crc-ict

Failing Switchshop, I reckon it's one of these: DURATOOL - D00197 - TOOL KIT, MINI 25PC | CPC UK So £5 from CPC will get you one. Decent freebie though!

Hello, Wondering if anyone else has seen this issue with Windows 8 machines? I am getting this popping up around the site, machines are starting up, and after the Windows 'circle of balls' animation, the PC goes to a blank screen. It refreshes as if it's going to bring up the usual dark blue screen where you see 'Applying Computer Settings' etc but never goes beyond a black screen. Only fix has seemed to be starting up in Safe Mode, uninstalling the Intel HD Graphics driver and then rebooting. Also seeing a related but slightly different issue where they load up to the login screen, but either you then can't get a cursor in the username and password boxes, or if you do, clicking the Go arrow or pressing Enter doesn't work. Very strange, only really noticed it since coming back from Christmas, but popping up all over the place. Anyone got any ideas - I'm all out. Event log is no help, can't pin down to updates, Anti-Malware up to date and working. Thanks!

No BETT for me this year. I don't think the budget can stand the price of the train ticket, never mind the cost of anything I might decide I want to buy there Having said that, I won't miss the hassle of trying to get out to ExCel. Must be one of the worst connected venues in London - the DLR just can't cope. Tip I found last time though - couldn't face the DLR crush on the way out, so walked down to Royal Victoria and got the Emirates Air Line cable car over to North Greenwich and took the Jubilee Line back to Central London from there. Seemed to save time, and was certainly more pleasant!

Did you ever get anywhere with this? We are having the same problem, although ours seems to be related to establishing HTTPS connections in general. It is getting quite difficult to use Google Apps for us at the moment. Be grateful if you could share any info.

"Oh yay! It's Monday!"

I regularly get e-mails from a company called JHL Printer Spares who do a lot of HP spares. The contact is terry [at] jhlprinterspares.co.uk I've never had a need to use them, so I can't comment on the company, but they seem to have decent range of HP spares.

That is, of course, an excellent point which I agree with completely.

Fair enough point, but there has to be a limit surely? In this case, the fact that these changes have been agreed, and through the contract mandated by Government has to count for something doesn't it? Unless we are going down the road of respect for / trust in the Government, but that is a whole other story. I completely get that employees need to be able to stand up for their rights, but how can anything move forward if self-interested groups like Unions (which no-one can deny that is primarily what they are) can block absolutely anything they choose by this sort of action? At the moment, with the right votes, there would be nothing to stop a Union calling an all out strike over a change in toilet paper brand in the staff facilities, or a change in coffee blend. And that can't be right, certainly where public services are concerned.

Is it not the case, though, that the Government can't really intervene on this because Southern's introduction of DOO is actually a franchise commitment. It would be a little harsh to take over the franchise because the company was trying to introduce something that their agreement with the Government obliged them to do! In my view, this all comes back to the power that the Unions have been allowed to re-gain. Blackmail isn't tolerated in any other aspect of society, so why in the labour market? Employers aren't allowed to make unreasonable demands on the threat of firing (there would be tribunals, unfair dismissal cases etc), so why are employees allowed to refuse to work unless the employer does what they want? Should we all say that we aren't going to come to work any more unless the schools promise to not buy any more iPads and provide a pack of hobnobs a day for each techie?

Thanks all, some great suggestions and some real food for thought. Keep them coming!

Hello, We are looking at our Disaster Recovery planning here, and one of the things have been thinking about is how we would deal with access to SIMS data in the first 24-48 hours of a major disaster. We are thinking of nightmare scenarios like happened at Selsey Academy back in summer - complete devastation of the site, destruction of server room and all IT etc. It has been raised that we would need access to the SIMS data for contact details of both staff and students. We have a robust offline backup regime, but that SQL backup sitting in a data centre in Reading isn't going to be much use to us until we can get a server up and running, SIMS installed and the backup restored. For example, to serve the immediate need for access to contact info to notify parents and staff of the issue, and the uncomfortable thought of needing next of kin info etc if people are involved in the disaster. Does anyone else have plans in their DR strategy for access to the data from SIMS before the actual recovery and restoration process begins? In some of those nightmare scenarios, the hours involved in sourcing a server, getting the data (either by download or physically going to get it) and restoring it may be too long to wait. Just wondering what other people do? Thanks

On that basis, maybe they need to ban tins rather than just the adverts? For that matter, maybe kitchen knives too?

This is typical of the double standards that exist though, isn't it? Like how it seems to be acceptable for female staff to 'phwoar' away in the staffroom when the local Fire Brigade come in, for example, but if male staff were to make similar comments about female visitors it would be dealt with harshly.

Totally agree. I can see all that doing is ending up with the majority of the connectivity infrastructure in this country becoming in the hands of a company probably ending up majority owned by one of the foreign telcos which is still nationalised. Good for Britain on the verge of Brexit? I doubt it. You only have to look at the rail franchises and see how many of those are run by companies where large stakes are held by foreign national rail companies. It'll be the same again. Large amounts of UK cash from vital services going to business outside of the UK. No wonder our economy doesn't look so good.

Don't do it! We lost ours as part of building work just before I started here about 4 years ago. Went netbooks and Google everywhere, then Chromebooks. What happened? This year, we ended up spending lots and lots of cash refurbing another part of the school and building in a new ICT suite. We couldn't see a sensible way of integrating the new Computing curriculum without one. Laptops are just a nightmare, and expensive too.

Excellent! Thank you very much. What a great way to round off the half-term

Hello, Just wondering if any of the EduGeeks out there had used Free Konica Minolta Copiers before? We have been looking at a couple of new MFDs for offices, and they seem to be offering one of the models we have been looking at on a 'free' rental basis where you just pay for copies, and the per copy rate is very much the same as a Framework contract on the same machine, but saving £100 a quarter on lease costs. Sounds a bit too good to be true, but I'm hoping to now be overrun with 'Geeks telling me they are great! It seems to be part of Photocopiers Direct Ltd, based in London - any experience with them either?? Thanks all, and happy weekend when it arrives.

Hello, Thanks to some dodgy information from Crucial's online memory tool, I have a 4GB Corsair ValueSelect DDR3L 1600 SODIMM (CMSO4GX3M1C1600C11) that won't work in my laptop. Unfortunately it was an eBay deal and the seller won't refund me as it was my error. I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has a 4GB DDR3 1066 SODIMM that they would be interested in swapping with me for the 1600? A long-shot I know but worth a try. PM me if you are interested in this and we'll get something sorted. Cheers.

Really. I'm surprised by that. My kids both have a pair of these at home, and we've had a 100% break rate in a year. Possibly 150% because I've had to mend one pair twice! One pair has now been written off, but the twice repaired set are still working, albeit with a new cable.

Hi, This sounds like one of the trip computer displays to me, something like gallons of fuel used since last reset? Does it look a bit like this? If so, it's just the trip computer display that's changed and no fault. There will be a button on one of the stalks that changes this, and you'll be able to scroll back around the usual odometer display

That basically echoes what my instructor told me, even about big bikes. Suzuki build quality is sub-par these days across the range so I hear, Yamaha and Honda are where it's at for build quality. Kawasaki don't really do 125s, and a chinese bike you just don't really know what you are getting.

We have a Net2 system here, and we use the RS485 dedicated wiring bus between controllers. We then have a fire alarm interface connected to one of the door controllers, which in the event of a fire alarm signals the other door controllers to unlock. This is not reliant on server-side software, just the integrity of the RS485 line between the controllers. Our doors are all on mag locks anyway, in a failsafe configuration, so in the event of a fire destroying cabling or the controller, power to the magnet is lost and the door unlocks anyway. Our fire officer is happy with that arrangement.

I finished my DAS and passed Mod 2 last month. All in all, going back to CBT last year, and including a Mod 1 retake, it cost me about £700 start to finish. I took just over a year between CBT and passing, and I'd recommend the 125 and then taking it slowly route. I put 2,000 miles on a Varadero 125 over the year, and I think the road experience was very helpful for the tests. I wouldn't buy a new 125 though, depreciation from new is a killer, and if you get a decent used bike, you won't lose much money. And now I've passed, I've picked up this (yes, I like my Hondas) Lovely bike. Heading off on Saturday for a 4 day tour of Devon and Cornwall with my camping gear.

Watch out for used CBF 125's if they haven't been looked after, been out in all weathers etc - they have a bit of a reputation for being rust buckets.

If you are a taller/larger person, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Honda Varadero 125. I'm 6ft and far too many kgs and I was fine on it, whereas I looked like I was going to crush the Yamaha YBR 125 I had for CBT!! I've just passed my full test, having ridden a Varadero on CBT for a year. Great introduction to biking, size is similar to the training 600s which is an advantage if you are considering going on to full test training. They are a bit more expensive than some, but are really quality bikes and very reliable.