30 January

Stop Sopa Ireland

Uncategorized

Minister Seán Sherlock has proposed a new law which is best explained here. It will be enacted by a single stroke of his pen.

Why are we opposed to this law?

  1. It is vague in the extreme. There are no details of what is considered a transgression. It isn’t clear if the site targeted will even be informed of the proceedings.
  2. The mere threat that allowing a user to post content could land the service in court will ensure that no service allows it. The implications are no more social media for Ireland, who the hell is going to take that risk?? This scares us greatly but will TERRIFY the likes of Google, Twitter, Facebook. Of course we have to stay here and live with it. They and their thousands of jobs, don’t.
  3. Its not fair. This is akin to letting Bank of Ireland take proceedings against the National Toll Roads Ltd when a getaway-driver uses the M50. Pretty soon, no one will want to build roads.
  4. It kills innovation and scares away foreign investment. Boards might have the clout and money to fight some of these injunctions. Smaller operators simply won’t.
  5. This wont even work. This will take the pirates 10 minutes to circumvent and I can demonstrate that easily if anyone wants to see.

How you can help sign the petition against this http://stopsopaireland.com/


One of the most important advances for business telecommunications has been the ability to sync information across multiple platforms. Today, there are ever more devices that support mail account access, and it is important that all of these devices synchronize with one another to give you the most up-to-date information. IMAP, or Internet Message Access Protocol, is one of the most popular protocols for receiving and sending email. It supports operation both online and offline

There are a variety of mail clients that support synchronizing email across devices such as laptops, desktop computers, iPhones, iPod Touch Android Outlook Thunderbird and others, using IMAP capability–and many of them are popular with business users who want email on the go.
Some clients do not automatically provide IMAP functionality – for example, Gmail account holders need to log into their email account and under the ‘Settings’ tab enable ‘Forwarding and POP/IMAP’, then save changes. IMAP mail accounts are supported by Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Pegasus Mail, Zoho, and AIM, GMX Mail, iCloud Mail, Lavabit, FastMail, Gawab, Windows Live Hotmail, Mozilla Thunderbird and many others. Other applications, such as IBM’s Lotus Notes app, use the IMAP protocol to synchronize user-made notes across a large number of platforms; some of these apps can be integrated with email to give even greater business functionality.
Setup on Iphone:
The iPhone supports two mail standards, one of which is IMAP (also called ‘push mail’). When setting up email accounts on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or other portable device, it can be useful to know the basics of IMAP. When setting up an email account on your iPhone using IMAP, it behaves like an SMS mailbox, so you will receive an email as soon as it reaches your email server. To be able to pick up your email, you will need an email server which supports IMAP functionality and access to that server.
IMAP is a more advanced mail standard than POP, the alternative option, because an action performed via POP will not synchronize across all devices; IMAP synchronizes all mail boxes instantaneously. For example, if you make a change such as deleting an email in the Outlook mail client on your desktop computer or Outlook Web Access client on the internet, the mailbox on your iPhone or other portable device will automatically update with this change. To set up IMAP capability, you will need to set up a new email account on your device, with the settings for the incoming mail server (usually your login username and password), as well as your outgoing mail server settings (the host name will be the smtp server for your email provider). Once this is done, you are ready to synchronize your email across any device that supports IMAP email protocol. IMAP is quick and easy to use, and even preserves your custom folders across all platforms, giving you a versatile solution for business email use.

Syncing files from one computer to another is a big concern for individuals of mostly any industry. You don’t have to be a big shot IT professional to want or need to send important files to a coworker. Programs such as Dropbox have made it substantially easier than ever before to do this.

How it works
Dropbox allows you to create a free or a paid account. The free account has less storage space and has other limitations, but has enough features to let you give it a whirl and decide if it is right for you. After you sign up for an account you merely need to give your account name to the individuals you want to be able to sync with and decide which files and folders are shared. This is better than letting people remotely access your computer as this way only allows other people to access the files that you have designated them able to.
Dropbox for those not technologically inclined.
Dropbox does not always have to be about business or important files. You can sync up computer with pictures or videos of your family vacations as well. This is a good way to get people that are not terrible tech savvy like Grandma interested in using a computer. This can be a good way to get specific files in a specific folder without having to teach someone how to check their email and download attachments.
IT Uses for Syncing and programs like Dropbox
The place where being able to sync up files and folders is really useful is for those that work in the IT industry. If you ever need to turn in an important project or proposal for work you will never have to worry about forgetting it. You can sync your home and work computers and always be prepared for that big meeting. This is a very good use for Dropbox, but it does not only have to be used going from your work computer to your home computer. For instance if you are working on a project for work you can have every individual sync up specific shared folders of their computers in order to have everyone contribute to getting work done.
Privacy Concerns
Syncing up computers is a good way to share files, but also be contradictory to some privacy policies of computers. For instance it never a good idea to install anything on any work computers without the consent of the computer’s owner and your employer. Be sure that your employer knows how the program works and that they have fully approved of you being able to sync files from your home computer to your work computer. Even if it assumed that it is okay it is better to be safe than sorry. It is a safe and easy to use program. Just like the name sounds only stuff you drop in the Dropbox can be shared.

Many computer users don’t think about maintaining their machines until they slow down significantly or become unreliable. Regularly performing system maintenance will keep your computer operating at optimum efficiency and decrease your computer’s chances of being infected with malware or viruses. Keeping your system up to date will also help you delay purchasing a new computer because you are unlikely to feel that there is anything wrong with your current system.
Delete Temporary and Unnecessary FilesPeople who visit hundreds of websites each month and download many files often find that their computer begins to slow down after a period of time. Using the Windows disk cleanup tool about once per month is another practice that is necessary to keep your computer running efficiently. This tool is useful for identifying files that are unnecessary, especially the temporary internet files that are automatically saved when you visit most websites. It also automatically empties the recycle bin, so it is a good idea to make sure you want to delete those files before using the tool.
Another suggestion made by tech experts is to check your program files to make sure there are no programs listed that you no longer use. Program files often take up a significant amount of space on your hard drive so removing unused files can significantly speed up your computer.
Update Your Firewall
Keeping your computer’s firewall updated helps keep your computer protected from viruses and protects your personal information against hackers. Most programs will automatically prompt you to download updates as soon as they are available.
 
Automatic Updates
Windows offers automatic updates for each of their operating systems. These updates fix issues and increase security as well as protect against known viruses. Signing up to have your operating system automatically updated is a good idea because the system may be updated several times per day and staying on top of updates is an important way to keep your computer running smoothly.
Keep Anti-Virus Software Updated
Viruses and malware are a common cause of computer slowdowns and related issues. There are a few good anti-virus programs that you can download for free, but you should always research the program and make sure you are downloading from a reputable site to avoid making your computer run even slower. Another good reason to make sure your anti-virus software is running properly is that most programs contain security measures that protect your information from being stolen by hackers.
Most people who use their computer frequently replace their system within a couple of years, but keeping your system well maintained will help it serve your needs for several years before it needs to be replaced. These maintenance tips will probably take an hour or two each month but are likely to save you many hours of frustration.