Small Business Tech

February 8th - Clean Out Your Computer Day

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:20:00 +0000

I have read differing reports who originated Clean Out Your Computer Day, but either way this is it. The second Monday in February. Here are some ideas to "celebrate"...

Organize and delete files. If you are like me you just drop files off of your camera onto the desktop when you are in a hurry. This is a good change to do some basic file organizing. If you are using Google Desktop you may want to consider just creating a better file name description and sliding the file into a folder that is off of your desktop.
Defrag your hard drive. This has been automated on Windows Vista and 7, but you still need to do it by hand in Windows XP.
Run a good deep virus scan and run Windows Update to check for any updates you may missed in the past year.
Physically clean the case. If you have a notebook or netbook computer be sure to clean the exhaust vents. A can of compressed air is handy if used carefully. Desktop computers should be dusted and fans blown clean.
Last but not least clean your LCD screen.

Apple iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:25:00 +0000

On occasion I like to take some time to think about a new product before I post my thoughts. I usually get better results when I wait a few days to read and ponder. I have waited a few days to write down some thoughts about the just announced Apple iPad. I want to reflect on the device as a business tool.

Form factor. If you ask me it looks like a big iPhone. It is not the first tablet PC. There have been plenty in thhe market for many years with very little success. The biggest problem with a tablet is the poor position to hold it while you are typing. You almost need to stoop over it to type unless you do the two thumb procedure. You better have big hands to use your thumbs. For just web browsing or data perusal it would be a good form factor for a short period of usage. It is thin at just 1/2 inch thickness and most of the front is glass. I cannot imagine that I would carry this anymore beyond my home or office. Breaking my phone or notebook make me nervous enough.

Limitations. Based on published reports it will not include Adobe Flash so that rules out watching streaming video from Hulu, TV.com, or any number of other sites. You would need to limit your video media to downloaded podcasts or purchased iTunes programs and movies. That is a shame. The other limiting factor is the same that afflicts the iPhone - it will only run one application at a time. There are a couple of exceptions much like the iPhone, but most applications will only run one-at-a-time.

The name. I hate to judge someone else's marketing decision, but there had to be a better name out there. I understand that iPad is similar to iPod, but iPad is just rife with parody.

It would be neat to use an iPad while watching television or in a meeting, but I cannot imagine much use beyond those tasks. It would have very little substantial application in the business environment.

Update on Backupify

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:40:00 +0000

I recently wrote about Backupify. One feature disabled was backing up Gmail. They have posted on their blog about why it was disabled.

Backup Your Life With Backupify

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:03:00 +0000

Many of us are now depending on online services to store images, documents, thoughts, and memories. A service has surfaced called Backupify that backs up all of this data. Backupify is an online service that backs up data on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Docs to Amazon's S3 backup service.

When I first heard of Backupify I was intrigued but wondered why. The whole selling point of online services is that we do not need to worry about our local hard drives and backup routines, etc. What are the chances of an online provider such as Google just disappearing or losing our data? Well there is a point I had not considered. What if your online provider cuts you off. It can happen and it has happened to a few users. Read your Terms of Service. There is probably language in there to prevent you from doing things that are on the wrong side of the law. Whether that includes copyright infringement or defamation or any other nefarious activity. Your provider can cut off your access just based on a complaint. They would rather just anger you then fight a legal case.

The sign-up for Backupify is very straight forward. You use your email as your user name and create a password. They ask if you would like the free version or bring your own Amazon S3 account. Right now the service is free for new users who sign up before January 31, 2010. Once you have signed up you just add your services such as Google Docs or Facebook via your login information for those products. Some products such as Zoho require an API key as well.

I do have a couple of questions about Backupify. How are they going to make money down the road? Will they charge for restoration or access to data? Even if I choose to save the data in my Amazon S3 account is the data accessible via another portal into S3 such as Jungle Disk?

LCD Screen Cleaning Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Spruce Up Cleaning has a good article with tips on cleaning LCD screens.

Comment on Google Picasa 3.5 Article

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:11:00 +0000

A reader asked via the comment system if he could post my comments in the Google Picasa 3.5 article. The reader did not leave any contact information so - yes, you can.

They also requested by Twitter - http://twitter.com/curtispartridge

When You Just Have To Send A Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:40:00 +0000

During this time year we all tend to reach out to family. We all have those family members that are not connected via email, Facebook, or other means. Sometimes you just need to send an old time letter.

I had just such as occasion with a family member that is busy so she is difficult to catch on the phone. The economy has forced her disconnect her Internet connection. Call me lazy, but I did not look forward to typing a letter, locating an envelope, addressing it, and then digging a stamp out of a drawer. What is the proper amount for postage?

I looked for an online service that would send a postal letter. I ran into several. One was free but it did not look very professional. The others ranged in cost and most you had to sign up for an account.

The most drop-dead simple provider that I could find was SnailMailr.com. You pull up the site and fill in an envelope on the first page with your return and recipient addresses. On the next page you write your letter. You can embed color photographs or other graphics into your letter. You then preview the letter and pay just 99 cents to send it. The other great thing besides the features and low price is that they do not requires any site sign-up. You just use your Amazon log in and your prearranged payment method. Amazon handles your receipt and confirmation of your letter printing and being sent. They typically print and send your letter in 24-hours.

Give it a try. It is a great way to send a nice looking letter this holiday season to your relatives or friends that are off the grid.

Google Might Make the Holidays a Bit More Merry

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:51:00 +0000

If you are traveling beginning now through the holiday season then you could lucky enough to get free wifi. Google is buying travelers free wireless access at up to 47 U.S. airports. Just visit the site freeholidaywifi.com for more information.

What Does Google Know About You

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Good news for Google users. You can now access a dashboard that will list all of your data that is stored with Google. It is somewhat similar to the dashboard that has been available to Google Apps admins. Incidentally, I took a look and my dashboard is not enabled, yet. Hopefully your mileage will vary.

AVG 9.0

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:02:00 +0000

AVG has released version 9 of their popular anti-virus software. AVG has been on my favorite anti-virus software list for a long time. It uses very little computer resources, and the free to private home users is a good marketing program.

Some of the improvements include up to 50% faster scans, and new additions including root kit and phishing scam detectors. My review of a installation on an Intel Atom 230 netbook with 1 gigabyte shows a usage of 10 megabytes while idle. A review of CPU usage during a scan ranged from 25% to 40%. Not bad for a gutless netbook.

AVG is free for home users, but they do charge for business users. The paid version does include extras such as more in depth scanning for malware.

One problem I had when I tried to download the free version is that CNet was hosting version 8.3. On the download page go to the Installation Files tab and choose avg_free_stf_en_90_698a1730.exe to download version 9.

Google's Biggest Break in Enterprise, Yet

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Google Apps is going to the spotlight as the Los Angeles, CA city commission has decided to move their email system to the cloud-based collaboration software. Microsoft and Google were battling to provide services to the 30,000 city employees. You can read more.

I have compared both services and chosen Google for many users. I even attended a workshop by Microsoft where they pitched the product. The problems were that Microsoft was selling vaporware. Vaporware means that the products did not even exist, yet. The other problem was that Microsoft only offered 1 gigabyte of storage for $10 to $12 per month. Google Apps offered 25 gigabytes of storage for just under $5 per month. It has been an easy decision so far.

Windows 7 Day

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Today October 22, 2009 is being called Windows 7 day as Microsoft releases their latest version of their venerable operating system to the public. The tech and to some extent mainstream press have covered the subject to death, so I will offer just a couple of comments.

I have been testing the OS and even used it day-to-day for a period. I worked my way up through the beta releases as they flowed from Microsoft. The most nagging problem that I had was getting it to join a domain hosted by a Linux server. I hope they smoothed that problem out in the finished product. I have a copy on order so we will find out soon.

My overall impression of the product is that it is a finished version of Windows Vista. Enough said.

Google Picasa 3.5

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:41:00 +0000

Google has released version 3.5 of their image editing software Picasa. For many years I have been a frequent user of Adobe Photoshop, but as Picasa develops more tools I find it filling my needs. Essentially when processing family photo's and such I just need to crop, rotate, and maybe adjust the lighting or coloring. Picasa is more than capable of performing these duties. Obviously I still need Photoshop for more advanced image manupalation including changing the color pallette to CMYK for print ads or create images using layers. Incidently, I have been playing around with the free GIMP to possibly replace Photoshop for these jobs.

One of the most noticeable new features in Picasa 3.5 is face recognition. This feature has been available on the web version for quite a long time, but it is easier to use and much faster on the desktop version. It does a remarkable job of picking out and profiling faces in your images. It sort gives you a bit of a chill how it connects faces to your contacts. I hope Google never decided to go to the dark side.

Molo Rewards Introduces at DEMOfall09

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000

I like to point out local tech companies that makes news. One this past week is Molo Rewards of Sanford, FL. They debuted at DEMOfall09 which is an opportunity for new tech iniatives to present before the press. This can give them a marketing push as well exposure to financing opportunities.

Molo Rewards is offering coupons through Near Field Communication devices such as smartphones. Near Field Communications is an up-and-coming payment system where you will use your phone to pay for products and services. Near Field Communications only operate at distances up to 10 cm. There are a small handful of handsets and retailers that enable the technology.

Do We Need Microsoft Office

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:25:00 +0000

I took the challenge of leaving behind Microsoft Office a couple of years ago. I switched to Google Docs, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Remember the Milk. The initial transfer took many days, but I quickly reaped the benefits of improved productivity.

I have met many people that have had a difficult time with the potential or even attempted change. Christopher Dawson ponders the idea of leaving Microsoft Office behind on ZDNet Education.

A Better Way to Defrag

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Windows includes a copy of Microsoft's venerable utility to consolidated fragmented files on a hard drive. The problems are that it is slow and it has very few options. A better option is Defraggler by Piriform. The same group that brought us Ccleaner.

The best part is that Defraggler is free for personal and business use. The other great features are speed and options. You can choose between a quick defrag or a full treatment. You can even look at the fragmentattion of particular files and defrag only the ones that you choose.

There are many arguments about defragging a hard drive. Some say that if you see a speed enhancement on your computer when you defrag then you probably have other problems. I like to think that it is just a portion of a good maintenance program. You install the latest patches, update software, confirm virus protection, and check disk fragmentation. I like to check computers that mainly serve as workstations every three to six months. If a computer actually stores a lot of data a monthly check might be a good idea. I like to defrag when I see more than 12 to 15 percent fragmentation.

Tracking Internet Browsing History

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:42:00 +0000

In this business climate it is important that your employees are as productive as possible. It is also no secret that a limited number of employees might spend a lot of time surfing the web. Many businesses are not in a position to setup a web monitoring system, and most do not want to become an electronic nanny. A quick solution to view employees surfing history if they have not deleted it is to use a couple of great utilities.

These utilities come from NirSoft which offer a multitude of computer utilities in addition to these two. Any of the utilities that I have used do not need to be installed so you can run them from a network share or a USB flash drive.

The utilities for listing browsing history are IEHistoryView and MozillaHistoryView. Each are downloaded as a small ZIP file. Uncompress the folders and then take them to the machine of the employee. You will not need to install either application, and you will be able to view the browsing history even if you are not logged in as the user.

The way that you switch user views does differ for each utility. In IEHistoryView for Internet Explorer you simply click on the head icon in the upper left hand corner. You can then choose the profile of your computer user. The MozillaHistoryView for the Firefox browser is not so straightforward. You will need to drill down to the history file location. The easiest way to do this is that when you change the history file location under the File menu be sure to note the original location. Your target location is probably the same except for the different user name.

Firefox Extensions

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:14:00 +0000

I like the Firefox browser from Mozilla. It is fairly fast but still feature rich, but my favorite trick is the extensions. I thought that I would make a list of my must-have extensions.

Must-Have: They must be installed on a computer that I use more than once.

IE Tab - Once in a while you have to use Internet Explorer for a web site. This plug in simply gives you the right-click option of viewing the page in Internet Explorer. You can save a list of frequent sites as well.
Google Toolbar - My workflow revolves around Google Apps, so this is a must for me. It does much more than search including indicating if you have new email and listings your universal bookmarks.

Cool-To-Have: These just make using your computer more pleasant.

Forecastfox - This small utility resides in the right-hand status bar showing you weather data for your chosen location. You get a small indicator if the National Weather Service has issues a warning for your chosen area.
Cooliris - This is a fullscreen experience to looking at videos and images. Web sites have to be Cooliris capable, but the good news is that many popular sites are already on board.

Trying Out: Still in my personal testing phase.

Tree Style Tab - This is an alternative to the tabs appearing across the top of your browser window. They appear in a bar on the left in a smaller format and broken in to hierarchical trees. Very handy if you are doing a lot of research.

Netbook only - Really useful on a netbook computer.

Autohide - This extension allows you to choose the when and what disappearance of toolbars in Firefox when you use fullscreen mode on a netbook. Using fullscreen mode is a must for Firefox on a netbook, but it allows you to keep the status bar or even the taskbar available. The top bar slide down without resizing the page which is also nice.

There are lots of other extensions for Firefox. Some are mundane to making Firefox a completely different browser. Tell me about a few of your favorites.

July 2009 Microsoft Security Patches

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Microsoft has released their list of security patches for July 2009. Fortunately the list is far smaller than June's record-setting list.

Windows 2000 and Windows XP are the most affected with three critical problems. Two of those are subject to exploits that are in the wild on the Internet. These would need to be patched quickly. Windows Vista is affected by one critical update and there is an exploit in the wild for that one.

The only Office component affected this month is Publisher. The remaining patches are for Microsoft Server and Virtualization Software.

Synergy - Not Just An Overused Buzzword

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:41:00 +0000

We have all read or heard company announcements about how a particular merger is going to create synergy between the companies. A fancy way of saying that we can let a lot of people go, and maybe continue to offer some modicum of customer service. All right enough from the soapbox - onto our story...

I was alerted to a well-written small utility that makes using more than one computer absolutely enjoyable. The small blurb on the product web site says it very well...

Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems without special hardware. It's intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own display.

The only caveat is that each computer must be connected to the same network. If they are sitting besides one another on a desk it is likely that they do reside on the same network. The computers can run different operating systems including MAC OSX, Windows, or even Linux.

Using Synergy is easy. Setup can be just a bit confusing. We will walk through a simple two-workstation setup. Download the application choosing i386 for a Windows computer and other platforms for Linux or MAC. Install the program as you would any other. Once installed you will find the application in your Start Menu; All Programs on a Windows computer.

We will start with the host workstation. You can choose either workstation to be your host or client. If you have three then your host should be the common computer that you use most of the time. Click the radio button beside "Share this computer's keyboard and mouse (server)." Click the "Configure..." button. Under the screens box click on the + sign. Enter the name of this computer in Screen Name. I stick to the computer name because mine are very descriptive, but you can choose whatever you like. Do not worry about the other settings. Those are only used if you run into strange issues with Nums Lock, etc. Add the name of your second computer in this box as well.

You will now need to setup links. In the bottom choose the direction of one screen to another using the drop-down boxes. Click OK.

Install the software on your second computer, and open the program as you did on the first. Click on "Use another computer's shared keyboard and mouse(client)". Enter the name of your first computer in the Host Name box. Click Start.

Go back to the first computer and press test. If everything has been setup correctly then you should now be able to navigate your cursor from one screen to another. If you are satisfied with this setup then you can end the test and go back to the main dialog box and click start. One more important option is AutoStart... This button will open a dialog box with two options. You can choose to start when the computer starts or when you log into the computer. If you decide to autostart then be sure to also set the same on your second computer.

Using Synergy once it is setup is very easy. You can drag the cursor from one screen to another using your mouse. Whichever screen is holding the cursor will capture any typing on your keyboard. You can also copy and paste from a shared clipboard between the screens. This copy and paste is limited to text. You will not be able to transfer files using the clipboard.

Drag and Drop in Gmail

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:09:00 +0000

I noticed this evening that Google has added drag and drop to Gmail. You can grab a small handle at the far left portion of message listing and drag it onto a label. You can also accomplish the same by dragging the label onto a message. You can also select multiple messages and drop them onto a label.

This addition as well as the recent ability to "move" messages into labels makes Gmail more and more useful. The Gmail web interface is becoming more comfortable for former Outlook addicts.

By the way unlike tasks in Google Calendar, this feature is available in Google Apps.

Rumor Has It...Google Voice Going Live, Today

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:26:00 +0000

The rumor is that Google Voice, Google's voicemail service, will go live in the United States, today. At this time they are still only accepting requests for invitations. I have used the service that they purchased from GrandCentral for more than a year. If you have not seen it then you are in for a pleasant telephonic surprise.

Safe and Secure Computing

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:38:00 +0000

People frequently complain that their computer is slow or it is infected. Nothing is %100, but there are steps that you can take that will prevent problems for you or your computer users.

AntiVirus software. Whether you pay for it or download it for free, every computer and server should have antivirus software. The smaller the better. I like AVG Free (free for home users) and McAfee ASAP for multiple computer businesses. McAfee ASAP is very lightweight, centrally managed, and affordable with prices in the low $20 per year per desktop.
Firewall. Windows XP includes a built-in software firewall, but I do not necessarily mandate that it is used. For desktop computers with just about any router on the market connecting you to the Internet I consider it an option. Keep it on until it breaks something. Some multi-function printers and server-centric software do not play well with firewalls. If you have a notebook that travels in the wilds of coffee shops and airports, then it is a must to enable the firewall.
Wireless network. Be sure that you have your wireless network at least secured with WAP and a good secure passcode. If you do not then turn on the computer firewall, and avoid doing sensitive things such as banking or shopping.
Do not run your computer as administrator. In our travels across the Internet these days we can run into all sorts of dangers such as malware. One way to stem the problem is to ran with less than administrative rights on your computer. Create an Administrator account for installing software and applying patches. Then create limited user accounts. That includes for yourself. Only use the administrator account for installing software or updates. Never surf the web while in the administrative account.
User education. Educate users on not opening attachments unless they know the sender, and they were expecting the attachment. Also teach them about opening files provided though other means including thumb drives and DVD-ROM. Do not make them too paranoid, but let them know the real dangers.
Patches. At a minimum you should install Microsoft's security patches as soon as possible after their release which is typically on the second Tuesday of a month. You should try to keep other software up to date as much as possible. If nothing else the Microsoft patches are the most important.
Testing. It is time-consuming, but it is very valuable. You should setup a computer that is very similar to most of the computers in your organization. Try to include as much of the same software and features as most of your other computers. That includes connecting it to your network and the Internet. When you are considering adding or upgrading software try it on your test station first. It is a lot more fun to find a problem on one computer then every workstation in the building. Once you install the software run through some typical work flows of opening programs, printing, etc to check for potential conflicts. This test station can also be squeezed into emergency duty if someone's hardware fails. It is a two-for-one bonus.
Defrag hard drives. This simple step is not nearly noticeable as it once was, but it does help to keep the fragmentation of the data down on the hard drives.
Hard drive maintenance. This is going to be a plug for a product that I love - SpinRite by GRC. This program is expensive, but it is not if you consider the amount of time and effort saved. I have used it for several years, and I have not had a hard drive failure in many years. I run it every three to six months on every computer with a spinning hard drive.

The bad news is that in spite of all of these precautions you will still need to reinstall Windows occasionally. Hardware failure or just plain bad luck with a virus or malware can happen to anyone. Windows just breaks down over time, but these steps will greatly extend your time between format-installs. When you do that reinstall be sure to blow out the computer case. Dust and dirt buildup can shorten a computer's life and make it run more slowly.

Google Targets Exchange

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:59:00 +0000

It is not a secret that Google has sights set on Microsoft's enterprise jaugernaut - Exchange. Google Apps has begun a reseller program that has a lot of sales and promotional materials for sellers. Google's sync with nearly any smartphone strategy is working well.

One problem does persist. Some users will never leave Outlook. They have built their most basic communications and work flows around Outlook. It is a tough transition moving from the world of folders to labels. Yes, Outlook can work with Apps but it is not elegant by any stretch. The other factor is that some business applications rely on Outlook to communicate via email.

The good news is that Google has a plug-in on the way that will synchronize Outlook with Google Apps email, calendar, and contacts. Google is light on details on options available or the frequency of synchronization. A release date is also missing from the details. You can watch the video here for more information.

This subject does bring us back to a previous post about Cemaphore. If you cannot wait for the Google plug-in you can option Cemaphore MailShadow Desktop Edition. Cemaphore also offers other products that backup your Exchange server to Google Apps.

Ccleaner - At Least Try To Clean Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Partridge) — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:51:00 +0000

If you use a Microsoft Windows computer you know it is getting slower and slower each day that you use it. The more you install and update and remove software the registry which is a large of database of computer settings becomes more corrupted and overloaded. Other changes to your computer such as the last size of that browser window also make changes to the registry.

A good preventative measure is to use a program such as Ccleaner, which cleans your Windows registry and much more. The much more includes removing personal and hard drive clogging data from your web browsers. Can Ccleaner bring back a sick computer? It is possible, but far from a guarantee. After a certain amount of time Windows just needs to be reinstalled. More about that in a moment.

Ccleaner can keep your well running computer to continue to run well. The best parts are that the software is free, it does not break things, and it does not contain spyware or adware. It is coded and maintained by a firm called Piriform based in London, England. They seem to solely depend financially on the kindness of strangers. They prominently accept donations on the software distribution web sites.

Using Ccleaner is straightforward and easy. You simply download from the site, install it on your Windows computer, and run it. It does not ask too many advanced questions, but it does give you options as to what you would like to delete or repair.

Back to how long your Windows computer can run. That is up to you and your users. If a computer is locked down to not allow any software installation and you run good virus and malware protection it could last years. I have seen Windows computers that have been used daily for five years that are still running very well. I have also seen computers where the user ran as an administrator and had an affinity for toolbars struggle to boot in 4-minutes after just three days of usage. We will delve into this more in coming posts.