Landscape Juice

Sage software hit by data breach

A data breach at large UK software company Sage may have compromised personal information for employees at 280 UK businesses, it is understood. Police are investigating the breach and Sage is probing the "unauthorised access" of data by someone using an "internal" company computer login. The information was accessed at some point over the past few weeks. It is unclear whether it was stolen from the FTSE-listed firm, or merely viewed. The company, which provides business software for accounting and payroll services to firms across 23 countries, says it is taking the breach extremely seriously. The police are investigating and... Read more →

Food waste to energy HORSE crowdfunding project

I love this concept, having worked on protoype ideas of my own way back in 1990. The thought of making use of every bit of scrap and waste that mankind generates is an exciting prospect. Never, in my view, should any form of organic waste find its way into a landfill site. US company Impact Bioenergy is looking for funding to get its HORSE project off the ground. The HORSE converts food waste into fertiliser & fuel. What they say: 61% of what we throw away is biodegradable (food, landscape waste, paper, wood) and the solution is within our reach... Read more →

Advance review of the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

Come this Friday, fans of Apple technology will be able to buy the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus smartphones. The Guardian has collated these iPhone 6S and 6S Plus reviews ahead of the new release. Have a read for yourself but I've picked this summary as it stands out and for those wanting better battery life, it looks like you're in for a disappointment. "The 4.7-inch 6s will get you through the day, but you’ll struggle to make it til bedtime with moderate to heavy use. And it seemed to drain even faster than my 6 when I used... Read more →

LED lights set to extend strawberry season

British strawberries could soon be available all year round, thanks to pioneering new technology which will force them to grow out of their traditional season. When LED lighting is used in greenhouses, strawberries can be fooled into thinking that it is spring rather than winter. Forcing of fruit and vegetables isn't a new thing but traditionally the practice is carried out using energy hungry white lighting. The new red and blue LED lights are low-energy, meaning they use much less power and therefore mean that strawberries can be grown out of season at lower cost. The LED 4 CROPS poroject... Read more →

Has the tech bubble just burst?

Graph: US NASDAQ I love to watch the money markets and the share indices as it gives me an idea of what we can expect to come in both businesses and our private lives. Whilst not perfect, a graph can tell me at a glance what the underlying sentiment is behind the din of noise created by thousands of commentators, websites and news channels. There is a saying amongst traders that a company's share price or an index has already factored in news that hasn't been released. In other words (and some of this will be due to illegal insider... Read more →

QR Code Garden to feature at Chelsea

I spend my days in front of a computer writing, tweeting and talking about landscaping and gardening. It's kind of strange because I'm using and following some of the latest technology on the planet yet I'm still working in an industry that's largely untouched by technological advances. OK maybe the technology we use to garden , especially professionally, is getting more advanced but as for trees and shrubs, much is the same as it's been for hundreds of years. Whilst I was kinda thinking that never the twain shall meet, up pops the QR Code Garden for this year's Chelsea... Read more →

Fast internet: slow business response

In the amount of time it takes you to read this page, roughly 382 Android phones will be activated; more than 250,000 words will be written on Blogger; and 48 hours of video will be uploaded to YouTube. The world is moving fast – faster than ever before – and we are all along for the ride. Technologies are getting quicker, affording us instant access and split-second connections. As Moore’s law prophesied, this change is happening at an exponential rate. The above is taken from Google's Think Quarterly. OK Google may be talking about technological change from a technologist's point... Read more →

Get the forest in your pocket with this iPhone app

Forestry Commission England has launched a free iPhone app to find your local woodland, download handy trail maps or learn about trees with an easy to use tree identifier. Visitors can search for sites by event or activity, or find basic information such as opening times, things to do, directions and contact details for Forestry Commission forest parks. The educational and fun app includes a photo gallery, UK common tree identifier and unique computer generated tree illustrations. Users can identify a tree using its bark, seed or leaf within just a few clicks. Visitors can also download pdf trail maps... Read more →