These are the Droids you’re looking for
With the recent wave of Android powered tablets could the iPads dominance be coming to an end?
There are now at least ten great iPad alternatives out there and they are all running on the latest Android 3 OS (Honeycomb). I have been using one of these devices for two weeks now and I have to say it is fantastic. It may not have the elitist draw that the iPad has but that just makes me love it more.
The unit I have been using is the Asus Transformer. The amazing thing about this tablet is the optional keyboard/docking station, using this turns your tablet in to a notebook. This allows you to easily type documents and spreadsheets without half the display being taken up by the onscreen keyboard. The dock also has it’s own battery which increases the life of the tablet to sixteen hours. It also includes two USB 2 ports, an extra SD card reader and a trackpad to navigate rather than using the touchscreen.
The multimedia power of this device is outstanding. It has the capability to playback 1080p HD video thanks to the Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset and the images are crisp and clear on its 10.1″ screen. There is also a mini HDMI port allowing you to connect the device to a HDTV for fullscreen playback of movies.
The only downside of the Asus (and the iPad) are the cameras. Instead of using two cameras, they would be better off fitting a higher quality forward facing camera for better video chat using app’s like Skype or Facetime on the iPad.
All in all this is a great device, so much so that I have now sold my iPad and have replaced it with the Asus Transformer.
Find out more on the Asus website
Online Support Desk
Here at Caledonian IT we have now added an online support desk to help our customers log and track their support calls online. The service allows you to create support tickets whether it is for faults & failures or just general queries.
The help desk enables us keep track of open support issues and allows the client to see what is currently going on with the logged issue.
You can visit the support desk by clicking on the Support Desk link on the site menu. If it is your first time on the site, click the sign up link in the top right corner. This will allow you to create a support account that you can then use to track the calls logged. You will receive an email from the support desk to inform you when there has been an update to your support call.
Have you turned it off and on again?
It’s one of the first questions anyone in support will ask you when you call, ”have you turned it off and on again?” You will be amazed how many problems a simple reboot will solve. You should do this at least once before calling for tech support, if for no other reason than to be able to say “yes I have already tried that”.
What we call a cold reboot works best, this means shutting down and turning off your PC or Laptop for 30 seconds before turning it back on again.
If you leave your computer on 24/7, you should restart it every couple of days (with the exception of a server). A freshly booted system always works best. If after doing this you still have problems with your PC or Laptop then you should give your IT Support a call.
Virus scammers
Residents are being warned about the latest ‘spam scam’ which claims your computer is infected by viruses.
The move comes after some consumers contacted the council’s Trading standards Team after receiving an unsolicited phone call from an alleged representative of a technology company, in some instances claiming to be from Microsoft.
The caller explains that the resident’s computer is infected with potentially harmful viruses which could compromise online security and offers to remove them, usually for a fee which can vary from £90 to as much as £185.
David Templeton, the council’s Divisional Trading Standards Officer, said: “At this stage, the caller will talk you through a procedure which will ultimately give them full access to, and control over, your PC.
“If and when this happens, they will be able to install potentially malicious software or spam and may also be able to retrieve personal details such as your name, address and financial information.
“As well as losing money to a bogus service, any software the scammer has installed will also need to be removed, which could leave you even further out of pocket.
“Our advice here is simple – do not give anyone access to your computer as you may be handing them your life on a plate.
“A significant amount of personal information can be gleaned this way, which could cost you way more than the initial fee. Just hang up, and report it to us.
“If you think your computer has a virus, only you will know. No-one in a remote call centre somewhere can claim to know different. No matter what, always take technical advice before making any decision.”
For more information or advice, or to report a suspected scam, please contact the trading standards team on 01355 806865.
Free Anti-Virus
At Caledonian IT we strongly recommend everyone runs an Anti-Virus package on their computers, but you do not need to pay for this software or for the updates. There are loads of great FREE solutions available to home users but now there is also a free solution for the small business (10 computers or less). It is from software giant Microsoft and is called Microsoft Security Essentials.
Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.
Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.
You can download the software from the Microsoft site by clicking here.
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