Inside Solsis » JamesH

Longest Game and Fastest Update….

JamesH — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:06:15 +0000

This is sort of a technology related post I guess. But I just noticed whilst watching the record setting Isner/Mahut tennis match that the Wikipedia article for both players is being updated live as the match happens. (see excert below)

In the singles at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, he faces Nicolas Mahut in the first round, attempting to win his first ever match at Wimbledon. At this moment, they are both locked in an epic 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 58–58 stand-off (In Progress).

I have heard that Wikipedia is the fastest updating encyclopedia ever but I never realised quite how fast. Any way however the match plays out I am sure Wikipedia is deserving of a record of it’s own.

iOS 4 is here

JamesH — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:39:11 +0000

iOS 4 is out for the iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPod Touch (exc. 1st generation) so the question is what do you do next. At this stage if your thinking of upgrading I thought I would provide a bit of information about the process and my experience in getting it working.

It was a painfully slow download, but right now everyone trying to download the update so it is going to be slow. On my 23MB ADSL line it took just under 35 minutes to download the 363MB file. To install the update on multiple iPhones I copied the iOS download from my iTunes to all the others I need to activate it on

I first updated my iPhone 3G and the process will be quite slow.I would recommend that prior to updating you backup your phone and disable iTunes ability to backup. If you’re on a mac you can open a terminal window and type the following:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes AutomaticDeviceBackupsDisabled -bool true

If you use windows open a command prompt and type the following:

“%CommonProgramFiles%\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\defaults.exe” write com.apple.iTunes AutomaticDeviceBackupsDisabled -bool true

On the 3GS it’s a lot quicker. The OS install itself takes about 20 minutes and when done will prompt you to restore your old settings. I didn’t because I wanted to see all the features by exploring and setting up the phone as if it where a new phone.

If you are thinking about updating your work supplied iPhone or it’s yours but configured for work, there are a few things you should remember

Make sure you know your mail server settings. For Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync you’ll need you Windows username and password and your Webmail address
If applicable make sure you know your VPN settings or know where you can download your VPN profile from
You’ll need iTunes 9.2

As with all these things if you’re unsure about whether or not you need this update or would like assistance installing it please contact Solsis Support on 0845 600 2552

iPhone OS 4.0 Brings Multitasking At Last

JamesH — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:46:26 +0000

Today Apple unveiled plans for the biggest iPhone software update since iPhone 3.0. The OS lots of new features for iPhone and iPod touch owners to enjoy. And for developers, and a new software development kit (SDK). It will ship this summer for iPhone and iPod touch.

Particularly exciting is the new enterprise features, which are summarised below.

Users will be able to set up multiple Exchange ActiveSync accounts including Exchange 2010 mailboxes. With the new unified inbox feature, you’ll be able to see messages from all of your email accounts displayed in a single inbox, or you can quickly switch between inboxes to see messages from any single account. If you receive an attachment that you want to save or edit, you will be able to open attachments with compatible apps from the App Store.
Perhaps the most exciting thing for me is the expansion of the VPN support. To be able to connect to my home server with a choice of more VPN solutions is one of the most anticipated new features for me.
SSL VPN support in iPhone OS 4 gives your users another way to securely access enterprise resources. These new protocols can even be leveraged to connect seamlessly to a corporate network via VPN on Demand. Forthcoming apps from Juniper and Cisco will support SSL VPN on iPhone.
iPhone OS 4 will work with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS this summer, and with iPad in the fall. Not all features are compatible with all devices. Most disappointingly multitasking is available only with iPhone 3GS and I think
Multitasking will allow tasks to be performed in the background while preserving performance and battery life. So you’ll be able to make a Voice over IP call while checking email

Hopefully I will get to test the BETA OS 4.0 in the near future and will post some screenshots and reviews right here.

Outlook 2011 Screenshots released (Update)

JamesH — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:58:35 +0000

I have just seen screenshots (courtesy of Boy Genius Report) for the new Outlook 2011 for Office on the Mac. Is everyone ready for proper Exchange Support from a Microsoft product on the Mac? We’ll see I guess, there always seems to be something that doesn’t quite seem to work the same as Outlook. Then again as I say to people, if you want Microsoft Office to work the way you’re used to “Get a PC”.

The current implementation of Exchange Web Services in Snow Leopard is actually pretty good though I am not a fan of the folder layouts in Mac Mail I wonder if Outlook 2011 with use EWS or some to other Microsoft proprietary connector

You can see a full gallery of photos here http://www.boygeniusreport.com/nggallery/page-320/album-1/gallery-23/

OS X 10.6.3 Released (Update)

JamesH — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:46:41 +0000

OS X 10.6.3 has been put on the Apple Software Update Site. Here is a list of the fixes and updates that Solsis customers running Mac environments may benefit from

An issue in which the Finder reports a -36 error when copying directories to a drive formatted as FAT32.
An issue in which shadows in PDF of Aperture book are black instead of gray.
The reliability of certain third-party USB devices.
The Accounts preference pane can now limit login to members of groups hosted by a non-Apple directory service, such as Active Directory.
DNS server ordering as specified in Network Preferences and DNS reliability.
General reliability for wireless connections.
Improvements to 802.1X reliability, including closed network connections , and WPA2.
An issue that could cause the system to become unstable or unresponsive when bound to an LDAP server using SSL.
An issue in which the 802.1X Login window Profile is in place, but the wireless network is not available, directory authentication over Ethernet will now succeed.
An issue that could prevent saving files from Microsoft Office 2008 to an SMB server volume.
Issues copying, renaming or deleting files on an SMB server volume.
clear-text authentication enabling to an SMB file server.
Changing the invitation list for a single instance of a recurring event will no longer “un-book” the location of the meeting.
An issue in which new invitations on a Microsoft Exchange server might not appear in the Notification pane.
Properly showing recurring Microsoft Exchange events which have a set end date.
home directory synchronization when the home directory is stored on an SMB file server.
properly warning mobile users in an Active Directory domain about upcoming password expiration.

There are many other updates 10.6.3 has a lot of updates in. I would head on over to here to see the full list of updates.

For Solsis customers reading this please contact the helpdesk on 0845 600 2552 if your concerned or would like assistance.

Windows Users to Get Browser Choice [Update]

JamesH — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:27:26 +0000

Microsoft have today released their Browser Choice Update forcing users to choose the browser they want installed on their computer. So how does this work and how does it affect you?

Key points

A choice of 12 browsers (7 of which this techie has never heard of)
The browser choice software will be delivered as part of the Windows Update system Microsoft usually uses to distribute security patches.
The choice screen will keep appearing until a user has made a choice. Anyone wanting to stick with IE will be prompted to upgrade to the latest version.
Microsoft said that Windows 7 users who have fixed or “pinned” IE to their taskbar will have it unpinned by the update. Right clicking the icon for any browser will let users pin that program to the taskbar.
It will not pop up in front of those who already run a different default browser, such as Firefox, Safari or Chrome.
Users guaranteed to see it are those that have Internet Explorer (IE) set as their default browser and have taken the option to let Windows automatically download and install updates.

How to handle the Update

After the update is downloaded and you have restarted your computer, you’ll automatically be shown the Browser Choice screen, and you can then select and install the browsers you want to use. (If the Browser Choice screen doesn’t automatically appear when your computer restarts, you can double-click the Browser Choice shortcut on the desktop to select and install web browsers.)

The Browser Choice update doesn’t add or remove any programs from your computer. If you’re using Windows 7 and Internet Explorer is your default browser, the update will unpin the Internet Explorer icon from your taskbar. Internet Explorer will still be available from your Start menu, and you can choose to pin it back on your taskbar. For information on how to pin programs to your taskbar, see Pin a program to the taskbar.

To select and install web browsers using Browser Choice

Follow these steps to use Browser Choice to install one or more browsers to your computer:

Double-click the Browser Choice shortcut on the desktop.
In the Welcome screen, click OK.
In the Select your web browser(s) screen, for each browser you want to install, click Install. Click Tell me more for information about any of the browsers.
Follow any on-screen instructions to install the browser you chose.

At Solsis we recommend using Internet Explorer 8, it’s fantastic security features and compatibility with programs such as Outlook Web Access, and Microsoft Office Web Apps is the natural partner for your current network applications

This guide has been replicated in parts from the one on Microsoft’s own website which can be found here. However the part relating to browser recommendation is purely the view of the author

Microsoft Outlook for OS X

JamesH — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:19:42 +0000

It’s kind of good news for Mac owners when Office 2010 for Mac launches later this year Entourage will be consigned to the attic. It will be replace with a brand new and shiny Outlook for OS X that will rely on a new database, sync with Microsoft Exchange, and be compatible with Outlook for Windows.

Microsoft Mac Business Unit general manager Eric Wilfrid said he application will be a part of Office 2010 for Mac, which is expected to debut late 2010. “Outlook will be a Cocoa application,” Wilfrid said, citing the development layer of Mac OS X. “We’re building on the most modern OS X framework to make Outlook beautiful, to make it high performance, and to make it well integrated with the operating system.”

Outlook for Mac will also include information rights management with cross-platform support. The technology will allow users of Outlook on Mac and Windows to share confidential information on either platform. Features such as flagging messages, creating and accessing public folders and managed folders, and category sync will all be cross-platform as well.

Personally I prefer the support for Exchange Web Services built into OS X Snow Leopard allowing me to sync my Exchange mailbox, calendar, and contacts without needing to have any office suite installed.

BlackBerry Decryption Error

JamesH — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:11:20 +0000

In the last couple of days I have deployed two BlackBerry Enterprise Servers for customers and in one case where I was reinstalling the existing BES I saw what is a very common issue.

On the handheld the error message reads:
transaction error-decryption error, and in the server event logs you may see {user_name} DecryptDecompress() failed, Tag=24207815, Error=609

This message will occur when the user’s encryption key has expired and needs to be regenerated. To regenerate a key from the device do the following:

Go to Options (Settings then Options on some devices)
Select Security Options
Select General Settings
Scroll down to Services and highlight “Desktop [SXXXXXXXX] (***)”
Press the trackwheel or Menu Button and select “Regenerate Encryption Key”

Once you have performed these steps it should resolve the “DecryptDecompress() failed” error. Once that issue is resolve ensure that “Connection and Collaboration Services” is enabled for this user.

Computer Viruses

JamesH — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:57:37 +0000

The term computer virus is thrown around everywhere when computers become slow or behave strangely and like the term crash isn’t always used in the right context or to describe accurately what’s going on. Often used to refer to several types of things, viruses can include malware, spyware, and adware, though a true virus is an invasive program that is capable of copying itself and spreading from machine to machine.

Some of these are more annoying than destructive, but some can complete destroy the functionality of your computer. There are some basic steps in preventing the spread and infection of any type of malware:

Use anti-virus protection software! If you are a GuardianMIS customer, you are automatically provided with our managed services software. We keep it up to date, manage the quarantined files for you, and run scans as needed! The most common anti virus in the home is AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials both of which have a free and commercial product, and in the business environment Symantec and McAfee
Don’t click on questionable prompts! Many times users receive prompts to install things like “Anti-Virus 2009″ or “Microsoft Spyware Protect 2009.” Sounds legit doesn’t it!These are basically installation prompts for malware! If you do mistakenly click on something like this, hold down the power button until your PC goes off and call the helpdesk on 0845 600 2552
Don’t open attachments you aren’t expecting or from someone you don’t know!
If you can help it don’t have admin rights on your primary login (have a separate account for admin rights).

Even if you are well protected and take extra precautions, it is still possible to become infected. If you feel like your computer isn’t operating correctly, please contact us! We’ll dish up some chicken soup for your computer and you’ll be back to normal in no time!

Apples and BlackBerries (A very fruity discussion about SmartPhones)

JamesH — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:17:43 +0000

We get a lot of phone calls from clients asking our opinion about which is the best option for mobile email, and although there are many SmartPhones in the wild the question normally comes round to “What should I choose Apple or BlackBerry.

Both the BlackBerry and the iPhone bring the very best in mobile email and internet capabilities to the mobile phone, but they accomplish this in very different ways.

Windows based SmartPhones like the HTC Touch HD and XDA use Exchange ActiveSync as does the iPhone. By adding ActiveSync to the iPhone and making it available to the enterprise market who run Microsoft Exchange email environments, Kerio Mailserver and even Google Apps for Business. ActiveSync is available from Exchange 2003 SP1 and later and uses a push style notification to send email, contacts, calendars, and tasks (Windows Mobile only) much like a BlackBerry without the need for a separate server.

BlackBerry’s use either the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) or BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). BIS is hosted by Research In Motion and provides limited mail push facilities but requires the user to sync their contacts and calendars but plugging their BlackBerry into a cable and manually syncing it. The BES on the other hand sits inside your environment and pushes the contents of your Exchange, Lotus Domino, or Novell Groupwise mailbox to your BlackBerry.

A BlackBerry is perfect if you send a high volume of email from your mobile device or want full integration with your office network, as some users find it easier to use an actual keyboard (versus the touch screen keyboard like the iPhone). While it does have other functions such as internet browsing, third party applications, music and video, it’s primary focus and strength is email and battery life. (with the exception of the BlackBerry Bold the BlackBerry battery is second to none)

While the iPhone also has exceptional email capabilities, its strength happens to be those other functions! The iPhone is also a full-featured iPod, allowing users to download both purchased and rented music and videos. The iPhone’s web browsing is also better, and thousands of third party applications can be downloaded for specialty uses. Personally I have both BlackBerry and iPhone and for plane travel I prefer my iPhone because of the entertainment features when I am on a long haul flight but for roaming and roaming charges the BlackBerry wins hands down.

Unlike our US counterparts who are limited to one provider for their iPhone we can get iPhones on o2, Orange, Vodafone, and even Tesco. It’s just this techies opinion but when you compare all the UK networks currently providing iPhone in my opinion o2 and Tesco (uses o2 Infrastructure) provide the best value, the best coverage and the best overall experience.

Our advice to clients is easy….. call us before making a SmartPhone purchase, so we can advise you on some things to consider, including your company’s technology resources, your service provider, and your functionality needs.