Author: Benny Taylor

  • Microsoft Office 365: Reasons for Caution

    I came very close to calling this article “Why Office 365 Sucks.” I refrained from doing so because I think the cloud-based office collaboration suite CAN be a good fit for some small businesses. However, as an IT consultant working with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), I will think very carefully before I let it…

  • How to identify planes and planets with your mobile phone

    Last Saturday found our family sitting outside on a warm evening, relaxing after a barbecue. The sky was so clear that we were able to clearly make out two contrails and the shape of an aircraft. This was way above our heads and clearly not a plane using the local airport. While my relatives discussed…

  • The Most Exciting New Features in iOS 6

      Apple fans had plenty to get excited about at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference, including new hardware announcements and additional details about OS X Mountain Lion. An array of new, concrete information about the forthcoming iOS 6 also provided plenty to anticipate. Due in autumn 2012, iOS 6 has loads of new features –…

  • Why I Won’t be Buying a New MacBook Pro

    I’ve never denied being a bit of an Apple fanboy, and I waited eagerly for the announcement of the new MacBook Pro range. When the announcement came yesterday and I read about my much-hoped-for retina display, it was all I could do not to reach immediately for my credit card. I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve…

  • Need a Taxi? There’s an App for That

    Forgive me for sounding like a fanboy, but my iPhone is one gadget that has continued to wow me long beyond the initial honeymoon period. I have come to take many features for granted – reliable email synchronization, decent Facebook and Twitter apps and a really good camera being just three. It’s the new apps…

  • Microsoft Small Business Server 2011: A Techie’s First Impressions

    Microsoft’s Small Business Server features prominently in my life as an IT consultant. Its combination of Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint at a low price-point makes it a compelling proposition for smaller firms. Dislike of Windows Vista has resulted in many of my clients continuing to maintain systems running SBS 2003 and Windows XP.…

  • How to insert frequently written text on a Mac with TypeIt4Me

    Like many people, I find myself having to type the same bits of text many times throughout my working week. Various applications already have ways of reducing the labor involved in this. For example, email clients have auto-signatures and word processors have automatic text facilities. The Mac OS X operating system itself is strong when…

  • My iPhone 5 Wish List

    I crossed the line into full-on Apple addiction a few weeks ago. Not satisfied to wait and watch Apple’s iPad keynote speech after the event, I tuned in to a live blogcast, followed the tweets and photographs as they happened, and waited eagerly to find out about what the “one other thing” bit at the…

  • 4 Reasons Why We are NOT in a Post-PC Age

    Sales of desktop PCs and laptops are falling. It’s impossible to read any technical media without hearing about the “death of the PC.” And both Apple and Microsoft are soon to release operating systems that seek to merge the features of the computer operating system with those available on tablet devices. All this evidence mounts…

  • How Evernote Changed My Life

    Evernote has been around a while now, and is a seemingly permanent fixture on the ubiquitous “must have apps” lists that fill technical websites and computer magazines. Evernote is, however, far from being something just for the nerds. Heavy exposure everywhere from Time magazine to the New York Times has led to it being one…