832.204.4909

iPhone Battery Power Saving Tips

by Yehuda Cagen 4. November 2010 09:44

 

These days, we’ve become dependent on our mobile phones.  For business and personal reasons.

So when you’ve got an important conference call or even an urgent personal call, the last thing you need is your battery dying.

This week, Houston IT Consulting expert Cheryl Smith shares a few tips to save your iPhone battery:

  1. The LCD Brightness can be turned down-10% should be enough.
  2. Turn off Wi-Fi network scanning if you are not using it.
  3. Limiting the use of A-GPS tracking is a great idea, usually not necessary after getting the directions.
  4.  In games, turn off the vibrate – not always an option.
  5. Use your computer to purchase Apps, instead of your phone; downloading Applications can take a lot of battery power.
  6. Autolock should be set to 1 minute.
  7. The Push option for email is very draining on the battery. You can set this to Off and Set Fetch time to fit your personal need. Some people need it to be every 15 minutes whereas others can go 1 hour.
  8. If you are not using your phone, plug it in-whether you are in your car or at  the office, it is important to keep charging it often.

 

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston computer services 

 

 

Blackberry Battery Power Saving Tips

by Yehuda Cagen 4. November 2010 08:59

These days, we’ve become dependent on our mobile phones.  For business and personal reasons.

So when you’ve got an important conference call or even an urgent personal call, the last thing you need is your battery dying.

This week, Houston IT Consulting expert Cheryl Smith shares a few tips to save your Blackberry battery:

Media

·         Reduce volume

·         Use headphones whenever possible

·         Avoid resizing by loading media using the BlackBerry® Desktop Manager

·         Turn off equalizer settings

Browsing

·         Visit mobile sites where applicable

·         Turn Repeat Animations to a lower setting

Screen/Keyboard

·         Reduce Backlight Timeout

·         Reduce Backlight Brightness

·         Turn the Key Tone Off

Camera

·         Turn off flash if not necessary

·         Set picture size to Small

·         Set Picture Quality to Normal

Applications

When exiting, be sure to close the application.  Do not leave it running in the background. Close with ESC key, not red End key!

 

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston computer services 

 

 

Expert Tips for Increasing Productivity & Efficiency

by Yehuda Cagen 21. October 2010 07:46

 

OK. We admit it.

IT isn’t always the only answer.

As a Houston IT consulting firm, we tend to lean towards technology and super-reliable IT support as the greatest motivators of office productivity.

But there are many other ways organizations can use to increase office productivity.

We’re fortunate to have guest-blogger, Deborah Osgood, co-founder and CKO of Knowledge Institute offer her insights on increasing productivity and efficiency.  

Tips for Increasing Productivity & Efficiency

While the current economic downturn has its challenges, it is also a great motivator for looking for ways to work smarter. Here are five easy tips for increasing productivity and efficiency.

1.       Get Organized: Too often, small business owners fly by the seat of their pants. Not having a time management tool to track objectives against actual results can be a costly mistake. While there are many automated systems for managing such objectives, a simple and tangible approach can be useful, such as a Time Planning Schedule.

2.       Leverage Free Help: There are thousands of government and public programs funded by our tax dollars that exist to specifically drive small business creation and growth. Visit BUZGate.org, a nonprofit online community, to select the state that your business operates in and then FREE HELP in the menu to navigate such programs by type of need including funding, marketing, counseling, import/export and more. There are also no-cost consultants available to discuss exploring business ownership options if you're looking to get into business. Also, don't underestimate quality blogs. For example, IsUtility, a Houston computer services blog offers great tips in leveraging information technology, and IBM and The World Bank offer a Blog to support women and minority entrepreneurs.

3.       Leverage SaaS Applications: Save time, money and hassle by using robust online solutions for such core operational systems as sales, marketing and accounting. A program like myBrainshark.com is free and allows a small business to incorporate PowerPoint slides, images, audio and documents to create compelling online, on-demand messages that can be used to influence prospects, suppliers, investors, staff, sales personnel and others. An application like MySalesHero.com offers cost-effective lead generation to support sales and customer retention.

4.       Minimize Overhead Costs: If you don't need brick and mortar to do business, consider taking advantage of virtual office solutions on-demand. A company like Regus, leaders in office solutions, offer business owners a professional office address, meeting space, staff and access to technology when they need it, where they need it. Taking advantage of free contests can also keep cost down, such as the ShowUsYourOffice.com  contest that offers ten lucky winners different levels of professional workplace solutions.

5.       Focus on Revenues First: It's easy to update a web site, improve a customer database or hold a staff meeting to exchange ideas, but none of these things are directly associated with closing a sale. Each and every day, a small business owner must establish and follow through on a specific number of activities that directly support closing a sale before doing any administrative or operational support tasks. Without revenues, there is no need for operational efficiency.

Deborah Osgood is co-founder and CKO of Knowledge Institute, internationally recognized experts in entrepreneurial education and development. Deborah is a speaker, author, consultant and mentor and has been featured on New York's WPIX morning news, Boston WCVB-TV Chronicle and WBZ-TV Evening Magazine. She has been named Women in Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and has received awards for Excellence in Business Services, Enterprising Woman of the Year, and Women's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston Computer Services  

 

Photo credit: ante3

Small business CEO shares productivity tips

by Yehuda Cagen 19. October 2010 09:17

 

 

Our Houston IT consulting experts are constantly striving to help C-level executives of small and midsize businesses improve their employee’s productivity.  

But what about the executives themselves?

How do they make sure they’re making the best use of their time?

Small business CEO shares productivity tips

Small business owners are, by definition, too busy.  As a result, it’s really important that we all find ways to continually tweak our work habits to make them more efficient. As the co-owner of an SEO consulting company, this is something I’ve had to routinely do.  Some of the big things I’ve changed that have helped me are respecting my own time, keeping others on track and accountable, and cutting out low-value activities during the day.

  1. Respecting my own time: As small business owners, we want to help everyone.  We’ll gladly stop what we’re doing to troubleshoot something for someone else or reschedule a call someone else canceled in the middle of our busy today.   However, doing this is detrimental to our schedules.  I’ve found that the more I respect my own time, the more I force others to respect it, as well. If they know that I’ll cancel a meeting they’re late to, they’re more likely to show up on time.  Little things like that add up.
  2. Making others accountable:  Some time ago I noticed that I was losing a big chunk of my day to unfocused conversations and meetings.   We’d come together to talk about one thing and then we’d wander off to a completely different topic and get stuck off-track.  This was robbing hours from my day.  To help turn it, I’ve found gentle ways to help keep things focused and bring people back to the topic when they stray off it.  You’ve decided to meet for a reason – make sure you’re making good on it. Otherwise it’s not a meeting, it’s a water-cooler session.
  3. Cutting out low value activities during the day:  Your best friend is having a relationship crisis, your mother can remember the name of girl you had a fight with twenty years ago, and OMG, is there a great flame war happening on Twitter right now!  These things are all time sucks and do nothing but distract you from your day. I’ve made a conscious decision to not let these things enter my day. Again it goes back to respecting your own time.  If you’re strict about what you will and will not break your work routine for, other people will learn to respect it, as well.

These productivity tips were contributed by guest-blogger Lisa Baron, CEO, Outspoken Media. For more productivity tips, you can check out her blog.

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston Computer Services  

 

 

Tags: , ,

General

Free Small Business Seminar: Is Your Data Safe? Understanding IT Risks and Threats

by Yehuda Cagen 18. October 2010 12:14

 

Rethink, rebuild and reinforce your business with a workshop that will give you the tools you need to complete a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan for your data. Join us on October 27th, at 8:30 a.m., when Houston computer service and IT support specialist Richard Thompson will give you easy-to-digest, practical advice on protecting your small business.

A continental breakfast will be provided for registered attendees.

What you’ll take away from this workshop:

• A solid understanding of how to identify the IT risks to your business, including cyber security threats

• A knowledge of how to backup your data prior to a disaster and access your data after a disaster

• Steps you can take to restore data and applications following a disaster

 

8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Location: Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center, 400 W. Walker
League City, Texas 77573

 

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston IT Consulting  

 

Tags: ,

General

Client Success Story

by Yehuda Cagen 14. October 2010 11:31

Taking a Picture of Your Computer Screen (Printscreen)

by Yehuda Cagen 29. September 2010 07:18

Have you ever wanted to send a picture of your screen via email or inserted in a document and you just didn’t know how?

 

Did you receive an error message that was long and you didn’t want to write the entire thing down to remember it?

 

Wouldn’t it be great to take a picture of an error message and send it within an email to the helpdesk?  

 

You can. With the Print “Screen Function”

 

If you desire the entire screen shot:

·         Select the Print Screen key on your keyboard, sometimes you may have to use Ctrl-Print Screen.

This acts as a copy function, taking a picture of the screen.

 

If you only want the “active” or “front” window on your screen:

·         Press and hold the ALT key and then hit the Print Screen key.

 

This will save you time and it is a great way to show someone what you are seeing instead of explaining it.

 

 

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

 

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston IT Consulting

Is Today’s Text-Focused Communication Passing You By?

by Yehuda Cagen 22. September 2010 06:04

 

 

This week we’re taking a break from IT support tips to lend a hand to those having a tough time understanding “Text-Lingo”.

 

Have you ever had a co-worker or associate email with an acronym like, “EOD”, “CYL”, or “FYI” – and you were too embarrassed to ask what it meant?

 

Business text messaging shorthand jargon has become "foreign language" that many business people today need to know in order to keep up to date at work, understand instant messages from co-workers, and get the meaning of office emails.

Houston IT consultant Cheryl Smith helps you “get hip with this tip”:

 

Popular business text shorthand phrases:

 

  AFAIC - As Far As I'm Concerned

  ASAP - As Soon As Possible

  BRB - Be Right Back

  BSUS - Business

  BTW - By The Way

  CLM - Career Limiting Move

  DD - Due Diligence

  DRIB - Don't Read If Busy

  EOD - End Of Day

  EOM - End Of Message

  EOT - End Of Thread

  FYI - For Your Information

  GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike

  HIOOC - Help, I'm Out Of Coffee

  IAITS - It's All In The Subject

  IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer

  IM – Instant Message

  KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid

  LOPSOD - Long On Promises; Short On Delivery

  MOTD - Message Of The Day

  MTFBWY - May The Force Be With You

  MYOB - Mind Your Own Business

  NRN - No Reply Necessary

  NWR - Not Work Related

  OTP - On The Phone

  P&C - Private & Confidential

  PEBCAK - Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard

  QQ - Quick Question

  RFD - Request For Discussion

  RFP - Request For Proposal

  SME - Subject Matter Expert

  STD - Seal The Deal

  TBA - To Be Announced

  TBD - To Be Determined

  TWIMC - To Whom It May Concern

  TIA - Thanks In Advance

  WIIFM - What's In It For Me

  WOMBAT - Waste Of Money, Brains And Time

  WTG - Way To Go

  YW - You're Welcome

 

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:

 

·        Questions about this article?

·        Suggest a topic

·        Learn more about our Houston IT Consulting

 

Disaster Plan Checklist To Prepare for Hurricane Season

by Yehuda Cagen 29. June 2010 12:31

 Will we stay or evacuate when a hurricane threatens?

 

How do you communicate with clients, vendors and employees?

 

Will our disaster plan work when the going gets tough? 

 
Cheryl Smith of the IsUtility® Helpdesk answers your hurricane preparedness questions and outlines keys steps to a successful Disaster Plan:

 

1.       Risk Assessment & Management 

a.       Identify & categorize risk of disaster on business

                                                               i.      Impact on revenue

                                                             ii.      Impact on clients/reputation

b.       IT systems assessment

                                                               i.      How much data can the organization afford to risk?

                                                             ii.      How long can the data be inaccessible?

1.       Email

2.       Core applications

3.       Non-core applications

c.       Related preparation costs

2.       Data Backup and Accessibility (based on “Risk Assessment”)

a.       Data backup

b.       Applications backup

c.       Data accessibility & ability to work from anywhere (during disaster period)

d.       Back-up power supply

3.       Restoring Data & Applications

a.       Purchase replacement equipment (if necessary)

b.       Restore applications

c.       Restore data (Are the backups up-to-date and intact?)

d.       Sync data and applications (ensure compatibility as previously)

e.       Ensure accessibility and ability to work from anywhere

4.       Test & Re-test Disaster Preparedness Plan

a.       Test plan definition

b.       Results and analysis

 

 

For more tips and best practices on preparing for Hurricane Season, contact our Houston Disaster Recovery Specialists.

Houston IT Consulting - Tech Tip of the Week

by Yehuda Cagen 21. May 2010 05:38


Email Notifications in Microsoft Outlook

 

Do you like email notifications? (Email notifications are those little boxes that pop up that notifyyou of an incoming email). Are you the type that can't ever miss an important email?


Or…


Do you feel email notifications are bad for productivity, and would like to stop email notifications from disturbing your work?


Steps to disable or enable “Email Notifications:

  1. Tools
  2. Options
  3. Email Options
  4. Advanced Email Options Middle section: When new items arrive in my Inbox


Select your personal preferences:
[If you would rather not have a notification, make sure they following are all unchecked].


  • Play a sound
  • Briefly change the mouse cursor
  • Show an envelope icon in the notification area
  • Display a New Mail Desktop Alert (default Inbox only)


You can click on Desktop Alert Settings to determine how long the Desktop Alert will appear and the transparency. A great tool you can use is Rules/Alerts to receive Email Notifications from only those you desire to have alerts about:


 Click: Tools> Rules and Alerts> New Rule, and select desired command. It's just that easy!


For more information, please feel free to contact our Houston Computer Service experts.

Tags: , ,

Microsoft Training

About IsUtility®

IsUtility® is a turnkey  Houston infor-
mation technology
solution that
brings accountability back to the IT
services industry. We've already
invested in your business - all the
servers and remote pc support -
eliminating the costs and risks of
owning  an onsite IT infrastructure.

Ask The Experts!

Send your IT questions directly to our knowledgeable experts. Since 2000, we’ve helped executives just like you make sense of business technology!
Name
Email
Your Question


Message was successfully sent

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Join our FREE Email Mailing List
For Email Marketing you can trust
Follow Us facebook twitter LinkedIn