Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – July 22nd, 2014
If you use your smartphone with your business, the recent news stories of IBM’s partnership with Apple may have piqued your interest.
IBM and Apple started out as rivals for the PC market in the very early 80s before it became Mac vs Windows. While IBM left the personal computer space over the next few decades, they continued to be a very important player in enterprise environments.
In the last 7 years, smartphones and tablets have become one of the fastest growing markets for what are really still personal computers. However, even though we’re more likely to turn to a smartphone to check our personal email, or use a tablet to surf the web, the support for these devices in a corporate environment is still a huge area of growth opportunity.
With Apple’s strength being consumer hardware and IBM still being a well-known enterprise systems developer, you’re likely to see a much more robust approach to helping companies supply, manage and support devices like iPhones and iPads.
When you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands or even tens of thousands of corporate employees, often across different locations and even time zones, the ability to manage user accounts and access from those highly-mobile devices can be a nightmare for your company’s IT department.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – August 26th, 2014
According to a recent New York Times article, Android devices are a new target for “ransomware”. These malicious software apps act similarly to the fake FBI virus scams that have been attacking Windows PCs for years.
Fortunately, there’s several actions you can take to help protect your Android smartphone or device from these scammers and their malware apps.
Stick With Trusted App Sources
Android devices generally come setup for downloading apps from a trusted app store, like the Google Play Store. For extra security, you’ll want to avoid changing the settings on your device that allow 3rd party apps to be downloaded from the official app stores.
Sometimes called “sideloading”, allowing apps to be installed from less trustworthy places on the Internet increases your chances of accidently loading malware onto your device.
Keep Updated
Just like your computer, your smartphone’s operating system and apps need to be updated periodically. It’s important to keep watch for system update notifications as they come up. You can also check for system updates by visiting Settings, then About (or About Phone), followed by System Updates.
For app updates, visit the Google Play Store app, then the Play Store icon. Select My Apps to view your downloaded apps and any available updates. You can also touch the Menu button to check the “Auto-update” option to keep that app automatically up to date.
Practice Safe Internet Habits
A common attack method, known as “phishing” on the Internet, isn’t technical, it’s psychological. Scammers will create fake websites, pretending to be your bank or shopping site. They’ll send you emails asking you to sign in and provide your account information, which they’ll then use to access your account on the real sites.
Some malware attacks come in the form of banner ads designed to look like a security warning telling you viruses have been detected. The error will ask you to download and run what it claims is an antivirus app, but is really the scammer’s software waiting to load onto your device.
The same safe Internet habits you follow on your computer work on your mobile devices as well. If you do find yourself falling victim to one of these attempts, here is what to do if you are scammed.
Security Software
The rapid growth in the number of Android devices being used worldwide has made the platfom a growing target for malicious software makers. Keeping your settings in check, your system updated and avoiding unsafe behavior will often be the most powerful ways to protect your device. To help take your protection further, security software makers have made a range of protection products for the Android platform.
The good news is that many of the major security software suites, like Webroot’s SecureAnywhere Internet Security include Android security apps that you can install on your device in addition to their Windows PC or Mac coverage.
If you still have questions on how to best protect your Android device, or need help with a potential malware issue like viruses or spyware, speak to a Geek Squad Agent online at geeksquad.com/chat or at the Geek Squad Precinct located at your nearby Best Buy.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – July 8th, 2014
It’s pretty much a given that college students are going to need a computer for their studies. With limited dorm space and the need to access resources across the campus, a laptop is the most common choice. But what laptop is right for you? The Best Buy website has a Laptop Buying Guide that can help.
Two questions you need to answer first:
How will you use your laptop? Determining if you’re a light, average or advanced user will help determine what laptop specs fit your needs best. For example, demanding users will want to invest more in a higher resolution screen, faster processor, more memory and a larger hard drive.
How important is portability to you? This will help determine what balance to strike with large or small screen and keyboard size, as well as how many accessories, like Blu-ray drives you carry with you. There’s even a special laptop category for those that value portability above all else, known as “Ultrabooks“.
When shopping, you’ll come across 4 hardware specs that you’ll want to understand to help decide on a laptop:
Processor – This is both the brain and the muscles of the laptop. The faster and more powerful a processor is, the more work it can handle from your programs, just like an engine in your favorite car.
Memory – System memory, or RAM, is where your data and program lives while you’re working on the laptop. The more RAM, the more data you can be accessing and manipulating at any given time, like adding more seats to your car.
Hard Drive Storage – This is where your data, like your photos, documents, music and videos lives while not in use, and the more you have, the more files you can carry with you.
Battery Life – This one is important for college students on the go, because you may not always have a handy outlet to use at the library or time to recharge between classes.
Best Buy is offering some special discounts for college students. If you visit the Best Buy website, you’ll see a “College Student Deals” link to the right. To receive your deals, you will need a .edu email address, which can be entered on the site to get all the latest student-only offers sent right to your mailbox. When you sign up, you’ll be entered for a chance to win $100,000 as part of Best Buy’s Cash for College program.
Of course, no matter what laptop you choose, Geek Squad will be there to support you with our Geek Squad Tech Support program.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – July 1st, 2014
The connected home is getting more connected at Best Buy thanks to a new developer toolkit announced by Nest Labs ahead of last week’s Google I/O conference.
The Nest programmer’s kit will help “smart devices” from other companies interact with both current and future Nest smart home devices. Several companies, including Chamberlain, Jawbone and others have announced they will be building support for the Nest API into their existing and future products.
Nest has two devices available today at your local Best Buy:
Nest Learning Thermostat – This smart device replaces your regular thermostat and connects to your home’s WiFi network to allow you to control your heating or cooling through any compatible smartphone or tablet, even while away from home. As you adjust the temperature to fit your needs, the device learns about your preferences and creates an automatic schedule for your heat or AC that can be customized for your tastes. The Nest Learning Thermostat also helps conserve energy by adjusting it’s temperature to be efficient while you’re away, and notifies you when an adjustment can help with energy conservation.
Nest Protect – This WiFi connected device monitors for smoke and carbon monoxide, and can help alert your family through voice alarms and warning messages sent directly to your smartphone or tablet. Combined with apps like IFTTT, any warnings of smoke or carbon monoxide can be sent via SMS to a friend or neighbor to help them check on your family and home.
Examples of Nest compatible devices that are available at your local Best Buy include:
Chamberlain MyQ Garage – This universal device works with your existing garage door opener to allow you to control your garage door anywhere using its built-in WiFi capabilities and an app on your smartphone. With the upcoming Nest support, the MyQ app will allow control of the home temperature settings, and the company hopes in the future to have the MyQ alert the Nest Learning Thermostat when you’ve left the house to help keep your heating and cooling as efficient as possible.
Harmony Ultimate Remote – This Logitech programmable remote already can control up to 15 devices with a touchscreen interface, but the company wants to allow you to control your heating and cooling from the couch as well.
Jawbone UP24 – This wearable fitness band helps to monitor your movement to give you an accurate view of your daily exercise and calories burned. It also can help you monitor your sleeping patterns to get the best rest possible. With that technology, Jawbone hopes to have the device help alert the Nest Thermostat when you’re waking up, so that it can switch from an energy efficient mode to set the temperature just the way you want it when you get out of bed.
The connected home of tomorrow is already getting very communicative today!
The arrival of Memorial Day means that many will be looking forward to warm-weather road trips. Long gone are the days of hard-to-fold paper maps or asking for directions at sketchy gas stations in small town America.
For this week’s Tech Tuesday segment on WTAM 1100’s Wills & Snyder in the Morning, we had a chance to talk about a number of smartphone and tablet apps for road trips that can not only help you get where you are going, but entertain you on the way and help find you a place to stay along the way.
If you use your smartphone with your business, the recent news stories of IBM’s partnership with Apple may have piqued your interest. 
According to a recent