Author: Casserly Consulting

If you’re a regular user of Windows applications, you’ll notice that they will, by default, open into smaller windows, allowing users to customize the size of their windows as need be. Usually, when you want to increase the size of the app, you have to click the maximize button in the top-right corner. However, you can save a little bit of time each time you do this by setting Windows to default to full-screen mode for this application.

First, you’ll want to pick the application, and find it’s shortcut on your desktop. When we say “shortcut,” we are referring to the little icons on your desktop that open a program, like Microsoft Word or your preferred Internet browser.

Select the app’s icon and right-click it. Go to the bottom of the dropdown menu and you’ll see Properties. Click it and you’ll open a Properties window, which will open up to the Shortcut tab.

You’re looking for the Run drop-down menu. It will be just a few selections down from the top of the tab. Currently, you’ll notice that it’s set to Normal window. However, if you click on the down arrow, you’ll be shown choices for Normal Window, Minimized, or Maximized. Click on Maximized, and whenever you open the program in the future, it will default to full screen mode. Once you’ve done this, click Apply to save the changes.

While it might not seem like it saves a lot of time, it will certainly be more convenient. Just take a moment to optimize your settings now and you’ll save a lot of time and frustration in the future. To learn more about how to save time and optimize your business technology, subscribe to COMPANYNAME’s blog.

Wouldn’t it be convenient if you could charge your smartphone just by walking down the street? How about turning your tie into a voice-recognizing security system? Michigan State University has been working toward creating some great new tech that makes these suggestions seem like real possibilities, in the form of a small device.

Nelson Sepulveda, an MSU Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, along with his team, developed a device that can create power as it is bent or folded–which means it can be used as fabric for clothing. These devices are called biocompatible ferroelectret nanogenerators, or FENG.

Power is created by the device’s layers as energy is received through other sources; for example, the user’s physical motion. This allows for countless possibilities, including the ability to charge a device through only using FENG technology.

There are other ways that this technology can be used, including security applications. FENG material is very sensitive, so it could make it almost impossible to trick a voice recognition system. FENG could also be used as a speaker, adding to its versatility. In other words, it can work from both sides of the spectrum.

It’s also likely that FENG technology can be used to aid in discovering new ways to make technology more efficient for longer periods of time. This can help businesses achieve much more overall than they were previously able to, all without losing the ever-important battery charge. Read more about FENG here . 

What are your thoughts on FENG? Do you think that this will become a new standard for building new devices? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for even more great business technology information.

While the Internet of Things has made many common tasks much easier through automation, it has also increased the potency of particular cybersecurity threats. For an excellent example, one only has to turn to the increasing prevalence of botnets that are powered by IoT technology.

An Overview of the IoT, and Why It’s Great For Botnets
If you wear a fitness tracker that automatically syncs to your phone, or have an Internet-connected security camera watching your house, you are utilizing the Internet of Things. Usually labelled as ‘connected’ or ‘smart,’ these devices collect data and process that data via a connection to the Internet.

While these devices have proven to be very useful, there is a major problem with them that seems to be present throughout the IoT: a noticeable lack of security measures. Combining this lack of security precautions with their need to connect to the Internet creates the ideal conditions for a botnet to gather.

A botnet pools the resources of a large network of infected devices to overcome the target’s security through a brute force attack. The attack on Dyn that made dozens of the web’s most popular sites go dark was a botnet, proving that this method of attack is no joke.

A New-ish Face on the Scene
While there is no shortage of botnets already, a new derivative of the infamous Mirai is using the same IP cameras to infect thousands of devices in China. This particular botnet has been named Persirai, and is just one of many that warrant concern.

For example, there is another botnet that Kaspersky Lab has concluded to have infected about 300,000 IoT devices. While this botnet, codenamed Hajime, is still dormant, it could potentially rival Mirai if it were to meet the expectations of security experts and become active.

Keeping Your Business Safe
Luckily, there are a few ways you can help to reduce the impact that a botnet can have on your business. A good rule of thumb is to follow business continuity best practices. As an example, your business data shouldn’t only be kept in one place. An offsite backup solution will allow you data to be preserved if you ever are assaulted by a botnet. It always helps to have a firewall solution in place as well, as they can mitigate some botnet attacks.

If you need help protecting your business against the vulnerabilities that the IoT creates, give us a call at COMPANYNAME. Call us at PHONENUMBER to get started.

How much noise does your work desktop make? Chances are that the majority of it comes from the fans. These fans are designed to cool down the systems while also maintaining an acceptable noise level. However, the longer your technology lasts, you might realize that these fans seem a bit louder than usual due to your machine needing more work from them to keep the innards cool.

It’s also worth noting that your PC might be caked in dust from years of use. With the dust blockading the fans, they’ll have to work a bit harder than before to get enough airflow, which means that they will create more noise. It’s certainly worth checking out if your computer has suddenly grown louder than you’re used to.

Unlike other fans that you might have in the office, computer fans don’t have settings that you can easily adjust. Furthermore, it’s unwise to mess with your PC fan speed in general, since it’s designed to keep your PC components at an optimal temperature. It might be a better move to just replace the noisy fans and upgrade to better, more quiet fans. Since fans are one of the few mechanical parts in most modern computers, they are the components that will show significant wear and tear, even if you take proper care of your computer.

Disclaimer: If you’re looking to replace your computer’s fans or do any work requiring you to open the case and swap out parts, then it’s highly recommended that you either know what you’re doing or have the assistance of an IT professional.

If you’re seriously contemplating changing out your fans, keep the following in mind:

• A bigger fan will move more air at lower speeds, which makes for a quieter experience. Just make sure that your computer’s tower can accommodate it.
• Look for fans that change their speeds to the amount of heat created by the PC. This keeps the fan’s noise levels to a minimum, even when it’s not being used as much.,
• More powerful, high-end desktops require a lot of airflow. By these, we mean PCs dedicated to intensive tasks, such as gaming or video editing. These often have to use multiple fans, so there’s no way around that. However, a technician can probably install some sound-muffling foam to keep the noise to a minimum.

While your PC’s fans could be a major source of noise, there could be other problems associated with a loud computer. If you want to get to the root of the problem, reach out to COMPANYNAME for professional technology consultation and maintenance. To learn more, call us at PHONENUMBER.

While many instances of augmented reality may seem gimmicky, Google is taking strides toward making AR a purposeful utility in our mobile devices. This was made apparent when Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced Google Lens.

Taking note of the online shift from text-based content to image/video-based content, Google is doing its best to improve the search engine’s ability to reflect that shift. Utilizing machine learning, Google Lens can view images that are either saved in the device’s memory or visible to its camera and complete tasks based on those images.

For example, Google Lens can:

• Identify a species of flower that the camera is focused on.
• Log into a WiFi network just by viewing the SSID sticker on the router.
• Translate text that the camera is pointed towards into a different language.
• Provide information and reviews on local restaurants, stores, and other establishments that the phone is pointed at.

When it’s launched, Google Lens will have the ability to interact with both the Google Assistant and Google Photos. Google Assistant will allow you to add an event to your calendar just by pointing your camera at an information board. Google Photos will allow the user to check details like opening and closing hours of a business. If you happen to have a screenshot of someone’s business card, you can call them directly from the image.

More Google apps will follow these two, providing users even more functionality.

So, what do you think? Do you see these features making your day-to-day business tasks and responsibilities easier? Which Google app do you most look forward to Google Lens augmenting? Let us know in the comments!