Apple has launched the new operating system iOS 4.2 which finally brings iPad, the iPhone, and iPod touch under the same roof. This mobile OS has been one of the most awaited releases from Apple in the recent years.

Let us take a closer look at some of the important things that you need to know about the iOS 4.2:

• First and foremost iOS 4.2 brings the capabilities of iOS 4 multitasking to the iPad. This is the biggest improvement over the last operating system.
• The AirPlay feature allows you to stream media from your iOS device to your Apple TV or third-party equipment. It allows you to stream pictures, audio, and video from any supported app – which includes the built-in iPod, Music, Videos, iTunes, and YouTube apps. Third parties like Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, JBL, and iHome have already announced their AirPlay compatible devices.
• It brings in AirPrint which allows you to print directly from your iOS device to certain compatible printers. This however doesn’t work with printers shared from a Mac or a PC. You will need a compatible HP eSmart printer or check online to see if your printer will work with any of these devices.
• The new OS expands the available tones for when you get a text message and lets you change the font for the Notes app (under Settings -> Notes). You can also now choose to have the hardware buttons not change the alert or ringer volume along with the volume of media you’re playing back, a welcome fix for many who have accidentally quieted their alarms.
• You can search for text on a Webpage; control Voice Over from a wireless keyboard. It also has integrated many languages and added dictionaries to support Arabic, Greek and Hebrew.
• Parental controls allow parents to restrict kids from installing and deleting apps, changing account information, and playing multiplayer games or adding friends in Game Center.

To upgrade your iPhone, iPod or iPad you need to have iTunes installed and then simply plug your device into your computer and follow the prompts.

If you get stuck, your Toronto computer support team at Dynamix can offer assistance to your Mississauga, Markham or Toronto business.

How much spam does your Toronto business receive?  If your business is like many, spam is something you have just learned to deal with.  Maybe you have brought in our team at Dynamix to help reduce the amount of spam through deploying a spam filtering solution.  Spam is a huge problem and a huge distraction for many Toronto businesses.

Spam messages have been one of the major curses about doing business online! Thousands of  Toronto business professionals open their Microsoft Outlook mailbox in the morning and you find half of their mailboxes filled with spam messages.  These messages may offer services that make no sense to the recipient, but what about those messages from legitimate businesses which are unwanted?  We all get those.

In the last few years there have been at least a couple of Canadian private member’s bills were introduced in Canadian Parliament with much anticipation but they failed in their efforts to curb the spammers in any sense. But now the Minister of Industry, Tony Clement is trying to make the situation better with his anti-spam Bill C-28.  According to sources Bill C-28 is slated to come into effect around Christmas or the New Year. However there are many Canadian small business owners who fear facing stiff penalties for violating the regulations in the bill when passed.

According to Paul Poellhuber, the COO of ZeroSpam Security the bill is highly harmful for the small business owners as they are not aware of the regulations and even simple e-mails to the prospective clients may cost the companies huge fines. The fine for sending unwanted email messages can range from up to $1 million for individuals to $10 million for businesses. However, Poellhubber also felt “Bill C-28 is the first anti-spam law in Canada. Not a bad thing. Certainly a good thing, but it’s probably badly named because it’s not going to change much about the spam that you and I receive. But what it will change is the complete e-mail practices in Canada and those e-mailers mailing to Canada. Small businesses, we find, are not really aware of C-28. They are not aware that they will now require prior consent from the recipient before sending any commercial e-mail.”

Though the intention of anti-spam Bill-28 is to cut spam emails from your inbox but is that possible? First and foremost, the law is valid only within the borders of Canada and the fines will be imposed on Canadian individuals and business. However, all the top spammers and botnets in the world are not located within Canada.   So will Minister Clements’ bill make a real difference?

As you can see there aren’t much chances of spam messages being reduced in your mailbox but rather this bill will promote e-mail best practices within Canada.

Do you have questions about how to limit the amount of spam your Toronto business receives?  Our team at Dynamix has a number of solutions designed to curb the amount of spam a small business receives.  Speak to our team today and learn how your Toronto Tech Support team can help you with all your email and messaging security.

Partner with your team at Dynamix Solutions, invest in Microsoft Office or other leading Microsoft solutions and get some dollars back from our colleagues at Microsoft.

As a Microsoft partner in the Greater Toronto Area, we understand what it takes to operate a success Toronto-area small business.  We all need the tools to do our work and often investing in software is a difficult pill to swallow.  Our friends at Microsoft are making it a bit easier for GTA business to get the right Microsoft solutions.

Have you ever thought what are the many reasons for the unrivaled supremacy of Microsoft. Well, there are many. But one of the most overlooked aspects is the way they care about their users. Most of the packages and subscriptions offered by Microsoft are user oriented and help in saving costs in the long run. So how about their latest subscription offer? Microsoft gives future Microsoft software purchase rights to the subscribers for a value of $15,000. Not only this, on spending this amount you will receive ‘$5,000 Microsoft dollars’. This offer is available with Open Business with Software Assurance, Open Value subscription (for 3 years), Open Value (for the first year).

With the help of the subscription scheme you can build up an IT infrastructure on any standard platform. This will help the businesses to upgrade and respond to the changing needs. The offer provides you the opportunity to manage your software costs better by saving on the costs of buying licenses and spread payment for a time frame of three years. You can also pay for only the products needed and accommodate for the changes in the number of PCs on an annual basis. The hefty task of buying licenses again and again is also simplified with this subscription scheme. You have the chance to upgrade the desktops with the Microsoft® Office system,Windows® Desktop Operating System upgrade, and Client Access Licenses (CALs). Software Assurance which is a part of the package will offer additional use rights, training, support, maintenance services, etc. from Microsoft.

As this is a lucrative offer where Microsoft pays you $5,000 back so you must be aware of the terms and conditions well:

• You have to buy Microsoft licenses through an Open Business having Software Assurance, Open Value or Open Value Subscription Agreement that is of the value of $15,000 or above.
• Once your claim is approved you will get a cheque by your selected partner’s name worth $5,000 and you can apply further for the purchase of other software products from Microsoft.
• One claim per customer.
• This offer is applicable for all software except those for Windows.

Isn’t it a great deal that Microsoft is offering to its users? But bear in mind the offer is applicable from August 3 – December 31. So if you want to make full use of it then you better make up your mind soon!

Talk to your Dynamix Solutions team today.