Apple iPad delayed in Australia..

The Apple iPad will be available in the US on April 3, but we're going to have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid, you won't be able to buy an iPad in Australia until late April.

The good news about this delayed release date however, is that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad will be available at the same time.

Unfortunately it looks like iBooks and the iBookstore are not going to be available when the iPad is released in Australia, in fact iBooks is only available in the US at the time of writing.

The delay of iBooks is disappointing but understandable -- when Apple first announced the iPad on January 28, they only had a few US book publishers signed up. Let's hope the delay isn't too long though, because I think the iPad is going to make an awesome e-book reader, and it's one of the main reasons I'm going to buy one.

Pricing for Australia has not been confirmed yet -- the iPad is priced from $499 in the US, so I think we'll see prices staring at around $599 in Australia.

"iPad is something completely new," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."

iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 1.27 centimetres thick and weighs just 680 grams, it's thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook, and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad's large screen and almost full-size "soft" keyboard or import photos from a Mac, PC or digital camera, see them organised as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad's elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world's largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, and iTunes Store will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.The Apple iPad will be available in the US on April 3, but we're going to have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid, you won't be able to buy an iPad in Australia until late April.

The good news about this delayed release date however, is that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad will be available at the same time.

Unfortunately it looks like iBooks and the iBookstore are not going to be available when the iPad is released in Australia, in fact iBooks is only available in the US at the time of writing.

The delay of iBooks is disappointing but understandable -- when Apple first announced the iPad on January 28, they only had a few US book publishers signed up. Let's hope the delay isn't too long though, because I think the iPad is going to make an awesome e-book reader, and it's one of the main reasons I'm going to buy one.

Pricing for Australia has not been confirmed yet -- the iPad is priced from $499 in the US, so I think we'll see prices staring at around $599 in Australia.

"iPad is something completely new," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."

iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 1.27 centimetres thick and weighs just 680 grams, it's thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook, and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad's large screen and almost full-size "soft" keyboard or import photos from a Mac, PC or digital camera, see them organised as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad's elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world's largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, and iTunes Store will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Upgrading Memory & Not Sure? Try this...

You've got a PC, Notebook, Netbook or a Mac and you'd like to get it to work faster by adding more RAM and you're not sure whether its possible. Try this scanner from crucial.com which is awesome and will give you advice on the amount of memory slots you have in your system, how many are free and how much it would cost in US$.
Simply click on the Crucial System Scanner Tool and follow the prompts to get free advice and outsmart your nerd!

Secure your Wireless Network... just like you secure your homes!

Most people have enjoyed the benefits of wireless technology at one time or another.

Cordless phones, mobile phones, and wireless-enabled laptops all operate on the principle that the fewer cords, the better. As convenient as wireless networks are to use, they can also be easy to hack if you don't have the proper security.

Sadly, most wireless hookups are vulnerable straight out of the box, and still may not be safe even when you activate the default security features. However, with some insight into wireless technology and a few useful tips, you can block out most malicious network piggybackers.

Step 1: Know your network
Let's take a quick look at how wireless networks work. In "wired" technology, data is transmitted from your computer to the Web via cables that connect to a physical port. "Wireless" technology, on the other hand, uses radio waves to transfer data. The signals carrying your data are beamed over a wide range. Without security measures in place, anyone with the right tools can reach out and pluck them.

Step 2: Change your SSID and password
The first trick to slamming the door on hackers is to get personal. Every wireless network, from large corporate systems to simple home setups, contains a service set identification number (SSID) that is your network's digital name. To fence off your signal, you'll need to do two things. First, change your SSID number and password from the default setting into something private and strong. A default SSID is cake for hackers familiar with each company's settings and passwords. To change the SSID and your network password, launch the software for your wireless hardware. You should be able to change your SSID within the program's preferences.

Overwriting the default SSID won't do you much good if your network name is announced to anyone within range. To keep your information as private as possible, it's also important to disable the SSID broadcast. It's usually as simple as a mouse click in your program preferences.

Step 3: Set up MAC filtering
Changing your SSID settings without adding MAC filtering is like changing the locks to your house but leaving the key in the door. The MAC, or Media Access Control, filter is what gives you control over who may access your network and who may not. It takes a small time investment to set up MAC filtering, but without it, hackers can waltz in and use your network as they see fit.

To give specific computers permission to use your network, you'll need to add their MAC addresses -- the 12-digit address attached to every physical network device (PC, laptop, router). Enabling MAC filtering is a different process with each hardware manufacturer, but in most cases, opening up your wireless software and locating the security settings should put you in the right place. Finding the MAC address for each device might also be a challenge if you don't know where to look. 

Step 4: Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt
Encryption is key, pun intended. There are two types of encryption protocols, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). Both block intruders' entry by scrambling your data, though WPA is generally regarded as more secure due to its dynamic, ever-changing key. Unfortunately, the encryption key you end up with is also device-specific and WPA isn't yet as prevalent as WEP. Even if you don't have access to WPA encryption, the combination of WEP and MAC filtering is usually enough to deter the casual hacker. A word to the wise -- WPA is built in to most new routers along with WEP; however, unless your network components support WPA, WEP will remain the default encryption.

Step 5: Fill the gaps with software
Even with all these security settings, highly determined hackers can machete their way in; all it takes is plenty of patience and the proper tools. This is where software can help. Programs such as Trend Micro PC-cillin, ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, and McAfee Wireless Home Network Security all actively monitor your wireless network and notify you when attempted intrusions occur, among other encryption and security measures. Also, a new product from AOL called Active Security Monitor diagnoses your wireless-security protections and makes recommendations for improvements.

The future of Digital Photography- Snapfish

Snapfish is the home of online digital photo printing, photo sharing, and over 100 personalized photo gifts that you can make from your photos. Create a free account today to start uploading and sharing your photos. Get high-quality digital photo prints at low prices and unlimited, free photo sharing. You can even use your digital photos to create custom photo books and gifts.

Click below to check it out

Snapfish 

Is your PC sluggish & slow and takes a while to start up?

Obviously it could be a hardware or software related issue or a combination of both. Most software and startup related issues can be fixed by this wonderful freeware called CCleaner.

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)

Cleans the following:

• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Opera
• Safari
• Windows - Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files and Log files.
• Registry cleaner
• Third-party applications
• 100% Spyware FREE

Download this from the link below and run the cleaner and fix all issues with the PC and registry at the flick of a button...
CCleaner

The Best Security Combination for the Small Office Home Office

Based on my two decades of IT experience across England, India & Australia, I would strongly recommend the use of the following freeware to keep your home computers secure:
AVG Free Antivirus - This product essentially takes care of viruses & trojans
Spybot -Search & Destroy - This product essentially takes care of of spyware, hijackers & trojans
Please click on the links above to download them as they are both free products which are tried & tested and deployed by us on a regular basis. Both products come with free updates and while AVG does a regular update and check, Spybot needs to be manually updated by selecting the option when you open the program and you need to manually perform a search and destroy check preferably every week. Both products need to be installed simultaneously and work in tandem very well.
Please ensure you remove any other antivirus(ie. Norton, Mcafee, Trend Pccillin) or anti spyware program prior to installing them as they may interfere and conflict causing the PC to hang.

Remote IT Solutions is the future..

With travel costs on the rise and the need for prompt solutions remote computer solutions are on the rise. A lot of companies are hiring consultants on a Virtual Retainership basis means they dont have a full time consultant but hire one on demand. Please follow the link to see one such example:

Remote Support Solutions from Hitek Australia