Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
After the champagne has been popped and the ball has dropped, it’s time to put away the party hat and get serious about those New Year resolutions.
One of the most common resolutions people make in the New Year is to get a handle on their finances. Here at Geek Squad, we want you to know that your technology is ready and willing to help you make that resolution a reality.
Goodbye Cable?
If you are feeling your wallet get tighter every time your cable bills arrive, it may be time to change your habits and begin using your high-speed internet connection to your advantage. Almost all major television networks now offer most of their shows online shortly after, or in some cases as, they air on live TV. Other websites like Hulu, Joost and YouTube give you the ability to watch older episodes of many popular network and cable shows. You can also find classic TV shows on these channels, particularly YouTube. Cut yourself loose from cable by taking advantage of the wide variety of free streaming content available online.
Worried that you don’t want to watch a whole TV show on your little laptop screen?, Never fear. Almost all newer televisions allow you to connect your computer directly to the TV with an extra cable or two. Just remember you need to have minimum high speed internet connection of 1.5Mbps to be able to get a good video streaming experience. If you’re not sure what your current speed is, try out Geek Squad’s speed test: www.geeksquad.com/speedtest
Coming Soon To A Computer Near You
Sure, I suppose some people love walking through a movie theater in its sticky-floored glory. But more and more people prefer to stay at home and watch films. Staying home to watch movies in your pajamas and Snuggie is not only more comfortable than sitting in a drafty theater, it can be much less expensive
With your computer and high speed internet connection, you can use Netflix, Apple iTunes and CinemaNow to choose a movie, download it and start watching within minutes. Again, you don’t have to worry about watching these movies on a small computer screen because many services use small set-top boxes with easy set-up to stream movies from your computer to your TV. In fact, Netflix is available on all gaming consoles [Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360] and most Blu-ray players include applications for most of these services, so you can easily turn your living room into your own comfortable movie theater. So, get your popcorn in the microwave and your family together, and make it a movie night tonight.
Phone Home, for a Lot Less
You are going to want to tell everyone about your plan to ring in the savings in 2012. Fortunately, there are new telephone options that allow you to lower your monthly bills without sacrificing talk time. These services allow you to turn your pre-existing Internet connection into a functioning phone line. Web-based providers such as Skype, magicJack and Jajah are affordable ways to turn your computer into a phone, especially for international calls. Skype and Jajah are also available as apps for on-the-go calling [free on Android and iPhone]. You can also text for free using your Gmail account or apps like textPlus and Kik [both free on Android and iPhone]. Using some additional hardware, you can use VoIP systems like Vonage and Ooma for low cost calling.
Mighty Music Master
No matter your music preference, there are ways to listen to your favorite tunes without destroying your budget. Free, high-quality radio and music streaming via sites like SHOUTcast, Pandora, Grooveshark and Spotify allow you to listen to the music you like through your internet connection. These sites are also great ways to discover new artists and songs, and you are able to listen to whole songs, not just clips. Be sure to check out your favorite band’s website because many artists release songs as free downloads on their sites.
Smart Phone Spending
Smart phones are called smart for a reason.And now they can help you wise-up about spending. There are a plethora of applications that are available for download, offering quick and easy ways for you to save some money no matter where you are. So, download the apps and let the savings roll in!
To learn more ways to technify your budget in the New Year, or for help with the rest of your technology needs, call 1 800 GEEK SQUAD to set up an onsite consultation. Find an Agent or location near you at www.geeksquad.com, or visit the Geek Squad Precinct at Best Buy and other locations to speak with an Agent directly. We provide our services wherever and whenever you need them – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Every day, Covert Remote Support Agent Laura G. is remotely saving the sanity of clients around the United States while thwarting the presence of malware on their computers. When not working on computers remotely you can find Agent Laura in her kitchen in sunny Vero Beach, FL baking creative and innovative cakes.
If your favorite website looks different on Wednesday, January 18th, it’s likely not an issue with your computer, smartphone or tablet. A number of well-known websites will be participating in partial “blackouts” throughout the day, or will be changing their access or features to include informational and awareness messages on the page itself.
Some of the sites that have stated they will participate include Wikipedia, Reddit, WordPress and the Google home page. We will add to the list of sites that may have limited access throughout the day as needed.
If you find that you have access to most other sites without issue, there likely is not a problem with your Internet connection. Try those sites with which you are having trouble again tomorrow, as the partial or full blackouts are likely only temporary.
However, if you do not have access to any websites, start by contacting your Internet service provider to confirm there is not an issue with your connection. If you continue to have issue with your Internet access, call 1-800 GEEK SQUAD (433-5778), or stop into your local Best Buy to have a Geek Squad Agent check your device out.
-Agent Derek M.
It is a new year with new opportunities. Many of us choose to set new goals. Sometimes we want to get back on track with our existing goals.
Why not take full advantage of your tablet to make planning and meeting those goals easy? Today we’ll take a few common New Year Resolutions that we all share, and look at how your tablet can help with each.
Keeping organized
Syncing your tablet with the cloud has never been easier. If you have an Android device you can let your Gmail account keep track of your contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, pictures, music, messages and more, keeping everything lined up, no matter how many devices you have. Whether you are on your tablet or on your computer, everything will stay in sync as long as you’re connected to the Internet. With an iPad, iCloud will do many of the same things for you. On Windows tablets you can use Google or SkyDrive. You can even export from one service and import it into another if migrating everything to one central account makes your digital life easier to manage.
Keeping fit
There are apps available to help you with pushups, sit-ups, yoga or walking. Nike, and coming soon from Jawbone, there’s pedometer-like gear that will work with apps to give you more accurate readings of your accomplishments. If making fitness more social and fun helps keep you motivated then you can go to Fitocracy from your tablet web browser to share your experience with others while keeping track of your progress.
Keeping in touch
Keeping in touch with friends and loved ones can be a challenge with our busy schedules. Fortunately, social sites like Facebook, twitter and foursquare make it easier to share in the lives of the people that you care about. If logging in to separate web pages to check in with your social network is a bit overwhelming to you, you may want to consider consolidating them into one app on your tablet. Both Tweetdeck and Hootsuite do a great job of streamlining this experience in a way that may just make you want to use those services even more.
So no matter what you resolve to change in your life this year, remember your tablet can help you out, and help you stick to it! Also, keep in mind that we are always here to help. If it all seems a bit overwhelming, Geek Squad offers a Tablet Setup, as well as a variety of other services to help you skip the “techie” part, and get straight to using your new tech-tools. As always, Geek Squad Agents are standing by 24/7/365 at 1-800-GeekSquad and GeekSquad.com to help keep your unruly tech in order.
Geek Squad Online Support Agent Shane N serves the public by policing technology at Support.GeekSquad.com
He is father to four boys who remind him that no matter how smart he thinks he is, they are smarter. He likes Sci-Fi and skateboarding.
All those new, modern electronic devices are great, but in today’s Connected World what is going to bring them all together? Today, Agent Derek talks about the new applications and devices showcased at CES that act as the “Technological Glue”, bringing all our electronics in sync with each other.
CES is traditionally the home of the latest and greatest in cellular, home theater, gaming, and computing technologies. In today’s video blog, Agent Derek talks about a new and rather surprising category, showing up at CES more and more every year.
Over the years, we at Geek Squad have seen technology grow and change at an amazing rate. At the 2012 International Consumer Electronics show, we continue to see the ways we interact and control our technology change.
For example, you used to have to spin a knob on your television to change channels. Over the years, we added remote controls to allow us to interact with our TV without even having to leave the couch. Thanks to gaming systems like the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 Kinect, we’ve added motion control and voice commands to how we can interact with our entertainment.
Several Television and set top box makers have jumped onto what is being called call “the Kinect Effect”. The idea is to make better use of motion and voice controls, augmenting those features you normally had to figure out a complicated remote to use (or call one of our Geek Squad Home Theater Agents to help to setup a programmable remote).
One example is Samsung’s Smart Interaction feature set that the company is adding to their Smart TV line. Now, to take control, you simply have to say “Hi TV”, along with a command, such as “Web Browser” to get the built-in Internet connectivity software to connect you to your favorite websites in your living room.
PrimeSense Natural Interaction is another company using similar technology to allow you to raise your hand to bring up a menu, and allow you to fast forward through a movie by sliding your arm to the right, or changing the volume by moving it up or down.
Sony is improving their updated Google TV options by using their remote as a 3 axis motion controller. Their new system also allows you to search for your favorite online content by speaking search terms out to the built-in voice controller.
Of course, if your family is like ours at Geek Squad, fights can easily break out over who gets to control the remote. What that means when motion control and voice commands make you the remote, who knows. In the meantime, Geek Squad Agents will be standing by 24/7/365 to help you figure it all out.
-Agent Derek M
We all have things that matter to us. Cars, bikes, and houses are all examples of things in the physical world with value. Family, friends, and pets are examples of living relationships we hold dear.
But what about things like tax records, photographs, and music? Used to be, we kept those things in drawers, books, and file cabinets. Not anymore. These days, a lot of what’s important to us are strings of zeros and ones, as more and more of our priceless documents and memories are stored on computers.
Computers aren’t foolproof, and accidents happen that can cause data loss. It’s important to be prepared. Why take chances with things that are important? Make a New Year’s resolution to back up your data, and we Geek Squad Agents can help make it a reality. Let me break it down – here are a few different solutions for a few different people.
We all have things that are important to us. Don’t let the intangibility of your most important documents and memories stop you from taking steps to protect it. As you can see, there’s a solution out there for everyone, and as always, your friendly neighborhood Geek Squad Agent is just a phone call away. Chat with an Agent today at Http://www.geeksquad.com, at 1-800-GeekSquad, or stop by for a visit at your local Geek Squad Precinct in Best Buy.
-Agent Laura M.
Every day, Counter Intelligence Agent Laura M, of Precinct 329, heroically removes malware and saves the personal lives of computer users in Maple Grove, MN. She has a vitamin D deficiency from playing too many video games. She likes animals and books.
If you’re a Geek Squad Agent, or even just a fan of the latest and greatest in tech, you’ve already shifted gears from the new year to new technology. For technology fans everywhere, that means the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held every January in Las Vegas Nevada.
CES 2012 will run from January 10th through the 13th and will bring together an estimated 140,000 people from throughout the consumer electronics industry. Retailers, manufacturers, software developers and even a few celebrities will be there to show or be shown the latest in technology. For Geek Squad, this event gives us a sneak peek at all the gadgets and electronics we’ll be setting up for you over the next year.
Some of this year’s highlights are expected to include “ultrabooks” from a variety of computer makers. The term was created by computer chip-maker Intel to describe higher end ultraportable laptops. These ultrabooks differ from netbooks in that they don’t sacrifice performance and features as they become smaller and lighter. Ultrabooks, with a higher base price than a netbook and are designed for users who want access to the same power as a regular laptop but with the portability of a netbook.
Another item that I expect to see many makers showing off are Windows 8 devices. Although Microsoft has not announced an official release date for the next version of their Windows operating system, 3rd party hardware development has been underway for some time. Any Windows 8 tablets being demonstrated will be sure to capture attention. Windows 8’s cross-platform capabilities will interest consumers hoping to share more of their programs and data across their PCs, tablets and even smartphones and gaming systems. In Geek Squad, we love the idea of the connected world, where our tech talks to each other automatically for our benefit.
In 2011, “the cloud” became a mainstream term among tech consumers, and CES promises to show how the electronics market hopes to make your everyday gadgets make better use of it. Of course, not all data storage will be on the Internet, so I expect we’ll also see more devices coming with solid-state drives (SSD) to reduce weight and improve response times when accessing data.
In the home theater world, I expect we’ll see continued improvements with 3D and smart TVs, but I also am hoping to see some of the large screen OLED (organic light-emitting diode) HDTVs that have recently been talked about. OLED screens can display deeper blacks than an LCD resulting in huge contrast benefits and better overall picture quality. They’re also thinner, helping to make HDTVs lighter. Up to this point, however, OLED screen creation has not been cost effective for the sizes you need for that big screen TV you’d want in your living room. In 2012 we may start to see that change, and our Geek Squad Home Theater Installers can’t wait.
Finally, I’m excited to see all unexpected technology that shows up every year at CES. Whether it’s the seat designed to allow you feel the rumble of NASCAR racing, or robot pets designed for hospital waiting rooms, past shows never cease to amaze us at how ingenious tech makers can be.
Whatever it is, I am looking forward to seeing what the next 12 months of tech looks like at CES 2012. Stay tuned to the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog this week, and follow us on Twitter, @GeekSquad, and Facebook for the latest updates from this week’s Consumer Electronics Show
-Agent Derek M.
2012 brings in a new year of resolutions for many of us. But those shouldn’t be limited to you. Don’t forget to consider your computer too! Today, Geek Squad has some New Year’s resolution tips for your computers. These maintenance tips will help you start off on the right foot, avoid problems, and help with your PCs performance!
Keep your PC clean of clutter!
Over time, hard drive space can get used up by temporary files (from the Internet, program installations, and more). The easiest and safest way to get rid of these and reclaim disk space is to use the built-in Windows Disk Cleanup Utility. You can search for “Disk Cleanup” in the start menu, or find it under “All Programs” > ”Accessories” > ”System Tools”. Not only will this utility safely find the files unnecessary for your PC, but will allow you to select which of them to be removed.
Another source of frequent clutter on your drive are files stored by your Internet browser. These files accumulate as you surf the net every day. To clear these unnecessary temporary files in the latest version of Internet Explorer, IE 9, click the gear icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser and select “Internet Options”. On the very first page/tab, you’ll see a “Browsing History” section in the middle of the window, with the option to “Delete.” On the next window, you get the option of deleting some or all of that data. Some of the information stored within Internet Explorer, like cookies, you may want to keep, as they help track when you revisit certain websites, preferences from last visits, however you can choose to delete all the information here safely. If you’re using another popular browser, like Firefox, you would find similar options under a “Tools/Preferences” menu, typically listed as “private data.”
Keep your PC healthy and up to date!
Updates are an important part to keeping your PC/Mac as secure and bug-free as possible. If you are using Windows, search for “Windows Update” in the Start Menu, or find it directly listed in the “All Programs” menu. On a Mac, you can click the Apple logo in the top left-hand corner of your screen, and click “Software Update.” For both, it will scan your computer and check for any available updates. Once it has determined which updates you need, you can review them prior to installation, and determine if they appeal to you. If you’re not sure what something is, just use this rule of thumb: if the update is not listed as important, then you don’t have to install them; they’re optional. Anything listed as important, however, is vital to keep your computer as secure, and well behaved, as possible.
Keep your PC safe!
Antivirus or antimalware is another thing to keep in mind while maintaining your PC. If you have an active antivirus program, we recommend opening it on occasion to make sure it is up to date, and has scanned your PC recently. If you don’t have a current antivirus program installed, there are several recommendations we can make. Norton, Trend Micro, and Kaspersky all make very effective products for a variety of terms and options. If you prefer a no-cost solution for your antivirus, we can also recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. While lacking some of the features of a paid antivirus product, it offers you basic protection, and is updated by Microsoft themselves.
Keep your PC dust free!
Lastly, there is the physical cleaning of your PC. If your PC is over a year old, or in a dusty location, you may want to clean it with compressed air. Keeping your PC clean of dust allows air to flow more freely, keeping the temperature down, and protecting the PC from overheating. If you choose to use compressed air, be careful and follow the instructions listed on the can. Not doing so could result in damage to your computer from condensation (hold the can upright, spray in short bursts).
Geek Squad recommends performing these steps every 6-12 months, to keep your PC in optimal condition. Not sure this is a project you want to undertake? These are some of the same steps Geek Squad Agents utilize when performing a PC Tune-Up on your PC. Agents are standing by 24/7/365 to keep your PC in prime condition. Chat with an Agent today at GeekSquad.com or give us a call at 1-800-GeekSquad.
Agent William G. has been an Agent with Geek Squad since 2004. If he’s not working on computers remotely, or contributing to the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog, he can be seen skateboarding in the city streets of Atlanta.
Over the last few months, we have renewed and reinvigorated the mission of the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog. I am excited to be bringing additional Agents from around the United States to create articles to keep you informed, but that is only part of our new mission. We are also creating the first international news wire for Geek Squad, bringing Agents together from countries around the world to battle unruly technology, keeping our public informed.
2011 was quite the year for technology, and our clients. More tablets are entering the market, changing the way we compute. Home Theater systems are getting smarter. Computers are becoming more and more integrated into our lives. As we progress and advance as a society, the ways we interact with each other, and our devices, continuously change and adapt. That’s why I’ve renewed our commitment at the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog to keep you informed, up to speed, and educated when it comes to your technology. Whether that is keeping your data backed to prevent a catastrophic loss, or maximizing your potential with a new Tablet, or learning the ins and outs of potential for your next smart-phone syncing, remotely-starting, (soon to be) self-driving vehicle.
In 2012 I look forward to not only having more Agents and more Intelligence, but more possibilities on Facebook, Twitter, and the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog. We have big plans to benefit not only our existing clients, but the Do-It-Yourself tech as well. Have a feature you’d like to see on one of our sites? Think we should have a “Client Question of the Week” or product reviews by Agents? I want to hear about it. Let me know your ideas on Facebook and Twitter, or leave a comment below.
People every day ask me what the best part of being an Agent is. While the badge is great, and the people I work with are amazing, ultimately it’s you, the people I serve and protect against unruly technology that drive me every day. I look forward to providing you with the information to keep you in charge of your technology, not the other way around, through 2012.
Agent Patrick B. has been an Agent with the Geek Squad since 2005. When he isn’t overseeing the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog or the Geek Squad’s Social Media presence, he can be found wandering the streets of Minneapolis for a fresh new source of caffeine to fuel his all night gaming sessions.
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