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Share files and documents in the cloud
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Many of us use two or more computers on a daily basis. We may have a desktop computer at home, a laptop for those times we're out and about and a computer at work. When we need a file or document while at work that resides on our home computer we are often out of luck, unless we planned ahead and stored it on a CD-ROM or flash drive.
Say you're at a friend's house and want to show them a draft of an article you've been writing that's on your laptop. That's hard to do if your laptop is turned off and at home. But it's easy to do if your files are stored on a server accessible from any internet-connected browser. You can easily access your documents and files anywhere by taking advantage of cloud storage.
All cloud storage amounts to is using storage space on a server that can be accessed from any computer with web access, usually a server owned by someone else.
You could set up your own home server to do this, but you'll have to pay extra for a dynamic IP address and know how to set up secure access, a fair amount of work and expense just to be able to access your data from another computer.
A simple and secure alternative is Dropbox. This is a web based service that allows you to upload 2 GBs of data for free to your encrypted account on their servers. No matter where you are or what computer you're using, log into your Dropbox account and you'll see a Windows Explorer-like interface showing all your files. You don't need to worry about setting up FTP or any other file transfer software. Download the Dropbox client (which can be installed in Windows, Linux or on a Mac) on each computer you own and you'll have access to any file stored in Dropbox anywhere you are.
Want to share photos with your family? Copy them to your Dropbox photo folder and let them know the account and password to access them. Do your salespeople need access to sales figures and inventory spreadsheets while in the field making calls? Set up a company Dropbox account and keep those files there.
There are many uses for a Dropbox account. I'll be sharing more on our website. Dropbox is generating a lot of buzz online and I have yet to read a negative comment about the service. Still, one word of warning. Like any other web-based service, Dropbox could disappear tomorrow, along with the files you have stored there. Do not upload anything that you don't have a backup copy of stored elsewhere. I suggest copying files to Dropbox instead of transfering originals.
Try it out, I suspect you'll find it invaluable.
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Keep your drivers updated
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A device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing
higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device. The driver program includes the code that provides full functionality for your hardware peripherals like printers.
Hardware manufacturers update device drivers when compatibility issues arise with other hardware or a new operating system. For instance, if you've upgraded your computer from Windows XP to Vista you've no doubt found that some of your hardware devices don't run under Vista with the same drivers they did with XP. All operating systems require drivers to properly access the hardware attached to the computer.
I recommend checking with the manufacturer of your hardware devices every six months or so to see if updated drivers are available. Many manufacturers add their driver updates to Windows updates that come out every Tuesday, but a few don't, and those using Linux or a Mac have to check for themselves. By going to the manufacturers site you're assured of getting the latest driver for your hardware as well as the specific driver for your model of device.
Follow the recommendations for installation exactly. Often you're asked to disable your anti-virus software or firewall before downloading and installing new drivers. It's important to remember to reactivate those if you don't reboot the computer after updating your drivers.
Keeping your drivers updated assures you that you're getting the fullest functionality out of your devices as well as benefiting from security and bug fixes.
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Summer Tips
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Saving energy is always a challenge during the summer months. Here are some basic tips to use in your office as the mercury starts to climb!
- Turn off all your computers, printers, copiers, and lights each and every night. Not only will you save on your electric bill, but these units all create heat, making your air conditioner work harder!
- Consider removing excess fluorescent lights and using some reflectors instead. Decorative lighting may also be something you can do without during the summer months.
- If your office (or home) has tall ceilings, consider moving the light fixtures down a few feet. This will increase the amount of usable light available.
- Buy some paint! By painting dark walls a lighter color, you'll find you need fewer light fixtures to achieve the same lighting results.
- As nice as a sunny day may be, close those blinds! Allowing the sun to shine in means heat is coming in too!
- Finally, for optimal cooling, setting your thermostat to 78 degrees can help save 10-20% off cooling!
One last note about the summer... Don't forget to bring your ink and toner cartridges (even the empty ones) inside! Leaving them in a hot summer car can cause irreversible damage and greatly effect print quality.
Have a great and safe summer from your friends at Cartridge World!
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Computer Spring cleaning
This time of year it's traditional to engage in a bit of "Spring cleaning". One item that often gets overlooked is the home computer.
Dirt and dust can block critical airflow through a computer causing it to run hotter than it should. Heat is the greatest enemy a computer has. It can cause motherboards to warp, add-in cards to fail, processors to overheat and the computer to become damaged to the point where it's unusable.
 Every six months at the very least you should unplug all the cables from your desktop (take a photo of the back of your computer case to remind you where the cables go), remove the side panel from the case and, using canned air, blow out all the dust-bunnies. This is an operation best done outdoors. I use a long handled narrow paint brush to loosen dirt and dust that won't blow off.
Pay particular attention to the fans on the processor, the power supply and the back of the case. The fan blades should be clean and move freely. If you have a heat block on your processor like the one in the photo you want to be careful not to blow a lot of the dust toward the processor underneath. Direct the air flow across the fins toward the case opening.
Once all the dust has been removed, discharge any static electricity you may be carrying by touching any bare metal on the case or use an anti-static wrist strap and make sure that all internal cables are completely plugged in and that all add-in cards (graphics cards, audio cards, memory sticks, etc.) are fully seated in their slots.
Once this is all done screw the side panel back onto the tower and reconnect your cables. Your computer should now run cooler and quieter.
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