Let there be hope...
Life has changed there is no doubt and we wanted to reach out to see how you are doing.
As we go through this interesting time, we are trying to look at this as an opportunity to focus on our family and on friends like you. Let us use this extra time to catch up and talk more. Let us cook food that is not fast, but interesting and satisfying. Let us learn to enjoy a time to try new things. Let us find ways to enjoy time at home!
Computer Security
If my client base is any experience, anyone can be a victim of a Ransomware, Malware or Virus attack.
What can you do about it?
I conduct audits of your entire computer infrastructure and apply best practice solutions to plug the security holes on your computers, Smartphones and networks.
Now offering consultations to give you the best protection possible:
404.229.0839
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Home » Archives for August 2009
5:46 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
We do not recommend buying HP computers. Here's why:How much time did you spend setting up your computer when you took it out of the box?If you are like most people, you plugged the computer into the wall, turned it on, and pressed the enter key a couple of times.Did you notice which software CD's came with your computer? If it was an HP computer, there were not any CD's. Why?CD's cost money. To minimize the price of the computer and maximize the profit, hard copy manuals and software installation CD's are typically not included with HP systems.One of the pieces of cardboard that you probably did not read indicated that you needed to make a Recovery CD Kit for your new computer. Such a kit would...
3:38 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Safari v4 just came out. I gave up on it once, on previous releases when I started using an Apple laptop for my business about 4 years ago. I just gave it another test drive. Here are the results:It still does not work well with many sites. I could not edit my newsletter at ConstantContact or view my daughter's eBill at college (not sure that was a bad thing!).It loaded more quickly than Microsoft Internet Explorer v8, but what doesn't?I loved the new Top Sites tab feature (see http://www.apple.com/safari/whats-new.html for more information on this new feature), but many of my favorite sites did not work with the browser.Conclusion: I am sticking with Mozilla Firefox. www.mozilla.comWant to...
3:10 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
The newest operating system offering from Microsoft, called Windows 7, is due to ship October 22nd of this year.Here are a list of early insights gathered from computer magazines:Benchmarks indicate that Windows 7 is no faster than Vista.Recognition of a device you plugged into a USB port is supposedly to better. Devices like cameras and camcorders should have slick wizards that assist in transferring your pictures and movies.Have you tried to save some money by sharing a printer among various computers in your house? This process has been difficult in the past. Windows 7 implements something called HomeGroup that makes it easy to share printers, files and folders.A feature called Libraries...
8:31 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
And the answer to the question is: An External Hard Drive!Why?:To stop you from filling up your hard drive with photos and your iTunes library. Your hard drive must have unused space in order to run the operating system efficiently. Filling up your external hard drive does not cause your computer to hang, slow down, crash or not boot.Backup your hard drive. Hard drives fail and laptops get stolen. If you have backups of key files on your external hard drive, the pain of getting your new computer back to where you were will be minimized.Save some money on your next computer by buying the one with the smaller hard drive. 2TB (yes, terabyte!) external hard drives exist. Why spend money for a big...
1:14 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Would your business or social life be over if your Blackberry address book or calendar was corrupted or missing?The "data conservative" folks at High Tech House Calls back up their Blackberry more than one way to ensure that an up to date calendar and address book are always available.Is Blackberry Desktop Manager loaded on your Windows based computer? It should be. This piece of software is necessary to synchronize and backup your Blackberry. When you decide to get a new Blackberry, Desktop Manager can copy all your old Blackberry stuff to your new Blackberry. na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/Is PocketMac loaded on your Apple computer? It needs to be. This piece of software is necessary...
1:09 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
An easy thing to try for a computer that keeps freezing is making sure your BIOS (Binary Input Output Software) is up to date. The BIOS is the first operating system that starts when you turn your computer on. Once it is loaded, the operating system you are used to seeing (Win XP, Vista, etc.) starts.BIOS is specific to your computer. To obtain the lastest BIOS upgrade, go to your vendors' website and look for support or drivers. You should be able to specify your model computer and the operating system you are running. A list should be presented and you should see a catagory for BIOS. Follow the instructions on downloading and installing the BIOS. Cross your fingers. Maybe this fixed your...
12:52 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Skype is a computer application that runs on both WinTel and Apple computers that allow you to call or video conference using the Internet for free or a very low price.Many parents use Skype to keep in touch with their away at college children via video conferencing.What do you need to use Skype?Each Skype user must have the Skype software loaded on their computer. www.skype.comYou must have created a Skype account to use Skype.Each Skype user needs a WinTel or Apple computer that is connected to the Internet.If the computer has a built in microphone, this can be used for the voice part of your Skype conversation. No built in microphone? Headsets that have a mic and a ear piece will easily plug...
8:13 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Here are some points to consider when evaluating the fix versus buy new question.Average Life of Computers:The life of a laptop computer is three years.The life of a desktop computer is five years. A desktop computer has a longer life because they are stationary and their components are not crammed into a small case.What components fail on laptops?Remember an entry level Dell laptop starts at $550 and an Apple entry level laptop at $1000.Battery. Average life is two years. Batteries are easy to replace, but have a high cost ($100-$160).Power adapter. Universal power adapter are ~$100. Buying one from the computer vendor can cost much more.Hard drive. Three years. Lets hope baby's first step...
