30/06/2008 by swordfish.

The UK’s IT sector is forecast to survive the worst effects of the current economic turbulence, with the number of business failing remaining constant over the next year.

Business advisors BDO Stoy Hayward predict that 1,414 companies in the technology, media and telecoms sectors will close during 2008. In 2009 this figure will rise by less than one per cent to 1,428, and in 2010 the total will fall to 1,356.

BDO Stoy Hayward revealed the figures as it announced a two year deal with The Tech Track 100 the annual report into privately-owned technology companies, published by The Sunday Times and research firm Fast Track.

Source: Yahoo Technology News

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Posted in IT Careers, Technology News | Print | No Comments »

26/06/2008 by swordfish.

Compared to Firefox 2, the newly released Firefox 3 offers faster page rendering, a vastly reduced use of system resources and clever new data-mining tools for your bookmarks and browser history.

Firefox 3 also includes many built-in security-related features, such as the best-of-breed antiphishing protection, making it the most secure browser on the market today.To find out more about Firefox 3 read our latest review - www.qbs-pchelp.co.uk/firefox.html

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Posted in Mozilla, Software, Web Site News, Web Browsers | Print | No Comments »

25/06/2008 by swordfish.

Microsoft has sent a letter to its customers telling them to expect Windows 7 in 2010.

The letter from senior vice president Bill Veghte says “our plan is to deliver Windows 7 approximately three years after the January 2007 general availability launch date of Windows Vista.”

The letter slightly contradicts Steve Ballmer’s declaration last month that Windows 7 would arrive in 2009, although Microsoft’s press office has steadfastly stuck to the “three years after Vista” line ever since Ballmer’s speech.

Veghte’s letter is the second indication in as many days that Microsoft is keen to clarify its roadmap. Yesterday, the company insisted that it would stick to its plans to withdraw Windows XP on 30 June, albeit with a series of notable exceptions and workarounds.

Source: PC Pro

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24/06/2008 by swordfish.

Microsoft has sent out a letter to customers reconfirming its commitment to the 30 June XP deadline, as it attempts to wipe away accusations of dithering over the operating system’s fate.

The company’s decision to wield the XP axe has met with fierce resistance ever since the plan was announced, forcing the company to extend the deadline from January and introduce a complicated, staggered approach.

Despite the letter’s insistence that “nothing has changed with regards to its previous time-line”, Microsoft clearly feels that some uncertainty remains over its plans which could still be undone after Steve Ballmer admitted in April that ‘XP could live on should enough customers demand it’.

As it stands, Microsoft will stop selling Windows XP to shops and original equipment manufacturers on 30 June.

Source: PC Pro

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Posted in Software, Microsoft, XP | Print | No Comments »

23/06/2008 by swordfish.

Facebook has overtaken arch rival MySpace in the battle for online popularity, according to the latest independent figures.

Facebook attracted 123.9 million unique visitors and 50.6 billion page views in May compared with 114.6 million unique visitors and 45.4 billion page views at MySpace, comScore figures reveal.

The news has ruffled the feathers of Rupert Murdoch, head of News International which owns MySpace.

At the Lions 2008 International Advertising Festival in Cannes, Murdoch dismissed Facebook as “flavour of the month” and a mere “directory”, while MySpace, he said, is a “real social networking site”.

MySpace, bought by News International in 2005 for £315m, has just undergone a redesign to de-clutter its home page.

Source: Yahoo News UK & Ireland

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23/06/2008 by swordfish.

SocialMedia Networks is readying a new ads platform for Facebook, which will place information gleaned from close friends and contacts into a user’s banner adverts.

For example, a banner advertising a film could come with a quote from a user’s friend who recently watched and wrote a positive comment in their profile about it.

The system decides close friends by monitoring the number of messages sent between users, and the interaction between people on applications in Facebook.

SocialMedia Networks describes this technology as FriendRank, and claims it works in much the same way as  Google’s PageRank which analyses the importance of links between web pages.

Source: PC Pro

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