March 30, 2007 by AC.

An email claiming to have an Internet Explorer Beta 2 download is actually a virus.  The email began making rounds this week and has a convincing graphic, making it look like an official message from Microsoft.  In addition there is no attachment, like in other virus related email, but a link to an infected file.  Clicking the link can do serious harm to your PC.  For more information please see the article on Compuworld.com:

http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9015142&intsrc=hm_list

For an official copy of Internet Explorer 7 please visit Microsoft.com at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/default.mspx

Posted in Virus/Malware Alert, Internet | 1 Comment »

March 25, 2007 by AC.

If you have a personal or small business website chances are you are interested in increasing exposure and traffic to the site.  Besides listing your site in major search engines there are several tools & resources that a webmaster can take advantage of to optimize the site.

Google (www.google.com), Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) and Microsoft (www.live.com) are the big three when it comes to search engines.  If you have a small business it is a must to get listed in all three sites.  Beyond that you can check statistics, links & manage your sites in a variety of ways on each search engine.

Google has a comprehensive list of tools for webmasters at: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/.  You can list & manage your sites (multiple & different sites if necessary) and take a look at links & other statistics.  Yahoo offers a similar resources at: https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/.  Like the Google site it allows you to manger your sites and get up-to-date statistics for your site.  Both require accounts on the respective systems but are free services. 

Microsoft does not offer the same dynamic services but has an excellent FAQ section that helps you manage & verify your site listing at: http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=wl_webmasters.

These extra steps are helpful to managing, verifying and optimizing your presence online.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Web Tools & Tips, Web Design | 1 Comment »

March 22, 2007 by AC.

Apple has released a new version of the popular iTunes software for both Windows and Mac systems, version 7.1.1.  The new version addresses some compatibility issues and minor bugs.  The big news is this version gets ready for a new Apple TV service due to arrive later this month.  This was the first update for me that utilized the Apple Updater feature and did not push me to the Apple website for the download. 

You can check your iTunes version by opening iTunes, clicking on “Help” and then clicking “About iTunes”.  You should see a version number beginning “7.1.1″.  It is highly recommended to keep programs up-to-date.  If you do not have the current version, with your computer connected to the internet, click “Help” and then “Check for Updates” or visit: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/.

Apple TV is a set-top box for your television that allows you to transfer video (movie, TV, etc.) downloads from iTunes for viewing on a television.  Think of it as an iPod for your television.  It also supports music playback through the television and photo slideshows.  Cost is $299.00 for the hardware.  There is no cost to transfer your videos, pictures, music, etc. and the device supports wireless connections for data transfer.  For more information on the Apple TV hardware & service see: http://www.apple.com/appletv/.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in New Products, Apple/Mac | 1 Comment »

March 19, 2007 by AC.

Setting up a home wireless network is not a difficult task and having wireless for laptops is a great convenience.  Unfortunately most people do not adequately secure the wireless network, allowing neighbors to jump on a network connection, or worse, open settings & files up for others to view.

Out of the box, and following the basic instructions, most wireless networks are open, allowing any wireless device to both see & access the wireless network.  Many products available today have range that extends beyond the home - to neighbors, etc. 

Depending on the wireless router or access point you have it is a good idea to make sure the network is secure.  First, you should use a security setting that requires a key to access the network or a filter to allow only certain machines on the network.  The simpler form is a key, using an encryption code in WEP, WPA or WPA2 standards.  Not to get too technical, but look for this type of setting in the administrative or setup console of the wireless unit.  This would require you to enter the key from your laptop when accessing the wireless network.  This is usually a one-time task, with the key “remembered” for future connections.  It is a simple, effective means of keeping your neighbors off your network.

It is also worth checking for an administrative password and resetting the password.  Most wireless manufacturers use the same administrator username & password for their products.  Having a secure password on the administrative account for the wireless device ensures only you will be able to access the setup or settings of your wireless network - again keeping a knowing neighbor out of configuring your network for themselves.

For some additional in depth and technical information take a look at this Wikipedia site online at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_security

Need assistance setting up, securing or confirming security on your wireless network?  Call ACE Computer Services today at 732-801-9310 or visit http://www.acecomputernj.com/.

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

March 13, 2007 by AC.

Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows Vista, has been out for a little more than a month now.  I had a chance to work with it a bit but I am yet to upgrade my own machines to Vista just yet.

It is great and there are some super new features (more on that when I get to using it more).  The reason I have not yet upgraded is twofold - first, I am generally slow to upgrade to new operating systems and second, I will probably wait until I upgrade or buy a new PC.

The second reason is important because Vista is a big, bloated program that eats hard drive space & resources.  This is all well and good if you have a new, fast machine but it should give you pause to upgrading an older PC.

There are several versions of Vista, some pretty basic and some with exciting new features.  Microsoft has a site that describes the versions at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/default.mspx

If you are getting a new machine and have the means go for the Ultimate or Premium.  The graphics, multimedia and file handling changes in these versions of Vista are well worth the upgrade (more on version differences in a future blog).

If you are upgrading you have to consider several factors.  Chief among them is your system specifications.  Despite what Microsoft advises I highly recommend the following to upgrade to premium versions of Vista:

- 3.0 GHz Pentium Processor or greater or 2.0 GHz Core Duo processor or greater
- 2 GB of RAM 
- 80 GB Hard Drive or greater with 30 GB free space
- Enhanced Graphics Card with 256 MB memory

Microsoft lists the minimum specs online at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx

One additional consideration of an upgrade is to simply upgrade the system software or rewrite the hard drive by doing a clean installation of Vista.  The latter will require backup of your files, settings, etc. and for you to rebuild your system - files, programs, etc.  I have heard some horror stories about Vista upgrades, so a clean installation is highly recommended.

If you are interested in an upgrade you can test compatibility of a current system by visiting:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx

Otherwise I would wait until you are looking to buy a new PC and get one with Vista and the specs above.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Microsoft | 1 Comment »

March 1, 2007 by AC.

Daylight Savings Time Changes - Important!

Section 110 of The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extends Daylight Savings Time in the US by 4 weeks beginning in 2007. DST 2007 has widespread impact for most if not all operating systems and applications. See the links below to update your PC or device:

Microsoft Windows:
http://update.microsoft.com/

Look for Either ‘Update for Windows XP (KB928388)’ in Review Your Update History (patched prior to FEB 2007) OR ‘Update for Windows XP (KB931836)’ in Review Your Update History (patched on or after FEB 2007).

Apple OS X:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305056

Apple is providing software updates for Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4 and later based on worldwide time zone information available as of January 8, 2007.

Blackberry:
http://www.blackberry.com/select/dst2007/index.shtml

When the DST dates change in March 2007, BlackBerry devices will not update their clocks for the affected time zones if no patches for impacted BlackBerry software and third party software are applied. As a result, your BlackBerry device might not display correct time zone information for certain time periods during the year.

Palm:
http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/dst.html

Palm devices, both smartphones and handhelds, need to be updated so that they reflect the correct time when the new DST changes take effect. Without the Daylight Saving Time Updates, calendar events and email messages will indicate an hour off the actual time in locations that observe DST. Downloads are available for both the Palm OS (Treo 700p, Tungsten, Lifedrive, etc.) and the Windows Mobile devices (Treo 750, 750w, 700wx).

Posted in All Platforms | 1 Comment »