VODAFONE TRIALS BIRD BOX ANTENNA

Vodafone has developed a mini-antenna designed to look like a bird nesting box.

The new mini-antenna, designed in conjunction with NET Coverage Solutions, picks up signal from a nearby mobile mast and boosting it to strengthen indoor coverage.

Early  Bird

The box is currently being trialled in a garden in Wiltshire, with the design specifically aimed at blending in the a rural setting

Vodafone UK head technical engineer Pedro Santos, who installed the system, said "We take great care about the visual impact our systems have on the beautiful countryside.  A standard external mobile antenna can look out of place situated on, or near, a rural cottage so we are always looking at clever ways to ensure they blend in to the surroundings".

"The Vodafone bird box in working well and no birds have been sufficiently fooled to try to get in to it, although the customer says it looks very convincing"

Does BT’s purchase of EE mean the end of mobile networks?

So BT having originally sold Cellnet/O2 to balance the books have now entered the mobile market again as a network operator as opposed to a virtual with EE as its portfolio mobile offering. While this on the surface may look like a plan to rival Sky and Virgin with the consumer all in offering of TV, Broadband, Mobile and Telephone, I believe it goes much further than that. 

Last week EE announced that it’s customers can now make calls over WiFi, just like O2 customers can with TU GO. I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before Vodafone announce the same. This means that there won’t really be a need for  the home/office boost box as the calls can be routed straight over WiFi using most 3G handsets. BT though have millions of WiFi locations which currently offer its customers use of BT WiFi, formerly Openzone and Fon. Now Fon for those of you who don’t know is BT’s jewel. This is where it lets you use bandwidth on any BT home or business users network without you even needing their WPA password. This means that BT & EE customers will now be able to make and receive calls & data in more locations than O2 & Vodafone put together. 

BT also have the added advantage that for pretty much all broadband installations require Openreach to attend and operate a phone line. The only thing holding everything back for now is that call quality is only as good as the network you are on and too many places in the UK are still offering substandard speeds especially in rural areas. 

I've just taken delivery of a device this morning to help a customer who can’t get a line in at his new premises, but this device can plug in to his WiFi and propagate it’s signal 2 miles away. He can then have the ability to run a VOIP phone system on it without a phone line or WiFi on the premises. It will also provide the same quality data connection speed in his new location. With this kind of tech available right now, the rollout of fibre and the inevitability of WiFi improving all the time, how long will it be before the mobile mast becomes a thing of the past? 

Smile ...... iPhone Selfies on a timer 

Take selfies on a timer

Selfies may of been banned in Cannes, but everywhere else they are still in vogue.  So, how to achieve that snap without your arm in the way?  Use the shutter timer...... frame your shot, tap the timer icon  and the number of seconds, then tap the shutter button and jump in to the shot.

Go Faster with Your iPhone.........

Quickly Manage Your Mail

Customer web history will  be kept on file for one year

The Conservative Party can now implement policies, unpopular with civil rights groups, such as the Draft Communications Data Bill, previously rejected by the coalition.  The Bill will force internet service providers and mobile networks to retain customer data for at least 12 months.  This would include records on browsing activity, social media, email, voice calls, internet gaming and messaging services.

Following the Queens speech on 27^th May 2015 the Investigatory Powers Bill  will be as follows;

“New legislation will modernise the law on communications data.” The purpose of this legislation is to:

• Provide the police and intelligence agencies with the tools to keep you and your family safe.

• Address ongoing capability gaps that are severely degrading the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies ability to combat terrorism and other serious crime.

• Maintain the ability of our intelligence agencies and law enforcement to target the on-line communications of terrorists, paedophiles and other serious criminals.

• Modernise our law in these areas and ensure it is fit for purpose.

• Provide for appropriate oversight and safeguard arrangements. The main benefits of these clauses would be:

• Better equipping law enforcement and intelligence agencies to meet their key operational requirements, and addressing the gap in these agencies’ ability to build intelligence and evidence where subjects of interest, suspects and vulnerable people have communicated on-line.

• Maintain the ability of our intelligence agencies to target the on-line communications of terrorists, and other relevant capabilities.

• Provide for appropriate oversight arrangements and safeguards.

• This will respond to issues raised in the independent review by the Independent Reviewer of Counter-Terrorism legislation, which is due to be published shortly. The main elements of the clauses are:

• The legislation covers all investigatory powers including communications data, where the Government has long maintained that the gap in capabilities are putting lives at risk. 27 May 2015 

• The legislation will enable the continuation of the targeting of terrorist communications and other capabilities. 

THE SPY IN YOUR HAND

You might not realise it but your iPhone has been watching and recording exactly where you've been and how long you spent there.  Are you where you should be!!

It's weird, fascinating and just a little bit scary to realise that your iPhone contains a perfect record of where you've been in the last month or so.  That includes the exact time you arrived and left anywhere;  your office, a bar, the shopping centre, even the beach!!

Apple say the data is collected "in order to learn places that are significant to you" and improve traffic routing services.  The company says the data is stored locally on your iPhone and will not be accessed elsewhere or shared with anyone else.

Now if you would rather use your memory and photos to record where you've been, here's how to switch off this spy;

 In System Services scroll all the way down to the bottom, press 'Frequent Locations' and look at the 'History' section.  Click on one of the area names to see where you've been - you may be surprised!

Watch out for those Tattoos says Apple

Apple has warned customers with tattoos around their wrists, they may experience performance issues when using its newly released Watch due to the ink blocking its sensors.

The manufacturer has received a number of complaints surrounding the heart rate sensor on the device, since it went on sale in April.

Apple confirmed in a statement there are numerous factors which can affect the Watch's ability to detect a heart beat, including temperature, motion and changes to skin colour - such as tattoos.

The heart rate sensor on the smart watch uses technology known as 'photoplethysmography' to detect the amount of blood flowing through a users wrist by reflecting light off the skin.  Apple said;  "Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance.  "The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings".