With computers being such an integral part of our day-to-day lives, it’s little surprise that computer problems can quickly turn our worlds upside down.  Having a computer that won’t turn on, one that’s unbelievably slow or one that is acting plain weird can be a frustrating yet all-too-common experience. Thankfully, with a little effort on your part and access to an expert computer support team, the most common computer problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

Computer Problem Number 1: The Computer Won’t Turn On Believe it or not, one of the most common computer problems involves simply getting the computer to turn on.  So if you hit the power button and nothing happens, there are definitely a few things you’ll want to check. First, as obvious as it may seem, check the power supply.  Is your computer plugged into to the power strip and is the power strip turned on?  Ensure that the power cable is firmly seated in the power slot on the back of your computer as well. If your power cables are all plugged in and connected, it’s time to start looking elsewhere for a diagnosis. 

Does the computer come on but just not show anything on the screen?  If so, check your monitor cables, and also make sure that the cleaning crew didn’t inadvertently change your monitor contrast and brightness settings as they were touching up your workspace.

If that doesn’t work, it’s time to contact your computer support team. They can replace the computer’s power supply if it turns out to be the culprit, and they can likely troubleshoot any other potential causes.

Computer Problem Number 2: The Slow-as-Dripping-Syrup Computer
Your computer ran as fast as lightning when you first got it, but now, it seems to take forever to do something as simple as open a new Web page or save your Microsoft Word document. What’s happening?  Before you contact your computer support technicians, check a few things for yourself.

A common complaint, slow computer problems are typically caused by a combination of simple things adding up.  Do you have lots of files in your Recycle Bin?  When was the last time you deleted files from your Temp folder?

Having leftover files cluttering up your hard drive can negatively affect your computer’s performance.  Also, performing a Disk Cleanup or Disk Defragmenter on your computer on a regular basis is a good idea; this process removes unnecessary files and streamlines your computer’s performance.

Check, too, to see how many programs your computer is loading on startup—you can do so by going to Start, then Run, then typing in msconfig. Ensure that only the items you really need to have available as soon as the computer boots are ticked and you’ll likely speed up your computing experience.

Computer Problem Number 3: Weird Computer Glitches
Has your computer simply not been acting like itself lately?  If you’ve noticed your computer freezing up, giving you a blue screen, slowing down for no apparent reason or even doing something as annoying as switching the home page on your Internet browser, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a virus or malware.

For problems like this, your computer support team can serve as an excellent resource to get you back up and running, but there are a few things you can do yourself.

First, ensure that your virus definitions are up-to-date, and then run a full scan of your system.  Next, run your anti-malware/anti-spyware program to see if it identifies threats.

Depending on what your software finds, you may be able to remedy the problem yourself by quarantining or deleting the offending files, but if you’re uncertain at all, this is one of those tasks that may be best left to your computer support technicians. 

Don’t be afraid to give them a call 0861 WAVE IT or email: it@wavephase.co.za if you need help NOW!

Now you want to look for "Temporary Internet Files" in the window that appears.  By simply pressing the buttons you can delete Cookies (which are small files that some websites place on your computer to track your visits to their sites) or Files (which are actual web pages and images).  You can also clear the history of where you have been on the internet and set the number of days worth of history you'd like your computer to record. 

Everyone's computer can benefit from a little Spring cleaning.  Now you know how to clean out all those old websites you've been visiting!

PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Clean out you temporary internet files sometime soon and set your history to clean out automatically every few days.

When it comes to telling you what you want to hear, there are a lot of service providers these days who are quick to 'talk the talk' but when it comes to service delivery, they leave you wondering how they even stay in business!

  At Wavephase, we don't make promises we can't or don't intend to keep. Facta Non Verba - Latin for 'Deeds not Words' is part of our company ethos. We also pride ourselves on being transparent and authentic in our business practices.  We strive to deliver on the best possible service and fastest turnaround times for repairs and trouble-shooting on our client's behalf. 

  As a result, we've developed the following company mission statement.  It describes our philosophy for doing business and outlines our pledge to the public to uphold a certain standard of ethics and quality of work in everything we do. Facta Non Verba - actions speak louder than words.  Let us show you how:

1.  We will not lie:  If we make a mistake, we’ll admit it. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll find out. 
2. IT problem? We're On It! - in no way do we purport to be flawless IT gods but in our experience, there is no problem that hard work and dedication can't overcome.
3.  Tick, tick, tick...Time is Money - as we all know, which is why we aim for fast turnaround times and as far as possible, no downtime for you.  We save you money by never charging hourly rates so any and every call-out is covered under your monthly support fee.
4. More Bang for your Buck - moving premises? Having trouble over the weekend?  No matter when, no matter where Wavephase goes the EXTRA mile to ensure our clients are receiving the best value for money when it comes to IT Service & Support.  Even if that means moving your corporate network on a Sunday!
5. The Personal Touch - because we're a small team of consulting professionals, when you partner with us you can be sure to get our personal attention to detail...need a specialist piece of equipment? We will source it for you and deliver it to your doorstep. With Wavephase, you're never just a number.

Card Munch allows users to take a photo and submit your business card. Each business card will be transcribed, edited and reviewed by virtual workers to guarantee accuracy.
Cost: FREE

NoteLeaf allows users to schedule meetings on your Google Calendar, then gives you information about who you’re about to meet on your phone.
Cost: FREE

Shoeboxed allows users digitize all your receipt, business card and organize everything neatly electronically.
Cost: FREE to $49.95 per month

Bump allows users to use your phone to bump another phone. If both people confirm that the match is indeed correct will the contact information be sent down to the other person.
Cost: FREE

Hashable allows users to track their business relationships record meetings, calls, intros and exchange business cards.
Cost: FREE

Tungle allows users to invite people to schedule with them, without having to sign up and automatically sync with your existing calendar.
Cost: FREE to $4.99 per month

Vertical Response allows users to self-service email marketing, online surveys and direct mail service which allows you to create, manage and analyze your own direct marketing campaigns.
Cost: FREE to $240 per month

Infusionsoft captures leads, create beautiful emails and automatically follow up using auto-responders. 
Cost: FREE to $999 per month

Constant Contact supports email marketing, online survey and event marketing.
Cost: FREE to $240 per month

MailChimp allows users to manage your email campaigns, share them on social networks, integrate with web services you already use, manage subscribers and track your results.
Cost: FREE to $240 per month

Tiny Letter is a free email newsletter platform which allows you to create beautiful landing page and simple email newsletter.
Cost: FREE

GetResponse allows user to create media-rich email marketing campaign.
Cost: $9.95 to $65 per month

Eventbrite allows users to manage, promote, and sell event tickets.
Cost: 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket

MogoTix allows users to create and manage event mobile tickets.
Cost: 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket


Eventbee allows users to manage and sell event tickets.
Cost: 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket

Justin.tv allows users to broadcast live video and chat with viewers.
Cost: FREE



Ustream.tv allows users to broadcast video LIVE to the world from a computer, mobile or iPhone.

Cost: FREE

LiveStream allows users to broadcast and live stream your own channel for events, chats or presentations.
Cost: FREE

Big Commerce allows users to sell on Facebook and Ebay, Phones and email.
Cost:  Free – $299.99 per month

zferral allows users to create, track and manage online referrals.
Cost: $49 – $999 per month

Shopify allows users to create, track and manage online referrals.
Cost: $49 – $999 per month

Square allows users to collect credit card payment by plugging a reader into a phone or iPad.
Cost: 2.75% per transaction

Cimbal allows user to pay using your smart phone in the store, online and person-to-person anywhere Cimbal is accepted.
Cost: Free between individual

WePay allows users to collect money from a group and make splitting cost easier. It also makes sharing activity more transparent.
Cost: 3.5% per transaction

Google Checkout allows users to collect payment online using their Google login or any major credit cards.
Cost: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Paypal allows users to collect payment online using their Paypal account or any major credit cards.
Cost: 2.9% + $0.30 USD per transaction

Bill Me later allows users to pay without using a credit card and pay later.
Cost: Unknown

Venmo allows users to pay with your iPhone, Android or Blackberry.
Cost: FREE

Slideshare allows users to upload and share your presentation for free.
Cost: FREE

Keynote Remote allows users to control your Keynote (Apple) slide presentation on your Mac from your iPod touch or iPhone.
Cost: $0.99

Prezi allows users to create web based presentation and allows you to zoom in and out to see the big picture and small details.
Cost: FREE to $59

Imageloop allows users to create, save, share slideshow online.
Cost: FREE

280 Slides allows users to create and share presentation online.
Cost: FREE

iCharts allows users to present raw survey data in a attractive visual and interactive format.
Cost: Unknown

Bill.com allows users to save and cost of business bill pyament and invoicing.
Cost: FREE to $24.99 per month

Freshbook helps users to track time, organizer expenses and invoice customers.
Cost: FREE to $39.95 per month

Indinero provides users insight into their business health.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month

Outright allows users to get an instant snapshot of where you stand financially. It keeps track of your profit and loss, income, expenses, etc
Cost: $9.95 per month

Expensify allows users to import expenses and receipts from credit card or bank account ad submits PDF expense reports by email, and reimburses online.
Cost: $9.95 per month

Recurly helps users with recurring billing operations in a secure and cost-effective manner.
Cost: $69 per month and up

Kickstarter allows users to fund raise for creative projects.
Cost: 5% on the money you raise

Profounder allows users to raise the capital that they need, and the tools to manage all of the associated book-keeping, legals and compliance fillings.
Cost: Varies

Prosper connects users who want to invest money to users who want to borrow money.
Cost: 0.50% to 4.5% on the money you raise

IndieGoGo allows users to create and fund ideas.
Cost: 4% on the money you raise

Elance allows users to hire, manage and pay your virtual team.
Cost: You name your own price

oDesk allows users to hire, manage, and pay remote freelancers or teams.
Cost: You name your own price

Rent A Coder allows users to get freelance programmers and find freelance jobs.
Cost: You name your own price

99Designs allows users to find freelance designers.
Cost: You name your own price

TaskRabbit allows users to get hire local people to get specific physically tasks done.
Cost: You name your own price

CrowdFlower allows user to takes large, data-heavy projects and breaks them into small tasks, then distribute to an on-demand workforce around the world.
Cost: Varies

Guru allows users to find high quality freelancers online.
Cost: You name your own referral fee

Amazon Mechanical Turk allows users to access to on-demand workforce and performance human intelligence task.
Cost: You name your own referral fee

Redbeacon allows users to get price quotes, compare professionals, and book appointments online for any office need.
Cost: FREE

Dropbox allows users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization.
Cost: FREE to $19.99 per month

YouSendIt allows users to send, receive and track large files via email.
Cost: FREE to $14.99 per month

Box.net allows user to store documents, media and all of your content online, so you can access, manage and share them from anywhere.
Cost: FREE to $15 per month

Egnyte supports file storage, backup, sharing and collaboration everything on the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $89.99 per month

This says a lot about where South African business owners should be focusing their efforts when it comes to social media marketing in 2011.

Read the full article by My Broadband here.
And check out this cool infographic created by Eshaam Rabaney to reveal the current state of  Mxit in South Africa:

When it comes to conserving energy, every little bit helps. Remembering to use your power management features, so your computer sleeps when you’re not using it, helps you cut down on wasted kilowatts. And doing things like using a power strip for all your components, unplugging things from the wall when you’re not using them, and monitoring your usage — using both hardware and software utilities — helps you learn about when you use the most power. In addition to these energy-management techniques, you can resolve to “go green” for any PC purchases you make in the future. Here are a few of the standards you can look for.

Depending on what you do with computers, you may be attracted to a particular system for a variety of reasons. Maybe you want a superfast machine. Perhaps you want something with high-end graphics for gaming and video. Or maybe a PC with the latest and greatest capabilities or the smallest carbon footprint tops your shopping list.

Whatever system catches your eye — and for whatever reason — a little research will help you find out (1) whether the computer is Energy Star rated; (2) how much energy the computer uses; and (3) what kind of options the computer offers for power management. You should be able to find this information on the manufacturer’s site. But if not, search for user ratings and reviews and check some of the site recommendations listed later in this article.

The amount of energy your computer consumes is only one aspect of greening your computer purchases. The question of what types of materials and chemicals are used to produce the equipment is also important. Again, you should be able to find some statement — perhaps called a hazardous material use policy — on the company’s Web site. 

Generally speaking, avoid devices that include lead. (Most vendors are already addressing this problem metal.) There are many other chemicals and compounds to watch out for, including mercury, Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), cadmium, hexavalent chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB), and Pentabromodiphenyl Ether (PBDE). The European Union is several paces ahead of the United States in terms of its Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. If you’re in South Africa, you need to do the research largely on your own.

One thing we know about anything that captures our attention: Sooner or later, some savvy marketer is going to make a campaign out of it. The green movement is no exception. Over the last few years, companies large and small, selling everything from dish soap to custom built homes, have added some kind of “green” component to their packaging. Suddenly we can get green everything… for a slightly higher cost than the regular bad-for-the-environment purchase. Unfortunately, these marketing-driven campaigns are often just another way to entice customers and have few real benefits for our environment.

When you’re considering new computer purchases — from a drawing tablet to a mouse to a new netbook — how do you know you’re not being greenwashed? 

• First, look at the company overall. Does it have a green statement published on its Web site, explaining its commitment to conserving energy? 
• Is the company offering more than one “green” product? 
• Does it tell you specifically how much energy the product consumes, how you can control the usage, and what materials are used to create the product and the packing materials? 
• Look also for user reviews online to see what kinds of experiences others have had with the product you’re considering.
  

Some companies out there — usually nonprofit organizations — make it their mission to evaluate and rate electronic products so consumers like us know the real scoop about how much power we’re using and how much power we’re saving. When you have a particular computer in mind, do a little more research with an organization like EPEAT, ClimateCounts, or Energy Star to find out what you’re really getting, energy-wise, with that particular  manufacturer and model.

The EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) registry helps you see what you’re getting with products that claim to be green. The tool evaluates the product on a wide set of criteria and assigns a Bronze, Silver, or Gold rating, which can help you in your purchasing decisions. 

ClimateCounts.org is a nonprofit that scores companies’ efforts in the green domain. Businesses can get a rating of Stuck (meaning they haven’t gotten far), Starting (they’re at least making a green effort), and Striding (showing that they’re actually doing some good green work). 

And Energy Star is nothing new. You’ve seen this standard on your refrigerator and water heater, and the same energy efficiency standard rating is available for your computer. Not all computers meet Energy Star standards, but you should be able to find any good green computer on the Energy Star list.

With just a little online searching, you will run across sites that are more than ready to help you make good, green tech purchasing decisions. A couple of our favourites are the Daily Green and Treehugger. You can also find user ratings and reviews, as well as purchasing advice, on consumer-driven sites like Yahoo Answers, Epinions.com, and even Amazon.com.

The French authority CNIL, conducted a series of spot checks and found that Google was collecting data from unencrypted WiFi networks without the knowledge of the individuals. Google claim this data was collected "by mistake."

Apparently, the data captured includes technical data, as well as sensitive personal information such as usernames, passwords, login details and even email exchanges revealing sensitive information about sexual orientation or health.

The fine can't be anything more than akin to a slap on the wrist to the internet giant but it highlights the fact that those of us who haven't got around to encrypting personal or business WiFi networks need to wake up.

If you have personal and sensitive stuff you want to keep private, encrypt your files, encrypt your WiFi and use a hard-to-guess password. Even if Google did collect all this data in gross, but wonderfully self-serving error, it is goes to show how unauthorised personal data can be used to a company's gain.