Each week I’m picking out the things that I liked the most that I submitted via Twitter for you all to read. If you haven’t already seen my Twitter feed of tech tips add me @aholesgrove or have a look at http://twitter.com/aholesgrove and subscribe to the RSS feed of my tweets.

• 90 percent of Windows 7 flaws fixed by removing admin rights http://is.gd/bcvLt

When Microsoft changed everything underneath the hood in how Windows worked when they released Windows Vista, the spirit in which they intended to address all of the security problems in Windows was to detatch the Windows administrator access to everyday commands so that authorisation was needed before anything major could be changed in te functionality of the machine – what they ended up with instead was a giant backlash against them with how Vista constantly brought up this annoying popup asking for authorisation of everything you did on the machine.

Microsoft had a good idea and it’s something that they refined and corrected with Windows 7 and everything in that department is really cool and secure in how it works, except for one remaining problem – people still make themselves administrators of the machine and are constantly logged in as one when using their computer.  THIS IS A HUGE SECURITY RISK.  What people should do with their machines is create a password for the administrator account, log in and create a normal login account using their name as the username and then do their everyday use of the machine under that account.  Why?  - Because as the article I tweeted points out, the majority of the remaining security risks that are ‘exposed’ from using Windows 7 is simply due to the fact that people log in as administrators and anyone can walk straight into the machine and do whatever they want with it.  Simply put, if you log in under a seperate normal account you will be able to use whatever you want on the machine and then if you want to alter the computer in any way, such as installing a program or deleting a licence key, Windows 7 will then ask you to enter the Administrator account’s password – working on your machine this way will go a very long way to installing good security practices in your work environment and make sure that your machines are a lot safer for nasties of all sorts.  It’s a very good habit to get into and if you’re not doing it now then it is highly recommended (Windows XP does not offer this feature so now is a good time to upgrade if you are still using it, by the way).

Of course, this is just a sample of all the good security practices we teach you when you sign up to one of our monthly support packs – if you’d like more information about this sort of stuff, contact us!

• WinPenPack Gathers Hundreds of Portable Apps in One Package [Downloads] http://is.gd/bbkVH

In last week’s blog post I mentioned an all-in-one program called ZeuApp which compiled 82 free Windows programs into one convenient installer and I was calling it the best app ever.  I was wrong – out comes the very next week this new one called WinPenPack which does the exact same thing but brings hundreds of free Windows programs into one installer, saving you the trouble of sourcing them from all different corners of the internet.  This is such a great idea and I’d encourage you to follow the link from the above Twitter post to read all about it and download it for yourself, you’ll love it.

• Alt+Tab Tuner Makes Windows 7’s Task Switcher Thumbnails Larger and Much More [Downloads] http://bit.ly/b1Pa6Q

This is a really cool idea for those of you that flick inbetween multiple applications on your computer constantly – the standard ALT-TAB menu is a bit annoying and doesn’t show you much about the programs your shifting between, so this little application replaces it with a nice big screenshot of each application open to make it much easier to know what programs you’re flicking between using the ALT-TAB menu.  It’s really handy – I myself actually gave up on ALT-TAB a long time ago and would stop, take my hands off the keyboard and use the mouse to select an open program on the taskbar instead to know when program I wanted to jump to next – now I don’t have to.  It’s a great little tool, and the article in the link above shows you some screenshots of what it looks like if you’re interested, go have a look!

• Most users happy with Windows 7 http://bit.ly/bxNK6L

In the workplace, a lot of people are waiting until Microsoft releases Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 before upgrading their machines because they just don’t know whether Windows 7 will be worth jumping into using right away and if it will be stable and tolerable for them – this article details a survey that was conducted in which current Windows 7 users enthusiastically are saying the Windows 7 is by far the best release of Windows so far and they are very happy with using it and that they have made the switch.

If you’re one of those people who are on the fence and aren’t sure if they want to upgrade yet from Windows XP, let this article be all the proof that you need to make the switch now – Windows 7 is incredibly secure, intuitive and stable.  Best of all, we can upgrade all of your machines for you and take care of everything, minimising disruptions to your business in having your machines upgraded and bringing a wealth of easy computing to your office.  Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you!

• Great tip – Add Your Dropbox Folder to Windows 7’s Start Menu [Tweaks] http://bit.ly/bDNNoE

Never heard of Dropbox?  It’s a fantastic service – basically, it’s like having a huge hard drive that you can copy and paste files onto, except it’s stored in a secure location seperate to your computer that can be accessed anywhere from the internet with a simple password.  This service basically makes thumb drives obsolete by making your files accessible from anywhere whilst eliminating the risk of your sensitive documents falling into the wrong hands if a USB drive (or a whole laptop for that matter) were to be stolen or lost.  In the article above, it describes how you can then add the Dropbox service to your start menu so that you can easily access it whilst on your computer to copy and paste files to whenever you need to access it.  It’s a great idea, check it out!

• Fantastic – The Complete Guide to Saving Your Windows System with a Thumb Drive [System Recovery] http://bit.ly/b45W1K

6 tech tips for the price of 5 this week!  I just had to include this tip as well, which shows you how you can do a full Windows system backup on a thumb drive!  That’s a fantastic idea, allowing you to regularly backup everything that’s important for you which you can them put in a safe or somewhere secure so that if you ever need to do a Windows restore back to an earlier point to reverse a serious problem on your machine, you can then retrieve that thumb drive from it’s secured location, get your computer back in top shape in no time and keep working with no hassles – and no disruptions!  If you’re lacking a sense of confidence in settings these things up yourself, this like many other things are good ideas that we can set up for you – all you need to do is ask.

About Us

Superior IT Technologies is a specialist IT Support and Sales business based on St Marys in Sydney, NSW. For more information about what we can offer you email Paul Ditrih at paul@superiorit.net.au

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• Set up Windows 7 to Login to an Account Automatically (helpdeskgeek.com)
• Windows 7: the First Month Review, Part 1 (sitepoint.com)
• Top 10 Differences between Windows XP and Windows 7 (helpdeskgeek.com)
• Windows 7 market share growing (crunchgear.com)
• AutoPatcher Keeps Windows 7 Systems Up to Date (lifehacker.com)
• This Week’s Top Downloads [Download Roundup] (lifehacker.com)
• Microsoft to end of support for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista RTM (teabreak.pk)
• Block Sleep And Hybrid-Sleep Mode In Windows 7 And Vista (ghacks.net)
• Instapaper Beyond is keyboard shortcut heaven for Instapaper users (downloadsquad.com)

Each week I’m picking out the things that I liked the most that I submitted via Twitter for you all to read. If you haven’t already seen my Twitter feed of tech tips add me @aholesgrove or have a look at http://twitter.com/aholesgrove and subscribe to the RSS feed of my tweets.

• Windows 7 Tip of the Week: Using Aero Snaps with Multi-Monitor … And Other Keyboard Shortcuts http://is.gd/b1vbj

This week I’m focusing on handy things that can help our customers work better and smarter in the office – starting with some really cool keyboard shortcuts in Windows, including new ones in Windows 7.  This article describes a whole bunch of them and is worth checking out and having a read, but I’ll let you in on my favourite additions to Windows 7:

The first is snapping windows to the edge of your monitor.  If you drag a window to either the left or right, Windows 7 will auto resize your window to take up exactly half your screen to either the left or right, which you can them consequently do for another window beside it and have a perfect two window setup for fast use of two applications at the same time.  What’s more, you can use keyboard shortcuts to achieve the same effect – holding the Windows key whilst using the left and right arrows will also snap your applications to the edges perfectly also and is really handy.  Similarly, using the Windows key plus the up and down arrow keys will maximise fullscreen and minimise your application windows respectively as well, allowing you to toggle your open windows purely with the keyboard when used in conjunction with ALT + TAB (or Windows key + TAB if you have aero glass installed).  Very cool indeed.

Secondly is a new feature for focusing on windows.  Have a whole pile of windows open at the same time and want to get rid of all of them except for one?  Just click and hold on the blue bar across the top of the window you want to remain open, shake it with the mouse and all the other open windows will auto-minimise out of the way.  Killer feature.  Of course, these new features are a great excuse to get that nice big 24 inch monitor you’ve always wanted on your desk and allow you to make great use of it.

• Absolutely best Windows download ever – ZeuApp Downloads 82 Awesome Open Source Apps [Downloads] http://is.gd/b19z8

We know that there are whole pile of free Windows utilities/software out there that are really great for having at your disposal whenever you’d like to use them and we encourage their use, but this software package in the Twitter post serves and even greater advantage to your office than the convenience of not having to source and download them individually – by having them altogether as one package, you can add ZeuApp to your domain policy setup in your Windows Server controlled office so that your staff members can take advantage of any and all of the 82 free applications within this package without accidentally downloading any one of them that might be virus infected or contain another security compromising weakness – just distribute it through Windows Server to your users’ workstations and you can know with peace of mind that anything your staff might want or need is there for them to use and it has been utilised throughout your network safely.  We specialise in these sorts of simple yet very effective software rollouts and can even do this sort of work for you as part of our support packages!  Call us for more information.

• Cool – McAfee Stinger Removes Hard-to-Tackle Malware and Pesky Fake-Alert Programs [Downloads] http://is.gd/b17cY

Windows security just keeps getting better all the time and this application mention in this Twitter post, McAfee Stinger, is just another example.  Stinger has actually been around for a very long time and is something that we’ve used a lot in fixing nasty infections on computers in the past and this latest version really does cleanse your computer for even the nastiest of annoying accidental installations – popup advertisements for certain pills come to mind when mentioning this.  Best of all, if you’re the kind of business that really just doesn’t want to have to bother with having to understand any of this stuff, Stinger is so quick at scanning and repairing your computer of this stuff that we can run this application for you over your computer remotely as part of your monthly support package without barely using much of your prepaid support time – so you can offload this sort of worrying to us, we can take care of it for you and you’ll still have plenty of time left over in your support hours to have the rest of your Windows security being monitored for you as well.  Of course, if you’re so inclined to give these things a go, click on the link in the Twitter post and try it out yourself, it’s long been one of our favourite little applications.

• RT @slowpctips Windows 7 made easy: Internet safety and data security http://cli.gs/Xs9PN

Regular readers of our weekly tips will know that we are very strong advocates of IT safety and security in the workplace and this article we picked up on is one of many written on the internet that validates a lot of what we talk about constantly.  As always, we understand that there is a lot to know and understand in how to keep on top of all this stuff and that’s why we’ve modelled our business on assuming all of that hassle for you at cheap and affordable costs through monthly service plans.  Feel free to call us to discuss more about how we can help you out in this area and allow to rest easy knowing that your IT systems and your information is safe at all times.

• Wicked – Pulse: Powermat to charge Aussie phones http://is.gd/aYnFO

I wanted to finish off this post this week with something that I know would just blow your minds with one of thise “why in the heck didn’t someone make one of these earlier” sort of reactions.  The Powermat serves a simple purpose – if recharges the battery of small devices such as mobile phones simply by laying the device down on it. That’s it – no cables or chargers, just lay the device down on it and the battery will charge it up – absolutely brilliant!  Now your office workers can’t ever use the excuse of a dead battery stopping them from answering your phone calls or that of your customers when the right kind of charger is not available for use – this device eliminates all limitations of connector types and works for all modern phones and smart devices.  I would thoroughly recommend that you give the Powermat a closer look – click on the link for more information about it, I’m personally a very big fan.

About Us

Superior IT Technologies is a specialist IT Support and Sales business based on St Marys in Sydney, NSW. For more information about what we can offer you email Paul Ditrih at paul@superiorit.net.au

Our services are uniquely designed to save our clients valuable time and money to ensure that maximum productivity is achieved. Take the IT stress our of your job and hand it to us - your IT specialists!

Each week I’m picking out the things that I liked the most that I submitted via Twitter for you all to read. If you haven’t already seen my Twitter feed of tech tips add me @aholesgrove or have a look at http://twitter.com/aholesgrove and subscribe to the RSS feed of my tweets.

• Handy tips – How do I Keep Windows From Hibernating While I’m Downloading? [Ask Lifehacker] http://bit.ly/crkaoe

I thought this was a great tip for customers who are logged into the Superior IT helpdesk support software – a number of our clients are running laptops and it is common that one of our technicians will accidentally get kicked out of the session because Windows has hibernated due to inactivity – this simple change detailed in the article can fix that so we never run into this problem - in fact, we can do this for you so you don’t have to, then everybody wins.

• Charlie Miller to reveal 20 zero day security holes in Mac OS X http://bit.ly/cpDW7X

Now that the Mac is starting to emerge as a credible alternative to Windows PC’s, security experts are starting to pay a lot more attention to it and it’s strengths and weaknesses.  One thing we can definately tell you is that in terms of file security, Mac OSX is nowhere near as good as Windows 7 and honestly, you should avoid it.  This article goes on to detail how at an upcoming annual hacker contest the mentioned security expert Charlie Miller will demonstrate to fellow security experts how we can create a whole host of vulnerabilities in OSX based on known exploits that Apple have yet to fix.  This article, and many others that are emerging across the internet now, only reinforce the fact that despite the flaws that Windows may have from time to time, it is still the best platform choice for your business and maintaining the security of your business’s information within your office. Combined with the fact that you can now purchase fantastic computers such as the Altech Mainstream Series desktop for $499 with Windows installed or a powerful Gigabyte M1305M Notebook with a 13.3″ screen, 4GB DDR3 RAM and Windows 7 Professional for just $1399 and you seeing some seriously awesome choice in the marketplace for business computers suitable to all budgets, using Windows 7 to keep your business’s trade secrets safe.  Ask us for more info on our latest computer package specials!

• Microsoft starts to talk SP1 for Windows 7, Server 2008 R2 http://bit.ly/a0tzCB

Yes, we are almost ready to see the first Service Pack released for Windows 7 and for a lot of businesses that means that they are finally ready to make the switch over to Microsoft’s latest operating system.  Fortunately for most current Windows 7 users this will not be much of a disruption when it is released as SP1 for Windows 7 is pretty much just a collection of already released patches and fixes that you have been downloading via Windows Update.  For everyone else who is still using Window XP and Vista, you officially have no excuse to hang onto your old operating system!  Windows 7 is an IT support dream with its vast array of security tools that keep your system safe and up to date with minimal fuss.  If you are yet to make the switch to Windows 7, try installing it in your workplace and combining it with our entry level support plan and you reast easy knowing that you won’t have to worry whatsoever about data theft, unplanned crashes or system downtime or even untimely system reboots.  We can even do your Windows installs for you as part of your hourly packages within your support agreement!  Call us for more information.

• YES!! – Microsoft removes VM hardware requirements, improves XP mode http://bit.ly/cdkv6R

One of the big selling points of Windows 7 for poeple worried about backwards compatibility with their previous software investments was the fact that Microsoft offered the Windows XP Mode feature for free as a download for Windows 7 so that you could essentially run a version of Windows XP inside a window (just like a normal program) and run your older software inside of it so that you could still install Windows 7, take advantage of all of the security improvements and excellent feature set that it provides whilst also knowing that everything you’ve bought previously will work.  However, up until recently you had to have a particular kind of Intel or AMD processor which allowed Windows XP Mode to run inside of Windows 7 and if you didn’t have the right kind of processor, it didn’t work.  For example, pretty much every Sony Vaio laptop on the market at the time of the Windows 7 launch didn’t have these kinds of processors and this was pretty disappointing because XP Mode is an excellent idea.

Well, after continuing to work on this software feature, Microsoft have managed to remove the hardware requirement so that you can now install XP Mode on ANY computer running Windows 7, not matter what it is, which is excellent!  The one caveat to this of course, is that if you are going to essentially be running two versions of Windows at the same time, you would want to make sure that you have a decent amount of RAM in your computer to make it all happen – for example, my Windows 7 machine has 2gb of RAM and XP Mode prompted me as saying that running it wasn’t a good idea.  To do this you really want to be running around 4gb of RAM which is generally the industry standard now for workplace computers. Fortunately, RAM is dirt cheap and we can supply and install extra RAM in your computer very cheaply.  For example, if you want to add an extra 2gb to your machine, DDR2 RAM modules are just $75 and with that you are looking at a significant increase in performance on your machine, let alone enabling your machine to run two versions of Windows at the same time.  Remember, Windows 7 will pretty much always use around 1 – 1.5gb of your RAM as it is, so with a 2gb upgrade you’re increasing your spare available RAM from 0.5gb to 2.5gb, which is a 500% improvement. Call us for more information about how we can do these kinds of services for you!

• Don’t open emails from Facebook with zip file attachments!! – Facebook warns over password reset scam http://bit.ly/aw1oYZ

This may not be very relevant to the workplace, but let’s face it – a lot of people check their Facebook account whilst at work. This article is detailing a new scam that is going around and it is very likely you are received this already, so be careful – basically, people are sending out emails that appear to come from Facebook themselves, which say that your account has been upgraded and you need to reset your password and run the attached program to make it happen.  The attachment file is a zip file with a program inside, which will install a trojan on your system which will not only then send your facebook password to people who shouldn’t be seeing it, but will also expose your computer to other possibilities such as keylogging which will track the input of other sensitive material such as credit card numbers and server passwords and also send that information out from your computer to anywhere and everywhere.  It’s a big problem when there are 400 million people who use Facebook and too many of those people out there that are willing to trust anything on the internet, so if you do receive an email from Facebook and it has an attachment, delete it straight away.  Official Facebook notification email NEVER EVER contain attachments and that is how you can best know the difference between ones that are fake and ones that are real.  Be careful out there people.

About Us

Superior IT Technologies is a specialist IT Support and Sales business based on St Marys in Sydney, NSW. For more information about what we can offer you email Paul Ditrih at paul@superiorit.net.au

Each week I’m picking out the things that I liked the most that I submitted via Twitter for you all to read. If you haven’t already seen my Twitter feed of tech tips add me @aholesgrove or have a look at http://twitter.com/aholesgrove and subscribe to the RSS feed of my tweets.

• Sweet – It Only Gives You 32GB, But OCZ’s Onyx Is Still An SSD Under $US100 http://bit.ly/bKEzi0

I lot of people tend to ask us how they can best speed up their computer and here is your answer – replace your hard disk (HDD) with a solid state disk (SSD).  To give you some perspective, using a solid state disk in your computer is the equivalent to give your computer a massive CPU and RAM upgrade – the people that we speak to who use them say that they have slashed their Windows startup times almost in half by using an SSD in their computer.  Best of all, they are getting cheap – in the tweet above it quotes US dollars but nonetheless in Australia they are cheap too – our range of SSD’s start from $159 for a 32gb drive option.

Now, you might say, how could I get by with such a small amount of  disk space?  The idea is that you use your SSD to install Windows onto, then  install all your applications and store your files onto a regular hard drive seperately, such as a Samsung 1TB SATA HDD which is now only $149, and you’re all set to go.  That way, your SSD gets to focus purely on processing Windows instructions, serving them out super fast and not getting clogged up doing all it’s other jobs.  Windows 7, by the way, has been optimised for installation on an SSD so considering one for your next computer purchase is an excellent idea.  Give us a call to ask more how SSD’s can speed up your productivity and have a read of the article above to learn more about the technology.

• Dell introduces $339 G2410H 24-inch 1080p LCD monitor, we go hands-on http://bit.ly/dvYb26

This is another tweet that quotes US dollars, but nonetheless it’s an amazing time to get a new monitor for your workstation.  This article above refers to a full HD monitor which can play back BluRay quality images with no problem and it is extremely cheap.  At Superior IT we also have a new range of high quality monitors in the professional range that are not only cheap but extremely bright in contrast ratio, allowing you to work much better and avoid eye strain even in the brightest of well lit rooms.  For example, we now sell the Samsung 23.6″ 2494HS TFT Wide Format Monitor which boasts a full 1080p resolution and an insane 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, which means that the picture quality on this thing will be ultra crisp.  Now with Windows 7 available it’s a great time to get yourself a larger monitor – it’s easy to drag application windows to the left and right of the screen to snap them into place and have a large enough viewing space to be able to work on 2 different things at the same time whilst still having plenty of room to work in either application and boost your productivity in the process.  Forget trying to work with mulitple monitors, this is the way to go and it is really cheap!  Give is a call if you’re interested in getting some help with this kind of a setup, you won’t regret it !

• Good article – Use Two Computers to Keep Your Work and Home Life Totally Separate [Productivity] http://bit.ly/dffrvE

Windows 7 has introduced some fantastic features for allowing you to define seperate networks for home and work so that your PC behaves differently within different envrionments, but more often than not you want to totally protect both your privacy at home and your business interests at work.  This article goes into great detail with great tips on how to manage completely seperate workspaces without accidently exposing something you don’t want see or shared in the wrong environment.  Of course, home and office security is what we specialise in, so if you have some spare time left over in your monthly support plan, feel free to ask us about how we can help you improve your data handling between home and work, and of course, if you don’t have a monthly support plan with us, now’s a better time than ever to give us a call and find out how we can help you maintain a top notch working environment in situations such as these and many others.

• Windows Phone 7 Series FAQ http://bit.ly/99kwEM

We’re entering such a truly exciting time in IT – phones are becoming just as important as the PC and Windows Phone 7 is something that you are going to want to have in your workplace. Why? Because it is finally the technology we have been waiting for that will give your workers the full power of a PC, let alone the power of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Sharepoint in your worker’s pocket.  These phones will be available from around Sep/Oct this year, coupled with the release of Microsoft Office 2010 and Sharepoint 2010 in June of this year, which means that now is the time to start planning your next server upgrade using Windows Server 2008 R2 to allow your workers to enjoy full portability in your work environment securely no matter where they are.  We specialise in server installations and have a fantastic partner in offering our products on super cheap repayment schedules that allow you to claim your purchase as a full tax deduction whilst also getting what you want and need straight away.

Give us a call to find out more about how we can quickly and easily get new gear into your office and the fraction of the cost you might think it is and if you are extra conscious of file security, ask us about our new server hosting environment where we can house your server and protect it from theft!

• Reboot Your Office to Return to a Clean Workspace [Clutter] http://bit.ly/bbT7h4

This is a great article that we thought you might like to have a read of – sometimes the cheapest and most effective way to keep your office neat and tidy is to clear out your old junk and start over.  With new form factors of PC’s emerging into the market now, such as All-In-One solutions, Shuttle PC’s, Nettop computers and ultra thin notebooks you can clear your desk of all the clutter of thick and bulky items and ulgy and excessive cables.  Our current special this week is the Shuttle X50 All-in-one PC with 15.6″ Touch Screen for just $829 with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled, giving you an entire computer, touch screen enabled and no excess cabling for well under $1000.  Give us a call to ask us about our many specials such as these.

About Us

Superior IT Technologies is a specialist IT Support and Sales business based on St Marys in Sydney, NSW. For more information about what we can offer you email Paul Ditrih at paul@superiorit.net.au

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