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Technology

Know Your Tech: Accessory

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We make a big deal about how important it is to take care of your computers. Whether that be routinely cleaning your PC, weeding through the unnecessary information stored on them, or utilizing a mobile device’s built-in security features to keep mobile malware from making the management of your company–wide mobile solution more difficult. Much of the time, however, your organization’s IT works as designed, creating no issues whatsoever. In those moments you begin to pay more attention to your accessories.

For this week’s tech term, we talk a little bit about accessories. In the past, accessories were mandatory to simply use any computer, but with the advent and prevalent use of smartphones and tablets, that isn’t always the case today. They do, however still make up a huge portion of the cost to businesses and individuals when purchasing a computer. Let’s take a look at the computer accessory market.

When looking to define what a computer accessory is, you’d have no trouble finding multiple definitions. On one hand, many computer accessories attach themselves to a computer, while others are there to provide additional functionality, security, or support. We’ll break them into two different groups: basic and advanced.

Basic Computer Accessories

Basic computer accessories are accessories that are typically less expensive, and don’t usually come with their own power supplies, although wireless technology has somewhat changed this. There are all types of simple accessories that include:

  • Cables and Wires
  • Keyboards and Mice
  • Speakers and Microphones
  • Webcams
  • Headsets
  • Flash Drives
  • Adapters
  • Bags and Cases

Advanced Computer Accessories

Advanced computer accessories typically have a higher price tag and come with their own power supply. Also called peripherals, these products typically perform advanced tasks or have more stand-alone value than basic computer accessories. Some include:

  • Printers
  • Scanners
  • Charging Stations
  • Digital Signage
  • External Storage
  • Power Protection

Essentially, every product you can buy beside the computer and the monitors is considered an accessory. Even peripherals that come with their own power supply are technically accessories for a computer (since you can’t use them without a CPU).

COMPANYNAME’s knowledgeable IT technicians are committed to providing useful technology support services to organizations like yours. To find out how we can help your organization best use its technology call us today at PHONENUMBER.

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Casserly Consulting Blog

Tip of the Week: How to Type Accent Marks and Symbols

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When it comes to businesses-to-business relationships, the global impact of the Internet has unlocked quite a few doors. Rather than developing relationships with exclusively businesses in their region, it’s not uncommon for a small manufacturer of model airplanes in Iowa to use the web to find the vendor that can meet all of their needs, even if they’re located in Austria. Doing business internationally means there may be an occasion where you’ll need to communicate in another language. Fortunately, for Windows 10 users, it has never been easier to switch your computer or mobile device’s language.

First, hover over the taskbar and right-click. Select show touch keyboard button.

Cortana

You’ll now see a keyboard icon next to your clock and calendar on the right-hand size of your taskbar.

keyboard icon

This will bring up a touch keyboard. In the case that you don’t have a touch screen, you can also click on the buttons with your mouse.

Touch Keyboard

Click and hold the base letter to see all the possible accents for that letter. Click the one that you would like to insert.

keyboard accents

For those who are going to be writing in another language on a regular basis. It’s possible to change the entire layout of your keyboard. Your chosen language can be found to the right of the touch keyboard icon.

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This doesn’t just apply to the touch keyboard. It applies to your physical one, as well.

Hint: If you don’t see the language you’re looking for in the list of available languages, you can add and edit your list by selecting Language preferences.

Using Another Version of Windows?
For those of you who are using Windows 7 or 8.1 (or even Vista or XP), in addition to seriously thinking about upgrading your operating system, you can still use ALT Codes . A numeric list of codes is assigned to the accented letter or symbol in question. While pressing down the ALT key, type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad at the right edge of the keyboard.

Do you have any tips or tricks that use you like use when communicating in another language? Tell us below! Comentario a continuación! Commentaires ci-dessous! Комментарий ниже!