http://www.deepsense.com DeepSense - Latest News en-uk Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 GMT Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 GMT DeepSense RSS Generator 60 While we don't usually report on anything until after it's been both released and tested, we thought we'd make an exception for Windows 8, largely because we haven't seen anything worth reporting on coming from Microsoft since Windows XP. While Windows 7 is arguably better than Windows XP, we still couldn't find the return on investment that Businesses require to justify upgrading all their PCs. Unless the network is unmanaged, this also means 'downgrading' any new PCs to Windows XP too (the reasons for this are beyond the scope of this article).

We have still yet to see anything compelling in Windows 8 that would drive Small Businesses to upgrade. What we have seen however, are huge improvements specifically targeted towards Tablet PCs. What Microsoft is currently calling "Metro" is, undoubtedly, the biggest change to the Windows user interface since Windows 95, and will finally make Windows on a Tablet PC viable. Android on the tablet could well be on borrowed time.

For those who use their computer at a desk, Metro won't play such a large role, but it will still feature quite heavily, replacing many of the Start Menu's capabilities, and providing new ways to navigate and control the PC. To what extent, or more importantly how well, Microsoft will overlap and integrate Metro into the Windows Shell, remains to be seen, but if Screenshots of the Control Panel are anything to go by, then many of the messier and more distracting parts of Windows 7 may also be getting a makeover 'Metro Style'.


              
]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=50 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=50 Put simply, Data Deduplication is a process which saves space on storage devices (such as hard drives) by transparently removing any duplicated data stored on it. It can be achieved in one of three ways (or more accurately at one of three levels); at the File Level, at the Block Level, or at the Byte Level. For the purpose of this article, we shall ignore Byte Level Deduplication.

File Level is the simplest and cheapest form of Deduplication, replacing identical files with pointers. After Deduplication, files appear to be in more than one place on the storage device, but are in fact only being stored once. This can be especially useful for storing backups, since most files being backed up by Small Businesses don't change daily. We offer three backup solutions, one for home use, and two for business use, all of which employ File Level Deduplication.

Although File Level Deduplication is very effective when dealing with identical files, it's completely useless when dealing with large files which change regularly; Virtual Hard Drives and Outlook pst files for example. Because parts of these files change from day to day, File Level Deduplication has no effect on them since they are not identical. In such cases Block Level Deduplication is required which is able to deduplicate the identical parts of files.

So why use File Level Deduplication rather than Block Level Deduplication? Unfortunately, the hardware requirements for Block Level Deduplication usually make it prohibitively expensive for Small Businesses. Back in May we investigated using FreeNAS to solve the problem, but found it ran an older version of ZFS which does not support Deduplication. As always, we continue to search for ways to bring the latest technology and innovations to our clients at a price they can afford.

UPDATE : Windows 8 Server, due to be released in late 2012, will have Block Level Deduplication built-in, although it will be Post-Process Deduplication rather than In-Line Deduplication, thus requiring a lot of spare capacity when using it for backups.
]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=49 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=49 We're always looking for new ways to save our clients money. One of the best ways to do this is by seeking out free alternatives to commercial software that either we or our clients use, and whose quality is high enough that we can actually recommend it. This has proved difficult when looking for a good disk imaging solution which could provide a credible alternative to commercial rivals such as Acronis True Image, but finally we have found one... Redo Backup.

Redo Backup has just been released, and is the first free disk imaging solution we've come across that fulfils the primary requirements of such software; ease of use and reliability. Crucially, it is also free for commercial use. It is distributed as a bootable ISO image, and can either be written to CD using any CD burning software (we recommend ImgBurn) or, alternatively, integrated on to a USB stick using the YUMI Multiboot USB Creator.

Combining Redo Backup with the YUMI Multiboot Creator is a pretty neat disk imaging solution, but when installed in a server with an internal USB port and Out of Band Management such as Hewlett Packard's Integrated Lights-Out (iLO), it provides an unbelievably cost effective and highly reliable System Backup and part Disaster Recovery solution which can even be administered remotely.

Out of Band Management is one of the many features our servers and high end workstations now come with as standard. This distinguishes us from our competitors who usually omit such features, possibly because it can only lead to fewer call out charges. Our priority however has always been to provide our clients with a reliable network at an affordable price, and Redo Backup is helping us to deliver just that.
]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=47 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=47 Microsoft has released MultiPoint Server 2011. MultiPoint Server 2011 is essentially Windows Server 2008 R2 running Remote Desktop Services. What differentiates it from Remote Desktop Services is the additional Management software, and the ability to add Mice, Keyboards and Monitors directly to the server itself, rather than purchase additional computers or thin clients. Unlike it's predecessor, MultiPoint Server 2011 also supports connections using RDP, allowing companies to utilise ageing computers. While targeted primarily at schools, MultiPoint Server could be the perfect fit for many Small Businesses. If you think MultiPoint Server is the solution your looking for, or you would like any further information, give us a call and we'll be happy to help out. You can also find out more by going to the MultiPoint Server YouTube Channel.
]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=46 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=46 FreeNAS, the free Network Attached Storage appliance, has been updated to version 8.0 with a new and improved web interface. We found the software easy to use and clear, but still buggy in some places. When we simulated a disk failure for example, the user interface didn't even indicate which disk had failed! We found other bugs too when adding and removing iSCSI Targets and Extents.

Because FreeNAS is Free, and chooses ZFS as it's volume manager (which was designed from the ground up with Data Integrity in mind), FreeNAS would have fitted perfectly into the portfolio of solutions that we offer to our clients. Sadly however, until it can get the basics right, we simply cannot recommend it.
]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=42 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=42 GNOME, the popular desktop environment / graphical user interface, which runs atop many Linux distributions, has been updated. GNOME 3.0 is not a step change from GNOME 2.x, it's a major leap forward. Many of the old and familiar menus are gone, replaced by a single Activities button, and windows have even had their Maximise and Minimise buttons removed! The GNOME developers are trying really hard to produce a clean, beautiful desktop, which focuses on simplicity and ease of use, and we think they've succeeded. You can download a live CD of Fedora 15 (which includes GNOME 3) from here and give it a try.


              
]]> Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=45 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=45 After a total of 2 Release Candidates and 13 Betas, Firefox 4.0 has finally been released. In the rush to 'keep up', the practise of releasing software early, at the expensive of stability, has become all too common. Mozilla however, knowing a lot was riding on this particular release, put Firefox 4.0 through an extended beta phase in order to make reasonably sure that it was stable.

We have tested Firefox in both home and office network environments and found no problems. For home use we often recommend Firefox Portable because, like all Portable Applications, it's easier to both Backup and Sync. In a network, a standard install works perfectly, storing most of its settings in the users redirected Application Data folder rather than in the unwieldy windows registry.

Many technical 'under the hood' improvements have been made in this release to allow the running of Web Based Applications which, using new programming technologies, are becoming increasingly able to match their desktop counterparts. Other Notable Features include an Improved Interface, App Tabs, Tab Groups & Firefox Sync.
]]> Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=43 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=43 With an increasing number of people owning more than one computer, the issue of keeping all your files synchronized on all your devices has become increasing difficult. A quick internet search soon reveals a myriad of programs which all try to solve this problem. After testing pretty much all of them, we didn't find a single one we could whole heartedly recommend.

Unfortunately Dropbox isn't the all encompassing file sync solution we were looking for either. It's not Free but Proprietary, limited to 100GB, doesn't run as a Service, and there is no version which lets you run it on your own server. Running multiple accounts simultaneously on the same computer isn't possible either. That said, what Dropbox does do, and what it was designed to do, it does very well. If you're a home user, or very small business, and need to synchronise the most commonly used files between all your computers, then it could still be the right solution for you.

With a little cunning and inventiveness, Dropbox can also be used to sync your applications too. Using Portable Apps, such as Firefox Portable, you can synchronise and update all the software on all your computers simultaneously! Using DropboxPortableAHK turns Dropbox itself portable, and in doing so opens up the possibility of having multiple Dropbox's on the same computer. This can be especially useful to computer administrators who need to support multiple Dropbox users, by giving them remote access to a users documents and software, even when their computer is switched off.

Another 'trick' lets you sync any folder on your computer rather than just your Dropbox folder. This can be done by moving the folder into your Dropbox, and then creating a Junction Point from it's original location to it's new location in your Dropbox. Junction points redirect one folder to another folder transparently. One of the easiest ways to create them is to use a piece of software such as Link Shell Extension or NTFS Link; both of which are free.

It isn't perfect, but Dropbox's simplicity makes it easy to use and some of its shortcomings easier to overcome. As such, until a credible alternative comes along (Bitcasa, SparkleShare?), Dropbox may well be your best bet. If your unsure whether Dropbox is suitable for your particular requirements, why not give us a call and find out?
]]> Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=44 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=44 Three has taken the unusual step of completely removing it's 'fair usage' cap for mobile data on it's popular 'One Plan'. This is in contrast to all other operators who limit so called 'unlimited' tariffs by imposing a 'fair usage policy'; a practise we have always been staunchly against. Going in entirely the opposite direction, T-Mobile (who joined forces with Orange back in July to form 'Everything Everywhere') has decided to cut it's data cap drastically, to a poultry 500MB.

At £25 inc. VAT per month, it's a complete bargain given that the tariff also includes 2000 minutes and 5000 text messages. This essentially makes those unlimited too; for most people anyway. Pairing with an Orange San Francisco Phone, unlocked, and updated to Android 2.2 (which includes Wi-Fi tethering), makes this a very compelling and competitive package indeed. For small networks this can also provide a backup internet connection, or connection to a remote location, unreachable by a traditional land line.
]]> Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=39 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=39 Back in June we wrote about the current state of Solid State Drives and how we weren't yet ready to give them our full endorsement. Today however, things are starting to look much better. With the announcement of the RevoDive x2, OCZ have addressed many of the criticisms we made of earlier SSDs. The use of idle garbage collection eliminates the need for trim in most environments, while DuraWrite technology, RAISE, ECC protection, and the over provisioning of disk space, all improve it's reliability. Unusually for a PCI Express based drive, it is also bootable. Yes, it's expensive, but place it on a large enough network, with multiple users able to take advantage of it, and we believe it's worth every penny.

For more in-depth reviews and benchmarks visit BenchmarkReviews.com and Hot Hardware.
]]> Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=33 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=33 The Orange San Francisco is a Budget Android Smartphone with a difference; despite it's price, it's actually remarkably capable. Available from Orange for only £100 on PAYG, we're guessing that Orange are making a loss on the phone, and hoping to profit from the data a Smartphone like this will inevitably use. Our advice is to buy the phone, unlock it, then put it on Three's 'The One Plan' instead, giving you the best of both at an affordable price.

For an in-depth review of the Orange San Francisco, you can head over to TechRadar.
UPDATE : From 22nd February 2011 you will able to buy the Orange San Francisco at Argos!
]]> Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=40 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=40 DrayTek has recently released the Vigor 2710VDn, an ADSL router which has all the features of the Vigor 2710Vn, with the addition of a fully-integrated DECT base. A DECT phone is a cordless phone that you typically use around your home. The Vigor2710VDn is 'GAP Compliant' meaning you can use any DECT phone which is also GAP compliant with it; most are.

You can use DECT phones that you already own or new ones, but either way, instead of connecting to their original bases, they will instead register and communicate with your Vigor2710VDn. You will still need the original phone 'base stations' to charge the phones. Once the phones are 'paired' with the Vigor 2710VDn, they will still be able to use your analogue line, but they will also be able to make full use of a VoIP service.

The Vigor 2710VDn also acts as a mini PBX (switchboard) so that you can call between handsets by dialling their extension number or transfer calls between them. The phones can make 4 calls at the same time, using any combination of your analogue or VoIP/SIP lines. Most regular DECT systems do not allow the operation of multiple handsets at the same time. This makes them ideal for any Small Business' (max 6 phones) who want an easy to setup, simple and low cost telephone system.
]]> Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=38 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=38 The DrayTek AP-800 Wireless Access Point makes the perfect 'extension' to your wireless network. While extending your network, the AP-800 can simultaneously provide network access via it's wired ports too. If you have a desktop computer, networked printer, games console or set-top box which has a network port, but no wireless capability of its own, the AP-800 may just be what you need. No additional hardware or drivers are required either, making this a particularly elegant and reliable solution all round.
]]> Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=41 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=41 Solid State Drives (SSDs) have been getting a lot of attention recently, but not from us. Why? Well, the truth is, SSDs just aren't ready for general purpose use, and they're certainly not ready for use in servers. Their speed deteriorates over time (without the use of TRIM), their reliability is as yet unproven (Recent Examples are Here and Here), and they're more expensive per gigabyte than traditional HDDs. It's not all bad though, they do fit very well into a few niche markets. We would, for example, still recommend them in the following scenarios...

As a silent boot drive in a Media Centre or Nettop, or
As a fast boot drive in a high end Desktop or Laptop, or
As a cool and power efficient drive in a Laptop or Netbook

There are signs of things getting better though. Prices are definity falling, and some drives such as the Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue (Reviewed Here and Here) are focused on compatibility and reliability rather than speed. For now though, unless you fit into one of the above mentioned niche markets, your probably better off sticking to a more traditional HDD.
]]> Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=31 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=31 For those who prefer Ubuntu rather than Windows, this is a reminder that Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is now out. As this is a Long Term Support (LTS) Release, upgrading to this version is recommended. Please ensure you have a complete backup of your entire system before commencing the upgrade. Due to our careful selection of hardware and strict quality control standards, all Desktop Computers purchased from us, in the last two years, are compatible with Ubuntu.

Reviews : Ars Technica, Atolstoy, BestTechie.net, Chema Martin, Dektop Linux Reviews, ExtremeTech, Jesse Kline, MakeUseOf.com, The Register, Times Online, Tom's Hardware.
]]> Sat, 01 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=29 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=29 We're not huge fans of the iPhone, but we know some of our clients are, so when Gray Powell, a software engineer from Apple, lost a next generation iPhone, we thought you might like to know. Fortunately, Gizmodo got their hands on it, and promptly photographed and dissected it! Conspiracy theories are abound, but Gizmodo believes this is the real thing. Apple have even written asking for their ball back.
]]> Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=28 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=28 If your looking for a portable Laptop or Netbook then the Lenovo X100e comes highly recommended. What makes this Laptop special is that Lenovo have found the right balance of features for the £400 asking price (including vat). Being a ThinkPad it's better built than Netbooks, and because it's aimed at businesses, comes with Windows 7 Professional rather than the usual Windows 7 Starter or Home Premium editions. This makes it suitable for both home and business use, since Windows 7 Professional contains all the features of Windows 7 Home Premium. While most laptops of this size settle for a 1024 x 600 screen, Lenovo has opted for 1366 x768, and backs this up with a dedicated ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card. The only obvious omission is that of an HDMI output, which is a real shame as it removes the possibility of connecting it to a large screen TV for watching say the BBC iPlayer or using it as a media centre using software such as XBMC.

Lenovo X100e Review - PC Pro
Lenovo X100e Review - RegHardware
Lenovo X100e Review - YouTube Videos
]]> Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=27 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=27 Due to the growing popularity of smartphones, and their integration with desktop computers and email, more and more of our clients are seeking our advice on mobile phone upgrades. With the recent release of Android 2.1 and the imminent availability of three new Android Phones from HTC (HTC Legend, HTC Desire & Google Nexus One), the decision is far from easy. Luckily, TechRadar, AnandTech, and The Register are all here to help out!

HTC Legend Reviews - TechRadar
HTC Desire Reviews - TechRadar, The Register
Google Nexus One Reviews - TechRadar, AnandTech
HTC Legend vs HTC Desire vs Google Nexus One - TechRadar

Which one is right for you will probably come down to your preference between form and function. The Legend has the undeniable edge in the style department, while the Desire has all the features.
]]> Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=26 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=26 For about five years we've been using Ecotricity to supply our electricity. We not only wanted our energy to come from renewable sources, but we also wanted it to be clean too. For this reason, we opted for Ecotricity's 100% wind power tariff (New Energy Plus). While this does cost a little more, it means we're doing the best we can to go green. We haven't done this so we can show off our green credentials though; we've done it because it's the right and responsible thing to do.

Now Ecotricity has turned it's attention to Green Gas. While Gas will never be as environmentally friendly as Electricity, there is still a lot of room for improvement. By making gas from renewable resources and injecting it into the national gas grid, Ecotricity are doing the best they can to make Gas Green. What's more, just like they turn electricity bills into Windmills, they're now turning gas bills into Gasmills. That's why all our gas bills, from now on, will come from Ecotricity.
]]> Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=30 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=30 BT is making heavy cuts to its Local Business network, following a year and a half of plummeting sales. This is hardly surprising considering just how competitive the Small Business IT sector is. With little or no profit margin, and shareholders to keep happy, there's little wonder they were struggling. This is no place for big business. It never has been, and probably never will be. So if your a Small Business, and thinking about 'playing it safe' with a big name company like BT, may we suggest you contact us instead?
]]> Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=32 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=32 We celebrate our 10th birthday today having started business on the 1st January 2000 (near enough anyway!) During this time we have spent almost as much time keeping up with development as it has directly supporting it's clients. We never forgot however who we're ultimately working for. Most of our clients are small business's (1-100 computers) with small budget's, so all our research & development in this time has revolved around finding, testing and implementing the right solutions for them.

Rather than follow the more obvious and predictable 'Microsoft Small Business Server' route, we have been busy locating and testing the 'best of the rest'. Business's with 10 or less computers for example would be better off using the much cheaper Windows Server Foundation. Both free and Open Source, MailCleaner can be used to stop Spam & Viruses before they even get to a users computer. Comodo AntiVirus, unlike AVG, is free for commercial use, and provides an addition layer of protection. SmarterMail provides an excellent alternative to Microsoft Exchange, is free for 10 or less users, and very reasonably priced if you need more. Being totally Web Based (but hosted locally), it is also extremely easy to maintain and use. For Backup we use a combination of SyncBackPro for file copying, Finddupe for Data Deduplication, and FOG for Computer Cloning. Spiceworks takes care of all the network monitoring. Last, but by no means least, VMware Server is used to Virtualize MailCleaner, FOG, SmarterMail & Spiceworks into individual Virtual Appliances, simplifying the whole system, reducing hardware costs, and (with the addition of a second server) providing a High Availability option. The best part though is the price... all of these solutions (excluding SyncBackPro and SmarterMail) are completely FREE!

It's not only software we've been trialling, but hardware solutions too. Many of the solutions we implement in today's servers, would simply have been too expensive for small business's ten years ago. Virtualization has enabled us to take what would have been multiple physical servers and reduce them to just one. The increasing capacity of Hard Disks has enabled us to move from the 3.5" form factor to the more compact and energy efficient 2.5" form factor Hard Disks and SSDs. It took a while, but we have finally found a RAID solution worthy of our seal of approval... meet the Stardom MR2020-2S-S2 (see below). With disk speeds and capacities now way ahead of what is required for most Small Business's, the advantages of RAID 5 over RAID 1 are now largely moot, so this provides a perfect solution. With hardware costs plummeting too, we are now able to install two of these units on all our servers, creating a physical separation between the Operating System and that all important Data. There are many other fantastic pieces of hardware we could show you, but we don't want to give too much away to our competitors!

The following associated files are also available for download:

Stardom MR2020-2S-S2 (pdf)

]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.deepsense.com/rssfeed.php?feed=Latest%20News&articleid=22 James Britton http://www.deepsense.com/news.php?articleid=22