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Tips

Are Your Co-Workers Stressing You Out?

It seems like every office has at least one jerk, loudmouth, or snooping pest that drives everyone crazy. Even if they are only mildly annoying, interacting with them on a daily basis can be incredibly stressful.

What are some of the things that co-workers rate as the most annoying? Loud cell-phone talkers, habitual space-invaders, and general rudeness and inconsiderate behavior towards others.

According to one ABCNEWS.com story titled, “Trapped in co-worker hell,” co-workers’ annoying habits are the #1 source of workplace stress (survey by www.truejobs.com).

Nearly 60% of the 2,200 who responded said bad habits and manners of co-workers as the cause of stress that negatively impacts their work life, and 40% said that annoying co-workers have led them to seek new
jobs.

How To Instantly Do Any Job Faster With FREE Done-For-You Templates

Are you tired of always having to reinvent the wheel when it comes to a new form, project or newsletter? Using templates can really speed up any job.

At Microsoft’s website:
http://office.microsoft.com/templates
you can search and download hundreds of free templates ranging from inventory sheets, time sheets, to business cards and envelopes. There’s even templates for fax cover sheets, proposals, memos, meeting agendas, outlines, and client proposals.

You can even find newsletter templates just like the one you are reading!

If you are just getting started with a web site for your business, and would like to use web site templates, check out:
http://www.templatemonster.com
where you can search through hundreds of web site templates by style or category.

You have the option to buy a copy for as little as $62, or buy a “unique” copy for $2,500+.
What’s the difference? A unique copy removes the template from their library so no one else can purchase that template. The downside is that others BEFORE you have downloaded it, and they still get to legally use their copy.

Plus, you’ll need help from a web designer to post the site and make it work. The upside is that you can get GREAT design ideas for nothing, or shortcut the number of billable hours your web designer has to spend on creating a template from scratch.

SHHH! We’ve Got a Dirty Secret To Confess!

We’re Guilty Of This Computer Sin… Are you?

We have a dirty secret to confess…

We don’t clean our office computers as often as we should. Yes, we’ll shake the crumbs out of the keyboard from time to time just like everyone else, but that could hardly constitute as a “cleaning.”

With spring in the air, we thought this would be a good opportunity to remind everyone to clean out those dirty PCs. After all, you should do this every 3 to 4 months. And, it’s not just for sanitation purposes.

The electromagnetic field put off by your computer attracts dirt. Just take a look at the back of your PC near the fan vent. This dust and debris accumulates, and acts just like insulation, making your computer run too hot.

It’s Not Just Dirty… It’s Dangerous!
The dust clogging those vents will cause your CPU to heat up—and heat is the biggest cause of component failure in computers. That dirt and dust can end up shutting down your PC and costing you real money!

Here’s a general overview of how to clean your computer…

A Warning Before You Start Scrubbing
Never spray or squirt any type of liquid onto ANY part of your computer. If a spray is needed, spray the liquid onto a cloth and then use that cloth to rub down the component. You NEVER want to get any of the components inside the computer wet and you don’t want to spray cleaner directly onto a computer screen!

Also, when vacuuming the dust INSIDE your computer, make sure you use one that was designed specifically for the job and not the one in your closet. Standard vacuums create static electricity that can damage the internal components of your computer. Instead, use a portable battery powered vacuum designed to do this job.

Tools You’ll Need
You will also need:
– A screwdriver to open the computer case; just be very careful not to unplug, unscrew, or knock anything out of place!
– A can of compressed air.
– A computer-approved cleaning liquid such as rubbing alcohol or mild cleaning agent like dish liquid diluted down.
– Cotton swabs (Q-tips).
– A lint-free cotton cloth.

Tip: Wiping down the outside of your computer tower with a solution of one half vinegar and one half water will minimize static.

Before you begin, turn off your computer. Start by getting out all the dirt, hair, and dust with a vacuum. Do an extra good job around any ventilation locations as they will help to keep a steady airflow thereby keeping your internal components cooler.

When cleaning the fan, we suggest you hold the fan or place something inbetween the fan blades to prevent them from spinning. Avoid spraying compressed air into a fan or cleaning it with your vacuum since it may cause damage to some models.

Compressed air is great for getting all the crumbs, dust, and dirt out of your keyboard, but be sure to also wipe down the keys and surface of the keyboard.

When cleaning the monitor, use a lint-free cloth (like the one you use to clean your eyeglasses). Paper towels, dryer sheets, and other cloths may scratch the monitor. Also, never use Windex or a commercial cleaning product, and never spray anything directly onto the screen. Instead, lightly spray a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water onto your cloth and wipe it down.

Want Us To Clean Your Computer For You?
Want us to do the dirty work? Then give us a call at (734) 457-5000. We’re running our annual “System Spring Cleaning Special” for just $59 per computer.

Our Microsoft and A+ Certified Technicians will clean out your systems, check for viruses, spyware, and malware infections, and get your computer in top-running form for your busy summer months.

No more grime, germs, or dust bunnies—we’ll get rid of them all as part of our Spring-cleaning special!

Call us: (734) 457-5000 Or, you can e-mail us: info@MyTechExperts.com

Going On A Trip?

Here Are 4 Websites You Should Visit!

  • The U.S. Department of Transportation (www.dot.gov) offers airline, highway and rail safety information.
  • The Transportation Security Administration (www.tsa.gov) has advice on
    safe travel by air, land and sea. For example, they post tips on
    dealing with airline security checks.
  • The U.S. State Department (www.state.gov/travel) provides information
    on what to do before, during and when you return from a trip overseas.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel)
    Don’t come home sick! This site offers health-related travel
    information.

Increase Your Wireless Network Signal Strength

If you’ve installed a wireless network at your home or business, you may find your goal of “less desk, more freedom” is hampered by low signal strength, interference, and dropped connections.

You may also discover that your wireless network covers only half of your business, or that the signal barely seems to penetrate into the next room.

Insufficient range is a common problem for many wireless networks, but there are ways to extend your coverage area into the places you need it most.

1. Center your router. Setting up a wireless network is all about location. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know exactly what your coverage area will be before you install the equipment.

If possible, place your wireless router in the center of the area you wish to cover. The omnidirectional antennas on most routers radiate in a doughnut-shaped pattern around the pole. If your router is located in a corner of your office building, much of that radiation pattern will fall outside your home. Also, consider mounting your router high on a wall or ceiling far away from furniture and shelving that can impede or block Wi-Fi signals.

2. Add antennas or repeaters. You can use a wireless repeater to extend your range. Repeaters receive data packets and retransmit them at full power. Repeaters can also be difficult to install, especially if you’re new to networking. Keep in mind that repeaters tend to rely on proprietary solutions that are vendor specific and work only when you use the same brand of router and repeater.

Still, a repeater can significantly increase the range of your wireless network and is well worth considering if you want to add a few rooms to your coverage area.

5 Ways To Make Your Old Computer Faster & More Reliable

If your computer is a few years old, but your budget just doesn’t allow for a new computer, some simple upgrades and maintenance tasks can help get another year or two out of your machine.

#1. Add Memory. One of the most inexpensive and effective ways to improve a computer’s performance is to install more RAM (random access memory). This will speed up the applications installed on your computer and allow you to open and run more programs simultaneously.

#2. Upgrade The Processor Or Add A Graphics Accelerator. If you are just looking for a little more “zoom,” upgrading the processor or installing a graphics accelerator will give your computer the ability to process information faster and improve its overall speed.

#3. Perform Regular Maintenance On Your Servers and Desktops. Computers, like cars, need regular maintenance to perform at top speed and reliability. At a minimum, you should run ScanDisk and the Disk Defrag Utility on your machines once a month. This will make your applications and files load and run faster.

#4. Run A Spyware Scan Once A Week. One telltale sign that your computer is infected with spyware is slow, unstable performance. Spyware sucks up your system’s resources to carry out its evil intent, slowing down your computer and even causing it to freeze and crash.

#5. Disable Or Remove Unnecessary Programs Running In The Background. Many computers have pre-installed software programs that use up system resources and slow down your computer.

While these recommendations will certainly speed up your system, they isn’t a miracle cure for a seriously out-of-date computer network. If your computer or network constantly crashes, freezes up, or runs painfully slow, then it’s time to give us a call at (734) 457-5000 for an upgrade.

10 Easy Ways To Eliminate E-Mail Overload

E-mail driving you crazy? Every time you delete one, do fi ve more show up? Are you fi nding it impossible to answer every e-mail you receive? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re not alone!

Some people are even declaring e-mail bankruptcy — they dump every e-mail in their inbox and start over. If that’s not an option for you, then here are 10 tips to reduce e-mail overload.

1. Get a good spam filter.
Even if it saves you just 10 minutes a day, that adds up to over 59 hours a year.

2. Cancel subscriptions to unwanted mailing lists, and opt-out of LEGITIMATE e-zines.
But be careful! Trying to opt-out of spam e-mails will only alert the sender that they have a LIVE address. Also, make sure you are careful to check the “unsubscribe” or “opt-out” box when purchasing items online.

3. Ask your friends to remove you from joke groups or chain messages.
Simply explain your situation and, if they are good friends, they’ll take you out of their message group.

4. Don’t post or publish your e-mail on websites.
Spammers will steal it and put it on their lists.

5. Don’t respond to every e-mail you receive.
Yes, it’s okay NOT to respond to some e-mails. If it’s a group e-mail, don’t respond with “okay” or “:)” — it’s not necessary unless the sender is specifically asking you a question or requesting a response.

6. Be succinct.
Restrict your messages to a few sentences. If you can’t, pick up the phone or talk in person. This will avoid the back-and-forth of e-mail conversation.

7. Take advantage of subject lines.
If possible, put your question in the subject line, or your message. If that’s not possible, make your subject line very descriptive so the recipient knows what your message is about. Here’s another tip; create a set of codes with your coworkers and place them in the subject line to help them process and prioritize messages. For example, use “FYI” for informational messages. Use “AR” for action required and “URG” for urgent messages.

8. Block time to answer your e-mail and fight the temptation to check your e-mail every few minutes.
You will save yourself a lot of time and be far more productive.

9. Respond to messages when you open them so you only read them once.
If the e-mail requires an action step, schedule the action step and delete it from your inbox.

10. Set time aside in the morning and the evening to process your inbox.
Shoot for a completely empty inbox. File messages you need to keep and set reminders for messages that require you to follow up.

Now, here are some tips to keep from adding to the e-mail overload of others…

1. Be courteous when forwarding an e-mail: summarize the thread and why you are sending it at the top of the e-mail.

2. Don’t copy someone on a message unless it is necessary. And explain why you’re copying them. Recipients won’t need to guess your intentions. This means less back and forth messages.

Helpful Microsoft Office Keyboard Shortcuts

These Quick Key Combination Make Office Work Harder For You

Ctrl Z is the magic undo combo. It simply undoes your last action, say, the paragraph you accidentally erased (it works in other applications, too).

Programs vary in the number of times you can undo something, but some will let you Ctrl Z all the way back to the beginning. (And, yes, there is a redo command, just hit Ctrl Y.)

Ctrl B, Ctrl I, or Ctrl U apply bold, italics, or underline to highlighted text, respectively.

Ctrl P prints whatever is in an active window.

Ctrl Backspace erases an entire word at a time, instead of a letter.

Ctrl up or down arrows let you scroll an entire paragraph at a time, instead of one line, and Ctrl Shift up or down arrow will select an entire paragraph.

Ctrl Enter inserts a page break in Word.

Alt Ctrl C inserts the copyright symbol (Alt Ctrl R inserts the registered trademark symbol, and Alt Ctrl T makes the trademark symbol).

In Outlook, you can jump to the section you want: Ctrl 1 switches to the Mail window, Ctrl 2 switches to the Calender, Ctrl 3 to Contacts, Ctrl 4 to Tasks, and Ctrl 5 to Notes.

Ctrl Shift M starts a new message in Outlook. (Use Ctrl Shift C for a new contact.)

In Outlook e-mail, hit Ctrl N to compose a new message, Ctrl R to reply to a message.

In Microsoft Excel, you can select the entire column by pressing CTRL SPACEBAR, and select the entire row with  SHIFT SPACEBAR.

Tech Experts 2007 Holiday Gift Guide

Here’s our high-tech suggestions for the hard to buy for person on your list

It’s that time of year again. The time to spread peace, joy, and good will; the time to soak up the seasonal cheer; and the time to buy cool gadgets and devices for your company, your colleagues, your customers, your loved ones, and maybe even yourself.

These days, there is so much stuff out there that it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices. So, in the spirit of the holidays, we’ve looked high and low for the best gifts, gadgets, and goodies.

So, whether you’re looking to make communications smoother, boost personal productivity, make travel easier, deck out the company car, upgrade your workspace, or go green, there’s a gift for you in here somewhere.

Casio USB Label Mouse Printer, $29.95
The Casio USB Label Mouse Printer’s organizational beauty is that you can use it to print out thermal labels — directly from the mouse itself.

Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse, $145
The sleek MX Air from Logitech may sport a hefty price tag, but look at it this way, you don’t need a desk! It’s got a 30-foot range (which makes it great for presentations), and built-in volume controls.

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, $99
Want to go old-school without getting archaic? The G9 Laser was designed for gamers, which means it’s all about not getting repetitive strain injury (RSI). Even if you’re using it to take over the real world rather than the World of Warcraft, this is still a safe option for maneuvering through your workday.

iRobot Red Vacuuming Robot, $149.99
The iRobot Roomba Red Vacuuming Robot detects dirt, can handle hardwood or carpet, won’t fall down the stairs, and is a breeze to turn on and let loose at the end of the day. It’ll even find its way back to its charger when the office is clean.

iTouchless Stainless Steel Hands-Free Infrared Trash Can, $99
Why use your foot, or your fingers, to toss out the trash. Keep your hands clean, and your office smelling cleaner, with this 13-gallon gadget. It uses infrared technology to automatically open the lid whenever a hand or trash passes within 6 inches.

USB Tape Dispenser Hub, $14.99
Running out of plug-in slots on your laptop or desktop? How about space on your desk for analog stuff that computers still can’t replace — like good old fashioned transparent tape? This gadget solves both those problems by combining a tape dispenser with a four-port USB hub.

WildCharger charging pads, $34.99 – 89.99
The WildCharger charging pad eliminates the need for power cords. Just get the right adaptor for your cell phone or iPod and place it on the pad to get it juiced up and ready to go.

Iomega Ego portable hard drive, $199.45
Back up your files and take them with you with this cool portable external hard drive, the Iomega Ego. It stores up to 250gb and fits nicely into a laptop bag or even a coat pocket.

Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link, $299
A great option for that special someone who wants to be connected and go wireless. The Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link uses two separate frequencies to help boost bandwidth.

Apple iPhone, $399
The iPhone simply is the gadget this year. Wi-Fi Internet access, instant messaging, brilliant color display, e-mail, touch screen, and, of course, all the music you need while you browse the Web or build a proposal on the run.

Nokia N95, $699, Nokia E61i Smartphone, $389
In a year that has brought us more than just a few amazing phone-like devices, the Nokia 95 gives you DVD-quality images, plus a GPS-powered, location-based search function (helpful on business trips and sales calls), a 5-megapixel camera, wireless connectivity to your PC, and so much more. At half the cost, the E61i Smartphone is a worthy alternative.

Free Report: What Every Business Owner Must Know About Protecting and Preserving Their Critical Data!

If You Depend on Your Computer Network to Run Your Business, This is One Report You Don’t Want to Overlook!

This report will outline in plain, non-technical English common mistakes that many small business owners make with their computer network that cost them thousands in lost sales, productivity, and computer repair bills, as well as providing an easy, proven way to reduce or completely eliminate the financial expense and frustration of these oversights.

You’ll Discover:

• The single most expensive mistake most small business owners make when it comes to protecting their company data.

• The universal misconception business owners have about their computer networks, and how it can end up costing between $9,000 and $60,000 in damages.

• 6 Critical security measures every small business should have in place.

• How to greatly reduce – or even completely eliminate – frustrating crashes, slow performance, and other annoying computer problems.

Get Your Free Copy Now by e-mailing info@expertsmi.com.