonts marked “Free for personal use” as this newsletter is to support a database which is launching in a corporate market.

Why not explore the wonderful world of fonts and give you next newsletter some character?

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Increase Your Productivity with Multi Monitor Graphic Cards

Have you ever wanted to see more of your spreadsheet on screen in one glance, without having to zoom out until the text is almost unreadable? Do you find that you are telling yourself that the job would be much easier if you could open two documents at one time and have them side by side on the screen? Do you feel that you could be even more productive if your display area was bigger?

This week we are looking at ways to increase your productivity using Multi Monitor Graphic Cards. Rather than opening up your PC case and installing another graphics card, a non-starter for laptop users, why not use an external device that splits your video output between two or more monitors? This is especially useful for notebook users, as it allows you to have maximum desktop space in the office, for maximum productivity, while still allowing you freedom on the move.

Matrox D2G-A2A-IF DualHead2Go Analog Edition Graphic Card

The first product we are looking at is the Matrox D2G-A2A-IF DualHead2Go Analog Edition Graphic Card

An external multi-monitor upgrade for notebooks and desktop computers which is ideal for business and professional users looking to increase their productivity with a dual monitor setup. Supports up to dual 1280 x 1024 Video Output, that is 2560 x 1024 (dual 1280 x 1024) at 60 Hz, provided your graphics card has enough memory.

This small box lets you run different applications on each monitor or view one application across two monitors. DualHead2Go is available in analog and digital editions.

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Quick Links to WordPress Resources

You probably know by now that WordPress is a world renown blogging platform, with millions of installs and active sites. You also know that at TechCo Systems we understand the need for small business to boost their Internet marketing without spending a fortune on advertising. That is why we recommend using a Blog to give you an Internet presence for boosting your marketing, or getting your message out there.

Here are some Quick Links to useful WordPress resources, which should help you to get started with a Blog based site to increase your marketing:

There is also a warning from Matt Mullenweg, one of the creators of WordPress about taking things too far:

If you want

Finally for those who like to see and hear the speakers tell you how to do things, see WordPress.tv

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Warning About Buying A Wireless Microphone System

Buying A Wireless Microphone System?
Are you considering purchasing a wireless microphone system, and are wondering which one to buy? There are a few questions you might like to ask your supplier before parting with some hard earned cash!

  • Do I need a licence to use it now, or in the future?
  • Will it be legal after 1st January 2012?
  • Can it use an unlicenced frequency band?

Users of Professional Wireless Microphone System (PWMS), should be wary of changes made to the wireless spectrum by Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, will mean that after 1st January 2012, some equipment will have to change frequencies or be illegal. This affects equipment such as wireless microphones, wireless instrument links and in-ear monitors, which use Channel 69. Ofcom are having at the moment is regarding Channel 69, and selling those ranges off… the question is, what happens to wireless microphones that are currently licensed to use Channel 69?

The answer is that after 1st January 2012, users of wireless microphones, or any of the other equipment mentioned above on Channels 69 will run the risk of prosecution by Ofcom. After that, Channel 70 will still be free but will only have 4 usable frequencies and could be useless if other users (other events, churches, theatres, clubs etc.) are in range.

Using existing equipment on Channels 69 and 70 is OK without a licence until Jan 1st 2012. For specific details of frequencies that will be available in your area, see the UK Shared Wireless Microphone Spectrum tool provided by JFMG, below.

Ofcom have proposed to provide funding to eligible PMSE users who are affected by the clearing channel 69, but as usual there are some hoops to jump through, if you think you are going to be affected. First, users will need to register claims through the appointed PMSE funding scheme administrator, Equiniti Ltd. Registration opened on 23 September 2010 and will close at the end of December 2010.

Who is eligible for funding?
To be eligible for funding, a user must have held a licence to use channel 69 equipment on 2 February 2009 (when Ofcom gave notice that they planned to clear channel 69), or in the 12 months before this date. The only exception to this requirement is companies who can prove their business involves hiring out, rather than using, equipment which needs a channel 69 licence.

Users will only be able to receive funding for working equipment that tunes to channel 69 but not channel 38. They must have bought that equipment before 30 June 2009 (when Ofcom confirmed channel 38 would be replacing channel 69).

The Ofcom proposed funding scheme aimed to help those affected by the changes can be summarized as follows. Those eligible would be:

  • Users who purchased before 2nd February 2009 equipment capable of tuning to Channel 69 but not Channel 38 and were in possession of a valid Channel 69 licence after 2nd February 2008.
  • Licensed users who needed to buy Channel 69 equipment between February 2009 and 30 June 2009.
  • and Rental companies

Users who will not be eligible for funding under the proposals are:

  • Channel 31 – 37 users.
  • Channel 60 – 68 users.
  • Users whose equipment does not tune to Channel 69.
  • Users whose equipment tunes to Channel 69 but also tunes to Channel 38.
  • Users who have never held a licence to operate Channel 69.
  • Users who purchase Channel 69 equipment after 30 June 2009.

To find out more check out the following links:

If you are currently considering buying a wireless microphone system, make sure that you ask the supplier to confirm that it will operate in the free Channel 70, or consider buying a licence for channel 38. After 2012 only channel 70 may be used for free, and channel 38 may only be used with a licence. You have been warned!

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Think Tank Slams Government IT

According to an article in Computer Weekly, a government think-tank has proposed dismantling the IT systems and business ecosystem established by Labour’s drive to computerise government. In an eBook entitled Better for Less: How to make Government IT deliver savings, posted on the Network for the Post-Bureaucratic Age website, Liam Maxwell and six other named contributors slam the track record of the government in IT procurement.

Using headings like An Evolutionary Dead End, Bad Systems Concreted In, and Very Successfully Resisting Change, the paper describes how the UK Government has enabled a small group of overly influential System Integrators to corner the market, and dispensed with appropriate transparency in the name of Commercial Confidentiality.

The other fundamental problem outlined is that Government IT has been steered away from the IT mainstream, which encompasses open platforms, open competition and rapid innovation, and diverted the huge number of captive users into an expensive, proprietary sideline, where there can be little competitive leverage. Security is cited as the smokescreen which hides the truth about poor systems implementations and inexplicable policy decisions, although commercial exploitation of the ignorant and helpless is the most likely explanation. We would argue that this is a deliberate policy by the IT suppliers which allows them to act as the only consulted advisors, and so helps to perpetuate the situation and their continued revenue.

Just to be clear, Liam Maxwell has slammed the whole way that Government IT procurement is handled, which is about time. He has identified at least seven examples where savings could be made without massive changes to the infrastructure

  • A test environment for development companies with easy access to rack-space
  • Open Source on the desktop through the use of Open Document Format
  • New models sought for software framework (may we suggest Apache, My SQL, PHP for a start)
  • Commoditization of Email and office productivity
  • Common Security Framework
  • Migrating Schools to Free email services
  • Prizes for IT innovation in education

The view we take is that because you need as many people to monitor and manage the contract than you employed originally, to deliver the service in house, and attempt to innovate where innovation is stifled, it can and will never save money. Furthermore, because the outsourced supplier never delivers all the services that were provided by the in-house team, you have to keep most of those staff on to fill in the gaps. The net result is an increase in staffing costs, less flexible service because of the overheads of “governance” and a worse service to the consumer, and in the end the tax payer.

We would like to take this even further, as the policy makers likely do not read this blog, any more that the suppliers do! Although legal constraints prevent us from actually calling for the sacking of specific individuals for incompetence (remember that quote from Microsoft’s Ed Bott that “Any IT professional who is still allowing IE6 to be used in a corporate setting is guilty of malpractice“?) or naming the guilty parties who are preparing to roll out unsupportable version of operating systems and software on new platforms going live about now, remember we are watching you.

We commend Liam Maxwell for putting in writing what many people have known for a long time: Government outsourcing using the existing framework does not work. We recommend everyone involved in Government IT procurement, on either side, should read Better for Less: How to make Government IT deliver savings.

Finally, the warning to the IT suppliers should be clear, but if not we will restate it to make sure the message gets home. Remember the following three fortune cookie quotes:

  • Use of IE6 in a Corporate Setting is Malpractice
  • More than two software versions behind the current manufacturer’s recommendations is effectively deploying obsolescence
  • Ignoring the calls of reason from the little guy is commercial suicide

Click here to read Better for Less: How to make Government IT deliver savings

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Theme Update for TechCo Support Site

Those of you who visit TechCo Support regularly will notice that we have now updated our theme to Atahualpa 3.5.1. Atahualpa is a highly configurable WordPress theme which allows you to change hundreds of parameters and features to suit your needs

There are a huge number of configurable items, (268 according to BytesForAll, the theme creators) with five separate categories for changing the header area alone. The theme will support five columns, with one or two sidebars on either side, each of which can have a number of combination such as display on Pages, or Categories, or not. The sidebar combinations alone would fill a substantial article, so let it suffice to say that you can configure them to meet most requirements, no matter what they are.

Atahualpa features a distinctive rotating header image, which changes every time you load a page. This can be further rotated selecting from the WordPress dashboard, Appearance, then Atahualpa Theme Options, Header Images, Rotate header images with Javascript, and setting a value in seconds in the dropdown.

For this to work, you will need a selection of images of the correct header size: 1300 pixels width, by 160 pixels high by default. You can also select to have the images transition by fading out then in, in the same place.

To install the Atahualpa theme, there are two methods:
Automatic Install From the WordPress Dashboard

  • Click on Themes, Under Appearance
  • Select the Install Themes tab
  • Type Atahualpa in the textbox under Search for themes by keyword, author, or tag.
  • Ensure Term is selected in the Dropdown, and click Search
  • When the Atahualpa theme appears below, click Install
  • After the transparant overlay appears, click the Install Now button
  • You should then see messages including the following:
    • Unpacking the package…
    • Installing the theme…
    • Successfully installed the theme Atahualpa 3.4.9.
  • Activate the theme by clicking the Activate link next to Actions, and you are in business!

Manual Install
Alternatively, for those used to manually installing WordPress themes, you can download the package, unpack it and then upload it to the Themes directory on your site. You should end up with a directory called atahualpa351, or whatever is the version number. Atahualpa versions will happily coexist with earlier releases, so if there is something you do not like you can always revert to the earlier version.

This versatile theme from BytesForAll is available currently as version 3.5.3, which we are actively evaluating at the moment. The latest version of Atahualpa also includes support for the new WP 3+ menu system integrated with 2 Menu Locations (called Menu 1 and Menu 2). The original Page Menu Bar and Category Menu Bar will work if you don’t setup a menu with the new system. We will let you know as soon as we apply this update to our live sites

If you are interested in using Atahualpa on your own WordPress blog, then see

  • Bytes For All
  • Atahualpa Support Forum