Donline's 15th Anniversary!

 

It's quite incredible to think that I started Donline Computer Consultancy 15 years ago - on 1st February 2006!

It's such a great Blessing to have so many wonderful clients. Apart from the work (very much appreciated!), we have forged some great relationships & friendships along the way. So a huge thank you to all those who have travelled this journey with me. Good Lord willing: here's to many more years!

So to celebrate: on the Anniversary date, the 15th unique business client phone call (click here for contact details) will be sent a Donline goodie bag & a bottle of bubbly - to celebrate with Kim, Calli & me - just socially distanced! You know what do do!

UPDATE: Congratulations to BB & KM of Sandhills, Surrey! Looking forward to seeing you both soon (socially distanced of course) with your winnings!

www.donline.co.uk

The Sondors Metacycle - an electric motorcycle that is not only truly new & exciting - but also inexpensive!

SONDORS Metacycle: An electric motorbike designed for the adventurous, freedom-seeker in you. Built to transcend barriers while offering a fresh, carefree riding experience. Engineered to be an extension of you, the rider. Ride wild. Ride free. Free from noise, vibration, fumes, and fuelling stations. Metacycle brings you the freedom to unapologetically experience the joy of the ride in its purest form. Built for an elevated transportation experience that makes the ordinary journey, a trip of a lifetime.

Metacycle features SONDORS exclusive cast “exo-frame” with a sleek, narrow profile, beyond anything previously available in motorcycling. This unique construction gives Metacycle a low and light profile, making it accessible to virtually anyone. Metacycle also features an integrated phone compartment with a transparent cover and wireless charging, so you can ride free with the option of staying connected.

Range anxiety is a thing of the past. Metacycle features a 4000 watt hour 72 volt battery that gives you the ability to roam free up to 80 miles. Plenty of juice for bombing around the city or up and down the coastline.

$5000 Plus Tax + Shipping. Now that is a very interesting price for this novel bike. Watch the excellent review of the Sondors Metacycle by TFLbike on YouTube - and make up your own mind. I absolutely love the Honda MSX125 Grom, but this Metacycle appears to be a similar sized bike - available now as a forward thinking EV - for very similar money: Grom = £3500, Metacycle = $5000. I wonder if / when these will be available in the UK?

www.sondorsx.com

Availability of decent webcams - at long last! Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam

Full-HD Video Calling : Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam operates in full-HD 1080p video at 30-fps, whether you're on Skype or streaming yourself gaming in a strong HD 720p; It covers the full action; Connects to your device via USB

Crisp Video Quality : Using this video calling device over wifi allows professionals and others to record rich content that is fluid, professional-looking and polished - such as demonstrations or showcasing your passions

Full-HD Glass Lens : Users of this full HD streaming camera that captures a wide 78 degree field of view will be seen in high clarity and detail - the five-element glass lens with premium auto-focus capability shoots and records video that is crystal-clear

Brighter Images : Equipped with automatic HD autofocus and light correction, this streaming webcam fine-tunes to your lighting conditions to produce bright, well-contrasted images - even if you're in a dim setting

Dual Microphones : The two-microphone system on this HD webcam - one on each side of the lens - captures natural stereo audio while filtering out background noise

Compatibility : Windows 7,8,10 or later, Mac OS 10.10 or later, Android and Chrome OS; compatible with Xbox One; works with Skype, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, OBS and XSplit

RRP: £89.99
Deal Price: £74.99 
You Save: £15.00 (17%)

www.amazon.co.uk

Bikers barred from riding between lanes as French trial ends

Motorcyclists in 11 French departments will again be barred from driving between two lanes of vehicles from February 1, after a five-year trial comes to an end.

The trial - which began on February 1, 2016, and involved some 3,000km of roads in Ile-de-France, Bouches-du-Rhône, Gironde, and the Rhône - has  concluded that the relatively common practice of motorbikes travelling in the gaps between two lanes of cars on dual carriageways is unsafe and should not be written into France's highway code.

Filtering (known as Lane Splitting in the USA) is allows riders to save time, bypassing traffic congestion, and may also be safer than stopping behind stationary vehicles. In the UK, filtering is legal & perfectly safe if done well. Another thing to watch out for when eventually we get a chance to go abroad on our Motorbikes!

www.connexionfrance.com

How can I organise my open Windows? It's a snap!

Use Snap to arrange all your open windows using the mouse, keyboard, or the Snap Assist feature.

Snap with a mouse: Select the title bar of the window you want to snap, and drag it to the edge of your screen. An outline indicates where the window will snap to once you drop it. Drag it to the left or right side of your screen depending on where you want to snap it to.

Snap with a keyboard: Select the window you want to snap and press the Windows Logo Key  + Left Arrow or the Windows Logo Key  + Right Arrow to snap the window to the side of the screen where you want it to be. You can also move it to a corner after snapping it. With the window selected, press the Windows Logo Key  + Up Arrow or the Windows Logo Key  + Down Arrow to get it into the desired corner. The window is then in its smallest possible state, which is a quarter of the screen. Then you can use the Windows Logo Key  + Arrow Keys to move it wherever you want.

Snap with Snap Assist: Snap Assist appears after you’ve snapped a window but have a lot of available space on your screen. Any other open windows are displayed in that space as thumbnails. To use Snap Assist, click the thumbnail of the window you want to open in the empty space on your screen. If you have two windows displayed side-by-side, you can resize both windows simultaneously by selecting and dragging the dividing line. Resize the window on one side to the size you want it to be, and then release the mouse button. The other window will resize itself to fit alongside the first one, so you won't have any empty screen space.

www.microsoft.com

Apple issues emergency security updates while warning holes may have been exploited in wild by hackers

Apple today released software updates to patch vulnerabilities in iPhones and iPads that may have been exploited by hackers to silently snoop on victims from afar.

All users should check for and install the latest version of their iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS software.

www.theregister.com

Jump start your Motorcycling career: Win a free CBT with Ride Free!

‘Ride Free’ is an all-new campaign from Bennetts to support new riders interested in getting their motorcycle licence.

The main role of Ride Free is to lend a helping hand with learning how to ride. Ride Free hosts a range of useful information including: how to get started; which motorcycle kit to choose; trusted reviews on security products; guidance on what bikes to buy and how to pick a good one.

Ride Free is also where you can apply to win one of 90 FREE Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) courses. To find out more about Ride Free, watch this video.

www.bennetts.co.uk

Share your views on Cat and Dog Microchipping and Scanning in England

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on Cat and Dog Microchipping and Scanning in England.  They want to know what you think about plans to introduce compulsory cat microchipping in England and how you think this should be implemented. 

They also want to know whether you think vets and other bodies should be required to scan cats and dogs for microchips in certain situations. For example, prior to euthanasia. 

You can find out more about the consultation and contribute here. The consultation closes at 5.00pm on 17 February 2021. 

When will this petition be debated? The Petitions Committee is currently unable to schedule its usual debates on petitions that have received over 100,000 signatures, because of the closure of Westminster Hall, where petitions debates normally take place. We will let you know as soon as a debate on this petition has been scheduled.

www.defra.gov.uk

The jewels of winter - snow

On a winter morning they fall gracefully from the sky. Snowflakes – some of the most beautiful works of art to adorn planet earth. But how do these extraordinary creations take shape? 

Through breath-taking macro and time-lapse photography and computer animation, explore the science behind the wonder in a film you will never forget.

Take five minutes out of your day to watch this wonderful video - and marvel at the beauty and artistry of God's creation - even in the "simplest" of things! In Job Chapter 38 God tells Job about the immensity of His creation: from supernovae - to snowflakes!

www.thejohn1010project.com

Are you using TeamViewer legally?

 

TeamViewer is a comprehensive, remote access, remote control and remote support solution that works with almost every desktop and mobile platform, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. TeamViewer lets you remote in to computers or mobile devices located anywhere in the world and use them as though you were there. Plus, you can remotely connect to servers, commercial-grade machines, and IoT devices from anywhere, at any time through our secure global remote access network.

B.1.1.2 Free Version: TeamViewer may provide a free-of-charge version for selected Software products to Customer solely for the personal and non-commercial purposes (“Free Version”). The use for the exercise of Customer’s trade, business or profession, or the use for the purposes for which Customer directly or indirectly receives compensation (e. g. teamwork with colleagues, free support provided to third parties which have bought Customer’s own software or other product), shall not be qualified as personal.

Over the years I have had to advise many clients that they are running TeamViewer illegally. This is where they are using TeamViewer Free in a business/commercial environment. The free version is only for use by home users. Please ensure that you are in compliance with (obvious) license terms. Failing to do this means that you might end up at the wrong end of a meeting with these guys. Honestly - don't go there...

Donline is pleased to offer a remote IT support service based around the excellent TeamViewer remote control application. For this Donline has to pay a "not insubstantial" annual subscription to license this software.

www.teamviewer.com

Is public WiFi safe?

Accessing the internet when you are in the comfort of your own home isn’t a problem. Indeed, you know it is a safe connection as it is password protected and you know who is connected to it. 

On the contrary, when you connect to a public WiFi, many risks can occur as you don’t know who set up the network and what data of yours is being collected. 

As more and more places are offering a public connection, it is important to define what is generally secure and what, on the other hand, is clearly fishy. So, keep reading to learn our tips on what to do when using a public internet network.

www.fing.com

Calli's adoption anniversary - 6 years ago today

 

It's incredible to think that exactly six years ago the tiny Greek rescue pup Callista (Calli) came into our lives.

We had lost our beloved Poppy in August 2014. Losing a precious pet is one of the hardest things in life, Kim & I had a huge hole in our lives shaped like a tiny dog. After a little while we started trying to rehome / adopt a pup, but weren't  having much luck. Then by the Grace of God: a client (eternal thanks JG of EIGCA!) recommended that we contact Holbrook Rescue who put us in touch with Sue Deeth in Zakynthos. It was love at first photo! She was such a tiny scrap when we collected her, now thriving & approx three times the size when we collected her.

Calli is the dearest dog, we are so very Blessed to have her in our home. Frankly she is rather spoilt, but totally deserves it!

If you are considering bringing a furry friend into your home & family, PLEASE consider rehoming / adopting. There are lots of beautiful creatures that would make a wonderful addition to your family - they just need a chance at life.

www.holbrookanimalrescue.co.uk

New Year, new password protections - in Chrome v88

Passwords help protect our online information, which is why it’s never been more important to keep them safe. But when we’re juggling dozens (if not hundreds!) of passwords across various websites—from shopping, to entertainment to personal finance—it feels like there’s always a new account to set up or manage. While it’s definitely a best practice to have a strong, unique password for each account, it can be really difficult to remember them all—that’s why we have a password manager in Chrome to back you up.

As you browse the web, on your phone, computer or tablet, Chrome can create, store and fill in your passwords with a single click. We'll warn you if your passwords have been compromised after logging in to sites, and you can always check for yourself in Chrome Settings. As we kick off the New Year, we’re excited to announce new updates that will give you even greater control over your passwords:

We’ve all had moments where we’ve rushed to set up a new login, choosing a simple “name-of-your-pet” password to get set up quickly. However, weak passwords expose you to security risks and should be avoided. In Chrome 88, you can now complete a simple check to identify any weak passwords and take action easily.

www.googleblog.com

The Great British Switch Off: Do you know what's coming to your phone service?

If you didn’t know already, in 2023 the UK telephone network will be changing profoundly. This is the year that new sales of analogue (PSTN and ISDN) telephone services will end, and by 2025 they’ll be switched off altogether.

That means in the next two-to-four years your business will need to switch to an entirely different means of voice communication. You’ll no longer be able to rely on your traditional telephone line for making business calls.

From our own research we’ve found that nearly three-quarters of businesses use the phone for customer communications, so it’s clearly still an incredibly important tool. Yet despite its importance, most businesses are still unaware of the impending switch off.

And while there’s certainly no need to panic just yet, the sooner you’re aware of the coming change – and are able to plan for what’s to come – the better. In fact, this upheaval may actually present a number of business opportunities. As the switch-off approaches, you’ll have the opportunity to think about your business communications, and your connectivity.

Replacing your traditional telephony will be new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and cloud-based services. These services will rely on your internet connection rather than a traditional phone line, which means as a business you’ll need to consider whether the connectivity you have today is adequate for the future.

www.zen.co.uk

In hidden message on White House website, Biden calls for techies

 

As new US President Joe Biden is sworn in, a "secret" call out to technical staff was hidden in the code of the White House Website. Hidden in the HTML code on www.whitehouse.gov was an invitation to join the U.S. Digital Service, a technology unit within the White House.

Want to see the message yourself (while it's still available)? Go to the White House Website, right click on any white space & select "View page source", look for line 9. 

<!-- If you're reading this, we need your help building back better. https://usds.gov/apply -->

www.reuters.com

The 2021 Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show - cancelled

It is with great sadness that we have to confirm the cancellation of the 2021 MCN London Motorcycle Show. The events team has been relentlessly exploring every avenue of opportunity in the hope of finding a way to run the show, but unfortunately all those avenues have now been exhausted. We must all follow the Government guidelines and the latest lock-down measures mean we are unable to run the event this year.

However, we are absolutely committed to bringing the Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show back to life in 2022 – and plans are already underway to deliver our best show ever, dates for 2022 are still to be confirmed.

 If you have already booked tickets for 2021, they will be honoured for the 2022 event – you don’t need to do anything. If you are unable to make the 2022 dates, you will be able to get a refund. 

www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com

Malwarebytes said it was hacked by the same group who breached SolarWinds

US cyber-security firm Malwarebytes today said it was hacked by the same group which breached IT software company SolarWinds last year.

Malwarebytes said its intrusion is not related to the SolarWinds supply chain incident since the company doesn't use any of SolarWinds software in its internal network.

Instead, the security firm said the hackers breached its internal systems by exploiting a dormant email protection product within its Office 365 tenant.

Malwarebytes said it learned of the intrusion from the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) on December 15, which detected suspicious activity coming from the dormant Office 365 security app.

At the time, Microsoft was auditing its Office 365 and Azure infrastructures for signs of malicious apps created by the SolarWinds hackers, also known in cyber-security circles as UNC2452 or Dark Halo.

Malwarebytes said that once it learned of the breach, it began an internal investigation to determine what hackers accessed.

"After an extensive investigation, we determined the attacker only gained access to a limited subset of internal company emails," said today Marcin Kleczynski, Malwarebytes co-founder and current CEO.

www.zdnet.com

In these difficult days what can we do to support British workers?

 

NB: This is not a Brexit rant.

A couple of years ago I was having a discussion down the pub (remember those days?) with a chap who said that the country was doomed due to leaving the EU! The example he gave was: down the A27 in Chichester was a huge facility growing tomatoes which were exported. He said that these exports would dry up and the people would loose their jobs. I countered that while at the supermarket the previous week - the only tomatoes that I could find were from Morocco or Spain - none from the UK!

Now here's a cunning plan: Why don't we support British farmers, food producers & manufacturers - where product is available. OK - we don't grow many pineapples, mangoes or avocados - but we do grow & produce plenty of other good things. If we "Buy British" where possible - we would not only support British workers / businesses, reduce the balance of payments & also reduce the food & product miles accrued on the stuff that we buy - so a by-product would be helping the environment. Win-Win!

www.telegraph.co.uk

Moto Guzzi update V85 TT range for centenary year

Moto Guzzi’s quirky V85 TT and V85 TT Travel are receiving a host of updates for the Italian firm’s centenary in 2021.

Launched in 2019, the TT blended adventure bike style and practicality with Guzzi’s traditional, 'old school' air-cooled, transverse V-twin, shaft-drive powertrain. With an engine based on that of the V9 producing 79bhp, reasonable practicality, 'retro enduro' styling and a price starting under £11K, it quickly won admirers as one of Guzzi’s most long legged and versatile models.

Now, for 2021, Guzzi has announced a series of significant updates. The signature air-cooled V-twin has received a number of top-end modifications which are claimed to improve torque at both low and medium rpm, although no figures have yet been released.

In addition, the number of electronic riding modes has been boosted from three to five – with Sport and Custom (a customisable mode) added to the previous Street, Rain and Off-Road modes.

While, finally, the TT’s wire wheels have been replaced by a new outer rim spoked type, similar to those of BMW’s GS, which both allow the fitment of tubeless tyres and are claimed to cut weight by 1.5kg.

The touring-focused TT Travel, meanwhile, receives all the same upgrades and comes equipped with a larger Touring screen, panniers, LED lights and heated grips. Prices and availability have yet to be announced.

I think that this is one of the best looking bikes available to buy (new) at the moment. Love to have a play on one, gonna have to wait for lockdown to ease first...

www.motorcyclenews.com

Calculations Show It'll Be Impossible to Control a Super-Intelligent AI

 

The idea of artificial intelligence overthrowing humankind has been talked about for many decades, and scientists have just delivered their verdict on whether we'd be able to control a high-level computer super-intelligence. The answer? Almost definitely not.

The catch is that controlling a super-intelligence far beyond human comprehension would require a simulation of that super-intelligence which we can analyse. But if we're unable to comprehend it, it's impossible to create such a simulation.

Rules such as 'cause no harm to humans' can't be set if we don't understand the kind of scenarios that an AI is going to come up with, suggest the authors of the new paper. Once a computer system is working on a level above the scope of our programmers, we can no longer set limits.

"A super-intelligence poses a fundamentally different problem than those typically studied under the banner of 'robot ethics'," write the researchers.

"This is because a superintelligence is multi-faceted, and therefore potentially capable of mobilising a diversity of resources in order to achieve objectives that are potentially incomprehensible to humans, let alone controllable."

www.sciencealert.com

Reading for today: Psalm 46 - God will help & strengthen us, but we need to Believe and call on Him

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Read Psalm 46 at Bible Gateway

What did a (mainframe) hard drive look like in 1991?

 

When the IBM 3390 Direct Access Storage Device (DASD) was rolled out in November 1989, it offered up to 22.7 Gigabytes of storage and allowed customers to store more data in a single DASD than ever before.

Boosts in key DASD performance areas -- such as a 40 percent improvement in data transfer rate and 15 percent in average latency -- provided users with a highly reliable, cost effective means of rapidly accessing vast amounts of data.

The 3390 represented three times the storage capacity per square foot of floor space over the IBM 3380K; five times over the 3380 Model E; and ten times over 3380 standard models. The new DASDs also delivered an 18 percent reduction in the cost of a megabyte of disk storage.

The 23Gb IBM 3390 DASD which the above HDA (Head/Disk Assembly) was installed in - listed at $250,000! By way of modern comparison, nowadays you can buy a 1000Gb (1Tb) Western Digital HDD Gold (Enterprise Class) Hard drive for ~£70! Isn't it incredible how things have changed...

EEVblog on YouTube

WhatsApp's updated privacy policy - still safe to use? Short answer: yes

WhatsApp has published a new FAQ page to its website outlining its stances on user privacy in response to widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update. The core issue relates to WhatsApp’s data-sharing procedures with Facebook, with many users concerned an updated privacy policy going into effect on February 8th will mandate sharing of sensitive profile information with WhatsApp’s parent company.

That isn’t true — the update has nothing to do with consumer chats or profile data, and instead the change is designed to outline how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers. That’s something the company feels it is required to disclose in its privacy policy, which it’s now doing after previewing the upcoming changes to business chats back in October.

But a wave of misinformation on social media, not helped by Facebook’s abysmal track record on privacy and its reputation for obfuscating changes to its various terms of service agreements, has resulted in a full-blown WhatsApp backlash that has users fleeing to competitors like Signal and Telegram.

www.theverge.com

National Motorcycle Museum - Triumph Over Adversity Recovery Appeal Raffle 2021

National Motorcycle Museum Director James Hewing stated: “All the team here at the museum want to thank everyone who has given to our first Covid-19 raffle which ran from  July to Dec 2020. As promised, the funds raised are being used directly for the purpose of reopening the museum for a limited number of days”. To see the draw results of our first appeal click here.

Once Government restrictions allow, we plan to initially reopen the museum collection & shop every Saturday and Sunday and whilst the funds raised so far will allow us to reopen in a limited way, as of late November 2020 we had still only raised 33% of our original £500k re-opening target. Therefore are undertaking this further ‘Museum Triumph Over Adversity Recovery Appeal Raffle’ which is in addition to our normal winter raffle to win a new/old stock Triumph T140D Bonneville Special.

This further appeal has extra significance given the fact that the museum has recently received the devastating news that we have been turned down for a grant from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

In late 2020 we received an e-mail from the Heritage Lottery Fund (who are partly responsible for administering the scheme) that our application “did not meet the criteria for the programme, and the board has decided not to award a grant through the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage”. 

We cannot begin to describe what a blow this news was, and adds even more importance to this new appeal which gives the chance to win one of the three stunning Triumph motorcycles.

Very special thanks must go to our friends at Triumph Motorcycles for donating the brand new Triumph Trident as a first prize.

Click the link below to buy a ticket for a chance to win one of three fantastic Triumph bikes, and help to support the National Motorcycle Museum.

www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk

Deal of the day: Microsoft (Office) 365 Family - 6 users, 1 year subscription - under £50!

 

Office 365 is now Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 Family has everything you enjoy in Office 365 Home and much more. Every Office 365 user is automatically updated to Microsoft 365

12 months subscription - up to 6 users – each user can install on 1 PC or Mac, 1 tablet or iPad and 1 mobile phone (Windows, iOS, Android). Install code via email (requires Internet)

Premium, always updated, Office 365 apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and others

Cloud Storage: 6 TB total OneDrive (1 TB per person) with Premium Security, to collaborate on documents with others online and to secure your sensitive files in OneDrive Personal Vault. Skype: 60 minutes of calling per month for each user. Premium support via chat or phone from Microsoft experts and much more

Office for Mac is supported in the last three versions of macOS. When a new macOS version is released, it becomes the current version. Also runs on Mac with ARM-based chips via built in emulation mode

NB: This is for home / family use only. 

Must not be used in a business environment.

Top Deal: £49.99

www.amazon.co.uk

Four steps to protect yourself from invoice fraud

As we start a new year, we wanted to share some tips to help protect your business from one of the most common types of fraud – invoice fraud.

 

It happens when criminals pose as suppliers, tradesmen or solicitors, and ask you to change the bank account details that you use to pay them.

 

In the first half of 2020, £45.6 million was lost to invoice and mandate scams. £29.4 million of that was lost by businesses.

 

Here’s how to spot an invoice fraud, and make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

1) Always confirm invoice account details directly with your supplier, using established contact details, BEFORE making any payment, even if you have paid them before. Avoid using the contact details in an email as you could end up speaking to a fraudster.

2) Establish at least two designated points of contact with all your regular suppliers. And do this over the phone. This will make it easy to check any change of bank account or payment arrangements directly with them.

3) Carefully scrutinise all invoices you receive. Look out for spelling errors or slight changes to email addresses.

4) Educate any employees responsible for processing supplier invoices about this type of invoice fraud.

www.co-operativebank.co.uk

The world's biggest motorcycle company - that you've never heard of: BAJAJ

It may not have a direct footprint in Europe or North America but it hasn’t stopped Bajaj Auto from being named the world’s most valuable motorcycle manufacturer at a cool estimated $13.6bn (approx £10bn).

One of the largest conglomerates operating out of the world’s biggest motorcycle market of India, while Bajaj is beaten by Hero MotoCorp in terms of sales, when it comes to value it comes out on top both domestically and now internationally.

At $13.6bn Bajaj Auto generates both a lot of money and a lucrative shareholding having established itself as a major player in 70 different markets, predominantly in Asia where its lower displacement offerings sell in large numbers.

While we may not get Bajaj Auto over here in the UK directly, its influence is widespread as a result of its 47.97 per cent ownership of KTM AG which - between KTM, Husqvarna and now GASGAS - has seen a strong rise in global sales in recent years.

www.visordown.com

The End of Analogue Phone Lines: 2025 - be advised!

Analogue Phone Service in the UK - It's switching off soon! In 2025, Openreach will be switching off their analogue phone service ("POTS"). If you still have an analogue phone plugged into a regular 'BT' socket on the wall, it will no longer work.  By June 2021 Openreach will already no longer install or accept new analogue line orders for lines at 120 exchanges around the UK, with that number increasing over time.

For some people, this will make no difference at all. Many of us only have a landline analogue phone service because we are 'forced to' in order to have DSL service - you have to have an analogue line before your ISP will provide broadband on that line.

According to Ofcom, only 5% of household do not have mobile phones however, that doesn't mean that every member of the other 95% have a mobile phone or that they don't still need their fixed line.

Those who do use their landline now, given the choice of saving a little line rental subscription in the future, might welcome this change. However, even with analogue phone service discontinued, it's unlikely you will actually see any reduction in line rental as the copper line still needs to be provided for broadband, and that's the costly part for Openreach - the actual phone service is a revenue generator.  If line rental is combined with your broadband ISP bill, you won't get a separate bill from BT.

Many people in the UK do not use a mobile phone either 'at all' or for most of their calls. Many don't have broadband or any other digital communication service. Even of those who do, there are many people who like the comfort of a phone line which continues to work even during a power cut or other emergency. Analogue phone lines are powered from the exchange which normally has battery or generator backups.  

There are many other devices still relying on analogue lines. Most of those will not be compatible with VoIP so will have to be replaced by pure IP solutions. Openreach are urging suppliers and service providers to upgrade their systems or test them on the new network provisions.

VoIP is the method of using IP networks - your Internet connection - to carry voice calls. It's what Skype, DrayTEL, WhatsApp and other such services use for voice calls and is also how most modern businesses' phones are now connected. Under Openreach's analogue switch-off plan, VoIP will be used to replace all analogue voice services.

Read more & be prepared: www.draytek.co.uk

Norton Motorcycles - on the way back to fighting trim

 

NORTON Motorcycles has endured its fair share of headlines over the past 12 months but from a bleak situation, the firm is now courting considerably more positive publicity as it heads into 2021 with a fresh outlook.

Indeed, the landscape could not be any more different; staff have been taken on, motorcycles are being readied for manufacture and the final pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place.

Much of the news regarding Norton was - in the early days of the collapse - a torrent of negative energy, solely aimed at the previous administration. One of the biggest mountains John Russell (Interim CEO) and new owners TVS have to climb is turning that negative feeling into a positive outcome for existing and potential customers.

Read the full article here: www.visordown.com

Bible In One Year - new app for 2021 is now available now!

Bible In One Year: Join us as we read the Bible each day. It’s a practice that we have been doing for over 30 years and we hope it will benefit your life as much as it has ours. 

Nicky & Pippa Gumbel

New app for 2021 is now available! Introducing new editions, only available with the latest app release:

Classic - Nicky and Pippa take you through the whole Bible, with daily readings, thoughts and prayers.

Express - In a rush? The Express edition will take you just 10 minutes each day.

Youth - A remix of the Express edition — for those between the ages of 13–18.

If you ever want to test or swap edition, no worries. You can switch your edition at any time.

Free to download: 

Google Play or Apple App Store

Jean Michel Jarre - Welcome To The Other Side 2021

In partnership with @Ville de Paris, and under the patronage of @UNESCO, Electronic Music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre teams up with French VR start-up VRrOOm to take us into the New Year with a Live-stream trailblazing concert-spectacular set in the virtual environment of the planetary landmark, Notre-Dame de Paris.

“Welcome to the Other Side” is a one-off exclusive, worldwide and open-to-all, free concert experience whose ambition, beyond celebrating the New Year in a futuristic and festive way, is to send a message of hope for 2021 and for the end of the dark times we are all going through this year: a digital and virtual invitation from Paris, the City of Light, vibrant metropole of the Arts & of Culture and home to the most famous cathedral in the world. Notre-Dame has a unique place in the collective imagination, it is a symbol of the strength and of World Heritage that binds us together.

This is truly fantastic! JMJ has been one of my music heroes since the early 80s. Grab a drink, tune in, turn it up & enjoy! Happy new year (again!). x

www.youtube.com

Reading for today: Welcome to 2021!

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: 

The old has gone, the new is here!

Read all of 2 Corinthians 5 at Bible Gateway