pulse8 - The Latest News & Blog from pulse8 http://www.pulse8internet.com//events After two years on the Kingston Estate, we rsquo;ve said goodbye to our shed in the sticks and moved to bigger premises, that rsquo;s easier to get to, with lots more to offer our great customers. We rsquo;re now based in The Old Registry Office in Devon Square, Newton Abbot where we can enjoy some civilisation, quicker internet speeds....oh, and a cider bar just down the road. A winter newsletter will shortly be making its way to all of our customers, containing our new contact details along with the latest project news and gossip from the pulse8 camp. As always, we like to hear from you so please call 08000 699098 or email ask@pulse8.co.uk with any questions. p.s. Scan the QR nbsp;Code above with your smart phone to automatically update our new details - good eh? http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/57/we-ve-packed-up-all-our-toys-and-moved--again- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/57/we-ve-packed-up-all-our-toys-and-moved--again- Definitely the loopiest thing I rsquo;ve done to date. Free fall from 15,000ft to 5,000ft in 60 seconds and I screamed like a school girl the whole way. My tandem chap started a spiral spin which totally wobbled me out. Stomach in my throat but luckily the harnesses were so tight I physically couldn rsquo;t puke. Massive ground rush with a bumpy landing. Thoroughly recommend it. A maaaaaassive thank you to everyone who has sponsored me. The final figure should come in at pound;505 which exceeds my target. All to a worthy cause, St Lukes Hospice in Plymouth. You can see the free fall of my skydive here: http://www.watchmyskydive.com/show.php?name=Simon+Edwin http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/56/simon-sky-dives-for-charity- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/56/simon-sky-dives-for-charity- Work is well underway on two exciting new contracts for The Epwin Group and Digitron, part of Elektron Technology plc . The new projects include a mix of brand development, website development, e-commerce, photography, printed material and focused search engine optimisation strategies. nbsp; Everything you rsquo;d expect from a multi-discipline agency. Watch this space for the latest project updates. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/55/new-contracts-for-epwin-group-and-digitron http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/55/new-contracts-for-epwin-group-and-digitron Congratulations to Matt and Brady who recently completed the Torbay Half Marathon. We #8217;re now looking forward to the next team event which is the #8217;Plymouth MAD #8217; adventure day in 2012. Any businesses out there fancy challenging team pulse8 to the event next year? Take a look at the website http://www.marjon.ac.uk/plymouthmad/ and let us know if you fancy a challenge! http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/54/run-forest--run- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/54/run-forest--run- Brady, our intrepid pedestrian, has donned his walking boots and silly hat and taken to the coast of Cornwall. Over the course of the next 17 days, he rsquo;ll do what few Cornish men have done before him. Brady will be walking the entire Cornish coast, starting from Bude in the north, heading west to Lands End, and if he has anything left in the tank, will make his way back east along the south coast all the way to Plymouth. Hoping to average around 20 miles a day, Brady is carrying all the essential kit to complete his mission. Not happy about packing a tent, he rsquo;s inteneding to use a bivvy bag and rsquo;tarp rsquo; as his shelter whilst cooking and drying his socks from a small gas stove. We all wish Brady the best of luck and safe journey and look forward to hearing about his big adventure. Go Brady Go! http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/53/walk-brady--walk- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/53/walk-brady--walk- Flummoxed by Facebook or troubled by Twitter? The launch of our new Creative Social Media solution could be just what your business is looking for. Social Media offers many exciting opportunities for companies of all sizes and is changing the way we do business. With such a bewildering choice of services available, finding the right mix is crucial. At Pulse8 we believe all of our clients could benefit from the right social media strategy. With this in mind we have created a range of solutions to suit any business or budget to help take advantage of this exciting new phenomenon. To learn more about what pulse8 can do for your business, contact us now. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/52/creative-social-media-launch http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/52/creative-social-media-launch More developer power on board has seen a big push on new website launches over the last couple of weeks. Full details will follow shortly on our rsquo;Project News rsquo; but please check out the following links in the meantime: Compton Pool Farm - Award winning website gets a complete overhaul. www.comptonpool.co.uk Moor Instruments - Worldwide suppliers of specialist medical equipment launch new website with multilanguage functionality and huge bespoke content management system for dealer communications and control of website content. www.moor.co.uk Nationwide Legals - New website for the Will Writing and Probate specialists. Large back-end private administration functionality supporting their vast network of partners. www.nationwidelegals.co.uk John Couch Estate Agent - A complete rsquo;reskin rsquo; for this leading Torquay Estate Agent. www.johncouch.co.uk Lots more launches due over the next couple of weeks so watch this space. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/51/more-web-site--go-lives- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/51/more-web-site--go-lives- We are urgently looking to fill a full time position for a PHP developer in our countryside studio just outside Totnes. UPDATE: nbsp; nbsp;Positions now filled - Welcome on board to Mark and Dave! Our studio environment requires a bright, self motivated and enthusiastic individual with the ability to manage his/her own work . The successful applicant will join our high calibre creative team delivering digital projects for our vast array of clients, ranging from small local businesses to national plc rsquo;s. You will need to demonstrate a good knowledge of JavaScript, XML, PHP, HTML and MySQL and have the ability to hit the ground running. nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/50/calling-php-developers-looking-for-a-new-challenge- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/50/calling-php-developers-looking-for-a-new-challenge- We rsquo;ve been working flat out over the last few months and with a final push we rsquo;ve been able to launch a whole flurry of new websites that you may want a peak at: Dartmoor National Park - Web site redesign for Dartmoor National Park Authority. www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk Viceroy Bedding - Leading Bed Linen and Memory Foam Mattress supplier. nbsp; www.viceroybedding.co.uk East Underdown Cottages - 5 Star Self Catering Cottage complex with pulse8 booking system . www.eastunderdown.co.uk Lower Coombe Royal - nbsp; A mix of 3,4 and 5 Star Self Catering Cottages complex with pulse8 booking system. www.lowercoomberoyal.co.uk West Pitt Farm - A complex of 3,4 and 5 Star Self Catering Cottages with pulse8 booking system. www.westpittfarm.co.uk Feel free to check out any of the above links and check back shortly because there rsquo;s a whole load more on the way! We rsquo;d love to hear from you if you think we can help you make the most of your online activities. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/49/it-never-rains-but-it-pours- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/49/it-never-rains-but-it-pours- Due to the adverse weather conditions we are currently working with skeleton staff in the office. For urgent enquiries please email support@pulse8.co.uk and we will response as soon as possible. Many thanks. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/48/adverse-weather http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/48/adverse-weather Congratulations to our client O rsquo;Connors Campers for winning an award at the 2010 Visit Devon Tourism awards. O rsquo;Connors are based in the heart of sunny Devon at Okehampton and rent classic 1960 rsquo;s and 70 rsquo;s VW campervans. O rsquo;Connors were shortlisted in the Tourism Experience amp; Activity category and came away with a well deserved Silver Award. nbsp; Check out O rsquo;Connors at their website or follow them on twitter and facebook. nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/47/o-connors-campers-win-silver http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/47/o-connors-campers-win-silver Pulse8 have been awarded the contract to redesign the new look website for the Dartmoor National Park Authority. nbsp; A challenging brief will require an innovative approach to deliver a wide range of information whilst ensuring stringent accessibility guidelines are adhered to. nbsp; Watch this space for more updates. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/45/new-contract-with-dartmoor-national-park-authority http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/45/new-contract-with-dartmoor-national-park-authority In 2009, a crack Devon web design team was sent to Plymouth to complete a 6 hour endurance adventure race. These men promptly completed the course and are now about to undertake the 2010 challenge, but this time, they have help. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as fitties of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The 8-Team. Good luck to Helen, Matt and Simon for the Marjon Adventure Day 2010, they will need it. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/46/it-s-that-time-of-year-again---- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/46/it-s-that-time-of-year-again---- pulse8 have been awarded the contract for the development of a new corporate identity and content managed website for the Community Council of Devon. Founded in 1961 and part of a national network or Rural Community Councils, CCD rsquo;s goal is to rsquo;help communities help themselves rsquo; by advising communities and supporting projects throughout rural Devon. The project commences with the establishment of the new brand, shortly followed up with the roll out of the new website, due for completion before the end of 2010. Follow us on Twitter for regular updates on active projects. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/42/work-underway-for-community-council-of-devon http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/42/work-underway-for-community-council-of-devon Congratulations to Caf eacute; Alf Resco who have been voted in the Top 10 Ultimate Breakfasts in the UK by MSN in association with Sainsburys. Read the full article on the MSN nbsp;website http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/43/caf--alf-resco-voted-top-10-ultimate-breakfasts-in-the-uk http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/43/caf--alf-resco-voted-top-10-ultimate-breakfasts-in-the-uk pulse8 would like to welcome our latest employee, Nicol to the team. Nicol has joined us this week and will primarily involved with the accounts and customer support. Nicol comes from an internet based background and brings plenty of experience and knowledge to her new role and to the company as a whole, we are very pleased to have her on on the team. nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/41/new-team-member http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/41/new-team-member We would like to a big thank you to everyone who joined us for the open evening on Thursday the 15th of July. We had a wonderful turnout and it was a great opportunity for us to showcase what we have been working on and some exciting future developments, as well as showing off our new creative space on the Kingston Estate. A special mention has to go to The Haulfryn Group, Compucare, Cellarmarque, O rsquo;Connors Campers and Manns Delicatessen for their generous support of the event. The food from the Haulfryn Group was wonderful as was the selection of olives and stuffed peppers provided by Manns. O rsquo;Connors Campers brightened up the car park with a pair of their vintage campers whilst Adam and Dean from Compucare kept everyone topped up with real ale they kindly provided. Last, but by no means least, Mark from Cellarmarque brought a selection of his incredible wine and ran tasting sessions all evening. His enthusiasm, knowledge and the alcohol ensured most people had a little tipple. We hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did and look forward to seeing all of you in the near future http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/40/a-big-thank-you http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/40/a-big-thank-you Good news, we are having an open evening at our offices on the 15th of July. We have been in our offices for 9 months during which lots of exciting things have happened. The open evening gives us a chance to share this you and for you to meet the team, check out the offices (if you haven rsquo;t seen them yet) and to meet some of our other clients. Tell your friends, the more the merrier. nbsp; We also have the following, kindly provided by our clients listed below: nbsp; Wine Tasting from Cellarmarque. O rsquo;Connors Campers are bringing a classic VW or two (bookings permitting). Kingston Estate have agreed to allow access to their gardens which were featured in the June edition of Devon Life. Locally sourced and prepared nibbles courtesy of the Haulfryn Group. A Keg of Teignworthy Beer supplied by Compucare (of course!) A fabulous selection of fresh Olives provided by Manns Deli in Bovey Tracey More information and the full invitation can be found here gt; nbsp; Sponsors Links nbsp; Cellarmarque Haulfryn Kingston Estate O rsquo;Connors Campers Compucare nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/39/open-evening--july-15th http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/39/open-evening--july-15th We rsquo;re busy and we need another pair of hands on deck to join our busy crew of nbsp; developers in the heart of the South Devon Countryside. nbsp; Are you a talented, dynamic PHP developer who works well in a team? nbsp; If so, please get in touch for a full job description. Excellent work environment including use of swimming pool, jacuzzi and gym. Tempted? Please email careers@pulse8.co.uk with your credentials. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/38/we-re-hiring- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/38/we-re-hiring- Congratulations to Helen and Joe who tied the knot on Saturday the 1st of May at Berry Pomeroy church. The reception was held at Dartington Hall, the rest of the pulse8 crew joined them in the evening to help celebrate their big day! nbsp;Helen looked fantastic in her wedding dress but the crew were looking a little worse for wear by the end of the evening. We have posted a few images to our flickr photostream which you can see below, hopefully when Helen returns to work we can upload some pictures of her and Joe in all their finery. We wish the happy couple all the best for the future and hope they are very happy together. pulse8 http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/36/congratulations-to-helen---joe http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/36/congratulations-to-helen---joe Great news, we rsquo;ve launched a brand new and improved webmail facility for all of our customers which we believe you should find much slicker to work with. To access the new webmail facility you can click on the rsquo;Webmail Login rsquo; link within the top navigation on this page. We welcome your feedback on this new service so if you have any comments or suggestions for improvements please use our online response form. Team pulse8. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/34/new-webmail-launch http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/34/new-webmail-launch Meet Barney, our latest addition to the pulse8 team. He is a 5 month old chocolate lab belonging to Matt and is easing himself gently (as you can see) into working life. Alfie and Barney are currently in discussions as to which one is top dog in the office. So far Alfie rsquo;s tactics have been a mix of upfront declarations and some very sneaky stealth moves to relieve Barney of a few snacks and toys. Currently Alfie believes he is on top but no doubt, as Barney gets bigger, the discussions will continue. Barney is still deciding if his interest leans more to the creative or technical side of our business, time will tell which one he chooses or whether he will just sleep all day, I have a feeling we know what his choice may be.... pulse8 http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/33/new-team-member http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/33/new-team-member I managed to get in some culture time this weekend during my visit to the big smoke. Decode at the V amp;A looks at three current themes within digital design: nbsp; Network charts or reworks the traces we leave behind as we live our daily lives. Interactivity exhibits responses to our physical presence and shows how we can manipulate its behaviour. Whilst Code exhibits showed how computer code has become a new art form with some constantly evolving and changing before your eyes. I particularly enjoyed making silly faces on the Videogrid, The Weave Mirror and the Body Paint wall. Mind blowing stuff and highly recommended if you are in the area. Exhibition closes on the 11th April. www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/decode/exhibition Simon http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/32/decode-at-the-v-a http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/32/decode-at-the-v-a Following the December launch of the new Haulfryn Group website, Matt and Darren were asked to present the new website to the Directors and Managers during their yearly get together at Finlake. Under the glare of the spotlights, Darren outlined the key objectives for the new website and how pulse8 achieved each of those objectives. The audience were also given a brief overview of some of the exciting developments planned for the site in the very near future. nbsp; Matt then took to the stage for a quick run through some website analysis. Due to the comprehensive figures available to pulse8 and Haulfryn, Matt was able to demonstrate the immediate success of the new design. Visitors numbers have increased, visitors are spending longer on the site and viewing more pages per visit, all great indicators that the redesign is having the desired effect and increasing overall business for the Haulfryn Group. We would like to thank Haulfryn for making us feel welcome and wish them all the best for 2010 and beyond. Explore the Haulfryn website in more detail gt; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/31/haulfryn-country http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/31/haulfryn-country Last Friday I attended a talk given by Patrick Morris, a BBC wildlife producer and filmmaker in Topsham. Organised by Hospiscare to help raise funds, Matthew rsquo;s Hall was packed for what was an interesting look into his work. Most recently Patrick has produced two episodes for the rsquo;Life rsquo; series, focusing on Birds and Primates. We were treated to a couple of hours of stunning images and film clips as well as a fascinating look into the two years the project took to complete. Not forgetting the essential glass of wine. There was even a draw for six signed books, as usual my ticket was not picked, ho hum! If you missed the series then get the DVD as it is well worth watching. The BBC website has a wealth of information on the life series nbsp;and is worth a look and the book of the series has a selection of amazing images and well worth a look. The BBC rsquo;s integrated approach to sharing information is fascinating, a series such as Life has a global market for distribution and is backed up by an online presence and printed materials, there was even a collaboration with CBBC. It is a good example on how to reach an audience through multiple channels and it is something the BBC does well. Darren nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/30/life-less-ordinary http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/30/life-less-ordinary Please be aware that due to the recent snowfall we are unable to reach our offices so as a result phone support will be available on a very limited basis. Emails will be monitored and will be the best way to contact any member of the team throughout the day. Thanks for your understanding. pulse8. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/29/snowed-under--6th--amp--7th-jan http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/29/snowed-under--6th--amp--7th-jan Over the past 3 months we rsquo;ve been working hard to give you faster downloads and have improved access to sites such as Microsoft Windows Updates as well as Video Streaming Sites which are normally throttled back by many rival providers. nbsp; This means that you will now be able to download updates and stream videos like never before (provided of course that you don rsquo;t live out in the sticks). nbsp; Be Careful what you wish for: Due to these increases in speed some of you may choose to upgrade your broadband packages, especially if you stream video via popular applications like bbc Iplayer or use your Xbox rsquo;s / Playstations to record TV programs. Our Current list of packages are shown below: nbsp; Standard 10gb Monthly download (up to 24mb download speeds dependent on area) nbsp; = pound; 18.99 Medium 20gb Monthly download (up to 24mb download speeds dependent on area) nbsp; = pound; 23.50 Heavy 35gb Monthly download (up to 24mb download speeds dependent on area) nbsp; = pound; 24.99 Sumo 50gb Monthly download (up to 24mb download speeds dependent on area) nbsp; = pound; 28.99 Monster 120gb Monthly download (up to 24mb download speeds dependent on area) nbsp; = pound; 48.00 http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/27/broadband-improvements http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/27/broadband-improvements VAT change ndash; 1st Jan 2010 ndash; back to 17.5% Calling all e-commerce websites! nbsp; We rsquo;ve bookmarked a slot in our busy schedule to make the VAT change on our customer websites. We have put aside the 31st December to make the relevant changes for those customers who require the VAT update to be done on that date. We rsquo;ll try our best to service all requests on that day but will work on a first-come first-served basis so please get in touch asap to book your slot. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/26/calling-all-e-commerce-websites http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/26/calling-all-e-commerce-websites Movember is here, sorry, I meant November. I have decided to put down my razor for one month (not that I ever use one) and help raise awareness and funds for men rsquo;s health - specifically prostate cancer by sporting a moustache. What many people don rsquo;t appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. nbsp; Facts like these along with my grandfather, who has prostate cancer, have convinced me I should get involved. Why not check out the progress of my top lip topiary here, and if you rsquo;re feeling really charitable, you could always donate a small sum while you rsquo;re there. Here rsquo;s to looking like Burt Reynolds or Daley Thompson. Brady http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/24/movember http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/24/movember Apologies to those customers affected by the disruption to some of our web and email serivces this morning. We experienced a Denial Of Service (DOS) attack on our main firewall which sent an overwhelming number of requests through the firewall, causing slow response rates for web and email services. The source of the attack has now been identified and dealt with accordingly. DOS nbsp;attacks can be particuarly difficult to deal with as there is no easy way to stop a request from hitting the firewall and even though we can block requests from specified IP nbsp;addresses, the firewall still has to work out if to block the traffic or not. For those of you who wish to find out more information on DOS nbsp;attacks please take a look at the following information provided by Wikipedia Once again, apologies for any disruption you may have experienced and thank you for your continued support. pulse8 tech support. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/23/web-and-email-disruption http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/23/web-and-email-disruption Well, the time finally arrived when Simon, Matt and myself had to don our Lycra and get a little physical. The first ever Plymouth M.A.D (Marjon Adventure Day) took place this Sunday, and after two very large bowls of porridge, I felt ready for the challenge ahead. Unfortunately, we had no idea of what was expected of us, as the race organisers were keeping those cards close to their chest until the briefing just before the start. The race began with a short orienteering course on the University campus to get warmed up and then on to our bikes to begin the long journey around Plymouth using a map and our incredible map reading skills hellip; After a few check points had been gained, we found ourselves in Central Park with another, much longer orienteering course to navigate. After a couple of hitches at the beginning, we soon completed this section of the day. Back on our bikes and heading toward the Hoe and the Citadel, making sure we mark off as many check points en route. Once reaching the Citadel, we were confronted with challenge number two, abseil down the mighty walls. Not something I was looking forward to, having a very healthy fear of heights! Luckily for me, only two members of each team were allowed to partake in these activities. So Matt and Simon rose to the challenge. Phew! After a pleasant ferry trip over to Mount Batten my greatest fear confronted me. After a mix up at the beginning of the next challenge, Simon and myself were soon climbing the Mount Batten cliff! After some precarious handholds and wobbly legs, we made it to the top safely. Next challenge, rowing. Matt and Simon were up once again and soon whizzed through the activity. I can rsquo;t say I was there for support as I was still quivering at the top of the cliff. Now all the individual activities were over, we had the long journey back to Marjons. The bike ride back passed through some very pleasant parts of Plymouth including Saltram House and the Plym Valley. After some very steep hills, we could see the university on the horizon and the end of our endurance ordeal, giving us just enough energy boost to make it to the finish line for a well deserved pasty hellip; oh, and a T ndash;shirt and medal. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/21/mad-for-it- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/21/mad-for-it- Apologies to those customers affected by the migration across to the new Direct Debit platform on Tuesday. We attempted to put in place a (perceived!) convenient method for everybody to input their new payment details but it quickly became apparent that this method was not convenient for our customers and as a result we shortly withdrew the payment request screen. Over the next two weeks we will be personally contacting those customers that have been unable to successfully set up their new Direct Debit arrangement to take details over the phone and answer any questions or concerns you may have. Despite acting with best intentions we have definitely learnt that this approach was not the best way to handle the migration to Direct Debit and would like to ensure you that this payment screen will not be appearing again in the short term, allowing us sufficient time to attempt to contact everyone in person. Thank you for your continued support. nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/20/broadband-payment-problems http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/20/broadband-payment-problems You may have recently received an email from an ex-director of pulse8, which nbsp;could quite easily be somewhat misleading. To help clarify that situation we thought we rsquo;d put together a few questions nbsp;and answers. 1. What rsquo;s happened to pulse8? Well, technically two of the original directors, Matt and Darren have bought nbsp;the old company and everything that goes with it. Business as usual. 2. Is my website and email safe? Yes! nbsp; It rsquo;s business as usual. nbsp; All contracts are secured with pulse8 and nbsp;your website and email will continue to function as usual. 3. Have you moved offices? Yes, we have some new funky offices just outside of Totnes. Some creative nbsp;space with a private meeting area and views over the countryside. Proper nbsp;Job! 4. Is it the same people? We rsquo;ve shed a little weight in the form of one director but apart from that, nbsp;yes, we have the same crew on board, all experienced designers, developers nbsp;and project managers. 5. Do you have the same contact details? Yes! nbsp; Same phone numbers and email addresses. New address details are on our nbsp;website. So, in a nutshell, it rsquo;s business as usual! nbsp;(have we said that already?) For those of you that wish to be kept up to date with the latest news and nbsp;information please visit our website at www.pulse8.co.uk Thanks for your continued support and we look forward to working with you in nbsp;the future. Team pulse8! http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/19/business-as-usual http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/19/business-as-usual In case you haven rsquo;t heard, pulse8 has moved offices! Following a recent restructure we are now settled in to our new premises on the Kingston House Estate, Staverton (near Totnes). The new office is a converted barn with some great original features like stone columns and exposed beams, as well as a separate meeting room ready for formal and informal meetings. We also have ample parking which is not affected by the tide! nbsp; We are very excited about our new home and are looking forward to entertaining our clients, both old and new. So if you want to talk to pulse8 about website design, branding, design for print, hosting, email or search engine optimisation, please call us on the usual number or drop in for a visit. There are directions to the new office on this site including a link to a google map. Be warned, sat nav devices have brought a couple of people via the more unused drives leading on to the estate. Better to double check the directions before setting off. http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/18/country-life http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/18/country-life At least we would like to think so. And to prove how good we look in a pair of cycling shorts, Matthew, Brady and myself (Ed) have entered into the first ever Plymouth Marjons Adventure Day to be held around Plymouth on the 4th October. Plymouth Marjon Adventure Day (M.A.D.) is the first Plymouth urban adventure challenge where teams or individuals race in a multi-sport test of navigation, endurance and skills on a course that is only revealed hours before the event begins. The event encompasses cycling, orienteering, running, abseiling, wall climbing and rowing and should certainly put our fitness to the test. Already training hard, Brady and myself are running twice around the Saltram grounds (5 miles), cycling as often as possible and trying to stay off the pies from the local deli... Where as Matthew cycles to the pub on the weekends and lifts heavy pints to bulk up his guns. A fair while to go yet so we rsquo;ll keep you up-to-date on our training regime and let you know how we rsquo;re getting on. If you rsquo;re interested in joining pulse8 in the event, visit www.marjon.ac.uk/plymouthmad for details. Bring it on! Ed http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/17/we-is-well-fit- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/17/we-is-well-fit- Electronista nbsp;have published a very interesting, if not very scientific, head to head review of the four main web browsers, Internet Explorer (IE), Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. Click here to read the test Interestingly, Safari and Chrome seem to lead the way in both speed and compliance to the major web standards. Unfortunately, bringing up the rear with it rsquo;s brand new browser offering was Microsoft with Internet Explorer 8, which managed to be the slowest on all tests and comprehensively fail the compliance tests. The article highlights that there are differences in the way browsers work and how they can affect a users experience and enjoyment of the web. nbsp; All of the featured browsers are available as free downloads so nothing should stop web users downloading and trying a new browser, you never know, you may end up viewing the web in a whole new way and quicker too!! Browser Links Firefox Google Chrome nbsp;(windows only) Internet Explorer 8 nbsp;(windows only) Safari http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/16/browser-tests--chrome--firefox--ie--safari http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/16/browser-tests--chrome--firefox--ie--safari Well, what a weekend! Matt, Adrian amp; I set off Friday evening after a hard days work [of course :)] and arrived in Henley around 9:30pm, finally got camped by 11pm because of a huge queue of traffic! After setting up the awning, we promptly headed into town to for a few well deserved beers... On Saturday, the sun was shining and the pimms was a flowing, apparently there was some kind of rowing competition going on but all I could see was what seemed like the entire worlds supply of beautiful ladies in very pretty dresses! Heaven! nbsp; nbsp; We met quite a few really friendly folks from all over, a couple of crazy Irish lasses, and bizarrely a girl from Totnes (the world really is a small place). Endless tents with entertainment and even a few live bands thrown in for good measure. All in all we had an amazing weekend and it rsquo;s taken till now to regain enough energy to type up this blog entry! Next year again for sure! :) nbsp; Added by: Stuart on Tuesday 7th July 2009 http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/15/henley-regatta-2009 http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/15/henley-regatta-2009 Well isn rsquo;t Mrs Edwin a lucky lady! For her birthday I thought it might be a good idea to help her overcome a fear of heights by giving her a glider trial flight over Dartmoor at the Dartmoor Gliding Society just north of Tavistock. A small but very friendly club located on picturesque moorland in beautiful South Devon within sight of the very well known Brentor Church. So after really no fuss or stressing at all, Faye went up for her first glider flight. Complete with parachute and safety checks, it wasn rsquo;t long before she rsquo;s soaring over Brentor. Not a long first flight as the thermals weren rsquo;t really in our favour but a fantastic flight all the same. Not content with letting the missus have all the fun, I have a word with the chaps and sort out a flight for myself... So, after getting familiar with the controls of a modern dual control glider and getting securely strapped in (complete with parachute...), it was nearly time for launch. The gliders are launched with a powerful winch at the far end of the runway and attached to the under-carriage. A few safety checks from the portable control tower and the signal to lsquo;take up slack rsquo; was given. Slowly the winch pulls in the slack and the cable begins to twitch along the runway. Seconds later the glider starts to roll and quickly builds up speed, soon the glider is rocketing along the runway. As the glider is being pulled into a headwind the glider lifts off the ground effortlessly and climbs a 45 degree angle to about 800ft in around 6 seconds. Nothing can describe this feeling, you rsquo;re advised to look out to the side when taking off to give the brain some kind of reference point. Otherwise it rsquo;s just sky and a sinking feeling in your stomach. So the initial climb is over and at this point we rsquo;re still attached the winch, but with a very noisy disconnection (akin to a gun going off) we rsquo;re free and gliding. As soon as we have disconnected from the winch the ride is almost silent with only a subtle noise from a small air vent in the fibre glass cockpit cover. My pilot, Ged is full of information about gliding and it rsquo;s clearly his passion. He has been gliding for over 17 years and has never looked back, only up. I asked how long is it possible to lsquo;stay up rsquo; and for legal reasons, each flight is limited to 5 hours. I asked Ged when are the best conditions for gliding, Ged said ldquo;Look out for a lsquo;Simpson rsquo; sky, the thermals hide under the little fluffy white clouds. rdquo; I was only in the air for 10 minutes or so due to elusive thermals but it rsquo;s an experience I will remember for a long long time. As part of the trial flight costs, the wife and I now have membership to the Dartmoor Gliding Society for three months and can return for more flying at clubs rates. We will be back. Simon http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/14/soaring-to-new-heights http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/14/soaring-to-new-heights Monday of this week saw O #8217;Connors Campers rent their 1000th van, it seems fitting a couple who were celebrating their first wedding anniversary were the customers in question. The team then set about celebrating their success with champagne and cream teas!! Well done all and here is to the next 1000! O #8217;Connors Campers hire vintage VW campervans from their base in Okehampton, for more information the website can be viewed here. nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/13/1000th-hire-for-o--8217-connors-campers http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/13/1000th-hire-for-o--8217-connors-campers Congratulations to our client Sharpham for winning multiple awards for their wine at the International Wine Challenge 2009 in London. The Sharpham Sparkling, Sharpham Barrel Fermented and Sharpham Ros eacute; have also picked up Decanter 2009 awards. You can find out more about Sharpham and buy their wine and cheese at www.sharpham.com nbsp;. They are also holding an open weekend at the end of June for those who would like to join in the fun. nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/12/international-awards-for-sharpham- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/12/international-awards-for-sharpham- We now have our very own flickr photostream where we will be uploading pulse8 related images for your entertainment and amusement. We will be uploading photographs from any events we run, like the Karting Challenge this May, or any activities the gang get up to in their spare time. Bookmark the following link and you can stay up to date with the photographic happenings at pulse8. You never know, the odd comedy gem may appear from time to time!! And if you are already a Flickr user, why not add us as a friend. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulse8design/ http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/11/pulse8-flickr-photostream http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/11/pulse8-flickr-photostream The evening of Wednesday the 13th of May saw the latest round of the p8 Karting Challenge take place at Raceworld near Exeter, Devon. As ever the event was hotly contested by the 9 teams competing and racing was fast and furious but remained clean (mostly) for the whole evening. After 2 hours of racing the top honours finally fell to RL Services, congratulations to them, followed by pulse8 (1) in second and the Jet Rangers in third. The fastest lap of the night belonged to Matt Salter of pulse8 and no doubt we will be reminded of that fact on a regular basis. The evening long event took the form of an endurance race. Beginning with a half an hour warm up and qualifying session, the karts line up in order to commence the racing, the winning team is the one with the most laps at the end of the 2 hours racing. A big thanks to all of our clients who fielded teams for the event, a great deal of fun was had by all involved and we hope to see you all again at the next round of the p8 Karting Challenge. There are pictures available to look at on our pulse8 flickr page, nbsp;click here to view nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/10/p8-karting-challenge- http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/10/p8-karting-challenge- Congratulations to the Ten Tors team from Bramdean School, Exeter for finishing this years Ten Tors in fine style. They crossed the line together at 11.10am on Sunday after completing the gruelling 35 mile course. The picture shows the whole team proudly displaying their medals. Well done to one and all. nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/8/congratulations-to-the-p8-sponsored-ten-tors-team http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/8/congratulations-to-the-p8-sponsored-ten-tors-team Good luck to the Bramdean School Ten Tors 2009 team. This weekend, sponsored by pulse8, they will be taking on the challenge of the Ten Tors 35 miles course. Hopefully the weather will hold off this year and they will have a great event. The team rsquo;s progress can be followed by clicking here - and then selecting rsquo;Team Status rsquo; and entering Bramdean in the box. We will be twittering updates this weekend as and when we find out information so keep an eye on our twitter page. nbsp; Good luck The pulse8 team nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/7/good-luck-to-bramdean-school http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/7/good-luck-to-bramdean-school I rsquo;ve just returned from a nbsp;couple of days away attending the 2009 English Tourism Awards at the National Rail Museum in York. nbsp; Having already nbsp;been awarded the nbsp;Gold Award for South West Tourism website of the year, pulse8 were proud to be chosen to represent the South West at these National awards nbsp;in this incredibly competitive category. When first informed of the venue I was nbsp;intrigued to see nbsp;how nbsp;it could be possible to host such an evening in the middle of a train museum, and it was nbsp;literally in the middle of a train museum. nbsp; Surrounded by the hugely contrasting nbsp;trains nbsp;of the nbsp;ornately beautiful royal carriage of Queen Victoria, draped with its silks, satins and gold nbsp;to the dented panels of the nbsp;armoured locomotive brut, the quot;Winston Churchill quot;, nbsp;this proved to be a really unique venue. nbsp;I rsquo;m no train spotter but this place is awesome - even better when scoffing back bitesize canapes of Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Beef, Horseradish and nbsp;Gravy. nbsp; Is there a better nbsp;mouthful of food by the way? Congratulations to the National Railway Museum for hosting a fantastic evening and Ann and John Stocks from Compton Pool Farm (www.comptonpool.co.uk) for creating such an excellent 5 star self catering holiday venue and making our job so easy! Finally, big nbsp; rsquo;woop rsquo; to the crew at pulse8 for the multiple awards you rsquo;ve won over the years, it rsquo;s nice to be recognised for all that hard work nbsp;you put in isn rsquo;t it? Cheers Matt. nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/3/english-tourism-website-of-the-year-awards-2009 http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/3/english-tourism-website-of-the-year-awards-2009 Despite the ever dependable English weather, we have just spent an enjoyable weekend in a 44 year old VW Camper Van. Thanks to our friends and clients at O rsquo;Connors Campers, myself, my fiancee Helen and Alfie the office hound took Barbarossa (a 21 window Splitscreen samba) away for the weekend. With a top speed of 55 miles an hour (down hill), no power steering and drum brakes, it does not take long before you slip into a slower pace of life. 21 window rsquo;splitties rsquo; are extremely rare and despite his age he started first time, every time and received quite a reaction wherever he went. Fully equipped with every comfort needed for an enjoyable holiday we would recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors and is looking for something a little different. O rsquo;Connors Campers now have a fleet of 16 vans consisting of splitties and bay windows, all kept in tip top condition by Pete. If you want to make a booking or find out more, Sam and Zoe would be more than happy to help or visit them here. Darren nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/4/vintage-camping http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/4/vintage-camping pulse8 are pleased to be able to sponsor Bramdean School in their bid to conquer the 2009 Ten Tors challenge. Starting on May the 9th the team of six energetic youngsters are aiming to complete the gruelling 35 mile course and have been preparing for the ordeal for some time. Good luck to the team and we wish them well, if you are on Dartmoor during the event look out for the stylish fleeces designed by pulse8 and give them a cheer! http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/6/pulse8-sponsor-2009-ten-tors-team http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/6/pulse8-sponsor-2009-ten-tors-team Twitter has been all over the news of late and we have been playing with it here in the office to see how it can benefit us and our clients. If you are already on twitter you can follow us here. Basically, it rsquo;s a mini blog of up to 140 characters only and can include images and web links. It is possible to post rsquo;tweets rsquo; from your web browser, any number of computer based applications, mobile phones and smart phones like Blackberry and iPhone. With little effort it is possible to build up a large following which is when Twitter can become a powerful marketing tool for both individuals and companies. The following articles illustrate how Twitter can be used for marketing purposes - NY Times amp; Wired. If you think Twitter could benefit your business and want to discuss why not give us a call to discuss - contact us here. nbsp; nbsp; http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/5/twitter http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/5/twitter With nearly 300 of the UK rsquo;s finest ales to choose from, Brady, Simon and Stephen of pulse8, supported by wobbly friends had more than enough choice to put them under the influence and make them nearly miss the last train home to Plymouth. The Malting rsquo;s Festival in Newton Abbot is now established as one of the premier ale festivals in the UK and is the second year for Brady and Simon. Personal favourites included lsquo;The Albatross rsquo;, lsquo;Beheaded rsquo; nbsp; and lsquo;Darkness rsquo;, all of equally damaging potency. Already looking forward to next years event to make it a hat trick! http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/2/tuckers-maltings-ale-festival http://www.pulse8internet.com//blog/article/2/tuckers-maltings-ale-festival