Netbooks will let someone do every day computer tasks, but the Notebook comes with some speed to it.  It’s obviously not used as a main computer console, but it really does come in handy!  It’s an inexpensive solution that will allow you to check emails, browse the web, watch any kind of videos, etc.  It’s also a great gift for a child that could cost you as little as $150-$250 for a good model.

Because the power consumption is so low, these Netbooks can last for a long number of hours.  You’re looking at lasting around 6-8 hours on average.  The displays are smaller, like around 10 inch screens, but it’s a nice little laptop replacement when you’re on the go.  Some even come with DVD drives, built in cameras- the whole nine yards.

We believe that Netbooks will become more and more popular as technology continues to amaze us.  More advancements are on the way and I wouldn’t be surprised if Netbooks get even smaller as well as having more robust functions similar to a desktop computer.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

If you need help in choosing the right laptop, Notebook or Netbook for you or your business, we would be happy to help.  Just give Hotheadtech.com a call!

Not knowing what sort of equipment can be frustrating for the small business owner.  Here’s what you should consider before investing any money into equipment.

What Are Your Exact Needs?

Going to Best Buy or any other electronic chain and buying a bunch of expensive new computers, or a server will not do you any good.  You need to be realistic of the needs of your business and make a purchasing decision from that knowledge.

Here’s an example: If a business conducts all of its sales, paperwork and transaction are all done on site, then a laptop would be of little use to you.  Laptops generally cost more than a desktop and even though it’s convenient to travel with, it’s an unnecessary expense at the moment.  If you will be traveling frequently, however, then a laptop will be a smarter choice for your business.

When looking at purchasing a computer for a start up business, you should stick to well-known brands.  You’ll end up getting great tech support if anything should happen.

You’ll find that most of the computers have a dual or core processor and 500GB of memory.  This is more than sufficient in the beginning unless you know that the programs you’ll be using require more.  If you’re an architect or a game developer, you’ll know that the more memory you have, the faster your computer will be.

Knowing the operating system is a must as well.  You’ll want to make sure all pieces of software you’ll be running will be compatible and work well with each other.  The last thing you want is to not be able to run your billing software because it wont work with your chosen operating system.

Because you are now wide open to the world, it’s possible to have your network compromised by mean people.  The last thing you need is a virus wreaking havoc on your computer network.  So what can you do to keep yourself safe?  Let’s get right into it…

A firewall can be your best friend.  This will prevent your network from a number of attacks so you can sleep better knowing your business is secure.  You would also be able to monitor Internet usage of all your employees, which websites they have visited as well as any downloads.

The firewall is connected between your network and Internet connect which allows it to filter through all the traffic coming into the network.  Your firewall settings (set up by your IT provider) will allow or block certain access based on your specifications and needs.

Without going in to the boring details and what different features on the firewall can do, here’s just a few things you can expect with this kind of hardware integrated in your system.

- You can identify each user and create specific rules and policies for them.

- You can block open ports for both the outgoing and incoming traffic.

- Server and computer protection from viruses coming through the Internet.

- Allows you to not allow specific website (such as Facebook, a popular site that employees visit frequently).  You can also allow only a few sites to be accessed that are work related to make things easier and keep employees on track.

- Bandwidth allocation so you can give more bandwidth to people who need more Internet speed than others.

- Reporting of all websites that were visited by users, what was downloaded and the time spent on each site.

A firewall is a necessity these days for the security aspect of it alone.  If any of the above features interest you as well, then that’s just a bonus!

It’s possible that over time, drivers on your computer may become corrupted or just plain out of date.  The most recent versions of these drivers should be updated on your computer and you’ll be surprised how easy this is to accomplish.

If you’ve recently upgraded your operating system (OS) to lets say, Windows 7, and you’re noticing that your PC still isn’t acting like it’s brand new, this could be the issue.  Old drivers can slow down your computer simply because they’re not compatible with your new OS.

Just as you have to change the oil in your car every so often, the same idea applies to updating  your computer drivers.  If you can remember to do this, you’ll dramatically reduce any operating system crashes and computer errors.

You can find updates on your device drivers on the websites of each of the manufacturers.  They’re usually released every so often because they are usually constantly fixing bugs with their products.  Also, these updates make the product perform better on your PC.

Here’s what you can do:

You can do a quick Google search to see if any products you’re using have any updates available on the manufacturers website.  If they’re listed, be sure to download and install the latest ones.  Follow the prompts and restart your computer once they’re all finished. Just make sure you’re downloading the correct file for the operating system you’re using.

There are also “device driver software” that once installed on your computer, can tell you which updates need to be installed.  These kinds of software search the internet for you automatically and tell you if any updates are available.  Another alternative is to ask your IT support company what’s the best way for you to go about doing this task.  They should be able to help or do it for you automatically if you have a maintenance program with them.

Any questions? Call us at 877-414-0035 and we’ll respond promptly!

When you’re traveling for business or pleasure, your belongings and information on those belongings has the risk of getting damaged.  Your laptop could be dropped, external hard drives misplaced or even your belongings stolen.  Backing up your information properly is a must in general, but it’s even more important when traveling.

Losing information while traveling isn’t fun.  Here’s a few tips to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

1) You really should get your own internet access device.  Performing any kind of backup from a free wireless hotspot leaves you wide open to cyber criminals.  It’s not uncommon to be exposed to viruses and malware in these types of areas.  You’ll also have an issue with the speed of the internet at free hotspots as well which isn’t ideal anyway if you’re pressed for time.  An online backup provider is ideal to have your files backed up to the “cloud” so your files can be backed up anytime, anywhere.  Pretty convenient, wouldn’t you say?

2) Make sure your newest files are always continued to be backed up as they are created. Anything like new photos, reports, videos, PowerPoints, Excel spreadsheets, etc.  The great benefit of online backups is that you can schedule daily backups at a certain time of the day to make sure a day of new information is never missed.  It will also backup the changed information making the backup relatively quicker than waiting for a full backup to perform each day.

3) Big files should be backed up before traveling if possible.  These files will take the longest to complete because of the size.  If you have a slow connection, it could be a nightmare.  Try to keep the file sizes small if you can.

Another good reason to do a major backup before traveling is because its impossible to know the risks that unsecured networks can do to your laptop.  Public networks are risky so be sure if you’re connecting to one of them that it’s not a shady source.

There you have it!  Try to follow these steps as best you can if you’re traveling and you should be fine as far as keeping your backups up to date and completely secure from harm.

Based on their reporting, here’s the senarios they were able to come up with.

Circumstance 1)

They could use the existing servers they had until 2013 without any substitutes. Because of this circumstance, energy usage and CO2 pollutants will improve 34% as opposed to now.  The cost of hardware will drop by 66%.

Circumstance 2)

Little by little replace each server with energy efficient ones until the year 2013.  Energy usage and CO2 pollutants should increase by 8% as well as a 21% increase in hardware expenses.

Circumstance 3)

Rapidly replace each of the older server units with energy efficient hardware.  This will be a total increase in spending of about 22%

Circumstance 4)

By using current data centers, they take existing servers and virtualize them.  Energy and CO2 pollutants will decreaase by 33% by the year 2013.  Hardware expenditures will also decline 14%.

Circumstance 5)

By using central data centers, they take their existing servers and virtualize them that way.  Energy and CO2 will decline 39% and the cost of hardware will decline 26%.

Circumstance 6)

*The best option*

All IT is completely outsourced to cloud services.  Energy usage and CO2 pollutants will reduce by 55%!

When these figures add up, there’s huge savings to be had.  Click here to see our post when researching this kind of backup service, and make sure you’re dealing with a reputable company.

Make sure you know where your data is being stored and if it’s secure at all times.

The reasons for this are simple… Someone your yourself may sneeze or cough, food particles can get inside your keyboard, pet particles could be on your hands which transfer over, and much more.  So what can you do?

Let’s go over some simple and safe steps to keeping your computer clean.

1) Your Keyboard

You’re going to want your computer to be turned off for this.  Get yourself a can of compressed air and hold your keyboard at an angle.  Once the air gets in there the debris underneath the keys will fly out.

If you’re keyboard needs some “extra work”, then you can take out each key individually to make sure you really get a good cleaning.  It’s safe to use Windex on a rag or cloth.  Don’t spray the keyboard.  Spray the cloth first and then wipe it down.

2) Your Monitor

If you’re using an LCD screen, do not spray any chemicals onto the screen directly.  Be sure to use a soft micro fiber cloth so it will not scratch the screen.

If you have a glass monitor, then Windex or any other window cleaner will do the trick.  Again, spray the cloth first and wipe the monitor down with that.

3) Your Mouse

Your mouse can get dirty as well especially if you’re using an older model with a track ball underneath.  These can be removed easily to clean out the inside.  To get hard to reach areas, use either a q-tip or a paper clip.

If your mouse is newer, you can just wipe down the sensor underneath.  It helps to keep your mouse pad clean as well to get the best use from your mouse.

There you have it…  a computer that looks just like new.  Now to clean the inside is a whole different story.  You’ll need a qualified and experienced IT support company to do that for you.

Call HotHeadTech.com today to see if this is right for you.

Think again.

Hackers are actually hoping you’re thinking this way because it leaves you vulnerable to attack. Just because you have a really expensive anti-virus software on all your computers, or even a firewall, that your network cant be hacked into.

Did you know that a common routine computer hackers use to get into a firewall is through the server?  As soon as they’re inside your server they send spam and other kinds of nasty viruses to the masses in just a few seconds.

Two reasons why this is really bad news for you…

1)  In no time at all, your email AND server get blacklisted.  This basically means that the “big boys” (Google, Verizon, Comcast, etc.) will see every email your company sends as malicious.  They will catch them and never let them be sent out to the intended recipients.

It’s possible that an event like this could take days or even weeks to get you off the blacklisted list.  Yup, you guessed it. You’ll have no email during that entire process until you’re off the list.

2)  Everyone on your contact list as well as everyone’s contacts in your company start getting spam ads from you that could give them a virus if they click on anything or an invitation from you to try the newest “male enhancement” pill. NOT good.

You can be protected from this kind of attack by having a company like HotHeadTech.com manage your firewall for a tiny monthly investment.  Remember, most firewalls that come pre-installed on most servers are better than having none at all, but unfortunately they’re weak.  Any semi good hacker can have the tools to crack that lock.

If your network’s security and peace of mind is important to you, contact us today to see how we can make sure you’re on the right track.

One of the more popular methods of backing up data we see are USB thumb drives that can store anywhere from 1 to 25+ GB on it.

A thumb drive has a few names from which they are referred to like a USB stick and a flash drive.  It’s mostly used to carry around simple pieces of documents, pictures, etc. around with you.

These tiny storage devices have a computer chip in it that stores the files and you’d be surprised what such a small piece of equipment can store on it these days.

Although these thumb drives are incredibly convenient, their size may be their downfall.  Misplacement of these drives are common so be sure to have a second copy somewhere else.

It’s pretty frustrating, and in some cases scare, to lose information that’s private and not knowing what hands it may end up in.

Here are some guidelines you may want to consider if you’ll be using one of these drives:

1) Don’t put any information on your thumb drive that you would never want to lose.
2) Use other forms of backup for your data like on a CD or even better, an external hard drive.
3) Purchase software that you can encrypt your data with a password so if your drive is lost, other people can’t get to the data without your password.

If you are putting client data on these thumb drives, this information is extremely important.  You’ll want to keep their data extremely safe from other prying eyes.

There are other ways to protect all of your computer data both at home, or at your office.  For more information on business offsite backup services, call us today! (973) 414-0035.

All the way back when the internet started, this field has expanded with it.  Businesses and homes need IT because it’s all around us and will continue to be for years to come.

Most people don’t understand what is information technology and what it consists of.  Here are a few areas:

Computer programming

Since the beginning of the computer and into the foreseeable future, information technology jobs, and computer programmers specifically, will be a very in-demand position.  These programmers understand how to write code to give computers certain commands that allows them to do certain tasks.

There is more of a need for computer programmers than there are programmers.  If you are a computer programmer, than you’re in very high demand.  These kinds of skills can either be self taught or by going to a trade school.

Hardware

Everything from PC’s, laptop computers, printers, tables, smart phones, iPads, and more, you’ll find these types of gadgets popping up with new models on a quarterly basis.  This part of information technology is also in high demand for the individuals who can support and maintain these types of hardware.

Software

Another booming part of the IT world is software simply because of it’s growth potential as well.  Some types of software are hard to manage and the people who build and maintain software are the ones who will have their phones ringing.

Could you be the next software mogul?  It’s very possible in today’s world.

The computer information technology industry is very diverse and many can earn a great living from it with an information technology degree.  Find something you’re most passionate about and put those skills to work because they’re needed and appreciated.

If you’re looking for a professional to meet any of these IT needs in your business, call HotHeadTech.com today!