posted May 17, 2012 8:49 AM by James Hohenthaner
In the past two weeks I have experienced enough client data loss scares to make me write this short list of warnings. Please read through this and ask yourself if you have data integrity built-in to your lives.
Any storage chip (SD media cards for cameras and smart phones for example) is susceptible to data loss. They are as volatile a storage media as the floppy disk was back in the day. Chip / content integrity can be lost primarily by static discharge and water damage. Mind the fact that you can lose the data any time, so back up the contents to your main storage device (computer or media drive) as often as possible. If you are on a trip, consider taking along your computer or iPad with camera adapter to pull the data off the chips and on to a second drive at the end of the day.
One last item that is most important: Chips do not last forever. The chips have a life expectancy of 2 to 3 years under normal use. They also have a limit to the number of writes -- usually 1,000 writes/re-writes. After that, it's anyone's guess as to how much longer the chip will be readable / useful. In order to extend their use, I suggest formatting the chip at least once every 6 months to refresh the memory space. This will help keep fragmentation down when it comes to the file structure, and allow for your operating system to lay down the files on the chip in a more structured order.
In the same train of thought, USB memory sticks are at a higher risk for loss because their connection point is an exposed USB adapter end. You notice that some USB sticks typically have a retractable end or enclosure cap to prevent it from being exposed when it's not in use. The same concerns listed above apply to this type of storage as well.
Please backup your computer data files from your media chips to a hard drive. Please back up your important hard drive data to the cloud.f |
posted Apr 2, 2012 10:34 AM by James Hohenthaner
dism /online /cleanup-image /spsuperseded |
posted Mar 28, 2012 4:09 PM by James Hohenthaner
[
updated Mar 28, 2012 4:28 PM
]
Today I received a very distressing call from a client of mine who stated her email account was hacked. At first I thought it was going to be relegated to someone hijacking an address book and resending a mail on behalf of my client to anyone else on that same address list, but she continued to give me details that made my hair stand on end.
A Phishing message arrived with a link to requesting her personal details because someone had hacked her account, and the legitimacy of the message construct made her think it was real. As she filled out the form, she left certain critical data unfilled, all the while thinking this was a legitimate request for helping her stave of this attack. Little did she know, it was enough information given to the criminals for the sake of stealing her email account, and furthermore, an attempt to bribe her contact list with a very scary email saying she's been kidnapped and they want a huge ransom to get her back! I KID YOU NOT!
This is an open warning to you, IF YOU GET A WARNING FROM ANY MAIL PROVIDER YOU USE about your account being hacked, then do not reply to it or click on the link. Contact me (james@hohenja.com) or reach out to your IT professional and get the email verified. She may be able to recover the account.
This is a copy of the message that was what tricked her.
The message image was snagged from her gmail account spam folder, which is why it has a red warning bar on the top. Google knew it as a scam message, and pulled it aside accordingly.
AOL.com, Hotmail.com, Comcast.net, and Yahoo.com are just a few of the mail services that are easy targets to these forms of permission granting attacks. I have been promoting the conversion to gmail for some time due to the continuous failure by AOL and Hotmail and Yahoo from cleaning up spam delivery to the inbox, and really seizing the phishing scams like the one my client experienced.
I strongly encourage you to switch up your mail services when you can. I know it'll be a pain in the rear to do it, akin to moving to a new house, but the risk of not switching can result in a real tragic situation like the one I had to deal with today.
James |
posted Mar 23, 2012 2:05 PM by James Hohenthaner
[
updated Mar 28, 2012 3:44 PM
]
The iPad 3, iPad HD, the new iPad or the iPad 2012 is out and it's been a full week since it came out. After having time to play with a few of them, I feel I've had enough hands-on time to write this short Suggestional (tm) -- that is my new term that I am copyrighting NOW.
My definition of the word Suggestional is my personal opinion and recommendation based on the assessment of the features and benefits of the item being reviewed.
Color Choice (still Black or White)
The price breakdown is this:
| Capacity | Wifi Only | Wifi with LTE | | 16 GB | $500 | $650 | | 32 GB | $600 | $750 | | 64 GB | $700 | $850 |
FOR IPAD 1 OWNERS
Get the iPad 2012. I suggest going with the next highest capacity than then one you currently own. If you have an iPad 1 with 16 GB of storage, get the iPad 2012 with 32 GB. If you have the 32 GB then get the 64 GB. If you have 64 GB then get the iPad 2012 and buy the iCloud storage add-on to their free 5 GB. Optionally you could add SugarSync or Dropbox instead.
If you got the iPad 1 without 3G service (which was AT&T only at the time) then I strongly encourage you to consider the (LTE) 4G Verizon option at the time you buy your iPad 2012. The additional $130 is well worth it because it is a feature you do not need to activate until you are ready to use it. In addition to Wireless wherever you go, the GPS chipset is built-in and provides very accurate location mapping services through the Maps App or any GPS Apps in the iTunes App Store.
FOR IPAD 2 OWNERS
If you own an iPad 2 with 3G services, then hold off for the iPad 4 (ahem, I mean iPad 2013). If you have the iPad 2 without 3G, and you have a burning desire for 4G services, then go for the iPad 2012 with Verizon 4G.
I cannot say it enough, unless you have an unlimited 3G plan on your iPad 1 through AT&T, and you want an iPad 2 or 3, then go with Verizon 3G on the iPad 2 or Verizon LTE on the iPad 3.
That's about it.
James
|
posted Mar 20, 2012 9:30 AM by James Hohenthaner
Just a nerd moment here, today I am 16,384 days old! And it's the first day of Spring. And it will be the warmest day in recorded history for the Metro Detroit Area.
|
posted Mar 16, 2012 1:03 PM by James Hohenthaner
I attended the 2012 release day for the iPad at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township, Michigan. Trevor and I arrived early (4:00 am Early) to ensure that I would be the first or almost first in line. WDIV (Detroit's NBC station) pulled a few of us early risers to get sound bytes and thoughts on the new iPad being released at 8:00 am. Here is the video:
As far as my review of the iPad, that is coming in the next day or two. I have quite a few clients to help configure their new iPad devices first!
James
|
posted Mar 7, 2012 6:43 AM by James Hohenthaner
Keeping up with the Jones. Microsoft and Apple. Great neighbors, with a strong competitive attitude towards being the best option.
Apple controls the entire user experience -- hardware, operating system, approval process for 3rd party apps, the all-encompassing support system, and education just to name a few. Apple does not sway too much when it comes to making deals with companies like Verizon or AT&T... Apple's attitude is take it or leave it in most instances. They let the popularity of their iOS devices force the negotiation process.
Microsoft, on the other hand, has a more challenging task at hand -- they have up to four "customers" to mind -- Equipment manufacturers, wireless carriers, media companies, and end-users. The battle of how to give the end-user the most options while keeping the Microsoft World of technologies open to as many people as possible. Their popularity is driven by world-wide acceptance to run on
Both Microsoft and Apple are beginning to position their next operating systems for late summer / early fall release. Microsoft has Windows 8 as their major revision built on the concept of their really cool METRO style interface. As usual, they are late to the game when it comes to operating system cross-platform interface experience since breaking the start button mold of Windows 95 with the release of Vista. Now they are focusing on the grid of scrollable squares that users are seeing arrive on the X-Box, the latest Windows Mobile Phones,
Apple has their "Cat" titled operating systems (starting at OS X (OS 10) back when Steve Jobs returned to the helm. Each iteration has been incrememted by a decimal update (10.2, 10.3, etc) and a new cat title (Panther, Tiger, Lion, etc).
The changes that Apple is lining up for Mountain Lion (version 10.8) begin to align the iOS features of their iPhone and iPad devices -- basically converging the user experience of their MacBook Pro and MacBook computers with the strong lead that their handheld devices have in the marketplace.
Microsoft is still trying to kill their Start Button. The Metro interface is a rock-solid user experience that provides enough technical gesturing and menu-driven old-school design that legacy users should have a small learning curve ahead of themselves before using this in a power user mode.
I'm still playing with the beta, and I see a great future of choices for all computer users.
James |
posted Mar 7, 2012 6:41 AM by James Hohenthaner
This is a message to those visiting large cities or densely packed condominiums -- even apartments. Wireless Network glut. This is a problem that can directly affect your ability to not only connect to a secured wireless connection, but also wash the wireless spectrum with cross-signals. This means that the frequency of wireless, and the channel that the signal is traveling on within that frequency can be interrupted or dampened by other wireless routers on the same frequency and channel.
Take a look at this capture I have from a hotel in Chicago:
I'm not kidding -- that's a lot of wireless networks and a few printer devices to boot. As you can see, about half offered full strength signal to my location, while the rest were at half or less. The next time you are in a situation where your wireless signal keeps dropping, or you cannot keep a constant connection to the Internet, don't necessarily blame your computer hardware. Perhaps it's a Wifi Nightmare.
How to resolve this is to sign-up with the hotel wireless network, or bring your own Wifi in a pocket device like a Verizon, or AT&T mifi card. The are about the size of a deck of cards, and provide a 3G or 4G network service to up to 5 devices securely. They typically run $50 a month for 5 Gigabytes of download/upload volume and can help out in a pinch -- like what you see in the picture above.
Have a good day,
James |
posted Mar 2, 2012 9:00 AM by James Hohenthaner
[
updated Mar 2, 2012 9:06 AM
]
So many of my clients have an in the home backup system in place, but when they need to access it from on the road or away from home, the value of that system is strictly for backup. SugarSync is a great software / cloud package that will back up your data to the internet AND provide a way to get to the content from any computer in the world or if you have a tablet, iPad, or any smart phone, you can gain full access to the data from those devices too.
|
posted Feb 2, 2012 5:38 PM by James Hohenthaner
James Hohenthaner is officially available for helping you cross into the next level of technology.
The changes that have occurred in the last two years are something to embrace not avoid.
Contact James if you are ready to start moving towards the next major evolution in what is described as "computing technology". In reality, "The future is now." Embrace it, don't fight it. Let HOHENJA guide you there. |
|
