Today’s phones can help us do more than ever before. In addition to making phone calls, we use them to send messages, post photos on our favorite apps, watch videos, play games, and endless other activities. Since our phones can accomplish so much, we’re on them often. That means we’re draining a lot of phone battery. In our busy lives, we aren’t always near an outlet and don’t always have a phone charger ready. If our phones die, we risk missing out on important notifications and being unable to easily communicate with others. So what strategies can we use to extend our battery life?

Check Apps’ Battery Usage
When it comes to battery usage, not all apps are created equal. While checking your email uses a small amount of power, any apps that use GPS drain a significant amount of your phone’s battery. This is because they are constantly talking to the GPS satellites. Check to see which of your apps are draining your battery most and limit usage.

Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
If you aren’t on your personal Wi-Fi, it’s always good to connect to the Wi-Fi wherever you are. However, this isn’t always an option. When you’re not connected to a strong Wi-Fi, it’s good to turn both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off when you aren’t using them. They drain a large amount of power because, even when not connected to anything, they are searching for your home’s Wi-Fi and car’s Bluetooth. That’s how they auto-connect when you are back within their range. Downloading podcasts, videos, and audiobooks at home can save your battery when you’re out because you won’t have to stream these items over Wi-Fi.

Lower your Phone’s Brightness
One of the easiest ways to save battery is to reduce how bright your phone’s screen is. The brighter your screen is, the more battery life it is using up. Most phones adjust the brightness levels based on how light your surroundings are. You can override this and turn the level down to save battery. The more you dim it, the longer your battery will last.

Go on Power Saving Mode
When you put your phone in Power Saving Mode, it stops it from automatically checking to see if there are new emails, powers off your display faster, and reduces screen brightness. It also turns off certain visual effects and some other features take a lot of battery. On some phones, it also makes your apps run a little slower.

Buy a Built-in Battery Case
Some people need to use very power-draining features often and have phone-heavy lifestyles. If this is you, it may still be a struggle to keep your battery up throughout the day. If all of the other options aren’t sufficient, you can buy a phone case with a built-in battery. By simply being in its case, your phone will charge. No need for an outlet or charger. These cases help you be able to keep your phone fully functional and able to use any apps you need.
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While any of these methods will help you extend your phone’s battery, it’s best to combine a few options. Our phones make our lives much easier, but they can’t do anything for us if they’re dead because we let the battery run out. Even more importantly, we want our phones usable in case of emergency. Luckily, using these methods will help keep our batteries alive throughout the day. Just remember to charge them again at home.
 
Are you in need of our services? Contact us now at 715-255-0325.

Today we’re going to talk about some things to consider before you share a post on Facebook.

First, is it true, second, is it helpful, and third, what effect is it having on your friends?

As you scroll through your news feed you see lots of stories, memes, cute ideas and more. They are designed to grab your attention and get you to share them. Then your friends share, and their friends share, and before you know it you have hundreds, if not thousands of people seeing the same post.

This can be beneficial when something important needs to be shared. But what if you clicked “share” and then found out that the story was a hoax or isn’t relevant any longer? In your effort to pass along seemingly important information you may be contributing to misinformation. What if your wall is now avoided because you are constantly sharing post like this, and rarely sharing things relevant about you?

In an age of information, we have the parallel disadvantage of misinformation. Why? Partly because information is shared so quickly it is often shared before validating. Let’s look at some common situations and see how this happens, as well as some steps to avoid sharing misinformation.

Scenario One: You see the photo of a sweet young girl with the pleading words, "Everyone please share, my daughter is missing!" 

If the little girl is missing, you are doing a favor to pass it along. But if she is no longer missing (or perhaps never was) you are contributing to the spread of false information and wasting people's time. So, it’s worthwhile for you to validate this story before you share.

Here’s how to check the story: Click on the original post and check the date. If it’s recent, then it may be more likely to still be true. But if it’s from 2 years ago, maybe the girl was found. Next, scroll through the comments to see if there are any comments indicating that the situation has been resolved, e.g. “We found this missing girl!” If you can’t find an update, check the wall of the one who originally posted the story as they may have posted an update there. Now you know if the story is still relevant. If the girl was found, don’t share the story. No one needs to feel concerned for her whereabouts anymore or feel compelled to share the story too.

Scenario Two: “Super-Mart is giving $100 to everyone who shares this post!”
Consider this: First, if it’s too good to be true, then it’s probably not true. You can almost always assume the ones you see like this are false. Usually things like this are rumors that were started, often months ago, and are still circulating because who wouldn’t want to share if you were really going to get $100? If this isn’t true, passing it along is sharing misinformation, and is definitely not helpful. Before sharing this dubious offer, check the company’s actual Facebook profile, as well as their official website for any potential offers. If you find a great deal, then share away!

Scenario Three: “Hi, I’m John Smith, XYZ company did $2,000 in damage to my property and isn’t fixing it!”
Let’s examine Scenario Three: The guy who is complaining that XYZ company owes him $2,000 probably doesn't need over 500,000 shares. The attention the post is getting may far outweigh the need. First, go back and validate the story (if possible); you may discover that XYZ company has made things right, or even gone the extra mile to fix the situation. Before sharing the outrage, ask yourself again; is it true, is it helpful? If XYZ company no longer owes the guy money or repaired the damage, then it’s not a true reflection on their company values. Sharing this story makes them look bad months after the situation is resolved. It isn’t helpful and you may further damage a good company’s reputation. If they did make things right, then perhaps you can share that instead. Far too often people complain about things, and rarely do they share how good something was.

The negative effects of sharing misinformation:
At the end of the day, keep in mind that people are typically friends on social media to keep in touch with YOU. They don't go to your wall to see the latest gossip. In fact, if you share to much without validating the stories, you will end up compromising your own credibility with your friends. Your friends may even discreetly use a feature that Facebook has to keep your posts out of their newsfeed. You will still be friends, but they may be happier not seeing your posts. Take the time to update your friends about YOU. This is far more important to most of them than all those things you share from other pages. In an age where information is shared too easily, and friendships are shallow because of social media being a poor substitute for real life, take time to share things that will actually connect you to your friends and keep your friendship strong. Brag about the grandkids, show off your garden, or compliment someone on a job well done. These true stories (and kindness) go a long way in encouraging those around you.

You’ve decided to buy a new computer for your business, perhaps even a whole set of computers. You can almost taste the excitement as you think about those sleek new machines and how much faster your employees will be able to do their work. There’s just one thing left to do: actually choose which ones. That’s where it gets tricky. Most people pop out to their local retail store and look at the display models, then get overwhelmed when the salesperson starts throwing words like CPU and RAM around. Unfortunately, that scenario almost always ends up with your business having the wrong computer. Here’s why, and what you should do instead.

Most Retail Salespeople Are Minimally Trained:
Unsurprisingly, salespeople are trained to sell! They may have an interest in computers and they’re certainly great at reading the words on the box to you, but that’s the limit of their expertise. Their goal is to make the sale, earn the commission and go home happy. You are getting the computer your business needs and it’s not their concern if it doesn’t fully meet your needs. They’re not equipped to deeply understand the way your business works, nor do they have the time to find out. You’re also more likely to be upsold extras you don’t need but will rapidly drain your budget.

Compatibility Can Be A Problem:
While you probably know having both Apple and Microsoft computers can lead to compatibility issues, did you know even switching brands within your PC network can cause issues? There are so many moving parts to your business network, from printers to routers, laptops to mobile payment processors, that anytime you throw a new computer into the mix you could end up with compatibility problems. Salespeople don’t know what your current setup is at your home or business but may still make recommendations based on assumptions and hopeful guesswork. Even the number and types of ports available on retail computers may cause a problem once you’re setting up.

The last thing you want to do is end up with a collection of wobbly adapter plugs as you attempt to course-correct and make do until it’s time for a do-over. Any time your employees need to go off-book and create workarounds, efficiency is guaranteed to take a dramatic hit. Such workarounds may also introduce security vulnerabilities that could have been avoided by using the correct equipment. It’s best to skip the drama and get the right computer the first time around.

Support Could Get Tricky:
Your IT provider will often stick to a handful of vendors to ensure all parts are kept uniform. That way we know which parts will work together, and should something fail, we can usually get replacements quickly. We’ll often have special relationships with parts vendors, and can get special pricing, extended support and upgrades that a salesperson can’t match. Your IT budget goes further with your consultant, and not just on the day of purchase.

By contrast, when you buy computers through your IT provider, you know you’re getting the exact computer your business needs. We know your business inside and out, including your long and short-term goals. From the first time you work with us, we’ll be sure to do our research before making a recommendation. Remember, you want your computers to last 3-4 years of heavy usage, so it’s also a good idea to buy business-grade computers. While the computers at the retail store are equally shiny, they’re rarely as durable as the ones your consultant can supply.

Your IT provider will also be able to set the new computers up, ready to go with the exact software you need. We’ll strip out all the bloatware (unnecessary programs and trials that come pre-installed) and configure your new computers to work perfectly from day 1. Your employees will be able to enjoy their new systems, taking full advantage of the productivity boosts you paid for.  That means internet working, internal network connected, programs playing nice with each other, and yes, even printing without problems!
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We can help with your next purchase - ask us how by calling us at 715-255-0325!

It’s tons of fun getting a new device. Whether it’s a new desktop, laptop or phone: the thrill of getting it home and opening the box is great. We know, we love tech too. It even has its own version of new car smell! Once you get it home though, there are a number of things that need to be done before it’s really usable – beyond snazzing it up with a new case or mousepad.

The sellers like to say it’s ready to use straight from the box – and it is – except not quite the way you need it to work. They’ll all turn on, look for wifi, and sure, you can type…but rather like when you buy a new fridge, simply turning it on isn’t enough – it’s still empty and you’re still hungry.  A few minutes now to prep your new device will save you time, stress, and quite possibly money.
Today, we’re talking vital tech prep for new devices:

Security Updates and Fixes
From the factory to your hands, that device has been in the box for at least a month. In the world of security, that’s an eternity. During that time on the shelf, new viruses have come out and new software weaknesses have been discovered. Fortunately, new updates to combat these problems were also created, they just haven’t been downloaded to your device yet. We can make sure your essential software is up-to-date and set to stay that way. That way, you know your device is safe to go online.

Data Transfer From Old to New
Some people want to transfer everything from one device to another, others like to have a fresh start and keep the old device as a backup. We can either transfer your data entirely or just the things you use. For computers, we can even turn your old hard drive into an external drive that you can plug into your new computer and grab files as required.
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Setting up Hardware
If your new device is a computer, you’ll need to hook it up to extra tech like a printer or webcam. These tasks that should be plug-and-play can sometimes send you loopy, especially when you’ve got a plug mismatch or incompatible drivers. We can help get you set up, with everything tested and working.

Setting up Email and Software
This is one people commonly forget and then struggle with. Email clients in particular, need special configuration to connect properly. Quite often, we find people are stuck only able to receive, with overflowing unsent mail that won’t go anywhere! We’ll get all your personal software and accounts up and going.

Setting up the Network
While tapping in a WiFi password is easy enough, it doesn’t mean your browsing is secure, or even as fast as it could possibly be. We can quickly determine which connectivity method will be best for your device and your needs, and hook you up with fast, robust security measures.

Lockdown Privacy & Permissions
Whether you have children and are looking to provide a safe online experience, files you’d prefer to keep private, or simply want to set up ‘profiles’ for each user to have their own login, we can quickly get your new device configured to meet your needs.
 
We love to help. Give us a call at 715-255-0325 and we'll get your new device up and running.

Maintaining your privacy while using the internet has become more challenging over the years. The recent Facebook privacy scandal made that abundantly clear, with users shocked at how much information had been recorded about them. While it’s almost impossible to enjoy the internet and leave zero digital footprints, there are things you can do to hide your online activities - some more effective than others.

1. Get A Virtual Private Network (VPN)
VPNs aren’t just for business and downloaders now, they’ve gone mainstream. Once set up, it creates an encrypted connection from your computer to the VPN providers computer. The other computer could be in another city or another country. When you visit a website, it can only see the VPN computer - not yours. You essentially run around the internet pretending to be another computer, in another location. Since your connection is encrypted, even your ISP can’t see what you’re doing online, making your usage anonymous.

The Downsides: Because your internet usage must route through another computer first, your browsing and download speed could be affected. They can be tricky to set up and not all VPNs offer the same privacy levels or performance (the better ones tend to be more expensive). Some websites may even block visits from people using VPNs, so you may end up switching it on/off as required.

2. Go Incognito
Most browsers have a private browsing mode, each called something different. For example, Google Chrome calls it ‘incognito’, while Microsoft calls it ‘InPrivate’. Before you take the name at face value, it’s a good idea to talk about how they define ‘private’. Unlike a VPN where you can dance around the internet anonymously, private browsing simply means it won’t show up in your browser history, and what you entered into forms is also not recorded. This feature is free, so you always have the option to use it, and it’s actually more helpful than you might think. Common uses include price shopping to reset sale timers and access local-only pricing.

The Downsides: It can’t pre-fill saved passwords and it won’t help you type in the website name even if you’ve been there before.

3.  Think About Who’s Watching
While you might be naturally careful when using a public computer have you thought about who’s watching what you do on your work computer? Some workplaces have employee monitoring software that tracks all sorts of data, including taking screenshots of your desktop. It helps them create rules about computer usage and helps them maintain legal compliance, but it may also provide them with evidence you’ve been breaking those rules. We do NOT recommend using VPNs or making other unauthorized modifications to the computers you use at work. Your company may already use a VPN and installing your own can not only lead to technical problems but may also compromise the security of your entire workplace. Your IT staff or provider is the only one who should be working on these systems. Work computers should be used for work only, save personal browsing and entertainment for home.

Stepping out to the internet cafe with your laptop can be even more risky, as people can install keyloggers that record every keystroke, including your credit card numbers and logins. You’ll never know your activities are being recorded, even if you use private browsing, as these attacks are generally perpetrated on the entire network.

The Downsides: None. Awareness of the risks and the possibility of being watched ensures you’re more likely to use the internet safely.
While private browsing can help keep your internet usage under wraps, it’s not a magic bullet to cover all possibilities. Many people believe they’re invisible AND invulnerable while private browsing, a mistake they end up paying for. You’ll still need solid anti-virus and password habits to protect against threats, and to be a smart internet user who avoids suspect websites. Consider the options above as privacy-enhancing measures, not one-stop solutions.
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Need help with your online privacy? Give us a call at 715-255-0325.