With the influx of iPhones and Android phones now being used in the office, we have the ability to be productive almost anywhere, but the opposite can also true. Personal email, texting, web surfing and social networking have the possibility of becoming huge time leaches. These items are now literally available at your fingertips. Many people are using their work time to conduct personal business or chat with friends and this is not always done from the user’s PC anymore. The enormous amounts of apps that are available have put a lot of people at risk of “playing” on the job.

This also goes for some additional items such as iPads and Android tablets. The ability to watch streaming media as well as downloading games and movies to these devices is very easy to do. This can also make it very tempting to enjoy these things on the company clock. This also gives the ability to view inappropriate data such as porn in the workplace. This leads us to another discussion altogether.

Both smartphones and tablets have the ability to be security risks as well. People can download files to these devices via their USB connections or over a Bluetooth connection. This opens companies up to the possibility of having sensitive data taken offsite without anyone knowing. A lost smartphone, can allow someone access to company email if it not setup for password protection or to have the data wiped if the device is lost.

Smartphones and tablets do have their place in a work environment and can help those want to be productive do so. It can also help those who are less apt to stay on task follow that path. Each company should have a policy on their employee’s usage.

Many of you have undoubtedly seen the screen pop-up and say "Your computer has a virus!" The scan starts and many infected files are found. Once, finished, you are asked to “upgrade” the software, at a price of course. As you look at the screen, you realize that this is a program that you have never seen before and are certain that you did not install it. Welcome to the world of Fake Anti-Virus.

These programs are everywhere. You can unknowingly install this on your PC just by performing a web search and opening one of the results. They tend to hide themselves in inconspicuous places so as not to draw attention to them. Some of these install rootkits or master boot record viruses in addition. Unfortunately, most real anti-virus programs do not catch them so it takes some digging and specialized tools to remove them.

This type of software can and has caused many users much grief. They tend to create registry entries and change system settings. I have seen them do things as simple as enabling Internet Explorer to look for a proxy server so no internet access is available, to making the icons on the desktop and programs list hidden, and as complex as changing a registry entry so the executable files are no longer able to run. This type of malware is very persistent. You may think that it has been removed and the PC shows no signs of it being there, but it pops back up a few hours or possibly days later.

There are many help boards that explain how to remove this type of virus, but it can be risky. Editing your registry is not for the inexperienced computer user. You can cause a lot of damage to your operating system if you are not sure of what you are doing.

My advice; back up your data on a regular basis. This is a good practice to follow anyway. If you do start getting messages about your PC being infected, scan it right away with the anti-virus you have installed. There is some good scanning software that will remove most of the infected files for you but most likely, it will not get everything. Be careful and if you are not completely sure of what you are doing, let a professional do it for you. Data is not easy to recover.

In today’s world of fast PCs, super laptops and smart phones; has your need for printing quickly gone by the wayside? Here are some tips to help print faster.

1) Print to a wired connection. Wireless printers are a convenience for most of us, but it is much slower than a USB or Ethernet attached printer. If you must be wireless, accept the slowness. This goes for printing from a laptop or PC that is wireless as well.

2) Add more memory to your printer. Many business printers come with a fixed amount of memory. What a lot of people don’t realize is the memory can be upgraded just like a PC. More memory allows for more to be stored on the printer and it does not have to wait for the print job to finish spooling before it starts printing.

3) Update your drivers. Just as PC hardware has driver updates, so do printers. These updates are published for a reason. They usually correct an issue that the manufacturer has found and can help speed the process up. If you have a network printer, check to see if there is a firmware upgrade for your network card.

4) Print in a lower resolution. We all love to see the fantastic images produced by our digital cameras, but when we are printing a text document; do we need the same resolution? This will also save on your ink costs.

5) Look for a new printer. Some printers are just plain slow. There is no way around it. If it is an older printer or not manufactured to print fast, this might be your only option.

There is an abundance of printers on the market today. Lasers, inkjets, and thermal transfers are all out there. When looking for a new one, think of what you might be doing in the future. Are you considering a new camera? Are you looking to grow your business and might have a need to print flyers? There is something for everyone, but make sure your printer keep up with you.

Throughout the year, rolling blackouts are occurring. Be the energy consumption due to extreme heat or cold, they are occurring. Most business locations I have encountered have had a UPS or two in their rack, but are what they have enough?

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a battery backup device that helps to protect electronic equipment in the event of a sudden loss of power. Much of the computer and network equipment today can suffer damage if power to them is suddenly cut off. Servers provide file and data storage. This information can become corrupt if power is lost. Loss of power to network equipment can prevent communication on the network. A UPS can ensure that this equipment remains operational, even if you lose power.

The size and power of your UPS depends on your load. This is determined by what you have plugged into your UPS. Do you run your servers, switches, KVMs, routers, and PBX from one UPS or is each item on its own UPS? There are tools that the UPS manufacturers have made available to determine you load.

What does your UPS do when you lose power? Most UPS manufactures provide monitoring software with their equipment. With some software, you can configure your equipment to shut down gracefully when there is a power loss or to keep the equipment up and running and then shut down when the battery is nearing depletion. Remember that the more items that you have plugged into a UPS, the faster the battery supply will drain.

Uninterruptible power supplies come in a wide variety of capacities and price ranges. When you are considering a UPS, look at these factors. What equipment do you want to keep running and for how long? Do you want long term power or just enough to shut down? What are your space restrictions?

If your data and communications are important to you, UPS selection is not something to take with a grain of salt. Are you willing to possibly lose data? I would rather take my chances at the Blackjack table!

Malware is software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning. This can include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, scareware, crimeware, rootkits, and other malicious and unwanted software or program. Most of the time, these programs are installed without the users consent.

So how does it get on your machine? Usually, it is because you have installed something from an untrustworthy source. Does the phrase “Pop-Up” come to mind? Many toolbars open your computer up to the installation of malware. Once you are “infected”, the installed malware can install other malware. It is vicious cycle.

Recently, I have seen several versions of malware referred to as scareware. The software pops up messages saying your computer is infected and it asks if you want to remove the infection. According to the software, you will need to purchase the software to remove the offending program. In fact, it does not remove the program but continues to install more malware and has cost you money.

How can you prevent this software for loading on your PC?

1. Have a quality anti-virus program. You must keep it updated to keep the malware from downloading and installing.
2. Set your internet browser to alert you anytime something attempts a download.
3. Avoid downloading software from unknown or un-trusted websites. Read the fine print on the download.
4. Avoid pop-ups. You can do this with pop-up blocking software. Most internet browsers include a pop-up blocker.
5. Disable cookies in your browser. Malware can install cookies on your computer.

The best advice is pay attention to what you are doing. If you don’t, you could be in for a lot of headaches, not to mention the time to remove these gremlins!

By now you may have realized that Hyper-V virtual machines and USB don’t play well together. Why has Microsoft left us in the lurch? It’s not for me to answer. But, what I can say is there are ways around this problem.

Hardware solution – There are devices that will allow you to connect your USB devices to your network. You assign an IP address to the device and then map a drive from your VM. These can be costly but, they do the job.

Software solution – Developers have designed a software solution to the problem. There is a server side and a client side application. Install each on the appropriate server. Once it is installed, you can add the USB device to be shared on the Hyper-V server and then attach it on the VM. This is less expensive then the hardware solution. There is a down side though; with some of these applications, only one USB device can be attached.

My solution – This is the easiest and the cheapest solution. Open your Windows Explorer on your Hyper-V server. Share the USB device and assign permissions. Connect to your VM and connect to the Hyper-V server, right click on the shared device and select Map network drive. Select the Drive letter and set the location. You can also set it to reconnect at logon if you wish. By attaching it this way, you can connect multiple drives. Best of all, it is FREE!

There are many phone devices that are available today but, they all have the same basic function. It’s a just phone, right? Wrong, they are much more than that.

The smart phones of today allow you stay functional while you are mobile. Whether you are editing a spreadsheet from the office or looking at your child’s soccer schedule, you can do it remotely. When you use a smart phone, you are less likely to miss an important email or a scheduled meeting.

Here are some things you should consider when looking for a smart phone.

1) Since your phone most likely will be use for business, it should offer Bluetooth connectivity, call waiting, a speakerphone and conference calling.

2) You will need a data plan that not only allows you to surf the web but do it at 3G or 4G speeds. Be sure to include a plan that will allow you to have enough time for your conversations and access the web as you need. Once you have a plan in place, it most likely can be changed if necessary.

3) There are now a plethora of productivity apps available, many of which are free. Your phone should allow you to add these apps to your device and update them when a newer version is available.

4) A keyboard is important since you will be typing messages or editing documents. There are phones with a physical keyboard and phones with a touchscreen keyboard. It is important to find the type that you are most comfortable with.

5) The ability to send and receive messages from the device is important. This does not just mean texting, but email as well. You should look for one that can sync with your company email system. This will allow you to send and receive your work email. In addition, it can also allow you to sync your calendar and address book.

6) The battery life should last the entire day. What is worse than being on a business call and having you phone die?

7) The size of the device is something to consider. You should find something that fits comfortably in your hands and where you can read the display easily.

There is no single phone for everybody. Every smart phone user is as different as every smart phone. You should consider your choice carefully when making your decision.