Tag Archives: Guides

Wired or wireless or both: What is best for small businesses?

Whether you are updating your office’s networking component needs or starting from scratch, there are many things to think about when you are considering wired vs wireless. For starters, ask yourself:

  • How many people are on your network? How about in 2 years?
  • How long will this system be in place? (any moves planned within 2 years?)
  • How fast does the network/internet access need to be right now? How about in 2 years?
  • What kind of files have to be moved across your network right now? How about in 2 years?
  • How fast does this need to be done?
  • Is this a temporary or permanent solution?
  • What is your budget?

Wiring a space can be cost prohibitive – especially if this space is temporary, but if the budget is unlimited, then hard wiring could be the way to go for speed and security. Very often a combination of both wired and wireless are the best solution.

 

Go Invisible: How to protect your privacy on Facebook

There have been a lot of news reports and discussions surrounding Facebook’s privacy policies. Of course, if you are worried about web privacy, canceling your Facebook account is an option, but since many other sites have joined the Facebook Connect network and are utilizing the site’s tools, you will need a Facebook account to be able to use these sites in the future. Plus, not everyone wants to give up their ability to connect with long lost high school buddies or share their latest baby pics with family and friends.

So what to do?

Fortunately, those that have pushed back at Facebook in the past on privacy issues have forced Facebook to provide tools to make you as stealthy as you’d like to be on the site without being completely invisible to those on your ‘friends’ list.

Here’s a guide for making yourself very close to invisible:

While logged into Facebook:

  1. Select the ‘Account’ tab at the top right corner of the screen
  2. Select ‘Privacy Settings’
  3. In the ‘Connecting on Facebook’ section, select ‘View Settings’ – amend these settings to whatever your comfort level is. If you are not interested in letting new people find you on Facebook, then you should change all these settings to ‘Friends Only’. Know that you will not show up in Facebook searches and no one new can add you as a friend.
  4. Be sure that you have chosen the ‘Friends Only’ settings in the ‘Sharing on Facebook’ section – click ‘Apply’
  5. Select ‘Customize Settings’
  6. Be sure that all the drop-downs are ‘Friends Only’
  7. Disable the option for ‘Include me in “People Here Now” after I check in
    8. Select ‘Edit album privacy’ and change all the settings to your meet your comfort level. You can customize them to even be invisible or visible to certain people by selecting the ‘customize’ option
  8. Back on the main privacy settings page, ‘Choose Your Privacy Settings’, select ‘edit your settings’ in the ‘Apps and Websites’ section in the bottom left corner of the screen
  9. Edit the settings for each of the options (on the ‘Instant Personalization’ page, disable the option to see information)

Many of the options listed above are explained in detail by Facebook. However, their goal is to make their site very accessible for both their users and the advertisers that pay to get your information through applications and widgets so they encourage you to share all information by making the defaults very liberal. By limiting the information that Facebook is eager to provide to other users, the search engines and advertisers, you are gaining greater control over who sees your private data. For a regular everyday user that just wants to connect with family and friends, taking these steps returns Facebook much closer to its original purpose.

Survey finds that web users are sloppy with passwords

A new survey commissioned by Webroot confirms that web users are still putting their identities at risk by not employing some simple strategies for password safety and protection.

So what did the survey reveal about web users and why are these findings an issue?

40% have shared passwords with at least one person in the past year

Sharing passwords with a trusted friend or family member may seem like a non-issue because you trust the person you’re sharing it with, but they may leave it lying around where someone not so trustworthy may pick it up.

About 40% of people use the same password to log into multiple sites

Using a password on multiple sites can create a problem because if your password is compromised on one site, the potential exists that multiple accounts could be in jeopardy.

Nearly 50% never use special characters (e.g. ! ? & #) in their passwords

Adding a special character is a simple step that can be used to make it that much harder for someone to guess your password. Another easy to use technique is to substitute numbers or characters to spell out words.

redridinghood becomes  r3dr!d!ngh00d

For example changing the ‘e’ ‘i’ and ‘o’ in “red riding hood” to numbers and characters makes it virtually impossible for someone to guess at it even if they know the name of your favorite childhood book.

20% have used a significant date, such as a birth date, or a pet’s name as a password

In the past, that may have made it easy for only people that knew you to use that information but today that information is often publicly visible on social networks where it can be accessed by almost anyone.

Besides the above tips, it is recommended that you change your passwords periodically and don’t allow your browsers to store passwords for you.

Following these recommendations can save you time and save you money should someone try to hack your accounts.

The future of solar power: Flexible solar panels

As the popularity of solar energy grows, so does the selection of solar equipment that is made available. The big trend in solar energy right now is flexible panels.

Flexible solar panels have many advantages over traditional framed solar panels. The flexible solar panels are lightweight so there is less worry in the installation process and during use. They can also be installed on a semi-permanent basis because they are very easy to remove and install elsewhere.

Probably the biggest advantage is that they can be manufactured in any size or shape so they can be used in unconventional places.

In the past, the biggest disadvantage of the flexible solar panels is that they could only power low-wattage devices however that has changed significantly in the past year as new solar technology has been introduced. The newest flexible panels that are available for commercial applications have the ability to collect more energy than earlier versions.

In the future, we will be seeing even more advances in solar energy products based on this emerging technology.

When Does A Small Business Need A Server?

If your small business uses more than one computer to manage its business, you may be ready to upgrade to a small server to efficiently run your business.

Keep in mind that adding a server to your business is not a huge expense – in fact you can get started by putting an unused desktop computer to work, but the rewards go beyond the financial concerns.

Here’s how to recognize the signs that it’s time for you to invest in a server for your small business.

– Has your business grown beyond a few desktop computers, laptops and other data collectors including PDA’s?
– Is the thought of losing the company data that is stored on different computers making you uneasy? In fact, have you experienced a loss of data or incurred costs associated with the recovery of lost data?
– Do multiple employees need to access the same programs and documents?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are your business is ready for a server.

Some of the benefits are that your business can use the server as a security gateway to regulate the different levels of access to your data, particularly for your employees. It is also possible to host your website on your company’s server but if your site has a reasonable amount of traffic, you might want to leave that alone.

Book for electronics beginners

If you are new to electronics and want a good book to learn about circuits and electronic components, then I recommend that you check out this book:

Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M Mims III

I’ve had my copy so long that it is almost time to replace it but even though it is an old, worn out copy, the information is still as good today as it was 15 years ago when I got my book. Of course, there are some things that won’t be found in here, but for the beginner, you can’t go wrong with this book.

The chapters are logically laid out and easy to read and each chapter builds on the previous lessons. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about electronics – from child to adult.

Introduction to electronics

Introduction to electronics

What causes oxidation on surface mount pads?

perf boardSolder contacts must meet minimum contact rating specifications to effectively be used. But sometimes you’ll begin to solder an electronic component to a board and realize that oxidation has occurred. Why does this happen?

Typically, there are two reasons that oxidation occurs on boards.

The main reason is improper storage and handling. Boards should be received from your supplier in a vacuum pack, which would render them clean and ready to accept solder. Once the vacuum seal has been broken, the boards are exposed to the environment. Boards that are stored in facilities with high humidity will experience accelerated deterioration. When handling boards, use only gloved hands and handle by the edges whenever possible.

Another way PCBs become contaminated is at the factory level. If your boards have just been removed from their packaging, chances are the problem is not oxidation. Much of the contamination is at the manufacturing level which is found after the bag has been opened. The main reasons this happens is because of incorrect ph levels, careless handling of the PCBs or if the boards are poorly washed with the surface film.

How can this be avoided? Handle the boards properly including using proper storage methods. Keep the boards in dry storage area, free from humidity. Make sure that anyone that handles them wears gloves to keep body oils from the pads and instruct everyone to touch only the edges of the boards. If your problems are from the factory, address the factory about the issues to avoid the same problems with future orders.

How to Jailbreak an iPad

Jailbreaking an iPad

If you have an iPad, you may be intrigued by the thought of jailbreaking it.

Jailbreaking a device permits you to install and use third party applications and utility programs. In the case of a jailbroken iPad, you would be able to then run apps like Adobe Flash which is not available through the Apple OS, or access files like you can on a PC. One app that caught my eye was the multitasking app which would allow you to run multiple programs without having to save/close them. Another great app called Wi-Fi Sync gives you the flexibility to sync your iPad with Wi-Fi – no plugged in USB required.

Of course, jailbreaking the iPad is not without risk (the number one concern would be warranty) but PCWorld.com has put together the definitive guide to jailbreaking your iPad. In fact, PCWorld’s guide is so complete, it even gives you instructions on how to revert back should you get cold feet (or have to go back).

Once you’ve hacked your iPad, be sure to avoid the iPad updates from Apple since your device can be reverted to the non-jailbroken state. Should that happen, you can jailbreak your iPad again after the update is installed.

PCWorld – How to Jailbreak an iPad

Make a coin battery – great electronics project for kids!

What better way to illustrate how to build a basic electronic connection than to use coins to build a battery?

Here’s what you need:

Quarter

Quarter

quarters or dimes
aluminum foil
blotter paper (see below)
salt
cider vinegar
wire (short length of both black and red wire – ~16 gauge)
1 LED (any through hole LED)
scissors
pen or marker
voltmeter (optional)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trace the coins on the aluminum foil and blotter paper. Cut out 10 of each so that you have 10 circles of aluminum foil and 10 circles of blotter paper.

(Blotter paper can be found in the art store or the art section of your local craft store. You can also find blotter paper in the cosmetics department. If you can’t locate blotter paper, then you can also try using thick paper towels.)

Mix a small amount (1/4 cup) of vinegar with some salt. Stir the salt until dissolved. If the salt can not dissolve, then you’ve added too much. Add some additional vinegar and stir. Soak the circles of blotter paper in the vinegar and salt mixture.

Stack the foil, blotter paper and coins as shown in the video. It is important that the foil not touch the other layers. Let the ‘battery’ stand for about 15 minutes to develop a charge.

Connect each lead of the LED to a short piece of wire; the black wire connects to the negative lead and the red wire is attached to the positive lead on the LED. Place the exposed end of negative wire on the bottom of the ‘battery’ touching the foil, and the end of the positive wire to the quarter on top of the stack.

Optional: Use the voltmeter to measure how many volts are generated by the battery. A battery with 6 or more cells should be able to light up a standard LED with no problem!

10 Things Your iPhone Can Remote Control

Among the estimated 50,000 iPhone apps, you can find quite a few that make your life easier by functioning as a remote control. After looking at many, we found that these were the 10 coolest things (mostly electronic) that you can remote control with your iPhone.

  • Using the Pocket BLU app, you can control your Blu-Ray Discs for playback, pausing, etc
  • With a Keynote remote and the iWork suite, you can remote control your presentations
  • For $2.99, you can buy a PhotoKeys Photoshop app which gets the Photoshop toolbar on your iPhone
  • The free Apple Remote app will allow you to remote control your iTunes Jukebox
  • Air Mouse Pro lets you convert your iPhone into a wireless trackpad and keyboard
  • Some DVRS like the ones from DirecTV, DISH Network and Comcast can be controlled with an iPhone app

  • Use the Zipcar app to book a rental car – then you can use your iPhone to make the horn beep or unlock the car
  • An app for Schlage LiNK allows you to use your iPhone to lock, unlock your doors, turn lights on, turn your security system on or off, etc

  • The L5 remote add-on will convert your iPhone into a universal remote control
  • iCarly fan? Get the “Sam’s Remote” app which turns your iPhone into the iCarly remote – complete with sound
  • The best app for the iPhone? How about “The Boyfriend Remote”…Increase his income, make him take you shoe shopping. Possibilities are endless.