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Showing posts from July, 2026

Microsoft turns to the UK Supreme Court after losing twice over second-hand software licenses, and billions could ride on the outcome

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Microsoft has won an extended stay at the Competition Appeal Tribunal while it seeks permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court, having lost at both the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal Its argument that Office's icons and clip art placed it outside software exhaustion rules was rejected as producing "odd results", including CD software being resellable while identical downloads were not The jurisdiction ruling matters more than the £270 million claim, as it clears the way for a parallel collective action that could expose Microsoft to billions Microsoft has bought itself time in its long-running fight with a British software reseller, securing an extended stay of proceedings at the Competition Appeal Tribunal while it prepares to seek permission from the UK Supreme Court to appeal. While Microsoft has yet to appeal formally, its indication th...

Fast NBN, but slow Wi-Fi? It might be time for a mesh system upgrade

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Anyone who has dealt with spotty Wi-Fi knows that a fast NBN plan doesn’t mean your Wi-Fi will work equally well in every room. The connection might work well in the living room near the router but be frustratingly slow upstairs or at the other end of your house, especially in homes with thick walls or concrete floors. That’s where a mesh Wi-Fi system can help, as it improves coverage by using several connected units around your home instead of relying on a single router. This guide explains how mesh Wi-Fi works, how it connects to NBN services and whether your home needs it. If you want to read more about the best mesh systems we have tested, take a look at our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems in Australia . What is mesh Wi-Fi and how does it work? A mesh system consists of a main router and one or more extra units, usually called nodes or satellites. Me...

I'm sick of smart TV privacy worries, so I'm taking my TV off the internet for good — here's why you should too

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Smart TVs have long been in controversial waters as far as privacy goes. From claims that your TV is a "privacy nightmare" to accusations of some models being a "mass surveillance system" , you probably haven't failed to notice the periodic storms that have erupted around what televisions get up to in terms of data and telemetry. The latest lightning strike that hit last week was a development around LG TVs (and PC monitors) whereby voice features (and a McAfee pop-up ad in Windows ) came under fire. LG has defended its position in no uncertain terms, it should be noted (although the mentioned Windows 11 pop-up has since been retracted ). But regardless of the rights or wrongs here, this affair was enough of a reminder to prompt me to finally take action on something I've been meaning to do for quite some time anyway. Namely, to ...

It's not just you - report finds almost 1 in 3 workers scroll their phone in meetings, and that's only the tip of the bad habits iceberg

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support 31.7% of surveyed employees admit to scrolling on their phones during meetings Distraction habits are taking over the workplace, with potentially devastating consequences for long-term employment prospects Directors are over 4 times more likely to arrive late for a meeting than an entry-level employee Scrolling through your phone is now considered preferable to engaging in discussion in meetings, with almost a third (31.7%) of employees admitting to looking at their phone instead of the daily PowerPoint, new research has claimed. Digital distractions in the workplace are costing employees of all ages opportunities to progress, while Gen Z employees are struggling with time management. The findings of a Careerminds UK survey of 600 UK employees highlight meetings, emails, and notifications delivering distraction from the focused task, with completion or atten...

How to watch Women's Open 2026: Free Live Streams, TV Channels & Preview

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Stream Women's Open 2026 for FREE on R&A TV (UK) Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%) Women's Open 2026: Thursday, July 30 to Sunday, August 2 The fifth and final major of the season is set to be electric, with so many of the top contenders out to fulfil lofty personal ambitions at Royal Lytham & St Annes, none moreso than Ryu Hae-ran and Nelly Korda. World No.1 Korda won the first two majors of 2026, only for Ryu to double up too. It's the first time ever that two players have secured multiple majors in a season. They're both hoping to emulate the great Inbee Park, the last player to win three major titles in a single calendar year. That was way back in 2013. The consistency of Korda, who'd also complete a career Grand Slam with victory in Lancashire, has been astounding over the past few seasons, but she missed her f...

Silent Hill: Townfall is shaping up to be a great analog horror take on the series

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Having been put on Konami’s backburner for over a decade, Silent Hill ’s resurgence has been nothing short of extraordinary. A tepid start with Ascension and The Short Message was counterbalanced by the excellent Silent Hill 2 remake from Bloober Team and the homegrown Japanese horrors of Silent Hill f from NeoBards. The series seems like it’s now heading further in the right direction with the next game, Silent Hill: Townfall . Early this month I played three hours of Silent Hill: Townfall and spoke with both Screen Burn director Jon McKellan and Konami series producer Motoi Okamoto about the game’s approach to retro tech, the Scottish setting, and cultural authenticity. Going retro (Image credit: Konami) Silent Hill: Townfall follows a man named Simon Ordell in the fictional town of St. Amelia, Scotland. As he wakes up, he finds the entire place shrouded...

They might have grown up online — but Gen Z are apparently far less likely to use antivirus, study finds

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Just 27% of Gen Z respondents use antivirus software for mobile devices, and are less likely to regularly change passwords 57% of Gen Z spend more time online than offline, Kaspersky finds And only 28% regularly backup important personal data stored on their phones Gen Z has no awareness of cybersecurity, online safety principles, or the risks of not changing your password. With just over half (52%) of respondents admitting they have had devices, data, or online accounts attacked, only 27% actually employ standard countermeasures like mobile antivirus tools. In a study of 7200 respondents from 18 countries, the company also found only 28% regularly backup important personal data stored on their phones. An average Gen Z-er appears to rely almost completely on their smartphone, which is where they store the information they value most, apparently without cloud ...

16 products keeping my kids entertained whilst I work from home this summer – and half are less than £20

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The summer holidays are here, but for most of us, that doesn’t mean work stops. Despite booking multiple days off and roping in anyone I can help with childcare, it is inevitable that, at various points over the next six weeks, the kids will be cooped up in my office with me while I try to work. As someone who likes to plan, I’ve already invested in several items to help keep my little ones happy and occupied whilst I keep serving up insightful content on small business tech. I’m keen to provide them with retro-style pastimes and give them some options that get them creative and active, without creating too much noise. That said, I am already eyeing up a £300+ gaming console to get myself some quiet time – and it’s only week two ( it's all about balance, right? ) Below you'll find the list of products I'm using, or planning to use, to survive th...