Our office is still open during the holidays and we are working with reduced staffing to give our team some extra time off with family and friends.

We’re hoping you won’t have any computer issues over the holidays but in case you do, here are our hours:

- Open with reduced staffing from Dec 28-30th.

- Closed all other days including Mon, Jan 2nd with regular hours resuming on Jan 3rd.

- We will have off-hours emergency service available during the holidays for major issues.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Brendan Howe, Managing Director of TDCNet, was profiled in the Toronto Star, giving his New Year’s Resolutions for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion. Click here to read.

Dear Research in Motion,

You disappoint and frustrate me. I used to be one of your biggest fans and now I’m considering taking my business elsewhere.

Let me explain. I’ve been a Blackberry user since your devices were the size of pagers and were in black and white. I used to work in politics so I would get a new Blackberry sometimes every 6-12 months.

I’ve always been a big Blackberry fan – the little device has been attached to my hip for close to a decade.

I’ve gotten used to how easy it is to “thumb” notes to clients, colleagues and friends. I appreciate how I can stay in touch with the office even if I’m nowhere near it and it gives me the flexibility to be with my family, not chained to my desk. The security features give me peace of mind that my business’ critical information is protected.

For years I’ve been excited with the innovation every new Blackberry brings. I was among the first in line to get a Playbook on the date it came out. I even ignored the fact there was no line and I blogged about why I thought the Playbook was the best thing out there.

I recommended to our clients they buy Playbooks because I believed you when you promised it would constantly improve. I trusted you when you said the Playbook would be able to run Android apps by the summer. I looked forward to the native email app.

RIM, lately you’ve disappointed me repeatedly. I don’t care if your employees get drunk on airplanes but I do care when your pace of innovation slows to a snail’s pace.

You are getting left behind and it’s killing me. I’m considering switching to an Android device or iPhone.

I want to support a great Canadian success story but you’re making it harder and harder every day. I don’t think you get it. The world has changed and you either haven’t seen it coming or are unable to keep up.

It’s about the apps and you just don’t have enough good ones. The world is creating apps for your competitors because you haven’t created the environment to be successful here.

In our case, our line of business software vendors are creating iPhone and Android apps but not Blackberry ones. We’re at danger of falling behind and we’ve brought those devices into our office as a result. I’ve started suggesting our clients look at non-Blackberry options because apps are no longer just for fun – there are a lot of strong business uses for them as well.

The social media apps are also much better on other devices and that’s a concern because we are all using social media more to communicate with friends, family and customers. Other apps on the iPhone and Android do a much better job when it comes to entertainment and fun.

It’s unfortunate the Playbook has been such a flop but it’s for the same reason. It is as good or better in functionality as the iPad, but I can truly customize the iPad into a device suited to me.

I had an iPad for a weekend and was able to make it my own with the apps and information that matter to me. I’ve had the Playbook since it came out and haven’t been able to do that.

I used the two devices side by side for a weekend and there’s a huge difference. The Globe and Mail app on the iPad is most of the newspaper while the Playbook one is just a few articles. I can get Maclean’s on the iPad; I can remote into my computer at work; I can download tons of apps that are fun and can improve my life or work.

And here’s where you really lost me RIM… In one weekend of having an iPad, it helped me potty train my 2-year-old son because, well, there’s an app for that too.

RIM, I really hope your Blackberry and operating system launches in the New Year turn things around. I’m trying to keep supporting you but it’s just getting too hard.

Sincerely,

Brendan Howe

I’ve been asked by customers whether or not they should leave their computer on all the time or turn it off when they are not using it.
Several years ago I would have told my clients to turn their machines off to save power. But with the proliferation of viruses and threats over the last few years, I have changed my mind.
Today, anti-virus programs and anti-spyware applications need regular updating. These updates are often scheduled to run in the wee hours of the morning when you are not using your computer.
Windows also needs to be updated whenever a new security patch is released. This is usually not daily, but it may happen several times a month. It’s important to update your operating system as soon as a patch becomes available because hackers move very quickly to reverse engineer Windows updates. As soon as an update is released, they create a virus specific to that vulnerability and start looking for unprotected machines to infect and invade.
In addition to the above, you should be backing up your data every day, and the best time to do this is at night when you are not using it.
So bottom line, leave your computer on all night and restart it two or three times a week to clear the memory.

When you think of Spyware, you probably think of software meant for espionage purposes. And that is what it first denoted. But now, spyware is Internet jargon for hidden programs that advertisers install on your PC without your permission to spy on you, gather information, and report this information about you and your online activities to a third party.
Spyware is NOT harmless; it can be responsible for delivering a boatload of spam, altering your web browser, slowing down your PC, and serving up a bounty of pop-up ads. In some of the more extreme cases, spyware can also steal your identity, passwords, e-mail address book, and even use your PC for illegal activities.
Most spyware finds its way onto your computer via file downloads including free programs, music files, and screen savers found everywhere on the Internet. These nasty programs piggyback the download and run undetected on your computer collecting information about you and sending it out to a third party until they are removed. Although spyware has malicious components, it is not illegal, and it is not considered a virus because it doesn’t replicate itself or destroy data.
If you are experiencing one or more of these warning signs, chances are your computer is infected and you will need to seek professional help in getting the spyware removed.
1. Your browser has been hijacked. If you open your Internet browser and a strange-looking homepage pops up and won’t go away, chances are you have a spyware program installed on your computer. You may also discover that you cannot modify your browser settings and that your favorites folder has been modified.
2. You conduct a search but another (unauthorized) browser completes it for you. For example, you type a search term into Microsoft IE but another browser pops up and lists various websites tied to your search term. This is a surefire sign of a spyware infection. You’ll also notice that if you try and remove this program, it comes right back.
3. Your computer is unstable, sluggish, locks up, or crashes frequently. Spyware programs run in the background taking up disk space and processor speed which will cause serious performance problems.
4. You constantly get pop-up ads displayed on your screen, even if you aren’t browsing the Internet. Some of the ads may even be personalized with your name.
5. You receive expensive phone bills for calls to 900 numbers that you didn’t make. Some spyware programs can use your computer to make calls on both a broadband and dial-up line.
6. The send and receive lights on your modem blink actively as though you are surfing the Internet or downloading files online, even though you aren’t. More than likely this is due to spyware programs sending and receiving information via your computer without your permission or acknowledgement.
7. Mysterious files suddenly start appearing on your computer, your files are moved or deleted, or the icons on your desktop and toolbars are blank or missing.
8. Your CD drawer starts opening and closing by itself.
9. You find e-mails in your “Sent Items” folder that you didn’t send.
Because spyware is so prevalent on the Internet, it’s a good idea to scan your system once a week to clear out any potential infections. Most spyware programs are designed to run undetected by the user. That means you could be infected and not even know it.
If you have any questions, give us a call at (416)913-8998.

When dealing with technology in general, there are many little things you can do to prevent future headaches. Here are a few simple things you can do to prevent your server and network equipment from overheating and crashing:
1) Tidy up the server room: a neater room will increase air flow.
2) If More than one server: arrange them in a row so that the cold air comes from the front and is expelled out the back.
3) Keep Doors closed: Keep the doors to the server room closed and seal off the space.
4) Aerate the equipment: Make sure cold air reaches all the equipment.
5) Redundant Air-conditioning: Have a redundant A/C that is specifically designed for computers.
6) Rack Enclosure: Buy a rack enclosure where the cooling is built in to the bottom of the rack.
7) Keep temperature low: Keep the temperature at no more than 77 degrees.
Blanking panels: Use blanking panels over any empty spaces on your server rack.
9) Virtualization: Consider virtualization or hosting in a cloud environment so you are generating a lower amount of heat in the first place.
If you’re interested in learning more, or are concerned over the disastrous state of your server room, let me know and I’d be happy to help!