Point of Sale Software

Here are some Articles from the Blog Subject - computer -

Internet for your business - What is the best plan for you?

POS SOFTWARE

Surveys have shown small businesses believe that poor internet impedes efficiency and productivity. Almost all in Australia today feel the same. Now, how far you want to go on your internet is something for you to determine. I want to discuss the minimum internet your business should accept in our market space. 

This post will not apply if you use our cloud-based POS system. Nor will it apply if you do more than our POS Software. 

Situation

Now many internet providers offer internet plans designed for businesses. Few are that relevant in our market space; however, they often have an option of linking the phone to the internet plan. Having all your voice and internet services from one point of contact is nice. 

For our clients, they need to run
1) Updates of products and invoices from suppliers 
2) Email 
3) Updates of their software

Now, after that, you should add your requirements. I would include 
4) Zoom

Speed:
Be warned many of the advertised speeds are dubious. Use it as a guide only.

So I recommend an internet plan with at least 25 Mbps to do this. 50 MBps is better, and the cost is not much more. 

Data:
10 Gig/month would be the smallest, but this depends on what you do with your internet. For example, if you do a lot of Facebook, it does not take much to burn up a lot of data. 

One trap here is that if you use only a little data with a small plan and someone uses heaps for some reason, then some internet providers charge. I had a client babysit their eight-year-old daughter in the shop during COVID lockdown. When the bill came in for youtube, they freaked out. A $1,000+ bill.

Support: 
You need to check this. Some internet providers provide 24-hour-a-day support and most much less. Do not assume that you will give 24-hour-a-day support because they are big. 

Some do not offer telephone support at all. 

On-site, this is something you need to check; there are often big advantages to getting someone to come to you. 

I had a client whose internet broke. It was a 4G system. The internet got them to check the modem and its settings. Then a reactivation was done. It still did not work. When they rang back, they rechecked the same stuff. After a few times of this, they decided it was either the SIM or the modem. The SIM was $20, and the mobile was a few hundred. So they asked for SIM, three days later with no internet the SIM came. The new SIM did not help. Then the internet provider rechecked the same stuff, then another reactivation. It did not help. So they asked about a new modem and were told it would take a few days and a few hundred dollars. The problem was that they did not know whether it was the modem. So they asked if they could buy a modem nearby. No, they were told as the modem had to take their internet provider's SIM to work. Then they contact us. We told them their internet provider was an Optus reseller, so go to Optus. So they went to a nearby Optus shop. The Optus guy checked the SIM it was fine. Put the SIM into one of their modems, and it worked, so they brought it on the spot. It was also a bit cheaper from Optus as there was no delivery fee. In one hour, the problem was solved. Sometimes you need a person on site. Score: Five days no internet. 

Security:
Years ago, I had a client in Cairns whose internet provider did the dirty on him and many other clients. Only knew about it when the police came about it. I do not see what you can do about it. If you are worried about it, look at a VPN, which will not solve the problem as it moves the problem from the internet provider to the VPN provider. Really who can we trust here? An employee in Twitter was recently convicted of selling the personal user information of dissidents to the Saudis. In Australia this is serious but to a Saudi this is dangerous. I have a client who tells me they never discuss anything political on the net or phone with their relatives in Iran.

Growth:
Do not worry about it. You can always upgrade your internet, although this might be a problem if you have selected a two-year plan.

NBN or 4G:
I have seen problems with both, in fact, any such system. Over the years, I have come to hate the NBN. Speeds are comparable, although often 4G is faster. 

I will say this a 4G system is less reliable, but if something goes wrong, 4G is fixed, something I cannot say about the NBN. 

I am also sceptical of NBN with a 4G backup. When the NBN goes down, often, they do not switch to the 4G backup. 

Reliability: 

The best question is, I left to last, how much will it cost you if the internet goes down? 

Almost every business will experience several outages yearly, e.g. power outages, server issues and software. I have had clients that have gone down for a few minutes, hours, days and weeks. One last week was down for five days, and I will talk about their experience soon.

Now, what will it mean to you if your internet is down? To some people, it's an inconvenience; to others, it is a significant revenue loss. One shop had a string of deliveries to do in the morning. The owner told me of his frustration when he lost hours when his guys were sitting around doing nothing. Downtime can cost a business. 

I hope this is of use.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Make it easier for people with poor vision to use computers.

POS SOFTWARE

Today with the staff situation, many people have been hired with vision problems. If anyone in the shop has an eye problem, send them straight to the nearest eye doctor. No need for a referral and do not worry, Medicare rebates are available. Eye problems you do not want to take lightly. 

Recently I got glaucoma and lost 50% of my right eye. If it had not been for lockdown with COVID, it would never have happened, but it happened. I am not the only one. The eye hospital was full of people. We are getting older, our vision is starting to deteriorate, and many of us need to make changes to our screens to make them easier to see.

As everyone with low vision has a different problem so there is no one solution for everyone as everyone is different.

What I regularly do for clients is set the windows wallpaper to something dark. This makes the icons on the monitor easier to see. I try to remove as many icons as possible to make it less busy; the simpler, the better for a business computer.

If people must have a picture, I tell them to put it in the middle of the screen and have the icons on the side.

We also have a range of bigger screens for people with poor eyesight, which helps immensely.

If this is a problem for someone in your shop, I found this youtube that you should go over. It has many good ideas.

As a rule with some effort, we have been able to get over this problem.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Another Windows 10 Update Problem

POS SOFTWARE

Win10.jpg

A printer problem has appeared in the latest Windows 10 update. It certainly had its share of problems of late. The problem has been that hackers looking at Windows 11 have found security holes not fixed in Windows 10. So Microsoft has been fixing many security holes to make it as secure as Windows 11. Unfortunately, some of these updates are harmful.

The big problem now for us now is the printers.

If you have not done the Windows 10 update, hold off for a while, as I am sure a fix will come through soon. We notified Microsoft, but I am sure that we are not the only ones.

If you are running Windows 10 and have problems with your printer, please try the following.

Firstly verify that it is this problem and not another problem so:

- Check that everything is in order, the printer cables, that it is properly connected and paper is in. 

- Switch off everything and try again. This often seems to fix everything.

Still got a problem, give us a call.

Comments

Is the problem to do with paper feed?
As of Wednesday my Fuji Xerox CM315 z wont print and keeps on telling me that there is a paper jam when there is not.
we have tried everything and the only way to print is by having one sheet in the tray and then helping the rollers feed the paper through with a little push
Regards
Hans

Hans, this windows problem has to do with ports. It certainly sounds like a roller problem.

Turn off the electricity. Then open the printer up. Use a microfiber cloth and a moist wipe to wipe the rollers, Do not use a paper towel! Move the rollers around so you clean all of it. Now just in case clean the printer bed too. 

Now try again, if it is still a problem you need to talk to our technicians. 

 

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Now available new model three-in-one units

POS SOFTWARE

I know we have been waiting about months for them to come yet presently they are here. 

These have a customer-facing screen that faces customers at the point of sale. Most large retailers use them.  Often in a three-in-one unit like this one.

These ones are available in two sizes, a 15-inch and 17 inches. A major addition is that you get a touchscreen included.

Here are some benefits that it gives you

-Touch screens
-Look extremely modern.
-Made for retail environments so they are tougher than most screens.
-It helps build customer trust, as the customer can see what you have put in while you are doing it.
-It speeds up the queue as the customer will have many of their queries answered on the screen, eg the price of a product or whether a markdown was applied. 
-It gives you an aura of professionalism. 

Want to know more, let us know.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

With an All-in-One looks good and you maximise your space

POS SOFTWARE

 

This is a picture, I took of the latest All-in-one system.

Here are some advantages

Space: They are compact. It only takes on the bottom about 20 cm long of space while the screen height is adjustable. This makes them convenient as everything you need is together in one smart design. This saves space. This is great if you have only a limited front counter space. S giving more room for displaying impulse items on the front counter.

Modern: Besides looking modern, they also look stylish. We all go to a lot of trouble to make our shop look good for customers, old computers and monitors make a bad impression.

Ergonomic design: Experts designed them to be easier to use. This makes your operation more convenient. After many hours on the front counter, this is something the operators do appreciate.

Life expectancy: Retail is a tough environment, it is often dirty and people tend to be rough handling them. Computers are designed for an airconditioned office. All-in-ones are made for the tough retail environment. This means that their life expectancy tends to be longer.

What these ones also come with is the customer-Facing Display.

It is a high-definition customer-facing screen.

So while customers are waiting instead of feeling impatient they can be engaged. If you want you can use this display to show custom advertisements. Here it is being used to allow the customer to review their transaction.

If you are looking for something to improve your system, gives us a call and take a look at these. You will be impressed.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Our monitors

POS SOFTWARE

My post on monitors brought up some comments and discussions.

At least with us, there is a difference between the monitors we recommend for business purposes and those we recommend for home use.

If a monitor breaks down at home and needs a few days or a week to fix, it is not disastrous. They generally run in clean environments, so dust and dirt are not issues. Nor is the temperature a problem as it's a controlled environment. Plus, people do treat them better.

In business, often none of this is true, particularly at the front counter.

) What is required is an easy service to reduce downtime. You are paying people by the hour to do a job, and whether they are working flat out or working slowly, it costs you the same.

) The continuous glass surface should have reinforced front glass. I have seen many screens broken, it is dangerous.

) It should be silicon sealed. Dust and dirt are everywhere. This also allows for easy cleaning and increases its reliability.

) It should be "true flat" if it's touch.

 

There are horses for courses.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

New widescreen vs older square monitors

POS SOFTWARE

​There are three main types of monitors—Square, widescreen and ultrawide screens on the market now.

You can see the problem often when running your computer you get black bands around the active screen. Some application uses square and some uses widescreen.

Until recently, except in Point of Sale (POS), the market has been moving to wider screens.

The problem in a shop counter space is a premium. A widescreen shows less for the same size, so POS software is generally designed for square.

Now what is happening is that the new monitors for POS are switching from square to widescreen. The main reason for this push from square to widescreen is cost. Monitor manufacturers can save money using the same parts for computer monitors and TVs. Also, widescreens are cheaper to produce for the size.

So if you want a square monitor, you will soon have to pay more.

If you are buying a monitor, I suggest you buy a widescreen because the change is inevitable

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

What upgrades will Improve Your system performance the most?

POS SOFTWARE

We are updating our recommended computer specifications, so these below are suggestions only. 

But, if you intend to buy some hardware soon, please talk to us first. 

Current situation

Windows 11 and the coming mass introduction of 4k monitors will mean that much of the existing computer equipment out there is going out of date. 

Keeping your computing technology up-to-date ensures that you will run the latest software.  If all you want to do is continue running what you have, make sure you are not renting software. Overall count on no updates soon for much of your existing software.

Here are my recommended computer specifications for what you should consider before making a purchase.

Anything running Windows 8 or early is asking for trouble, you need Windows 10 and 11 now.

As for Windows 11, you need 1 gigahertz (GHz) so if you are being offered anything less than an i7, forget it.   

The added problem is all your computers should run the latest anti-virus software. These to run fast need modern computers and is the main reason older computers run slow. 

We recommend Windows Defender, which is free.

SQL

It would be best if you ran at least SQL 2016

Besides, old versions of SQL are slowing you down now.

Monitors

You spend most of your time interacting with your computer through the monitor. All your monitors now should have a resolution of 1920x1080, although 1280x1024 should work for a while. Anything less needs replacement. 

An added plus is that you and your staff will enjoy the larger monitors. They are great if someone eyesight is starting to fail, plus because the screen is bigger, it gives less strain on the eyes. 

RAM 

Want an instant performance boost? Adding more RAM is the easiest and cheapest way to upgrade your computer. It is affordable. You can do it on almost any computer. 

So, how much RAM do you need?

- 8GB for a register

- For heavier duty computers, e.g. servers, you should look to 16GB for best results.

Make sure you get the right RAM for your computer.

Speed up your computer with an SSD

If your computer still runs with a mechanical hard drive HHD, this SSD offers you high-speed start-up times and fast data transmission. 

So I would not buy a computer without an SSD drive today.

If you have not got an SSD drive on the server, get one. It will speed up everything.

As a bonus, you can keep the HDD for stuff that you need less speed.

Touchscreens 

These are great in business environments, much easier and quicker to use. It will not speed up the computer but speed up your data entry.

A modern graphics card

If you do graphics or play computer games, this will reduce the load on your computer processing, often speeding up your computer. 

Improve your cooling

Although not a speed issue, a noisy fan is painful over time. If you have one of these, consider replacing it. 

The big problem here is that hot computers tend to run slow. Check the vents to make sure that the air is circulating. If not, then clean the computer if required. 

Coolers may be an option as they have gotten much better over the last few years and are cheaper. Plus they will give more life to your computer.

keyboards and mice

These are tough to decide. I have used several of the latest gaming keyboards and mice. I have not noticed any improvement. 

Plus, I find them annoying. 

So I prefer the older ones, yet many do like them. So I leave this to personal taste.

Internet speeds

This is something that everyone complains about, and it is tough to say anything here. For many people, $60/month the internet provided is overkill, and to others, $20,000/month with a direct link to the USA is not good enough. Although it's a bit pricey if you want more speed, many of my clients are delighted with the Starlink offer. Soon I am sure NBN will be obsolete for people that need speed. 

So I leave this to personal need too.

I hope this all helps and let me know what you think.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

What Santa gave in 1987

POS SOFTWARE

In 1987, you got on a super special for $2250 a DOS computer, with a 20 meg hard drive, a cheap printer and a black and white monitor. From memory, $20,000 was a decent salary, so it was worth about two months after-tax.  

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The issue with Log4j?

POS SOFTWARE

There are a lot of headlines about an internet server exploit, the Log4j.

The problem:

Many devices, e.g. cars, fridges, mobile phones, internet servers, etc., use java's programming language. Now, if a fridge, few would worry. A car, maybe.   But, if it is a server or mobile phone, what can happen is this. You do something on them. Now some of these might have a hacked version of Log4j. If so, a hacker may execute a command, e.g. to send them your account name and password.

The immediate problem is that not much can be done about it. How do you know if java is running? If so, is Log4j used? If so, what version of Log4j is used? If an old version, has it been hacked?

Solution:
None exists that is why everyone is worried. 

Once the word got out, we were not worried about our systems as we do not use java much. Then it turned out that we were possibly affected so we brought down all our systems and checked them. We were okay. 

We have checked our systems and they will not cause you problems with Log4j.

Also, I can tell you how to check it with a caveat that if this checking program here is hacked, you are opening yourself to a hack by running this. So only use it, if you must. I have used this on my computer, but our system administrator refuses to run it on our servers. 

As such, I am recommending our clients wait and be careful.

For example, I am not doing internet banking for a few days, and then I will change some of my internet passwords.

Update:

Log4j, now it turns out to be a bigger problem as it can get into the Cpanel, which is the guts of most of the internet. So the computer does not need even to be running java.

Also since this affects older versions, you need to be on the latest version of Windows 10. Microsoft no longer gives security updates for older versions of Windows 10. 

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Still using Windows 7, time to move on.

POS SOFTWARE

If you are running Windows 7, it is now out of support. This means that your Windows has no support.  Plus, you are probably running a 10+ year old computer.

We strongly recommend that you move to a newer computer and Windows. 

This is what Black Friday is good for as not only are computers at a discount but moving to a new computer will provide you with a better experience as modern computers are faster, more powerful, and have greater security.

 

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Is your ethernet cables a problem?

POS SOFTWARE

Cat8 cables

What happens now is that people setting a POS network sometimes, instead of getting an electrician, do it themselves.  Then they sometimes select a cheap cable to save expenses. Some of these cables are pretty bad. If so you may notice that your network tends to operate slow, so these cables should be replaced.

Yet, if they are good cables, the question of whether to replace these cables with a different one will speed up the network. The answer is maybe but probably not.

There are many factors here, but the big two are latency and bandwidth.

I like to think of the cable as a water pipe.

Latency would measure how long and rough the pipe is slowing down the water travelling through the pipe. 

The electronic signals travel at about 200 million meters/sec. Thus Melbourne to New York is about .1 second. Few cables would cause a problem here.

Bandwidth would be the amount of water that travels through the pipe; the wider the tube, the more water travels through it. 

Now in a POS System, we do not pass that much data around. As long as your cable is a cat6 or better, and we are talking just the POS software traffic, you will not have a problem here. Things may be different at home. Say one kid is downloading some movies, another is watching youtube, you are on the computer, and someone is watching the TV. Lots of signals, lots of bandwidth.

The last factor is that many other factors besides the cable can slow down your network, e.g. your switches and network cards.

 So if you're replacing existing cable thinking you will significantly improve your speed, I would say you are wasting your time and money. 

This is actually why electricians tend to use decent but cheap cables.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Our Black Friday sale 2021 coming up

POS SOFTWARE

This Friday is "Black Friday", officially this is the start of the Christmas shopping season. Our suppliers know that this is the last chance they get to move stock before the Christmas freeze starts. So some of our suppliers have offered us some pretty good deals to move some of their stock. So we are passing the saving to our clients. Details are being sent out now.

If you are interested in upgrading your system or getting a touch screen, let us know.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Customer-Facing Display: Why you need one?

POS SOFTWARE

 

One of the most popular features in our POS Software is a customer-facing screen.

They are digital displays that show detailed order information to customers such as their orders, tax, discount and loyalty information during the checkout process. You see customer-facing displays in the retail businesses all the time.

Why should you use a customer display?

Ensure sale accuracy

When a staff member enters a customer's order information, each item and price appears on the customer-facing screen. This means that the point of sale screen provides the customer with a quick and easy way to verify it is correct while being entered. Most queries can be resolved immediately, such as pricing and many incorrect quantities.

Instil customer confidence in you

One of the clear benefits of a point of sale display is the impact on the customer experience. It has transparency. That can be a great help in establishing trust between your staff and your customers.

Drive Customer Engagement

You can also use it to display advertising for your shop.

Professionalism

It much more looks professional, giving your shop a better image.

Speed up cash register operations

As many mistakes are noticed quicker before completing orders, your staff can immediately adjust items. Once the sales go through they, have to process a return which takes longer.

The display screen prompts the customers to act as the transaction proceeds. For example, once you scan all the items, the customer display cues customers to pay, then tells them to pick up their goods and go.

If you're considering a customer-facing display for your own business and want to see what has been working with our customers for years, we can help you. Feel free to talk with us now.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The new touch screen models for 2021

POS SOFTWARE

 

Today touchscreens are now pretty much everywhere.

They help us interact with our computer more naturally with our fingers making them easier to use. After all, it is more natural to press the highlighted buttons on the computer. They also speed up tasks. You don't have to take their eyes off the screen and keyboard. This makes it faster to use.

I find the new models have one point: that it is no longer necessary to find vendor software to calibrate them. Today they now tend to use the native Windows utility; this was always a real headache. We had to keep a library of vendor disks in our software library in case some user had lost their driver disks and needed their monitors calibrated.

As Android moves more into Windows, we can expect to see the integration of touch screens into your computer increase.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Bad Wi-Fi, often you can fix it

POS SOFTWARE

 

Let us start with this:

Move your router.

Often this is the quickest and easiest.

It should be high up and in a place where you can directly see your router. There should be nothing blocking the signal, e.g. metal, glass, concrete etc.

Electrical equipment can also interfere. Keep the router from industrial equipment, lifts, air conditioners, microwave ovens, etc. A sign that this is the trouble is when the Wi-Fi works, fails and then works.

Move the router to a spot and test again till you find a good place where it is not an eyesore.

If your Wi-Fi in the shop is still slow, here are some more tips to try first, but we are getting technical.

Now find out what channel you use for Wi-Fi. Typically it is 2.4 GHz, but some technicians, as I do, often set it to 5 GHz. There is no right or wrong here, sometimes 2.4 is better, and sometimes 5 is the way to go.

Once you have this, get an app Wi-Fi Analyzer.

Now select the appropriate option 2.4 or 5 in the Wi-Fi Channels

Now check the strength of the signal in the places where you use the Wi-Fi. Wait and look, you need a signal better than -80 dBm. Aim for at least -60 dBm. Anything less than that is considered unreliable.

If you can try to reposition the router to a better spot.

Still need more ideas.

Now on the Wi-Fi Channel check whether your neighbours’ Wi-Fi Networks are many. They may be interfering. This is why in shopping centres, people often have trouble. If you see many networks, try seeing the situation on 2.4 or 5.

If that is better, consider switching channels.

Still, need more speed?

Upgrade the firmware of the router.

It’s always a good idea to check for the latest firmware anyway. Talk to whoever you got the router first about how to do this. While you are at it, check your security settings. On some cheap routers, technicians often reduce the security settings to speed it up. Today a router should always be at strong security. If your router needs a reduction in security to get a decent speed, I suggest getting a new router.

Let me know if you need to know more.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Why you defer feature updates in Windows

POS SOFTWARE

 

 

 

Unfortunately, Windows updates are two steps forward and one step backwards. They do come with good features and improved security, but every now, they break things.

As we have seen in the latest Windows update, some of our clients reported that their printing has stopped working. It turned out that the newest window updated caused problems with the network. After research, we found the fix was uninstalling fix KB5006670. Once done, our client could now print.

Now, if you are like me, you prefer others to test the latest Windows updates. This gives time for the bugs to be squashed and tweaks set correctly, so what you do is delay those updates.

How to pause Windows Updates:

To do this, open the Windows Settings app and select

Update & Security > Windows Update.

There you will find a "Pause updates for 7 days" button. (See above the option highlighted with a green arrow.)

Activate that!!

Also, another tip, try to do Window updates only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning. This means that if something goes wrong, you can contact your computer technicians.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

How to Record a Zoom Meeting

POS SOFTWARE

Since this pandemic hit us, we all have been using video conferencing with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc., for work, study, and social interaction.

Some of these meetings are pretty important to us, so often we want a record of the meeting. I often want a copy just to review some details.

Now, most video conferencing systems allow the organisers to take a recording. Often but not always do the organisers notify everyone that such a recording is taking place.

I have noticed that large organisations, lawyers, etc. do this all the time to cover themselves just in case even if they do not tell you they are doing this.

It can also be convenient to record. For example, I had a heated discussion with a supplier on Zoom. I pressed record. She then demanded no recording. In the end, though we decided to record the final conclusion that we had both agreed to a settlement term and what the resolution that was agreed.

Now the problem is that you, the participant, often cannot make a recording only the organiser. 

Now what I am going to show you is how to make a recording.  

If you do this secretly without telling everyone in the meeting, review your legal situation over these recordings. I cannot answer that as I am not a lawyer. So use common sense!

Several free software programs do this, but they all essentially work similarly.

  1. You run the screen recorder on your computer,
  2. Join or start a Zoom meeting.
  3. Then click on the "Record Screen" and "Microphone" buttons to adjust the recording area and audio sources.
  4. Once done, click end and review your Video.

 

For most people the quickest method is already inbuilt into your Windows (if you use Win 10 or Win 11). Use the Game Bar, built-in Windows 10, here is a video explaining it.

A better way to do it or if you do not have Win10 on that computer is to use OBS Studio.

Note if you are going to do this, please do a few practice runs first. Like many things, it is not hard after you get used to it.

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Meet Astro, an exciting future for robotics

POS SOFTWARE

Today, Amazon held its annual display for its coming new products. A few items excited me.

One item I thought would start a revolution in shop security.

It is a robot that, among other things, can do security work and perform automated security patrols of the shop.

- My first thought was how many times did I have to go to the shop after hours because Mum or my sister suddenly became nervous that they had forgotten to lock the shop up? With its periscope camera, it can go high enough to allow you to check the door's lock remotely.

- How often do alarms go off for no reason? Usually, there is a reason, but there is no way of knowing the reason after a few minutes. The raccoon in the video below is a case in point.

- Most thieves today at night are smashing and grabbing. They know from when the alarm goes that they have so many minutes before the police arrive. If such a robot were present, they would know that the storekeeper could get instant monitoring.

- Often, the security guard is a risk. Unfortunately, this happened to one of my clients in a shopping centre where people could reach given time into the shop's front window with a stretch where stock is on display. Stuff went missing overnight, and no one knows who took it. Since there is only security guards present in that period.....

Here is a video of what it can do!

Having a robot that can run up and down the shop carrying something would be handy too. 

I would love to get one to try out!

 

 

 

 

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Time for you to consider the Win11 decision

POS SOFTWARE

It is expected that Windows 11 will be released shortly on 5 October. Many of you will be given an automatic update and if you do not act will be upgraded.

I hope you listened to us and have not brought a computer recently that cannot run Win11. If so, all you have got is a dinosaur. 

You can find out whether your computer is eligible for a free upgrade here.

See at the green arrow why this computer above cannot run it.

While you can hack these requirements, there are risks. Some computers have been kicked out of Win11 after a while. 

Current status.

We have tested preview editions of Win11 with our software, and several of our users have adopted it. We all have found issues. Not surprisingly, every site has different problems. 

As a punt, I would say that over half the systems with Win11 have had to go back to Win10. Several of the others have had weird problems. 

The major ones appear to be the start menu. In many systems, it goes crazy. We have no workaround for this, so we are reverting these sites to Win10. 

Also, we find that Windows Defender is turned off in many systems in Win11. So computers are running with no virus protection. This can be fixed by reactivating it. This is something else after updating you need to consider.

Also, the Microsoft Teams program is suddenly appearing on a site. This forces people to stop in the middle of what they are doing and deal with this program! We find this Microsoft Teams program horrible. We used it before and found it unlike Zoom or Google Meet unstable so no one wants to use it, but it keeps demanding that we use it.  We have no workaround yet for this.  

Now we are not sure what is the situation is with your other POS equipment. We expect that many will not work with Win11, but we cannot say for sure. So far, every major Windows update in this respect has caused such problems. This has resulted in people throwing out excellent equipment as they are no longer compatible with the new windows. So you are warned, go to Win11. You may need to buy new equipment. 

Our advice is to consider Win7 when it took a while to work out, so we suggest that you wait till it is ironed out. 

If you want to knockout Win11, see here

Also, the function that everyone is waiting on is that your computer with run Android will not be available. This is something that we really want to include in our software.

Comments

Hi Bernard
SO, I am currently operating on windows 10
How do I ensure that windows 11 will not automatically update my computer given that I still want to receive updates for windows 10
Cheers

Upgrading to Windows 11 is optional

Microsoft has stated that will be an optional upgrade. So if you want to stay on Windows 10, you can so you will be asked whether you want to upgrade to Win11. Say NO for now.

Having said that once the full version of Win11 is out and we have tested it for posbrowser and seen that it all checks out, we would recommend that you upgrade.

One thing to keep in mind with this is that Windows 10 has an end-of-support date and that’s October 14th, 2025. After that date, Microsoft won’t release any more security patches for Windows 10, so you’ll be more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

 

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.