Gadgets Category Archive

Data centers – where would we be without them?

1 Reply Christopher Roberts

It is hardly a controversial opinion to suggest that data centers are an indispensable part of modern life – it really is impossible to envisage a world without the vast capacity and power that data centers grant the business and information technology sectors – where would we all be without Google, eBay and Facebook? But what exactly are the advantages of a data center that their absence would remove? Let’s take a look…

Firstly, the cost to enterprises of running an in-house own data center is increasingly prohibitive, given the growing size requirements of such facilities. As more and more information is transmitted online and more transactions take place online – just as computing power continues to grow – then a data center needs exponentially more power and more hard disk space. Server racks just keep on getting longer and even keeping them cool enough becomes uneconomically costly for most small, medium or even large-sized enterprises.

Server RoomSecurity is the second big issue – in a world where cyber-crime and espionage is constantly growing, there needs to be a very robust response to security. Most enterprises just don’t have the time and resources to police their IT operations to the level required, and a good data center can give them the reassurances they need. Technicians can be on hand throughout the 24-hour cycle, not just to ensure that the server racks keep on functioning perfectly and that any problems are swiftly dealt with, but also to ensure that information is kept safe and secure and that hacking or phishing attempts are roundly thwarted.

So, where would we be without data centers? The answer is that we would have a vastly more limited cyber-world, with businesses forced to keep their computer operations artificially scaled back due to cost considerations, with the knock-on effect of a hobbled e-commerce sector. Social networks would be slow, unsafe and prone to disastrous infiltration, while search engines would also be grindingly slow and frustrating to use – welcome back to the late 1990s.

It’s safe to say that data centers are not only here to stay, but will keep getting bigger and better so long as the computer world leads the way.

How to share a mobile broadband connection

2 Replies Joe Linford

With the increase in mobile broadband technology, many people are increasingly turning to mobile dongles (like the ones here) at home instead of traditional connections, which cuts out the need for a fixed-line. However, with mobile broadband there are certain problems that can arise, the most obvious being that of sharing your internet connection with another device.

An O2 dongle pluged into a laptop

A USB dongle – used to remotely connect to the internet

However, that needn’t be something that you become overly concerned with, as these days there are a variety of ways to share your mobile connection.

Most of the top providers are now offering technology to allow you to do this, such as 3 Mobile’s MiFi. With this you simply purchase the 3 MiFi and you’re away. It works pretty much the same way as a dongle, with one difference.

With a dongle you have to plug it into the machine, with MiFi you don’t, and can therefore connect to multiple devices at the same time. The devices themselves are small and easily portable; however, as is often the case with mobile broadband, internet speeds can be a little slower than hardwiring or even traditional Wi-Fi.

This doesn’t just mean you can connect to another Wi-Fi enabled laptops, games consoles or mobile devices, but also other Wi-Fi enabled devices including cameras, such as the Nikon Coolpix and the Kindle, so with MiFi and similar technologies, you can connect any combination of these, up to five devices. You can follow this link for more information on 3’s MiFi device.

A portable Wi-Fi router is another option for sharing the net. These are now relatively inexpensive and quite straightforward to use. You simply connect to a mobile network and share with other devices. However, do shop around before choosing one, as some are better than others.

Internet connection sharing is another option. By connecting a laptop or PC to the internet, you can then share its connection with other devices. For example if you’re running windows 7 this can be done through the network and Sharing Centre, but can be quite complicated  to carry out so is really only useful for advanced users or those who have the time and patience to hit the forums and get step by step instructions.

With different operating systems it works slightly differently so you may have to look up how to do this on yours too, this can be something of a headache.

If you have a 3G enabled phone, you can connect to the 3G broadband connection and then share with other devices. So as long as you have a signal, you can connect to your laptop or another device. However, download speeds are often reduced and quite often you can’t get unlimited data, so if you are sharing a connection you could quickly reach your limit.

The new iPad will allow you to do the same thing, however, despite the device being initially offered as 4G, this technology isn’t yet available in the UK. 4G uses the old terrestrial TV signal waves and widens the spectrum for mobile broadband.

However, Ofcom will be auctioning off the spectrum later in the year and this should be available in 2013 with the top mobile operators and will give even more options for mobile broadband.

PDF Reader Pro App Review

Leave a reply Steve August

PDF is the most common file format used to share and publish documents. That’s why people always look out for apps that can help them handle PDFs on the go.

PDF Reader Pro lets users download, edit and email PDFs right from their iOS devices. Although a little complicated at first, this tool really is indispensable if you need a reliable way to help you keep on top of your workload.

This app is optimized for use on the iPad but works just as well on the iPhone even if the buttons are a little small.  The file structure is well laid out, organized and easy to navigate. The search facility is fast and comprehensive – looking into all folders inside the app and not just the folder you are in at the time.

A screenshot of PDF Reader Pro for iPhone and iPad You are able to download single page, as well as full PDF documents, via the in-app browser. It has a scan facility that uses the iOS device’s camera to take pictures of text or pictures and convert them into PDFs. This scan mode is fast and the text is clear and crisp. It also has editing functions to change colors, sharpness, brightness etc. and is something that really adds to the usability of the app.

Once you have scanned or downloaded a PDF, you are able to use a freehand tool to highlight, annotate, mark or just add a personal touch. This is where the bigger screen of the iPad would really help as it can be tricky if you do on the small screen of the iPhone or iPod Touch.

PDF Reader Pro browser downloadThe zip function helps in condensing the size of file; therefore ensuring no extra space is used when saving the documents. Not just able to export, but the app can also import already taken photos from your Photo Albums. The private folder has the option of password protection to ensure security when you are carrying around sensitive information.

As I said PDF Reader Pro has a lot of features. However, the price of this app is slightly on the higher side set at USD 5.99. I think the developer should find a right strategy in terms of pricing to make this app even more successful.

All in all, PDF Reader Pro can help users one who needs quick, on the go, access to a reliable PDF reader, viewer and editor. It is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or later.