Using Apture on our blogs
Filed under: Conversation, New Web Creations, Web services
As a partnership we have cultivated over time a family of blogs to add extra value to our web pages and musings, including Dolphinbooksellers, and our partnership blog Changethinking.
We have been using the Apture service for a while now and particularly like the way that using it to link to Wikipedia articles opens up a wealth of new information around topics that readers can explore.
Did you notice the small summary icon in the top left of the Apture window, which opens when you hover your mouse over the link ‘little book’ icon next to our links?
You can click this and expand the detail of the Wikipedia page you have in view to see a full contents summary of the article related to the specific Thirdsector Tech link you are viewing.
We really love this service – a great way to dip into the pool of published knowledge as deep as you want to go, directly from our blog post.
You can find the home page of Third Sector Web here.
Apple iPad – can anything touch it?
Filed under: Apple, Conversation, New Web Creations, New technology
The Apple iPad has been revealed. Is it good? Yes it is. The video below shows how the machine works and how the innovative display is truly an advance on the laptop.
We were a minute or two into the presentation and beginning to be a little uncomfortable with the plethora of greats and fantastics (we are cynical here) – then you see the book store that just flips out from behind the book you are e-reading.
The calendar, maps and email functions look good and the battery life and movie experience on the iPad look great too.
‘How can something so thin and so light be so capable’ says a person in the film. We could become converted to Apple in our PC production world on the strength of this presentation.
For more detail you can find the press release about the iPad from Apple UK here.
Enjoy this movie from cnet.
You can find the home page of Third Sector Web here.
Internet explorer updates…continued
Filed under: Conversation, Security updates, Thirdsector Systems, Web services
Following on from our recent post about vulnerabilities in IE Microsoft have now published details of an out of sequence update for the range of IE browsers.
Having published details of recent attempts to use IE6 as a vehicle for attacks, Microsoft is now issuing security updates for all extant versions of its browser.
You can read the Microsoft advance warning here.
Visit the home page of Third Sector Web here.
Is your web browser up to date?
Filed under: Conversation, Security updates, Thirdsector Systems, Web services
If national governments are warning their citizens to stop using a particular browser, then the potential risk to your data and stored information must be pretty high?
Both the German and French governments have recently issued advisory warnings about using one particular browser.
If you travel and use public networks, if you work a lot online, like us – update your browser often. We have reported in the past on this blog about our use and favour of Opera, Firefox and now Chrome.
Free, quick and easy to download and install. Update or refresh your browser of choice…
…you can see an article from The Guardian about a world-wide hack, originating in China here. The concern seems to be with IE6. Why do so many government organisations, for example, allegedly use outdated software for mission critical applications and services?
You can download IE8 here. It’s improved immensely of late.
Visit the home page of Third Sector Web here.
Creative Commons Image: Brad & Sabrina at Flickr
Kodu – creative programming for children
Filed under: Conversation, New Web Creations, Web services
Microsoft Labs have made Kodu – a video game creation software package – available for free download. Designed to work on both a PC and an X-Box, the system allows children and young people to create games using visual content – a bit like art and programming mixed together, as the trailer on the Kodu home page says. You can download the Kodu technical preview here. The Kodu home page has links to projects that use the software and there is a Kodu Blog to keep you up to date with developments and tips on how to use the software to full effect. Get programming together. You can visit the home page of Third Sector Web here.
Home Access – technology for children
‘Home Access is the new Government programme which will help to ensure that more children in England have access to technology at home to support learning. Eligible low-income families (eligibility is based on the criteria for free school meals) with learners in Years 3 to 9 will be able to apply for a grant to buy a computer and internet package’.
It is intended that this new government initiative will benefit at least 270,000 households in the UK.
The packages offered to families also include assistive technology, to make sure access by young learners on-line is at its most effective.
Parents and carers can review information on the Becta website here. (Becta is the organisation dedicated to the innovative use of technology in education).
Schools who wish to actively participate in the programme can find Home Access information here.
Detailed information for parents, carers and organisations who wish to support the Home Access programme can be found here.
Help the people of Haiti
Filed under: Community, Conversation, New Web Creations, Web services
Technology can help, but people on the ground help most.
Why not donate to Oxfam to help the people of Haiti.
You can find suggestions on office or organisation events to raise money for the disaster here on the Oxfam site.
You can donate to Oxfam directly here.
The British Red Cross have set up a Flickr.com page with images of the devastation, with a donate link included.
Help if you can.
Haiti image – Creative Commons: Simminch on Flickr.com
Post written by Tim Smith.
Google Docs – 250Mb file size support
Losing your files and data can be disastrous. We recommend always having multiple back-ups or file stores active to make sure your precious data is not lost.
Cleaving to the old axiom that data does not exist until it is stored in two places (at least) is a great way to avoid disaster.
Google Docs now supports files of up to 250 megabyte in size. You can store your documents remotely on Google servers, and if you are a subscriber to Google Apps Premier Edition, you can upload multiple files and sync them to your desktop too.
You can read the roll out blog message from Google here.
You can of course use the Mozy home service, featured on our blog before, to back up your files – offering 2 gigabyte of data storage at no cost. Business users can access the Mozy Pro business service for multiple users.
We also like Box.net as a solution for the individual user, who needs access to remote backup while traveling for example. You can share, manage and access your information from any web enabled computer.
Store it, before you lose it – a few moments of effort you’ll never regret when you hard drive fails or your network connections go down.
You can visit the home page of Third Sector Web here.
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About our business
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Tech news from CNN
- Kanye and how Twitter changed communication
If you needed any more proof that Twitter has transformed how we absorb information and communicate, look no further than Kanye West. - New site shows the best of YouTube's worst
We watch more than 2 billion YouTube videos every day, but let's admit it -- we're usually viewing a top 25 clip, a video forwarded by a friend or an old standby like David After Dentist (some of those 66 million views must be repeats). - Adult services blocked on Craigslist
Online classified service Craigslist's decision to censor its adult services section could be a model for other websites, a leader in the fight against prostitution ads said Saturday. - Users amused, annoyed by Facebook Places
It's been two weeks since Facebook users took to blogs and message boards to voice their concerns about Places, a location-based service that allows people to check in to gathering spots via the social network.
- Kanye and how Twitter changed communication
We use Apture
Our Thirdsector Tech blog uses the Apture service to add extra content to our posts.
You can hover your mouse over the 'little book' or 'mini-page' icons next to our links to access the additional information.