Which “Mouse” is Right for You?

There are more types of mice available to use than can possibly be used, but let me cover the ones you are most likely to use and why.

CDW has a great website covering the different mouse device types. Link: The 11 Different Types of Computer Mouse | CDW.

Some basic considerations that you should consider:

  • Your usage. The smaller the mouse, the more discomfort you will experience over time….especially when working long uninterrupted hours with repetitive motions.
  • Workspace configuration. If you don’t have much space or are “traveling” for your work, think about a trackball. This type of device doesn’t have to move when using the mouse.
  • Type of connection. The most secure form of connection is wired. Depending on your industry, your work may REQUIRE a wired connection. Bluetooth technology is pretty secure, especially considering it has a very short range, therefore a “hacker” would need to be within feet of you. It also uses very little power compared to other wireless technologies. Wi-Fi connectivity has a much longer range and good for someone who picks up their device and moves away from their computer/laptop. This has only a basic level of encryption (i.e., not the same as your Wi-Fi home/business network) and therefore may be ok for a mouse but probably should not be using something like a keyboard.
  • Optical vs. Mechanical. Laser mice/trackball typically have better sensitivity and control, which makes theme easier to use. Mechanical devices are not recommended if you have a lot of dust/hair/fur in your work environment.
  • Presentation controller. Make sure that if you present, you have a device to control the presentation without needing to go back to your laptop/desktop to control your slides.
  • Features. Some mice have a scroll wheel, which is very useful for scrolling through websites and other content. 2nd feature to consider is programmable buttons — if you do repeatable activities like opening a specific web, performing a specific macro in Excel, etc… — then programmable buttons are a must.

Here are some devices/brands as examples of the various features above:

The more expensive the mouse the more I would consider sticking to major brands, but for basic input devices save some money.

Bluetooth General Information

The most common question I get about Bluetooth technology is, “Is it safe to use next to the human body (i.e., headphones) for long periods of time”?

Yes. Bluetooth technology is nonionizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Here is a good article that lays out the medical information in easy to understand “non-doctor” format!

The next most common question is, “Is it safe data transfer”?

Yes. Bluetooth range is limited to 5–15 feet. The first layer of protect is this range. If you were going to “hack” the signal, you would need to be very physically close. Current Bluetooth technology uses encryption. Each generation of Bluetooth technology is able to use a greater form of encryption.

Why use it?

Multiple reasons…..

  • The limited range makes it difficult to hack.
  • The type of EMR involved is safe around humans. In fact, it is very hard for it to penetrate below the skin layer.
  • It is not transmitting openly and has its own form of encryption security.
  • Due to the frequencies involved in Bluetooth technology, it uses very little power compared to other forms of wireless technologies. This makes it a good source for things like keyboard, headphones, etc… connectivity. Bluetooth can transmit small files but not really a good choice, therefore most applications involving files are not setup to use it.
  • Newer Bluetooth devices can now connect simultaneously to multiple devices (i.e., one headphone connect to 2 cell phones and a computer).

Basic Branding Information

No matter how small your business, you should have a branding cheat sheet. This sheet should contain at least the following:

  • Fonts
  • Colors (noted in RGB, CMYK, HEX, and PMS formats)
  • Logos (in multiple formats and configurations)
  • Tag Lines
  • Company Values Statements

This cheat sheet should be provided to ANYONE providing social media, printed material, digital material, web content, etc… It should be updated regularly when new content is created. The branding cheat sheet should be used as a guide so that new content looks cohesive and works with the existing material.

I have a template I use to capture this information and can help you get started. Give me a call/text/email or reach me via my website’s contact me link and I will help make this happen.

Picture Files — When to Use What Format

For the average end user, whatever format a device or application/program creates as default is what you should use. Picture files will typically be much larger than any other format other than video/audio files. While there is some usage/feature overlap between file types, here are some of the basic picture formats or file types that can contain image content.

  • AI — Adobe Illustrator
  • BMP — Windows bitmap
  • EMF — Windows Enhanced Metafile
  • EMZ — Compressed Windows Enhanced Metafile
  • EPS — Encapsulated PostScrip
  • FPix, FPX — FlashPix
  • GIF — Graphics Interchange Format
  • FEIF — High-Efficiency Image File
  • JPG, JPEG, JFIF, JPEG-2000 — Joint Photographic Expert Group
  • RAW — Digital Camera Image File
  • PDF — Portable Document Format
  • PICT, PCT — Macintosh Picture
  • PNG — Portable Network Graphics
  • PNTG — Macintosh Paint
  • PSD — Photoshop Document
  • QTIF — QuickTime Image Format
  • SGI — Silicon Graphics Incorporated
  • SVG — Scalable Vector Graphics
  • TGA, TPIC — Targa
  • TIFF, TIF — Tagged Image File Format
  • WebP — Web Picture
  • WMF — Windows Metafile
  • WMZ — Compressed Windows Metafile
  • XML — Extensible Markup Language

I recommend the following usage guidelines:

  • Web or Digital Resources — JPG, PNG, or GIF
  • Printed Material — EPS or PDF
  • Clips from or to be inserted into Videos — JPG or PNG
  • Vector file formats should be used for print materials
    • If you don’t know which file formats are “vectored” then you need to contact a geek for help.
  • Raster file formats should be used for digitally used content
    • If you don’t know which file formats are “rastered” then you need to contact a geek for help.

Basic image editing software (i.e., red eye reduction, color corrections, make something transparent, etc…) is included in many devices or applications, but true custom image editing is a skill and art form that requires expensive applications, experience, and knowledge. Entire careers are involved in nothing but image editing. Today, almost all photographers include some image editing as part of their professional services.

For most users .JPG, .JPEG, BMP, PDF, PNG, TIF, and TIFF will be the formats they use.

Email — Best Practices and Etiquette

Have you ever been on an email storm? You know, where you receive 10 or more I agree, Yes, No Problem responses, and one person who writes a dissertation about how this is not something they personally like. Here are a few best practices that prevent this and other email related issues.

  • If the email has 10 or more people OR is likely to receive multiple responses that not everyone should see, do NOT fill in the TO portion. Instead, place all the recipients in the BCC option. Some email systems do not automatically show the BCC or CC options, so you may need to either change your default email settings OR select/expand the sending options on your email. Everyone will receive it with their name/email in the TO field (even though that is not what you used) and if they reply it will ONLY come to you…..even if they use REPLY ALL,
  • Do not send emails with attachments greater than 10 MB and staying below 5 MB is a good idea with non-corporate accounts (i.e., free email accounts used by the average user not from their employer). If you need to “attach” large files, upload them to a cloud storage location and provide only an access URL in the email. Emails that are too large will get “stuck” in cyberspace and never arrive at the recipient.
  • Remember to BCC yourself (i.e., personal account) when dealing with HR or some other work email that you will need if you are no longer employed by that company. An example would be an email stating reporting a conflict to HR about paid time off/vacation approval conflicts, your resignation email, or final listing of equipment distribution/turn-in on your last day.
  • If you work in a regulated industry with information handling requirements, all emails should have a disclaimer about how to handle if the recipient is NOT the intended person.
  • Use the read receipt and send receipt features. Most users never change the default email settings, which is to automatically respond with this information WITHOUT notify/asking permission of the recipient. Especially read receipt is a great way to know if someone has taken the time to not only receive an email but opened it and read it. Since this feature is typically “real time”, this is a great indicator of when you should call someone to follow up.
  • Do NOT use polling or other features that are specific to one type of email software. For example, the polling feature is great in Outlook but if you are sending it to anyone not using Outlook, they will not see the polling content. Typically, this means do not use these features when sending outside your company.
  • Use encrypted systems like DocuSign if you need to send or receive information with Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Standard email does NOT meet this standard. The state of California holds companies responsible for identity related damages, therefore emails with this content are a potential liability risk.
  • Remember that many users have various support staff who can see their email and/or calendar. Make sure you do NOT include information in subject/title lines that might cause conflicts (Ex. Information about termination of XYZ employee, Layoffs for tomorrow, etc….). Most companies have email/calendar privacy feature, but most users forget to use them, so assume their support staff will have access.
  • Do NOT send .zip files via email. There are ways around these limitations, but .zip files/folders cannot be scanned by most email antivirus tools, therefore the email will be blocked and never received by the recipient.

Use my contact me feature if you don’t have my information on speed dial if you have additional questions or situations I have not covered here

Using Public Wi-Fi

Most of us will travel and want to use public/free Wi-Fi at some point. Let’s talk about one of the most easy hacks bad guys will use to access your data. You walk into a coffee shop in a hotel or high tourist area and hook up to the local Wi-Fi. What you didn’t know is that a “bad actor” got their first and set up his own Wi-Fi signal. He/She will use a Wi-Fi name that looks legit and since they are sitting probably within feet of you it has the strongest signal. They even setup some “fake” term pages to have you agree to usage rules, just like you expect when you connect to a public Wi-Fi. Now here is the problem. They give you internet access but remember you have told your device that this connection is “trusted”. That means your security is probably not going to stop anything it does. So, unless you are using a VPN they can see every website you go to, every username you type/select, every password you enter, every credit card you use, etc….

How would you protect yourself? First, don’t use public Wi-Fi for financial transactions (i.e., don’t pay for something). Using it for surfing the web, watching a video, etc… is relatively safe. Next, really look at the “I agree” pages that come up. Does it have misspelled words, does the URL look like it is from a different website/company, are the details what you expect, etc….and most importantly, do NOT remember and automatically connect to this connection. Especially in a hotel restaurant, coffee house, or lobby, the bad guy will setup up shop and you “trust and remember his connection”. Then at night he/she will walk through the hotel with their device on, checking to see if anyone left their computer, smartphone, tablet on so it will automatically connect when he/she is in range. Now, when you are sleeping, and he/she can access your device without worrying about you noticing anything is happening.

Use a VPN if you can. A virtually private network (VPN) can best be described as your device (when on the internet) is on a highway system (like a car) and there are entrance/exit ramps all the time that go to specific website locations or addresses. When you use a VPN, it creates a tunnel or wall around your device, so none of those ramps are available except for the one you specifically want to use, nobody can drive up beside you and “see in your windows”, nobody can make eye contact with you because they cannot see in the windshield, etc… Sometimes VPNs will prevent a website from working properly (Ex. if you are watching TV via an app from your cable provider they need to know your physical location to be in compliance with various broadcasting agreements because some content it location specific therefore the VPN blocks with information transfer or provides false information that will prevent the website from functioning).

Have antivirus and a firewall installed and active. This will not prevent the bad guys from seeing your data but will help prevent any “care package” of malware they leave behind from working correctly.

Connect with your cellular connection instead of using free/public Wi-Fi. Your cellular connection has some built-in security features, and your phone technology is hardwired to ensure it can ONLY connect to a legitimate connection via cellular signal. Especially when on international travel this may be prohibitively expensive, so weigh the risk vs. benefits before using your cellular connectivity for data.

Use a password or network key protected Wi-Fi that has encryption when possible. Even if it is used by lots of customers, it should be more secure than something accessible to anybody within physical range that can answer the terms with “I agree”. An example of this would be a bed and breakfast that only gives out the Wi-Fi password to paying clients.

Pay attention to your account/device activity. If you start seeing transactions you didn’t authorize, emails sending you didn’t send, etc… make sure you run a “stinger” to check for a malware BEFORE you start using that same device to change passwords. If the bad actor has access as you start changing account passwords, he is going to know the new ones the same way he accessed the original passwords. Give me or some geek you trust a call if this is happening, and make sure you leave the device OFF until you get it checked out. Do this quickly, not days later when you have “time”. The more time they bad guys have access to your accounts, the more damage they can do.

Having Issues with Your Wi-Fi?

Do you have connectivity problems at your home or small business? Let’s walk through some troubleshooting to determine what is the difficulty and how to solve it.

First, go get your internet bill and review what level of service/speed you are supposed to receive. Keep in mind that you should have both a download and upload speed. The speeds mentioned will be the maximum, so your service will be less than these numbers, but it should be close in performance.

Next, go to where the internet comes into your building (i.e., where the device from Cox, AT&T, Spectrum, etc…) is plugged into the wall. Most likely, you received a “gateway”. That mean it is a modem (something that translates the single received into something a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc… can use) and a router (something that acts as a traffic cop and organizes the internet traffic so it doesn’t cause a “traffic jam” when multiple devices are on the internet at the same time). Most gateways or modems will have 4-5 wired Ethernet ports for usage. Plug in your laptop/desktop with a wire and go to a testing website. I recommend http://www.speakeasy.net. Do NOT use one provided by your internet service provider. They quite often give a bias result for their own product. A wired connection directly from the modem or gateway will be the best service and a good indicator of what you are receiving. If it is significantly lower than what you are paying for, contact your provider for maintenance.

Now let’s talk about that same speed test done in different rooms using different devices throughout your home or property. If you are using an old laptop, cell phone, or desktop to “test” your Wi-Fi, the problem may be your device. Older equipment have older Wi-Fi cards. Even if your router/gateway is putting out a strong, fast signal, they will only be able to use the maximum your device can handle. If you have areas that have only one or two bars of coverage, then your router/gateway cannot provide enough signal in those locations. This is very typically for users trying to access the Wi-Fi out by the pool, in a basement, or some location with lots of material interference like under a staircase. This is where the internet provider gateway just doesn’t do the job. SOLUTION: Turn off ONLY the Wi-Fi on the gateway and plug in your own router. If you have a router, upgrade it. Give me a call/text/email and this is something I can do for you, including recommending the replacement equipment.

Next, how many devices need the internet and what are they using it for? Just sending some emails is not a heavy usage. Watching videos from streaming services like Hulu or Netflicks is a completely different usage level. If you are talking 2 adults and 1 teenager household with a fairly technology connected lifestyle, you have probably 20–50 devices using the internet…many at the same time.

  • Smart TVs — at least 3
  • Smartphones — at least 3
  • Tablets — at least 2
  • Smartwatch — at least 2
  • Smart appliances (Ex: refrigerator) — at least 2
  • Home Security system (Ex. Video doorbell, wireless chimes, etc….) — at least 2
  • Wireless speakers — at least 2 systems
  • Outdoor smart lights, speakers, etc….) — at least 1
  • Smart media devices (Ex: Blu-ray player, DVD player, etc…) — at least 2
  • …and more

Make sure your router is designed to handle the load. Most households should upgrade to a mesh router. If you just added a “range extender” to an area with poor coverage, that location will be significantly slower than the area serviced directly from the gateway or main router. Mesh routers are designed to have a primary unit where the internet comes into the building and additional satellite units that ONLY require an electrical connect to “mesh” a seamless area of Wi-Fi coverage.

Remember, your internet usage will go nothing but up over time. Modem technology doesn’t change very often, but router technology does. This is why the gateway provided from your internet provider will not keep up with your needs. Give me a call and I can evaluate your current situation, recommend the right hardware solution, and set it up. I will even provide you with a single page summary of all the equipment and associated passwords.

Don’t forget that if you are working from home or have kids, you need to enable the Guest Wi-Fi network and turn off “sharing” between it and your primary Wi-Fi network. The guest network is what visiting family or friends should be using, and definitely that should be true of your kids friends. Keep the home network with a different Wi-Fi name and password. This minimizes the potential for your network to be compromised by an infected device with access.

Anyone Looking for an Alternative to Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office and the Apple equivalent software package are robust monster programs that if you do these types of activities regularly or work with files created by these packages frequently — you need to purchase the application suite. If you are a small time user who just needs to be able to view, save, print, or make some modest edits without using complicated programming then there are multiple “free” options.

Probably the most useful and known alternative is Open Office Org. This package uses a very similar interface, and therefore you will not need “training” if you are already familiar with Office or the Apple equivalent. It can even change the default save to format to be compatible with something MS-Office users can open without issues. Just remember that anytime you convert files from one system/type to another, you should expect the more complicated features to need some cleanup. Open Office Org has programs for each of the MS-Office suite applications.

Some other options are: LibreOffice, Free Office, Caligra Suite, WPS Office, Zoho, Only Office, Office Online, and Google Workspace. Most of these are “online” applications only, so no internet means no ability to work. Many users have Google email and therefore already have the Google Suite available. Just go to the Google website, in the top right corner click on the nine dots. Now you will see a list of all the applications available from Google.

If you require something with LOTS of stock images and some basic to moderate photo editing features, take a look at Canva. You have to pay for the more advance features, but the “free” version is pretty extensive.

WARNING: Remember, nothing is REALLY free. Most of the time, if you read the user agreement carefully for the free applications on the cloud, you will find that any content you create they have a right to use. If you are working on sensitive or competitive information, these solutions are probably not a good idea.

Give me a call, text, email if you need some help figuring out the “right” alternative for your needs.

Wire Fraud — How to NOT be a Victim!

Unfortunately, as cashless transactions have become more popular, wire fraud has too….as well as much more sophisticated. Now days, especially with large transactions like purchasing a home, bad guys will hack your email in order to change the wiring instructions.

Best Practices

  • Only send funds to parties you know.
  • Turn OFF near field communications (NFC) on your cell phone. Only turn it on when you specifically want to use it for making a transaction or transfer data phone-to-phone. Do NOT leave it on, especially when you cannot see the screen. Not only will this help with battery life, but it can help prevent acts in public locations.
  • If this is a large wire transfer, pick up the phone and call them directly (not using information they provided, but what you looked up on your own). Verify the instructions with a human being.
  • If this is a 1st time transaction, send a test amount (not an even $1.00), and call the person directly to see if they received it. Once you have it confirmed, make sure they are added to your contacts so you can “select” them in the future. Keep in mind that if a bad actor compromised your computer, he may have changed the saved contact information in your computer/phone.
  • Have firewall and antivirus applications installed on ALL devices that perform financial transactions — including your cell phone.
  • Question emergency or rushed needs for funds. Make sure your friend or family members really are in trouble before you send.
  • Verify in triplicate ANY international funds request.

Allstate has an excellent resource that can help you understand the reality of wire fraud today. What is Wire Fraud? Examples & How to Prevent Them | Allstate

If you have experienced identity theft and know your data is on the dark web, you need to think about locking down your credit and using services like “Life Lock”.

Controlling Notifications and Pop-up Ads

Do you ever wonder why the corner of your computer is constantly flashing with “notifications”?

You have control over what will be interrupting your work. Both in Apple and non-Apple world. For purposes of this posting, I will be using non-Apple examples, but their systems work very similarly.

To start, go to the search field on your taskbar and type “Notifications”. You want to select “Notifications and Actions”. On the pop-up menu, review the settings and make sure that only have turned on stuff that you want to know about. As you scroll down you will see a list of applications typically sorted by most recent. Change the order to name and start going through the list. Most likely you will not have enough time to do them all at one time….so pick a specific letter of the alphabet to stop on a do a few every day. Pretty soon you will be through the list. When you are done, I recommend putting it back to recent order.

You have the option of on or off and if you click the right side chevron you can even be more specific. This does NOT disable the application. It only prevents it from popping up in the corner. Typically, I like email and nothing else to pop in the corner.

The 2nd pop-up source is your internet browsers. If you have more than one, start with whichever one you are using the most. You will have to do this task on each one. Each browser is different, but everyone one of them has a setting for notifications and a list of websites that have permission to disturb you. This is a common tool used by various forms of malware. The most common one is a pop-up that says it is from a popular antivirus program, and you need to click on it to respond to a problem. You are actually not opening your antivirus program on your computer but a website that looks like it, and they are getting you to give them permission to install viruses on your computer disguised as help.

If this is happening, I HIGHLY recommend you have a “geek” help walk you through how to remove the permissions, make sure they didn’t install something, and run a stinger to make sure your computer is safe. This is something I can help with and if you want, I will even walk you through the steps so you don’t have to call me each type it happens. Text, email, call or use the “contact me” on the top right of this website to request my assistance.