Greg Nixon - New Zealand Computing Solutions

Why Your XP Needs Upgrading Now

2014-10-03T02:05:00.000+13:00

Why Your XP Needs Upgrading Now
When Microsoft ended its support of its XP operating system it was the longest running operating system in the history of the company. With the final security patch sent out April 8th, 2014, Microsoft made good on its statement that it was ending all support for the operating system. But with close to 30% of the world's businesses still on the system according to eforecasts.com, including several major governments, could businesses be setting themselves up for criminal hacking? It appears it is already happening.

Internet Explorer Vulnerability
Within a few days of ending support for XP, Microsoft was already announcing the first vulnerability to the now unsupported system – Internet Explorer hacking. ComputerWorld reported an advisory from the software giant on criminal activity involving hacking into business computers through the search engine via "drive-bys". These involve users being tricked into going onto dangerous sites that then allow the hackers to use the sites as a backdoor into the company computer systems. XP users now have no way to fight these hackers as the system is particularly vulnerable and patches to counter the latest attacks are no longer available to XP users.

Identifying the Risks
For months as the end time for support approached, everyone from Business News Daily to TechNet has been telling businesses not to wait for that vital upgrade. There is a reason companies like Microsoft upgrade their operating software, and part of it is to fight off hackers. But another reason is that the latest system will be more compatible with other software as well. Here are the six major reasons leading technology writer Sara Angeles gives for upgrading:

Security – Unsupported environments that do not include the latest patches are susceptible to a wide variety of security risks. Workstations at companies will be vulnerable to infection and more.
Support – Because of the huge risk involved in unsupported operating systems, many IT support departments and services will no longer support them either. The cost of constantly trying to create software patches for systems that are vulnerable will make it too costly.
Cost – Because of the lack of support, even if your tech department is willing to work at protecting your system from attacks, it will be costly without the regular updates and patches from Microsoft that support the system and protect it.
Compatibility – As more and more software and hardware systems upgrade, it will become harder and harder to find programs and hardware that is still compatible with XP. As this becomes more the norm, businesses will find themselves unable to upgrade other software as doing so will make their system incompatible with the new software.
Performance – One of the reasons for Windows to upgrade is that they are constantly finding new ways to make software perform better and in ways that work best for current business situations. This means that, among other problems, your old XP Windows will not be as fast and not have the extended search functions that the new systems have.
Productivity – Obviously, struggling with an old system that is no longer compatible with your software, buggy from hackers and slower than the newer systems means your productivity will suffer.

Getting Ready for the Upgrade
So now that you see the need to upgrade from that old XP operating system, you might want to consider the steps you need to take. While many have put off the upgrade because they fear confusion or loss of productivity during the changeover, it doesn't have to be that way.
Start with these three simple preparations:

Backing Up Your Data
Performing a Compatibility Audit
Determining Which Windows System is Best for You

Come talk to us about what you can do to move onto a new platform and away from XP now that it no longer has support. If you prepare the way with these three steps, you can move your business away from the unsupported and dangerous XP operating system. You need to do it eventually, why wait until your system is hacked or inoperable to do it?

5 Ways to Use Evernote on Your Tablet

2014-08-04T07:15:00.000+12:00

5 Ways to Use Evernote on Your Tablet
Do you possess a tablet mechanism? In the event that you haven't as of recently, make certain to download Evernote to It and look at our tips for getting progressively out of Evernote on your tablet.

For meetings
In some cases, you would prefer not to drag your portable computer to a gathering. Use Evernote on your tablet to take speedy notes, and in addition to record sound. Everything you catch will immediately synchronize to the various gadgets where you have Evernote fixed (counting your desktop computer!).

For cooking
We all realize that things can get untidy in the kitchen, and you require more space for dishes and fixings than for your portable computer. Use Evernote or Evernote Food to gain entrance to your top pick formulas (web cuts, transcribed notes, and magazine examines) while you're cooking.

For business travel
Going for business methods pressing light and guaranteeing that you — and your work — are portable. Make sure to send essential message correspondences, recovery gathering plans and reports you may need to alter to your Evernote account so you can access them from your tablet. Provided that you're a Premium client, take record books disconnected from the net so you can finish work, actually when you're not associated with the Internet.

For Leisurely reading
Cut articles you need to read later to your Evernote account and do your daily perusing in cot, utilizing Evernote on your tablet.

For multi-tasking
If you've got kids, pets, interests, or work that has a tendency to overflow into the evening time hours, having the ability to handle your to-do — if individual or proficient — is much simpler when you can do them while you're doing something else. Evernote on your tablet gives you a chance to get a bounce on composing a gathering driving force, shoot off a trek agenda, on the other hand read up on your best man discourse from your sofa, in a recreation center or at the cafe.

Have you tried Evernote on your tablet?

How to Capture Your Social Media Moments with Evernote

2014-07-12T23:37:00.000+12:00

How to Capture Your Social Media Moments with Evernote
Your Twitter stream is transitory and frequently hard to pursuit. That is the reason Evernote is an incredible asset for saving the critical bits of that social discussion – significant quotes, articles, restaurant suggestions – and making them accessible and effortlessly searchable.

A couple of years back, we saw this need to catch your Twitter stream, so we started a simple Twitter combination called @myen. From that point forward, administrations have tagged along that interface Evernote to your social stream in amazingly advantageous ways. We will be turning off @myen one week from now. Provided that you've been utilizing it, we suggest exchanging to IFTTT or Zapier, which are considerably more powerful trades. Here's a gander at what makes these apparatuses extraordinary.

Catch Social Remembrances with Evernote Applications and Administrations IFTTT
Provided that This, Then That (IFTTT) interfaces two administrations of your decision, to make a computerized stream called a formula. This is an incredible approach to immediately include content from different informal organizations and administrations to your Evernote Record.

Require impulse for what you can spare into Evernote from Twitter, utilizing IFTTT? Here are some of our top choice formulas:

When you top choice a tweet, it will be sent to Evernote

Send a document of all your tweets to Evernote

Scan through extra formulas made by the neighborhood, study how to make your own or basically click on this formula to attempt it out:

Zapier
Zapier is an administration that permits you to computerize your workflow by joining Evernote with informal organizations and web administrations. What's a Zap, you ask? Like a formula in IFTTT, a Zap is an association between two applications that robotizes time intensive errands. Here are a few Destroys you can use for Twitter:

Track tweets in Evernote
Save Twitter specifies to Evernote

Document each tweet for simple access and reference when its required most
How are you utilizing Evernote to catch the best minutes in your social media? Let us know

Stress-Free Holiday Travel with Evernote

2014-07-11T22:31:00.001+12:00

Stress-Free Holiday Travel with Evernote
Occasions are a twelve-month reason to overlook the irritates of work and life. They permit us a period to go through with family, companions and friends and family.

Lamentably, the actuality is that the majority of us need to venture out incredible separations to get to them.
Nothing spells out anxiety as the prospect of fighting occupied parkways or going unending hangar security lines.

Today we'd jump at the chance to impart how Evernote can help lighten the ache of occasion travel.

Plan Ahead
Spare time by including vital travel archives like flight and tickets to your Evernote account so you can effortlessly access them at a minute's

Notice. Make an Imparted Note pad that incorporates a rundown of your flight portions, rental auto affirmations and maps with bearings to the lodging or the in-laws' spot.

Pack Accordingly
If you're making a trip to the North Shore of Kauai (would we be able to come?) or the solidified hinterlands of the Upper Midwest (good luck!), it might be troublesome to recall all your pressing needs, particularly in the surge of the occasions. Make an agenda with all the essential things you have to schlep back home incorporating blessings, books and all the atmosphere proper equip if you're headed to places with sand or heaps of snow.

Set Notes a week or two proceeding you travel, so you can begin to order all your travel equip early.
Stand up to security. Go the airfield security prepare with the Triangle Suburbanite Sack by abrasus. A fold-down board permits you to rapidly pull Out laptops and other metal protests without irritate. The vented, outer pocket is an incredible place to put your telephone so it won't get scratched throughout the screening process.

Share Travel Information
Begin planning your family duties, meals and different occasions by making a note with your schedule thoughts and impart it to your family so Everybody can add enter to guarantee you're all on the same page once you arrive.

Manage Work, If Needed
The Evernote coordination with IFTTT gives you a chance to mechanize an interminable show of work-identified undertakings. Hail and advance messages from your supervisor or critical Customers to your Evernote account, so you don't need to more than once check your inbox.

Bring Your Great Peruses with You
Is there any better approach to traverse travel delays or long flights, than perusing a great book or long-structure article? Cut the most recent news and Magazine articles utilizing the Evernote Web Scissors to read on the long auto ride or before loading up the plane.

How are you utilizing Evernote to stay rational throughout?

How To Change the Page Size in Word 2013

2014-07-04T00:09:00.000+12:00

How to Change the Page Size:

Page Size
By default, the page size of a new document is 8.5 inches x 11 inches. Depending on your project, you may need to adjust your document's page size. It's important to note that before modifying the default page size, you should check to see which page sizes your printer can accommodate.

To Change the Page Size:
Word has a variety of predefined page sizes to choose from.
1- Select the Page Layout tab and click the Size command.

2- A drop-down menu will appear. The current page size is highlighted. Click the desired predefined page size.

3- The page size of the document will be changed.

How to Use Custom Margins in Word 2013

2014-05-31T07:56:00.000+12:00

How to Use Custom Margins:
Word also allows you to customize the size of your margins in the Page Setup dialog box.

1- From the Page Layout tab, click Margins. Select Custom Margins... from the drop-down menu.

2- The Page Setup dialog box will appear.
3- Adjust the values for each margin and click OK.

4- The margins of the document will be changed.

How to Format page Margins in Word

2014-05-20T23:40:00.001+12:00

How to Format page Margins
Page Margins
A margin is the space between the text and the edge of your document. By default, a new document's margins are set to Normal, which means it has a one-inch space between the text and each edge. Depending on your needs, Word allows you to change your document's margin size.

To Format Page Margins:
Word has a variety of predefined margin sizes to choose from.

Select the Page Layout tab and click the Margins command.
A drop-down menu will appear. Click the predefined margin size you desire.
The margins of the document will be changed.

Holiday Menu Planning with Evernote

2014-05-08T20:30:00.001+12:00

Holiday Menu Planning with Evernote

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’ve got a few quick tips to help you prepare.

Gather Your Favorite Recipes
Download the Evernote Web Clipper and begin gathering formulas from your top choice locales and writes. Everything you spare from the web will be accessible to you all over the place you have introduced Evernote, incorporating your versatile units.

Got Evernote Food? All the formulas spared to your Evernote record will immediately be pulled into Evernote Food so you can carry your tablet into the kitchen for a helpful, simple to-read reference.

The Scansnap Evernote Edition Scanner makes it basic and quick to digitize physical formulas and compose them in Evernote. Examine your grandma's transcribed pie directions, magazine pages or 3×5 formula cards to expand your computerized formula accumulation.

Make a Game Plan
When you've gathered your formulas, pull together a day-of approach — when the turkey needs to go in the stove, when to defrost the pie mixture, and so on. Make a New Note with a shopping list checklist so you don't need to run out a minute ago for a stick of margarine. Set a Reminder the day preceding to guarantee anything that needs to stretch out beyond time is finished.

Begin a Tradition
Take the worry of occasion arranging one year from now by sparing everything in Evernote. Make a New Notebook called "Holiday 2014? and save your formulas, shopping lists, strategy, and any notes about top choice dishes and slumps. One year from now, you can spare time scanning for formulas, maintain a strategic distance from any cooking fiascos, and avoid the arranging stage completely.

We trust you have a great holiday!

Create and Edit a Note with Evernote

2014-04-11T03:44:00.000+12:00

Create and Edit a Note with Evernote
Create and Edit a Note
An Evernote note can catch practically anything, incorporating content, pictures, records, sound, Web Cuts and that's just the beginning. All notes are searchable, making them simple to find when you require them. Evernote even hunt down written and written by hand message inside appended pictures.

Creating a New Note
To make another note, click the New Note symbol, found at the top-middle of the requisition window. As a matter of course, the note will be made in your default record book. You can likewise click the drop-down menu to make the note in an alternate journal.

When made, your note will immediately be spared to Evernote and adjusted over all your gadgets.

Adding Attachments
Practically anything might be connected to a note, incorporating indexes, pictures and sound. To include a connection, move and customize it into the assemblage of your note, or utilize any of the accompanying binds in the Note Supervisor:

Audio: Click to join sound utilizing any good receiver.

File: Click to append a picture or any document.

Formatting Text
To configuration message in a note, utilize any of the designing instruments as you might in a typical word processor:

Font Tools:
Click to change the font, font estimate and font styles.

Layout & Special Element Tools:
Click to arrange content or make bulleted and numbered records, or to embed unique components, for example a checkbox, table or level guideline.

Removing Text Formatting
At times you might want to glue message into a note and uproot all organizing on that content (evacuate strong, italics, sizes, and other rich content). Uprooting designing is particularly accommodating when replicating and gluing content from a page with an assortment of fonts, layouts. Here are a couple of approaches to wipe out the designing:

Paste as Plain Text:
Rather than gluing into the note not surprisingly, select Alter > Glue as Content. The stuck content will be embedded into the note without any arranging whatsoever.

Simplify Formatting:
Select Arrangement > Disentangle Arranging to change over a whole note into a default font measure, font shade, and line dispersing while holding essential rich content designing (striking, italics, underline, hyperlinks, and visual cues).

Remove formatting:
Select Arrangement > Uproot arranging to change over a whole note into a plain settled width font and estimate with no content organizing whatsoever.

Editing a Note
To alter the substance of a note, click it in the Note Record to showcase its substance in the Note Supervisor, then click anyplace in the group of the note to make alters. You might additionally twofold click the note to open it in a divide window.

Deleting a Note
To erase a note, essentially click it in the Note Record to select it, then hit the Erase key on your console. The note will be moved to your Junk Journal.

Changing Note Details
To alter data around the range of a note, click theNote Info button at the upper right of the Note Proofreader. You can change a note's area items, made and overhauled dates, view Note History (Evernote Premium characteristic), and different portions.

Now that you have a note, let's sync it so that it's available across all your devices

How to Change Page Orientation

2014-03-25T20:51:00.000+13:00

Page Orientation
Word offers two page orientation options: landscape and portrait. Landscape means that the page is oriented horizontally, and portrait format is oriented vertically. Compare our example below to see how orientation can affect the appearance and spacing of text and images.

How to Change Page Orientation:

Select the Page Layout tab.
Click the Orientation command in the Page Setup group.
A drop-down menu will appear. Click either Portrait or Landscape to change the page orientation.
The page orientation of the document will be changed.

How to make different types of cell Border

2014-02-11T22:22:00.000+13:00

How to make different types of cell Border:

1. Select the cell range
2. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the Format Cells dialog box launcher

next to Border, and then select the style that you want in the Border list.

3. Click OK

Details the Format Cells dialog box:
Line:
Select an option under Style to specify the line size and style for a border. If you want to change a line style on a border that already exists, select the line style option that you want, and then click the area of the border in the Border model where you want the new line style to appear.

Presets:
Select a predefined border option to apply borders to or remove borders from selected cells.

Color:
Select a color from the list to change the color of the selected cells.

Border:
Click a line style in the Style box, and then click the buttons under Presets or Border to apply borders to the selected cells. To remove all borders, click the None button. You can also click areas in the text box to add or remove borders.

Microsoft Word 2013: A more advance getting started options

2013-12-01T17:24:00.001+13:00

Microsoft Word 2013: A more advance getting started options
The start-up menu of Microsoft Word 2013 is more advance than previous versions of MS word family. You can use thousands of online professionally created templates. These templates helps a beginners to save the time and create professional letters, faxes, reports, calendars etc. It should be noted that internet connection is required when using online templates.

Getting started: How to?
Open MS word 2013 from MS-Windows start menu or from shortcut on your desktop. The initial start interface of MS-Word 2013 will look like shown in the following figure below.

In this above figure, we can see three major portions of the MS Word interface. The top right side highlighted circle shows the Microsoft SkyDrive user. The middle red colored circled shows the search for templates online with some suggested searches, like search for “Letters”, “Resume”, “Fax” etc. By scrolling the scroll bar on the right side of the above figure window, we can select more beautiful templates as shown in the following figure below.

As shown in above figure, we can select more colorful templates.

Creating professional letters using online templates: MS Word 2013
Step 1: Open MS word 2013 from MS-Windows start button or from shortcut on your desktop. It will appear its default interface as shown in figure 1. Select “Letters” as highlighted in the following figure below.

After clicking “Letters” button, it will appear a window as shown in the following snapshot below.

Step 2: Click on the template from thousands of recommended templates as shown in the above figure.
Step 3: By clicking a templates, it will appear a window as in figure below.

Step 4: Click on “Create” button. Now your letter is ready to use. Just play with it.

Creating Professional resume from templates: How to do?
Step 1: Click on “File” menu.
Step 2: Click on “New” button.
Step 3: Click on “Resume”. As shown in the following figure below.

Step 4: Select “Resume” from thousands of resume templates as shown in the following figure below.

The online search results displayed a huge collection of “Resume” templates as highlighted under “Category”. We can select any of the recommended resumes without preparing by itself.
Step 5: Select a “Resume” of your choice.
Step 6: Click on “create” button.

Creating calendar from template: How to do it?
As an example I created a “Calendar” and is shown in the following figures below.

After clicking “Create” button in figure 8. It will appear a window of options for the year you want to make a calendar for it. Just select the year of your choice and click on “OK” button. You can also change, re size and delete the pictures comes with this templates as shown in the following figure below.

Advance file sharing using MS word 2013

2013-12-01T14:46:00.000+13:00

Now you can share your documents with more advanced and sophisticated features of the Word 2013. Once you stored a file on Microsoft SkyDrive, then it can be share with the help of many advance features, that comes with MS Word 2013. For example you can share your files by sending the full file to a user, or send only the file link to a user/s or using social network for sharing and even post your document to a blog as it is, without formatting.

Sharing your file by inviting people using email: How to?
Before sharing your file using “Share” option of Word 2013, the file must be stored on Microsoft SkyDrive. So first store your file on SkyDrive and then follow the following steps.

Step 1: Click on the “File” menu of the MS Word 2013.
Step 2: Click on “Share” option appeared on the “File” menu as shown in the following figure

Step 3: Click on “Invite People” option, which appeared under “Share” options as shown in the following figure

Step 4: Type email address in the text box appeared on the right side of “Invite People” as shown in the above figure.
Step 5: Click on “Share” button. This will notify the email owner that the file has been shared with you. This option is useful in a case you don’t know the name or address of the person with which you are going to share your file. It is also useful for sharing with group of peoples.

Sharing your file by Get a sharing link option: How to?
Step 1: Click on the “File menu” and then click on “Share” option.
Step 2: Click on “Get a Sharing link” option, as shown in the following figure

.
Step 3: Click on the “Create Link” option after doing step 2, as showed in above figure.
Step 4: Now take this file link (shown in figure) and share with your friends using email or by any other method i.e. using social networking site or even in your blogs.

Note that you can even edit your link as shown and highlighted in below figure.

Post your file to social networks: How to?
By social network, I mean site like Facebook, twitter, Google+ etc.
Step 1: Click on “Share” option as appeared on the file menu.
Step 2: Click on “Post to social networks” as shown in the following figure

Step 3: Click on the hyperlink “Click here to connect to social network” as shown and highlighted in the above figure.
After connecting to social network, your file will be posted to social network and the people and friends with you can see and download your file.

Share your file using multiple optioned email: How to?
Step 1: Click on “Share” option appeared on file menu.
Step 2: Click on “Email” option appear under “Share” option as shown in the following figure

Here you have the following multiple choices i.e. highlighted on above figure.
1. Send you file as attachment
2. “Send a link” of your file
3. Send as pdf
4. Send as XPS
5. Send as Internet Fax

This multiple options has its own purpose. The purpose is written in front of every option and can be seen clearly.Refer to above figure.

Even More options:
You can present the document online by clicking “Present Online” option under “Share” option. This helps a user to read the document directly in browser. Shown in figure.

You can also post your file to a blog, without wasting time on their formatting. Just click on “Post on Blog” under “Share” option shown in the following figure. Note that when you are going to post this document to a blogger site for the first time, you will be prompted for registration to your blog site as sown in the following figure.

How to paste unformatted contents by copy from formatted cells

2013-11-29T01:30:00.000+13:00

How to paste unformatted contents by copy from formatted cells:

See the above picture, different types of formatting in B2 to C13 cells. If your need, you can copy the data and paste to another cells without any formatting. Following the below steps:

1. Select B2 to C13 cells
2. Copy those cells from Home tab, in the Clipboard group
3. Set the cursor to E2 blank cell for data pasting
4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the down arrow in bottom side of Paste icon
5. Select Paste Values

How to Remove Duplicate Values in Excel

2013-11-24T12:22:00.000+13:00

How to Remove Duplicate Values in Excel:

1. Select the range of cells B2 to C16
2. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Remove Duplicates

3. Click OK

A message is displayed indicating how many duplicate values were removed and how many unique values remain, or if no duplicate values were removed.

4. Click OK

Pdf document editing and formatting

2013-11-15T15:02:00.000+13:00

MS word 2013: Pdf (Portable Document Format) editing/formatting
The Portable Document Format (pdf) is a well-known document format famous for its portability and compact file size. Previously, it was a difficult job to convert a pdf type file into editable mode. For this reason, some third party software was used for changing and editing the pdf document. Conversion of a text file into pdf format was also a major issue. Now with MS-Word 2013, this job is quite simple. Just open pdf format document and edit its content according to your needs. The normal word document can also be store as pdf (same as its previous version of MS word).

Portable Document Format (pdf) editing and formatting: How to?

Step 1: Click on “File” menu as shown on the following figure

Step 2: click on “Open” option and select the location of your pdf file ie. If you want to open a file from computer or from SkyDrive.

Step 3: Click on the pdf format file you want to open as shown in the following figure

Step 4: Warning message will appear as shown in figure, this warning shows that the file when converted to word format may not look like the original file. Just click on “Ok” button appeared on this warning message. Also, note the file conversion process as shown in the following.

Now the file is open and in MS-Word format as depicted in figure 6. Just change or edit the text according to your requirements.

It should be noted that when you are going to save the file, you may save the file in a different format, like again in “pdf” file format or in “Word/doc/docx” file format etc.

Businesses Under Attack by Cryptolocker and Ransomware

2013-10-16T11:19:00.001+13:00

Image from Malwearbytes

Ransomware attacks are growing. A warning is going out to the business community regarding a new and very dangerous virus that encrypts a company's files and holds them for ransom. Since there are no vendors currently offering protection from this latest ransomware attack, it is vital that businesses are aware of this new assault and prepare their employees to fight back by taking appropriate measures.

Files Stolen Directly From Your System
When this ransomware hits your company's computers, it will be disguised as a trusted software upload from such companies as FedEx or Blackberry. They often look like a customer support email. If you open this email it results in all your files becoming encrypted with asymmetric encryption that will make retrieving your files impossible. You will then receive a ransom email demanding a payment to receive the key to release your files, within a set deadline. Be aware that generally even paying the ransom will not get your files released and we don't recommend paying the fee. You can get complete details on how this encryption works from the folks at Malwearbytes.

Ransomware - ShadowProtect Backup is Vital
The best way to recover from this attack is to restore from backup. At the time we first saw it there was no Anti-Virus that was real time protecting you from it however Sophos are now reporting protecting people since the 6th Sept. I asked Trend Micro when they would have protection but they wanted a sample and we have found them to be missing a lot of attacks recently. ShadowProtect takes incremental backups through the day to minimise data loss. When the attack hits you will see a large spite in your incremental backup size as all the files are encrypted.

Other than open files your files are destroyed unless they were currently open at the time of the attack or offline as a backup. Just about every extension was hit. For a list of the most current known extensions, check the link to Malwearbytes report.

Directory Lockdowns
Once you have ensured that your backups are in place, you can protect your system by locking down any directories that may become infected. Be sure that you do not disable security in windows or office as this will leave your system vulnerable. It may be somewhat inconvenient, but not as inconvenient as having your files held for ransom. You can follow the instructions for locking down directories from Symantec by using this link.

Bottom Line on Protection
We highly urge all of our clients and vendors to be prepared for this current outbreak. To help fight this make sure you:

Backup all files regularly and off the network.
Lock down directories.
Make sure you have a business grade UTM firewall device with current subscriptions
Keep all virus protection software up to date.
Make sure all employees are aware of this danger, trained in response and know to not open attachments without first talking to the IT department.

If error messages or other signs of an infection happen, shut down immediately and contact support.

Obviously we want all of our clients, customers, vendors and friends to be aware of just how dangerous this ransomware can be for their business. If you suspect that you have been hit, follow these directions and contact us immediately. A little knowledge can go a long way towards keeping all of us safe from this latest ransomware infection.

NZCS is off to the Clouds

2013-08-25T01:23:00.000+12:00

In every business, there comes a time for change. That time has come for New Zealand Computing Solutions (NZCS). Thus, we’re moving to the clouds.

Change is a necessity in order to meet the demands of the customers, and our business’ purpose is to help our clients be functional in their own businesses.

Furthermore, as the top IT provider in New Zealand, we believe in being on the bleeding edge, i.e., having the most advanced technology. And right now, the most advanced technology is the clouds.

We also believe in eating our own dog food. Therefore, not only are we sending our customers to the clouds; we’re there too.

What We Do in the Clouds
Here are some of the changes we’ve made since moving to the clouds:

The physical servers we had (and we had several!) are no longer in our office. They’ve moved to a data centre.
Our development team now operates via virtual computers and a terminal server (remote desktop server).
Because our line of business application, EzPSA, runs on Rack Space, our staff can gain access from anywhere; thus, allowing them to provide offsite support via an iPhone.
Our staff now uses Dropbox as well as Google Apps such as Google Drive. They store and share files on these services.
Our phone lines are all VOIP (Voice over IP) and we have ultra fast broadband and no landlines.

Life in the Clouds
We admit that moving to the clouds has been a slow process. We’ve even had a few issues along the way.

However, there’s a bright side to life in the clouds: it’s freed us from being in the office all the time. It’s also made deploying laptops and desktops to our staff a whole lot easier. This is because they don’t have a lot on them anymore.

Conclusion
Before you move your business to the clouds, you should do two things:

Evaluate whether this is beneficial to your business
If it is, carefully plan your move.

This is advised because the cloud is not right for every business. Nevertheless, nearly all businesses can still take advantage of using the cloud in some capacity.

So, even if you don’t use it entirely, don’t rule out partial use of the cloud. After all, technology is about moving forward. And in order for your business to stay afloat, you must do just that.

How does SkyDrive work with Word 2013

2013-05-15T21:09:00.001+12:00

Microsoft SkyDrive: What is it?

SkyDrive is a Microsoft SkyDrive file hosting services that allow users to upload and synchronize files to the cloud. It means that the files can be stored and retrieved from Microsoft SkyDrive cloud, instead on local computer drives. For example the following figure.1 shows the general concept of cloud storage.

Files stored in the cloud has the following advantages.

Availability: Even, if your computer is damaged or your hard drives dies you don’t need to worry, because the files stored on cloud are in safe hands.
Access anywhere anytime: If you are in the office, out of the office, in meeting or at home etc. You don’t need to carry all important files in printed form or in soft form on storage device like USB Flash drive. The file can be accessed everywhere where internet is available.
Synchronized your files: You can synchronize your files with your laptop an desktop and acess them on your smartphone and Tablet. Minor or major updates to a file can be saved without any inconsistency.
Easy Sharing: The file can be shared with a number of users. Just create a link of your file and shared these links by email, with Microsoft Skype or with social networking sites.

Microsoft SkyDrive registration and login: How to do it?

Step 1: Open Microsoft word 2013.

The Word 2013 interface is consists of different components, some of them are highlighted and shown below. The red highlighted options are the menu, the yellow highlighted rectangle are called tool-box, the blue rectangle area is your working space for typing your documents. The green highlighted rectangle shows if you are logged in or not so you can access Skydrive.

Step 2: If you are already loged in your name will appear as shown in the following window (Its Joe Blogs in my case). If you are new user, then follow step 4.

Step 3: Click on the top right corner as shown in the following snapshot. It will appear a small window that shows your login name (if already login) with some other information about your profile. By clicking “Switch User” option a user can change SkyDrive user.

Step 4: If you are not logged in, then by clicking the top right corner option as shown above. A window as like below.

If you are already registered user, then type your email address in the text box. If your email is not registered with Microsoft SkyDrive cloud, then it will appear an option “Sign Up”.

Step 5: Click on “Sign Up” option. A Microsoft account form as shown.

Fill out the Microsoft account form by providing your email address and the other necessary information. The submission of this form will register your email address with Microsoft SkyDrive cloud. Look it to the top right corner of your MS Word interface. If your name appeared on the screen, then you are a valid user of Microsoft SkyDrive cloud system.

Saving you documents on SkyDrive: How to do it?

Step 1: Type something you want to store on SkyDrive. Then click on “File” menu.

Step 2: Click on “Save/ Save as” button appeared on the screen. This will show four options for saving your document, for example you can store on SkyDrive, Other Web Locations, Computer (normally your local computer Hard Disk), and “Add a place” of your own choice.

Step 3: As we want to store to SkyDrive, click on “SkyDrive” option and the click on “Browse” button appeared on the right side of SkyDrive option.

I have already stored two word documents. The three folders are created by default for you.

Step 4: Give a name to your document and click on “Save” button just as you would if you were saving to your local documents.

Opening file from Microsoft SkyDrive: How to do it?

Step 1: Open MS Word 2013, and click on “File” menu.

Step 2: Click on “Open” option on appeared on “File” menu.
A window will appear as shown in the following figure 15.

We can see that I have already stored three highlighted documents on SkyDrive. The location of the file is clearly visible under file name. You can choose “Recent Documents” or “SkyDrive.

Step 4: Click on “Browse” option on the right side of your own SkyDrive (Joe Blogs’s SkyDrive in my case).

Step 5: Select the file you want to open and click on “Open” button.

How "Find my iPhone" worked

2013-05-10T12:06:00.000+12:00

I attended a meeting in Lower Hutt yesterday afternoon, when Tracey rang me and said she had lost her iPhone 5 and that I could trace it. Knowing someone who had there iPhone stolen recently, I knew time was of the essence. I logged into the Find My iPhone app on my phone and was surprised to see the phone was in the Wanganui suburb of Gonville. Not somewhere Tracey had been recently.

There was a slight problem, Apple maps doesn't show street numbers. I had to use Google maps to cross reference the location, which enabled me to work out the street number, which took some time.

I told Tracey she should go to the Police rather than just going to the location. Sara from Wanganui Police called me and asked a few questions about where it was. I tried to talk them through viewing the location using iCloud/Find but it turns out the Police need a technology upgrade and couldn't access it.

I emailed through some photos I took and also asked a client, Armstrong Barton who were across the road to print out some pictures and take them to the Police station.

Tracey follow the Police with Tracey headed out to Gonville. I bet the residence got a surprise to see them. I had set up a message on the phone saying it was lost and to call me. When they arrived at the location I made the phone play sounds so that it would help them locate it.

It turns out they had found the phone and it had been run over. They had tried to answer it when I had called it but had no luck and couldn't see my message on the screen. Yes, Tracey had put it on top of the car and taken it for a drive. They had found it on St Johns Hill. I'm a little unsure why they did not take it to the police station, but maybe they had not had a chance. It is amazing the phone still managed to send a signal.

I would like to thank Sara and Marty from the Wanganui Police for their help, as while not a perfect outcome at least we can look at repairing it and overall had a positive experience with Find My iPhone.

How to use Marge Cells for Heading in Excel

2013-05-02T22:08:00.002+12:00

Select D2 and E2 Cells
On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click Marge & Center icon

Excel tip provided by Jobaer Ahmed Arif

Do you want UFB in Wanganui now?

2013-04-21T10:25:00.001+12:00

There are a few things to consider when choosing an UFB plan like speed, data cap and contract length. Being an early adopter is great and at NZCS we always try bleeding edge technology that can help us run our business better as soon as we can.

Like every adventure there can be some stumbling blocks along the journey:

1. The networks tend to be down more than broadband at the moment. The is the normal settling in of technology so if your internet is critical then keep a broadband connection as a backup for now.

2. The early offerings are generally at a premium price. I personally think the prices are ok but feedback from our business clients suggest a number want to wait for the big players to get into the market as they feel it is over priced as they compare it to their current broadband cost. The other issue with this is some vendors are locking you into a 24 month contract. I would avoid that. 12 months is fine but 2 years is a long time in the telco industry and you know they want to lock you in before the big player come in and cut prices. So check the fine print.

Your ISP will sometimes offer you a router to connect to the UFB but generally these are very cheap models with only basic functionally and security. I would not recommended these for business use just as we do not use the broadband routers supplied. You are better to talk to your IT company and get them to install a decent business grade firewall router with good throughput. If you keep a broadband connection you can get a router that will automatically failover to that connection if the UFB goes down.

If you have a shared driveway or work in a multi-tenanted building prepare for a long wait to get installed as they struggle with the legal implications - experiences suggests it could take more than 6 weeks and in fact I still do not have it at home even though it is available and ordered.

Ultra fast broadband is great for Wanganui so get on board

Five Reasons to Have a Contract with an IT Company

2013-03-31T16:56:00.000+13:00

Five Reasons to Have a Contract with an IT Company

When you’re running a business, you don’t want to experience IT system breakdowns. However, it’s a reality that all businesses encounter.

There is something, however, that you can do about it: Be prepared for these network breakdowns. The best way to do this is by working with an IT company. To take it further, you should have a contract with this IT company.

Misconceptions about contracting with an IT Company

Not all IT companies use contracts with their customers. They claim that they don’t want to bind them with this vital legal document.

However, what customers don’t know about these types of IT companies would definitely change their minds about working with them. For instance, contract-free IT companies charge for every phone call a business makes to them; additionally, they can then charge as much as they like for their services, very often much higher than an IT company bound by its contract and commitment to its customer.

And it gets worse …

When your network breaks down, you don’t get immediate service. Because an IT tech is likely unavailable, you might have to wait as long as 48 hours before you’re finally serviced. Therefore, you’ll join a long waiting list of other companies desperately seeking service.

When your network is finally serviced, it’s often not done properly. The IT company just patches up your IT system – resulting in future failure. Thus, you’ll need their service again.

And worst of all …

This whole ordeal causes you to lose revenue. The longer your network is down, the more business and money you’ll lose. And as any business knows, losing money hurts.

Why Having a Contract with an IT Company is Positive

When you sign a contract with an IT company such as NZCS, this is a positive decision for your business. For starters, you’re not locked into a contract like contract-free IT companies want you to believe. You’re simply forming a relationship that involves a commitment similar to marriage.

With that commitment, here’s what you get:

Flat rate service, which includes being able to call NCZS whenever you need our IT service. Because there’s no additional charge with this type of service, it’s much cheaper than paying the call-out charges non-contracting IT companies are known for.
When you call NZCS, we will respond to your network issues immediately. We know you can’t put your business on hold, and we don’t want you to. Furthermore, since NZCS uses cloud technology to remotely monitor and access your systems, we have the capability to restore normal network operations in the shortest possible time scale. Within 5 minutes of calling us, you could be up and running again.
A contract is a legal way to hold a company by its word. Without one, a company is capable of lying throughout the business transaction. Good luck trying to sue them minus a contract!
NZCS is a small business that cares about its customers. When you contact us, we’re going to take care of you. As this is a partnership, it is in everybody’s interest that the highest quality of service is provided.

And best of all …

Given that your network is down for the minimum possible time, you won’t lose any revenue. In fact, you might gain money. This is because businesses that use contract-free IT companies could be down for so long that their customers will go to businesses that are up and running – businesses such as yours.

So, with all the positive results that come from signing a contract with an IT company, you can go home with peace of mind. You know your business’ network is in good hands.

If you want your business to run smoothly without the threat of losing customers and revenue, choose an IT company that works with contracts.

Choose New Zealand Computing Solutions as your IT provider and experience the difference.

Quick things you can do using Google

2013-01-30T14:10:00.000+13:00

Google provides instant answers to more and more to save you having to go off to other web sites. In the IT industry we quite often would like to know what a persons public ip address is. In the past we would send people to dedicated web sites like IP Chicken and whatsmyipaddress but now we don't need the extra click and Goolge tells you the answer straight away by simply saying "my ip".

Google is also a great calculator. You can simply say 10+5 and it will give you an answer as well as displaying a calculator.

I have long used Google for helping me spell better as like a lot of IT people spelling is not a strong skill and the dictionary in Microsoft Office never understands me but Google nearly always does. You can also use it to learn the meaning of words. Simple say define in front of the word. eg define luddite

Other instant answers include time. eg NZ time will give you the current date time in New Zealand. Finding out conversions for example 10 ft to meters or 12 degrees Celsius to Fahrenheit and even currency like 1 nz to usd.

I probably sound like a Google fan boy and to a large degree I am as the small things like this adds so much value to my life.

How to double underline text in Excel

2013-01-28T13:48:00.000+13:00

Select the text, cell, range of cells, or characters that you want to double underline.
On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the down arrow in side of U icon.
Then select and click Double Underline

Note: You can also make different types of underline. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Format Cell Font dialog box launcher next to Font, and then select the style that you want in the Underline list.