Don’t be scared of the cloud for data storage or application-serving usage, since a reputable CSP will be more proactive than you at maintaining software patches and implementing security – in order to survive, CSPs have to take security seriously. What’s more, they can do so at less cost to your bottom line than you can.The anytime/anywhere nature of cloud access even provides a good disaster-recovery route for smaller businesses. Of course, the cloud isn’t 100% secure, and you need to think about where your data is located and who has access to it. Here, though, encryption is your friend (see tip 4), as are single sign-on tools for cloud usage, which enterprise password managers (see tip 2) can often provide.

Good data security isn’t all about bits and bytes – it’s also about the bits and bobs, from the front-desk PC to the phone in your pocket. You need to secure your hardware and secure access to your premises. Every SMB’s security policy should embrace the physical, or it could be counting the cost when someone walks in and steals a laptop – and by so doing potentially steals access to the network and data, too.Simple things can reduce the risk of data loss – such as keeping doors and windows locked whenever the office is closed, fitting alarms, using Kensington locks on desktops and laptops, and requiring users to have lockscreens activated whenever they’re away from their desks, plus being careful about who you let into your premises.Shred documents to prevent paper trails that could be useful to cybercriminals, and keep your paper files in locked cabinets. Finally, seeking advice from a local crime-prevention officer is never a bad idea, either.

The most important piece of security advice for any business is to take responsibility for your data, and to do it now.Even when you have a security policy written up and implemented, the staff educated, the data encrypted and the devices under control, you can’t afford to rest on your laurels and assume you’re now secure. IT security is a dynamic, ever-changing landscape, and securing your data is your responsibility.The bad guys won’t be sitting back – they’ll be keeping on top of the latest vulnerabilities and weaknesses, so it’s up to you to keep up with them.Look at the name and the photos and you'll see nothing remarkable, but the Gigabyte P34G v2 is a gaming laptop that flies in the face of convention. On paper, the combination of an Intel Haswell CPU with Nvidia's latest 8 Series GPU isn't strictly new; the giant-sized MSI GE70 2PE Apache Pro has already beaten Gigabyte to the punch in delivering that combination. But the P34G v2, which will hit the shops later this month, performs the impressive feat of squeezing those high-power components into a slim, portable 14in chassis. See also: The best laptops of 2014

The Gigabyte doesn't wear its heart on its sleeve. The exterior is finished in an understated palette of matte-grey plastics, and it's only once you tilt back the slim, sturdy-feeling lid that proceedings are enlivened by a keyboard surrounded with a plate of silver metal. Compared to the slick, stylish exteriors of cutting-edge Ultrabooks, the Gigabyte is less than enticing. That's not to say build quality is bad, though – it's anything but. The 1.7kg chassis feels well put together, and although it measures a relatively dainty 23mm across its thickest point, there's barely any flex or give anywhere.The two sizable fan exhausts on each rear corner give a clue as to this laptop's capabilities. The quad-core 2.4GHz Core i7-4700HQ is normally more at home in 15in or 17in designs, and Gigabyte has partnered the powerhouse CPU with Nvidia's recently launched GeForce GTX 860M GPU, which is why it requires such a beefy cooling system.

• Acer TravelMate 2420 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 2440 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 2470 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 3240 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 3250 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 3280 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 3300 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 4320 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 4520 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 4720 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6231 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6252 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6291 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6292 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6293 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6492 Battery

There's even a modest amount of upgradability. Our review unit came with a single 8GB DDR3L SODIMM installed, leaving one RAM slot free, and a 128GB Lite-On mSATA SSD drive. Other models of the P34G v2 also have room for a secondary 2.5in HDD, but in this model there isn't enough room due to the larger battery.Alongside the fastest laptops and mobile workstations on the market, the Gigabyte P34G v2 can hold its head up high. In our Real World Benchmarks the P34G v2 scored 0.99, a whisker ahead of far larger laptops such as the 3kg MSI GE70 2PE Apache Pro and the Dell Precision M3800.It’s certainly a distinctive-looking hybrid, and it feels like a high-quality piece of kit. Available in eye-popping red or a more subdued silver, the Pavilion X360’s soft-touch plastics have a pleasantly rubbery feel, and the sturdy base and lid are connected by a strong-feeling hinge. HP’s done a grand job of squeezing in a fine keyboard and usable touchpad, too.

Push the display backwards and – as with Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga 2 – it’s possible to use the HP in a variety of positions. The display can swivel all the way back into tablet mode, or fold around to turn the base into a makeshift stand. It works well, but it feels unwieldy in tablet mode – it’s 22mm thick, and, at 1.48kg, it’s immensely heavy by tablet standards.An Intel Celeron N2820 CPU joins forces with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB HDD. This low-power, dual-core processor provides a usable level of performance – in our Real World Benchmarks, the HP scored 0.36 – but in combination with a mechanical hard disk it suffers the occasional bout of hiccuping and grinding. Battery life is poor, too: the Pavilion X360 lasted only 4hrs 25mins in our light-use test.

It’s the X360’s touchscreen that really lets the side down. To keep the budget in check, HP has used a low-quality TN panel, and it shows. The maximum brightness of 202cd/m2 is mediocre, and the contrast ratio of 217:1 is disappointing even by budget standards. For a display designed to be viewed from every angle, the washed-out colours, low brightness and narrow viewing angles are a terrible combination.Even though the price is appealing, the HP Pavilion X360 suffers from too many compromises. The Asus VivoBook X200CA offers similar performance and battery life for £50 less, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11in shows exactly how a hybrid should be made for £500. It is a promising effort, though, and a better quality screen would transform the HP’s appeal.If you’re in the market for a compact tablet, the sheer variety on offer can seem daunting. Not only is there a vast number of devices to choose from, but every manufacturer also offers something slightly different, with features, screen technologies, operating systems and prices all varying dramatically between rival tablets. See also: the best tablets of 2014.

• Acer TravelMate 6493 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6593 Battery
• Acer TravelMate 6553 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1360 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1362 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1363 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1365 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1610 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1612 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1620 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1621 Battery
• Acer Aspire 1622 Battery
• Acer Aspire 3010 Battery
• Acer Aspire 5010 Battery
• Acer Extensa 2000 Battery

The key difference – and one from which all other differences stem – is the price, which runs the full gamut from laptop-rivalling bank-balance smashers, to bargain-basement impulse buys. At the top end you can expect to pay more than £300; there’s a middle band of tablets costing around £200; and a selection of cheaper devices that come in at just over £100. You may wonder why there’s such a big price difference between these tablets, since at first glance there isn’t a huge difference in size and appearance. Plus, they all do essentially the same thing, right? Well, that’s not entirely true.For starters, build and design does vary quite significantly as you go up the price scale. The lower-priced models will usually have chunkier, creakier designs, with cheap plastic chassis that exhibit a lot of flex if handled roughly.Shell out a bit more and chassis begin to look sleeker, and employ more expensive materials for a sturdier build quality.

It’s a similar story for displays. A good screen is absolutely essential for a tablet, compact or not.You’ll have difficulty finding a compact tablet display that isn’t at least IPS, so viewing angles will always be good; the differences concern quality and resolution.With a compact tablet, you want the screen to be as bright as you can get it and contrast to be as high as possible. The brighter the screen at its maximum setting, the more likely you are to be able to read it outdoors in bright sunshine. Aim for around 400cd/m2 and above. For contrast, anything from 700:1 and up is pretty respectable.

Posted by: akkusmarkt at 06:12 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 1515 words, total size 13 kb.