Carbonite - Friend or Foe?

Is installing Carbonite the best backup and recovery strategy for your computer?

What do you want to back up?

• Pictures
• Documents
• Emails
• Address Book
• Memos
• Tasks
• Calendar

For the first two items on the list, pictures and documents, Carbonite does a pretty good job.

For the rest of the items on the list, however, their integration with Outlook can present a problem. If you are like me, Outlook is always up and running. Unless Outlook is shut down, Carbonite cannot back up the rest of the types of files on the list because Outlook is using them and has them "locked".

To ensure Carbonite or an other backup program you use is able to access all your Outlook stuff, you need to export the contents of Outlook to a .PST file and that .PST file needs to be in a place where Carbonite will back it up. Since different versions of Outlook will go about the process of exporting a .PST file differently, I suggest a Google search of "Outlook export .PST" and follow the directions.

Another problem with Carbonite shows up during file recovery. Let's say your computer needed to be re-loaded because of a hard drive failure or a virus attack. Where will Carbonite load your backup files? The short answer is all over your desktop. You are expected to cut and paste the individual files to their proper locations. If you don't know what you are doing, this is a very time-consuming and tedious process. It is not recommended for the faint-hearted.

Here is another scenario where Carbonite fails. You have a windows based laptop that you have been backing up with Carbonite. You decide to replace the windows computer with an Apple laptop. When you try to restore to your new Apple laptop, you find out that you cannot restore from windows to your Apple laptop. You must find a windows computer that you can restore to and then copy the restored files to the Apple laptop via an external hard drive or cd's that you created.. 

Given these three areas of concern, I would not recommend Carbonite. There are better solutions out there that can backup your system safely if they are used properly. I would suggest engaging an IT professional to design, implement and test a back up and recovery strategy for you. The small cost you pay will be worth it when you have peace of mind knowing your important files are backed up and can be recovered, with a minimum of effort.

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Is Your TV Connected to the Internet? How to Stream Movies from Netflix

Instead of renting movies from a store, the world seems to have gone to downloading and playing movies over the Internet; the major player in this market is Netflix. What equipment is necessary to download and play movies from Netflix?

If you only want to watch movies on your laptop or desktop, all you need is a high speed Internet connection.

If you prefer to watch movies on your TV, you must enable your TV-Internet connection. Here are three ways to do this:

• If your television has a built-in network interface card, connecting a cable (Cat5e) from your DSL/Cable Modem or router is a matter of finding a cable long enough to reach the television from the DSL/Cable Modem or router.

• If your television supports WiFi, you will need to plug an approved WiFi Adapter into the television's USB port. See your televisions owner's manual for more details.
• If your television cannot connect to the Internet via a built-in network interface card or a WiFi Adapter, buying a DVD Player that has the ability to connect to the Internet will allow your television to stream movies from the Internet once the DVD Player is connected to your television. (Note: WiFi enabled Blu Ray Players do not include a WiFi adapter. They must be purchased separately. So far, the only approved adapters are the ones sold by the Blu Ray Player manufacturer. If you need your Blu Ray Player to be connected via WiFi, plan on spending an additional $70-$80 for a manufacturer specific WiFi adapter.)

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Can I Really Make My PC Run Faster, Like it Says on the TV Commercial?

Can downloading a program from the Internet make a slow computer run like new?

Here is what happens when you download and install the software for free: 

• A scan uncovers hundreds, if not thousands of problems.
• To fix the problems, you must get your credit card out and click the link in order to purchase the debugging software.
• After purchasing the software and running another scan, all your problems are fixed.

When running the software on a brand new computer, I would expect few, if any problem. A scan uncovered hundreds of problems. Running software packages I recommend and trust, no errors were uncovered.

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The Droid - Better Than an iPhone?

With three months' experience using a Droid 2, what have we learned?

The Droid platform is for users who like to browse the Internet. The  phone has the same iPhone feature of changing from portrait to landscape display by rotating the phone. With the lack of a  method of syncing your calendar, contacts, memos and tasks with Outlook, the phone is not suited as well for business users. 

Here is a list of specific issues regarding the Droid phone:

            The Droid platform is very iPhone like, but lacks the maturity of the iPhone. We would describe the phone as having been developed by a group of smart engineers who didn't get together and talk. 

             Are you an Outlook user? There is not a straight forward way of synchronizing your calendar, contacts, tasks, and memo with Outlook and the Droid. Synchronizing data is through your Gmail account. Unfortunately, the free program that used to sync Outlook with Gmail does not work with non Outlook Exchange Server email accounts. Most businesses that use Outlook, deploy Outlook using Microsoft Exchange Server. If your email account is not a business account, there is no straightforward way of syncing Outlook and your phone.

            The Droid phone does not have built-in task or memo software. 

            Do you want a particular ring tone to ring for different people like your wife or boss so that hearing the ring tone tells you who the call is from? This is a great feature if it works consistently. There is a problem with the current Android Operating System software for the Droid where the phone sometimes plays a different ring tone than the one specified by you. The current solution is to reboot (pull the battery out and put it back in) your phone occasionally.

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Which Cellphone Should You Buy?

There basically are two types of cellphones:
Smartphones and standard cellphones

• Smartphones can access the Internet and can send and receive email.
• Standard cellphones can initiate and receive phone calls and send and receive text messages.

If you don't care about email or browsing the Internet, a standard cellphone is right for you.

If, however, you need a Smartphone, be aware that there are two basic Smartphone types:

• Smartphones that browse the Internet well (iPhone, Droid).
• Smartphones that send and receive email well and synchronize your email extremely well with Outlook (Blackberry).
• iPhones and Droids can send and receive email, but do not integrate as well with Outlook as a Blackberry does. A Blackberry can browse the internet, but not as well as an iPhone or Droid. 

These distinctions will change over time as each cellphone manufacturer tries to make its Smartphone the best for all types of users.

Once you have selected a Smartphone type (Internet or email), the next choice is between a virtual keyboard and a traditional keyboard. 

•  Most Smartphones have either a virtual keyboard that is displayed on the screen that you tap with your fingertips or a miniaturized keyboard which is similar in layout to your laptop desktop keyboard. Which keyboard is best for you depends on how well you can type on a specific Smartphone with a specific keyboard type. It is important to spend some time in your cellphone provider's store to try out the "feel" of a particular keyboard before your pick a specific Smartphone.
• Some Smartphones have both types of keyboards integrated into the phone. Droids and Blackberrys are two that have traditional keyboards that slide out of the phone, but also have integrated virtual keyboard that work from the screen. You may find that some applications on the Smartphone work better with a virtual keyboard, while others are easier with a keypad; getting a Smartphone that has both can make sense.

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Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

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How Long Does an USB Flash Drive Last?

From the AJC Aug. 1, 2010 The Help Desk

I do not trust a flash drive with any important data. Some flash drives claim they can survive up to 10,000 accesses; others - usually cheaper - can only handle 1,000 accesses. As far as a lifespan in years, I've seen 10 mentioned quite often. But keep in mind that is (1) pretty much a guess and (2) an average. So some lasted longer and others died sooner. My advise for storing critical data is to create several back-up modes, including online storage. If you do use a flash drive, store it in a cool place with low humidity.

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New post on blog reviewing Blackberry Bold 9650
http://ping.fm/Ntio6

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New post to blog on T Mobile cellular network and how they lied to me
http://ping.fm/OlCEv

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New post to blog on iPhone v4 upgrade failure
http://ping.fm/QxJTE

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New post to blog on using Clear
http://ping.fm/KojTC

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Clear Hot Spot Test - Replacement for Your High Speed Internet Provider?

A client got fed up enough to try Clear in order to get rid of a failing AT&T High Speed Internet Access connection. High Tech House Calls installed the Clear Modem.

The exsiting Linksys Wireless Router connected seamlessly to Clear Modem device. No programming was needed to make the Linksys Wireless Router work with the Clear Modem.

The Modem was very picky about placement. The people at Clear had pointed out where the closest broadcast tower was from the clients' house. A "stand" of books were stacked one on top of another so that the Modem was sitting in front of a window on the top floor of the house facing the broadcast tower. Other locations in the house resulting in a signal that would not allow a laptop to connect to the internet.

The client was also given a hand held Mobile Spot that never connected to the broadcast tower.

Both devices (Mobile Spot and Modem) were given to the client on a 14 day trial. So far, so good. Maybe Clear is your solution to dumping Comcast or AT&T High Speed Internet Access. 

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iPhone v4.0 Upgrade Failures

High Tech House Calls has seen quite a lot of v4.0 upgrade failures on iPhones. Here are some facts on the upgrade process:

•  The process is a lengthy one and can take as long as 6 hours.
• It is NOT an unattended process. You must answer questions during the upgrade. Therefore, starting the process before going to bed and expecting it to be complete when you wake up is not going to happen.
• How do you tell if the upgrade was successful? Go to Settings, then General and then About. If the version displayed is not 4.0, the upgrade did not succeed.

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Blackberry Bold 9650 - Good Enough Not To Switch to iPhone?

For approximately the last two years, High Tech House Calls has been using a Blackberry Curve smartphone. We wanted an iPhone, but our hatred of AT&T precluded that choice.

The Curve's access to the internet was minimal. You could read a phone number of the heading of a match found by Google, but actually reading webpages was out of the questions.

With our switch to Verizon, we purchased new cellphones. Enter, the Blackberry Bold.  The Bold can actually display readable webpages. The cellphone does not have the ability to display a larger sized page via landscape mode like the iPhone, but this cellphone is usable as a way to surf the web.

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T-Mobile Lied to Me

We have been a very loyal T-Mobile cellphone customer for at least 10 years. None of our three lab locations (Virginia Highlands, Buckhead or Smyrna) have had a cell signal strong enough to send and receive cell phone calls.

T-Mobile indicated that since my plan had roaming included, I was always connected to the strongest signal regardless of who the carrier was. The conclusion was, it was bad luck that all my lab locations had poor cell coverage from all the cellular providers.

High Tech House Calls changed to Verizon for all our cellphone needs. We have "3 bar" signal strength throughout the lab. The test for signal strength used similar model Blackberry models that should have eliminated differences a cellphones antenna.

Is it time for you to switch to a better cellphone network? www.verizon.com

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Buy a Mac for College, Get an Free iPod Touch

Time for a new computer for your school kid?

Choose your Mac.

If you’re a college student or a faculty or staff member at any grade level and you buy a new Mac with Apple education pricing from May 25 through September 7, 2010, you can get a free 8GB iPod touch.* No wonder they call these the best years of your life.

Click here for more information: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/campaigns/back_to_school

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Saving Money With Groupons

What is a Groupon?

Each day, Groupon features an unbeatable deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in your city. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, Groupon get discounts you won't find anywhere else. We call it "collective buying power!"

 

How It Works

1. Each day Groupon features something cool to do at an unbeatable price.
2. You only get it if enough people join that day… so invite your friends!
3. Check back the next day for another awesome Groupon!

FAQS

Do I have to sign up a group of people I know to get the deal?

Nope - our millions of members make up a big enough group. You'll probably want to invite people anyway, though — Groupons are fun to use with friends, grandparents, and men who wear monocles.

 

I like today's deal - how do I get it?

Just click "BUY" before the offer ends at midnight. If the minimum number of people sign up, we'll charge your card and send you a link to print your Groupon. If not enough people join, no one gets it (and you won't be charged), so invite your friends to make sure you get the deal!

 

What happens if the Groupon doesn't reach its required minimum number of purchasers?

If not enough people sign up, then the deal is canceled, and you won't be charged. Better luck next time! So if you really want the Groupon, be sure to either beg or threaten your friends.

 

Do I need to use my Groupon the same day I buy it?

No. Many Groupons have an expiration date, but you never have to use them on the date of purchase.

 

I bought a Groupon - how do I use it?

Once you're charged, you'll receive an email with a link to sign in and print your Groupon. The Groupon has redemption instructions and a map right on it!

 

Can I buy a Groupon as a gift for someone else?

Yes. We communicate with all the businesses that we work with that Groupons can be gifted, and unless the Fine Print specifically states otherwise, gift away! To have us send them the gift, select the gift option at checkout.

 

Wait, my name is on the Groupon. Are you sure I can use this as a gift?

Yes!

 

If I don't use the full value of the Groupon in one visit, can I use the remainder later?

No. Unless otherwise stated you do not receive store credit or cash back for whatever you don't use. Bring a friend - share a little!

 

Can I combine my Groupon with other offers or specials?

No... not unless the Groupon specifically states otherwise.

 

Am I billed as soon as I join a Groupon?

No - you are only charged if the Groupon reaches the required minimum.

 

Is Groupon safe?

Extremely. Your credit card number is transmitted by SSL directly to a secure electronic vault. At no time is your credit card information stored on our servers.

 

Can I return a Groupon?

Read this, and then if you want, give us a call: (877) 788-7858.

 

What happens if my Groupon expires?

All is not lost! Once a Groupon reaches its expiration date, it loses its promotional value, but you can still redeem it at the price you paid for the length of time stated by gift certificate laws in your state.

 

What if the business for my Groupon closes down?

If anything happens that makes it impossible for you to redeem your Groupon, we'll make sure you get your money back.

 

 How can I get my business on Groupon?

Check out GrouponWorks for more information.

 

Why do you only feature one deal a day? I want more Groupons!

When you're looking for stuff to do, choice can be overwhelming. We focus on one great thing each day and offer it at an unbeatable price to make things simple for you. Hang out with Groupon for a week, and you'll find something that's impossible to refuse.

 

Where did you get the name "Groupon?"

Groupon is a city in Switzerland where Goodyear tires are sold at heavily discounted rates.

 

Who are you guys?

Groupon evolved out of The Point, a platform for organizing not only group discounts, but all forms of collective action. You can learn more about Groupon, and learn more about The Point.

 

Where is Groupon based?

Groupon is headquartered in Chicago. We also have employees in cities across the U.S.

Click here to sign up:  
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu661017

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New post to blog on saving money on printing
http://ping.fm/rLU5p

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Pay Less to Print

Before you buy a new printer, figure the cost per page.  
By Jeff Bertolucci from Kiplinger's Personal Finance 07/2010

Manufacturers of inkjet printers have long used the razor-and-blades business model: The machines often cost $100 or less, but the ink cartridges can add up to two or three times that much in just one year. Now, however, increased competition and consumer outrage are writing a new chapter.

Over the past year, both Lexmark and Hewlett-Packard have run ad campaigns touting low ink prices, notes Andrew Lippman, a printer analyst with Lyra Research. And Eastman Kodak's latest turnaround strategy is based on cheaper cartridges for its printer line.

For example, Lexmark now sells a $5 black ink cartridge, the 105XL, which prints an estimated 500 pages. That's 75 pages more than Kodak's $10 10B black cartridge, which itself is considered a value compared with similar cartridges that cost $13 to $20.

Grab your calculator. The best way to get your money's worth is to figure out what it will cost to print per page, says PCWorld magazine senior editor Melissa Riofrio. Start with a printer model you like. Then go online to find out how much you'll pay for cartridges and how many pages each cartridge will print. (Manufacturers and reputable online vendors, such as Amazon, often list page yields along with the cartridge's technical specs.)

Now divide the cost of the cartridge by the page yield. For example, the HP Photosmart C4780 uses the HP60 black ink cartridge, which costs $15 and yields 200 pages. Cost per page: 7.5 cents. By comparison, the Kodak ESP 3250 uses Kodak 1-B cartridges, which has a 425-page yield. Cost per page: 2.4 cents.

More may not be less. But high-capacity cartridges may not be for everyone. "If you don't [print very much, a high-yield cartridge that sits for months and dries up isn't necessarily a good thing," says Riofrio.

You'll need to run the numbers for color ink cartridges, too. Printers that use a single tricolor cartridge-which has cyan, magenta and yellow ink tanks in one unit-cost more in the long run. That's because once one tank runs out, you have to replace the entire cartridge, which typically costs $30 to $40.

Once you've compared printing costs per page, you still have to decide whether the most economical printer has the features you want. And you should compare print quality with that of pricier models. Visit a local retailer and put the printers through their paces.

One good choice for affordable home printing is the Canon Pixma iP4700 ($100). This inkjet model produces sharp, clear photos and documents , and it can print on both sides of the page (another money saver). Its inks are reasonably priced: the five tanks-black, cyan, yellow,magenta and photo black (for pictures)-are priced from $13 to $15 each.

Blog Editor Note:  High Tech House Calls uses a Canon Pixma iP3000. We love the printer so much, we have replaced the print head to continue using it. We highly recommend the Pixma series of inkjet printers.

We also use Cartridge World to save on money for cartridges. Cartridge World cartridges are high quality and we have never ruined expensive tri-fold brochure page when using a cartridge from Cartridge World. (http://www.cartridgeworld.com/usa/usa428/) This is not the case with cartridges from Office Depot.

KipTip

How to Skimp on Printer Ink
If you'd rather keep your current inkjet printer, there are ways to conserve-many of which also work with laser printer to save toner.

Print in draft mode.
Nearly every printer has the option to print in draft, economy or save mode.

Stick to black and white.
Switch to grayscale only if you don't need to see documents in color. To eliminate ink-draining Web color graphics, download Printee for IE (www.irido.com), an application that lets Windows users remove images before printing a page on Internet Explorer.

Think before you print.
Train yourself to read on-screen. To save online articles to your PC, use a free app, such as PDSFCreator (http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator), to convert Web pages to Adobe Acrobat files.

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One of my favorite charities makes the news...
http://ping.fm/cTZUT

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New blog post on version of Microsoft Office to buy.
Home and Student vs. full featured.
http://ping.fm/8jI8p

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New post on the importance of sync'ing your iPhone.
http://ping.fm/ZD0Wt

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The Importance of Sync'ing Your iPhone

Bad things happen if you do not sync your iPhone with your computer.

When Apple discovers a problem on your iPhone's operating system or a new feature is created, a new release of the iPhone software is released.

That new release is installed on your iPhone via iTunes. When you connect your iPhone to a computer, iTunes starts up and checks to see if your software is up to date. If not, it advises you of a newer release of software that is available for download and upgrade to your iPhone.

Here are some thing to consider when upgrading the software on your iPhone:

• Stay up to date. It can be more problematic to upgrade from an older release of software to the current release. Periodic sync'ing with iTunes will ensure that you have the most current release of software loaded on your iPhone.
• Make sure your iPhone is backed up. Most upgrades will erase your iPhone data (calendar, contacts, applications, etc.), before the upgrade occurs. The upgrade process should backup and restore all your data but we have seen this process fail. Your backup will be your safety net if the restoration fails from the upgrade process.

Need help sync'ing your iPhone with iTunes, here is an article from Apple on the process http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1386.

If you have any further problems, please feel free to contact High Tech House Calls at 404.229.0839 or carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com.

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The End to Buying the Student and Teacher Edition of MS Office?

Have you decided that Microsoft Express or Windows Mail was good enough for your email needs? Did you think that buying Microsoft Office with Outlook was not necessary? Think again!

• Outlook Express went away with Vista. It was replaced with Windows Mail. Many users of Outlook Express that had years of email stored in folders using Outlook Express found that Windows Mail could not successfully import all their "old" email successfully. Buying Outlook and exporting to Outlook was their only Microsoft solution that worked.
• Windows 7 did away with Windows Mail. The solution that replaced it was Window Live. Windows Live Mail is an application that partly exists on the Microsoft web server. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.
• Do you have a SmartPhone? Backing up and synchronizing your SmartPhone with your computer is a must. Unfortunately, your SmartPhone will only synchronize with Microsoft Outlook.

When Microsoft Office 2010 is released (current target date is June 2010), you should spend the extra money and buy the version that includes Outlook.

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Is Your Wireless Network Secure?

If I sit in your driveway with my laptop, can I access your wireless network?

Here are some giveaways that your wireless router was installed with the factory default settings:

1. Your network name is linksys or 2wire.
2. When I access your control panel for administrative tasks for your wireless router the password is either admin or password.
3. Your network is unsecured. A key is not required to connect to it.

What can I do from your driveway once I can connected to your network?

1. If I can log into your control panel for administrative tasks, I can change the password for the administrator, change the network name, remove a key necessary to access your network or change the key necessary to access your network to something you do not know.
2. Once I am connected to your network, I can copy, delete or change any shared network resources such as shared folders or a networked hard drive. I may also be able to log into your computer and change your password or add accounts that I can use to access your computer later.
3. Once I am logged into your computer, I am able to copy, delete or change any file on your computer. If you have not password protected access to programs such as Quicken, I can access your financial data.
   

Is it time to secure your wireless network? Please contact High Tech House Calls (carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com or 404.229.0839). We are here to help.

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Announcing Partnership with Cherry Systems http://ping.fm/TMtrR

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When should you upgrade from free to fee for photosharing sites? http://ping.fm/cfPg8

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Photo-Sharing Showdown

Deciding between free sites for your travel snaps is a no-risk proposition - but when should you go from free to fee?

Picasa.com ($5/year)

1. What's free: One gigabyte of combined photos and video storage (equivalent to about 500 photos); superfast slide shows; collaborative albums
2. The Upgrade:20 gigabytes of storage (about 10,000 photos)
3. Drawback: You can't edit photos online - a separate (but free) software download is required for each computer you want to use. Download software here.
4. Worth It? Yes

flickr.com ($25/year)

1. What's Free: 100 megabytes of photo uploads (about 50 images) and two 90-second video uploads per month; geotagging to a world map; themed "pools" for tagged photos.
2. The Upgrade: Unlimited photo and video storage, but individual videos still max out at 90 seconds.
3. Drawback: Seriously? This costs $25 a year?
4. Worth It?: No.

photobucket.com ($25/year)

1. What's Free: 500 megabytes of combined photo and video storage; free iPhone and Droid apps (in comparison, Picasa comes free on Droids, no app needed); on-the-go editing.
2. The Upgrade: Unlimited storage space, with a discounted two-year option for $40.
3. Drawback: Banner and video ads are more disruptive here than on other sites.
4. Worth It?: only the two-year.

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Look for newsletter in your inbox. Did not see one? Send email to carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com to get one.

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Clear Wireless Networks

Do you have a need to connect to the internet from your laptop in the middle of Piedmont Park? Clear (Clear Wireless Network) may be an option.

High Tech House Calls does have several clients that are using Clear and like the results so far.Clear had been targeted to the sales person who traveled and could expense the bill to the company they worked for. Clear's business model has changed somewhat and now has packages priced for the home user.

Here are two concerns High Tech House Calls has with Clear:

• We were approached to represent their company to our clients. We asked for reference accounts that we could talk to. The answer was no. We then asked for a trial of their service so we could comment first hand on our experience to our clients. The answer was again no.  Based on this experience, High Tech House Calls will not do business with Clear.
• How long will Clear be in business? Will the modem you purchased work with another carrier if you switch? 

High Tech House Calls would appreciate your feedback regarding Clear services if you are currently a client.

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Announcing Partnership with Cherry Systems

High Tech House Calls is pleased to announce a partnership with Cherry Systems.

If your hard drive cannot be accessed because it is crashed, what are your options if the data on the hard drive cannot be replaced?

Cherry Systems are experts in recovering data from hard drives and other media such as camera storage cards when conventional means fail.

This service is pricey (anywhere from $750 to $1250) because the hard drive has to be disassembled in a white room environment and then read a block at a time, but if your first born's first steps or your financials for your business are recorded on that drive and there is no other copy, this may be your only option.

Click here to visit their website: Cherry Systems

Please check with High Tech House Calls and give us a try. Many times the hard drive from a system that will not boot can be read by us for a charge of $40 to $85.

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Replacing the Battery for your iPod

Someone in my family got their iPod washed in the laundry by accident. Once this was discovered, the iPod was surrounded by rice to dry the circuitry out. After a couple of days, the iPod was turned on. It worked! The music was still there, but the battery would not hold much of a charge.

I bought a battery replacement kit on the internet. Unfortuately, I destroyed the iPod's screen when attempting to take the back off in order to replace the battery.

Learn from my mistake:

• Do not buy a battery kit until you have tried to take the iPod appart. If you do get the iPod apart without breaking it, you can probably replace the battery successfully.
• If the replacement battery website says you should buy a replacement back because you will destroy the back when you open the case, buy the replacement back.
• If it is just a couple dollars more for someone else to accomplish the battery replacement, pay the money.
• Do the math! How much is a new iPod versus putting in a battery into an old one. How old is the iPod you are attempting to repair. Usually, it makes sense to buy a new iPod.

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Coupon for upgrade to Win 7 from Vista and college kids computer tune-up in new newsletter. Save some money this month!

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Newsletter is in the works. Look for in next couple of days.

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Win XP No Longer a Supported Operating System

After April 2010, no more maintenance will be done to the Microsoft Operating System Win XP. After April 2014, no more security patches will be created.

If you love one of Microsoft's most stable operating systems and all your personal and business needs are met by this operating system, what does this announcement mean to you?

• You cannot easily buy a new computer pre-loaded with Win XP. You cannot easily buy Win XP software. Any new computer will probably come with Windows 7 pre-loaded. If you do not have a copy of Win XP with a valid license key, you will not be able to re-load a computer with Win XP easily.
• If a problem with the operating system is uncovered, a fix for that problem will not be made available.
• Computers running Win XP are poor candidates for upgrade to Windows 7. The hardware is too out-of-date for a successful upgrade.
• If your computer is 3-5 years old, you should be thinking about a new computer simply because of  the age of your current computer. Need advice on what to buy. Send a email (carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com)or call us (404.229.0839) for free advice on what computer you show buy? High Tech House Calls does not sell computers or receive compensation from computer manufacturers. We are vendor and platform neutral.

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Time to Upgrade to Windows 7?

Microsoft's Operating System Windows 7 has been out since October 22, 2009. High Tech House Calls thinks this operating system is a big improvement over Vista and strongly encourages users of Vista to upgrade their computers to Windows 7.

In general, a computer that can run Vista will have no problem running Windows 7. To make sure all your hardware will work fine, install the Windows Adviser Software from Microsoft. Here is the link to the Adviser: Windows 7 Adviser

What do you need to migrate to Windows 7?

• copy of Windows 7 (upgrade version is fine)
• backup of personal data on your current computer (emails, contact list, documents, music, etc.)

What if you are running Win XP?

• Most computers running Win XP do not have the horse power to run Windows 7. 
• You cannot upgrade a Win XP computer to Windows 7. You must erase the contents of your current hard drive and start from scratch with a full version of Windows 7. It is critical that you have a complete backup of your computer's data in order to restore that data after the upgrade.
• Win XP is a very stable and tested operating system. The time to upgrade is when you buy a new computer that is pre-loaded with Windows 7. If your computer is 3-5 years old, you should be thinking about a new computer simply because of the age of your current computer. Need advice on what to buy? Send an email (carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com)or call us (404.229.0839) for free advice on which computer you should buy.

Does the  process of upgrading your computer to Windows 7 seem intimidating? High Tech House Calls will take on this task and guarantee the results. Please call High Tech Houses at 404.229.0839 or email us at carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com

Sign up for our newsletter (left hand side near the top of the blog) and receive a coupon for 1/2 off the cost of services to upgrade.

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Happy New Year!

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Holiday newsletter sent! Money saving coupons included. Did not receive one? Send email to carlthorne@htcatlanta.con to request one.

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Become a fan of High Tech House Calls. Go the hthcatlanta.com and click on the "become a fan" button in Facebook lower right corner of site.

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Life goes on. My website is back up! The terror of changing host companies is at an end! Happy Holidays! www.hthcatlanta.com

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Apple or Windows 7? Need help deciding? We offer free advice! High Tech House Calls @ 404.229.0839

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Need help with Constant Contact to manage your email distribution list? We have the answers to your questions. Let us help! 404.229.0839

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New newsletter should be sent Dec 2nd with money saving coupons. Look for it in your inbox. Go to www.hthcatlanta.com to subscribe.

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Are you thinking computer for Christmas? Let High Tech House Calls set it up and have it ready for the big day. Call us at 404.229.0839!

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Electronic Recycling Day - Cobb County, GA

Electronics Recycling Day






Keep Cobb Beautiful
Electronics Day and Shoe Collection
Saturday, November 14, 2009
9am – 1pm
Jim R. Miller Park - 2245 Callaway Road Marietta, GA 30008
Piedmont Church - 570 Piedmont Road Marietta, GA 30066

Items Accepted
Computer Monitors/Microwave Ovens/Computer CPU's Stereos/ Toaster/ Laptops/ Copiers/ Printers/ Video Machines/ Alarm Clocks/ Disk Drives/ VCRs/ Can Openers Floppy Drives/ Camcorders/ Telephones/ Test & Networking Equipment/ Camera (Digital too)/ CB Radios Modems/ Mouse/ Record Players/ CD Players/ Circuit Boards/ Portable Radios/ Electrical Panels/ Typewriters/ UPS/ Battery Back-Up/ CD Roms/ Fax Machines/ Cell Phones/ Rechargeable Batteries/ Cables/ Projectors/ Keyboards/ 8-Tracks (Reel to Reel Tape)/ Scanners.
TELEVISIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR A $10 FEE PER TV.

Items NOT Accepted
Refrigerators / Washers / Dryers / Ovens / Freezers / Humidifiers - Humidifiers Power Equipment / Tires / Household Trash / Non-Electronic Equipment.

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Free Upgrade to Norton Anti Virus 2010?

Do you currently have installed a current (not expired) version of Norton Anti Virus or Norton Internet Security?

You may be eligible for a free upgrade.
Click on this link and follow the directions. (http://updatecenter.norton.com/)

Why upgrade? The newer release should have improvements from the previous one. Those improvements might include:

• Using less resources on your computer.
• Detecting viruses quicker.
• Detecting viruses better.

If you have the installation CD for the Norton Anti Virus Product you are currently running, you can always de-install the 2010 release and re-install the 2009 release if you think the older release is the better release of the two.

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Webmail vs. Outlook - Time to Change?

What are the differences between using webmail (email accessed via an Internet Browser) and Outlook (email application part of the Microsoft Office Suite)?

Where is your inbox, sent and user created email folders located?

1. Webmail: On the Internet Service Providers' mail server.
2. Outlook: On your computer.

If you email is on your computer, you can back it up. Is it is on a web server, your email probably is not backed up.


Where are your address book (contacts) and appointments (calendar) located?

1. Webmail: On the Internet service providers web server.
2. Outlook: On your computer.

Same note as with email.


Will my Smart Phone (iPhone, Blackberry, Palm) synchronize with my email application?

1. Webmail: No.
2. Outlook: Yes.
   

Your backup can restore all your contacts and appointments to your new phone.

Must I use my own computer to access my email?

1. Webmail: No.
2. Outlook: Yes.

In general, more than one computer using Outlook cannot access Outlook. This is not true with webmail since all the email is stored on the mail server.

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Moving to an Different Email Address

You have decided to change from your current email address to another. How do you inform everyone that you communicate with, your new email address?

The easiest way is to create a list of all your corespondents' email addresses by entering them into a distribution list.

Once the distribution list is created, you can send an email to the distribution list that states that your email address has changed, what it has changed to, a request for your corespondent to update their address book with the changed email address and a cutoff date when your old email address will no longer be valid. Once the email is sent out, you might get messages that one your email is undeliverable. More than likely this is because the email address you tried to send to is out-of-date and is not longer valid.

In conjunction with the email sent to your distribution list, email applications like Outlook allow you to auto-reply to new email messages. The auto-reply would have a similar message to the one you created for your distribution list.

All the websites that require an email address to communicate with you will need to be updated one by one. One way to accomplish this is to make the change when you need to access the website.

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Time to Get Rid of Your AOL Software?

Are you using AOL Software to access your email?

Put your computer on a diet by getting rid of all the AOL Software and using an Internet Browser to access your webmail or receive your AOL email through an email application such as Microsoft Outlook (part of the Microsoft Office Suite).

Why get rid of AOL Software?

• The spyware scan is not effective. See http://hthcatlanta.blogspot.com/2009/06/computer-running-slow-part-ii.html for advise of a better software solution.
• The virus scan is not effective. See http://hthcatlanta.blogspot.com/2009/06/computer-running-slow-part-ii.html for advise of a better software solution.
• The AOL Software slows your computer down. It takes resources away from your computer that you could use on other computer applications.

How do you uninstall the AOL Software?

On the Windows Operating System, look for Add/Remove or Programs and Features and select AOL Software. Indicate that you wish to remove the software and you are done.

On an Apple Computer, go the Applications Folder and select the AOL Folder. Drag the folder to the trash can.

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Blackberry News You Can Use

The Blackberry Desktop for Mac Application was available for download on October 2nd. (http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/desktop_mac.jsp) This installation was tricky, but sync'ing with Entourage 2007 worked! The folks at High Tech House Calls suggest you make the change from PocketMac (current Blackberry Application used for sync'ing on a Mac) to Blackberry Desktop for Mac. We would be happy to assist you the installation. Call High Tech House Calls at 404.229.0839.

Texting is a way of life with a Blackberry, but it is easy to delete a received text before you have copied down the information you need from it. A free application automatically sends your text message to your email so that you have an electronic record of it that can be retrieved later from your computer email inbox. The Cortado SMS2Desk software automatically forwarded all my text messages to an email address we specified. No more asking to have text'ed information send again. (http://www.cortado.com/euen/CortadoFree/SoftwareforBlackBerry/SMS2Desk.aspx)

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Books to Add to Your Reading List

For Your Health: Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley, Henry S. Lodge M.D. M.D.

I'm not interested in ending up in a walker. Following this book NOW allows you to plateau health-wise instead of a gradual decline. I can see a difference from the couple of months I have been following the advice.

For Networking: Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi, Tahl Raz

Why did I spend 25 years consulting idiots and doing their work? How did they get the CEO job when it looks like they needed help getting dressed in the morning. This book was an eye opener.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (P.S.)

by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

Mind expanding. Interesting stories to tell to new contacts.

For Business: Communicating Strategy

by Phil Jones

Insight from an expert.

101 Ways to Promote Yourself: Tricks Of The Trade For Taking Charge Of Your Own Success

by Raleigh Pinskey

One great idea after another. Now, if I could find the time to implement them...

Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide

by John Jantsch

The right price for what I can afford for good marketing advice.

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Disaster Recovery Plan - Prepare for the Next Flood

• Gather all your software installation CD's into one place. If the pile is overwhelming because you have kept software for computers you no longer own or the software is outdated, now is the time to throw out the old and keep the current. If you want help culling through all the software, please call High Tech House Calls (404.229.0839). We are here to help.

• Store your software CD's in a safe place. At the very least, store your software in a different room from your computers. A safer option would be a fireproof media safe or a bank safety deposit box. Plastic (what CD's are made of) will melt before paper will burn, so getting a fireproof media safe is a must.

• To ensure your the safety of your personal data such as Quicken financial records, word documents, and photos, you should be backing your data up to an external hard drive, Cd's or an online backup solution such as Carbonite http://www.carbonite.com.

• Make sure you back up your Blackberry. http://hthcatlanta.blogspot.com/2009/08/backing-up-your-blackberry.html

• For details on creating a backup and recovery plan, see the blog entry "Backup and Recovery". http://hthcatlanta.blogspot.com/2009/06/backup-and-recovery.html

• Before you buy an external hard drive read "Your Next Must Have Purchase For Your Computer". http://hthcatlanta.blogspot.com/2009/08/your-next-must-have-purchase-for-your.html

If the worst happens and your computers are under water, relax a little, because all your things you need to restore your computers are safe and sound.

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Snow Leopard - Worth the Cost of Admission?

Snow Leopard is the newest release of the Apple Mac Operating System. This update is only available to Intel Processor based Apple computers. Power PC processor based systems such as the iBook cannot use this upgrade. Power PC systems are basically frozen from upgrading beyond Leopard. With this limitation in mind, it might make sense to start saving for a new Apple computer with an Intel processor.

Installation was straight forward; I did not encounter any problems.

Is it worth the $30?

No!

1. This release offers no new functionality that most users will be able to use or see. The core basis of this release is an improvement in computer speed. The benchmarks I have seen show that the casual user of an Apple computer will not notice any increase in computer response times.
2. You will need to update and install new print drivers for your printer. The good news is the major printer manufacturers have posted on their websites drivers that support Snow Leopard.
3. Third party Apple Software such as TechTools Pro (http://www.micromat.com/) may require upgrades to their products to work with Snow Leopard. Therefore, the true cost may be much more than $30 if you factor in the additional upgrade costs for third party software you may be running.

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Vista 64 Bit Version - Is this the version you should be running?

Many Microsoft operating systems come in 64-bit and 32-bit versions (Win XP, Vista, Windows 7). Many Dell and HP systems are coming pre-loaded with 64-bit versions of the operating system. If you bought a 64-bit version by mistake or found out that a 64-bit version will not work in your computer environment, you will have to buy a 32-bit version of the operating system and load your computer from scratch your computer.


What are the major differences between the two versions?

• A 64-bit version of the operating system allows you to utilize more memory space. More memory means the computer and its associated applications should run faster.
  

• The 64-bit version of the software is more expensive than the 32-bit version.

• Your computer hardware must have the capability to run a 64-bit version. If your computer has this capability, you have the option of loading either the 64-bit or 32-bit version of the operating system.
  

What are the problems with upgrading a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit operating system on a 64-bit hardware capable system?

1. Some of your existing hardware components may not have 64-bit drivers.

Sound cards, printers and network interface cards, to name a few, may stop running because the manufacturer has not created a 64-bit driver.

2. In Vista 64-bit, any driver that is not properly signed will not be able to enter the kernel and will fail to load.

Think how many times you have ignored that warning that a certain hardware driver is not properly signed when you installed it for the first time. With Vista 64-bit, if your driver has not be recertified by Microsoft, it will not work. Therefore, a 64-bit driver can exist for your device, but will not work if the manufacturer has not had Microsoft certify it.

3. Very little 64-bit software currently exists.

64-bit software only runs on a 64-bit hardware system with a 64-bit operating system. Currently, however, there is very little 64-bit software out there. Unfortunately, this situation is the classic Chicken versus Egg paradox.

One example I have run across is Palm's Desktop Software which will not run on a 64-bit platform. Therefore, you cannot sync your Palm Smartphone with your computer.

Conclusion:

If you decide that a 64-bit version of the operating system will not support your computing environment, make sure the operating system that is pre-loaded on the new computer you are looking at is a 32-bit version.

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HP Computers - Recovery Nightmare

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 enable you to restore your computer if the contents of the hard drive ever are corrupted and need to be reloaded.

What is a Recovery CD Kit?

A backup for your computer's files is written to CD. Typically this means 10-12 CD's; the process takes a couple of hours. If you did not create a Recovery CD Kit, and your computer crashes, you will not be able to restore your computer to the way it was when you removed it from the packing box.

If you did build the kit and need to restore your computer system, is everything going to be ok?

Not necessarily. If you bought an HP computer because it had features such as the TV Tuner, the Recovery CD Kit will not reload the driver for this component. The HP website will not have the driver for you to download. More than likely, you will be unable to find the driver and will have to buy a new TV Tuner to replace a perfectly good TV Tuner to get a software installation CD that works.

What do you do if you did not build a Recovery CD Kit and your computer needs to be reloaded?

You will need to repurchase the Operating System in order to rebuild your system. An Operating System Installation CD is $150 - $300. If your computer is a desktop computer, you are rapidly approaching the point at which buying a new computer ($400-$600) may make sense.

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Browsing the Internet with Safari v8 Revisited

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.com

Want to try your own test? Here are some ways to get Safari v4 loaded on a Windows or Apple platform:

• If you have Apple's iTunes Application on your Windows computer, you may also have the Apple Software Update Application. Double click on it. It should present you with Safari as an available download. Select Safari and the rest should be automatic.

• If you do not have the Apple Software Update Application on your Windows computer, go to www.apple.com/safari/download/ to download Safari.

• On an Apple platform, if you do not have Safari preloaded, bad things may happen: you may not being able to find, download and install updates to your software. Click on the Apple logo in the top left hand corner and select software update. The new version of Safari should be in the list. Follow the directions to install it.

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Windows 7 - Countdown to Nirvana?

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 allows you to catalog items like photos and documents together.
  

• One Click Wi-Fi. Windows 7 promises to connect more easily than Vista to Wireless Networks.

We have our fingers crossed. Hope for the best, plan for the worst!

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Your Next Must Have Purchase For Your Computer

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 hard drive for your operating system when you can put all your stuff on a huge external hard drive.

• One external hard drive will work on all your other computers. No more trying to remember what computer that document is located on. One thing to remember is that the external hard drive will be formatted to work with the various Windows Operating Systems or the Apple Mac OS System. A Windows drive will not read Mac OS files, but a Mac OS drive will read Windows files.

Buying an External Hard Drive

• There are basically two types of hard drives; a) small physical size (pack of cigarettes sized) using the power from just one or two USB ports on your computer b) large physical size (thick paper back) using an electrical adapter like the one for your notebook that plugs into the wall. If you are lugging the external drive around, the USB port powered external drive makes sense. This convenience will cost you more than the paper book sized drive.

• The other difference is whether backup software is included in the price of the drive. Do you want a program to automatically backup folders you selected or are you comfortable cutting and pasting, drag and dropping from one hard drive directory to another? External hard drives with a backup program cost more.

Go out and buy that external hard drive now!

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Backing Up Your Blackberry

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 to synchronize and backup your Blackberry on your Apple computer. However, be aware that this software has problems and does not work at all with Entourage 2008. It seems to work fine with Entourage 2004. http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/mac.jsh
  

News Flash. RIM has announced that a Blackberry Desktop Manager will be available for the Apple Operating System. Many Mac users will want to make the switch immediately when the product is available.

• Google Calendar Sync will synchronize your Blackberry calendar and contacts with your gmail account. Gmail accounts are free. They work on your Blackberry and with Outlook. A Gmail account should be part of everyone's computer toolkit. www.google.com/support/calendar

• If you have more than one computer, back your Blackberry up on all your computers. We strongly advise doing a two-way sync one only with one computer and do a Blackberry to computer one-way sync on all other computers. A two-way sync compares the data on your Blackberry to your computer. Based on this comparison, data will be added, updated and deleted. A one-way sync replaces all the data on the target computer with the source computer data.
  

• You must assume that something can and will happen to the data on your Blackberry. Without a backup, it will be very difficult to put the pieces back together. Do something about it today!
  

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Easy Fix for Computer Freezes

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 computer Freeze.

Need additional help updating your BIOS. Drop us an email at carlthorne@hthcatlanta. We are here to help.

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Skye - Keep in Touch With Your Away at College Kids

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.com

• You 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 into a usb port on your computer. If you are not interested in using the video portion of Skype, you have seen all the requirements for a Skype voice only connection.
  

• Many laptops and monitors have built-in web cams. These may work with Skype. Only testing with Skype will tell. If your existing web cam does not work, review the list of approved web cams on the Skype website before buying a new one. Installing a web cam is not more complicated than plugging it into usb port and loading some software. A web cam can shared among many computers by just plugging into the other computers usb port.
  

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When Your Computer Needs Retirement

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 pictures are backed up before this happens. A failing hard drive may not give any indication of failing before it fails totally. Watch for missing or corrupt files or your system running slow. A new hard drive is $100 on up depending on its capacity. Re-loading the system software and applications can be very expensive if you cannot find your installation disks and have to re-buy software you already own. On a WinTel computer, usually one screw to remove the drive. On a Apple laptop, you might have to take the entire case apart.
  

• Keyboard. $100 for part. On a WinTel computer, pretty easy to fix. On an Apple Computer can be as much as 45 screws of different sizes and 1 1/2 hours of work.

• Broken screen. This part can be very pricey and usually makes the repair of the laptop uneconomical.

What components fail on desktops?

Remember an entry level Dell Desktop starts at $400 before you add a monitor.

• Power supply. $40 - $100 depending on capacity. Easy to replace. Hard to find a matching replacement for the existing power supply. The new power supply must be of the same size and the same or more capacity. This part can be easily damaged due to an electrical storm.

• Cooling fan. $40. Your computer may have more than one. One fan is part of the power supply. This is a relatively easy repair. If you computer shuts down for no apparent reason, it may be overheating due to a cooling fan failure. Placing your where the fans are located on the case should detect air being circulated
  

• Sound card. Easy to replace if you are comfortable putting your hands inside of the desktop. ($20 on up for the replacement card.)
  

• Video card. $100 on up. The most complex thing about this replacement is determining what to replace the broken card with. There are current 2-3 "standards" for the interface for a video card. You must purchase a video card that conforms to the interface standard of your computer. Easy to replace if you are comfortable putting your hands inside of the desktop.

• USB ports. $20. It seems every new computer component requires a usb port. You can never have enough. This is a pretty easy replacement as long as you have a place to plug the new card into.
  

• NIC (Network Interface Card. Connects your computer via a cable to the Internet.) $20. Easy to replace if you are comfortable putting your hands inside of the desktop. A replacement that uses a usb port can be used inside of a internal card. The usb replacement will be more expensive and take up a valuable usb port.
  

• Keyboard. $10 on up. As easy to replace as unplugging the usb connection to your computer and plugging the new keyboard in to the usb port. Depending on the keyboard features, a CD with software may need to be installed. Cheap keyboards should be replaced with a keyboard that is more to your liking. Go to a geek superstore such as Micro Center (www.microcenter.com) so that you can test touch prospective keyboards.

• Monitor. $200 in up depending on size and quality. Monitors plug into the video card on the back of your desktop. An easy to obtain adapter may be required if the plug for your monitor is different than the plug on your video card.

• Hard drive. $100 on up depending on size, speed and interface type. Physically replacing the hard drive is relatively easy . The hard part is reloading your system and restoring your pictures, photos, emails, etc. If you cannot find the software that come with your computer, you will need to re-purchase it in order to reload your computer. Software costs can easily run to $400. A new entry level Dell desktop starts at $400.

• Mouse. $10 on up. Cheap mice should be replaced with a mouse that is more to your liking. Go to a geek superstore such as Micro Center (www.microcenter.com) so that you can touch prospective mice.

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