The UK's leading internet service providers (ISPs) have rejected calls to provide free connections as the country deals wit the coronavirus outbreak.
ISPs have been under pressure to help out those in need by cutting the cost of vital internet connections, or offering more speed and bandwidth to those in need.
However this could also affect internet speeds around the country, as millions more connections come online to put pressure of the UK's already creaky infrastructure.
It had been suggested that providng free broadband could help those hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak, such as the over-70s, who could use video calls to communicate with their families.
Teachers have also claimed that free connections would help deal with the shutdown affecting the UK's schools and universities.
However Internet Service Providers' Association (Ispa), the trade body monitoring the UK's internet, said it was in "very early" talks with the government to help customers who become unable to continue paying their bills.
"Things are naturally developing extremely quickly at the moment, and Ispa plans to seek further guidance from government on these issues so that customers can remain connected to the internet during these unprecedented times," an Ispa spokesman noted.
Free basic broadband was part of the Labour Party manifesto at the last UK general election, however the victorious Conservatives instead opted to pledge funds towards improving the nation's fibre networks.
BT does provide a basic-level broadband service, the suitably named BT Basic and Broadband, which is only available to some people claiming a certain type of benefits. However this is limited to just 15GB of data a month, far below the typical usage amount of many Britons today.
O2 has denied reports it has been asked to hand over location data of its users to the government.
Sky News had claimed that the operator was being ordered to hand over anonymous tracking data in order to check if people were following guidance surrounding social distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak.
However O2 has said this is not the case, with a spokesman for the company said the claims were, "not true and not representative of how all phone networks are being asked to help the government".
The spokesperson told the Metro that although O2 was in constant communication with the government, nothing had been put in place yet.
They added that O2 has the ability to provide location data across its network, but this would only relate to broad mass movements, not individual users.
"We are fully engaged in helping in the fight against COVID-19," the spokesperson added.
"Besides zero rating access to NHS and other support websites, we were asked along with other mobile operators to support those who are working tirelessly to map and control the spread of coronavirus in the UK."
"Using our mobile technology, we have the potential to build models that help to predict broadly how the virus might move. This would in no way be able to identify or map individuals, and operates within strict privacy guidelines."
People in the UK have been told to avoid non-essential travel and social contact unless they have to, however the country is yet to implement full lockdowns as seen in other nations such as Italy and France.
With many of us now expected to be working from home for the foreseeable future, the need for the right equipment to make sure you're productive and happy is higher than ever.
It's not just a case of making sure you have the right laptop or smartphone to stay in contact with your bosses, co-workers, family and friends (although this is still important) but also the multitude of other items and services that will make working from home a breeze.
If this all seems a bit overwhelming, and you don't know where to start, never fear - here's our guide to everything you need to know about the tech needed to be working from home.
Best office setup for working from home
It may sound obvious, but having the right office set-up can make all the difference to your working from home productivity - and this can start with your chair and desk.
Making sure you're comfortable whilst your work isn't just a good idea for your fitness and general well-being, but will also make it less of a chore to sign in every morning - and help you stave off the temptation to slope off to the sofa after lunchtime.
We've rounded up our choice of the best office chairs in our guide, focusing on ergonomic desk chairs that should ensure you don't end up with cramps or strains.
For those whose wallets are cowering at the price of some of the more expensive ergonomic chairs out there, IKEA’s Markus is doubtless a welcome spot of fiscal relief.
Unsurprisingly, you don’t get much in the way of fancy adjustments, but this is a sturdy chair which is well liked by many people, and offers a comfortable upright sitting position, with a long back and integrated headrest. The back is made of a mesh material to let the air through and provide better breathability.
There are some adjustments available to the user: you can adjust the seat for height, tilt, and the back can be locked in place, or it can be reclined. Other than that, this is a fairly basic chair, but well-made for the money – it costs a fraction of some of the higher-end seating options.
An unexpected bonus in this price bracket (around the £150 mark – that’s about $190) is that the Markus comes with an impressive 10-year guarantee.
If you're feeling particularly active, and missing those lunchtime gym sessions, there's also the option of a standing desk, which can help bring a bit of variation into your new home office set-up.
So if you're hunting for something different - we've selected the best standing desk options around.
If you're working from home and don't want to spend a huge amount of money on a standing desk, then check out the FlexiSpot ClassicRiser. This is a manually adjustable model, which is obviously where a lot of the cost-savings come into play, but it’s still a nifty solution nonetheless, despite being considerably cheaper.
The ClassicRiser is easy enough to operate when raising or lowering the platform, which is achieved with a light squeeze on a lever at the side, and like the Uplift, it has a wide keyboard tray below the main platform (although this is removable).
You can select from different-sized platforms from the smallest 27-inch (M1) offering up to 47-inches (M3), with a range of various options available including monitor arms, anti-fatigue mats, and indeed an under-desk exercise bike. The M1 model is unsurprisingly the cheapest, but it doesn’t cost much more to ramp up the size to an M3.
Best working from home accessories
Now you've got your desk set up, and your work-provided laptop or tablet all connected, it's time to make the working from home experience a bit more tech-friendly.
If you're one of the lucky few who enjoys a multiple-monitor set-up in the office, you may be feeling a little short-changed in home working from home has minimised your screen options.
Luckily, adding an extra monitor is easier than ever these days, particularly if you have a docking station alongside your work laptop. Most external monitors can now be connected via HDMI, USB-C or DP ports, so if you're looking for an extra bit of screen space, check out our list of the best business monitors.
Again, if you've just started working from home, then you don't want to spend loads of money on a monitor. Instead, you'll want something that's affordable, yet allows you to work comfortably from home.
That's why we think the BenQ GW2270H is the best monitor for working from home. It offers the most affordable full HD monitor with an HDMI connector, and it's small and stylish that means it'll fit nicely into your home.
It has some standout features as well, to ensure you're comfortable while working from home ; one that reduces flicker (PWM technology) and a low blue light mode which may help with headaches and sleeping disorders. The stand design gives it a more expensive feel and its three ports (including two HDMI ones) are worthy of a mention, as is the two-year warranty and the VESA wall mounting option.
Many of us will not just have a work laptop or phone, but also a number of accessories such as external keyboards and mice, as part of our usual set-up.
If you forgot to bring these home with you, don't fret - we have you covered. If you're looking for an external keyboard to give you a bit more flexibility, our best keyboards guide is here for you.
With its latest keyboard, Logitech is targeting smartphone and tablet owners who prefer to use their device while sat at a desk. And, if you were a fan of the predecessor, the K380, the Logitech K780 should be right up your alley, especially with its added number pad.
This keyboard still has the ability to pair with three devices using Bluetooth or wireless, so you can swap between all your gadgets on the fly. And, thanks to its comfortable rounded keycaps, it’s still a pleasure to type on. The keyboard’s base is the star of the show, however, as it can hold mobile devices up to 11.3mm thick in an upright position. This places them within arms’ reach to make anything from replying to WhatsApp messages or reading a digital magazine easier than ever.
If you left your trusty mouse in the office and are feeling a little disconnected, don't worry, as a new desk buddy can be yours with our best mouse guide.
While it seems like all of our peripherals are either being fitted with unnecessary lighting or morphed into odd shapes, there are still some mice out there that you can take seriously from looks alone.
The Microsoft Classic Intellimouse, for example, touts a classic design and appealing white lighting, and it is a breath of fresh air. It also beefs up the sensor, allowing users to ramp up the DPI to 3,200. It’s not wireless, and it’s hardly made for gaming, but if you’re in the market for a mouse that’ll help you get all your work done when working from home, the Microsoft Classic Intellimouse will be the best mouse for you.
Meanwhile, if your home office is a bit too far away from your home router, you might benefit from a Wi-Fi extender, which can boost the signal across the rest of your house. We've selected the options of the best Wi-Fi extenders here.
Over the last couple years, Netgear has essentially turned itself into a household name in the networking world. And, they’ve put their extensive expertise to impressive use with their AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6150.
This terrific extender is a simple device that you can discreetly plug right into any electrical outlet, and definitely has our vote for one of the best Wi-Fi extenders. As an additional bonus, the EX6150 boasts quick and easy installation, free of any hassling installation software. Just follow the easy-to-read instructions and you’ll have fast and dependable Wi-Fi covering your entire home or office.
Best software for working from home
Once your new hardware is all sorted, now it's time to make sure that you have all the right software and services to make working from home a breeze.
Many of you will have already been set up with online office suites, collaboration tools, videoconferencing software and the like, but for anyone working from home for the first time, you may be missing some crucial options - so here's our guide to the software you can't be without.
Best videoconferencing tools
With employees around the world all now working from home, staying in touch is paramount to ensure all the usual company work gets done effectively and on time. With face-to-face meetings off the table, videoconferencing is now the best bet to help you all stay up to speed.
There are a number of popular tools out there today - and many of us will have used the likes of Zoom, Skype for Business or Google Meet already. But new measures may call for new tactics, so if you need a run-down of the best videoconferencing software out there today.
Best online collaboration tools
It isn't just meetings that need rescheduling - everyday messaging and contact also needs a working from home makeover. Now we can't just walk over to somebody's desk to get an update or have a chat, the need for real-time collaboration tools is key.
The likes of Slack and Asana are already popular choices, but if you want more options, check out our guide to the best online collaboration tools around.
Best project management software
Lastly, keeping track of all your projects is again trickier without face-to-face interaction, but luckily there are a raft of options available to help ameliorate this. Our best project management software guide has all the tools and services you need to keep your team up to speed with progress.
Online daters could be giving away more than they expected after a popular dating site was found to be leaking user information.
OKCupid, which has around five million active members, was leaking user information online without its knowledge, according to researchers at CyberNews.
The team found that it was possible to retrieve the last location ID of any OKCupid user, allowing anyone to possible determine where a user was logging in to the site, potentially giving away their home or work address.
The CyberNews team was able to access this location data by intercepting network requests and responses between the OKCupid app and the company's servers using MITM (Man in The Middle) Proxy processes.
Getting access to these server responses allowed the researchers to access the last known location IDs of a user. This information is updated every time a user logs in to the OKCupid app, with their online status displayed in the app itself.
By carrying out such a process multiple times, the team was able to triangulate findings to precisely determine the victim's location to within a 10 to 20 metre radius.
CyberNews says it shared its findings with OKCupid back in January, but there's no update as yet if the company has fixed the exact flaws it mentioned. Further research by CyberNews appeared to show that location ID tracking had been removed, but if so, it's not known how long the flaw was online for, and how many of the millions of OKCupid users were put at risk.
As part of its research, centred around International Women's Day this weekend, CyberNews also found that 88% of women have ‘been harassed’ whilst using a dating app, and over 7 in 10 women fear being stalked by someone they’re talking to online.
Keep yourself safe from online snooping with the best VPN service of 2020
Staying safe online could be about to get easier thanks to HTC and its new privacy-focused router.
The company has tdoay unveiled the HTC Exodus 5G Hub, which it says is the world's most secure router, offering "ultra-secure" 5G connectivity for any internet-enabled device.
The Exodus 5G features a raft of priavcy-related features, chief of which allows the user to own their own keys via Zion, meaning any data transfer has to be user-authenticated, keeping personal data protected from snoopers.
As well as allowing faster internet connections, the HTC Exodus 5G Hub also includes support for a number of popular privacy apps, including the ProtonMail secure email platform, the open-source Brave internet browser and VPN and ad-blocker service Incognito.
The launch follows HTC's Exodus crypto-smartphone line, first revealed at Mobile World Congress 2019 and supplemented by the release of the Exodus 1S device in November 2019.
In keeping with the cryptocurrency theme, the Exodus 5G Hub allows users the ability to run a full Bitcoin node, along with an all-in-one private vault to keep track of your cryptocurrencies. Users can also track market performance via the hub's display, which can be tweaked to show up-to-date pricing information.
“Exodus was always about more than smartphones: Exodus is about ownership," said Phil Chen, Decentralized Chief Officer of HTC.
"Exodus is the shield against the onslaught of big tech and its assault on the privacy of your home. By using the Exodus 5G Hub, you have more control and ownership of your data than ever before.”
The Exodus 5G Hub is set to go on sale in Q2 2020, but there's no news on price or which markets will get the device just yet.
Intel has unveiled its second generation of Xeon processors as it looks to cement its leadership in the data centre space.
Offering more cores, increased cache size and boosted processor frequency, the 2nd-gen Intel Xeon scalable chips are the company's fastest and most effective data centre and server hardware to date.
Intel says that the new chips are able to deliver significant advances in terms of pure performance and performance per dollar. The company notes that the new 2nd-Gen Intel Xeon Gold processors deliver an average of 36 percent more performance and 1.42x better performance-per-dollar compared to the 1st-Gen Intel Xeon Gold processors.
The new releases include the Intel Xeon Gold 6256 and 6250, two new chips that boast the industry’s highest server processor frequency, delivering a base and turbo frequency up to 3.9 GHz and 4.5 GHz, respectively.
Intel says that such high-frequency processors are ideal for high-scale workloads that regularly refresh, such as financial trading, simulation & modeling, HPC and databases.
The company says that more mainstream use cases will also be able to benefit from its new releases, with a range of scalable, value-driven offerings that can also power edge, networking and IoT usage.
“Intel’s data centric platforms offer the broadest market coverage of any server processor platform – from cloud, through the network, to the intelligent edge,” said Lisa Spelman, corporate vice president and general manager of the Xeon and Memory Group within Intel’s Data Platforms Group.
“Working closely with our customers, we are delivering these new server processors to address their performance and pricing needs across a broad range of markets and workloads.”
The new chips are available now, with Intel says that a wide range of systems will be available through OEMS and ODMs over the coming weeks.
The UK will soon be able to predict weather and spot indications of climate change more accurately thanks to a billion-pound new supercomputer
The £1.2 billion platform is expected to be the world's most advanced weather and climate prediction platform, and will be funded entirely by the UK government.
It will be managed by the Met Office, with data also being used to predict changes to the global climate, and influence Government environmental policies in kind.
The as-yet-unnamed Cray supercomputer will be used to help more accurately predict storms, with predictions taking place every hour instead of every three hours.
It can also provide more sophisticated rainfall predictions, helping the Environment Agency select the best location for flood defences, which can then be rapidly rolled out.
The platform will benefit a number of wider industries, with airports able to access better forecasting to plan for potential disruption, and more detailed information being made available for the energy sector to help mitigate against potential energy blackouts and surges.
“This investment will ultimately provide earlier more accurate warning of severe weather, the information needed to build a more resilient world in a changing climate and help support the transition to a low carbon economy across the UK," said Professor Penny Endersby, Met Office Chief Executive.
“It will help the UK to continue to lead the field in weather and climate science and services, working collaboratively to ensure that the benefits of our work help government, the public and industry make better decisions to stay safe and thrive."
The funding will support a ten-year project starting in 2022 to replace the Met Office's supercomputing capabilities. The first phase of the rollout is expected to increase computing capacity by six-fold alone, with at least a further three times increase in supercomputing capacity set to arrive over the latter half of the project.
Criminals are exploiting fears over the growing threat of coronavirus to trick users around the world with new online scams, experts have warned.
Research from security firm Proofpoint has found that email attacks using coronavirus as a hook are expanding in number and reach, with victims having personal and financial information stolen.
Some attacks are even spoofing official World Health Organisation (WHO) advice emails in order to make their scams appear more legitimate, with others claiming there is a worldwide conspiracy to hide the cure.
Proofpoint's investigation found a number of distinct scams targeting users worried about the spread of coronavirus, along with attacks specifically targeting certain industries, with dedicated attacks against construction, education, energy, healthcare, industry, manufacturing, retail, and transportation companies.
In one attack, company employees were sent fake internal emails purporting to be from their firm’s president giving advice on what to do if affected by coronavirus - but in reality they are having their personal details stolen.
Another campaign claims there is a global conspiracy to cover up a cure for coronavirus, with victims told to click a link to find out the cure - but again, their personal details would be stolen through phishing sites.
A final campaign (pictured above) uses the logo of the WHO to spoof official advice emails, which trick users into downloading keylogging malware (AgentTesla) which can then record all keys pressed by the victim, potentially giving hackers access to online banking accounts.
The majority of attacks are being detected against Japan and the United States, although Proofpoint also saw large-scale incidents in Australia and Italy.
The company says it will continue to monitor the latest threats and issue advice where possible, with users reminded to, "be watchful and exercise caution where Coronavirus-themed emails and websites are concerned."
McLaren Racing has announced two major new technology partners as the team gears up for the new season.
With the start of the 2020 Formula 1 campaign just weeks away, McLaren has revealed a tie-up with big data experts Splunk to boost its research and development through the power of big data.
The Woking-based team has also announced that it has signed up security firm Darktrace to be its official AI cybersecurity partner, helping protect the business from cyberattacks of all sizes.
As the official cybersecurity partner, Darktrace’s cyber artificial intelligence will be used across the whole McLaren Group, including its IndyCar and road manufacturing arms.
The team says that Darktrace technology will give McLaren complete visibility across its entire digital infrastructure – from IoT sensors on each F1 car to the cloud-based software that fuels operations – and identify threats as soon as they emerge.
“We are excited to be partnering with McLaren, a company with innovation at its core,” commented Poppy Gustafsson, CEO, Darktrace.
“Cyber-attacks that seek to cause disruption to global events, as well as attacks that subtly steal coveted IP, are on the rise. We are proud that our technology is being trusted to automatically protect the McLaren team, enabling them to race to the finish line in the knowledge that their systems are secured by world-leading Cyber AI.”
Splunk will become one of McLaren's official technology partners, bringing its Data-to-Everything Platform to both McLaren Racing and the McLaren Group as a whole.
Splunk systems will now look to to capture data across the McLaren Group infrastructure, network and server environment and from across the McLaren Racing function, including from the team’s Formula 1 cars, helping the team to accelerate development.
“From the production line to the race track, Splunk will help McLaren drive meaningful business outcomes by connecting all of their data at ferocious speed and at immense scale. Performance is critical in the racing world, and it is no different in the world of data, which makes this partnership a great fit,” said Doug Merritt, President and CEO, Splunk.
As the Six Nations 2020 gears up to kick off in Paris this weekend, millions of fans across the world will be tuning in to cheer on their country.
But this year's tournament will also feature a more in-depth way for fans to interact with the game than ever before thanks to the Six Nations' partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The computing giant is set to expand the statistics and insights it provides to viewers everywhere, but also to broadcasters and even coaches as they push to get that extra edge over their rivals.
“The Six Nations is another one of those kind of customers that want to use the technology that we offer to provide better insights," Steve Ryan, AWS Senior Technical Evangelist told TechRadar Pro at the official Six Nations 2020 launch in London recently.
This is the second year of the partnership between AWS and the Six Nations, with the initial seven insights being expanded to twelve for the 2020 tournament.
The new statistics include the likes of heat maps to show where on the pitch the action is taking place, metrics on rucking efficiency, numbers concerning balls won, impactful tackles, and crucial line breaks.
"The great thing about this is that it puts more stats and insight into the hands of a broad spectrum of fans," Ryan says, “I think we should see a significant improvement through technology for the fan experience."
AWS has gained plaudits for its work with Formula 1 and the NFL, giving viewers extra insight into what can be some of the trickest parts of the sport to understand, even for long-standing fans.
The data itself is gathering by a seperate company, StatsPerform, which gathers the information in real-time through a custom platform built on AWS EC2, with the data then put into a data lake hosted on Amazon S3.
AWS tools including Elastic MapReduce and SageMaker are then used to harness machine learning and analytics to get detailed insight into that data, creating analytics that can then be shared in real time for live broadcast to viewers in over 170 countries to enjoy.
For example, to power the new Kick Predictor statistics tool, the AWS Machine Learning Solutions Lab team worked with StatsPerform to analyse a wealth of historic data to train a machine learning using AWS SageMaker to predict if a conversion or penalty kick will be successful.
Cybercriminals are taking advantage of global fears surrounding the deadly coronvavirus by sending out malware-laden emails supposedly offering guidance.
Multiple email campaigns have been detected by security firms monitoring for the latest threats, all of which use coronavirus as a hook to try and get victims to open infected messages.
There have been nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide, the majority of which have been in China where there have at least 170 deaths.
The first major malware campaign was detected by IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence, and targets victims with coronavirus infection reports in various Japanese prefectures including the major population centres of Gifu, Osaka, and Tottori.
The emails are disguised as official notifications from public health centers, and come with attachments that promise to provide more details on preventative measures against coronavirus infections.
However these attachments, disguised as Microsoft Word documents, in fact contain malicious payloads linked to the infamous Emotet malware family which could harvest user credentials, browser history, and sensitive documents.
Elsewhere, security experts at Kaspersky have discovered malicious files disguised as documents related to coronavirus.
The malicious files were disguised as pdf, mp4, docx files, with names that implied they contained video instructions on how to protect yourself from the virus, updates on the threat and even virus detection procedures.
However the files actually contained a range of threats, including Trojans and worms that are capable of destroying, blocking, modifying or copying data, as well as interfering with the operation of computers or computer networks.
“The coronavirus, which is being widely discussed as a major news story, has already been used as bait by cybercriminals. So far, we have seen only 10 unique files, but as this sort of activity often happens with popular media topics then we expect that this tendency may grow. As people continue to be worried for their health, we may see more and more malware hidden inside fake documents about the coronavirus being spread,” comments Anton Ivanov, Kaspersky malware analyst.
With the UK’s schools increasingly embracing technology in all areas of learning, the need for reliable, hard-wearing and up-to-date hardware and software is paramount.
But with many schools constantly battling shrinking budgets and regulatory concerns, many need to ensure they are getting the most from their technology.
At this year’s BETT 2020 event in London, Dell was once again keen to show it can be a vital partner for schools and other educational institutions of all sizes, offering a range of products and services tailored to the education sector.
“We’re heavily invested in education - both from a higher education perspective and equally from a student’s perspective,” Brian Horsburgh, Dell’s UK Director for the Public Sector told TechRadar Pro at BETT 2020.
With over 30 years experience in the education sector, Dell can call not just on a huge amount of expertise, but also long-running partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, Google and Intel to ensure it gets the latest technology included in its offerings.
“We’re building products that are designed for schools, and we’re listening to the feedback from teachers that we’ve got,” Horsburgh says, highlighting products ranging from ruggedised laptops to 86-inch touchscreen monitors designed for classroom collaboration.
Dell is also fairly unique in the technology industry by being able to build the entire end-to-end infrastructure, with its family of associated businesses such as EMC and Secureworks meaning it can approach customers with the whole suite of services.
When examining how digital technology can enrich the learning experience, this means that Dell can not only offer its latest laptops, but also a suite of software services such as security tools, and the cloud infrastructure to host and support all this.
As Horsburgh says, “we’re talking about the whole journey”, noting that Dell also offering a “pay as you grow” PC-as-a-service model that will let schools scale up or down as they expand.
And despite the myriad of hurdles linked to working in what is often a challenging industry, Dell is optimistic when looking to the future of its education business.
“The next generation - of students and teachers - will ultimately probably have the same demands as everyone else,” Horsburgh says. “If the technology isn’t working for them, they won’t utilise it.”
“People are impatient, so if the technology isn’t up and running, they go back to the old ways of doing it,” he adds.
“We want to make sure that when they have the devices and the technology in their hands, regardless of what generation they’re in - they need to be able to use it with the applications...simply, it needs to be there for them.”
The education sector has benefitted hugely from the advent of smart, connected technology in classrooms over the past few years. Thanks to recent advances in both software and hardware, students are able to enjoy more immersive learning experiences in a range of subjects, and teachers are able to prepare and evaluate the work being done more effectively than ever.
But all this technology needs to be chosen carefully in order to ensure it really does benefits both staff and students, and with school budgets often tightly monitored, making the right decisions can be crucial.
With its decades of expertise across the software industry, and an increasingly high profile in the computing hardware space, Microsoft feels it has a key role to play in forming the tech-friendly classroom of tomorrow.
“Education is incredibly important to Microsoft,” Chris Rothwell, Microsoft UK Director of Education told TechRadar Pro at the recent BETT 2020 event in London.
“We do want to put more focus on how technology can help solve some of the challenges in education, and make sure that we continue to build capability that allows us to take advantage of their technology innovations.”
“There is more of an across the board focus on how we help teachers get ahead, get comfortable with the technology and what it can do and and how it can help them work and teach more effectively.”
Rothwell notes that despite technology becoming a more common site in learning establishments at all levels, there are still a large number of challenges to overcome in order to make sure students get the most out of these latest tools.
“I feel like the appetite and interest in how technology helps solve some of these problems in education has evolved,” he notes.
“The conversations have moved from let's just throw technology at the problem, you just need devices and then you're fine...what we're starting to see with customers is a slightly more pragmatic conversation that I'm pretty sure that technology can play a part in helping address some of the challenges that we see. How do we now do that?”
“Yes, it's about teaching and learning, but it's also about how staff work, and it's about how you run an organisation. I would say probably, education is still catching up on thinking about the role that technology plays in helping staff work and actually organisations run.”
At BETT 2020, Microsoft showed off a wealth of technology solutions that it says can help schools achieve more than they ever dreamed. This ranged from the free-to-use Office 365 for Education software platform to affordable laptops costing from just £175, targeted at those schools who are keeping a tight eye on their budget.
“There's no shortage of people that deeply care about trying to get education right,” Rothwell notes. “And yet, it's such a nuanced and interdependent kind of sector that really depends on where you are, who you are - and so picking and choosing the right solutions is really important.”
Microsoft recently revealed its “Staff of 2030” report, which examined just what the teachers of the future will require in terms of technological needs, especially as millennials and Generation Z are soon set to make up a significant proportion of the teaching workforce.
The study found that the largest benefits of education technology were seen as allowing more engaging learning experiences, but also some concerns surrounding the use of technology in the classroom, with respondents saying they feared it could lead to a loss of traditional skills and knowledge.
Getting the right technology embedded into the learning process will be vital to educating the students of tomorrow, and looking forward, Rothwell is under no doubt that Microsoft will need to adapt as the needs of schools change in the coming years.
“If you think about the pace of change in technology, I think this is going to be something that we're always going to need to keep an eye on how we keep up,” he notes.
“The world is increasingly digital, and therefore people have to be able to think about and deploy and use digital technology in a way that actually helps them get stuff done... so how do we build digital skills capability alongside the things that people are going to need, like creativity and computational resilience?”
“We want to think about how we help customers and teachers individually prepare for that world.”
Rural homes across the UK could be set to enjoy a connectivity boost thanks to a new partnership between Linksys and Gigaclear.
The rural broadband provider has announced a tie-up with the router firmts to offer an in-home Smart WiFi "mesh home" system that should allow customers to enjoy faster speeds and more reliable connectivity.
Gigaclear says that the new platform will overcome many of the unique challenges that appear when connecting rural properties, including metal, mirrors, concrete, impenetrable stone walls, large rooms and unusual property layouts.
Its network essentially casts a ‘WiFi bubble’ over an area, giving users the chance to get online and work from home, stream TV or movies, or just catch up with friends, family and co-workers.
The network, based on Linksys Velop routers, can be extended throughout the home by adding a series of interconnected nodes to expand WiFi coverage, as opposed to traditional boosters, which simply relay the signal.
“We focus on building to rural areas, which means our customers often suffer from poor WiFi performance due to the stone construction or size of their properties," said James Lowther, Chief Marketing Officer at Gigaclear.
“Linksys have significant know-how in this space and have proven to be the right partner for us, as they understand how to maximise a user’s WiFi experience. We are delighted to be working alongside them to provide our customers with not only the best broadband speeds in the UK, but the best Wi-Fi experience available.”
“The foundation of a smart home is robust, future-proofed connectivity," said Stephanie Willems, VP Europe at Linksys’ parent company, Belkin International.
"The combination of Gigaclear and Linksys will bring best-in-class connectivity to areas that need it most. We built our products so that people can have strong WiFi signal strength no matter the location within the home.”
Digital skills for children and students will be getting a much-needed boost thanks to a new nationwide learning initiative from HP.
The computing giant has unveiled the HP Digital Skills Community Bus at BETT 2020, with the bright-blue double-decker hoping to inspire students across the country to learn STEAM skills by bringing the technology directly to their schools.
Kitted out with a range of the latest education technology, and backed by the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Google and Intel, HP hopes that the bus will help inspire the next generation to pursue a career in a STEAM field.
HP is packing the bus with its own technology, plus that of its partners, with the company providing a Virtual Reality experience area powered by its VR-ready range of Z-PCs and Mixed Reality headsets, as well as its own education edition PCs, all equipped with software such as introductory coding classes.
There’s also an Adobe-powered Design Lab delivering Creative Cloud workshops, building content creation skills such as filming and editing. All bus experiences will be designed with collaboration in mind, including the ability for students to write notes and draw on the windows and walls, to encourage the sharing of ideas.
The bus marks the launch of the latest pillar in the company’s HP for Education program, which has seen it invest over £8 million in schools so far. The program also includes an initiative which allows organisations to trade-in their old desktops, laptops and tablets from any vendor to receive a cash reward of up to £100, or a credit reward of up to £150. This can then be put towards hardware, software, consultancy, e-learning or buy training courses via third party providers.
“This is a great example of how the tech industry can work innovatively to reach schools and make a real impact on how digital skills are being taught,” commented Neil Sawyer, Channel and Education Director, HP.
“The HP Digital Skills Community Bus will bring market leading ed-tech to the people that need it most – showing educators how the latest devices and programs can enhance STEAM learning, while providing an experience for students that is fun, productive and inspirational.”
“The HP Digital Skills Community Bus shows how leading tech firms can support the Government’s continued drive to enhance the way digital skills are taught – a process which will equip today’s students, and the UK’s workforce of tomorrow, with the education they need to thrive,” added Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart MP, who cut the ribbon on the bus at BETT.
