A baker dozing

Being the technological type – a “technosaurus” if you will – my friend came to me for some advice.

She runs a small bakery in the city centre and has taken on new premises as she continues her quest for world domination. I can just imagine her trying to overthrow the government armed with a sausage roll and a jam doughnut…

Anyway, enough of that.

The reason she required my help was due to the numbers of staff she’d need to employ given the expansion of the business.

No, she didn’t want me to stick on an apron and smile sweetly for the customers – she was looking for a computer system that would help with the management of her employees.

She required a system to calculate her payroll and make sure staff were given the correct amount of wages and on time. I recommended a system from Carval – I’d heard only good things about it – and it seemed perfect for her requirements.

I installed the system for her, performed a demonstration and I was on my merry way.

Well that’s been four weeks now and she is loving it; it’s easy to use – even for a technophobe – and the staff are delighted they’re being paid in hard cash rather than savoury snacks.

As for me? Well, I expect to be treated like royalty whenever I visit the bakery.

The next time you hear from me I’ll have gained four stones and unable to type due to the vast quantities of sugar jamming my keyboard.

Sounds amazing…

The ease of internet crime

Technology has enriched our lives in so many ways; it has made many things so much easier, from food shopping to studying to keeping in touch with people.

Many people would claim that we are too dependent on technology now and, if you think about it, in some ways we are. After all, if there is a power cut whilst you are at work, chances are you are staring at a blank screen not knowing what to do with yourself.

However, also think about how much harder your job would be without computers and how much paper you would get through.

As much as the advances in technology have made our lives easier, they have also made it much simpler for people to become criminals. 

Cybercrimehas become a huge worldwide problem and there is supposedly software available for around £3000 that can give people access to online bank accounts.

This type of technology has made it easier for criminals to attack with no borders or restrictions, which is truly dangerous.

Here in Britain the government has recognised this type of crime is becoming an increasing threat and is setting up a new centre designed to exclusively tackle internet crime, with the hopes that the UK will become a world leader in cyber security.

The amount of information that cyber criminals can get hold of - and how easy it is for them to do so - is frightening. And, as much as we are all so fond of the internet and all the things we can use it for, we do have to be aware of the risks involved.

Getting internet security at home and in the workplace is a great first step in keeping your details safe. Also, make sure you only use secure websites when you put in your bank details.

This way you are doing what you can to protect yourself. As long as we are all aware of the dangers then we can be more protected.

All sorts of tech

All advances in technology are exciting to me, although I guess some things like new phones and cool televisions are a bit more exciting than other advances.

But if you pay attention to the changes going on in the world around you, you will see the effect that they can have on our everyday lives.

From the advances in medicine, such as stem cell technology that mean a human heart should be able to be grown from just a few cells, to the leaps in IT that mean we should soon have electronic paper that looks and feels like paper but, well, isn’t! 

These all sound pretty exciting and will have a big effect on how we live our everyday lives - but there is technology out there already doing just that.

Think about an everyday event like going to the bathroom and the technology you use in there.

Companies like Initial Washrooms have micro-biologists who provide them with advice on the latest technology, so that when you use their products you are as hygienic as possible as well as helping to reduce water and electricity usage.

It might not seem like the most exciting technology in the world, but it makes a big difference to our lives and the world around us.

Think of how much paper you would save if your work invested in a fast-drying hand dryer, as well as how much more hygienic it would be than a towel that everyone uses to dry their hands.

Sure it’s not an 80 inch, 4000 resolution flat screen television but it’s still pretty interesting that this kind of technology exists and is making a difference. 

Useful Resources: 

Shiny new toys!

Technology is one of the fastest moving industries in the world; it feels like there is always something new coming out or rumored to be coming out.

It’s all pretty exciting if you’re a tech geek like me!

I love reading about the latest bit of kit and what it will be able to do - and there’s nothing like getting down to the shops on release day and trying it out for yourself, seeing if it lives up to all the hype.

The next bit of kit I will be getting myself in line for is the iPhone 5, due to be released on the 21st September after making its big debut yesterday.

I know a lot of people are either anti or pro Apple, but I’m just such a nerd that any new bits of technology get me excited.

Yesterday’s big announcement revealed what we had all been expecting, and the iPhone 5 WILL have a bigger screen than its predecessor the 4S.

The new phone features a four inch screen which will allow for another row of app icons. It will also be 18% thinner and 20% lighter than its predecessor making it the lightest iPhone yet.

Another interesting feature is that the phone will be capable of using 4G.

After the issues that the new iPad faced when it was first released, where itss 4G wouldn’t actually work in the UK, Apple were very clear yesterday that the new iPhone will work with Everything Everywhere’s new 4G service, although it is not yet known what will happen with the other networks.

In terms of how it looks, the iPhone 5 doesn’t vary too much from the 4S other than it’s longer and slimmer. Although the black version of the handset does feature a darker metal around the sides and on the back, which is quite nice. 

Inside the phone you will find the A6 chip, which is meant to make the phone twice as fast as the previous phone which featured the A5 chip.

However, if you don’t want to upgrade from your 4S you can still benefit from most of the changes to the operating system and the updates to iTunes are supposed to make it better, too.

Yesterday Apple also announced the new versions of the iPod Nano and Touch, both of which will run a little faster and both look lovely.

I personally cannot wait to get my hands on all of this new kit and have a little play!