333TECH

Google Chrome

2008-09-08T07:40:00.007-05:00

Who isn't blogging about Chrome this week? Can I just start off by saying WOW!!! The download, install and setup were so slick, and FAST. I have an extensive list of bookmarks and the import took seconds. Again, WOW!!!

There are many other places you can read about the features and what Chrome can and can’t do so I won't bore you with the details. Let’s rather focus on the real story here. Like Gmail and Google Apps, this is not just another “me too” app. The story is not about a new browser. The real story is about the paradigm shift that’s about to take place. Chrome has Google’s typical minimalistic feel which is apparent in the distinct lack of hundreds of options to set. Just download, install and use it. You’re not going to spend hours figuring out what options to turn on and off like in IE. It’s very easy and intuitive. And, over time it will change the way we view web browsing.

I learned with Gmail to just accept the paradigm shift and not to grasp for all the handles and levers that I was used to in traditional email systems. Chrome will be the same. Case in point; Chrome handles bookmarks differently. But that's OK because you're going to use it differently. It took me a while to even find the bookmarks. Not because they are hidden. I just didn't look for them. I found myself typing the first part of the address and then picking from the list of suggestions from my bookmarks. Again, so easy and intuitive.

I was watching a movie last night that was made in 1997. They were using big, clunky cell phones that looked very dated and clumsy. Well, a lot’s happened in the cell phone industry in 11 years. It’s NOT going to take 11 years for Chrome to make IE look like those clunky old cell phones. With Google’s ability to roll out incremental updates every couple of weeks it’s probably going to take less than a year or two. Actually, IE is already feeling clunky this morning.

Download Chrome from the Google home page: www.google.com. The page says it’s BETA but why do I get the impression that this is going to be main stream by the end of the week?

Remote access to your office PC

2008-09-04T10:06:00.004-05:00

Need a quick, cheap way to get remote connectivity to your office? Take a look at GoToMyPC (www.gotomypc.com).

I recently helped a friend get setup on GoToMyPC. He works remote a couple of days a week and needs access to the network at his small business. He should have been able to use RDP or a VPN connection. Both are built into XP and are free and easy, right? Well, this is the real world. His firewall is old and can’t be configured for a VPN or RDP. Getting a new firewall, a static IP address and setting it all up would taken a few days to a week and may have cost as much as $800 for hardware and labor. Instead we set up GoToMyPC on his office PC. He can connect using his laptop (or any PC) and work as though he is at the office.

GoToMyPC worked flawlessly and he was up and running in less than an hour. There is a 30 day free trial and then it costs $20 per month or $180 per year. It will take 3 to 4 years to equal what he would have spent on the VPN solution.

If you can set up a VPN or RDP, great! If not use a tool like GoToMyPC.

Only 12% of electronics waste recycled

2008-09-02T08:06:00.007-05:00

According to this article (http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/recycle-electronics-47122704) only 12% of electronics waste is recycled, and only 21% of consumers recycle their old electronics. Ok, the article is from December and trends might have changed, especially now that a few nationwide retailers are making it easy to recycle e-waste. Here are two programs I have used:

Office Depot: About a year ago they started selling recycling boxes in three sizes for $5, $10 or $15. Fill the box with your electronic waste and return it to the store. Quick and easy. They do ask you to identify boxes with monitors but the price is the same.

Best Buy: Bring your old computer, fax machine, cell phone, computer monitor or TV to a participating store and drop it off, for free. Yes, it really is free and it was very easy. The website says it’s only available during recycling events but I called my local Best Buy and they said “just bring it in anytime”. I walked into the store with an old monitor and a cell phone. The security guy directed me to a cart and apologized that it was not closer to the door (it was about 30 feet away). I dropped it off, returned with another monitor and was done.

1-800-got-junk will also haul away electronic waste as part of their program but they charge an additional $25 per monitor.

Is YOUR wireless network secure

2008-08-28T14:15:00.006-05:00

At my house my PC can detect 6 wireless networks. Two of them are not secured and I can attach and use their internet connection. One of them even has a shared folder and a shared printer. The shared folder is empty but I could have some fun with the printer. Two out of six is not a big enough sample to be statistically significant but it’s consistent with what a hacker found when he did some “research” at a hacker convention in Las Vegas. He sent a network sniffer 150 feet into the air on a balloon. He was able to scan networks in a 7 ½ mile radius. He detected thousands of wireless networks and 1/3 of them were not secured. ONE THIRD!!! The thing is; it’s so easy to secure a wireless network. Maybe I should send a polite message to my neighbor’s printer saying that I will setup their wireless security for free.

The hacker’s story is interesting and entertaining: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081008-covert-operation-floats-network-sniffing.html?hpg1=bn

Live Mesh – more than online backup

2008-08-25T07:47:00.005-05:00

I have been looking for an online backup service for my laptop. I use my laptop all the time and I often work remotely. For convenience I keep a lot of files and documents locally on my laptop. I know, I know….. I can fire up the VPN and access the documents on the network folder where they will be backed up anyway with the rest of our systems, but the convenience factor rules.

I already had a Windows Live account so it seemed natural for me to look at Live Mesh (http://www.mesh.com/). It’s free for up to 5gb of storage. The install was a bit confusing. It took a few minutes and at one point there was no visible activity going on, other than disk activity. The install window closed without giving a status and it reverted back to the original screen. I tried to install again and it told me the install was in progress. After waiting it out for a couple more minutes a window popped up and said it was done. It didn’t appear to be working right so I deleted and re-installed. The second time was just as confusing with the long delay but it seemed to work fine, eventually. Since then I have been very happy with Mesh.

Mesh is being positioned for online document storage, synchronization and sharing. However, it’s a GREAT backup tool. You simply right click on a folder and select “Add folder to your Live Mesh”. It takes a while to do the first sync but after that it will sync documents to your Live Mesh when you make a change on the PC. You can also access the files from any PC by logging onto your Mesh account over the web. The files are displayed similar to in an Explore window on the PC. Changes you make on the web are synced back to your workstation, but making the changes is a bit klutzy; open the file locally, make changes, “save as”, and then upload it back to Mesh. Otherwise, your changes are just saved in an updated version of your document in the temp internet folders on the PC.

Mesh will also give you remote access to your PC but I did not look at that option.

Mesh Likes:
- Free
- Easy to use
- More than just a backup tool – online access to your files
- Remote access to your PC

Mesh dislikes:
- Confusing install
- Limited storage space with no option to pay for more
- Don’t know what future pricing might be

Cell phone for laptop internet connection

2008-08-21T13:58:00.012-05:00

Ever used your cell phone to get an internet connection for your laptop? A few weeks ago my son wanted me to take him and his buddy to the tennis court. I had a ton of work to do but didn't want to say no.

I knew I could get an internet connection through my cell phone. I had done it before when I had a Windows phone. It's not a bundled option with my Palm Treo 755P (yes, it's Palm OS and I love it). It took me a few minutes to find PdaNet (http://www.junefabrics.com/palmnet/). The download, install and setup was quick and simple. It took me 12 seconds to fire it up and get an internet connection. Yup! I clocked it with a stopwatch.... it really is 12 seconds.

I am on Sprint's high speed EVDO network and was getting download speeds that consistently felt like it was just a bit slower than the DSL in my house. Spent the next 90 minutes catching up on work, outside, enjoying the early evening, while my son and his buddy chased tennis balls around the court. Of course, being outside, the glare on my screen was just about impossible - but that's another story for another day.

PdaNet likes:
- Easy to install
- Very quick to fire up an internet connection
- $34; worth every penny

PdaNet dislikes:
- Can't talk and be online at the same time. Shuts down the internet connection to make a call. Gives an alert on an incoming call so you can answer or let it roll to vmail.

Notes:
- I had tested PdaNet on a Treo 650P that didn't use the high speed network. It still worked very well. The connection speed was bearable for simple browsing, webmail, etc., but no good for video clips or anything with hi-res, flash etc.

Spell Checking in Your Web Browser

2008-08-19T10:00:00.003-05:00

If you are anything like me, the little red squiggly lines in Microsoft Word and other programs have saved you from embarrassment. (For instance, that was not how I would have spelled "embarrassment"). As more and more real "work" is being done online, more of what you do is happening inside your web browser.

Did you know that both Firefox and Internet Explorer can also check your spelling when you type?

Firefox already has this feature built in. Simply select Tools / Options / Advanced and be sure to select "Check My Spelling as I Type".

For Internet Explorer, you need to download IE7Pro. http://www.ie7Pro.com Besides checking your spelling on the fly, IE7Pro also improves upon the ad blocking built in to Internet Explorer, let's you better manage your tabs and far too many features to list here.

A lot of work has shifted to the web. That's no excuse for bad spellling...

What IS a Managed Service Provider?

2008-08-14T13:41:00.004-05:00

TECHIES is a Managed Service Provider (MSP). So are about two dozen other companies in the Twin Cities. We are all in the business of managing computers and networks for our clients. Typically this means we will not only set up your computers and network but also monitor them for problems, help you with issues that come up and provide additional services (like spam filtering) so that you can focus on running your business.

It makes sense, really. Most businesses don’t have employees taking turns washing the windows, cutting the grass or taking out the trash. It’s not that you couldn’t. But by paying a company to do those sorts of things, you ultimately save money.

There’s no need to buy extra equipment – things like vacuums and lawn mowers and squeegees.
When your office hits the busy season, you don’t have to worry about trash piling up. You keep doing what you do best and the other stuff “just happens”.
You don’t to worry about keeping someone on staff who knows how to maintain that equipment.

Ultimately, a lawn service (cleaning service, etc.) can get the job done in much less time for less than it would cost you to do it yourself.

Managed Service Providers are really the same sort of thing – but for your computers. Face it: even if you know about computers, you don’t want to spend your day messing around with the problems that come up. (And with computers, problems always come up!) By hiring a company that does only that, you can keep everyone focused on doing what they do well. Even if you have a lawn at home, you get that it would be a waste of your time to cut the grass at work.

The REAL advantage for your business here is that downtime with computers is expensive.

When your customers aren’t getting your emails or you can’t get the credit card machine to process, you are losing money. You know how quickly that starts to add up. They name of the game is keeping things running. To do that well, you need someone who knows what they are doing to focus on your network and computers. You could hire a full-time person. But at a certain size, that doesn’t make sense. Bigger businesses have gardeners on staff. A small business has a service that comes to take care of those things for them.

What size should my company be to think about hiring a MSP?
It depends. Different MSPs will give you different answers. The short answer that most people can agree on is: one or two employees and you are probably too small to justify the cost. Fifty or 100 employees and you’re going to start asking yourself why you don’t hire your own people full time. Somewhere in the middle, though, and it costs you money to NOT have a MSP.

Is a Managed Service Provider the same as a computer repair shop?
No. Computer repair shops fix computers after they break. Often on their own schedule. Managed Service Providers try to maintain your systems to keep things running smoothly. They are usually monitoring your network and blocking your spam. They will often have a help desk who can solve problems right away rather than making you wait for an appointment (or making you unplug your computer, put it in the car, bring it to the store, drop it off, wait, and put it all back together again.) Most importantly, most managed service providers will allow you to pay a regularly monthly fee for service so you can budget for them.

Wi-Fi tweaks for speed freaks

2008-08-12T11:51:00.003-05:00

You love your wireless connection. Admit it. We all do. Still -- you can't help but notice that it isn't quite as fast as your had imagined it could be. There have got to be things you can do to speed it up, right?

Right.

Computer World has a great article called How to Get the Most Out of Your Home or Small Business Wireless Network that you should check out. It contains six simple, practical tips including things like router location, increasing the signal and even a troubleshooting checklist.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112462

Background Checks Made Easy

2008-08-11T12:50:00.003-05:00

Here at 333TECH.com, we do a lot of hiring. And even more interviewing. It is important we find the right match -- people who are understand and enjoy technology but still have social skills and are able to translate that technology into English and make is easy to understand for our clients...

Once we find the right candidate, we want to make sure that everything is in order. Part of the hiring process is performing a background check. There are a number of online services that make this much, much easier than it used to be.

333TECH.com uses a service called SentryLink. SentryLink is fast (responses come back in less than a minute), comprehensive (it accesses state and county databases nationwide) and easy to use.

www.SentryLink.com

They also have a fascinating blog which makes for a good read. Check it out some time: http://www.sentrylink.com/blog

Seven tips to protect your identity

2008-08-10T23:12:00.003-05:00

It pays to be careful. That was the title of an earlier blog entry. The same holds true when dealing with protecting your identity online. On Friday, Yahoo Finance posted a list from ConsumerReports.org of seven tips for protecting your identity. There's some common sense ones in there -- such as "Don't assume a Mac shields you from all risks" as well as some that don't get repeated often enough: ("Don't click on popup ads that say your PC is insecure.")

The list is straight to the point and applies to both small businesses and individuals.

Link to Yahoo Finance Article.

Couldn't put my finger on it...

2008-08-06T09:17:00.006-05:00

Using stock images is a great way for your small business to give a web page or print piece a certain look or feel without needing to hire a professional photographer. Sites such as Shutterstock or iStockphoto allow you to purchase individual photos or subscriptions to download a certain number of pictures each day. When recently redesigning our website, we made use of both.

BUT.

You have to be careful. The image that we incorporated into the banner at the top of our web page had something "wrong" about it. We couldn't quite put our finger on it.

Until someone pointed it out.
There were too many fingers.
Both male and female.
Unsettling.

It was fixed easily enough and the new image does the job just fine. But again -- it pays to pay attention.

Company Blogs Get ANOTHER Stamp of Approval

2008-08-05T10:13:00.002-05:00

Company blogs are gaining more widespread acceptance as a way to get the word out about company-specific information.

Just last week, in a speech by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, it was recommended that companies be allowed to use their own blogs to make public disclosure about certain types of information. Previously, the SEC had required companies to use press-releases and third party firms.

http://www.sec.gov/news/speech/2008/spch073008km.htm

We here at 333TECH work at a small company that supports the computers and networks for other small companies. We don't really have a lot to say about investing or regulations.

But seeing the acceptance of blogs as ways to get the word out about the company? Maybe this Internet thing will catch on after all...!

Are your batteries lying to you?

2008-08-04T07:33:00.003-05:00

Dan's Data (http://www.dansdata.com/gz084.htm) has a fascinating article about how battery indicators and wifi/cellular signal strength meters don't tell you precisely what you think that they are telling you. The post is a little geeky but it brings up an interesting point: What DO two bars of signal strength really mean?

Additional Link: (Slashdot article with additional thoughts on the subject and your chance to chime in: Slashdot Article)

Cuil?

2008-07-31T12:50:00.004-05:00

Some former employees of Internet giant Google launched a competing web search product this week. Titled Cuil (pronounced: "cool") the web site sports a different interface. Word is still out about if this will last.

Cuil

Pointui - Amazing new interface for Windows Mobile

2008-01-03T15:58:00.001-06:00

If you don't mind running Beta software on your phone, there is an amazing new product for Windows Mobile phones: Pointui.

Pointui replaces the main menu (and many submenus) for your WM5 or WM6 phone. I downloaded and installed the file and have spent part of my day sliding through the menus and I am very, very impressed by what they have done here. The menus are clean. The icons easy to read. And rather than use your stylus, you slide through the menus with your finger. (iPhone readers can be heard snickering.)

You can check it out at the Pointui website. (There is also a forum where people are adding pages and pages of feature requests.)

Once again -- this is Beta software so your results may vary.

I'll stop writing about it if you stop using it!

2008-01-02T12:12:00.000-06:00

A few people have suggested that we might have a little too much Mac information here at 333TECH. And just for the record -- the overwhelming majority of our clients run a Windows OS. But. There's no doubt that MacOS is gaining, both among consumers and in business.

In case you needed a reminder, Fortune Magazine has an article above Mac's growing market share. The survey counts not the number of computers sold (misleading, at times) but rather the operating system people are using when they browse the web. Among the findings:

7.3% of web visitors are using a Mac.
.12% are using an iPhone

Office for Mac 2008

2008-01-02T10:21:00.000-06:00

Gizmodo offers up a sneak peek at Office for Mac 2008. It should be available starting January 15th. It comes with new features including compatibility with Office 2007 (!) and My Day, a standalone daily planner. Perhaps most significantly -- the latest Mac version of Office sticks with the standard menus and doesn't have the "improved" ribbon that Microsoft forced upon the rest of us with Office 2007.

Office 2003 Patch Disables Old File Formats

2008-01-01T23:30:00.000-06:00

Slashdot.org reported today about Microsoft's latest security patch to Office 2003. It has the unfortunate side effect of disabling support for older file formats including 1-2-3, Word, Excel and Corel. If you, like many small businesses, still have some older files that you need to access from time to time, this could cause you a lot of headaches. The workaround can be found here. OUCH.

Next version of Eee PC to come always connected?

2007-12-31T12:39:00.000-06:00

Of course it's always just a rumor until it's released. But engadget is reporting that at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month, Asus will be offering up a sneak peek at its next generation of the Eee PC -- complete with high speed wimax.

(The Eee PC has been sweeping the computer world by storm these past few months. Might deserve it's own blog post, wouldn't you say?)

Windows Home Server? Watch out how you access those files!

2007-12-28T11:15:00.001-06:00

Microsoft has posted a tech article warning that while you can store files on Windows Home Server, you should not have your applications write directly to the server. Yikes. (This includes Microsoft applications like Microsoft Money, Microsoft Office OneNote, Microsoft Outlook and more...)

Read more about it here at Gizmodo.

Leopard 10.5.2 Coming as Soon as Next Month

2007-12-28T08:02:00.000-06:00

iTWire is reporting that a pre-release update for Leopard is in the works and could be released in time for the MacWorld expo next month. "One modification that will be very welcome when 10.5.2 does arrive is that Leopard's Stacks feature is said to have been modified to provide a 'List' view resembling the traditional hierarchical display of the contents of a folder in the Dock."

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15882/53/

Google Apps - Lean and mean means millions of users

2007-12-28T07:46:00.000-06:00

According to an article in Computerworld, Google Apps -- the online competition to Microsoft's Live and Sharepoint services and Apple's .mac service -- already has millions of users signed up at the close of 2007. Whether that translates into dollars will be another story entirely. Perhaps most interesting is the push among analysts to suggest feature after feature for new products while Google continues to resist. "Google will develop only apps and features that would be of interest to 80% of users...We're not looking or even attempting to equal the feature list of other apps on the market," said Rajen Sheth, senior product manager for Google Apps. "We're not looking to be a replacement for Office. We're focused on collaboration more than anything."

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&articleId=9054120

The Next Best Thing to Being There

2007-12-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

Suppose you need to remotely take over another person's computer. It happens. We do it every day to troubleshoot client problems here at TECHIES. There are probably times when you, too, would like to be able to share someone's computer. Today, 333TECH will let you in on three of the best (and easiest!) programs out there that let you do just that.

1. Crossloop
Free for personal use, Crossloop lets you see the screen and control the mouse and keyboard on a remote computer as if you were working side by side on the same PC. The biggest limitation is that both computers need to be running Windows. Setting it up is quick and easy. Crossloop is a solid favorite among many TECHIES.

http://www.crossloop.com

2. WebEx
WebEx allows you to access other PCs remotely, like Crossloop above. But WebEx also has an online meeting place called meetmenow where you can have online web meetings, integrated audio, web cams and more. WebEx's pricing is affordable (unlimited online meetings for $39/month) and they have both monthly price plans as well as Pay-Per-Use. A big plus for WebEx is that you are not tied to any particular operating system. One person could be using OSX, another running Vista and a 3rd on XP.

http://webex.com

3. GoToMyPC
An online favorite with many, GoToMyPC "allows you to access your PC from any web browser. " This means, of course, that you could use it to remotely access another computer and fix something that is broken. Like WebEx, this solution comes with an affordable monthly support price ($19.95/month) but like WebEx, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial and see if it is right for you.

http://www.gotomypc.com

TECHIES is the IT Department for Small Business in the Twin Cities. If you have a computer that needs help, give us a call at 612.333.TECH and let us remotely fix your problems for you.

I'm pretty sure I have a good backup...

2007-12-26T07:55:00.000-06:00

The holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends, a time to catch up and give thanks, a time to share and reflect about the year that has gone by. Unless you are a naughty TECHIE, then the holidays are a time to madly scramble all hours of the night to restore a hard drive.

It was innocent enough at first. I had a project I'd been itching to do for a few months with my home computer and I had a few rare "extra" hours. A couple of cans of Red Bull into the project, I was at the point where I needed to repartition my hard drive. I remember sleepily thinking to myself, "If this goes wrong, I'm going to lose all the data on this hard drive. I'm pretty sure I have a good backup..."

And, of course, I wouldn't be writing about this unless something went wrong.

I'd love to tell you that as a TECHIE, I always practice what I preach.
I'd love to tell you that we help clients all the time with data recovery issues and I knew better.
I'd love to tell you that since we help our clients with backup solutions that just work, since we know how important it is to have a way to turn back the clock when things go wrong, I had a working backup.

I can't tell you any of that. What I can tell you is that I spent the better part of my long weekend - several late nights - un-deleting hidden partition tables, renaming directories and cataloging what couldn't be recovered and was lost for good. Backups are important. "I'm pretty sure I have a good backup" isn't good enough.

1. Without a backup, some things are lost forever
Off the top of your head, what are the cell phone numbers of your five biggest suppliers? What was the invoice number you sent out to your new client on May 1st? If your system crashes, you can rebuild the operating system. You can buy a new server. You can pay for most things to be replaced. But the data that is unique to your business? The information you have about your customers? That's one of a kind. If you lose that, you lose it forever.

2. You don't know when you'll need it
Whether your server gets fried by a lightning strike or a new employee accidentally deletes all of your vendor contact information, you can never be sure when or why you'll need a backup. But having a giant undo button -- getting everything back the way it was -- QUICKLY and COMPLETELY -- should help you sleep better at night. You insure your car. You insure your house. You even insure your teeth. Shouldn't you insure the information that keeps your business running?

3. Your data is much more valuable than the cost of a tape
Backups aren't cheap. They don't have to be expensive but they cost something. The information you have about your customers is what allows you to maintain a relationship with them and stay in business. That information is worth a lot. A lot more than the cost of a backup server and some storage tapes.

A good managed service provider can help ensure you are backing up your data and make it painless. A really good one will test that data from time to time to make sure your backup actually works. And if you somehow found today's post because, like me, you just had a disaster and didn't have a good backup, give your local TECHIE a call and see what they can do for you.

TECHIES is the IT Department for Small Business in the Twin Cities. If you've had an IT Disaster over the holidays, given us a call at 612.333.TECH.

2:30

2007-12-20T19:04:00.001-06:00

This would have been so much easier if only you'd come to see me sooner.

This past week, I had a root canal. It got me thinking.

Just so you know: I am terrified of dentists. I know, I know, it's irrational and it isn't healthy to avoid the dentist when you know you have a problem -- believe me, I've heard it all from family and friends -- but that's what I did.

I had a problem with a tooth. It hurt to eat. It hurt when it got cold outside. It hurt when I was trying to sleep. But I managed. I learned to live with it. I chewed on the other side of my mouth. I kept my mouth closed when I was outside in the cold. I did all sorts of crazy things to get around going to the dentist.

What was I afraid of?

For one thing, I knew it would hurt. Also, I knew it would be expensive. Then there was the fear of the unknown. Maybe I would need a root canal. Maybe they would pull my tooth. Maybe they would tell me that there was nothing they could do for me. So I lived with it.

And then my tooth cracked.

Now, instead of hurting when I ate, it became impossible to eat. Instead of just hurting when I was out in the cold, it hurt all the time. It didn't hurt when I slept anymore...because I couldn't sleep.

Now I didn't have a choice. I broke down and went to the dentist. Before I knew it, I was in the chair. And yes, it was painful. But I now I can sleep at night. And yes, it was expensive. But not nearly as expensive as I had feared. My dentist was professional and efficient. But as I sat in the chair, he said to me, more than once, "This would have been so much easier if only you'd come to see me sooner..."

Anyway, like I said, the whole thing has me thinking.

My company, TECHIES, fixes and maintains computers and networks for small businesses. You wouldn't believe how often when new clients come to us, we find that their computers are a mess. Failed backups, excessive spam, computers that lock up all the time. No one can get any work done. We're happy to help them, no matter bad it seems to them. We'll show up, day or night, and get them back in business. We are professional and efficient. But we'll often remark to each other, "This would have been so much easier if only they'd come to see us sooner."

Why do they wait so long to call us? They're probably afraid that it will take up some of their time. Also, they probably know it could be expensive. Then there is always the fear of the unknown. Maybe someone will tell them that they need to upgrade their computers. Maybe someone will tell them they need a new server. So they put it off. They do all sorts of crazy things to get around calling us. I get it now.

Maybe you aren't scared of the dentist. Maybe you go in for cleanings every six months. Maybe you get your oil changed every 3000 miles. Maybe you understand that by properly maintaining something, you can prevent avoidable disasters. But who do you have taking care of your computers and network? If something's wrong with your computers, call someone to get it fixed. Don't let it get worse. You don't have to live with the pain. Honest.

TECHIES is the IT Department for Small Business in the Twin Cities. When you know it's time to start taking care of your computers and network, give us a call at 612.333.TECH.

Freeing Your Laptop from the Power Cord

2007-12-19T16:03:00.000-06:00

You jealously eye them as they sit smuggly in coffee shops. At airport gates and in hotel lobbies, they taunt you. In every magazine ad you spot the big lie right away: Laptops, sitting there, not connected to an outlet.

YOUR laptop is always plugged in. You know it has a battery ...but it sure doesn't seem to last very long. You're forever choosing where to sit based on if your power cord will reach the nearest outlet. And that sad scramble, scanning the walls near people's feet, trying like mad to find some extra juice those times when you misjudged and ran out of gas early...? How come they never show THAT in the magazine ads?

Why don't other people's laptops need to be plugged in as often?

There are a few simple things you can do to help your laptop battery last longer. Learn to run your laptop like a TECHIE...

1. A Not so Bright Idea
Turn down your display brightness. Your laptop's screen uses more power than almost any other component. The less bright the screen, the longer the battery will last. On my own laptop, I've noticed an almost 30% increase in battery life by reducing the display brightness when it isn't plugged in. That 30% can mean the difference between finishing a spreadsheet and getting on your knees in public.

You can even configure your laptop so that it displays at full brightness when it is plugged in and automatically dimming when it is unplugged. (This is also nice because if your laptop accidentally becomes unplugged, you will notice right away.)

2. Get More Memory
If your laptop doesn't have enough RAM (memory), your hard drive activity light will be forever flickering like a firefly on crack. This is because your computer doesn't have enough memory for all of the programs you are running.

Even if you aren't "running any programs", the operating system itself is a collection of hundreds of tiny programs all chugging away in the background. When you don't have enough memory left to do something, the computer doesn't just stop. Instead it takes a chunk of memory you aren't using at the moment and stores it to the hard drive, freeing that memory up to run another program. When you need to run the program that was stored to the hard drive, it swaps another chunk of memory to the hard drive and restores the section you need back into your RAM. This is called "virtual memory". Your computer does this on the fly -- so fast you hardly notice -- but all that spinning of your hard drive takes a lot of power.

If you have more RAM (memory) your computer will have more room to run programs and there will be less need to keep saving things to your hard drive. My laptop came with 1GB of RAM. I was able to add another 1GB of RAM for under $50 and now the battery lasts approximately 20-30% longer. And it runs faster too!

3. Turn off your wireless
Maybe you are connected to a wireless network. Maybe you need to be connected to do whatever it is you are doing. Or maybe, just maybe, your wireless adapter is on and connected to a network -- or worse, it is on and SCANNING for a network, again and again -- guzzling extra power all the while. If you need to be on the Internet, keep the wireless on. But if you are working on a presentation or reviewing a spreadsheet, turn off your wireless. You can easily squeeze an extra 5 percent or more out of your battery by doing this.

Just following the steps above should buy you some breathing room -- up to 50 percent longer -- before you need to plug in the dreaded power cord.

TECHIES is the IT Department for Small Business in the Twin Cities. If you would like some more tips about how to get your technology to work like you know it should, give us a call at 612.333.TECH.

You think bottled water is expensive?

2007-12-18T10:35:00.000-06:00

(Source: Gizmodo)

A TECHIES' Christmas Wish list

2007-12-14T08:19:00.001-06:00

Keeping things a little lighter on Fridays, it's time to present the completely unofficial and utterly impractical ultimate TECHIE wish list for 2007. These are grown-up toys that would set any TECHIE'S heart beating just a little bit faster ...

1. Laptop -- a Monster or a Mouse? Take your pick

We had a fight in the office, an actual fight over this next pick.

Dell XPS M1730 otherwise known as the World of Warcraft laptop.

With an Intel^®Core^TM 2 Extreme Processor (2.80GHz,4M L2 Cache,800MHz FSB), 4GB of Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 RAM, dual 256MB GeForce video cards, a 17" 1920x1200 display, 400 GB 7200 RPM SATA II hard drives (or 128 GB of solid state hard drives), this monster is not only ridiculously overpowered, it also weighs in at a back-breaking 10.6 pounds. Price tag? $4500.

OR, you could go for the Sony Vaio TZ.

With an 11.1" screen with 1366x768 display, built in Sprint mobile broadband wireless WAN, a 48GB solid state drive and 2GB of RAM, the thing has enough power to run most business applications you'll run across. The real beauty of it, though, is it's size: 2.65lbs. The built in battery will last 4-8 hours. The double capacity battery? 7-13 hours. Starting price? $3400.

I'll have one of each, thanks!

2. Optimus Maximus Keyboard

There isn't a geek around who wouldn't be happy to find one of these under the tree. With a price tag of $1500, it might cause a case of sticker shock at first glance. But with completely customizable mini OLED keys, changeable layouts, a row of macro keys to the side and, let's face it, the all around "WOW" factor, it is worth every penny. OK, OK, that's a hard sell. But this is a wish list, right?

3. A Robot

That's right, a robot. Here's the thing. It's almost 2008. Haven't you always wanted a robot? Well, there's some pretty amazing development going on. If you think a robot would be big and clunky, you should check out the video below. Sure, they're not for sale, yet. But again: WISH LIST.

Hyperlinks don't need to look ugly

2007-12-13T11:39:00.000-06:00

Consider the following: Both of these links will take you to the exact same picture online:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=metrodome,+minneapolis+MN&layer=c&ie=UTF8&ll=44.978445,-93.258111&spn=0.006709,0.019956&z=16&om=1&cbll=44.975001,-93.259064&cbp=1,515.5861626469982,,0,-14.513606065468987

Click here to view the Metrodome

Which one would you rather click? The next time you have a link to send someone in an email or on the web, take just a few seconds longer to make the link easier to read. Your message will look cleaner and it will help drive the reader's response. You do want someone to click that link, right?

1. Copy the address to your clipboard

This is pretty easy. Just go to your web browser's address bar, highlight the web site you want to link to, right click and select Copy.

Or: When it is highlighted, you can hold down the control key and press C. In Windows Control+C = Copy. Every time. Easy enough to remember. C for Copy.

2. Control+K = Insert Hyperlink
If you are sending an email, your email program probably has a feature called "Insert Hyperlink". If you are using a Microsoft program, you should just use the keyboard shortcut Control+K. I can't tell you why someone decided to make Control+K = insert Hyperlink ... it's not exactly intuitive... but trust me, it does in most windows programs. (If it doesn't in yours, just look for "Insert Hyperlink".)

3. Text to Display (and a tip about pasting, too!)

In the window that comes up, you will have two different lines... one for "Text to Display" and another for "Address".

In the "Text to Display" line, enter a friendly name -- this is what the person reading your email will see.

In the "Address" line, paste the address that you had previously copied. (You can click "Control+V" here to paste the address if you are using Windows. I can't tell you why someone decided to make Control+V = Paste but trust me, in Windows, Control+V=Paste.)

With these three simple steps, you will insert links in your documents that look clean and professional.

If you master this -- just by following the 1-2-3 steps above -- you'll have a leg up on your competition, your website or emails will look much more professional and it can only help your business! Good luck!

Google Street View for Minneapolis

2007-12-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

In the never ending arms race between Microsoft and Google to decide which mapping program is better, Google currently has the upper hand. Both sites have come a long way and both give you a fantastic amount of detail in addition to being able to map a route.

1. The Difference Between maps.live.com Bird's Eye and Google Maps' Street View
When viewing a location in the maps.live.com webside, you can click on Birds Eye to get a high resolution view from above that is incredibly detailed.

When Microsoft first launched this feature in mid-2006, we had about a dozen TECHIES here who spent the better part of an afternoon looking up their address, sending screen shots to one another.

Today's post isn't about maps.live.com, though. It's about Google's Street View.

Starting with San Franscisco in early 2007, Google has been rolling out their Street View to different cities across the US. On December 10th, they released Street View for Minneapolis.

The Bird's Eye view in maps.live.com are taken with high resolution aerial photography. The Street View images in maps.google.com are taken with a series of cars that drive around the city, street by street, with omnidirectional cameras mounted on top. The pictures for Minneapolis were taken in mid 2007.

2. How to Get a Street View
Go to http://maps.google.com/ and enter an address. It will pull up a map with the location.
From here, you can switch to street view. To do this, click on Street View.

Click and drag the icon of the person to where you want to go on the map. (Streets in blue have Street View photos. Note that not all streets have this mapped.)

3. How to Move Around in Street View
Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move back and forth, approximately 10 feet at a time. You can also use your mouse to click on the directional arrows in the street view. Usually you'll have two (North and South, East and West) but at an intersection, you'll have four.

If you want to change the viewing angle, you can also click and hold your mouse button on the street view window and then move your mouse.

It takes a little getting used to but in no time, you'll be looking in shop windows, crusing down the street. In no time, you'll be finding some pretty amazing views of unexpected things.

Is it too cold for your laptop?

2007-12-11T08:49:00.001-06:00

Winter in Minnesota. We're tough here. We fish on frozen lakes. We have parades on cold winter evenings. But what about your laptop?

A question that gets asked a lot: Is it safe to keep my laptop in the car when it's cold outside?

The short answer: Yes. But don't turn it on right away when you get inside.

Your laptop service manual should have some advice about how long to wait before turning it on if it's been left in the cold. Typically, they will recommend you wait an hour. But, typically, people don't know where to find their laptop manual. 333TECH is here to help.

Some things to watch out for:

1. Moisture

Condensation is the enemy here. You know how when you take a cold drink out of the freezer and little drops start to bead up on the outside of the glass? That's condensation. Your laptop is not lemonade. Those beads of water can cause a short which will fry the laptop. Bad. Your best bet is to wait... Give the laptop some time to warm up (and dry out) inside before turning it on.

Here's a trick that some people have used... throw a dessicant pack or two in the laptop bag. This will help cut down on the mositure. You can find dessicant packs in the box when buying a new pair of shoes. Bottom line... if you wait about an hour or so, the condensation will evaporate and you will be fine.

2. Extreme temperature differences

You don't want the plastic to crack. If you've had your laptop in the trunk of the car and it's 30 degrees outside, you don't have anything to worry about. If it's -10, keep in mind that there is a 80 degree difference between outside and inside. The laptop screen and components inside can get up to 150 degrees or warmer -- that's almost a 160 degrees difference between inside and outside. In addition, some of the plastic parts like hinges run a risk of cracking if you try to open them when they are at -20. If you wouldn't take a cold plastic glass from the freezer and pour hot liquid into it, why run the risk with your laptop?

Again -- give the laptop some time to warm up to avoid a sharp temperature difference and cracking the plastic.

3. Length of time outside

If you are going to run in to Byerly's to pick up some milk on your way home, you shouldn't worry much about this. It won't have time to cool down to the air temperature. It should be ready to start up in a just a few minutes when you get home. But if you've let it sit in the trunk of your car overnight, it will probably be just as cold as the mercury in the thermometer. Give it some time to warm up.

Bottom Line: Laptops are designed to be transported in environments, hot and cold. You should be fine as long as you give it some time before you fire it up again. Moisture and dramatic temperature swings are the enemy. Take steps to avoid that and you should be OK.

TECHIES is the IT Department for Small Business in the Twin Cities. Give us a call with any of your technology questions at 612.333.TECH.

Homework

2007-12-10T08:24:00.000-06:00

Whether you call it telecommuting, working from home, a remote office or something else entirely, being able to do your work from someplace besides work is a huge benefit to both your employer and you.

When setting up your office for Telecommuting, there are three things that you should consider:

1. No Frills Solution
More than likely, your office is already using Exchange or some other mail server which has the option of letting you look at your email remotely. You just need to talk to the person in charge of your company's IT to find out how to access your inbox when you aren't at the office. That way, you'll be able to see (and respond to) emails just like you would sitting at your desk. It's not exactly a "remote office" but in a pinch, you'll be glad you know how to do it.

PRO: Cheap (as in nearly free, since you probably already have this built in)
CON: If you need to access a file on the network or have a customer call you, this won't be enough.

2. What you Really Need

VPN Connection
This is a secure network connection that lets you connect to your work network from anyplace that can access the Internet.

Terminal Services Client
This is a program that lets you view your work computer as if you were actually sitting at it. The desktop icons, start menus, even the wallpaper … it feels like you are actually sitting at your computer at work. There is nothing new to learn. You just keep working from where you left off. With a high speed connection, you might forget for a while you aren't sitting at your desk at work.

Pro: Seeing your computer exactly as you use it. All your network files in the same location. May be low to no cost depending on what you are already running.
Con: Some programs that use a lot of graphics will run slowly.

3. What You Really Want
If you want to be really mobile, you will want some sort of Voice Over IP (VOIP) system and a laptop with a mobile data card.

VOIP services like Vonage and Skype allow you to use your computer as your phone system. By using these at the office you can save money. And you can use the exact same system when sitting in a hotel room or at your dining room table.

A mobile data card connected to a laptop means you will always be connected. For around $60/month you can get a high speed data plan from your mobile phone company and have a high speed internet connection everywhere you go ... if you can get a cell signal, you'll have close to DSL speed on your laptop.

PRO: Always connected means you never miss another client call or email again.
CON: Cost of laptop, monthly service plan. Oh, and always connected means you never miss another client call or email again.

As always: Be sure to set up and test any of these BEFORE you actually need them! Like a flashlight in a drawer, it's no good to you if it doesn't work when the power goes out. If you don't have your own IT department, a company like TECHIES can help. TECHIES is the IT Department for Small Business in the Twin Cities. Give us a call at 612.333.TECH.

Send files from Windows with a click

2007-12-07T01:35:00.001-06:00

Not all tips are complicated.
If you already knew about them, then they seem simple and obvious.
If you've never heard of them, they can save you SO much time.

Sometimes, you want to send a file to someone via email. So you launch your email program, type the person's name, click "Insert Attachment", navigate through your directories and then find the file you want to send. You then enter a subject for the email and click on send...

There's a faster way.

Once you have found the file in Windows (this should be simple since you probably just saved it...) you can just:

1. Right click on the file
2. Select Send To and then
3. Select Mail Recipient

Troubleshooting Tip: Don't Forget to Reboot

2007-12-07T01:02:00.000-06:00

Don’t Forget to Reboot

There are a lot of fancy computer tips out there… complicated changes to your registry, 8 steps to increasing the number of maxrequests your web browser can process. This is not one of those tips. But this tip can save you time and money.

Here’s a secret that the company doing your tech support doesn’t want you to know: Knowing when to reboot your computer can save you thousands of dollars.

Seriously.

• Is your web browser getting stuck when you try to open it?
• Are you unable to see the printers on the network?
• Is your computer running slowly for no good reason?
• Are your fonts looking all strange when you compose an email?
• Has the sound stopped working?

Before you spend a half hour trying to troubleshoot WHY something broke…Before you call your tech support company…1. Reboot your computer.

You could call your tech support company. And listen to some lovely hold music. Or spend money on a “per incident” charge. Or you could 2. reboot your computer and get back up and running again.

Rebooting isn’t magic. It doesn’t always work. But it works a lot. I guarantee it is one of the first things that the person doing your tech support will try. Rebooting won’t help you know why your computer stopped working. And here’s another secret: The tech support person fixing your computer might never figure out the WHY either. You don’t really care, do you? You just want it working again. 3. Reboot your computer.