Skydrive Pro Standalone App

It’s nice to see that we finally get the standalone application for Skydrive Pro. Which means you don’t necessarily have to have Office 2013, but you do need:

• Office 365 Pro Plus
• Office 365 Small Business Premium
• Office Professional Plus 2013

Once installed, simply click SYNC in the top right corner of your SkyDrive Pro library, SharePoint 2013 or Office 365 team site document library and you’ll be on your way to keep your files in sync across your machines. Happy syncing with SkyDrive Pro–cloud storage for employees!

How to import .nk2 files into Outlook 2010

I have had luck by just copying the old Stream_AutoComplete_XXX dat file from C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache folder and renaming it to whatever the new dat file is.

Course you can try:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type outlook.exe /importnk2, and then click OK. This should import the .nk2 file into the Outlook 2010 profile.

   Note After you import the .nk2 file, the contents of the file are merged into the existing nickname cache that is currently stored in your mailbox.

Or try the FIX IT for me solution provided by Microsoft. That’s worked once or twice too.

How to import .nk2 files into Outlook 2010.

GMAIL BLUE

“How do we completely redesign and recreate something while keeping it exactly the same?” Thanks GMAIL BLUE!

User Support Editorial Report – March 2013

Latest Technology

Rubbery Battery:

In the future, stretchy batteries such as these could help power solar-energy generating clothes, tattoos that monitor your vital signs, robot skin that’s sensitive to touch and other futuristic, flexible devices. Read on…

                                  

Tips & Tricks

The Best Adventure Games on Android
Which Outlook Add-ins Do I Really Need?
Let Outlook Read Email to You in Windows 7
Should You Use More Than One Antivirus Program?
Before You Give Away Your Kindle Fire – Factory Data Reset

Computer Safety

Everyday JAVA and FLASH Updates:

You say to yourself, “I just updated JAVA and/or ADOBE FLASH yesterday when it popped up…didn’t I? They couldn’t possibly want me to update it again this week”?

Yes, yes they do want you to keep updating it. Those updates are a necessary process to keep your computing safe.

You can disable JAVA and get rid of that annoyance; however, one day you may actually need it for a specific website.

Adobe Flash Player is the most common software program for viewing animations and movies within a web browser. It is installed as an add-on or extension into the web browser and is one of the core Windows programs that you should keep updated.

Here is the links to update your computer’s JAVA and ADOBE FLASH  today.

Bonus Video of the Month

MYO – Armband Gesture Control:

The MYO armband lets you use the electrical activity in your muscles to wirelessly control your computer, phone, and other favorite digital technologies.

Using groundbreaking technology, MYO is able to measure electrical activity in your muscles instantly. The result is a seamless way to interact with computers, and a truly magical sense of control. Pre-order for $149.

User Support Editorial Report – January 2012

Windows 8 – Whether You Like It or NOT

I just watched this video on Microsoft’s latest operating system and laughed until I cried. It is a lengthy video, however it does cover some of the absurdity and frustration of Windows 8.

I have been a Tech since 1999 and am always ready for change, but Windows 8 is exactly what the video states:

“2 user interfaces, stapled together”

Please note* There are some parts of the video that may not be suitable for sensitive viewers.

Office 2013 Upgrade Now Available

The next version of Office is now available for those of you who bought Office 2010 and are looking for your Upgrade Guarantee.

Click on Redeem now and fill out Country, Product Key, Accept and Verify:

You are ready to download?? And therein lies the rub… there is a catch, sure there is. You need to sign up for Office 365 for 3 months, whether you want that or not. So no, you don’t just get the stand-alone application.

You have to Sign In to a Microsoft account to continue, so I used an old hotmail account and clicked on Select.

I selected my Country and Language and had no choice but to agree to additional marketing from Microsoft: Microsoft Office will be contacting you with surveys, promotions, tips and advice for using our products and services. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information on our communications options, please see our Privacy and Cookies Notice.

And finally, the INSTALL.

It dropped a 585kb “Click To Run” exe and that’s all you get. I’m sure once you click on the Setup.exe, it will install Office 2013, but I am waiting to implement Office 2013 with Windows 8.

UPDATE! I found where you can download the software. It is under your account settings under frequently asked questions.

That appears to be a continuous loop and you can only order a disc for $15.11. Ok, that’s enough nonsense for me this morning.

UPDATE: I have gone back to the account and am now able to download the *.img file.

User Support Editorial Report – January 2013

Latest Technology

Injectable Sponges:

Bioengineers at Harvard have developed a gel-based sponge that can be molded to any shape, loaded with drugs or stem cells, compressed to a fraction of its size, and delivered via injection. Once inside the body, it pops back to its original shape and gradually releases its cargo, before safely degrading. Read on…

                                  

Tips & Tricks

What is Google Takeout?
Learn Common PC Hardware Terms
Clean Up Your Web Mail Address Book
Create Your Own Google Chrome Theme
Best Products of 2012: Home Technology
Use Snipping Tool to Capture Screen Shots

Computer Safety

How To Prevent Infections on Your Computer:

While there is no method that can 100% guarantee that your computer will be not be infected with malware, there are a number of steps that you can take to lessen the probability of this happening.

• Clean out TEMP files
• Check and stop unnecessary Startup items regularly
• Enable a firewall on your computer.
• Get the latest computer updates for ALL your installed software.
• Use up-to-date antivirus software. Run a manual scan monthly.
• Use caution when opening attachments and accepting file transfers.
• Use caution when clicking on links to webpages.
• Avoid downloading pirated software.
• Protect yourself against social engineering attacks.
• Limit user privileges on the computer.
• Use strong passwords.

For more information: Visit Guidance and Advice Read on…

Bonus Video of the Month

A Day Made of Glass 2:

Corning’s expanded vision for the future of glass technologies. This video continues the story of how highly engineered glass, with companion technologies, will help shape our world.

User Support Editorial Report – November 2012

Upgrade to Windows 7 Now

We recommend that you begin planning to update your outdated and legacy Windows XP/Vista computers, regardless if those computers are still working.

Microsoft announced that 2014 will be the official end-of-life for Windows XP. Windows XP is the most commonly used PC operating system in the world today, and we certainly still have many clients operating on this platform.  Windows XP was first released in 2001 which means this platform is 12 years old – and that is a very long time in the world of technology.

Security Risk

In the first half of 2012, Windows XP SP3 computers were infected at a rate almost three times higher than Windows 7 computers.  Much has changed since its release in 2001 and XP is simply too antiquated to combat modern-day hackers and virus writers.

via Malware Infection Rates by Microsoft Security Blog

 

Technical Support

In April 2009, Microsoft moved Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) from “Mainstream Support” to “Extended Support”.  This means that Microsoft will continue to provide regular security updates, but technical support, warranty claims and design changes are no longer being offered.

Upgrade to Window 7

Many older PCs are simply not powerful enough to run Windows 7, and even if they are, the investment to upgrade may exceed the value of the computer.  Certainly, for computers that are at least four years old, it is more cost-effective to replace them with new computers that have Windows 7 pre-installed.

Start Planning Now

This is not something that needs to happen overnight, but if you start planning now then you could potentially phase this migration over a number of months spreading the cost of your technology spend.

If you would like to start planning for your Windows 7 migration, please give tech3Support a call today!

Note* – Windows 8 is not a recommended upgrade at this time.

Ultimate Windows Tweaker – Geek Tool of the Day

I know using the word “Tweaker” may not be the best brand label for this tool. We didn’t name it, they did.

So let’s call it, UWT. UWT is a pocket utility for tweaking and optimizing Windows 7. It is a 345KB .exe file which does not require an install, and has over 150 tweaks & settings. Simply download the zip file, extract its contents and run Ultimate Windows Tweaker.

Oh, and it’s FREE! Pack it on your geek tool belt!

Say Goodbye to JAVA

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged computer users to disable Oracle Corp’s Java software…

Oracle, which develops Java software, was forced to fix the security hole Sunday after the department issued this rare alert late Thursday…

The consensus from security experts is to leave Java disabled in the browser especially as few sites use Java…

If you haven’t heard the scuttlebutt about JAVA, that pretty much wraps it up. I did want to share this with you.

Oracle offers a tip on how to disable their own product on their website. See the pop up bar? Java needs your permission to run….

Seems a bit counterproductive, eh? They push their product regardless of what The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says.

via Bits - Yahoo News - The H Security

How to Disable JAVA