Top Mobile Apps to Help You Organize Your 2017 Schedules

Now that 2017 is here, some professionals or small business owners are looking into shifting from paper-based tasking to becoming organized using applications that act like personal assistants to handle important tasks like schedules and getting organized. Seeing as there are a host of mobile apps up to this task out there to help get the work tasks together.

Wunderlist

Wunderlist manages your to-do list. This free app for iOS will keep you organized in the most basic way possible, organizing your daily tasks and lists. The Smart Lists hide what doesn’t need to be shown and recurring tasks and sub-tasks are simple to create. You can be even more organized by assigning your tasks to others and then getting a message when they are complete.

Google Now

You probably never knew that Google has a personal assistant app except for Siri. Oh sure, you could ask Siri just about anything, but you may be looking for a virtual version of an office secretary instead of a British butler. If that’s the case, it may be time to download Google Now, the “intelligent personal assistant” available for iOS and Android, as well as your desktop. The app organizes just about everything you can think of, giving assistance around the clock. Information is organized into cards that provide all the info you need without you having to spend time searching. The cards are customizable so you see what’s important to you like traffic, weather, relevant websites or sports scores. The latest update includes barcode scanning, song recognition, and the ability to store your boarding pass.

YouSendIt

YouSendIt lets you share, store, and sign files. If you need to share with a little more strength, this latest free iOS app provides a comprehensive and enhanced mobile service for accessing documents, presentations, video, and more from anywhere. Beyond sending files, you can also store files to shared folders and sign documents. Any changes are securely synced and instantly available for other devices and people. A mobile suite of services is also available for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Android.

Expensify

You can photograph receipts with Expensify. There is nothing like a bunch of receipts to make you feel unorganized. This free app is available for virtually every platform and makes it easy to track all kinds of expenses. Perhaps best of all, it lets you snap a photo of receipts and categorize expenses, and can sync to QuickBooks online. It’s a great app for the pain and mess of expense reports.

24me

If you are forgetful, then you need a virtual personal assistant that works like a second brain. 24me auto-generates reminders so you will never miss an important meeting or event, or forget to pay a bill. 24me combines your calendar, to-do lists, and notes all in one easy-to-use, clutter-free app. It syncs with other apps, like Facebook, to send messages to your friends on their birthday in case it slipped your mind, and lets you share notes with coworkers or friends. The app is free to download and is now available for Android.

The Best and Most Efficient Ways to Learn Computer Troubleshooting

There’s nothing wrong with learning some computer troubleshooting if you need to occasionally check on your computer to know what’s going wrong and, hopefully, try to fix things. However, remember that troubleshooting computers can be complicated, tricky, and sometimes frustrating. With so many working parts and software installed, a number of things can go wrong. Still, there’s nothing wrong with learning some fundamentals in troubleshooting, and nothing beats experience as well.

In today’s digital age, there are certainly a lot of avenues of learning compared to the last decade. Aside from on-the-job and hands-on experience that can take time, learners now are more exposed to online video tutorials and articles that give step-by-step instructions and tutorials on how to troubleshoot specific problems without really resorting to actual repairs.

The most common examples of these are the YouTube videos on computer tutorials. Online technical support companies also offer many articles on their blogs and knowledge base pages.

Before you even start learning, you need to remember one important tip: When learning to troubleshoot computers, always start with the simple stuff. The tendency with learners is that whenever something happens, they tend to think that it is a major problem, when all it could be is a loose cable or something else minor. Always learn by checking the easy things first.  

While in the process of learning, one of the real challenges is deciding whether a symptom is hardware or software related. A lot of times this comes through trial and error. But again, the advantage of technology today is that you don’t need to go through so much hands-on trial and error because you can study this in blogs, articles, and video tutorials.

Oh, and all this learning comes free, courtesy of technology and the Internet.

When learning basic computer troubleshooting, you also need to learn about the computer you’re troubleshooting. You need to be familiar with whatever platform and operating system the computer has, be it Windows or iOS, and whatever type it is. Then, you also need to be familiar with every single program installed in the computer.

If you want to go further and you have some spare cash to spare, there are DVD tutorials available on the market that teaches about basic troubleshooting. Do take note that whether watching the free video online tutorials or buying instructional DVD’s, always take note of the hardware in a computer, and the difference of this hardware in desktops and laptops. The latter is more complicated so it is more advisable that, in spite of your learned knowledge in basic troubleshooting, it may be a better idea to call tech support just in case the trouble is complicated.

Lastly, if you know a computer technician or tech support person who has time to spare for you, a hands-on personal tutorial wouldn’t hurt. It’s always best to learn from the experts firsthand. Learning personally from a tech support person may often be better for some people than just studying articles or watching videos.

Free Malware Removal Tools to Assist You in Removing Malware from an Infected Computer

Unfortunately for some of us (especially for those who are somewhat careless), the Internet will never be a buffet of secure open-source software and Bollywood musicals that we can all just simply download. There are individuals and even organizations who want nothing better than delight in stealing your personal data and money or hijacking your computer using malicious software. So, for your protection, let’s highlight some of the best free tools for removing malware from your PC.

Spybot Search and Destroy

Spybot Search and Destroy has made quite a name for itself over the years, earning accolades from both general and computer-focused publications. Spybot Search and Destroy is the highest ranked freeware tool at 2Spyware.com, a website that ranks malware removal tools. In addition to scanning for malware, Spybot Search and Destroy also has a variety of additional functionality, including a botnet scanner, hosts-file modification (to keep malware from calling home), a secure file shredder, and a dummy code feature, replacing malicious or questionable adware modules with inert code so the dependent program will keep functioning. As an added bonus, Spybot Search and Destroy is compatible with every version of Windows.

ComboFix

ComboFix is every bit as Spartan once you open it and see it. You download ComboFix, run it, and it takes care of the rest. The basic ComboFix process looks like this: It backs up your registry, checks to see if you have Windows Recovery Console installed, and then it does the job on your system scanning away through 40+ stages. When it’s done, ComboFix spits out a log file and lists all the malware it found, which ones it was able to remove, and which ones you’ll have to use Google to look up how to remove manually. It isn’t fancy, but it gets the job done and gives you a detailed report at the end to take to security forums for help if you need it.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

At least the free version, since the Anti-Malware Pro sells for $25, Malwarebytes’ flagship application Anti-Malware is a shareware malware-removal tool. The principle difference between the free and premium version of the application is real-time monitoring. If you don’t need active scanning against threats, the free version uses the same database and does an admirable job ferreting out infections. Anti-Malware was, for example, one of the few malware removal tools that could detect and remove the Antivirus XP 2008, a spyware application that masqueraded as an antivirus app. The Anti-Malware installation includes another application from Malwarebytes called FileASSASSIN, a helpful tool for deleting files locked by Windows.

There are other malware removal tools you can check out on the Internet, but just make sure to check out the reviews first before downloading anything. A few malware tools tend to be unbiased and will register even legal operating files as tampered by malware, and you may delete these by mistake. But in the end, the best malware tool is always “prevention” and to err on the side of caution and not always click on everything, especially if looking suspicious.

Tech trends That Need to Bid Farewell This 2017

Technology is constantly moving, either on a fast forward pace or backwards, but never still. The rapid advances in technology, coupled with accelerating innovation, are transforming our lives every day. And as we entered 2017, expect that existing trends such as the AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and AI (Artificial Intelligence) will step up to the next level. We've become increasingly connected to our devices, smart machines getting smarter, and a new IT reality has surfaced.

The thing about trends, whether tech or otherwise, is that you might be able to start one, but you can't end one. They are a reflection of society's growing needs and desires. Still, that doesn't keep us from trying to get rid of a few trends every year that we think need to die. Here are some of them:

Insecure Internet of Things

One of the most disastrous cyberattacks in the US happened September of last year, when a vast network of infected baby monitors and other IoT devices took down a DNS provider, knocking dozens of major websites offline for a few hours, including Spotify and Twitter. According to security experts, the devices' poor security is as much to blame as the hackers who target them. There's not much you can do but to make sure that you create a very strong password for your next router or wireless baby camera.

Default Location Tracking

Apple's iOS offers app developers the power to decide how frequently they'll track your location. You, the smartphone owner, can completely turn off location tracking anytime, but it's up to the developer whether or not you see the option to only share your location when the app is running. This year, Uber stirred quite a bit of controversy when it announced it would track locations until five minutes after a trip ends. The privacy implications of allowing dozens of apps track your current location whenever they want to is quite worrisome, and we're all for giving device owners more control over how their location is shared.

Dangerous AR Gaming

Don't get the wrong impression -- Augmented Reality is a promising new horizon for the video game industry. The problem is that people frequently try to multitask when they shouldn't. For instance is the Pokemon Go. After recent multiple reports about traffic accidents this past summer, some of which were fatal, Niantic, the game's creator, added a pop-up message that warns players when the app detects it's being used in a moving car. Texting while driving is illegal in most states, but no state bans all mobile phone usage for all drivers, so it's mostly up to AR gamers to regulate themselves. There's also the risk that people will walk into lamp posts, fountains, and traffic. So see to it that you stay safe while you're enjoying your AR game.

Unsecured Websites

The unencrypted Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) needs to go away. Major tech companies, such as Google, agree with this idea that even next year they are planning to make it obvious if you're visiting a website that's not switched over to HTTPS. Most commerce sites already use HTTPS to secure credit card information and other sensitive data of its users. Even Netflix and Wikipedia are encrypted now. However, other major sites like the New York Times are still 'encryption-free' so be cautious about that.

Online Harassment

Can Twitter finally get itself together and do something about all the trolls firing tweets with reckless abandon? There's also that YouTube comments section, which is a good breeding ground for negative and bashful comments. To compound the problem, much of the most trolling activities come from bots, including pro-Donald Trump fake accounts that spent much of the 2016 US presidential election spreading lies. Trolls even transformed Microsoft's artificial-intelligence-powered chatbot Tay into a racist monster that eventually had to be turned off.

These 5 Reasons Will Convince You Why You Should Give Social Media a Break

For the average millenial, he/she checks his/her smartphone 43 times and spends at least 5.4 hours on social media per day. Considering those numbers, one might find that pretty obsessive, right? Even if you don't want to admit it, you are also experiencing this same addiction every day. With this, have you ever thought of taking a break from all these social media craze? There are millions of people who can't even fathom the thought of not updating their Facebook status, checking up with friends on Twitter, or posting photos on Instagram.

As fun and useful social media is, it's still considered an addiction. And anything done excessively is not good. If you've ever thought about taking a break from it all, consider some of these reasons why you should take one.

1. It's a Time Waster

One of the major reasons to take a break from social media is that it sucks up so much of your time. Do you notice getting caught up on FB, Instagram, or Twitter and then find yourself still scrolling an hour later? It's quite easy to get sucked into the cutesy pictures of pets, celebrity rants or outfit and diet inspo. It's just too good to put down sometimes. If you find that your social media habits are taking a toll on your time at work, school, or with family, it might be the right time to stop and take a break.

2. It Gets Annoying

It's funny how we're so into Facebook and Twitter, but so many times we come away from it feeling so annoyed and irritated? How many times can you read about your friend's workouts, their meals, their relationship drama, or their grammatically incorrect quotes on life? If you log on to your social media accounts anticipating feeling irritated about meaningless or exaggerated status updates, why not take a break?

3. It's Harmful to Your Self-Esteem

Have you ever thought about how social media can affect your self-esteem? Just as there are some friends with annoying status updates, there are others who can't stop bragging about themselves. If you're constantly reading about the fabulous life of your friends, it can start making you feel inadequate. Do you ever find yourself comparing yourself to others and not measuring up?

Is it really worth the blow to your self-esteem?

4. It Distracts You From Focusing on Your Goals

It's no secret that social media can be distracting. One minute you're checking your Facebook, the next minute you're looking at your co-worker's sister's husband's cousin's wedding pictures. Just like when you make a quick stop to Target expecting to only get one item and walk out with 20, sometimes social media can send you on a spiral that lasts several hours on a path to nowhere. Alleviating social media opens up tons of free time to focus on what truly matters -- your goals. Think of all the time you will have to get projects done that you claim you never have time to do, or simply work on towards completing more goals.

5. It Clutters Your Mind With Negativity

Not everything we see on social media has us wanting to buy a Bentley or get engaged, some things are downright heartbreaking. With so much going on in the world, sometimes stepping away from the computer and the hundreds of pictures, videos, and statuses that bring negativity will allow you to clear your mind and simply focus on the good. When negative images are drilled into your mind via social media, it can affect you subconsciously and even cause depression. Closing the apps and simply taking a break will allow you the time to center your mind and thoughts on positivity, allowing you to maintain a clear and peaceful mind.

How Often Should You Perform Regular Computer Maintenance and Checkup Tasks?

Just like maintaining a vehicle to keep it running in tip-top condition, you need to do the same thing with all your tech devices. It’s important to never forget to do maintenance and checkup tasks periodically on all your computers, laptops, and tablets to keep things running smoothly. Here are the important tasks that are often forgotten or ignored, but should be carried out regularly.

On a Daily Basis

Back up your data. You don't want to lose yesterday’s work anymore than you want to lose last week’s, so your important work documents, pictures, and other data you deem very important for your work or personal use should be backed up daily. You can find different methods of backing up on the net such as the cloud, or you can use external physical drives or rewritable CD’s.

On a Weekly Basis

Scan for viruses and malware. Your real-time antivirus program isn’t perfect, so to be on the safe side, get a second opinion every week by scanning with another anti-malware security program. You don’t really need to spend money on a reliable antivirus or anti-malware program because there are free and reliable ones available online. While you can use real-time protection for your antivirus program, you don’t need it with anti-malware. But, again, don’t ever forget to scan your PC, laptop, and tablet every week.

On a Monthly Basis

Defragment your hard drive. Over time, your files become fragmented, with any single file split over multiple physical parts of the drive. Fragmentation can slow your devices, especially your PC or laptop, and render lost files less retrievable. Windows comes with a perfectly fine defragmenter. You can easily access this in the programs – accessories – system tools.

Scan your hard drive for errors using Disk Cleanup. You’re not looking for viruses or worms here, but physical and logical problems with the disk that could render parts of it unreadable. It’s also handy to do this chore at the same time you defragment, because both chores start on the programs – accessories – system tools tabs.

When you defragment and undergo disk cleanup, make sure you’re not doing anything else so you can just leave the computer to do this while you’re doing something else. It may take anywhere from 15 minutes up to an hour depending on how much you’re disk needs to be defragmented or cleaned up.

Clean out your computers. If you have a desktop computer, it ends up collecting a lot of dust internally, so it’s a good idea to blow it out with a gas duster, commonly known as canned or compressed air. This will help make sure all of the connections aren’t compromised and keeps your CPU from overheating. Unplug the power cord before taking off the case cover to clean it up. When blowing it out, make sure not to point the canned air too close at internal parts as it can make some of them come loose.