Newsletter 2012.08

 
 

Welcome to the METHOD IT Newsletter for August 2012

We Host. You Relax.

Are your servers struggling this Summer? Move to our Tokyo Datacenter and get the first month’s hosting free. Choose from either co-location hosting or a fully customized private cloud solution.

The campaign period is now over. Thank you for your interest.

Get a Spam-free Inbox

Just got back to the office from your Summer vacation to spend the morning sifting through junk emails? And how many of those had dubious attachments? You need a better spam-filtering solution. Consult METHOD IT to find the best anti-spam and anti-virus matches for your business.

Tips & Tricks

Free Microsoft eBooks

Microsoft have very generously released a huge amount of eBooks on the Internet for free. Titles include textbooks, manuals and classroom materials for the full range of Microsoft products. Of most interest to business users is a 337 page introduction to the cloud-based Office 365.
Read more >>

Android 4 Ultimate Guide and Cheat Sheet

Just got a shiny new Android 4 smartphone or OS upgrade? Here’s an excellent walkthrough with screenshots and a cheat sheet of common tasks.
Read more>>

News from the Web

Sayonara Mobile Flash

With the news that Adobe removed Flash Player for Android from Google Play this week, the sun has set on Mobile Flash. What next for the technology? An in-depth report by METHOD IT.

Too Much Hot Air in the Cloud

A recent report by Gartner suggests that cloud computing is being over-hyped, reduced to a buzzword bandied about by vendors who don’t even offer genuine cloud solutions. This is creating confusion among consumers and obscuring the benefits of embracing the technology.
However, there is proof that mainstream adoption of cloud computing is close once the dust has settled – the report states that 50% of businesses are already using some form of Software as a Service (SaaS).
Gartner also notes that Platform as a service (PaaS), a model where customers develop software in the cloud, is set for several years of major growth with all the IT giants vying for number one position.

2 Months Till Windows 8 - The Latest Reports and Rumors

With the October release of Windows 8 fast approaching we’re seeing more news, gossip and divided opinions every day. Here’s a roundup of the most interesting articles from recent weeks.

Lose the Smartphone, Enjoy your Meal

Are you as guilty as us of fiddling with your smartphone during meals? As an incentive for customers to concentrate more on their surroundings, food, and conversation, a Los Angeles restaurant is offering a 5% discount to those who check their smartphones in at the door.

Top 20 TED Talks to Date

How about a little brain food served up by some of the world’s finest minds? TED have just published a list of their top 20 most popular talks since they began. There goes your day! Perfect for watching on the move in the free TED app for iPhone/iPad and Android.

Live Photo Feed of Tokyo and Other Cities

‘This is Now’ has to be one of the best website ideas we’ve seen this month. The site uses location-tagged Instagram pictures to create a live feed of what people are up to in Tokyo and eleven other world cities. Fascinating to watch and let it run for a while. Be sure to check out some of the other locations using ‘What is this?’ in the top-left corner.