Thursday, February 28, 2013

Make sure your paying a fair and reasonable price for professional services.

As an IT consultant I charge an hourly rate for my services which I feel is fair and reasonable.  I look for ways to save money for clients wherever I can, whilst still providing an appropriate and professional solution. The cheapest solution can sometimes come back to haunt you but not always, but paying the dearest is no guarantee of value either. What is fair and reasonable for one person is not fair and reasonable to another. Some people feel they should get everything for free whilst others are more than happy to pay a fair and reasonable amount. Both the customer and the supplier need to achieve a fair and reasonable outcome.

However what I don’t think is right is some of the practices I’ve seen over the years in consulting organisations.

For example I saw one accounting firm charge secretarial support staff out at ten times their salary. A common practice across many industries is to quote the services of a senior person and then to provide a lower cost staff member to complete the work. An IT company where management called a general meeting and then when staff asked where to allocate their time to, were told to allocate the time to their customers. I was told that one major accounting firm when staff couldn’t allocate the full number of hours, they would allocate the remaining hours across their clients. I saw one accounting firm charge $50,000 for three days of work, because instead of charging for the time involved, they charged a set fee. Some of these businesses are the top businesses in the industry so don’t just think it is the no name businesses that are involved in these practices.

Fixed fees are a bit of a catch twenty two. At least you know what you’re up for, but keep in mind the business isn’t going to risk losing money, so they’ll build in a large contingency. That can mean paying twice as much or more.

Ultimately you have to decide how much a task is worth to you. Make sure you understand what you will receive and how much it will cost.

A good approach is to test a business with a small task and then work out if you’re happy with their charges and the information they provide about what they’ve done. For example I record all times and clients are welcome to the timesheets which include start/stop times and descriptions for all activities. Many businesses will roll up the time into a single figure and you have no idea of how the figure was reached. Also don’t get too complacent. I’ve seen one business charge good prices for computers at the start and since the client didn’t question their prices after a couple of years, the supplier was then charging around 30% more than the general market.

A good consultant is there for you and whatever they do on your behalf should be fully transparent. You are paying good fees so you should expect they should work ethically and honourably, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Ultimately it is up to you to make sure you look after your interests and to surround yourself with people you can trust.

Kelvin Eldridge

Online Connections

www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.

 

In the site log for one of my sites today I noticed Google image robot (Googlebot-Image/1.0) trying to access images that aren't even on my site.

I recently set up the site www.PetrolCostCalculator.com.au as a calculator for others to access and determine the cost of petrol for a given distance. What was weird is that when I checked the logs for the site I see entries such as /images/numbers/red/9.png with the agent string being Googlebot-Image/1.0. The Google image robot can’t find the files because they aren’t there and in fact they’ve never been there.

At first this was a concern as how could Google possibly think those files exist on my site when no such files ever existed.

The answer to this perplexing problem is provided in MyAnswers solution 2320 which can be found
here.

Kelvin Eldridge

Online Connections

www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.

 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

MyAnswers: TrueVector Service has encountered a problem and needs to close.

The following MyAnswers solution 2318 is now available:

A client received the message "TrueVector Service has encountered a problem and needs to close" and was unable to access the internet to send and receive emails.


Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is now available for Australians.

Exciting news.

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 has now been released by Microsoft and is available for download. I’ve downloaded and installed Internet Explorer 10 and also installed the preferred Australian English spelling file I provide to clients and it works as expected. Now thousands of secondary spelling variations which exist in the standard Australian English dictionary provided by Microsoft, will be marked as spelling errors. Now “mom” for example will be marked as a spelling error, as will the many “ize” spelling variations, American spellings and errors I’ve identified in the standard dictionary.

At last the preferred Australian English spelling can now be made available to Internet Explorer 10 users on both Windows 7 and Windows 8.

In the next couple of days I’ll update the instructions for Windows 7, but for those who can’t wait, go to http://www.australian-dictionary.com.au/internet-explorer/ and purchase a copy of the preferred Australian English spelling file. The steps to install the file are the same.

 

Kelvin Eldridge

Online Connections

www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.

 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Nokia 520 release date for Australia not yet known

Nokia has announced their lowest cost Windows Phone 8 mobile phone called the 520. I've found that Australia isn't usually in the first round of countries to get new Nokia mobiles. With the Nokia 900 it took up to six months to reach Australia, and shortly after the mobile was obsolete having the older version of the operating system from Microsoft. More recently the Nokia 620 was a couple of months, so we can probably expect the same with the 520.

What is interesting is Nokia is now providing a considerable range of prices for the consumer from around $1,000 and now down to this mobile, which appears could be priced under $200.

With the lower price some features are removed or have lower specifications compared to the more expensive models, which is to be expected. The main features I've noticed are the lack of a front facing camera and a flash. The screen has a lower resolution and no polarizing filter.

Overall however the specifications indicate a good compromise for the price. I look forward to seeing a unit when it arrives in Australia.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Petrol Calculator - Calculate the cost of petrol for a given distance.

The Petrol Cost Calculator is now available at http://www.petrolcostcalculator.com.au/. Use the calculator to determine the cost of petrol to drive a given distance.

One of the reasons I make calculators such as the Petrol Cost Calculator available, is to show businesses the opportunity available to create a simple internet based calculator. For example businesses can use a calculator to help their users and promote their businesses.

It is possible to make the calculator very specific to a particular mobile device such as the iPhone, but my preference is to write  the calculator to be used by any device including a desktop computer. That way you cover 100% of the market rather than less than 15%. The calculator doesn't have to be installed from an App store where someone else controls what you do, may even reject the app and takes 30% of any profit.

According to an article I read, Steve Jobs initially preferred web apps but someone else pushed for apps on the device and the rest is history. Personally I think web apps for many applications is a better way to go. You remain in control of the app and you can make it independent of a particular device. To me that is the freedom of the internet.
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Mobirewards.org pop-up on the Apple iPhone and how I bypassed the problem is explained in MyAnswers solution 2316.

Today a pop-up for Mobirewards.org appeared on my iPhone and the only option available was to click on OK. In the MyAnswers solution 2316 (click here to obtain the solution) I explain the steps I took to bypass the pop-up which was stopping me from using the browser on the Apple iPhone.
 
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.
 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Hotmail closing down

Yes, Hotmail is closing down. Microsoft is phasing out Hotmail and migrating users to Outlook.com with the expected schedule to be sometime this Winter (Summer in America). Don't worry however, your Hotmail email address will continue to work.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Check the spelling of a word using Word Check for free.

To my knowledge, the Word Check tool I've created and provide for free on the internet, is the only tool which enables people to check the Australian English spelling of a word and then easily look up the meaning of the word. In addition, Word Check is the only online tool to provide the preferred Australian English spelling.

Many people will dismiss the importance of good or even reasonable spelling. The following article shows that 54% of recruiters frown on poor spelling (second to profanity at 61%) on the social media sites of potential candidates

Want a job? Check the spelling on your Facebook profile... Read More
If you're not sure of the spelling of a word, check the spelling using Word Check, which is available at http://www.australian-dictionary.com.au/wordcheck/.

Two other tools you may find of interest are the preferred Australian English spelling for Microsoft Office and the preferred Australian English spelling for Internet Explorer 10. When spelling really matters, using the preferred Australian English spelling will give you the best result. The preferred Australian English spelling is only available from Online Connections. I created and maintain the preferred Australian English spelling because to me it matters.

So for those who wish to keep their online presence as professional as possible and increase the chances of landing that ideal job, add the preferred Australian English spelling to Internet Explorer 10 and update your social media sites knowing you're using the preferred Australian English spelling. Since the preferred Australian English spelling is only available for Internet Explorer 10, those using Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari will be at a disadvantage and for you that's a bonus.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

ASIC Connect system does not work under Internet Explorer 10.

I received renewals for my two business names. For over 20 years I've simply paid the renewal and it's done. Now the government has decided that everyone has to use their ASIC Connect system. That means opening an account and then associating the business names with that account.

The first issue I had is the ASIC Connect service system requirements state Internet Explorer 7+, 8+. A bit limiting and the service doesn't work under Internet Explorer 10.

The next issue was one business name didn't have an ASIC key. It didn't matter what I tried. So yes even as a computer consultant I have to contact the help line and wait for a considerable period of time as everyone else does. Even though this is probably a common issue there was no online help which handled the issue. The value to put in the form was for me no explained and a simple example could have made things much easier.

My bigger concern is previously there was little exposure from online scammers. Now we have another government online service where we have to have an online account and that's going to be a future target for phishing attacks.

What was previously a quick payment of a renewal has now become for many something they may have to get their accountants to do at additional cost, consumes more time and opens up an exposure to online scams. Not quite sure if this is something I'd consider as using technology to advance the situation. However I do appreciate there should be cost savings for the government.


Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Offence or offense?

Recently for some reason, I thought about the spelling variations offence and offense. I don’t know why, but I wondered how confusing the spelling of this word could be. We are so used to seeing similar words such as licence and license, that it would be easy to use the incorrect spelling. Luckily the situation in Australia is very clear.

The spelling in Australia is offence. Offense is the American spelling.

Interestingly, if you perform a search using Google for just pages from Australia, for “I took offence” and “I took offense”, the number of results returned are 33,300 and 162,000 respectively. That means a staggering proportion of over eighty per cent of pages on Australian sites are using the incorrect spelling.

If you’re in doubt about the correct or preferred Australian English spelling of a word, you can use my Word Check tool located at http://www.australian-dictionary.com.au/wordcheck/. If you’d like to use the preferred Australian English spelling with Microsoft Office or Internet Explorer 10, you can find products on the Australian Dictionary site www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au.

Kelvin Eldridge
Creator and maintainer of the preferred Australian English spelling dictionary.
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au    
 
UPDATE: The results from Google just didn't feel right. I decided to redo the test using my Custom Search Engine (which uses Google services) and limits pages to domains ending in .au. The search engine can be found at http://www.justlocal.com.au/search/australia/. This test shows most pages use the correct spelling. Not really sure what Google is then displaying when it comes to pages from Australia.

Alert: NetCode SMS Security Notice!

If you receive an email with the subject "NetCode SMS Security Notice!" be careful. The link is to a Russian domain. You should delete these emails.

Also, if you can't easily see where a link will take you, you should think about using a different email client.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Release Date

The rumors are pointing to March 14th as the launch date for the
Samsung Galaxy S4 with the launch being held in New York.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Adobe Flash Player 11.6 update Chromes users

One of the things I constantly find when assisting clients is they've installed software they don't want or need and they don't generally know how they did it.

There is no need for the Adobe Flash Player 11.6 update to take users to the internet to download and install the update. To me the only reason is that by doing so, users by default download and install Google's Chrome browser. Adobe will most likely receive a small payment for each download so they make money. Users however end up with unnecessary and unwanted software which may cost them much more compared to the small amount Adobe makes on each download.

Adobe makes money on the very expensive software they sell to developers. The free Adobe Flash Player helps by providing a platform for developers with a large base of users. Adobe doesn't need to double dip but they are.

When you download software from the intenet make sure you read all the options and deselect any options you don't want. You'll often find most optons can be deselected. The less you install the faster your computer will run. People often end up buying a new computer whereas a good clean up can often result in the computer running at a more than acceptable speed.


Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support including removing unwanted software.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Office 2013 Home & Business locked to computer it is installed on.

Microsoft is certainly making changes to push people to their subscription pricing.

Previous versions of Office when purchased retail, could be transferred from one machine to another. If you upgraded to a new computer, your computer died or was stolen, you could save money by using software you purchased. Not anymore.

Now Office 2013 retail version when installed is locked to that computer. Most people won't realise this until quite some time down the track and it is too late.

The big losers will be Microsoft tablet users. With tablets dating much faster you'll probably only get two years out of a tablet before upgrading, but you won't be able to reuse that copy of Office 2013 you bought.

Many of my clients have used their copies of Office for five years or more making their purchase very cost effective. That era now appears to be coming to an end.

The subscription model is certainly going to increase software costs for a lot of businesses.

Keep in mind you do have options, such as continuing to use your older retail versions of Office (not OEM). You just need to determine what is best for you.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Have you been Scroggled?

Microsoft are currently running advertising promoting Outlook.com with the catchy term Scroogled. Not quite sure of the meaning they place on Scroogle, but it does sound like a combination of Screwed and Googled. The term Scroogled is referring to Google scanning all your emails to enable them to provide ads which relate to the content in your email. You can disable the feature but you can't remove the advertising without using Google's paid service.
 
Microsoft's Scroogle ad. (http://youtu.be/cbmEdip84Uc)

Microsoft does have a point that Google does use algorithms to check for words in your Gmail email and deliver ads based on the content of your emails and those from people you know. We have no idea if the algorithm simply uses the information in the emails dynamically or whether or not Google is also building a profile of words and the connections between the words and people you know. I hope they're not but there is no way to know what is done with the data.

Keep in mind that with both Google and Microsoft's Outlook.com that all your contacts and emails are kept online. That means if your account gets hacked all of the contact details you store online and the information in the emails can be harvested. I have no doubt the authorities have the ability to access online email accounts if required. Even if you didn't use an online service for your emails it is still possible that all emails you send and receive could be copied and stored offline for access by authorities. In effect, anything you send via an online service may be being recorded.

Most people will say if I'm not doing anything wrong it doesn't matter, but what they don't wish to acknowledge is if police and other authorities have access to your information, then potentially so do criminals and some of those criminals may have also gained positions within government and law enforcement agencies. Those people can and will use your information if it assists them.

In our modern society it is almost impossible to live without using electronic means for communication. We felt comfortable to a degree with telecommunications companies because we paid for a service and notionally the law seems to give us assurance (real or otherwise) that our information was protected.

Now with private companies having access to your communications and data (
you've given them authority over your data), often you don't know what that means and how your data can be used. Law enforcement agencies don't have to go to the same degree of effort to access your information in this new age and these private companies usually have thousands of staff with access to your data, plus many offshore support groups in low paying countries also potentially with access to your data. With low rates of pay it costs much less to bribe someone than it would in a higher paying country.

The most obvious affect I can see from giving too much data to third party companies is you end up paying more for products and services. If a business knows you need something by the information you provide, you've effectively given away your negotiation opportunities. Also I've seen online ads advertising "cheapest" travel insurance and when I checked they were hundreds of dollars more expensive. If you're not aware of what is happening online there's a good chance you'll get ripped off even by legitimate businesses.
Personally I keep all my contact details offline where possible. I do run my email online but through a smaller hosting company. My thinking is data only becomes valuable when it is huge and easy to mine. I don't keep client information online as I feel that is a potential exposure of client information and to me, that isn't appropriate. The information kept online (typically web sites and blogs) is information that I happily share and I consider to be relatively low risk. Standing in the last state election where I couldn't use my PO Box but had to use my address I considered to be more intrusive than what Google does. Every day businesses are collecting information on us when we shop, bank or do almost anything. Likewise the government is collecting whatever information they can justify. It is a risk and all we can do is hope the risk doesn't come back to bite us.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area. 

Skype 6.2 update now available for Windows and Mac.

I read that Skype 6.2 was now available, but was concerned because it only supported computers which supported SSE2. I decided to download and test Skype 6.2 to make sure it could be run on computers my clients typically would have. As it turned out, SSE2 was introduced sometime around 2001 so it shouldn't be an issue.

What was interesting, is using the update from within Skype only provided the 6.1 update. To get the 6.2 update go to the Skype site and download from there.

The new interface is a bit more sparse with a toolbar across the top. For me as the very occasional user it isn't a significant change.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConncections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Android apps which may drain your battery faster than expected.

I found this list of well-known Android apps which mentions they can drain the battery on an Android mobile phone over twice as fast as usual.

Occasionally we learn about apps in the Google Play™ Store that might have serious negative effects on your device.... Read More
I hope others find the link useful.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

MyAnswers: How to use Google Drive's free space to host your web site for free.

The following MyAnswers solution 2314 is now available:

How to use Google Drive's free space to host your web site for free.


Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

MyAnswers: New licence for Office 2013 is a concern and may put people off upgrading.

The following MyAnswers solution 2313 is now available:

New licence conditions for Office 2013 is a concern and will alter my recommendation on purchasing the retail version of Office 2013.


Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Toshiba Satellite L500 function keys no longer work after upgrading to Windows 8 Pro

One of the problems in upgrading the operating system in your computer is not knowing what will and what won't work after the upgrade.

It has been a couple of months since upgrading my Toshiba Satellite L500 notebook, but recently I noticed things not working on my notebook that worked under Windows 7. Initially I didn't think that much about it and thought perhaps I'd forgotten how to use the feature and then found a different way to do the same thing. In hindsight I realise that the function keys on my Toshiba Satellite no longer work.

For example I connected up my computer to a large screen. Normally I'd hit Function+F5 and switch between screens. It didn't work. Hmmm. Right click on the Desktop, select Personalise and then select the second screen. This wasn't working properly and the second screen wasn't being seen by the software. It did work in the end but certainly not as expected.

The next example is I went to do some testing with Bluetooth. Function+F8 allows me to turn Bluetooth and wireless networking on and off, or so I thought. That's also didn't work and neither does adjusting the screen brightness using the function keys.

The functions keys on the Toshiba Satellite L500 are no longer working and because of the age of the notebook, there doesn't appear to be any drivers for Windows 8. You can work around these problems but it does take some hunting to find the right functionality. Bluetooth required going into both setting areas of the Desktop mode and the Metro mode. Certainly took more effort than Function+F8.

Based on the number of glitches I've seen on installing Windows 8 I'd find it hard to recommend for others to upgrade their computer. As a consultant if a client requires me to upgrade their computer to Windows 8 and functionality they want doesn't work, they aren't going to blame Microsoft, they'll blame me and that can potentially damage a good client relationship. Over the years I've had a number of Microsoft updates seriously affect clients and until they fully understand the fault is with a Microsoft update they blame they computer support person.

The time taken to fix issues, to determine workarounds, and if required provide training to a client takes take and time is money for clients. If you add the cost of the upgrade plus the time to upgrade, there's a good chance that money could be a very good part payment for a new compute. Chances are a new computer will run much faster and have a greater capacity than the old computer.

When getting a computer consultant to upgrade your computer make sure you understand the cost involved and think about whether it is better to pay for the time to upgrade, or perhaps put the money towards a new computer. A good consultant will provide advice and guidance which assists you and is in your interests. Too often I see unprofessional consultants who are simply interested in making their fees and don't look after the client's interests first and foremost.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Monday, February 11, 2013

MyAnswers: How can I get to the BIOS settings on my Toshiba notebook running Windows 8 Pro?

The following MyAnswers solution 2312 is now available:

Since upgrading my notebook to Windows 8 Pro I can't get into the BIOS to change a setting. I'd like to boot from a DVD. How can I do this under Windows 8?


Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Why has Microsoft crippled the Windows Surface RT tablet?

I kept thinking today, when something doesn’t quite make sense there is a hidden reason I’m not seeing. I was thinking about Microsoft’s Windows Surface RT tablet. Initially I thought Microsoft were simply copying Apple. Apple has been very successful releasing a restricted device, making billions in revenue from apps as you can only buy apps from their app store.

The problem with copying is you never become the leader. You only ever become a second player because the main player in the game is always ahead of you. I actually thought Microsoft should lead and not follow.

As the Microsoft Surface RT device stands it is crippled in the following ways:
  • The general user can only install apps from the Microsoft store.
  • Included is Office 2013 RT, but the version is crippled by not including macros and you can’t install the full version of Office.
  • The Mail app is very limited. You can’t even include a link in your signature and I’m not sure there is a better alternative available.
  • Office 2013 RT is only licensed for personal use so all those people using Office 2013 without an enterprise or similar licence are breaching their licence terms.
To me none of this makes sense. I appreciate RT can’t run applications designed for Intel processors so most of the existing Windows software won’t run. That’s OK. Include the runtimes for the main languages and let developers recompile their software and the Surface RT could quickly become a cost effective alternative to the iPad with millions of applications available. Provide the full version of Office including Outlook or Windows Live Mail and the Microsoft Surface RT becomes something I’d seriously consider, as that long battery life is quite appealing.

So why not do it? Today the answer which came to me was it could cannibalise Microsoft’s own market for the Microsoft Surface Pro.

The Windows Surface RT is like a placeholder. A product which makes people think it is serious contender priced around the same as the market leader, but unlikely to gain market share due to the crippled nature of the device. Microsoft’s only saving grace is, as Windows users we have so much invested in terms of how we do things, that to change is much harder than simply paying the extra money for the Surface Pro.

The problem for Microsoft is the Surface Pro is priced as an up market device and if treated as a tablet it is very expensive with poor battery life. If treated as a notebook it is very expensive with poor hard disk capacity, a small screen and poor keyboard. You have to be prepared to pay the premium and accept the compromises. Some will, but some won’t. If Microsoft causes too much pain they’ll find people start looking at alternate ways to achieve what they do today.

If the Surface RT was made to be a more open device it may have a chance, but as it is, I’d find it very difficult to recommend to a client, either home or business user.

I may of course be wrong, but to me it makes more sense that Microsoft doesn’t want the Surface RT and similar RT devices to cannibalise the Surface Pro market.

The good thing is consumers will make their voices heard using their wallets. In my case I’ve already changed how I use email so my emails can now be accessed from any device (Windows, Apple, Android) and slowly my reasons (and dependency) for using Outlook are diminishing. My latest spreadsheet was created using a free online service, so for many basic and perhaps not so basic users, the dependency on Word, Excel and PowerPoint may also diminish.

I’m using a mobile phone or tablet a lot more of the time than my notebook so that means I don’t have to upgrade the notebook anytime soon and if others are doing the same, the PC industry and Microsoft are going to start hurting much more than they are now. The problem for Microsoft is if they don’t cannibalise their own product range someone else generally will.

Kelvin Eldridge
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Criminals breaching Australian tax system is a reminder that anything online is potentially at risk.

The following article is a reminder that we should all be careful and vigilant with the information we store online. If the tax department, with all the resources they have available can be breached, then the average person or business has little hope. Everyone needs to determine the risk and trade-offs they need to make with regards to using online systems.

Every Australian taxpayer's taxation information is at risk after criminals infiltrated the taxation system, finding a way to use the personal information of tax agents to log-in to the Tax Agent Portal.... Read More

The problem for the average person or business, is the businesses selling, or even providing for free online services, will not generally make you aware of the risks involved. To do so could put you off using the service and that means the loss of a sale. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the services, it simply means you need to be as informed as possible to make the best possible decision you can at the time.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

"We're sorry... This video format is not supported on this device." - Android tablet and Apple iPhone

Tablets and catch-up TV would appear to be a marriage made in heaven. You should be able to watch catch-up TV on a tablet or mobile device at your convenience, wherever you like, as long as you have access to the internet and appropriate bandwidth. Yet strangely the only devices you can reliably watch all the free-to-air catch-up TV programs isn’t generally a tablet or mobile phone.

The problem is we’ve now entered the era where the internet feels broken a lot of the time. Many companies use Flash to deliver videos and Apple and Android devices typically don’t support Flash. Had Apple not canned Flash on mobile devices and made such a big issue about Flash, we’d probably have a much better internet experience on mobile devices. Whilst the promoted line for not having Flash was performance, had Apple allowed Flash on the iPhone, iPhone and tablet developers could have produced apps for Apple’s devices without having to pay Apple a cent and I can’t help but think that had a lot to do with how things turned out.

The good thing is if you have a Windows computer, whether it is a desktop, notebook, and possibly even a Windows tablet (excluding Windows RT which only plays videos on sites approved by Microsoft) you can watch catch-up TV.

So next time you get the “We’re sorry….” message, just set aside that limited mobile device and grab a device which gives you a better experience on the internet.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

When buying a new Windows 8 computer/notebook/hybrid/tablet be aware of the processor.

A while ago I was in a computer retailer and a customer asked about the processor for a new computer. The sales assistant said don’t be too concerned about the speed. To me that was a major concern. The problem with getting advice from a retailer is they only make money if they can sell you something, so if there is an issue with something they’ll often gloss over the issue or change the conversation away from the issue so the customer forgets.

Right now I’m seeing quite a few portable/tablet type devices being advertised in the market. They look very good but then when I check the specs they have a pretty average performing processor. The problem is a higher performing processor consumes more energy and that means a shorter battery life at this stage with the current technology. With portability we want a longer battery life. I know I certainly do.

In the past underperforming processors were largely kept to the bottom end of the market with the cheap prices. But now with tablets and hybrids, you could end up with a computer that barely runs as fast as a 4-5 year old computer.

One service I have provided clients is to review the specifications for the computer they are thinking of buying. Often this gives clients peace of mind they’re making a good purchase, but in other cases it has meant they’ve decided not to purchase. For example a student was being offered a cheaper notebook and a more expensive lighter notebook through their school and the parents contacted me for advice. The more expensive notebook was actually far less powerful. With that knowledge they were able to make a better informed decision. Another example is a person was buying a notebook on special at Dick Smith. It ended up the notebook couldn’t write to CDs let alone DVDs (this information wasn’t clearly stated) which meant the notebook wasn’t suitable.

The small cost for advice at the right time can end up helping us make better buying decisions and in some cases, help us avoid buying a dud. Just ask yourself next time when you’re buying something, “is the advice you’re getting in your interest or the interest of the person selling?” If you need help, make sure you have someone in your corner you can trust.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Exploding mouse is believed to be the cause of a factory fire in Tottenham

It is hard to believe that a mouse (as in computer not rodent) was the cause of a factory fire in Tottenham causing $10,000-$15000 worth of damage.

Exploding mouse behind factory fire... Read More

The cause of the fire was suspected to be a loose connection in the battery terminals of a wireless mouse. I can see how this can happen because I’ve had one TV remote overheat after it was dropped and the batteries moved, and more recently, I returned a Bug Zapper which had a problem and the batteries were extremely hot.

Perhaps this is a good time to consider if you drop a device with batteries to open the device and make sure the batteries are seated properly.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Bathroom Renovation design tool

Ever had to do a renovation? You can draw up your plans roughly on paper, but sometimes having a more accurate tool can help produce better results and even cut costs. I'm in the middle of a bathroom renovation and got a call so say the tiles I ordered aren't available in the size I wanted. I can go bigger or smaller.

At this point all those measurements and hand drawn plans seem to just go out the window. Now since I'm a computer consultant the tool I can quickly and easily use is the computer. But what software will I use. I can't use software I don't know as that would take too long. I knew one package I'd used in the past which was free, but then I thought, I can do pretty good things with Microsoft PowerPoint. Yes, PowerPoint!

So I opened up PowerPoint, scaled all my measurements and within a short time I had the floor plan, where the shower was located, and a group of images to represent the tiles which I could move around to check different ways to lay out the tiles. What's interesting is it makes it very easy to determine the number of cuts required as well as the minimum number of tiles required. Add a few extra tiles just in case and the order was placed.


I find that many people know pretty much the minimum they need to know to get their work done, yet if they knew their software a little better they'd be amazed at what else can be done. Sometimes just asking the opinion of an experienced computer person is enough to put you in the right direction.

My approach with the ensuite renovation is what I call DIY+. I do the things I can and those things I can't, or which would require too greater time to learn the skills, I leave to the professionals. I end up saving money and get a great job in the end. To me computers can be treated much the same if you have the right computer consultant. Let the consultant do what they're best at, but don't pay premium prices for things you can do yourself. Although ultimately the approach used is always the client's choice. Some people just want the job done, others want to do it all themselves and others are somewhere in between. Use whatever approach you're most comfortable with.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.
More distant areas, if cost effective, can be serviced using a number of approaches. 

Free Stuff For Family And Friends now live.

Ever had the feeling you’d like to give away your excess items to family and friends. I decided to do just that and use technology I know to make it easier and also show others how easily it can be done.

I decided to set up a blog called FreeStuffForFamilyAndFriends. I know quite a few tricks of using a blog so that made it relatively easy. The advantages of the approach I’m using are:

1. I can take a photo of an item on my mobile phone, send the photo to the blog and the item is immediately available.
2. I can provide an email address to family and friends and they too can list their items.
3. If people want to be automatically notified when a new item is added it is easy to add them their email address or use the RSS feed.
4. I can monetise the site using Google advertising and earn a little from complete strangers anywhere in the world.

The best part is if family and friends find items they’d like I free up some space and the item goes to a good home.

If you’d like assistance in setting up a blog to promote your excess items to your family and friends (or for any other purpose) this is another service I’m happy to provide.

Kelvin Eldridge

Online Connections

www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.

 

Alert: You have received a secure message - National Australia Bank

I’ve received a number of emails with the subject “You have received a secure message”. The attached file “SecureMessage.zip” contains malware which is not currently detected by most antivirus software packages. Don’t open the attachment. You should delete these emails.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

 

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Microsoft Windows Surface Pro and Windows Surface RT don't have GPS.

One of the features I feel is important in a mobile device is the ability for the device to know its current location. It is easy to assume a tablet will have a location feature built in, but in the case of the Microsoft Windows Surface tablets, neither tablet has GPS built in. The question is then whether or not having GPS built in is a mandatory requirement for you. To me it is very desirable and I’d prefer a device which did have GPS built in, but that just means it is a matter of weighing up the positives and negatives of each device.

In case clients are considering a Microsoft Windows Surface tablet you may wish to note the lack of GPS and factor that into your decision making process.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

MyAnswers: How to set up a signature with Windows Live Mail to include a web site link.

The following MyAnswers solution 2309 is now available:

How to set up a signature with Windows Live Mail to include a web site link.


Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Nokia 620 Australian release date

When Nokia released their Smartphone range in around October 2011 they didn’t start shipping them to Australia until around March 2012 and by June 2012, anyone buying the new Nokia mobiles found they were effectively superseded devices. Microsoft had orphaned the devices as they wouldn’t be able to be upgraded to the Windows 8 Phone operating system. I doubt anyone really wants to know the mobile they bought three months earlier for nearly a thousand dollars was obsolete.

Things appear to have settled down now. Microsoft seem to have their Windows 8 Phone operating system where they want it. Nokia have a number of devices, but what interested me was the budget version of the Nokia 620 I noticed that was launched later in 2012 but not yet mentioned in Australia.

I’m really over spending $600-$800 for a mobile phone which is superseded in six months and if you want to use the latest software and features you need to buy a new handset. With nearly all the smartphones now we simply don’t know when Apple, Google or Microsoft will bring out a new operating system which won’t work on our rather expensive mobile phone. Since there is no certainty the only certainty you have is the choice you make and for me that means spending less to get what I need now.

The Nokia 620 has been announced as part of Stephen Elop’s visit to Australia and will reportedly be available mid-February for $329. The Nokia 620 is now promoted on the Australian Nokia web site as coming soon where you can also read the specifications.

The Nokia 620 is just one of many options for mobile phone buyers.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.
 
UPDATE: The Nokia 620 doesn't have the ability to operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot. For my use this rules this device out.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Julie-Ann Wharley - Share The Weight

When I saw an ad on TV tonight about Julie-Ann Wharley and Share The Weight, something didn't quite feel right.

The project is sponsored by Tony Ferguson and to me sponsorship is when an independent third party sponsors another group or individual.

When I checked the domain the registrant is Tony Ferguson. Checking the internet for Julie-Ann Wharley brings up a Julie-Ann Wharley's LinkedIn profile where that person has been working as an account manager at Tony Ferguson Weight Management for three years.

I thought that was interesting.


Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

MyAnswers: Aldi Bauhn DVD Maker quick summary

The following MyAnswers solution 2308 is now available:
Aldi Bauhn DVD Maker quick summary. I purchased the Aldi Bauhn DVD maker to convert old mini VCR tapes holding our old family movies to digital format for storing on a hard disk. I share what I found.

Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Alert: Your mobile number has won 1,000,000 pounds in the ongoing freelotto bonanza.


I received an SMS letting me know I'd won 1,000,000 pounds in the ongoing freelotto bonanza. The reality is I hadn't won anything and this is nearly certainly a scam. Chances are if you were to reply they'd see you as gullible and a very good candidate to scam.

I later received a call and was asked about the exact same SMS. When I let them know I'd received the same SMS the person immediately knew the SMS was most likely a scam.

Whilst we'd all love to unexpectedly win a large amount of money, the chances are the majority of unexpected emails and SMS messages are a scam and you should immediately delete the emails and SMS messages.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Office 2013 costs just $9.95USD for some.

Often in IT I see things which give some people a considerable advantage over others. Microsoft appears to have a Home Use program whereby large corporations can supply staff members with a copy of Office for next to nothing, whereas others have to pay hundreds of dollars more. The following article relates to an offer in the States, but I suspect there are similar offers available in Australia.

Over the years as a business I’ve had to pay a considerable amount for my software only to find often I’m competing with others from government or companies who have obtained their software for a fraction of the price. In theory these people can’t use their software for commercial purposes, but the reality is the licence would unlikely ever be enforced. For example I could only guess at how many tertiary education licences are being used to generate income on the side.

For me the disconcerting aspect is the disadvantage some parents face when they send their children to school. The teachers often lease a computer for a very large discount so their families have cheap access to software and computers. Government and corporations’ staff often have access to low cost software. I recall a CSIRO staff member had to pay $42 for their copy of Office compared to the hundreds I had to pay. Those who are self-employed or work for a small business have no such advantage and are faced with paying the full price. There is a definite have and have nots situation with around half of the community faced with very large costs for software ownership, whereas the other half get incredible deals.

For those who are fortunate enough to work for a large company or government body you should check out whether or not there is special pricing on Microsoft software available to you as a staff member. Given that half the people generally have access to special deals, it means the other half will often have to buy the same software so if that is you, shop around and look for the lowest cost deals which suit you. For one company years ago I suggested they purchase copies of Microsoft Word for all users, but only the other applications for those who really used them. This saved the company tens of thousands of dollars. Over time then as new computers were purchased they were able to purchase the cheaper OEM version of Office with new computers. Other businesses use open source software and buy only the commercial software they ‘must’ have. Microsoft and other commercial vendors often provide good free software and also don’t forget there are free web based applications often good for light use.

Do keep in mind you can waste a lot of time sometimes saving a little amount of money. In one case I used OpenOffice.org and it corrupted my Microsoft Access data so any saving was greatly outweighed by the cost of recovering the lost data. On quite a few occasions Firefox has caused links in emails to fail resulting in costly support bills for clients which doesn’t make sense, since all the browsers are free so selecting open source software over a commercial software where there was no business reason simply didn’t make sense.  Determine your needs and then determine the software which can meet your needs, but also factor into account long term use and potential risks.
 
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Alert: Melbourne Mom woman making Earns $6,795/Month Part-Time. (Work-at-Home-Digital)

I received an email today from a person I hadn’t contacted for quite some time. The email had no subject, a link to a site and her full name was the only content.

I decided to check out what my friend had sent me, but I was suspicious. The link took me to an article on what looked like the CNBC news site. The article was titled “Melbourne Mom woman making Earns $6,795/Month Part-Time”. (Please note that I didn’t use my regular computer. I used another device which I felt was unlikely to get infected should the site be a malware trap waiting for me to access the site.)

Further investigation showed the site was a fake site designed to look like the CNBC new site.

The concern for me is for my friend. Her name is very unusual and for me to receive an email from her, could indicate that one of her email accounts has been hacked and that a scammer has access to her contact list. The last time I saw my friend use this email address was over five years ago. The email address is a yahoo.com.au email address.

This type of attack is very concerning. The attack is very targeted aimed directly at a person’s contact list. We tend to trust communications from our friends, but this is an example of why even emails from friends and family should be treated with suspicion.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 release date.

Another hint that Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is getting closer is the release of the Toolkit to Disable Automatic Delivery of Internet Explorer 10.

The Toolkit to Disable Automatic Delivery of Internet Explorer 10 is used to stop the automatic updating of Internet Explorer by Windows Update. This is important in large organisations where they don't want to risk breaking web applications by installing a more recent browser.

Looking back, Internet Explorer 9 was released on the 14th of March 2011. The blocker toolkit was released on the 10th of February 2011which is roughly a month before.

This may mean that we might expect Internet Explorer 10 sometime in March, but I still hold out hope for an earlier release.

I'm looking forward to the release of Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 as it means more people will be able to take advantage of the preferred Australian English spelling I provide, if as expected spellchecking is built in.

I already supply the preferred Australian English spelling to users of IE10 under Windows 8 via the site www.australain-dictionary.com.au.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.