Underage gamers

Underage gaming could be classed as neglect

This week, it was widely reported that head teachers in Cheshire were sending letters out to parents advising them that they would be reported to the authorities if they allow their children to play 18-rated computer games.

Allowing children to play 18 certificate games neglect

Games mentioned included Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty where violence and sexual images gave them the same sort of X-rated warning that adult films carry.

The letter was so stern that parents were warned that they could be reported for neglect in some cases.

Prison sentences for up to five years

The news comes in the same month that Prime Minister David Cameron announced adults in positions of responsibility could be sent to prison for up to five years if they did not report accusations of the abuse or neglect of children.

Mary Hennessy Jones, the head teacher of the school in question, said;

"We are trying to help parents to keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era.

"It is so easy for children to end up in the wrong place and parents find it helpful to have some very clear guidelines."

What do you think? Is over 18 gaming for youngsters just a ‘bit of fun’? Or have some of Britain’s parents become far too lackadaisical when it comes to protecting their children? Is it too little, too late?

We would love to hear your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook @ACEComputerSup or Facebook – we know what we think!

BBC News switches off desktop site and directs users to responsive site

BBC News switches off desktop site, directing traffic to new site

Two weeks ago, we reported on the need for businesses to make their websites responsive. That is if, of course, if they want to keep ahead of the game when it comes to Google.

Responsive website design

The BBC News website has now been officially turned off, with all visitors being redirected to their all-new responsive site.

The new layout will adapt to the device it is being viewed on: PC, mobile or tablet.

Amidst some criticism from visitors about the sparser design of the new site, the BBC said that the change was necessary to reflect the different ways in which people are consuming digital media.

Robin Pembrooke, head of product for the BBC's News and Weather sites, said;

"We now see 65% of our visitors to the website are on mobile or tablet devices,"

"The old site that we had, which is now four-plus years old, was really designed with PCs in mind. Moving to a fully responsive solution which works across mobile, tablets and desktops is the way to go. It means that we can have one solution that is a web solution for all of our users."

"We can now start to introduce new features such as personalisation with the same size of development team.”

BBC News app

The new website follows the BBC News app that was launched earlier this year move to responsive follows the launch of the new app earlier this year

The BBC has been keen to make the changes over time, said BBC News website editor Steve Herrmann, after their previous relaunch issues;

"The last relaunch was very much a big bang, all in one go.

"At the time we didn't give people a way of previewing or getting a sense of what it was going to be like. With this, first of all, the new site itself is actually the mobile site that we've had for some time.

"We created a promotional banner to bring it to people's attention on desktop to say have a look - with the aim of inviting people to see what we were working on.

"For me that's a critical difference."

We can help your business make the most of its website, including how to ensure that your own site is responsive – call 01902 375304 or info@acecomputersupport.co.uk today for more information.

BBC and partners launch 'Make it Digital' campaign and Micro Bit hardware launch to tackle lack of UK tech talent

Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC, has announced that along with 50 organisations including Microsoft, BT, ARM, Google, Samsung and Tech City, a national IT literacy campaign called "Make it Digital" will be launched to help job creation within the IT industry.

With help from the Micro Bit, a new micro-computer, the scheme is hoping to be a platform to "bring the wonders of technology" to its audience via a series of content and events that are scheduled to run throughout 2015.

Hall said;

"More than anything else, this is about working with others and we know that working with each other we can create something magical."

Hall went on to say that the scheme will include a range of BBC established brands, like Doctor Who, Radio 1, EastEnders, and Children in Need to promote IT skills. He hopes that it will "give up to 5,000 young people a life-changing opportunity" to find employment within the digital economy.

The Micro Bit - a chip about half the size of the Raspberry Pi - will be given out to one million children later this year.

Microsoft is also planning on giving away a million Micro Bits to students.

Michel van der Bel, Microsoft UK MD, said;

"Children can code on the computer, then download it to this device, then show a result out of it.

"It will be a device you can wear, it will say ‘Hey this is me, today I don't want to be bothered', or ‘Life is great' - all kinds of things. It will also play in the social field of sharing things with each other."

What do you think about this scheme – is it going one step too far or taking the next generation to where they need to be when it comes to future IT skills? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook – we would love to hear from you!

Why the clock is ticking to make your website Google friendly

Why the clock is ticking to make
your website Google friendly 

Many businesses rely on their Google ranking for enquiries to power their business – as many companies found out not too long ago, if Google change the algorithm and they aren’t prepared for it, well, their website can pretty much drop off the face of the search engines.

And that’s not good.

This is why you need to know that on April 21st, Google will be changing the way that they rank websites for search results.
The new search algorithm will be focusing on mobile friendly factors & indexing apps; in other words, your website will need to look good on other devices – including smartphones - as well as traditional laptops and PCs.

Websites that are mobile friendly will also rank better in Google searches

Google have announced that the new change will have a “significant impact” in the mobile search results across the world. This news follows on from its mobile ranking demotion algorithm that was put in place back in 2013.

So, if your website isn’t already optimised, there is still time – or, if you are looking to build a new website, it has never been so important to make sure that your investment ticks all the important boxes.

To check yourself, you can use Google’s mobile usability reports, the mobile friendly testing tool and Google’s mobile guidelines. Alternatively, contact us to find out how we can help make sure that your website continues to be effective, or look at alternative rebuild or new-website build options that may be available to your company.

We can also consult and advise how to make the most of website content and social media – call 01902 375304 or info@acecomputersupport.co.uk today for more information.

BlackBerry unveils the Leap - a phone that SMEs can’t ignore

We are a computer company: we specialise in computers, laptops and websites. When it comes to smartphones, of course, this is another area altogether – isn’t it?

When it comes to social media, smartphones are where it’s at. They are on-the-go, often 24/7 and iPhone seems to have long overtaken its original 'yuppie' competitor, the Blackberry, as far as corporate customers go.

But Blackberry is fighting back with a phone directly aimed at the corporate market: the Blackberry Leap.

The Leap is a five-inch all-touch smartphone, which apparently offers 25 hours of extensive usage from its mega 2,800mAh battery.

Other features include a whopping 16 gigabytes GB of storage, a five-inch high-definition display and an eight mega-pixel rear camera.

Price point-wise, it’s jolly good value too; it should retail in the UK at around £200. This will make it cheaper than the latest iPhones and also the high-end £750+ Galaxy S6 Edge, which was unveiled by Samsung recently at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Why SMEs need to take smartphone technology seriously

Today it’s all about responsive websites and social media. People and businesses work hard - around the clock in many cases – to service the needs of their customers.

Google are keen that websites can be viewed clearly on tablet and smartphone devices and social media links and community building has never been so important if your company wants to stay ahead of its game.

This is where we can help – if you are looking for a website and package to drive your business forward, you really can’t ignore the future that is already here.

Call ACE Computer Support today for an initial consultation on 01902 375304 or click here to enquire via the website.