Latest news with #techupgrade
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
National Lottery to suffer 36-hour outage in rush to deliver botched tech update
The National Lottery will be plunged into a 36-hour blackout this summer as its new owner rushes to deliver a botched tech upgrade. Allwyn, which is controlled by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, has warned retailers their National Lottery terminals will stop working for around 36 hours while systems are updated. In a statement to shop owners this week, Andria Vidler, the chief executive of Allwyn UK, said: 'Technical switchover will happen over one weekend this summer, and to enable the new systems to go live, National Lottery terminals will be inactive for approximately 36 hours.' Ms Vidler did not provide a date for the shutdown, but asked retailers for their 'help and diligence to ensure a seamless transition'. It is understood that the upgrade will begin at about 11pm on a Saturday night to reduce disruption and loss of earnings. The National Lottery does not trade overnight and no draw-based games take place on a Sunday. Allwyn has pledged to overhaul the National Lottery's estate of 43,500 terminals at a cost of £350m. The update is critical to the company's promise to double the lottery's contribution to good causes. However, the IT upgrade has been plagued by difficulties and delays. Bosses are now racing to launch the new system amid pressure from the Gambling Commission. The complex update was supposed to be in place when Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot in February last year. However, this was delayed after the existing provider, International Games Technology (IGT), challenged the move in the High Court. The rollout has also been delayed by a separate legal challenge mounted by Richard Desmond, who is suing the Gambling Commission after missing out on the 10-year licence. He has argued the bidding process was unfair and is seeking £200m in damages. The delays have fuelled concerns that Allwyn will fall short of its ambitious pledge to funnel more money to good causes. The operator originally promised to increase its charitable donations from £17.9bn to £38bn over the course of the licence – equivalent to about £3.8bn a year. But it has now watered down these targets by pledging to double returns by the end of its licence, from £30m to £60m a week – or less than £3.2bn a year. The Telegraph revealed earlier this year that the National Lottery is already facing a £2bn shortfall toward its charitable donation target in its maiden year. This summer's outage, first reported by Better Retailing magazine, is also likely to spark concerns among shopkeepers who make commission by selling lottery tickets. Andrew Goodacre, the chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, said: 'My opinion is that anything that disrupts the normal running of a shop is not welcome. 'We also have to hope that the proposed works go to plan and that any switch is restricted to 36 hours – I fear this may overrun. I would also like to think that the retailers would receive some form of compensation for lost business or inconvenience.' A spokesman for Allwyn said: 'Allwyn is investing over £350m into improving the operations and technology of The National Lottery. 'This change is critical – it will give us the springboard from which we can continue to improve the player and retailer experience and enable us to deliver on our ambitious plans to double returns to good causes from £30m to £60m a week by the end of the licence.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
National Lottery to suffer 36-hour outage in rush to deliver botched tech update
The National Lottery will be plunged into a 36-hour blackout this summer as its new owner rushes to deliver a botched tech upgrade. Allwyn, which is controlled by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, has warned retailers their National Lottery terminals will stop working for around 36 hours while systems are updated. In a statement to shop owners this week, Andria Vidler, the chief executive of Allwyn UK, said: 'Technical switchover will happen over one weekend this summer, and to enable the new systems to go live, National Lottery terminals will be inactive for approximately 36 hours.' Ms Vidler did not provide a date for the shutdown, but asked retailers for their 'help and diligence to ensure a seamless transition'. It is understood that the upgrade will begin at about 11pm on a Saturday night to reduce disruption and loss of earnings. The National Lottery does not trade overnight and no draw-based games take place on a Sunday. Allwyn has pledged to overhaul the National Lottery's estate of 43,500 terminals at a cost of £350m. The update is critical to the company's promise to double the lottery's contribution to good causes. However, the IT upgrade has been plagued by difficulties and delays. Bosses are now racing to launch the new system amid pressure from the Gambling Commission. The complex update was supposed to be in place when Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot in February last year. However, this was delayed after the existing provider, International Games Technology (IGT), challenged the move in the High Court. The rollout has also been delayed by a separate legal challenge mounted by Richard Desmond, who is suing the Gambling Commission after missing out on the 10-year licence. He has argued the bidding process was unfair and is seeking £200m in damages. The delays have fuelled concerns that Allwyn will fall short of its ambitious pledge to funnel more money to good causes. The operator originally promised to increase its charitable donations from £17.9bn to £38bn over the course of the licence – equivalent to about £3.8bn a year. But it has now watered down these targets by pledging to double returns by the end of its licence, from £30m to £60m a week – or less than £3.2bn a year. The Telegraph revealed earlier this year that the National Lottery is already facing a £2bn shortfall toward its charitable donation target in its maiden year. This summer's outage, first reported by Better Retailing magazine, is also likely to spark concerns among shopkeepers who make commission by selling lottery tickets. Andrew Goodacre, the chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, said: 'My opinion is that anything that disrupts the normal running of a shop is not welcome. 'We also have to hope that the proposed works go to plan and that any switch is restricted to 36 hours – I fear this may overrun. I would also like to think that the retailers would receive some form of compensation for lost business or inconvenience.' A spokesman for Allwyn said: 'Allwyn is investing over £350m into improving the operations and technology of The National Lottery. 'This change is critical – it will give us the springboard from which we can continue to improve the player and retailer experience and enable us to deliver on our ambitious plans to double returns to good causes from £30m to £60m a week by the end of the licence.'
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Dell Offers Its 4.8 Rated 15.6″ Laptop for Almost 60% to Clear Out Stock, Loaded With Windows 11 Pro
When was the last time you upgraded your laptop? If you're still working off of a piece of ten year old tech, it may be time to start looking for a replacement. This Dell laptop is a super versatile option that can fulfill a lot of the needs of pretty much anyone, be it you're a student, small business owner, or just someone who wants to go online with something other than their phone. Dell has its 15.6-inch laptop with Windows 11 Pro installed on sale. It has different options for RAM and storage, but it's most affordable option is for 57% off, bringing it down from its listed price of $1,300 to just $560. That'll save you a full $740. See at Amazon With the Dell 3530 laptop, you have your choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of RAM. Likewise, you can choose between 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage. The cheapest option is the 16GB memory with 512GB of storage at $560. Upping the RAM to 32GB and storage to 1TB will bring the price to just $630. Bringing the RAM up again to 64GB takes it to $759. And finally, upgrading to a full 2TB will make it $889. All options are running on an Intel 10-core i5-1334U processor to achieve fast and reliable speeds. Portability at Its Finest The display is nice and large at 15.6 inches across, capable of HD 1920 by 1080 resolution to accurately display all the info you need to see. There's hardly any bezel at all so you really maximize your screen real estate while keeping the laptop compact. And the laptop itself is thin and lightweight, keeping it easy to bring back and forth from home to work or to a nearby coffee shop. You can even take it outside with it's anti-glare screen. The laptop comes with Window 11 Pro preinstalled, so you can use the latest operating system from Microsoft to help attend to all your school needs. You also get Microsoft 365 which grants you access to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more. It's many ports allow a lot of flexibility. Along its sides, you'll find a USB-C port, two USB-A ports, the power jack, an HDMI port to allow displaying on a second monitor, an SD card reader slot, and a headset jack. You can take them from my phone but you'll rue the day when you take the AUX off my laptop. For a limited time, you can save almost 60% on the Dell 15.6-inch 3530 laptop for home, business, and student-use—getting it for as low as $560. See at Amazon
News24
25-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Samsung offers up to 45% OFF with their #PreekendSpecial deals
Samsung South Africa is giving customers a reason to upgrade their tech and home essentials with an exciting three-day sale offering up to 45% OFF on a wide selection of premium Samsung products. The deals will run only on the Samsung Shop App from 23 to 25 May 2025. The Preekend Special shopping experience, which premiered on 22 May at 8pm live on the Samsung YouTube channel brought the deals first customers. The livestream combined the exclusive deals on Samsung products with live DJ sets, and offered a shopping experience unlike any other. The discounted products include some of Samsung's most sought-after devices, including: · Galaxy S25+ · Galaxy A26 5G · Galaxy Tab S10FE WIFI · Galaxy Buds 3 Pro · Freestyle Projector 2nd Gen · 85' QLED 4K Smart TV · 75' Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV · Q-Series Premium Soundbar · BESPOKE AI Side by Side, 21.5' Family Hub screen, Plumbed, Black, 594L · 19kg AI Top Loader Washing Machine · 27' Odyssey G55C QHD, 1ms MPRT, 165Hz Gaming Monitor · 27″ Odyssey 3D G90XF 4K 164Hz Gaming Monitor Consumers can enjoy unbeatable deals while shopping from the convenience of their mobile devices, with all purchases made securely through the Samsung Shop App. Why Shop on the Samsung Shop App? In addition to these limited-time offers, app users enjoy benefits such as: • Free delivery on all orders • Flexible payment options including Float, Mobicred, and PayJustNow • Access to exclusive app-only deals and personalised offers Don't Miss Out, download the Samsung Shop App.
CNET
24-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Best Memorial Day Laptop Deals: Save Up to $650 on Laptops From Top Brands Like HP, Apple and Samsung
Memorial Day deals are going on now, which means you can save big across several high-ticket categories like mattresses and major appliances. This is also a great time to upgrade your tech, since headphones, TVs and laptops are heavily discounted as well. If you're looking to upgrade your laptop, now is an excellent time. We're seeing tons of major price drops on laptops from tons of top brands. From premium Apple devices to a variety of Windows laptops -- and even a few bargain-busting Chromebooks -- we've found deals that are perfect for gamers, students and anyone wanting to replace their current computer. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Keep in mind that these deals could expire or sell out at any moment -- several formerly in this list already have -- so if you see a bargain you really don't want to miss, we'd recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later. We'll continue to update this page with all the latest and greatest offers through the holiday weekend, so be sure to check back often. Best Memorial Day laptop deals Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 (16-inch): $750 Save $300 The Lenovo Yoga 7i offers a 16-inch screen and 2K resolution, so you'll never miss out on any image details. It's equipped with 16GB RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive, which can hold all of your files and games. At $300 off, this one of the best Memorial Day deals around and it makes an excellent gift for grads who want to tackle studies or work. Plus, you'll get multiple ports so you can connect to your chosen devices, including USB-A, HDMI, Thunderbolt and a headphone jack. $750 at Best Buy HP 15.6-inch Laptop: $300 Save $230 This HP touchscreen laptop is just $300 right now, making it the perfect budget-friendly find for anyone needing an upgrade. It's equipped with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, has a 15.6-inch screen with HD resolution. It also includes one USB-A port, two USB-C ports and an HDMI port. It also supports Wi-Fi 6, so you can get more out of your internet connection. $300 at Best Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook (12.2-inch): $309 Save $120 This Lenovo IdeaPad features a touch screen with a 360-degree flip-and-fold design that allows you to use it as both a laptop and a tablet. The 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution on the 12-inch touchscreen beats every 11.6-inch Chromebook I've ever seen out of the water, and you can easily reach the 10 hours of claimed battery life. 4GB of RAM is a bit light for multitasking, but this ultraportable Chromebook has been perfect for me to bring to the coffee shop for some writing or D&D night for my character sheet. $309 at Best Buy Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro (16-inch): $1,400 Save $650 This high-powered, 16-inch laptop comes with a Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It has a vibrant 3K AMOLED touchscreen display with an anti-reflective screen. It's a great laptop for taking work meetings with its FHD camera, AKG Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos and dual bi-directional, noise-cancelling microphone. The 16-inch model is currently on sale for less than the 14-inch version thanks to this Memorial Day deal. $1,400 at Amazon Is Memorial Day a good time to buy a laptop? Compared to other major shopping events like Black Friday, Memorial Day is a little more geared towards big-ticket items like mattresses and major appliances. However, there are still some amazing deals on tech to be had -- including laptops. Prices may drop a little lower around the holidays, but if you don't want to wait until November, Memorial Day is still an excellent time to grab a new laptop for less. Where are the best Memorial Day laptop sales? Tons of retailers are already offering some amazing Memorial Day deals on tech like laptops, including Amazon and Best Buy. Plus, a handful of major brands will likely be offering some direct deals of their own as we get closer to the main event. What else is on sale for Memorial Day? There are tons of savings to be had on TVs, appliances, furniture and more ahead of Memorial Day. To get a good idea of what's out there, be sure to check out our full roundup of all the overall best Memorial Day deals already available. How we choose the best Memorial Day laptop deals Many of us at CNET have covered shopping events for over five years, including Black Friday, Prime Day, Memorial Day and countless other shopping events. We've gotten good at weeding out scams and superficial deals, so you'll see only the best offers on our lists. We look for real discounts, quality reviews and remaining sale time when choosing laptop deals to show you. We have a team of experts who have tested hundreds of laptops to make sure we're bringing you the best options at the best prices.
