There are some hot summer deals out there.  So if your laptop is outdated or trying to get a jump back-to-school shopping, here are 2 deals that sizzle.

HP G71-340us Refurbished Notebook PC – Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz, 4GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 17.3″ HD+, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
List Price:                     $969.99
Instant Savings:       -$470.00
Price:                             $499.99
http://bit.ly/9HaMSG

IBM ThinkPad T60 Notebook PC – Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz, 1GB DDR2, 60GB HDD, Combo, 14.1” TFT, Windows XP Pro (Off-Lease)
$349.97
http://bit.ly/c1Ylf1

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.

For the Wall Street generation it was all about being upwardly mobile. Today you’ve got to be socially mobile. Social networking and mobile technology are setting the pace for the Web. Is your online strategy socially mobile? If not, you could be missing out.

Here’s a quote from Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century Fox from 1946:

Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night

Don’t be to social mobility what Darryl Zanuck was to TV.

Here are some “bottom line” considerations for a socially mobile web presence.

To Flash or Not to Flash
Flash is a proprietary technology from Adobe primarily used to add animation and video to websites. The problem with Flash is that is not supported on many mobile environments. There has always been tension between Flash and the Web. Artistic types like it. But because of security issues, incompatibility with search engines, and being not compatible with many mobile platforms, Flash has fallen out of favor with the IT community.
The bottom line.
You should not build your website on Flash or use Flash for your navigation. If you use Flash at all, use it sparingly. I prefer using JavaScript; it is an open system that works well on mobile devices. And if you use video upload it to YouTube and put the link on your website. Then when your website is viewed from an iPhone/iTouch/iPad it will launch the YouTube app and the user can view the video.

Content is King
On the Web content is king. Of course you want a nice looking website, but on the Internet it is more important what you say that just having a pretty frame. And in today’s real-time online world you need to be able to update your website quickly without a lot of drama. Your website should be built on an open source platform where you post updates without having to go your web designer. Then you can save your webmaster for the big “techie” stuff (ecommerce, RSS feeds, social network plugins, etc…).
The bottom line.
If you need to call your web person every time you want to make even a tiny change to your website then it’s time to renovate your website to a content control system. My favorite is WordPress because of its ease of use, plays well with social media, and works well on mobile browsers.

Can Facebook Help Your Business?
The short answer is “yes”. Whether it is Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and even MySpace, having a social media strategy ranks up there with having a search engine optimization plan (Google ranking). Having a page on social networking websites is the best way to improve your search engine placement, so it all ties together. However, it is important to control your social networking and not let it control you. (Stay clear of Farmville, Mafia Wars, and politics!)
The bottom line.
Embracing social networking can help others embrace your business. If you are a bit social-media-shy then I suggest you start with Linkedin as it caters to the business community and is not as intense as Facebook.

Need Help?
Becoming socially mobile can be fun, but it can be tricky, too. Let TechAdvocate Solutions help you with you develop an online strategy that’s right for you. Click here, fill-out the VERY short form, and someone will be contacting you!

Are you ready to upgrade your website?

There are over 350 million users on Facebook and growing.  Imagine the potential!  But your website may not have the infrastructure to interface with Social Media if it was designed in the pre-Facebook age.   (Which was just a few months ago.  Hey, the cyber-world moves fast.)

With the explosion of online social networking you need a website that can tap into the this incredible power and give you flexible content control so you can easily post updates, pictures, and video.

At TechAdvocate Solutions we are building websites on the powerful WordPress content control platform.   This allows you much more flexibility for content control and Social Media interaction.

Here are just a few WordPress websites that were developed by TAS and are currently hosted by TAS on LanternTec servers.   (LanternTec is a Web Hosting/Server Company owned and operated by TAS.)

Your WordPress website can be linked to powerful social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.  Here’s an example of how it works:

• My tech blog is called Biology of Technology:  http://www.biologyoftechnology.com/
• Posts from this blog are automatically fed to the following:
• My TechAdvocate Solutions Website:  http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/
• My TechAdvocate Solutions Facebook:

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/TechAdvocate-Solutions/49186883565

• My Rick Howington Facebook wall (need to be on Facebook to see)

  http://www.facebook.com/rhowington

• My Myspace page:  http://www.myspace.com/rhowington
• My Linkinedin.com profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickhowington (need to be on Linkedin.com to see)
• With literally a click of the mouse you can post updates from your website to Twitter (twitter.com).

Your website and web hosting includes the following:

• Personalized service for your website project
• Full Featured WordPress (WP) content control
• Installation of a WP Theme that you pick for the look-and-feel of your blog
• Search Engine Optimization Plugins
• SPAM blocking plugin to help stop unwanted comments and other SPAM attacks
• Social Networking plugin so you and others can share your blog posts and other info from your website on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.
• Mobile device access of your website and blog posts
• Our “World famous” WordPress “cheat sheet) to help you get started.
• Web Hosting (12 Months) on an Independent Web Server using your Domain
• Tools to Measure Traffic (12 Months)

TAS can help you customize you website to meet your specific needs.  Because we have built the foundation of the website 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:

• Customized Theme (look and feel)
• Ecommerce
• Mobile Access
• Take Online payments
• Advertising revenue capacity

Click here if you are interested in upgrading your website so you can get more customers and make more money!

Experts estimate that 59 percent of computers worldwide are infected with malware.  In many cases the PC owner is not even aware of the infection.  An untreated PC virus can lead to poor performance or even data loss.

Is your PC running slow?

Are you concerned that your PC may be vulnerable to viruses?

Now it is a good time to do some PC spring cleaning.

Click here to contact TechAdvocate Solutions for a PC Spring Cleaning.

Beware of a fake email that claims to be from Facebook and asks you to open an attachment to receive a new
password.  This email is potentially harmful. Delete it from your inbox.  The attachment contains a password stealer that targets Windows computers and which can potentially access any username and password combination used on the computer, not just the login credentials for Facebook.

According to McAfee Labs this is the sixth most prevalent piece of malware targeting consumers.

Here’s how a phony email may look:

Here are few clues that this is a phishing scam.

• Facebook doesn’t send e-mails like this. It may send an e-mail with a link where the user can reset the password, but not an e-mail with an attachment.
• The e-mail has poor grammar and awkward phrases. For instance, Facebook is not capitalized in the salutation.

Now is a great time to buy a laptop.  Prices are at epic low levels.  Here is one laptop deal that made me drool.

Dell Latitude D630 HBDPJF1 Notebook Computer – Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 1.8GHz, 1GB DDR2, 80GB HDD, DVDRW, 14.1″ WXGA, Windows XP Pro (Off-Lease)

$419.99

Click here to order

If you live in the Atlanta, GA area 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!

Phony protest Facebook groups have nefarious intentions – to infect your PC with nasty viruses and spyware.  Here’s a message from Facebook warning about these groups.

The rumor about charging $4.9…9 or £3.99 or £14.99 a month is totally made up. However, confusion is not what the scammers seek: members of the group are directed to external websites that are capable of installing malware. Some of the sources can even download 25 different infections automatically upon visit.

If you did join one of these groups then you should eliminate it from your Facebook account and run a full anti-virus scan ASAP.

If you do not have an anti-virus program then click on the following link for instructions on how to get the free version of the AVG anti-virus software.
http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/techtips/2009/12/09/avg-anti-virus-9-update/

Your browser is your window to the Web.  But just like that window in your home that allows the light in, it also represents a potential security risk.  You could board up all your windows leaving you safe, but in the dark.  Or you could implement some basic browser security.

One way for that nasty cyber-stuff like viruses and malware to infect your PC is through your browser.  So your choice of browser is important to your Internet safety.

Wait!  You mean you have a choice when it comes to your web browser?  Yes you do.

If you are on Windows you probably use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE).  For the Mac, you are most likely on Safari.  There are others, most notable Firefox.  Firefox is an open source browser that has grown in popularity because of its reputation for safety.  And while everyone has opinion when it comes to browser safety, Firefox is generally considered the safest.  And it’s fast, too.

You can download and install the Firefox the following link:
http://www.mozilla.com/
It is easy to install and available for PC, Mac, and Linux.

One more thing, Firefox has a really cool logo.

A relative newcomer to the browser family is Google’s Chrome.   This darling have become a quick favorite.  Like Firefox, it is an open source project which means there is a lot of support.  And it pays attention to safety on the same level as Firefox.

Google Chrome Standout Features:

-  Flexible Tabs
-  Incognito Mode for Private Browsing
-  Integrated Download Manager
-  Online Task Manager

Click here to download Google Chrome:
http://www.google.com/chrome

For a browser that sings a different tune try Opera.  This is favorite of the tech community because its many configuration options.  Of course, it pays close attention to safety.  And because of it portability it is a popular mobile browser.  There is a good chance you are using a version of Opera on your mobile device.

Another cool Opera feature is that you can use voice commands to navigate the web and even have Opera read the text to you.   Sure other browsers can do this with add-ins, but it is built into Opera.

You can get the Opera browser here:
http://www.opera.com/

Of course there’s Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE).  I have nothing against IE and it is still the most used browser in the world.  But it has a checkered past because of its vulnerability to cyber nasties like viruses and spyware.  However, IE 8 is big step in the right direction with a refortified approach to security.

Plus, IE 8 features extensive parental controls that can be customized to fit each individual in a family.  So if you have small children IE 8 is a good choice. If you use A Windows based PC then IE 8 is a decent choice.  Here’s the Microsoft website for IE:
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/internet-explorer/

If you are on a Mac or like the Mac look-and-feel then Safari is the browser for you.  But it is not just for Apple; the top-notch browser is now available for PCs as well.  Safari focuses on being lightweight and rather than customizable. It has a sleek interface that isn’t bulky with a frame is only one pixel wide.

Some nice features include the development of Top Sites, spell checking for all fields, re-sizable text boxes, and snap-back.  However, it lacks some features like parental controls, anti-phishing, and a smart toolbar.

Here is the download site for Safari:
http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

I admit that I am a fan of Firefox mostly because of the its David and Goliath.  Firefox came on the browser scene when IE was the only game in town.  IE was buggy and had enough security holes to make it the Swiss cheese of browsers.  Even though IE  had a practical monopoly on the browser market, Firefox made a stand against the IE behemoth and reminded us that web browsing can be safe and fast.  We (the day-to-day web surfers) were real winner because Firefox lite the fires of competition heating up a browser war that resulting in better products and a safer Internet.

You can have multiple browsers installed on your system.  So look around and see what is best for you.  And still practice safe browsing.

Did you know that going green with your PC can save you some green? By powering down your PC or using power management correctly you can save up to $60 a year per machine. For the Planeteer that equals a half a ton of CO2 a year that will not be adding to global climate change. Go planet…and wallet!

Turn off your PC and Monitor
To maximize energy savings turn off your PC and monitor every night.
If you want to make Captian Planet really fly high, unplug your PC and monitor when not in use. An easy way to do this is to use a power strip (with surge protection) and turn it off after powering down your PC gear.

MYTH – Turning your PC on and off wears it out.
Today’s PCs are can handle an average of 40,000 power cycles. That’s a power-up and power-down once a day for almost 55 years. Perhaps at the dawn of the PC era (the mid-1980s) there may have been some truth to this. So if your PC looks like this

Complete with dual 5¼ floppy drives and green text-only monitor, then you may want to leave it on…or put it in a museum.

MYTH – It takes more power to turn on your PC.
The small electrical surge used when a PC turns on is far less than the drain of a PC that keeps marching 24 hours a day. I won’t overload your circuits with specs on amps used on power-up vs. over time, but if you think about it, it makes sense to give your PC a rest.

Give It a Rest
Even those with the best green intention may not be able to power-down the PC every night. The next best thing is the proper use of power management. Here are the recommended power management settings:

• Monitor/display sleep: Turn off after 15 minutes or less
• Turn off hard drives/hard disk sleep: 15 minutes or less
• System standby/sleep: After 30 minutes or less

Instructions for enabling power management vary by operating system.
Click the below links for Power Management Instructions:
Windows 2000/XP
Windows Vista
Mac OS X

Hibernation
Also, you should enable hibernate. The hibernate mode only use about 5 watts of energy for your monitor and 2.3 watts for your PC. This is virtually the same as a powered down PC. To do this go to Control Panel, click on “power options,” and set your PC to “hibernate” after a specified time (most recommend 30-60 minutes).

Here are some other green tips that will help save you money while saving the planet.
Screen Savers Don’t Save
Those cool 3D screen savers do not save energy. It is expense wallpaper. If you like fish then get an aquarium and put it by your PC.  Then turn off your screen saver and use the recommended power management settings.

Flat Screen Use Less Power
Not only do flat screens save power, but they save your eyes. Flat screen users notice less eye fatigue. Flat screens are easier to move and take less space. And the price barriers have dropped making these cool looking devices fit into even the tightest of IT budgets.

Here is a good flat screen deal:
Acer X223W 22″ LCD Monitor 2500:1 DVI/VGA Refurbished
$129.99

Don’t forget to give you old CRT a proper burial by appropriately disposing of it. Click here for more info on how to dispose your monitor and other PC equipment.
How to Dispose of Computer Equipment

Laptops Use Less Power
If you are looking for an excuse to go mobile with a new laptop, play the green card. And low laptop prices make this almost a financial wash for the accounting department.

Here is a great deal on an off-lease laptop if you are looking for a bargin.
HP Compaq Notebook Intel Core2Duo 1.66GHz 1GB DDR2 60GB HDD 14.1″ XP Pro (Off-Lease)
$359.99

Clean and Green
When you go green with your PC, you also go clean. An orderly shutdown of a PC allows it to run maintenance clean-up routines that keep it humming along. Think of it as giving your PC clean underwear. Dirty underwear is just gross!

There are few win-wins in this world and give and take world. But going green is one of those no-brainers that appeals to the hippie and yuppie in us all.
For more on going green check out the Energy Star website at http://www.energystar.gov/.