Garcea Computers

January 2012 Newsletter

01/09/2012 12:00 AM

Happy New Year!

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to discuss backups and disaster recovery. One of the reasons I talk so much about backups is that I am constantly asked questions. Customers often bring in their computers and we discover they lack proper backups. The reasoning behind this is that backups are inconvenient and it's just something else to remember. Well, not anymore. There are plenty of options that take your memory out of the equation.

The issues we see with most backups are:
1.The software isn't working properly so you're not getting a good backup.
2.You don't notice the backup hard drive is full, which means the backup can't run. 3.You simply don't make backups.

All of these issues are bad. Backing up data is vital for businesses.Lost information can cause a major crisis or worse, lead to business failure.

ShadowProtect
We've starting using a new backup software called ShadowProtect that works well and is completely automated. It can be a little tricky to setup the backup job the first time. Therefore, we recommend that we set it up for you so you can be sure sure you're getting a good consistent backup. There is a desktop version and a business version that works with servers.

Once the software is setup, we will install backup hard drives to store all of your information. If this is for your business we recommend you take the hard drive home or use the Data Center in Rockford to pickup your backup once a week. Having the Data Center pickup the backup eliminates the need for you to remember to do this.

Something else to keep in mind when thinking about backups is if someone breaks into your house or office, would you still have your data or would the thief steal your backup hard drive and all your pictures of your kids or grandkids. If they broke into your office how much personal customer data would they get? What if your building burned down? Would you be able to get your business up and running in a few hours, days or weeks? How much money would you lose by not being able to conduct your business? We've seen all of this. Don't think it can't happen to you. It can and it most likely will. We're here to help you plan for these types of crises.

If you have less than 10GBs of data to backup, we would set up an online backup. It will back up your computer and you can access the data from any computer with an Internet connection. If you have more than 10GBs, your backup will take too long to retrieve by download if you have a disaster. Please call us today to setup a consult about your current backup process. We're looking forward to serving your needs throughout this next year. We're very thankful that you've chosen us to be your tech company. If you are planning on any upgrades, getting new computers, or need any technology assistance please call us.

January 2012 Mac Newsletter

01/05/2012 12:00 AM

Happy New Year! The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to discuss disaster recovery for your Mac. We can't stress enough that if you are not doing regular backups, you are going to lose data. Even with a Mac. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but odds are that sooner or later, something will happen to the hard drive of your Mac, causing it to quit working.

Hard drives are one of the last mechanical components left in a modern computer. They work by spinning two or more magnetic disks past a reader, not unlike the way a record player works. If any of the motors, bearings, or other components fail, the ability of the hard drive to store and retrieve data can be lost. And because of the speed at which the drives operate, it really is only a matter of time until something goes wrong.

Thankfully, Apple has made it extremely easy to backup your Mac's data. Any Apple computer running OS X 10.5 or newer has access to a built-in backup program called Time Machine. All you need to use it is a second hard drive. In most cases, this will be an external drive. When you first connect a new hard drive to your Mac, a dialog box will appear on your screen and ask if you want to use the drive with Time Machine. If you indicate that you do, then Time Machine will immediately begin backing up all of your data to that drive.

Once Time Machine completes that initial backup, a process that may take several hours, it will continue to monitor your computer and save any changes you make, like new or updated documents, to your Time Machine drive. Because it is only saving changed files, these subsequent backups are usually very small and take place very quickly.

When you need to recover a file from Time Machine, it's as easy as opening the program (found in "Applications") and selecting the date you want to recover the file from in the timeline. You can navigate to your file and select it for recovery. Time Machine only works when the designated drive is connected, so it's best to leave it connected to your desktop Mac all the time, or have a plan in place for regularly connecting to your Mac laptop. It's also best that your Time Machine drive is dedicated to that purpose and is used for nothing else.

We can definitely help you in getting started with Time Machine. Give us a call at 815-494-6050 or send an email to gcs@garceacomputers.com. Please note that we cannot currently receive text messages at this number.

December 2011 Newsletter

12/06/2011 12:00 AM

Merry Christmas! I can't believe another year has almost passed us by. Many new customers and many exciting projects - not the least of which is the anticipation surrounding the birth of my son - due December 30th. It's been a great year!

What's on your list?... At this time of year, most everyone has questions about the latest computers and gadgets and has at least some technology stuff on their Christmas list. So, let's talk about some of the most popular items and how Garcea Computers can help you.

iPads are probably the number one thing that both PC and Mac users are asking about. I've been using an iPad for a few months now, and one of the best things the iPad is good for is taking notes. Whenever I have a meeting with clients I bring my iPad. I take notes in the meeting and then I can go over them later. They're organized and I don't have to carry paper files around with me. The iPad has also been good for is listening to music. Pandora internet radio for the iPad is really nice and it's free. Netflix works great on the iPad as well. The iPad is light and portable and you can watch lots of movie and TV shows on it.

Other gadgets we've been fielding questions for are the new Smartphone's. Those could be Android phones, iPhones or Blackberry's. It can be very tricky to get your e-mail working properly on them. We have a solution that will sync your e-mail on your computer, Smartphone and iPad or tablet. So if a Smartphone is on your Christmas list give us a call.

Are you considering a technology purchase for this Christmas as a gift for someone...maybe even you? If you have questions or would like some advice on the best purchase for your needs, we can help. This is a free service offered by Garcea Computers by phone or by e-mail.We can also take the guesswork out of buying a computer.We do this quite a bit. We just had someone come over and buy a laptop for their daughter for Christmas. Give us a call - we can definitely help you.

Backups... It's never too late to get a backup system in place. In next months' newsletter we're going to talk about what you can do to be ready for a disaster and some backup options. If you don't have a backup now let us get that taken care of for you this month.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at (815) 494-6050 or send us an e-mail to gcs@garceacomputers.com.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Jeff Garcea
Garcea Computers, LLC

September 2011 Mac Newsletter

09/06/2011 12:00 AM

I get questions all the time about what to do with old Macs. The simple answer is to sell, trade or recycle them.If you're like most Mac users, myself included, you hang on to your Mac as long as possible. This is because of the cost and how the machines keep working. There are some Macs I've had for 9 years. I have received several hundred dollars for Macs that were 6 or 7 years old. Macs really do hold their value for a long time.You can look on eBay to get a good idea of what your old Mac is worth. There are a couple of websites I recommend that allow you to see what your Mac might be worth - www.everymac.com and www.secondhandmac.com.You can get a good idea of what your Mac is worth based on similar Macs for sale.

You might also try trading your Mac on Craigslist. One of my friends traded a Macbook that was 6 years old for a barely used iPad. I thought that was a pretty good trade for him. There are tons of people who are looking for Macs. They're willing to trade for gadgets that they want like iPods, iPads, dvd players, and gaming counsels.

Or, if you really want to just get rid of your old Mac, you can recycle it. Goodwill, American TV and Best Buy all take old computers. American and Goodwill recycle for free. Best Buy charges $10 to recycle a computer, but then gives you a $10 gift card.Personally, I prefer free.

Finally, you can also donate them to a school or other not-for-profit. If you're interested in that contact me and I can give you the names of some not-for-profit's that may want those Macs. Educational institutions tend to need Macs more because they use them for some of their classes.

Lion Update Various Adobe products are having trouble with the Lion conversion. If you are going to upgrade to Lion make sure that you first look up your specific product and version before you upgrade. This will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. We have had some customers who have just upgraded and they didn't think about how it would affect their software. Now they have a computer with Lion on it and they can't use any of their software. Aside from the issues with Adobe software, Lion so far has been well received. Even if you don't have any Adobe products make sure to check either online or with us to make sure that your essential software will work with Lion.

If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to contact us.

September 2011 Newsletter

09/06/2011 12:00 AM

Computer Recycling

We've been replacing a lot of computers lately and the question that we are always asked is, "What should I do with my old computer?" In this newsletter, we'll try to answer that question.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the condition of the computer and the reason it was replaced. If the old computer was functional and replaced due to age or incompatibility with new software, it may be possible to repurpose it in your home or business. Perhaps you could use the old computer for one of your children to access the Internet and write papers for school. Maybe that old laptop could be used to check email in the dining room or look up recipes in the kitchen. The possibilities for a slightly older, but still working computer are almost endless. If you do decide to repurpose that older computer, the best thing to do is format the hard drive and reinstall the operating system from the recovery discs or partition. This provides a nice, clean system and eliminates any problems that might be caused by leftover programs or settings.It's important to make certain that any data you want to keep has been removed before formatting the computer, though. This is definitely something that we can help you with.

What if the computer is no longer functional? In this case, there are still a few options.The first is donating the computer to a group like Computers for Schools. Computers for Schools takes older computers and repairs or salvages them for reuse in the local school system.

Another option is recycling. A computer recycler will take an old computers and salvage as many components or materials for reuse as possible. This keeps potentially hazardous substances out of landfills and puts them to use. There are several locations in Rockford that take computers for recycling at no cost to you. Our preferred recycling sites are American TV and Goodwill. Note that there may be some charges for recycling old style CRT monitors. If you choose to donate or recycle your computer, it is important that you first remove the internal hard drive before giving the computer away. This ensures that your personal information will not be compromised. We can assist you in removing the drive and storing or disposing of it safely. Under no circumstances should you give your computer away with the hard drive still in place, even if it has been re-formatted.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at (815)494-6050 or send email to gcs@garceacomputers.com.

August Newsletter: Tracking passwords, software licenses and back to school

08/05/2011 12:00 AM

What a hot summer it's been! I work inside and going from the air conditioned building to the car is brutal. This month I want to talk about making a list of things that you should know about your computer and/or network. This applies to my residential as well as my business customers.

Tracking Passwords and Software Licenses

It seems no matter what you do online today, you need a login and password. Every time you install software, there's user names, license keys and a plethora of other important pieces of information required. The challenge then becomes how to keep track of all the various information. Most of our customers usually don't have this information readily available. So, you're not alone! We're here to help.
There are several important pieces of information about your computer(s) and/or network that you need to know.

Location of any discs that came with your computer, as well as the location of any discs or downloaded files for programs that you've installed
License keys for any programs you've installed (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, antivirus, etc.)
Passwords for any user accounts on your computer
Passwords for your email accounts
User name and password for your router
Wireless encryption key used to access your wireless network

For our business clients, we have some further suggestions of important information to document:

Account information to access your website's domain name registrar
Account information for your e-mail provider
Account information for your website hosting account
VPN access information

A low-tech solution for tracking your high-tech lifestyle is to simply create a spreadsheet to hold all of the passwords and license keys. Print it out and place a copy in a secure location (or better yet, print out two or more to go in separate locations such as a safe deposit box and a family member's house). Then, delete the spreadsheet from your computer for added safety. Gather up any discs and place them, together, in a safe place.

The beauty of using a spreadsheet to keep track of all this information is that you can also add notes to the spreadsheet, such as expiration dates, number of licenses (seats), users, etc.

Back to School

Now is a great time to get a new computer or make sure your computer is running well. There's nothing worse than having your computer go out when you're child needs to use it for school.We get several calls every year around this time for people whose computer died right as their child needs it for school.

There are several things you can do and we can help you with to minimize this from happening:

Make sure you have Antivirus and that the subscription is up-to-date.
Make A BACKUP!!! This is so important!
Run windows updates (this helps plug security holes and helps everything work better).
Have your computer checked out at least once a year.

I strongly encourage you to have your computer checked out. Many problems with computers can be detected early before you even notice them. Just like your body"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

August 2011 Mac Newsletter

08/03/2011 12:00 AM

I hope everyone's enjoying the summer heat. I can't believe how many storms we've had that have caused downed trees, power outages, and computer problems.

It's back to school time so I thought I would do my best to answer a question I hear all the time, "We need a new computer. Should we get a PC or a Mac for school?"There are many advantages to having a Mac for school:

Less virus problems
Educational price discount
Kid friendly and easy to use
Photos are real easy with iPhoto
Microsoft Office for the Mac is compatible across all platforms

There are also disadvantages to having a Mac for school are:

Mac's are more expensive than PC's
If the Mac gets stolen or damaged, replacement cost is higher as well
People in charge of Technology at schools aren't always trained on Mac's and may not be able to help when issues arise
There aren't as many games for the Mac

Overall I think the good outweighs the bad. In my opinion, Mac's are better for school. If you're a buying for a business then you should probably get a PC. Lots of business software isn't compatible with Macs.

Another suggestion is to call the school where your child is attending. Whether it's a High School or College, call and talk to their technology department. Tell them you're considering a Mac for your child and want to know what the school recommends in terms of a computer for school.

If you have questions or need a new computer setup for school please give us a call.

Mac OS X Lion Have you upgraded to Mac OS X Lion? A few months ago we talked about computers that would and wouldn't work with Lion. If you have already upgraded then it is likely you have experienced a few issues.There are a lot of problems with it so far, such as software compatibility and performance issues. We expect this. There are always problems with upgrades. Usually the first two software patches fix a lot of the problems. That's why we always recommend that you wait until Apple releases a patch for 10.7.1 or 10.7.2. If you've already upgraded and you are having problems, let us know. We are happy to help you as much as we can.

July Mac Newsletter

07/08/2011 12:00 AM

Welcome to the summer everyone. I hope you are having a great month. I wanted to again say thank you for all the support we've gotten from my customers, every referral and call you have given us is appreciated.

Passwords
Apple has recently been targeted by hackers trying to release customer username and password information. So far it looks like it has been relatively minor. That news story, however, prompted me want to talk about passwords. You should change your passwords every few months. I know what you're thinking. You have a hard enough time remembering the thousands of passwords you already have, right?

Here is my recommendation. Write all of your passwords down and put them in your safe deposit box at the bank, or in a locked cabinet of some kind in your house. Most password theft happens online anyway. Unless you have a break in at your house or you have your password taped to the computer screen (yes, I have many customers that do that) you should be just fine. Most people will use the same password indefinitely, if their software lets them. This is not good. People hack these passwords online and then have access to your account and you don't even know it.

Based on the news articles that I'm seeing and my own experience, the hacking and the compromising of peoples information is getting worse and worse every year. You can protect yourself by changing passwords frequently. If you have a hard time thinking of password there are random password generators online that you can use to help you. If you have specific questions about this please call or e-mail me and I'd be glad to discuss it.

Contact Garcea Computers
There has been some confusion among our customers that I've recently become aware of regarding our main phone number ‑ 815.494.6050.This number used to be a cell phone number. As Garcea Computers has grown it was transferred to a landline. Not knowing this, we have had some customers that have sent us text messages to this number, which we never received. I should have posted a note in the newsletter about it earlier, but I didn't realize people were trying to contact us through text message. Please do not text message us. If you have text messaged us in the past and we haven't responded, at least now you know why. The best way to contact us is to call 815-494-6050 or e-mail us at gcs@garceacomputers.com. Once your call or e-mail is received, either Jeff or Jeremy will respond if it's technical-related; or Mary if it's an office related problem or question. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation

Thanks to all our customers for their continued support. We've had a great year and have truly enjoyed working with all of you.

July 2011 Newsletter

07/08/2011 12:00 AM

Digital Photo Storage
It's summer and that means vacation time for most of us; and that means digital cameras and SD cards. First and foremost, I want to emphasize that SD cards are not permanent storage. Unfortunately, it is very easy to lose pictures from your digital camera if your only copy of them is on your SD card. Always copy the pictures from your camera over to your computer. We get a few calls every month from clients who have lost their pictures or other files they had stored on an SD card.

Having said that, let's talk about getting your pictures from your SD card to your computer. There are two ways to do that. One way is to plug your digital camera into your computer and copy your pictures over using the camera manufacturer's software.I don't care for this method very much because most of this type of software is cumbersome to use. Also, the camera has to be on to do this which wastes batteries.

The second way is to use an SD card slot. Some computers have this built in.If you don't have a built in SD card reader you can always by a USB SD card reader that will plug into the computer and then you can plug in the SD card into it. I prefer this method.

Photo Editing Software
Every digital camera comes with photo editing software. Most are limited in ability and ease of use. My favorite digital software is Picasa by Google. It's a free download and I have found this to be fairly robust software and the best part is it's completely free! You can edit your photos with it and you can organize them into albums. You can also upload them to Picasa Web Albums and send them to family and friends. Picasa has some great how to videos on YouTube that will help you learn how to use it. We're always available for questions too, but YouTube is a great first step. www.picasa.com If you need help or want to setup Picasa on your computer, give us a call. We'd be glad to get that setup for you.

There has been some confusion among our customers that I've recently become aware of regarding our main phone number ‑ 815.494.6050.This number used to be a cell phone number. As Garcea Computers has grown it was transferred to a landline. Not knowing this, we have had some customers that have sent us text messages to this number, which we never received. I should have posted a note in the newsletter about it earlier, but I didn't realize people were trying to contact us through text message. Please do not text message us. If you have text messaged us in the past and we haven't responded, at least now you know why.The best way to contact us is to call 815-494-6050 or e-mail us at gcs@garceacomputers.com. Once your call or e-mail is received, either Jeff or Jeremy will respond if it's technical-related; or Mary if it's an office related problem or question. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation

Thanks to all our customers for their continued support. We've had a great year and have truly enjoyed working with all of you.

June 2011 Newsletter

06/01/2011 12:00 AM

The warm weather is finally here! Now if we can just have a few days without rain! I'm getting tired of trying to cut the grass in the 5 minutes that we have without rain. Anyway, this month let's talk about upgrades. Maybe you have some planned at your business or home. There are times when you can go ahead and do it yourself. But, there are also times when should you call Garcea Computers first.

Imagine this scenario... You decide you're going to change your Internet service provider from one company to another. You don't think it will be that big of deal, so you go ahead with it. Comcast comes out to change your connection and then Garcea Computers comes out to your location and we find a whole list of things that haven't been considered. You have to switch because you've cancelled your old connection and now we have a big mess. Fixing the issues takes more time and is more expensive. If you had called us first, we could have anticipated these issues and taken steps to make sure any changes or upgrades you are planning go smoothly. We have actually seen this scenario. The customer had no Internet for two days while we fixed the various problems. You should call Garcea Computers first before you do any of the following:

Change Internet connection
Buy a new computer
Buy a new server (Yes, a customer has actually bought a server without consulting us and wanted us to hook it up. Let's just say they didn't buy the right server).
Operating system upgrades (going from Windows XP to Windows 7)
Switching from a PC to a Mac
Major software upgrades

The rule of thumb when upgrading or when you have a technical question is to call or e-mail us before making any decisions. There is no charge to answer your questions and we truly want to help. That is what we do - help customers with technical issues and problems.

Weather and Technology... The weather and lightning have been quite severe these past few weeks. Make sure to have surge protectors on all of your equipment such as: computers, cable modems, printers, LCD TV's, and computer monitors. Also, surge protectors and battery backups don't last forever. We normally replace these items when you replace your computer. Surge protectors take power surges all the time and that degrades their ability to absorb jolts. That's why it's a good idea to replace them. If you have any questions or comments feel free to call us. Also, make sure to check out or Mac newsletter the link to it is in the left-hand column of the newsletter and it's also on our website. You can read all of our newsletters at www.garceacomputers.com.

Sincerely,
Jeff Garcea
Garcea Computers, LLC

June 2011 Mac Newsletter

05/31/2011 12:00 AM

Upgrade Time?

You have probably heard about the upcoming release of the latest version of Apple's operating system OS X 10.7, code-named "Lion". You might be wondering what, exactly, this means for you. We'll take a look at that in this month's Mac newsletter.

There are no official specifications yet, but based on information from the developers' releases of Lion, this will be the first version of OS X since the switch to Intel processors to drop support for certain Intel-based Macs.

According to Ron Carlsen of Fairer Platform (http://fairerplatform.com/2011/04/can-my-mac-run-os-x-lion/ ), the following is the list of supported Macs in each of Apple's product lines.If your Mac is not on the list, then it is most likely not supported. The model identifier can be found by using the Apple System Profiler (accessed by clicking on the Apple icon in you Mac's menu bar, clicking "About This Mac", and then clicking "More Info" in the window that appears).The Model Identifier is the second entry in the Hardware Overview.

Mac mini (Mid 2007, Macmini2,1)
iMac (Late 2006, iMac5,2)
Mac Pro (all models) MacBook (Late 2006, MacBook2,1)
MacBook Air (all models)
13-inch Macbook Pro (all models)
15-inch MacBook Pro (October 2006, MacBookPro2,2)
17-inch Macbook Pro (October 2006, MacBookPro2,1)
No Core Solo, Core Duo or PowerPC Macs are compatible

With the switch to Intel processors, Apple introduced a technology called "Rosetta" that allowed Intel hardware to make use of software written for the PowerPC. With 10.7, Rosetta support will be dropped. This means that any PowerPC software will no longer function.Sadly, many developers have continued to use PowerPC-based installation software, so some programs will not be able to be installed due to the lack of Rosetta support. The list of effected software is expected to be quite lengthy and includes all versions of Microsoft Office prior to Office 2008 (note, the original Office 2008 12.1.0 installation media does require Rosetta, while later versions do not) and some releases of Adobe's Creative Suite.

Upgrading to 10.7 may require you to purchase updated versions for much of your software. Further, upgrade offers that require older versions of the program to be installed on your computer may run into difficulties, due to an inability to install those older versions.

We recommend that our Mac clients not upgrade to OS X 10.7 immediately upon its release. Delaying the upgrade will allow time for more details about which versions of software will be supported under 10.7. We further recommend that customers wait until Apple releases the first major update (10.7.1) before upgrading. This will help ensure that any glitches in the new operating system are addressed.

If you are planning on upgrading to 10.7, now is the time to begin considering which of your software programs are mission critical and to begin budgeting to purchase the most current versions of them at the time of Lion's release. If you need assistance with this process, please call or e-mail us.

If your Intel Mac is one of the models that will not be supported by 10.7, you should consider purchasing OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" if you are not already using it. 10.6 is a very powerful and stable operating system, but, more importantly, developers will continue to write software for it for at least a few years after 10.7 is released. The 10.6 purchase price is also just $30, which is the lowest price Apple has ever charged for its operating system. Once 10.7 is released, we expect that 10.6 retail installation discs will become very hard to obtain.

If you do decide to upgrade, please give us a call, because major operating system upgrades can be a bit tricky. We can also help if you decide to replace your current Apple computer.

May 2011 Mac Newsletter

05/03/2011 12:00 AM

Spring has finally sprung! I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather. This is our annual Security edition of our Mac newsletter. Unfortunately, security issues have been reported with Android and iPhones as well as the Mac itself.

iPhone Location Information

There has been a lot of news lately about how the iPhone tracks your location. Apple has released official information about that so I'm including this link to that article so you can read about it. Since this article just came out the day that I wrote this newsletter, it contains very new information and there has not been a lot released on it so far.The investigation was done by the Wall Street Journal and it discusses how they found a cached file on the iPhone containing location information that it gathers from Wi-Fi networks around you and from GPS locations.

There is a way to turn on location sharing if you do not want this information to be tracked by your phone.

To turn off location sharing on your iPhone follow these steps:

Access the system settings on the phone
Click on general
Turn the Location Services slider to off

Once this is done, the phone should not save that information. According to Apple, when they release their next iPhone update the location information will be removed from the phone.

Wi-Fi Seurity and Backups

Please read our regular May newsletter for information regarding Android security and WI-FI security. This information is important for Mac users, too.

Security on your Mac is becoming more important every day. Mac's are much more secure than PC's, but it is still important to have antivirus on your Mac. There are two programs I recommend. Both are free programs. Sophos is one and iAntivirus is the other. If you Google these names you will find downloads for each of these programs.

And don't forget backups. I've had more and more computers come in that don't have proper backups. People are losing information and data every week. Apple's built in Time Machine software is an inexpensive backup solution for your Mac. To turn this on, you will first you will need a portable hard drive. You can purchase a Western Digital Passport of at least 500GB's for under $100. There are sales on Amazon.com of these and at Best Buy all the time. When you plug the drive into the computer, a screen should come up saying "do you want to use this hard drive as a time machine backup." Choose yes and follow the steps through setup.Once setup is complete, every time you plug in the hard drive it will run a backup. We recommend running a backup at least once a week.

As always if you have any questions or need help with your Mac please call us at 815.494.6050. Have a great spring!

May 2011 Newsletter

05/03/2011 12:00 AM

I hope everyone is enjoying this semi-warm weather. At least the sun is shining (for the moment, anyway)! Now is the time of year that I usually write about security issues in our newsletter. Security continues to be a major problem. We frequently encounter security issues with many customer's computers.

Mobile Security...
Most of us have mobile devices - laptops, iPads, iPods, iPhones, or other smartphones or tablets. There has been a lot of buzz in the news recently about mobile security. Viruses have even started to appear on phones as well as computers. Here are some tips for mobile phone security:

Always set a password on your phone
If your phone has encryption, enable it to protect your data
If you have an android phone, make sure you are using antivirus software for it
Be careful when selecting applications to install. Malicious applications have been identified.

Blackberry phones are said to have the best security, so if security is your primary concern, get a Blackberry and enable the encryption.

Wi-Fi Security...
Now let's address laptop security, specifically using a laptop on an open network (free Wi-Fi), like at a restaurant or the library. Open networks present a number of security concerns. The main concern is that it's possible for others to steal your information when you are connected to the Internet. I'm not suggesting that you never use free Wi-Fi because we all need to use it from time to time. Keep in mind that while it's ok to browse the Internet on free Wi-Fi, I wouldn't recommend online banking, bill pay, or using any other website where you have to type in highly sensitive information.

The other aspect of Wi-Fi security to consider is making certain you have properly secured your home Wi-Fi network. This will keep others from connecting to your network and using your bandwidth. Criminals have also been using improperly secured Wi-Fi networks to hack into websites and access illicit content like child pornography. If a criminal does this, the police track the malicious activity back to you, not them. An unsecured Wi-Fi network can also be used to steal data from your computers.

Here is a link to a helpful article with some additional information: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/7737-five-ways-to-protect-your-wi-fi-network-from-hackers

I hope these tips help. If you would like additional security advice or recommendations for antivirus programs please give us a call at 815.494.6050. Have a great spring!

Sincerely,
Jeff Garcea
Garcea Computers, LLC

March 2011 Mac Newsletter

03/10/2011 12:00 AM

"It's here. The phone that changed everything. "This is what Verizon says about its new Verizon iPhone 4, but did this phone change everything for the better or the worse? Results are mixed, according to most reviews, although most reviewers seem to be saying that the positives outweigh the negatives, giving the phone between three and four out of five stars.

The AT&T iPhone 4 was released in June 2010; the new Verizon iPhone 4 was released eight months later in January. Until January, AT&T had been the iPhone's only service provider in the U.S. for the last three and a half years.This privilege formerly granted to AT&T was due to an agreement with Apple, but it was also due to the network system being used, GSM. Verizon uses a different system, CDMA. The two systems don't work together, so the new iPhone version was re-designed for Verizon's system.

Some Major Differences Found in the Verizon iPhone 4: You can't roam internationally in as many countries, since CDMA is much less popular worldwide. It is more like the original iPhone in the fact that it can't transmit data and voice at the same time. (For example, if you're surfing the Internet and you get a phone call, you will temporarily lose your connection. Once the call is disconnected, the Internet connection will return.) There is a Personal Hotspot capability. The iPhone can share its cellular data connection with other devices. This capability replaces the Internet Tethering feature, and many reviewers have found it to be more helpful. The black strips that break up the antenna are in different locations. Therefore, the case for the AT&T phone may not fit this new model perfectly. New cases have been in the works since the release.

Major Features and Stats: 9.3 mm thin and has been called "world's thinnest smartphone" 3.5 in multi-touch retina display 4 times the pixel count of previous models Aluminosilicate glass. This is the same type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains! Steel band (said to be 5 times stronger than standard steel!) Camera and LED Still said to have the same "death grip" problem, or the signal dropping if the handset is held tightly 16GB-$199.99 32GB-$299.99 White model coming in spring

Mac system requirements: Mac computer with USB 2.0 port Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later iTunes 10.1 or later iTunes Store account Internet access

Overall I think the Verizon iPhone 4 is a pretty good phone. It's also nice that iPhone users now have a choice in carriers. The Rockford area seems to work better with the Verizon network. It seems processing is faster most of the time, there is more success with placing calls in typical problem areas, and the calls tend to connect faster. If you have an iPhone or are considering getting one, we'd be happy to set it up or configure it for you!

March 2011 Newsletter

03/10/2011 12:00 AM

What would be the cost to your company if your computer system crashed?What data would be lost and would it be lost forever? How many hours and how much money would you lose due to faulty or outdated technology? Who in your company would have the knowledge or the time to sort through the myriad of pieces to put it all back together? Who's minding the technological future of your business?

Many small businesses and non-profits do not have in-house IT staffs. Therefore, there is no one setting priorities, recommending budget items, and establishing policies and procedures or managing the future direction of technology within the organization. Last year, Garcea Computers began offering Tech Checks (formerly known as Technology Assessments) in response to this need of our business clients.

What exactly is a Tech Check?Let's think in terms of a GPS Navigational device. It shows you where you are (inventory), you tell it where want to go and it tells you how to get there (plan). It also helps you avoid costly detours and may even help you decide what you'll be doing when you arrive at your destination (implementation). The entire time on the road, you are secure in the knowledge that someone will guide you every step of the way. How cool is that?
Elements evaluated during a Tech Check include

Servers
Workstations
Printers
Networks
Backup Systems
Antivirus and other security
Timeline

There are definite advantages to a Tech Check by Garcea Computers. First, it is an advantageous budgeting tool. Not only can we make sure you get the best prices for your needs, but the planning component of the Tech Check also helps companies lay out a timeline for purchases, with the most essential ones being prioritized. Second, no in-house IT department required.We will manage all the details of implementation so you can manage other important aspects of your business. Finally, you no longer have to worry if you're making the right technological decisions. Garcea Computers will expertly assess and work with your technology, keeping you informed every step of the way.

When it comes to your business, growing the technological aspects is inevitable. Why not arm yourself with a Tech Check to guide your way?

01/31/2011 12:00 AM

First, I want to apologize for not sending out a January newsletter; as I'm sure many of you have also experienced, the start of a new year can be very hectic! However, while being busy can make one forgetful, it can also bring about some new and exciting things, and, therefore, a new and exciting addition to Garcea Computers is actually the topic of this month's newsletter.
As always, my goal is to provide the best customer service that I can, and I didn't want any of that service to suffer as I've gotten busier, so I recently hired Jeremy Biddle, a highly qualified computer technician of both PCs and Macs.
Jeremy is originally from Northeastern Indiana, although he has lived in the Rockford area for a while now. He earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Concordia University, the former from Concordia University, Nebraska, and the latter from Concordia University, Wisconsin.
Jeremy is talented in many things: He has even been a high school science teacher! (That fact proves to me he can handle anything!) However, technology has always been his main interest. In fact, I met him several years ago when we worked together doing IT for a local school system. He has been working with computers ever since his first experience with a Commodore VIC-20 in the 1980s. Since then, he has installed more servers and workstations than he can count.He is also a Mac lover and has been using Macs for the last 15 years.
Overall, Jeremy is a perfect fit for Garcea Computers as he is highly skilled in all of our core business focuses: computer repair, server setup, Mac repair, and computer networking.
Before writing this newsletter, I asked Jeremy what he wants to tell our customers. This is what he said: "I'm very excited to be working with Garcea Computers, LLC because of all the great customers. I enjoy putting my skills to use to make technology easier to use." I am also very excited that Jeremy is working with me. He is a knowledgeable and much needed addition. Welcome Jeremy!

Mac Newsletter December 2010

12/03/2010 12:00 AM

I can't believe it's already December and Christmas time! Bonny and I have already started our Christmas shopping and we even got a chance to put up the Christmas decorations, too. Christmas is my favorite time of year!

Garcea Computers has some exciting new changes in store for next year ‑ none of which would be possible without your constant support! Starting in January, we will be hiring a full-time technician. This will help us continue to accommodate our customers in a timely and efficient manner. As you know, customer service is our number one priority. We will also have some other new offerings. The details are not fully ironed out yet, so stay tuned for further information!

Garcea Computer Offerings

Speaking of offeringsat this time of year I like to remind my customers of all that Garcea Computers has to offer Mac users. Did you know that we are one of the only companies in town that even works on Macs? We setup Mac networks. We also setup new Macs ‑ transferring data from one to another; and we also setup backups.

Mac Malware

Another topic I wanted to inform you about is Mac Malware. Up until now, Macs have been almost impenetrable by viruses. But, we're right on the edge of Malware infecting Macs to the point where you need to run antivirus on a Mac. There are a couple of Mac antivirus softwares available from different companies. My first choice is Sophos Antivirus. The second one I would recommend would be Norton's Mac Antivirus. Now, it's not urgent that run antivirus on your Mac, but at this point you are taking a risk if you don't. Please call me if you have any questions.

Remember, if it's important to you, it's important to us!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

December 2010 Newsletter

12/03/2010 12:00 AM

I can't believe it's already December and Christmas time! Bonny and I have already started our Christmas Shopping and we even got a chance to put up the Christmas decorations, too. Christmas is my favorite time of year!

Garcea Computers has some exciting new changes in store for next year - none of which would be possible without your constant support! Starting in January, we will be hiring a full-time technician. This will help us continue to accommodate our customers in a timely and efficient manner. As you know, customer service is our number one priority. We will also have some other new offerings. The details are not fully ironed out yet, so stay tuned for further information!

Garcea Computer Offerings...

Speaking of offerings...at this time of year I like to remind my customers of all that Garcea Computers has to offer. In addition to the following list of standard services, one of our newest offerings is Technology Assessments. Many of our business customers have found these to be very helpful.

Essentially, a Tech Assessment is an inventory of all the major areas of your technology. Once the assessment is complete, Garcea Computers can help you understand your current technology, what you'll need for future technology, and assist you with designing the best course of action to achieve your technology goals.

Standard Services

Computer and Network Consulting
Computer Sales
Computer Setup
Data Backup
Data Recovery
Network Antivirus
On-Site Computer Repair
Printer Setup
Virus Removal
VPN Setup

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Jeff Garcea
Garcea Computers, LLC

November Newsletter

11/08/2010 12:00 AM

Thank you to all of my wonderful customers. It's because of you that Garcea Computers is successful. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I don't talk to you before then.

Fall Clean-Up...

In last month's newsletter I said I'd talk about

Fall clean-up and some tools that you should run on your computer. Fall cleanup is important, and just like changing your smoke alarm batteries...daylight savings time can be a good reminder to do it.

Since I've written about keeping your computer clean several times before, I'll be brief...

Remove the dust off the back of the computer with a plastic-hosed vacuum.Use canned air to clean out your keyboard. (Don't forget to protect your eyes!)Use Windex or rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth to wipe down the keys and the outside of the mouse. (Never spray directly onto your components!)Use a monitor cleaner ONLY to clean your monitor. I recommend Klear Screen.

Laptops have their own set of rules for cleaning. If you have a laptop, call us for further instructions on the best way to clean it.

Router Poisoning...

I've read about it, but I've never encountered it until this last month.

Here's what it is. You get a virus on your computer. Instead of the virus directly hurting your computer, it attacks your router. Router's direct and split your Internet connection. If you have more than one computer or you have wireless in your business or home you have a router. One of the ways that a router works is it uses what's called a DNS (Domain Name System) address. This DNS address directs your Internet so that when you type in garceacomputers.com or google.com it goes to that site.

Once your router has been poisoned it changes the DNS address to one that the virus writer has setup. Consequently when you try to go to websites it actually goes to bad websites that can give your computer more viruses, steal your identity or take other information for malicious intentions.

So now that I've scared everyone who has a router I'm going to tell you what you can do to protect yourself. First of all you need to set the login password on your router to a unique one. Most routers have a default password that is the word password. Admin is also a popular default password. Setting a unique password is probably the best way to protect yourself from an attack. You also need to set your wireless password. As I stated before, router poisoning so far is rare. I have only encountered this once. I do think though that this will become more common as time goes on.

If you own a business I recommend you install a business class router. This will provide you more protection against an attack like this.

If you'd like more information or need help with this, as always, please feel free to call us.

Join us next month for the Christmas special and a look at the exciting changes for January. And, remember, if it's important to you, it's important to us! Sincerely, Jeff GarceaGarcea Computers, LLC

November 2010 Mac Newsletter

11/07/2010 12:00 AM

Thank you to all of my wonderful customers. It's because of you that this Garcea Computers is successful. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I don't talk to you before then.

This month I want to talk about the new Macbook Air. I figured I will get a lot of questions about it so I'm going to try to answer those now. The Macbook Air is meant to be an ultraportable laptop with the power of regular laptop.

It has no DVD drive and only has two USB ports. It comes in with an 11.1 inch screen or a 13.3 inch screen. It has no wired network jack.

The 11 inch has a 1.4GHZ processor the 13 inch has a 1.86GHZ processor. The one thing that I don't like is the storage. The 11 inch only has a 64GB or a 128GB hard drive. The 13 inch comes with a 128GB hard drive or a 256GB hard drive. I don't know about you, but with all of my music and pictures, this is not enough space to be my primary computer. My recommendation is that this computer be used as a secondary computer that you take with you when you need an ultraportable computer.

I do think this is a better option than getting a netbook, however. I also think this is a better solution compared to the iPad. It is just a little bigger than an iPad and it is a full computer with Flash so there are no restrictions like on the iPad.

Another thing that Apple announced is their new operating system Mac OS X Lion. Lion will have the addition of Apps. That's why if you're thinking of getting an iPad get a Macbook air instead. You'll get all of the advantages of a full computer with Apps coming next year.

If you have any questions or need help as always please let me know.

Join us next month for the Christmas newsletter as well as a sneak peak of the exciting changes in January 2011.