Tech Better's Tech Tips: September 2008

Friday, September 26, 2008

The Power of Information

I think most of us believe that information is power. With today’s technology there are very few reasons for not having the exact information you need to make good decisions. Custom written reports can be an incredibly valuable tool. Custom written reports can retrieve information from many diverse sources including the Internet, accounting systems and excel spreadsheets to name a few. The custom report can then tabulate and summarize the gathered information into one cohesive report complete with color graphs. Custom reports can be a HUGE time saver and facilitate better decisions to boot. So the next time you find yourself wishing you had more information before making a decision, I recommend you at least inquire about a custom report. There really are few limitations to what can be accomplished with them.

Happy teching,

Ryan Williams

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Google Labs

The folks over at Google are always busy cooking up new ideas. Long before you see these ideas become mainstream they reside in Google Labs. You can access Google Labs and evaluate and use Google’s latest ideas by visiting the Google Labs web page located here: http://www.google.com/labs/

The newest item in Google Labs is GAudi which is converting the voices in YouTube videos and making them searchable via the Google search engine. Pretty amazing stuff. I recommend checking out Google Labs about once a month just to see what new.

Happy teching,

Our Way of Life is Changing

Technology is changing our way of life. I think everyone intuitively knows this but we seldom really stop to ponder it. I read a statistic this past week that said in 17% of new marriages the couples met online. To put that in perspective that is higher than the number who say they met at church. Technology and the internet are making so many new things available to us so quickly that it can be overwhelming trying to keep up. I hope this blog helps.

Happy teching,

Friday, September 5, 2008

Preventing Spyware On Your Computer

"How do I stop spyware?" is quite possibly the most common question we at Nexxtep get asked. Below I have tried to list some guidelines that will help you protect your computer.

Keep all software updated. People who develop malware are always looking for security flaws in software and software vendors are continuously fixing these flaws. Software updates are important.
This can be automated with software.
Develop a policy that prohibits the visiting of websites that contain spyware, gambling, and pornography.
This can be enforced with a network device.
Develop a policy that prohibits peer-to-peer file sharing software, freeware and shareware.
This can be enforced with a network device.
Do not open any e-mail from unknown people or from known people with an unexpected attachment. If you are unsure, call the sender to confirm the email before you open it.
Implement a spam filter to prevent unwanted email from reaching your inbox.
Install a firewall; it can prevent spyware from sending information out to the internet.
Lock down your computers so only network administrators can install software. This prevents against accidental spyware installation.
Install an anti-spyware solution.

Happy teching,

Stealthily Leaving Voice Mail

Have you ever had to call someone but you did not want to start a long conversation? So, you dialed the person's number and the entire time the phone was ringing you were hoping the person did not pick up. Well rely on hope no longer. SlyDial is a service in which you dial the SlyDial number then enter the cell number you want to call. SlyDial will call the cell and automatically put you through to the person's voice mail. I have tried it and it works great.

The down side to this tip is that now every time I leave someone a voice mail, they will assume I used this service because I did not want to talk with them.

Happy teching,

Friday, September 26, 2008

The Power of Information

Google Labs

Our Way of Life is Changing

Friday, September 5, 2008

Preventing Spyware On Your Computer

Stealthily Leaving Voice Mail

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