News from Tobin Solutions, Inc

"G" stands for generation, and the number refers to either 3rd or 4th generation mobile telecommunications standards. Since 1981, new standards have been established about every ten years by the International Telecommunication Union - Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R).

Each new generation features higher data rates, new frequency bands, and other transmission technology improvements.

The 3G standard offers speeds fast enough to view video on telephones - think videophone. Most U.S. cell phones are 3G.

The 4G standard permits wireless broadband access when laptop or cell phone users are in motion. By specification, 4G has a peak speed of 100Mbits per second, so it can be used aboard trains or while riding in cars or other vehicles. It offers 1Gbit per second for stationary or limited motion communications.

At top speeds, movies playing on phones or laptops that are in motion run smoothly with few delays or hesitations. Downloading music files takes only seconds.

One caution: 4G is not fully developed, and some phones advertised as 4G might not achieve the speeds required by the standard.

When deciding whether to move to the higher standard, consider whether you truly need the additional speed. Do you use your phone to view streaming video? Do you access the Internet with your laptop while traveling in a car or train?

Texting Codes for Seniors...

Take a guess at what these texting abbreviations mean.

ATD BFF FWIW IMHAO ROFLACGU

Answers at bottom of the page.

When will we reach our 40,000th Service Ticket? Enter the closest guess to the time and date and

WIN!

Service tickets are how we track the work we do for customers, from quick fixes to major projects. Tobin staffers are eagerly awaiting the opening of our 40,000th since we started using the ConnectWise program in 2008.

A friendly in-house rivalry to see who can guess the date and time is underway; a few predicted dates have already come and gone. The count on September 16 was 39,822.

We invite you to send your best time and date guess to Joy. If yours is the closest entry once 40,000 is reached, you will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!

Solid State Disks Add Speed to Computers

If you're in the market for a new notebook computer, you might want to consider one with a solid state disk drive rather than a traditional hard disk drive. Traditional drives with spinning disks and movable read/write heads are old-fashioned by comparison. They are subject to damage if the computer is dropped, and data stored on them might be corrupted if exposed to a strong magnetic field.

Solid state disks (SSD) rely on flash technology similar to what is used in USB thumb drives. The absence of moving parts results in quieter operation, they are smaller and lighter than traditional hard drives, generate about one-third less heat, and are not affected by magnets.

Data is instantly accessible because solid state drives do not have to spin up to speed. Storage is contiguous which means they never need to be defragmented.

There are a few negatives, beginning with price-SSDs may cost 10 to 20 times more than hard disks. In addition, unlike traditional drives, the number of times they can be written to are finite, though the number is large enough most users won't be affected.

One caution: SSDs do not overwrite files which might cause users to leave data unprotected inadvertently. For example, when a data file is encrypted, the original, non-encrypted file is not erased so it is still accessible and must be destroyed using a secure erase feature.

Meet the Tobin Staff...

Bryan Scharpf, Business Development Manager

Bryan Scharpt

Since July, Bryan has applied his presentation skills and friendly personality to selling Tobin Solutions' services to Southeastern Wisconsin firms.

He has a BA in communications from Concordia College and years of experience with Charter Communications, where he sold offerings ranging from advertising time to broadband, fiber, and telephone services.

His knowledge of data communications, high-speed Internet, and managed security help him understand client needs and explain client challenges, problems, and IT goals to Tobin Solutions' technical staff.

In his off time, Bryan relaxes by painting murals and illustrations. He is also a runner and a Beatles freak whose favorite Fab 4 tunes range from the other worldly "All Across The Universe" to the practical "Taxman."

Bryan, his wife, and four daughters are devoted to the family's golden retriever, Bentley, who thinks he hasn't been spoiled enough.

His co-workers were happy to discover Bryan's competence with an outdoor grill when he cheerfully took over tending the brats at our summer cookout.

In business, nothing happens until someone sells something, and we think clients will enjoy and benefit from their interactions with Bryan.

OUTLOOK TIP: E-mail Templates:

Do you frequently recreate e-mails with the same content or addresses? Rather than retyping the entire message or copying the content from a previous e-mail, make an e-mail template with the common text. Each time the template is used, you will only need to make minor changes.

Click here for a step-by-step explanation in a PDF document, ready to print and tuck away for quick reference.

This technique can be used to create other Outlook templates for meetings, tasks, and contacts.

SurePath Quarterly Education Series

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