Steps to Speed Things Up in Outlook: Disable RSS – By default, Outlook will sync RSS feeds from Internet Explorer to the RSS reader in Outlook. If you have a lot of RSS feeds bookmarked in IE, that syncing could easily bring Outlook to a crawl. Disable this feature (if you don’t use Outlook as an RSS reader) from within Outlook 2010 by going to Options | Advanced and then unchecking both options under RSS Feeds.

Archive your Inbox – Thousands upon thousands of emails in your Inbox can cause serious issues, especially when using PST files. Instead of just letting those Inbox folders grow to outrageous proportions, set up Folders in your Inbox for the emails you want to save. Also set up Auto Archiving so that your Inbox retains only a portion of those emails. A good rule of thumb is to keep the current and previous months’ email in the Inbox and Archive everything else. When you archive, you effectively create a new data file, so Outlook doesn’t have to strain against the weight of an oversize PST or OST file.

Add words to the custom dictionary – Spell check relies on a large main dictionary, but it isn’t all inclusive. Occasionally, it stops at words it can’t find. You’ll want to add these terms to the custom dictionary. That way, spell check will skip the word in subsequent documents.

Computer equipment used solely for work purposes can be one of many 100% tech tax deductions. When you depreciate the item, you deduct the amount of the item over a total number of years determined by the IRS to be its useful life period. Will deducting the total amount be more helpful to you this year, or will having the additional deduction be more helpful in years to come?

Personal and Business Expenses – If you are a small business that operates from a home office, you cannot write off the only computer in
the house of a family of 4. The trick is to prove that you are using these items for business at least part of the time, and write off that part.

Many retail sites track your shopping habits and Web browsing history. More questionable sites may attempt to install key loggers or other types of Trojans. Fortunately, there are a number of different utilities that you can use to help protect your privacy.

TruCrypt is a free program that creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file that allows data to be read and written as fast as if the drive was not encrypted.

KeyScrambler Personal is a free tool that is designed to combat key loggers. The utility acts as a driver that encrypts keystrokes so that they cannot be interpreted by a key logger.

ChrisPC Free Anonymous Proxy is a free tool for anonymously surfing the Web and allows you to access Web sites that have been blocked. Comes with adware- be careful when installing.

These sites listed above are free versions and many free versions have problems. Remember that using a VPN is still the safest way to browse the web. If you have any questions, or would rather have us safely connect you to your own VPN, please contact us.

All Mobile Carriers and ISP Providers are collecting information about your account for external marketing and analytics. By default you’re opting into the tracking. Here’s the gist of what they are collecting:

Account Information – Your name, address, number, e-mail address, payment data, passwords, security codes and service history.

Network Performance & Usage Information– Tells them how you use their network, products, services, and how well their equipment and network is performing.

Web Browsing & Wireless App Information – Tells them about the websites you visit and the mobile applications you use.

Location Information – Tells them where you are when you when you browse.

DVR and U-verse Information – Tells them about which programs you watch and record, the games you play, the applications you use.

The good news is that opting out is easy. Click on the links below to be directed to the service providers privacy policy page. You will need to log into your account to make any changes.

ATT Opt-Out
Boost Mobile Opt-Out:
Cox Opt-Out:
Cricket Opt-Out:
DirecTV Opt-Out:
Sprint Opt-Out:
Time Warner Opt-Out:
T-Mobile Opt-Out:
Verizon Opt-Out:

My best tip is this: Look through all bills and emails they send regarding your account. They have to notify you of any changes to their privacy policies.

Let’s look at what an unsecured network is. Generally you can call a network “unsecure” if there is no password or login credentials needed to access it. You just get on and surf the internet. These types of networks can still be found in many places.
There are generally two types of Wi-Fi networks you can access: adhoc networks and traditional access point networks. Adhoc networks connect devices directly to one another, while traditional networks connect devices to a central router. So, for example, you can connect two laptops or your laptop and your phone together without the need for a router or any other hardware. This would create an adhoc network. This is different from a traditional access point network where each device connects to a router.
So that “free public Wi-Fi” network you encounter at the airport is actually an adhoc network that was probably started as a prank long ago but still persists to this day. Basically, when you try to connect to this network, you are actually connecting to another computer. And when you connect to this computer, your computer will then also be set up to broadcast the “free public Wi-Fi” network to other devices around you, essentially allowing access to all your private data to anyone within range. Not a good idea.
Why You Shouldn’t Connect to Unsecure Networks – Say you’re sitting in a coffee shop and decide you want to check your Facebook page and your email to kill some time. You scan the available networks and see one that’s open and unsecured. You connect and start surfing. Coffee and free Wi-Fi, what could be better, right? Wrong. A hacker is also fond of coffee shops and he is located within range of the router you connected to. He’s waiting for one or more people to connect to the network so he can start a man in the middle attack. Within a few minutes, he could gain access to all your passwords, including bank accounts, emails, and anything else. The hacker can get in and see your passwords, messages, and any other activity as it goes over the network to the internet. As you can imagine, it could be horrible if the hacker got access to your bank accounts and email. It would be especially bad if you used the same password for everything!
How to Prevent Wi-Fi Crime – You can use a secured network that encrypts all of your data. This will make sure that your data is safe and scrambled as it travels between you and the “mailbox”. Of course, no security is 100% safe, but this encryption will help a ton.
Another thing to look for when you’re going wireless on an unknown network is that it says “https” on the address bar of your web browser. This “s” on the end of the “http” indicates SSL or secure socket layer, which means that your data is encrypted between your computer and the website you’re surfing.
If you are now super paranoid about surfing the internet away from home, I would look into setting up a VPN. Call our techs or write support@wesolvethat.com. If you are on our Platinum or Bronze Contracts, you probably have this set up on your computers and personal devices already.
Follow these steps to safely connect to unfamiliar wireless networks: Save really important tasks such as online banking for home.

• Try not to connect to any “public” or “unsecured” networks. If you absolutely need access to the internet, pay a few bucks for the secure option.
• When on a Wi-Fi network, look for websites that have “https” in the address bar.
• If you really want maximum security, use a VPN.

Sometimes while working on the computer, when a call comes in, it cuts the call off and hangs up. To prevent this from happening, turn on call trace and test the extensions. Oftentimes, when an extension’s mailbox is full, the VoIP call will get cut-off.

1. Wherever you are online, you have the functionality of your entire phone system. Whether at the office or a coffee shop, you can get message alerts and download call data.

2. Your phone system will work across multiple zip codes, even if your employees are spread across multiple time zones.

3. Online telephony is always up to date. As new features become available, they can be added swiftly and easily.

4. Your VoIP system can potentially replace a receptionist. Or at least free up your receptionist so they have time to perform their additional duties.

5. VoIP systems are very flexible. They can be set up in minutes, expanded or shrunk quickly and easily. You’re never stuck with a feature or any hardware you don’t want. And adding new lines for new employees and offices is a snap.The ease and flexibility of VoIP and the money your business will save makes it possible to focus on the lifeblood of your business: your customers.

We all make important calls on our cells. Whether it’s a business call or to the doctor, we need to be able to rely on our cell’s signal so we can hear what the person on the other line is saying.If you’re tired of dropped calls, limited range and slow data then you need a Signal Booster. There are several Signal Booster companies out there. We currently work with Cel-Fi and Wilson Electronics. A signal booster amplifies week cell signals. Signal boosters work transparently on all the carrier networks.These signal boosters are available for your home, office, and on the road. They have 4G data boosters that can increase speeds up to 20x’s. Universal signal boosters are even available, that way all of you BYOD people can work productively.If you’re ready to communicate and work productively and when and where you want, Contact Us today to get started.

3 Apps to Help Increase Your Android’s Battery Life. If you want your Android to last for more than a couple of hours, check out these applications. They’ll help you to make the most of your Android smartphone and tablet’s batteries. Wakelock is an Android feature that apps use to wake them from deep sleep mode. Wakelock can keep your CPU awake, they can turn on your screen, and they can make sure your screen doesn’t go off. That can be very handy. They can also help kill your battery.

UzumApps’ Wakelock Detector is a handy program for seeing which programs have been using Wakelock. It gives you detailed system information that’s essential for hard-core battery life analysis.

JuiceDefender is a very straightforward program with a simple interface. Whether you use its preset modes or you elect to tweak every setting to get the most from the program, it’s a simple way to save battery life. Juice Defender’s Balanced setting saves a decent amount of battery by making sure your antennae are off when the screen is off. No pulling off of wifi/LTE to push you notifications when your phone is in your pocket and your battery will drain 15-20% slower with it. JuiceDefender comes in three versions: Free; Plus, $1.99; and Ultimate, $4.99. The more you pay, the more control you get.

Power users might prefer Sun Light’s Battery Drain Analyzer. It has a simple profile manager, but what it’s really about is looking under the hood of your device to analyze your app and power usage. It does give you an excellent and realistic battery life estimate. Unlike other programs, Battery Drain Analyzer works hard on analyzing not just what your apps and components are doing at any given moment, but how you usually use your device. The basic version is free and Pro is $2.

Who doesn’t like being able to do something without having to get up? If you’re old enough to remember watching TV’s before there were remotes, you cringe at the memory of being the “channel changer”. TV’s have come a long way since then and so has automation. Now we can turn on and heat up the hot tub on our way home from work so its ready when we get there. Or get a message from the house saying our kids are home from school. Some additional benefits of automating your home or office include:

1. Ease of access
2. Easy shut down
3. Hands free lighting
4. Security at the touch of a button
5. Instant knowledge of home/office energy usage
6. Control of everything you choose to automate.

However you choose to use it, automation makes life easier. And who doesn’t like easy.
For more information on Automation, please contact us. We will send you information and talk with you about how it can benefit your life.

One often overlooked aspect of Automation is the Variable Dimmer. A Variable Dimmer not only gives you the ability to govern the power output of many fixtures, but to program specific actions.

The average person cannot tell the difference between 90 and 100 percent brightness. Setting the lights in your home to 90 percent can save up to 850 pounds of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of not driving a car for an entire month. You will appreciate the positive impact you are making on the environment as well as enjoy the saving on your utility bill.

One of our techs recently told me this about Variable Dimmers, “We can program a dimmer to execute an action with a double or triple tap function. For example, a double tap can execute a light scene or, activate security on a triple tap. Also, there are keypads that can program light scenes, security, audio and video.”

Planning your exterior lights to accent pathways, pools and trees will make your elegant landscaping stand out. So go ahead, design your own indoor or outdoor scene and express yourself through lighting.

Contact us to help you program your scene.

You may have noticed some cable and security companies offering “automation” packages including lights and security monitoring service – that is not an automated home. The services that they offer are very limited in terms of functionality and the flexibility they offer.

Customers quickly realize they want more personalization that incorporates best-in-class entertainment systems, streaming music, room-to-room audio/video communication and other lifestyle functions to enhance their life. With Control4, you have a flexible platform to grow with you.

What makes Control4 Different? Control4 automation is an all-in-one solution that’s capable of endless customization: Start with just a smart thermostat or just one room like a home theater. Expand throughout the home when time or budget allows. Your needs change throughout your life, and Control4 can grow with you. Contact us to help you get started.