Computer Tune Up for 2013

Resolve to Regular Computer Tune Up This Year

New Year’s morning – you wake up and within a few hours you’ve broken half the resolutions you’ve set for the year. “I’ll start tomorrow,” you swear. You log on the computer, go directly to Facebook (another resolution down) and start to browse. Just like you, another year passes and your computer gets a little bit slower. If only there were some way to make sure it went to the gym and ate more healthily.

According to a study performed by Crucial.com, 4 out of 5 computer users would like to change something about their computer. The top 5 changes they’d make: faster startup, faster programs, more reliability, longer battery life, and more storage space.

While your computer can’t make these changes on its own, unlike you, there are some things you can resolve to do to make sure your computer stays fit.


1. Faster Startup:

Humans need a cup of coffee for faster startup, but don’t pour one on your computer. Instead, check your startup programs and get rid of anything you don’t use. If you’re unsure of something, consult a computer repair expert with questions. To get rid of programs bogging down your computer, hold the Windows key, then press R, type ‘msconfig’ (without quotes) and go the “startup” tab. Uncheck anything you’re not using.

2. Faster programs:

While you can’t just make your programs run faster with something as simple as the above trick, adding more RAM to your computer will usually speed it up. Talk to a computer repair expert to see if you can add more memory. This is a cheap way of upgrading your computer to squeeze some more life out of it.

3. Improved reliability:

If your system isn’t rock-solid, it means there’s something wrong with it. Computers run like they should until an outside force intervenes. Most often, that outside force is a virus or malware. Make sure you install an antivirus software this year. We recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s free and gets the job done. MalwareBytes is also great for periodical scans, which you should resolve to do as well.

4. Longer battery life:

Laptop owners are perpetually cursed by the low battery warning. If you want to avoid this happening to your laptop you just got for Christmas, resolve to do a few things. Make sure not to let it overheat. Long-term heat can severely damage your laptop’s battery. Also, don’t let the battery drain all the way out. Just like driving your car on empty can strain it, running the laptop out will damage it as well.

5. More storage space:

This is by far the easiest resolution to carry through on. You can even fulfill it today. If you have a laptop, you’ll need to get an external hard drive, which you can buy online or in your local store. They come in capacities up to two terabytes, but that will surely be tiny by the time this year is over. If you have a desktop, you can install another internal drive for more storage. And if you want to be able to access files from anywhere, you should consider looking into a cloud storage solution. Google Drive has ever-increasing storage and is free!

Infographic by crucial.com

Using Technology at Work

Using Technology at Work is Changing: keep up with it

Now that almost half of all Americans own a smartphone and roughly a quarter of all Americans own a tablet computer, it’s apparent that we are growing increasingly dependent on mobile handheld devices. Yet most companies haven’t outfitted their workforce with these gadgets, leading many of us to use personal devices at work. While this may make it easier to get the job done, there are some issues to consider, whether you’re a business owner or employee.

In an ideal situation, your company should have a written policy in place detailing expectations and procedures for using your personal device at work. These should include data and software control and ownership, as well as detail any liability you are exposing yourself to and what the company expects to happen to data or programs on your device at the end of your employment.


Consider potential costs you may bear in order to make your gadget work compatible. Will your company reimburse you for software that you acquire for work use? If so, do you own the software or does it belong to the company? While your boss footing the bill for your tablet’s productivity programs may seem like a sweet deal, having to uninstall them and ditch any data you’ve used them to create at your employer’s behest will likely be a hassle.

In addition to data or cell usage fees, using your device on the job is sure to lead to additional wear and tear. Should your phone or tablet get damaged while using it for work, it’s unlikely your employer will cover its replacement.

Determine what you’ll be expected to provide upon termination of your employment. If your employer expects that all company-related data (such as emails, contacts or documents) be purged, be careful not to merge work files with personal. Look for applications that allow you to segregate your work files from your personal data or, better yet, utilize a cloud storage solution (there are many options, including Dropbox and Google Drive) and refrain from storing any work-related data on your device.

If you must store company data on your phone or tablet, be sure to protect yourself from potential liability should it be lost or stolen. Establish a login password to deter a passerby from gaining easy access to your device. Install a mobile security application such as Lookout Mobile Security (https://www.lookout.com/). For $2.99/month or $29.99/year, the premium version allows you to remotely passcode lock and/or wipe data should your gadget go missing. Apple device users should activate the free “Find My iPhone” or “Find My iPad” service in order to gain the remote lock and wipe functionality on their iOS gadgets.

Using your cell phone to communicate with clients can lead to muddy waters once those clients begin to call you directly on your cell (either because you provide them with the number or it appears on their caller-ID). Your employer may expect that any number provided to a client be forfeited upon termination. Protect yourself from hassle by blocking your number from appearing on outgoing calls. If you must have work clients call you back on your cell, consider setting up a voice over IP (VOIP) account that forwards to your cell using a service such as Google Voice Mobile (http://www.google.com/mobile/voice/, free) or Skype (www.skype.com, $4.99/month). You can use the account to call out as well, though using a 3rd party application to place calls on your cell can be a hassle.

Photo Used Royalty-Free From sxc.hu

Before You Upgrade to Windows 8, Prepare your PC

Looking to Upgrade to Windows 8? Check this out first

Windows 8 officially hit the market on Friday, October 26th. I haven’t waivered in my recommendation that you use caution when considering upgrading to such a drastically different Operating System, but if you’re eager to join the ranks of early adopters, here are some tips to smooth your transition to the next generation of Windows.

First, make sure your computer is compatible with and able to support Windows 8. It actually doesn’t require many resources to run (one of its benefits – its streamlined nature helps it to boot up and run fast), so if your system was built in the last six years or so you’re probably good to go. The minimum requirements are: 1 GHz or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of hard disk space, and a Graphics card with Microsoft DirectX 9 and WDDM driver.

Next, head over to Microsoft’s Compatibility Center (www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/win8/) to confirm that your peripheral devices (such as printers, monitor, mouse, cell phone, camera, etc.) are compatible. Most devices that work with Windows 7 will work with Windows 8, but its best to make sure before you upgrade.

Once you’ve determined that your system is ready for Windows 8, watch a few online walk-through videos to see the software in action. I don’t mean the glossy commercial-style videos produced by Windows and designed to sell you on the “coolness” of the product. I mean videos like those posted on CNN’s technology page or even those on YouTube (search “Windows 8 walkthrough”) - just prepare to weed through some truly atrocious amateur contributions.

This is the best way to get an idea of how drastically different Windows 8 will be. Keep in mind that it’s designed to be used with a touch screen device, so if you’re planning to install it on a standard PC with a mouse and keyboard, make sure you peruse some video coverage of how it runs without touch capability.

Now it’s time to hunt and gather – for all the installation disks, codes and/or drivers for your software and peripheral devices. Without a way to reinstall the software that supports your system’s hardware and peripherals, you could be left without a working display or way to input commands should Windows 8 fail to recognize the drivers for your monitor or keyboard. Be prepared to reconfigure your modem and/or router to get back online.

If you don’t have a handy keepsake box full of installation CDs (doesn’t everyone?), look up your devices online and download a backup copy of the drivers BEFORE you upgrade lest you be left without internet access after installing Windows 8.
Are you still on board? Now do a complete backup of your data. While upgrading to Windows 8 shouldn’t affect the programs and data stored on your system, performing such a major change always warrants backing up first. Backup your important files to another computer, an external hard disk, or cloud-based storage account.

Finally, prepare for the worst and make sure that you’re prepared to do a re-format of your hard disk in order to reinstall Windows 7. This will require a valid Product ID (it can be found on the System page where you found your system specifications) or Windows activation key (for Windows XP it’s often located on a sticker on the system itself.

Good luck on your new Windows adventure!

Mobile Security: Protecting your Phone

Mobile Security for your Android Phone

Two Easy Steps to Protect Yourself
Whether you’re one of the millions of Americans that already owns a mobile handheld device (like a Smartphone, tablet or iPod Touch), or you’re hoping Santa slips one under your tree this year, there’s something you likely haven’t put much thought towards: mobile security.

 

According to a report released by Forrester Research, it’s estimated that 46% of all bank account holders will utilize mobile banking services by 2017.  Even if you aren’t accessing your bank or credit account from your handheld device, you likely have email; social networking and a multitude of apps that give a would-be thief plenty of valuable information should they get a hold of your phone or tablet.  Take a few easy steps to protect that information from loss or theft.


Step One:  First, enable a pass code lock that requires a code or pattern be entered when your phone or tablet is reactivated from sleep mode.  I know, you’re thinking, “what a hassle to have to enter a number or trace a pattern every time I want to use the phone,” but keep in mind that most thieves are looking for an easy target.  If the gadget they snatch turns out to be locked, someone looking to steal data is likely to abandon the endeavor rather than go to the effort of trying to hack past the lock screen.

 

Apple devices (as well as many other handheld gadgets) offer the option to erase all data in the event that the wrong code is entered more than ten times.  This safety measure immediately brings to my mind the image of my son relentlessly pressing buttons trying to get to his games until my phone is made useless.  However, if you’ve taken the precaution of backing up your data and apps to a cloud application (such as iCloud, SugarSync, etc), even an errant data wipe isn’t tragic.

 

Step Two:  Next, utilize a mobile security application that allows you to control your phone or tablet remotely in the event it is lost or stolen.  Look for one that shows your gadget’s approximate location (provided your device is powered and you have GPS activated) on an online map.  If it’s somewhere in or around your home, use the software to activate a repeating alarm beep to help you find it.  Should you discover it’s at your local Starbucks, or worse, in someone else’s possession, the application should allow you to remotely lock the phone, post a message on the home screen with your contact info, or if necessary remotely wipe your data.

 

iPhone, iPod and iPad users should activate Apple’s Find my iPhone (or Find my iPod/iPad). It does all of the things listed above; best of all it’s free and comes pre-installed on all current iOS mobile devices.  If you didn’t enable it when you activated your device, navigate through the Settings menu to the section for iCloud, then the Find My iPhone (iPod/iPad) option. Toggle the switch to ON. When prompted to allow the application to access your location, select Allow.

 

Avast! Free Mobile Security (www.avast.com/en-us/free-mobile-security#tab3) is a great free option for Android users. It runs silently in the background so it's difficult to detect or remove and can survive hard-resets. In addition to the features listed above, it includes a siren that gets louder if thieves try to turn it off and call forwarding so you don't miss a call or text while your phone is MIA.  If an unauthorized SIM card is detected, the phone will lock, activate the siren and send you a notification containing the phone's new number and geographic location.  All the anti-theft settings are able to be modified remotely, so they're easily customizable to your particular situation.

 

Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, an on-site computer and laptop repair service for consumers and businesses. Andrea is the writer of two weekly columns, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight, and Computer Nerds On Call, a nationally syndicated column for the Scripps-Howard News Service.  She regularly appears on ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, Good Morning Arizona and MORE Good Day Portland, offering viewers easy tips on technology, Internet lifestyle, and gadgets.  Andrea recently has begun working with Demand Media to produce content for eHow.com and has written a book for them Smartphone101: Integrating your iPhone into a Windows World. Andrea is available for Q & A’s, expert tech quotes and will appear on your show, call today! See Andrea in action at www.callnerds.com/andrea.

 

 

Speed Up Mac Computers with Software Alternatives

Computer Running Slow? Speed Up Mac Default Applications

Apple fans may claim that Macs have a blissfully symbiotic relationship between software and hardware, but the truth is that some of the applications that come standard (or are very common) on Macs could be improved upon. Here are some alternatives to Mac’s most ditch-able software.

Last week I highlighted iTunes as a program Windows users should avoid unless necessary. While it tends to work faster on Macs, it can still be a system hog, and users commonly complain of random track deletions and duplications. Consider using iTunes to download music and podcasts and Spotify (www.spotify.com/us/) to do everything else. The basic version is free, organizes and syncs your music and iTunes library across a multitude of OS and mobile device platforms, all the while allowing you to stream millions of songs you don’t own from their massive music library. Upgrade to a premium account for $9.99/month to ditch commercials and stream to your mobile devices.


Firefox has advantages, too. They're launching a silent update feature in the near future which will allow it to update itself in the background so you're not bothered by all those pesky reminders.

ICal is the default calendar application for Macs, but it lacks some of the features of Google Calendar. Notifications can be both annoying and difficult to modify. Google Calendar works across all OS platforms, an advantage over iCal. Google supports syncing multiple calendars, allowing you to see work and personal events simultaneously while color-coding them for organization. It’s compatible with all Smartphone platforms and allows any authorized party to edit shared Google calendars, whereas iCal is read-only to non-Mac users.

Macs come with Mail pre-installed as the application to organize your email, similar to Outlook Express. It's extremely basic and not really worth the effort to configure if you're using a Gmail or Yahoo account. Simply log in to your email provider from your browser window and disregard Mail. Gmail's spam filtering is also much more robust than what you'll get with Mail.

IWork is the Mac alternative to Microsoft Office. It provides such programs as Pages (for word processing) and Numbers (for spreadsheets). Its advantage is that it integrates with iCloud to sync seamlessly with your other Apple products. The drawback: limited functionality makes it difficult to use across OS platforms. Opening documents created in Microsoft Office is possible but often involves some modification or loss of functionality to more advanced features and alternatively, Office users may encounter difficulty viewing your Pages document in its full glory. NeoOffice (www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php) is free and considered a more stable alternative to the Mac OS versions of OpenOffice or LibreOffice. In addition, NeoOffice sports a host of features those suites don't offer.

Movies and TV shows downloaded from iTunes usually play seamlessly in QuickTime, but if you find yourself more often watching home DVDs or movie files from your video camera, QuickTime can be slow and buggy. It's also not robust enough to read or play corrupted files. For that you should try VLC Media Player (www.videolan.org/vlc/). It's free (unlike many other alternatives to QuickTime) and recognizes more file types than QuickTime does, so you don't have to worry about cross-compatibility with your devices.

What is Twitter: Microblogging 101

Asking "What is Twitter?" - Some Helpful Tips

What is Twitter? Well, when I think of Twitter, the first thing I think is: too much information. Do we really need to share the blow-by-blow of our lives with the world, or follow along on our friends’ every move? Yet with over 300 million users, it’s the second most popular social media outlet (following behind Facebook’s behemoth 850+ million users) – they can’t all be wrong, right? I set out to figure out what I’ve been missing, or rather, if I’m missing something about Twitter.

What makes Twitter different from other forms of social media? Facebook helps you stay connected with your circle of friends and family, but Twitter connects you with people all over the world. Search for subjects that interest you and join the conversation, even if it’s with someone you’d never connect with in real life, like your favorite celebrity or a politician. If you like to stay on top of what’s hot (i.e., “trending”) online, Twitter’s little "sound bites" from around the globe are a constant stream of instant information.


Every user has a unique username, or "Handle," used so people can follow you. People can link their tweets to you by "Mentioning" you, using the @ symbol in combination with your handle. For example, @CNN links to CNN News. Users are notified when their handle is mentioned, and it allows you to conduct discussions in a public forum. Lastly, "Hashtags" (#) are used to notate a topic of larger conversation, linking words together without spaces: say, #BatmanBegins or #BarackObama. It's used as a discovery tool that allows users to find tweets related to a particular subject as it allows you to see all the tweets that mention the topic in real time, even from people you're not currently following.
Ready to start tweeting? Signing up is simple. Visit www.twitter.com, create your account (name, password, email) and you're off and away. You start by building your Timeline, which looks a lot like your Facebook Wall (in Twitter-world it's called a "feed"), filled with the Tweets people have posted. You can choose to "follow" anything or anyone you're interested in, whether it's your favorite TV show or celebrity, or even your brother George if you can find him within the myriad of Georges. Twitter can suggest friends from your Facebook list, or you can search for people you know using Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or AOL accounts.

Once you're signed up you can begin tweeting right away, but the best way to get your voice heard is to reply to tweets you're following and use your @mention liberally. The power of Twitter is the one-on-one connection you can have with some very influential people. The more you interact, the more you'll be heard, and who knows? Maybe they'll even strike up a conversation with you! To see the power of Twitter in action, look no further than last year’s wave of political protests across the Arab world: Twitter is credited with having a large influence, as activists used social networking sites to publicize and mobilize the movements (http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/facebook-and-twitter-key-to-arab-spring-uprisings-report).
Businesses are connecting with their customers through Twitter. With millions of active users and over 300 million tweets sent per day, it's likely your industry and competitors are already in the midst of the conversation. Use it to get the word out about your brand while gathering insights about what your customers want so you can deliver.

It's no surprise that Twitter applications are available for your Smartphone. The official Twitter application is free and will help you when you're starting out, but check out Tweetbot (http://tapbots.com/software/tweetbot/, iPhone, $2.99) when you're ready to get serious about your tweeting. It allows you to create lists of tweets you're following so you can easily separate your world news from your friends' with the tap of a finger. Its fun to use, too, with its cute sounds and animations and easy integration with other Twitter apps you're using. All other users should check out TweetCaster (http://tweetcaster.com/, all platforms: ad-supported is free, otherwise $4.99). The paid, pro version has extra features and no ads. Links are shared easily with a handy copy-paste feature and a simple-to-use interface.

Computer Won't Turn On? Check for Viruses

Computer Won't Turn on Because of a Virus? Try This

If you’ve ever had a virus that kept your system from booting at all, you know how infuriating it is. One mistake and your computer is now a very expensive brick. If you’ve never had this happen to you, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Viruses are on the rise and show no signs of becoming less of a problem in the future. Fortunately, there are now tools that can save your computer even when you can’t start Windows, and they’re much cheaper than buying a new computer.

If you don’t have access to another computer, or can’t follow the instructions here (they can get a little technical), you can always buy the fixmestick at http://www.fixmestick.com. This little device will help you boot into your computer and remove the virus.

However, if the $59.99 price tag seems like a little much for you, and you think you’ve got what it takes to fix it on your own, there’s a much cheaper way to take control of your infected computer.

What you’ll need: A spare computer (ask a friend), and a blank CD or DVD.

First, download the Avira Rescue System at http://www.avira.com/en/downloads - tools and save it on the computer you’re using.

Second, put the blank CD or DVD in the computer and double-click on the Avira Rescue System installer. It’ll walk you through the steps you need to burn the disk.

Once you’re done here, put the disk in the infected computer. If it doesn’t boot into the rescue system, restart your computer and look for a quick dialog that says something like “Press DEL to enter setup.” It differs from system to system, but it’ll be something like F2 or DEL. Once you’re in setup, look for something that specifies “boot order” and make sure your CD drive is the first thing that it boots from.

Once you’ve booted into the rescue system, it’s time to clean things up. When it boots up, Avira will ask you if you want to boot into the system. Type 1 and press enter. It will boot up from there. For your first attempt, you probably just want to go to the “Virus Scanner” tab and click “Start Scanner.” As it runs, it will fix any problems it finds. You should be done after that!

If you’re still having problems, the problem is probably more severe, and should be taken to a computer repair expert.

Whichever route ends up fixing your computer, you should protect against it happening in the future. Download Microsoft Security Essentials and install it for free – it should keep you protected against most attacks.