Friday, July 29, 2005
VoIP provider adds virtual PBX to list of services
Net4Now :: News Story
Another VoIP offering. It's all very well offering sophisticated VoIP services (in this case virtual PBX services) but there are many hidden costs that customers should be aware of.
Replacing a traditional phone system with an IP one is not necessarily an easy process. Firstly the LAN probably needs updating so that it supports QoS to the desk, then there's the cost of the IP phones themselves and connectivity back to the ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider) itself.
Many offerings are over standard DSL links, which don't support QoS and even leased lines may well hit the ISP on a contended backbone.
Adding all these costs up may make the service suddenly very unattractive (especially for single site companies) and traditional forms of telephony may work out much more cost-effective using IDA or CPS type services.
Another VoIP offering. It's all very well offering sophisticated VoIP services (in this case virtual PBX services) but there are many hidden costs that customers should be aware of.
Replacing a traditional phone system with an IP one is not necessarily an easy process. Firstly the LAN probably needs updating so that it supports QoS to the desk, then there's the cost of the IP phones themselves and connectivity back to the ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider) itself.
Many offerings are over standard DSL links, which don't support QoS and even leased lines may well hit the ISP on a contended backbone.
Adding all these costs up may make the service suddenly very unattractive (especially for single site companies) and traditional forms of telephony may work out much more cost-effective using IDA or CPS type services.
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | BT quits race for broadband share
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | BT quits race for broadband share
This only applies to BT Retails, BT Wholesale still accounts for the bulk of DSL in the UK (6m+ customers and LLU 60k). Cable accounts for another 2m'ish but that still puts BTW way out in front.
This only applies to BT Retails, BT Wholesale still accounts for the bulk of DSL in the UK (6m+ customers and LLU 60k). Cable accounts for another 2m'ish but that still puts BTW way out in front.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Stopped by the Police
On Tuesday night I drove back from Bristol, it was late and I dropped a friend in Bethnal Green. While driving through Islington a Police car turned into the road that I was stationary on (waiting at some traffic lights) drove past, looked at me and did a U-turn.
They then proceeded to follow me for about 1/2 a mile (actually they were a few cars behind me) and then the blue lights came on.
I stopped and a nice Police woman tapped on the glass so I got out. Then a Policeman came over doing the DVLA check etc.
They did the usual of "Is this your car? Is it registered to you, name address?" etc. The woman notified me that they she was going to write down where they'd stopped me and asked if I had any ID, so I produced my driving license. I asked why they'd stopped me and was told "because of what I was wearing and I was hunched in the seat and looked suspicious".
All they would have been able to see was a black jacket and maybe my hoodie, and I'd just driven for almost 3 1/2 hours so was knackered, which I did explain to the woman.
Anyway the radio obviously reported back that the car was registered to me, so they actually apologised and sent me on my way.
Moral, don't wear hoodies and don't drive through central london late at night ...
They then proceeded to follow me for about 1/2 a mile (actually they were a few cars behind me) and then the blue lights came on.
I stopped and a nice Police woman tapped on the glass so I got out. Then a Policeman came over doing the DVLA check etc.
They did the usual of "Is this your car? Is it registered to you, name address?" etc. The woman notified me that they she was going to write down where they'd stopped me and asked if I had any ID, so I produced my driving license. I asked why they'd stopped me and was told "because of what I was wearing and I was hunched in the seat and looked suspicious".
All they would have been able to see was a black jacket and maybe my hoodie, and I'd just driven for almost 3 1/2 hours so was knackered, which I did explain to the woman.
Anyway the radio obviously reported back that the car was registered to me, so they actually apologised and sent me on my way.
Moral, don't wear hoodies and don't drive through central london late at night ...
Bomb scares in London 'burbs
Last Saturday I was having a quiet drink in the pub for a friend's birthday when suddenly blue and white "Police Line - do not cross" tape started appearing everywhere.
It was a bomb scare. The Police guarding the area didn't know what was going on except that the area was a no go.
All in all there must have been about 50+ Police, a bomb squad unit and 3 fire engines. The bomb squad had a truck with what looked like a sealed rear section with a periscope coming out the top.
They suddenly announced that the streets had to be cleared and we were locked in the pub, unfortunately no free drinks which was disappointing.
They then proceeded to unroll a large drum of wire and connect it to what looked like a tube on a car jack (a detonator?), but quite quickly rolled it back in and declared the area safe.
Today (Thurs) it seems there was a large Police presence on the underground and even sleepy Belsize Park had two stationed there all day (Kentish Town seemed to have at least 3 or 4).
It was a bomb scare. The Police guarding the area didn't know what was going on except that the area was a no go.
All in all there must have been about 50+ Police, a bomb squad unit and 3 fire engines. The bomb squad had a truck with what looked like a sealed rear section with a periscope coming out the top.
They suddenly announced that the streets had to be cleared and we were locked in the pub, unfortunately no free drinks which was disappointing.
They then proceeded to unroll a large drum of wire and connect it to what looked like a tube on a car jack (a detonator?), but quite quickly rolled it back in and declared the area safe.
Today (Thurs) it seems there was a large Police presence on the underground and even sleepy Belsize Park had two stationed there all day (Kentish Town seemed to have at least 3 or 4).
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Jobs - still looking
Still not found a permanent job. I've been doing some consultancy, but need to find some more. So if anyone is looking for someone in the Internet/telco space do drop me a line.
Fred my cat
Fred sitting/lying on his back which he quite often does. He's cute though.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Religion
Here's my quick rundown on religion.
Basically it all started with the Sumerians, who had a pretty decent knowledge of astronomy etc.
Along came the Egyptians, they had lots of gods, but they had a heretic pharaoh originally called Amenhotep IV but he changed it to Akhenaten (the Aten was the Sun god). He was maried to Nefertiti. They started a religion based on the one god (the Sun). Some of the prayers of this time were very similar to old Jewish prayers.
At some point around this time Egypt went back to its old system of beliefs, either Akhenaten died or fled (or his followers did). He left a son, Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamen).
The Israelites aren't mentioned in Egyptian history until several dynasties later.
So the Moses story could be followers of Akhenaten leaving Egypt (and crossing the red sea could be possible, there are various reefs that though broken now, could have spanned sections of the sea). After Moses came down from the mountains, he came to find people worshipping a golden bull i.e. the old Eqyptian religions.
The Jews went on happily for a while and then came along the Romans ("what did the Romans ever do for us?" ...). Herod was a puppet king installed by the Romans. He was worried about someone being born, why? Well if the newly born boy was decended from the line of King David, he should have rights to the Kingdom of Israel.
So potentially Jesus was really a king. He was definately jewish and probably quite pious, the last supper was "Pass Over" the most religious Jewish festival. It's also likely he was quite wealthy as being able to hold pass over in an Inn would have been difficult (imagine trying to book Xmas lunch - you have to book ages in advance and they generally charge a fortune for the privilige). There's the whole Priory of Sion that goes with this legend too.
Anyway there were lots of factions of Christianity that sprung up and follwed the teachings of Jesus (well maybe anyway, they followed the teachings of his disciples, remember Jesus was a religious Jew), but there were many arguments (and the Catholic Church doesn't particularly like early gospels or ones that don't make Jesus a deity). The Romans didn't much like all this squabbling so they called everyone together and made them agree on the various dates (and them bashed them around a bit to make them fit with the Roman pagan festivals). Jews have Saturday as the sabbath, Christians have Sunday - remember early Christians were likely to be Jewish, so the Romands imposed it because they celebrated the day of the Sun (day of Sun. Sunday). It just so happens a lot of other Christian religious days fall on Roman pagan festivals. The bible wasn't knocked together until quite a while later, after Rome had converted.
Then we have Islam, basically just another split from the original Jesus/Jew to Christian. Happened a bit later but Mohammed could well have been Jesus and went in another direction.
Of course this is just opinion ...
Basically it all started with the Sumerians, who had a pretty decent knowledge of astronomy etc.
Along came the Egyptians, they had lots of gods, but they had a heretic pharaoh originally called Amenhotep IV but he changed it to Akhenaten (the Aten was the Sun god). He was maried to Nefertiti. They started a religion based on the one god (the Sun). Some of the prayers of this time were very similar to old Jewish prayers.
At some point around this time Egypt went back to its old system of beliefs, either Akhenaten died or fled (or his followers did). He left a son, Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamen).
The Israelites aren't mentioned in Egyptian history until several dynasties later.
So the Moses story could be followers of Akhenaten leaving Egypt (and crossing the red sea could be possible, there are various reefs that though broken now, could have spanned sections of the sea). After Moses came down from the mountains, he came to find people worshipping a golden bull i.e. the old Eqyptian religions.
The Jews went on happily for a while and then came along the Romans ("what did the Romans ever do for us?" ...). Herod was a puppet king installed by the Romans. He was worried about someone being born, why? Well if the newly born boy was decended from the line of King David, he should have rights to the Kingdom of Israel.
So potentially Jesus was really a king. He was definately jewish and probably quite pious, the last supper was "Pass Over" the most religious Jewish festival. It's also likely he was quite wealthy as being able to hold pass over in an Inn would have been difficult (imagine trying to book Xmas lunch - you have to book ages in advance and they generally charge a fortune for the privilige). There's the whole Priory of Sion that goes with this legend too.
Anyway there were lots of factions of Christianity that sprung up and follwed the teachings of Jesus (well maybe anyway, they followed the teachings of his disciples, remember Jesus was a religious Jew), but there were many arguments (and the Catholic Church doesn't particularly like early gospels or ones that don't make Jesus a deity). The Romans didn't much like all this squabbling so they called everyone together and made them agree on the various dates (and them bashed them around a bit to make them fit with the Roman pagan festivals). Jews have Saturday as the sabbath, Christians have Sunday - remember early Christians were likely to be Jewish, so the Romands imposed it because they celebrated the day of the Sun (day of Sun. Sunday). It just so happens a lot of other Christian religious days fall on Roman pagan festivals. The bible wasn't knocked together until quite a while later, after Rome had converted.
Then we have Islam, basically just another split from the original Jesus/Jew to Christian. Happened a bit later but Mohammed could well have been Jesus and went in another direction.
Of course this is just opinion ...
