Here in computer troubleshooters land we are getting excited about the launch of our new cloud services.  We already provide some aspects of these, on-line data backup, monitoring, hosted e-mail, cloud drives, etc., but now we are developing a new consolidated platform from which we can control the on-line services of all our CT-Cloud customers.

With today’s smart devices, we take internet connectivity for granted. Now that we’ve untethered ourselves from large, immobile computers, we’re used to accessing websites, social media and emails no matter where we are. So how is “mobile computing” impacted if we travel? Can we expect the same connectivity overseas that we have at home? This varies from country to country and may be expensive if you want to use your own mobile phone. Here’s what to keep in mind when accessing the internet abroad:

The IT industry may shout that Cloud Computing is the way of the future and that all businesses should move their IT to the Cloud. The reality is that any IT solution should be investigated and planned, whether it’s within your office or accessed via the Internet. So, what factors will you need to consider?  Take a look at our guidelines that address some of the pains that can be experienced with a hurried, unstructured move to Cloud computing.

Each January, the I.T. industry reveals predictions for the upcoming year, so we’ve scoured the news sources and added our own insights. There’s a lot going on this year, 200 years since the birth of Charles Dickens, the Queen’s Diamond Jubillee and a bunch of other stuff, but will this be the year of the Cloud? Read on…

Gone are the days when all of your interaction with the internet was done at a computer. Our mobile phones no longer hold just names and telephone numbers as we now use them to access websites, social media and software applications. Tablet computers have also enabled us to use the internet while we’re on the move or from the comfort of our living room. So, if you have anti-virus software or security software to protect your computer, do you need it on your phone or tablet too?

The answer my friend is blowin’ in the cyber-wind

but is almost certainly YES !  See our full article here :

I had a phone call today from a customer I haven’t spoken to in a while.  They wanted some professional advice.  They were getting calls from someone claiming to be from Microsoft telling them there was a problem with their PC.  I was able to put their mind at rest and advised them to hang-up as soon as it happens again.  If you need advice on PC security or any other matter related to computing then give your local computer troubleshooter a call.  Local Service backed by Global Strength is more than a marketing tag.

A customer gave his daughter an Acer Laptop for Christmas.  These come with an anti-virus pre-installed and he upgraded the subscription to one year.  After using the laptop for one day it became infected with a fake anti-virus trojan called Security Shield.  He phoned the anti-virus company and after a wait he got an incident number.  He phoned again (remember he had a years subscription for their product) and waited patiently until he could talk to someone who could help.  They tried a few things, gave him a new incident number, and then said they would have to charge for further technical support.  Surely as a paid up subscriber he should have got this support for free!  What is more he paid for a service that didn’t work as it failed to prevent the infection or remove it or even recognise it was there!  So how bad is that???  After removing the infection I will be advising him to try for his money back and a switch to the security system we recommend.  Otherwise I can see this scenario being repeated.

Another type of virus to watch out for is called ransom-ware and there is a particularly nasty one about which claims to be from the Metropolitan and Strathclyde police.  It locks the computer, says it has detected Illegal Activity, and if you don’t pay up you are in big trouble.  Further details can be found at http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2011/12/19/disorderly-conduct-localized-malware-impersonates-the-police.aspx

If you have a virus problem, or want advice on the best way to protect your home, business or portable devices then call Computer Troubleshooters – Medway.

We wish all our readers a Happy New Year !

Windows 8 tablet machines will not support plug-ins like Flash.  This is because it uses a new touch browsing interface called Metro.  Flash will still be supported on normal desktop Windows 8.  The move follows Apple who do not have Flash on their ipad tablets.  Adobe Flash is easily the most common browser plug-in and is used to allow media rich web pages and interactive web sites.  Microsoft argue that the new Metro interface works in a different way and not allowing plug-ins will keep it running efficiently.  Plug-ins are often the cause of browser failures.  More on this story can be found on the BBC technology pages here.

Troubleshooting web browser problems is one of our common tasks, and we normally reset Internet Explorer back to its default settings and uninstall toolbars and “browser helper objects”.

I have been hearing a lot just lately about the death of email.  The argument is that people are switching to more instant forms of communication such as mobile instant messaging like that one on the blackberry.  Corporates are banning internal emails and using tools like Office Communicator.  Email still suffers from huge amounts of SPAM (80% + )  and is no longer a productive or efficient method of communication.  In fact it’s not so much a way of communication as a marketing tool.  How many firms are now using email to inform customers of deals, discounts, special offers and so on?  Its become a different thing, a monster consuming our in-boxes and eating up our time and hard drives.  I remember when email was text based only, when you had to send a command to your modem to see if it had a dialling tone and another at the end of the message to tell it to hang-up the line.  I like email because unlike the telephone you dont have to respond at the same time.  I can catch up with my emails first thing in the morning, but instant messaging, by definition, requires instant response.  Email leaves a paper trail.  Some people still print out and store emails in strange looking devices called  filing cabinets.Where would we be if emails couldn’t be hacked into, leaked or presnted as damning evidence in the High Court or Public Enquiry?   I like email but I do see that it has become cumbersome, especially when people want it with them wherever they go.  So I am coming round to the realisation that old friends like POP3 or IMAP have to be ditched.  Its web based email for me from now on but I will leave the Instant Messaging to the facebook twitterati.

If you want to know more about a Hosted Email server or other options for business communication then why not give us a call.  You can even send an email or get in touch through the contact form on our web site.

A number of our customers have fallen victim to the fake “Microsoft” callers who tell them they have serious issues with their PC.  This is not new and we were warning people of this two years ago. Indeed  the local press carried an article we wrote alerting local people to the scam.  Instead of going away it seems to have got a lot worse.  Even the BBC technology reporter Rory something Jones was called up by them and he recorded the conversation for his blog.  That might be funny but the reality is not because a lot of vulnerable people are being caught out.  The going rate seems to be about £75.00 for the “fix” but then you have a problem with ID theft and the malware they leave behind.  If you report the scam to Trading Standards they say they can do nothing because the fraudsters are in another country.  True.  If you report it to the police they say the same thing.  Being on the Caller Preference List to stop cold calling doesn’t work for the same reason.  Is it possible to identify the source of these calls and block them at a telephone network level?  There must be something that can be done to stop this.  It is also giving the legitimate IT support industry a bad name as remote support sessions and constant monitoring get mixed up in the public mind with these underhand and crooked catch-penny traps.

If you think you have fallen victim to this scam, or want advice on computer security issues then please call Computer Troubleshooters Medway on 01634 867800.