Nerd4Rent

Home Networking

Many people have a home network in order to share an Internet connection, stream movies from the Internet, share printers, or share files or music among devices, such as computers, TV sets, Home Theater equipment and Music Players.

There are three types of home networks: wired,wireless and mixed (wired and wireless). Wired networks use wires to connect the devices together. Wireless networks use radio waves to connect the devices. Mixed networks use both wired and wireless connections.

Wired connections are by far the most reliable. If at all feasible, we recommend wired connections for all stationary devices.

To setup a home network, a device called a router is used to connect the devices inside your home to the Internet. Routers can wired only, or more commonly both wired and wireless Routers also include a firewall as an additional level of protection from Internet threats.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when setting up your home network:

1. Not securing the network with a wireless password. Without a wireless password, any device within range of your network can connect to it and use your Internet connection, which can cause your Internet speed to slow to a crawl. Also, any shared devices, such as printers or computers that are sharing files may be accessible.

2. Not writing down all network settings and passwords. We spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find forgotten or misplaced passwords, usernames and settings.

We have extensive experience setting up and troubleshooting wired and wireless networks for both PCs and Macs.

For new sing-ups to Google Apps for Business, there will be a $50 per user per year charge.

This does not affect users who signed up before December 6, 2012, or individual accounts.

If you have an iPhone or iPad with IOS 6.1 AND your email is hosted Exchange, you may experience some issues.

Below is a message from Appriver re: an issue with Apple devices connecting through hosted Exchange.  The gist of the article is that there is not an immediate fix, but both Apple and Microsoft are working on a solution.  In the meantime, if you are affected, they have a workaround, which we can help implement if needed. Conspiracy theories anyone?

“ Apple iOS 6.1.x connection problems

Apple mobile device users (iPhone/iPad/iPod) who have upgraded to iOS 6.1 or 6.1.1 may experience connection issues with Hosted Exchange mailboxes. If you have not upgraded to iOS 6.1 or 6.1.1, please do not do so yet . If you are experiencing connection issues with your upgraded iOS, the only fix available now is to remove your Exchange mailbox connection, wait 30 minutes and then add your Exchange connection without your calendar. That would mean your iOS device would not sync with your mailbox calendar.

Apple and Microsoft are both actively working on this issue and if anything changes we will update our notice.”

Microsoft has a new campaign that says Google is looking at your Gmail emails, and based upon words contained in your emails, is delivering targeted advertising.

Apparently, Google is not denying this. Is this a big deal? It depends upon your views about privacy/advertising, etc.

Some would say that it’s better to receive ads that are of interest, while others argue that it’s an invasion of privacy.

If you’re uncomfortable with Google analyzing your Gmail, then consider switching to a vendor who does not. Microsoft claims it doesn’t with their online email service outlook.com

While not an ergonomics expert, I feel that the design of the Ipad and other tablet devices is not ergonomic. Why? because you have to look down to use it, the height of the keyas is not likely to be optimal, and the screen position may make it hard to read.

I have purchased an iPad case and wireless keyboard made by Kensington, and it really helps make the iPad much more usable. I love the keyboard-it makes typing soo much easier, especially since you don’t have to switch keyboards for numbers and special characters.

My client and friend, steve Meagher of Site Solutions has released a video which discusses some steps you can take to make you iPad more ergonomic. Check it out here http://www.siteergonomics.com

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Reader 9, 10 and 11, and Adobe Acrobat 9, 10 and 11.

There are multiple security vulnerabilities that the update corrects. If you have an unpatched version and a bad person tricks you into clicking on a PDF file contained in an email, the bad person could take over your computer.

Here’s the official notification from the National Cyber Awareness System

Adobe Releases Security Update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat

Original release date: February 14, 2013 Last revised: –

Adobe has released a security update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat to address multiple vulnerabilities. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition or take control of the affected system. Adobe is aware of reports that these vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking on malicious PDF files delivered in an email message.

Adobe has released updates for the following versions:

* Adobe Reader XI 11.0.01 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh

* Adobe Reader X 10.1.5 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh

* Adobe Reader 9.5.3 and earlier 9.x versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux

* Adobe Acrobat XI 11.0.01 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh

* Adobe Acrobat X 10.1.5 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh

* Adobe Acrobat 9.5.3. and earlier 9.x versions for Windows and Macintosh

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Adobe Security Bulletin APSB13-02 and follow best-practice security polices to determine which updates should be applied.

Relevant URL(s):

<http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa13-02.html>

Adobe has released a security update for Adobe Shockwave Player to address multiple vulnerabilities. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

* Adobe Shockwave Player 11.6.8.638 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Adobe Security Bulletin APSB13-06 and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risk.

Relevant URL(s):

<http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-06.html>

Adobe Releases Security Update for Adobe Flash Player

Original release date: February 13, 2013 Last revised: –

Adobe has released a security update for Adobe Flash Player to address multiple vulnerabilities. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition or take control of the affected systems.

Adobe has released updates for the following versions:

* Adobe Flash Player 11.5.502.149 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh

* Adobe Flash player 11.2.202.262 and earlier versions for Linux

* Adobe Flash player 11.1.115.37 and earlier versions for Android 4.x devices

* Adobe Flash player 11.1.111.32 and earlier versions for Android 3.x devices

* Adobe AIR 3.5.0.1060 and earlier versions

* Adobe AIR 3.5.0.1060 SDK (including AIR for iOS) and earlier versions

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Adobe Security Bulletin APSB13-05 and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risk.

Relevant URL(s):

<https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-05.html>

I’ve located a couple of good cheat sheets for Windows 8 users.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/windows-8-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

Here’s a Windows 8 cheat Sheet for seniors

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/windows-8-for-seniors-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

The IRS requires business to report most payments over $600 per year made to their vendors on a 1099 form. If you run a small business, your customers and clients will ask you for form w-9 which gives them your social security number or employer id to use on the 1099.

With the concern for privacy and identity theft, many people feel uncomfortable giving out their social security number. There’s an easy way to keep your social security number private and still comply with the reporting requirements-just apply for an employer id number for the IRS. You can do this even if you have (and never expect to have) any employees. You can apply online at http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Apply-for-an-Employer-Identification-Number-%28EIN%29-Online.

Disclaimer: I am not a CPA or attorney. Please check with your CPA to make sure the above comments apply to your situation before use.

The latest round of innovation in TVs is what’s called 4k Ultra Hi-Def. this new standard has four times as many pixels (dots), and twice the resolution, as the current 1080p standard, which means we can expect much more realism in movies and shows.

Prices are still very high for 4K products: a 4K projector costs around $25,000 on Amazon, but as with all new technology, expect prices to fall rapidly as more units are sold.

And guess what? 8k TV is coming too!

Windows 8 tablets, based upon Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system are not selling well.

Windows 8 was a huge gamble for Microsoft. Microsoft bet the farm on the idea that people want their phones, tablets, laptops and computers to have exactly the same interface. I get the idea for tablets and phones, but not computers. Windows 8 emphasizes touch screens, where you control your device with swipes and taps from your fingers. Fine for mobile devices, not fine for computers (in my opinion). Why?

When you use a touch-screen computer, you have to sit close to it to be able to reach out and control everything with your fingers. Also, it doesn’t seem ergonomic to me. And what about cleaning all those fingerprints off the screen?  I think using your fingers to work your computer is slower and harder than using a keyboard/mouse (at least in the present incarnation).

Apple Computer’s stock price has been heading south in recent months. After reaching a high of over $700 per share, it was trading at just under $500 recently.

That’s about a 29% drop since its September high-point. What’s interesting is Apple’s sales and profits are very high-close to or above previous records.

It seems that Wall Street isn’t happy because this is the first time that Apple’s sales and profits have not risen year-over-year.

Dell announced recently that its founder, Michael Dell and a group of investors, plan to take the company private. Of course, this is subject to Dell’s shareholders approving the idea of the $24 Billion dollar buyout.

Dell’s stock price may be one of the major reasons for the buyout, as it’s pretty low right now. Another reason may be that the investors want to reorganize the computer giant, without the transparency of a public company.

The deal is scheduled to close around March.

Support for Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 Ends April 8, 2014
After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates for Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003.

This doesn’t mean the program won’t work after that date, it just means Microsoft won’t be supporitn them anymore. If your computer is more than 5 years old, we recommend you consider replacing it with a computer running  Windows 7 or a Mac.

Apple has released iOS 6.1 for the iPhone 3 GS and later, iPod touch 4th
generation and later, and iPad 2 and later to address multiple
vulnerabilities.

These vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to operate with elevated privileges or execute arbitrary code.
Everyone should upgrade their devices as soon as possible.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5642

Research in Motion, the maker of BlackBerry software, which has lost a lot of market share over the past few years, is releasing its latest operating system in the U.S. in March.

BlackBerry 10 has a couple of noteworthy features:

1. Balance. This feature is designed for people who use their phones for both business an personal needs. Users can swipe between personal and work profiles.

2. Flow. This feature allows users to switch between applications by swiping, instead of using a home button.

The company also announced that it is changing its name to BlackBerry.

Interestingly, the popular singer Alicia Keys was named Global Creative Director.

As of January 26, it is now illegal to unlock (jailbreak) your cell phone.

This is a win for the cell phone providers and a loss for consumers, because even though you purchased and own your cell phone, you can’t take it to another cell phone carrier.

I know that many of us won’t be affected, because if we’re unhappy with our cell phone carrier, we just switch when our contract is up. However, it would be nice not to have to buy a new phone every time you switch carriers.

PC sales were down 3.2 percent in 2012. In the 4th quarter of 2012, HP was the top manufacturer, followed closely by Lenovo. Dell came in third.

Dell’s sales dropped  20.8%, and Acer dropped 28.2% from the 4th quarter of 2011.

It will be interesting to see if Windows8 will lift PC sales in 2013. So far, Windows8 sales have been disappointing. We still recommend that both business and individual clients stick with Windows  for now.

YouTube may start charging for some content.

Some popular channels could cost up to $5 per month. Additionally, there may be fees charges for for live events and content libraries.

I wonder if YouTube content creators will get some of the proposed fees, and how the payments for views will change over the current plan? It seems like a common strategy these days: get people hooked on free content, and then start charging.

From our friends at National Cyber Awareness System

Google has released Google Chrome 24.0.1312.56 for Windows, Mac, Linux,
and Chrome Frame to address multiple vulnerabilities. These
vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause
a denial-of-service.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the Google Chrome
Release blog entry and update to Chrome 24.0.1312.56.

In plain English, the above means: Google Chrome browser has a security issue, please upgrade to the latest version.

A serious security issue has been identified in Java. A hacker who was able to trick someone into opening a malicious HTML file, or clicking on a malicious website could gain access to that computer.

Solution
Upgrade to Java 7 update 11 at www.java.com

You may also wish to disable or uninstall Java, as there are still outstanding questions about its security.

For more information, see www.cert.org

Studies have shown that only 3% of adults write down their goals. Those 3% (I hope you’re one of them!), achieve 5-10 times more than the 97% who don’t write down their goals. Having written goals is not hard. Just take out a piece of paper every day and list the three most important things you want to accomplish that day. Try to work on the three most important goals before working on lower-priority goals.

I find it helpful to also list goals for the week, month, year and 5 years on the bottom of my daily goals sheet to help me decide which goals are important each day.

The following day, carry over any unfinished goals from the day before and add that days’ goals. Even if you make just a little progress on your three most important goals every day, you’ll find that you will start to accomplish much more.

When Apple introduced the iPhone 5 recently, they switched the mapping app away from Google to their own app. Unfortunately, Apple’s maps did not work very well. Thankfully, you can now download the Google maps app for the App store. The app is free and works with iPhone 3 GS and above, with IOS 5.1 or later. Here’s a link https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8

It’s not too late to give a gift card for Christmas. Amazon, iTunes, and more can be purchased online and emailed in plenty of time for Christmas.

One area where we see a lot of heartache is where something happens to our client’s computers and they lose their files. Family photos and videos, Financial records, school work, articles or books they’ve written or are writing, email, to name just a few.

People wrongly assume that they don’t need a copy of their important files because: 1. Their computer is new, 2. I’ve never lost any files in the past, so I’m not likely to lose any now. 3. I’m busy now, but will get around to it when I have some time. 4-99……

In fact none of the above reasons have anything to do with the likelihood that you will lose your files. Why? because there are a lot of reasons why computer files get corrupted or lost: Power surges, fires, water damage, viruses, theft, user error, equipment failure, to name just a few of the common reasons.

How do I backup my files?
I suggest that you have at least two backups plus the original file. 1. Connect an external hard drive or thumb drive to your computer, and set your computer to back up to it regularly. 2. Get an online backup service like Carbonite, iDrive or Mozy. For around $50 per year, they’ll automatically backup your files.

One of the problems people face constantly has to do with remembering their passwords. With so many passwords to remember, it can be a daunting task to keep up with them.  We’ve created a password list document that is fillable (meaning you can type into it and print it. You cannot save the filled-in form at this point, but we’re working on that feature).  Here’s how to get our password list. http://www.nerd4rent.com/forms/Password%20List.pdf

Be sure to record your email username (usually your email address) and your email password. Yes! you do have an email password. Also record other passwords, such as you Internet service provider username and password, computer login passwords, shopping and financial website passwords, etc.

Keep your password list in a safe place. You don’t want to give a burglar easy access to your sensitive logins.

In addition to a printed password list, consider a password manager program. Password managers like Roboform, 1Password, etc, are programs you install on your computer to safely store your passwords and other sensitive information. I use and absolutely love, Roboform on my PC. not only does it store all my passwords in an encrypted (not easy for anyone without your master password to get to), part of my computer, it even goes to the webpage and signs me in automatically.

Viruses, Malware, Scareware, Trojan Horses, Worms, are a major problem for computer owners. Mac owners-listen up, Macs get viruses too!  I’m lumping all of the above into one category for convenience. While they’re really not the same, for this post, we’ll treat them as one.

What is a virus?
A virus is simply a program ( a set of computer instructions ). The creator of the virus writes lines of computer instructions called “code”. Lines of code are used legitimately in every piece of software on your computer.  The problem with viruses is the code is often harmful or malicious.  For example, the creator of the virus program, commonly called a “Coder” , could put in an instruction to delete all the files on your hard drive, send emails to everyone in your address book, record every keystroke you make looking for usernames and passwords, business secrets,etc.

How does my computer get infected with a virus?
It’s shockingly easy to contract a virus. All it takes is one keystroke or mouse click! Most viruses are spread by email, either in a link, or sometimes even in a picture or the text of the email. Another common way viruses are spread is on malicious or compromised websites. If the coder can trick you into visiting a malicious or compromised website, just by going to that website the virus can attempt to exploit security vulnerabilites on your computer.

How do I protect myself from viruses?
Protecting yourself from viruses requires a few simple steps. 1. Always keep your anti-virus progran up-to-date. 2. Always keep the firewall on your computer or network turned on. 3. Keep your operating system and software programs up-to-date. 4. Be really careful before clicking on any links in email (even if it’s from a friend or relative).

What happens if my computer gets infoected with a virus?
If your computer gets infected with a virus, there are two possible routes to removing the virus. The best way (and the only way to be certain that the virus is gone), is to copy all your files, wipe the hard drive clean, Reinstall your opertaing system and every piece of software, copy your data back, setup printing, Internet access and email. The second way, (which works occasionally, depending upon the virus your computer has contracted), is to run several anti-virus tools and hope for the best. Wile this approach works sometimes, you should keep an eye on your computer for a week or two to make sure the virus doesn’t reappear.