- We cost less for a house-call than the diagnostic fee at many major retailers.
- We have a website. Most Independent Shops do not have a significant eCommerce presence.
- We offer the ability to fine tailor a service to your needs and budget.
- We accept PayPal and Cash on Delivery for some items.
- We have 6 Years of Accredited Higher education together as an organization!
Author: Damian
A Policy Update on our Code of Conduct
Recently a person who shall remain nameless attempted to retaliate towards me personally for my choice of telling him to refrain from using discriminatory language. He accosted me personally and used foul language on our Facebook page. We had no choice but to block him on Facebook and ban his ability to interact with this organization permanently.
Bendy Computers will not issue any warnings for the following behaviors using our cloud computing resources or for use of any behaviors deemed unacceptable for use in a professional setting. These include, but are not limited to:
- Racist Language
- Racial Humor
- Discrimination or stereotyping based on a legally protected clasification
- Cyberharrasment
- Threats of harm, false accusations, or acosting
- Defamation
- Excessive usage of profanity via phone, electronic message, or in person.
If you have to think about it, you shouldn’t say it.
Vietnam Internet Cable Broken… again
Internet connections in Vietnam will slow after service on the Asia America Gateway cable was damaged at 2:30 p.m. on 08/23/18. Media reports have said nothing about the broken segment or a timeline for repairs. Since the disruption will affect all service providers in Vietnam, Internet users are likely to experience sluggish speeds on international websites. This is the fourth time the AAG cable has encountered a problem this year.
Completed in November 2009, the AAG cable handles more than 60 percent of the country’s international internet traffic. The system runs more than 12,000 miles, connecting Southeast Asia and the U.S., passing through the Asia Pacific region with stops in Hong Kong and The Philippines.
Vietnam currently has six submarine cable systems, as well as a 120 gigabit channel that runs overland through China. With a download speed of 5.46 megabytes per second, Vietnam’s internet speed was ranked 74th in Internet speed.
Works Cited
Quy, N. (2018, August 25). Internet connection in turtle mode as undersea cable snaps again – VnExpress International. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/internet-connection-in-turtle-mode-as-undersea-cable-snaps-again-3797663.html
On-Site Options Available Again
A few months ago, we had to suspend operations temporarily due to a personal leave of absence I had to take. Slowly, but surely, I recovered and now Bendy Computers is proud to be accepting orders for On Site support and Malware Removal Options.
Please note, our coverage area is limited to inside Baltimore city, and service slot’s are limited. We appreciate your understanding during this time and value your patronage and regular readership.
As a courtesy, we will extend the promoaugust deal for one more month, and rename the code, promoseptember
Just type promo code promoseptember into the order form, and you’ll get $10 off your purchase of $20 or more, Software and Videos excluded, and limit one use per account.
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Comcast Internet Essentials Now Connects 6 Million!
Comcast announced it has now connected more than six million low-income Americans to the Internet through its Internet Essentials program, which is the largest home internet program for low-income families in the U.S. The company connected more than two million people in the last year alone, which is the largest annual increase in the program’s history. Comcast says it will expand eligibility to low-income veterans. According to the United States Census Bureau, about a third of low-income veterans do not have Internet service at home, and only about 60 percent own a computer.
“This program has had an enormous impact on millions of families and children who now have high-speed Internet at home, many for the first time in their lives,” said David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. “We’re excited to extend that same opportunity to more than one million, low-income veterans. Veterans have stood up for our country; now it’s time for us to stand up for them by providing access to life-changing digital tools and resources.”
Also of note, the company has sold more than 85,000 heavily subsidized computers.
Comcast attributes some of the recent growth of this program to an enrollment smartphone application, which now accounts for more than a third of all enrollments. The company has also redesigned its Internet Essentials Learning Center with new content from Common Sense Media and ConnectSafely.org. The site now includes a variety of tools to help users learn vital computer skills.
Works Cited
B. (2018, August 24). CORRECTING and REPLACING Comcast Has Now Helped Connect More Than Six Million Low-Income Americans to the Internet Through Its Internet Essentials Program. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/correcting-and-replacing-comcast-has-now-helped-connect-more-than-six-million-low-income-americans-to-the-internet-through-its-internet-essentials-program-2018-08-24
Verizon Accused of throttling fire department internet
Santa Clara County firefighters were critically hindered by slow internet service during the massive Mendocino Complex fire in July after Verizon slowed the speed of their wireless data, the county’s fire chief wrote.
While the agency believed it had paid for an unlimited data plan, the Santa Clara County Fire Department discovered its data connection had been slowed down by well over 98% as it fought the blaze. Verizon Wireless representatives told the department it had exceeded its plan limit for data and suggested the agency purchase a plan at more than double the cost, according to court documents.
Verizon said, “This customer purchased a government contract plan for a high-speed wireless data allotment at a set monthly cost. Under this plan, users get an unlimited amount of data but speeds are reduced when they exceed their allotment until the next billing cycle. Verizon wrote that the company has a practice to remove data speed restrictions for emergency responders regardless of the plan they have chosen in emergency situations. In this situation, we should have lifted the speed restriction when our customer reached out to us. We are reviewing the situation and will fix any issues going forward.
Electronic Frontier Foundation said, “the situation undercuts the argument that net neutrality rules hindered emergency services by not allowing internet service providers to prioritize their data. They’ve often said if we’re allowed to throttle some and not others then we can give better service to emergency responders. We’re seeing here that’s not true. It wasn’t net neutrality that prevented them from doing it. It’s clearly their own policies.”
Unlimited with a throttle is not the same as Unlimited Throttled! Learn the easy way and pay for a good data plan.
Works Cited
Fry, H. (2018, August 22). Verizon ‘throttled’ critical internet service during wildfire battle, fire chief says. Retrieved August 23, 2018, from http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-data-throttling-20180822-story.html#
Netflix to skirt on paying Apple Computers
Netflix is reportedly looking to become the latest tech firm to avoid paying out fees to Apple. Normally, Apple handles all the billing for apps itself, but at a cost to the developers in the form of high commissions. If you’re unable to access Netflix through the app on an Apple device, you may need get back in using a browser since Netflix is attempting to take control of billing away from Apple. For Apple’s cash cow service, this is bad news. The App Store generated about $11.5 billion in revenue for Apple last year. That money comes from the commission Apple takes from developers. Of the millions of apps available in the App Store, Netflix currently ranks number three on the highest-grossing charts.
But according to a report, Netflix is testing a way to avoid sharing those huge profits.
Until recently, if a user downloaded the Netflix app on their Apple device and signed up for the service on that Apple device, billing was handled by Apple and was by and large quite simple. Now after the initial charges for the first month, developers are trying to break people out of the Apple ecosystem and keep more for themselves; and rightfully so too.
That minor inconvenience is a big part of Apple’s business plan since, Apple touts itself as the company of convenience. But is a bit too controlling for third party developers and Apple should share more with them since they are harder to code for than windows or android due to the very secretive nature of their code-bases.
Works Cited
Jones, R. (2018, August 21). Netflix Tests New System That Lets It Avoid Paying Apple. Retrieved August 21, 2018, from https://gizmodo.com/netflix-tests-new-system-that-lets-it-avoid-paying-appl-1828488485
Data Sovereignty and India
Data sovereignty is on the rise across the world. Laws and regulations increasingly require that citizen data be stored in local data centers, and restrict the flow of that data across the internet. The European Union’s GDPR policy is one example, although it’s relatively porous. China’s relatively new cloud computing law is much more strict, and forced Apple to turn over iCloud data of Chinese users. Now, it appears that India will join this policy movement.
According to sources at Reuters, an influential cloud policy panel has recommended that India mandate data localization in the country in the name of security. That panel is headed by well-known local entrepreneur Kris Gopalakrishnan, who founded Infosys, the IT staffing giant in the region and quite honestly the bane of IT professionals across the world.
That report would match other policy statements from the Indian political establishment in recent months. The government’s draft National Digital Communications Policy this year said that data sovereignty is very important to the Indian Government.
The report called for the government by 2022 to “Establish a comprehensive data protection regime for digital communications that safeguards the privacy, autonomy and choice of individuals and facilitates India’s effective participation in the global digital economy.”
It’s that last line that is increasingly the objective of governments around the world. While privacy and security are certainly top priorities, governments now recognize that the economics of data are going to be crucial for future innovation. Maintaining local control of data through whatever means necessary ensures that cloud providers and other services have to spend locally and thus reverses or at least attempts to correct the unintended fallout of globalization and bad deals.
Works Cited
Crichton, D. (2018, August 04). India may become next restricted market for U.S. cloud providers. Retrieved August 20, 2018, from https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/04/india-may-become-next-restricted-market-for-u-s-cloud-providers/
GPS without a signal
And by signal, we mean a cell signal. Many people use their phone to get around, but what if you’re so far from civilization that you have no internet?
Google Maps is installed on almost every Android device and can also be installed on iOS ones. It offers the option of storing maps and information for offline use on your phone. Just select offline maps in the main sidebar menu. It’s even possible to search within this selected area without mobile reception. However, the offline map doesn’t contain as much information as its internet connected brother.
Of course there are alternatives to Google Maps like Waze, but they aren’t as polished or as tested by your local Uber driver as Google Maps. All you need is a smartphone, storage, and the ability to download the maps ahead of time. Maps downloaded for offline use can be several hundred megabytes in size; it’s best to download them over a WiFi connection so as not to consume your data allowance. For the apps to work, they have to be given permission to access the smartphone’s location and GPS has to be enabled. GPS doesn’t need an Internet connection or even phone reception, but it does consume a lot of energy, so it makes sense to bring a power cord.
If you need help, we offer remote support, and offer competitive pricing for customers who meet us at an Enoch Pratt Library Branch.
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5G aimed at those pesky cord cutters
It’s been the bane of any TV lover. They get frustrated with their provider and want to switch but have few options. For residents of four select markets this year, 5G could be change that. There are the four markets Verizon will be testing 5G in later this year.
The 5G networks have been touted as the next big thing for wireless consumers, a way for them to get lower latency, with videos that will open immediately and downloads that will take seconds instead of minutes. But no true 5G phones are available now, and iPhones expected in September probably won’t be able to access 5G signals either.
Where will we see 5G first? In our living rooms, with 4 gigabit per second speeds. Many times faster than most americans are used to. Speeds usually reserved for data centers, the government, academia, and internet backbones. From the same companies that have been providing broadband in the home for years.
This week, Verizon touted home broadband for its 5G tests and said it would partner with Apple TV for the set-top box and YouTubeTV, the cable TV alternative, when it launches later this year. ATT is set to test 5G as well later, but in nine markets instead of four.
We saw many other 5G announcements this week, but few had much going for them. Motorola released what it says is the first 5G-capable phone, the MotoZ3, but there’s a catch. It won’t work with 5G until service starts, and consumers will need an adapter to bring in 5G signals. Sprint said it would release a phone from LG that worked with 5G, but not until 2019.
Cord-cutting has become a worldwide phenomenon as consumers tired of spending countless sums of money for the few things they actually want and a bunch of stuff they don’t. ATT, which owns DirecTV, is currently the No. 1 broadband provider, and Verizon is still a major cable tv provider. Connectivity might get a little cheaper, but the cost of video will rise as greedy entertainment and sports companies jack up their rates, and consumers are urged to order more monthly streaming services. It’s not likely to see wireless 5G happening until 2019 at the earliest, becoming more widespread in 2020.
Works CitedGraham, J. (2018, August 18). New 5G networks aimed at cord cutters. Retrieved August 18, 2018, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/08/18/new-5-g-networks-verizon-and-t-aimed-cord-cutters-and-cable-alternatives/1025250002/