Posts Tagged ‘IT’

Google’s Super Speedy Network

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Google claims it’s new, experimental ultra high-speed broadband network will serve as a playground for developers, giving them the bandwidth they need to dream up next generation, data hungry online apps. But, Google may have other motives for its speedy network as well.

The whole transition from dial up to broadband has brought so much innovation to the internet, and now Google plans to make the delivery process for new applications even more intriguing and deliverable.

There are already concerns with the limitations on Bandwidth as businesses and consumer become more internet dependent.  Internet applications such as video conferencing and telephoning are becoming so popular and accordingly so is the demand for bandwidth . As more businesses adopt internet related practices, traffic jams may take place and could affect the net.  Google’s new super network may address these bandwidth concerns.  As of now, the super network is in an experimental phase as Google looks to see how smaller businesses, consumers and institutions as well as the local government will utilize this high speed access.  While Google promises new enhanced applications to increase the technology system on the net, the super network may also be the answer to the bandwidth troubles that currently face already existing applications.

But Google may also have ulterior motives for its super network.  Google has been a frontier in providing internet services to consumers and stealing away consumer from other carriers.  The new internet based technology, some say, may allow Google the opportunity to take control of internet services in the market as well.  This may be a bit skeptical, but there is no question that a faster-speed super network will displace other carriers, and cause a shift in internet service carriers. 

As the idea is still at its inception, Google has not yet completely figured out how it will deal with information ownership and privacy issues.  Additionally, Google may have to figure out a way to work through the conflicts its new idea may cause with other carriers and providers that form the backbone of internet services and data communication.  Such issues might be determining factors on the success of the super network.
So while the new super highway might provide the promise of new applications, and added support for existing applications, it’s still unclear how Google will address certain issues, and how the new super highway will effect other competitors in the market.  We all know that faster is better, but what will the cost be to the market and consumers is yet to be determined.

  • Share/Bookmark

How Green is your I.T.?

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

 “Green” back offices and data centers are becoming quite a trend these days — not only because of their energy efficiencies, but also because of the costs they save. With the economic downturn, making IT operations more efficient not only makes practical sense, but is becoming necessary. As your business grows your IT infrastructure will become more complex, therefore the time is NOW to implement strategies that will save time, energy, money, and increase your company’s overall productivity.

StoneHill Tech’s Green IT Strategies:

Go Virtual

  • Virtualization dramatically improves the efficiency and availability of  applications in your organization, reduces energy cost and improves operations by managing information traffic and workflow.
  • By condensing all files and applications to one server, your business will best utilize your hardware and software resources.

Improve airflow: Improving airflow is easy and inexpensive. To immediately improve efficiency, ensure that:

  • Cables, etc., are positioned so they do not restrict airflowMissing ceiling tiles are replaced so no cold air is misdirected.
  • Hot air does not ecirculate, by flowing over the tops of racks or around the rows.
  • Migrating racks to hot aisles/cold aisles is a continual process.
  • CRAC units are positioned for maximum efficiency.
  • Servers are designed with front-to-rear airflow.
  • The return (hot) air plenum accommodates required airflow

Dispose of  eWaste

It is probably no surprise that in our current age of technology and computer dependency eWaste (electronics waste) is the fastest growing form of toxic waste in the world.  However, since society has begun to realize this there have been companies sprouting up all over that will actually come to your business and collect all your eWaste for free. We use an awesome local company; Go Green eWaste Recyclers.

  • Share/Bookmark

GOOGLE BROWSER SIZE: Google can tells us what information the viewers are seeing

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

 “Above the fold” refers to the story printed at the top of the page. The term originates from the newspaper industry where the story on the front cover is the most important story. It is the most sought after spot because it is what readers see first.

The web design industry picked up the term and many professionals are still biased about how it works. In companies employees and teams look for prominent positions to place their contents, assuming that the content below the fold will be missed. I am not 100% influenced by the “above the fold” concept. There could be no clear fold line since monitors vary in sizes, tool bars use space and browsers may not necessarily be full screen.

However, there may be certain design squeezes that can make sure that viewers notice detailed areas.  A perfect example is Google. They managed to increase Google Earth downloads because they altered the “Download” button upward by 100 pixels.  It is a proven fact that Google likes to show the world their speed and accuracy, but now they have designed a way for other companies to follow their lead.  Google has once again astonished us with their technical expertise coming up with an application called “Google Browser Tool” that will show website owners how the layout and design of their website influences user exposure.

The company created “Browser Size,” a new tool from Google Labs that indicates how many people see certain areas on your webpage. The illustration is calculated from browser height and width information gathered at Google.com.  A given point in the browser, the tool will tell you what percentage of users can see it. For example, if an important button is in the 80% region it means that 20% of users have to scroll in order to see it. If you’re a web designer, Browser Size can be utilized to minimize scrolling and to highlight the essential parts of the page that are always important to your viewers. This is a good tool to make websites better and making the web improved for everyone.

Links:

Google Labs Browser Size tool

Google Blog announcement  – Browser Size: a tool to see how others view your website.

The new tool aims to help website owners figure out how the layout and design of their website should be made in order to attract more followers. Isn’t that great? The tool may not be perfect, but it appears that it’s worth a try, and offers an easy to see way of figuring out if your content is seen by your users the way you intend it to be.

  • Share/Bookmark

BEWARE OF THE ANTI-VIRUS

Monday, January 18th, 2010

About three weeks ago I sat down in front of my laptop to do my homework and a screen that looks like the one below popped up telling me I had serious threats/viruses on my computer.  Looks legitimate right?

antivirus

WRONG!!!! This anti-virus “software” was the virus. However, I didn’t think anything of it until I was suddenly locked out of the sites I frequent, such as my school, my Gmail, my bank, etc. I may not be Miss Techie, but I do know enough to recognize that this wasn’t normal. So, in casual conversation with Zach, who is a Mr. Techie,  regarding the  strange behavior of my computer, before I was even half way done he said, “You have a virus”. Those dreaded words rang in my ears as I began to see the dollars falling from my wallet. Luckily, I work for the best IT company on earth and Zach was able to remove the virus within one day and install legitimate firewalls and virus protections.

Ironically, that same evening I was watching the nightly news where they were featuring a story on “New Organized Crime Rings”…HACKERS. Apparently, technology is not only transforming the way we do business, it has transformed theft as well. The newest trend amongst thieves is to send out   these nasty little parasites, disguised as helpful software, that infect your computer allowing the hacker to track your key strokes, thus gaining access to all of your personal passwords and information. A local OC business man was recently taken for $1,000,000 due to this type of scam. OUCH!

Two days ago, I was out sick and received an email from Zach saying three clients in the past week had been hit with the same thing and decided that YOU need to be aware of what is out there!!!! He sent me this really informative article:   Take a look, it could save you a lot of time, money & heart ache!

Beware fake anti-virus programs

  • Share/Bookmark

Cut Costs and Increase Efficiency!

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

cut-costAs the nation fights to pull out of this economic crisis businesses must be prepared to take an objective look at their bottom line. By eliminating unnecessary overhead, companies can concentrate on building and expanding their foundation, placing the emphasis on their core product or service.

With the advancement of technology there are many cost effective strategies entrepreneurs and small business owners can implement to leverage their enterprise and increase efficiency.

Most small business owners wish they had more time to focus on growing their business, but are too often bogged down with tedious tasks that are so time consuming they prevent and/or slow down their growth. The solution is outsourcing; whatever your companies requirements, you can literally outsource almost anything.

Human Resources (HR) - Depending on the size of your business and how much control you want to maintain over HR functions, you can either outsource all your HR needs or contract for individual services.

The basic services offered by HR outsourcing firms:

  • Overseeing organizational structure and staffing requirements
  • Recruiting, training, and employee development
  • Personnel File Maintenance
  • Tracking Department objectives, goals, and strategies
  • Benefits administration
  • Employee orientation programs
  • Ensure compliance with all State & Federal labor laws & informational posting requirements

Payroll- Many employers outsource some of their payroll and related tax duties to third-party payroll service providers. They can help ensure filing deadlines and deposit requirements are met. If your business does not keep accurate records you could be fined. California passed a law that imposes a $750 payroll fine on small businesses that aren’t able to quickly produce accurate payroll records upon an employee’s request; it is rumored that other states will follow with similar legislation. Outsourcing payroll will greatly streamline business operations.

The basic services offered by Payroll outsourcing firms:

  • Processing payroll and record maintenance on behalf of the employer
  • Reporting, collecting, and depositing employment taxes with State and Federal agencies.
  • Timely filing of Quarterly State and Federal Employer Tax Returns
  • Provide Calendar Year-end services such as issuing W2s, reconciling 941s & DE7

Information Technology (IT) Services – Remaining adaptable to the market is crucial to any small businesses success. In the majority of industry, 100% of business functions are run on computers. Your business relies strongly on your network which requires a strong IT infrastructure.  StoneHill, an Industry leader, recognizes the importance a business’s health and offers a free Technology Review. By outsourcing these services you can convert fixed IT costs to variable, significantly decreasing overhead and creating an increase in service availability and overall efficiency.

The basic services offered by StoneHill and other IT firms:

  • Maintenance Plan
  • Managed Services
  • 24/7 Emergency Support
  • Online Disaster Recovery
  • SPAM & Virus Filtering
  • Special Projects
  • Communication Network Set-up & Maintenance
  • Share/Bookmark

IT Keyboard Shortcuts and Outsourcing Tips

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Keyboard Shortcuts – the not so obvious ones
Task Manager = Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Lock your computer = Windows+L

Close Current Program = Alt+F4

Shows the desktop = Windows+D

Copy image of current window to clipboard = Alt+PrtScn

Is IT in your budget?
So one of the first things you would learn in any beginning finance class is that you need to have a budget. Budgets are invaluable tools for helping you run your business smoothly and efficiently. Have you budgeted for IT?

Rarely has there been technology available like there is today that can help reduce your total cost of ownership of your technology infrastructure. Options like:

- Remote Support plans
- Managed Service plans
- Server virtualization
- SaaS software applications that never need to be “upgraded”
- IT Automation

Regardless of who is doing your IT right now, these are the things that deserve serious evaluation to ensure your being a good IT buyer. Also choosing an IT provider that is Microsoft Certified at minimum and hopefully is a Microsoft Gold Partner will ensure that their technicians are skilled and efficient which translates to you spending your money wisely.

So many facets of your technology infrastructure can now be supported up to a point with level costs. This makes setting your budgets easier. The age of your infrastructure should also be considered when setting a budget. Plan to spend more money to support older systems.

So take some time to budget for IT spending. Who knows maybe you don’t need to spend as much as you fear you do.

New Verizon Wireless Device
Verizon Wireless is about to release a fantastic device! The MiFi. From Novatel wireless, it’s a portable wireless router that will deliver a wifi hotspot to you via Verizon’s 3G wireless network. Much like the usb adapters from Verizon and other wireless providers the MiFi connects to the cell network for DSL like speeds. The difference is that the MiFi doesn’t need to plug into anything and it is a wireless router and WiFi hotspot. So just configure your laptop to connect to the Mifi’s wireless network and you are done. No extra software on your computer or dongles to attach. It’ll give up to 4 hours of connection time and sleeps if not used for 30 minutes. It will be available later this month.

  • Share/Bookmark

Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Join StoneHill Tech in the Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign

San Clemente, California- April 01, 2009- Today, StoneHill Technical Solutions, Inc. is asking clients to join a new power-saving initiative that enables them to save up to $50 per computer annually. By joining the Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign, certified through the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and enabling power management, organizations will help reduce the growing demand for electricity–while saving money.

StoneHill Technical Solutions is actively providing clients with power-saving capabilities, and can now be found as a participant of the campaign on Energy Star’s main webpage. Because of StoneHill Technical Solution’s active role in reducing energy consumption, their clients now have the ability to be apart of the global campaign aimed towards decreasing the energy consumed by computers and monitors. “This is a great opportunity to save money and help the environment,” stated Zach Hart, Network Administrator at StoneHill Technical Solutions, who is urging clients to “think green”.

To qualify as a participant of this Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign, a company must first sign a pledge, and then employ a computer power-saving tool to regulate energy use. In accordance with this campaign, StoneHill Technical Solutions has partnered with Faronics Corporation and San Diego Gas & Electric Company to provide a power saving application that is non-intrusive, but effective in reducing energy consumption. For interested companies, the Licenses for Power Save is free, after rebates through SDG&E, and will give clients recognition for being a part of the Low Carbon IT Campaign. To view the list participating companies, click here.

For more information on this opportunity, contact StoneHill Technical Solutions or participate in an educational webinar on enterprise computer power management through Energy Star, which will take place March 30, 2009 from 12pm–2pm ET. To register for this webinar, click here.

About StoneHill Technical Solutions- StoneHill Technical Solutions, Inc. is a Computer Services and Support company geared toward customer service in Orange County, CA. This growing company specializes in many computer services such as 24×7 Emergency Support, monthly Maintenance Plan and Help Desk, to mention a few. StoneHill Technical Solutions, Inc. is headquartered in San Clemente, California and houses over 50 years of combined experience. To learn more about StoneHill Technical Solutions, Inc. and their services, please visit www.StoneHillTech.com or call 1-949-218-1258.

  • Share/Bookmark

How to install RAM

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

With our easy to follow informational videos, you can manager your computer like a pro! View our video today to learn how to install RAM.

  • Share/Bookmark