GEEKNOTE:  Back in February, I wrote about Intel’s decision to drop its line of desktop motherboards and use those resources to grow their Next Unit of Computing (NUC) line of micro sized systems.  At the time, they indicated that their next generation of desktop motherboards would be the last ones and that we would need to find replacements by 2016.  It seems the future came faster than they thought.  The Intel mini-ITX motherboards we had standardized on rapidly became impossible to get.

While I like the NUCs and we’ve sold a number of them, there are times when you really do need a conventional desktop system.  The NUCs have a limited number of USB ports and drive capacity is both limited and expensive because they use solid state drives rather than conventional rotating platter drives.  Conventional systems, including the mini-ITX systems our customers like, are much more expandable.

We checked out both of the motherboard manufacturers that Intel recommended.  The two manufacturers being Asus and Gigabyte.

Asus has an excellent reputation in the marketplace and we built several systems using Asus motherboards.  They aren’t bad.  The particular models we tried were solid performers, if nothing to get excited about.

We also decided to try out the comparable Gigabyte offerings.  The one I decided to check out had some interesting features, including built-in WiFi.  Okay.  I ordered one.  When it arrived, I couldn’t believe what I saw.  To say that I was blown away would be an understatement.

The attention to detail on these motherboards is absolutely amazing.  The board is from their “Ultra Durable” line.  The RF shield for the back panel has both a foam backing AND the port names are lithographed in the outside.  The layout of components is well thought out and Gigabyte makes a point of the fact that they build the boards with solid Japanese capacitors instead of the less expensive and less durable ones from China and other sources.

The feature set is no less impressive:  Built in Wi-Fi and bluetooth support, USB 3.0 support, 6gb SATA, dual gigabyte LAN ports, DVI and dual HDMI video ports and a whole lot more.

In the last month, I’ve built twelve new systems with the Gigabyte motherboards.  Built out with dual core i3 processors they are impressive.  With i5 quad core processors, they absolutely scream.

I’m less that impressed with Gigabyte’s warranty policy, which doesn’t hold a candle to Intel’s overnight advance replacement policy, but I’m guessing that I won’t be needing to use it very often.

Quality has always been important to us and we back our systems with three year warranties.  That is why we use high end components (eg. Western Digital “Black” drives) even when there are less expensive components available.  We’ve used Intel motherboards almost exclusively because of their reliability.  Based on my assessment, the Gigabyte motherboards are going to be “keepers” and worthy replacements for the no longer available Intel boards.

I’ve been pretty happy with my home PC, but spending time with the latest stuff certainly adds to the temptation to build a new system for myself.

Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek

GEEKNOTE:  We subscribe to a service that advises us of folks in our service area who are looking for computer repairs.  I’ve noticed a growing trend of folks looking for someone to replace the broken screen on their tablet or their notebook.  I don’t suppose I should be surprised, given all the hype about how the desktop computer is dead and everyone is going to be using a tablet in a year or two.

Don’t believe it.

What you CAN believe is that quite a few computers, especially tablets and notebooks are being built with absolutely no thought to common repairs.

It used to be that you could get to the hard drive on pretty much any notebook by unscrewing one or two screws on the bottom of the box and popping the drive out.  Starting with some of the little netbooks that came out a few years ago, you frequently need to remove the keyboard and other components to get to drive.

Things that spin break.  Get over it.  That includes hard drives and cooling fans.  A cooling fan is typically less than $20 and held in place with a few screws.  The rub comes in trying to get TO the cooling fan on some notebooks.  We had one come in this past week.  The instructions for replacing the cooling fan involved:  removing a dozen screws on the bottom of the notebook, prying off a cover plate at the top of the keyboard, unscrewing four more screws holding the keyboard in place, removing the keyboard, removing the bezel that surrounds the keyboard, removing the power plug on the side of the computer, removing the motherboard, flipping it over, and THEN AND ONLY THEN removing the heat sink assemply that contains the fan.

Think about the sequence above.  If you figured out that the fan is on the bottom of the motherboard, right next to the bottom of the notebook, give youself a gold star.  If the motherboard manufacturer had installed an access panel on the bottom of the notebook, the heat sink and cooling fan would have been easy to reach and replace.

The same goes for hard drives, which fail even more often than cooling fans.   It is now fairly common to have to remove the keyboard to get to the drive.

Why are these machines assembled this way?  My guess is that the manufacturer expects you to simply trash the old computer and buy a new one when something breaks.  If it is an expensive hardware failure, that is one thing.  If it is a viral infection that prevents you from booting the system and requiring a perfectly good drive to be pulled and slaved to a bench machine for decontamination, that is another matter entirely.

Desktop systems vary in how difficult they are to service, but even the most difficult ones are LIGHTYEARS ahead of tablets and the notebooks we are running into as far as ease of service goes.

Broken screens deserve special attention.  Even more so than smart phones, the screens on notebooks and tablets seem to get broken on an all too frequent basis.  They simply aren’t up for the manhandling that they get.  Depending on the model, replacing a broken screen may or may not be worth even thinking about.

If you need portability, then by all means get a notebook or a tablet.  Just recognize that it is going to need quite a bit of TLC if you expect it to last.  If you don’t need portability, go for a desktop system.

When looking at a notebook computer, make sure to ask what is involved if you decide to replace the hard drive.  If the sales person can flip the computer over and show you a well marked access panel, you are in good shape.

Have you had a portable computer that failed before its time?  Let us know.

Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek

We hope you’re ready to enjoy what makes September so special — things like classes beginning, leaves changing, and footballs flying.

To add to the fall fun, we’ve “raked up” some timely content for this issue. It starts with a warning about a Facebook promotion that says you can “Like” and “Share” your way to free Six Flags season tickets; pass on this one since the claims are false. However, don’t pass on checking out the cool Pinterest pins, videos, and sites we chose for you this month.  We think they’ll make you smile, and in some cases, make you want to learn more.

Speaking of learning, this September issue includes a lesson on the “Other” Facebook inbox and tips for finding YouTube videos tailored to your interests.

We think you’ll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience.

Here’s what’s inside our September 2013 Newsletter:

FACEBOOK ALERT – BEWARE OF SIX FLAGS SEASON TICKETS GIVEAWAY

NEWS FROM THE SHOP

GO PINTERESTING! — COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHERE ARE MY MISSING FACEBOOK MESSAGES GOING?

SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN SEPTEMBER

TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO FIND YOUTUBE VIDEOS TAILORED TO YOUR INTERESTS

 

The Gulfcoast Networking Team

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FACEBOOK ALERT – BEWARE OF SIX FLAGS SEASON TICKETS GIVEAWAY

You may have seen Facebook posts recently that claim Six Flags theme parks are giving away free season tickets to those who “Like” and “Share” a promotional image and click on a link to claim their prize. These claims are false. The promotion has no connection to Six Flags whatsoever and the theme parks are not giving away free season tickets. Instead, it’s an attempt by online scammers to get people to “Like” and “Share” bogus promotional material and participate in survey scams.

By posing as a well-known entity and offering attractive prizes as bait, the “Like Farmers” running the scheme hope to amass a large number of “Likes” for their fake Facebook Page in a short period of time. Pages with large numbers of “Likes” can later be sold on the black market to other scammers and unscrupulous Internet marketers. The pages can then be re-purposed and used to promote dubious products and services to a wide audience or to launch other scam campaigns. They may also be used to trick users into divulging personal information by informing them that they’ve won a (non-existent) prize. Be wary of any Facebook post or page that promises expensive prizes in exchange for simply clicking on “Like” or “Share” and don’t take action when you see them.

http://www.sixflags.com/national/tickets/free-six-flags-tickets.aspx

Go here to read the response from Six Flags to this questionable program that’s using their name.

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NEWS FROM THE SHOP

We continue to see quite a few malware infested computers, including the FBI-Moneypak variants.  The FBI-Moneypak variants are particularly nasty to clean up and there is now a variant that will take a picture of you with your notebook’s camera.  Not good.  As I write this, I’ve got three machines on the bench with FBI-Moneypak.

Avoid going to questionable websites, you know, the ones Jack Rickard once described as being those with pictures of young women unadorned by the best efforts of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.

Install McAfee’s free SiteAdvisor software that will let you know when you see a link to a bad site when you are searching for something.

Install a commercial grade Anti-Malware product, such as F-Secure’s Internet Security or Antivirus products.  DO NOT trust your machine to free AV products (eg. Microsoft’s Security Essentials… it is free and worth exactly what you pay for it).  We keep F-Secure products in stock.

Nothing is 100%, but you improve your odds by using a quality anti-malware product.

We have some great Windows 7 machines available, both custom built with three year warranties and brand name systems with full factory warranties.  There is NO NEED to fight with Windows 8.

We are collecting canned goods in our store for the Volunteer Way.  Bring a can if you happen down this way.

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GO PINTERESTING! — COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

This Owl Makes A Wise School Lunch

http://pinterest.com/pin/273875221062285577/

Putting On The Spritz With Lemons Or Limes

http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775849040212/

Glitter Magnets Are A Fun Craft For Kids

http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775849040146/

You haven’t started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started?  To sign up, go here https://pinterest.com/join/signup/

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THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHERE ARE MY MISSING FACEBOOK MESSAGES GOING?

Question: I use Facebook messages a lot and I’ve had friends tell me they’re sending me messages that I’m not getting. Is Facebook deleting or not sending some of my messages? Where are these messages going?

Answer: Not too long ago, Facebook introduced a “secret” inbox for profiles. It started as a way to separate event invites and group messages from messages your friends send. As you’ve noticed, messages you actually want sometimes end up in the wrong inbox.

You’ll probably find the missing message in this new inbox. Fortunately, it’s easy to locate. In the top bar of your Facebook profile, click the messages icon; it looks like two speech bubbles. That will take you to a window with “Inbox” and “Other” at the top. Click “Other” and you’ll see the “secret” inbox.

Simply reply to the messages in this “Other” inbox and future messages from that person will appear in your regular inbox. You may want to get in the habit of checking this “Other” inbox once a week or so to make sure you don’t miss more messages.

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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN SEPTEMBER

Food For Football Fans

http://www.myrecipes.com/menus/tailgating-dips-10000001621256/

Here’s the game plan: Rush to this site, check out the tailgating recipes for dips and appetizers, whip a few of them up in your kitchen, and score big points with your fellow football fans. Choose from Grilled Pepper Poppers, Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip, Barbeque Deviled Eggs, Cheddar Cheese Straws, and more!

Goodwill Hunting

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/

This is the first Internet auction site created, owned, and operated by a nonprofit organization. Goodwill stories from across the country offer items for auction and revenues fund Goodwill’s education, training, and job placement programs for people with disabilities. Shop for jewelry, books, toys, and more.

Explore Hidden Wonders

http://www.atlasobscura.com/

This is not your run-of-the-mill site. Atlas Obscura, as the name suggests, features a collection of obscure places around the world. From the Winchester Mystery House with doors to nowhere and secret passages to Insectarium of Montreal, with both live and dead insect collections and over 160,000 specimens.

Watch And Learn

http://www.ted.com/talks

TED originally stood for Technology, Entertainment, and Design but has since broadened its subject matter. If back-to-school season has you thinking about learning something new, check out the wide range of talks on this site. You’ll benefit from the experiences of leading CEOs, scientists, and experts from many fields.

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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2013/1309_VIDEO_A.htm

See A Young Dustin Hoffman

This charmingly simple 1966 VW commercial uses the small stature of Dustin Hoffman to its advantage as he shows off the roominess of the fastback sedan. It offers lots of room in the interior. And lots of room in the trunks. (That’s right. There were two!)

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2013/1309_VIDEO_B.htm

Hair-Raising Hygiene In Space

Published on July 9, 2013, this video from astronaut Karen Nyberg on the International Space Station is a fascinating look at how a basic task changes when there’s no gravity. Nyberg, an Expedition 36 Crew Member, shows how she washes her hair in space.

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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO FIND YOUTUBE VIDEOS TAILORED TO YOUR INTERESTS

With billions of hours of video available on YouTube, how do you go about finding quality content that suits your interests? Try these strategies:

Discover Disco

http://www.youtube.com/disco

YouTube’s “Disco” tool is a good way to find high-quality music videos because YouTube curates the playlists. Just enter the name of the artist or band you want to see more of and you’ll be presented with an entire stream of relevant videos.

Try the Trends

http://www.youtube.com/trendsdashboard#feed=views

YouTube’s “Trends Dashboard” gives you a quick look at what’s hot by gender and across various regions and age ranges. Check it out regularly to stay up-to-speed with the latest viral videos and newsworthy footage.

Check Out Charts

http://www.youtube.com/charts?gl=US

Visit “YouTube Charts” to see the most popular content on the site. You can view the most-liked, most-viewed, top-favorited, and even most-discussed videos within certain timeframes. There’s also the ability to narrow down content by category, giving you a glimpse at the most-loved YouTube videos by subject.

 Subscribe, Subscribe, Subscribe

Once you find YouTube channels you really like, click on the “Subscribe” button. You’ll then be notified whenever that person uploads a new video. 

Also, pay attention to the “Channels for You” list on the sidebar to find other channels that relate to the one you like.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It’s our way of keeping you posted on the happenings at our shop.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

 

Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek
Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
6335 Grand Blvd
New Port Richey, FL 34652

727-847-2424

 (We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

 

©2013 Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
Portions ©2013 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc., used with permission.

 

 

 

 

I’ve had multiple computers come in this past week after nearby lightning strikes.  A couple just needed new power supplies, but one was pretty well toasted.  Let’s  talk about something that you can do proactively… protecting all of your expensive electronics from the power company and mother nature.

First off, let’s just get it out on the table. If your home or office takes a direct lightning strike, you can pretty much write off your computer, TV, stereo, and other electronics.  The Tampa Bay area is one of the lightning capitals of the world, and there isn’t much you can do about it short of moving out of state.

Some years ago, my wife watched ball lightning come out of one of my stereo speakers.  Needless to say, the stereo components were cooked. A local business had lightning hit their flagpole and come into the building through the buried power cables feeding the flagpole lights.  When lightning blows the power recepticals off the wall like it did to them, you are going to be buying new electronics.

Nearby and not so nearby strikes are another matter altogether.  Those you CAN do something about.

Surge strips can help a little, but I don’t recommend them. First off, most of them are pretty lame when it comes to stopping surges and second, they don’t do ANYTHING when the power blips out completely. When lightning strikes somewhere in the area, you have probably noticed the lights dim or blink out for a second or two.  A surge strip does nothing to protect your gear from this and if the lights blink at exactly the wrong instant, you’ll be bringing your computer to someone to have Windows reinstalled. What you need is a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

Expensive UPS units provide a pure sine wave supply of power to your computer 100% of the time and use the house power to keep the batteries charged. These units can cost thousands of dollars and are most often found in large computer server rooms.  Relax, you likely don’t need one of these.

Less expensive UPS units are of the “backup” variety. They filter the incoming power to protect you from surges and then switch over to battery power when the lights blink out or dim. For most homes and small businesses, these make the most sense. They are relatively inexpensive ($50-200, depending on size) and do a pretty good job.  Most modern computers will do fine with a UPS in the 500-750VA range.

Depending on how much power your computer devours and how large a UPS you buy, they will keep your computer running anywhere from 5-20 minutes. This completely protects you from the 1 second power outages that are so common around here and gives you time to turn off the computer if the lights stay out for more than a couple seconds.

Your Internet connection is also something to think about.  You should consider putting a surge protector between your cable modem or phone line and your computer.  These surge protectors are inexpensive and can save your gear when the lightning surge tries to come in via the phone line or cable connection.  These typically cost less than $30.

Finally, don’t forget your TV or expensive stereo. I bought a UPS and plugged my TV, satellite receiver, and DVD player into it.  This simple step protects my TV and keeps me from having to wait for the satellite receiver to reboot ever time the lights blink.

UPS units have a finite life. The surge protection degrades a little bit each time it intercepts a surge and the batteries wear out.  Figure on replacing your UPS every couple of years.

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Rob Marlowe, Network Engineer, Gulfcoast Networking

GEEKNOTE:  Now that you have that shiny new computer on your desk, what steps do you need to take to protect yourself from disaster?  Actually, the answer is fairly simple:

If your computer came without a Windows disk or a recovery disk, the first order of business should be to create a recovery set.  This will typically require 1-3 DVDs and the software needed to create the recovery set should already be installed on your computer.  The software will walk you through the process step by step.

Make sure you have a copy of all disks needed to reinstall any software on your computer.  If you purchase software at a store, set up a place to put all the disks.  If you download software, burn a copy of the software to a CD or DVD before you do anything else.

You can manually back up your pictures, documents, etc. by burning them to CDs or DVDs.  You can also copy the files to an external hard drive.  I do NOT recomment you use flash drives for backups as they are much more prone to becoming unreadable than you might think.  I archive my pictures annually to DVDs.

The key is doing regular backups.  Most of us tend to forget to do backups until it is too late.  If you have a single computer, you should consider one of the online backup services.  I recommend F-Secure Online Backup, which is just $49.95 a year and we have it at the store.

If you have multiple computers, you might consider a Windows Home Server or similar NAS box.  They typically start at around $400, but can automatically back up as many as 10 computers.  The reason I can get away with archiving my pictures online once a year is because I use a Windows Home Server to back up all the computers on my home network.

I don’t recommend using so-called thumb drives or USB memory sticks.  They are great for transferring data from one machine to another, but they have a painfully regular habit of dying at the worst possible time.

Burning everything to CD or DVD will work, but you have to remember to do it.  I prefer making the process automatic so I don’t forget.

The same thing applies to using an external hard drive.  This potentially works great, but you have to remember to back things up and if you trip on the cable, like one of my customers, you potentially lose everything.

Feel free to drop by the store or drop us a note via email if you have any questions.