Mountain Lion 10.8 beta under test

We're testing a beta of OSX 10.8, Mountain Lion and the initial impression is good. Software update now runs via the App Store (which, I suppose, makes sense) but on our Beta at least, does not update.

Otherwise Google, Office 2011, Adobe CS4 all appear to work fine. Will update on progress later. Not sure about the Notification Centre which opens on the right of the screen... is it going to be essential or one of those 'Dasboard' features no-one uses? The jury's out at FMK.

Save with Google Apps at your company

Just tell us a couple of key stats about your business, and we'll estimate how much a basic Microsoft Exchange 2007 deployment would cost and what you could save with Google Apps, which includes: 

• Email accounts with 25 GB of storage per user and instant search tools
• IM, plus voice and video chat
• Group calendaring system
• Mobile access
• Spam and virus filtering
• Web-powered collaboration apps: Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Video for businesses 

Google Apps is accessible from a variety of mobile phones, including BlackBerry devices, the iPhone, Windows Mobile and many less powerful mobile phones. Google offers multiple syncing capabilities so that you can access your Google Apps account when you're on the go.

Email Pete Yeo on pete.yeo@fmk.co.uk and start saving money today.

This week we have chiefly been...

• Troubleshooting streaming problems for a new international internet radio station
• Working on complex server authentication/integration issues for a major UK educational establishment
• Advising Miss Marple on replacing her laptop (really!)
• Doing preliminary work on a cost-cutting mail changeover for a registered charity
• Diagnosing a faulty terminal problem (yes, it was dropped)
• Restoring a sent items folder accidentally dragged out of sight so that all mails ‘disappeared’
• Plus the usual 1001 printing, mail, phone, wifi, network and other problems we deal with on a daily basis

Floods hit hard drive supply

Recent flooding in Thailand – the world’s second largest exporter of hard drives - has caused extensive damage to manufacturing facilities from all major hard drive suppliers. The full extent of the impact is not yet known, but pricing on drives has already increased and experts are predicting a significant drive shortage that will last well into 2012. This will likely have a severe impact on supply and pricing from traditional storage vendors.

This week we have chiefly been

• Thinking about Steve Jobs and his family 
• Helping our many BlackBerry-user clients work round their loss of service 
• Installing a load of lovely new MacBook Pros at an international style magazine 
• Deciding we really will have to lock up the server cabinets at a London ad agency… 
• Supporting a London cinema chain through problems at their card payment provider 
• Sorting out printing problems at an accountant to the stars 
• Liaising with BT to get an ADSL line re-installed at a London theatre, sigh
• Sorting out networking and fibre-based internet for a new London-based internet radio station