Being Thankful… for tabs…

November 25th, 2009

Every time we want to buy or use a new product we are inundated with numerous choices. And this, of course, while it may be overwhelming to make a choice is extremely valuable to make the products we purchase and use, ours.

For years I have been using Internet Explorer, but do you know how many browsers are out there?

So… hearing all the hype about the differences of Mozilla, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc I decided it was time to check out something new to see if it really made a difference.

My personal preference… I don’t like Mozilla Firefox – I know many people who do, but for some reason I’m not even sure of I am not a big fan of it.

So in my search to keep trying new things, I tried Google’s Chrome. And I love it. I know it’s supposed to be faster than IE, but my favorite feature is you can move the tabs around. It sounds incredibly simple, but for me it made the world of difference. You know you do a search and find two pages you need, with four tabs in between. I always click the wrong ones and it becomes increasingly aggravating. So being able to put the two I need most side by side just seems to make a huge difference.

That being said, Firefox has also changed the layout of their tabs. Instead of a new tab opening at the far right, they are now opening immediately to the right of an open tab.

Internet Explorer is also changing their tabbing styles and adding color. As explained by one writer, related tabs to the original are “child” tabs… all related tabs are one color. However, this isn’t a perfect system.

I haven’t tried Safari but ‘word on the street’ is that the tabs don’t do any fancy tricks.

Also unfamiliar with Opera but it appears that they open tabs “backwards” leaving your first child farthest away from it’s parent tab.

Now, I’m no browser expert and can’t give the ins and outs of each one or which one is “better” than another but I encourage you to try out new browsers, or read about the different ones to at least know the options that are out there.

The point is that tabs make a huge difference in the way we search and organize information we find online. So something that seems so small is quite significant. Of course, some people don’t want to change their tabs, and that’s great. Again, it’s about personalizing the products we have to suit each individual. Try a different browser, or just a different way of tabbing. You may just find yourself more productive and slightly happier.

So, this Thanksgiving when someone asks me what I’m thankful for I’ll proudly say I’m thankful for tabs. They simplify my day!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Season’s Hottest Gift

November 20th, 2009

I just read that the Barnes & Noble Nook (its ereader) has been dubbed the seasons hottest gift. Of course, that was a claim from Barnes & Noble, and not from some consumer report.

But, if an ereader is the hottest holiday gift, maybe they’re on to something in that market.

Anyone following the ereader saga is aware by now that the Nook is not the first (or last) ereader that will be on the market. So, how is the Nook comparing to the competition of the Kindle, Kindle DX, Sony Reader Daily Edition, and the IREX DR800SG?

It seems to be to the ereader market what Windows 7 was to the PC world… filling in all of the gaps that previous editions had not addressed.

But, believe it or not, some people do not need those gaps filled because they simply don’t notice, or don’t care that they are there. We use what we need to fit our tastes. While you may want to access a web browser from your ereader your friend may not care whether or not theirs has any web browser capabilities. Or they may want one that doesn’t have it.

So how do you know which one is best? Well, I can’t tell you that. Sorry. Simply because the features are different – if you are looking for the one that has addressed major previous issues consumers had with ereaders, check out the Barnes & Noble Nook. If you want a large screen check out the Kindle DX. The Nook delivers over 750,000 book titles to choose from, but the Kindle editions both feature web browsers. The price also differs from $259 up to $489.

If you’re interested in getting an ereader I strongly recommend going online and doing a search. I found numerous comparison charts laying out all of the basic information for each of the ereaders aforementioned by typing in “ereader comparison chart” and selected the most recent article, which was about a month old.

Understand that since this is a fairly new product and only 8% of the US Population in 2008 purchased an ereader there may not be a “perfect” product for a while that gets out all of the glitches and adheres to all of the consumer demands for such a product.

But, as you should do with anything before you purchase, make sure you check out recent reviews to make sure you are purchasing the one that suits your needs.

And… Good Luck!

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Google’s gift to travelers

November 13th, 2009

Google recently announced they are providing free Wi-Fi to 47 airports throughout the United States this holiday season. Large and small airports will benefit from this generous offer and Google is also encouraging charitable giving to those who log onto the free Wi-Fi they are providing.

Since the airports are so busy during the holiday season, some travelers may spend more time in the airport than in the airplane itself. Google saw this as a prime time to offer this service to help travelers stay connected to family and friends, promote their services, and encourage charitable giving.

This triple punch is a great idea for Google.

However, Wi-Fi users beware! We see free Wi-Fi in many places now and many consumers don’t know or just plain forget about the security measures they need to take to protect themselves from hackers. So… if you use Google’s (or anyone’s) gift of free Wi-Fi make sure to safeguard yourself.

Here are a few tips:

  • Before you even connect to any network in a public location, find the network information so you can verify that the network name you are connecting to is being offered by the organization. There may be more than one name out there and connecting to the wrong network could cause you major problems!
  • Make sure your security measures are up to date and enabled.
  • Turn off your wireless access if you are not connecting to the internet
  • Be careful what information you share on a public network
  • Use a VPN whenever possible  

So if you are traveling this holiday season and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi, make sure to safeguard yourself and your data. Christmas won’t be too merry with someone hacking into your computer stealing your information.

And of course… safe travels!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

H1N1 – Facing Reality

November 6th, 2009

Find one thing that can be dramatically emphasized and the media has a field day. So many times we are led to believe that a not so serious event is a major catastrophe. This past spring we were BLITZED by the media in every formate 24/7, literally swamped with information about the swine flu. And just as quickly as all of the information came, it stopped.

Of course, any illness that may cause death is serious… however, back in the spring it was not causing any unproportionate number of deaths compared to a regular seasonal flu. But, just as predicted, the H1N1 strain is coming back around… and it’s hitting hard.

Many people were skeptical about the severity H1N1 would strike with and now these skeptics are beginning to see what the hype is all about. And this flu season the hype is reality.

Schools are closing.

What happens when a school closes? People need to rush to find child care. Single parents may be forced to stay home and lose their income for the day. Households with two working parents will need to establish a routine for who stays home and who doesn’t.

Even if your child’s school doesn’t close – they may still get the virus. Who will stay home with them?

It’s true we all need to take vacations, but this would be no glamorous vacation. Without a doubt, the working parent staying home to watch or nurture their child(ren) will be worrying about things at the office that need to be done.

And what happens when the H1N1 hits your office… hard? You can’t just shut down operations for a week… but it’s also unreasonable to expect to operate smoothly at 50% of staff if there is no plan in place to deal with the absenteeism.

Technology to the rescue!

By planning ahead, companies will be able to provide workers with the ability to work from home. Adults who are sick may get bored after a few days and may actually WANT to work and will be frustrated with the work piling up that they can’t combat while staying home. Parents who are staying home because their children are home will probably also not want to spend a whole week off to play catch up the whole next week. Lost productivity = lost money.

Nobody wants that.

By using technology, you can set up a basic system to allow employees to remote in from home. Other companies may opt to set up webinars or online meetings to make sure people stay connected while at home.

While we struggle to come out of this recession wouldn’t it be traumatic to have survived the recession just to be cut down by H1N1?

Do you have a plan in place? H1N1 is real… and it’s here… and it WILL impact your business.

TechSquad has developed a readiness checklist for your business to use to prepare for the H1N1 outbreak. The checklist has been developed off of recommendations by the CDC… the CDC STRONGLY recommends businesses have a plan in place.

Don’t let it be too late for your business. Let TechSquad help for free.

www.techsquad.us/areyouready

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

What’s happening on Facebook?

October 30th, 2009

Do a google search on Facebook in the workplace and I’m sure you will find information stating that Facebook and other social media sites are draining the U.S. and other economies (such as that in the UK) of millions or even billions of dollars each year in lost productivity.

So what’s going on with social media?

Between Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (and just consider the various other social media sites such as MySpace) there are many distractions provided online. Some employers want to block the sites completely, some want to use these sites for marketing purposes… the fact is that no one solution will fit every single business. It is about finding an internet filtering solution that is right for you and your company.

For example, some companies understand that their employees may be checking Facebook during their shift (costing the company money) but because it keeps their employees happy, and they understand that everyone needs a break occasionally… they compare this to old fashioned water cooler chit chat. Five years ago employees may gather for gossip and take a small break from the daily grind, now their break is taken to access Facebook. This works for some companies and keeps employers and employees happy.

Some companies may not want to monitor at all while others are fine with you checking Facebook but may want to make sure that you are not using Facebook for extensive periods of time.

Other companies like to use Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn for marketing purposes.

Some companies want to ban all social media sites 100% seeing no clear business use or purpose for them.

The point is that there is a broad range of acceptance when it comes to social media websites and a company’s tolerance for them. The widespread popularity of social media, however, should be having businesses of all sizes in all industries return to the drawing board to review and perhaps revise the companies Acceptable Use Policy for internet use. You may be OK with your employee accessing Facebook but may want to set limits on what is appropriate use for a work computer (for example, you wouldn’t want an employee to use Facebook to harass an individual… especially not on your time!).

This is about reviewing what is best for YOUR business and YOUR employees. Have you reviewed your Acceptable Use Policy and revised it? Do you have the correct content filtering systems in place to support the Acceptable Use Policy?

If you’re having problems trying to decide where to start when it comes to your policy and your content filtering solution, contact TechSquad. We will help you customize a solution just right for your business!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Windows 7

October 23rd, 2009

I’m sure by this time just about everyone has become aware that Windows 7 has launched yesterday, October 22nd… and of course the launch was complete with the “I’m a Mac. I’m a PC” commercials. However, this time, Mr. Mac doesn’t have too much fuel to light a fire bashing Windows 7 and the best argument I have heard in the commercials so far is that Windows claimed XP and Vista would be problem free. Yes, that can put doubt in the mind of consumers… but this doubt is being turned into confidence by those who read the user reviews!

Well… combine the Dell Latitude Z I previously blogged about with the features in Windows 7 and my ears certainly perk up!

One of my biggest annoyances when using a computer is when I want to use two documents at once and I need to toggle screens and resize and rearrange until I can view both at one time… or simply flip back and forth between them. Windows 7 has a “snap” feature that allows you to compare the documents side by side instantaneously. No more wasting time aligning documents! It truly is the little things in life that make a huge difference.

Another feature I saw actually demonstrated was how you can “shake” your screen clear by shaking the mouse. This will take the one program that you want to work with and keep it on the screen and close out the rest of the programs you have open. This one didn’t get my interest too much at first, but the demonstration impressed me…especially when I look at my taskbar and notice I always have several programs open that I am not using.

There are a lot of different frills that make the user experience just flat out more fun than Windows Vista or XP. However, there are also more practical parts of Windows 7 that are impressive.

Windows 7 is much faster than previous operating systems. For example, you close your laptop and walk away without shutting down your computer. With Vista there is always a process to go through to get it to start running again… with Windows 7 when you open your laptop back up your screen is there exactly as you left it when you walked away.

Not only is Windows 7 much quicker and more user friendly, it is more compatible with different computers and programs than previous operating systems by Windows.

Internet Explorer 8 is also included with Windows 7… giving the user a new, snappy experience. I also learned about Silverlight when I was given the rundown on Windows 7 and doing my research. Silverlight is a flash animation program (for those who are not aware) that is used to create some impressive programs. Silverlight is also included in Windows 7 – which should be a bonus for those Silverlight fans out there!

We’re just in the beginning phase of the actual release of Windows 7, but so far the reviews have been positive. It seems that all of the research put into it asking users what kind of experience they want paid off!

Don’t take my word for it though. See for yourself what Windows 7 really has to offer! We will also be holding a lunch-n-learn on November 4th to answer any questions about Windows 7 and provide a demonstration of some of the features. More details on that event will be coming soon!

There is so much to talk about with Windows 7… and all good things!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Save energy and money with Microsoft Hohm

October 13th, 2009

It seems that everyone talks about “going green” but the truth is not everybody cares about the environment. However, just about everybody cares about their personal finances. A lot of times, going green not only has a positive impact on the environment, but also on finances… and Microsoft has created a simple program to help preserve the environment and help you save your money.

Microsoft has released a free web-based beta application designed to save consumers both energy and money called Microsoft Hohm. The program allows you to see and understand your home energy usage and get recommendations to conserve energy which will have positive effects on your personal finances as well as on the environment.

Hohm gathers information from you regarding your home, including things such as the number of occupants, appliances, and systems, and will also ask for your postal code. Once this information is entered, Hohm is able to provide you with personalized energy saving recommendations based on the information you provide. By gathering your postal code, Hohm also is able to provide you with a comparison on energy usage with others in your area. This information will allow households to make well-informed decisions regarding their energy usage. Of course, the more information you input, the more specific Hohm has to work with, providing you with the most specific recommendations possible.

Hohm also partners with local utility companies to allow an option to automatically upload energy usage data into the application for the near future. This program provides a simple way to monitor your energy usage and develop recommendations to help you save both money and the environment.

To get Microsoft Hohm go to http://www.microsoft-hohm.com to download this for free.

There are multiple ways technology can be used to assist with improving energy efficiency and reducing our impact on the environment while putting more money in our own pockets.

In addition to Microsoft Hohm, check out your local utility company’s website to see the tools they have for you to improve your energy efficiency. For example, WE Energies provides an user friendly interactive tool on their website that allows consumers to easily estimate the cost of using a particular appliance for a given length of time.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

New Dell laptop – Latitude Z

October 5th, 2009

Dell has recently released the thinnest, lightest 16” laptop in the world…the Dell Latitude Z. Not only does the laptop look “pretty” with a nice finish and minimal sticker clutter, it also has some incredible features.

I personally think that the coolest feature on this unit is called Dell FaceAware Lock-out, available with the optional integrated webcam. This feature is a “facial recognition security” that locks out your computer when you step away from it.

It also has Dell Capture Technology that allows the user to scan a business card to save the information directly onto your computer by using the optional integrated webcam. In addition, it functions as a document copier, allowing you to save paper documents to PDF quickly.

This laptop also has the Dell EdgeTouch LCD Sensor that provides a touch control on the lower right corner of the screen. The functions that are able to be accessed through this touch screen are also customizable so you can make your computer work with you!

In addition to a regular power supply, there is also an inductive charger that you can use to charge your laptop. While there are other inductive chargers on the market, this is the first one that has been specifically designed for this one computer. It should take about 2 or 3 hours to take the batter level from complete depletion to fully charged when using this charging method.

All features aside, the Latitude Z has a great look to it, which can further impress clients or anyone your business is simply looking to impress. It is a little pricey, starting around the $2000 mark… but seems to have a lot to offer the users. I’d recommend checking it out even just to see the different technologies that are being made available and customizable on computers!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

H1N1 Technology Readiness Plan

October 2nd, 2009

This past spring there was a period of time where you could not turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper without hearing about the swine flu. Schools closed and people panicked.

Then just as quick as it appeared, it disappeared from everyone’s mind.

Until now.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 30 to 50 percent of the population will be infected by the H1N1 strain alone. It has already been declared a pandemic.

To businesses, this means employers can expect higher rates of absenteeism for people who are infected themselves, taking care of a sick family member, or staying home with children as a result of a school or day care being closed due to the outbreak.

The CDC recommends that in order for businesses to maintain operations they have plans in place to minimize the effects of an outbreak – including the use of technology to provide employees the ability to work from home.

Chris Wiser, CEO here at TechSquad, sees on a daily basis how technology can create a smoother flow of operations and can really make the difference in the event of a disaster. Because of his insight, BizTimes Milwaukee interviewed him to ask about remote office possibilities and how that could help during a severe outbreak. Check out the full story at http://www.biztimes.com/news/2009/10/2/h1n1-business-survival-guide

We have also developed a Technology Readiness Audit and comprehensive technology checklist to ensure each business who is interested in proactively planning for the outbreak has a tailored plan to suit their needs, their systems, and their employees.

If the pandemic affects 50% of the population the effects this would have on a small to medium business could be devastating… we could potentially see a lot of businesses close their doors due to a lack of planning for this type of disaster.

To sign up for a free checklist and audit go to www.techsquad.us/areyouready

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Data Backup

September 28th, 2009

Forget the fact that you will probably never run into a burning building unless you are a firefighter and answer this, “if your house was on fire and you could save one thing, what would it be?”

My friends and I used to play the “if” game all the time, but we all answered that question the same way every time – we would save our pictures. Even people with fancy jewelry and expensive collectibles always seemed to answer they would save their pictures.

Why?

Because a picture is a moment in time you will not get back. It is a time caught on film to bring back the emotion of the day the picture was taken. Pictures tell a story of your life and contain memories you may not recall until you look at the picture.

What would happen if you lost your pictures?

I would be devastated. They are the one material item that I would have this reaction to. Everything else I own can be replaced.

Now ask yourself this…

If there was a fire at your company, what would you deem the most important thing to be saved? It should be your data, the lifeblood of your company and the story of your company.

What would happen if you lost your data? Not necessarily in a fire, but in a server failure, a theft, a natural disaster or some kind of negligence.

I can only assume you would feel devastated once you realized the impact of this. Whether you are the owner or an employee, whatever your position, your job relies on the data of your company. Imagine it all being wiped away never to be seen again.

The majority of businesses that see this type of data loss close within a year. I’m sure you don’t want to be susceptible to such a large risk.

So what do you do?

First off, you need to treat your data for what it is – the blood for your company. Take the CEO and Executives and they can be the major organs and the employees are the veins and nerves carrying messages and life from place to place. What happens when blood stops flowing? Death.

Second, don’t use tape backup. Just don’t do it. This may have been a great solution a few years ago, but it isn’t anymore. They don’t work all the time and if they’re working now, they’re going to fail at some point in time. Think when, not if. If you are using tape backup and don’t believe me, give us a call. We will look at your backup system with you for free to show you what we’re talking about and present you with terrifying statistics.

Third, test your current backup system to make sure it is working. It’s great to have the peace of mind that you are backing up, but when it really counts and you need that backup and find it’s not there you won’t be experience so much peace.

Don’t let a disaster devastate your business.

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

« Older Entries