If you’re working late/early/at weekends but you’d like your emails to be sent on the right day/time in the working week, or perhaps to catch the recipient just when you know they’re returning to the office, you can schedule your emails on Outlook.  Here’s how:

– After you’ve finished writing your email in Outlook, go to the ‘Send’ Button.

– Click on the downward arrow next to the send button and select “Send later”.

– Choose your day and time from the calendar and click on “Send”.

Alphabet subsidiary X, the Moonshot Factory’s ‘Project Taara’ is claiming 99.9 per cent uptime within the first 20 days of a light beam/laser broadband project.

What Is It?

Laser-based broadband uses wireless optical communications (WOC), which has been described as “like fibre, but without the cables”.  In short, invisible beams of light, about the width of a chopstick, are used to transmit information at super high speeds through the air between two terminals. To make the connection, the terminals search for each other, detect the other’s beam of light, and lock in to create the high bandwidth connection.

Why?

This kind of laser broadband is needed because:

– The challenges of tough terrain can make it very difficult, very costly, and slow to take fibre networks to many areas.

– It offers a cost-effective and quickly deployable way to bring high-speed connectivity to remote areas.

– It can plug critical gaps to major access points, like mobile phone towers and Wi-Fi hotspots.

– It can help bring greater equality of opportunity to countries with more challenging terrain by giving people access to the educational, business, and communication benefits of the web.

– It can be used as a way to extend fibre networks.

What Happened?

Project Taara has set up a network, powered by wireless optical communications (WOC) that links Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Measurements have been taken of how the recently introduced laser-based broadband has performed between the sites, which are separated by 4.8km across the Congo River.

X, the Moonshot Factory, which describes itself as “a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions” has reported that the laser-based broadband service has been able to supply nearly 700TB of data within its first 20 days of operation, with 99.9 per cent uptime.

Flexible Technology

The X company website claims that with a clear line of sight, wireless optical communication technology can transmit data at high speeds of up to 20 Gbps, and a single link can cover distances up to 20 km.

Weather Conditions A Challenge

One challenge with this type of technology, however, is that bad weather (fog or haze) can interfere with the light beams, as can fauna such as bats and birds flying in front of the signal. For these reasons, laser-broadband may be more useful in countries with good weather conditions for most of the year.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Those individuals and businesses in areas around the world where it is too complex, expensive, and difficult to be reached with cables in the ground (due to terrain) are at a disadvantage from not being able to access the many benefits of reliable access to the Internet. The promising results from the deployment in the Congo shows that laser-broadband offers a practical, cost-effective, and quickly deployable way to bring high-speed connectivity to remote areas.  It also could prove very valuable in plugging other critical gaps in the world’s communications networks.  This could bring greater opportunities and greater equality to businesses, communities, and individuals around the world while being kinder to the environment at the same time. The challenges posed to the technology by adverse weather conditions could be offset by the fact that it is better to have areas connected for at least some of the time than not at all.

The inventor, innovator, EV pioneer (with the C5), electronics and tech businessman Sir Clive Sinclair died recently, aged 81.

Circuit Design

Born in Richmond, Surrey in 1940, and knighted in 1983 for his contributions to the UK’s computer industry, Sir Clive Sinclair started out by designing a circuit for a DIY kit radio (while studying for his A ‘Levels) that was sold was sold through magazines like Practical Wireless.

Most Famous For The Sinclair C5

Many people will remember (or will have heard of) Sir Clive Sinclair as the inventor of the C5 electric vehicle which he launched in 1985, and which received a great deal of media coverage at the time. Although Sir Clive believed that the one-seater, low driving position, three-wheeled, compact (pedal-assisted) electric vehicle offered a new, environmentally friendly, and fun mode of transport that could beat the traffic jams, the public weren’t convinced. Ridicule in the media, attitudes of the day, and the fact that C5 drivers were vulnerable to many dangers (collisions from not being seen, lack of protection, traffic-fumes, etc) meant that only 12,000 were made, the assembly line was mothballed within its first year, and the Sinclair Vehicles company went bankrupt.

…And The ZX Computers

In the computer world, Sir Clive is also remembered for the ZX80 computer (in 1980), its follow-up the ZX81, and the ZX Spectrum, a competing product to the BBC Micro from Acorn (Chris Curry). The ZX computers, which originally came from Sir Clive teaming up with Chris Curry to form Sinclair Research, offered people a relatively low-priced but appealing early computer, made from a small number of components, that could run simple apps and basic games. ZX computers sold well across the world and, importantly, they provided an accessible introduction to home computing, helped a wider market to learn more about computers and basic programming, and helped many people to develop an enthusiasm for learning more about what became known as IT.

Other Ventures

Prior to his C5 and ZX computers, Sir Clive had designed and released the Sinclair Executive calculator in 1972. It was well received, affordable, won Design Council awards, and was even displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York!

In the early 1990s, Sir Clive launched a lightweight, folding electric bike called the ‘Zike’. Unfortunately, like the C5, it wasn’t popular. Also, in 2011, Sir Clive announced that he was working on another electric vehicle which he called the X1.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Sir Clive Sinclair’s story will be familiar to many entrepreneurs (and is echoed in their own stories). Although not all of his ventures were successful, and he experienced financial ups and downs as a result along the way, he was not deterred and was a very driven inventor and innovator. His contribution to the early development of affordable personal computers has, no doubt, made a positive contribution to the world of IT that has come to play such an important part in the world of business today. Many think that the C5 was before its time and there is a kind of irony that all major car manufacturers are now committed to producing electric vehicles although, of course, they look nothing like Sir Clive’s work and are much more complex (and safer) than the C5.

In this article, we look at some of the key issues surrounding the planned 2025 PSTN switch-off, the move to VoIP, and what options businesses have going forward.

What’s Happening?

Back in April, BT Openreach announced that starting from the end of this year (and finishing in 2025), it will be “switching off the UK telephone network as we know it” by moving 15 million lines to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) based replacement telephone service. In essence, this means that the Internet (broadband) will be used to carry telephone calls rather than traditional copper wires.  Switching off the UK’s traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) will also mean the end for ISDN because it uses the copper wire phone network.  Also, BT Openreach will not be accepting new orders for PSTN, and ISDN2 and ISDN30 services after September 2023.

Why?

As noted by Ofcom, the old PSTN is reaching the end of its life and is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain, and Openreach may be looking to ditch the legacy copper network completely, so it won’t have to pay to run two parallel networks. Also, there are now more up-to-date alternatives that are compatible with how we communicate today i.e., mobile and Internet communications. Broadly speaking, some advantages for customers of the switch-over to VoIP could include:

– VoIP offers a greater breadth of capabilities.

– Cost savings and fewer system failures and outages.

– Scalability and portability (VoIP phone systems can go wherever the company goes).

– Greater communications-mobility, flexibility, and increased productivity and collaboration. The importance of this has been particularly well-illustrated with the need to use remote, cloud-based communications and collaborative working platforms during the pandemic.

– Better security that’s continuously updated.

– Greater reliability.

– Improved customer experiences.

– Clearer calls, making it easier to keep existing numbers, and the choice to have broadband provided separately from the telephone service.

– Better identification and prevention of nuisance calls, thereby saving businesses time and money and potentially protecting against scammers.

Challenges and Disadvantages

There are, however, quite a few potentially serious disadvantages (for some customers/customers groups) to switching over.  These could include:

– Potential problems with latency.

– Vulnerability to phone systems going down and causing (costly) business disruption if there’s a broadband outage or if the electricity supply is interrupted.

– Older customers and/or customers in rural areas/areas poorly served by broadband may be at a disadvantage.

– A lack of awareness in the marketplace about the planned switch-over, and a large number of small businesses in the UK are still using legacy lines.

Not Just Phone Lines, But Downstream Services Too

Ofcom and Openreach have acknowledged that a big area of concern, if preparations are not made sufficiently in advance of the switch-over, is how downstream services will be affected. These include security and fire alarms, telecare devices and panic alarms, retail payment terminals/EPOS, and equipment for monitoring and controlling networks.  Specifically, these downstream services rely on some attributes of the old copper PSTN that may not be fully replicated in VoIP-based platforms, hence the importance of adequate preparation before the big switch-over in 2025.  This will require service providers to test their equipment to see if it will continue to function over IP and then replace, upgrade, or reconfigure it as appropriate. These service provider businesses will also need to ensure that customers (from residential users to large commercial and public sector entities) are made aware of the issue well in advance so that necessary steps can be taken to maintain service(s).

Ofcom has stated that the government will work with the sectors that use these downstream services (e.g., health, energy, transport, and business) so that they are aware of the change and can prepare in time.

Is BT Pushing Customers To Switch To Their VoIP?

Some tech and communications commentators (and smaller IT and comms companies) have noted that while BT is raising awareness about the switch in 2025, it also appears to be pushing for businesses to give up their PSTN lines and move to BT’s VoIP solution.  For example, as noted by the Register, BT Wholesale Hosted Communications (WHC) Express now provides a digital phone line for small businesses and a Broadband One package (full-fibre speeds up to 1Gbps). These may be a way to help BT’s resellers and integrators to tempt businesses to switch now to BT rather than wait a little longer and look around.

In July, while BT-owned Openreach was ramping up the urgency by asking customers to audit their systems for devices that use the PSTN, it also offered a ‘Call Waiting List’.  This is an online sign-up form for Openreach’s newsletter that also asks who provides the phone line(s) and offers an opt-in to share personal details with their “trusted third-parties” in relation to “digital products and services”.  While BT and the companies it owns have a genuine interest in making businesses aware that they need to prepare for the switch-over, they may also help by letting businesses know that there plenty of other providers of VoIP solutions.

What Are The Alternatives?

The old PTSN copper wires are essentially being replaced by a fibre network. With the switch-off of the old PSTN and ISD, as things look now, the main alternatives for businesses are:

– SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which uses virtual, cloud-based phone lines rather than physical lines. This may be more suitable for businesses with an on-premises phone system. Many existing phone systems are already compatible with SIP.

– Hosted VoIP/ a Hosted IP phone system may suit businesses that don’t want to commit or retain an on-premises phone system.  As this option uses the business’s internet lines, it essentially means that the business rents a phone system.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Although the move is industry-led, there is little doubt that analogue (and old, expensive to maintain) copper wire phone systems will not be able to provide the scope, flexibility, speed, capacity, and economies of the digital alternatives as businesses now rely heavily on the Internet. Provided that there is adequate information and support given by the regulator and BT Openreach, and coordination among communications service providers (CSPs), and adequate advice and help for downstream providers, then change should be manageable, and disruption should be minimised. Obviously, very careful consideration, help, and planning need to be given to those sectors and organisations, many of which are vital to UK business and infrastructure, that still rely on some attributes of the PSTN that may not yet look as though they can be fully replicated in VoIP-based platforms.

One other important message here is that, although it’s a big change, and some test-areas will be switched-over first, the switch-over will generally be spread over four years. Although it’s important to audit systems and be prepared, businesses will have time to shop around and choose from a number of different providers and solutions rather than feeling as if they have to opt for the first offers from the big providers straight away.

With the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 phone being the latest foldable phone in the spotlight, we take a closer look at what foldable phones are, their advantages, their disadvantages, and likely future development.

Foldable

As the name suggests, foldable phones have either a flexible screen, with a hinge that bisects the handset/device so that the uninterrupted screen can be opened out to twice the size or, as in the case of the Microsoft Surface Duo for Business, they have hinge that separates two screens. Depending on the model, foldable phones can open out to normal phone size (from half-size compact storage size) as with the Galaxy Z Flip or, can open out to tablet size as with the Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate Xs.

Going Back 10 Years

Samsung first showed a prototype version of the Galaxy X foldable phone back in 2011 and, although originally due to be launched in 2018, it was delayed due to production problems in the development of the flexible plastic screens.

The Screen

The key part of a truly foldable phone (one with a screen that folds) is a screen that is flexible and yet durable enough to withstand regular folding. The display part of the screen in foldable phones uses OLED technology. OLED (organic light-emitting diode) uses LEDs in which the light is produced by organic molecules. OLED panels are made by putting several organic thin films between two conductors so that when an electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted. The big advantages of this, especially for foldable phone production, are the flexibility of the panels and the fact that each pixel is controlled individually and emits its own light, thereby giving great image quality and bright colours.

The Advantages of Foldable Phones

Some of the main advantages of foldable phones are:

– Flexibility and convenience – space-saving, compact storage.

– Bigger displays, making it easier to see, improving the user experience, and giving the device more scope.

– Multi-tasking potential, i.e., the user can make notes while checking messages, drag and drop photos for quick sharing, and more.

– Entertainment features e.g., better for reading e-books, watching films.

– Optimised photography and videography. Folding out to a bigger screen gives more room and scope to produce and enjoy photos and videos.

– The kudos of owning one plus the added value of novelty (self-image and greater emotional value). Foldable phones may be particularly rewarding to technological early-adopters.

Disadvantages of Foldable Phones

Some of the main disadvantages of folding phones are:

– High price. Anywhere between £1000 and £2300 for new foldable handsets.

– Susceptibility to damage and wear and tear. As with any moving parts, (in this case hinges and screens), damage is more likely to occur with repeated use.

– Heavier and chunkier designs despite being compact when folded.

– Concerns about app support.

Necessity?

Some tech-commentors have asked the question “do we need foldable phones?” For example, larger-screened handsets may not pose a major inconvenience to users and many higher-end smartphones already provide much of the functionality, apps, and convenience that most users need.

The Future

At the recent Global Tech Korea 2021, Samsung Display showed off a new 13-inch prototype of a stretchable screen that can add another dimension to user-experience e.g., the panel can ‘pulse’ in time with what is being displayed on the screen (the demonstration showed a pulsating lava screensaver).

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

For phone manufacturers and phone retailers, foldable phones represent a potential cash generator to help bridge the effects of the gap left by consumers waiting to switch to 5G phones when the network was available. Foldable phones also offer fashion/self-image appeal to the young age group who are big consumers of phones and tech, and they represent an area of competitive advantage for phone companies such as Samsung as they try to compete against Apple’s offerings. Foldable phones, however, have been a long time in (costly) development and suffering with (as in the case of Samsung) delays, and setbacks along the way (not helped by the pandemic). High prices mean that these phones are still at the early adopter stage and are unlikely to be appealing to smaller businesses. Going forward, innovations like the stretchable screen show that there are still some exciting developments to come in the experiential aspects of communications hardware.

If you’d like a fast and easy way to remove the distractions of ads popping up in and around the frame when watching YouTube videos, here’s how:

– Select any video on YouTube.

– Insert “_popup” between the word “watch” and the question mark the in YouTube URL and click on enter.

– You can now watch a full screen, uninterrupted YouTube video.