The first mass consumer online messaging platform, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) will discontinue their services as of 15 December 2017. AIM was the first online experience of it’s kind for an entire generation and they never capitalised on it.
It’s sort of an end of an era, especially for those of us who grew up in the 90’s. Nowadays, AIM has fallen in favour with the newer and flashier services on our smartphones like SnapChat, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
You can continue to use AIM up until 15 December, but after this date, access will cease and all data will be deleted. If you use AIM, be sure to save any data that you may want to keep before this date.
If you use an aim.com email address your email account will not be affected and you will still be able to send/receive email as normal even after the 15 December.
If you would like to discuss your email account or are interested in our email hosting services, please be in contact with us at Read More The sale of new machines with Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 operating systems preinstalled are no longer available to retailers and OEMs; Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba — PC manufacturers who pre-install Windows. Though the end of the Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 sales life cycle does not mean that those older versions are completely dead and there are still ways to run a preferred older version. When purchasing a new machine, you can still downgrade from Windows 10 to the old Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, which is available through the downgrade rights from Windows 10. Windows 7 will also continue to receive security fixes via Windows Update until 14 January 2020 and Windows 8.1 will be supported until 10 January 2023. We do warn that there are risks running the increasingly ageing Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, especially on newer hardware. System manufacturers have no economic incentive to develop drivers and support tools for these older Windows versions — most downgrades will work, but there is the risk that some components might not work properly, or at all. If you have any questions regarding your Windows operating system or are in need of support in upgrading or purchase of a machine, please be in touch with us at [email protected]. Snapchat is planning to launch their new augmented reality art platform. The platform will feature art from pop artist Jeff Koons and other artists eventually will also have the opportunity to sign-up and have their art added to the platform. The new AR feature is based on the technology from Cimagine, an Israeli AR startup that Snapchat acquired in December. The dancing hot dog is powered by a similar feature called World Lens’, that has received 1.5 billion views on Snapchat! The leak of the news of this new AR feature came about when the TechCrunch news agency asked Snapchat regarding the rumour, and Snapchat responded with this “art.snapchat.com” URL with a countdown to 3PM eastern time today, over Central Park. You can click the link to follow the countdown but unfortunately, the surprise has already been discovered by savvy readers who discovered a time hack to trick the site and reveal what will be launched, ruining Snapchat’s big surprise. The hack method has been disabled now so you can still follow the countdown on the link. Although the reveal is mostly ruined it may still be fun to keep an eye on the countdown to see what or if they add anything new. Fundamentally, when users are nearby a Snapchat ART, they’ll see a special Lens and an indicator will direct them in the direction of the ART until they see it appear on their phone. The ART instalments will likely also be visible in the Snapmap so users can find one near them and view different pieces around the world. Pop artist Jeff Koons is most famous for his giant balloon animal sculptures which will be used for Snapchats ART features initially. Installments will be available in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto, Syndey, London, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. Other artists will also be able to sign up to have their art added to the platform as well. It will be important for other artists to get involved so these AR installments can be featured world-wide and not just in major cities. Snapchat seems to have beaten Facebook in terms of an AR feature with this launch. Facebook has been planning its “pin augmented reality to real-world locations” for some time now but previews of the feature are on a much smaller scale to Snapchat’s massive instalments. After Snapchats share prices hit a low in August, this ART launch could help reignite the social platform as user growth has recently slowed. Intense competition from Instagram Stories and Facebook caused damage to their user base and frequency but this fresh new feature could bring people back and even acquire new users with from this fun world-wide feature. Similar to the madness that was Pokemon Go, if the launch goes well, it could get users running to these physical locations and users of all ages to download Snapchat to join in on the action too. If you are interested in learning more about this new Snapchat feature or would like to hear about our social media service, please be in touch with us at [email protected] The new iOS 11 update from Apple is now available for download on your iPhone and iPad. This is a categoric update and changes the way your device looks visually and the way it works. Even if you’re not upgrading to a new iPhone X or iPhone 8, your device will feel like it’s had a significant refresh thanks to several user interface changes and fresh features. Some of the new features though are exclusive to the new iPhones and some are even exclusive to the iPhone X alone. One talked about feature exclusive to the iPhone X is the Animoji — an emoji combined with animations of your face taken by the iPhone X’s 3D face-scanning TrueDepth camera array. The resulting Animoji tracks the muscles in your face to animate the emoji. Face ID and gesture-swiping to replace the home-button will also be an iPhone X-only feature. Portrait lighting is also available on the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. It uses the dual-lens depth-sensing camera and machine learning to simulate a range of lighting effects — Contour Light, Natural Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono and Studio Light. iOS 11 is an especially significant update for iPad, which is becoming a more viable laptop replacement due to revamped multitasking from iOS 11. Also, both iPhone and iPad get a well needed Control Centre reorganisation. The iOS 11 dock makes multitasking easier on the iPad — included is a dock just like a Mac computer, it’s hidden but you can access it by swiping up. Drag and Drop is also now possible, and apps will now launch in split-screen mode when you drag them to the side of the screen. You can also transport items across a split screen: text, photos, hyperlinks, files and so on. Keyboard shortcuts have been enhanced and are now available for the iPad Pro 10.5-inch with iOS 11. It combines letter keys with numbers, symbols and punctuation marks (currently found on the second keyboard layer), letting you access them with a new flicking gesture. Flicking these secondary numbers and symbols downward is much easier than switching back and forth between the two layers, like before. The iPhone’s AR (Augmented Reality) capabilities are enhanced with the iOS 11 update. The App Store is currently being filled with AR games and software tools. Developers are creating AR apps, overlaying virtual objects on the real world using your iPhone or iPad and its camera. Much like a really advanced version of Pokemon Go — but with more possibilities. You will also notice a new app called, “Files”. This new app lets you sort through your files and browse, search and organise all in one place. Files allow other services besides iCloud Drive such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box etc. The Document Scanner in Notes removes the need to scan important documents that you need to sign. The feature scans, crops the edges and edits any imperfections and then lets you fill in the blanks or sign away with an Apple Pencil. iOS 11 also makes iMessages better by iCloud syncing across your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Which means deleting a conversation bubble one device it will also disappear on the others. Also, it frees up all of your iMessage storage — a big problem for texters! Apple Pay has also expanded to include person-to-person payment features. It’s identical to what PayPal does but via an app-free solution. Apple Pay payments use Touch ID (or Face ID) for authentication and iMessages to send payments between friends or other contacts. There is also the option of using Apple Pay Cash right away via any terminal that accepts Apple Pay. Siri has also received a refresh and is said to be sounding more natural — as well as now you can choose between a female and male voice option. Siri is also learning along with you, going as far as surfacing different word suggestions after you read a specific news story in Apple News or Safari. Since Siri is on 375 million devices and is in more languages and more countries than any other personal assistant, Apple is taking advantage of this and is using deep learning for quick translations. The revamped Control Centre from iOS 11 is a complete overhaul with an all-in-one look to put quick controls at your fingertips without having to swipe between menus. Everything is combined now: system controls, app shortcuts and music controls and accessed by pulling up from the bottom of the screen. The lock screen and notification centre are now in one making it easier to see older alerts you have missed. Swiping up on the normal lock screen will display the notifications. The camera app also has new modes — Apple’s Live Photos take on Instagram Loop app with its own “Leep” and “Bounce” options. You can either play them in a loop or have them rock back and forth endlessly, whichever you prefer. Another new mode, the Long exposures are letting you capture still photos with motion blur, ie waterfalls, stars moving across the sky. There is also a change in how your device stores videos and photos with the new standards, HEIF (High-Efficiency Image Format) and HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Codec). This is good news due to these next-generation compression technologies not needing as much storage. To ensure you are not tempted to check your phone while driving, iOS 11 has a new feature called “Do Not Disturb While Driving”. It will shut off notifications just like Do Not Disturb automatically if you are behind the wheel. Apple’s hands-free solution is called Apple CarPlay. The Do Not Disturb While Driving feature will even send a text to those who are trying to contact you with a message saying that you will get back to them shortly. If you are a passenger, it is easy to confirm that and if it is an emergency and you need to contact someone, you can also enter the word “urgent” to break through the Do Not Disturb feature. Apple Maps now have “lane assist” and “speed limits” for when on the road. As well as improved outdoor maps, Apple maps have now gone indoors with detailed maps of hundreds of airports and malls around the world. Now you can find out which restaurants are in different terminals when visiting a large airport or which stores are where inside a mall. Music has also been improved with iOS 11 as Apple expands its presence in its Smart Home control with a new multi-speaker feature and further changes to the Apple Music design. AirPlay 2 lets you control several speakers throughout your house with a new Apple Home menu. Now everything can be in sync on all of your home speakers. Apple Music has also made a change and you can now build better playlists by consulting your friends thanks to shared playlists, albums and stations. The iPhones which are compatible with this new iOS 11 upgrade are phones that run the 64-bit chipset introduced with the iPhone 5S — meaning all iPhones before this with a 32-bit processor won’t have the update. This also goes for older apps that haven’t been updated. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this new iOS 11 update or if you would like assistance in purchasing an Apple product we are a Joint Venture partner with Apple — please be in touch at, [email protected]. Transport for London (TfL) has decided this morning not to renew Uber’s private hire licence. Reasons given are based on “public safety and security implications”. The current license expires on 30th September, and Uber has 21 days to appeal. This is a shock for the technology industry as Uber is seen as a leader in disruptive technology – changing a market with new methods of access. Uber claims 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers are active on their platform in London. Searches for alternative taxi apps have surged in the last hour, including for one of Uber’s main competitor’s in the US market; “Lyft UK”. We are pleased to announce that the new website for Ventula Consulting has now launched! The new website comprises of three sections which are each flowing pages, rather than being the more typical multi-page site or one long page. In the ‘Meet the Team’ page, each team member’s image animates after landing on an individual – this is a creative way to display a normally straight forward page. The push menu on the left-hand side also easily and smoothly lets the user navigate through the different pages. As well as their new website, we also refreshed Ventula’s branding with fresh icons and fonts to compliment their updated look. Ventula Consulting utilise the latest techniques in digital talent attraction and are experts at proactively promoting their clients brands and mission statements to help them attract the highest calibre candidates in an increasingly competitive market. Check out their new website at ventula.co.uk Please be in touch if you would to discuss your new website and design at [email protected] At the Apple Event yesterday, Apple launched their eagerly anticipated new devices and features. The main event featured the launch of their two new smartphones, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and the premium handset iPhone X (pronounced iPhone ten). The new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are an upgrade to Apple’s current iPhone 7 and 7 Plus range, updating some of the main features found on their current product. Some of the best new features include: It’s Apple’s 10 year anniversary and the iPhone X was launched yesterday and pronounced as their premium smartphone. The iPhone X showcases some Apple’s latest technology, including edge-to-edge OLED display, wireless charging and facial recognition security. The iPhone X has a 5.8inch screen in a body smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus making the phone almost all display. The home button, which has been present on every device since the first iPhone in 2007, has been dropped on this version. The front facing fingerprint scanner has also been removed. The removal of the home button makes room for the front facing selfie camera and facial recognition security. Several functions of the home button, such as activating Siri, will be relocated to the lock switch. Users can control the phone by swiping up from the bottom or just by tapping the screen. Some of its best features: The processor and battery power expected in the iPhone X is said to last two hours longer than that of the iPhone 7 and has a more powerful chip than the one found on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. The new operating system iOS 11 will also come included with the new phones. Prices and order dates: iPhone 8: £645 for 64GB, £849 for 256GB iPhone X: £999 for 64GB, £1,149 for 256GB As always from Apple, their new products feature exciting features but it also looks as though the era of the £1000 smartphone has arrived with the iPhone X. It will be interesting to see where they go from here! We are a Joint Venture partner with Apple so please be in touch with us for any information or help regarding pre ordering the any of the new iPhones or any Apple product, at [email protected] Often the debate that arises between loyal Apple users versus a PC user is the cost benefit of the other and we often have a preference on which we are more drawn to. In short term, the purchase price is something to carefully consider as most of us would prefer to spend less but there are long term costs as well and it’s good to do your research before choosing a machine regardless of make or model. An Interesting story and findings have come from IBM’s workplace user choice program, a program implemented by their VP of Workplace to allow employees to freely choose between either a Windows or Mac machine. Having a choice, many opted to try a Mac and following this significant increase in Mac using employees the cost benefit became clear for the company. The long term general IT issues from the Mac users were surprisingly significantly lower than the PC users. The increased support issues resulted in showing the PCs as more expensive in the long run, up to three times more. For the giant company, the reported savings over a four year life span showed to be between $273 – $543 per Mac, which adds up to big money for a company of that magnitude. For large companies needing to look more closely these costings, it is an interesting real world finding. Choosing the right platform for the right needs/usage is important and there are many key factors to think about. A machine that’s going to be bumped around in a van would mean it is probably better to go for a cheap PC but a large business looking invest in new machines, it might be worth trying Mac for the possibility of lower long term costs. If you would like to get in touch to discuss this information further or would like help choosing and purchasing a PC or Mac machine, please get in touch with us at [email protected] We are excited to announce the launch of the new website for Crêpeaffaire! Together with Metric on design, it is great to see a big project like this come to fruition. Please visit the new website for Crêpeaffaire at – crepeaffaire.com. The website itself is fully responsive including integrated Google Analytics and full CMS. The homepage carousel image slider is integrated into the CMS where it includes the headers, text, image and button. The homepage introduces you to the main features in the header menu such as the Menu and Our Locations. The homepage also features the Crêpeaffaire app and directs to the section called ‘The Crêpeaffaire Club’ where there are tracked QR code to download the app from either the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android. Google Maps API is used in The Locations and Order page to display location and direction. On the Order page, a UK post code search calculates the nearest store to your location with Deliveroo and UberEATS integrated as delivery services. Depending on your location, it will let you know if these delivery services are available to you. If you are accessing the website from outside the UK such as The Netherlands, the website identifies your territory and directs you to the relevant local homepage, ie. crepeaffaire.com/nl The Blog section can use either an image or video for its lead media content which makes this section inviting and appealing to the eye. The use of media is important to attract visitors attention to read more. As always, social media is important to integrate into your website and Crêpeaffaire’s is embedded with dynamic feeds for both Instagram and Twitter across the entire site. Crêpeaffaire provides a place to enjoy a crêpe at any time of the day as well as the opportunity to try something different. They are always reinventing and expanding their menu, from super indulgent crêpes and waffles to gluten-free galettes with organic buckwheat flour. The company originally started in London and have already expanded across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. If you are in need of Web Development and Design or want to learn more about our services and what we do, please be in touch at – [email protected] One year ago, Instagram released their answer to Snapchat with a fun new feature called, “Instagram Stories”. A year on and the feature couldn’t have integrated better into the platform with businesses and individual users alike using it on daily basis. This news comes at a delicate time for their direct rival Snapchat, whose shares are currently at an all time low. Instagram Stories is being reported as seeing a staggering 250 million daily active users and the average time users spend on the app has increased significantly. A year ago, it was questionable whether the new feature would be a success but it’s clear that Instagram users are interested and there is room in the market for more than one “Snapchat” inspired feature. Now it looks that Snapchat will need to evolve and will be interesting to see the direction they take next. If you are interested in learning more about social media or the Social Media service that we offer, please be in touch at [email protected]Microsoft no longer allows sale of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 preinstalled new machines
Snapchat launching new Augmented Reality ART platform today
iOS 11 Available Now — News and Features
How will iOS 11 change your current iPhone and iPad?
Multitasking in iPad
AR capabilities
New Files app and Document Scanner in Notes
iMessage
Apple Pay
Siri
Control Centre
Camera app
Do Not Disturb While Driving
Apple Maps
Apple Music
Campatible iPhones
Uber loses licence to operate in London
New website launch for Ventula Consulting
The Apple Event 12 unveils iPhone 8 and the all-screen display iPhone X
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
iPhone X
iPhone 8 Plus: £749 for 64GB, £949 for 256GB
Pre order begins 15 September 2017 and in store sales begin 22 September 2017.
Pre order begins 27 October and ships from 3 November.Mac or PC? Interesting info on short and long term benefits
New website launch for Crêpeaffaire
A year on, Instagram Stories is strong while Snapchat struggles
