If Vodafone dropping mail worries you, you’re doing online wrong
Posted on 11-Sep-2017 13:54 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
At the New Zealand Herald, Holly Ryan writes Vodafone axes email services – NZ Herald Customers with a Vodafone email address will have to switch at the end of November, when the telco plans to axe its email services after 20 years. Email addresses affected include its Clear and Paradise services. Vodafone had about 200,000 […] If Vodafone dropping mail worries you, you’re doing online wrong (Comments)

Norton Wi-Fi Privacy — Easy, flawed VPN
Posted on 11-Sep-2017 09:48 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Last year Symantec released an iOS version of Norton Wi-Fi Privacy. It’s a solid app that shields an iPhone or iPad against everyday risks with public Wi-Fi hotspots1. This year Norton has expanded the product in two ways. First, it now comes in PCs and Macs versions as well as iOS and Android. Second, you […] Norton Wi-Fi Privacy — Easy, flawed VPN (Comments)

Kiwibank wastes $90 million on software – Reseller News
Posted on 1-Sep-2017 13:45 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
At Reseller News, Rob O’Neill writes: Kiwibank has booked a $90 million impairment in its software assets and flagged a major change in its SAP core banking roilout. “Although the strategic review has not yet concluded, a potential change to how we build the core ‘back end’ IT system (CoreMod) to match the demands of […] Kiwibank wastes $90 million on software – Reseller News (Comments)

Government broadband investment fills the gaps
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 12:53 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
The money earmarked for more broadband may or may not have been an election bribe. Either way is it a sound infrastructure investment. — Bill Bennett (@billbennettnz) August 30, 2017 Cynics were quick to label the government’s generous broadband funding announcement as pork barrel politics. There’s something in that. New Zealand is, after all, in […] Government broadband investment fills the gaps (Comments)

Duck Duck Go versus Google juggernaut
Posted on 28-Aug-2017 20:55 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
For the last month Duck Duck Go has been my default search engine on my computers, tablets and phone. It’s not the first time I’ve tried this experiment. Unlike other search engines Duck Duck Go doesn’t track your searches. You’ll see advertising based on your search terms, but they don’t relate back to earlier searches. Nor are […] Duck Duck Go versus Google juggernaut (Comments)

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 launch
Posted on 25-Aug-2017 13:14 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Last year’s Galaxy Note 7 looked like a winner. My review described it as the best Android phone. Then we learnt about battery explosions and burning phones. Yesterday Samsung unveiled this year’s model. The company’s Auckland launch was a tired affair set in a grim industrial bunker. After drinks the crowd was made to stand […] Samsung Galaxy Note 8 launch (Comments)

Sky TV boss blames pirates, evidence says otherwise
Posted on 24-Aug-2017 17:29 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Writing at Newsroom.co.nz, Mark Jennings covers a weak financial result from Sky TV. He quotes boss John Fellet: “Piracy has become our biggest competitor. “The big problem is the increasing ease by which pirated content is accessible. “Devices preloaded with piracy software enable users to access pirated content stored on servers overseas, from the comfort […] Sky TV boss blames pirates, evidence says otherwise (Comments)

How Oppo shakes New Zealand’s phone market
Posted on 22-Aug-2017 18:32 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Earlier today Oppo showed New Zealand media the R11 phone. We could talk about the 20 megapixel camera and features. Instead, let’s save time and get straight to the point: this is a NZ$770 premium Android phone. That’s right. It costs a whisker over half the NZ$1500 price of a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Or, less […] How Oppo shakes New Zealand’s phone market (Comments)

Public Wi-Fi plus cloud file sharing
Posted on 18-Aug-2017 11:20 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Ben Kepes writes about an infosec panic: Bitglass, a company that is all about protecting organizational data, wanted to see the impacts of widespread use of public wi-fi, alongside the use of unsanctioned file sharing solutions… …Bitglass’ threat research team tested two real-world scenarios—public wi-fi use and sharing of data from within a cloud app. […] Public Wi-Fi plus cloud file sharing « The Diversity Blog  (Comments)

Fact-checking Southern Cross Next cable is fastest to USA
Posted on 17-Aug-2017 13:57 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Southern Cross says its recent seabed survey found a faster route for the Southern Cross Next cable project connecting Auckland and Sydney to Los Angeles. The route means laying cable in waters off the Wallis and Fortuna Islands. This should pay off by cutting latency; that’s the time taken for data to travel across the […] Fact-checking Southern Cross Next cable is fastest to USA (Comments)

Thurrott says Microsoft Surface is dead last for reliability
Posted on 16-Aug-2017 15:19 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Consumer Reports has pulled its recommendations for Microsoft’s Surface products, citing an industry-worst failure rate. Source: Consumer Reports: Microsoft Surface is Dead Last for Reliability – Thurrott.com Reliability is one of the hardest things to cover off when reviewing hardware. It’s no accident that Apple, which sits at the top of the reliability league table […] Thurrott says Microsoft Surface is dead last for reliability (Comments)

LibreOffice 5.4 works better with Microsoft Office files
Posted on 16-Aug-2017 13:32 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
With version 5.4 The Document Foundation has made the free, open source LibreOffice 5.4 more compatible with Microsoft Office1. If you like your productivity software to come as a big, sprawling, all-encompassing suite, you can buy an annual Microsoft Office subscription. Or, you could get the power of Office without paying a penny. LibreOffice is […] LibreOffice 5.4 works better with Microsoft Office files (Comments)

Spark adds Cambridge, Turangi to 4.5G network
Posted on 10-Aug-2017 17:55 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Spark press release: Spark announced today that Cambridge and Turangi have become the latest towns capable of getting the fastest mobile data speeds in the country, as 4.5G is switched on in the two Waikato locations. The launch of 4.5G in Cambridge and Turangi follows other single-tower deployments covering limited areas in the Christchurch CBD, […] Spark adds Cambridge, Turangi to 4.5G network (Comments)

Chorus backhaul starts with 2degrees
Posted on 10-Aug-2017 15:49 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
2degrees has signed a multi-year backhaul contract with Chorus. The deal replaces a mix of services from providers including Spark and Vocus. The network will connect UFB points of presence and data centres to the international network. 2degrees says it now has a fully diverse and highly resilient network that transports voice and data worldwide. […] Chorus backhaul starts with 2degrees (Comments)

New Zealanders cool on data analytics catching benefit fraud
Posted on 10-Aug-2017 09:56 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
New Zealanders don’t like welfare agencies using personal spending data from credit card or insurance to verify benefit claims. The 2017 Unisys New Zealand Security Index found only 42 percent agree with welfare agencies accessing this kind of information. It’s not just welfare. Even fewer New Zealanders support the tax office collecting similar data to […] New Zealanders cool on data analytics catching benefit fraud (Comments)

New Zealanders wary of wearable biometrics: Unisys
Posted on 9-Aug-2017 09:39 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Unisys Security Index researchers looked at how comfortable New Zealanders are with biometrics and wearable computer devices. That’s the technical name for biometric hardware like health bands and other kit that measures medical data. It also covers smart watches and products like Google Glass. When there’s a clear benefit, New Zealanders are happy with the […] New Zealanders wary of wearable biometrics: Unisys (Comments)

Unisys Security Index 2017: How New Zealand compares
Posted on 8-Aug-2017 15:05 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
New Zealanders worry more about security than ever before. The 2017 Unisys Security Index shows the NZ index sits at 154 out of a possible 300. That is the highest score New Zealand has registered in the 10 years the Index has run. It is up 12 percent since 2014. That was the last year […] Unisys Security Index 2017: How New Zealand compares (Comments)

How Microsoft killed Windows Phone
Posted on 7-Aug-2017 18:39 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Monday Note’s Jean-Louis Gassée writes about the death of Windows Phone: How could Microsoft’s Windows Phone licensing business model stand a chance against Google’s Free and Open Android? None of the Redmond giant’s complicated countermeasures worked, its smartphone platform is dead. And yet, inexplicably, Microsoft failed to use a very simple move… Source: Fiction: Who […] How Microsoft killed Windows Phone (Comments)

Protecting the 12.9-inch iPad Pro: Covers, sleeves
Posted on 7-Aug-2017 12:14 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Apple made the large screen 12.9-inch iPad Pro to travel. It may not be as portable as the 9.7 or 10.5-inch iPads, but the bigger display makes up for that. It is fast becoming my first choice travelling computer1. The 12.9-inch screen on the second generation iPad Pro is tough. Even so, there is no […] Protecting the 12.9-inch iPad Pro: Covers, sleeves (Comments)

Why New Zealand outplayed Australia on the NBN
Posted on 6-Aug-2017 18:09 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
New Zealand will reach its broadband roll out goal on time and on budget – with superior technology. What went wrong in Australia? At the Australian Financial Review Jennifer Hewett goes back over the question asking Why New Zealand outplayed Australia on the NBN. Along the way she talks to MyRepublic’s Vaughn Baker who has played a role […] Why New Zealand outplayed Australia on the NBN  (Comments)

Talking VPNs on Radio NZ Nine-to-Noon
Posted on 4-Aug-2017 13:56 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Technology journalist Bill Bennett discusses Russia’s move to crack down on virtual private networks. Also, two conflicting takes on the power of online advertising; and the day the music died: the Pandora music service closes in New Zealand and Australia. New technology – Bill Bennett From my speaker notes: Virtual Private Networks Virtual Private Networks […] Talking VPNs on Radio NZ Nine-to-Noon (Comments)

New Zealanders naïve about wi-fi safety: Symantec
Posted on 2-Aug-2017 08:51 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Two-out-of-three New Zealanders think their personal data is safe when they use public wi-fi hotspots. Roughly the same number use hotspots regardless of the consequences. Hardly any users know if they are transmitting data safely when using public wi-fi. These are Key findings in Symantec’s 2017 Wi-fi Risk Survey. Wi-fi is popular. Symantec found half […] New Zealanders naïve about wi-fi safety: Symantec (Comments)

Unisys: New Zealanders want IoT driving seat
Posted on 1-Aug-2017 11:20 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
New Zealanders have a healthy scepticism when it comes to the Internet-of-Things collecting and sharing their data. More than anything, we want control. For years we’ve been told the IoT is just a remote-monitored heartbeat away. The technology promises to change our lives as much as mobile phones. Heaters can start to warm homes when […] Unisys: New Zealanders want IoT driving seat (Comments)

Counter offers don’t work
Posted on 31-Jul-2017 13:10 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
Counter offers are proving to be ineffective in retaining employees for the long-term despite being common practice for many New Zealand companies. According to independent research commissioned by specialised recruiter Robert Half, more than eight in 10 (89 percent) New Zealand CFOs have extended a counter offer while 64 percent of the same CFOs also […] Counter offers don’t work (Comments)

What to do if employer makes counter offer when you quit
Posted on 31-Jul-2017 13:06 Articles, Bill Bennett, by Bill Bennett
How to quit your job and stay friends looks at how to resign without harming your future career prospects. Some resignations are messy. Including those where your existing employer makes a counter offer when you quit. While these counter offers look tempting, nine times out of ten you shouldn’t consider them. You’ve made a decision to […] What to do if employer makes counter offer when you quit (Comments)