Paul Wallbank | Paul Wallbank - Communications Professional

ABC Nightlife, 16 October 2009. The future of computers

Paul Wallbank and Gartner research director Robin Simpson join Tony Delroy for a special ABC Nightlife computers on 16 October from 10pm to look at where computers are going over the next five years.

Is the desktop computer dead? Will we all be using smartphones or laptops, and what happened to netbooks? Will Windows 7, OSX or Chrome dominate the computer world, and does it matter if all our data is saved on the cloud?

We’ll be answering these and many more questions on the show so tune in your local ABC station or listen online at Nightlife’s website. We love listeners comments, questions and opinions so please call in on 1300 800 222.

ABC Weekend show, October 4 2009. Conficker, iPods and data allowances

For the October 2009 Weekend we had a look at the Conficker worm which a year after it’s release continues to plague Windows users and has moved Microsoft to offer a $25,000 reward for the heads of those responsible. Details are on the PC Rescue website. Our callers had questions about excess downloads, strange icons and getting data off iPods.

The 702 Weekend computer spot for October 2009 Weekend had a look at the Conficker worm which a year after it’s release continues to plague Windows users and has moved Microsoft to offer a $25,000 reward for the writers. Details on the Conficker worm and how to avoid it are on the PC Rescue website.

As usual, we had a wide range of callers ranging from recovering info from an iPod, strange desktop icons and excess Internet usage and how to avoid it.

Choosing an Internet plan

Alan is finding his Internet connection is always being shaped. That is, his speeds are dropping once his household exceeds their plan’s data allowance. James called with the same problem.

The simple solution to this is to choose an Internet plan with a higher download allowance. For instance, if you are being capped halfway into the month on a 12Gb limit, then you should look for a 24 Gb plan.

When choosing a plan be careful you aren’t locking yourself into a longer term plan as that 24Gb may be enough now, but you may have the same problem of exceeding your allowance in a year or so.

The good thing is both James and Alan are on capped plans as the alternative are excess use plans where you are charged for the usage that goes over the monthly allowance. This is like writing a blank cheque to your ISP and we strongly recommend people avoid them.

We have a rundown on what you should look for at the PC Rescue Choosing an Internet plan page. It’s a useful checklist for avoiding nasty and unexpected Internet surprises.

Unwanted downloads

Having unexpected icons appear on the desktop is a good reason to be concerned and Jan called about a link for McAfee antivirus appearing on her desktop.

The reason for this is probably from a software update. Many packages will now include downloads for other products as part of a marketing deal and that’s probably what happened in this case.

Although Jan’s computer is probably safe, it’s worthwhile downloading and running Malwarebytes just to make sure the system is clean.

Recovering an iPod’s music

After her dad cleaned up the family computer, Nicola found she’d lost her iTunes music. She wondered if it were possible to get it back.

Because the music is still on her iPod, she can copy the music off the device and into a folder on her computer. From there, it’s relatively simple to get the import the music files back into iTunes.

A good guide to doing this is on the makeuseof.com website’s How To: Move Music from iPod to PC in 5 Easy Steps where Mark O’Neill shows you how to go about getting the files off and organising them.

The next show is November 8 and we’ll be looking at what’s in the shops for Christmas. Hope you can tune in then.

The new global businesses

The business of going global is even easier than before. Services like Magcloud, Createspace and remote access tools are making it easier than ever to get a product out to the world.

It’s old hat to point out the internet is changing business and globalisation is making the world smaller. But last Tuesday I saw three businesses that showed just how profound these changes are.

That Tuesday morning Mark Fletcher’s Australian Newsagency Blog had a post about the Strange Light Magazine, a collection of photos around Sydney during the recent dust storm.

Some notable points about Strange Light – it was self-published in 31 hours using HP’s Magcloud, the photos were all sourced from Flickr and Derek Powazek, the publisher/author, did everything from San Francisco.

Publishing on demand using services like Magcloud and Amazon’s Createspace is worthy of many blog posts in themselves. Derek’s story of Strange Light on his own blog is a terrific step-by-step guide to creating a self-published magazine. Notable are his points about obtaining permissions and proof reading.

It isn’t one-way traffic between California and Sydney, Australians are also doing business in the US without leaving home. The same day I read the Strange Light story, I had a coffee with Andrew Rogers from Sydney’s Anchor Systems, who set up a new data centre for US-based developer management system, GitHub.

All of GitHub’s hardware is in the US and their new data centre equipment came completely bare, without operating systems or software. Andrew’s team was able to build, configure and test the systems from their Sydney office.

The fact GitHub were prepared to accept a quote from a business 11,000km away and have full confidence the job could be done from across the world shows just how distance no longer matters to forward-thinking enterprises.

Finally, that day I managed to catch up with an old contractor who now runs a remote support business for homes and small offices. You call him and he logs into your computer to fix the problems.

Nothing particularly special there except he operates out of Thailand. So he gets to run an Australian business from a Phuket beach hut. He has business he enjoys without sacrificing the lifestyle he wants.

These entrepreneurs are showing how the globalised economy is really working. Each are using freely available tools that allow individuals and small teams to offer their talents across the world.

You might want to have a look at the tools which are revolutionising your industry, you can be sure your competitors around the corner and around the world are already doing so and might soon be offering innovative new ideas to your customers.

ABC 702 Weekends, October 4 2009

Protecting yourself from the Conficker Worm

This Sunday Simon and myself will be looking at how to protect your systems from the Conficker worm which has been causing problems for millions of Windows users.

Tune in at 702 on your AM radio or stream us online from the ABC Website.

Your comments and questions are welcome so call in on 1300 222 702 or SMS on 19922702.

Protecting yourself from the Conficker worm

Nearly a year after it was identified, the Conficker computer worm continues to plague Windows users, infecting systems controlling everything from fighter planes to bus lane fines. We look at how to protect your computers from this threat.

Nearly a year after it was identified, the Conficker computer worm continues to plague Windows users, infecting systems controlling everything from fighter planes to bus lane fines.

The problem has become so great, a consortium of vendors have set up the Conficker Working Group to deal with the malware’s spread, and Microsoft are offering a $250,000 reward for the identity of the writer.

It’s not a problem that should be understated – the worm’s main use appears to be as a controller of botnets, networks of remote controlled computers used to launch attacks on other systems or to hide the tracks of scammers and password thieves.

Update your systems

Given the risks and embarrassment of being infected, avoiding this worm and others like it should be a priority for your business. First of all your Windows computers should have the latest updates as Conficker relies on some old security bugs that Microsoft patched last October.

Run an anti-virus

Naturally, you should be running an up to date anti-virus. Most widely used AV programs will do the job, including Open Source detectors like Clam AV and freeware programs.

Note though that the licences for freeware programs like AVG and Avast! are specifically for home use only. If you are running those on your office system, respect the developer’s right to make a living and buy a commercial licence, they are actually cheaper and more reliable than many of the better known brand names.

Restrict your users

Finally, make sure your users log on in Limited User mode. The reason why Windows computers are more prone to viruses than their Mac and Linux cousins is because most users run their Microsoft systems as the powerful Administrator mode which is the equivalent of leaving your car doors unlocked all night.

I’ve some instructions on setting up Limited User Profiles for Windows XP systems on the PC Rescue website. If you have an office with a Windows 2003 or 2008 server, your IT department or consultant will be able to do this through the network, which is a lot more secure way of doing things.

Be warned that some programs won’t work unless they run in Administrator mode. If you find this is a problem then you should consider replacing that software as the vendor has shown they are either incompetent or are prepared to put their customers at risk to save a few dollars.

Either way, you don’t need suppliers that have no respect for their customers.

Your computers are too important to your business and shouldn’t be exposed to these sorts of embarrassing and expensive risks. Get your IT people to make sure the office systems are locked down properly.

Growing your business with Tweetups

Like most social media meetings in any big town these days, people from all walks of life gathered to meet and become more than just a Twitter handle or obscure forum name.

It’s hard to resist the offer of a free sandwich in Sydney’s Hyde Park on a beautiful spring day, so a“tweet up” offering was always going to be successful.

Like most social media meetings in any big town these days, people from all walks of life gathered to meet and become more than just a Twitter handle or obscure forum name.

Any idea that your average internet user is a pasty, overweight, underemployed 20-something is quickly dispelled as you meet all sorts of interesting people who are doing interesting things.

The hundreds of “tweet ups”, coffee mornings and social media dinners across the land are creating new networks which are changing business and society.

This is opposite of the stereotype being used to reinforce the mindset that blames the internet and social networking sites for everything from schoolyard bullying through to street riots and arrested brain development.

Over the last few days we’ve been treated to stream of stories about the views of professors and researchers detailing how the world and our minds are being destroyed by the internet.

My favourite is an English professor currently visiting Australia who claims computer game addled 20-something market traders may be responsible for the global financial crisis.

Perish the thought that good old-fashioned greed and hubris, the cause of every market crash since the Bronze Age, may have had something to do with the GFC.

The weekend press mentioned the professor applying for a study grant from an American university to prove her theory.

If that is true, it’s a shame the she didn’t take the time to check out the Twitter hashtag to join us for a sandwich in Hyde Park.

Had she done that she’d have had a nice sandwich, caught some sun and seen her theory disproved.

She would have met a far more diverse group than a bunch of stuffed shirts huddling in a cosy lunch club, desperately trying to validate their deliberate ignorance of the changing world outside.

It’s those stuffed shirts, along with their newspaper columnist friends, who are isolated. By choosing to demonise the internet and ignore the opportunities social media tools present, they are being left behind in a fast changing world.

The options for entrepreneurs and business owners are clear – you can lock yourself up with the stuffed shirts and rage about your dying business or you can use the net to help your business grow. The choice is yours.

ABC Nightlife, 17 September 2009. Taking your ideas to the world

Lars Rasmussen and Paul Wallbank join Tony Delroy to look at how you can take a great idea to the world.

Along with two friends, Lars and his brother Jens came up with the idea of mapping software. Having developed it in a suburban Sydney spare room the took it to Silicon Valley.

This week on Nightlife computers, Lars Rasmussen and Paul Wallbank join Tony Delroy to look at how you can take a great idea to the world.

Along with two friends, Lars and his brother Jens came up with the idea of mapping software. Having developed it in a suburban Sydney spare room the took it to Silicon Valley.

From there, the story gets really interesting and Lars describes the ups and downs of dealing with investors, Venture Capital firms and what happens when your business is bought by one of the biggest companies in the world.

From one success, Lars and Jens are now working on other product and they’ll give Nightlife listeners a sneak preview.

Tune in your local ABC station from 10pm this Thursday, September 17 or listen online at Nightlife’s website. We love listeners comments, questions and opinions so if you’d like to have yours say call in on 1300 800 222.

Buying friends online

Over the last few weeks we’ve been treated to the running saga of a Brisbane-based service fighting the big social media sites over their claim to have thousands of rent-a-followers available for businesses wanting to build a quick fan base. The whole idea of this sort of business baffles me as I can’t see where the benefit lies in buying a Twitter or Facebook following.

At school, kids who tried to buy friends always found it ended badly. There is little reason to believe things are any different for grown ups running a business.

The whole idea of this sort of business baffles me as I can’t see where the benefit lies in buying a Twitter or Facebook following. The only scenario I can think of is where somebody is trying to boost the value of a business to a gullible buyer on the basis of how many Twitter followers the enterprise has.

This sort of thinking is a fallacy – social media isn’t some sort of contest to boast how big your following is, it’s about being part of a community that trusts and values your contribution.

If you’re really trustworthy and have something useful to offer then a community will grow around you. Buying followers runs counter to that as it shows you’re not really trustworthy and what you have to say offers so little value, you have to pay others to be your friends.

Noone has to be on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn and it isn’t compulsory to have a blog or even a website. As useful as all these services are, they remain simply tools to get a job done.

When your business has to buy fans, it’s worthwhile asking if social media offers the right tools for your company, as the best thing that will happen is you’ll be ignored.

If you have to stoop to gaming the system, then perhaps it’s quicker and easier to stick to traditional forms of advertising which offer less risk and will probably be cheaper.

The most popular kids in the playground didn’t have to buy friends, while those who did found their friends didn’t last. The same applies for businesses.

In a world where a few blog posts or tweets can expose an untrustworthy business you need to have genuine fans and friends.

The five stages of product recall

In an eerie way, a company’s response to a product recall is like Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief. Lets have a look at them;

A weekend of research into exploding iPhones didn’t come back with much in the way of firm evidence, but what came out is a pattern in responses to past debacles from exploding batteries to filmsy laptop screens, dud operating systems, support failures and the Leyland P76.

In an eerie way, it’s like Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief. Lets have a look at them;

1. Denial and Isolation

“There is no problem. Go away.”

“You still here? Damn. Well the claims are product is crashing randomly, exploding, setting fire to people’s balconies and scaring their cats and toddlers is a figment of a few anonymous bloggers and a media beat up.”

2. Anger

“Our product is designed to the highest Engineering standards and manufactured to .0001 micron precision. Any failure in them is due to operator misuse and will void the customer’s warranty.”

“Claims the product has a design flaw are unsubstantiated claims by journalists in the thrall of our competitors and proof of the left wing, anti-business bias of certain media organisations.”

3. Bargaining

“We have no comment as to whether we are compensating customers for the damages allegedly caused by our product.”

“Accusations we’ve offered Caribbean holidays to the entire tech journalist and blogger communities are totally unfounded.”

4. Depression

“Yes, we have discovered an usual and unexpected flaw in our product. As a consequence we have fired three contractors in our Mount Gambier sales office and senior management will go on a five day dealing with crisis course in Tahiti.”

“We still maintain our products are designed and manufactured to the highest standards and are considering legal action against scurrilous bloggers and those media outlets that misreported this unfortunate chain of events.

5. Acceptance

“Okay, we messed up.”

“We’ve dropped the lawsuits, paid the fines to EU consumer protection authorities, plea bargained a five year prison sentence for our North American managers, compensated our injured customers and are now working on a better product that won’t lose your data, catch fire on your back balcony or break down in Lane 6 of the Harbour Bridge during a wet winter morning peak.”

“We’ve learned our mistakes and won’t repeat them.”

“Honestly. You can trust us.”

ABC Nightlife, 13 August 2009

For the August 2009 Nightlife we had a look at what’s available in the computer stores right now and how much a household user should spend on a system. More details are on the PC Rescue website.

Callers were a diverse bunch, one area that people were really focussed on was how they could speed up Vista chich leades the questions.

Disabling Vista indexing

Tony asked about Windows Vista running slow. The usual culprit is the Windows Search service which has a habit of reducing Vista to screaming and frustrating halt.

To disable the Windows Search service, type Services at the Start Search bar, right click on the Windows Search service and select Properties. In the start type choose Disabled for the start type. Then stop the service by right clicking on it and selecting Stop.

It’s worthwhile leaving the Indexing service off as Microsoft’s indexing service has had problems in the past. If you do find it is affecting some software, then you can turn it back on later.

Speeding up Vista

Steven also asked about speeding up Vista and this is something we’ve covered previously on our IT Queries website. The instructions there cover some of the simplest ways to get more from Vista.

Buy versus rent

On the theme of buying computers, Fred asked if renting was a better option.

Generally renting’s a pretty expensive way to go, as most rental companies aim at the corporate market and the demand for systems for special events and emergencies. Usually the cost of a few week’s rent is more than a cheap system.

Alternatives to Norton

Sandy’s pretty sick of using Norton anti virus and she asked what alternatives there are. We’ve a list of them on the PC Rescue website.

The next show is September 17 and we’ll be discussing what you should be looking for in an Internet connection package. Hope you can join us.

No fear of failure

Failure is the biggest test of friendships and trust. Being in a sinking business is a stressful time and you quickly find who can be trusted, who’ll stand by you and who isn’t as reliable as you like. Once you’ve established who you can really trust in business, you then have the foundations for a wildly successful second business.

Most IT support businesses are doomed to failure and that’s why they are such a good training ground.

“My friend cannot find work so he wants to start a computer repair business. Do you think this is a good idea?”

When a taxi driver or anyone else asks me this, my reply is “why does your friend think it’s a good idea?”

Most people think computer repairs and IT support is easy and anyone can do it – after all it’s just a matter of clicking a few buttons and if you know how to use email, you can fix most PC problems.

Strangely, the only industry that shares this mentality seems to be coffee shops. Many people seem to think they can run a café because they can drink coffee, but at least setup costs are a barrier to entry which doesn’t exist for the mobile computer support businesses.

The funny is were you to ask the same people if they could be a swimming pool cleaner because they go swimming or if they would be a good motor mechanic because they drive a car to work, they’d think you were crazy.

That said though, I usually don’t discourage friendly taxi drivers or anyone else from telling their friend to go ahead and set up that computer business.

Even though I personally think the computer support sector is a graveyard for most entrepreneurs, it’s a great training ground. You learn about the importance of cashflow and how it’s different to profit – although some techs take a while to pick up they arent’ the same thing.

More importantly, you learn how customer service is the greatest challenge in most business. As a proprietor of a computer repair business you learn quickly how to politely explain the customer’s problem lies between the keyboard and chair or that the error is really a code ID10T.

But the main reason for recommending an IT support business precisely because most are doomed to failure.

Once you’ve established who you can really trust in business, you then have the foundations for a wildly successful second business.

Watching those software licenses

The recent story of how Skype may be forced to shut down is straight from the Bill Gates textbook on how to do business.

This article originally appeared in Smart Company on August 4, 2009.

The recent story of how Skype may be forced to shut down is straight from the Bill Gates textbook on how to do business.

In late 1980, IBM were casting around for an operating system suitable for their new line of personal computers. The obvious choice was the CP/M program. However, IBM couldn’t come to an agreement with Intergalactic Digital Research (seriously, that was their name) over using the software.

So they ended up on the doorstep of a small company in Seattle who specialised in programming languages, not operating systems, who’s main product was previously highway traffic counting systems.

Microsoft didn’t have an operating system so they bought one from a nearby computer store, modified it slightly and did a deal with IBM.

Most of us would have sold the system to IBM and happily congratulated ourselves on making a quick couple of million dollars or so, but that wasn’t Bill Gates’ style.

Rather than selling the program outright Microsoft licensed it to IBM and so millionaires and one or two billionaires were made.

It also set the course for the world’s software industry. By and large software is licensed, not sold. Buying a disc at the local computer superstore gives you nothing but permission to use the program.

That’s the same model Skype’s founders, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis used when they sold the business to eBay for $3.1 billion US dollars – the underlying software that actually drives the service was licensed to eBay.

Now Zennström and Friis are claiming eBay have breached that license and want to withdraw eBay’s rights to use the technology.

For eBay this is a big problem as they were hoping to sell Skype and the founders’ move makes that almost impossible.

Both the Skype and Microsoft stories show licensing can be a lucrative option with the bonus of a steady cashflow if you have the right product.

For business buyers, the lesson is stark – do your homework, talk to your lawyers and understand exactly the ramifications of licensing and similar arrangements.

If you’re a Skype user, you don’t need to worry as the case isn’t expected to be heard until June next year. By then either an agreement will have been reached or your Skype credits will have long expired.