Making Use Of Google To Help Your Day Run Smoother
The Internet is a very big place. Anyone who wishes to use the Internet in an effective manner needs to be familiar with search engines.
Google has become the primary choice for millions of users, although there are some others.
One of the main reasons for Google’s popularity and general reputation as being the best of the search engines is that they keep on coming up with new methods for surfing the Internet.
For instance, if you wish to look up a news story or current event, then http://news.google.com allows you to instantly have access to news stories that are literally just a couple of minutes old.
Anyone who is looking for a picture of just about anything is almost sure to find it at http://images.google.com, which is quite possibly the largest image search engine in the whole world.
If you’re looking for map or address information, check out http://maps.google.com - hundreds of thousands of addresses now have street view, showing you the actual view from a car in front of the building you’re looking for.
Google also has specific search engines for books, videos and even stock market developments.
Work/Life Balance: The Issue Of Technology
Technology and easy Internet access can be both a blessing and a curse, giving us remote access to email, smartphones, Skype and other tools.
In theory at least, this gives us the ability to be able to work from home and achieve a better work/life balance, and yet in some cases all it has actually done is increase the number of hours that we spend working.
One way to win back some work/life balance is to negotiate the time spent working from home.
Not only does working from home save a lot of time you would otherwise spend commuting back and forth to work, it also means you save money on both transportation and food, and it gives you more time to develop an exercise routine.
There can be problems with working from home, however, such as lack of discipline and motivation as well as overwork.
The solution is to make certain that your work stays within the time period of a normal working day and does not add further hours to that workload.
Some time-management techniques include creating to-do lists, managing your expectations, prioritizing your workload, learning to delegate, and making sure that you have regular meetings and catch-up sessions with colleagues.
It is also important to set boundaries with colleagues to respect your personal time. Set an expectation that you’re “not available” during non-work hours. Switching off your cell phone and not checking emails during non-working hours is also a good idea.
How To Fall In Love With Your Computer All Over Again!
Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company. |
Have you ever shouted at your computer because it froze up, crashed, and caused you to lose work? Have you ever whacked it with your hand, kicked it, or smashed the keyboard out of frustration?
If so, you’re not alone. Problems with a computer, cell phone or other gadget can be so frustrating that it has been called "computer rage” by some psychologists, and it’s on the rise.
According to a recent poll, three quarters of computer users have admitted to shouting, swearing, or committing acts of violence towards their computer (for the record, I think the number is much higher!).
While some simply curse the darn thing, others have admitted to hitting it until their hand bled or throwing it across the room.
One computer user was quoted as saying, “You feel so helpless. All you can do is sit there and watch the stupid thing freeze up and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it. The error may only cause a few minutes delay, but it feels like a lifetime when you’re in a hurry to get things done.”
Deadlines are missed, work is lost, customers angered - all because of computer trouble. And the vast majority claim that problems like this happen on a consistent basis.
Apparently, technical problems are only the start of most peoples’ anxiety.
Many report that they are further angered by the time and process it takes to get the problem fixed, and some employees claim computer problems are their number one source of work anxiety and stress.
IT related problems further compound employee dissatisfaction since it often forces them to work late or take work home. If you are an employer, take note: your unstable computer network could be elevating your employees’ anxiety and job dissatisfaction levels, not to mention interfering with their productivity.
Our Experts Total Support Plans have helped dozens of clients end “computer rage” at their company. There are two ways we accomplish this: First, our 24/7 monitoring helps us detect and prevent problems before they show up. Your system runs faster, has fewer problems, and users aren’t constantly having to deal with system errors.
We also keep your security patches up-to-date, we prevent spyware, viruses, and hackers from invading your network, and we make sure you have a reliable backup of your system and data.
This basic maintenance is critical to the speed and performance of your computer network.Second, getting help is MUCH easier and faster with Experts Total Support.
Our secure software allows us to remotely log in to your network to diagnose and resolve most problems on the spot. No more waiting around for a technician to show up!
Sign Up Today And Get Your First Month FREE
Since it’s Valentine’s Day, we want to “show you the love” by giving you the first month of service FREE.
You’ll discover how Experts Total Support will make you fall back in love with your computer network. Give the office a call at (734) 457-5001.
Security Risks Of Employee Owned Devices
Employees using their own mobile devices for work may seem like a good idea at first – it’s less expense for you, the employer, and they can also make employees more productive.
However, it also means that you are allowing potentially unsecure devices to access your company’s data. The solution? An effective IT security policy that balances personal freedom to use these devices and your need to secure important business information.
As technology continues to become more affordable and accessible to consumers, it’s an inevitable fact that employers will see more and more of their employees using their own personal devices such as laptops and mobile phones to access the company’s IT system.
This can be a dangerous thing. Since these devices aren’t company owned and regulated, you have limited access and control over how they are used. Employees could download all sorts of malware and viruses on their devices and pass the infection along to your IT system when they access it.
The solution: a comprehensive IT security policy. It’s important that you find a compromise between the freedom of the employee to use the device as desired and your need to keep your IT system safe from viruses and other threats to your data’s security.
Steps such as having employees run mobile device management (MDM) software on their devices is one of many actions you can take to lessen the risk of security breaches. You may also want to implement applications and software that check and screen for malware, both for laptops and mobile devices. And don’t forget that while Android seems to have a bigger problem with malicious software, Apple isn’t exactly virus-free, either.
Employees have a right to use their personal devices as they see fit, but not at the expense of important company information stored in your IT system. Running a tight ship in terms of security is an effective way to protect your business interests and your sensitive company data.
If you are interested in knowing more about developing a concrete and effective IT security policy for personal device use as well as general system access, please don’t hesitate to give us a call so we can sit down with you and discuss a custom security blueprint tailored for your company’s network.
Sometimes Something’s Just Gotta Give
Whether you’re chasing around between two or three different jobs, trying to maintain a standard of living that used to be achievable doing just one, or burning the candle at both ends to fit in numerous extracurricular activities as well as holding down a full-time job, sometimes there just comes a point where something’s got to give.
Although it might be easy to assume that a constant state of activity means forward progression, when things start to get too frantic, all that dashing around can easily become self-defeating. Not only does the body become exhausted, but as the brain goes into overload, mistakes start to be made, things begin to be forgotten and it becomes impossible to give your best to anything that you attempt. Far from moving forward, what often happens is that you end up spending most of your time sorting out the muddles that have been created due to time pressures and the inability to stay organized.
Both mind and body need time to relax, so if your life has started to look like one endless merry-go-round and offers no respite, bear in mind that sometimes you can achieve more by doing less. Focus on what’s most important and give anything else the old heave-ho!
Increase Your Typing Speed And Accuracy With A Touch Typing Course
Touch typing could be described as a “technical” skill, and you only have to watch today’s army of twofingered typists to see that it’s a dying art. Not only is touch typing invariably much faster than poking away at a keyboard with just two index fingers, but being able to type without taking your eyes off the computer screen also decreases the incidence of error by a huge margin because you can see instantly when you have hit the wrong key.
Unlike years ago when learning to touch-type involved signing up for an expensive course, today there are numerous free resources on the Internet that require nothing more than a small investment of time. A wide range of books that promise to teach you to touch-type in a matter of a few hours is also available.
Take the pain out of using a keyboard and brush up your skills for the workplace or your own home use by taking a free online touch typing course and becoming an expert in hours.
New Year’s Resolutions For Problem Free Computing
Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company. |
Even though we’re a few weeks into the new year, it’s not too late to take a look at your company’s network and make a few resolutions for better computing in 2012. Here are a few suggestions.
Better backups - now!
Implement a better, more reliable backup system to ensure your critical business data is properly protected. If you’re still using tape drives or not employing the latest professional-grade backup software, there’s no bigger New Year’s resolution that you should have.
You should have both an onsite and offsite backup of your data that allows you to restore files fast. Your backup should also be image-based, not just file-based.
Data loss can happen from human error, hardware/software failure, fire, flood, theft or other disaster. Every hour that you’re without your critical business information could cost you thousands of dollars.
Check out the cloud
Is cloud computing is right for you? In many cases, parts of your IT infrastructure can easily be put in the cloud to save you money and give you better service. It is important to talk to someone who can honestly assess your situation and tell you the pros and cons of making the switch to the Cloud. It’s not for every business but it’s worth exploring closely.
Dump the old PCs
I know that no one really likes spending money on new computers but think about how much unproductive time your staff spends waiting for their slow machines.
You can get an entry-level business desktop now for as little as $600, and speed upgrades to newer machines are very reasonably priced. What’s the cost of staff sitting
around waiting for their computer or dealing with computer problems?
Upgrade your server
New servers are light years ahead of the ones made three, four and five years ago. Your company is less productive and less profitable with a server that slows everyone down.
Change your passwords
Most businesses regularly have employees leave, including those who were involved with supporting the computer network. Changing passwords regularly will improve security and protect your valuable customer and business data.
Perform a security review
We’re seeing all sorts of increased threats from hackers these days and you need to make sure your security approach is up to date. There are many parts to your security that you should examine including password strength; anti-virus software; and getting a strong firewall that will prevent intrusions, attacks and other malicious activity.
Keep up with your preventive maintenance
Downtime and annoying IT problems can be prevented with regular maintenance on your computers and network. If you’re not doing this now, it’s time to start!
Start the year right with a full audit of your network to develop your IT plan for the year.
Our top of the line network audit is a 27-point review of the security, performance and reliability of your network, and includes a full hardware and software inventory, plus checks on the health of your server, firewall, and network backup.
How Strategic Business Continuity Planning Can Prevent Losing Money And Customers
The concept of business continuity planning is nothing new to conscientious business owners.
Without a doubt, the ability of an enterprise, large or small, to recover from catastrophic events and continue to provide an acceptable level of service to its customers while maintaining a satisfactory level of profits is a basic requirement of good business practice.
Although such awareness has always been a feature of good management, the startling events of September 11 2001 has brought the world into a heightened state of preparedness for disaster.
Why the need for continuity and disaster planning?
Increasingly, natural disasters continue to surface in one place after another.
Consider recent major floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, corporate crimes and malicious attacks upon computer systems in nation after nation and you will sense the pressing need for sound business continuity planning to avoid disruptions due to technology and other failure.
Another factor which contributes to this need is the changing business climate in view of the expansion and increasing accessibility of the Internet over the past decade.
So organizations which formerly rendered services to their customers during fixed hours of business, now find themselves offering their services on an extended schedule, even 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This means that customers have grown accustomed to this ready access to their suppliers and vendors. And now the reality is that consumers have become less and less tolerant of interruptions in a company’s service and availability.
Business continuity planning - is it just for big business?
Business continuity planning now takes on an increasingly important role, not just for larger enterprises, but for small businesses alike.
In fact for small businesses it is even more critical to be ready to respond to the needs of its customers.
Customers expect this and have no problem locating alternate suppliers who stand ready to take your place in the market!
This is true whether you are in the manufacturing or service business, marketing and sales or any other facet of business.
Your network - a key component in business continuity
Nowadays a company’s IT System with its network of computers has become the backbone of many businesses.
Vital functions such as Data Processing, inventory and payroll management, Internet based operations including online sales, human resource and training systems, project management and an almost endless variety of other business functions are critically dependent on the efficacy of your computer system.
Clearly then, any technology disruption can have disastrous consequences.
Therefore business continuity planning often deals extensively with maintaining a dependable IT system.
This brings into focus not only the hardware components of the system and its application programs, but also the data contained in the system.
Ways to ensure continuity
Some of the key components that determine system reliability include Data Storage Devices, UPS systems, power generator systems and so on.
And nowadays, Cloud Computing is being relied upon to extend the reliability of Computer Systems and ensure business continuity in the event of major failure.
There seems to be a tendency to use the expressions 'business disaster recovery’, and ‘business continuity’ interchangeably.
However upon closer examination it becomes clear that the two concepts are quite distinct.
Continuity of service is the desired state we want to maintain while recovering from any unexpected calamity whether an extended power outage, Computer System failure or other problem.
Such continued operation calls for a comprehensive plan that covers the most probable occurrences.
From this information it can be seen that ensuring business continuity calls for a strategy regardless of the size of the business.
As disasters continue to increase in frequency and magnitude, more and more careful thought must be given to your company’s preparedness to respond in the event of any business threat.
The increasingly prominent role of computers in business calls for highly reliable data backups, hardware redundancy, and keen, effective planning as a way to ensure business continuity in the event of any catastrophe.
Top 5 Reasons To Be Thankful For Technology
When you’re looking back over the last year at what helped make for a good year, technology will definitely make the list!
Giving credit where credit is due, here are the top 5 reasons why we should be thankful for all the new technology we used this past year:
1. It allows us all to be more “earth-friendly.”
Thanks to e-mail and the Internet, as well as document imaging, we can all communicate with each other without having to waste paper and ink, not to mention stamps!
2. We can instantly access information on practically any topic we want, whenever we want. If you need to find a Mexican restaurant within a mile of your location, you can not only find one, but also check out the menu and order online so your food is waiting for you when you get there!
3. It keeps us in touch. Although it can easily be argued we’ve gone too far in this department, cell phones, blackberries, and even online forums (blogs, Facebook, MySpace) have enabled us to find and stay in touch with more people more frequently.
4. It saves us time and money. Nothing has done more for the consumer than the Internet. In minutes, you can search and compare various products and services without having to make a phone call or get in your car. Plus, you can order just about anything online and have it shipped to your door.
5. It’s a great scapegoat for any number of mistakes you’ve made. Missed an appointment? Blame your system being down. Don’t want to talk to someone? Use the old, “I have no bars in this area,” excuse. Overlooked an important client’s request? Just tell them you never got the email!
What are WE most grateful for? Those of you that trust us to make all the computers and gadgets work the way they are supposed to!
Thank you for a fantastic 2011 - here’s wishing you and your family the very best for 2012!
How To Shop Online More Safely And Securely
These tips can help you determine that you’re shopping at a secure and trustworthy website.
Look for signs that the business is legitimate. Buy only from reputable stores and sellers. Here are some ways to check.
Find out what other shoppers say. Sites like Epinions.com or BizRate have customer evaluations which can help you determine a company’s legitimacy.
Look for third-party seals of approval. Companies can put these seals on their sites if they abide by a set of rigorous standards such as how personal information can be used. Two seals to look for are the Better Business Bureau seal, and the TrustE certified privacy seal. If you see the seals, click them to make sure they link to the organization that created them. Some unscrupulous merchants will put these logos on their websites without permission.
Look for signs that the website protects your data. On the web page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an “s” after http in the web address of that page. This shows that the web page is encrypted. Encryption is a security measure that scrambles data as it traverses the Internet.
Also make sure there is a tiny closed padlock in the address bar, or on the lower right corner of the window.
Use a filter that warns you of suspicious websites. Find a filter that warns you of suspicious websites and blocks visits to reported phishing sites. For example, try the SmartScreen Filter included in Internet Explorer.
Keep your web browser updated.
It helps protect you when you shop online.