Greetings from EagleTech Computer Service!
Here are some topics we will be covering in this edition :
- Billions of Stolen Passwords...!
- Fall Computing Tips
- Two Types of Tablet PCs
- Should I use a PC or a Tablet PC?
Whew, summer is sure here...wow, supposed to be 94 degrees today! As we move through summer and begin to think of the Fall, where we spend more time with our computers due to being shut in by the weather, I thought some Fall tips might be helpful. To that end I will share a few insights and protections.
Tom Sparks
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Billions of Passwords Stolen!!!
Russians, Chinese, Romanians, Americans, etc., all want your passwords so they can ransack your bank accounts and credit cards. If we are going to win the war of password stealing then we are going to have to ramp up our personal security because it is clear that cyber criminals are not going away any time soon. The following article makes that abundantly clear :
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/08/06/staggering-data-breach-could-worsen-expert/ .
I know we've discussed this subject in my newsletters, but it bears repeating. Here are some basic suggestions to seriously consider:
1. Never use the same password for two separate web sites.
2. Change any passwords that you use to either bank or shop with at least once a month.
3. Be sure your passwords contain at least least 8 characters comprised of Upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
4. Never use your email username for anything other than your email.
There will never be enough law enforcement agencies to keep up with these criminals and the criminals know it so they are emboldened to keep up what they are doing. If we are to avoid the hassle of stolen accounts, and corrupted email sites we are going to have to develop a plan for avoiding their traps. Once they harvest your information it will take them some time to digest and use it so if we change our passwords often then it will be less likely that they will be able to steal from us. We may wish these guys would just go away and let us enjoy our computers but there is too much money for them to make from their criminal activities to just walk away so it is up to us to make their crimes harder to commit.
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Fall Computing Tips:
Here are a few things to consider as we spend more time indoors with our computers this Fall and want to get the most out of them -
- Speed up your computer with one or more of the following approaches:
- If you have less than 6 gigabytes of RAM memory you might want to consider adding more RAM. RAM chips are not all that expensive and if I know the specific type of RAM chip you have I can easily quote you a price for ordering and installing more. I can help you determine what type of RAM you have via a remote connection to your computer from my office.
If you have the entry level Internet speed from your Internet provider consider moving up to at least the mid level.
Do you have junkware popups, browser search engines hijacks, or viruses running around your system? Maybe it would be good to have me spend a little time cleaning things up.
- Do you have a good backup system in place? You'd hate losing all your pictures, music, videos or documents if your computer died. Maybe a 1 Terabyte Western Digital My Book backup hard drive for around $60 would be just the ticket to save those items and rest your mind. I can help you discover the files you want backed up, setup a free backup software, and then let it regularly backup your files.
- Is your computer 4 years old or older? If so, maybe we should do a quick analysis of its health and install a new hard before your existing one dies and you lose all your files. A new 1 terabyte hard drive will cost around $60 and $125 to transfer your files off, reinstall your operating system and bring your personal files back on.
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2 Types of Tablet PCs:
Wifi Only & Wifi plus Cellular Network.
Many folks are not aware that there is a significant difference between these two types of tablets and you will want to have thought through the differences before you purchase one.
If you have a Smart Phone, and one of the major Carriers, like AT&T or Verizon, then you probably already have a Data Plan with a set number of gigabytes of available data bytes downloadable. In this case, if you are going to purchase a tablet PC like a Galaxy Note Tab or an iPad you may want to purchase a Pad that is capable of both a wifi connection and a cellular network connection. If you don't have a Smart Phone then perhaps a wifi Pad will be sufficient.
Why one over the other? In two words...Convenience and Security. If you purchase a device that is wifi only then the only time you will be able to connect to the Internet or get your email on it will be when you can find an available free wifi network, either at your home, a coffee shop, library, or hotel. This can be a nuisance when you travel because it may be difficult to find a free wifi network. The other major reason to consider has to do with Security. If you connect your tablet PC to a free wifi network they are almost all "Unsecured" and thus a hacker may be out in the parking lot waiting for you to connect and then sneak on to your device to steal your Username and Password for sites you visit for email, access bank accounts, or to purchase online items. If you have a major carrier network account then if you have a tablet that is both wifi and cellular network enabled you will be able to use the cellular network connection anywhere in the US where your network is available and it will be completely secure. This amounts to great convenience and great safety.
Be sure to ask the seller if their Tablet PC is wifi only or both wifi and cellular network enabled. Generally you will find your best deals on Tablets that are both will be at one of the major network cellular stores, rather than from a private party or store that primarily sells wifi only devices, like Costco. Check with your cellular provider for their prices and availability and then decide which is best for you.
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Should I use a PC or a Tablet PC?
Clients are more and more asking me this question.
If you purchase a Tablet PC then generally you will be looking for something like an Amazon Fire or Kindle, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, or an Apple iPad. If you only do a minimal amount of typing then having a pad with an onscreen keyboard may be fine, but if you like to do quite a bit of typing but don't want a regular PC then I highly recommend a Lenovo Chromebook. It will have both a regular keyboard yet all the features of a Tablet PC.
Keep in mind, if you need Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, Quicken, QuickBooks, or other programs that don't function with a Tablet PC then you may not want a Tablet, but if these programs are not something you use then you may find you will do well with a Tablet PC. Tablet PCs are application driven rather than program driven. On the iPad you will download applications from the Apple Store, and on the Samsung Tab or the Lenovo Ideapad Chromebook or the Amazon tablets you will either be downloading applications from the Amazon Store or the Google Store.
One of the great advantages of these devices is a greatly reduced likelihood of viruses, malware, adware, and junkware, since most of those undesirable programs don't run on Tablet PCs. This can save you money, frustration, and worries. It isn't that there aren't viruses for these devices but with reasonable cautions you will be far less likely to become infected by one.
Another fun feature is that all of these are Touch Screen enabled.
If you need to write documents then probably the easiest approach for this would be to open a Google Account and use the Google Online Documents options.
If you purchase any of these options I'd be happy to come out and help you set them up and become familiar with their many features. I can even provide you with remote assistance on them via TeamViewer.
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Best of success to you in all your computing.
I’m here to assist you when you need it. As just a reminder... my onsite residential fee is $40 per hour and for the commercial setting it is $50 per hour. For those times when working remotely with your computer over the Internet is a good option then the cost savings to you are substantial since I only need to charge on a "15 minute" increment instead of the full hour fee for an onsite visit. This means just $10 per 15 minutes. Once again...for any clients you send my way, who use my services for an hour or more, I'd be happy to credit you with $10 of free computer service at your next call. Do let me know if you send folks my way and I'll keep notes on that as a credit for my next visit to you, and don't feel embarrassed to remind me you would like that credit when I visit.
Thanks so much!
Your Computer Technician
Tom Sparks
503-577-4201
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