The Linux Foundation today announced that ONNX, the open format that makes machine learning models more portable, is now a graduate-level project inside of the organization’s AI Foundation. ONNX was originally developed and open-sourced by Microsoft and Facebook in 2017 and has since become somewhat of a standard, with companies ranging from AWS to AMD, ARM, Baudi, HPE, IBM, Nvidia and Qualcomm supporting it. In total, more than 30 companies now contribute to the ONNX code base. It’s worth noting that only the ONNX format is included here, not the ONNX runtime, which Microsoft open-sourced a year ago. The runtime is an inference engine for models in the ONNX format and I wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point, Microsoft put that under the guidance of a foundation, too… but for now, that’s not the case. “ONNX is not just a spec that companies endorse, it’s already being actively implemented in their products,” said Dr. Ibrahim Haddad, executive director of the LF AI Foundation, in today’s announcement. “This is because ONNX is an open format and is committed to developing and supporting a wide choice of frameworks and platforms. Joining the LF AI shows a determination to continue on this path, and will help accelerate technical development and connections with the wider open source AI community around the world.” In its own announcement, Microsoft stressed that it remains committed to ONNX and highlights the work it did on making it easier to generate ONNX models from popular frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras and SciKit-Learn. “We are proud of the progress that ONNX has made and want to recognize the entire ONNX community for their contributions, ideas, and overall enthusiasm,” wrote Eric Boyd, the corporate VP at Microsoft in charge of Azure AI (not Microsoft AI). “We are excited about the future of ONNX and all that is to come.” Nerdcore Computers Author

This malicious software tries to do its damage in the background while your computer still limps along. But there are ways to tell that you've been infected. It was early spring 1999. The Nasdaq was soaring. Three sentences on a cocktail napkin could nab $30 million in venture capital. And Melissa became an overnight sensation, an Internet starlet and pioneer. Melissa brought the underground virus scene to the mainstream. She brashly took any old Word file and forwarded it to 50 people in your Outlook address book, appending her viral payload. But Melissa's stay at the top of the virus charts was brief. Within six months of making it onto CNN and Page One of The New York Times, Melissa found herself out of the spotlight and out of work. A new generation of viruses, tantalizing the public with Anna Kournikova and J.Lo, won the hearts and hard drives of the masses. Meanwhile, Melissa went from starlet to has-been. Though Melissa is mostly forgotten by a world long since immunized against her charms, CSO tracked her down, residing on a 6-year-old PC, sold on eBay for $11 last year to a man who gave it to his 81-year-old granny who uses it as a calculator. When we found her, Melissa was still trying to forward infected Word files, but without much success the computer's no longer connected to the Internet. CSO: How have you survived the past four years?Melissa: I find ways. I get by. I look for those fools who can't help but click on an attachment. Sometimes, I'll set up in some PC in the Third World, where there's plenty of Windows 95 and Office 97. I'll forward files 50 or 100, heck, 1,000 times. And maybe one or two get through. Don't pity me. I'm not pathetic. I'm a survivor!Do you miss the spotlight?Nah. [Swigs from bottle inside a paper bag.] It's not the same anymore. I don't want any part of the current scene. All these knock-off viruses are so derivative. Anna Kournikova naked? Please. Code Red? Pssshthth! Cocktail viruses? [Waves bottle.] 7&7, now that's what I call a "blended threat." [ Prepare to become a Certified Information Security Systems Professional with this comprehensive online course from PluralSight. Now offering a 10-day free trial! ] They owe all their success to me. You write that down. There's been what, 80,000 or so viruses since then? But [points at herself defiantly] they remember my name. Who'll remember Kakworm in five years? No one!Speaking of Kakworm, also a Class of '99 virus, it is still found infecting computers now and again.No kidding. Where? Can you hook me up with that gig?And Funlove, from the Class of '01, reinvented herself as a virus on a Powerpuff Girls DVD.[Hyperventilating.] Funlove was nothing without me! That DVD job was supposed to go to me, but that second-rate worm stole it. ADVERTISING [Pulls paper bag off bottle, breathes into it.] But you know what? It's better this way. Melissa? She never sold out. Melissa stayed true to her artistic integrity. Melissa is an original. She'll be in the history booksor at least security books written by consultants. I've heard rumors that a few boot-sector virusesyou know those old ones that spread by floppy disks?are still in circulation. Those are the kinds of viruses I want to hang out with. Boot sectors on floppies. I give them props. That's old school right there. Do you feel responsible for the computer virus epidemic, which has periodically disabled massive numbers of computers worldwide, affected human productivity and caused billions of dollars in untold damage? Nerdcore Computers Author

The problem of how to find the potential treasure trove hidden in millions of pounds of trash is getting a high-tech answer as investors funnel $16 million into the recycling robots built by Denver-based AMP Robotics. For recyclers, the commercialization of robots tackling industry problems couldn’t come at a better time. Their once-stable business has been turned on its head by trade wars and low unemployment. Recycling businesses used to be able to rely on China to buy up any waste stream (no matter the quality of the material). However, about two years ago, China decided it would no longer serve as the world’s garbage dump and put strict standards in place for the kinds of raw materials it would be willing to receive from other countries. The result has been higher costs at recycling facilities, which actually are now required to sort their garbage more effectively. At the same time, low unemployment rates are putting the squeeze on labor availability at facilities where humans are basically required to hand-sort garbage into recyclable materials and trash. Given the economic reality, recyclers are turning to AMP’s technology — a combination of computer vision, machine learning and robotic automation to improve efficiencies at their facilities. That’s what attracted Sequoia Capital to lead the company’s latest investment round — a $16 million Series A investment the company will use to expand its manufacturing capacity and boost growth as it looks to expand into international markets. “We are excited to partner with AMP because their technology is changing the economics of the recycling industry,” said Shaun Maguire, partner at Sequoia, in a statement. “Over the last few years, the industry has had their margins squeezed by labor shortages and low commodity prices. The end result is an industry proactively searching for cost-saving alternatives and added opportunities to increase revenue by capturing more high-value recyclables, and AMP is emerging as the leading solution.” The funding will be used to “broaden the scope of what we’re going after,” says chief executive Matanya Horowitz. Beyond reducing sorting costs and improving the quality of the materials that recycling facilities can ship to buyers, the company’s computer vision technologies can actually help identify branded packaging and be used by companies to improve their own product life cycle management. “We can identify… whether it’s a Coke or Pepsi can or a Starbucks cup,” says Horowitz. “So that people can help design their product for circularity… we’re building out our reporting capabilities and that, to them, is something that is of high interest.” That combination of robotics, computer vision and machine learning has potential applications beyond the recycling industry as well, according to Horowitz. Automotive scrap and construction waste are other areas where the company has seen interest for its combination of software and hardware. Meanwhile, the core business of recycling is picking up. In October, the company completed the installation of 14 robots at Single Stream Recyclers in Florida. It’s the largest single deployment of robots in the recycling industry and the robots, which can sort and pick twice as fast as people with higher degrees of accuracy, are installed at sorting lines for plastics, cartons, fiber and metals, the company said. AMP’s business has two separate revenue streams — a robotics as a service offering and a direct sales option — and the company has made other installations at sites in California, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The traction the company is seeing in its core business was validating for early investors like BV, Closed Loop Partners, Congruent Ventures and Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, the Alphabet subsidiary’s new spin-out that invests in technologies to support new infrastructure projects. For Mike DeLucia, the Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners principal who led the company’s investment into AMP Robotics, the deal is indicative of where his firm will look to commit capital going forward. “It’s a technology that enables physical assets to operate more efficiently,” he says. “Our goal is to find the technologies that enable really exciting infrastructure projects, back them and work with them to deliver projects in the physical world.” Investors like DeLucia and Abe Yokell, from the investment firm Congruent Ventures, think that recycling is just the beginning. Applications abound for AMP Robotic’s machine learning and computer vision technologies in areas far beyond the recycling center. “When you think about how technology is able to impact the built environment, one area is machine vision,” says Yokell. “[Machine learning] neural nets can apply to real-world environments, and that stuff has gotten cheaper and easier to deploy.” Nerdcore Computers Author

Apple's newest Mac notebook has a larger screen, better battery and new keyboard. In poker, complacency is a quiet killer. It can steal your forward momentum bit by bit, using the warm glow of a winning hand or two to cover the bets you’re not making until it’s too late and you’re out of leverage. Over the past few years, Apple’s MacBook game had begun to suffer from a similar malaise. Most of the company’s product lines were booming, including newer entries like the Apple Watch, AirPods and iPad Pro. But as problems with the models started to mount — unreliable keyboards, low RAM ceilings and anemic graphics offerings — the once insurmountable advantage that the MacBook had compared to the rest of the notebook industry started to show signs of dwindling. The new 16” MacBook Pro Apple is announcing today is an attempt to rectify most, if not all, of the major complaints of its most loyal, and vocal, users. It’s a machine that offers a massive amount of upsides for what appears to be a handful of easily justifiable trade-offs. It’s got better graphics, a bigger display for nearly no extra overall size, a bigger battery with longer life claims and yeah, a completely new keyboard. I’ve only had a day to use the machine so far, but I did all of my research and writing for this first-look piece on the machine, carting it around New York City, through the airport and onto a plane where I’m publishing this now. This isn’t a review, but I can take you through some of the new stuff and give you thoughts based on that chunk of time. This is a re-think of the larger MacBook Pro in many large ways. This is a brand new model that will completely replace the 15” MacBook Pro in Apple’s lineup, not an additional model. Importantly, the team working on this new MacBook started with no design constraints on weight, noise, size or battery. This is not a thinner machine, it is not a smaller machine, it is not a quieter machine. It is, however, better than the current MacBook Pro in all of the ways that actually count. Let’s run down some of the most important new things. Performance and thermals The 16” MacBook Pro comes configured with either a 2.6GHz 6-core i7 or a 2.3GHz 8-core i9 from Intel . These are the same processors as the 15” MacBook Pro came with. No advancements here is largely a function of Intel’s chip readiness. The i7 model of the 16” MacBook Po will run $2,399 for the base model — the same as the old 15” — and it comes with a 512GB SSD drive and 16GB of RAM. Both models can be ordered today and will be in stores at the end of the week. The standard graphics configuration in the i7 is an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of memory and an integrated Intel UHD graphics 630 chip. The system continues to use the dynamic hand-off system that trades power for battery life on the fly. The i9 model will run $2,799 and comes with a 1TB drive. That’s a nice bump in storage for both models, into the range of very comfortable for most people. It rolls with an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of memory. You can configure both models with an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. Both models can also now get up to 8TB of SSD storage — which Apple says is the most on a notebook ever — and 64GB of 2666 DDR4 RAM, but I’d expect those upgrades to be pricey. The new power supply delivers an additional 12w of power and there is a new thermal system to compensate for that. The heat pipe that carries air in and out has been redesigned; there are more fan blades on 35% larger fans that move 28% more air compared to the 15” model. The fans in the MacBook Pro, when active, put out the same decibel level of sound, but push way more air than before. So, not a reduction in sound, but not an increase either — and the trade is better cooling. Another area where the design process for this MacBook focused on performance gains rather than the obvious sticker copy. There’s also a new power brick, which is the same physical size as the 15” MacBook Pro’s adapter, but which now supplies 96w up from 87w. The brick is still as chunky as ever and feels a tad heavier, but it’s nice to get some additional power out of it. Though I haven’t been able to put the MacBook Pro through any video editing or rendering tests, I was able to see live demos of it handling several 8K streams concurrently. With the beefiest internal config, Apple says it can usually handle as many as four, perhaps five un-rendered Pro Res streams. A bigger display, a thicker body The new MacBook Pro has a larger 16” diagonal Retina display that has a 3072×1920 resolution at 226 ppi. The monitor features the same 500 nit maximum brightness, P3 color gamut and True Tone tech as the current 15”. The bezels of the screen are narrower, which makes it feel even larger when you’re sitting in front of it. This also contributes to the fact that the overall size of the new MacBook Pro is just 2% larger in width and height, with a .7mm increase in thickness. The overall increase in screen size far outstrips the increase in overall body size because of those thinner bezels. And this model is still around the same thickness as the 2015 15” MacBook Pro, an extremely popular model among the kinds of people who are the target market for this machine. It also weighs 4.3 lbs, heavier than the 4.02 lb current 15” model. The display looks great, extremely crisp due to the increase in pixels and even more in your face because of the very thin bezels. This thing feels like it’s all screen in a way that matches the iPad Pro. This thick boi also features a bigger battery, a full 100Whr, the most allowable under current FAA limits. Apple says this contributes an extra hour of normal operations in its testing regimen in comparison to the current 15” MacBook Pro. I have not been able to effectively test these claims in the time I’ve had with it so far. But it is encouraging that Apple has proven willing to make the iPhone 11 Pro and the new MacBook a bit thicker in order to deliver better performance and battery life. Most of these devices are pretty much thin enough. Performance, please. Speakers and microphone One other area where the 16” MacBook Pro has made a huge improvement is the speaker and microphone arrays. I’m not sure I ever honestly expected to give a crap about sound coming out of a laptop. Good enough until I put in a pair of headphones accurately describes my expectations for laptop sound over the years. Imagine my surprise when I first heard the sound coming out of this new MacBook and it was, no crap, incredibly good. The new array consists of six speakers arranged so that the subwoofers are positioned in pairs, antipodal to one another (back to back). This has the effect of cancelling out a lot of the vibration that normally contributes to that rattle-prone vibrato that has characterized small laptop speakers pretty much forever. The speaker setup they have here has crisper highs and deeper bass than you’ve likely ever heard from a portable machine. Movies are really lovely to watch with the built-ins, a sentence I have never once felt comfortable writing about a laptop. Apple also vents the speakers through their own chambers, rather than letting sound float out through the keyboard holes. This keeps the sound nice and crisp, with a soundstage that’s wide enough to give the impression of a center channel for voice. One byproduct of this though is that blocking one or another speaker with your hand is definitely more noticeable than before. The quality of sound here is really very, very good. The HomePod team’s work on sound fields apparently keeps paying dividends. That’s not the only audio bit that’s better now, though; Apple has also put in a 3-mic array for sound recording that it claims has a high enough signal-to-noise ratio that it can rival standalone microphones. I did some testing here comparing it to the iPhone’s mic and it’s absolutely night and day. There is remarkably little hiss present here and artists that use the MacBook as a sketch pad for vocals and other recording are going to get a really nice little surprise here. I haven’t been able to test it against external mics myself, but I was able to listen to rigs that involved a Blue Yeti and other laptop microphones and the MacBook’s new mic array was clearly better than any of the machines and held its own against the Yeti. The directional nature of many podcast mics is going to keep them well in advance of the internal mic on the MacBook for the most part, but for truly mobile recording setups, the MacBook mic just went from completely not an option to a very viable fallback in one swoop. It really has to be listened to in order to get it. I doubt anyone is going to buy a MacBook Pro for the internal mic, but having a “pro-level” device finally come with a pro-level mic on board is super choice. I think that’s most of it, though I feel like I’m forgetting something… Oh right, the keyboard Ah yes. I don’t really need to belabor the point on the MacBook Pro keyboards just not being up to snuff for some time. Whether you weren’t a fan of the short throw on the new butterfly keyboards or you found yourself one of the many people (yours truly included) who ran up against jammed or unresponsive keys on that design — you know there has been a problem. T he keyboard situation has been written about extensively by Casey Johnston and Joanna Stern and complained about by every writer on Twitter over the past several years. Apple has offered a succession of updates to that keyboard to attempt to make it more reliable and has extended warranty replacements to appease customers. But the only real solution was to ditch the design completely and start over. And that’s what this is: a completely new keyboard. Apple is calling it the Magic Keyboard in homage to the iMac’s Magic Keyboard (but not identically designed). The new keyboard is a scissor mechanism, not butterfly. It has 1mm of key travel (more, a lot more) and an Apple-designed rubber dome under the key that delivers resistance and springback that facilitates a satisfying key action. The new keycaps lock into the keycap at the top of travel to make them more stable when at rest, correcting the MacBook Air-era wobble. And yes, the keycaps can be removed individually to gain access to the mechanism underneath. And yes, there is an inverted-T arrangement for the arrow keys. And yes, there is a dedicated escape key. Apple did extensive physiological research when building out this new keyboard. One test was measuring the effect of a keypress on a human finger. Specifically, they measured the effect of a key on the pacinian corpuscles at the tips of your fingers. These are onion-esque structures in your skin that house nerve endings and they are most sensitive to mechanical and vibratory pressure. Apple then created this specialized plastic dome that sends a specific vibration to this receptor making your finger send a signal to your brain that says “hey, you pressed that key.” This led to a design that gives off the correct vibration wavelength to return a satisfying “stroke completed” message to the brain. here is also more space between the keys, allowing for more definitive strokes. This is because the keycaps themselves are slightly smaller. The spacing does take some adjustment, but by this point in the article I am already getting pretty proficient and am having more grief from the autocorrect feature of Catalina than anything else. Notably, this keyboard is not in the warranty extension program that Apple is applying to its older keyboard designs. There is a standard one-year warranty on this model, a statement by the company that they believe in the durability of this new design? Perhaps. It has to get out there and get bashed on by more violent keyboard jockeys than I for a while before we can tell whether it’s truly more resilient. But does this all come together to make a more usable keyboard? In short, yes. The best way to describe it in my opinion is a blend between the easy cushion of the old MacBook Air and the low-profile stability of the Magic Keyboard for iMac. It’s truly one of the best-feeling keyboards they’ve made in years, and perhaps ever in the modern era. I reserve the right to be nostalgic about deep throw mechanical keyboards in this regard, but this is the next best thing. Pro, or Pro In my brief and admittedly limited testing so far, the 16” MacBook Pro ends up looking like it really delivers on the Pro premise of this kind of machine in ways that have been lacking for a while in Apple’s laptop lineup. The increased storage caps, bigger screen, bigger battery and redesigned keyboard should make this an insta-buy for anyone upgrading from a 2015 MacBook Pro, and a very tempting upgrade for even people on newer models that have just never been happy with the typing experience. Many of Apple’s devices with the label Pro lately have fallen into the bucket of “the best” rather than “for professionals.” This isn’t strictly a new phenomenon for Apple, but more consumer-centric devices like the AirPods Pro and the iPhone Pro get the label now than ever before. But the 16” MacBook Pro is going to alleviate a lot of the pressure Apple has been under to provide an unabashedly Pro product for Pro Pros. It’s a real return to form for the real Mack Daddy of the laptop category. As long as this new keyboard design proves resilient and repairable I think this is going to kick off a solid new era for Apple portables. Nerdcore Computers Author

NASA has a new app (or web-based game, if you’re on desktop) that provides a simplified simulation of what it’s like to plan and run a commercial crew mission – meaning one of the planned varieties of mission that will actually take place aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner once they begin flying crews next year. The app takes you through each part of the process, from spacecraft choice, to mission type, to crew selection and then to the actual launch and docking process. It’s mostly about providing some education aoudad each part of the process, rather than offering up an exhaustively realistic flight simulator – but the docking process with the International Space Station can be handled either on full automatic, or on manual mode – and manual mode is fairly challenging and fun. NASA has included plenty of great info on both the Crew Dragon and the Starliner, and the respective rockets they will launch atop. It also included great bios for 10 actual astronauts you can select from to staff your mission. The launch assembly stage was a bit buggy when I gave it a try on my iPhone, but still workable, and it also provides key info about each element of the launch spacecraft, from boosters to crew capsules and everything in between. The ‘Rocket Science: Ride 2 Station’ app is a free download, out now on iOS, and also available on the web. Nerdcore Computers Author

Your Bushfire Plan You don’t have to live in the country to be at risk of fire. If you live near areas that have significant bush, forest, long grass, or coastal scrub, then you need to plan ahead for the fire season. Not everyone thinks clearly in an emergency. Taking steps to get prepared before the fire season means you know what to do when you’re at risk of fire. A written, and preferably well-practised plan, will help you remember what needs to be done during a crisis. Use the Bushfire survival planning template – Leaving early (PDF) to help you write down your plan. Why should I leave early? Leaving early is the safest option to protect yourself and your family.  Leaving early means leaving the area before there are any signs of a fire – not when you can see flames or smell smoke. Leaving early means avoiding panic, being trapped, making the wrong choices and risking serious injury or death. Defending Your Property Planning to stay and defend is a big decision. You could be at serious risk of uncontrollable fires on Severe, Extreme and Code Red days. Most homes in high-risk bushfire areas are not designed for Code Red conditions. The Defending your property page can help you decide whether or not you are capable of defending your property – and tells you about the risks and preparations involved. How to plan Taking steps to get prepared before the fire season means you know what to do when you’re at risk of fire. Just as every family or household is unique, every fire plan will be different. The information and templates in the Fire Ready Kit and on this website, are designed to assist you. Which Fire Danger Rating is your trigger to leave? Will you leave early that morning or the night before? Where will you go? What route will you take – and what is your alternative in the event that a fire is already in the area? What will you take with you?What do you need to organise for your pets or livestock?Who do you need to keep informed of your movements? Is there anyone outside your household who you need to help or check up on?How will you stay informed about warnings and updates? What will you do if there is a fire in the area and you cannot leave? Remember to decide who will do what as part of your plan. Your destination and journey Talk to your family and friends about how you’ll know when to leave and where to go to stay safe. It’s up to you to decide on a suitable place to go when you leave early on a fire risk day. If you do not have friends or relatives in low-risk areas who you can visit, consider community facilities such as libraries, shopping centres, swimming pools or cinemas. If you rely on others for care and support, your only safe option on serious fire risk days is to leave early – never wait to receive a warning. Why write down your plan? Would you remember a plan that’s just in your head if you’re surrounded by smoke, heat and flames? A written plan will take the pressure off you, and avoid arguments and delays. In Victoria the bushfire season is long, and a written plan will help reduce uncertainty and anxiety. Use the Bushfire survival planning template – Leaving early (PDF) to help you write down your plan. Remember, any bushfire plan – written or not – is better than no plan. Share your bushfire plan Once you have prepared your plan, it is a good idea to share the details of your plan with family, friends and neighbours. Doing so will save them a lot of distress when there is a bushfire, as they will know that you are prepared and where to find you.

Consider "futureproofing" your purchase. Buy a laptop that has headroom for more advanced technology while you're in school1. Whether you're heading off to college yourself or trying to help your favorite student, searching for and finding the best laptop for college may seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, this is an open-book test and we can help you find the right answers. The very first thing to consider when shopping for a new college laptop is how you’ll use it now and in the future. With technology advancing rapidly year after year, it's a good idea to consider a laptop that can handle new applications and programs. This is called "futureproofing" your purchase or buying a PC that has headroom for more advanced technology yet to be introduced. Ask yourself these questions—your answers will help narrow your choices. What programs or applications are requirements for your classes?What field or major are you interested in?Do you play video games, or do you want to get into gaming?Do you use video to chat with friends or family?Do you enjoy creating your own content—videos, podcasts, etc.? Consider Performance First How you use your laptop will directly influence how much performance you'll need. Using heavy-duty apps like Adobe Premiere Pro* or playing video games requires a lot of horsepower from the CPU. However, if you or your future college student will use the laptop for more basic tasks like word processing, downloading music, and posting to social media, then a top-of-the-line CPU might not be necessary. Form Factors Today's laptops are a far cry from the thick, bulky machines of the last two decades. In fact, the traditional clamshell laptop design is now joined by other types of designs and form factors. Clamshell Once the only design option for laptops, clamshells (laptops that open and close) are still a popular choice. But nowadays, many clamshells offer more features, such as touchscreens, super high-resolution displays, chassis made from non-traditional materials, and improved connectivity options, such Thunderbolt™ 3 ports. 2 in 1s 2 in 1 laptops offer great flexibility without a need to compromise. 2 in 1s offer the best of both worlds—the performance of a PC and the fun of a tablet, in one sleek device. There are two different types of 2 in 1 laptops: Detachable and convertible. Convertibles Keyboards stay attached and can swivel, twist, or flip. Flip for "tent" or "stand" modes to share content or present. Fold entirely in half for "tablet" mode. Great for productivity-minded students who work hard but want tablet functionality for entertainment. Detachables Provide super-fast switching from laptop to tablet modes. Offer a pure tablet experience when keyboard is detached. Perfect for web surfers who also need to type now and then. When thinking about these different form factors, consider the weight and thickness of your new laptop. A long trek across campus can quickly become uncomfortable if you're lugging around a heavy laptop. Thankfully, laptops available today come in a range of sizes and weights. Which leads us to your next consideration—the laptop's screen. Screen Size The size of a laptop's screen will directly influence its weight and price. Laptops are typically categorized in stores and online by the size of their screens. Common screen sizes for laptops usually start at 11 inches and continue up to 17 inches. Again, ask yourself where and how you’ll use your new laptop to help you decide on a screen size. Does either your schoolwork or interests require you to use an external monitor? 11- to 13-inch models If mobility is most important to you, consider these options: A small laptopA super-thin, lightweight laptop (sometimes referred to as an Ultrabook) Small laptops with 11- or 13-inch screens are a great choice if you have a strict budget, need extreme portability, and only need to complete basic tasks, such as Web browsing, e-mail, and word processing. 17-inch models If performance is your top priority, or you want a laptop that can replace your desktop, go for a 17-inch workhorse. These models may weigh more than others, but they really pack a punch. These large laptops are usually best for gamers, content creators, or video editors who need a lot of processing power to complete complicated tasks. This large screen may eliminate your possible need for an external monitor. 15-inch models For a good balance between mobility, performance, and price, check out some 15-inch models. Many weigh four pounds or less and are targeted for the mainstream consumer—meaning you’ll probably find more features you want, such as more ports, an optical (DVD or CD) drive, and better battery life. Battery Life Battery life is always a main concern when it comes to purchasing a laptop. Unfortunately, establishing the battery life of a laptop is no easy task for manufacturers. How long a laptop's battery will last depends on what you're using the PC for; it's best to look at manufacturers' specs as a general guideline. Generally speaking, the bigger the screen size of your laptop, or the heavier the model, the less battery life it will provide. Smaller laptops and Ultrabooks use lower voltage processors designed specifically to offer better battery life. Go online to manufacturers’ Web sites to research battery life, or read online reviews. Typically, mid-sized to larger laptops will offer between four and six hours, while ultra-portable models can go for as long as ten hours. Ports/Connectivity Don't understate the importance of ports and how you'll connect different peripherals (i.e., cameras, phones, and other devices) to your laptop. While many peripheral devices can connect wirelessly, sometimes you just need a USB port. Smaller laptops, and thin models will have fewer ports. What kinds of ports are available on laptops? USB ports—The most used and recognizable of all connectivity ports, USB ports allow you to connect a huge variety of devices, including external hard drives, cameras, keyboards, mice, and more. The latest version is USB 3.1, which offers higher transfer speeds of 10 Gbps. Thunderbolt™ 3 ports—Thunderbolt™ 3 provides the fastest connection and transfer rates to date, offering 40 Gbps (four times faster than USB 3.1). Ethernet ports—An Ethernet port allows you to connect your laptop directly to a wired network. Many laptops don’t include these ports because of the availability of Wi-Fi. But if you’re somewhere on campus where the Wi-Fi is poor, use these ports and an Ethernet cable to jump online. If your favorite model doesn’t have an Ethernet port, there are USB-to-Ethernet adapters available. HDMI/VGA/DVI—These types of ports allow you to connect to displays or other screens, such as an HDTV or an external monitor. SD card reader—Also known as SDHC card reader, this slot is used for digital camera memory cards. This makes transferring digital photos to your laptop quick and easy. Keyboard Gamers and writers aren’t the only ones who believe a laptop’s keyboard is its most important feature. Think about it—you’ll use the keyboard more than any other part of the laptop, so you’ll want one that’s comfortable, easy to use, and provides a satisfying spring or tactile feel. Do you require or prefer a backlit keyboard? Also, consider key placement and size. Do you want a 10-key pad? Are all the keys in a standard position that you like? Make sure to try out different keyboards. Open a word processor and tap away. You’ll probably know right away if a laptop’s keyboard just isn’t for you. Touchpad Many people forego a mouse and instead depend on a laptop’s touchpad to get things done. A comfortable, easy-to-use touchpad is important, especially if you’re travelling, or working in a cramped space like a café or lecture hall. Consider the size and placement of the touchpad, whether you prefer one large pad or separate left- and right-click buttons. Some touchpads even include patterns and textures for a tactile experience. Graphics The majority of laptop models are powered by a CPU that also includes an integrated graphics chipset. This means the graphics are actually built into the processor eliminating the need for a separate graphics card. These integrated graphic technologies, such as Intel® HD or Intel® Iris™ Plus graphics, are more powerful than ever before, allowing you to play mainstream games, support up to three separate displays, and stream up to 1080p. However, if you’re a gamer or filmmaker, you’ll want to look into dedicated graphics or GPU. Dedicated graphics are more powerful than integrated graphics but also are substantially more expensive when it comes to the price of the laptop. RAM You’ll hear this term thrown around a lot as you shop for your college laptop. Random Access Memory, or RAM. RAM temporarily stores recently-used data for quick access later. Think of it as the info you know off the top of your head—you use it often and your brain can access it quickly. The more RAM that’s available, the faster a computer will feel to you. Consider 8 GBs to 16 GBs of RAM for your laptop. Storage Pictures, videos, and other data you’ll want to save for a long time are stored in your laptop’s “long-term memory.” It’s data that may not be used frequently, but it’s pretty important to save, keep, and use when necessary. This data can be stored on a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), or even a hybrid of the two. SSDs typically provide faster access to data and start up times and are very reliable and durable, as they have no moving parts. The Final Decision It may seem like a lot to remember, but finding the perfect laptop for your college career can really set you up for success. Make a checklist using the features in this article, and focus on what you’ll need most from your college laptop in terms of size, weight, processing power, and storage. Nerdcore Computers Author

Did you know that you can hook your laptop up to a desktop monitor and expand your on-screen real estate to two full screens? What’s even cooler is that if you upgrade to a Laptop with Windows* 10, you can assign a separate viewing mode for both screens. The Benefits of Connecting Your Laptop to a Monitor Laptops aren’t just wireless, portable desktop computers. With the right setup, you can turn your laptop computer into a multi-tasking workhorse that’ll make you say “Gee, I never thought I could do all that!” All you need to do is follow the simple instructions below on how to connect a laptop to a monitor. Then you’ll be set. Getting more screen inches isn’t the only reason someone might want to connect a monitor to a laptop. Here are a couple of scenarios that spell out some of the other benefits. Multi-tasking: Connecting your laptop to a monitor enables you to go into split screen mode, where you can watch a movie on your PC monitor and tweet about it on your laptop screen. This gives you a cool setup that prevents you from having to keep toggling back and forth between applications. More screen real estate: By connecting your laptop to a monitor, you can literally double the size of your available screen space. Functions can be moved from one screen to the other so that you don’t have to shrink windows down or toggle to see two programs at the same time. This type of setup is ideal for a number of scenarios, from leisure activities like video chatting while you’re on Facebook to updating a work spreadsheet while you’re referencing facts on another platform. Extra options in Windows* 10: With Windows* 10, you can choose between a traditional desktop view or the new metro menu. But when you connect your laptop to a second desktop screen, you can actually have your proverbial cake and eat it too by running both at the same time. Three Things You’ll Need to Do When Connecting Your Laptop to a Monitor Get the right cable. When you connect an external monitor to a laptop computer, you have to run a cable between the two devices. Make sure that you get a monitor cable that matches the sockets on your laptop and monitor.Tell your operating system you’re using a second screen. It’s easy to do this in Windows* 10 by going to your Desktop, right click your mouse and go to Display Settings. On Macs, the connection of an external monitor is automatically recognized.Set up the orientation of the monitors. In both PCs and Macs, you can opt whether you want the second screen to mirror your laptop screen or to act as an extension of the first. Access the Control Panel on your PC or System Preferences on your Mac. Learning how to connect your laptop to a monitor is pretty simple and can enhance your experience, even improve your productivity. Imagine not ever having to toggle between open windows and running programs on your laptop. Sounds pretty good, right? Teaching yourself this easy task can make your life simpler and much more productive. Nerdcore Computers Author

Learn about hotspots, including how to use them safely to obtain Internet access to your mobile devices via Wi-Fi1. Hotspots—what are they, where are they, and how can you connect to them while protecting your privacy and security? If you’ve ever tried to answer an email or surf the Internet from your mobile device in public—or even at the office or your house—chances are you connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Not only is this connection highly convenient, you also didn’t have to use your smartphone’s data. Not surprisingly, hotspots are becoming an essential part of public infrastructure—and our Internet experience. Millions of people every day connect to public hotspots for their data needs. By some estimates, there are almost 200 million hotspots around the world, and there will be one hotspot for every 20 people on earth by 2018. Thanks to our modern always-on digital lifestyle, people expect to be constantly connected, and public Wi-Fi access points are expanding to a global network of hotspots to meet those needs. Terminology Before we dive in to how to connect to a hotspot and related security issues, let’s define what we mean. While some people use the terms “hotspot” and “mobile hotspot” interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Hotspot: A hotspot is a physical location where people can access the Internet, typically using Wi-Fi, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a router connected to an Internet service provider. Most people refer to these locations as “Wi-Fi hotspots” or “Wi-Fi connections.” Simply put, hotspots are the physical places where users can wirelessly connect their mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to the Internet. A hotspot can be in a private location or a public one, such as in a coffee shop, a hotel, an airport, or even an airplane. While many public hotspots offer free wireless access on an open network, others require payment. Later in the article you’ll learn how to connect a mobile device to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Mobile hotspot: A mobile hotspot (sometimes called a portable hotspot) is a hotspot that’s just that—mobile! While a “regular” Wi-Fi hotspot is tied to a physical location, you can create a mobile hotspot by using your smartphone’s data connection to connect your laptop to the Internet. This process is called “tethering.” More on this process later. You should also know these terms when you’re talking about Wi-Fi hotspots. Access point (wireless access point):  A wireless access point (WAP) is a networking device that allows a Wi-Fi compliant device to connect to a wired network. The WAP can either be physically connected to a router or be integrated into the router itself. A WAP is not a hotspot, which is the physical location where Wi-Fi access to a WLAN is available. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is the technology that allows your smartphone or computer to access the Internet through a wireless connection. It uses radio signals to send and receive data between your enabled device and the WAP. SSID: A service set identifier (more commonly known as an SSID) is the unique name of a wireless network. You’ll need to know the name of the wireless network to connect to it. Your computer or smartphone can search for available wireless networks; often people name their network for easy identification—anything from “Bob’s phone” to “hotel guests” to “Get off my LAN.” Now that you understand some of the terms associated with hotspots, let’s learn how to connect to them. How to Connect to a Wi-Fi Hotspot You probably connect your smartphone or laptop to the Internet via several Wi-Fi hotspots throughout your day, whether you’re at your office, in your home, or at public locations like coffee shops and airports. Using hotspots is an easy way to keep connected to your busy life. Connecting to a wireless hotspot is a simple process. Let’s use your smartphone as an example. You want to answer an email at the airport while you’re waiting for your flight, and you don’t want to use your data. You can set your smartphone to notify you when it’s in range of a wireless network, or you can find wireless networks through your phone’s settings. The steps you need to follow to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot will depend on the device—Android*, iPhone*, or another brand—but here is an overview. Click the wireless icon on your device to see the names of nearby wireless networks. Select a wireless network; in some cases, you might also have to click “Connect.”Enter the security key or the password. Most wireless networks are secured and require a password to accept a connection. Some networks are unsecured or open and do not require a password; you should take care when accessing them as they could introduce a security risk.Select the network type (home, work, or public, if you are on a Windows* device). Choosing the network type will establish a security level appropriate for your location. If you select “home” or “work,” your device will be discoverable to other devices. Be sure to select “public” if you are in a public location like a coffee shop, hotel, restaurant, airport, and other similar locations. Voilà! You’ll be online in a flash. Depending on where you are and the types of hotspots near you, you may be on either an open, unsecured wireless network or a paid/commercial wireless network. You may be asked to sign up for an account or use a paid service like Boingo* or iPass*, which offer various Wi-Fi access plans depending on how much time you plan use the Internet. Let’s say, though, that you can’t find a Wi-Fi hotspot nearby. Read on to learn how you can use your smartphone as a portable hotspot. Using Your Smartphone as a Mobile Hotspot If you’re in a location that doesn’t have a hotspot and you want to connect your laptop to the Internet, you can use your phone as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot through a process called “tethering.” This allows your laptop to access the Internet and share your smartphone’s data connection. While the set-up steps vary depending on your smartphone and your Internet service provider, you can usually find the instructions in your phone’s Settings or Manage Connections menu. For security, you’ll want to make sure that you use a Wi-Fi password so that nearby Internet users can’t access your phone or laptop. Also, be aware that tethering your laptop to your phone will use your phone’s data allowance; so be sure to keep an eye on your usage to avoid any overage fees. Now that you’re connected, that’s it, right? Well, not exactly. You should be aware that while using Wi-Fi hotspots is a convenient way to stay connected with work, family, and friends. Hotspot connectivity also presents some security risks. Hotspot Security One of the risks of being connected to the Internet is that the very technologies that help us keep up with our work and personal lives can be vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves. When looking for a public Wi-Fi hotspot, be sure to connect your smartphone or laptop only to reputable providers—for example, the hotel’s or coffee shop’s wireless network. Be wary about connecting to hotspots that have misspellings such as Bongo instead of Boingo, as hackers sometimes use these seemingly innocent names to lure busy users who aren’t paying close attention. It’s also possible for hackers to distribute malware (software that can damage or disable your computer) through an unsecured Wi-Fi connection, especially if you are using a file-sharing program over the same network. Virtual Private Network (VPN) If you have security concerns about using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, you could consider creating a virtual private network (VPN), which allows you to use to the Internet through an encrypted connection. While this can deter hackers because your data is encrypted, be aware that it will slow down your Internet access because of the processing power required to encrypt and decrypt your transmitted data. Find a VPN Solution that Works If you’re interested in using a VPN to safeguard yourself online: Invest in a monthly service. This is one of the most commonly used solutions. Make sure to do your research before you buy.Consider purchasing a VPN-enabled router. There are several models on the market that make setting up your own VPN easy. With more than 9 billion Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices expected to be in use by the end of the year, the importance of hotspots and Wi-Fi in our lives really can’t be overstated. Nerdcore Computers author

Learn how to increase the Wi-Fi speed on your device by optimizing the settings to boost signal and extend range1. Wi-Fi speed—you probably don’t think much about it until the movie you’re streaming crashes. Or your files won’t upload to the cloud. Or your web browser keeps spinning without loading the page you want. With millions of users connecting their mobile devices to Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, it’s no wonder that people want to know how to increase their Wi-Fi speed so they can stream movies, upload and download documents, and transfer data quickly. Innovations in Wi-Fi technology are what make it faster than previous generations. And since Wi-Fi speed is often related to internet connection range, we’ll show you some ways to help boost the range and extend the wireless signal. We’ll talk more about these past generations below and some of the terms you need to know when thinking about Wi-Fi connections: Speed—New Wi-Fi technologies deliver data more quickly than previous generations. A faster connection results in faster Wi-Fi speeds. Capacity—New routers also deliver more data simultaneously to more devices; that is, they have a larger capacity. Coverage—Wi-Fi speed is one piece of the puzzle, and coverage (or range) is the other. You want a router than can deliver more Internet speed and at greater distances. With a strong Wi-Fi connection, you’ll save time because the connection speed is faster, and you can stream movies, games, videos, and other data-heavy applications more quickly and with higher image quality. Why Your Wi-Fi Is Slow? Let’s talk about why your Wi-Fi connection speed is slow. Physical barriers, such as walls and floors, can affect wireless signals, as does the distance between the device and the access point and the number of devices using your Wi-Fi network. Even simple things like adjusting the height of your router off the floor can impact its performance. Be sure to talk with your Internet service provider to make sure you’re paying for the speed you need. Different providers offer different speeds, and you may not have the package that is the best fit for your connectivity needs. Three main things impact the speed of your Internet connection—the placement of the router, the technology, and the devices that are connected to it. Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Speed 1. Place your router in an open spot. Because Wi-Fi is just that—wireless—its connection speed is affected by distance, obstacles (such as walls, floors, and ceilings), electronic interference, and the number of users on the network. All these things contribute to the slow-down of Wi-Fi connection speed. For the best signal, put the wireless router out in the open on the main floor of your house, away from walls and obstructions. Ideally, you’ll want to position it off the floor, above the furniture. Keep it away from other electronics that might cause interference, like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones. You might also try pointing the antennas perpendicularly, with one horizontally and one vertically. Want to know where the wireless dead spots are around your house? Try using a mobile app, like CloudCheck*, to test for them. It can also help you identify where the signal strength is best, so you can find a good spot for your router. Think of it as Wi-Fi feng shui for your wireless router! 2. Use current Wi-Fi technologies. Technologies change rapidly, and one of the best ways to speed up your wireless network is to use the latest hardware. Wireless-N (802.11n) and Wireless-AC (802.11ac) are newer, faster technologies, with Wireless-A (802.11a), -B (802.11b), and -G (802.11g) being older and slower. Newer Wireless-AC routers have data transfer speeds up to three times faster than older Wireless-B/G/N models, and they offer “dual-band” functionally so you can free up channels for older wireless devices to access. And, of course, you’ll want to secure your Wi-Fi network with a password so your neighbors can’t stream their movies on your wireless connection! 3. Limit devices and optimize settings. Playing online games, conducting video chats, and streaming movies and videos take up a lot of bandwidth, and they can slow down Internet speed and access for everyone connected to that Wi-Fi network. Some routers have a Quality of Service (QoS) setting that lets you control which apps have priority access to the Internet bandwidth. For example, you may want to prioritize video calls if you have a lot of meetings, and deprioritize file downloads from the cloud. You can always get your files later, but you don’t want to drop a call with an important client or family member! You’ll also want to make sure that your wireless router has the latest updates to its firmware. While many newer routers have a built-in update process, you may need to access your router’s settings to manually start an update. It’s also a good idea to plug stationary devices, like desktop computers and gaming consoles, directly into the router to provide better bandwidth for your mobile devices. You can install browser extensions that can block ads, animations, and videos that hog bandwidth. Even small tweaks like blocking streaming ads can improve your user experience. You can also fine-tune the channel selection on your router. By default, many wireless routers are set to run on channel 6. This means that your neighbors’ routers might also be running on channel 6, causing congestion on that channel because of the number of devices connected to it. Using a tool like Wi-Fi Analyzer* or Wi-Fi Scanner* can help you identify router channels with more bandwidth giving you improved Internet speed. If your router is relatively new, it should be able to switch between two radio frequencies—2.4 GHz (the older standard) and 5 GHz (the newer standard). Smart wireless routers can choose the best frequency for you and your environment. Each frequency has multiple channels: 14 at 2.4 GHz and 30 at 5GHz. So, if your router has the capability to automatically switch between frequencies, it can choose among 44 channels. If it is older and can only access the 14 channels at 2.4 GHz, then it’s more likely to encounter “traffic” on the Wi-Fi connection. You can check your wireless router settings to see if it is auto-switching between channels and frequencies for the optimal setting. Other Tips Looking for even more ways to try to increase your Wi-Fi speed and extend the Internet connection range? Use a wireless range extender. While this may not speed up the connection, it can boost the signal into the dead spots of your house or office. For example, if your router is on the first floor of your house, you may want to add a wireless range extender on another floor to boost the signal. It can be a big help in areas with thick walls or other physical structures that can impede a wireless signal. Add access points. Think of access points as creating a wireless mesh around your house. They transmit Internet signals to each other to create a wireless network. They are created for large spaces with multiple floors. Speed Up the Data Stream. That invisible wireless connection can have a huge impact on our daily lives—determining how much we get done or how much we can kick back and relax. No one wants dropped video calls, choppy video streaming, or slow file downloads. With a little know-how and some persistence, you can tweak your wireless router’s settings to increase your Wi-Fi connection speed and extend its range. Nerdcore Computers Author

When Windows* 10 came out July 29, 2015, many were cautious to sing its praises, but over time, the improvements to security, its enhanced personalization features, and the attention to gaming won over many critics. All in all, Windows* 10 is a very stable, secure, and feature-packed operating system (OS). Most people will benefit from using Windows* 10, and in this article we will cover whether or not it is the best choice for you. Top Reasons to Upgrade to Windows* 10 The top three reasons you should upgrade to Windows: Improved interface (Start menu) and personalization Enhanced security features Great gaming additions Improved Interface and Personalization Improving the way we interact with our PC is one of the key advancements in Windows* 10. By bringing back the Start menu, and introducing Cortana* (a personal assistant) Microsoft is improving the user interface (UI) and scoring points with users who prefer simplicity. Start menu The Microsoft Start menu was introduced with Windows* 95 more than 20 years ago. Since then, it’s been through much iteration, but no major changes were made until the release of Windows* 8 when the Start menu was replaced with the Start Screen and “live tiles.” The touch-based interface and full screen of apps was a bit jarring to users. Microsoft heard the criticism loud and clear. Windows* 10 not only brought the Start menu back, but it also added in the best features of the Windows* 8 Start Screen. Using the new Start menu in Windows* 10, you can: Change its size by dragging the borders or corners of the Start menuArrange, add, or delete any of the tiles, programs, or apps that appear on the Start menuFully personalize it by changing color scheme and other settings Cortana* Cortana* is a personal digital assistant built into the Windows* 10 OS. Much more than just a search engine, Cortana* can answer questions, search your entire PC for files or documents, provide reminders, track flights, or even tell you a joke. Cortana* is also available on Android devices and Xbox One consoles. Edge Browser* Microsoft bid farewell to Internet Explorer with Windows* 10 and introduced its new browser—Edge*. According to Microsoft, the browser was built from the ground up to provide a clean, modern, easy way to surf the Web and take advantage of future advancements. New features allow you to: Preview multiple pages by hovering over open tabs Pin tabs to the browser bar for one-click access to commonly-visited sites Interact with Cortana* while you browse to receive deals, coupons, and notifications Virtual Desktops As Mac and Linux users already know, virtual desktops are great for those of us who open a lot of programs at once but want to keep things organized. Microsoft’s goal in creating virtual desktops was to: Give users more desktop space to group related windows Help users quickly locate and switch to any window or group of windows Allows users to re-organize groups and move windows as tasks evolve Windows Ink* Windows Ink* is a compelling feature that was introduced with the Windows* 10 Anniversary edition. The Windows Ink* Workspace provides a digital pen to make notes, edits, or even to create a sticky note. Windows Ink* also includes a sketchpad, screen sketch capabilities, as well as your favorite digital pen apps. Security Improvements Some have said that Windows* 10 is the most stable and secure OS from Microsoft to date. Security is a huge concern in today’s digital world, and Windows* 10 was built with security in mind. These security enhancements include: Windows Hello* Use Windows Hello* to log into your PC faster and more securely than before. Using the camera on your PC, Windows Hello* will recognize your face instantly and securely log you in. Or, you can use the fingerprint reader, which works the same way. Once you’ve enabled Windows Hello*, you can also use it with compatible apps, like Dropbox, so you can skip entering your password manually. Signing in is simply faster and safer. Windows Defender* Windows* 10 provides an entirely redesigned Windows Defender*, which helps guard your PC against malware and viruses. Windows Defender* runs in the background scanning files as you access them (and before you open them!). Windows Firewall* Windows Firewall* protects your network’s security by keeping hackers and malicious software from penetrating your PC. Windows Firewall* establishes a protective barrier between your PC and the hackers of the world. Great Gaming You could make a case that Windows* 10 was designed with gamers in mind. From support to DirectX 12 to providing new ways to game across devices, Windows* 10 provides great features and benefits for gamers of any skill level. DirectX 12 Using Windows* 10, games take advantage of the graphic fidelity of DirectX 12. DirectX 12 games use the full capabilities of your PC’s video hardware to deliver sharper visuals and improved performance. Xbox Play Anywhere Microsoft has just unveiled its new Xbox Play Anywhere solution. Now when you buy an Xbox Play Anywhere digital title, you can play it on your Xbox One and any Windows* 10 PC at no additional cost. Start a game, and then pick up where you left off, even on another device! You won’t lose any of your saves, add-ons, or achievements. Built-in Broadcasting Want to stream your domination to the world? No problem—Windows* 10 allows you to stream your game play using the Game Bar. Just hit the Windows key plus G. Click Broadcast and start streaming. What’s Not to Like? Windows* 10 is a solid choice for most users, providing great personalization features and interface improvements, as well as strong security features and gaming enhancements. So, what’s not to like? Well, there are some cases where upgrading to Windows* 10 might not be a high priority. Cost Microsoft released Windows* 10 as a free upgrade until July 29, 2016. If you upgrade now, you’ll pay the retail price (~$119). Windows Media Center* Windows Media Center* was designed to run as a full-screen media player and also support television channels (from tuners). Windows Media Center* has a loyal and devoted following, but it was phased out with the Windows* 10 upgrade. So, if your entertainment solution is built around Windows Media Center*, you’re probably better off sticking with your current Windows* OS until you can find a more viable option. Windows* 7 or 8 Enthusiasts With support extending until 2018 and 2020, both Windows* 7 and Windows* 8 are still favored by many users. If everything is working fine for you, and you prefer the design and UI of Windows* 7 or Windows* 8, there probably isn’t a need to upgrade right now. However, make sure you’re using adequate or additional security measures (Windows* 10 offers enhanced security features). Windows* 10: A More Powerful Upgrade So, what’s the answer? Should you upgrade to Windows* 10? For most PC users, the answer is yes. Secure and stable, Windows* 10 offers a powerful way to stay connected, productive, and entertained. Nerdcore Computers Author

Transferring files from PC to PC can be done quickly and securely without losing any data in the process. There's nothing more exciting than getting a powerful new computer that lets you zip through tasks, run new applications, and play games at astounding speed. However, there's nothing more daunting than realizing you have to move all your music, pictures, documents, and other files from your old computer to the new computer. Fortunately, you don't have to beg and bribe your friends to help with this moving day. There are a variety of ways to easily and safely share files and even move programs from your old computer to your new one while keeping your data safe. DIY Approach: Manually Transfer Files If you're a hands-on sort, one of the simplest ways to get your new computer loaded with all your files is to manually move them. There are a couple of ways to do this. For starters, plug your old computer into a USB flash drive or external hard drive, which typically can cost from $30 to several hundred dollars depending on the storage amount, speed, and functionality you need. Simply copy your files onto the external drive, eject the storage device, plug the storage device into the new computer, and then reverse the process to load the files onto it. Tip: Some computers have eSATA ports that are specifically designed for external hard drives and move data even faster than USB ports. If you don't want to purchase an external hard drive, you can also move and store your files into the cloud—using an Internet-based storage service such as Microsoft OneDrive*, Google Drive*, or Dropbox*. Again, just drop and drag your files from your old computer to the cloud service, and then drag-and-drop the files onto your new computer. These services are often free for a small amount of storage, and then charge a monthly subscription as your storage needs increase. Speed Things Along: Use a Transfer Cable If you find using cloud storage to be a time drag, or if you want to avoid a monthly subscription to cloud services, an alternative option is to move your files with a transfer cable. The cable plugs into a port on both your new computer and old computer. Typically, cables come with software that automates the transfer of files when upgrading from an older Windows* 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, or XP computer to a newer computer. A transfer cable works faster than an external hard drive, since the old computer connects directly to the new one while eliminating the middleman (the external drive). Nerdcore Computers Author

Buying a processor for a gaming rig isn’t as hard as it used to be. Now that AMD’s Ryzen and Intel’s 9th-gen Core CPUs come with more performance and cores than ever before, it’s hard to buy a stinker these days—especially because most games favor graphics firepower over CPU oomph. All that said, there are specific chips that stand out from the horde as the best gaming CPUs due to their price, performance, or nifty extras. Updated October 31, 2019 to include the Core i9-9900KS and new recommendations. Whether you’re on a budget or willing to pay for sheer face-melting speed, these are the best CPUs for gaming PCs that you can buy. Latest gaming CPU news It’s going to be a busy fall for PC processors. AMD delayed its 16-core, 32-thread Ryzen flagship, the $750 Ryzen 9 3950X, to November. Third-generation Threadripper processors will launch the same month, kicking off with a 24-core version. While AMD hasn’t said much else about Threadripper, we expect models with even more cores to appear once the sky-high demand for the company’s most expensive 7nm chips dulls, or supply increases. Intel isn’t sitting on its thumbs though. In addition to launching the Core i9-9900KS, the fastest CPU for gaming ever released with an all-core 5GHz boost, it’s also slashing prices in response to AMD’s awesome 3rd-generation Ryzen processors. It cut the cost of all F-series processors—Intel Core chips that lack integrated graphics—by $25, and announced that its next-gen “Cascade-X” Core-X series chips will launch at prices over 50 percent lower than those of its predecessors. While the 18-core Skylake-X flagship cost nearly $2,000, the new 18-core Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition chip is downright cheap at $979. The 10-core Core i9-10900X chip is a mere $590. The best gaming CPU for most people AMD Ryzen 5 3600X ($235 on Amazon) Intel’s ruled the gaming roost for seemingly time eternal, but in 2019, AMD seized the mainstream crown. Pound for pound, the Ryzen 5 3600X is the best gaming CPU for most people, and the best mid-range CPU period. While Intel removed Hyper-Threading from most of its mainstream Core lineup, leaving most of its Core i5 lineup with six cores and six threads, AMD bestows its Ryzen parts with simultaneous multi-threading, giving the six-core Ryzen 5 3600X a full twelve threads. That gives it a serious advantage in productivity workloads. But for the first time in recent memory, AMD’s mainstream chip outpunches its direct Intel rivals too. AMD infused its third-gen Ryzen chips with massive instructions-per-clock (IPC) improvements and faster clock speeds, with the 3.8GHz Ryzen 5 3600X capable of boosting up to 4.4GHz. Together, those gains help propel the 3600X past Intel’s Core i5-9600K in Tom’s Hardware’s testing, and the beloved Core i7-8086K in Tech Radar’s testing. Most AMD motherboards support overclocking for the adventurous if you want to try your hands at even better performance. You can find the Ryzen 5 3600X for $235 at Nerdcore Computers, down from a $250 launch price. Better yet, AMD tosses in three free months of Microsoft’s superb Xbox Game Pass for PC with every Ryzen purchase, and your choice of either The Outer Worlds or Borderlands 3. That’s a lot of free gaming goodness to go with a great gaming processor. Mentioned in this article If you want to spend a little less cash, or don’t mind overclocking, consider the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 instead. The non-X version costs $295 at Nerdcore Computers. It packs the same six cores and twelve threads but runs a little slower with a 3.6GHz base clock and 4.2GHz boost clock. The reduction in clock speeds drops the Ryzen 5 3600’s gaming performance a bit, with the chip trading blows with Intel’s Core i5-9600K in gaming benchmarks at TechSpot and GamersNexus, but it’s close. With AMD’s chip offering twice as many threads as Intel’s, and gaming performance so close, both sites give the Ryzen 5 3600 a hearty recommendation. By contrast, the Core i5-9600K costs $235 at Amazon. Most gamers should stick to the Ryzen duo. The best budget gaming CPU AMD Ryzen 3 3200G ($100 Nerdcore Computers) If you want a gaming CPU that won’t break the bank, look no further than the $100 Ryzen 3 3200G. The continuation of AMD’s “APU” strategy, this third-gen Ryzen chip blends four Ryzen CPU cores with eight of AMD’s powerful Radeon Vega compute units. The end result? A solid-performing chip that can play PC games without the need for a graphics card. It’s built using 12nm Zen+ cores rather than the 7nm Zen2 cores in other third-gen Ryzen processors, but the Ryzen 3 3200G should still deliver enough punch for basic gaming. Its predecessor, the Ryzen 3 2200G, handled e-sports titles like Fortnite, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Rocket League with ease and turned in surprisingly good frame rates even in AAA games like Destiny 2 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. You might need to alter some graphics settings and maybe dial the game resolution back to 720p for the best results, but you can get the vast majority of games running between 30 and 60 frames per second with some tinkering. The Ryzen 3 3200G should perform slightly better thanks to faster clock speeds. Its CPU cores are about 300MHz faster than the 2200G’s, while the integrated Radeon Vega GPU cores are about 150MHz faster. You can improve your gaming experience by pairing the chip with other hardware. For instance, an affordable FreeSync monitor such as the 21.5-inch, 1080p Acer SB220Q ($90 on Amazon) would smooth out tearing and stuttering, And because the chip uses your system RAM to feed the Radeon graphics, faster memory would help. Aim for 8GB of 2,933MHz or 3,200MHz RAM for best results, but lower speeds still work. Just make sure you get a dual-channel kit with two memory sticks, because single-channel nukes the gaming performance of Ryzen APUs. Mentioned in this article $238.00 Buy it At nerdcore computers Stepping up to the $245 Ryzen 5 3400G adds simultaneous multi-threading for 8 total CPU threads, faster speeds, and three additional Radeon Vega compute units for better gaming performance. Given the much higher cost, however, the Ryzen 3 3200G is a better pick for most people on a tight budget. If you’re buying a Ryzen APU, though, make sure your chosen motherboard includes an HDMI port. The best high-end gaming CPU Intel Core i9-9900KS ($670 on Nerdcore Computers) If you absolutely, positively need the fastest frame rates possible, price be damned, you’ll want Intel’s $513 Core i9-9900KS Special Edition. Well, theoretically $513. This limited supply chip shot up to $570 Nerdcore Computers on launch day and still sold out.

The 10th gen is here an every one is pleased to know that were one company that has all the cpu in stock. We can setup a powerful gaming or business machine for you. Get the best out of your technology. Product Collection 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors Code Name Products formerly Ice Lake Vertical Segment Mobile Processor Number i7-1065G7 Status Launched Launch Date Q3'19 Lithography 10 nm Recommended Customer Price$426.00 Performance # of Cores 4 # of Threads 8 Processor Base Frequency 1.30 GHz Max Turbo Frequency 3.90 GHz Cache 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache Bus Speed 4 GT/s TDP 15 W Configurable TDP-up Frequency 1.50 GHz Configurable TDP-up 25 W Configurable TDP-down Frequency 1.00 GHz Configurable TDP-down 12 W Supplemental Information Embedded Options Available No Memory Specifications Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 64 GB Memory Types DDR4-3200, LPDDR4-3733 Max # of Memory Channels 2 ECC Memory Supported ‡ No Processor Graphics Processor Graphics ‡ Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics Graphics Base Frequency 300 MHz Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency 1.10 GHz Graphics Output eDP/DP/HDMI 4K Support Yes, at 120Hz Max Resolution (HDMI 1.4)‡ 4096 x 2304 Max Resolution (DP)‡ 5120 x 3200 Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)‡ 5120 x 3200 DirectX* Support 12 OpenGL* Support 4.5 Intel® Quick Sync Video Yes # of Displays Supported ‡ 3 Device ID 0x8A52 Expansion Options PCI Express Revision 3.0 Package Specifications Sockets Supported FCBGA1526 Max CPU Configuration 1 TJUNCTION 100°C Package Size 50mm x 25mm Advanced Technologies Intel® Deep Learning Boost (Intel® DL Boost) Yes Intel® Optane™ Memory Supported ‡ Yes Intel® Speed Shift Technology Yes Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost No Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ‡ 2.0 Intel® vPro™ Platform Eligibility ‡ No Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ‡ Yes Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ‡ Yes Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) ‡ Yes Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT) ‡ Yes Intel® TSX-NI No Intel® 64 ‡ Yes Instruction Set 64-bit Instruction Set Extensions Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512 Idle States Yes Thermal Monitoring Technologies Yes Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP) No Security & Reliability Intel® AES New Instructions Yes Secure Key Yes Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX) Yes with Intel® ME Intel® OS Guard Yes Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡ No Execute Disable Bit ‡ Yes Intel® Boot Guard Yes Nerdcore Computers 10 th generation of cpu more power for everyday use

Computer or Laptop Making Strange Noises Is your machine making a strange whirring noise? It might be a fan dying. Computers accumulate dust over time, and when fans get clogged, they can slow down, decreasing their effectiveness and making an unpleasant grinding sound. Another common computer problem is the dreaded "click" of a dying hard drive — one of the most potentially destructive PC problems there is. If you hear a rapid clicking or clunking noise inside your computer, it's best to get a backup plan in place, if you don't already have one — chances are your hard drive is close to dying and taking all your valuable data with it. Then again, it may be a loose component or screw inside the machine. Either way, don't ignore it. Computer or Laptop Overheating Dying fans, poor ventilation, or even heavy use can create computer problems as the PC heats up. Most computers are designed to shut down when things get too hot, as a precaution against permanent hardware damage, but it can be pretty alarming when a machine just switches off seemingly out of nowhere. Overheating can cause all sorts of other computer problems. Overheating can cause mouse glitches, strange performance in software, or lockups, while an overheating video card can cause the display to momentarily fail. Computer or Laptop Running Slow - Poor Performance When you delete files and applications from the computer, all kinds of junk can get left behind. Useless files and data can accumulate and degrade system performance. Ironically, antivirus and anti-malware software, while vital to the health of a computer, can slow down a PC's performance. Low hard drive space or not enough RAM in the machine can also cause computer errors and slow down the machine. Computer or Laptop Lockups and Freezes The infamous "blue screen of death" (BSOD) has frustrated many a user, as it brings the computer to a halt and displays an error message that's utterly indecipherable to most computer users. Lockups can be caused by any number of issues — sometimes it's buggy software, or a system running out of memory. Sometimes it's a bad hardware driver causing the issue. More seriously, it can be a sign of overheating, RAM going bad, or the hard drive failing. Components get loose inside the machine and can also cause computer errors, sudden lockups, or even spontaneous shutdowns. When your PC or Laptop wont start, runs so slowly or dies completely Contact Us we have a full workshop to repair most makes and model of desktops and laptops. We can replace your laptop screen, remove spyware/malware, reinstall a fresh operating system or restore your data and lost files with ease. Email Us: info@nerdcore.com.au Laptop Repair Laptop Screen Repairs & Replacements Computer Repair Desktop Computers Laptop Repair Laptops PC Repair Apple MAC's Laptop Screen Repairs Tablets Computer Repair We can come to your home or office and repair your computers on site or we can collect them and bring them back to our fully maintained workshop to completely refurbish and restore your computer and files back to a near new condition. If you have lost files or photographs and fear that you have lost them we have software that will allow us to get them back for you. Simply close your computer or laptop and Contact Us Immediately so we can restore those "lost" files and photographs Our rates are very competitive and we charge $140 per hour for all work done inside our workshop. All work done on your worksite or at your home then we charge $120 per hour for our technicians to come to you. All parts and software that we need to use will be at costs to you as discussed at the time of repair. Call our 24/7 Tech Support Number for an immediate response: (03) 86897974 Email Us: info@nerdcore.com.au You can request a call back or collection by filling out the Contact Us form on the right hand side of this page. Head Office: 3A Willesden Road Hughesdale Victoria 3166 Australia

We work very hard to make sure that every customer gets the service they pay for thats why we are listed in many sites. The site we want to talk about is word of mouth. Here we have established 60 positive reviews with engaging content an fun reviews to read. So i am just quickly writing this blog to let you know that you can rely on other websites to also get great feedback from. Friendly & Helpful - Computer help without the techno jargon, seriously! We're clean and only visible when needed, and leave when our job is done so you can get yours done. While we're there we'll take note of the details of your office technology setup so we'll be even better prepared for future visits or your requests concerning upgrades and new products that will help with your current setup. Our repair process is state of the art booking system were every job logged is monitored by a closing log ticket. Each technician monitors the job right through to the very end making sure that everything is completed and you get the best customer service experience. We follow up on every job we do, we educate our customers through the process of repairing any devices or ongoing project that requires updates to your personal or managers. Personality Professionally Qualified - We're computer networking consultants, firewall, disaster recovery, desktop support technicians, and professional computer programmers. We help growing businesses and home users successfully and securely maintain computer networks, desktops and firewalls. As your "Part-Time IT Department" Nerdcore delivers on-demand, on-site computer and network services that are convenient and reliable and very cost effective. Rest assured every onsite service is backed by our work satisfaction guarantee and 30 days warranty. We come to you in Melbourne an right across Victoria within hours to resolve your issues.

Microsoft and the US government are asking patch management vendors and end-user organizations to share their experiences about how to swiftly patching security flaws and explain learnings from past failures. Microsoft is encouraging all patch management vendors and Windows customers to reach out to the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) for help to solve challenges around patching security flaws in the face of rapidly spreading malware outbreaks . The joint effort is partly inspired by the devastating NotPetya attack that relied on exploits for the same flaws Microsoft rushed out patches for in response to WannaCry, which happened a few months earlier in May 2017. “We were particularly concerned with why patches hadn’t been applied, as they had been available for months and had already been used in the WannaCrypt worm—which clearly established a ‘real and present danger’,” said Mark Simos, a lead cybersecurity architect at Microsoft’s cybersecurity solutions group. Microsoft issued patches for the NSA-developed EternalBlue flaws in March 2017 in the security bulletin MS17-010. NotPetya began spreading in June 2017, causing over $1 billion in damages to several global firms, including shipping giant Maersk, despite raised awareness of the EternalBlue exploit due to WannaCry. The infections spread rapidly, catching many organizations off guard and leaving them with huge bills linked to production downtime and IT cleanups. While everyone assumes patches can and should be deployed as quickly as possible, not all organizations have the resources to do so. Microsoft surveyed 845 IT pros a few months after NotPetya and found that about 80% believed they could patch workstations and servers within 30 days. But NotPetya demonstrated that when faced with rapid cyberattack, patch management in practice might not have been so good. Microsoft recommends organizations apply patches on all systems within 30 days, validating backups and reducing broad permissions within 90 days, and disabling unneeded legacy protocols in the quarter after and beyond, such as the SMBv1 network sharing protocol. Microsoft says vendors should contact NIST at cyberhygiene@nist.gov if they have “technology offerings to help with patch management (scan, report, deploy, measure risk, etc). It also wants end-user organizations and individuals to share “lessons learned from a successful enterprise management program (or lessons learned from failures, challenges, or any other situations)” with NIST. Simos frames the program as "patching for social responsibility”, which is a fair description given the economic losses caused by both attacks. WannaCry cost the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) £92 million (AUD$170 million), consisting of £19 million in downtime during the attack and £73 million in IT costs, which mostly occurred in the cleanup. The project is “kicking off soon”, according to Simos, and will build “common enterprise patch management reference architectures and processes, have relevant vendors build and validate implementation instructions in the NCCoE lab.” The results will be shared in the NIST Special Publication 1800 practice guide, allowing all organizations to benefit from the shared input. There were two surprise questions that prompted Microsoft to contribute to this project with NIST. These were: What sort of testing should they be doing when testing patches? And how fast should systems be patched? “This articulated need for good reference processes was further validated by observing that a common practice for “testing” a patch before a deployment often consisted solely of asking whether anyone else had any issues with the patch in an online forum,” explained Simos. Additionally, major digital transformation projects over the past decade have made large organizations -- and the people who depend on those services -- much more dependent on technology working. Nerdcore Computers Author

Firmware is the soft underbelly of Windows 10 security, but Microsoft has devised a plan to protect PCs from advanced persistent threat (APT) attackers who attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in firmware from Dell, HP and other OEMs across chipsets from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. Microsoft’s new “secured-core” project aims to deliver real-world protections against the very real threat posed by state-sponsored hacking groups like APT28 aka Fancy Bear, which was recently pegged for using the first known example of a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) rootkit to target Windows PCs. The appeal of the firmware-level malware is that it will still remain on a system after a reboot, offering attackers a persistent presence on systems in the face of usual procedures to remove malware. Microsoft’s technology will be of interest to any organization that could be targeted by APT28, who past victims include the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The company’s initiative attempts to bring to the diverse Windows hardware ecosystem what Apple delivers to the enterprise with its T2 security processor and Google has done in its Titan chip for Pixel smartphones. But while Apple and Google can exercise control over their own hardware products — as Microsoft can with its Surface line of PCs — the firmware challenge is different for the diverse range of hardware that runs alongside the Windows operating system. Interestingly, it’s Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console that has informed its new approach to hardware-level security and the defenses it wants to create for all Windows OEMs. Like Macbooks and Pixel hardware, the Xbox is vertically integrated technology that Microsoft controls. “Google has done it with the Pixel and their Titan chip. The thing that makes Microsoft attractive to a lot of our customers is that they have a variety of hardware to choose from. And we don’t want to lose that. That’s part of the value of the Microsoft ecosystem,” David Weston, partner director of Windows security at Microsoft told CSO Online. “We’ve done it on Xbox where we control the hardware and that’s similar to the Apple model and so how do we scale that out to deliver the same advanced security protections through hardware? And that’s where Microsoft is working with hardware and silicon providers to bring that. And we’re doing that across an enormous amount of devices,” he added. The outcome is Windows Defender System Guard and Secured-core PC devices, which requires users have updated firmware, as well as configure the Windows 10 machines with the strictest security protections. But it does present security conscious organizations with a new option to lock down PCs with a high risk profile. “The reason this is exciting is because we worked with the manufacturers to enable this. The really cool thing about this is that beyond performance and compatibility testing, they’re not only beautiful like the HP Dragonfly, but you don’t lose performance or have any user friction,” said Weston. In other words, the user isn’t meant to notice these additional security measures, however security operations teams should be able to since they can, using System Guard, remotely monitor PCs and check for firmware attacks. The key benefit is that the technology removes firmware from the boot process. It will be available with version 1909, the soon-to-be-released November 2019 Update. It will also only be available on new devices and there are no plans to update existing hardware. The first device that will ship with the technology is the Arm-based Surface Pro X tablet. According to Microsoft, System Guard uses the “Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement” (DRTM) in new silicon from AMD, Intel, and ARM to start hardware and then “re-initialize the system into a trusted state by using the OS boot loader and processor capabilities to send the system down a well-known and verifiable code path.” The process  mechanism restricts firmware and thus mitigates firmware-level attacks as well as protecting processes shielded by Microsoft’s virtualization-based security (VBS). “VBS then relies on the hypervisor to isolate sensitive functionality from the rest of the OS which helps to protect the VBS functionality from malware that may have infected the normal OS even with elevated privileges. Protecting VBS is critical since it is used as a building block for important OS security capabilities like Windows Defender Credential Guard which protects against malware maliciously using OS credentials and Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) which ensures that a strict code integrity policy is enforced and that all kernel code is signed and verified.” Nerdcore Computers Author

The Pros and Cons of Cloud vs in house servers When your business needs to decide which server is best for your business, there is a lot of information to consider. The two most popular options include in house servers (sometimes called dedicated servers) and cloud servers. While they perform similar basic functions to store, share and protect information and data, there are key differences in user experience, implementation time and cost. If your business has outgrown the in house server and you want to replace or upgrade it, now may be a good time to consider moving to a cloud server OR If your business is expanding to different locations or countries, adopting cloud technology from the start may be a better option than an in house server. What are the pros and cons of in house servers for businesses? When you’re considering the pros and cons of in house servers for your business, it’s important to also have a business continuity plan in place if the server fails. Businesses that aren’t dependent on uptime are often more suited to in house servers than businesses that rely on online transactions. Historically small and medium businesses have chosen in house servers over cloud servers for file sharing, to host applications including email and software. Now the cloud is a more viable option for small and medium businesses, there are still some who prefer in house servers because they have total control over it. It’s important to note however that in house servers can require substantial initial capital investment for software and equipment. In house servers can also be developed to meet the changing needs of your business. It’s important to note that your business will need to have a dedicated IT manager to maintain it and ensure it is secure at all times which can be expensive. The pros of in house servers include: Having physical control over your back upBeing able to keep critical data and information in house with no 3rd party access available No requirement for an Internet connection to access the data Can be more cost effective for some small and medium businesses The cons of in house servers include: Sizeable capital investment required for infrastructure and hardware Dedicated IT support required with a dedicated space needed for the in house server Being more susceptible to data loss during disaster situations. This will be dependent on how often data is stored securely offsite.No recovery time or uptime guarantees What are the pros and cons of cloud servers for businesses? Cloud servers for small and medium businesses offer advantages over in house servers but also some drawbacks. If your business has numerous virtual and remote employees and you don’t want to manage an in house server, a cloud server will be beneficial. Cloud servers are easily scalable and give businesses the flexibility to meet changing demands, without hefty investment. You’ll need to budget for monthly hosting fees, but won’t have to be concerned about the security of your data and information. The pros of cloud servers include: No requirement capital expenses or onsite hardware. This usually suits organisations that outgrow data storage quickly.Storage can be easily added when needed with most cloud solution providers charging you only what you need.Easy and efficient to backup and restore from anywhere, using any device including computers, tablets, or smartphones.Data losses can be minimised by having data backed up to the cloud as regularly as 15-minute intervals. The cons of cloud servers include: If your business isn’t dependent on uptime and instant data recovery, the costs could outweigh the benefits.There is a limit to how much data can be stored in the cloud, which depends on cost and storage availability.You will have no access to any data or information if the Internet goes down at your business or at the cloud provider’s side.If full data recovery is required, it can be time-consuming and impact heavily on your business. Could hybrid cloud be the best option for your business? A hybrid cloud is a combination of in house and cloud based server solutions, which gives businesses the best of both worlds. With the ability to have multiple configurations a hybrid cloud can be: Dedicated servers integrated with public cloud storage Private cloud servers integrated with public cloud servers Businesses who use a hybrid cloud can quickly extend their processing power. For instance, larger analytical and processor intensive tasks can be sent to the public cloud while the in house server can be used for critical tasks. This appeals to organisations that value keeping sensitive data and information private but need extra processing power via the cloud. For businesses that have short-term peak loads for processing, using a hybrid cloud can be more cost effective than upgrading their servers because they only pay for the cloud resources they use. Upgrading servers for a few peak periods a year can be expensive and if they’re under utilised, be a waste of resources. Since 2002, Nerdcore Computers has helped thousands of Australian businesses with data storage and information processing solutions. Our team of IT specialists and networking professional’s work closely with public cloud providers. We can engineer your hybrid cloud to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Azure, AWS and Datto. Where to get the best server solution for your small and medium business When you’re trying to decide between in house servers, cloud servers and hybrid servers for your business, it’s important to choose a solution that fits your business needs now and in the future. Since 2002, Nerdcore Computers has helped thousands of small and medium Australian businesses with their server solutions. As one of Australia’s largest privately owned telecommunications companies, our highly trained and experienced team of IT specialists are here to help you. Call us today. 1300 637 326

Harness the Power of Cloud Services Boost efficiency, slash costs and shore up security with cloud IT solutions for all your business needs. We can help your business select, implement, migrate and support best-in-class cloud IT services. Use the same cloud IT services that over 75% of Fortune 500 companies and top universities use. With Google Apps for Business or Hosted Microsoft Exchange, you get the world’s best IT services for email, calendar, documents, contacts and more. Email is your business’s most important communications platform. To keep your competitive edge, you need to protect your employees’ productivity, manage their mailboxes efficiently and encrypt messages containing personal, confidential and trade secret information. Without a solid email management plan in place, your business is vulnerable to multiple, significant risks. Nerdcore Computers is here to help Business-Grade Email Email is your business’s most important communication tool. Smart email management includes safeguards to protect your employees’ productivity, manage mailboxes efficiently and encrypt messages containing personal, confidential and trade secret information. Use the same email services that over 75% of Fortune 500 companies and top universities use. With Google Apps for Business or Hosted Microsoft Exchange, you’ll get the world’s best email, calendar, and contact systems. Access Data Anywhere With the power of the cloud, you can have access to business data anywhere you go, on any mobile device. We can set up and help manage this type of mobile, cloud-based data sharing. We can also incorporate powerful productivity features on mobile phones, tablets and guest machines. Email Archiving & Retention Don’t take risks with legally binding communications. Take control of business email with advanced tools for email retention and archiving from Nerdcore Computers. You control email retention policies for legal purposes, you keep a copy of all email—even if an employee deletes it—and you legally own all content. Access from Mobile Devices Take full advantage of mobile devices—even employee-owned devices—with mobile access and sync tools from Nerdcore Computers. Access cloud-based email, calendar, contacts, documents and even applications from anywhere. Email IT Service Setup & Migration Ready to upgrade to world-class email IT service? Our IT specialists will consult with you on your needs, set up a best-fit IT services plan for your business, migrate all of your existing business data and assist each user with access, configuration and training. Cloud Server Consultation Meet with an expert cloud IT specialist to determine which IT systems are right for your company. Compare the benefits of popular IT services and understand their differences. We can explain all the features, benefits, pros and cons in plain English. Understand Cloud Costs We help you compare the cost of cloud IT services to traditional in-house servers. We use a multi-year model to compare the true cost of cloud subscriptions to hardware purchase and maintenance.

Backup is Crucial for any Business Whether you run a medical office, ad agency, legal practice or clothing boutique, data backup is crucial. Smart data solutions from Nerdcore Computers protect your data and deliver peace of mind. Whether you’ve already experienced a hard drive or system failure or you’re thinking proactively about implementing regular, continual backups to protect your business, we can help. We’re a top provider of data recovery and data backup for small and mid-sized businesses Australia Melbourne Victoria. Data Recovery & Continuity If you’ve ever experienced a data loss scenario, chances are, you never want to go through it again. Whenever a system crashes or your network goes down, business operations can be brought to a standstill. We offer monitored backup solutions and provide data recovery service to people and businesses to help prevent a data loss “worst-case scenario.” Business Continuity With proper backup planning and strategy, data recovery will never be needed. Not sure how vulnerable you are to data loss? We’re happy to assess your risk and provide you with a comprehensive solution to regularly and systematically back up your business’s data. Nerdcore Computers

Workstation & User Support You pay good money to hire great people. Now, give your employees workstations that really work—ensuring maximum up time and peak productivity. Support for Your Users & Workstations Our expert IT specialists and our deep familiarity with industry-leading tools mean we can effectively support your users and workstations—remotely, at your site or at our office Shop 3a Willesden road Hughesdale. We’re here to provide the updates, patches and backup assistance when your workstations need it. And when it’s time to repair or replace your workstations or IT systems, we can recommend new equipment and oversee your business’s transition from old to new technology. Updates & Patch Management It’s a challenge to keep track of un patched vulnerabilities due to lack of time, the sheer volume of software releases, a lack of resources or even the bandwidth required for implementation. The solution? Outsource patch and update management to the team at Progressive Tech to ensure that all your systems and apps are always updated and secure. Workstation Management & Maintenance When it comes to workstation management and maintenance, you need peace of mind. Rest assured that our team of IT specialists constantly checks all of your IT systems and infrastructure to ensure everything is fully functional at all times. We receive automatic alerts for most common issues and can solve many problems before they ever interrupt workflow. Security & Backup Strategy Keep your workstations secure and protected from viruses, prying eyes or thieves by ensuring that your business-critical files are safe from crypto-malware, accidents or malicious attacks. Sleep well knowing that all of your IT systems are automatically backed up and verified regularly by Progressive Tech. Workstation Upgrades & Replacements Unlike many other IT support providers, we only advise replacements or upgrades that make sense for you and your budget. We also offer repair options for out-of-warranty and older equipment—something you don’t often find with other IT support providers. When it’s time for new IT systems, we’ll make the transition seamless by helping you select the right equipment and working to ensure minimal user impact. Nerdcore Computers 3A Willesden Road Hughesdale Victoria 3166

Managed IT Support Are you troubleshooting the same problems again and again? Stay open for business with our managed IT services and support. We understand how important it is for your business’s IT systems to run reliably and efficiently. Downtime equals lost sales, lost productivity and lost customer goodwill and trust. Find out how our managed IT support plans smash IT problems and keep your business running smoothly. A great managed IT services and support plan goes beyond just minimizing downtime; it helps you understand and maximize the value of your technology. With our team of IT specialists on your side, you’ll be in a position to realize the full return on your investment in IT systems. What exactly are Managed IT Services? Managed IT means hiring an IT support provider to take ownership and management duties over the entire IT infrastructure of your business for a flat monthly fee. To ensure your flat-fee, customized IT support plan delivers the most value and functionality from your IT systems, we provide your business with: Reliable, up-to-date, fast and fully functional IT systems Monitoring and alerting on health of all covered IT systems Patch management and anti-virus management Continuous backup monitoring and alerting Prioritized response time for managed IT services clients Discounted labor rates for managed IT services clients Options for emergency, weekend and after-hours IT support Nerdcore Computers

Stop struggling with tech problems and free yourself to focus on running your business. Find out how we prevent tech problems and ensure your business always runs smoothly. Top-Rated Business IT Support Want to know why so many businesses in Victoria Melbourne area are choosing Nerdcore Computers for all their daily business IT needs? Our focus is on creating lasting relationships with our clients through flexible policies, superior IT service, competitive rates and a full staff of expert IT specialists. We offer an unrivaled array of IT services, including managed IT services, plans, as-needed IT support and special tech projects. Seven days a week, right from our Seattle-based office, we deliver: Flexible IT services and pricing tailored for each business Commitment to build and maintain lasting relationships Focus on value, no pushy sales tactics Friendly, veteran IT specialists If your business IT solution—or lack thereof—is keeping you up at night, we should talk. It’s time to think proactive, be productive, get Progressive. Nerdcore computers

Solid-state drives consist of a series of flash memory chips assembled to act as a single storage device. Manufacturers have offered SSDs since the 1980s, but significant price decreases have made the technology much more affordable for consumers over the past decade. As leading SSD recovery specialists, we regularly invest in technology research and development. Our engineers have years of experience with NAND flash technology, and we can provide data recovery services for all SSD and SSHD brands. With specialized flash recovery tools and the industry's best set of certifications, you have access to a fast way to recover from any type of unexpected SSD data loss. Contact us today to set up a free evaluation. Common Causes of Solid-State Drive Data Loss Many computer users assume that solid-state drives cannot crash or suffer other issues commonly associated with traditional hard drives. While solid-state drives have no moving components, they have a number of sensitive electronic components that can sustain damage and fail for a variety of reasons. The good news is that most of these issues do not cause permanent damage, but data recovery specialists need a special set of tools to successfully perform SSD repairs. Secure Data Recovery Services operates the industry's only certified Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanroom, which allows our engineers to perform safe physical repairs, and we have developed an extensive set of flash data recovery tools to provide the best possible results for our clients. Solid-state drives can lose data due to: Physical or Electronic Component Damage File Corruption Caused by Software or Operating System Issues Bad Sectors Memory Wear Caused by Excessive Overwrites Accidental File Deletion Damage from Viruses, Trojan Horses and Other Malicious Programs Fires, Floods and Other Natural Disasters Solid-state drive failures can catch you off guard, and you face serious consequences when data loss occurs. We offer several service options to help you manage turnaround times and data recovery costs, and unlike many other providers, we will never void your warranty while providing our services. We offer a full no recovery, no charge policy for all SSD and SSD RAID data recovery services. What to Do When a Solid-State Drive Fails If your solid-state drive loses data, keep it turned off. While an SSD cannot sustain physical component damage during operation, it can overwrite files, contributing to corruption and reducing your chances of a successful recovery. Solid-state drives can also suffer from memory wear or other physical issues, and by keeping your drive powered off, you maintain your media in its original condition. Never use data recovery software or disk utilities on your solid-state drive, as these programs can contribute to flash media issues by writing data to your disk. We can provide a free solid-state drive data recovery evaluation through any of our offices. Our experts will determine whether your drive has recoverable data and provide a price quote and turnaround estimate. Security Credentials and Advanced SSD Repair Technology Because we specialize in solid-state drive data recovery, we can successfully treat the vast majority of cases. We maintain a 96 percent overall success rate, and our talented engineering teams always work to find creative solutions to media failure issues. With the use of strict security controls and advanced networks we can guarantee your confidentiality. We hold a number of compliance certifications to demonstrate the effectiveness of our security systems, and reputable third-party companies regularly audit our facilities. You can learn more about our all of our certifications through the menu above. When you need a dependable, trustworthy provider with experienced solid-state drive repair experts, Secure Data Recovery Services can help. By maintaining state-of-the-art facilities, we offer the industry's best services for solid-state disk drives and hybrid drives of all sizes. To set up a free evaluation or for more information regarding our solid-state drive data recovery services, contact our 24/7/365 customer service team today.

Hard Drive Recovery Services Our technology allows us to perform data recovery on hard drives of all types, regardless of physical size or issue. Here are some types of common hard drives that we can recover from: All hard drives are treated with the same certified technology, and our data recovery engineers follow strict security procedures to protect recovered data from unauthorized access. When it comes to recovering data from a failed hard drive Nerdcore Data Recovery Services maintains high overall success rates of over 96 percent. We Work With All Hard Drive Operating Systems We currently provide hard drive data recovery services for all operating systems. Operating system can affect the logical (non-physical) portion of the data recovery process, and we employ a team of skilled software technicians to treat every case as effectively as possible. Apple Nerdcore Data Recovery Services employs Apple Certified Mac Technicians (ACMTs) to safely recover files from all types of Mac OS devices. Microsoft Our hard drive data recovery services provide an excellent resource for Microsoft Windows users, and cutting-edge technology ensures dependable results for all versions of the operating system. Linux Linux systems require dedicated attention, especially when file corruption and other logical issues occur. We support every Linux distribution along with other Unix operating systems. Our technicians have experience with every operating system that is available on hard drives. We can find appropriate solutions for any type of physical or logical hard drive failure. Our R&D team creates all of our software and hardware tools in lab, which allows us to recover your hard drive and give you fast results with unequaled security. We Work With All Hard Drive Manufacturers Nerdcore Data Recovery Services provides options for all hard drive brands, and our services never void your active product warranties. As a recognized leader in our industry, we are recognized by many of the world's most popular hardware vendors. Ask a member of our team how to submit your warranty after data recovery is performed on your hard drive. Seagate We are a Seagate Data Recovery Partner, and our verification gives you peace of mind as your case progresses. View this page for our partner certificate and more information. Western Digital This page showcases our options for Western Digital hard drive owners. We maintain a partnership with Western Digital and offer customer-focused services with special discounted rates. Toshiba Nerdcore Data Recovery Services is a Toshiba Registered Business partner, and we support all Toshiba devices including hard drives, solid-state drives and servers. Samsung We are a Samsung Registered Business partner and offer simple warranty-safe data recovery options for all Samsung product owners. Our services include hard drive data recovery, flash media recovery and more. We also support other hard drive brands not listed above. Our large onsite hardware library allows for efficient and dependable results, and every case is treated with appropriate security controls to provide a private experience. Tips for Increasing Your Hard Drive Recovery Success Rate If your hard drive is exhibiting any of the failure signs below, follow the tips to increase your chances of a full recovery. Clicking, Whirring, or Grinding Noises - immediately power down the device Water Damage - remove the battery and other memory chips from the device and let it dry out. Fire Damage - do not use the drive or attempt to open it up Deleted or missing files - do not use the drive and turn it off to avoid overwriting information. Do not open the hard drive to attempt a DIY recovery as you could cause irreversible damage and render your files unrecoverable. Call a professional data recovery company with proper security certifications and a Cleanroom facility for recovery.

The cloud is supposed to be about convenience. But if you’re trying to access files quickly, remote data storage often disappoints. For file copying speed, even the best online backup options can’t outpace a good local backup solution. For businesses, that means faster disaster recovery, faster collaborations and fewer headaches. Forget about single-disk external drives, too. Local storage options today are both powerful and reasonably inexpensive, making it a perfect time to implement a more advanced hybrid backup strategy for your business. During this overview, we’ll be noting some of the best servers for business with an with an eye towards affordability.  Our top options include the Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 and the Dell PowerEdge T30. Beyond that, unless you’re ready to spend bigger, we recommend going the NAS server route, and our final three picks reflect that recommendation. What Makes a Server the Best for a Small Business? Finding an inexpensive server these days isn’t hard. Finding an inexpensive server that’s actually good is little trickier. The market is forever in flux and opinions vary wildly, but the five best server options listed below will all work nicely toward evolving your business’s backup plan. There are a few criteria we looked for when making our picks. One of the most important is at least four hard-drive bays. The reason we encourage four bays is that’s how many you need to setup RAID 5 and maintain decent storage capacity. RAID 5 both stripes data across multiple drives for performance and keeps parity data so that if one drive fails, you don’t lose anything. We also favor servers that support SSDs (solid-state drives). SSDs have fewer moving parts than traditional mechanical hard drives (HDDs). They’re both considerably faster and less prone to breaking. Granted, SSDs are also considerably more expensive, too, so you many want to stick to HHDs and upgrade later if needed. Some servers let you run both SSDs and HDDs simultaneously, so you can use an SSD for your OS and HDDs for other files. As far as CPUs, most low-cost options use the same processors you’ll find in laptops. Better, faster options uses high-performance processors designed for multi-threaded capabilities and reliability (like an Intel Xeon). We considered CPU and allotted RAM, too. Both will dictate how many simultaneous users you can have accessing your backup and drive other performance metrics. The Difference Between File Servers and NAS Devices Traditional file servers and NAS devices share many features. Most notably, both let business users on a network backup, store, share, edit and otherwise work with files. Usually, the biggest difference between servers and NAS devices is power, with servers having more of it thanks to more advanced hardware. Lower cost servers, however, and NAS devices are usually pretty comparable in that regard, which is why we include NAS devices in this article. Servers can also be used to run applications used by your office, including databases and email. NAS, not so much. In fact, servers are more configurable in general. They usually don’t even come preinstalled with an OS. That way, you can go with Windows Server, Linux Server or whatever other server OS you favor. On the other hand, most NAS devices come pre-configured with proprietary OS software. While less flexible, there’s definitely a speed advantage here. NAS devices can be set up and backing up files in a few minutes. Servers will take both more upfront work and more consistent monitoring. Ultimately, going with one or the other will depend on the needs of your business. Whichever you go with though, don’t dismiss the notion of also backing up your data to the cloud. Server Backup to the Cloud Here at Cloudwards.net, we tend favor a hybrid backup approach when it comes to storing business data. That’s to say, we suggest storing data both locally and in the cloud.  While servers are pretty convenient when it comes to speed, only storing data locally can lead to some big problems for your business. It’s because of this that most online backup experts endorse the 3-2-1 rule, or some variation of it. The basics of 3-2-1 are pretty simple: It’s always best to keep three copies of your data on at least two mediums, with one of those mediums offsite. The reason offsite copies of your business files are recommend is that fires, floods, viruses, accidents and other such problems are hard to guard against. Unless you’re building your own climate-controlled, secure offsite data center to host your server, keeping everything on a server without a fallback plan means putting your business at risk. Online backup is slow, but it also provides a level of data redundancy and security that’s hard to beat with an onsite server. Thanks to plenty of competition, you’ll find some pretty good prices on online backup, too. The top options you can read bout in our IDrive for Business review and CloudBerry Backup review. We have an article on the best server backup to help guide the way. Many of the same options can also be used to backup NAS devices. Or, you can check out another article we’ve penned dedicated specifically to finding the best online backup for NAS. Five Best Affordable Servers for Small Businesses Servers:Server Type:Approximate Price: Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 NAS$750 Dell PowerEdge T30 NAS$600 NetGear ReadyNAS 424 NAS$550 Synology DiskStation DS916 NAS$650 QNAP TS-453ANAS$1600 Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 Our first pick is a popular one: the ThinkServer TS140. Lenovo’s tower server is inexpensive and upgradeable, meaning it can grow along with your business.The TS140 comes with four empty 3.5” bays, which means it can support RAID 0, 1 and 5. You can mix and match SSDs and HDDs, too, if you want to cut costs by only using an SSD for your server OS. Base configurations are pretty minimal: dual Intel Core i3-4130 3.40GHz processors and 4GB DDR3 memory. However, you can opt for a higher-end model running with an Intel Xeon and 32GB of RAM if you’re don’t mind spending more. Or, you can upgrade later. Four PCIe slots open up additional expansion and upgrade options, including swapping your hard-interface from SATA to SAS, should that become a need. The TS140 already has an Intel HD Graphics 4400 card and a DVD-R optical drive. Model:TS140:TS140 (Intel Xeon): Approximate Price:$500$750 Bays:FourFour Processor:Core i3-4130Intel Xeon RAM:4GB DDR34GB DDR3 Another advantage in buying the TS140 is that it’s whisper quiet at just 26 decibels, so won’t disturb your while you work. If you ever decide to move onto a different server, you can also repurpose your TS140 into a pretty nice gaming rig. Granted, that might disrupt your work some. Now, let’s move onto the main event and take a look at the top five servers that are suitable for small businesses. The below list is not extensive; however, it contains my favorite server picks, considering the combination of features and low prices on offer here. Pros: Up to 16TB of storageUp to 32GB of RAMRAID 5 capableVery quietLow-energy consumptionFour PCIe slotsDVD-R driveIntel Graphics 4400 Cons: No hot swappingSlow base CPU Dell PowerEdge T30 LIke the TS140, Dell’s entry-level server comes in a tower case with room for upgrades. However, it’s base configuration also packs a bit more punch than our previous entry, seeing as it comes standard with a Intel Xeon 3.3GHz Quad Core processors and 8GB of RAM. There’s also a pretty affordable 16GB version. The T30 comes with a 1TB hard drive, but has space for up to four 3.5” HDDs or six 2.5” ones. That means you can support up to RAID 5 if that’s a business need. Four PCIe slots and six USB 3.0 ports will come in useful for expansions. ModelT30:T30 (16GB RAM): Approximate Price$450$600 Bays:FourFour Processor:Intel XeonIntel Xeon RAM:8GB16GB The unit is also compact and quiet, so should fit in the corner of your office nicely (just not by the water cooler). While not as popular as the TS140, the T30 certainly has better specs, minus the fact that it doesn’t come equipped with an optical drive or graphic card. Pros: Intel Xeon Quad CoreUp to 16TB of storageUp to 64GB of RAMRAID 5 capableWhisper quietLow energy consumptionFour PCIe slotsFix USB 3.0 slots Cons: No hot swappingNo graphics card Synology DiskStation DS916 The Synology DiskStation DS916 is our top recommendation for SMBs looking for a NAS device. It’s a bit pricey and if you’re looking to save, the DS216 is quite a bit less, but also only has two drives to the DS916’s four. That means the DS216 isn’t capable of RAID 5. The DS916 is and you can even scale it up to nine drives with Synology’s five-bay expansion unit, the DX513. Doing so would increase your storage capacity to 72TB. The base model comes with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, which you might want to upgrade. The quad-core, Intel Pentium N3710 processor should be plenty powerful enough, though. While you can store and stream HD movies if you want, there’s no question the DS916 is built with information technology needs in mind. A maximum of 200 users can use the DS916 at a time — a testament to the power of its hardware. Synology also uses an AES-NI hardware encryption engine to keep your files secure. The ability to read encrypted files at speeds of over 225 MBps and write them at over 209 MBps is another compelling reason why it might be beneficial to your business to keep files locally in addition to in the cloud. Model:DS216:DS916: Approximate Price:$350$550 Bays:TwoFour Bays:Intel Celeron N3060Intel Pentium N3710 RAM:1GB2GB Finally, Synology packages its NAS devices with some great apps that will appeal to business users. That includes mobile apps to connect to your NAS while on the move and a surveillance station app if you want to wire your office with IP cameras for that friendly, big brother feel. Pros: Fast to setupRAID 5Four baysMobile appsUp to 200 usersHot swapping Cons: Only 2GB RAM (upgradeable)Can’t install server OSOnly uses proprietary apps NetGear ReadyNAS 424 While we’d recommend the four-bay version of the NetGear ReadyNAS 420 series, as with the Synology DiskStation, there’s also a two-bay version if you don’t mind decreased capacity and data redundancy. Alternatively, you can can also pick up six-bay and eight-bay versions for a reasonable cost. For those looking for a little more power, there’s also a 520 and 620 series. The 420 series uses an Intel Atom dual core processor to keep things moving. The 520 and 620 series both use the Intel Xeon. Both higher-end models also support virtualization, which the 420 doesn’t. The ReadyNAS has some nice applications that make it a quick addition to your SMB network. That includes ReadyCLOUD to quickly set things up and remote management and monitoring apps. Model:422:424426:428 Approximate Price:$300$400$550$650 Bays:TwoFourSixEight Processor:Intel Atom Dual Core Intel Atom Dual Core Intel Atom Quad CoreIntel Atom Quad Core RAM:2GB2GB4GB4GB It can also automatically backup to several cloud storage options, including Amazon AWS, Google Drive and Dropbox if you’re looking to implement hybrid backup and don’t want to use a service like CloudBerry Backup. According to the specs, the ReadyNAS 424 can only support up to 40 concurrent users. However, that should be enough for most SMBs. Pros: Easy to setup Inexpensive Expandable to 9 bays RAID 5 Handy package center Up to 40 users Cons: Can’t install server OSOnly 2GB RAM (upgradeable)Media file transcoding can drain CPU QNAP TS-453A QNAP makes some of the most popular NAS devices for both home and business users — and makes a lot of them. For professionals, the QNAP TS-453A is our top pick, but there are a few different directions you could go in, including the higher-performance QNAP TVS-671. The TS-453A runs an Intel Celeron N3150 Quad Core 1.6GHz processor and comes standard with 4GB of DDR3L RAM, which you can bump to 8GB. This NAS also supports server virtualization, including VMWare and Hyper-V. According to QNAP it runs faster than our Synology recommendation, with speeds up to 412 Mbps even running AES-NI encryption. Dual HDMI outputs let you expand or mirror your storage locally. Model:TS-253A:TS-453A:TVS-671: Approximate Price$450$550$1600 Bays:TwoFourSix Processor:Intel Celeron N3150 Quad CoreIntel Celeron N3150 Quad CoreIntel i5 Quad Core RAM:4GB4GB8GB Best of all, if you’re looking to after-work karaoke parties for your business associates, the TS-453A is your machine thanks to QNAP’s Ocean KTV app.  In fact, it’s all around great media server, making it an ideal addition to your home theater setup, too. Pros: Easy to setup Server virtualization Very fast 4GB RAM (upgradeable to 8GB) RAID 5Hot swapping Cons: Bit expensive

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In most modern businesses in Australia, IT underpins all facets of operations. This includes the hardware and software that help our team get work done, and the communications services like the Internet, email and phone that connect you to your customers and suppliers. Despite the essential role these IT services play in contributing to your business’ ongoing success, not every organisation has the resources, capacity or expertise available to ensure that their technology and systems are running correctly to best support their operations. Our Managed IT solutions can help businesses in Sydney, Melbourne and the rest of Australia fill this gap. We go above and beyond to strengthen and further enhance your capabilities to take your business to a whole new level. Tailored IT Service Packages OUR IT PACKAGES Every business is different and requires a tailored IT Service based on your specific requirements. Whether you simply want someone to maintain your current IT and communications systems or you prefer fully outsourced IT, we have a package that will suit you. Compare Sustain Synergy Shield 24/7 infrastructure monitoring & reporting Proactive network maintenance schedule Industry leading tools and ticket management processes including customer portal Guaranteed response times - SLA measurement and management Expert and locally based service desk with unlimited IT support Regular scheduled visits by dedicated system administrators Network documentation including tailored procedures & forms Account management Fixed cost IT services Full time onsite IT engineer/s IT team management Strategic CIO service Tailored management reporting

In the past, companies had to invest significant resources to build the physical hardware infrastructure they need for their operations.The rise of Cloud computing means businesses today have far more flexibility, and are able to reduce their initial investment. Cloud solutions allow you to rent or purchase the servers, computing resources and storage space you need at the present time, and then expand your capacity as your business grows. Many Cloud vendors also provide Software as a Service (SaaS) that ensure efficient management of your system requirements. By partnering with Nerdcore Computers to design and implement the right Cloud systems for your business, you also benefit from our ongoing expertise and knowledge to maintain your systems to the highest standards. INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE (PUBLIC, PRIVATE & HYBRID CLOUD SOLUTIONS) Deciding on the most appropriate Cloud solution for your business can be challenging. Things to consider: Productivity requirements Security requirements Scalability and accessibility Cost The team at Nerdcore Computers takes the time to understand your business, then helps you select the most appropriate Cloud solution for your need. We also tailor solutions to ensure you get exactly what you need. Where do you see your business going? Nercdore Computers can assist you with all your computing requirements, providing the necessary capacity to help your business scale. Nerdcore Computers can ensure you get access to scalable public infrastructure at a cost-effective price. Need greater control or enhanced security? Nerdcore Computers can tailor a private Cloud solution to meet your needs. Need to balance scalability, security and control? A hybrid model will give you the scalability of public infrastructure, combined with the security and control of a private model. It’s a cost-effective option thanks to reduced hardware, software, cooling and power requirements. Whatever model you select, Nerdcore Computers will assist you to make the right decision. We will be there to provide you ongoing services, to ensure your Cloud solution remains relevant as your business requirements change. MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 Productivity applications are no longer software suites installed on individual terminals. With the Cloud-based Microsoft Office 365, you and your staff can access the entire suite of Microsoft products online, anywhere, anytime. The usual productivity tools – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBI, Outlook, Access, Skype, Teams – are now fully integrated, and your team can access all these productivity systems via the Cloud using a single password. By migrating your existing systems to Cloud-based Office 365, your team will be able to streamline collaboration, helping your business achieve full scalability as your business grows. Nerdcore Computers is a registered Silver Microsoft Partner, and will assist you with all aspects of setting up and configuring your Office 365 system. We will also take care of the detailed planning, collaboration and change management processes needed to smoothly migrate from your existing systems to Office 365. Let Nerdcore Computers take responsibility for the whole process, including the safe migration of data and email systems, and see how your business processes will be transformed. MICROSOFT AZURE Microsoft Azure is a suite of cloud computing systems used by enterprises and businesses to build, test, deploy and manage applications and services. If you are exploring how you can leverage Azure’s Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions, Nerdcore Computers has the expertise and insight to support and advise you on how your business can take advantage of what Azure has to offer. This support extends to execution – let Nerdcore Computers implement Azure systems for your business, enhancing how you function and helping you streamline your processes. CLOUD BACKUP & DISASTER RECOVERY Data ranks as one of the most valuable assets for any business, and safeguarding against data loss is critical. Cloud-based backup systems are one way to ensure the safety of your data in the event of system failures or catastrophes. With Nerdcore Computers, your data is backed up to specialist Cloud-based providers. This strategy offers far more flexibility and convenience than traditional offsite tape or USB drive backup systems. With our range of solutions, including Storage Craft’s Shadow Protect and Veeam Disaster Recovery, Nerdcore Computers guarantees: everything is fully backed-up and disaster recovery systems are in placeany accidentally deleted files can be recovered in minutesservers can be brought back online speedily to minimise any downtime to your operations. All backing up is done seamlessly without any interruption to your business.

Migrating to the Cloud is Simpler than you think Migrating your business communications to the cloud gives you fast, easy and effective access to your data and information. And while your business will save money and have less downtime, it can be confusing to know how it works. Put simply, the cloud is a number of servers in data centres that your business can use for data and information storage and software applications. These can include project management tools, email platforms and customer relationship management software. Your business bottom line will thank you after you migrate to the cloud as you only pay for the resource usage you require. This gives you ease of scalability and the ability for your team to work remotely, at different locations or from home. When you have an effective cloud migration strategy, migrating to the cloud is simpler than you think. The obvious benefits of migrating to the cloud include lower costs, availability, reliability, better disaster recovery and improved analytics. But there are other benefits to your business after you have migrated to the cloud. 1: Ease of workplace mobility for your team When your business uses cloud based communications systems, your team’s productivity and efficiency will increase. They will be able to access data and information applications in the cloud remotely, from home or overseas via any connected device. 2: Improved IT resources management Migrating your business to the cloud will free up your IT team’s time and allow them to focus on their primary role of contributing to projects that add value to the bottom line. When your business uses the cloud, your IT team won’t have to spend time maintaining serves, troubleshooting faulty applications or installing updates. 3: Reduced carbon footprint Have you ever considered how much energy onsite servers and offsite disaster recovery systems use? When your business uses the cloud, your server capacity easily scales to suit your current needs. Opening up new locations or scaling back to just one gets a whole lot easier when you use the cloud. What steps you need to take to migrate to the cloud Your cloud migration timeline needs to take into account several factors including how much IT function you want to migrate to the cloud and over what period of time. Nerdcore Computers expert cloud migration team can handle all aspects of migrating to the cloud. To ensure the best migration outcomes we suggest you use the following steps. Step 1 to migrate to the cloud: Consider your business strategy Having a detailed understanding of your financial and business drivers will help you get the best outcome. It is important to know what your business and IT goals are including your capital expenditure (CapEx) versus operating expenditure (OpEx) needs. Choosing a cloud provider that allows you ease of availability will keep your business agile and competitive. Step 2 to migrate to the cloud: Evaluate your current applications Before migrating to the cloud, it is important to identify any constraints of your current applications. Some applications may have legacy and/or compatibility issues, which may make need to be reconfigured before you migrate to the cloud. Step 3 to migrate to the cloud: Analyse and evaluate your business processes When your business migrates to the cloud there will be an impact on business processes. Determining which processes may be affected by operating technologies or legacy infrastructure can result in increased efficiencies after cloud migration. Step 4 to migrate to the cloud: Choosing the right cloud provider Over the past few years there has been a rapid growth in the number of companies providing cloud migration services. Before choosing one it is important to consider the following: How much experience they have with similar sized businesses Whether they are Australian based with access to 24/7, 365 days a year support How much technical and hands on operational expertise they have What happens during the migration process and how smooth will it be for your business. Nerdcore Computers can smoothly migrate your business communications to the cloud so you get: Virtual updates for all your communications Reduced IT costs with less complicated infrastructure Your data, video, voice and information safe with disaster recovery and cloud-hosted redundancies. What are the most popular cloud options? When it comes to choosing the right cloud service option for your business, it’s important to look at what the provider offers and how they best match your business needs. We suggest you consider scalability, database size and capacity demands. When you assess the costs of cloud computing, be sure to look for hidden charges for bandwidth, API calls, geographical location and messages sent. Nerdcore Computers expert cloud computing solution team can help you choose the right cloud computing option for your business. Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched in 2006 and offers a mix of platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and packaged software as a service (SaaS) offerings. The broad IT infrastructure services AWS provides include storage options, computing power and networking and databases. AWS has over 50 services that are easy to access with just a few clicks of your mouse. And if your business requirements change, AWS easily scales without upfront capital expenses. Some of AWS services include the following: Compute: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) offers virtual servers with varying capacities and sizes. Amazon EC2 Container Service and EC2 Container Registry allows you to use images and work with Docker containers on the AWS platform.Storage: Amazon Simple Storage Services (S3) offers scalable object storage for analytics, archives and data backup. Amazon Elastic File System provides managed cloud based file storage while Amazon Elastic Block Store offers block level storage to use with EC2.Data management and databases: Amazon Relational Database Service has options for SQL Server, Oracle, My SQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB and Amazon Aurora. Amazon DynamoDB manages NoSQL databases.Migration, hybrid cloud: AWS Migration Hub and EC2 Systems are some of the various tools to help your business migrate databases, servers, applications and data onto the AWS public cloud. Microsoft Azure is another cloud option that gives your business the freedom to manage, build and deploy applications on a global network with your preferred frameworks and tools. The hundreds of different services Microsoft Azure provides include databases, file storage, services for mobile and web apps and full virtual machines. Microsoft Azure allows your business to easily add cloud capabilities to your existing network via its platform as a service (PaaS) model. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is also available. Some of Microsoft Azure services include the following: SQL databases: Through managed SQL databases that easily scale, your business saves money on software, hardware and IT expertise. Virtual machines: Azure allows you to quickly create Linux or Microsoft virtual machines (VMs) in a matter of minutes. These VMs are cloud based and host services and apps as if they were in your own data centre. Azure Active Directory Domain services: Using the same technology as Windows Active Directory this service allows you to remotely manage and move security structures and authentication. Visual Studio team services: This add on service offers a complete application lifecycle management (ALM) solution in the Microsoft cloud. Your developers can track and share code changes, perform load testing, and deliver applications to production while collaborating in Azure from all over the world. The best Australian cloud migration team Nerdcore Computers Cloud Solutions help your business plug into the cloud with confidence. Our expert cloud migration team makes cloud migration simple. They handle it all including: Solution design Implementation Ongoing maintenance and support You also get a dedicated Account Manager with 100% Australian support 24/7, 365 days a year. Find out how migrating your business to the cloud is simpler than you think.

Why your Business needs Cloud Based Backup Systems Does your business use a cloud based backup system for reliable and secure data and information backups? With the rise of cyber-attacks, ransomware, failing servers and hardware, having a cloud-based backup system is critical if you want your business to stay secure and operational 24/7. The Wanna Cry Ransomware attacked thousands of businesses in over 150 countries. This was a wake-up call that preserving business continuity and protecting data needed more than just local device backups. If your business uses hard drive disks that aren’t backed up to the cloud you risk business continuity problems if IT incident occurs. Could your business withstand the pressures and inconvenience of losing data through a natural disaster, equipment failure, accidental deletion or cyber-attack? Would you be able to make up for lost business opportunities and disruptive delays? When your business has a cloud based backup solution, you get peace of mind that your data is securely and automatically maintained in the cloud. As your business expands and the amount of data you use grows, a cloud backup system makes it easy to add extra storage. What is a cloud based backup system? During the last few years, cloud backup systems have transformed the way business information and data is backed up and protected. Cloud backups store data on remote servers that are accessed via the Internet and are an excellent alternative to storing data onsite. They have replaced the need for in-house servers and hard-drive backups which have limited storage and security capabilities. When your business uses cloud backup services the capacity is easily scalable and you only pay for the amount you use. How cloud based backup systems safeguard your business from downtime Most businesses today depend on their databases, hardware and software to stay efficient and competitive. If an IT incident occurs and you can’t access files and data, the downtime has the potential to bring your business to a halt for hours, days or even weeks. And if your company can’t trade effectively because of an IT incident, it will lose money. December 2017 statistics show that the average hourly downtime cost of business servers being down was between $301,000 to $400,000. And with the average time of 7 hours to resume normal operations, the cost to your business after an IT incident occurs can skyrocket. The business ramifications of IT downtime go beyond financial costs. IT downtime also has the potential to: Damage brand reputation Affect business opportunities Lower employee morale Lose customer trust The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the mandatory Data Breach Notification in Australia means your business must make a public announcement if customer data is lost during downtime. This requirement can further impact customer trust and damage your business brand. Outages to your business IT can be unavoidable but if you are prepared you won’t have to experience downtime. Backing up your data is a good first step but it’s also important to have a reliable, quick solution to restore information. While your business continuity solution can use local backups, what would happen if the power fails or the device is destroyed? This is why storing your valuable business data and information in the cloud has become so necessary. But using only a cloud based back up system can be risky because: It can be hard to control the bandwidth reliability Data and information restores can be time consuming and difficult They can sometimes fail A hybrid-cloud solution negates the risk of only having your data stored in the cloud. Your data is first copied and stored on a local device, making it fast and easy to restore if something happens. This data is also replicated in the cloud so if the local device fails, your data will still be available. If an IT disaster does strike your business, a hybrid cloud solution ensures it can still continue operating. The Datto Hybrid Cloud Platform is a cost effective, seamless cloud based backup system. The top benefits of Cloud Backup Systems for your Business While cloud based backup solutions are a cost efficient, scalable and secure way to protect your business data, there are other benefits for your business. Key benefits of utilising cloud backup systems include the following: 1. Your business can recover data quickly and efficiently After your files and data are backed up in the cloud for the first time, you’ll be able to automate backup times so your data is synced and up to date. If you need to recover your business data from the cloud it’s a fast and straightforward process. 2. Cloud based backup systems relieve your IT headaches Relying on the cloud for your backup system means that your IT department won’t need to be concerned about managing backup hardware. Using cloud based backup systems allows your IT team to focus on the core IT tasks that help your business grow and stay competitive. Questions to ask your Cloud Back Up Provider Did you know that virtual contact centres give your company built-in protection to maintain operations if your business suffers an outage because of operational failures or weather emergencies? In the event of a disaster, the cloud ensures your business can easily move operations to another location, log in and be operational again. Calls can be easily routed to agents and facilities that aren’t affected by outages or the disaster. But what happens if your provider has a disaster? They can easily and seamlessly enable disaster recovery from another data centre because they have failover and redundancy functions in the cloud. 1. What storage capacity does the cloud server have? Your business will have large files that need to be backed up, including multimedia and video files. It’s important to know what storage capacity the cloud backup service has now and whether its capacity will meet your business needs in the future. 2. How quickly can data be recovered if there is a disaster? While cloud storage capacity is important, it’s also essential to know how quickly backups can be created and restored. Having a clear idea as to your business requirements and recovery timelines is important. We suggest you ask cloud backup providers how often backups are created (hourly, daily or weekly) and the estimated time it takes to restore them (minutes, hours or days). How to find the best Cloud Based Backup System for Business in Australia Need help transitioning your business backup to the cloud? Since 2002, Nerdcore Computers has helped thousands of Australian businesses with file and data storage and backup solutions. We specialise in helping businesses transition to cloud based backup solutions with cloud based technology through Datto and Guardian SAAS Protection. Our highly trained and experienced team of IT specialists work closely with public cloud providers so your files and data seamlessly integrate to the cloud. Guardian SAAS Protection is a complete backup solution that gives businesses peace of mind about business continuity. With ransomware detection and protection, server “proof of life” screenshot verification and end-to-end data security encryption your business gets 500GB to 120TB of backup capacity. File sharing and mobile collaboration becomes a breeze when your business has Guardian SAAS Protection. With secure team-based sharing, over 50 file types with perfect rendering and control access and permissions available on any device, your team will be able to do business faster and more efficiently. Guardian SAAS Protection also offers: Automated anti-virus and anti-spyware protection Proactive detection and intrusion prevention Firewall and malware disinfection service On-demand behavioural analysis Our cloud based backup system can safeguard your business files and data while ensuring business continuity. Find out how to make your business secure and restorable at any time. Since 2016 Nerdcore Computers have been the leading cloud service providers and I.T solution experts. With access to a top tier suite of solutions and providers, we’ve delivered virtual contact centre solutions to thousands of medium and large Australian businesses.

3 Top Tips to Keep Your Email Secure At Nerdcore Computers we’ve been noting an increase in the frequency and reporting of phishing and scam emails. Email security is of critical importance to business. We all rely on filters to weed out those malicious emails and on the whole they do a good job, but inevitably some still slip through the cracks. Anyone can be vulnerable to a phishing email. Despite what you might know about phishing, every day methods are improving, and new users are falling victim. Read on below for our top 3 tips to spot any malicious email loitering in your inbox! REQUEST A CONSULTATION CALL US 1300 637 326 1. Look closely at the actual senders email address One of the most obvious clues for phishing can be as simple as the email address it was sent from. The sender/s are relying on you overlooking something as mundane as the email address your mail comes from. Some of the more preventable mail comes from free hosted platforms that are easy to give away just by looking at them. More advanced or sophisticated methods could show a legitimate email address, or a spoofed email address, so while this is a good step 1, it’s not a comprehensive defence. A good example can be seen in the email below. The email name is purporting to be from a multinational investment group, but the actual email address is something entirely different. 2. Grammar and spelling errors Most scam and phishing emails originate from overseas. Have a close look to see if there are obvious spelling or grammatical errors in any mail you think could be suspicious. Although it’s not just spelling and grammar, it could even just be an odd or unusual phrase. There is a theory that this is used as a filtering system to prey on the gullible, but this isn’t necessarily the case with phishing attempts. 3. Suspicious attachments or links Almost all scams and phishing attempts require the user to click a link or download a file. We strongly advise that you never open an attachment unless you are fully confident that the message is from a legitimate party. Even then, you should look out for anything suspicious in the attachment. As for links you might not be expecting, hover your mouse over (don’t click!) a link to see if the destination address matches the linked address. Here’s an example. https://google.com This would appear to be a link to Google’s homepage, but in actual fact is a link to the Nerdcore computers website. I need help with my email security! Nerdcore Computers Business Essentials managed security platform includes email and web content filtering, drastically reducing your risk of falling prey to a malicious email. It’s always important to stay diligent, and in combination with an Nerdcore Computers IT security solution, you’ll give your business the best chance of never having to worry about your data or systems being compromised.

At The Nerdcore Group you can now ask us about our total protection plans for your business. The smart cover will give you a better warranty on your purchase on any products or services. The work carried out remains at a 30 days warranty. Thats the nerdcore stamp promise PROTECTION With Smart Care® You can relax knowing Your purchase comes with additional protection. If an assessment finds that Your Product has suffered an Eligible Fault, We'll arrange to have a replacement Product delivered to Your doorstep. Where We cannot find You a suitable replacement, We will give You a store credit or cash settlement. 1, 2 or 3 Years Protection for computers or 2, 3 or 4 Years Protection for Electrical goods, depending on the product You have purchased. New for Old Replacement Cover for Wear & Tear, Dust & Environmental Factors All Freight & Service Call-Out Fees Covered For an Eligible Fault International coverage Transferable SUPPORT Our range of support options ensure You experience an easy and hassle free process when You need to talk to us about Your Product Care®. Whether You are experiencing a fault, or wanting to redeem Your additional benefits, We will provide You with guidance and support every step of the way. Making a claim is simple and We are here to help You through every step of the process. Simply Register: Your claim online at www.1300nerdcore.com.au or call our Customer Care team on 1300 637 326 Have Your original purchase receipt handy to register the details of Your claim Your faulty item will be assessed and an appropriate replacement will be arranged once we see all the correct information meets the return warranty claim agreement.

The nerdcore group has been researching data an has a booking management system with state of the art services. We make our booking system so that its easy to follow that you will always benefit from first class service. Our easy online booking form is step by step instructions. See how an why we are trusted by thousands.

Drivers using mobile phone are now in the sights of the NSW government. It will spend $88 million rolling out fixed and portable cameras across the state to detect motorists using phones. The cameras will operate 24 hours a day and - unlike speed cameras - there will be no warning signs to alert drivers as they approach. The high-definition cameras use artificial intelligence to spot drivers using their phones, regardless of the weather or time of day. It follows a six-month trial of three cameras which recorded more than 100,000 drivers in 85 million car movements using their phones illegally. K-Pop: behind the scenes of the musical phenomenon taking the world by stormAustralia to try land direct flights to IndiaMissing NSW plane found crashed in 'steep and heavily wooded terrain' For the first three months of the crackdown, errant drivers will simply receive a warning letter but after that, it will be a $344 fine and five demerit points. The cameras are expected to be rolled out by December.

www.avid.com Avid Sibelius 2019 Review AN INDUSTRY STANDARD GETS A FACELIFT AS WELL AS NEW FEATURES FOR COLLABORATION While IBC is abuzz with industry talent, we have some news to share from home: Avid’s style is getting a tune-up. It takes panache to lead the pack in today’s hustle-bustle world of media production. That’s why we at Avid have been working on a fresh, modern, bold new way to share who we are with the rest of the world as we move into the next era of audio, video, and broadcast entertainment. ur new look and feel gets to the heart of our mission to equip creators like you with the technology and tools needed to entertain, inform, educate, and enlighten the world. Still the same Avid—just refreshed. You may spot some subtle changes in the coming months while we keep improving the solutions you need to get things done. Like what you see? Send us a note: CONTACT US Meanwhile, the show must go on! Stand 7.B55 is bustling away at IBC, and if you haven’t grabbed a spot at one of our many training sessions you can still do so here. Powerful publishing is on the horizon Avid is making waves with some instrumental solutions and updates just announced at IBC. We’re excited about our new SaaS offering MediaCentral | Publisher, which is powered by Wildmoka and helps improve efficiency across the board. This robust solution enables media producers to create content, add graphics and branding, and publish videos quickly to multiple social media and digital end points. That means increased revenue and boosted viewership to broaden your reach—all so you stay one step ahead of the competition. Media Central | Publisher powered by Wildmoka We’re previewing upcoming features for post-production professionals too, including new support for higher video resolutions and frame rates. For all of you music makers out there, Pro Tools 2019 is in the midst of its European debut at IBC with an update that allows teams to work faster and more creatively on the most complex projects without missing a beat (or a high note). There’s a lot more to come from IBC 2019! Check back for announcements and follow us on social media to stay on top of everything we’re working on. Industry-leading music composition and notation software introduces powerful capabilities that make creativity and collaboration easier and faster than ever Avid® (Nasdaq: AVID), the leading technology provider that powers the media and entertainment industry, today announced the immediate availability of Sibelius® 2019, the world’s best-selling music notation software. Debuting at The NAMM Show 2019, Sibelius 2019 introduces powerful new capabilities that enable faster, more creative workflows while limiting time consuming tasks that detract from the creative process. Sibelius is the industry standard in music notation software and is used by award-winning artists on the world’s most celebrated compositions. Available from the product family including Sibelius | First, Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate, Sibelius 2019 delivers exciting features that improve review workflows and score navigation and composition—igniting creativity and collaboration for everyone from students and aspiring music creatives to professional musicians, composers and orchestrators. New in Sibelius 2019: Review Mode to grant limited access to scores – Available for Sibelius | Ultimate, Review Mode allows users to grant limited access to view, navigate, copy passages, and play back scores without risking accidental changes. Copyists and composers can safely review a score before orchestrating the music or teachers can check a student’s notation to grade their work without making any unintended changes.Instant play back when navigating a score – Using the Go-To-Bar and Go-To-Page functions (or the Timeline in Sibelius | Ultimate), users can navigate to any location in a score and immediately start playback. This enables users to quickly hear and compare passages to keep music creation and arranging momentum moving smoothly. “From film scoring stages, concert halls, to classrooms, Sibelius is the industry’s most used and trusted software for music notation,” said Rob D’Amico, Director, Audio Solutions Marketing at Avid. “Throughout 2018, our regular releases for Sibelius have provided new features and enhancements to accelerate composing and arranging so users can quickly and easily write and publish beautiful scores. Sibelius 2019 expands upon our vision to provide our community of award-winning composers, educators, students and enthusiasts with the tools they need to collaborate and create compelling content.” Sibelius 2019 is available now. For more information, visit: http://www.avid.com/sibelius. About Avid Avid delivers the most open and efficient media platform, connecting content creation with collaboration, asset protection, distribution, and consumption. Avid’s preeminent customer community uses Avid’s comprehensive tools and workflow solutions to create, distribute and monetize the most watched, loved and listened to media in the world—from prestigious and award-winning feature films to popular television shows, news programs and televised sporting events, and celebrated music recordings and live concerts. With the most flexible deployment and pricing options, Avid’s industry-leading solutions include Media Composer®, Pro Tools®, Avid NEXIS®, MediaCentral®, iNEWS®, AirSpeed®, Sibelius®, Avid VENUE™, FastServe®, and Maestro™. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, connect with Avid on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or subscribe to Avid Blogs.

To-do Powered Tasks Experience The rollout of the new To-do powered tasks experience is also underway. Like other rollouts across Office 365 lately, there’s a bit of a disconnect in terms of functionality and the overall look and feel, for example, the new experience doesn’t support Dark mode, the What’s new pane, Web chat and more. Interestingly the “New Outlook” toggle is still visible in the To-do experience, even though my tenant has already been switched over to it completely, as part of the First release program. The new OWA experience also introduces the My day feature, exposed as a button on the top right. Pressing the button will open the My day pane, allowing you to get quick access to your Calendar and Tasks from any OWA page. It only shows the primary Calendar though, while for Tasks we’re able to select additional tasks folders or lists. I noticed that neither of the new To-do based task experience, nor the My day Tasks pane will display emails that you've previously flagged, and the corresponding Flagged emails view will only list newly flagged messages. Another obvious improvement would be to provide us with a unified, overlaid view of all the different tasks, appointments and meetings, whereas currently, it takes multiple clicks to go over the full list. In our previous article, we detailed some of the settings that control the attachment experience and more specifically attaching files from sources such as OneDrive or third-party storage providers. Now, Microsoft has deprecated the OneDriveAttachmentsEnabled and ThirdPartyFileProvidersEnabled parameters and replaced them with a single one, AdditionalStorageProvidersAvailable, turned on by default. The current list of enabled third-party storage providers includes personal OneDrive, Box, Egnyte, and Dropbox, with support for Google Drive and Facebook to follow in the future. The screenshot above showcases the new settings menu for Storage accounts, which you can find under the Attachments section or access directly via https://outlook.office.com/mail/options/mail/attachments. Shared mailbox access is coming to Outlook mobile The last article we did on Outlook updates featured the introduction of Shared calendars as a centerpiece. Six months down the line, this gets expanded beyond just Calendar access, with the Add Shared mailbox feature coming to Outlook mobile. This functionality has been the number one ask for years and the main reason why the old “OWA for devices” apps remained so popular even after the release of the mobile Outlook app. Now, with the advent of the new “Microsoft sync technology”, Microsoft is finally ready to tackle this challenge. Delegate Support The feature is coupled with Delegate support, allowing you to assign permission and share your mailbox with another person directly from within the mobile app. At the time of writing this article, the feature is still available for most customers, despite what the What’s new in Office 365 site or the Office 365 Roadmap tells us. The last update we have is that the rollout is currently paused until Microsoft addresses few issues, identified by customers who’ve already had access to the feature. Users of the iOS version who are part of the Testflight program have access to the feature and you can read Tony Redmond’s first impression here. Microsoft Sync Technology The Microsoft sync technology mentioned above is a new protocol that Microsoft uses for direct data access between the Outlook app and the user’s mailbox. This new protocol eliminates the middle tier services that were in use previously, bringing simplicity and performance improvements and extending the reach of the Outlook app to additional Office 365 instances. Most importantly, it enables new features such as accessing shared mailboxes, or the support for S/MIME and Microsoft Information Protection, which are now in development. Microsoft completed the migration to the new protocol for all Office 365 tenants by the end of June 2019. If you're the curious type, you can use the following cmdlet to list any device using the new protocol: Get-MobileDevice -Filter {ClientType -eq “Outlook”} Calendar Features The Calendaring team has also been busy and we’ve received several new features here. These include support for colors/categories for Calendar items (screenshot below), time to leave notifications, the ability to schedule Teams meetings and the Join meeting button support for Teams meetings, and more. Another set of updates came out of the strategic partnership between Microsoft and Samsung. Most notably those include the support for POP3 protocol and enhanced user experience for tablet devices.

How fast is 5G? 5G speeds will vary between locations, countries, carriers and devices, but on the whole the average internet speed you can expect should be much greater than what's currently offered on 4G. We've been testing the first 5G networks in the US, UK, and Australia, and have found speeds to be a little bit of a mixed bag. What is 5G? 5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before. Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm. The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world. 5G networks are already starting to appear and are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are. When will 5G launch? In the Australia Verizon surprised most of the world by launching its 5G network at the start of April 2019, making it the first globally to offer the next-generation network. It's currently only available in limited parts of Chicago and a few other locations, and there are just two handsets currently available to use on the new 5G network. In Chicago, US we've managed to obtain speeds of up to 1.4Gbps, which is massively faster than 4G's theoretical top speed of 300Mbps (although average speeds tend to be below 100Mbps). However, 5G coverage is patchy and we had to move around the city's various 5G masts to get this top speed. We did tend to get around 1Gbps quite consistently though. 5G in London, UK is more of a mixed bag, with speeds in our test ranging from 200Mbps to 550Mbps - still much quicker than 4G, but not the same level as we are seeing in Victoria

Home Computer Networking Wired/Wireless Setup A Reliable network starts with quality materials and planning to fit your business needs. Our consultants will meet with you to design the optimum layout for your current and future needs. We can setup your Home network with multiple data drops with minimum lead time. We use Cisco/Linksys Hubs, Routers, Wireless access points, Switches along with BAFO CAT5e to ensure the integrity and lifespan of your Home Network. If you would like a wireless network setup for your home, we will configure it using the best security available, so only you can access it. On random drives around the city we find hundreds on wireless networks unsecured. Those people running an unsecured network are at risk to hackers, viruses, data theft, and even lawsuits if the network is unknowingly used for music pirating through internet file sharing programs like Kazaa. If you are having a problem with your current network, please do not hesitate to call us at 0386897974 for immediate help. We can even work after hours to keep downtime to a minimum. That is why over 10000 local business choose us for their network needs. Home Networking Rate: $85.00 Per Hour Need a Virtual Private Network connection from home to office? Click Here: VPN

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET YOUR COMPUTER FIXED? We rely on our home computers for so much including, but not limited to, managing our bills, keeping up with our family members, and storing our personal memories such as our photos, videos, and relevant documents. In a business setting, it is difficult to imagine accomplishing your daily tasks and communicating with clients with a computer that is not working reliably. As a result, when our computers are on the fritz, we want it to be repaired as quickly as possible. PC repair costs can add up quickly and if you are not computer savvy, it can be very frustrating. It is not always convenient to pack up your computer, whether it’s your personal or business computer, and bring it to a repair center which is why it is sometimes beneficial to have the tech come to your home or office. The cost of a repair for your PC that takes place within your home or office can vary widely on what the repair includes, how complex the issue is, and how long it takes for the tech to resolve the issue making it difficult to budget for PC repair costs. What to Take into Consideration Standard in-home or business PC repairs include Wi-Fi setup, software updates, virus removal, and suspected malware removal. The more intensive the repair, the longer it may take and for services that charge by the hour, the cost for PC repair may add up. Before you decide to have repairs take place in your home or office rather than bringing it to a tech center, confirm whether it will be a fixed rate or hourly and in most cases, you could get an estimate of the hours up front so you can make sure you are comfortable with PC repair costs. Looking for a trusted in-home or in-office source for computer repair? Need your computer fixed right away? We can help! Give the nerdcore group a ring anytime 24/7 on 1300 Nerdcore. We can dispatch a tech same day, or offer a remote computer repair connection. We are often able to log in to your computer remotely and take care of the problem without you ever having to unplug anything. It doesn’t get any easier than that! The nerdcore Group | Fast Onsite Computer Repairs Quotes | Ring 1300nerdcore

The other weekend, I sat down and sorted through all my random electronics junk. As part of that process, I took all my power supplies and adapters and threw them into a box. It ended up being a pretty big box. I’m willing to bet that any given household has a dozen or more of different types of cell phone chargers, AC/DC adapters, power bricks, power cables, and charger plugs. Having so many chargers can be pretty frustrating. It’s easy to get them separated from the phone or laptop or tablet or router. And once that happens, it can be incredibly difficult to figure out which goes with which. The default solution to this is to try random plugs until you find one that fits into your device. However, this is a big gamble. If you grab an incompatible power adapter, your best case scenario is that it works, albeit not the way the manufacturer intended. The second worst case scenario is that you fry the gadget you are trying to power up. The worst case scenario is that you burn down your house. In this article, I’m going to walk you through the process of digging through your junk drawer and finding the right power adapter for your device. Then, I’ll tell you why it’s so important to do so. Fudging It: What Happens if You Use the Wrong Adapter? Ideally, you’ll have the same voltage, current, and polarity on your adapter and device. But what if you accidentally (or purposefully) use the wrong adapter? In some cases, the plug won’t fit. But there are many instances where an incompatible power adapter will plug into your device. Here’s what you can expect in each scenario: Wrong polarity – If you reverse the polarity, a few things can happen. If you’re lucky, nothing will happen, and no damage will occur. If you are unlucky, your device will be damaged. There’s a middle ground, too. Some laptops and other devices include polarity protection, which is essentially a fuse that burns out if you use the wrong polarity. If this happens, you might hear a pop and see smoke. But the device may still work on battery power. However, your DC input will be toast. To fix this, either replace the polarity protection fuse or get it serviced. The good news is that the main circuitry wasn’t fried.Voltage too low – If the voltage on an adapter is lower than the device, but the current is the same, then the device may work, albeit erratically. If we think back to our analogy of voltage being water pressure, then it would mean that the  device has “low blood pressure.”  The effect of low voltage depends on the complexity of the device. A speaker, for example, may be okay, but it just won’t get as loud. More sophisticated devices will falter, and may even shut themselves off when they detect an under-voltage condition. Usually, an under-voltage condition won’t cause damage or shorten the life of your device.Voltage too high – If the adapter has a higher voltage, but the current is the same, then the device will likely shut itself off when it detects an over voltage. If it doesn’t, then it may run hotter than normal, which can shorten the life of the device or cause immediate damage.Current too high – If the adapter has the correct voltage, but the current is greater than what the device input requires, then you shouldn’t see any problems. For example, if you have a laptop that calls for a 19V / 5A DC input, but you use a 19V / 8A DC adapter, your laptop will still get the 19V voltage it requires, but it will only draw 5A of current. As far as current goes, the device calls the shots, and the adapter will have to do less work.Current too Low – If the adapter has the correct voltage, but the adapter’s rated current is lower than what the device input, then a few things might happen. The device could power on, and just draw more current from the adapter than it’s designed for. This could cause the adapter to overheat or fail. Or, the device may power on, but the adapter may not be able to keep up, causing the voltage to drop (see voltage too low above). For laptops running on undercurrent adapters, you might see the battery charge, but the laptop is not powering on, or it may run on power, but the battery won’t charge. Bottom-line: it’s a bad idea to use a lower current rating adapter since it could cause excess heat.

Thousands of PCs Infected with Windows Malware: Here's What To Do Microsoft and Cisco Talos both published comprehensive reports about the malware, explaining how the attack gets users to download a malicious HTML file then uses the popular Node.js framework (which executes Javascript outside a web browser) and WinDivert (a network packet capture tool) apps to infect and take control of a computer. The infected HTML application, or HTA, is typically distributed through malicious ads sent through legitimate content delivery services, like Amazon Cloudfront Once the file runs, it downloads additional Javascript code that eventually starts PowerShell and writes a malicious script. That happens multiple times, with each instance of PowerShell leading to the next attack, starting with disabling Windows Defender Antivirus and ending with a JavaScript payload that runs on node.exe.  The final JavaScript payload turns the infected device into a proxy zombie that can be used by an attacker to execute various malicious activities. Microsoft calls the malware Nodersok while Cisco Talos calls it Divergent. Either way, the attack is said to primarily target everyday consumers in the United States and Europe and Microsoft says 3% of encounters were seen by organizations in the education, healthcare or financial sectors. There are conflicting theories as to what the malware actually does. Cisco says the malware was designed to generate revenue using click-fraud, a technique for generating fraudulent charges that costs advertisers billions of dollars each year. Microsoft, on the other hand, believes the malware was created as a relay to access network entities and plant malicious code. Whatever the case, the attack is quite stealthy as it uses techniques associated with "fileless" malware, or malware that leaves few traces behind for researchers to discover. "The campaign is particularly interesting not only because it employs advanced fileless techniques, but also because it relies on an elusive network infrastructure that causes the attack to fly under the radar," Microsoft wrote in a blog post. "We uncovered this campaign in mid-July, when suspicious patterns in the anomalous usage of MSHTA.exe emerged from Microsoft Defender ATP telemetry. In the days that followed, more anomalies stood out, showing up to a ten-fold increase in activity." How to protect your PC from Nodersok/Divergent As elusive as this newly discovered malware might be, both Microsoft and Cisco promise that their services--- Windows Defender and Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), respectively --- can spot and stop the malware. However, not every PC is equipped with those anti-malware defenders and third-party solutions have a tricky time with this particular malware. If you want to be 100% protected, Microsoft suggests that you don't run HTA (or HTML applications) on your Windows systems, especially if they can't trace them back to a legitimate owner.

Windows users always struggled to live securely with Internet Explorer – and now it’s been superseded in Windows 10, it’s as if they’re now struggling to live securely without it. Witness this week’s rush by Microsoft to patch two high-priority flaws affecting IE versions 9 to 11, one of which is a zero-day the company says is being exploited in real attacks. The zero-day (CVE-2019-1367) was reported to Microsoft by Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group. It’s a remote code execution (RCE) flaw in the browser’s scripting engine that could allow an attacker to: … install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. No further details have been made public in the advisory, but as with most browser vulnerabilities, exploitation would involve luring unpatched users to a malicious website. Powerful, business-grade protection at home. Play Video  Try for Free No big deal? Because IE is only used by a few percent of users, in theory this minimises the scope of the flaw. However, because IE code still lurks in every version of Windows, including Windows 10, the number of people actively using it might not be the whole story. Some will have activated it on their Windows 7 and 8 computers in the past, which means they could still be vulnerable if it’s set as the default browser or they can be persuaded to visit an infected website using it. On Windows 10, IE has to be consciously activated, so anyone who’s not done this should be OK because Microsoft’s Edge or another unaffected browser will be the default. Interestingly, the update must be done manually, during which the installer assesses whether the user’s systems needs it or not – this implies Windows 10 users at least should be safe. IE scripting flaws aren’t exactly unheard of, as demonstrated by a proof of concept exploit from earlier this year, or CVE-2018-8653 from late 2018. Microsoft Defender flaw The second part of this week’s update patches CVE-2019-1255, a denial of service vulnerability in Windows’ built-in security engine, Microsoft (formerly Windows) Defender. Essentially, an attacker could exploit this to “to prevent legitimate accounts from executing legitimate system binaries.” In other words, to stop it from working correctly. The updated version is Microsoft Malware Protection Engine version 1.1.16400.2. IE 10 support ended in January 2016. As for version 11, as far as we can tell from Microsoft’s documentation, this will be supported for as long as the versions on which it is integrated are themselves supported. For some Windows 10 versions, that implies support far into the future. Nerdcore computers service centre IT Business Support Author - Nick Veloutsos

Google just introduced new link attributes that may affect the way links are calculated. SEOs are calling this change “NoFollow 2.0” because it makes changes and gives new more granular options to the nofollow tag. In this post, I’ll cover what you need to know and what it means for your SEO going forward! First, What Is NoFollow? Nofollow is a type of link attribute that tells Google to not give any credit to a link. The opposite is “dofollow.” In general, getting “dofollow” links are much more powerful than getting nofollow links. When Google originally introduced the nofollow link attribute, it helped webmasters protect their sites from giving credit to an outbound link when they didn’t want to. This could be for a number of reasons: Comment Spam: By allowing the ability to drop a link when leaving a comment, many link builders would go and leave thousands of comments just to get a link. So by making all comment links nofollow, it discouraged this type of spam.Adversiting: Say you want to sell advertising on your website and have banner ads that link to the advertiser. In this case you could mark the links as nofollow, since they are not editorial choices. In general, you can use the rel=nofollow attribute on any link that you don’t want to give credit to. These are just examples of when nofollow links came in handy; there are many more. What Is NoFollow 2.0? “NoFollow 2.0” is the new name that the industry is using to describe the new link attributes. There are 2 new types of attributes Google is rolling out: rel=UGC: Stands for “user generated content” and can be used any time someone other than the editorial staff of a website is generating content.rel=sponsored: This is pretty obvious, but this stands for any time the link has been sponsored or paid for.rel=nofollow: This just tells Google to not give any credit to the link. (This is not new). Why Is Google Making This Change? In the past, many webmasters would blanket nofollow links, which would tell Google to give the link zero credit. But in the current ecosystem of the online publishing world, this doesn’t make as much sense anymore, and Google wants to give more ways to more accurately identify the links. For example, in the past, large publishers would have guest contributors contribute a large amount of content to the site so they could increase their pageviews. Some of the biggest publishers in the world have gotten into trouble because all the outbound links were dofollow. So when the publishers got scolded by Google for this, they switched EVERYTHING to nofollow, which may not be the best blanket choice. With these new updates, Google gives publishers more nuanced ways of categorizing links, and may allow Google to give users better search results by calculating link value more accurately. What Will Actually Happen? Just like every update, we’ll have to wait to see some actual data to make any real conclusions. With that said, there are a few things that we believe will change in the future. 1. Adoption Rate The biggest question, first of all, is – What will the adoption be? Even Google says in their official statement that you don’t need to change anything, only if you want to. The effort involved in changing link types for most publishers / website owners will not be worth the benefit (there isn’t much). In my opinion, I think that adoption will be very low with the exception of large, SEO-savvy publishers unless some sort of event forces the changes. There also may be some adoption by CMS changes as well, for instance if a new version of WordPress comes out that automatically categorized blog comment links as UGC. But for the majority of the internet, there aren’t many incentives to adopt the new link types vs just keeping things the way they are. In the case that the new link types ARE adopted, they may affect rankings. The following could happen: No follow links: Google may treat these a bit differently going forward. I believe Google already does weigh no follow links differently depending on related factors (placement, type of site, relevancy etc). Sponsored links – Google will likely ignore these links entirely.UGC links – Google may give some small credit to these, depending on related factors (placement, type of site, relevancy etc). Again, we will not know how this changes the landscape for sure until we see some real data on this. What Should You Do? Unless you are a publisher, there isn’t much to do here. Again, all of this will depend on the adoption of the new link types for it to affect anything. 1. Keep Building Links Just as it’s natural currently to have both dofollow and nofollow links in your profile, it will be natural in the future to have all the new link types. It’s also important to understand that none of the new link types are “bad”. For example: It’s natural to advertise and link to your site (Google makes its own money on selling banner ads and links to sites through its Google Display Network). It’s natural to get links by contributing to online publications, commenting on blogs, and posting to forums as user-generated content. It’s also natural to get straight nofollow links through creating social media profiles or other methods. In the future, a natural link profile will contain all of these. 2. Keep An Eye On Rankings We’ll see how these affect rankings as they roll out, and it may be for the good as Google is able to give more credit where previously nofollow was treated as zero credit. 3. Diversify Your Traffic I’m a big fan of being a multi-channel marketer. In this case, I don’t believe that this will have a massive impact on SEO (at least not right away), but you should still invest in diversifying your traffic sources. Author - Nick Veloutsos Nerdcore Computers Service Centre

3 Reasons Banks Can Freeze Your Account It can be a nasty surprise to find out that your checking account is frozen. When a bank freezes your account, you still have limited access to it. You are able to check your transactions and receive certain deposits. However, you are not able to withdraw or transfer your money until the issue that caused the account to be frozen is cleared. Make sure to contact your bank immediately if your account is frozen. Bank accounts are frozen for a number of different reasons, and each reason requires specific actions to unfreeze the account. The following are the top three reasons as to why a bank account may be frozen. Suspicious or Illegal Activity A bank can freeze your account when it suspects that you are using your account illegally, such as for money laundering or cashing back checks. Sometimes a bank also freezes an account in correlation to terrorist financing. This includes receiving suspicious payments from an outside country or depositing large amounts of money suspiciously, which results in your account being flagged. Even gambling can cause a bank to freeze an account if it suspects suspicious activity. It is rare for bank accounts to be frozen for these instances, especially for users who are innocent. It is best to seek the help of a lawyer to help you clear up this kind of case. Unpaid Debts Through Creditors Creditors can access your account for unpaid debts; however, the creditor must gain approval from the courts before taking this action. For account holders who have their loan accounts at the same institution as their bank account, the lender can gain access to a checking or savings account in order to collect payment on defaulted loans without filing a lawsuit or judgment first. Usually, with these accounts, you must first sign the fine print, which grants the bank this authority. Once your account is frozen over unpaid debts, it is crucial to get the attorney’s information from your bank immediately. You need to have a better idea of what is going on with your account and work out a payment arrangement. Unfortunately, ignoring a frozen bank account can make the problem worse, causing drops in your credit score and a build-up of bank fees. Unpaid Debts to the Government Individuals who owe student loans or taxes to the government may also find their bank accounts frozen. For unpaid taxes, the IRS can issue a tax levy that is not to be lifted until the debt is paid in full. For unpaid student loans, the government can do a few different things that do not require a judgment, including seizing your tax refund or garnishing a percentage of your paycheck each month. When your loan is in default, your federal loan lender may likely garnish wages and taxes without pursuing a judgment from the courts. Student loans only go away after being paid. They only disappear with a bankruptcy under specific circumstances. In the chance that your bank account is frozen because of debt collectors or suspicious activity, your bank account should not be wiped clean of funds. Depending on the state where you live, there are limits to what type of income can be taken from your account. For example, in some states, it is illegal for creditors to withdraw Social Security benefits, child support, workers' compensation and more. However, you need to file a claim of exemption within 10 days after your account is frozen. Consult legal help to aid you in unfreezing your bank account. Consumer bankruptcy attorneys do not force you to pursue bankruptcy but instead help you to understand the legal actions that creditors can take, as well as understand your rights in these situations. nerdcore computers service centre

Introduction Sticky keyboard keys are a common problem with laptops, usually resulting from drink spillage, food crumbs, or other substances gumming up the keys. Fortunately, with this guide, it is an easy fix. How To Fix Sticky Keyboard Keys on a MacBook Difficulty Moderate Steps 10 Time Required 10 - 30 minutes Sections 1 How To Fix Sticky Keyboard Keys on a MacBook 10 steps Flags 0 Introduction Sticky keyboard keys are a common problem with laptops, usually resulting from drink spillage, food crumbs, or other substances gumming up the keys. Fortunately, with this guide, it is an easy fix. Tools Buy these tools Toothpick Paper Towels Cup or Mug Dish Soap Heavy-Duty Spudger Spudger High Content Rubbing Alcohol Cotton Swabs Step 1 Before getting started make sure to completely turn off your computer. Click on the apple in the upper left-hand corner of your computer screen. A drop down menu will appear. Click "shut down". Step 1 Use a toothpick to remove crumbs or debris from under the sticky keys. Step 2 Dip a q-tip in isopropanol, and wipe around each sticky key. Make sure the q-tip is damp, not dripping. You may need multiple q-tips, as they get pretty dirty. Step 3 Use a toothpick to remove crumbs or debris from under the sticky keys. Step 4 Now test out your keys. If they are still sticky continue on to Step 5 Step 5 Use a spudger or plastic opening tool to pry up sticky keys. Insert the spudger under the side of a key. Lift up. Use your fingers to twist the key off. To avoid damaging your laptop, use a spudger or plastic opening tool rather than the butter knife shown in the image. Step 6 When you are removing a key if one or both of these white plastic pieces come off the key board, don't worry. They are called key carriers and are very easy to put back on. If one part of the carrier is still in the keyboard, remove it so you have both in you hands. Look at the second picture and align the two piece then push them together. There should be a soft clicking sound. In the same alignment as the second picture, place the carrier in the spot on the keyboard where it came off and press firmly into place. Step 7 Put soap and warm water in a cup. As you remove the keys, put them in the soapy water. Let the keys soak for 10 minutes. Step 8 Wipe down your keyboard with q-tips damp with rubbing alcohol. Step 9 Optional: If your keys are particularly sticky use rubbing alcohol and a q-tip to wipe the back of the keys. Dry the keys completely with a paper towel. Step 10 Pop the keys back on: First align the key and press firmly into place. Then, move your finger side to side until you hear a double clicking sound. Finish replacement keys nerdcore computers service centre

Introduction Newer Mac Laptops have USB-C instead of MagSafe or MagSafe 2 for charging. When you insert your USB-C power adapter into your Mac Laptop with a USB-C port you will hear a charging chime that verifies your Mac Laptop is charging. Older Mac Laptops without USB-C do not have this function. You can enable this charging chime with this simple terminal command. PS: The charging chime on the newer Mac Laptops is the exact same chime used on iPhones and iPads to verify charging on those devices too. Disconnect your MagSafe/MagSafe 2 power adapter. Go to the spotlight search and search for Terminal. Open Terminal by double clicking it in the results area. Paste the following command into the Terminal window and press enter defaults write com.apple.PowerChime ChimeOnAllHardware -bool true; open /System/Library/CoreServices/PowerChime.app & Terminal may automatically press enter for you. This may vary depending upon circumstances. Done! Reconnect your MagSafe/MagSafe 2 power adapter and you should hear the charging chime Your volume must be raised in order to hear the chime

NATIONAL SEO CAMPAIGN CASE STUDY WHO WAS THE CLIENT? With the interruptible goal of delivering a top-notch computer support service, Nerdcore Computers Service Centre was founded. The highly-professional team behind this organisation has been, for more than two decades, offering a unique experience to Australian customers across the country. Based on a solid work ethic, Nercdore Computers Service Centre has been operating and offering complete customer support, hardware repairs, virus removing, and lost data recovering since August 1st, 2011. Website: www.1300nerdcore.com.au HE PROBLEM? As one of the first National Computer Repair companies in Australia, Nerdcore Computers Service Centre was fortunate enough to quickly establish themselves online in 2011 before many competitors had entered the market. In 2013 Nick Veloutsos found that the competition had become immense and their website was becoming lost amongst the hundreds of new websites that had entered the market over the years. It was now time for www.1300nerdcore.com.au to take back the lost traffic taken by many of these new companies investing in digital marketing. Further more, their main source of leads, 'Google Adwords', was becoming more and more expensive, with each cost per click rising by 25% to 50% each year. Finally, many of the City locations Nerdcore Computers Service Centre were operating throughout Australia were not receiving sufficient numbers of new leads for their staff. They needed to increase the number of leads for each capital city to facilitate the staff hired in these regions. CAMPAIGN GOALS Decrease cost per lead Increase organic traffic volume Improve search engine visibility for high converting phrases Increase the number of Leads for all major capital cities Solution Employ search engine optimisation best practices to increase the volume of free leads for the business and decrease company dependency on paid advertising for new customers. Key areas of optimisation included: Improve website navigation. Create informative, customer focused, shareable content. Improve website speed Improve AdWords quality score for promoted pages Build unique landing pages for each capital city Build relationships with relevant quality websites Create and execute content marketing campaigns WHY THIS SOLUTION? This digital marketing strategy was chosen because it focused on building www.1300nerdcore.com.au volume of free leads for the business, sourced from organic search engine positions. This would allow www.1300nerdcore.com.au to lower their Advertising spend dependency on radio and AdWords, resulting in more profit for the business. SOLUTION COMPOUNDING EFFECT Grow the volume of relevant quality links to www.1300nerdcore.com.au and this raises the number of referring website visitors and potential new customers via those new links. This creates an elevation in trust from search engines, who will lower the cost of advertising for trusted websites (from better site quality scores). The rise in trust from search engines also increases the organic positions for targeted keywords on the search engine results pages, therefore increasing the number of free leads. CAMPAIGN RESULTS 765% INCREASE IN ORGANIC LEADS 56% INCREASE IN SEARCH ENGINE TRAFFIC 20% REDUCTION IN ADWORDS COST PER LEAD Nerdcore Computers Service Centre