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 Many people in Thurles are finding that their UPC Broadband and Phone service has become unreliable lately. We have received several complaints from people experiencing broadband connection difficulties within the last few days. Just last Sunday, 13th Feb 2011, UPC customers in Thurles had no broadband at all, for almost half a day. More worryingly, some people have noted that when their UPC broadband goes down, they also lose their telephone connection if they had signed up for UPC’s Broadband & Phone package.
Several people have noted that broadband service drop-outs and slow connection speeds have occurred on and off for several months now. Something definitely has occurred to cause this and the situation does not seem to be getting fixed in the Thurles area. As a ‘Technology Town’ we feel we deserve better service from UPC than we are currently getting. We would like Your help to highlight the problem!
To help we would like fellow UPC customers in Thurles to do a simple Broadband Speed Test (link opens in a new window) and post your results here for comparison. To start the Speed Test simply click the yellow star, the test should only take a few seconds to complete. To post your results, simply click the “Leave A Comment” link below and enter your results. To best compare results from around Thurles we would like you to include 3 simple pieces of information;
- Your Current Broadband Package (e.g. 10Mb, 20Mb or 30Mb package),
- Your Actual Download result from the Broadband Speed Test page ( feel free to include the Upload Result too, if you like )
- The Ping Result (e.g. 40 milliseconds)
The more advanced users can also include a picture of their results by clicking the ‘Copy Direct Link’ on Speedtest.Net, then clicking the ‘add images to your comment’ link on Thurles.Info (Positioned just above submit comment button). Then paste the link into the pop-up box. The picture will then appear in the “Leave A Comment” box when submitted.
It will be interesting to see results from around Thurles and perhaps by participating in this we can look forward to better service from UPC in the near future. It is the 21st Century, after all!
 PJ Hough. Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Programme Management Next time you open your Microsoft Office, on your PC or Laptop, here in Co Tipperary or elsewhere, know that a Tipperary native is playing a significant role in the future shaping of the device you are about to use.
PJ Hough, a 47 year old Borrisokane Co.Tipperary native (Lived close to President Barack Obama’s ancestral home) is the Corporate Vice President of Programme Management for the Microsoft Office Group at the Seattle software giant’s HQ.
Following the Microsoft Office 2010 launch in June last year, Microsoft estimated there were about one billion copies, including pirated versions, of the companies state of the art software installed globally.
Microsoft’s profits have grown considerably, with an estimated €4 billion accounting for just the last financial quarter and with Hough at the helm since 1994.
Hough was attending the Borrisokane Vocational School in the 1980s, during a time when unemployment levels in Ireland were edging towards 15 per cent. Hough recalls: “There was an Apple 2 computer in the Vocational school in Borrisokane at the time, but none of the teachers had been trained how to use it and I remember saving pocket money to go to Eason’s in Limerick to buy a book on how to programme it.”
Now with an interest in computers, Hough signed up to a Bachelor degree, followed by a Masters in Computer Applications at, what is now known as, Dublin City University (DCU) and graduated in 1986. After college he joined the Digital Equipment Corporation in Galway, where he stayed for the next eight years, involved in a variety of engineering and consulting roles.
Close to 30 years old, Hough applied for a Donnelly Visa, to gain access to the United States and on being successful, he applied to join Microsoft, in Redmond in Washington State in 1994.
Hough focused primarily on Office programmability and Microsoft Access where, after seven years in program management, he went on to join the Microsoft Office product planning team, based here in Ireland.
In 2003, Hough returned to Redmond to lead the Windows SharePoint Services team, where he was the group program manager, three years later he joined the Office Shared team in 2006.
A regular visitor to Ireland, Mr Hough currently lives in North Bend, Washington, with his wife and daughter.
 Bowe Travel, Friar Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Bowe Travel, Friar Street , Thurles Co. Tipperary have signed up with Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry.
Amadeus, thanks to its continued investment in IT and Research and Development, is able to offer state-of-the-art sales and reservations solutions to equip its business and leisure travel agency partners with a constantly evolving technology toolkit. Whether it is personal service and expert advice, the best fares, or a combination of the two; Amadeus is enabling the continued success of a growing number of travel professionals throughout Ireland.
Michael Bowe, Manager and proprietor of one of Ireland’s oldest and most respected travel agencies, who have been serving the travel industry since 1906 stated: “You don’t succeed in business as long as we have, without being able to adapt. And that’s what I like about Amadeus. It has adapted its solutions from point and click technology, which it was first to introduce to Ireland, to the latest easy-to-use, web based booking solutions which require virtually no training. Together with its local team of technology experts, I’m confident that we’ve made the right choice in selecting Amadeus as our technology partner to help us to build upon our reputation for excellence.”
Bowe Travel’s success in the ever changing modern day travel market, however, can not simply be explained just as using the right technology, it’s greatest success can be observed in its day to day management, willingness to compete and it’s unique ability to provide a full-time workforce which is versatile, highly trained and extremely qualified.
 Computer Scam Over the past few weeks we have received several reports of telephone ‘cold calling’ from persons claiming to represent a computer support company. This cold caller is requesting people in the Thurles area, asking them to log onto their computer as they have detected serious viruses or other problems on your computer.
In some case they state that they are from “Microsoft Security”, or simply “Your Computer Support Company”. In all cases they appear to speak with an Indian sounding accent. They get you to log onto a particular web site where you enter in a code and then they remotely access you computer.
After they supposedly remove the offending virus or repair the imaginary problem they will inform you that they will now be forwarding you a bill for their services of up to €90. They will also request that you sign up to their “long-term” deal costing some €200 per year.
Should you receive such a call, DO NOT switch on your computer, instead ask them for their contact details and hang up, promising to return their call at a later date.
Do NOT talk to these people and DO NOT let them take control of your computer. Anyone “out of the blue” asking you to switch on your PC or Laptop by phone, should be treated as extremely suspect.
Have you received one of these calls?.
 It is not often you get a chance to have your say nowadays living in a ‘Nanny Republic’ as we do. However Europe Direct Ireland are inviting you to enter a national soapbox competition and by doing so, win some fantastic prizes!
To highlight the importance the European Union places on ‘Climate Change’ they are holding a soapbox competition on “Wind energy – the future or a blot on the landscape?”
You will have a chance to share your views and to win some fantastic prizes. Regional finalists will win an iPad, a trip to Brussels and will be entered for the National Final with a prize of €1,000. Soapbox events will be held in 7 regional locations followed by a national final in Farmleigh, Dublin on 19th November 2010.
Your 3 minute speech will be less impromptu – you will get to research it and prepare it in advance. The topic is wind energy, so like it or loathe it, agree or disagree, wind farms generate a lot of controversy, as well as potential energy.
They want to hear your views! You will deliver your speech at your local Europe Direct Centre, at an event in November in front of a local audience and a panel of judges who will include someone with an expertise on the subject – so do your research!
Your local Europe Direct Information Centre is at the Source Library, Cathedral St., Thurles, Co. Tipperary. They are holding their regional final on Friday 12th November at 7 p.m. and this event will be chaired by Alan Kelly M.E.P.
There will be also be runner-up 2nd and 3rd prizes of €150 and €100 respectively to be won.
To help get your thinking cap on, they will be holding information sessions with the Tipperary Energy Agency in Nenagh Library (19th October, 12.30 p.m.), Thurles Library (19th October, 6.30 p.m.) and Clonmel Library (28th October, 6.30 p.m.).
They will also be paying a visit to a working wind farm, at Ballinveny near Templemore, on Friday 22nd October at 2.30 p.m.. This free trip is open to all but booking is necessary. Why not call Thurles Library on 0504 29720 to book your place now.
You can pick up an entry form in any of the public libraries in Tipperary or enter online at www.europedirect.ie.
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