tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47650573255192761812024-03-14T00:38:46.062-04:00CMIT Solutions of Manhattan, Grand CentralEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-29878926432616337472012-03-13T22:28:00.002-04:002012-03-13T22:28:33.973-04:00What single piece of hardware will give your computer the biggest speed boost?
If your laptop or desktop computer leaves a bit to be desired in the speed department (assuming it's not due to malware or insufficient system memory), you may want to consider swapping out the original hard drive with a new type of disk—a solid-state hard drive. Solid-state drives (SSDs) differ from their conventional hard disk drive (HDD) counterparts in that they have no moving parts.
Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-36405220897277881012012-02-14T21:10:00.000-05:002012-02-14T21:10:26.375-05:00Are Free Email Services Worth the Price?
Security breaches of free, web-based email services like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Gmail are on the rise. Perhaps you’ve experienced the phenomenon yourself. Ever received odd messages or a single hyperlink in an email from someone you know? Spammers use fake return email addresses all the time, but if the return address belongs to an acquaintance of yours, chances are that person’s actual Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-13646231372048215342011-12-20T09:06:00.001-05:002011-12-20T09:06:40.595-05:00Cheesy Holiday Poetry, IT Style
Twas the night of the deadlineThe systems were chokingI had twelve programs openMy computer was smoking
Emails wouldn’t sendExcel wouldn’t addMy desktop had blue-screenedSomeone stole my iPad
From down the hall “Just reboot it”Someone shouted aloudBut there’s no server hereWe had moved to the cloud
But then on my screenThe cursor did flyA Log Me In sessionIt was the IT guy
He wiped out the Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-42431787104543537652011-11-29T17:19:00.001-05:002011-11-29T17:20:30.771-05:00Tax Rule Offers Nice Savings on Hardware and Software
Congress has extended IRS Section 179 to cover the 2011 tax year. That means that qualifying business equipment purchases (including most computer hardware and software) can be deducted at full cost on your 2011 business taxes, instead of being amortized over several years. From section179.org:
“The Section 179 Deduction limit increased to $500,000. The total amount of equipment that can be Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-30614972865307697222011-06-28T09:19:00.000-04:002011-06-28T09:19:00.249-04:00What Kind of Monster is Lurking Under Your DeskEver rush home with your latest greatest coolest new thingy for your home entetainment system, then spend the better part of an afternoon working through that tangled maze of cables and wires trying to figure out how it ever got this way? Wouldn’t it have been better if everything had been neatly organized and labeled? Read MoreEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-78611300823192553302011-06-22T11:17:00.000-04:002011-06-22T11:17:09.625-04:00Are your online accounts secure? 5 tips for making sureIf you are working with a good managed service provider, then you should already be in good shape, or at least on the path, to having proper security for your business network. But there is one aspect of security that only you can do for yourself: strong passwords for your network and internet accounts...read moreEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-54202487137531970702011-06-21T20:02:00.003-04:002011-06-21T20:02:37.774-04:00Dropbox breaks their security for 4 hoursBe careful in the cloud. For 4 hours yesterday, a bug in Dropbox's code allowed any user account to be accessed with any password. Read moreEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-68392190359506500272011-06-16T11:09:00.001-04:002011-06-16T11:10:36.698-04:00Six Tips for Securing Your iPad and Everything On ItDon’t make the mistake of assuming that just because the iPad isn’t a typical computer, it isn’t a security risk. The iPad, and it’s Android and Blackberry kin, are all very much computers. They store both your private and business information. They store your emails messages, server information, passwords, contact lists, browser history, cookies, and so on...Read MoreEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-24008591867602577692011-05-18T14:21:00.002-04:002011-05-18T16:55:15.607-04:00When Technology Doesn't Help Customer ServiceI'm sitting on a slow and ocassionally not moving NYC subway right now. Every few minutes, there is a friendly automated announcement informing me "we are being delayed because of train traffic ahead." That's all well and good and it's somewhat better than the previous situation of no information at all.
But what is it really telling me? What I mean is, am I getting any useful information that Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-71034772704982802842011-04-22T08:58:00.002-04:002011-04-22T09:01:48.827-04:00Amazon Cloud Down for 12 Hours. What's the Lesson for a Small Business OwnerI love Amazon EC2. I love the concept. I love the technology. And I love the service it offers. Many, many, many companies that we're all familiar with and probably use frequently would never be if it wasn't for EC2.
Foursquare, Hootsuite, Quora, Reddit and many others all reply on EC2 for part or even all of their back end technology.
So when EC2 when down yesterday, everyone of these sites Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-59603300328208910602011-03-16T06:47:00.000-04:002011-03-16T06:47:19.776-04:00Internet Explorer 9 Officially ReleasedWas Internet Explorer 6 so much of a turn off for you that you've dropped IE never to return? Well you may want to reconsider. IE9 is here and from what we see so far, it's worth a look. Check out LifeHacker's screenshot tour at http://lifehacker.com/#!5638885/internet-explorer-screenshot-tour-the-best-new-features-in-ie9Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-67308211168336913402011-01-29T11:00:00.000-05:002011-01-29T11:00:31.615-05:00False IRS Threat EmailA email appearing to come from the IRS is making the rounds. The email is a scam and clicking on the link will subject your computer to infection.
If you receive an email like the one below, be safe and ignore it
*******
From: "Internal Revenue Service" update@irs.gov.usDate: January 21, 2011Subject: Important W-2 form update
We would like to inform you that as of the 21st of January you are Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-75545974562228540612011-01-15T13:01:00.002-05:002011-01-15T13:05:00.842-05:00Make the most of OutlookMake the most of your Outlook!
Did you know Outlook 2010 can be used to keep track of your customer sales pipeline and marketing campaigns? Learn how to turn your Outlook into a sales tracking tool to increase your sales and effective manage your customer thanks to a new CRM option. And you'll be the first to get an EXCLUSIVE Sneak Peek at it BEFORE it launches globally!
Date: Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-64318957149007754412011-01-05T10:59:00.002-05:002011-01-15T13:05:18.554-05:00Tech Things I'm Thankful ForAs 2010 wound down, a snowstorm blanketing the Northeast gave me a few extra quiet days to reflect and plan for 2011 (it also gave me an extra day on the slopes but that's a post for a different blog). Some of that reflection brought me to thinking about what "tech things" I was most thankful for in 2010. Here's my list. Add your own thoughts below.
My Droid 2 - I made the switch from 5+ Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-79584591857556294712010-12-13T11:53:00.003-05:002010-12-13T22:36:33.341-05:00Remain CalmNice blog post from my friend Beth Rosen on remaining calm when your technology fails you hereEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-30305921065756063712010-12-03T09:17:00.000-05:002010-12-03T09:17:01.927-05:00Top 5 Technology Dos and Don'ts when starting a businessI'm speaking to a group of students at Columbia Business School today about the basic IT needs when starting a business. Here's the summary
<!--StartFragment-->Top 5 Dos
Back Up and then plan your Disaster Recovery
Set it up so you can work from anywhere
Learn to fully use your tools
Monthly options are often better than outright purchased (for tech reasons, not just because of cash flow)
Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-21903724040678201822010-11-29T12:39:00.001-05:002011-01-15T13:05:40.374-05:00Time to buy new equipmentIt may be time to buy new equipment before 2010 comes to a close. The benefit of doing so is that one-hundred percent of your purchases this year (up to a maximum of $500,000) can be expensed. This means you can subtract the amount of money for the whole tax year instead of over several years. This is one of the new tax incentives for small businesses, according to IRS Section 179.
Qualifying Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-5863496328767992892010-11-26T13:40:00.002-05:002011-01-15T13:05:57.087-05:00Spotlight FranchiseSpotlight Franchise: CMIT Solutions CMIT Solutions franchise network is a franchise company thats on the right track, helping small business owners to manage their technology needs. In addition, this franchisor practices what they preach when it comes to supporting their franchisees. Read more.Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-22880668655715687392010-11-17T20:37:00.003-05:002011-01-15T13:06:46.505-05:00MS Web Apps vs. Google DocsIf you're looking for an inexpensive way to handle common business applications like spreadsheets, presentations and word processing, chances are you've looked into free Web-based services like Google Docs, says John Smythe of CMIT Solutions in Everett. What you may be less aware of is the fact that Microsoft has come up with its own free, Web-based competitor to Google Docs: Office Web Apps...Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-55260244670978537582010-10-01T08:46:00.000-04:002010-10-01T08:46:09.944-04:00Does Your Office Technology Need a Makeover?
Are your computer systems so out-of-date, slow, and just plain ugly that trying to fix them is as futile as putting lipstick on Frankenstein’s monster?ENTER CMIT’S MAKEOVER CONTEST
If you’re in the market for a serious technology makeover, you’re in luck! From now until November 12, CMIT Solutions is accepting entries for its $75,000 office technology makeover.Tell us about what makes your I.T. Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-47934956095404090712010-08-25T09:56:00.001-04:002011-01-15T13:07:16.288-05:00What's Your 97 Year Old Technology?This past week, the Long Island Railroad has had to cancel over 25% of their trains, causing hour long delays for their passengers. A rainstorm on Monday caused a 97 year old piece of technology to fail, the effect of which cascaded through the switching system of the Jamaica station.
Why am I blogging about this? Because it's a warning.
Was the LIRR surprised at what happened? I'll venture to Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-63641490281014480622010-08-04T15:37:00.003-04:002011-01-15T13:07:29.500-05:00Use Technology to Drive RevenueChase Bank released a great new app last month. With your iPhone and the QuickDeposit app, you can now snap a picture of an endorsed check and the check is deposited to your account. I'm old enough (just barely) to remember waiting on line at the bank and only during banking hours. When the ATM was introduced, we still had to go to the bank but we could at least do it on our own time. Now, you Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-5883506527868537802010-07-28T09:50:00.001-04:002011-01-15T13:09:45.650-05:00Security Risk Posed by Your Digital CopierThe Data Trove Hidden In Your Copier
While you’re busy making sure your data is safe by encrypting your wireless network, sending emails over a secure connection, and storing your backups in a highly secured remote location, what are the chances that you’re still putting your information at risk?
It turns out that nearly every digital copier made since 2002 stores scans of every image they copyEvan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-19632129096709559082010-06-25T10:43:00.002-04:002011-01-15T13:10:42.746-05:00When and How to Upgrade to Windows 7It has taken Microsoft 9 years, but a good, stable, usable replacement to Windows XP is finally here.
Should you upgrade from Windows XP (or Vista if you went that route) to Windows 7? Actually, Microsoft has already made that decision for you. Sometime within the next two years, Microsoft will End of Life (EOL) Windows XP. That means they won’t be issuing any more fixes, technical support Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765057325519276181.post-64384913996399131172010-05-11T22:59:00.001-04:002011-01-15T13:10:28.329-05:00So What Is SharePoint, Anyway?Many small businesses have huge problems when it comes to managing processes and sharing information. With every worker wearing multiple hats, it’s often difficult to keep track of who’s in charge of what, to say nothing of where all the information on a particular project is stored. So what do people do? They either have a short conversation by the water cooler, or they say, “Shoot me an email Evan Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03142708587195809375noreply@blogger.com0