Computer Shopper - July 2017

1
Operating
1
AGA
BOOTING UP
system
quality
Microsoft has fi nally stopped supporting
the much-maligned Windows Vista OS,
10 years after its release.
2Clean pavements
The Watchdog 1 drone locates dog
poo and then alerts the Patroldog 1
robot, which rolls in to clean up.
3 PowerPoint
Celebrating its 30th birthday.
Expect reams of meta-presentations
on the occasion.
4Russian linguists
MI5 is seeking Russian speakers to
help protect the UK from hackers.
cookers
Complicated, toast-burning,
talking points, Aga ovens can be hacked.
So you can forget any plans you had for
perfect eggs.
Samsung reveals green Galaxy Note 7
recycling plans
SOUTH KOREAN HARDWARE
fi rm Samsung has come to
agreeable terms with the
environmental group
Greenpeace over the massive
Galaxy Note 7 product recall.
Greenpeace said that the
Samsung reaction followed
strong public concern, and
showed there was a clear
interest in the need to properly
dispose of electronics.
“People around the world
signed petitions, emailed
Samsung’s CEO, demonstrated
in cities around the world, and
fi nally Samsung has listened.
This is a major win for everyone
that took action, and a step
towards shifting the way we
produce and dispose of
electronics,” said Jude Lee,
global senior campaigner at
Greenpeace East Asia.
Samsung has made a number of
promises about tackling the kindling-like
Note 7, and has recalled the whole lot of
them for real safety reasons. It promised to
recycle any units that can be recycled, and
will strip down the rest for any usable parts
and electronics.
Once the handset maker has
stripped the hardware for all the
parts it wants, it will throw them
open to any interested parties.
“Regarding the Galaxy Note 7
devices as refurbished phones or
rental phones, applicability is
dependent upon consultations
with regulatory authorities and
carriers as well as due
consideration of local demand.
The markets and release dates
will be determined accordingly,”
explained the fi rm.
“For remaining Galaxy Note 7
devices, components such as
semiconductors and camera
modules shall be detached by
companies specialising in such
services and used for test
sample production
purposes. Finally, for
left over component
recycling, Samsung shall
fi rst extract precious
metals, such as copper,
nickel, gold and silver by
utilising eco-friendly companies
specialising in such processes.”
Just as long as they aren’t stored near any
petrol or matches, this should all go fi ne.
Get packing: Vodafone kills roaming
charges in 40 locations
2Travelling laptops
Good luck moving hardware
through the air because of politics.
3Watching a movie
with a millennial
There is a 50% chance that it’s a pirate
copy, according to a recent study.
4 Imagination
Technologies
People are putting the fi rm down
following a failed Apple licensing deal.
Shares fell like rotten apples.
CRASHING
GET OUT the beach towels and the suntan
lotion once again, British people – roaming is
very much back on the travel itinerary.
Service provider Vodafone has got up early
and rushed out to put roaming towels on
sunbeds in 40 locations, providing
holidaymakers and travellers overseas with
no roaming charges, but exactly the same
terms that they enjoy at home.
The 40 locations include a number of
popular European holiday destinations.
including Greece, Spain and Turkey.
“Customers have told us they want us
and the rest of the industry to change.
They want life to be simpler and for us
to remove the things that make life
stressful so they can live their lives,
uninterrupted by these concerns,” said
Nick Jeff ery, Vodafone UK CEO.
“Our new programme will do that over
the next few years and will prove our
commitment to letting our customers
talk, text or stream for a great price,
wherever in the world they may be.”
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at the
price comparison site uSwitch.com,
congratulated Vodafone on its timing.
“With EU roaming charges due to be
abolished for UK customers as of 15th June
and with uncertainty over what Brexit will
mean for roaming charges in the longer term,
Vodafone is fi ring the starting gun ahead of
time, keen to steal a march on its rivals and
put its current customers at ease,” he said.
However, the perk is only offered to new
customers or those upgrading an existing paymonthly
contract, so not all users will benefi t.
16 JULY 2017 | COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 353