Buying a computer can be a major investment and there are several points to consider before making the purchase. A refurbished computer from a reputable computer dealer may be a good option for you depending on your needs.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind when purchasing a computer new or refurbished:

• Think about what you will be using the computer for.
• What else will you need to buy to make your system work efficiently?
• How long do you intend on keeping the computer?

Think about how the above factors stack up against the cost of a new model.

How Will You Be Using The Computer?

Before making any computer purchase whether it is new or used—you should consider what you plan on doing with your computer.  Also if you are planning on buying a used computer make sure to keep in mind that these models are a generation or two behind the current technology.  This shouldn’t be a problem for most computer users, professional or casual.

What To Ask Yourself Before the Purchase:

Do you need to be portable?

If you travel often you may need to take your work with you. The size and weight of your computer are a couple important details to remember when deciding on a computer.  Make sure the system you buy is small enough so that you can comfortably take it with you on your travels.  One drawback with super portable laptops is that the portability often times (but not always) comes with a tradeoff in features and horsepower.

What Applications Will You Be Running?

• What specs will you need to run the apps?
• High-end gaming?
• Video or audio encoding?
• CPU or memory-intensive apps?
• How much storage will you need?
• Can this computer handle your needs?

If your day-to-day computing needs involve many web apps and web services, but you use few desktop applications, a lightweight system may work for you. If you really need the horsepower for gaming, design, or video editing, you want to make sure that the system you purchase can measure up to the challenge.

Buying Refurbished

Buying a refurbished computer may be a good option; here are a few things to remember:

Included software and peripherals, an operating system and a warranty, if you’re buying a refurbished computer from a reseller, they may include the OEM license for the OS, and offer their own service plan, or offer a warranty. Make sure to see what is included in your purchase—or how much it would cost to get what you need. This also applies to peripheral items such as keyboards and mice.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook promises new products in the fall and hints at the potential of new “product categories”. He remains confident even after acknowledging that the recent decline in Apple’s stock price is disappointing. He maintains that Apple’s priority has always been: “To develop the most cutting edge and innovative products.” Apple seems very serious about delivering on this ongoing agenda shown by the growth in Apple’s research and development related expenses, which was up 33 percent this year.

As for details on the up and coming “new product categories”, Apple stays true to the usual culture of silence. Tim Cook declined to provide a timeframe for the emergence of these new product categories or any specifics on what it/they could be. However, these recent hints and teasers about Apple’s potentially new product lines and categories have the rumors flying.

Earlier reports indicate one of these new products could be a wristwatch running iOS. Analysts forecast that Apple’s much-rumored iWatch will spearhead the market for wearable computing devices which is expected to grow to nearly a half billion units sales a year within the next five years. ABI Research forecasts the wearable computing device market will grow to 485 million annual device shipments by 2018.

Bloomberg reports that the Apple watch project has been a point of focus for Apple’s design chief Jony Ive, who had been studying Nike sports watches, along with his team. As a side note: we may also see the release of smart glasses later this year. Google has been publically testing its smart glasses named Google Glass.

A common question people have regarding potential “iWatch” features is whether it will act as a complimentary device to Apple’s iPhone or if it will be a standalone product with other functionalities like tracking exercise, health or other activities. The future of smart watch capabilities could lead to the device being used as a wearable remote for home automation systems.

Another suspected new product is Apple’s rumored television set. In December 2012 Wall Street Journal sources reported that various TV prototypes have been on Apple’s R&D schedule for a number of years. CEO, Tim Cook, also confirmed that TV/television sets have become “an area of intense interest” for Apple.

Digitimes now reports, from unidentified supply chain sources, that Apple is working on an “Ultra HD” or “4K” television set that would have a 3840 x 2160 resolution.
Rumors also come from the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous insiders that confirm several designs in the works and also indicate that Apple is ‘collaborating’ with Sharp on the project. Pricing is a major issue on the current Ultra HD televisions, with price tags generally starting around $20,000… We’ll just have to hang in there and see what Apple comes up with! Stay tuned for more updates!

  We are committed to providing excellent service and are dedicated to a seamless experience for our clients.  Our mission is to exceed customer expectations for technical service by providing customized solutions that are cost effective and operationally efficient. We tailor work flow  processes to suit the unique needs of our clients.

iComputer’s IT Consulting Division specializes in installing and supporting small to medium sized business networks on both Windows and Mac platforms. Our network support services can be provided on an hourly basis (as needed) or as Block Time. Our Block Time rates are a set number of hours purchased in advance for iComputer technicians to come onsite and perform tasks you specify or need.  Our rates are as follows:

Hourly Onsite Service: $100/hour + $25 trip charge (within a 10 mile radius)

Hourly Remote Service: $80/hour

Block Time Onsite Service:

10 Hour block time -> $100/hour (no trip charge)

Block Time Remote Service: $60/hour

After Hours (Office Hours: 9AM-6PM MON-SAT)

Hourly After Hours Onsite Service: $150/hour + $25 trip charge (within a 10 mile radius)

Hourly After Hours Remote Service: $100/hour

** Pick up and delivery for any computer hardware repairs will be $25 unless the technician is already onsite for a service, in that case the pick up or delivery on that occasion will be free. **

Our Network Support Services include the following for your business: 

Day-to-Day maintenance and troubleshooting of your network

Equipment maintenance service including:

• Hardware service and support for laptops, desktops, printers, wireless devices, servers, storage systems, POS stations, and networking equipment

• Relocation of Equipment/Cabling
• Equipment Upgrades
• Requirements Analysis
• Warranty Support

Helpdesk support for your users either on site or remotely

Software support, troubleshooting and repair for Windows and Mac platforms including:

• Installation
• Configuration
• Upgrades
• Data Transfer/Conversion

IT and network design, support and management including:

• System and network management

• Integrated solutions – we research, coordinate, and implement all of our clients’ technologies

• IT security including:

1. Risk assessment
2. Preventative maintenance
3. Security
4. Antivirus configuration and/or management
5. Security patch installations
6. Firewall configuration

Business applications – we can help you choose the best business applications to streamline workflow and then we can monitor and manage these systems

Virtualization – we support you with cost effective virtualization solutions that decrease hardware costs

We respond to onsite services within 24 hours. Any additional costs for hardware or software are not included.

We at iComputer are committed to delivering our services in a prompt and responsible manner.  We look forward to working with you.

http://www.meetup.com/Denver-Electronic-Musicians-Anonymous/

Audio Production 101

Thursday 4/18/13 6:30 PM

A prevalent and somewhat serious computer virus threat that recently infiltrated the US and Canada is the “FBI virus”.  Despite the name this virus has nothing to do with the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

This particular computer virus is considered to be in the “ransomware” category.  This infection is basically malware. They call it “ransomware” because the malware holds your computer ransom  for money.

Victims get infected with this virus in a variety of ways including clicking on malicious websites, social media links and emails.  The majority of people that get infected with the FBI virus do not have their anti-virus software updated and working properly.  This scam recently raised concerns with the real FBI causing them to send out a notification stating, ”The FBI does not send unsolicited emails to the public. If you click on the embedded link you run the risk of infecting your computer with a malicious virus.”

The FBI virus is malicious software that takes over the infected PC’s desktop.  It will display a background image of a message coming from the FBI stating that you have committed crimes using your computer.  This can be alarming for someone that is not familiar with this virus.  The message will also prompt you to pay a fine in order to unlock your computer system.

Hackers use the GreenDot MoneyPak payment system to collect money from victims of the FBI GreenDot MoneyPak ransomware. After paying for the fraudulent charges users are asked to input the voucher (PIN) code in the designated box, this will not unlock your computer.  This is the goal of the hackers, to have you pay them money for a phony penalty. You will most likely never get your money back if you fall victim to this malware so, be extremely careful if you see symptoms of this virus.

At this point in time the FBI virus is affecting mostly Windows users, but Mac users are starting to see issues with this malware as well.  The FBI virus has not affected Smartphones yet.  Give us a call if you suspect you have this virus.  We can help you remove this virus, optimize your system and prevent future virus or malware threats.

If you are having network connectivity issues in Windows there could be a variety of reasons why. Here are some common issues you can check that can cause these problems:

• Make sure your wireless network adapter switch on your laptop or desktop is enabled and turned on

• Network security key or password problems – verify the password was typed in correctly

• Cables that are not connected properly or are faulty – try unplugging and re-plugging or replacing the existing cables

• Corrupted or incompatible drivers – try uninstalling and reinstalling drivers for the network hardware

• Missing updates

• Network connection settings

• Hardware or software problems

Attempt Connection

Test your network connection after each step before going on to the next step.

Connect to a Wireless Network in Windows 7 or 8

If your computer connects to the network through a broadband router, try power cycling your modem and router (unplug both devices from power, wait about one minute, and plug in the modem, wait another minute, and then plug in the router). If you do not use a broadband router, or if resetting your router only temporarily resolves the issue and the network connectivity issue returns, continue to the following steps.

If you have another laptop or a PC computer with a working wireless network adapter, you can test the network connectivity by trying to connect with this computer.  The available wireless networks will only appear if your PC has a working wireless network adapter, the adapter is turned on, and the wireless access point is within range.

You can see and connect to wireless networks within range by following these steps:

1. Click the wireless network icon  in the notification area this will bring up the list of available networks.
2. In the list of wireless networks, click the network you want to connect to, and click Connect.
3. If you are connecting to a secure network, type the security password, and then click OK.

Where can the network security passkey be located?

If your PC is already connected to the network you can find it in your network settings.

1. Click the network icon. Choose the network you want to connect to or are already connected to, and then click Connect.
2. Right-click the network name or click View connection properties, and then click the Security tab.
3. Select the Show characters check box.

If you are looking for the security key so that you can connect to the network, first look for a reset button on your router. If you find a reset button, press it and hopefully the router will automatically add your PC to the network. Some wireless routers have a default security key that you can usually find on a sticker on the bottom of the router. If you still can’t find it, you can use the wireless router settings webpage via hard wire. This is where you can find the default security passkey.

Finding Network Security Key Via Router Settings Webpage

1. Connect your PC to the router with a network or Ethernet cable.
2. Open a web browser and enter the IP address for your wireless router into the search bar (some common ones are, 192.168.1.1 or 172.16.0.0). You can find the default IP address in the documentation that came with your router.
3. Enter the user name and password to open the router settings webpage. Most router documentation will also include a default user name and password that you can use.
4. On the router settings webpage, look for a wireless or a wireless settings option.
5. On the wireless settings page, look for a security or wireless encryption setting. The security passkey should be listed in this section.

Use security-enabled wireless networks whenever possible. If you do not connect to a secure network it is possible for someone with the right tools can see everything that you do on your computer including your user names and passwords. Changing your network location to Public can help decrease the risk of this happening.

Choosing the Public network setting for networks in public places (ie. coffee shops or airports):

This location is designed to keep your computer from being visible to other computers nearby you this helps to protect your computer from any malicious threat from the Internet. You should also choose this network connection option whenever you connect your device directly to the Internet without using a router, or if you are using a mobile broadband connection.

How To Troubleshoot Connection Problems

If both computers are not able to connect to your designated network you may need to call your ISP to make sure that everything is functional and running on their end.  If everything is good on their end and you are still having trouble connecting to a wireless network please try these troubleshooting tips.

What if I don’t see my wireless network in the list of available networks?

Your wireless router might not be set to show the network ID (SSID). If your router is set up this way you will not be able to see the network when doing a search for available networks. Enabling your router to show its network ID makes the network visible to any nearby user within range.

To see if your wireless router has this setting on and to enable the option to show the network ID (SSID), you may have to find information on your specific router to change this setting or try these steps:

1. Connect your PC to the network using a network cable, start Internet Explorer, and type the IP address for your wireless router (ie. 192.168.1.1).

Finding your IP address using Command Prompt:

• Access your Start Menu

• Hover over “All Programs”

• Click on Accessories when the menu pops up

• Click on Command Prompt

• Type in “ipconfig” once the program comes up and hit the Enter key

• Search for your IP address next to IPv4

Find IP address with Windows Network and Sharing Center

• Access the Control Panel through the Start menu

• Select Network and Internet

• Select Network and Sharing Center

• Select Wireless Network Connection for wireless internet or Local Network

• Connection for hard wired internet

• Click on Details

• Find your IP address by looking next to IPv4 Address

• Enter the user name and password to access the router settings. The documentation for your router will contain the default user name and password if you do not have these.

• On the wireless router page, find a Wireless Settings option.

• On the Wireless Settings page, look for an option to Enable SSID Broadcast or Wireless SSID Broadcast. Click the radio button or place a check in the box to enable this option, then, save your router settings.

You can now check to see if your network is available and accessible.

No WIFI after PC Wakes Up From Sleep or Hibernation

Check for these few things:

• Auto connect may be turned off for this network on your computer. Select the Connect automatically check box and then try to connect to the network.

• Lots of laptops disable wired networking to save battery juice. The solution here is to plug your laptop in.

• When your computer comes out of sleep or hibernation, the wireless network connection may not reconnect if the power options on your wireless adapter are set to a power-saving mode.

More tips to troubleshoot your network coming soon.

It’s very frustrating to have persistent laptop problems that always flare up.  But we want to help you try to diagnose and fix some of these hardware problems. This series of blogs will discuss laptop hardware issues in depth.  We will list some common laptop hardware failure descriptions and some suggestions on how to troubleshoot and/or repair the problem.

Problem 1.

No signs of life.  Laptop does not power on.

Problem Description: When you plug the AC power adapter into your laptop, there are no lights turning on at all and there are none of the usual mechanical sounds ie fans. Pushing the power button does nothing and the laptop remains completely dead.

Things to Check:

• AC power adapter failure and dead battery; test the power adapter.  A dead adapter is usually a very cost effective solution to a dead laptop.

• A failing power jack that has started to separate from the motherboard or just a straight up broken DC jack can cause a failure of power flow from the power adapter to the laptop. In this case the DC jack has to be replaced or repaired and often times requires soldering.

• Laptop motherboard failure. There are several options to consider for a motherboard failure.  We will dedicate a whole article to this topic in the near future.

Here are some tips to test your laptop power adapter and power jack connection.

• Battery stops charging when the input on the DC adapter moves around and the power jack may even feel loose.

• Use a multi meter to test your power adapter and also the power socket on the laptop.  It is possible you may have to disassemble your laptop to access this part.

• You may need to replace the power jack by unsoldering and re-soldering a replacement DC jack on your laptop.

Problem 2.

Laptop turns on but there is no image on the screen, you have a black or blank screen with no picture.

Problem Description: The laptop turns on, LED lights on the laptop turn on, cooling fan works but nothing appears on the screen. The screen is completely black and blank. There is no image on the screen at all, not even a very dim image.

This problem could a result of failing ram.  Some of the symptoms of failing ram are the same or similar to symptoms of failing motherboards.  A very obvious symptom is no power or no video. One thing you can try is taking the ram out and putting it back into the memory slots to make sure the memory is seated properly. You can also try testing the computer with known good ram or by removing the memory modules one at a time.  Your computer will function with just one ram stick, so you can test your laptop or desktop with only one ram stick installed to see if one is failing.

Other troubleshooting steps to isolate the problem can include:

1. Removing the hard drive
2. Removing the DVD drive
3. Removing the modem
4. Remove the wireless card
5. Remove the keyboard

Basically you need to take the laptop apart one component at a time to get it to base (minimum) configuration.  This is a good way to test each component and it’s effect on the entire computer. If the laptop is not powering on after you have taken it down to minimum configuration then most likely your motherboard or processor is dead.

Problem 3.

Laptop has intermittent no power issues.  Laptop turns on and off repeatedly.

Problem Description: The laptop turns on and after a few seconds it turns off by itself.  The laptop may continue to turn on and off repeatedly until you manually power down the laptop by holding down the power button or taking the battery out.

• You can try to test the ram (described in the previous step).  However if the problem persists, this issue is most likely due to a failing motherboard.

Problem 4.

Your laptop makes unusual noises when it is on. 

Problem Description: The laptop powers on and seems to work fine, except it makes a grinding or rattling noise. This symptom may be continuous or intermittent.

Possible problem:
This problem is mostly associated with a faulty cooling fan or laptop hard drive.  One way to see which component is making the sound is by removing the hard drive from the laptop to test it separately.  If it is making a sound then the problem is with the hard drive.  You can also test the fan by booting the computer from an external hard drive or a DVD/CD with the internal hard drive removed to see if the fan is making the sound.

Make sure to back up all of your data from the hard drive as soon as possible if you are having a hard drive problem, it can fail any moment. Then replace your drive and transfer your data back.

More laptop hardware problems and troubleshooting steps to come!

One of the main functions of your network router is to direct common tasks (services) like web browsing and mail to come in and out of your network. Initially, before properly configuring the router, many potential services are blocked by default. This is actually a good thing and it is doing exactly what it is meant to do: protect your network from potential threats and/or intrusions.

In order to allow OS X Lion Server’s services to pass between the internal private and external public network we need to set-up port forwarding.  This process opens up ports on the router to allow more services to work in your home or business network.

Step One: Get a Static IP Address and Domain Name

Make sure to set up a static IP (Internet Protocol) address this is a unique address on your local network. Having this static IP will allow port forwarding services from the router to the computer it is hosted on.

In most cases your Mac will have a dynamic IP address. Dynamic addresses change periodically, usually when you reset your router, while static IP addresses always stay the same.

To change the IP address of your Mac:

• Go to System Preferences > Network
• Click on your WIFI connection method in the top right-hand corner.
• If you are connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, select AirPort.
• Once you have selected your connection method, click “Advanced”.

This will open a new dialog. From here:

• Click the TCP/IP tab
• Select “Using DHCP with manual address” from the “Configure IPv4” drop-down menu.You will now need to enter a static address for your Mac in the IPv4 Address field. This number will typically begin with the first 3 segments of numbers from your Router field, however you will have to enter a new number for the last digit. For example, if your router address is: 192.168.1.1, a possible address you could use is: 192.168.1.19. Do not use an address that is identical to another system, this can cause network connectivity problems.Notate what you have designated as the static IP address because you will need it later.  Next click OK and then save the changes.

Apple Airport Extreme

Apple’s Airport Extreme router sets up port forwarding automatically when Lion Server detects an Airport Extreme on the network.

You can see below how the ports are opened by the server when you access an Airport Extreme base station through Airport utility (see below).

Airport utility and the Apple routers on your network                            

When you select a router, you can see ports opened automatically by Lion server

Port Forwarding for Other Routers

Most routers on the market use a web interface to change their settings, so each manufacturer will have a slightly different interface and approach to changing these settings.

Configuring Port Forwarding On Your Router

The next step is to configure port forwarding on the network router. Port forwarding will tell the router to access your Mac when this port is connected to your home or business Internet connection.
This example uses an AirPort Extreme router to configure the port forwarding, but you can do this on almost any router that you may already own.

Port forwarding:

• Open AirPort Utility on your Mac
• Click on your AirPort router in the sidebar
• Click the Manual Setup button

Once entering the manual setup mode, go to:

• Internet > NAT > Configure Port Mappings
• Click the plus (+) button to add a new port forwarding service

NAT

• The Network Address Translation service handles port forwarding, enabling one IP address to host many different services. This is another service usually handled by routers: it’s the reason why multiple computers and other devices can access the Internet despite having only one IP address (to see your true IP address, as opposed to the IP address assigned to your device by your router, you can use a service like whatismyip.com or IP Chicken).

The Port Mapping Setup Assistant will show a drop-down menu, allowing configuration of several settings.

• Service drop-down menu à default selection (“Choose a service”)
• Public UDP Port à9091
• Public TCP Port à9091
• Private UDP Port à9091
• Private TCP Port à9091

Some Common Ports to Open on Lion Server

What ports you need to open depend on what sorts of services you want to cross your network. An example from Mac Forums’ louishen:

* Do not enable SSH if at all possible, computer techs sometimes use it for terminal access to remote computers, but SSH can attract hackers.

Here is an example of the ports that are opened on the Netgear router from Mac Forums’ louishen.

Outbound ports

Inbound ports

After completing, click the Continue button. On the next screen, give your port mapping a description, then click Done and click the Update button when you are done configuring the router. At this point your router will restart, make sure to save your settings.

So, with the router set-up to bypass all the services your network server is going to use, you can now download and install Lion Server.