SaaS or Open Source – What is the future?
SaaS (Software as a Service) might be the best option for some companies in the future. SaaS is basically software that you pay for and it runs on a server and not your workstation. Then again, Open Source software has increasingly improved its foothold in government and educational organizations. Many think that one determining factor will be the cost of software maintenance, like updates and troubleshooting. As far as your IT manager is concerned, SaaS will probably be their preference. No updates to download to workstations. Every computer will be running the same version of software, so there are fewer conflicts. On the side of Open Source, it’s freely distributed and more likely to be more quickly developed than retail software. It will probably have more features/options, but you’ll have to install the updates. The battle is far from over.
Sprint/Nextel Offer Employee Incentive to Retain Customers
Mobile phone company Sprint/Nextel, fighting to retain customers, is changing employee bonus plans to double the importance of stopping cancellations. Sprint/Nextel posted a $29.45 billion fourth-quarter loss in February due to a huge goodwill write-off and forecast the loss of more its customers. In an effort to curb subscriber cancellations, the company is offering employee bonuses to convince customers to stay with the mobile phone provider. You can probably expect to see some good offers in the near future from Sprint/Nextel in an effort to win back some of their customer base.
Soundmix.exe – Spyware (Malware) Warning
This malware has been associated with music downloads and is usually “hidden” in a music file. Once infected, the computer will experience problems running many applications, since the malware changes the system registry and how executable files (EXE) are handled. The “soundmix.exe” file is usually found in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. Deleting the file will not remove the infection and most Spyware removal software will not completely remove it either. To manually remove the registry change, you can use the “regedit” command. Find the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command key. Right-click on the “Default value”, left-click on “Modify”, and remove the word “soundmix” from the key leaving the original default value of "%1" %* (exactly as shown). As always, be very careful when modifying the system registry.
QQHelper.Z – Trojan Virus Alert
This virus was first detected on 3/31/2008. It uses several “rootkits” in order to make its detection more difficult, as it hides the files processes and registry entries belonging to the Trojan. It adds a link to a Chinese website in the section “Favorites” of Internet Explorer. It does not spread automatically by its own means and requires a user to download and install it.I’ve been an avid user of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) web browser for years. I’ve tried Netscape, Opera, and other web browsers that have come along. In my opinion, FireFox (Mozilla) just offers more flexibility than IE. Yes, I still have IE on my computer, but when I want to do faster searching, work on web sites, or access more web functions, I use FireFox. The secret is FireFox Extensions (Add-ons). Whatever you do on the Internet, you can probably find a FireFox Extension to enhance your Internet experience. Go to: ( http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ ) and ( https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ ).
PrimoPDF 4.0.1
This program allows conversion of over 300 different Windows applications to PDF format with the option to include up to 128-bit file encryption for added security. You can even add author, title, subject, keyword, and etc. information. Despite its large installation size, this PDF file maker uses limited resources. The program actually loads as a printer driver file and allows you a variety of PDF output options. Another nice feature is that, unlike other “free” PDF creators insert an advertising banner, and this one doesn’t. Go to: ( http://www.primopdf.com/ )Just Having a Web Site Isn’t Enough
Many people have decided to try to increase their business by putting a web site on the Internet. They have even gone through the trouble of “manually” registering with the major search engines. (Bulk registration just doesn’t work anymore). However, a few more things can help increase your search engine ranking and get potential clients to your web site. First, use “meta tags” like “keywords” and “description” to boost your search engine recognition and ranking. Register your web site with as many “phone books”, “classified ad”, and “professional” web sites as possible. (The more your web site address shows up on other sites the better your search engine recognition and ranking). Visit your own web site as much as possible. (More visits to your web site will increase your search engine rankings. In fact, make it your Internet Browser Home Page). Use your web site email address for correspondence. This helps your client recognition of your professional web site. (Many people are still using their AOL, Yahoo, or other web email addresses). And, always include your web site address in your printed materials.
Wireless Networking – Choosing the Right Standard
There are many people that have decided to add wireless networking to their home or office only to be dissatisfied with the quality and stability of the signal. Most of the time, it has to do with the wireless equipment matching the “profile” of the user. By “profile”, I mean the farthest distance from the wireless router, the number of floors from the wireless router, and the other obstacles between the wireless router and the computer. Here’s a listing of wireless standards, frequency, approximate usable distance, data transfer speed, and average router cost, from “best” to “just getting by”:
1) 802.11n, 2.4 - 5.0 GHz, 250 feet of more, actual speed about 200 Mbps, $90.00.
2) Dual Band, 2.4 - 5.0 GHz, 150 feet, actual speed 22 Mbps, $115.00.
3) 802.11g, 2.4 GHz, 150 feet, actual speed about 20 Mbps, $60.00.
4) 802.11b, 2.4 GHz, 150 feet, speed about 5 Mbps, $35.00.
5) 802.11a, 5.0 GHz, 100 feet, actual speed about 22 Mbps, $65.00.
6) Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, 30 feet, actual speed 700 Kbps, $65.00.
The bottom line is that for the best performance and coverage area, the 802.11n standard, sometimes referred to as MIMO (Multiple-input and Multiple-output), is the best choice. If it is backward compatible with the other standards (802.11g & b), it’s even better. Many of the “Super-G” routers offer slightly higher speed than the 802.11g average and are backward compatible with the 802.11b standard, but probably not worth the few dollar savings.