Keeping your laptop cool.

Laptops have come a long way from being heavy and having much less power and capabilities compared to their desktop counterparts. Even better, laptops have become more affordable than ever. The number one hardware problem I run into as a technician is a problem from a laptop overheating continuously. There are a few main points to consider to keep your laptop cool and to prolong its life and keep it out of the repair shop.

1. Notice the vents on your laptop. Most are on the bottom. With this in mind, setting your laptop on a couch, bed, or other surface that keeps it from "breathing" so to speak, will cause it to overheat. Keep these vents open during the operation of your laptop. 
2. Operate the laptop in a clean environment. Environments with a lot of dust will clog the airport on your laptop and make the fan virtually useless. It wouldn't hurt to even take it into a technician to have them clean out your laptop by taking it apart and doing a checkup. 
3. Getting a laptop cooling stand to place it on keeps it much cooler by assisting your laptop's internal cooling system. 

Preventative maintenance is way better than having to buy another laptop, pay a large repair bill, or losing valuable data. Keeping your laptop clean and free of dust will ensure a long life while keeping it out of the repair shop.  

What is all this talk of a "Cloud"??

Lately you may have seen it in a television commercial or other form of advertisement where Microsoft or Google talks of the "cloud". I have had a lot of questions on this as well concerning this new concept. I currently read an article in LJS a week ago that compared email to the "cloud". While emails are stored on a server for us to access anytime, it isn't entirely a "cloud" concept. The cloud concept centers around the fact you don't have to download any applications on your phone, pc, or laptop to create documents such as spreadsheets, word documents, etc. You simply need a laptop, PC, or a smart phone that connects to the "Cloud server". You may wonder how this is beneficial for you as well as some of the pitfalls as well.

The benefits are you don't have to worry about installing any programs on your computer. This obviously saves on hard drive space. If your system crashes and you have to reformat, your documents are safely stored on the server. Licensing is also easier if you are a business. No need to buy 10 licenses for your company when you have the cloud service. All you need is an internet connection.

The pitfalls are security. If it is a sensitive document for your company and the cloud server is compromised then you have no idea who has your documents. Also, the cloud providers such as Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, etc. use this information to target advertising to you.

Overall, I would say it is a very useful tool and the pros outweigh the cons. The idea of being able to access a document from any laptop is certainly a convenience. For the most part I have heard these cloud servers are very secure.

Protecting yourself in a public WIFI environment.

It seems like everywhere we go nowadays there is a "hotspot" allowing us to connect to the internet. Essentially it is a wireless access point that allows us to become a part of a network that is able to connect to the internet. The convenience of these hotspots are obvious. However, the security risks are not so obvious. I will cover three main points to consider in order to keep your information on your system from being accessed.

1. When in a public WIFI environment make sure you are connected to that Wireless Access Point. This is one of the ways hackers are able to get your banking information, credit card info, etc. It will be an access point with an excellent connection and lead you to believe it is the one to connect to. Ask a clerk from the store what the name of the network is.

2. Be mindful of what you actually do in these environments. In other words, try to avoid checking your bank account online, purchase items, etc. Use these to check emails, play games, etc. The less you do on these public access points the better.

3. Look in your browser where you type in the web address if you really have to use a public place to access your information. If you see the prefix "https" before the web address it is way more secure than the one with just "http" as it encrypts your data.

These WIFI spots are a great convenience and can be relatively safe if you follow these three rules.

Picking a password.

We need a password for everything online these days. And most of us use the same password for banking, email, credit card accounts, etc. And to add to the security problem, we also use a pet's name, kids birthday, etc. This puts our bank accounts and identity at risk.

How can we pick a password that will actually be safe and still be able to remember it when we need to log into our accounts? When I choose a password online I normally think of a sentence such as "My Mom's 1 Favorite Color Is Red 7." Of course we aren't going to use the whole sentence as our password. We are going to pick the first letter out of each word: MM1FCIR7. This password is much more difficult for hackers to decipher and much easier for you to store in a safe place. The numbers in the password satisfy the requirement that passwords have a number in them. The best part about using this method is you can use that one sentence to create passwords for several accounts.

Most of the customers I assist in their computer needs often are worried about hackers hacking into their computers. While this is something to protect yourself against, don't let down your guard by picking a password that is obvious for someone else to figure out.

Is protecting my Android phone really necessary?

Cell phones are so advanced today that they are merely a mini pc with an undersized processor that can do some amazing things. The PDA phones on the market today have operating systems just like our personal computer at home. The Iphone and the Blackberry are pretty much buttoned down as far as the apps are concerned. Those who develop apps for Iphone and Blackberry have to be approved before they are put on the market. This is not so when it comes to the Android OS.

The Android OS was developed by Google and they are pretty much sticking to their guns as far as open source is concerned. This means anybody can develop an application for the Android Market and upload it. This is a great idea and allows for a lot of freedom. Unfortunately it also opens the door for people who lack in character as well. With this in mind, does just installing an antivirus or malware protector on your Android solve the problem? The answer is NO.

The rule of thumb is to not do anything on your Android that you wouldn't do on your PC. For example would you download a program in install it on your system just because the program vendor said it is the best program on the planet for your needs? Remember, your Android is pretty much a mini PC.

When I make a decision on whether or not to download an app on my Android, I look at two factors that help me make my decision on whether or not I am going to download it.

1. I read the comments under the description of the app I am about to download. If they are unfavorable and the application doesn't do what the description says it's supposed to do, I avoid it. 
2. When you attempt to download the app, your phone will tell you what permissions the application is attempting to acquire. Pay close attention to this. If you are downloading a music application and it is saying it wants sms (text messaging) permissions, be very skeptical. 

I am in the process of testing several anti virus applications and will post my thoughts at a later time. In the meantime, your best line of defense is watching what permissions that application is attempting to acquire. 

Flashing a phone VS Buying a new phone

Do I flash the phone I have with my current carrier or is it better for me to buy a new phone when I switch my service to Cricket? This is a very good question and it honestly depends on your needs. First, let me explain what flashing a phone means, then we will cover what factors we should consider when making this decision.

Flashing a phone is simply programming your phone so it looks for Cricket's towers instead of your current carrier's towers. When the programming is complete you should be able to dial *228 and your phone will go to Cricket Customer service. There are two types of flashing: Basic and Full. Basic flashing enables you to talk and text only. Full Flashing enables you to talk, text, send/receive picture messaging, and have internet access

The Pros of getting your phone flashed:

• You get to keep the phone you are familiar with. 
• You save a considerable amount of money switching services because you don't have to purchase a new phone You either pay $25 for the basic flash or $45 for the full flash plus tax.
• In most cases when you get a phone flashed you don't have to worry about losing your contacts or your settings on your phone. 
• You get most of the features on your current phone that all the other Cricket customers enjoy such as roaming, bluetooth, voicemail, call forwarding, three way calling, etc. 
• You get full support of your current phone as far as the flash is concerned. At Ring Ring Wireless our reps have knowledge of most of the phones on the market whether they are from Cricket or another carrier. 

The Cons of getting your phone flashed:

• You will not have insurance on your phone. If you lose your phone or it gets damaged, you will have to purchase another phone.
• No warranty on your phone. The flash is all that is guaranteed. If something happens and your phone is defective you will have to purchase a new phone.
• If you do a lot of traveling, you will be roaming even if you are in some Cricket Markets. For example if you are in Chicago, your flashed phone will be roaming. This is because Cricket uses the Triband technology in the Chicago market. 

When making this decision I usually advise customers it all depends on what you use your phone for and the funds you have available when making this decision. If you only use your phone for talk and text and use it primarily in Lincoln or Omaha, your best choice would probably be getting the basic flash for $25. This means you pay around $70 total to switch to Cricket. 

We are happy to answer any questions you might have concerning flashing or anything else. Just leave a comment here or give us a call at 402-438-0616. 

What nerd talk is all about.

The Nerd Talk blog was created to give the normal person some insight on the latest technology that is at his/her fingertips in layman's terms. We cover everything from mobile phone technology to laptops and desktops. The goal here is to give everyone a better understanding of Smart phones, laptops, applications, etc.

There are no set days when this blog will be updated. It will depend on how much time the head nerd has to update the blog. Feel free to ask any questions you may have or provide further feedback to the topic that is written about.

Feel free to provide me with topics on which to publish about. Note: All the comments on the blog are moderated.