Did you know that Windows 10 has a built-in feature called Miracast that allows you to project a Windows PC onto a monitor or television wirelessly? Most people don’t know of this feature. An Industry Standard The Miracast standard, developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, was first used by Google on Android devices. As the use of phones for all applications grew, projecting onto a larger display became a need. Miracast…
Read MoreTech Gifts for the Christmas Holidays
Tech Gifts for the Christmas Holidays The Christmas holidays are just around the corner, and you’re probably already thinking about what you’ll give this year. There are so many gifts available that connect you to the internet and share data in some way. The term for all those sharing devices is The Internet of Things, often referred to as IoT. IoT is the billions of devices around the globe connected…
Read MoreCelebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month By Being CyberSmart
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Since COVID, we have seen a significant shift in transitioning to work at home. Many businesses and individuals were not prepared for remote work. The bad guys know this and are constantly changing tactics to exploit new vulnerabilities. Add to this pandemic information and myths, the upcoming presidential election, and other controversial topics, and the internet is full of opportunities for poor decision making. Cybercriminals…
Read MoreNational Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Below is a list of guidelines to assure your safety on the internet. Most experts agree that YOU create the opportunity for cyber-criminals to breach your computer. Internet Safety Guidelines • Make you password complex (min of 12 characters containing at least one upper, lower, number and symbols e.g. use a phrase with misspellings (very familiar to YOU) or even better, use a password generator/manager • Change your password at…
Read MoreWindows 7 End of Life – Time to Plan
Windows 7 will go into End of Life status from Microsoft on 1/14/2020; 1 year from now. What that means is that after that date, Microsoft will no longer update Windows 7 for any reason. Most significantly, this means that there will be no more security updates — PC’s with Windows 7 will be vulnerable to new threats. What this means is you need to start planning now to update…
Read MoreLeave Your Computer ON at Night
Many people shut off their computer at night. This is done for various reasons the most common being 1) to save money and 2) the keep others from the Internet from getting into the computer. While shutting off your computer will save some money, you really need to leave it on. Your computer needs to be on to allow off-hours scheduled activities to run (see below). Power consumption is typically…
Read MoreGoal Setting for 2017 – A small business owners view
Have you set your goals for 2017 yet? If you are like most of us, you have thought about goals and may even have a few ideas firmly ingrained in your brain. However, what is the likelihood of achieving those goals? Experts agree that the chance of achieving your goal increases immensely if it is written down. Several years ago I came upon the SMART template for goal setting. SMART…
Read MoreWindows 10 Features – Service Branches
Windows 10 has been a relatively decent release for most people. There has been mixed reaction to the new features of Windows 10. Microsoft has taken aim at the unprecedented growth of the Smartphone and table market which from a corporate view was probably necessary to remain viable in the long term. The trend started with Windows 8/8.1 and is carried forward (and refined) in Windows 10. In my opinion…
Read MoreTest Your Internet Speed – Are you getting what you’re paying for?
Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) compete viciously for your business. Each has created a service that has built in Internet download and uploads speeds. Some advertising makes a big deal of this speed. The real question though is how much do you need? Internet speeds are measured using two main parameters: download speed and upload speed. Download speed relates to the rate at which a website loads or a movie downloads…
Read MoreWindows 10 Upgrade – Do It Yourself
Microsoft released Windows 10 to the public on July 29, 2015. Virtually anyone with a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 operating system (OS) can upgrade to Windows 10 for FREE – until July 29 2016. Time is starting to become an issue. You have been waiting — waiting to hear that it is totally safe to upgrade. You have been hesitant to upgrade for fear that you will not like…
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