31 December 2021

Happy New Year!

 

Lord, You make all things new
You bring hope alive in our hearts
And cause our Spirits to be born again
Thank you for this new year
For all the potential it holds.
Come and kindle in us
A mighty flame
So that in our time, many will see the wonders of God
And live forever to praise Your glorious name
Amen.

May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God's blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

Don Kim & Calli - Donline


29 December 2021

COVID wasn't the only bad thing in 2021... The 10 worst tech stories of 2021

A lot of stuff has happened in the past year, especially in the tech world. It seemed like every time you turned your head in 2021 there was a new digital disaster unfolding: Sensitive data was leaked, ransoms took networks offline and plain old fashion gender discrimination cases have all rocked the tech world in the past 12 months.

Sure, there's been good stuff, but it was far easier to come up with this one than the former. Basically, it's been a rough year.

You may have missed some of these items, but it's more likely you've heard about each one. They were hard to miss, even among the other stories that kept us on edge this past year.

www.techrepublic.com


Triumph TE-1 electric bike promises genuine super-naked performance without hours spent at a socket

 

Triumph have revealed key details of their TE-1 electric bike project, which not only looks amazing but also boasts tech and performance figures that could tempt even the most die-hard petrolhead.

Working with an array of British companies, including Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick, and funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, Triumph have created a prototype that has the power to challenge what we think about electric bikes. Before we get to the details though, let’s look at the headline figures.

In finished trim Triumph say the TE-1 will weigh a hair over 220kg, will produce 174bhp and will travel around 120 miles before you need to plug it in.

In short, it’s a portly Speed Triple but we’ve not even told you the really positive news yet: The TE-1 will be capable of a 0-80% charge in just 20 minutes. If you’d limped into a charging station when you started reading this, the bike would already have added five miles to its range.

www.motorcyclenews.com


24 December 2021

Merry Christmas from the Moon: Apollo 8 - 24th December 1968

 

On December 24, 1968 three American astronauts orbited the moon for the first time. During their tenth and final orbit they broadcast an unforgettable message to the largest television audience in history. Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders—the crew of Apollo 8—read the opening verses of Genesis chapter 1. It was the perfect Christmas card.

"And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."


23 December 2021

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests


Celebrate Christmas with a breathtaking tour of Earth from the perspective of the International Space Station

Photographed at night more than 200 miles above the surface of our planet, this unforgettable video is a unique call to worship and rejoice in the greatest gift the world has ever received: Jesus Christ, the Saviour and King of all creation.

www.thejohn1010project.com


The Revolution in the stable - God became man

The incarnation, celebrated by Christians at Christmas, was described by CS Lewis as not only the central thing about Christianity, but, if true, “the central event in the history of the Earth - the very thing that the whole story has been about”. It is perhaps for this reason that one hears so little about it, even at Christmas. It is far easier to talk platitudes about a “season of goodwill” than think about something which, if it is worth talking about at all, must redefine our entire understanding of reality.

But our moment in history, as we end 2021, demands that we must think about it. Many of the social malaises currently afflicting us arise from abandoning the Christianity which provided the structural timbers of Western culture, central to which is the Incarnation. If the timbers of the house are allowed to rot, it is only a matter of time before the roof falls in.

www.thecritic.co.uk


17 December 2021

Google Says NSO Pegasus Zero-Click 'Most Technically Sophisticated Exploit Ever Seen'

Security researchers at Google’s Project Zero have picked apart one of the most notorious in-the-wild iPhone exploits and found a never-before-seen hacking roadmap that included a PDF file pretending to be a GIF image with a custom-coded virtual CPU built out of boolean pixel operations.

If that makes you scratch your head, that was exactly the reaction from Google’s premier security research team after disassembling the so-called FORCEDENTRY iMessage zero-click exploit used to plant NSO Group’s Pegasus surveillance tool on iPhones.

“We assess this to be one of the most technically sophisticated exploits we've ever seen,” Google’s Ian Beer and Samuel Groß wrote in a technical deep-dive into the remote code execution exploit that was captured during an in-the-wild attack on an activist in Saudi Arabia.

www.securityweek.com


15 December 2021

Need to buy some quality drinks for Christmas? Look no further than Virgin Wines!

With Christmas Day only 2 weeks away, you can rely on the good folks at Virgin Wines to help you stock up on great drinks - ready for the festive period!

Virgin Wines are the guys who scour the planet to find unique, boutique, hand-made wines and bring them direct to your door. Using over 1 million unedited customer ratings, we work closely with our independent winemaking friends to bring you more of what you love and less of what you don’t - time and time again. And if you don’t like a wine, we’ll give you your money back. Simple as that.

Get started now by simply clicking here to find your exclusive welcome offer for just £6.99 a bottle including a sumptuous saving. Cheers!

www.virginwines.co.uk


08 December 2021

Motorcycle Live visit - Monday 6th Dec 2021

 

There was no bike show in 2020 - aaagh! So here in 2021 - we were really pleased that Motorcycle Live is back in the calendar! 3 of us (Jeff, Mike & me) drove (cheers Jeff!) up to Brum on Sunday & spent the evening at a reasonably comfortable Premier Inn. Din dins was at TGIF.

On (a cold & rainy) Monday morning, after a stop off at McDonald's for breakfast, we set off for the NEC. Car parking was a nightmare - as several of their car parks were blocked off!

The MCL bike show was smaller than usual - COVID I suppose... Some missing exhibitors, some reduced size stands. That said, we were really glad to go up! COVID security was well thought out - which was good.

My favourite was the Norton stand, great to see them back (no thanks to Stuart Garner, but HUGE thanks to TVS). Honestly, look at the V4CR - what a thing of beauty! No price yet, but with all that CNC & carbon - it's not gonna be cheap...

Wonderful to see BSA are back too - well done to Mahindra for investing in this classic marque!

MCL 2021 Photos HERE


Introducing 'Good news', this year's Spoken-Truth Christmas film (Part 2)

 

Two weeks ago we launched part one of this year’s two part ‘Spoken Truth’ Christmas film. It was the shepherds take on the nativity story, but with a 21st century twist.

In Part 1 you heard the ‘Shepherds’ tell their story in the form of a spoken word, now for Part 2 – a song, capturing how people must’ve felt hearing this good news for the first time.

This Christmas, Jesus is good news for everybody and those who reach out to him get to be part of his family. May we be inspired by the Shepherds in Luke 2:17-18, who couldn’t help but share this ‘good news for everybody’ … with everybody.

www.biblesociety.org.uk


Deloitte: another chip shortage is coming - only a matter of time

 

Deloitte has published a set of five recommendations for the semiconductor industry designed to help it better weather a future chip shortage that it has described as not a possibility, but an eventuality. 

By the time our current semiconductor shortage ends, Deloitte said, it will have lasted more than 24 months and will likely have had a global cumulative revenue impact of more than $500 billion USD. Anyone shopping for holiday gifts in 2021 knows how dire things have become: Countless products are unavailable and wait times don't seem to be shrinking. 

www.techrepublic.com


03 December 2021

Help feed the 5000 this Christmas - with Child of Hope, Uganda

After another year of Covid-19 lockdowns and food shortages in Namatala slum, please could you help Child of Hope Uganda give slum families a special Christmas treat?

When we did this last year, children and their families ate well on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – and they still talk about it. Since then, children have been stuck at home for the entire year; it would be fantastic to bless them all again with Christmas food.

We’ve been supporting hundreds of families throughout Covid-19 lockdowns and curfews, which have seriously reduced food availability and inflated prices. We’ve helped the entire families of our pupils, plus other desperately needy families. That’s tons and tons of maize flour, beans, salt and soap.

This year’s Christmas meal will again be rice, meat and vegetables for each family to cook at home. To feed around 5,000 people it will cost £5,000 – that’s just £1 per person.

We know times are tough for many people at the moment, but if you would like to contribute, please click the donate button below which takes you to our JustGiving page – or you can donate via our website by Paypal, cheque or online banking.

Donate to the CoH Christmas meals appeal using this link:
www.justgiving.com

01 December 2021

Computers never lie? Telematics tells driver he had an accident - 27 years before he was born!

A young driver with a telematics box in his car was amused when asked if he was in an accident 27 years before he was born.

Telematics car insurance works by tracking your journey with a special "black box" or your smartphone. It then calculates an insurance premium based on your driving style. Many young drivers choose telematics insurance because they would otherwise be charged high premiums.

One driver, Aaron Horlock, fitted his car with a telematics box to save money on his motor insurance policy. The box was sent by Freedom Brokers insurance company and generally worked as expected.

But one day Horlock, a London-based musician, was surprised to see a notice from the company asking if he was in an accident.

Knowing that he had no crashes, Horlock opened the accompanying telematics app to investigate. The mystery deepened when the app thought he was involved in an accident in 1970 – 27 years before he was born.

It also took place around 37 years before his Volkswagen Fox even rolled off the assembly line.

But the alleged crash defied the laws of both physics and time: as the app thought the accident occurred at sea several hundred miles off the coast of Nigeria.

Horlock saw the funny side and told the company that no such accident had happened.

www.insurancegazettedaily.com


30 November 2021

Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC

With voice typing, you can enter text on your PC by speaking. 

Voice typing uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services.

How to start voice typing - using Windows 11:

To use voice typing, you'll need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box.

Once you turn on voice typing, it will start listening automatically. Wait for the "Listening..." alert before you start speaking.

To turn on voice typing

Press Windows logo key + H on a hardware keyboard

Press the microphone key next to the Spacebar on the touch keyboard

To stop voice typing

Say a voice typing command like "Stop listening"

Press the microphone button on the voice typing menu

Note: Press Windows logo key + Alt + H to navigate through the voice typing menu with your keyboard. 

www.microsoft.com


26 November 2021

Huge fines and a ban on default passwords in new UK law

The government has introduced new legislation to protect smart devices in people's homes from being hacked.

Recent research from consumer watchdog Which? suggested homes filled with smart devices could be exposed to more than 12,000 attacks in a single week.

Default passwords for internet-connected devices will be banned, and firms which do not comply will face huge fines.

One expert said that it was an important "first step".

Cyber-criminals are increasingly targeting products from phones and smart TVs, to home speakers and internet-connected dishwashers. Hackers who can access one vulnerable device can then go on to access entire home networks and steal personal data.

In 2017, for example, hackers stole data from a US casino via an internet-connected fish tank. There have also been reports of people accessing home webcams and speaking to family members.

And poor security on a home wi-fi router could have been behind the uploading of illegal child abuse images from a home network that led to police accusing an innocent couple of the crime.

www.bbc.co.uk


25 November 2021

Europe must ban Bitcoin mining to hit the 1.5C Paris climate goal

 

Faced with a sharp rise in energy consumption, Swedish authorities are calling on the European Union to ban "energy intensive" crypto mining.

Erik Thedéen, director of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, and Björn Risinger, director of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, said cryptocurrency's rising energy usage is threatening Sweden's ability to meet its obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Between April and August this year, the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining in the Nordic country rose "several hundred per cent," and now consumes the equivalent electricity of 200,000 households, Thedéen and Risinger said.

In an open letter, the directors of Sweden's top financial and environmental regulators called for an EU-wide ban on "proof of work" cryptocurrency mining, for Sweden to "halt the establishment" of new crypto mining operations and for companies that trade and invest in crypto assets to be prohibited from describing their business activities as environmentally sustainable.

The growth of crypto mining brings with it an opportunity cost, Thedéen and Risinger said, as Sweden's renewable energy is diverted away from industrial, transport and domestic uses, and into Bitcoin and other tokens.

"It is currently possible to drive a mid-size electric car 1.8 million kilometres using the same energy it takes to mine one single Bitcoin,” they said.

“This is the equivalent of forty-four laps around the globe. 900 bitcoins are mined every day. This is not a reasonable use of our renewable energy".

www.euronews.com


24 November 2021

Global chip shortage: Everything you need to know

Nearly every digital electronic device today is powered by semiconductors, which contain silicon and are critical for creating integrated circuits, also referred to as microchips. Cars use ICs for things like digital displays, entertainment systems and more complex features like assisted parking.

Semiconductor chips are also used in everyday appliances; they enable advances in computing, communications and applications used by nearly every industry.

Previously, computers were made of tubes and dials, which were not only fragile but required a lot of electricity. Tubes were eventually replaced by semiconductor chips, which are faster, cheaper and more efficient.

What is the global chip shortage? Since anything that needs to compute or process information contains a chip, they are extremely important in our lives. And because demand for ICs is greater than the supply, there is a global shortage of them. Read more HERE.

www.techrepublic.com


2022 Suzuki Katana first look - & it looks fab!

 

News has broken of an updated 2022 Suzuki Katana, a radical retro-inspired sportbike that harkens back to the original 1982 model. The new model receives revisions to its engine platform, electronic rider aids suite, and aesthetic details among other things.

The heart of the modern-day Katana is a 999cc inline-four engine, which is an evolution of the legendary GSX-R1000 K5 powerplant. For 2022, it follows the updates made to the new GSX-S1000, meaning it gets new intake and exhaust camshafts, valve springs, a 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust system, and airbox for improved efficiency. The bonus is a claimed 2 hp increase with broader midrange power delivery. For reference, the last Katana we ran on the in-house Cycle World dyno produced 139.6 hp at 10,100 rpm and 76.3 pound-feet of torque at 9,200 rpm.

What a fantastic looking bike! That's another one to watch out for @ MCL Birmingham next month - gonna be a busy show!

www.cycleworld.com


Motorcycle Anti-Tampering: NMC rejects ‘poorly defined’ proposals

The National Motorcyclists Council has today officially responded to the Government’s consultation on 'The Future of Transport Regulatory Review – Modernising Vehicle Standards', rejecting the proposals for anti-tampering as set out in the consultation document.(here).

This consultation has already proved to be highly controversial, generating wide attention in the motorcycle world and the media, given how the wording in the consultation can be and has been interpreted by the wider public. It is worded in such a way that suggests that all types of modifications of motorcycles will be outlawed. It also goes further by proposing to outlaw the marketing, promotion and sale of ‘tampering services or products’. This appears to be an extraordinary and socially repressive approach to perceived problems which are currently not well defined in the consultation.

www.uknmc.org


23 November 2021

New Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello breaks cover at the Eicma bike show, Milan

 

Moto Guzzi have released more details on the V100 Mandello, which signifies a huge step forward for the brand. Best known for their low-tech retro machines of late, the new V100 is the most technologically advanced Guzzi so far.

At the heart of the Mandello is a new 1042cc twin, which is Guzzi’s first water cooled unit and brings with it some very new (and some not so new) tech. 

What a stunner! Now I'm even more excited about our visit to the MCL Birmingham bike show - roll on December!

www.motorcyclenews.com


22 November 2021

Reading for today: God's will or ours?


The Teacher explains our power to choose: ‘There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened.’


19 November 2021

Windows 10 v21H2 (November 2021 update) is now available for download & install

 


Windows continues to play an important role in people’s lives as they continue to work, learn and have fun in hybrid and remote environments. Our goal is to provide new features and functionality via a fast and reliable update experience to help keep people and organizations protected and productive. Version 21H2 will continue the recent feature update trend of being delivered in an optimized way using servicing technology. Today I will share details on scope, how we plan to service the release and next steps.

Windows 10, version 21H2 will have a scoped set of features focused on productivity and security, prioritized to meet our customers’ needs based on feedback. New features focused on productivity, management and security include:

* Adding WPA3 H2E standards support for enhanced Wi-Fi security

* Windows Hello for Business introduces a new deployment method called cloud trust to support simplified passwordless deployments and achieve a deploy-to-run state within a few minutes

* GPU compute support in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning and other compute intensive workflows

www.windows.com


Introducing 'Good news', this year's Spoken-Truth Christmas film (Part 1)

For this Christmas, Dai Woolridge has put together a two-part film re-telling the nativity story from the shepherds’ perspective, with a difference!

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the very first people in history to witness the arrival of the Messiah were a bunch of ‘rough around the edges’ shepherds. These shepherds had an encounter that turned out to be life-changing:

‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’ (Luke 2.10–11, NIV)

This year’s ‘Spoken Truthfilm is a twenty-first-century twist on a first-century story.

Jesus is good news for everybody and those who reach out to him get to be part of his family. May we be inspired by the shepherds in Luke 2.17–18, who didn't just know this good news of Christmas, they couldn’t help share about him with everybody.

Bless and love, Dai

www.biblesociety.org.uk


16 November 2021

High severity BIOS flaws affect numerous Intel processors

Intel has disclosed two high-severity vulnerabilities that affect a wide range of Intel processor families, allowing threat actors and malware to gain higher privilege levels on the device.

The flaws were discovered by SentinelOne and are tracked as CVE-2021-0157 and CVE-2021-0158, and both have a CVSS v3 score of 8.2 (high).

The former concerns the insufficient control flow management in the BIOS firmware for some Intel processors, while the latter relies on the improper input validation on the same component.

These vulnerabilities could lead to escalation of privilege on the machine, but only if the attacker had physical access to vulnerable devices.

The affected products, according to Intel's advisory, are the following:

Intel® Xeon® Processor E Family

Intel® Xeon® Processor E3 v6 Family

Intel® Xeon® Processor W Family

3rd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors

11th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors

10th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors

7th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors

Intel® Core™ X-series Processors

Intel® Celeron® Processor N Series

Intel® Pentium® Silver Processor Series

Intel hasn't shared many technical details around these two flaws, but they advise users to patch the vulnerabilities by applying the available BIOS updates.

This is particularly problematic because motherboard vendors do not release BIOS updates often and don't support their products with security updates for long.

www.bleepingcomputer.com


09 November 2021

Aaaay! For Sale: Fonzie’s Original Motorcycle From “Happy Days”

There are few screen-used motorcycles more famous than the Triumph TR5 Trophy owned by Fonzie in the long running television series Happy Days, and now for the first time in over a decade it’s coming up for sale.

Fonzie’s Triumph is instantly recognizable to many viewers of the series thanks to its distinctive customizations and the fact that it was a central character and plot point to many episodes

Fonzie would have been considerably less memorable without his black leather jacket, his “greaser” hairstyle, and his motorcycle.

www.silodrome.com


Huawei sells x86 server business as it chases self-sufficiency

In yet another shift away from its traditional hardware business, Huawei has sold its x86 server unit to a state-owned Chinese firm.

China company registration data confirms that the sale to Henan Information Industry Investment Co. Ltd., owned by the Henan provincial government, concluded on November 5. The size of the transaction has not been disclosed.

Huawei's server business, like its once high-flying handset division, has been hit badly by US sanctions, which prevent it from obtaining the Intel chips that power 90% of the world's servers.

Update from The Register (12 Nov 2021): US President Joe Biden has signed The Secure Equipment Act yesterday, legislation that prevents US regulators from even considering the issuance of new telecom equipment licenses for companies deemed security threats - which means the likes of China's Huawei and ZTE .

www.lightreading.com


05 November 2021

Save 20% on PCs & Laptops at Stone Refurb

 

Our early Black Friday offer is here, and you can save 20% off any Laptop or Desktop, just by entering the discount code below to your shopping basket.

Like all our offers, stock is limited and when they are gone, they are gone!

All these items come with free delivery and a minimum six-months warranty for your peace of mind.

Use Code: BF21

www.stonerefurb.co.uk


04 November 2021

Have you tried Audible yet?

 

Audible is a membership service that gives customers access to the world's largest selection of audiobooks, as well as podcasts, exclusive originals and more. Download the free Audible app to start listening on your iOS or Android device. You can also listen on any Alexa-enabled device, compatible Fire tablets, Kindle, Sonos devices and more.

An Audible trial offers a great way to try audiobooks and make the most of every moment. With an Audible trial, a you will receive:

One free audiobook of your choice - to keep, even if you cancel. Prime customers receive two audiobooks in their trial.

The ability to choose from an incredible selection of audiobooks including best sellers, new releases, sci-fi, romances, mysteries, classics and more.

Unlimited listening to the Plus Catalogue - thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and select audiobooks.

After 30 days, you will receive 1 book each month and continue to have unlimited access to the Plus Catalogue for just £7.99/month (renews automatically). Cancel easily anytime.

www.amazon.co.uk/audible


Nearly 50% of all UK energy suppliers have now gone bust in the current energy crisis!

 

This week 4 more energy providers collapsed, taking the number of failed companies to 22. That’s almost half of all UK energy suppliers.

Zebra Power, Omni Energy, MA Energy and Ampoweruk were all relatively small, but the total number of UK households whose providers have stopped trading is now well over 2m.

And it's not just customers of failed suppliers that are affected. Everyone in the UK is facing higher bills from a surge in wholesale gas and electricity prices.

However you’re in good hands with UW - especially during the current energy crisis!

We understand why recent media coverage of the UK energy market has many people worried. But we’d like to reassure all our customers that we’re continuing to operate as normal and are protected from the pricing volatility many other providers are currently experiencing.

It’s been well-documented that wholesale energy prices - the cost suppliers pay to buy energy - have risen to record levels in recent weeks. This has been compounded by the Government’s price cap - the upper limit at which energy suppliers can charge customers on variable tariffs - which has meant a number of UK suppliers are no longer able to operate sustainably. In fact, some have stopped trading altogether.

However, UW is well-positioned to weather this storm and this means that as a UW customer, your service will continue. 

www.uw.co.uk




03 November 2021

Celebrate Fuller's 176th birthday on Tuesday 16 November - with 3 drinks for £1.76 each!

Since 2018, the Fuller's Get Together has been a wonderful celebration of the role each of our pubs play at the heart of their communities for over 100 years. We missed our big 175th birthday last year, so we'd like to invite you to your favourite Fuller's pub to celebrate all the special occasions that have been missed over the past 18 months.

We're counting down to our 176th anniversary. Join us for the Fuller's Get Together on Tuesday 16th November and enjoy 3 drinks for just £1.76 each.

To take part in the celebrations, simply fill out the form and you'll receive an email with a voucher code which you'll be able to use in any Fuller's managed pub to redeem your 3 drinks on the day.

If you're already a friend of Fuller's, there's no need for you to sign up again. We'll send you your voucher a few days before the Get Together, so keep an eye on your inbox.

We missed out last year and can't wait to celebrate again on Tuesday 16 November. Read our blog to find out more about how to get involved in 2021.

www.fullers.co.uk


Windows 10 version 21H2 will launch later this month

Microsoft has announced that the next Windows 10 feature update, officially known as the November 2021 Update, will begin rolling out this month and that the final build is available now for testing in the Windows Insider Release Preview channel and via ISOs.

Even though Windows 11 is now out, Microsoft isn't abandoning Windows 10. The November 2021 Update is based on the same "Vibranium" platform release that the May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021 updates were based on. This means the update will only take a few minutes to install, and will be no more than a few hundred megabytes in size.

Here's what's new with the Windows 10 November 2021 Update:

* Adding WPA3 H2E standards support for enhanced Wi-Fi security

* Windows Hello for Business supports simplified passwordless deployment models for achieving a deploy-to-run state within a few minutes

* GPU compute support in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning and other compute intensive workflows

www.windowscentral.com


01 November 2021

HP Envy 6020e / Envy 6420e printers - both with a 6 month InstantInk trial!

 

A great option for home printing: sensibly priced high quality devices, with a 6 month trial of HP Instantink & warranty extension!

HP Envy 6020e: All In One - Scan, Copy & Print.

HP Envy 6420e: as above but with an integrated sheet feeder.

BEST FOR BUSY FAMILIES – Print documents, borderless photos, homework and creative projects

KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan in colour, plus auto 2-sided printing and mobile and wireless printing

ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR WARRANTY COVERAGE WITH HP+ ENROLLMENT – Just signup and activate HP+ to receive 1 additional year of HP warranty coverage on your HP Printer, 2 Years Total

6 MONTHS OF INSTANT INK INCLUDED– Print up to 700 pages a month free when you enrol in Instant Ink. Ink is delivered automatically before you run out at no extra cost. Credit card required; change or cancel anytime

ACTIVATE HP+ AND INSTANT INK AT PRINTER SETUP – Once HP+ is activated, your printer must be connected to the internet and requires Original HP Ink Cartridges to operate for the life of the printer

HP SMART APP – Print, scan and copy from your phone—from anywhere

EASY SETUP – Get started fast with easy printer setup that guides you step by step

www.amazon.co.uk - 6020e

www.amazon.co.uk - 6420e


DfT officials reassure on proposed "Anti-Tampering" legislation

Department for Transport officials have reassured representatives of the NMC, including the BMF’s Anna Zee, that motorcyclists have nothing to fear from the recent anti-tampering consultation.

The original wording of the consultation – a maze of legal language – implied that any modification of a machine could be outlawed, and classed as ‘tampering,’ although the spirit of the wording was aimed at items which increase noise or emissions, such as aftermarket exhausts without a catalyser.

Anna Zee said: “We were invited to a meeting with DfT officials on 27th October to discuss this section of the consultation. They were quick to admit this could have been worded better; it is NOT intended to prevent customisation of bikes or the fitting of aftermarket products which do the same job, or better, as the original equipment. It IS intended to apply to anything which affects emissions, the computerised systems which are installed and such devices as the dongles advertised for increasing the speed on e.g. e-scooters.”

She added that any legislation is likely to be retrospective, so if a bike was fitted with a catalyst when new, but a replacement exhaust doesn’t have one, this would count as tampering. “The DfT has agreed to send us details of where they think there are gaps in existing legislation,” she said, “and that they will further consult with us in the process of drafting the future legislation, which is unlikely to come into effect until 2024.”

So, we can all rest easy for the time being – fitting a hugger, different seat or topbox, or building a custom bike – won’t count as tampering, so long as it remains true to the emissions limits which were in place when the bike was new.

Some areas of the proposed legislation still need to be clarified, such as possible exemptions for competition and off-road bikes, plus classic machines. The NMC argues that modifications to classic bikes can improve running without increasing performance.

www.britishmotorcyclists.co.uk


29 October 2021

The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis

An elder C.S. Lewis looks back on his remarkable journey from hard-boiled atheist to the most renowned Christian writer of the past century.

The film features award-winning actor Max McLean as the older Lewis and Nicholas Ralph – breakout star of PBS Masterpiece’s All Creatures Great and Small – as young Lewis. Beautifully filmed in and around Oxford, this engaging biopic follows the creator of The Chronicles of Narnia from the tragic death of his mother when he was just nine years old, through his strained relationship with his father, to the nightmare of the trenches of World War I to Oxford University, where friends like J.R.R. Tolkien challenge his unbelief.

Written for the screen and directed by two-time Emmy and BAFTA winner Norman Stone (BBC’s Shadowlands), The Most Reluctant Convert brings to life the spiritual evolution of one the 20th century’s sharpest minds and keenest wits.

The film is produced by Fellowship for Performing Arts in association with 1A Productions and distributed by Trafalgar Releasing.


28 October 2021

Royal British Legion - the Poppy Appeal 2021 has launched

Our collectors have been at the heart of the Poppy Appeal for 100 years. Last year collectors were unable to carry out face to face collections, but this year they are returning to local communities. In our centenary year, 40,000 collectors across the country will be back on the streets raising funds for the Poppy Appeal.

Every poppy counts, so look out for your local collector and donate to help us raise vital funds to support the Armed Forces community.

We will be offering several ways to donate, including:
Cash
Contactless terminals in some locations
QR code

You can also support the Poppy Appeal by donating via text or online. When you make a donation online, we'll include a link in your confirmation email to download an A4 poster featuring the iconic Remembrance Poppy. You can print and display your poster at home to show your support and remember those who have served and sacrificed. 

There are a number of other ways you can get involved in this year's Poppy Appeal. From taking part in our 11/11 Challenge or a Poppy Run, to buying poppy merchandise from our Poppy Shop, there really is something for everyone.

www.britishlegion.org.uk


27 October 2021

Modifying your bike could be made illegal: New plans that could make fitting non-OEM parts a crime

The Motorcycle Action Group is encouraging motorcyclists to respond to proposals from the Department for Transport (DfT) that would restrict owners from modifying their bikes.

The proposals are part of the DfT’s ‘Future of Transport’ review and are lumped in with lots of other vehicle standards that the department is looking to modernise.

Under the proposed changes it would be a crime to ‘tamper’ with ‘a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road’. MAG were in attendance at the webinar where the proposals were first made.

"I was expecting the lack of motorcycle focus in policies for the charging infrastructure, but the anti-tampering proposals came as a real sucker punch," says Colin Brown, MAG’s Director of Campaigns and Political Engagement.

"As the owner of a motorcycle with less OEM parts than aftermarket ones you can imagine my reaction. This renewed attack on the right to do what you wish with your own property is not something that I can see many motorcyclists welcoming."

IMPORTANT! You can read the proposals HERE, and have your say HERE.

See also:

Stuart Fillingham: Government wants to make car & motorcycle customization an offence!

VisorDown: Government threatening make modifying any motorcycle illegal

In other news, Trudy Harrison (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport) says: Owning a car is so ‘last century’. Hmmm, how do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time...

www.motorcyclenews.com


25 October 2021

Windows 11: an exercise in aesthetics - don't bother!

 

Windows 11 seemed to come out of nowhere, and while it brings a host of aesthetic improvements and some performance changes under the hood, it feels like a minor update in the scheme of OS upgrades.

Some of the changes here: a redesigned store, DirectStorage for faster game loading, and a cleaned up interface, are appreciated, but to get there you have to wade through a complicated install/upgrade process that has us wondering whether the hassle is worth it.

I've been asked by a number of Donline clients whether or not to upgrade to Microsoft's latest Operating System - Windows 11. Here is my answer: don't bother (at the moment), wait till they iron out some annoyances. 

Usually I experiment with a new OS' in Beta & RTM using a Virtual Machine or on a spare piece of hardware. However, the crazy minimum hardware requirements of Win11 preclude that! So I upgraded my own laptop - the results are disappointing. Visually attractive - but that's NOT what I want from a business Operating System! I need an OS that makes me more productive. That isn't happening here. I can tweak some of the annoyances out of the system - but some are hard coded in - and not fixable. In a nutshell: Win11 is costing me time & money... 

The last time Microsoft released an OS like Win11 - was Windows 8, before that Vista, before that WinME. Remember them? Microsoft would prefer it if you didn't!

So, I'd say: give Win11 a miss - for now. Donline takes the pain, so you don't have to!

Have a look at Engadget's excellent review of Win11 on YouTube:


Ofcom orders phone networks to block foreign scam calls


Major phone networks have agreed to automatically block almost all internet calls coming from abroad if they pretend to be from UK numbers, Ofcom has confirmed.

Criminals have been using internet-based calling technology to make it look like a phone call or text is coming from a real telephone number.

Almost 45 million consumers were targeted by phone scams this summer.

Ofcom said it expected the measures to be introduced at pace as a "priority".

So far, one operator has already implemented the new plans, the regulator told the BBC, while other phone networks are still exploring methods of making it work.

www.bbc.co.uk