Archive for the ‘Tech Tips’ Category

Most of us, at one time or another, have, or will, drop a beloved and heavily relied upon electronic gadget into a pool of water.  We’ll experience a racing heart beat, slight dizziness and surge of hormones as we panic and have a little freak out about losing all our data, contacts, and electronic crutch!  Enter the BHEESTIE.

BHEESTIE is a bag of super thirsty stuff which will suck the moisture right out of your device.  For $20 a bag, you can have your device back fast ( and dry).

No claims are made about how this will affect any warranty you have remaining on your device, but if you just want your toy back, BHEESTIE will happily help you out.  Learn more about BHEESTIE.

Until next time,

Team Tucu

Here are 3 basic computer troubleshooting tips that anyone can use to correct a computer issue.  They are useful tips for common computer issues.

This basic guide is split into 2 sections types; Know and Act.  The sections marked as Know explain why to do what is suggested.  The sections marked Act give you the actual troubleshooting tip.   By knowing and acting, you can learn and improve your troubleshooting tips.  Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry »

Free Desktop Organization Software

Does your desktop look like something exploded inside your computer screen and bits and pieces of your work life were strewn about?

Do you waste time looking for files or folders?  Fences can help you keep organized and keep your sanity through out the work day!  It allows you to create little fences on your desktop ( more like little sections) which you title and insert your various files and folders into.  Everything is visible, just far more organized and easy to find. Read the rest of this entry »

Digital Copier Hard Drive Data Leaks

60% of Americans do not know that Digital Copiers have hard drives, which retain an image of every copy made using the copier. We’re Canadian, but it isn’t a stretch to consider many of us fail to consider the ramifications of our digital copiers hard drive when selling or disposing of an old digital copier.

Used copiers are sold across the U.S. and Canada, as well as to unknown overseas buyers in Singapore, Argentina and elsewhere, holding easy to download images of all scanned or copied documents.  This video shows used copiers from insurance companies, police stations and other businesses sent out to pasture and made available for sale for a few hundred dollars.  Sadly, the video shows that for a few hundred dollars, anyone can buy a hard drive with every single image you scanned.

In this video, personal, pay, social insurance numbers, medical and criminal records were easily recovered.   Obviously, these companies failed to follow PIPEDA or privacy guidelines for disposing of personal information.  What a jackpot for identify theft artists.  What a potential law suit for the companies or the police station who failed to delete the hard drives before disposing of the copiers.

• Do you photocopy pay stubs?
• Medical charts?
• Legal case files?
• Any sensitive information?

If you are using a digital copier to make your copies, be sure to spend the $200-$300 to have the hard drive “scrubbed ( properly deleted) before selling or disposing of your used or unwanted digital copier.  If you need to have your hard drive properly scrubbed, please call Tucu.  This is a service we offer.

Be sure to watch the video, and be aware of the potential legal ramifications of failing to scrub your drives before disposing of digital copy machines.

For Computer Help, Call Tucu: 416-292-3300 | 905-233-4858

PDF Embedded Virus

Adobe’s “Launch” feature has been exploited to allow a virus to be inserted in to a PDF and downloaded to your computer. A new virus, which does just that, is currently circulating.

This version of the virus is being circulated as an attachment in PDF’s titled Royal_Mail_Delivery_Notice.pdf.

If you open a PDF, and are greeted with a dialogue box prompting you do download Royal_Mail_Delivery_Notice.pdf , or to “choose an extraction location”, be sure to cancel the action, close the dialogue box and delete the infected PDF.

FoxIt Readers need to take extra care, as FoxIt Reader does not currently give the user the dialogue box as outlined above, but rather begins automatically downloading the virus to your My Documents Folder.

Until a patch is released, Adobe suggests the following work around to help prevent infection:

In Adobe Reader and Acrobat, edit your preferences

1. Edit
2. Preferences
3. Categories
4. Trust Manager
5. PDF File Attachments – clear or deselect the check box for “ Allow opening of non PDF file attachments with external applications.

If you suspect you have been infected, call us to book a remote or on site support session. Tucu will scan and quarantine any viruses on your system, and update your anti-virus and Adobe settings.  From Toronto, dial 416.292.3300.  From Durham, call 905.233.4858.

Update – Monday May 10, 2010 - Foxit Reader has added a safe mode to help stop embedded viruses from automatically downloading.  Foxit PDF Reader Version 3.3,has a Safe Mode that blocks external commands (embedded viruses) from being executed by the software.  So good news for Foxit fans!

Hey there Tucu lovers,

When Andy posted this in a Linked In Group we belong to, we had to ask his permission to repost it here on the blog for all of you.  These self proclaimed gurus advertise hard, and small business owners give up their hard earned money to these people when they truly don’t have the right credentials, experience or depth of marketing knowledge to do them any real service.

Be smart.  Be savvy. Dig a little deeper when hiring someone to help you with your marketing service.  For SEO basics, we can help.  For hard hitting SEO success, we recommend The Search Engine People, based out of Ajax Ontario.  THey are a profit 100 company and one of Canada’s finest when it comes to SEO.

Sincerely,
Team Tucu Read the rest of this entry »

If you experienced downtime due to OpenDNS’s recent outtage, try Google’s new Public DNS service.

Although outtage’s don’t happen often, why not cover your bases by using multpiple DNS services.  To use Google’s public DNS, simply add the IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 to your DNS servers forwarding look ups.

Not sure how? Call us and we’ll walk you through it.

In October we reminded all our clients about the update for the AVG AntiVirus Free Edition. Not everyone was quick to update, because a few of you had to call in for help with some nasty virus infections!  We’re happy we were able to help, but really want to help you prevent infections altogether.

It is very important to regularly update your antivirus software.  Viruses are increasingly malicious and intelligent.  Stay safe and take action when you receive our free tech tips.   If you are new to Tucu and want to register for the free tech tips, click here to register.

If you are currently using AVG Free edition, please download the latest edition.  Get your free download here.

If you have questions, or if you suspect you have been infected, give us a call. We can set up a remote repair session with you and clean up your computer up quickly, or, if you prefer, we’ll come and see you in your home or office.

Toronto: 416-292-330o   Durham: 905-233-4858

Tucu Lovers,

We know that most offices lack the fresh air and greenery that make humans feel good.  After watching this video, our office got an overhaul with some refreshing results.

I always say that synergy is a beautiful thing. I am normally referencing the exponentially better results you can get when you work with a coach, great team or partner  on your business projects, but today I’m talking about plants.  3 easy to obtain plants work together to create your own fresh air supply!  The presenter in the video explains that you could be sealed in a bottle with these 3 plants and not die.

Update your work space with a little more oxygen and see if it doesn’t perk up your results.  It worked for us.  And while ot exactly a tech tip, Team Tucu felt like this office tip was to good not to share.  Employ & Enjoy.

Bill 118 went into effect this month. Download your PDF copy here: Bill 118

For safety & a clean driving record, you should strongly consider purchasing a hands free device for your cell /smart phone. If you have questions about blue tooth devices etc, we’re just a call away.

Consultations are free.  Toronto: 416-292-3300 |  Durham: 905-233-4858