Clean and disassociate used iPad / iPhone before selling it.

Things to do before selling or transferring  your used iPad/ iPod/ iPhone.

It is Christmas season and a lot of people are getting a new upgraded iPad or iPhone. Some might

decide to sell or gave their devices to other people or family members.

Before selling your device make sure you have erase all your personal data as pictures, files, music, etc. To do that go to settings, general and select "erase all content and settings".

Also, you will need to go to open  your itunes application on your computer. Sign in with your itunes account and then view your associated devices and removed the one that you want to sale or transfer. There is a period of 90 days to disassociate a device. It might not let you disassociate a device that has been linked to your itunes in the last 30 days.

This might sound cumbersome but it is worth doing it.

So my tip for today:

Please make sure you have cleaned all your personal info from you device before you sale it and in case of doubt go to apple support website. There is plenty of information there to help users out.

To upgrade? or not upgrade?....

Check before you upgrade to Windows 10

I have heard from a few users and friends that after upgrading from windows 7 to windows 10 (without asking me first!), they are experiencing some problems with their computer display.  They just couldn't resist the temptation :)

If your computer is running windows 8.1 more likely you will be ok to do the upgrade.  But, if it is running windows 7, then i would really check that the manufacturer of your computer has drivers for your device for windows 10.

Most of the cases they were able to make the computer work, but the resolution of the screen was below the recommended causing them not to be able to see some of the components on some windows.

So my tip for today:

If you are not sure if your computer can run windows 10, it is better to ask before upgrade. Also, since it is so new, maybe it will pay to give the manufacturers a little time to catch up.

see you soon with more tips.

Trojans, viruses and other malware.

Think before you open a file or link. Practice safe internet practices.

I wanted to talk to you about the difference between trojans, viruses and other malware.

randsomware

Viruses: A computer virus is a type of software that normally self replicates and can spread copies of themselves. Many times without the user interaction.

Trojans (trojan horse) : Trojan is another type of malware named after the wooden horse the greeks used to infiltrate Troy. It is a harmful software that looks legitimate. Users are tricked to execute the program in the believes that is something good or something the were looking for.

Ransomeware : Ransomeware is a type of malware that restricts the user from accessing its computer or personal files and demands the user to pay a ransom.

There are other kinds of malware out there as worms, bots, spyware, etc.

Many times, users feel safe to surf the web or opening files or attachments on the emails because their computers have an antivirus installed. However, in the case of trojan horses, if the user click yes or execute a file, that will install the malware and the antivirus won't stop it.

How to prevent it? the best way to prevent from getting a virus or trojan or ransomeware is practicing safe internet surfing and backing up files,

My tips for today:

1. use an antivirus
2. choose strong passwords
3. backup your files (either on a dvd, flashdrive, cloud). My favorite is in the cloud. (one drive, google drive, dropbox, etc)
4. use email and internet safety. Ignore unsolicited emails. Don't open attachments unless you know the sender and you were expecting it.
5. Avoid untrustworthy downloads, freeware, etc.

See you soon with more tips.

They work together ! google drive plug in for Microsoft Office

There is a new google drive plug-in for Microsoft Office

google drive plug-in

I was checking what is new in google Apps for education and I came across with this new plug-in. You wonder, what is a plug in? well a plug in is a software component that adds a feature to an existing software application.

So this plug-in will allow users to open and save files to their google drive from any Microsoft Office application.

That would save the user time since they won't have to open a browser, download a file then edit it, and finally upload it again.

Below is the address:

https://tools.google.com/dlpage/driveforoffice

So my tip for today:

If you are running office 2013 or Office 365 as part of a subscription and have files stored on google drive, give it a try.

School has started ...... call tech support

School has started and we are flooded with requests.

tech team

A positive attitude always makes the job easy. The school year just started and even though we try to be as much prepared as we can, there are always some loose ends.

We are handling the requests as they come and we recommend using the ticketing system to our users.

It's going to be a great year.

Gearing up for next school year

During summer we get ready for next school year.

working during the summer

While students and most of the staff takes the summer off, we technology people and other staff (maintenance, grounds, board office, etc) stay working through the summer to make sure we are ready for the next school year to start.

I am sure pretty soon there will be teachers coming in and out of their classrooms as the month of july goes by. I have worked in the school system for almost 10 years and it is always exciting for me getting ready for the first day of school. It is stressing too :) but we have survived it every time.

My tip for today is:

Enjoy your summer students, in the mean time we will get ready for the next school year!

By-By old Technology......

You did a great job but now it's time to part ways.

With the school year over, we start our summer replacement projects.

By by E-scrap 

So long old technology, a new windows is on its way and you won't be able to handle it.  Microsoft just announced yesterday that they will release Windows 10 to the public in July 29th.  We can't wait for it!

Looking at this pile of workstations reminds me of many users and friends that won't part with their old workstations. After all they have put hard earned money on it.

Unfortunately technology never stops, so even when the hardware part is still on running conditions, if we want to be productive and able to accomplish some work, we must depart from old technology. I know of people still holding up to Windows XP.

So my tip for today,

Whatever old technology you have in your house that is just collecting dust and using space, it is time to move on. The old excuse that 'we can let our kids to play with it', it is not realistic since most games are online and need updated browsers and plug-ins. Say by-by to old technology and have a great summer 2015!

See you soon with more technology tips.

 

What really is behind the "like and share" posts on facebook

By liking and sharing you might be helping scammers.

Have you ever noticed facebook posts that claim to be giving away stuff (like iPhones) and the only think you need to do is like and share, and maybe comment?.

like and share scams

I see them all the time and always wonder why some of my friends will fall for something obviously too good to be true. It's like those emails that you needed to resent to so many more in order to get a gift card or laptop or whatever.

And you might thing "oh well what does it hurt?" . Actually, you might be helping a scammer to do what is called "likes farming". They do that because after collecting so many likes and activity on facebook page, then, they can sell it on the black market to another scammers or for marketing dubious products.

You see, when you like a page, they you will start getting updates from that page (free marketing) and also your friends will see what you have liked and they might fall in the scam too.

So, my tip for today:

In facebook as is all things if life, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is a scam. Let's all stop scammers.

see you soon with more tips. 

P.S.   go ahead and like and share this post :-) 

Managing power and electical cords NO NO 's

Avoid damaging your equipment - manage your cords properly.

When setting up our office and desk, it is important to take in count that most of our office equipment requires electricity.

Consider this when placing your desk on your office. Unfortunately most of the power cords have a limited length making us basically solve a puzzle when setting up equipment. I understand we need space on our desk to write and to work but the computer and electronic equipment is very costly too.

 Stretching and bending cords damage them and in the long run they will damage our computers / electronics.

So my tip for today:

Avoid twisting, bending and stretching power cords or cables. Put the power cords on a place that it is not crowded and make sure they are not going to be mashed or bent by other piece of furniture. When rolling up the cable of an adapter procure not to bend it. Take care of your investment.

see you soon with more tips.



 

FitBit - My life in numbers.

fitbit- my life in numbers

In the quest of healthier living..numbers don't lie.

I am still sticking to my new year's resolutions to lose wait and be healthier. So besides enrolling in a fitness program I decided I needed a tool to track my daily activities.

After researching for a month and reading a lot of reviews and also asking friends around I finally decided to take the plunge and purchased a fitbit charge HR, because I might as well get into the heart rate tracking wagon.

I have had it for a little longer than a month and it is my second favorite gadget (my phone is first). I am constantly checking my numbers and always striving to hit the 10,000 steps goal and the 30 active minutes. I even have gone for walks in this cold weather!

There are a lot more fitness trackers devices in the market. Some are much more accurate measuring the heart rate or other stuff. But for me, that I am basically going from couch to 5K, this is very neat and easy to use. I am not into the big sports or extreme exercises but when i do exercises, the fitbit charge HR  allows me to log and track how many minutes I stayed in cardio or peak zones.


So my tip for today:

Yes, I do recommend the fitbit charge HR. It motivates me to keep going and meeting my goals. You can connect with friends in social media and challenge each other making "getting out of the couch" much more fun.

See you soon with more tips.

A list of passwords to avoid.

The list of the most common passwords and thus the easier to hack.

Last night I was watching the news while cooking dinner and there was this news that capture my attention.

worst passwords of 2014

It was a list of the worst passwords for the year 2014 and the number one was "123456" and second in the list was "password". The worst part was when Ryan Williams said that those where the perennials in the list. The list is published by Splahsdata and company dedicated to security applications and services.

They came out with such a list by compiling from more than 3.3 million leaked passwords during the year 2014. The compiled info came mostly from North America and Western Europe.

My tip for today:

Although  the name password suggest "word" it is better if we think about a pass phrase. That means 2 or 3 words and numbers to make a most secured password. For example 2hot2handle or AuntLucy0hi0. Use phrases that mean something to you so you can remember them and include numbers or symbols to add difficulty.

see you soon with more tips.

New Year resolutions

Choosing an exercise plan .

New Year Resolutions

It is new year 2015!

I have kind of the same resolutions of last year: lose wait, save money, be healthy, etc.

I am trying to find a way to integrate physical activity in my daily life. I have tried going to the gym many times and it hasn't work to good for me. For once, the gym monthly fee does not agree with my plans of saving money. Second i have to drive to the gym since I live on a rural community, that adds gas to the expense. Third, this gym only provides machines and sauna, if there is any other service like spinning class or aerobics, then you have to pay extra $$$. I have tried running but it has its dangers too. I was thinking about buying a bike but it is also dangerous too.

So right now I am thinking on two options: internet training (daily burn) and buying an elliptical.

There we go again, doing a lot of research, reading reviews, prices, etc. It is hard to make a decisions when the reviewers opinions are so opposite one from another.On the other side there is daily burn.I will let you know later the results.

For now, I will just wish you a very prosperous new year 2015.