I.T. Independence Day!, Wind down and skill up! At our monthly FIRSTY THURSDAY events held on the 1st Thursday of each month. *** INDEPENDENCE DAY THEME! ******************************************************************************* Help Stratus Save the world by battling off the Aliens - wear something SciFi to show your support! Thirsty for knowledge, thirsty for business, thirsty for friendship, networking and fun.... or just thirsty ... come along to..... where we..... introduce clients to clients, make sure some business is done, have conversations with suppliers, have some food, have some drink and be entertained with some great games and competitions. 'Will you be first at the Firsty Thursday?

After a spate of vehicle crashes, I have to admit id prefer my dog didnt drive - so I've asked him to take some RNR at the beach. Silly bugger just wont stop thinking about work mind.

This is the last time I let my dog drive my car. Remember back in 2012, when a quirky New Zealand venture placed dogs in the driver's seat of a vehicle and had them drive themselves around a racetrack? ​ The project was a collaboration between SPCA Auckland, Mr Vette, MINI New Zealand and advertising company DraftFCB. Its goal was to help change peoples perceptions of rescue dogs, their intelligence and ultimately their worthiness as pets: as per SPCA Auckland chief executive Christine Kalin: ‘sometimes people think because they’re getting an animal that’s been abandoned that somehow it’s a second-class animal. The virality of this stunt was remarkable and appeared as prime time news the world over - viewers watched in awe as lowly street dogs suddenly took control of one of modern man's measures of intelligence and achievement: driving a car. Re-homing rescue dogs was great, but the idea that Dogs may soon be driving the car behind you caused some concern - for better or worse seemed to disappear into the past. Perhaps the venture lost funding, or didn't work commercially beyond a viral video - but ultimately the website www.drivingdogs.co.nz is no longer active and their Facebook page shows posts stopping around 2013. A lot has changed in the world since then. Largely due to technology. Automated driving vehicles, once a terror on the streets are becoming an accepted part of the modern commute, set to grow exponentially from here. Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer lead by Elon Musk promising and delivering on many advancements in this area and making backseat driving a real-world thing. Ultimately, successes by companies like Tesla may have made driver less cars an everyday thing and perhaps this sealed the fate of drivingdogs.co.nz Perhaps, In some ways, it's not a bad thing that technology may have made the driving dog redundant - personally, I barely trust human drivers let alone a streetwise Fido! But it is a reminder that technology advances at a rapid pace and shows little mercy to those it leaves redundant in its wake It's important to ensure as a business, you prepare and protect yourself from the unrelenting advancement of technology. Make sure you take some time to talk to Stratus Blue about how we can help you embrace change rather than fight it So, is this the end of the road for driving dogs? Not quite - They will be forever known as the first wave of man releasing his tight grip of control over possessions like the motorcar - and although the initiative driving dogs.co.nz has all but faded into the past - the future looks bright for those who endeavour to push the boundaries of what can be done. in the wise words of the Chemical Brothers, " We've got to try!"

TOP 5 GAMING GADGETS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND! Razer Core X ULTRABOOST YOUR ULTRABOOK Give your thin and light laptop the power of a full gaming rig. Whether you’re hunting down enemies in an apocalypse or designing your own 3D world, the Razer Core X and Razer Core X Chroma deliver desktop-class graphics to your laptop instantly. Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Windows 10 or Mac laptops. The Syber Cube The Syber Cube is a revolutionary case with a beautifully elevated design. With gorgeous RGB lighting and a sleek outer casing, the Syber Cube showcases your build through high-quality tempered glass panels on three sides. With exceptional support for water cooling, plentiful fan ports, and a dual-chamber design, the Syber Cube is the perfect choice for gamers and enthusiasts alike. Learn more: http://sybergaming.com/cube-series/ Acer Predator Thronos Gaming Cockpit THOUGH UMM... WHERES THE WHEEL AND PEDALS SET??? LOL Be a part of the action when you have the Acer Predator Thronos Gaming Cockpit. This impressive gaming chair offers total comfort and immersion as you play the most intense games. As part of the Acer Predator collection, the Thronos reclines up to 140° for the perfect gaming angle. In addition, the chair features rumbling so you feel like you’re there with every movement. Likewise, the Thronos can fit up to three 27-inch displays, such as the Acer Predator monitors. This is plenty of screen space to see the entire setting around you and truly immerse you. There’s also a built-in control panel so you can adjust the recline to your liking as well as the footrest and monitor arm. With all of this, the Thronos truly levels up your gaming. Cybershoes: A Step Into Virtual Reality Games The coolest and most immersive way to play your games. A real step into endless space. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cybershoes-a-step-into-virtual-reality-games--3#/ Atari VCS: Game, Stream, Connect Like Never Before Gaming and Home Entertainment Streaming Device with Open Platform for Creativity and Customization! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atari-vcs-game-stream-connect-like-never-before#/

5 Bullet Friday Technology Update Stratus Blue Bay Of Plenty Ye-Haw! It's 5 Bullet Friday Howdy Partner!  Hope you are enjoying the final days of the financial year and technology has served you well over the last 12 months. It's all go at our end with lots of changes in place including a brand new website you can check out right here: www.stratusblue.nz   Here are some bullets to keep you in the know and watch out for scoundrels on the go! 1. TIP OF THE MONTH Your laptop battery will last longer if you charge it up to 80% instead of 100% This is because the heating of the laptop battery at full charge reduces battery life faster.  2. IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATE The National Cyber Security Centre is aware  of a number of online scams and attacks related to the tragic events in Christchurch on the 15th of March, including online donation fraud, please read more here: https://www.stratusblue.nz/blog/donate-with-caution 3. HOEDOWNS A' HAPPENIN Shoot from the hip or wet your whistle at one of these dog-gone shindigs. 1. Mega opening of Mega World! Mon, 29 Apr 2. Free course: attract more customers in 2019. Tues, 30 Apr 3. BA5 - MediaWorks.  Wed, 1 May.  4. NZ Digital Workplace Conference. Tues, 30 Apr      +Save $100 when you register by using this code: Stratus100 Learn more about these events here: https://www.stratusblue.nz/events 4. WELCOME! Welcome to new clients in the fields of commercial services, not for profit and consultancy 5. NEW OFFICE IN WHAKATANE Stratus blue is proud to have opened a new office in Whakatane. This will be a great benefit to those in the area, as Whakatane is one of New Zealand's fastest developing smart cities

Why You Need IT Support Companies in Whakatane New Zealand TECH NEWS: Whakatane New Zealand IT Support Companies & Services Whakatane and the Bay of Plenty ahhh, a peaceful rural region of lil’ ole New Zealand. It doesn't really need to worry about being targeted by hackers or malware, right? Well unfortunately, that's not the case. In fact, businesses in the area have an even higher risk of being targeted. Local businesses need to realise that hacking into Microsoft is a lot more difficult than hacking into an unprotected business computer in Whakatane. So hackers and viruses seek out easy prey and often that’s in those quieter places on earth where it’s least expected. If you still don't believe me, a quick check of your junk folder will see an increasing amount of potentially harmful SPAM gathering in there. It's a daunting sight! It's tough to think about and an even tougher problem to solve. It’s great to know that companies like Stratus Blue are now on the ground in areas like Whakatane with solutions that are both affordable and effective. Stratus Blue has been operating in the Bay of Plenty for many years now, and recently became the key supplier of services in Whakatane. You can call them on 0800 2 ASSIST, or pop down to their office in Commerce Street for a chat, they would love to meet you. Businesses often don't talk about their cyber-security close calls, worried that the stigma of data breaches reflect badly on them. Too often a silent assassin, can do a lot of harm to a community before they’re caught. Overall, it's important that local businesses realise they are being targeted by threats like these that can create a massive impact on their profitability. If you are one of these businesses, ensure that you have the most current security measures in place like firewalls, antivirus protection, and up-to-date systems. Talk Stratus Blue, located in Tauranga and now Whakatane, for a responsive, skilled IT team you can trust. Whakatane Office: Level 1, 2 Commerce Street, Whakatane

The History Of Information Technology is older than you might think As long as humans have documented information they have need technologies to help them store it. So the history of IT is actually quite an old indeed. In fact, There are 4 main pages that divide up the history of information technology. Only the latest age (electronic) and some of the electromechanical age really affects us today, but it is important to learn about how we got to the point we are at with technology today. Ages Pre-mechanical The pre-mechanical age is the earliest age of information technology. It can be defined as the time between 3000B.C. and 1450A.D. the time When humans first started communicating effectively. they would use simple language or picture drawings known as petroglyphs which were usually carved in the rock. Early alphabets were developed such as the Phoenician alphabet. As alphabets became more popular and more people were writing information down, pens and paper began to be developed and as they started the trend of documenting the information grew so too did the need to find ways to store it... Here is where the first books and libraries began. The first numbering systems also started to begin in this period and around 875ad the number 0 was introduced which quickly welcomed in the dawn of the calculator. A calculator was the very first sign of an information processor. The popular model of that time was the abacus. Mechanical The mechanical age can be defined as the time between 1450 and 1840. Technologies like the slide rule (the analog computer used for multiplying and dividing) were invented. Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline which was a very popular mechanical computer. Charles Babbage developed the difference engine which tabulated polynomial equations using the method of finite differences. Electromechanical The electromechanical age can be defined as the time between 1840 and 1940. These are the beginnings of telecommunication. The telegraph was created in the early 1800s. Morse code was created by Samuel Morse in 1835. The telephone (one of the most popular forms of communication ever) was created by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. The first radio developed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1894. All of these were extremely crucial emerging technologies that led to big advances in the information technology field. The first large-scale automatic digital computer in the United States was the Mark 1 created by Harvard University around 1940. This computer was 8ft high, 50ft long, 2ft wide, and weighed 5 tons - . It was programmed using punch cards. Electronic The electronic age can be defined as the time between 1940 to now. The ENIAC was the first high-speed, digital computer capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems. This computer was designed to be used by the U.S. Army for artillery firing tables. This machine was even bigger than the Mark 1 taking up 680 square feet and weighing 30 tons - but set the scene for modern computing today. beyond. As we progress into new and exciting information technology ages, and as new gadgets astound us - and demand our money. its important we remember one thing. it all started with communication. two people talking to one another. so when you need help with your IT talk to the team at stratus blue.