Why Should I Care What You Have To Say?

That should be just a rhetorical question simply asked to begin the opening of this paragraph however, I will answer it anyway. You should care because your online privacy is important for the safety of yourself and others! The information and tips I have to share with you are derived from my own personal and professional experiences working for a social networking website Bebo.com. Bebo inc. is now owned by AOL and I will tread lightly on what I will discuss of them before they decide to sue me for everything I don’t have.

Working for Bebo.com

While working for Bebo, I learned a lot about data sharing, social networking, and the internet in general. It was all very interesting to watch popularity trends develop. It was amazing to witness people from different nations interact with one another via social groups through similar interests. This, in my opinion, is what the internet should be; a web of useful information shared amongst others for the only reason to do good for humanity and progress science and mankind. During this time (roughly 6 years ago) social networks were still a very new and innovative concept. Yea, we had Myspace [________] but it hadn’t evolved into anything relatively close to what social networks are today. Working for Bebo in Austin, TX we mostly performed account moderation. What this means is whenever someones profile was reported for violating the Bebo TOS (Terms of Service) it was reported as abuse and we would investigate the profile and remove what content was in violation. As thought-provoking as that sounds, the more interesting aspect of my job was the comprehension of it all. Sometimes it was as easy as removing a picture or abusive content from a profile but other times it was far more sophisticated than that. At the time, Bebo like all other social networking websites had privacy settings. They were basic but they got the job done, sort of. The privacy settings then were meant to be as safe as they are intended to be now. Think of the security of them like this, it’s about as safe as locking your door using a key-code entry but leaving the code written on the door. Yes, the door is locked, but it doesn’t mean someone trying to get in can’t if they really wanted to. In fact, they could easily have access to your “private” account by simply performing a little research and/or investigation.

Social Network Privacy and The End-User

So, how did people wanting to access someones private account gain access? Well the answer to the question is a lot more simple than you think. It doesn’t involve any internet trickery or hacker’s jazz however, access to the victim’s profile was through the victim themselves! How do they do it? Well, let’s create a scenario. Say your profile is private right (if it’s not you should take care of this immediately) but maybe it’s not fully hidden. Let’s say your friends are showing and now this person knows who you associate with. Let’s say even if they can’t see your friends (you were smart enough to hide this information) but they know of people you associate with maybe through work, school, or your personal life. Now, they have a mask. They could easily look through your friends and/or people you know and find someone that doesn’t have a private profile. Then they will copy this persons profile information, pictures, friends list, and begin to borrow their identify. With 20 minutes of free-time, they will create a new account using this person’s online identify and begin adding friends. Within the first couple hours this profile looks legit and now, they are ready to target you. From here, it’s as easy as them sending you a friend request. You on the receiving end will recognize a familiar face and without hesitation add them as a friend. Now, they’re in. All defenses if any are down and you’re left to fend for yourself. You have just given them access to your personal information that you normally allow only your friends via the privacy settings to see. What can they do with this? Say its an old high school, college or work foe, say they want to sabotage your profile, abuse your other friends, or use your data for other illegal activities. Victims of stalkers beware!! Don’t say you weren’t warned. This is just some of the mess we had to clean up working for Bebo. There were countless tickets of abuse from members who’s profiles were compromised by this method of intrusion. I believe though had we educated end-users to take precautionary measures before they would friend just anyone, this wouldn’t have worked so well for the Sith (Star Wars reference). Now, my intention is to educate you, my readers of what to look out for and tips to keeping your online identify safe.

Online Security Tips

OK, I have shared with you how anyone with a little free time and motive can gain access to your profile. Now here are a 5 tips to staying safe on the internet:

1. Screen Your Friend Requests – Don’t just add anyone! Click on their profile, make sure its not a duplicate and if it is, attempt to contact that person first before you simply add them.
2. Activate Your Privacy Settings – Learn everything there is to know about Facebook and other social networking website’s privacy settings. Make sure you read through them thoroughly and lock down your profile as much as you can.
3. Be Careful of What Information You Share – Yes, it is just a status update of a cool new spot in town. However, someone wanting to know where your at now knows exactly where to find you. This is dangerous information to be publicly broadcasting.
4. Hide Your Profile Picture – This is an easy one. Simply use the default profile picture. Yea I know it won’t look as personalized but someone trying to target you will have a harder time identifying you.
5. Make Sure You’re Not Searchable – The privacy settings should do this one for you but to be on the safe side, use a sudo name or middle name even.

What Have We Learned?

Use these tips to your advantage and remain safe online. The internet and social networking websites are not a bad thing. Just keep in mind that everyone on the internet is not who they say or may appear to be. Use precaution and practice safe internet habits and this will greatly decrease any chances of your profile and/or personal data being compromised. Far more important, share this article with others and help make the internet and social networking a safe place to be.

If you’re a small business looking for an easy to use, off-site, and online backup solution then Carbonite is the product for you. I personally have conducted my own independent research with several different online backup products and I have found that Carbonite is:

1. Easy to install and configure
2. Simple to use interface
3. Fast and non-invasive on your computer
4. Effective backup solution for small business

Why Choose Carbonite?

Simply put, there is no other product that is quite as effective and offers personalized backup support like them. The Carbonite team will help you choose a service plan that fits your backup needs, help you install their software, and even show you how to setup your online data backup. All of this included in 1 flat annual fee!

I know what you’re thinking… How much are they paying you to write this review? Well, to be honest, they aren’t paying me anything directly. Yes, we sell their product and yes, there is a <strong>VERY</strong> small incentive for us to do so. However, with all honesty we recommend Carbonite because for the very reasons we mentioned earlier; easy, simple, fast, and effective. Whether you purchase Carbonite from us and have our support team assist you with setup, or if you call Carbonite directly it really doesn’t matter. We like their product regardless and my personal view of their service will not change or be misguided.

End Thought

Taking care of our clients is far more important than any sales commission or incentive that is offered to us from any company, product, or service that we recommend. You, our clients, are what’s most important and your overall satisfaction with our ability to effectively service your IT needs.

If you currently don’t have an off-site, online backup solution than now is the time to start thinking about one. As you know, computers crash, hard drives fail, and without a proper disaster recovery plan put together with off-site backup using Carbonite, you can find yourself in the deep end of the pool (assuming your not a very good swimmer).

For more information on Carbonite online backup, or to schedule a free quote and consultation, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
[contact-form-7] ]]> http://itconflict.com/2012/05/14/easy-online-backup-for-small-business/feed/ 0 http://itconflict.com/2012/04/23/setup-email-or-exchange-gmail-push-on-iphone/ http://itconflict.com/2012/04/23/setup-email-or-exchange-gmail-push-on-iphone/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:39:54 +0000 itconflict http://itconflict.com/?p=2396

So, you’re setting up email on your iPhone. You want to check your email on-the-go and need an easy-to-use, reliable, and mobile solution for your electronic mail. Setting up an email account on the iPhone is fairly simple and can be achieved by the following:

How To Setup An Email Account On iPhone

1. From home screen select settings
2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars
3. Add Account
4. Select the account type
5. Follow the steps to add an email account

Now, let’s take it a step further. Let’s say you have a Gmail account you would like setup with your iPhone. If you’re not familiar with Gmail, Gmail (Google Mail) is an online email provider provided by Google. In my opinion, Gmail is highly intuitive, offers many services, and all for free! In fact, if you are using anything other than Gmail I suggest you make the switch immediately. While setting up Gmail on your iPhone, you will be presented with several account options i.e. (iCloud, Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, Yahoo!, AOL, Microsoft Hotmail, Mobile me, and other) and the obvious choice is to choose Gmail to proceed. Obviously, this makes sense since we have a Gmail account and the account type category says Gmail. So, if all we wanted to do was setup Gmail on our iPhone, we would simply input our Name, Email, Password, Description, and be done with setup.

Is There A Better Solution?

OK, you’ve setup a Gmail account on your iPhone and you’re not completely satisfied. Should you have to wait for your email to be download from Gmail’s servers all the time, or is there a better configuration? The answer is YES, there is a better solution! If you’re wanting instant email notifications on you iPhone using Gmail you will most likely want to set up Gmail push using Exchange. If Gmail will be your only exchange account than this alternative is perfect for you! With Gmail push using Exchange, you will receive emails on your iPhone instantly without waiting for your messages to be downloaded from the online servers. Emails will show as notifications by pop-up and sound on your iPhone similar to text messages and other notifications which already makes it worth setting up. Now you’re probably wanting to know, how do I set this up? To setup Gmail Push using Exchange on your iPhone do the following:

How To Setup Exchange Gmail Push On iPhone

1. From home screen select settings
2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars
3. Add account
4. Select Microsoft Exchange
5. Enter your Gmail account information
6. Under domain enter “m.google.com” without the quotations
7. Select next and proceed to finish

Great! If you followed the instructions above you should have successfully setup Gmail push using Exchange on your iPhone. If you have any questions please use the form below to contact us. If you would prefer to have our technical support representatives take care of this for you, please submit a support ticket to schedule a remote service call. iPhone Support Austin, TX

After reading the post title you are probably already thinking how much is this guy going to bash Mac? Well, I have to tell you that if I was writing this review a few years ago I would have a completely different opinion on Macs then I do today. I don’t know why, maybe I was misinformed or just didn’t have much experience working with the Mac operating system but to be honest, I just didn’t like them. So, now you already can guess that this is a happy Mac review and almost a full 100% convert from Windows.

What Are The Specs?

The Macbook Pro this article is written about is my personal Macbook Pro 13-inch early 2011 and 2012 (Yes I have both). Both versions are very identical in design except internally the specs sold on the 2012 release are obviously greater but not by much i.e. (larger hard drive, slightly faster processor).

My Macbook Pro Specifications:

• Macbook Pro 13-inch
• 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
• 500 Gb Hard drive
• 8Gb Ram (4Gb standard – I upgraded)
• Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2

More Not So Important Details:

• Up to 7 hrs battery life
• MagSafe power port
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
• Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
• Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps)
• Audio in/out
• SDXC card slot
• Kensington lock slot

More information can be found on the apple website here

Review On Performance And Functionality

Coming from decades using the Windows OS, I was obviously lost working with a Mac. In fact, being a computer technician I knew how to repair Macs because the internal components are very similar if not identical to what you would find in a PC. But, it is sad to admit that general use of the Mac OS I was completely lost and had to find my way around. Once I got use to where everything was at (i.e. system preference, finder, applications, documents, dock and safari) I found myself a Mac pro in no time! Granted I had a small learning curve but nothing that was disabling or too frustrating that I wanted to look into their return policy.

Performance wise this system flew! I mean, it was a HUGE upgrade coming from my Windows PC. Yes, I know there are several variables into the equation but let’s say if we were to put both a Windows and Mac system side-by-side with similar specs, I believe the Mac would out perform the PC launching applications and performing basic tasks. I believe this Mac can handle it all. For instance, launching and quitting applications is a breeze in Mac and graphic design is amazing! Not to mention, any of you looking to game on a Mac it’s actually not all that bad. Tested and reviewed (review coming soon) on Team Fortress 2 from Steam.

Functionality was pretty standard. You get the basics of having a desktop, task bar, and dock launcher. Similar to most popular Linux distros if you’re familiar with them. Did I mention Mac OS X is Unix based?! Any geeks will find this amazing – getting best of both worlds Unix and Mac! Battery life on this Mac is roughly 4 – 6 hours depending on what you’re doing. Yes, it could reach 7 hours sitting in idle but that would be useless! So realistically, the battery life with moderate to heavy use (streaming, chatting, internet, mild game-play on Facebook) I got a good 5 hours before I needed a charge. This.. coming from a Windows computer was AMAZING! I have owned several Windows-based PC’s and never have I experienced over 4 hours of battery life.

Review On Mac Cosmetic and Design

This Mac is solid. The look and feel are complete in design and there is nothing cheap about it. Even un-boxing the computer was a sight! The packaging it came in was very high quality although I was a bit upset that it didn’t include a black turtle neck sweater. The feel of the keyboard is smooth. Typing on it very quiet and precise. The screen is glossy which I didn’t care too much for. I mean, the glossy screen is prettier than the matte finish BUT glare is definitely an issue if you’re like me and use your computer outdoors sometimes. But again, this is more personal preference (15 and 17 inch can be ordered in matte screens). Aluminum uni-body design is very high quality. The aluminum body gives the computer a durable feel to it. I’m sure if it dropped, it would stay intact with little to no damage (if you’re concerned about this then there are some pretty nice cases for them). Some people may complain its a bit heavy but I would suggest you lug around a Toshiba PC for a while in your messenger bag and see how your shoulder feels in a year! The weight is nothing uncomfortable at least not for me it wasn’t.

Overall Review

Coming from a Windows PC to a Macbook Pro was change. Not a huge change and nothing that isn’t too unreasonable. If you’re familiar with an iPhone or even the iPad you shouldn’t have a big issue learning the Mac OS. Even if you don’t have experience with these other Apple products, just find 2 – 3 hours of play time and get to know your new computer. Find out where everything is and how to get around. Do your Google research and checkout YouTube. There are several how-to’s, videos, training tutorials, books, eBooks, and more on the Mac operating system. Apple basics are pretty simple to figure out just being brave enough to explore the operating system. Coming from a PC I am happy to report that I am almost a 100% full Mac convert. Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t use Windows anymore, but it means that I am completely sold and love my Mac. Simple. I still have a Windows machine for work because there are several things I prefer to do in Windows work related.

Final Thought

Don’t be afraid to make the Mac change. They are extremely powerful, fun, and easy to use systems and if you’re patient and eager to learn, you should have no problems exploring them. Do I still love Windows? Of course! Am I now a Mac fan boy? No! I love all computers and operating systems. The purpose of this review was to educate and encourage the end-user to not be afraid to explore Macs. Yes, I know that Windows spoils us and we are so used to it but ultimately it all depends on the end-user and their preference. How would you know if you didn’t like Macs if you haven’t even used one? My advice, give it a shot. Start off with a Macbook Pro for fun. Something for misc. use, fun, school, light work, internet, email, chat, etc. and see how you like it. Worst case scenario, Macs retain their value in terms of resale and they depreciate A LOT slower than any PC. So with that being said, buy a Mac. You probably won’t regret it and if you do.. don’t blame me!

Looking for Mac Repair in Austin, TX? – Need help with Mac Repair Austin, TX? Contact IT Conflict for any Mac related service and repair. Your Austin, Texas PC and Mac Repair Experts! Apple Repair Austin, TX.

Tip 1: Know What You Are Looking For

I know, this sounds a bit difficult being that we don’t know exactly what all to include or shop for. Rather, know what you want it to do for you. What kind of applications do you run? What do you spend most of your time on the computer doing? Are there any specific tasks or programs that need to be compatible with the new computer? These are all questions you should write down and answer. This will make the search a lot easier for whoever you go to for a new computer.

Tip 2: Shop Around

Again, most consumers have that immediate impulse to buy something not conducting any further research from there. Yes I understand if you can afford it it’s just easier for you to jump right into the deal but, is it really a wise and justified purchase if it doesn’t do everything you want it to do? More so, what if it’s a lemon reported online to have several issues or even a recall! Best thing to do is shop on the computer retailers or the  manufacturer’s website. Then, once you have the make and model take that information and perform a basic query in Google. You will find a CNET review or even come across some forums of real people talking about the product.

Tip 3 When Buying A New PC

Ask questions when shopping for a new computer. This sounds like the obvious I know but a lot of consumers fail to meet this criteria. I’m not sure why this is but I cannot stress enough that since you are making such a hefty expense take advantage of their knowledgeable sales person (this won’t always be the case and if you get a pushy sales representative ask to speak with someone else) and poke at their brain. What does this do? What is this for? What does this mean? Since you are considering the purchase of a new computer why not get a free computer basics questionnaire answered too?!

Tip 4: Remember To Price Compare

If you have a smart phone i.e. iPhone or Android and you’re shopping at a big box store before you buy remember check the price to see if you can the computer on sale or a better deal elsewhere. A lot of big box stores will price match as long as you can show proof. Well, download a bar-code scanner application on the App-store or Android Market and use it to see what other retailers are selling the computer for. I for one love to price match with Amazon. I price check almost everything I buy on Amazon to see if they sell it cheaper. 95% of retailers will price match with Amazon ONLY if it is sold and shipped by Amazon. Even more exciting, Amazon has its own price match application. Find it on the App-store or Android Market.

Tip 5: Don’t Get Fooled Into Any Additional Insurance and/or Warranty Coverage

Buy Best for instance sells additional coverage on the product. What does this mean? This means if the computer’s hard drive fails and you take your computer in to them, they will send it to the manufacture for you, wait 4- 6 weeks for the manufacture to send it back, then hopefully they call you right away once its back at their store… Are you kidding me? So they are saying they will play “middle man” for you. Most if not all computers you buy from retailers will have a 1 year standard manufactures warranty. This is pretty standard nowadays and is basic to understand. Basically, if an internal component is damaged and it turns out to be a manufactures defect or normal wear and tear then they will replace or repair it for you. Easy enough right? Manufacture sends you a box, you put your computer in, and send it back. Now, we wait 2 – 3 weeks or even sooner to get it back fixed and at no charge. This is my experience with many computer manufactures but don’t think since I am telling you this to be that it is 100% and includes no stipulations. The best thing for you to do is read the manufactures warranty. Yes, this will require you to take out the computer’s paperwork and read for 5 – 10 minutes (how exhausting) but when it’s all over you’ve saved yourself a significant amount of money and a huge headache!

In Conclusion

Please use these 5 Computer Tips When Buying A New PC next time you are shopping around. Remember, the smart consumer is the patient, well-informed consumer. We hope you enjoyed this post and please remember to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and Subscribe to our Blog and YouTube.

If you have a specific question or if you would like a custom-built computer by us please use the contact form below or simply give us a call. Checkout Computer Repair Austin, TX and PC Repair Austin, TX for computer repair and service in the Austin, Texas and surrounding areas.

A Few Things To Consider

Before you call any computer repair shops first of all you should ask what exactly is wrong with your computer. Best thing to do is write down a list of issues that you’re having with your computer. It’s best to find a computer company that has experience and or industry certifications related to the repair detail. What does this mean? Simply put, if you’re having a hardware issues i.e. it wont power on, not charging, etc.. then why call a computer repair business that specializes in networking? Are they really the best people to diagnose and repair your computer? Most good computer technicians are well-rounded regardless but we’re not going to be the best at everything and we obviously will have our strengths and weaknesses so its best to find someone who has experience in repairing the issues you’re particularly having. It wont hurt to ask and an honest technician should have no problem telling you if he or she can fix it, and if they can’t they should have a good recommendation of someone who can.

Reputation Is Everything

Now that you have written your list of computer issues you’re having written down you know exactly what to ask for. It will make the conversation and translation much smoother. So, what should we do next? A smart consumer will do their own independent research. We have the power of the internet at our fingertips and effortlessly one can search for reputable companies looking for computer repair shops with solid reviews and established roots. Lookout for computer companies with too many good reviews. This can obviously be a cause for concern. Over the years we have seen many computer companies in Austin, TX pop-in and out and hardly last long enough to establish their names. Look for a computer repair company with stability. Will they be around in a year?

How To Narrow The List

Something else to consider is what kind of guarantee do they offer? Whoever you call to fix your computer should have faith in their ability to professionally diagnose and repair any issues with your computer. So why not ask if they have a guarantee? Most reputable companies will have some kind of guarantee and as an added bonus offer free technical support. Get this in writing or find it on their website. Most companies will have this information available on their service invoice and will openly advertise it. Some computer repair companies offer student discounts, senior discounts, new customer coupons and other interesting advertising. Again, it’s not going to hurt to ask. Might as well ask for a discount to help ease the pain of a computer issue.

Consider Referrals

One final thing to consider is ask your friends, family members, co-workers, anyone for a referral. Who have they used in the past? How was their experience with that company? Maybe you can even ask your buddies on Facebook! Surely someone has had their computer repaired recently. Getting a referral is a good idea. In my opinion though, ask which technician in particular they worked with. Some companies have a revolving door of techs and hardly keep the same staff. If you get a referral of a company from someone you know, ask them who they dealt with in particular.

In Conclusion

Consider these suggestions the next time you are looking for computer repair in Austin, TX. Yes, I know its funny reading an article on finding computer repair in Austin, TX written by a computer repair business but, in our defense I hardly even mentioned our name. In fact, I never mentioned our name throughout this article because we are genuine in our message when we say we want you to find the best computer repair company for you. Well.. if you’re looking for computer repair fast you could give us a call.. since you’ve already found yourself on our site why not?

Best of luck on your search and please consider this article when finding computer repair in Austin, TX or computer repair anywhere else for that matter. Ask questions, be consistent, get a deal, and tell your friends!
[contact-form-7] ]]> http://itconflict.com/2012/04/16/finding-computer-repair-in-austin-tx/feed/ 0 http://itconflict.com/2012/03/12/outlook-2003-basic-use-part-2-how-to/ http://itconflict.com/2012/03/12/outlook-2003-basic-use-part-2-how-to/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:40:34 +0000 itconflict http://itconflict.com/?p=2306

See more computer repair tech videos

See more computer repair tech videos

See more computer repair tech videos