When wireless started becoming popular in many households, most people purchased a wireless b or wireless g router, which are backwards compatible with each other. It has only been recently (in the last 2 years or so) that wireless-n routers have been released and started to make their presence known. Wireless-n routers have some improvements over the older versions, but are they worth the additional cost?

Wireless-n routers transmit data at faster speeds than wireless g or b routers. However, the speed at which you browse the Internet is also limited by your Internet connection. Since your Internet connection is going to be a lot slower than the high speeds that data can be transmitted through your wireless router, if you are trying to speed up the use of your Internet, it really doesn’t matter that wireless-n routers can transmit data faster because you are still going to only browse websites at a maximum speed of your Internet connection. All types of wireless routers are still limited by Internet connection speed. If you are moving files around your local network, then wireless-n will not be limited by the speed of your Internet connection. For example, if you have a media center setup at home then a wireless-n network would be very useful for moving large videos around. Also, wireless-n routers can transmit up to 220 feet vs. 120 feet of wireless b or g routers. So if you need to have a wireless connection in a large home or even a small office, then a wireless-n router is advantageous.

Having said that, there is one issue with wireless-n routers to keep in mind: they require n-capable adapters to work at their top speed. This means if you have a laptop that doesn’t come with a built in n-capable wireless adapter, you can still connect to a wireless-n router but you won’t be able to get the full benefits of it. In order to use the benefits of a wireless-n router you have to upgrade the hardware in your laptops, computers, video game systems and portable devices as well. This can be an expensive process if you have multiple wireless devices that need upgrading. Having said that, you do not have to upgrade everything at the same time. As devices get old and are replaced, you will probably be replacing them with a device that supports the newer, faster technology right out of the box.

The bottom line is that for most people, wireless-n routers are not very cost effective unless you are in need of a new wireless device already. If you don’t have n-capable devices in your computers (which most people don’t), the benefit of wireless-n is not worth the cost of replacing all your older wireless devices. Additionally, even though wireless-n routers can transmit at faster speeds it won’t speed up most people’s Internet usage because the speed that matters is limited by your Internet connection. Unless you have a need to transmit wireless data over longer distances, or are moving large files between local computers, don’t worry about upgrading to a wireless-n device until your current equipment is up for replacement. In other words, don’t go out and buy a wireless-n router just for the sake of upgrading, rather wait until you have devices that support it and are in need of an upgrade, then buy a wireless-n router. If you don’t have a wireless router at all and are going to buy one, then it would be wise to purchase a wireless-n router.

If you are looking at buying a wireless-n router or need assistance setting one one, Emerson Technologies would be happy to help. Just call our office at 651-454-7729 or send an email to help@emersontech.net and we will assist you.

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.

Here is another way to look at it. Driving an expensive car is nice and can come with a lot of cool features, but at its core it is still a car with a main purpose of transportation. Compare the expensive car to a more basic car without air-conditioning, power windows, heated seats, premium sound system, sun roof or leather seats; it still serves the same main purpose – transportation. The expensive car is going to cost more initially and is going to cost more to maintain. Now think of paid anti-virus as a more expensive car. It is going to have a lot of features, many of which are very useful and worth the money. There are still however other features that you may not need. Some might think all of these features might slow down their systems. It is true that some free anti-virus programs perform faster than some paid anti-virus programs, but this is not always the case. For more in-depth technical information on performance tests, take a look at AV Comparatives, an independent anti-virus review website.

In general, most home users will be fine with free anti-virus software assuming the following: your computer is kept up to date with Windows Updates and the program is setup to scan properly. However, if you don’t want to risk anything or if you are worried about a free program and aren’t sure what you need, you can purchase a full featured anti-virus program. They aren’t too expensive and often have versions that are licensed for use on up to 3 computers, so you can install them on your home computer and laptop.

By the way, it is NOT good to have more than 1 anti-virus application installed on your computer. They will conflict with each other and significantly slow down your computer. This can often lead to the anti-virus programs detecting each other and trying to remove each other (due to the nature of how an anti-virus program is designed). However, this is not to be confused with having an anti-virus program and also a secondary program that you use regularly to run additional scans periodically.

Currently, Emerson Technologies recommends that home-users install Microsoft Security Essentials for those looking for a free anti virus program and either Trend Micro AntiVirus and AntiSpyware or Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 for paid anti-virus application.

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.

Say you are going on a business trip for a few weeks and you know you are going to have a lot of downtime between meetings and projects, and you like to read books. It is impractical to have to bring multiple large books. Carrying around multiple books tires quickly and takes up space. Since airlines now charge money for extra baggage, taking along multiple books is not a very good option. With an e-book reader you can have up to 1500 books (depending on the model you purchase) all in one place. You simply turn it on, select the book you want to read and start reading. This brings up a few questions, however. How do you get an e-book on your e-book reader and how long does the battery last?

When it comes to getting an e-book on your e-book reader, there are a number of different options. With some devices such as the Amazon Kindle, you can download new books wherever you are. It will connect to a wireless network using the same technology that advanced 3G cell phones use. You are able to download books, newspapers, magazines and blogs. If you buy books from Amazon’s service then they are automatically backed up for you. Additionally, e-books can be downloaded from other websites or even rented temporarily. Some people predict that local libraries will begin offering books as e-book rentals in the near future. Amazon alone has more than 360,000 books and features New York Times best sellers.

The battery life on e-book readers is amazing. This is because of the technology that they use. E-book readers use what’s called E-Ink technology. This means that there is only a black and white screen and power is only used to draw the text. Once the text is drawn and the page is displayed, no more power is used. The devices can go days or even weeks before the need to recharge.

Because e-book readers have such an excellent battery life, are very portable, and have the ability to download thousands of books, they are an excellent item of technology to have for anybody who enjoys reading. They will continue to rise and grow in popularity and they make excellent gifts.

If you are interested in learning more about e-book readers, this video does an excellent job of describing e-book readers in detail and gives you a firsthand look at them.

ThinkGeek has some bizarre but excellent gifts. Some of them are useful and others are just “kinda neat”.  Check the LED Shower Light. It is an LED fixture that attaches onto a shower-head and makes the water “appear” blue if it’s cold and “red” if it’s hot. It costs $39.99.

ThinkGeek also has a great little desk accessory that can be useful for anyone. It is a miniature beanbag that you set on your desk and then set your cellphone in it. This way, you don’t have to worry about it going off on your purse and having you miss a call or feeling the bulky cell phone in your pocket (as we all know how big cell phones are getting). Check it out here! It can be purchased for $9.99

This last gift is excellent for anyone who has a USB powered device (iPod/iPhone/other mp3 players/certain Cell Phones). Essentially, it is a battery that you take around with you that you can use to charge any USB device you have. The actual battery charges by plugging into a wall. It can be especially useful on airplanes or long flights when you don’t have the ability to charge your device by any other means. It can be found here, it and costs $19.99.

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.

When you buy a computer from a retailer it comes with a sticker on it that says something like “Designed for Windows _____”, where it will have a particular version of Windows such as XP/Vista/7. This means that the computer manufacturer set up the computer hardware to work with that particular operating system. This means that all of the drivers on the computer have been set up to work with the given operating system. If you upgrade to a different operating system such as Windows 7, there is no guarantee that it will work right away. You may have to do some tweaking and download new drivers in order to get your system to work properly. This is one reason why upgrading to Windows 7 does not make sense for a lot of people.

Newer software requires newer hardware. As software evolves, so does the need for more powerful hardware. Even though Windows 7 runs more efficiently than Windows Vista, it still needs a lot more power than older Windows XP machines have. If you have a computer that came with Windows XP and is a few years old, then it does not make sense to upgrade to Windows 7 because you will most likely have to upgrade your hardware in order to be able to run Windows well. If you want to go to Windows 7 then it makes more sense to buy a new computer with Windows 7 already installed. Then you don’t have to worry as much about your computer hardware.

That does however bring up another point: why do you need to upgrade to Windows 7? If everything is working okay for you right now then you shouldn’t change anything. If you are familiar with Windows XP and everything is set up the way you want it, then there is no need to upgrade. Until Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP entirely (which will happen eventually), there is no need to change. There is nothing magical about Windows 7. It is just a flashier more aesthetically pleasing operating system from Microsoft. Additionally, the upgrade process from Windows XP to Windows 7 is a lot more involved than the upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7, and I would strongly advise against it.

So when does it make sense to upgrade to Windows 7? If you bought a Windows Vista computer after June 26th, 2009, there is a good chance it came with a “free upgrade” to Windows 7. If this is the case, then it is a good idea to upgrade to Windows 7 because the software won’t cost you any money and Windows 7 is a better operating system than Windows Vista. To see if you qualify, see the following article from Microsoft  at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade-option.aspx.

One last point I would like to make is that if you are buying a new computer then I advise you get it with Windows 7. Some manufacturers will offer a downgrade to Windows XP for an additional charge, but because Windows XP support time frame is limited, it is a good idea to start familiarizing yourself with Windows 7.

If you are not sure if you should upgrade, or if you have any questions, please give us a call at 651-454-7729 or send us an email at help@emersontech.net, and we would be happy to help you.