Technology « Thurles Information

UPC Broadband Totally Unreliable In Thurles – Again

Yes it’s happening again folks; people in Thurles are finding that their UPC Broadband service has become totally unreliable once again. We here on Thurles Information have received several complaints from people experiencing broadband connection difficulties within the past few days.

Many complain they cannot access certain websites for no apparent reason and have noted that broadband service drop-outs and slow connection speeds keep occurring on and off since last Wednesday. Something definitely has occurred to cause this in the town and the situation does not seem to be getting fixed.

To help we would like fellow UPC customers in Thurles (Those who can access us on-line that is) to do a simple Broadband Speed Test (Right Click latter link and choose; “Open in a new window“) then check your speed test results against the package you are paying for currently.

It will be interesting to see results from around Thurles and perhaps by participating in this and a phone call or two, we can look forward to obtaining a reasonable service from UPC, sometime in the near future.

My download speed presently is a ridiculous 0.65 Mbps, while I pay for 60.00 Mbps. While UPC may feel they are quote; “Exciting New Customers” presently, trust me when I say they will not, as they now claim, be “Accelerating Economic Growth” here in Thurles with their current service.

One cannot help but wonder if our friends installing water metres have had some impact on this service, after all UPC, from the beginning, were never very careful where they placed their cables.

‘Fix Your Street’ Highlighting Non Emergency Issues Thurles

For Thurles people currently not yet aware; as and from January1st 2013 last, local individuals can report issues of ‘non emergency’ concern and bring same to the attention of their Local Authority by going on-line. The publicly accessible web-site “fixyourstreet.ie,” is now an ‘All Ireland’ service, launched initially since August 2nd, 2011.

Matthew-Avenue-Thurles

This new programming now supports a publicly functional and accessible web-site on which non emergency issues such as vandalism, unsafe road defects, issues regarding street lighting, serious water leaks, drainage issues, severe littering or indeed illegal dumping, can be immediately reported by any observer to their Local Authority.

The on-line programming is still continuing to be further developed, hence the site and it’s associated services offered, continues to remain at ‘beta’ status. This allows the functionality being offered to the public presently, to change and be further developed where necessary, eventually meeting the highest aspirations of the programmers now attempting to deliver this welcome on-line package.

As promised in the ‘Programme for Government’ it is hoped that issues raised on “fixyourstreet.ie” will, eventually, be responded to within 2 working days, however since presently ‘fixyourstreet.ie,’ is a programme moderated service, this means that when you report a local issue through the site, it may take just a little while for same to become visible on the public listings presently being highlighted at local level.

The site can be contacted nationally by sending an email to:- reports@fixyourstreet.ie, or by sending a Tweet with the hashtag/s #fysie or you can submit a ‘New Report’ by simply clicking HERE.

Tipperary Native Elected Fellow Of Royal Society

A small number of Irish scientists have now been elected as new Fellows of the Royal Society, latter the prestigious British based Academy of distinguished international scientists whose past Fellows and Members have included Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Robert Darwin and Albert Einstein.

Fellowship of the Royal Society is therefore made up of the most eminent of scientists, engineers and technologists in the UK and Commonwealth and is considered a significant scientific accolade, with only a small number of other Irish scientists having been afforded this honour in recent years.

Dr Michael Richard Lynch

Among the new Irish fellows now elected is Tipperary born Dr Michael Richard Lynch, co-founder and former chief executive of Britain’s largest software company Autonomy, latter company purchased by Hewlett-Packard in 2011, for some $11bn. Dr Lynch is married with two daughters.

Dr Lynch was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1965, before his family moved to England, where he grew up near Chelmsford, Essex. In 1976, then aged 11, he won a scholarship to Bancroft’s School, Woodford, before moving on to Christ’s College, Cambridge to study Natural Sciences.

Following graduation he went on to do a PhD in Signal Processing and Communications research at the University of Cambridge, before undertaking a research fellowship in Adaptive Pattern Recognition.

In December 2006, he was appointed as a non-executive director to the Board of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). He is also on the investment committee and Board of the British Library.

Regarded as Britain’s most successful technology entrepreneur, he is a trustee of NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) and is chairman of their investment committee. He is also a non-executive Director of Cambridge Enterprise, advising on technology transfer for Cambridge University and a supporter of The Prince’s Trust technology group. He is also a member of the Council of the Foundation for Science and Technology and on the Enterprise Committee of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

His philanthropic interests include being a trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a member of the board of the ‘Create the Change’ Campaign at the Crick Institute, for Cancer Research UK.

He is a non executive director of Blinkx PLC and an advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron, in the area of science policy.

Beware Of Scam Phone Callers

Thurles and the surrounding areas are once again being targeted by ‘scammers,’ these last few weeks. Several people have reported receiving phone calls from scammers claiming be with “Microsoft Support” and that their computer is infected. If you receive such a call DO NOT SWITCH ON YOUR COMPUTER!

This is the notorious PC Support scam whereby the caller tries to convince you that they are calling from ‘Microsoft Support’ and that your computer is infected. It is a total scam that could end up costing you a lot of money. Their scam can involve infecting your machine, stealing passwords or totally locking out your PC/laptop and then they charge you a ransom to get back into it!

The “00201” at the start of their phone number suggests these scam calls are originating from Egypt in Africa this time. Although some calls only show up as private.

Remember, when in doubt, hang up the phone. Be vigilant, tell your friends, and let’s all stay safe.

New Broadcasting Charge Due In Value For Money Report

News of further possible taxation as Labour Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte states that everyone will now have to pay a new ‘Broadcasting Charge,’ latter which will replace the annual TV Licence. This charge will be made, regardless of whether or not you actually own a Television Set.

The Minister has informed the Dáil that he is due to receive a ‘Value For Money Report,’ (Probably the first one in the history of the Irish State.) recommending the best way to implement this new Broadcasting Charge. Same report is expected to be ready by the end of March.

The new charge will take account of the fact that people, who may not own actual TV receiving equipment, just maybe viewing TV programme content on mobile devices such as Smart phones, Tablets or Laptops. Let’s therefore call this new tax for what it really is, “The Technology Tax.”

Like Water Charges, Household Charges, Septic Tank Charges & Property Tax, Labour Minister Pat Rabbitte believes that his new Broadcasting Charge or Technology Tax should be implemented on every home in the country regardless, since access to programme content is not dependent on the ownership of just a Television Set.

Minister Rabbitte stated, “Everybody benefits from the availability of these services, regardless of how content is accessed or relayed to the public, and therefore it is my view that the cost should be borne by society as a whole.”

Are we, the taxpayer, to now pay for the compensation correctly paid to Fr Kevin Reynolds, latter seriously libelled and defamed by false allegations in ‘Mission to Prey,’ by an over paid RTÉ gutter press, who seriously believe they are entitled to the same pay as professional footballers?

Can we expect RTÉ cameras ‘to roll,’ shortly in an effort to depict why the world should now visit our ‘green red-necked abode,’ during this year’s “The Gathering 2013,” instead of being recommended, in repeat programmes, to take Airboat Rides in Orlando’s Florida Everglades?

Can our children perhaps expect to view some educational children’s programmes, during and around the time we air “Judge Judy,” perhaps in the not too distant future?

TV Licences do not exist, at all, in Australia, so surely if we, The Taxpayer, must fund RTÉ salaries & programming, then we should also have some small control over its current programming content or must we continue to seek out foreign channels that actually do entertain?