Well it appears that Google is trying to drastically change the way we use wireless phone networks. As opposed to the carrier lock-in we all face now, Google's vision is an open network where devices or phones connect to any open available network. Their vision is very similar to how we connect to the internet now. Any computer can connect to the internet as long as it has a network connection.This is also how we connect to landlines based on the Carterphone decision in 1968. Any phone can connect to a landline phone service. Of course, I don't expect to the wireless carriers to go willingly into the night. They will fight this tooth and nail and do their best to carry on with the current state of lock-in. Like I've said over and over, until we as consumers begin to fight for change - we are stuck in the current model. Come on Google - help us out and by extension help your company. Google's Full Patent ApplicationLabels: google, wireless
 Recently, I've been purchasing a lot of things from my local Office Depot. The staff there are friendly and courteous, and their prices are pretty competitive. Plus it's close to my home/office. Of course, I also love to price/review shop on the Internet prior to making purchases. Upon landing on the home page, they had a nice chair advertised on sale. Regular $139.99 it had an instant savings of $50 that brought it down to $89.99 - not a bad deal really. Besides I could use a new chair. When I clicked on the chair to bring up the details - the deal got even sweeter! Office Depot was going to pay me $.01 to buy it! Hell, I was ready to order 100 of them, but my local zip code indicated that the stores near me didn't have them in stock. No big deal. I would gladly pay a little freight and order about 5 of them. When I proceeded to checkout, none of the instant savings were applied though. Hmmm - so I called Office Depot's number - 800.463.3768 - to see what was up. Of course, the kind Indian call center gentleman pulled up the product number and confirmed the chair should be -($.01). After some more "checking" and a 3 minute pause, he stated "I'm so sorry for the false advertisement, but the chair is $139.99 and the website is incorrect. I am reporting this to our corporate department." Damn the luck. Well, I couldn't stand it so I called back on my Skype phone and recorded the call (yes, it's legal in Louisiana as a one-party state). Sarah confirmed that the chair was being "reported to our corporate department" and that I could place an order for the chair. I couldn't get her to outright say it was "false advertising", which would have been fun. What did I gain out of this? Nothing really but something to blog about! MP3 Recording with Sarah from Office Depot Support
I've been working recently with a client on a web project (sales of digital art). As is typical of most of my projects, my expertise in other areas gets tapped - not just web development. After all I am an IT consultant. This client needed an inexpensive VoiP telephone solution for the online small business. She wants customers to be able to contact a "real person" if needed as well as be able to fax digitally. In my opinion with a combination of free and inexpensive services plus cell phones, it can all happen. Posted below are excerpts from the email correspondence. Keep that in mind as the "text flow" is not perfect. You will see that I am recommending Skype as part of the solution. For all the naysayers out there, let me state this upfront: It works and works well. I am running a Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT firmware and QoS optimized for VoiP and Skype on a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a built-in webcam - video conferencing works well and barely puts a dent in my dual-core Intel. It offers conference calling features and when combined with Pamela, you can even do call recording and a whole lot more. =========From Email=========Also, I've been doing some research on the "phone line" and VOIP. I think using Skype may be a very viable alternative. You can purchase a "SkypeIN" number which gives you a "local" number that is routed to your free Skype account. When someone calls your number from a landline or cell, you answer it via Skype. You can also purchase a Skype subscription which would allow US/Mexico/Canada/International calling for $9.95/month or less. You also have an option of using the include "SkypeToGo" service so that you could make international calls from your cell phone as part of your Skype subscription. Here is the main advantage that I see. Suppose you contracted with someone to be the "receptionist" for Legally Hung. All you would have to do is forward the SkypeIn number (which acts as the business number) to that persons cell OR have them install Skype for free and login using the account for that number. You can also purchase up to 10 SkypeIn numbers per account. Of course - Skype to Skype calls are completely free. References: http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/onlinenumber/http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/callforwarding/http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/subscriptions/http://support.skype.com/index.php?_a=knowledgebase&_j=questiondetails&_i=331=========From Email=========As far as the 800-number status, I tend to be a little more realistic about that. How many people actually pay long distance per minute any longer? I would venture to guess (based on my business and clients) that 80-90+% of everyone has "unlimited" longdistance on their landlines and cell phones. That is why you are starting to see a lot of newer companies use local numbers versus worrying about toll free. However, there are stats that prove a toll free number can increase your traditional sales. I'm not sure how much "customer service" callback you anticipate, but here are some possible solutions and ideas. Labels: pamela, pbx, skype, voip
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of teaching a basic computer course to 2 classes at a local career training place. The first class was really great as I had a group of students who wanted to learn skills to better themselves and their career choices. The only downside was that the IT guy for the company had unfortunately ordered a mixed batch of Lenovo and a couple of Acer laptops - all running Vista. To make matters worse, the Acer's were only running 512MB of RAM, which made Vista perform unbelievably slow. All the laptops had trial versions of MS Office, and the class was centered around office-type application skills. This was done prior to my arrival so I was left to deal with the situation as best that I could. We installed OpenOffice.org and used Google Docs extensively. There were plenty of other issues including bandwidth problems at the facility, spyware (no Vista is not safe), and a host of other technical issues. Of course, it is normal for these types of things to happen; however, the worst part was that it was and still is frustrating to the students. They just want the technology to work. Unfortunately, after the 2nd class, my business schedule just wouldn't let me commit the time needed to make the classes exceptional. I was left with no choice but to inform the owner that my training days were over. I offered my skills for IT support as needed though.  So what does this have to do with Ubuntu and Linux? A couple of weeks ago, one of the students called me. Her Lenovo laptop had crashed and Lenovo's support was not up to par. They basically sent her the laptop back with a set of restore DVD's (the originals were lost) and informed her that her hard drive was possibly failing. To make matters worse, the recovery application from the DVD's just wouldn't work. This meant that she would be without her laptop for at least 2 weeks - not acceptable. I was immediately able to get her laptop to boot up to an Ubuntu LiveCD and see her hard drive - it certainly wasn't failing. However, there was a serious issue with some system files or whatever that was causing Vista to endless reboot. After discussing the situation with her, I suggested that she try Linux. Most of what she does on the laptop is web-based. She doesn't rely on any Windows-only applications and right now neither does the classes she is taking - most of which revolve around webconference.com meetings anyway. I installed Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron. Within about 90 minutes, we had Ubuntu running, wifi working, Skype installed for voip, and of course OpenOffice.org for an office suite. We setup audio playing and CD ripping software using Juicer and Rhythm. In the future, she wants to install Limewire for "independent" music, and we need to install Gyachi for Yahoo voice and video chat. According to her, the other students want Linux. The training company owner wants her to go back to Vista and appears to be upset over change, but she refuses. This is an average computer user that wants a smooth-running system. Linux just works. 2 weeks later - She loves it. Period. Her friends love it. She doesn't miss Windows and hates Vista. Now that is a good experiment! Labels: linux, ubuntu
 Recently, I had to work on a Dell Dimension desktop. Unfortunately for my customer, the hard drive had the "click of death" even though I tried everything, including tapping the drive with a hammer to free the spindle. Luckily, there was no important data so I simply replaced the drive. I kept noticing something odd that I had first attributed to the failed drive. I kept getting the following error on reboot: Primary drive 1 not found Secondary drive 1 not found Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility  That was odd considering that the drives were clearly installed and recognized in the BIOS. I checked jumper switches and everything was set to master and the drives were plugged in the ends of the IDE cables. I checked the BIOS again and the drives were recognized fine. Thank goodness for Google. Here is the solution: Boot into the BIOS using [F2] Hold [ALT] F, then [ALT] E After the beeping stops [ALT] B It forces the BIOS to reset and re-recognize the drives. References:primary drive 1 not found http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread7688.htmlLabels: bios, dell
For over a year now, I've been using Verizon's Broadband Access which uses the EV-DO technology. It's been pretty fast, and overall I'm a big fan of the service. It provides me a backup internet access if my cable connection goes down, plus with my business I need a constant connection. Yesterday, I attempted to connect while at a customer's home who had lost their DSL connection. I needed to research some information and typically the Broadband Access is perfect in these situations. I even use it to share out the connection (yes you can use Windows ICS and Broadband Access). Anyway, after about 40 seconds of connection, the s  oftware went dormat, then disconnected. That was odd considering I had 4 bars of coverage and was well within the coverage area for broadband. I chalked it up to a temporary glitch with Verizon or interference and managed to fix the DSL connection anyway. Later that evening I attempted to connect again. Same deal - VZAccess Manager connected, 40 seconds later - VZAccess dormant, and disconnect. What the hell I thought? First thing this morning, I decided to troubleshoot. After all, I rely on the service when I am not at my office. The first thing I did was try and think of anything that had changed between Tuesday and Wednesday on my machine. My laptop runs a very clean installation of XP Pro - and I know every piece of software that is installed. Linksys Print Server Utility 1.0On Tuesday, I was at a client's office and we installed a Linksys WPSM54G Print Server, which requires the installation of Linksys Print Server Utility 1.0 and naturally Linksys thinks it has to run at start-up. Typically, I would remove software like that from startup, but in my hurry I just hadn't done it yet. First thing - stop the software. Second thing, simply exit the software to test. VZAccess stayed connected as long as I wanted it to! As a matter of fact, I'm posting this while connected.  My final resolution was to simply remove the software from startup using MSConfig rather than completely uninstall it. I may need the software for further troubleshooting with my client. Labels: linksys, verizon, vzaccess
From email:-------------------------is it possible for use to put a password on our wireless hubs to block out some local hacker that is exceeding our bandwidth?-------------------------We've discussed this before - the issue is NOT a local hacker accessing the wifi. The problem is HughesNet gouging and screwing over their customers. While I'm a definitely an advocate of encrypting WiFi with WPA, because of the wireless mesh system that we are using to get wireless to Bob's house, you can't encrypt the wifi there. For a "local hacker" to be using your wifi, he would have to be within 500 feet of the house AND know to setup and use a directional antenna. That is very very unlikely - almost impossible - in your area. This is why I've never worried about encrypting your wireless. You actually have "security through obscurity" in your case. On my last trip there, we discussed this very issue and determined that the bandwidth overages were due to several things: (1) HughesNet's pathetic rolling bandwidth caps. (2) Leaving Limewire running on pc's even after songs are downloaded. (3) Several users watching Youtube, downloading songs, etc - normal surfing habits (see #1) I'm sorry to say but it is very easy for users to exceed the bandwidth caps from HughesNet even under normal use. Since most ISP's have peering arrangements, HughesNet is NOT doing this for the "quality of their network." It is simply another way to gouge the users. Your real gripe is with HughesNet - it's not a "local hacker." References (please read):HughesNet Lowers 'FAP' Caps Despite New Spaceway 3 satellite http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/HughesNet-Lowers-FAP-Caps-97011http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Track-Your-Remaining-HughesNet-Cap-Space-89144http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/244/RipOff0244913.htmhttp://customercare.myhughesnet.com/fap_announce.htmhttp://www.dslreports.com/blog?cat=87http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeeringReply from Email:---------------------There is something funcky going on and I am running out of ideas. Yesterday I upgraded my hughs account to allow another 50 megs og download. All of the computers were turned off except my laptop and our PS3. Withing 40 minutes of the upgrade where they reset all of my usage they said I our server did a 211 meg download and then a 420 meg download.So now I am using a dialup service to access the internet.If it isnt the people across the street then somewhere we have a real nasty virus.----------------------As an example: 50MBs (megs) = only about 15 songs Most MS patches or updates are more than 50MB's. Vista SP1 is 434.5 MBs XP SP3 is 316.4 MBs To download the newest Acrobat Reader update requires 20MB's. An iTunes update requires about 50MBs. I'm not sure what is going on except that 50MB's is nothing. Plus according to many reports, HughesNet's method for monitoring the traffic (bandwidth) is very slanted towards the benefit of HughesNet - surprise. You are being screwed over by HughesNet like most of their customers. I'm 99.999% sure it is not a hacker issue - unless your computer is exploited and you are sending spam out in the background - and Vista is not secure either. The people across the street are a couple hundred yards away. The can "see" your wifi potentially, but they would have to have a directional antenna to transmit back to you since TCP/IP is a 2-way communication - very very unlikely.I will be glad to make a trip up and check things out, but I pretty much guarantee you what the answer will be - HughesNet is sticking it to its customers and getting by with it. I'm not trying to be complicated or difficult, just giving you the truth about what is going on. You don't have many choices in your location so basically you are dealing with a monopolistic ISP. Labels: hughesnet, mesh, wifi, wpa
From an email:----------------------------- The thing that I am having problem with are those damn AAC tags… What the f*** are they, why the f*** are they, and why the f** can I not figure them out I think I understand they are away to control content. ----------------------------- Well let me try to keep this fairly simple. AAC is a digital audio format that is supposed to be the "next generation" of MP3. However, MP3 is so ubiquitous that it's going to be a while before it gets replaced. Apple uses their own "version" of ACC with extensions for DRM (digital rights management). That allows them to control the content so that it only plays back under iTunes and specifically under your iTunes account. In short its a pain in the ass. Steve Jobs has publicly stated that the DRM is to appease the RIAA, although I have my doubts since Apple likes to control everything from cradle to grave. There are basically 2 ways to convert your music in iTunes from AAC to MP3: (1) By default, iTunes wants to rip (convert) everything to AAC. Click on Edit -> Preferences -> Importing (or Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Importing) then change the Import Using from the default setting to "MP3 Encoder". Click OK to save this setting. Next you can r-click an AAC file in iTunes, and try to "convert selection to MP3". The only problem is that this won't work for purchased AAC music (DRM'ed). (2) If you must buy audio from iTunes, then your best bet is to setup a playlist, burn it as a music CD, then immediately rip it back to high bit rate MP3. That frees up your music to play on any player. Of course, that could eat up a lot of CD's, so you would probably want to learn to use something like MagicISO, CD Emulator, or NoteBurner to keep from using a ton of CD's. References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Codinghttp://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2007/02/23/itunes/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/06/a-letter-from-steve-jobs-on-drm-lets-get-rid-of-it/Labels: aac, itunes, mp3
This "white paper" was created to present to several clients of mine. I'm posting it to my blog so that it can be reviewed and maybe raise some questions as to how you handle your home and business information. PDF Copy HereCompany policy concerning safety and security of data - How important is your data?
- What is the company policy about sharing data?
- What workers / contractors have access to what data?
- What would you do if that data were leaked to a competitor?
- Do you allow users to surf MySpace, FaceBook, or similar sites? How do you know?
“Over 90 percent of the Webpages that are spreading Trojan horses and spyware are legitimate sites, some belonging to household brands and Fortune 500 companies, Sophos reports. Most have been hacked through SQL injection.” - source: Sophos.com “Cross-site scripting AJAX also increases the possibility of so-called cross-site scripting flaws, which occur when the site developer doesn't properly code pages, experts said. An attacker can exploit this type of vulnerability to hijack user accounts, launch information-stealing phishing scams or even download malicious code onto users' computers, experts have said. Big-name Web companies such as Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo and Google have all experienced cross-site scripting flaws on their Web sites.” - source: Cnet.com "Certification" method to insure all outside pc's (ex: laptops) are clean and malware free Secure Backup Method What is your backup method? Have you practiced recovery from disaster? Do you use imaging software to recover the OS and applications? Are your backup files secure?
Data Encryption on Laptops and Remote Devices There is some evidence that cyber criminals are now specifically targeting laptop users, encouraged to do so by the finding that corporate laptops hold an average $525,000 worth of sensitive data. - source: Bahn, October 2007 Company Email and Consistency Do your workers use their personal Yahoo or AOL accounts for email? Do you want your clients to have an image of your company with potentially suggestive email addresses? (ex: cutiegirl69@yahoo.com) What will you do if a lawsuit and discovery injunction requires that you are able to provide all communications?
Further Resources: The Growing Importance of E-Discovery on Your Business http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/security/pdf/importance_e_Discovery.pdf
Business Guide to Compliance http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/security/pdf/WP44-BMGuide.pdf
The Impact of the new FRCP Amendments on your Business http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/security/pdf/WP42-FRCP_0107.pdf
Protecting Off-Network/Laptop Users http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/security/pdf/off_network_workers.pdf
2007 Annual Study: Cost of a Data Breach http://www.ponemon.org/press/PR_Ponemon_2007-COB_071126_F.pdf
Labels: backup, email, encryption
-------------- Question from email -------------- I just noticed that my C: hard drive is nearly full. I need to configure iTunes and DVDFab to save and run off of my D: drive. ------------- Solution -------------  Here are the steps to move your mp3 files from one drive to another and configure iTunes: - Copy your current music folder (typically "My Music") to your other drive.
- Open iTunes -> Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced tab
- Click change and select the folder on your new drive.
- Click OK to exit from the Preferences.
- Close iTunes and then restart iTunes.
Once you have done this, you can then delete the original files from your "My Music" folder. Just make sure that you did copy all the music files over!  Here is how to configure DVDFab: - Start DVDFab
- Click Common Settings button -> General
- Browse and select the Output Directory
- Browse and select the Temporary Directory
- Click OK
By the way, DVDFab is an absolutely great application for making legal backups of your movies, or encoding them to iPod format. Labels: dvdfab, itunes
As taken from a recent email conversation with a customer: There are several issues that can cause internet connectivity issues. If Verizon says that their service is running smoothly, then typically they are correct - although I have seen cases where the ISP states that nothing is wrong with their service and there really is an issue. As I'm sure you are aware, any downtime in your ability to use the Internet leads to productivity loss and costs you money. It would be well worth your time to contract with me to straighten out your network. For instance, when we first met you were having issues with Outlook Express - and the problem was that you had well over 13,000 emails in your inbox causing OE to choke. One other very important point to remember is that you really should have a backup system in place. If your pc's go down, you risk losing your data which is far more important than the hardware itself. http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/importance-of-backups.aspHere are some possible things causing your issue: ------------------- Zombies ------------------- Based on the huge number of spam emails that I've seen flow through your email system, it is very likely that one or more computers on your internal office network are infected. What typically happens is a user opens an email attachment that is untrusted or visits an untrusted website through Internet Explorer and gets exploited. Usually the exploit does not crash the computer, it loads software that runs in the background spewing SPAM out. Potentially some of these exploits could also be sending information stored on your computers such as client information, etc. Once a machine is exploited all bets are off. SPAMMers don't have warehouses full of computers. They use exploited PC's - zombies - to send out the spam. That is part of why it is so profitable. Problem: Zombies are uploading/downloading on your network consuming your bandwidth and causing you to think your Internet service is down. Resolution: All pc's on your network should be thoroughly checked out, possibly re-imaged, and practices put in place to avoid the problem in the future. ------------------ Email and Spam ------------------ This issue is closely related to "Zombies". Your users receive an inordinate amount of email and much of it is spam. This consumes bandwidth and can cause what appear to be "temporary outages" in your Internet connection. Problem: Too much inbound spam. Resolution: Migrate to Google's email service as recommended several times. ----------------- Users abusing Network ----------------- This happens much more frequently now. Users tend to want to view MySpace.com or Youtube.com on company time and using up company resources. Video and audio consumes a lot of bandwidth, which can cripple your legitimate traffic. Resolution: Setup a system to restrict certain domains and websites plus enforce a company policy that prohibits such usage. -------------------- Hardware Issues -------------------- Hardware can begin to intermittently fail. There is always a possibility that your router or modem is occasionally having an issue. Resolution: Replace faulty hardware. ------------- Additional Resources ------------- http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/why-did-i-get-infected-in-first-place.asphttp://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/03/layered-security-basics.asphttp://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/02/spam-and-phising-example.asphttp://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/06/backing-up-your-system.asphttp://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/simple-rules-for-your-computing.asphttp://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/virus-lessons-101-revisted.asphttp://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/smartergeek-newsletter-1-5-2008.aspLabels: backup, google apps, rule #1, spam, zombies
 Recently, I had a customer who needed XP installed on a Gateway ESX e4000 - originally, it came with Win 2000 Professional. Putting XP on a computer is no big deal, but sometimes finding the right drivers can be. In this case MPC computers has purchased some of the Gateway models, and of course the drivers for this model are not listed on Gateway's website. To save you some time and trouble, here is the page that has the XP drivers (see screenshot): http://support.mpccorp.com/apps/filelist.asp?ID=18140The only driver that gave me any issue was the sound driver. However, if you "manually" install the driver using the "Have Disk" function, then it will install just fine. If you have any questions or want a zipped copy of the drivers that I used, comment to this post or email me. Labels: xp installation
Obviously, backing up your data is the most important since you can always replace failed hardware. However, recovering from a system crash can be very time-consuming. Installing XP, Vista, or Linux plus all your applications and then tweaking your system can be a pain. Acronis® True Image Echo Workstation http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATICW/Add-ons / Acronis® Universal Restore http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATICW/universal-restore.html*This allows you to recover to an image if the hardware changes. It basically resets the HAL in Windows, and can be very useful. Acronis is nice because it will image while the system is running under XP. I've used it for several years now and had great luck with it. Here is the method that I suggest you do for a complete backup of your computers. - Backup all important data "bulk data" (movie files, word docs, spreadsheets, pictures, email files, etc) to removable drive, DVD, etc. A great utility to find a lot of extra data is JDisk Report.
- Delete the "bulk data" from each machine after backup and before imaging. This keeps the image file(s) from being too bloated.
- Run a temp file cleanup utility, Diskeeper Pro, and Registry Mechanic.
- Image the PC and store the image to a removable drive, DVD, online storage, etc. Use the "archive splitting" option in the imaging software so break the images into 4.7 GB chunks so they will fit on a DVD.
- Copy the "bulk data" back to the pc once imaging is completed.
Now you have a "clean" image of the pc that can be recovered relatively quickly and easily. If you have a computer that you use a lot and add software too, you can do an incremental image with Acronis also, which can be set to run automatically. Additional Resources: Technology Report 1-8-2008 http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/technology-report-1-8-2008.aspFirefox and Google Bookmarks http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/firefox-and-google-bookmarks.aspTrusting Google with your Email http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/trusting-google-with-your-email.aspBacking up your System http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/06/backing-up-your-system.aspLabels: acronis, backup, imaging
When Gmail first came out I started using it as an address for message board registrations and things like that. Since I've owned my own domains since about 1999, I've always used them for my primary email. My old method of backup was to use Outlook or Outlook Express and finally Thunderbird for POP3. Periodically, I would backup the appropriate files for those applications. The problems with that were several. First, I have a LOT of email. As the Outlook .pst file or the Thunderbird files began to grow in size, performance suffered. If I "archived" email to a CD/DVD and then removed old ones from Outlook or Thunderbird, searching archives meant restoring them, searching, then cleaning up again.  A couple of years ago, Google released a service called Google Apps for your Domain. Among other things, it allows you to use Google's GMail "engine" to handle the email for your domains. You have the advantage of basically unlimited storage, alternate port usage (SSL and TLS) which comes in handy for ISP port 25 filtering, web access, POP3 access, and more recently IMAP support. One of the cool things is that even if you use POP3 access, Google Apps archives a copy of your received and sent email. This means you can access all of your email from your browser, its very searchable through your browser, and it provides a great backup solution! The Trust IssueSeveral people have commented about "trusting Google" with your email. Well, here is the reality check. Trust is a relative thing. We trust that MS's software (Windows, Outlook, OE, etc) is not doing anything behind our back. We trust that our ISP handles our information correctly, but that has proven to be a shaky deal lately. Most of those same people "trust their ISP" with their email or another 3rd party email service. In my opinion, I trust Gooogle far more than anyone else. ATT/Bellsouth, Verizon, and a host of other service providers have given me far more reasons to distrust them than Google. One other thing to mention about "trust" is that at least Google gives you all the mechanisms to move your email away from Google should you choose. By providing contact import/export, POP3 access, and IMAP support, you have full control of your mail. In contrast, Yahoo requires a premium subscription for export and POP3 access, most of the major ISP's such as ATT/Bellsouth don't provide any contact export, and POP3 access only helps retrives your received email - not your sent email. I migrated my email service over a year ago and have been very pleased with it. I have email dating back to 2004 stored online and have plans to push email archives dating back to 2002. Many of my clients are now migrated to the service and love it. Web Access or Local Application As the line continues to blur between web-based applications and local applications (software on your computer), it gets more difficult to recommend which is best. About 2 months ago, I made the decision to go 99% web-based email. This means I use my browser (Firefox) for my email. The advantages are many, but mainly it gives me access to my email anywhere I have a connection. Plus I don't have to worry about contact synchronization. There are a few disadvantages though: - Must have a connection to read any of your email.
- Adding attachments is not as easy as drag/drop for multiple attachments.
This is one of those things that you just have to try both and see which works best for your situation and tastes. Now I said "99%" of my email. If I have an email that I need to attach several files, then I will use Thunderbird with IMAP. This gives me an easy way to attach multiple files quickly and easily. Following Rule #1Rule #1: You are only as good as the last successful backup from which you can recover. As much as I trust Google, ultimately I trust myself more than anyone. Periodically (about once every 2 months), I POP3 down all of my received email and IMAP a copy of all of my sent email to local Thunderbird files. Then I export a copy of my contacts to CSV. Then I backup email adn contacts to DVD. If something does happen to Google's service, at least I have a local copy. References:What is EFF's Lawsuit Against AT&T About? http://w2.eff.org/legal/cases/att/faq.php#1Google Apps for your Domain http://www.google.com/aBacking up your System http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/06/backing-up-your-system.aspYou like Yellow Dots from your Printer? http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/02/you-like-yellow-dots-from-your-printer.aspAT&T and Other ISPs May Be Getting Ready to Filter - Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/at-and-other-isps-may-be-getting-ready.aspLabels: backup, gmail, google apps
All too often, I have clients whose computers crash. Fortunately, I can recover the data most of the time, but there are times when the hard drive physically fails. In those cases recovering the data becomes nearly impossible and very very expensive. Recently, I created a document for my clients on "The Importance of Backups". Here is copy/paste of that document and a PDF copy. Spread the word. The Importance of Backups
Rule #1: You are only as good as your last successful backup from which you can recover! The most important thing on your computer (PC or Mac) is not the hardware nor really the software. These can be replaced relatively easily. The most important thing is your data. Period. Backing up your data can be very simple and painless. For most people, it should not take that much time either. Here are some simple ideas: Purchase a “thumb drive” and simply copy any important data to your drive. Use blank DVD-R's and your DVD burner – blanks cost less than $0.20 each. Purchase a removable hard drive – you can get 320GB of storage for about $100 now. Most of your data will be located in your “My Documents” folder on an XP machine. Certain programs, such as older versions of Quicken or Quickbooks, like to store the data file in the program directory. Always check those programs and move the data file to your My Documents. You may not want to backup all your music each time if you have an iPod – that will serve as your backup. Pictures, music, and videos take up the most storage space. You may not want to back them up every time depending on your storage capacity.
Off-site backup is very important. It won't do you any good if you backup your data, but your house burns down. Also, thieves steal computers, removable drives, etc. I have had several clients this year who have suffered business and home theft, including their computers. You need to periodically store a backup at a trusted family member or friends house or safety deposit box.
You also need to consider the safety and security of your backups. This means that your backup data should be treated as securely as your live data. With JungleDisk you can encrypt your data so that neither JungleDisk nor Amazon employees have access to your data. If you are using DVD's or a removable drive, then I recommend using TrueCrypt containers to keep the data safe. My Recommendations: Primary Backup: JungleDisk which uses Amazon's S3 service. This gives you encrypted off-site backups that is a no-brainer to use and very cost effective. Typically you can have 30+GB stored for less than $10/month. Secondary Backup: Every 2 weeks, I copy my TrueCrypt container to a removable USB drive. Tertiary Backup: Once a month I copy everything to removable DVD's. The files on the DVD's are stored in an encrypted TrueCrypt container, and the DVDs are locked in a fireproof safe.
Printable PDF Copy
Backups-Importance.pdfLabels: acronis, amazon s3, backup, jungledisk, rule #1
Back in 2005 I was hired by a customer in Sulphur Springs, TX (lived there for a couple of years) to network his daughter's home using a HughesNet internet connection. This customer had been told by several people that it couldn't be done. Fortunately, he had the forethought to pre-wire his daughter's 2-story home with cat5e cable. That made it much easier. Prior to this, he had been paying for separate dialup connections and phone lines for all the kids (grandkids). Successfully networking the HughesNet connection would start saving money within a couple of months. The real catch was that he wanted to use the same HughesNet connection at his home, approximately 300' away, and he didn't want to run any cable. Fortunately, this was about the time when the Linux firmware community was really starting to thrive. Since then, I have used the same basic setup several times to do a wireless mesh. It's worked out great although I don't get much call for it anymore. Here is the setup that I used: (2) WRT54G version1's with Sveasoft firmware (Alchemy-6.0-RC5a v3.01.3.8sv) (1) Linksys WRT54G v5 (added later for downstairs wifi saturation) (1) Cantenna (added later as tree grew in the way) (1) Linksys 8 port switch Some patch cables and ends It was really a simple setup. I flashed both of the WRT54G v1's with the Sveasoft firmware and cranked up the transmit output power. I setup WDS on them and was able to successfully pull in the signal at his house nearly 300' away. For the daughter's house it was just a matter of making patch cables, connecting everyone to the first WRT54G v1 and the 8-port switch, and cleaning up the spyware and viruses already on the their pc's. After about a year, we added a Cantenna at his house to pull in a stronger signal to the 2nd WRT54g v1, and we added a WRT54G v5 to the downstairs to saturate the daughter's house in wifi. This system has been running remarkably well ever since the original installation. Periodically, I visit them (driving from Bossier City, LA, to Sulphur Springs, TX) and do some pc upgrades or remove viruses, etc. The relationship has worked out very well, and I'm pleased to call them my friends and not just clients. Recently, the wifi signal has been a bit sporadic though. After a phone conversation, I followed up with an email. Here is a copy/paste of the email for informational purposes. ####################### Hi, Basically there are 2 options. Here is the information on both: ---------------- Cable Run ---------------- 1000FT Outdoor CAT5e Cable - Gray CMX Rated PVC http://www.computercablestore.com/CMX_Rated_Outdoor_CAT5e_catID712.aspxSurface Mount Boxes http://www.computercablestore.com/Installation_Accessories_Surface_Mount_Boxes_catID1911.aspxOR Wall Plates http://www.computercablestore.com/1_Port_Blank_Wall_Plates_catID1913.aspxYou will need the cable, wall plates or surface boxes, plus some RJ45 connectors - I have plenty of RJ45's plus a tester. You would run the cable in the ditch for your water and up to the house. We can connect it to the downstairs or the upstairs Linksys WRT54G. It doesn't matter. I'd say the ideal scenario is to connect the cable to a faceplate or surface box. I've ordered from ComputerCableStore.com before (been a few years) and had no trouble. However, if you can find the cable cheaper that's fine too - as long as it is outdoor rated. You might also consider running it through PVC pipe or something for added protection. Plus, we don't need to really exceed 300' for the run as the Cat5e spec. This is the best scenario as it gives you full bandwidth back to the main house. --------------------- Wireless Upgrade --------------------- Linksys WRT54GL http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190Cantenna http://www.cantenna.comWhat we would do is add the WRT54GL downstairs and flash it with Linux firmware so that we can add WDS (wireless distribution system) and turn up the transmit power. This is exactly what I did back in 2005. Then we add the cantenna to the WRT54GL and point it to your house. I will use one of the following to flash the firmware and "upgrade" the router: http://www.sveasoft.com *Running on the upstairs router plus your router in your house. *May need to purchase new license. OR http://www.dd-wrt.com OR http://www.openwrt.org
Recently, one of my customers had a question about losing bookmarks in Firefox. Here is the thread from that: --------------- No I was not saving them under there, I had Star or something that said My Favorites that I used to click on. FireFox upgraded and since then I can not locate my favorites. --------------- Ahh - that is actually good then! You were using Google Bookmarks and the Google Bookmarks toolbar. Your favorites (bookmarks) are safe with Google. Whenever you save your bookmarks with Google, they are tied into your Gmail account. You can also go to the following URL and also find your bookmarks: www.google.com/bookmarksHere are 2 add-ons (extensions) for Firefox that are now updated to work with the new Firefox: Google Toolbar http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/toolbar/FT3/intl/en/index.htmlGBookmarks https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2448Both of these will give you ways to access your Bookmarks that are stored with Google. Let me know if you still can't find them.
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