Part 1 of 3 Do you really need Microsoft Office?

It used to be that there were not a lot of options if you need a Microsoft Office compatible software system, but now wide range of options exists, here is a quick overview,

-          LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice, both are installed on your PC, both are free.

-          Kingsoft and SoftMaker Office, both are installed on your PC, both are low cost(cheaper than Microsoft Office).

-          Google Docs and Zoho, both are web browser based and both, are free, or low cost.

All of these systems provide reasonable alternatives to Microsoft Office, and in the coming week we will review the pros and cons of each system.  We will look at, specfically, where each package rates on a scale of 1to 10 for usability, interoperability with Microsoft Office, and value for cost. 

5 things that you can do on your smartphone, that you could only do on your computer 5 years ago

I sat down the other day and thought about the 5 things that I can do on my smartphone that I could only with my computer 5 years ago.  I imagine that some people might have been able to do some of these things 5 or more years ago, but my bet is probably not.

1) Watch Streaming Media.   Netflix, Check. Hulu Plus, Check. Amazon Streaming, Check.  Between 2009 and 2011 all of these services became available on your smartphone.   No more lugging your laptop out when you want to watch something in your downtime.

2) Access CRM SaaS Packages.   No more cut down applications, no more limited integration, no issues with synchronization.   You can gain full access to you CRM package with very, very limited, to no constraints. For me this has made a major difference in my ability to interact effectively with my customer base.

3) Navigation and Mapping.  These applications have really come into their own in the last 5 years.   Google Maps for Mobile came out in November 2008 and was the first really functional smartphone map application.   Since then the competitive environment has lead to innovation and better and better fidelity on the maps. 

4) Translation.   Starting in 2008 these tools started to appear in browsers based on smartphones.  Soon after applications and software started to grow and become more complex eventually allowing text, picture, and voice based translation between dozens of languages.

5) Mobile VoIP.  Since the first integrated VoIP applications with Nokia in 2008, VoIP has exploded.   From Skype to Ring Central, and now the dozens of low cost providers VoIP is now a integrated part of most smart phones providing a easy to use, cheap and reliable voice communication.

Late April Fools post

I know that it is April 3, but I love this post that Google did for Gmail. 

World Back Up Day!

You can never have enough reminders to back up your data, so yet another reminder, it's World Back Up Day!  Why World Back Up Day? Here it is straight from their site, 

"You might think your computer, phone or tablet is pretty reliable, but in reality, it's not. Everything (yes, everything) fails, and once it does, all the important information you've stored on that device can be destroyed. In fact, it's not a question of if a piece of technology will fail - it's when.

More than 60 million computers will fail worldwide in 2013. Only 1 in 4 people back up their information regularly - that's roughly 45 million times this year where files will be lost forever. Even worse - 113 cell phones are lost or stolen every minute in the United States alone. That's hundreds of photos, conversations, calendars and more, gone in an instant.

It's important to be ready. That's why we created World Backup Day - to show you how to prepare for the inevitable. We'll help you to devise a plan to store your precious memories and information in a safe location. Because there's nothing worse than losing something important to you."

http://www.worldbackupday.com/

As discussed in my previous blog posts, I suggest iDrive for a remote back up system.   I use it myself and have been very happy with the results.   

What do I do if I think my computer has a virus?

There are many schools of thought on what to do if you computer gets a virus, here are the steps that I suggest you follow.

1) Stop all network access.  This means, disconnect form any network connection, including the internet.   This means disconnect any network cables, wireless, or other network connections.   This ensures that if there are any viruses that are dependent on network connections, their capabilities are restricted.   Furthermore you then prevent propagation to other networked computers. 

2) Document what you saw that made you suspect that you have a virus.   This includes the way the computer operated, any screen warnings, pop ups, or any antivirius warnings.   The better the detail, the more effective the response to the virus based on researching the root cause 

3) Shut your computer down.   Depending on the type of virus, the longer you leave your computer on, the more severe the damage. Shut down as soon as possible.

4) Verify your back up, have your system restore disks, and software installation disks.   Again depending on the type and severity of the virus, the system might not be able to be recovered without formatting and reinstalling the operating system.   If you do not have back ups, system restore disks, or software installation disks, a different strategy, more costly,  might have to be used in order to recover your system and its files. 

5) Attempt a virus removal on your own, or contact Collaboration Lab for virus removal.   We offer a free 15 min. estimate, so if you are hesitant about cost we can give you not to exceed estimate before starting. 

One other point, it is a good idea to change your passwords that were used on that computer.   Again, dependent on the type of virus on the computer there is a possibility that you passwords have been compromised.  Better safe than sorry. 

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or contact me.