TAS Tech Tips has moved to the Biology of Technology.  Check it out:

http://www.biologyoftechnology.com/

It’s tax season, which means tax refunds.  Why not use your return windfall to get a new laptop.  There are some great deals out there, like this one:

HP Pavilion dv7-3065dx VM238UA Refurbished Notebook PC

AMD Turion II Ultra M600 2.4GHz, 4GB DDR2, 500GB HDD

Blu-Ray, 17.3″ LED, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Click Here to Order

TechAdvocate Solutions has a PC setup service.  Just go to the following website and fill out the very short form:
http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/contactus.php
We will email you instructions on where to ship you new PC.  Setup includes:

• Downloading all the latest security patches
• MS Office Professional 2003 with updates
• AVG antivirus
• Firefox browser
• Adobe Reader
• Latest versions of Flash and Java
• Most up-to-date version of iTunes

All at a very reasonable price!

Think starting a new website is hard?

Does your website need a renovation but you think it will break the bank and dominate your already busy schedule.

With TechAdvocate Solutions (TAS) you are just 7 steps away from your new or renovated website using the popular WordPress Content Management System (CMS).

Here is the TAS 7 Step website process:

1. STEP 1 – Setup your Domain account.
   If you do not have a domain TAS recommends using GoDaddy
2. STEP 2 – Retainer
   Some upfront $$$ to kick start the project (very reasonable).
3. STEP 3 – Select a WordPress Theme
   Select an established WordPress as the base look-and-feel for your website.  See the below section on “WordPress Themes and Custom Themes”.
4. STEP 4 – Private Preview
   TAS will create a private preview only accessible by you to develop your new website.
5. STEP 5 – Tutorial/Consulting Session
   See below section on “WordPress Tutorial/Consulting Session”
6. STEP 6 – Customizations
   Establish your customizations and establish a ToDo list to go live.  See below section on “Customizations”.
7. STEP 7 – Go Live with your New Website!
   Move your preview to your domain and go live!  Congratulation!

Click here to contact TAS and let’s get started!

WordPress Themes and Custom Themes
What is a WordPress Theme?
A WordPress theme is a collection of template files that control the way the website is displayed.  There are many prefabricated WordPress Themes for free or available for purchase.

Suggestion:
For a list of thousands of free WordPress themes go to the following website:

http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

Click “Most Popular” in the right column.  Find a theme you like.

Selecting an established WordPress theme is like going to IKEA or Home Depot and selecting cabinets for your kitchen.  Using a WordPress theme keeps your website project affordable.   Most themes allow some customizations.

If you like, TAS can build you a customized theme to your specifications
As opposed the “IKEA/Home Depot” cabinet comparison discussed above, this is analogous to hiring a custom cabinet maker to build you cabinets from scratch and to your exact specifications.  Pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis. 

WordPress Tutorial/Consulting Session
TAS will give you a personal tutorial/consulting session that includes the following:

• Adding a post to your blog using the WordPress admin Dashboard
• Adding pictures and video
• Add pages to your blog to give it “website-like” features
• Tap into social networking
• Other cool stuff you can do with your WordPress website.
• Any specific issues you want to address for your specific website
• This session lasts for 2 to 3 hours (3 hours max including follow-up).

Online sessions are available if it is not possible to meet in person.  Additional specialized sessions are available to address more advanced topics.

Customizations
TAS can help you customize your website to meet your specific needs.  Because we have built the foundation of the website on WordPress without having to re-invent the wheel, we can focus on customizing your website to get the look and feel you want. Here are some examples of customizations:

• Theme Customizations
• Flash and Slideshows
• Custom design and graphics
• Ecommerce (sell stuff from your website)
• Take Online payments
• Advertising revenue capacity
• Importing Data from an existing Website

Customizations are done at an hourly rate or predetermined price for the project.
Customizations can be done at any time to meet your needs and help stay up-to-date with the constant changes of the online world.

Click here to contact TAS and let’s get started!

Ready to replace that old, outdated laptop?  Here’s a great deal.

HP ProBook 4520s XT943UT Notebook PC – Intel Core i3-370M 2.40GHz, 2GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6″ Display, Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
List Price:                  $579.99
Instant Savings:     $130.00
Price:                         $449.99

Click here to take advantage of this great deal

TechAdvocate Solutions has a PC setup service at a very reasonable price.
Setup includes:
* Downloading all the latest security patches
* MS Office Professional 2003 with updates
* AVG antivirus
* Firefox browser
* Adobe Reader
* Latest versions of Flash and Java
* Most up-to-date version of iTunes
Just go to the following website and fill out the very short form:
http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/contactus.php
We will email you instructions on where to ship you new PC.

You can use Facebook and Twitter to drive traffic to your website.  More traffic can translate into more business.  And more business means more money.  And that’s good, right!

As part of your service from Techadvocate Solutions, a “Share/Save” feature has been installed on your WordPress website/blog.  You will notice the “Share/Save” icon as the end of each post.  This allows others to share to social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter) and other blogs.

For example, to share this post on Facebook simply click Share/Save icon, select Facebook, and post to your wall.  (You will be asked to login Facebook if you are not already.)  That’s it!

If your website/blog does not allow you to tap into the power of Social Networking, click here to contact TechAdvocate Solutions.  We can help!

Fun fact, there are over 500 million people on Facebook.  By 2012 there could be over 1 BILLION Facebook users.  Don’t miss out on this marketing opportunity.

In today’s market there are a lot of good deals on refurbished machines.  Here are two good refurb deals – one PC and one Mac.

HP Compaq DC7700 Desktop Computer – Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR2, 500GB HDD, Combo, Windows XP Pro 32-bit (Off-Lease)
List Price:             $329.99
Instant Savings:  -$80.02
Price:                     $249.97
Click Here to Order

Apple iMac MA590LL All-in-One Desktop Mac – Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 1GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, DVDRW, 17″ TFT, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger (Off-Lease)
List Price:     $1,199.99
Instant Savings:  -$700.00
Price:              $499.99
Click  Here to Order

Disclaimer:
The term “Off-Lease” refers to a product that has been leased to, and used by, a customer, then returned to the leasing agent at the end of the lease period (typically 2 to 3 years). The leasing agent, or their third-party partner, inspects, repairs (if necessary), cleans, re-packages, and then offers the product for sale as “Off-Lease”.  Some items will show signs of use, including minor scratches, slight wear on keyboards, etc. Purchasing off lease product saves you money, creates less waste and saves the resources that would be required to produce new products. If saving money and resources is important to you and you are not concerned with minor wear you should consider purchasing off-lease.  Off lease products carry limited warranties and restricted return policies.

If your laptop is outdated or trying to get a jump on Holiday shopping, here is a great deal.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 0199-23U Laptop Computer – AMD Turion II Dual-Core P520 2.30GHz, 4GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 14″ Display, HDMI, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Black
List Price:                  $799.99
Instant Savings:     $300.00
Price:                         $499.99

Click on the following link to take advantage of this great deal:
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hTw*4HhrSSA&subid=0&offerid=102327.1&type=10&tmpid=3883&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tigerdirect.com%2Fapplications%2FSearchTools%2Fitem-details.asp%3FEdpNo%3D6620861

TechAdvocate Solutions has a PC setup service at a very reasonable price.
Setup includes:
* Downloading all the latest security patches
* MS Office Professional 2003 with updates
* AVG antivirus
* Firefox browser
* Adobe Reader
* Latest versions of Flash and Java
* Most up-to-date version of iTunes
Just go to the following website and fill out the very short form:
http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/contactus.php
We will email you instructions on where to ship you new PC.

The iPhone got a security update, 4.0.2.  This update stops people from using malicious code to take over your phone.

Obviously, it’s a smart move to sync your phone and install it right away. It’s on iTunes. The update takes about 9 – 11 minutes (depending on the speed of your Internet connection).

Are you drowning in SPAM? Is your inbox exploding with ads for Viagra? Is the worldwide epidemic of E.D. so bad that we need daily email reminders of this plaque? I think not.

Spam has become an inevitability for the online.  Not only is it annoying and often distasteful, it is a carrier of nasty viruses and malware that can render your system impotent. (Sorry, can’t resist the Viagra pun.)

The bad news – unless you completely disconnect from the Internet spam is pretty much unavoidable.
The good news – there are things you can do to reduce the amount of spam you receive.

Here are a few tips to protect bring down your spam noise level.

Open a separate email account.
Setup a separate email account with a free email service (Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail are a few) to use for mailing lists, shop online, or join social networking sites. If this account gets too filled with spam, you can simply delete it and create a new one. Do not use this account for personal, business, or any critical emails. And do not connect this email to your mobile device.

Watch out for default options and checkboxes.
When you sign up or register online for some services or products, you might be presented with check boxes that offer to send you email announcements or special offers. These options are usually pre-selected by default, so if you aren’t interested in receiving these kinds of notices, remember to uncheck them before you continue.

Beware of untrustworthy applications on social networking sites.
Sorry Farmville, but it should really be called Spamville. Many social networking sites offer applications you can use to take quizzes, play games, or send your friends virtual “gifts.” But you should be aware that these applications also have access to your (and your friends’) personal information. Some malicious programs will sell this information to mailing lists or advertisers, while others will go so far as to steal your login information, sign in to your account, and then spam your friends. With this in mind, be careful about downloading new applications to your account, and remove or disable any applications you don’t feel comfortable sharing your information with.

Check privacy policies on web sites and mailing lists.
Trustworthy companies and listservs will have a link to their privacy policy on their websites. Read through the policy to find out exactly what the web or listserv administrators plan to do with your information before you give them your email address.

A brief history of spam, spam, spam
Spam has been around since the dawn of the Internet age. The term “spam” came into use in the 1980s. Contrary to popular belief, electronic spam is not named (directly) after the canned meat product. Rather, it’s a reference to a popular sketch by the British comedy group Monty Python’s Flying Circus. In the sketch, a group of Vikings in a restaurant loudly chant “Spam, Spam, Spam” until all other conversations are drowned out—a humorous comparison to the way electronic trash can quickly drown your inbox.

Contact TechAdvocate Solutions as we have solutions to help you avoid the onslaught of SPAM.
Click here, fill-out the VERY short form, and someone will be contacting you!

The iPhone Voice Control is probably the most underutilized feature on the 3GS and 4 (sorry 3G iPhone users).  This is especially helpful in an age of increase stricter traffic laws governing cell phone use while driving.

To use Voice Control simply press the home button (the round button just below the screen) for a few seconds. When it is ready for you to speak, your iPhone will vibrate and chime twice quickly.

Here’s a video demo of the iPhone Voice Control.

Here are some available commands:

Dial 1 800 5 5 5 1 2 1 2
Dialing by numbers works remarkably well, even understanding “eight hundred” in addition to “eight zero zero.”

Dial (USERNAME) mobile
Accessing phone numbers from your address book is simple. Use the contact’s name followed by the specific phone number you want to call (work, home, mobile, pager, etc.).

Call (USERNAME)
Call is interchangeable with dial. In this example, just the contact’s name is spoken. If the contact has one phone number, that number will be dialed. Otherwise, the display will show the contact’s name at top plus the text “Multiple Numbers” just below. The iPhone will tell you which phone numbers are available (i.e., “Jennifer, mobile or work?”). Tell it which one you want to call and it will do the rest.

Play album (album name)
Play playlist (playlist name)
Play songs by (artist name)
Play artist (artist name)
These commands provide a variety of ways to select music to play.

Play more like this
This command creates and plays a genius playlist from the current song.

Play music
Play
Pause music
Pause
These commands start or stop playing, just like hitting the play/pause button on an iPod.

Next track
Next
Previous track
Previous
These commands do what you’d expect, behaving like the next and previous buttons on an iPod.

What song is playing?
What’s playing?
Who plays this song?
Who sings this song?
These commands all do the same thing. The song title and artist will be spoken by the iPhone.

Shuffle
This simple command will toggle the state of the shuffle setting. It will also tell you what the shuffle state is to confirm that it is what you want.