We've sent out three CDs this year alone and have 'posted' numerous interim updates on our website which have resulted in hundreds of hits on our download page. However, even our website updates are large and take some time to download, not to mention the effort of entering your contact details each time. Wouldn't it be better if LSS could check itself if there was an update available and download it without stopping the user's work? Well that's what we are testing at present.

Those of you who have looked in the LSS installation folder will have seen several files in there. Some are quite small, while the main program is 9Mb or so. Even the Help file is over 10Mb. In future, we'll be breaking the Help down into individual documents, so what the autoupdate service will do is check if there are any newer versions of the files on our website and automatically download them.The next time LSS is run the files will be automatically copied into their respective folders. As far as is possible, the entire exercise should be seamless.

Those users who expressed a willingness to test the autoupdate facility in response to our last e-bulletin will already be testing the technology. For the rest, we will send out another mini e-bulletin when it has undergone sufficient testing and we have uploaded it on our website for general consumption.

However, we would still like a couple of extra volunteers whose computers are connected to large IT networks with inbuilt security systems. We'd like to trial the autoupdate facility on such a system before releasing it to the masses. Please call us on 08456 444244 and ask to speak to Bryan Taylor. Thank you.

We have just entered a new round of Beta testing but what benefits will it bring to you, the user?

Apart from a few new commands - mostly at this stage Coordinate Geometry edit commands, we have revisited several areas of the program in an attempt to streamline much of the keyboard and mouse-intensive commands.

The first thing you'll notice when you run LSS Beta is the new bank of icons down the left side of the screen. In addition to the new Co-Go icons we have split the 7 edit point & link commands into separate commands and because you don't need to quit one command to be able to start another it is truly a single click to move from one command to the next.

The second thing you should notice will be the introduction of a button named 'Method'. We're still working on this as a concept, but it gives you access to the settings inside a command - usually the ones you see when you enter the command, but now the second time in you won't see any initial screens. It assumes you want the same settings as before unless you hit 'Method' or 'Esc'. It is supposed to improve efficiency, but we are still working on the final interface, so any feedback you can give us would be appreciated.

For a full and up-to-date list of the Beta developments click Here (choose 'Open' when prompted).

Pen-based computers have been around for quite some time. Used primarily to allow site-based editing and processing, they have established themselves in a number of markets over the years. The problems have always been the lack of screen brightness when used outdoors, fragility and poor battery life. Now a company has come along with a couple of products which they claim will overcome all these problems and the devices are called the 'Atigo S' (above) and 'Spyglass' (below).

Supplied in the UK by X2 Computing and manufactured in the USA by parent company Xybernaut Computing, the hand-held units are full Windows PCs with a touch-sensitive screen and all the usual peripheral ports you'd expect on a full sized PC, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Specified with either solid state or hard disc storage, the units boast high resolution screens which are very bright, some even in full sunlight (different screen specs. are available). What's more, they are ruggedised, weatherproof and light. Other tablet PCs on the market offer similar PC specifications, but require additional ruggedised cases which bump up the weight to almost 2Kg, which is a bit of a weight to lug around. The ‘Atigo S’ is just 840g with battery.

While these PCs will take conventional mouse and keyboard inputs for use in the office, when used as hand-held units the main interface is a pen-like stylus. In early testing we took one out to show a couple of LSS users and asked them what they thought of the concept. It was decided that, as a site-based survey editing tool it had potential, especially for adding final edits and text in field verification and, in combination with the new LSS Co-Go editing tools, could save quite some time on jobs containing as-built features. Certainly the feedback we have received has been positive and we are confident that whoever does purchase one will be able to make full use of LSS.

Visit xybernaut.com and browse for the 'Atigo S' (at the time of writing, Spyglass is still under development). Contacts in the UK are X2 Computing. Their contact details are available Here

Thank you for reading this e-bulletin. We hope you found the information contained within it of interest.