HANG UP ON THEM, or string them along for fun (like have them walk you through what they need on your Windows 3.1 computer), but DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT do anything they ask. Just stay away from your computer altogether in case you’re tempted to do anything silly. THIS IS A SCAM. They will take over your computer, and they will steal any and all information you have on it. If you don’t pay for tech support, then you don’t get tech support. Hell, anyone who has tech support knows that even if you do pay, you don’t really get tech support!

Instead, get a good Anti-Virus program. You can buy one like Norton or McAfee. Another great option for Windows is Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s free, and I have found it very good and up to date. Download it here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows/products/security-essentials

Also note, Mac users may be safer, but not completely immune. They can just as easily take over your fancy Apple computer if you let them.

If you know you have a virus, there are other things you can try, like the online scanner at Trend Micro – http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ – You will have to download a small file to run it, but it is good at cleaning. Please note, this is not an anti-virus program, it just tries to clean your computer, so you should always have one of the above programs running too.

Other recommendations:

1. Do not download anything from a source you are unsure of.

2. If you don’t know what you’re doing, stay away from Bittorrents! Yeah, I’m talking to you pirates out there. Whenever a friend asked me to help them with their computer, the first thing I looked for was a program like Limewire, or uTorrent, and once I saw one of those, I knew instantly that I was in trouble. Most of the time I just wiped their computer to teach them a lesson.

3. These hackers and spammers may be bad people, but they are extremely clever. NEVER click on a link in an email that seems suspicious. PayPal will NEVER email you with an e-mail that says “Dear Customer”. If they do email you personally at all, they know your full name. Apple is also not giving away thousands of iPads because Steve Jobs died. A good trick is to hover over any links in an e-mail, you should see the link appear at the bottom of your e-mail program. The link should be some weird name (note, it could have the name of the institution in it, like http://paypal.thisisascam.com, the actual website is the last part, the “paypal” part means nothing). Be smart about things, use common sense, and remember, nothing is free.

4. Spammers and Hackers feed on a variety of things: ignorance, trust, greed, fear, so keep those in mind when you get anything in your e-mail or over the phone.

5. Never give out personal information, and DON’T keep your passwords in a text file on your desktop called “mypasswords.txt”. You can use a password manager program like some of them seen here: http://lifehacker.com/5529133/five-best-password-managers - I use one called Pocket, that syncs with my phone over DropBox, so that I have them anywhere I go.

6. Use common sense.

Has anyone else gotten this phone call yet?

Here’s how you do it!

Click on the little gear in the top right hand side of your browser, and choose “Labs”

Find the one called “Preview Pane”, and Enable it.

Now, when you get back to your Inbox, on the top right hand side, you should see a drop down near your message count and previous/next buttons.

Click on the down arrow, and you can then choose how you want your preview pane to appear, No Split, Horizontal Split, or Vertical Split. For larger screens, the Vertical Split is very nice!

Enjoy!

1. The biggest drain on most phones is the big, bright, beautiful screen. Some phones have an auto-brightness settings that will dim the screen based on the lighting in the room, which somewhat works, but the best solution is to lower the brightness to something that works for you.

2. Turn off vibrate. It takes a lot more to vibrate the phone than to ring. And turning the ringer down a bit may help too.

3. Manage your background apps. If you have three different Twitter applications, all checking in the background every ten minutes, this will drain your battery more than necessary. Shut down or turn off automatic updates on unnecessary applications. Maybe have your Facebook and Twitter apps check for updates every hour instead of every 2 minutes, no matter how popular you are. Also, turning off push notifications for unnecessary applications will make a difference.

4. Lay off on the Wi-Fi. If you don’t really need anything data-intensive, turn off your wi-fi. You most likely have a fairly good data plan that should be find for simple e-mail and other small things. If you are not near your own Wi-Fi hotspot, the phone will constantly try to find and connect to a signal, which is bad for the battery.

5. Turn off the GPS/Location Services. Again, this will try to connect when you don’t need to.

6. Buy a second battery. You can then easily swap it out when your first one dies. But, like propane tanks on a barbecue, chances are you’ll end up with a big steak on, and two empty tanks…so make sure you charge them!

Most Smartphones are going to be somewhat rough on a battery though, as they get more and more powerful, and do more and more. If you’re going to do a lot of talking, play a lot of Angry Birds, and surf the web, expect to have to charge your phone throughout the day, and always carry your charger with you.

These are just a few tips I could think of. Anyone else have any tips they can share?

With 18 month old twins, and a 4 year old, our trips to the grocery store are filled with laughter, tears, tantrums, and arguments, and that’s just my wife and I.

So, suffice it to say, we need to be organized, and attack that store with a strategic approach.

Luckily, my wife is a bit of a gadget geek too, so we both use the Our Groceries application for our phones. You can set up multiple shopping lists, and even create recipes that will add all the ingredients to your list with one click. You can also categorize each item based on the location/aisle in the grocery store.

The greatest feature however is the ability to synchronize multiple devices. So, as I start at the dairy aisle, and my wife starts at the produce, we can see as the other person checks things off the list in real time!

It’s a very simple application to use, and helps us save time and money at the store, even though we do look a little geeky while we shop.

Easily search for: Movies, Restaurants, Events, Businesses, or People. And each of those categories breaks down into more specific searches. For example, click on Restaurants, then you can either see all restaurants nearby, or search by a specific cuisine if you’re in the mood for something in particular. The best part is that if the restaurant uses “OpenTable”, you can place a reservation directly from the app. Otherwise, you are given a one click option to call the business, view their website, see the location on a map, get directions, and more.

It’s an amazing way to discover new things whether you’re in your own neighbourhood, or visiting a new place. It’s also made in Canada, which is pretty cool.

Poynt is available for: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and WP7. Visit your phone’s application store/market/place to download.

Find out more at www.poynt.com

It also works with desktop notifications, so you will see the reminder come up on your screen if you have Gmail open.

Install the extension here https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/pbmfoncgccdhoknelpglaacbgkclcape (you must be using the Google Chrome browser for this to work.

As life, and business grow in the digital world, it is more and more important to take care of your “virtual assets”.

Using the same analogy I used before, would you let someone else, like a real-estate agent, put your house in their name? Or the car salesman to put the automobile ownership in his own name? I’m guessing the answer to both of these questions would be a resounding “NO”.

Then why do it with your online real-estate, your online vehicle?

As a rule, kitestring WILL NOT purchase your domain under our own name. It’s a very simple process to register with a domain name registration company (there are many out there), purchase the domain (I’m assuming you have a credit card – or you can steal your parents’), and then Bob’s your uncle, you are the owner of a brand spankin’ new domain name! From there, if you don’t know what to do, you can hopefully work with your friendly neighbourhood web developer to get things started! Easy as pie.

There are a few things wrong with letting someone else register for you:

1. Who says they will be around next year, at the same company, or e-mail address? The registration and reminders will go to a specified e-mail address, and if that address no longer exists, then the renewal reminders will just float around, laughing at you until your domain expires and you frantically scramble to get things back up and running.
2. Who says the company who registered it will be around next year?
3. What if things go sour between you and the person/company who registered the domain name? They not only hold the deed, but the keys to get in and do anything about it.
4. You may not be warned that your domain will expire, so you won’t know to renew, and inevitably, your website will go down. The reminder will go to whoever registered, then it’s up to them to either let you know, renew themselves, or let it expire. Too often, we see them just expire.
5. It’s cheap and easy to register a domain name, and you’re most likely paying twice that to get someone else to do it for you, which may lead to other problems (see points 1 through 4 above).

Do you actually own your domain name? If not, you really should. Send me an e-mail at brandon@kitestring.ca and we can go over how you can transfer your domain into your own name, and avoid any of the pitfalls we encounter every day.

I blame technology.

I sit at my computer all day, working, and taking the odd break to take in some information. I have my Android phone in hand reading Engadget, The Onion, Digg, and my Google Reader feed. I have my T.V. which, depending on who has the remote, I’m either watching Dr. Who (me), or one of the sideshow freaks on T.L.C. (my wife).

Now, technology may not be all that bad. I bought my wife a Kobo e-reader for Mother’s day, and have already read most of a book on it, and I have to say, I really like it. It satisfies my need for gadgetry, yet still allows me to get some real reading in.

E-Readers aren’t new to the scene, but they are really starting to gain momentum in the book and publishing industry. Most use a technology called E Ink, which very closely resembles an actual printed page. It’s not back-lit, so for someone like me who spends almost 14 hours a day staring at a lit computer monitor, it comes as a very nice relief.

I have decided to get one of my own, so that started the extensive research. Here are the major contenders for me.

The Kobo - This is a Chapters/Indigo initiative. It comes with a bunch of free books, and is very simple to use. It basically has one button to navigate the pages and books, a few menu buttons, and a power button. It’s a no-frills, clean and simple e-reader. Cost: $149 CAD. You can also use any format you want on this reader. This is a very good choice for someone who wants an inexpensive, easy to use reader without too many distracting settings and features. http://www.koboereader.com/

The Kindle - Amazon has hundreds of thousands of books available for this reader. Another great thing is that you can buy books directly to the device over 3G, from anywhere a cell signal is available! The downside to this reader is that it uses a proprietary, rights-managed format for the e-books. Which means that you are limited to buying books from Amazon, and nowhere else. Cost: $189 USD. I have never used one of these, but I hear pretty good things about it. http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Reading-Display-International-Generation/dp/B0015T963C

Sony – The Sony e-readers have been around for a while, and come in two options, Pocket, and Touch. The touch screen one has a larger screen, and has quite a few more options, but the price tag matches that. The Pocket version costs around $189 CAD, the Touch version I have seen for $279. This reader supports almost any format. http://www.sonystyle.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=1000623&storeId=20153&langId=200&catalogId=100803&N=4294959113

Nook – Barnes and Noble – This is my choice, and I’m getting Jenn to get me one in the US this weekend! The benefit of this is that they have two options, WiFi + 3G ($199 USD), or WiFi Only ($149 USD). The Nook also has a colour touch screen below the E Ink screen that can be used for navigation, picking and purchasing a book, typing, and it even comes with Sudoku and Chess games. It’s a bit more of a geek’s e-reader, but is also open to any format of eBook, including PDF, ePub, PDF, Images, and also plays MP3 files. It also has a very basic web browser, so you can check your e-mail, read blogs, and view basic websites. The huge downfall of this e-reader is that you can’t actually buy one in a country other than the US! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp

After a few weeks of asking around, Jenn told me she was going to the US, so I’m one step closer to relaxing with a good book and a beer.

Does anyone else find that technology keeps them away from books?

So, what do you buy that special Geek/Gadget freak for Christmas?

1. A Smartphone – This one is a really bad gift unless you know they really want the commitment. Sure, you’re paying the up-front costs, but you’re also sticking them with a monthly bill of $60 or more. may be a good idea to offer to pay for a few months of usage. There are tons of models out there, and it will all depend on the person you’re shopping for. The safe bet is an iPhone, as it has mass appeal, is simple to use, and is also an iPod, so you can skip my next gift idea. I would buy my wife an iPhone if I was to get her a phone as a gift. For the geek out there, I think an Android phone is the way to go! If the person is all about work, and has no idea what the internet is, then go with a Blackberry.

2. MP3 Player – Yeah, I’m not even going to pretend that there are other options out there. Get them an iPod Touch.

3. GPS – This is a tough one. With most Smartphones having GPS, and some moving towards a turn-by-turn GPS function (Google Maps Navigation for Android!!!), it will eventually get to a point where it’s all in one device. Until then, a car GPS is pretty cool. Look for one with Bluetooth so they can pair it with that Smartphone and not break the hands-free law in Ontario.

4. Laptop – Depending on the need, you can go anywhere from an ultra-portable Netbook (I recommend the Asus EeePC) to a big screen workhorse. You can pay anywhere from $250 to $4000 for something like this.

5. Pretty much anything from ThinkGeek. This is the ultimate online store for everything Geek. They have a great selection of gadgets, t-shirts, and just fun stuff.

Have a great holiday season!

Brandon, the Geek

Some people like the good old “let’s throw it all on the wall and see what sticks” approach, including their life stories, complete history, and in-depth essays on why you should choose them. That may have worked 10 years ago, but the times they are a changin’.

Here is my personal list of things that I don’t think belong on a website. Keep in mind that this is a general list, and there is sometimes a specific need for some of these things.

1. Page Hit Counter – This was huge in the 90′s. You remember, the little ticker at the bottom of the page that bragged to the world that 47 people have been to your site. Not only is this unnecessary information, but it also can show your client something you may not want them to know.

2. Scrolling information or text – If you want someone to read something, maybe making it a moving target isn’t the best idea.

3. Too many words! There is always a shorter way of saying something, no matter how complicated. Try to keep your text down to 35 words. Yes, this is sometimes a difficult feat, but that’s where a professional copywriter may come in handy. They can take a step back, analyze what you are trying to convey, and do it in a way that someone outside of your organization can understand.

4. Don’t make them guess. Keep the navigation and page elements simple, well thought-out, and logical! If it’s a chore for a user to find something on your site, you can pretty much guarantee that they will give up and go somewhere else. Go the extra mile, and get some wireframes done before building a website. This way, it can be tested, proven, and then built from a solid user interface.

5. Flash Intros/Excessive Use of Flash – I don’t think I have to explain this one. Never make people wait to get into your site. Flash, if used tastefully can add a dynamic feel to a site, and draw the eye to a specific area. However, it’s been overused though, and sometimes to sickening, seizure inducing levels.

6. Outdated information – Keep it fresh. If your last news item is from 2004, then maybe it’s time to either update that, or get rid of it all together.

That’s just a small list of things, but as I mentioned in item number 3, keep the words to a minimum!