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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Starting Monday 24/01/2011, Caledonian IT will be offering an online support service that will allow remote access to your desktop PC to resolve software issues. By simply downloading the small secure client software and granting access, they will be able to connect to your PC and rectify any issues encountered. Not only is there no requirement for you to wait for an engineer, this will also reduce response times.

Customers who benefit from the monthly payment plan will automatically receive this service free of charge, and a reduced rate of £30 will be applied to pay as you go customers. This is compared to the standard hourly rate of £40.

There will obviously be instances where this service is not sufficient. If your fault is hardware related; access cannot be gained to the internet or the fault is with multiple PC’s, a normal site visit will still be required.

Make sure you run widows update on a regular basis, Microsoft updates are released to patch holes in the system to block malicious attacks from hackers and Spyware.

2 – Do not click the links in unsolicited email.
These links can take you to a webpage that may look legitimate, but could actually contain hidden content that will install spyware or adware on your computer. Please note that Microsoft will never send you an email asking you to click the link to update you software or details.

3 – Install Anti-virus software.
Make sure you have an anti-virus package on your PC, we recommend NOD32 from Eset but you should at least use one of the free packages that are out there.

4 – Install Anti-spyware software.
Again if you use NOD32 from Eset it has powerful built in spyware protection. There are also some great standalone applications like Spy-Bot Search & Destroy or Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware.

5 – Rogue software.
If a Spyware or Anti-virus program appears on your PC that you have not installed or have not seen before, do not use it. Chances are that the app itself is the Virus / Spyware, contact us straight away and we can arrange for a technician to visit you and remove the rogue software.

6 – Scan your PC regularly.
You should scan your pc with your Anti-virus / Anti-Spyware program at least once a month but preferably once a week.

7 – Upgrade Internet Explorer.
If you are still using Internet Explorer 6 then please upgrade it to Internet Explorer 8 as soon as possible, IE6 does not meet today’s security requirements.

Are you getting the Broadband speed you are paying for?

The UK average speed is around 4Mb even though it is sold as up to 8Mb.

Suppliers are now offering up to 20Mb Broadband, if you are offered faster Broadband ask the supplier to tell you what average speeds you can expect to receive.

If you wish to test the average speed with your existing provider, go to the link below and choose a server that is closest to you.

www.speedtest.net

Welcome to the new Caledonian IT web site, here you will find up to date information on new services from Caledonian IT, along with current news on computer technology and security.