CMIT Solutions of Manhattan, Grand Central

Cheesy Holiday Poetry, IT Style

2011-12-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

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

Tax Rule Offers Nice Savings on Hardware and Software

2011-11-29T17:19:00.001-05:00

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

What Kind of Monster is Lurking Under Your Desk

2011-06-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

Ever 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 More

Are your online accounts secure? 5 tips for making sure

2011-06-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

If 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 more

Dropbox breaks their security for 4 hours

2011-06-21T20:02:00.003-04:00

Be 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 more

Six Tips for Securing Your iPad and Everything On It

2011-06-16T11:09:00.001-04:00

Don’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 More

When Technology Doesn't Help Customer Service

2011-05-18T14:21:00.002-04:00

I'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

Amazon Cloud Down for 12 Hours. What's the Lesson for a Small Business Owner

2011-04-22T08:58:00.002-04:00

I 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

Internet Explorer 9 Officially Released

2011-03-16T06:47:00.000-04:00

Was 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-ie9

False IRS Threat Email

2011-01-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

A 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

Make the most of Outlook

2011-01-15T13:01:00.002-05:00

Make 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: January 19thTime: 8

Tech Things I'm Thankful For

2011-01-05T10:59:00.002-05:00

As 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+ years

Remain Calm

2010-12-13T11:53:00.003-05:00

Nice blog post from my friend Beth Rosen on remaining calm when your technology fails you here

Top 5 Technology Dos and Don'ts when starting a business

2010-12-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'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 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)

Time to buy new equipment

2010-11-29T12:39:00.001-05:00

It 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

Spotlight Franchise

2010-11-26T13:40:00.002-05:00

Spotlight 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.

MS Web Apps vs. Google Docs

2010-11-17T20:37:00.003-05:00

If 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...

Does Your Office Technology Need a Makeover?

2010-10-01T08:46:00.000-04:00

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.

What's Your 97 Year Old Technology?

2010-08-25T09:56:00.001-04:00

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

Use Technology to Drive Revenue

2010-08-04T15:37:00.003-04:00

Chase 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

Security Risk Posed by Your Digital Copier

2010-07-28T09:50:00.001-04:00

The 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 copy

When and How to Upgrade to Windows 7

2010-06-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

It 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

So What Is SharePoint, Anyway?

2010-05-11T22:59:00.001-04:00

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

Fend Off A Facebook Hack Attack

2010-04-14T12:32:00.002-04:00

A colleague recently wrote on her blog about her own father’s experience getting hacked on Facebook – and it serves as yet another useful reminder of why and how we can take measures to keep our online identities secure. It appears in this situation that the hacker found his victim’s profile on Facebook, submitted a lost password request, and then answered the security questions with

Five Nice Features of Windows 7

2010-03-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

Windows Vista never quite caught on the way that Microsoft had hoped. The User Account Control (UAC) feature, which was supposed to enhance security by prompting users before allowing many programs to open, instead proved such an annoyance that users simply shut it off – leaving them more vulnerable than when they started. The “simplified” User Interface (UI), with its ribbons and tabs, mystified

Alert: Quickbooks Scam

2010-02-25T08:46:00.003-05:00

We have had a report of an email scam that has been circulating, asking users to download an Intuit certificate that will verify your identity. This email has the Intuit logo/trademark attached and at first glance seems to be legitimate. This is NOT legitimate. If you click on the download link provided in the body of the email, it will take you to a webpage where you are prompted to download

Emerge Stronger with Microsoft Business Intelligence Webinar - Jan 26

2010-01-25T11:42:00.000-05:00

Join rdq, Inc. for part four of the four-part Emerge Stronger series on how the total Microsoft Business Intelligence solution can enable you to maximize your technology during the economic downturn. This presentation builds on the overview in the first webcast by providing a detailed look into how you can strengthen your customer base while also finding new sources of revenue.Click to Attend

Internet Explorer vulnerability exploited in attacks on U.S. firms

2010-01-19T10:01:00.000-05:00

New IE hole exploited in attacks on U.S. firms | InSecurity Complex - CNET NewsA vulnerability in all popular versions of Internet Explorer running on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 is being exploited by a targeted attack, originating in China. The attack appears to be in response to the possibility of Google pulling out of China because of Internet censorship. This vulnerability will allow the

A World Class Franchisee

2010-01-17T09:03:00.000-05:00

Franchise Research Institute ranks CMIT Solutions a World Class FranchiseYouTube - CMIT Solutions

Email Archiving 101

2010-01-13T09:04:00.002-05:00

In the past few years, we've seen tremendous advances that allow people to communicate more effectively -- from smartphones to collaborative workspaces to content management systems, it's easier than ever for people to record and share ideas. And yet still, if you ask someone what communication technology is absolutely essential to their business, chances are they'll say email. Email not only

Google Caffeine and What’s New in Page Ranking | NY Report

2010-01-07T23:26:00.000-05:00

Google Caffeine and What’s New in Page Ranking | NY Report:Google Caffeine and What’s New in Page RankingGoogle will be introducing its new search engine named Google Caffeine. It is going to be more like double espresso if they have things working the way it is intended. More than just an updated engine, Caffeine is really a spanking new search engine with all new formulas and calculations and

Newest IRS Phishing Emails

2010-01-07T11:50:00.001-05:00

Stay Alert to the Newest Tax-Related Email Scams Phishers and Internet scammers are always coming up with innovative new ways to separate victims from their money. One of their favorite tactics is to prey on victims' fears about taxes by posing as the IRS. It's natural to worry if you get an email from somebody purporting to be the IRS, particularly in the month of January when you're

5 New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-02T22:34:00.001-05:00

Five Easy Steps for a Safer, Happier Year in Technology Get a good start on 2010 by embracing a few simple principles that can do wonders for your safety and productivity:

Identity Theft: CMIT Solutions Offers Advice During National Awareness Campaign | Press Releases @ Your Story

2010-01-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

Identity Theft: CMIT Solutions Offers Advice During National Awareness Campaign | Press Releases @ Your StoryAUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Identity theft is a serious issue, no matter who the victim is, but the situation can be more complicated when somebody tries to impersonate someone’s business, says Jeff Connally, president and CEO of CMIT Solutions. That is why CMIT Solutions is offering

New Small Biz Contests and Competitions | Smallbiztechnology.com

2009-12-25T10:34:00.000-05:00

Here's a latest list of contests, competitions, and awards for growing companies, which is brought to you twice a month by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.http://bit.ly/8ITqSp

Fraudulent Email Is Not From Intuit

2009-12-03T06:41:00.001-05:00

The majority of our clients use QuickBooks. A number of fraudulent emails have gone out recently purporting to be from Intuit. The latest one claims to be from the QuickBooks Update Center and contains the subject line "Intuit Secure Update.” This email is not legitimate. Ignore it and delete it.http://cmitchicago.blogspot.com/2009/12/fraudulent-email-is-not-from-intuit.html

Smart Spending Helps Minimize Your Taxes

2009-12-02T21:20:00.001-05:00

If you’re a small business owner who turned a profit in 2009, congratulations! It’s been a tough year, and any business that succeeded in a very challenging economic environment deserves a pat on the back. The downside to making a profit, of course, is that it can be subject to taxes. In order to minimize the amount they’ll have taxed at the corporate rate, many businesses look for ways to

CMIT’s cyber-security team helps companies monitor, recover stolen property - Sacramento Business Journal:

2009-11-20T20:50:00.001-05:00

From the Sacremento Business Journal...Cyberstalking isn’t just for criminals. A local company that provides computer services recently used technology to send police to knock on the door of someone using a computer that had been stolen from a Folsom insurance office. The information provided by CMIT Solutions of Sacramento led to an arrest and the recovery of a computer taken May 31 from

What's a Netbook ... And Why Would You Need One?

2009-11-03T21:25:00.001-05:00

In the hardware world, there’s a pretty lively discussion going on about the difference between laptops, notebooks, and netbooks.Opinion seems to be converging around the idea that laptops and notebooks are virtually the same: small, portable, but powerful computers that can function as a more travel-worthy substitute for a stationary desktop model.Netbooks, on the other hand, are a relatively

Disaster Mirage: You Think You're Safe. But You're Not

2009-11-01T20:40:00.001-05:00

SmallBizTechnology.com - October 4th, 2009Disaster Mirage: You Think You're Safe. But You're Not. | Smallbiztechnology.comRamon Ray writes about Small Businesses and their disaster recovery preparedness. It's not just about backing up your data. It's about how you recover (the data, the applications, the user profiles, the desktops, laptops and servers, email access, internet access, etc.) when

Three Free Webinars from The Software Revitalist

2009-10-28T16:27:00.002-04:00

Ellen DePasquale, the Software Revitalist, has announced three free webinars which she is hsoting next week. The topics are:Controlling Your Inbox With Microsoft OutlookGetting the Information You Need in QuickbooksProspecting in the Digital Age: Internet Search TipsThe webinars are November 2, 3 and 4thand you can register here.With these, you get access to a bonus webinar: B2B Relationship

Excitement is in the Air with Windows 7 Launch

2009-10-18T22:23:00.002-04:00

Reposting the following article from CMIT Solutions of Denver. Visit their website at http://www.cmitsolutions.com/denver********October 22nd is fast approaching and with it comes the launch of Microsoft's newest - and perhaps best yet - operating system (OS) - Windows 7!I have not been talking it up with my clients or prospects to the extent it deserves. For months I have received news and

September 17th Event - Getting Social Media Buzz

2009-09-16T11:29:00.002-04:00

Join us on Thursday, September 17th for the first ever Pre-BizTechDay Event in New York City!For details and to register: http://www.biztechday.com/social-buzz-in-new-york/You'll learn powerful tips on getting social media buzz, but this NOT just another workshop on social media. You will have the opportunity to interact with our expert panel of speakers, network with your peers, and walk away

How to Access Files at the Office - Even When You're Away

2009-09-14T14:04:00.003-04:00

Remote office access lets you log on to a computer or server from a separate location and use it as if you were actually on-site. Many businesses now rely on the ability to give employees remote office access, whether it’s for mobile workers, as a response to the increased price of commuting or the need for flexible work schedules.There are two main categories of remote access: remote desktop

Tech Support Cheat Sheet

2009-08-29T23:09:00.003-04:00

LifeHacker, the blog devotes to software, the Internet and all around "life hacks" gives away all of our Tech Support troubleshooting secrets in this one post. Could it be time to throw in the towel?http://lifehacker.com/5344702/tech-support-cheat-sheet-reveals-the-secrets-of-troubleshooting

Vista's Instant Search Uncovers Information Wherever It's Stor

2009-08-25T23:42:00.001-04:00

We don't post too often about Vista, but there are a few notable features worth talking about.If you’re on a pre-Vista operating system, you know how restrictive and clunky the old Microsoft search tool can be. Accessed as “Find” under the Start menu, the tool can’t look at the content within files and does not extend to emails.Microsoft has taken that search tool and vastly improved its

Brad Farmerie, chef at Public NYC battles in Iron Chef America this Sunday

2009-08-17T00:32:00.002-04:00

CMIT Solutions client Brad Farmerie, lead chef at Public NYC battles in Kitchen Stadium in Iron Chef America this Sunday, August 23rd.Will he be completing against Iron Chef Morimoto? Iron Chef Cora? Will he stand up to the heat of battle? Think how much fun it would be to watch it with Brad himself.Join us on Sunday, August 23rd for a special Sunday Supper at PUBLIC and watch the live broadcast.

Could you be responsible for the Twitter outage? | Safe and Secure - CNET News

2009-08-07T16:07:00.000-04:00

From C-Net: Could You Be Responsible for the Twitter Outage?Well, maybe not you personally, but could you be part of it? Twitter confirmed yesterday that the problems experienced were caused by a denial-of-service attack. A distributed denial-of-service attack occurs when multiple (thousands? millions?) of computers try to access the site in question simultaneously. This typically happens because

Superstars only…

2009-08-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

IT Solutions Sales Associate & Business Market Development Associate CMIT has an immediate need for driven, successful hunters who are great at selling managed services to the SMB (small/mid-sized business) market.You can earn over $150K if you are a star, but do not even proceed unless you are an overachiever and can prove it. CMIT has openings in Manhattan, Westchester and Fairfield Counties

DON'T EVER LOSE YOUR LAPTOP AGAIN

2009-07-14T22:46:00.004-04:00

A study released last year by the Ponemon Institute revealed that business travelers lost a truly shocking number of laptops at airports every week: about 12,000, by their count. (http://cmit.sparklist.com/t/125909/891226/1546/0/)Even with fewer business travelers flying this year, you can bet that laptop losses are still far too many -- especially considering that 65 percent of survey

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

2009-06-15T22:05:00.000-04:00

How Twitter Will Change the Way We LiveVery interesting article on the possiblities of Twitter. Not as a business tool or a way of telling your friends what you ate for breakfast. But as a fascinating communication tool.

If Abboott and Costello were alive today, "Who's On First' would sound like this...

2009-04-20T18:04:00.002-04:00

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT . . .ABBOTT: CMIT Solutions, your technology team, can I help you?COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.ABBOTT: Mac?COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.ABBOTT: Your computer?COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.ABBOTT: Mac?COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.ABBOTT: What about Windows?

Small Biz Technology - Security: No Hardware, No Products, All Software and Service

2009-04-20T15:04:00.002-04:00

Small Biz Technology had a great blog post on security for your desktop, laptop and network. Traditionally, when you think about security, you think about a firewall or router. Some hardware box plugged in to your network. However, there are other options. Ramon Ray interviews John Adams, the CTO of Chosen Security, about offering security as a service you subscribe to, instead of the typical

The Data Storage Rule of Three

2009-04-17T17:17:00.001-04:00

If you really want to keep your data safe and ensure that it will not be lost, destroyed, or corrupted in the event of a disaster, most storage practitioners advise keeping it in at least three locations.A single location gives you virtually no protection against disaster. Two locations might be enough, as long as one is offsite – but even then you risk data loss if both locations fail at the

Join First and Last Names in a Single Cell

2009-04-13T17:48:00.005-04:00

Unless you're a power user or a statistician, chances are you often use Excel to manage text lists instead of numerical data. For example, you might use Excel as your source file for a mail merge. Let's imagine that somewhere along the way you separated out first names from last names, and now you want to join them back together in a single column. Instead of going through your list and retyping

New Innovations in Surge Protectors and Power Supplies

2009-04-03T22:39:00.012-04:00

If you're like a lot of home-based workers or employees in a small office, you've got a single power strip with your computer and all its many peripherals plugged into it. You want to make sure that power supply is reliable, well made, and not driving up your electricity bills unnecessarily. Here are a few things to consider when you're thinking about managing your access to power:Surge

Set up a Remote Office Securely and Productively

2009-03-02T21:37:00.003-05:00

As more businesses try to get their costs under control, some are considering giving up some or all of their office space. They're encouraging more employees to work remotely so that the business can move to smaller quarters with lower rents or rent out some portion of their existing space to other businesses. This can be a smart way to wring more efficiency out of your

Why (and How) You Should Plan for Computer Disaster

2009-02-12T19:25:00.003-05:00

How many hours -- or days -- would it take you to recover your business data, re-image your machines, and get your business running again if a flood, virus outbreak, or other disaster took your business offline? CMIT Solutions’ own Scott Brennan recently addressed the issue of data loss on WGN Chicago TV. Click here to get his take on protecting your computer from disaster. Here are a few

Professional Etiquette in Facebook

2009-02-06T11:33:00.003-05:00

Sorry, folks – LinkedIn is no longer enough. If you want to do business in modern America, chances are you’re going to have to join Facebook at some point. Maybe it’s because you’re participating on a conference panel that’s coordinating content through Facebook, or maybe you joined a professional networking group with a Facebook page. For many people these days, it has to do with finding

Make Your Battery Last Longer

2009-02-02T12:28:00.003-05:00

Pretty much everyone who owns a PC laptop has, at some point or another, found themselves with a computer that's nearly out of battery power and no electrical outlets in sight. (Usually this happens right before a road trip with three kids in the back of the car screaming for their Dora the Explorer DVD, or the moment you board a plane with six hours' worth of business presentations to review.)

Protect Yourself Against the Worm that has Infected Over 9 Million in Two Weeks

2009-01-24T21:58:00.002-05:00

One of the biggest worm attacks in years has hit PCs around the world. It's called "Downadup," or "Conficker," and in the past week or so it has spread aggressively to unprotected PCs. The worm spreads across networks, finding vulnerable computers and turning off the automatic backup service, deleting previous restore points, disabling some security services,

Sound Principles of Web Design

2009-01-21T11:15:00.002-05:00

Web design is always evolving to keep up with new technologies and new search engine algorithms. Businesses that used to be stuck building rudimentary HTML sites with Dream Weaver can now hire designers relatively cheaply and have a slick, high-performance site in no time. But with so many bells and whistles to choose from, how can you make sure your Web site actually

Data Encryption - Your Biggest Weapon Against Data Theft

2009-01-14T11:25:00.001-05:00

The Identity Theft Resource Center recently released a report stating that 35 million data records were exposed last year. That’s a huge increase over the previous year and a very sobering figure for anyone who is concerned about keeping their business or personal data safe. There was an upside, however: a mere 2.4 percent of data thefts involved encrypted

Making PowerPoint Presentations Easy to Share and View

2009-01-07T11:17:00.002-05:00

PowerPoint is a powerful tool for creating presentations -- but its very versatility is a double-edged sword. It enables you to make presentations lively and visually appealing, but if you get carried away, you'll end up with a cluttered mess that may not even work on your colleagues' or clients' machines. Say you're using Vista and you've got a fast computer

A Year's Worth of Technology Advice

2009-01-05T09:46:00.001-05:00

The QuickTips 2008 Year in Review From the wildfires sweeping Santa Barbara to the breach of a vice presidential candidate’s Yahoo email account, a surprising number of news stories seemed to carry valuable lessons for small business owners. We learned how vital it is to protect business data, equipment, and individuals’ privacy. We learned about how social networking and

Facebook's Recent Malware Flare-up

2008-12-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

Koobface Rears Its Ugly Head ... Again As one of the most popular social networking sites on the Internet, Facebook has attracted its fair share of attention from hackers and malware programmers. Hackers are pretty practical people, after all, so they target high-traffic sites where they'll have the biggest opportunity to do the most damage. That's why it's particularly

Doing Mass Mailings in a Snap

2008-12-10T12:02:00.000-05:00

Master the Mail Merge and Save Time This Holiday Season It's a well-known fact that December is by far the busiest month for the US Postal Services -- and chances are it's your business's biggest month for mailings, too. Whether it's seasonal greetings, end-of-the-year reports, or just the usual old invoices, your mailings can really get big this time of year. If you're

How Help Desk Services Can Reduce User Support Issues and Keep Your IT Staff Happy

2008-12-03T17:24:00.001-05:00

What Can A Help Desk Do For Your Company? What is a help desk? A help desk is a staff of customer support engineers who are available to answer end-user questions and remotely resolve common IT problems. A help desk acts as a natural complement to existing IT staff by taking frequent user issues off their plate so that they can concentrate fully on more pressing

Keyboard Shortcuts

2008-11-21T17:17:00.000-05:00

Your Keyboard Can Do More Than You Think It Can Every now and again we like to revisit the perennial topic of keyboard shortcuts, because even expert users can benefit from a refresher every now and again. If you’ve ever seen your office computer guru switching between windows and performing complex editing tasks using just the keyboard, you know how useful just a few of these

Technology Tricks You Can Borrow from the Presidential Candidates

2008-11-04T16:19:00.000-05:00

It's Election Day! This has been the most technology-driven presidential campaign in history. Both candidates have extremely sophisticated campaign web sites with significant e-commerce and social networking components. The campaigns have used text messages for important announcements and taken advantage of YouTube and online media to distribute political ads. They're also using

WARNING: Virus Alert

2008-11-03T08:18:00.001-05:00

Caution: New Virus Claiming to Be Your Antivirus Program XP Antivirus 2008, XP Antivirus 2009, and XPAntiVirus are rogue antivirus programs that, when run, display false results as a tactic to scare you into purchasing the software. Older versions of XP Antivirus would create 9 entries in your Windows Registry that impersonate infections on your machine. In reality, though,

Avoiding Halloween Email Tricks

2008-10-28T21:45:00.000-04:00

This Halloween, Keep Spooky Emails At Bay It seems like virtually every holiday now comes with an outbreak of computer viruses as people click on "holiday greetings" from strangers. Don't get tricked this Halloween when you're expecting a treat! Be on the lookout for suspicious messages and brush up on a few perennial good email habits: If you don't recognize the name of

Quick Excel Shortcut That Makes It Easy to Re-Order Lists

2008-10-14T17:49:00.000-04:00

Rearrange Items in Excel By Dragging and Dropping Excel is one of the most powerful programs in the Microsoft Office suite -- and for many users, it's also one of the most intimidating. Let's face it, a lot of the capabilities that really help you make Excel into a lean, mean, productivity machine, like macros and formulas, just aren't intuitive. However, Excel still offers a lot

Social Networking for Your Business

2008-10-08T14:10:00.000-04:00

Use MySpace and Facebook to Promote Your Business -- Responsibly If you’re a small, locally owned business without a lot of formal tech staff, you may be just as likely to have a page on MySpace or Facebook as you are to have a Web page. A MySpace profile is easy to set up and maintain, and these profiles tend to get ranked fairly well by Google if there isn’t a lot of other

Preventing a Hacker from Resetting YOUR Email Password

2008-10-02T09:17:00.001-04:00

How to Prevent Password Resets Several weeks ago we all read the headlines about a hacker accessing one of the vice presidential candidate's personal Yahoo! email account. It turned out the hacker didn’t even need to use fancy coding maneuvers or computer wizardry. Instead, he used one of the oldest tricks in the privacy-invasion book: he changed the password to their account.

5 Reasons Why We Love Automated Backups

2008-09-24T14:38:00.001-04:00

Don't Wait -- Automate! Are you sure your backups are actually working? There's one way to find out if your backups are uncorrupted and fully functional -- try doing a full system restore of them. A number of our clients believed they could rely on their backups until we put those backups to the test. Even though automated backups are a set-and-forget, virtually problem-free

Determining If a Tablet PC Is Right For You

2008-09-17T10:35:00.001-04:00

Do you need a tablet PC? Tablet PCs are a highly mobile, easy-to-use computing solution for people who spend a lot of time away from their desks – and an equal amount of time inputting field notes, signed paperwork, and other documents into their computers. A tablet PC

Find Out Who's Talking About You on the Web

2008-09-10T11:26:00.001-04:00

Use Google Alerts to Find Out When and Where You're Mentioned on the Web The folks at Google have invented a lot of useful features to their world-famous search engine. One very handy tool for tracking where you’ve been mentioned on the Web is Google Alerts. With Google Alerts, you’ll receive periodic email notifications (once a day, once a week, or in real time) when search

Making Web Browsing Faster and Easier with RSS Feeds

2008-08-17T23:03:00.001-04:00

Use RSS Feeds to Get All Your News in One Place If you have to visit a number of news sources and blogs every day for research or to stay on top of the news, you can quickly find yourself overwhelmed. Instead of spending a lot of time clicking around to individual sites looking for fresh content, take advantage of an easier option: RSS feeds. RSS, or "really simple syndication,"

Fake UPS Email That Can Install Spyware on Your System

2008-08-06T10:40:00.001-04:00

Don't Open That File! Steer Clear of Emails from 'UPS' about Undelivered Packages If you've fallen for the latest email scam, you're not alone. Many people trained in good email practices and with a healthy suspicion of unknown senders have wound up with infected computers because of a fake UPS email that's making the rounds. In this scam, the user gets a message

Diversification Strategy for Your Backups

2008-07-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

What is Redundancy, And Why Is It Important? If you’re beginning to learn about storage and backups, you’ve probably seen a lot about “redundancy.” If something is redundant, that just means there’s more of it than you really need at any one time – which is exactly what you want when it comes to backups. You need extra storage and multiple copies of the same data so that you can

Helping Your Computer Beat the Summer Heat

2008-07-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

Help Your Computer Stay Cool and Running Smoothly It's summertime, and as the mercury starts to climb, warm temperatures can be harmful to more than just people. Your desktop computer may be at risk of overheating! Many office buildings shut down their air conditioning on the weekends, which means it can get pretty warm in the office by Sunday night. If you've left

Signs Your Computer May Be Part of a Bot Net

2008-07-09T10:07:00.001-04:00

Telltale Signs Your Computer Has Been Hacked - And Simple Steps You Can Take to Prevent It from Happening A bot net forms when a hacker gets into your computer and recruits it into a large group of similarly hacked computers (also called a “zombie army”) that are all programmed to follow the hacker’s orders: send out spam, spread viruses, attack web sites, or do other mischief. (

How Managed Services Work

2008-07-02T06:57:00.000-04:00

Managed Services Let You Declare Independence From Day-to-Day Computer Problems If you run a small business, you might deal with computer issues in one of these ways: “Hey Margaret!” One employee (and it might be you!) is designated the office computer guru, and he or she is the person everyone asks to fix a printer problem, help out with a software install,

Using Conditional Formatting in Excel to Quickly Spot Trends

2008-06-24T18:05:00.001-04:00

Conditional Formatting Helps You Identify Groups and Trends Easily Conditional formatting in Excel lets you identify trends at a glance by formatting cells according to certain pre-set conditions – hence the name. So, for example, let’s say you run a pet food company and you want to make sure you re-stock when inventory is low. You might set up a spreadsheet like

Our 4 Favorite Tech Sites

2008-06-23T11:11:00.001-04:00

4 Web Sites to Love There’s no shortage of Web sites willing to offer you productivity advice, computer tips, hardware and software reviews, and general technology information to help make your life easier. Below are four of the reads that we keep coming back to. CNet: A clearinghouse of up-to-the-minute technology news, plus a massive archive of product reviews.

'Stimulus Check' Email Scams

2008-06-11T13:32:00.000-04:00

Beware IRS Tax Refund Scams! A few months ago, we wrote about e-mail scammers using upcoming IRS stimulus checks to get confidential bank information from consumers. With more people than ever filing returns electronically, you might be less likely to raise an eyebrow when you get an email like the one quoted below. But look out: it might look legitimate, and it might even link to a site that

Buy Windows XP on Dell Before June 18

2008-06-04T16:47:00.000-04:00

Buy a Dell Machine With XP Before June 18! If you've been putting off a Windows XP purchase, now is the time to do it! Microsoft is beginning to phase out wide availability of Windows XP and transition to Vista-only sales. After June 18, you will no longer be able to order Dell computers with Windows XP Home Edition. You'll still be able to get XP Pro on the Optiplex, Latitude, and

Choosing Your Passwords Carefully

2008-05-22T11:46:00.000-04:00

Choosing and Protecting Your PASSWORDS Passwords are a common form of authentication and are often the only barrier between a user and your personal information. There are several programs attackers can use to help guess or "crack" passwords, but by choosing good passwords and keeping

Desktop Exercises to Prevent Repetitive Stress Injuries

2008-05-13T18:06:00.000-04:00

To Prevent Injuries at Your Desk Job, Just Relax Neck strain, eye strain, back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome – you’re at risk for all these problems and more if you’re spending long, uninterrupted hours at your computer. In addition to some basic measures like setting up a more ergonomic work space and taking occasional breaks throughout the day, you can also do

Email Habits That Can Reduce Spam

2008-05-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

Worried About Spam? Stop Forwarding Emails! Do you get a lot of emails asking you to sign a petition for a good cause? Are you constantly being asked to send a message along to 10 of your closest friends under threat of a lifetime of bad luck? No matter how good the cause or how dire the threat, there’s pretty much never a good reason to forward emails to large groups of

Eliminating Cord and Cable Clutter

2008-05-04T22:03:00.001-04:00

Get Cords and Cables Under Control Years ago, the average office desk used to have just one thing on top of it: a typewriter. Now you've probably got a phone, a computer, and a monitor at minimum. Chances are you have a laptop as well, and occasionally plug your cellphone or iPod into an available USB port for charging or downloading. In a home office you'll likely have

Changing Your Email Habits to Simplify Your Life

2008-04-22T19:06:00.001-04:00

Control Email So It Doesn't Control You Many of us couldn’t do our jobs without email – so it’s ironic that email is often the very thing that prevents us from doing our jobs. Even if you’ve managed to weed out inbox-clogging spam with software like CMIT Anti-Spam, you might still have problems coping with the volume of legitimate email communication you receive every day.

Big Changes to QuickBooks 2005 Support

2008-04-15T22:54:00.000-04:00

Upgrade to QuickBooks 2008 to Keep QuickBooks Email If you're still using QuickBooks 2005, now is a great time to upgrade to QuickBooks 2008. After May 31, you'll no longer be able to use QuickBooks Email with the 2005 version of this software. QuickBooks’ maker, Intuit, is like a lot of other popular software manufacturers: it periodically phases out support

Donating and Recycling Old Computers

2008-04-09T20:00:00.001-04:00

New Life for Old Computers: Refurbish, Recycle, or Donate It’s almost Tax Day – and for a lot of us, that means we’re still looking for ways to take a little bit more off our tax bill. If you’re also looking to replace outdated computer equipment, it’s also the perfect time to invest in a new computer and donate the old one to some worthy cause for some possible tax benefits. But

Backing Up and Protecting Valuable Business Data

2008-04-01T14:04:00.000-04:00

Learn How to Protect Your Business-Critical Data from Outage, Sabotage, and Disasters News stories about data loss and disaster recovery are usually pretty dramatic: they involve major government institutions or retailers, daring feats of identity theft, or massive natural disasters like fires, floods, or hurricanes. The fact is, however, that small businesses suffer

Defragmenting Your Hard Drive

2008-03-25T17:38:00.000-04:00

Defragment Your Hard Drive for Faster Performance Last week we talked about how you can change your filing system to free up storage space and quickly find files on your hard drive. This week we'll talk about another vital part of hard drive health: defragmenting. Here's Geek Girls' explanation of why defragmenting is so important: When you first install your operating

4 Easy Ways to Clean Up Your Hard Drive

2008-03-19T09:01:00.001-04:00

Banish Digital Clutter in 4 Simple Steps Even people with tidy desks and pin-neat offices sometimes find themselves with a whole lot of clutter – on their hard drives. But just because storage is cheap these days doesn’t mean you need to have a lot of spare bits and bytes hanging around. Keeping extra files on your hard drive can make it difficult to get to the information you

Filing Taxes Securely

2008-03-11T21:15:00.000-04:00

Keep Your Identity Safe While Filing Taxes Online It’s that wonderful time of the year again when everybody whips out their green eyeshades and calculators and figures out how much they owe the IRS — or how much the IRS owes them. The large (and growing) number of people filing their taxes online presents a very attractive target to online identity thieves. Here's how to make

Enhancing Productivity with Dual Monitors

2008-03-04T18:27:00.000-05:00

Dual Monitors Are Twice As Nice: Expand Your Screen Real Estate and Get More Done Faster There’s an easy way to eliminate double entries, significantly decrease errors in filling out forms and paperwork, and get a lot more work done: just add a second monitor to your desktop. Studies have shown that no matter how you measure productivity, you’ll get a boost by adding a