Just this week, OpenDNS, an organization with a mission to make the Internet a better place, has released a free service called Family Shield.  Family Shield is a service designed to automatically restrict access to adult websites for all computers on a home network.  It also restricts access for other devices that can access the Internet as well, such as an Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, iPad and smartphones that are connected via wi-fi.  The service is automatically kept up-to-date by OpenDNS.  Family Shield is easy to setup and instantly filters content on all your computers with no software to install or update.

If you have questions about Family Shield or are interested in implementing in your home, please give us a call at 651-454-7729 and we can provide assistance in setting it up, getting it configured, and providing recommendations about how it can help protect you.

Computers are an investment. When purchasing a computer people often look only at the original sticker price as the full cost. However, the total cost of computer ownership includes original hardware, original software, hardware and software upgrades, maintenance and labor.

There comes a point when it is no longer economical to put money into a computer to fix it. In general that is 3 to 4 years. Now, of course there will be exceptions and this is just a guideline that has been developed from years of experience working with computers.

The question remains, what happens to computers that are around 3 years old? Why do they need to be replaced? There are many reasons for this. First, after 3 years the likelihood of hardware failures is much greater, and the warranties for the hardware are often expired. Also, it is very likely that a lot of software will have been installed on the computer and as newer software comes out, it usually requires more powerful hardware to run it. This means that in order to run the latest software properly, you need to update the hardware. Newer computers lead to less frustration and more productivity saving your company in the long run.

We find that many businesses, especially non-profit organizations, opt not to purchase a new computer because of apprehension about up front costs. However over a three to four year period, the cost of not upgrading easily outweighs the initial investment not to mention the difference in productivity. These costs do not factor in frustration by the user. These inefficiencies play a role and should not be discounted when deciding whether or not to purchase a new computer.

Here is the bottom line: replacement of a computer should strongly be considered after three years of usage.

These products are used around the country to protect computers in server rooms, drugs in pharmacies, expensive medical equipment, document storage rooms and more.

Here is a sample situation in which Invetex’s products could be very useful. Suppose it is a Friday night after everyone has left for the weekend and the air conditioning unit goes out in your building and/or server room and nobody will be in the office until Monday morning. Depending on the setup, the heat could rise to levels that could damage your server and any other of the sensitive electronic equipment in the room. This means that when you get there on Monday morning, there could be a lot of serious problems.  There are also going to be potential costs of replacement hardware and the time it is going to take to reconfigure everything, which could be hours or even days. If you had the proper monitoring equipment in place, then Friday night once the temperature started to rise an alert would have been sent out and action could be taken immediately- preventing any huge complications Monday morning so everyone can return to work and not even know there was a problem over the weekend.

For more information, send us an email or call us at 651-454-7729 and we can assist you in getting these products purchased and set up for you so that you can have peace of mind knowing that the correct precautionary measures have been taken.

It is important to have multiple copies of your data. When discussing the 3-2-1 backup strategy, the first set is the original data: this is the information you work with in real time. The second and third sets of data are considered backups of the original information, but the backups are of 2 different types.
For the two backup copies, they need to be on two different mediums. This is a measure taken for security reasons, in case something happens to one copy, or if something is somehow damaged. Having two copies on two different mediums is essential for a good backup strategy. Some of the most commonly used mediums for backups: external hard drive / USB drive, CD/DVD, tapes, online backup. There are different benefits for each backup medium. For example, tapes are easy to take offsite, but you have to have a tape-reader in order to use them, and tapes have to be regularly changed. Servers may have tape drives built into them, so using backup tapes makes sense in that case. CDs and DVDs are also easy to take off site, but they don’t hold as much data as tapes or external hard drives and also require user intervention. External hard drives are large and easy to transport, but they are also fragile and sensitive to damage. Online backups can be done automatically, and you don’t have to worry about physically changing a tape or taking the backup off site, because it is all done for you, but you do have to worry about bandwidth.

Following the 3-2-1 procedure means that one of the backups should be offsite. There are many reasons for this. First off, if you have all of your data backed up on tapes or an external hard drive that are left on site and there is a burglary, fire, or other natural disaster, then there is a good chance that your backup will be damaged or destroyed. Just because one of the backups needs to be off site does not mean it has to be online. If you are using tape backups or an external hard drive and you take it off site every night then that is considered an off site backup. The reason that Emerson Technologies recommends online backups is because they are very easy to configure, they run automatically, and they are already offsite. This means somebody doesn’t have to remember to take something home every night and every morning.

Here are some examples of recommended 3-2-1 backup strategies:

Strategy 1: External hard drive and online backups – Recommended by Emerson Technologies
3 copies of data – One live copy, one copy on an external hard drive, one copy backed up online.
2 different backup mediums – External hard drive and online
1 offsite backup – Online

Strategy 2: Backup tapes and online backups
3 copies of data – One live copy, one copy on backup tapes, one copy backed up online.
2 different backup mediums – Tapes and online
1 offsite backup – Online

Strategy 3: External hard drive and backup tapes
3 copies of data – One live copy, one copy on an external hard drive, one copy on backup tapes.
2 different backup mediums – External hard drive and tapes.
1 offsite backup – Either take tapes home every night, or take external hard drive home.
If you have any questions about your backup strategy, or if you would like Emerson Technologies to help you in any way, please give us a call at 651-454-7729 and we would be happy to help.

The applications of a Pogoplug are limitless. If you have a very large music collection and like to listen to it on your phone, but you don’t have enough space, then a Pogoplug can be very beneficial. All of the data is stored on a hard drive, and the Pogoplug allows you to access it from your phone! You can watch movies on your phone (though the quality is not the highest because it has to stream all of the data). You can even setup certain folders you want to be shared with others. This means you can have all of your photos online and share them with friends and family very easily.

The Pogoplug currently costs $129. This does not include the cost of any external drives that you will need to store your files. It may seem like an expensive device but the functionality that it provides as well as the ease of use make it very valuable. If you are interested in learning more about the Pogoplug please see the following articles, or send an email to help@emersontech.net and we will assist you the best we can.

For more information see the following articles:

“Pogoplug second generation debuts, coming this holiday with enhanced web interface” – Endgadget

“Pogoplug: A Simple Way to Share Data in Your Personal Cloud”
(older version of the Pogoplug, but same idea)

“What Is Pogoplug” – Pogoplug.com

An Android based phone means that it is running a Linux operating system called Android. You may be familiar with different Windows operating systems, such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and different Mac operating systems, such as Max OS X – Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, etc. Well, Android is simply an operating system for phones.

The company which originally designed the Android operating system was acquired by Google in 2005. Google had them design the fist Android-based phone, the G1. From there more and more Android phones began to be created. Android is similar to the iPhone in that there is a market where thousands of applications can be downloaded. Any of the newer Android phones have full support for exchange email for businesses, Google calendar, Gmail, and email account synchronization. Additionally, Android phones can connect to Wi-Fi networks, have bluetooth connectivity and also have built in GPS technologies.

One of the most important aspects of the Android operating system is that it is an open platform that you can install any application that you want. This is different from the iPhone due to the fact that every single application has to be approved by Apple before it can be placed on the Apple App Store. With an Android-based phone, software developers are free to offer their applications on their own, without being required to get it approved by another company prior to it being made available.

Android phones offer many more features than traditional Smartphones such as and Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones, and are still easy to set up for synchronization in the business world. They function similarly to the iPhone. Lately, the iPhone and Android-based phones have been referred to in a new category of their own. They are referred to as “Super Smartphones”.  Examples of some Android based phones include G1, HTC Hero, HTC Legend, HTC myTouch, Motorola Droid, Motorola Cliq, and the Nexus One. If you are considering buying a new phone, Emerson Technologies supports and recommends Android phones. One thing to consider if you are used to working with Windows Mobile is that Microsoft has a new version of their Windows Mobile OS called “Windows Phone 7 Series” coming out at the end of this year.  If you are partial to Windows Mobile for any reason you might want to wait for a bit for our discussion of the huge changes coming to the Windows Phone field. We will have an article on Windows Phone 7 Series coming soon.

If you have electronic items, then you know what a power strip is. A power strip plugs into your wall outlet and allows you to plug in multiple electronic devices. The outlets in your house or office likely have room for two devices. Well, if you need to plug in more than two devices you can use a power strip and plug in many more. Some people think that a surge protector is the same thing as a power strip when in fact this is not true, even if they both appear to be the same.

A surge protector functions like a power strip; it gives the user the ability to plug in multiple electronic devices, but it also serves another very important function. A surge protector will also protect your electronic devices from a power spike. A power spike is a temporary, very high increase in power that lasts for a fraction of a second. They can be caused by lightning strikes (however unlikely), power outages, tripped circuit breakers, short circuits and more. If a power spike occurs when a device is not hooked into a surge protector, damage can occur.  However, the circuit a device is connected to is subject to a lightning strike, even a surge protector can’t prevent damage.

Because of the electrical sensitivity of computers (and their cost), it is HIGHLY advised that they are hooked into a surge protector. Surge protectors do a very good job of preventing damage from a power spike. A surge protector costs a little more than a power strip. A 6-outlet power strip can often be found for less than $10 while a 6-outlet surge protector might cost between $10 and $20. Not every device in your house needs to be plugged into a surge protector, just the expensive devices. Now, I know that for many, the coffee maker is incredibly important, but it doesn’t need to be plugged into a surge protector. Here are some examples of items that should be hooked into a surge protector: desktop computers, laptops, servers*, TVs, home entertainment systems (receiver / DVD player / video game systems ). For a home entertainment system, you can simply get a single surge protector strip and hook in all of your devices.

*Servers are often hooked up to what is called a UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply. A UPS is essentially a backup battery in case of a power outage so that the server doesn’t shut down, but they also usually function as a surge protector.

In order to tell the difference between a power strip and a surge protector, you have to look for an electric rating.  A surge protector will have a rating in Joules of energy, as well as the maximum voltage it can take from a power spike.  If you find those numbers either on the box it came it or on the strip itself, then it is a surge protector.  Also, if you have ever heard the term “surge suppressor”, it is the same thing as a surge protector; it is a device used to protect against changes in current.  The bottom line is to make sure that your computers and other electronic devices are hooked into a surge protector. It is a few dollars to spend that can end up saving you thousands in the long run.

3G and even 4G are words that are casually tossed around in the tech world everyday, and are recently showing up in TV commercials for cell phones. Most people don’t know what it really means other than a “faster” connection than phones that aren’t 3G. There are a lot of misconceptions I have heard about 3G cell phones that I would like to clear up. First, 3G does not mean you have 3gb or even a 3mb download rate. All 3G really means is 3rd generation. The different generation of cell phones refers to the wireless technology they use to stream data from the cell towers to the actual phone. Without getting too technical, think of each generation as a better and faster way to transmit data.

The technology that 3G uses has speeds comparable to a slow broadband connection. The reason that there is so much hype and talk about 3G networks is  because of how advanced they are over their predecessor.  a 3G network is over 14 times faster than the previous 2.5G network.  One other important item to note is that just because you have a 3G phone does not mean you always have 3G coverage. In order to have the faster speeds and utilize the 3G networks you have to be within range of a 3G tower, but for most people who live in major cities and outlying cities this is not usually an issue.

There is also a lot of questions about who has the best or fastest 3G network.  The commercials between AT&T and Verizon are mostly accurate.  It is true that AT&T does have faster speeds than Verizon, but not by a large margin.  However, Verizon does have a significantly larger coverage area than AT&T.  It is important to ask yourself what is more important, having slightly faster speeds or having a fast connection that is more readily available.  It would be wise to research the 3G coverage in your area before switching providers or signing a contract.

So, what is the 4G network that Sprint talks about? So far, it isn’t all that the commercials say. Sprint does have “4G” speeds, in select cities (most of which are in Texas), but it is nowhere near the full potential of what 4G could reach. The 4G download speeds are about twice as fast as 3G speeds which may sound like a lot, but the technology has so much more potential for faster speeds that the it should still be given time to develop. In the next few years however 4G technology will start becoming mainstream, and 3G will be a thing of the past.

Online backups have a couple great advantages over local backups. For example, say you have all of your data backed up on another computer in your office; that’s great. If something happens to your main computer, you can still access all of your data from the other computer. But what if a break in occurs? If both of your computers are stolen, then where does that leave you? What happens to all of your data that you had backed up? Unless you had it backed through a different medium it is lost forever. What if there was a fire in your building? Even if you have sprinkler systems, if the fire doesn’t damage your computers then there is a very high chance that water damage will. A tornado can destroy your entire building; an earthquake can destroy an entire city  This is why having an online backup is an important component of your backup strategy.

Here is a perfect example of where an online backup could have saved someone their career. Francis Ford Coppola, a well known movie director, writer and producer was working for his movie script for the scheduled 2009 movie “Tetro” and had his laptop and other items stolen. Even if he had his data backed up on another computer or source in his home, the thieves cleaned out his place of all electronic items and left him without a script. Had he had an online backup system in place, he would have been able to recover the data immediately.

If you don’t like the idea of having your data backed up somewhere on the Internet where you can’t “have” it with you, then it is VERY important to have an off-site backup. This can mean having 2 sets of backups that you rotate every other week. This will mean that one set of your backups is off-site so if there is a burglary or fire you will only have a week of work to make up for, which is still quite a bit. The other problem with off-site backups is that it is a lot of work to have to remember to rotate backups in and out and can easily be forgotten and overlooked.

One of the best parts about online backups is the costs associated with them.  An online backup can cost a user anywhere from a few cents to less than $10.00, depending on how much data they have to back up.  This costs much less than having to buy additional hardware.  Additionally, the user doesn’t have to worry about maintaining hardware because that is done for them.

Online backups are so simple and easy to use. They just need to be configured one time, and then they run every hour/day/week or however often you would like. This ease and automation of online backups makes them a great asset to any individual or company. If you or someone you know would like any more additional information about online backups, or if you would like help setting one up, we would be happy to help. Please give us a call at 651-454-7729 or email us at help@emersontech.net.

First, it is very important to have a good anti-virus program installed on your computer. A few months ago we wrote an article stressing the importance of having a good anti-virus program and how to make sure it’s a real program, not one of the many fake programs that are now infesting computers. A hacker can use viruses/trojans/worms/etc to take personal information that you enter into websites such as credit card information, personal address/bank information, and even your social security number. Having a good anti-virus program is an important step to protecting yourself.

The second thing you should do is to be cautious whenever you are using a credit card online. Are you buying from a reputable site? If you are connected through a secure server then you should feel confident that the information will be encrypted. You will know you are connected to a secure server because there will be a little lock in the corner of your browser, or the website may start with “https://” as opposed to “http://”. We also wrote an article a while back on how Paypal has a very cool feature which allows you to set up a one-time credit card use.

When it comes to passwords, it is important to not use a password at more than one place (website, company, email, etc).  That way, if a password is compromised, it won’t damage multiple accounts.

Lastly, be careful in general when giving out personal information. Many online predators will try to trick people into thinking they are someone else. You should never give out your password, and you should change your passwords regularly. A website should never ask you for personal information in an email.  See this earlier article on choosing a good password. Even if an email “appears” to be be addressed from a valid email address, and even may be addressed to you by first and last name, never give out personal information. A lot of predator emails are also sent from fake Ebay email addresses. This has been a cause of concern and Ebay has will send out reminder emails to never give out personal information to combat this problem.

If you feel like you have been the victim, you need to take action immediately. Just like if your credit card is physically stolen you call to companies, you should take appropriate action if you feel your personal information has been jeopardized.