5 Ways to Optimize Your Gadgets to Maximize their Capabilities

Aside from a desktop computer or a laptop, there are so many tech gadgets in our lives today, and it’s important to keep these tech gadgets optimized and well-maintained periodically to keep things running smoothly. Like your desktop PC and laptop, your other tech gadgets need to be cleaned and maintained properly as well as staying well optimized.

Update your Wi-Fi router

Since all tech gadgets connect to the Internet, if you’re experiencing slow Wi-Fi speeds, spotty connections, or trouble with technologies, you might need to update the firmware of your router. Router manufacturers update firmware on a regular basis to fix issues and improve performance. The process for updating a router’s firmware is generally pretty simple but varies between brands, so it’s best to check the user manual or online documentation.

Keep the operating system and other software updated

While Apple, Android, and Windows will default to automatic downloading and installing of updates, some programs and apps on your tech gadgets and devices needs to be updated as well. It’s a good idea to manually check for updates as well, just in case. Sometimes security patches come “out of cycle,” meaning that if the vulnerability is serious, Apple, Microsoft, or Android will release a patch for it as quickly as possible. You also need to check for updates on new drivers for your tech gadgets. If you regularly use a tablet, always check the OS for updates even if the default is set to automatic.

Clear up disk space

Just like a PC and laptop, tech gadgets need to be cleaned internally, that is, old files and other unused items should be cleared out or transferred. While some phones have an SD card for more saving space and most tablets now have a big capacity, eventually, this space gets filled up fast. For tech gadgets to work faster and better, delete or transfer files not in use. Delete what you don’t need and transfer other files that aren’t needed to your PC. For instance, if you have a lot of pictures and videos from all your vacation trips stored in your gadgets, simply transfer these to your PC or an external drive.

Uninstall old unused programs and apps

Almost similar to a PC or laptop, as time goes by and your gadgets rack up space from all those downloaded programs and apps, perhaps it’s time to get rid of what you don’t need or don’t use anymore. In some cases, a few of these were never even used at all. As you remove these programs and apps, you free up more space on your gadgets and they’ll start working faster and smoothly again.

Clean your gadgets

Like a desktop PC and laptop, even tech gadgets collect a lot of dust internally, and its external features also become dirty. You can use canned or compressed air to blow out all this dust and dirt. With most tech gadgets, all you need to remove is the battery to blow out the dirt inside.

5 Steps to Prepare Your Business for Technology Growth

It’s one thing for business owners to start using technology to grow a business; it’s another matter when the business needs to prepare for technology growth. Naturally, technology improves all aspects of a business such as in sales, marketing, production, and communication, and so, a business must always keep in step with technology so its brand or services can also keep pace with its customers.

However, the rate that technology is changing can be daunting for any business. As quickly as a company puts up new computers to improve work production, it quickly becomes outdated or a new version has taken its place in a few years time.

And so, here are a few steps to keep pace with changing technology trends and growth that will help any business to stay ahead.

Acknowledge that not everyone needs to be in the office

A business owner must realize that this isn’t the age of typewriters anymore wherein everyone needs to be in the office and follow a clocking system wherein everyone needs to punch out by 5:00 p.m. Some can be on a business trip, on the road dealing with customers, or staying at home, all using technology to work from where they are. Staying locked to a desk is no longer the norm, especially when innovation is needed. Likewise, the 9-to-5 clocking is no longer the norm since many businesses are now going 24/7 in order to stay in step with their customers. Business owners must realize that technology growth means improving work production but seeing less and less of your workers in the office.

Make the most of communication

A worker no longer needed to be at their desk to be reached by phone. No matter the location of any worker, even overseas, mobile phones, instant messaging, and video conferencing is now making the office worker more mobile and always reachable. Contact and communication is almost always instantaneous. Business owners need to invest in growing communication technology to improve work production.

Paperwork and presentations are no longer done manually

Back in the old days, paperwork was paperwork, and any errors on the manual work was corrected manually as well with white correction fluid and typed over. Likewise, product or brand presentations had to be drawn on overhead projector slides. All this mess is gone thanks to technology. Business owners can invest in software that improves paperwork and filing to the point of paperless files and presentations that can be prepared in a matter of minutes.

Technology streamlines operations

With a growing technology, any business system becomes more efficient, operates much faster, is less burdensome, and is even sometimes automated. By being aware of technology growth, all areas of a business can run smoothly and efficiently.

Technology growth will improve customer service

Technology growth means providingand improving customer service. Technology makes the system run smoothly and efficiently, thus, making customer service interaction in real time and making everything including payments a seamless experience.

5 Reasons Why Every PC Owner Should Always Update their Antivirus Software

It’s one thing to have antivirus software installed to protect your computer against threats, but it’s another matter to keep it consistently and constantly updated.

It’s actually not hard to miss because all antivirus software will prompt you for an update, which is that little pop-op on your screen that notifies you. But if you have been failing to regularly update your antivirus software by ignoring the notifications, chances are you’re not fully protected from Internet safety risks and external attacks. Most notably, your computer might be attacked by a new virus that your software has not been updated for.

It is crucial to update your antivirus software frequently to make sure that it has all of the information it needs to fight the most recent threats. Here are some of the important reasons why PC owners should always update their antivirus software.

New Threats are Created on a Daily Basis

Cyber criminals are always looking for holes and vulnerabilities that they can exploit to create new and more powerful viruses. If your PC’s antivirus software is not updated against the most current viruses that have been created, you are leaving yourself open to attack. Remember that your antivirus protection becomes outdated as soon as a new virus is released, so it is important to keep it as updated as possible.

Virus Protection is Crucial for Protecting Your Valuable Files

Did you know that some viruses and spyware can actually hack into your system and erase or corrupt the data on your computer? Some viruses can even lock away your own information with a password that you didn’t create. If you have any sort of sensitive, valuable, and private information on your computer, it is vital to make sure that you are protected against the most recent viruses.

A Hacker Can Turn Off Your Updates

Are you aware that someone could have accessed your antivirus software and disabled the “real-time” monitoring feature, which automatically downloads updates? Sometimes, this happens when someone is trying to compromise the security of your computer and other times it can happen by accident. If you have set your antivirus software to automatically update but it has been turned off without your knowledge, you could have a false sense of security that leads you to believe that you are protected, but in reality, you are not. Make sure that you check and verify that your computer has the latest software and that it has been updating with the latest virus information.

Your PC Could Infect Others

If your computer contracts a virus, it could affect not only your own hard drive but it could also be passed along to other computers by e-mail, USB flash drive, or network links. This means that any computer you come in contact with or all other computers at work could be infected just because you didn’t update your virus protection.

These are just a few of the reasons why it is so important to keep your antivirus software up to date. If you don’t, you could be leaving your computer dangerously vulnerable to infection.

Reasons Shy It's Worth Buying a 4k TV Now

4K is becoming a new household standard for consumers. 4K UHD TVs are now starting to settle in with a price that reflects build quality, and more and more companies are now focusing on producing more 4K UHD TVs than regular HD TVs. It's inevitable that they will eventually replace our current TVs and move us into a brighter, crisper era of entertainment in the near future.

Here's why some 4K TVs are tremendously cheaper or more expensive than others.

Quality to the Dollar

A TV's display quality is the most important factor for purchasing one, right? The look and feel of a TV, based on the display, can vary widely in a number of ways, far more than simply the amount of pixels packed into a given space. A 4K, or UHD TV will pack in double the amount of pixels as a regular 2K (High Definition) display.

In layman's terms, when 4K content is played on the display, it will look sharp and clear and roughly twice as good as that of a typical HD TV. In addition, many of these 4K UHD TVs will offer more features such as High Dynamic Range (HDR), which is a screen technology that allows a wider color gamut, deeper blacks, and brighter whites. Essentially, the color appears to "pop" a bit more.

Watching 4K Content

If you still watch a lot of content via cable TV, you will not benefit as much from a 4K UHD display. This is because the technology is not yet set up to sent 4K content over the airwaves.

However, there is an increasing amount of 4K content being released on platforms such as Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. If you plan to ditch your cable provider or already have done so, a 4K UHD TV may be a great choice for you.

If you would like to play games in 4K, the Xbox One S and PS4 Pro offer 4K output. Do bear in mind, though, that not all games are offered in 4K. Rest assured that the number of game studios producing 4K content will definitely grow as time goes on.

Additional Features

When shopping for any electronic gadget or appliance, you always consider all of the added features when making a purchase to get the best value. Not every brand is the same, or even similar for that matter, when it comes down to how color and sharpness will display, the user interface of smart capabilities, and so on.

4K TVs are more expensive than others because more features added into it to make it "smart." A 4K UHD TV marked as "smart" will offer some sort of user interface that enables you to interact with content-based apps such as YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix. This often comes as an additional cost.

Curved TVs will have a slight curve in the display that adds depth in the content being viewed and it makes viewing content from the side of the room a bit easier. And since it's more difficult to produce this type of display, expect that prices will be tremendously higher.

Yelling at the Tech Agent Who is Trying to Help You Will Not Fix Your Computer

In short, users, customers, and callers should try to stay calm when talking to the tech support person on the phone or online because shouting or scolding him will never solve any computerproblem.

Also, not everyone is good at explaining technical computer problems, but the job of technical support persons is to listen intently and carefully to the caller or user. On the user’s part, it helps if the problem can be properly explained, so some advice may be helpful on this part.

Computer complaints, frustration and feelings of helplessness are pretty standard for people who spend their work virtually sitting in front of a computer for the whole day, 5 days a week. So, too, is the temptation to chew out the tech support professional at the other of the phone when you’re staring at a blue screen and you have a deadline coming up.

But before you bite off the head of the help desk analyst, consider that your actions might have consequences later.

People tend to be more emotive over the phone or in an e-mail than they would ever be in person. Especially on the phone, we say things that we would never say face-to- face. In the workplace, the customer is always right but sometimes, a customer can get out of hand and needs to be put in their place. Customers need to be careful because a comment you might call snide or just a way to blow off steam might be construed by a help desk attendant and the HR department as a rather serious workplace offense called bullying.

The customer might simply describe their behavior as being annoyed, dissatisfied or snippy. But the technical support person on the other end of the phone might perceive those comments as belligerent or bullying. If someone feels they are being bullied or intimidated or disrespected, they have a right to complain.

Tech support help desk analysts also complain that there are times when they have customers with high positions or jobs who demand things, demand them immediately, and demand them rudely. In those cases, the tech support can go to the supervisor and simply say: “This guy is really out of line.” Usually, that takes care of the problem, although it may involve a long drawn out out-of- court discussion between the customer and the HR department, and in some cases, even lawyers become involved.

People should realize that tech support call centers sometimes get backed up and need to prioritize the most critical problems first. So if every caller who can’t get her solitaire to work thinks it’s the end of the world, there is now a certain sense of entitlement. People think they’re paying for a service and can walk all over the people providing that service.

And it is unfortunate that 80-20 rule very much applies in these situations; 80 per cent of the calls come from the same 20 per cent of the customers. But if a customer gets belligerent toward one of the technicians, again remember that this has consequences.

Three Rules of Thumb in Evaluating If Your IT Support is Reliable

When looking for an IT support company, you need to remember that not all companies are cut from the same cloth. But all will offer the basics like support contracts, telephone assistance, and a dedicated IT support technician for each complaint. However, it’s worth spending a little time to do some detailed research on how reliable your IT support company really is, how to tell if the company is really trustworthy, and what 3 main questions to ask to make your evaluation complete. This may seem a bit time-consuming, but if you do this, it will save you fewer hours of headaches when you eventually do need to call for IT tech support.

What Support Packages Do You Offer?

Naturally, you need to ask what services and packages they offer in conjunction with these services. Do inquire in detail what support packages the company offers and can they cater for the needs of your business today and any demands you may have tomorrow? Most companies will offer one or more of the following:

Pay-as- you-go support – You only pay an hourly rate for the time you need, or a fixed price fee for the call out. You should ask how they really charge because a fixed price might be beneficial for problems that take a long time to fix, but an hourly rate will be more cost effective in the long run.

Break-fix support – If something breaks, then the company will fix it. They won’t, however, show you how to improve your computer’s performance or how to fix a similar problem in the future.

Managed service support – This is where your IT support company actively monitors and manages your systems to reduce the chance of things going awry. With other companies, they call this a subscription support service wherein the company may or may not monitor your computers but repairs are done automatically once you make a call because the customer is paying a fixed monthly fee.

In addition, do inquire if all quoted prices are inclusive of everything or will there be hidden charges and fees.

How Qualified Are You?

Look out for a team of qualified technicians and engineers. What accreditations have they earned? What training do they have? On top of this, it’s always good to ask about what kind of training they are currently taking or are planning to in the near-future. This is because the best IT support companies will keep their staff trained to the highest levels possible. Also, aside from having college degrees in IT and computer engineering, ask the company what licenses the technicians and engineers hold.

What is and isn’t supported?

Although they may offer Windows and Microsoft Office support, you should find out if they can help with other things like Wi-Fi routers, printers, and even mobile devices. If they can, it means you only have to talk to one person when dealing with any IT headaches. This can make life much easier.

Portable Apps That You'll Find Useful for Your Windows PC

Over the years, you've probably accumulated a number of USB flash drives to the point that you don't know what to do with them anymore. So here's a tip -- you could fill one of your spare flash drives with portable apps, which you can run directly from the disks and plug-and-play in whatever computer you like.

Go ahead and fill up that lonely USB flash drive with these portable apps for Windows, instead of letting it lie on your drawer and just accumulate dust.

Google Chrome

Portable web browsers let you surf the Web without leaving any trace of your personal information like browsing history, cookies, login sessions, etc. on the computer. Obviously, as soon as you're connected to the Internet with the portable version of Google Chrome and use your Google accounts, your data will inevitably end up in the company's vaults, but Chrome users are aware of that by now. The fact remains that it's the best browser around.

7-Zip

7-Zip is a free and open-source application with a high compression ratio and powerful file manager to help you extract compressed files and create your own compressed files in several different formats. It's definitely worth keeping around in your USB portable apps collection, especially when you need to do some quick compressing.

GIMP

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is another free and open-source image editing tool that's packed with powerful features. It's a perfect alternative for Adobe Photoshop, considerably less resource-intensive, and contains many of the same advanced features for hardcore editing. It takes a little getting used to if you're coming from Photoshop, but it does much the same job, and it can do it portably without Adobe's massive installation process.

VLC Media Player

VLC has long since been the fastest, most robust video player around, and being portable makes it even better. Using VLC media player as a portable, you can play a vast number of video and audio formats such as MKV, alongside the standard MP4 that makes up most movies. It has just about all the video codecs you need built in, too, so there's no need to download extra ones.

CCleaner

CCleaner is a free Windows clean-up utility, which lets you clean such junk as redundant registry keys, cookies, and excess temporary files off your system. If you want to wipe your web browsing after you've been in an Internet cafe, for instance, then you can just pop in a USB stick with the portable version of CCleaner on it, then use it to wipe all your browsing history. You can even let it clean up the entire computer while you're at it!

LastPass

LastPass is a great password manager, which lets you securely store and manage all your passwords. It garbles and encrypts your passwords and stores them online. Handily, the portable version integrates with portable web browsers like Firefox and Chrome.