Windows 8

Microsoft’s release of its new Operating System, Windows 8 at the end of October marked a new era for Windows. Ever since Windows emerged with its Graphical User Interface, the general layout of the Operating System has been the same. There has been a traditional desktop for icons and shortcuts, a task bar at the bottom of the screen and a start button to access various functions of the computer.

Windows 8 completely redesigns the interface of the system by changing the Start button into a “Start Screen”. With this new approach, the Start screen consists of tiles much like most popular Smart Phones. Windows 8 is fully compatible and arguably most effective when used with touch screen devices. There is a slight learning curve for this new system. There are new gestures/swipes to learn and getting used to new placement of applications, programs and settings. Once these commands or tasks are picked up on, the operation of the system is very fluid and quick. When Windows 8 boots up, it opens to the Start interface but if you prefer it to resemble the previous versions of Windows, it takes purchasing an additional app to load directly to the desktop.

In addition to the new interface, there have been many performance upgrades and additional features added to it. In past versions of Windows, updates would be displayed when they became available or when the computer is being shut down. These updates would inevitably come at the worst times like in the middle of work being completed or any other time in which restarting the system would be a huge inconvenience. Windows 8 checks for these updates in the background and asks to install them at the login screen now.

After having used and tested the Windows 8 operating system, we are happy to share our experiences and opinions with you. Contact us if you have any questions!

Server 2012

Shortly before the release of Windows 8, Microsoft released a new and revolutionary version of their flagship server operating system, Server 2012. Not only does Server2012 have performance and feature upgrades, it has a radically new user interface.

Server 2012 shares the Start screen with Windows 8. Much like what users are experiencing with Window 8, there is a learning curve involved with Server 2012. While developing Server 2012, Microsoft took suggestions to make a server run faster. They did that by reducing the GUI (Graphical User Interface) and including more command driven management. The administrator has a choice to install the GUI or the Server Core which removes the GUI. This is a great feature for datacenter type environments where a server can be managed remotely instead of the administrator needing to be directly in front of the server.

Much of the advantages of this new server system come from its ability to implement virtualization much more effectively than previous versions. Virtualization setup and control over remote work groups is far more effective than any other server operating system out there.

As with any technology and software, Server 2012 has its advantages and disadvantages. Upgrades are inevitable because hardware will age and will need replacement. At some point businesses will start to migrate to the new Server 2012 operating system and whether that happens today or tomorrow, TechFarmer is ready to move your business into the future!

HDMI Image Quality

Walk into any popular electronics store and the selection of HDMI cables ranges from the cheap five dollar cables to “high tech” premium cables that can cost over $100.00. The choice can seem overwhelming. Is it really worth the extra money to get a higher performing cable?

HDMI cables can be advertised as being high speed or high tech offering “better image quality". An HDMI cable is nothing more than a series of copper cables ran together inside of a rubberized sheath to protect them. As a digital signal is transmitted across the wires, it is in the form of Binary Bits or “ones” and “zeros” which look like “11001010". The DVD player, computer, or whatever device is using the cables will translate whatever signal it is sending into these Bits and send them through the HDMI cables. When these bits of data reach their destination, they are then translated by the output device such as a TV, monitor, or whatever device is being used, into a picture and/or sound.

This being said, there is no way for a cable to improve or degrade the “quality” of the bits. They will either reach their destination and be translated, or they won’t and there will be no signal at all.
 
Regardless of image quality, there can be advantages in purchasing a heavier duty cable that is less prone to physical damage from being walked on or from wear and tear. So, when walking into a sales situation, the only choice that you should consider is whether you want a standard or high speed HDMI cable.  High-speed HDMI cables are made to handle 1080p and 3D signals. In this day and age, the price difference between the two is so minimal and with high speed HDMI cables being available for around five dollars, it makes sense to just purchase the high speed cable.

At TechFarmer, we see claims like this from manufacturers all of the time. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, we research and test these theories ourselves before over spending on technology that simply does not deliver what it claims.

Tri-gate Inside

In the world of technology and computing, small is more. The goal for chip manufacturers has always been the pursuit of smaller and more powerful products. A computer’s Central Processing Unit (aka CPU or processor) is the “brain” of the computer. Computers speak and operate in bits which are nothing more than ones and zeros, that in combination translate into numbers, words, commands etc. The CPU processes information, makes calculations and provides computing power via these “bits" of information. Within a computer’s hardware, these bits are represented by electrical impulses that must be transmitted throughout the various components of the computer.

Modern processors are made up of transistors which switch or manage these streams of electricity. To reduce the size of processors, the size or placement of the transistors must be re-designed. Intel’s newest generation of CPU is the Ivy Bridge processor. In order to reduce the size further of this new chip, Intel utilized what they refer to as “Tri-gate” technology. Transistors are small devices with gates that control the flow of electricity through them, and in Tri-gate transistors electrons have three times the surface area to travel through. Intel’s newest transistors are 22nanometers in length. This is smaller than red blood cells! At this size, every change implemented can have a significant impact on performance. Tri-gate technology changes the way in which the electricity flows through the transistor gate decreasing energy usage and increasing reliability.

If comparing CPUs to brains, the brains are getting smaller but smarter. As all of us have already witnessed the unfathomable advancement of technology in the past twenty years, it sure seems that the wave is not slowing down but actually picking up speed. Just like anything, the Ivy Bridge processor is not perfect but the Tri-gate technology will certainly open doors to more and more possibilities.

As the pursuit of smaller and more effective technologies continues, it will be interesting to see what comes out next. Here at TechFarmer we love to stay on top of current trends in technology. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have on processors or any other future technology.

E-mail Management

As an employee in today’s technological world, much of our work related communication is done via e-mail. Unfortunately, the constant stream of e-mails that barrages us on a daily basis can become a source of unwanted stress. It can be time consuming and difficult to manage this onslaught of information. Our human intuitions tell us that we have a responsibility to read the messages in our inbox, and much of the time respond to them. Most of the time these messages aren’t as urgent or vital as well tell ourselves. With some simple organizing, we can take some of the urgency and stress out of these e-mails, and save ourselves time and headache.

One strategy for suppressing our instinct or sense of obligation to respond to all the mail in our inbox is to set up the e-mail to be received in scheduled intervals. If we have a set time each day to check our mail, we can more easily sift through the important and not so important messages eliminating much of the impulse involved in receiving messages at random.

A way to help our inboxes from piling up and becoming overwhelming is to organize the e-mails by archiving them. Messages can be archived by priority or importance as well as many other categories. This can also help when looking up past e-mails by providing a searchable database.

At TechFarmer we view our e-mail system as a great tool for communication. We have adopted many tips and tricks for maximizing its usefulness while keeping it stress free for ourselves. Ask us any questions you may have regarding managing your e-mail and we will be happy to help!

Social Engineering

When individuals and businesses come up with security plans to protect their environment from computer hackers and cybercrime, the first thing that is usually put in place is a firewall. To add an additional layer of security, an Intrusion Detection System may be implemented in addition to the firewall. Wireless encryption, anti-virus software and the delegation of user privileges are some other common ways in which to keep a network more secure.

However, gadgets and security measures aside, one of the first and most effective methods that cyber criminals use to gain access to business networks is a tactic that many people are unaware of called Social Engineering and it doesn’t involve computers. Social engineering is a tactic pioneered by one of the most famous hackers of all time, Kevin Mitnick.

Kevin Mitnick, the most notorious hacker of his day, now works for a network security company helping businesses protect themselves from cybercriminals doing what he used to do best. In his biography, he explains the methods in which he used to gain access to numerous businesses networks and data. Before penetrating firewalls, scanning for open ports or doing anything over the wires, he would use social engineering to gain access effortlessly. Social engineering consists of contacting employees at a company, posing to be an authority figure and somehow tricking them into divulging information about log in credentials or passwords. If this didn’t work, then he would the computer to gain access.  

Common social engineering tactics come in the form of phone calls or E-mails. In these attacks, the hackers will pose as security professionals, law enforcement officers, fellow employees, or any number of other figures. They will then ask for credentials or information pertaining to the network of the business. It is important to remember that disclosing any personal information or more importantly usernames and passwords to anyone who isn’t a trusted source is never a good idea.

To find a great example on how easy it is to steal information by using social engineering, we don't have to look hard. This summer, an annual hacker convention called Def Con hosted its annual Social Engineering contest where the participants have two weeks to do research on a company. The contestants then had to do their tricking over the phone in front of the Def Con spectators and attendees. In a short time, contestants were able to retrieve sensitive information from people they've never met that work for companies such as Wal-Mart and Target showing the world how dangerous yet easy Social Engineering is. For the full article on CNN, click here.

Contact TechFarmer for more information on how to avoid Social Engineering affecting your business.  

Real-Time Translators

With the rise of international business along with the advancement of modern technologies, real-time translating services have been gaining in popularity. Real-time translators usually come in the form of applications for smart phones but are starting to become available for land-lines as well. They offer the user a selection of languages and as a voice conversation takes place, the application will translate what the user is saying in real time to which ever language is desired.

A French based company Alcatel-Lucent, will be releasing a translator for landline based phones called WeTalk. The service will be marketed predominantly toward businesses. It will offer translations of over twelve languages. They are currently working on technology that will be able to simultaneously translate multiple languages during multinational conference calls.

DTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile phone service provider just announced the release of their Mobile Translator service. DoCoMo’s app will be for Android based Smartphones and will use DoCoMo’s cloud for computing power. This enables the app to run on almost any Android capable phone. The translator will offer English, Mandarin, and Korean to start out with, adding seven additional languages next month. As each participant in the conversation speaks, the conversation is translated into both text and audio.The intent behind these inventions is to broaden the user’s ability to communicate. These applications are soon to make a very large impact on the way in which companies conduct international business.

Several firms within the U.S., including Apple and Google are working on their own versions of real-time translators. Here at TechFarmer, we are always keeping an eye out for the latest trending technologies. It will be interesting to test these products and see the accuracy of the translation.

Tablets on a Budget

The growing craze in today’s tech industry is mobile computing. Tablets and Smartphones have many of the same capabilities of traditional computers with the added convenience of being highly portable. When these “Tablets” first were released, they were pretty much limited to a high-end market due to their price. Despite being high in price and not having a very large application support structure, tablets still became widely used and desired.

In an attempt to reach out to more markets, a new trend of budget tablets has arisen. It was started in part by the release of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet. The Nexus 7 is similar in performance to competing full sized tablets, but it is smaller and a fraction of the price selling for around $250.00. Entering the budget Tablet market, Amazon has released a small tablet called the Kindle Fire HD selling for about $200.00. Apple has just entered this new market with the release of their iPad Mini. Although slightly more expensive than its competitors at around $330.00, it is still quite a bit more cost effective than its older siblings the full sized iPads.

Microsoft has recently joined Tablet market as well with the release of their Surface Tablet today. Microsoft's Surface sets itself apart from the rest of the crowd by supporting a full Operating System. Thanks to this improvement, the tablet can now be used for the same tasks as a laptop or desktop system. Word documents and spreadsheets among any other tasks that a traditional PC is needed for can now be done on this device. This new functionality comes at a price however, the base model RT starts at $499  roughly double that will have to be paid for the full sized Pro version. 

If you live a busy lifestyle, need a more versatile work station, or the idea of computing on the run appeals to you, then this is a great way to explore the world of tablet PC’s without spending a fortune, just remember that budget electronics are not always made to last a long time. At TechFarmer we have experience with all kinds of various tablets and are always keeping our eyes peeled for new technologies. Contact us if you are curious and want to know more about mobile computing.

Intrusion Detection Systems

One of the most important aspects of a successful business is the protection and integrity of its data. This could be anything including but not limited to patient records, blueprints, and customer's personal/financial information. This is what modern cybercriminals and hackers are after. If compromised, this information can cause serious problems for the company and its customers alike.

Never underestimate the importance of network security. There are many ways to secure a network from hacking and penetration attempts. The most common and often the first line of defense is the firewall. What happens if a hacker is able to bypass it? The network administrator will need to know in order to take the proper actions to seal off the company's data. This is where an Intrusion Detection System comes in.
 
Intrusion Detection Systems or IDS systems are developed to scan the network and identify possible malicious activity. They look for unauthorized access, policy violations, and attempted access to the network. The IDS system will then either trigger an alarm or log the event, notifying the administrator of the occurrence. Once the threat has been identified, the issue can then be researched, addressed and taken care of before any information has been disclosed.

In today’s technological age, and with the prevalence of cybercrime, network security has become just another part of responsibly running a successful business. TechFarmer has many different applications and methods in which to implement strong security measures for your business.

Caring for your Electronic Devices

Technology has become as much a part of our everyday lives as cars and transportation.  As we perform preventative maintenance on our cars such as regular oil changes, the same must be done for our computer equipment.

The majority of these devices aren’t cheap, so proper care is important in order to keep them around for a while and in good working condition.
Many devices have small internal surge protectors which make them not as effective as traditional ones that plug into the wall. Always use a surge protector with a desktop system. When working for long periods of time on the laptop at home or in the office use an external surge protector as well.

Only use recommended accessories. The use of a pen or stylus that wasn’t built specifically for a tablet could end up damaging it. The use of anything other than a special screen cleaning cloth could potentially scratch or damage the screen or monitor. While cleaning the screen with a damp screen cleaning cloth, make sure the device is unplugged.

Another accessory that must be specific to the device is the power cord. Due to varying amounts of electricity do not use a cord from another device, even if it looks the same because it can damage internal components. The care of power cables is also important. Always place cords out of the way of heavily traveled areas or wheeled office chairs. It only takes a few times of getting stepped on or run over for cables to become damaged.

Heat is any electronic device's worst enemy. Keep the system as cool as possible and out of direct sunlight, even when the device is not powered on. Components in PCs such as the processor produce large amounts of heat and in order to keep them cool, fans and cooling systems are integrated. Unfortunately many of these fan systems will suck dust into the device. After a while, the components will get clogged with dust which will act as a thermal blanket making the device run hot. It may eventually fail; thus, in addition to heat and sunlight, keep the device as far away from dust as possible.

However, no matter how clean the environment is where the computer system resides, it will still manage to attract dust and must be cleaned. After turning off the device and discharging any static electricity by touching a metal section of the computer case remove the cover and use compressed air to regularly clear out the dust. Keyboards and laptops like compressed air too!

Contact TechFarmer for more tips on keeping your system running well and we will be happy to share our experiences and expertise.  

Data Centers

When businesses turn to offsite companies to handle the safe keeping of their data through the cloud, the companies that they are contracting operate out of data centers.

 

These Data Centers that specialize in storage are usually industrial sized operations. Maintaining the proper equipment to not only hold all of this data, but also to safeguard it can be a very complex and expensive task. State of the art severs and hardware must be used in order to hold the volume of data involved in this type of storage. Some businesses may want to use their own equipment, in which case they have the option to rent a space within a Data Center to utilize the optimum environment that these centers provide.

The rooms in which the equipment is used to hold this information must be carefully climate controlled. If the air is too moist, there is the chance of condensation building up on the machines. If the air is too dry, there is the risk of static electricity build up. To avoid this, the humidity must remain within 40 to 55%.  The temperature must be kept within 61-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Because computer components produce very high amount of heat, this can be a difficult task. The equipment used in these data centers must be constantly serviced and replaced while maintaining the integrity of the data. The storage and upkeep of this technology is a full time job!

In addition to perfect humidity and temperature, redundant power and ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a must. Imagine how devastating a power outage can be on a business and you will see the benefit of data centers. UPS's (Uninterrupted Power Supplies, also known as batteries) are used to distribute clean power to all equipment in the data center. These batteries also store power in case a brief power outage happens.  Most data centers will use power that comes from multiple power stations to avoid outages and as a third way to prevent power loss, most data centers have a generator. Furthermore, redundant ISPs in a data center are a must to have dependable access to data.

Not all data centers are created equal. TechFarmer can help you choose the best one for your business!

Cloud Storage

As businesses grow and expand, so does the technology and data that they use. Applications, software, and information used by businesses play a key role in their productivity and success. Much of this data is sensitive and its integrity is of the highest importance. Backing this information up and ensuring its safety is a key factor in keeping a company running at peak efficiency. Data must be protected from such threats as power outages, environmental issues like fire or water damage, and theft, as well as components inevitably failing.

There are many methods in which to do this. A growing trend amongst small and medium sized businesses is to utilize cloud storage to routinely back up their data.

The term cloud storage refers to using an offsite company to handle the safe storage of files and data through the internet. Through the use of the cloud, businesses can focus on doing what they do best and let the data center professionals deal with the task of keeping all of this information intact as well as all of the expenses involved.

As with many things, this may not be the perfect solution for all businesses. A thorough analysis of your particular business technology as well as data use is necessary. It is important to understand that even though your data is available in the cloud, if you have an internet or power outage locally, the data will not be accessible. In addition, the speed that your local ISP delivers will play a big role in data retrieval. There are always ways to resolve those issues and TechFarmer is happy to analyze your current environment as well as suggest the most fitting solution.

Practice Management Software

Among many businesses, especially in the medical field, the organization and handling of client and work related information has become a time intensive and highly complex task. Before the commercial use of computing, patient records, work orders, client information and other business essential documents were all recorded and cataloged by hand. This method was highly susceptible to human error and took many working hours to coordinate.

Thanks to modern technology, many of these tasks are now handled at almost instantaneous speeds by specially designed software. The medical field is one such example of an area in which these programs have become an industry standard.

Practice Management Software is a company wide application that handles a diverse variety of tasks. This software, if professionally implemented, can generate reports, schedule appointments, and update as well as store electronic patient records. PM systems can also do such tasks as coordinating bill payment through insurance providers. There are many more uses for this software, all of which take less time for staff to complete, allowing them more time to focus on the job at hand.

TechFarmer supports many medical companies with different and unique needs. Selecting the most effective Practice Management Software as well as its implementation and upkeep has been an area of expertise. Let us help you in selecting the best one for your business!

Advanced Format Drives

Ever since hard drives were first developed and used over fifty years ago, the data held in them has been stored in the same manor. Up until the emergence of Advanced Format Drives, hard drives would store data in 512 or 520 byte sectors. A sector being the section of a hard drive disk track where chunks of data are stored. Recently a need has been addressed for the development of larger drives and increased data storage. Advanced format drives combine eight of the older 512 byte sectors into single, larger 4096 byte sectors.

On a traditional drive, after each sector of data was filled, there was additional data added for error correction, addressing, and other functions. By combining these smaller pockets of data into larger advanced format data sectors, the amount of additional data needed is significantly reduced thus making more room for actual storage.

 

What this means is that a traditional 500GB hard drive, if switched over to Advanced Formatting, will be expanded to roughly 550GB. Of course the hard drive will be shipped already formatted, so the amount of drive space that is advertised is the actual drive space that you will get. This new formatting technique will give manufacturers the ability to produce larger and larger drives for us as consumers in the future.
For the most part, the Advanced Format drives should be Plug-and-Play. However, in some cases they will require a driver to be installed. It all depends on the drive manufacturer and the operating system of the computer.

Online Tracking

As we navigate the Internet we create trends by viewing pages and inputting information. The patterns of websites and online services that we visit can say quite a bit about ourselves such as our interests, our age and gender, where we live, and most importantly, where and how we like to spend our money.

Advertising companies have created a way to track our online movements revealing all of this information. They then create profiles of us describing our interests. This is a form of behavioral targeting.

Using the gathered information, these third party companies will tailor ads that we see to coincide with the profile that they have built on us. Ever wonder why the ads in the side bars of your email are applied to you in some way? Depending on the location and demographics that are on file about us, we may even be given different prices for certain products.

The legalities of this type of tracking are still in dispute.  Not everyone may be bothered by this because it can be very convenient to see advertisements that apply to us. On the other hand, some people may view this as a violation of privacy. The good news is that there are ways in which we can view these third party websites as they track us. We can even block ourselves from being tracked.

There are many programs available to do this. For example, Firefox has several add-on programs for this purpose. One of these programs is called Collusion, which is very well designed and is an aesthetically pleasing addition to a web browser. As a user starts to browse web pages and as third party companies start to track their movements, Collusion will create a map showing who is doing the tracking along with a brief description of the company and at what point they were picked up. Collusion also offers the option to block this tracking. Regardless of whether or not we mind having our online lives tracked, there are resources available to put a stop to it if desired.

The Future of Laptops

One of the many recent computing trends has been the use of tablets. There have been many reasons for the tablet’s rise in popularity. They are highly mobile, light weight and can be integrated into our lives with relative ease. The boot up time of these computers is almost instantaneous, which means no staring at the loading screen while you wait to access email or other services. As convenient as these devices are, they don’t have many of the features that traditional lap tops do. Therefore they arguably pose little threat to the laptop industry and are in a class of their own.

In order to bring the power of a laptop computer into today’s market which demands mobility and speed, a different class of laptop has emerged called the Ultrabook. These machines are lightweight and durable thanks to the fact that they don’t use Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and other components that traditional laptops do. The majority of Ultrabooks utilize what are called Solid State Drives (SSD) that have no moving parts and are not only much smaller, but also last much longer. In addition, Ultra books use lower power processors that can boot up almost instantaneously, much like tablets.

One of the key differences between the Ultrabook and the laptop is the fact that almost no Ultrabooks have optical disk drives. The use of CD’s to transfer data or to install programs is becoming unnecessary to many users, as most of these can be accessed via the cloud. By doing away with the disk drive all together, Ultrabooks have even less moving parts to fail making it smaller and lighter in weight.  

With the ease of use, convenience and durability, the Ultrabook can easily become the future standard of laptops.

Is this Really 4G?

Most mobile phone carriers have been advertising themselves as having the latest 3G or LTE networks. Many service providers are even marketing their products as being “4G”. What exactly does this mean to us as the consumer and what even is 3G or 4G?

3G refers to the type of network in which that particular phone or service operates.  3G stands for 3^rd Generation. All of the hardware, standards, and technology in general that make up a 3^rd generation cell phone network are referred to collectively as 3G. What this means is that if a phone is 3G capable, it makes full use and takes advantage of all of these particular technologies. As various privately owned companies build devices and networks to communicate with each other, standards are applied that ensure that all of the technology is compatible. An example is the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth standards. If there were no standards in place, each manufacturer of laptop or mobile device could have their own unique frequency’s or protocols, and nothing would be compatible. Thanks to standards such as Wi-Fi, almost anyone with a wireless card, regardless of the brand, can walk into a coffee shop and get connected. Organizations such as the ITU or International Telecommunication Union create and implement these standards.

4G on the other hand, is referring to the 4^th Generation of wireless networks, but is a little more complicated. According to the ITU, one of the requirements for a service to be 4G is that it has to provide data speeds at a minimum of 100 Mbit/second, compared to the 3G’s minimum requirement of 3.8 Mbit/second. This is fast! However, despite being marketed as 4G and being significantly faster than 3G, today’s 4G services don’t come close to this speed. They will eventually, once 4^th Generation networks converge and become more established. 4G phones in today’s marketplace are considered to be 4G due to the fact that they use a more efficient method for transporting data than the previous 3G. This technology has the potential for extremely high speeds. As these mobile communication networks continue to expand, we as consumers should start to see this type of performance increase in the future.   

Microsoft Surface

As we are entering what is referred to as the “Post PC Era”, more and more consumers and business workers have been mobilizing their lives through the use of laptops, smart phones, and tablets. Thanks to modern networking technology, we are no longer tied down to specific geographic locations in order to access resources such as the internet or our work. We can be connected wherever we go.

This new widespread connectivity has led to the popularity of tablets. It is no secret that the iPad has dominated this particular market in the recent years. While there have been other good products out there, the iPad has set the standard.

Microsoft has realized the importance of a mobile and easy to carry computer for today’s user. They have seen the success of the iPad, and they have decided to build their very own. This new tablet is called Microsoft Surface. The tablet will come in two forms; a basic model running Windows RT for the consumer market and a more advanced model running Windows 8 Pro for business users. The basic model comes equipped with an ARM processor being available with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, while the advanced model will sport an Intel processor and can handle 64GB or 128GB of storage.

The Surface will have some new consumer based features such as forward and rear facing cameras. It will come with a magnetic cover that when removed will be used as a pressure sensitive keyboard and it will have a built in USB, microSD, as well as Micro HD ports. Using the Windows 8 Operating system, it will have endless uses. Much of the success of this new product, however, will depend on the availability of new applications and its price.

On paper this new addition to the Tablet market looks pretty impressive, but will it become the iPad’s next top competitor? More information on the Surface can be found on Microsoft’s website.

The TechFarmer team is eager to try this tablet out. Check back soon for a detailed review of this new technology.

Four Mile Historic Park Fling

At TechFarmer, computers and technology aren’t our only focus. We take pride in being active members of our community and we love to express interest toward various charities and community projects. History happens to be one of our fortes, so naturally we jumped at the opportunity to support Denver’s Four Mile Historic Park. The park, housing Denver’s oldest standing residential structure dating back to the mid 1800’s, sits one the border of Denver and Glendale.

Four Mile Historic Park will be having their annual “Fling” in an effort to raise funds. The money raised will go toward the preservation of the buildings in the park, education, and the care of the animals that have made the park home.

The Fling will be held on Thursday, September 13^th at 5:30PM. TechFarmer will be present and we will be donating several items to the silent auction. Tickets can be purchased at Four Mile’s website. Come join us for food, fun, and a great way to support Colorado’s beautiful history!

Outlook.com

It appears that at some point Microsoft will be doing away with Hotmail and replacing it with Outlook.com in an attempt to stay competitive with Google’s G-mail. In addition to competition received from G-mail, Microsoft has lost many users due to the emergence of alternative methods of communication such as texting or posting on social media sites.

Microsoft has run Hotmail since 1998 and since its creation, little has been done to change the format of this service.  The designers at Microsoft decided that it was time for a change. Not only will the site look different, it will act different. The service will change from Hotmail.com to Outlook.com and it will be interfaced with the same social media sites that it's competing with.  A large effort to increase security and privacy will go into the development of Outlook.com. One thing that will set them apart from G-mail is their placement of advertisements. As opposed to G-mail, which will look at the content of incoming emails and tailor ads accordingly, Outlook.com claims to never scan the contents of its user’s e-mails.

A nice addition to this new e-mail system is it’s interface with Microsoft’s Skydrive. This is a cloud storage program that enables the user to send out emails with larger files attached. No more blasting out e-mails ten at a time to share the latest vacation pics.

An easy and supposedly seamless transition from Hotmail to Outlook should be achieved if the user opts for the upgrade. There is no date set for this transition to happen but hopefully it will be as smooth as Microsoft claims. the latest word on Outlook.com can be found on Microsofts website.

Password Security

The cloud has revolutionized the way in which we store data, communicate, and perform our work. It has simplified our lives as users by keeping us connected with all of our devices and information anytime, anywhere.  

The downside of this service is the fact that if someone manages to get access to our login information, they instantly have access to our entire digital lives. In some cases this is can be our whole life.

A Senior Writer at Wired Magazine learned this lesson the hard way. Hackers managed to gain access to his Apple account through social engineering. In his written account of what went down, he explains how once they accessed this account, they were able to in turn have access to every other account and device he owned, including his phone, tablet, and PC. This was a wakeup call as to the power of the cloud.

As users, what can we do to prevent this from happening? One of the easiest and most common ways hackers break into accounts is by obtaining or cracking login credentials. These usually consist of a username and password. We can help to prevent this through the use of strong passwords. Passwords containing dictionary words, even if they have numbers attached to them can be easily broken by what is referred to as a brute force attack through the use of software. The best passwords contain seemingly random upper and lower- case letters, numbers, and symbols. A three year old can mash a keyboard and produce an uncrack-able password. The trick is remembering it.

I’m sure everyone has been in an office at some point and seen the token “username and password written on a sticky-note” stuck to a computer monitor. I wouldn’t suggest this as a means of remembering your information.
Catch phrases are a great way of remembering. An example would be MFBSIJB007! “My favorite British spy is James Bond 007!” There are also great free programs out there like KeePass, which will encrypt and store your login information; they can even create passwords for you.

Creating and remembering a strong password can be one of the most powerful and simple ways of securing your online world.

MyGilbert App

This is a pretty humorous example of what can be achieved, or encouraged through the development of certain applications. According to App Advice, the town of Gilbert, Arizona is a pleasant covenant controlled community. It is a clean suburban environment with demographics pointing toward an above average household income for its residents. From an outside perspective it seems like a quiet, laid back and very clean community. The residents and town officials take pride in maintaining this image. Gilberts Municipality helps out by enforcing any code violations that could reduce the appearance or quality of living in their town.

The Town of Gilbert takes this responsibility seriously. They have recently turned to their citizens for help in the ongoing crackdown on code violations. They have developed a free application available to residents of Gilbert that enables them to report code violations with the click of a button. This app essentially allows residents to anonymously tattle on their neighbors. Once the app is running, there is a drop down list of violations to choose from, such as “Weeds,” “Swimming Pool-Green,”  “Building W/O a Permit,” or everyone’s favorite, “Barking Dog.” Once the specific violation is found, there is the option to take up to four pictures of the violation as well as the option to record audio. Next, the citizen enters the perpetrators address, and the report is ready to be sent up the chain.

As fun as this seems, it gives a new definition to Nasty Neighbors.  Check out more interesting apps in this months newsletter coming out on the 15th, at TechFarmer.com.