Technology by Design

Technology news, reviews, and how to keep your technology running fast and smooth!

How To Film The World…Right-Side Up

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Hey Geek, 

I took a video on my iphone at Comic Con- I mean a conference, and sent it to one of the guys in my WoW clan- I mean co-workers, but he said I’m sending it upside down. I told him he was crazy, and that he was using his computer wrong. What the heck is going on?

Sincerely,

Upside Down

Dear Upside,

Well, I can tell you right now that it’s not the computer. Many of us know that the volume buttons on the iPhone control some of the camera functions, so it would make sense to have them up at the top when using the camera horizontally, right? For whatever reason, Apple decided that holding it that way didn’t make sense. So, actually, you are sending it upside down because you are actually FILMING it upside down. The reason you never noticed was because of Apple’s auto-rotate feature, but as soon as you play the recording on a PC, most media players, or upload it to some kind of editing software, it will be upside down. To stop this from happening from now on, just make sure you hold your iPhone (or iPad!), with the home button to the right.

To fix the videos you already have, there are some free video editing programs you can use, including Freemake Video Converter, which has a rotate option, and Windows Live Video Maker, both of which you can find on Google.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  

We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Hooking Up To A Network Printer

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Dear Geek,
My work has a printer that everyone shares through our network. I brought my laptop in, as it has some work I’ve been focusing on at home, but I can’t get it to connect to the printer. I don’t want to look silly in front of my co-workers… What do I do?
Sincerely,
Printing at work
Dear Minnesota pop star, Prints (Get it? It sounds like PRINCE…. Okay, not that funny)
First thing to do is find the “Printers and Other Hardware” file, then “Printers and Faxes”, which should be under the Control Panel. Under the “Printer Tasks” there should be an option to “Add a Printer”, this is what you want to do, so click next. You then want to choose the option to add “a network printer, or a printer attached to another computer”, and click next. You now have a few relatively easy options to choose from to hook up to your printer.
The first option is available only if you are logged onto a Windows domain. You will want to “Find a printer in the directory” and click next. Next, you will want to click “Browse” to the right of the “Location” button. A few locations should pop up, so you need to choose the location of the printer you’d like to use. Click “Find Now”, and the printer you want should show up, so all you have to do is select it.
The second option is to type in the printer name or browse for it. You have to find the “Connect to this printer” option, and either browse for it on the network by finding it in the “Shared printers” option, or typing in the printer name in the format \\printserver_name\share_name.
You can also connect to a printer by dragging the printer from the “Printers” folder, and dropping it into your Printers folder, or by simply right-clicking the icon, and clicking “Connect”.
If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  
We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

The Perfect Font

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Dear Geek,

I have this major presentation coming up. I have been up for the past few nights worrying about every little detail, such as, the font it’s going to be presented in. I don’t want it to be too boring and serious, but I also don’t want it to look like a fifth grade child wrote it. There is a specific font I want, but there is no such font in the default fonts for Microsoft Word! HELP ME.

Sincerely,

NERVOUS WRECK

Dear Nervous,

There is an answer! You can download fonts off the internet, and use those in your presentation.

Have you already found your perfect presentation font? If not, you need to find one. This geek’s favorite place for fonts, because yes, this geek is that geeky, would be dafont.com. There are others of course as well, 1001freefonts.com being another good one. Truth is, you can type in “free fonts” on google, and lots will come up, you’re sure to find a website you like.

Once you have your font picked out and downloaded, you need to get the Control Panel open. You can do this through the Start Menu, then going to “Settings”, then “Control Panel”. There should be an icon or folder that says “Fonts”, which is where you will find all of your fonts. In here, there should also be an option to “Install New Font”. If you click on that, you just need to find the font you previously downloaded, or highlight the list of fonts you want to use, and click ok!

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  

We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Leech-Free Wi-Fi

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Dear Geek,

I am SO tired of my neighbors mooching off my wi-fi!  It’s slowing down the upload of my stop-motion lego batman video to YouTube!  This genius needs to be shared!  Help me!

Sincerely,
Help!  There’s leeches in the water!
Dear leeched,

Cheap neighbors can be a problem.  Easiest solution for this problem, is to add a password to your wi-fi.
To do this, you first have to access your router.  If you still have the manual or disk for your router, you can use it to find the router address.  If not, the address can usually be found on the manufacturer’s website.  The address should look something like “192.168.1.1”.  If you type that address into a web browser, it will bring up a box.  It should look something like this:
wifi login

 

 

 

 

 

 

The default username and password is usually “admin” for both name and password, unless you have changed it before. If this is not the case, look up the name and password, again it will be either in the manual or on the router manufacturer website.

Now that you’ve accessed your router, there will be a “Security” option hidden in one of the tabs. Every router has it under a different selection, but it will most likely be under a “Wireless Settings” or “Security Settings” tab.
From here, you will have to choose an encryption type. This is usually under a drop down menu labelled “Authentication Type” You will be typically be able to choose from “WEP”, “WPA–PSK” (personal), or “WPA2-PSK”. If you have the option, WPA2 is a good choice, however, some older routers do not have this option, and some older devices will not be able to connect to a network that uses WPA2. This means it may not be a good option if you have quite a few older devices that are needing the internet.
Next, you might have the option to change the encryption. If it gives you the option (which it may not), change it to “AES”. This stands for “Advanced Encryption Standard” and is the best set of algorithms, making it way better than the older version “TKIP”.
Now, you get to name your network, or the SSID. Name it anything you’d like, from “C3P0’s MOM” to something more professional like “TbyD”, just as examples. It will also ask for a “Pre-Shared Key”. This is your password. It is important not to have something simple like “password”, because it is easy to guess, and your neighbors will be on your wi-fi in no time.
Only thing left to do now, is save the changes and re-set your router!
If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  
We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Fox Says “Whaaaat?”

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Dear Geek,
 
I am OBSESSED with the “What does the Fox say?” video.  All the animals, the noises, and that chorus…. I just need the video so I can sing and dance along with it.  Is there a way to save the YouTube video onto my computer?

Sincerely,
Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Dear obsessed,

The easiest way to save a youtube video is though a YouTube download site.  A few good ones are:
savevid.com
keepvid.com

Although there are many more.  There are usually three simple steps you need to take to save your video.

First, you open the youtube video and copy the URL of the video.  This is under the “Share” option, as shown here (they’ve recently changed the layout of YouTube).

youtube share

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you’ve done that, paste the URL into the text field on the download site.  Then click the download button.  It will most likely give you multiple formats you can save it as, such as MP4, FLV and WebM.  The most commonly used one would be MP4, and an MP4 would be perfect for this kind of purpose.  It should also ask you where you would like to save it.  Make sure you know where you saved it to (this Geek has a habit of forgetting where they saved things).

You now have the ability to watch the cow go moo and the frog go croak!

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

 

And In This Corner…Mac Vs PC!

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Dear Geek, 

My co-worker bought this shiny new computer, and it made me realize that my old computer was so slow, out-dated and, well…not shiny anymore. I have a few co-workers who swear their Apple computers are so much better than their old PC’s. I guess my question is this, which is better? Mac or PC?
 
Sincerely, 
I just want a shiny computer.
Dear Shiny Computer,
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages, depending on what you’re looking for, and many people are asking the same question.
The first noticeable difference between the two is the designs of the computers. In a Mac, there isn’t many ways to be unique. You have a few varieties of laptops, and a desktop, all in the same colour and shape. The CPU and the monitor are all one single unit, which can limit the amount of cords and space required to run. This very compact design can mean that things are more difficult to fix because all the parts are in one small machine. Because PC’s don’t come from one single manufacturer, there are a lot of varieties and options in regards to colours, styles and types. In the desktops, there are two parts (unless you get an All-In-One), which can lead to more cords, and more space taken up, but it also means things are easier to fix or cheaper to get fixed.
The next thing you will notice is the price. Typically, Macs are more expensive than their PC counterparts. Few Mac computers sell for less than $1,000, whereas there are many PCs that sell for way less than that. However, this doesn’t mean that Macs are more expensive than PCs, just that Apple has built up their reputation and their products to be higher-end computers with better, more expensive components. This means again, that the parts on a Mac would be more expensive to replace, but because they are so well built, with higher-end parts, there is a lesser chance of you having to replace them.
Comparing the technical aspect of both Macs and PCs can be difficult because there are such a range of PC manufacturers. While both of them have similar parts, the speed and capacity of these parts can vary. Macs will generally blow low-end PCs out of the water in regards to performance, which is again, because of the more expensive, better-quality parts. However, when compared to the higher-end computers, Macs tend to lack in RAM, hard-drive space and USB ports.
The features of the PCs can vary model to model, while the Macs have a pretty standard set of features. The PCs can have features such as a touchscreen, BluRay players, HDMI ports and more. Macs generally have a SuperDrive, which reads and writes CDs and DVDs, audio in and audio out, USB, FireWire, which is data transfer, Ethernet, and a magnetized power port.
Operating systems are very different in the two machines. Mac are generally pre-installed with OS X Lion, while PCs are now installed with Microsoft Windows 8. Between 2007 and 2009 while PCs were using Windows Vista, the Macs had a huge advantage in regards to operating systems. Vista was seen as slow, prone to crashing and had annoying pop-up dialogue boxes. With the upgrade to Windows 7, and now Windows 8, these problems have been fixed and now makes the difference of operating systems come down to personal choice of functionality and layout.
Ask Cindy at Technology by Design about her old problem with Macs- the lack of computer software and games. When she had the a Macintosh computer back in the days of walking in the dead of winter, uphill both ways, she was always upset that all computer games were geared towards PCs. This continues to be an issue with Macs, as the gaming companies would have to take a tremendous amount of time and money to switch platforms. Though Apple is making a huge effort to get software such as the Microsoft Office programs and games such as World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Civilization, all of which are now available for Mac, PCs still dominate in this aspect. On the online gaming platform, Steam, there are more than 1,300 games for PC compared to the sad amount of 180 for Mac.
Because the majority of the world’s computers run on Microsoft Windows, most security attacks are geared towards PCs. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t viruses for Mac, just that there are so many more for PC. As Macs become more common, the amount of threats are predicted to rise, but there is a quote floating around the internet that “a Mac owner who runs no security software is vastly less likely to be the victim of a successful attack than a Window’s user who’s protected up to his eyeballs”.
Apple is more selective in regards to who can sell their product, which means that there is a difference in availability. Apple has opened more than 300 Apple stores in 11 countries, but they are focused largely in large population centers. This has lead to a few agreements with companies like Best Buy and Office Max to get their product out there. PCs on the other hand, have a different strategy. The company doesn’t produce the hardware, but licenses it’s Windows operating system to other companies. These companies push their product into as many stores as possible, which makes PCs easier to find. While you might not see an Apple computer in a computer shop, you will see many PCs.
This availability means nothing in regards to customer service, because although the PCs are more widespread and available, the Macs always rank higher in customer satisfaction, no matter which brand of PC they are facing. This is due to the way that Apple operates their customer service. You have a problem with your MacBook pro? Take it to the Genius Bar help desk at any apple store, where they will sort it out there, or get it fixed in the store if needed. What happens if your PC is having issues? You may have to spend a few hours on hold with two or more companies, just to find the underlying problem, then send it off overseas.
Once again, the choice of Mac and PC computers boils down to personal preference and what you’re wanting in a computer. Gamers may want to stick to PCs, while people looking at more advanced operations may want to look at spending the extra money on a well-built Mac.
Still not sure?  If you would like some advice on what computer would fit your needs, call Technology by Design at 204-800-3166.
 If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Got Backups?

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Dear Geek, 

On my personal computer, I have a lot of photos, programs, and chapters of my Sci-Fi book that would be crushing to lose. I hear people can lose all of this if a computer completely breaks down. Is this true? How can I save it from being lost?
 
Sincerely, 
Lost in space
Dear Lost,
Yes, personal files can be lost from your computer. This could be a result of a hard drive failure, the corruption of data, a virus infecting your computer and either deleting or corrupting your files. The best way to prevent the loss of this important information is to back up your computer data.
There are two main ways to do this, through a physical storage device (like a USB thumb drive, CDs, or a portable hard drive), or through an internet program (such as backblaze, or even iCloud on mac).
If you are wanting to back up to a physical storage device, you have to first find an appropriate device for you. USB thumb drives are generally cheap, very portable, and relatively easy to use. Keeping this in mind, they are usually used only for short term storage, such as bringing home files from work or vice-versa.  External hard drives are bit more pricey (usually around $80.00 for 1TB hard drive), but have more room for files, and are becoming more portable than ever. They are relatively easy to use as well, and are the fastest option.  CD’s, though mentioned, are slower, harder to use, and more prone to breaking than the other two options.
The easy way to backup just a few files to a connected storage device, such as photos or word documents is just to either copy and paste files from the computer to the storage device, or drag them from the computer to the storage device.
The other option is to designate the storage device as a back up. When a storage device is plugged into the computer, a dialog box should pop up, asking what you’d like to do with it. You will want to choose the option that says something along the lines of “Use this device as a backup” and open “File History”. This should open up another box, where you can alter how often you’d like the computer to backup to this device, how long files are kept, and how much space can be taken up. When all the settings are set up the way you’d like, make sure that the correct drive is selected to be your backup drive. The external drive you plugged in should be chosen by default, but double check anyways. Last thing you need to do is click “Turn on”. This should start the backup process, but be aware that the first backup may take a while, so your computer might be busy for a while.
The other way is to backup online, which is another good option. On top of having your files backed up in case of a computer failure, this can also save your files in the event of a fire, or loss of your physical backup. All online systems are different in terms of setup and cost, so it is important to do your homework before signing up for any online system.
All this said, a lot of people have good intentions of backing up their pictures, programs and/or data, but “don’t have enough time”, or “don’t get around to it”, or simply don’t know how.
If you’re looking for a ‘no effort’ kind of backup, where someone else does all the work, call Technology by Design at 204-800-3166 & ask us about our Managed Backups.  TbyD can provide Managed Backups of your computer system and/or server up to several times an hour.  All for a low monthly fee.  Technology by Design offers Managed Backup with or without Disaster Recovery for computer stations and/or servers.  That way, if your system crashes, you could be back up and running without skipping a beat.
lost data-pie chart
Think your data is safe because “it’ll never happen to me!”  Every single person who has lost data, thought that…until they lost their data.  The pie chart to the left, indicates the most common causes of lost data.  The biggest culprits being human error, hardware malfunction, and software corruption.
If you’re thinking that this isn’t worth it, you have to ask yourself – what would it cost me if I lost all my data.  Would it mean you lost some irreplaceable pictures of that once-in-a-lifetime trip, or of your kids/grandkids growing up?  Or would it mean a loss of business?  How long would your business be down for?  How long could you afford to be down for?
If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Freeze-Ray: How to Diagnose a Frozen Computer

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Dear Geek,

Sometimes, my computer freezes on me.  While it is fun acting like I froze it with my freeze-ray, it tends to halt any work I am doing.  What is going on here?  What can I do to get it to un-freeze?

Signed,

Freezing to Death

 

Dear Freeze-ray manufacturer,
A frozen computer can indeed be annoying, but we can give you some solutions!
First thing you want to do is the easiest, just sit tight and wait. Twiddle your thumbs a moment. Sometimes a computer is just dealing with a big, or complex task. You’re asking too many things of it at once! Let it catch up!
If it’s still not working after a bit of time, check to see if the computer is able to respond to anything. Simply press the “Caps Lock” key on the keyboard. If the “Caps Lock” key is able to turn on or off, the computer passed, and we move onto the next step. If the “Caps Lock” key doesn’t do anything, try re-booting the computer.
Next step is ending the specific program that isn’t working. You can do this by clicking the “Ctrl”, “Alt” and “Del” keys on the keyboard, all at the same time to open the Task Manager. This tells you exactly what programs are running on your computer at any given time. If there is a program that isn’t working properly, it should be labeled as “Not Responding”. You can fix this by highlighting he program and clicking “End Task”. This will shut down the program, and should unfreeze your computer.
If all else fails, you will have to reboot the computer. This is easily done by holding down the power button for a few seconds until the computer turns off. You then turn the computer back on and let it restart. If you are worried about losing a specific document, many programs have an autosave feature which may help you recover a recent version of it after rebooting.
If your computer freezing is a frequent issue, there are a few reasons your computer could be freezing, and the issue can be easily solved in most situations.
The first reason your computer could be freezing is an issue with software. Is the computer freezing when you open a certain program? If so, the software for the program could be the issue. To fix this, just make sure you have all the latest upgrades for that program, and if it continues, reinstall it.
The second reason it could be happening is because of a driver issue. As an example, let’s say you’re playing the Sims, because let’s face it, everyone loves the Sims. A little bit into playing the game, your Sims freeze, and the program won’t respond. This driver issue in particular case could be the video drive.
First thing to do in this situation is to check that there are no errors in the Windows Device Manager. This is done by opening up the Device Manager, and make sure there are no device has an exclamation mark or red X. Next, double check that you have all the latest drivers for all the major devices in your computer.
The last easy fix is an operating system related issue. To fix this, just make sure all the latest updates are installed on your computer.
2 of the most common causes of computer freezes that we see, are not enough RAM, or your computer is full of spyware and needs an Optimization.  Office users should have an Optimization done at least every 6 months.  Home users should have an Optimization done at least every 3 months or so, depending on use, and types of websites being visited.
Some of the other issues could be heat related, hardware related, or even an issue with the Windows program itself. Unless you are very confident in your computer skills, it’s recommended that you bring your computer into a professional.
Call the geeks at Technology by Design at 204-800-3166 for more information on diagnosing your computer problems, upgrading your RAM, or having an Optimization performed on your computer.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Filed Under: FAQ

Cold Computing

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Dear Geek,

The inevitable is coming, winter.  With the cold weather, should I be worried about leaving my laptop in my car or having my computer in a room that’s cold?

Signed,

Mr. Freeze

Dear Mr. Freeze,

The cold itself won’t damage your computer, however, drastic temperature changes from cold to warm can cause condensation in the computer, which can. For example, accidentally leaving a laptop in your car overnight during winter, bringing it inside, and immediately turning on to see if anyone has read the new chapter of your Star Wars fan-fiction isn’t a good idea.  Immediately turning the computer on once you bring it inside, can cause damage by condensation.
It’s best to avoid situations like this.  If it happens, it’s a good idea to leave your computer off for several minutes (at least 30 minutes, longer if it’s below zero) before turning it on. If the computer is a laptop, it’s a good idea to keep it in a laptop carrying case, so it has an extra insulating layer.
If you are really worried about the temperature, you can check with the computer manufacturer for their recommended operating temperatures.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

How To Diagnose Printer Issues

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Dear Geek,

My printer isn’t printing.  How can I tell if my printer’s broken, or if it’s a problem with my computer?

Signed,

My Printer Ate My Homework!

Dear Best Excuse Ever!,

The bad news is your printer isn’t working.  The good news is that you (or your kids) now have an excuse why their homework isn’t done!  However, that excuse isn’t going to work forever, so one of the first things to do when your printer isn’t working, is to print a test page directly on the printer.  Most new printers make it easy to print an internal test page through the menu system built into a digital display on the printer itself.  Usually, you can find it under the “Utilities” page of the settings.  If it won’t print the test page directly from the printer, it may be broken.  If it’s new, contact the manufacturer.  If it’s not, it’s most likely cheaper to buy a new printer than to have that one fixed.

If your printer prints a test page, it’s time to move onto the computer.  Open Windows’ “Printer” dialogue box, and print a test page from there.  Doing this checks if there is a communication problem between the computer and printer.

Windows 7:  Go to “Start”, select “Control Panel”, then “Hardware and Sound”, then “Printer”.  Right-click the printer you want to                 test, and click “Properties”.  Choose the “General” tab, and click “Print Test Page”.

Windows 8:  Move the cursor over the “Charms” bar, select “Search”, and click “Control Panel”.  Select “View Device and Printers”                 from the drop-down menu.  Right-click your printer, click “Printer Properties”, then click “Print Test Page”.  If there is no “Print Test         Page” button, you can open a different program (eg word processor, etc), and click “Print” under “File”.

If the printer starts working, check the printer configuration (which printer is chosen to print to) in the program you were trying to print from originally.  If the printer still isn’t working, open up the “Print Queue” dialogue box in the “Windows System Tray”, in the bottom right-hand corner, to see if Windows can provide a reason for the problem.  Sometimes a previous print job is the culprit (document was paused & is in the queue ahead of your print job).  If this is the case, right-click the print job and select “Cancel Print Job” until your test print is at the top of the queue.  If the document still fails to print, Windows should automatically generate an error message that may help explain the issue (eg. “Windows cannot connect to the printer”.  If the test page won’t print it’s likely that, for whatever reason, your computer and printer are both working but aren’t communicating with each other.  Check all cables and/or wireless connections.  If all cables and/or wireless connections are secure, as a last resort you can uninstall the printer, then reinstall it.  This should fix the problem.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!