node-net has recently integrated the production control software one of our Fabric Knitting clients with their new dye house. With electronic transmission of dye batch information over the cloud, huge amounts of data entry work is removed. Accuracy and time use is instantly improved.
The details of our specialist Knitted Fabric production software are available here.
Friday, January 08, 2016
Monday, September 21, 2015
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Security resource for UK businesses and individuals - Guide to online and downloadable security tools
Most are opensource and free but the paid offerings have good reputations in the security industry.
In this day and age security of data is a hot topic. Most businesses, naturally sceptical of governments are rightly suspicious of the fact that the security of their hoovered up data will be safe in the hands of policemen and politicians.
The only safe thing to do is to use encryption on your sensitive data and communications and as we now know there are still a few tools available to evade this surveillance.
Friday, June 07, 2013
NJDesign Launches New Graphic and Media Services
NJDesign is a full services Graphic Design and Web Services provider with over 20 years experience in Print, Design and the WEB.
NJDesign builds you a custom website with your own content and media for desktop and mobile devices, video, HTML-5 all custom designed and tailored for your business or personal requirements.
read more...
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Bitcoin - the sooner the better
Today I went into my daughters bank and tried to put some cash into her account as she needed the money instantly. However I was told I would have to use an envelope and use one of the deposit machines in the branch. These take forever to get the money into the account. (HSBC deposit machines detect and count the cash instantly into ones account.)
I have advised her to close down her Natwest account and open one with a different bank, ie one that allows instant cash deposits from anybody.
The sooner that sending money to someone is as easy and cheap as sending a text or an email the better.
It really is about time we had some serious competition in the banking services field.
Unfortunately the government seems determined to maintain the massive undeserved margins of the banks.
It is a disgrace that in order to apply for a banking licence one must employ one of the old guard banking fraternity. I think full banking licences should be given to all the major supermarkets, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, McDonalds, Ford, etc.
This would definitely be in the interest of the public but it wont be done because the existing banks would empty overnight. Banking Law is in the interest of the banks and not the public.
I have advised her to close down her Natwest account and open one with a different bank, ie one that allows instant cash deposits from anybody.
The sooner that sending money to someone is as easy and cheap as sending a text or an email the better.
It really is about time we had some serious competition in the banking services field.
Unfortunately the government seems determined to maintain the massive undeserved margins of the banks.
It is a disgrace that in order to apply for a banking licence one must employ one of the old guard banking fraternity. I think full banking licences should be given to all the major supermarkets, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, McDonalds, Ford, etc.
This would definitely be in the interest of the public but it wont be done because the existing banks would empty overnight. Banking Law is in the interest of the banks and not the public.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Windows 8 To upgrade or not?
My most recent dealings with Windows 8 revolve mostly around helping new users migrate and downgrading to Windows 7.
Mostly these users were older users resistant to any change and they found the mobile style Metro interface difficult to use. Younger users liked the new interface especially those that already had smartphones.
However I personally have been very impressed with the speed of the operating system and its smoothness.
I haven't yet got around to rolling it out on the corporate networks I manage yet.
One of my clients has already installed touch screens throughout their offices so Windows 8 might be a nice addition to their set-up.
There might be some issues as all the machines have double touch-screens on them.
I am thinking seriously about doing it, and if I do I hope to make use of Microsoft's Upgrade offer for Windows 7 users.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/upgrade-offer This offer closes by Feb 28th 2013 so if you got a Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 you are eligible for this upgrade for £14.99.
Mostly these users were older users resistant to any change and they found the mobile style Metro interface difficult to use. Younger users liked the new interface especially those that already had smartphones.
However I personally have been very impressed with the speed of the operating system and its smoothness.
I haven't yet got around to rolling it out on the corporate networks I manage yet.
One of my clients has already installed touch screens throughout their offices so Windows 8 might be a nice addition to their set-up.
There might be some issues as all the machines have double touch-screens on them.
I am thinking seriously about doing it, and if I do I hope to make use of Microsoft's Upgrade offer for Windows 7 users.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/upgrade-offer This offer closes by Feb 28th 2013 so if you got a Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 you are eligible for this upgrade for £14.99.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Wordpress Themes
As you know we have been using Wordpress for a number of years now and it continues to improve as there is a great reservoir of users and developers.
Everyday there are new plugins and themes available.
If your Wordpress site is correctly set up then installing one is usually a case of 1 click and Hey Presto!
I am always looking for new themes I can use or modify and although there are lots of great themes available it is sometimes worth looking at premium themes, especially ones aimed at particular industry end users.
These tend to bring an extra level of usability for the client. for example property listings for an estate agent.
One of the best suppliers of premium themes is Elegant Themes, their collection is bound to spice up both your and your clients sites.
Everyday there are new plugins and themes available.
If your Wordpress site is correctly set up then installing one is usually a case of 1 click and Hey Presto!
I am always looking for new themes I can use or modify and although there are lots of great themes available it is sometimes worth looking at premium themes, especially ones aimed at particular industry end users.
These tend to bring an extra level of usability for the client. for example property listings for an estate agent.
One of the best suppliers of premium themes is Elegant Themes, their collection is bound to spice up both your and your clients sites.
Monday, November 05, 2012
Back up SQL Server to the cloud
This week I had a problem with a restored SQL server database which 'lost' its users on being restored. Even though Windows Server Backup is supposed to be able to back up and restore running SQL servers it was not so successful at re-attaching the users.
What I really wanted to do was make a backup with the intention of uploading it to an Amazon S3 bucket. I looked at the three methods Microsoft recommend SQL Server Management Studio , Transact-SQL , PowerShell and all of these will allow backup to a tape drive or disc.
You still need to upload to Amazon.
In the end I plumped for using Cloudberry S3 Server Backup edition although I cant wait to try their SQL Server edition. This allowed me to schedule backups from a shared network drive directly to my S3 storage..
You can download a trial of S3 Server Backup here.
Late News:For a complete SQL server Backup solution the SQL Server edition is available here
What I really wanted to do was make a backup with the intention of uploading it to an Amazon S3 bucket. I looked at the three methods Microsoft recommend SQL Server Management Studio , Transact-SQL , PowerShell and all of these will allow backup to a tape drive or disc.
You still need to upload to Amazon.
In the end I plumped for using Cloudberry S3 Server Backup edition although I cant wait to try their SQL Server edition. This allowed me to schedule backups from a shared network drive directly to my S3 storage..
You can download a trial of S3 Server Backup here.
Late News:For a complete SQL server Backup solution the SQL Server edition is available here
What and When to Backup
Ask yourself the following questions about your SQL database.
- From when til when is the database in use?
If there is a predictable off-peak time, do full database backups fthen. - How often are changes likely to occur?
If changes are frequent, consider the following:- Under the simple recovery model, consider scheduling differential backups between full database backups. A differential backup captures only the changes since the last full database backup.
- Under the full recovery model, you should schedule frequent log backups. Scheduling differential backups between full backups can reduce restore time by reducing the number of log backups you have to restore after restoring the data. - Microsoft
- Are changes likely to occur in only a small part of the database or in a large part of the database?
For a large database in which changes are concentrated in a part of the files or filegroups, partial backups and or file backups can be useful. - What size will a full database backup be?
1Gb, 10GB or what?
Find out the Size of the Full Database Backup
You can estimate the size of a full database backup by using the sp_spaceused system stored procedure. For more information, see sp_spaceused (Transact-SQL).
Schedule Backups
SQL Backup will easily run whilst in use. The backup process has a minimal footprint.
You should do regular backups and schedule them as part of your regular maintenance.
You should do regular backups and schedule them as part of your regular maintenance.
Test Your Backups
You do not have a restore strategy until you have tested your backups. It is very important to thoroughly test your backup strategy for each of your databases by restoring a copy of the database onto a test system. You must test restoring every type of backup that you intend to use.
We recommend that you maintain an operations manual for each database. This operations manual should document the location of the backups, backup device names (if any), and the amount of time that is required to restore the test backups.-More from Microsoft
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
BT and Sky using DNS for user tracking?
Both the new Sky ADSL modem and the BT Homehub 3 do not allow the user to choose DNS servers.
Why is this?
BT says it is a security issue.
I would suggest that this is how the government web use surveillance will work. By forcing users to use a particular DNS server then all web requests can be monitored fairly easily, probably on an expandable Amazon cloud server.
If you are worried about government surveillance I would also suggest changing your router to one that allows you to set the DNS servers. You could use Google's public DNS servers or other publicly available DNS servers.
So it seems that BT and Sky are being very compliant to government surveillance "needs", and not to the privacy of their customers.
What is BT's code of practice with regard to use of the DNS servers?
To people who say 'If you are not doing something wrong, you have nothing to fear?'
I say "Where would you draw the line on surveillance, your front door, your kitchen, your phone, your bedroom?"
Ask yourself why does the government need to surveillance me? And the bloke next door? And my Mum?
And you'll find the answer is they don't
Why is this?
BT says it is a security issue.
I would suggest that this is how the government web use surveillance will work. By forcing users to use a particular DNS server then all web requests can be monitored fairly easily, probably on an expandable Amazon cloud server.
If you are worried about government surveillance I would also suggest changing your router to one that allows you to set the DNS servers. You could use Google's public DNS servers or other publicly available DNS servers.
So it seems that BT and Sky are being very compliant to government surveillance "needs", and not to the privacy of their customers.
What is BT's code of practice with regard to use of the DNS servers?
To people who say 'If you are not doing something wrong, you have nothing to fear?'
I say "Where would you draw the line on surveillance, your front door, your kitchen, your phone, your bedroom?"
Ask yourself why does the government need to surveillance me? And the bloke next door? And my Mum?
And you'll find the answer is they don't
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Teambox - great new collaboration tool
I have started using Teambox
on some projects and am really impressed. Similar to Basecamp but the free version is better specified. More storage space, more users.
It has features normally found in expensive project management software.
A real weapon for adhoc project management.
on some projects and am really impressed. Similar to Basecamp but the free version is better specified. More storage space, more users.
It has features normally found in expensive project management software.
A real weapon for adhoc project management.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Finally done the migration
First of all the program that Microsoft supplies to write the anwserfile to start migration mode on SBS 2008 names it incorrectly. All lowercase is what is required.
Using a USB stick with the anwser file is fraught with difficulties as Windows tries to install itself on there. The solution is to remove the USB stick when Windows starts the install, and then replace it when it looks for the answer file, although working that out is pure guesswork.
Microsoft were extremely unhelpful with this problem looking for £200 just to hear the problem which is a bit much considering the cost of the program.
I always though that the price of software reflected the level of support you get.
Microsoft fails miserably on this.
Once the migration started it was a piece of cake.
Using a USB stick with the anwser file is fraught with difficulties as Windows tries to install itself on there. The solution is to remove the USB stick when Windows starts the install, and then replace it when it looks for the answer file, although working that out is pure guesswork.
Microsoft were extremely unhelpful with this problem looking for £200 just to hear the problem which is a bit much considering the cost of the program.
I always though that the price of software reflected the level of support you get.
Microsoft fails miserably on this.
Once the migration started it was a piece of cake.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Windows SBS 2003 migration to Windows SBS 2008
I am doing a migation at the moment of an old 2003 installation to a new fast server with SBS 2008.
I have just finished the update downloading and settings changes asked for in the SBS Best Practices Analyser Tool. I have changed the old server's network settings to a single NIC card configuration from the 2 card setup. (1 to Firewall, 1 to LAN).
Tommorrow I will reinstall SBS 2008 with the aim of migrating in situ.
I will come on line and blog my progress tomorrow.
I have just finished the update downloading and settings changes asked for in the SBS Best Practices Analyser Tool. I have changed the old server's network settings to a single NIC card configuration from the 2 card setup. (1 to Firewall, 1 to LAN).
Tommorrow I will reinstall SBS 2008 with the aim of migrating in situ.
I will come on line and blog my progress tomorrow.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Japan Central Bank intervenes to prop dollar
Japan is wasting its money trying to push the yen down as it is in effect trying to push the dollar up. The dollar is going into long term decline as US consumption gets extra competition from the rest of the world.
It used to be said that if the US coughed the rest of the world caught a cold.
Not any more. The GDP of the whole world is $58.15 trillion (2009 est.), the US was $14.14 trillion (2009 est.).
It doesnt take a genius to figure out the US cannot keep consuming 45% of the worlds output.
This adjustment in US consumption is the long and short term problem that faces the US. The pressure on US consumption will really happen when Chinese workers wages and the renminbi's value increases as is happening now.
More cars were sold in China last year then the US.
It is possible that the US could maintain the 45% consumption rate by reducing the GDP of the rest of the world somehow. Maybe a new really destructive war? Iran maybe? Although I believe the rest of the world has absolutely no appetite for this option, It should be remembered that crumbling empires are the most dangerous.
It used to be said that if the US coughed the rest of the world caught a cold.
Not any more. The GDP of the whole world is $58.15 trillion (2009 est.), the US was $14.14 trillion (2009 est.).
It doesnt take a genius to figure out the US cannot keep consuming 45% of the worlds output.
This adjustment in US consumption is the long and short term problem that faces the US. The pressure on US consumption will really happen when Chinese workers wages and the renminbi's value increases as is happening now.
More cars were sold in China last year then the US.
It is possible that the US could maintain the 45% consumption rate by reducing the GDP of the rest of the world somehow. Maybe a new really destructive war? Iran maybe? Although I believe the rest of the world has absolutely no appetite for this option, It should be remembered that crumbling empires are the most dangerous.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Free UK Payroll Software
Today I started using 12Pay, a really useful alternative to Sage or TAS.
It is fully compliant with HMRC, and has all the bells and whistles normally only
found in much more expensive software.
It really is free for small business, however the paid version allows online submission, personalised payslips and advanced reporting. The paid version starts at £54.90 per year and will handle 30 employees. For more then 30 the £99.80 Bureau edition is the one to buy.
So go now and look at your current payroll costs and then consider if you really need to spend that much.
The philosophy behind 12Pay is ease of use for the first time user, although hardened
professionals will also be impressed at its quick setup and user friendly interface.
The website has lots of useful guides and video. An active forum testifies to its popularity with
UK business. Any business looking to cut costs, save time and maintain standards could not
have a better first step then signing up with 12Pay.
Take my advice and tell your accounts department to visit 12Pay and download a trial of the best free payroll software available in the UK today.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Contract Packing
Contract Packing for the retail and distribution trade is becoming more sophisticated as marketers come up with ever more imaginative ways of presenting their products to buyers.
I had no idea until I was asked to do a site for Pack It Right Ltd - a major contractor here in Leicester.
We spent a very interesting day there while we were preparing the site.
Check out their website to see what a modern contract packer can offer your company.
Pack It Right for Contract Packing
Monday, November 16, 2009
Renminbi - Forecast for the future.
A lot is made of the fact that the renminbi (RMB), or the yuan is kept artificially low by the Chinese authorities and the truth is that this currant level of 6.83 to the US Dollar is unsustainable in the long term.
The first big test will be the next oil price rise which could come as soon as this winter if it is particularly cold in the northern hemisphere.
As everybody knows the US got away with consuming 45% of the worlds output not by outworking,outproducing or outperforming the rest of the world but by convincing them to buy US dollars at an incredibly expensive rate. Suddenly China owns most of these bits of paper and has a vested interest in preserving the value of them or so it seems. The situation would be fine if the euro did not exist and its effect of replacing the dollar as a reserve currency.
China cannot really expect its export markets to continue to grow at the expense of its own citizens welfare and wealth. The path the Chinese will take is a substitution of export growth with growth in internal consumption and the subsequent growth in services. They can probably maintain 10% annual growth rate with a 10% annual reduction in the rate of the yuan to the dollar.
The Chinese don't have to worry about selling less toasters in the West as most of the western consumer goods factories are gone and it would take at least three years to get them going again.
More cars were sold in China last year then in the US and they will have an appetite for petroleum products to put in them and on them.
Remember China bought 30 billion dollars worth of oil from Iran in 2008. And wouldn't it be better for the Chinese if they could pay for it using some yuan they printed themselves instead of using those hard earned US dollars.
It would probably suit the Iranians too as they buy their toasters from China.
My prediction for the future rate is as my table
Update from original post of Nov 2009
My revised prediction for Nov 2012 is 5.85.
The rate did not fall as fast as I expected but this year there will be an increase in the rate, especially as Iran will move from selling its oil in dollars to China.
The first big test will be the next oil price rise which could come as soon as this winter if it is particularly cold in the northern hemisphere.
As everybody knows the US got away with consuming 45% of the worlds output not by outworking,outproducing or outperforming the rest of the world but by convincing them to buy US dollars at an incredibly expensive rate. Suddenly China owns most of these bits of paper and has a vested interest in preserving the value of them or so it seems. The situation would be fine if the euro did not exist and its effect of replacing the dollar as a reserve currency.
China cannot really expect its export markets to continue to grow at the expense of its own citizens welfare and wealth. The path the Chinese will take is a substitution of export growth with growth in internal consumption and the subsequent growth in services. They can probably maintain 10% annual growth rate with a 10% annual reduction in the rate of the yuan to the dollar.
- 2009 6.83
- 2010 6.15
- 2011 5.54
The Chinese don't have to worry about selling less toasters in the West as most of the western consumer goods factories are gone and it would take at least three years to get them going again.
More cars were sold in China last year then in the US and they will have an appetite for petroleum products to put in them and on them.
Remember China bought 30 billion dollars worth of oil from Iran in 2008. And wouldn't it be better for the Chinese if they could pay for it using some yuan they printed themselves instead of using those hard earned US dollars.
It would probably suit the Iranians too as they buy their toasters from China.
My prediction for the future rate is as my table
Update from original post of Nov 2009
My revised prediction for Nov 2012 is 5.85.
The rate did not fall as fast as I expected but this year there will be an increase in the rate, especially as Iran will move from selling its oil in dollars to China.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Image Zoom tool for your website.
Magic Zoom, Magic Zoom Plus ,Magic Thumb,Magic Magnify,and Magic Magnify Plus are now available as Cubecart 4 mods which is great news as I used it on a fashion site last year and had to hand code it in. They basically provide image zoom ins by clicking and moving the mouse.
For any of you Cubecart developers out there this suite of tools is a godsend for pleasing your customers.
The support at the magictoolbox forum is active and responsive and I have no hesitation in recommending this product.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Two more shops from GBG
The football socks shop has gone live for Aptosports this week as has the fashion knitwear shop Knits2u.
The football socks site is already getting front page position on all the major search engines.
The football socks site is already getting front page position on all the major search engines.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
New online fashion shop
www.mythologie.co.uk went online yesterday offering a fabulous range of high fashion for all the ladies. Check out this great online fashion shop which is a good example of our current e-commerce offerings.
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