Newsletter 2014.05

 
 
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Welcome to the METHOD IT Newsletter for May 2014

Free IT Solutions Brochure

Find out more about the solutions to your IT problems in our free PDF brochure. We provide dynamic technology solutions for all from startups to the enterprise in the Asia-Pacific region. Solutions can often lead to significant cost savings.

New Japanese Website

日本語サイトをリニューアルしました！
Is Japanese language support critical to your IT? Check out our Japanese website, which just got a major upgrade to a new responsive design with detailed information on our IT solutions and support packages for Japanese businesses.

Tips & Tricks

Securing Windows XP Machines

Are you forced to keep running Windows XP beyond April’s end-of-support? Check out these 10 tips to keep your XP PCs as secure as possible.
Read more »

Gmail Time Savers

5 very useful techniques for increasing your productivity in Gmail.
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Definitely Deleted

Methods to guarantee your data is well and truly gone before recycling old Windows PCs and drives.
Read more »

News from the Web

MS Surface Pro 3 Review

On May 20, Microsoft unveiled the third version of its Surface Pro tablet at an event in New York. With beefier specs and the screen size bumped up to 12 inches, allowing for a larger cover/keyboard combo than previous models, the Surface Pro 3 is positioned as a lightweight laptop replacement comparable to the Macbook Air. Find out more in the Engadget review.

Google Releases Standalone Office Apps

Hot on the heels of Microsoft Office’s arrival on iPad, Google has spun off Word and Excel replacements Docs and Sheets as standalone apps for iOS and Android devices, complete with support for offline editing. Slides, for producing PowerPoint style presentations, is to follow.

China Cracks Down on Foreign IT

In a surprising announcement China has banned Windows 8 from all government computers, citing the end of Windows XP support as a contributing factor. Days later the Chinese government also laid out plans for a new cybersecurity screening process for IT products which looks set to impact on foreign vendors.

Apple Buys Beats

After much gossip and a Facebook hiccup, Apple officially announced on May 28 that it will acquire headphones-meet-fashion-accessory manufacturer Beats Electronics for $3 billion. An interesting move that could pave the way for co-branding, Dr. Dre as a face of Apple and a new streaming music service.

Lenovo is World's Biggest PC Maker

In spite of all recent talk of a declining desktop and laptop market, Lenovo sold some 55 million PCs in the past financial year, taking 17.7% of the global market and surpassing Apple in the US. The Chinese company also sold 50 million smartphones and 9.2 million tablets in the same period. Net profit rose 29% to $817 million.

Switching Off Noisy Tweeters

A new ‘mute’ feature rolled out on Twitter this month offers a diplomatic way to stop over-enthusiastic tweeters from taking over your timeline.