Triona's Tech Tips

There are continuing reports of problems with Apple’s 27″ iMac, which is now delayed indefinitely. Unconfirmed reports say that Apple has suspended production of their flagship iMac until the problems can be resolved.

If you have a 27″ iMac, you should install the most recent firmware updates to fix any flickering display problems. If your display remains black after the update you should contact AppleCare for assistance. Note that there are now two firmware updates for this model. The first was the 27″ iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0. This most recently released one is the 27″ iMac Display Firmware Update 1.0. Yeah, that’s not confusing at all.

You can find a great deal of discussion on this topic on Apple’s forums. At fault appears to be the particular graphics card used in the computer.

Next week I’m offering free previews of my Social Networking and Internet Safety For Kids classes with the Cary Park District. The free preview of Social Networking will be held Thursday, February 4th, 2010 from 9:00am-9:30am at the Park District Community Center, 255 Briargate Rd. in Cary, Illinois. The free preview of Internet Safety For Kids will be held Saturday, February 6th, 2010 from 9:00am-9:30am. Registration is not required for these free previews. For more information or to register for the full classes, contact the Cary Park District at (847) 639-6100 or www.carypark.com.

Click here to see the other computer classes I have available. If you are interested in a class but don’t see it here, contact me. With enough interest I can set up additional sessions of any of my classes. I can also work with you one-on-one.

Social Networking
Sponsored by the Cary Park District
Next session TBA

Have you been asked to get LinkedIn? Can you make business contacts through Facebook or MySpace? Should you Twitter your business? Learn the answers to these questions and more. Computers are not required, but you may bring a laptop for hands-on instruction.

Internet Safety For Kids And Tweens (ages 5 years-adult)
Sponsored by the Cary Park District
Monday, February 15, 2010, 9:30am-10:30am

Learn how kids can use the Internet safely by covering age-appropriate skills and talking about online stranger danger. Review basic skills, talk about ways to use technology with less risk and take a quiz to test your knowledge. Parents are welcome to enroll in this program with their kids. Computers are not required, but you may bring a laptop for hands-on instruction.

Today, amid much hoopla, Apple finally unveiled its iPad tablet computer. Was it worth the hype? While I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all of the universe, I think the iPad has great potential. It fits the niche between the iPhone and Mac computer, the price is right, and it simultaneously takes a swipe at both netbooks and e-readers.

This being Apple, of course the iPad is aesthetically beautiful. It has a 9.7″ multitouch color display (that works portrait and landscape) and weighs in at only 1.5lbs. It comes in six models, including 16GB, 32GB and 64GB with WiFi or WiFi+3G plus Bluetooth, and will start shipping in 60 days. Reports from the field say the graphics are smokin’ fast. The iPad interface will be familiar to anyone who’s used an iPhone or iPod touch. It reportedly has at least 10 hours of battery life and can remain in standby up to 30 days. It uses AT&T’s network but unlike the iPhone the device is unlocked and requires no contract, which will undoubtedly be a big enticement.

The fact that the iPad can run iPhone apps out of the box is another big plus in Apple’s favor. That means the iPad runs ready-made software people already use, as well as leveraging the existing development process. The iPad has a large on-screen keyboard, and there is also a full-sized keyboard dock available. You can use the iPad to do anything from playing games to watching movies to catching up on Facebook, all from one ultraportable device.

The new iBooks store goes hand-in-hand with Apple’s iTunes and Apps stores. Apple has buy-in from big-name publishers including Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Hachette. The familiar iPhone-like interface combined with the use of the ePub format, a standard for e-readers, will give the iPad a big push in the e-book market. Again, Apple is showing its prowess at leveraging its own strengths.

The iPad’s price point is right on the money. The iPad starts at $499 for a 16GB model with WiFi and goes up to $829 for 64GB with WiFi+3G. That’s well within the realm of possibility for consumers. The iPhone was priced too high at the beginning; clearly Apple doesn’t intend to make that mistake again. And Apple sorely needed a netbook-like solution to round out its notoriously higher-priced Macs.

The iPad is an all-in-one solution for entertainment: music, photos, TV, movies, books and games, with access to email, the Web, social networking sites like Facebook and all manner of apps. It’s a potent combination of usability and interaction that, like the iPhone, will set a standard for the industry. The introduction of the iPad is a great way for Apple to start 2010, a year that should prove most interesting in this arena.

What do you think? Is Apple’s iPad worth the hype? Are you considering one? Why or why not?

After a well-publicized incident in which Internet Explorer 6 was implicated in the hacks against Google and other high-tech firms in China, Microsoft is releasing an emergency fix for Internet Explorer, and begging users to upgrade to newer versions.

Today’s emergency fix is for Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8, particularly under Windows XP although Vista and Windows 7 are also affected. This chart shows the risk potential and illustrates why upgrading to the latest version of Internet Explorer is vital to protecting your computer against viruses.

It also illustrates what I mentioned in my recent Northwest Herald column: that the older a program is, the more vulnerable it is to viruses and other Internet threats. The hack on Google involved “spear phishing”, a targeted campaign in which fake emails appeared to be from people the victims knew. The victims were therefore lured into clicking on infected PDF and Microsoft Office documents they might not otherwise have opened. These documents infected the computers with malware using holes in Internet Explorer 6 and other programs. There is some question as to why these companies were using a version of IE well-known to be vulnerable.

This incident is a good reminder for businesses and consumers to monitor their software versions and consider switching to an alternate web browser. It’s also a reminder to be wary of opening attachments even if they appear to be from someone you know.

Your free email subscription to Tech Tips includes bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Through January 31, 2010, new subscibers will also receive a special gift: my IT Business Continuity Checklist. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

Thanks to Dara Girard and Novelists, Inc. for interviewing me about my work as a computer consultant and writer. You can find the interview here.

http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/triona-guidry

Starting in 2010, I’m writing a monthly technology column for The Northwest Herald. In January’s column, Old Software Poses Risk Of Viruses, I talk about how outdated versions of your software can open the floodgates. Here are some previous Tech Tips articles on how you can protect yourself:

• Old Versions Of Internet Explorer Vulnerable To Viruses
• Fall In Love With Secunia Personal Software Inspector
• Mozilla Firefox Expands Check For Unsafe Plug-Ins
• No Click Required: Malware Via Infected Ads

Below you’ll find links to related resources including those mentioned in the column.

• Adobe Acrobat Reader updates
• Flash updates
• Mozilla Firefox plug-in check
• Microsoft Update for Windows, Office, Internet Explorer
• Apple Software Updates for Mac OS, iTunes, Safari, iPhone and iPod
• Secunia Online Software Inspector for Windows

Your free email subscription to Tech Tips includes bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Through January 31, 2010, new subscibers will also receive a special gift: my IT Business Continuity Checklist. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

You’ve bitten the social networking bullet, and now you’re on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Concerned about security? You should be.

Social networking sites are designed to share information, not keep it private. Even with changes such as the much-touted Facebook privacy settings, anything you put on the Internet can potentially be seen.

But this can be to your advantage, especially if you’re marketing your business. News about services or products is information you want to share. Be sure that your posts are timely, concise and above all, relevant. Nobody cares if you had cornflakes for breakfast or that you just put your socks on. The more topical and informative your message, the more followers (and business!) you’ll receive.

I strongly recommend that you avoid posting personal information, no matter what your security settings are. That includes pictures of your children or vacation plans. But by all means, post information that you want disseminated. Why not let the Internet’s viral tendencies work for you?

For more information, join me for my class on Social Networking on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010, from 9:30am-11:30am at the Cary Park District.

Your free email subscription to Tech Tips includes bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Through January 31, 2010, new subscibers will also receive a special gift: my IT Business Continuity Checklist. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

It’s eight-thirty in the morning. You’ve got a big meeting at nine… and your printer jams. What can you do?

Printer jams are often caused by paper residue. Compressed air can keep your printer clean. It’s also important to use good quality paper. The cheap stuff leaves more residue and is more likely to jam the printer.

If you still can’t print but there’s no jam, try turning your computer and printer off, then back on. If that doesn’t work, check the cables. Your printer’s software may also give an indication of the problem. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of changing your default printer. In Windows XP, go to the Control Panel, then Printers And Faxes. Look for Printers under Hardware And Sound in Windows Vista, or Devices and Printers in Windows 7. Right-click on the printer you want and select Set As Default. On a Mac, go to System Preferences under the Apple menu and choose Print & Fax and change Selected Printer In Print Dialog.

Your free email subscription to Tech Tips includes bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Through January 31, 2010, new subscibers will also receive a special gift: my IT Business Continuity Checklist. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

This week Microsoft announced versions and pricing for Office 2010, slated to be released in June. But the big question is… will anyone buy it?

Interest in new versions of Office has waned over the years. Office 2007 disappointed businesses and consumers alike by replacing tried-and-true menus with the Ribbon Toolbar, a feature I have yet to hear anyone say they actually like.

Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon Toolbar

Microsoft also changed the default Office file formats in version 2007, forcing users to scramble for compatibility filters in order to open .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files. Combined with the fact that most of Office 2007’s new features required a Windows Server environment, and you’ve got a recipe for Office ennui.

Perhaps we’ve hit a plateau in the number of features that can be included in a productivity suite like Office. How many more bells and whistles do we need? Unless Office 2010 offers some serious benefits, I don’t think many people are going to be interested. If you want to see what it offers, you can visit the Microsoft Office 2010 web site. Personally I don’t see anything that has me falling out of my chair.

And that creates another problem: security. As we’ve seen, the older a program is, the more likely its weaknesses can be exploited by viruses and other threats. For example, users of Office 2000 are compelled to upgrade, not because they need a bigger feature set, but because Microsoft no longer fixes security problems with old software versions. It becomes a non-choice: Upgrade, or have your computers rendered unusable by viruses.

The Web-based version of Office 2010 might get more takers, if only because of the popularity of Google Docs. But, as I’ve said before, I’m not so sure I’d trust my data to the cloud (e.g. the Internet).

Are you planning to evaluate Microsoft Office 2010? Do you intend to stick with your current version of Office, or are you using one of the free alternatives like OpenOffice? What do you think the success of Office 2010 will be?

Why get a generic geek when you can work with an award-winning computer professional for less? My rates for 2010 (pdf) are the same as 2009, and include brand-new options such as personalized advice on social networking and blogs.

Guidry Consulting, Inc. provides computer services for business and home. On-site service is available in the northwest Chicago suburbs.

• Tech support for PC and Mac
• Networks, servers, and security
• Web design (see my portfolio)
• Computer classes (see my schedule)
• Blogs
• Social networking including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
• …and much more!

But don’t take my word for it. Find out what my customers are saying, then learn how I can help with your computer needs.

Your free email subscription to Tech Tips includes bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Through January 31, 2010, new subscibers will also receive a special gift: my IT Business Continuity Checklist. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to assist with your computer needs. I hope to work with you in the new year!