Talk About Challenges…

Members of Triella discuss topics that are affecting our clients on this page. Jump in and comment on a blog! This is your community and your chance to share information with others!

Facebook on your BlackBerry
September 7, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

If you are on Facebook and you have a BlackBerry you can now work upload photos or provide information to other Facebook users directly from the BlackBerry.   To load the application, go to BlackBerry AppWorld  on your BlackBerry or at the AppWorld site.

Locate the Facebook application and download it to your BlackBerry.  Once downloaded you will see the familiar iconic  

Launching Facebook will display a menu:

The icons are:

News Feed – use this icon to see News from your friends Read more…

Clipboard Buddy
September 2, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

Clipboard buddy is a free tool that stores whatever you copy for later usage. Clipboard Buddy does this by saving data directly to a Clipboard. Even if you turn off your computer, whatever you stored on Clipboard Buddy stays on the Clipboard. Clipboard Buddy saves up to twenty items. Clipboard Buddy can store any of the following types of formation:

• Text
• Rich Text
• HTML links
• Word format
• Excel format
• Open Office
• Explorer Files
• Folders
• Links
• Images

To install Clipboard Buddy go to http://www.clipboardbuddy.com/ and download it.

Once you install it should appear folded off to one side of your screen. To bring up the clipboard move your move over the area where it has been folded and it will extend and display a clipboard window (as seen below) Read more…

Internet Explorer Window Tabs
September 1, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

One of the new features recently added to Internet Explorer is the ability to have window tabs. Tabs allow you to have multiple web pages in the same browser window. This not only helps you see all the web pages you have  open at once it also keeps your screen clear of clutter. Read more…

ILTA Releases 2010 Technology Purchasing Survey
August 31, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

Information obtained from:  Inside Legal and ILTA.

Recuva
August 30, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

Recuva is a free tool that allows you to recover accidentally deleted files that are not in your recycling bin. Recuva recovers files not only from your computer’s hard drive but from USB drives, iPods and memory sticks. You can also recover files form a recently formatted drive. Recuva also has the ability to restore deleted emails from Microsoft Outlook Express.
How to use it:

Go to http://www.piriform.com/recuva and downloaded the latest version of Recuva. Once it has been installed, a window will pop up that will look like this:

Each time you run Recuva you will be prompted with a window that welcomes you, when you hit next it will prompt you with another window to specify what type of files you want to recover. After a while this can become annoying. To turn it off click the check box right beside “Do not show this wizard on startup” Read more…

Removing Outlook Autocomplete Entries
August 24, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

Outlook creates an Autocomplete entry for every email address typed in the ‘To’ line of an email.  As soon the first letter of an email address is typed in the ‘To’ line, Outlook’s Autocomplete list starts to show available entries.  In the example below, and email message has been started with recipient names displayed after typing V in the Toline and the associated Autocomplete entries have appeared as below: 

To select a recipient, just click on a name in the list to choose that person for the email.

Why clean up the list?

This list can become cluttered with entries that are not useful – either they are incorrect, no longer used by the recipient, or no longer used by you.  The Autocomplete list can also become an impediment if it contains similar entries and care isn’t taken to ensure that the email is being addressed to the proper party.

You can clean up this list so it better meets your needs.  You can take an individual entry removal approach or a complete ‘wipe-out and start over’ approach. Read more…

Use an FTP Site to share large files securely
August 23, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

We have noticed that file sizes shared between firms and their clients are growing.  It is not uncommon for attachments to exceed 15MB in size.   Depending on the bandwidth of our client, transferring files of this size can be problematic for the email system during peak business hours.  An alternative is to use and FTP site.

An FTP site is a location that can be created on your server that will allow clients to remotely and securely connect to your server and pick up files of any size that you have left for them.  You can secure the file using Windows file security so that only those users who you want to have access have it.  When the file transfer is completed, the FTP site can be disabled.

When a client connects to your FTP site, it will look a lot like Windows Explorer if they use a browser to connect.   They can navigate to and download the file desired.  If you allow them to write, they can also upload files to the FTP site.  Because the site is on your server, you control its security and access.  Clients can also download the file at off peak hours.

To set up an FTP site, talk to you internal IT, or call Triella at 647.426.1004.

Using the ‘Map’ function in Outlook Contacts
August 20, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

Outlook can do more than just store your contact information. Outlook Contacts has a map feature that can locate a contact’s address for you.

If you have entered a complete address for a person or business in your contact list it takes only a few clicks to bring up a map for that location.  And if you want written directions, they are only another click away.

Outlook 2007

1.  In an open Contact (find the contact in your contact list and double-click on it to open), in the Addresses section, click the arrow, and then click the type of address that you want to find on a map — Business, Home, or Other. (In the example below, I’ve opened the contact card for Mariella Amaros from Dexco Corporation and have chosen her business address)

 

2.  On the Contact tab, in the Communicate group, click Map. Read more…

Major upgrade coming for Small Business Server (SBS)!
August 19, 2010
Steve Smith, MCSE

Windows Small Business Server “7″ is now in beta test with Microsoft.  This means that the new version of SBS will likely be out by the end of this year or first quarter next year.  If you are using SBS 2003, you have likely run up against the software limitations which prevent the full use of the hardware capabilities of your server.  SBS 2008 overcame a lot of these limitations but very few SBS 2003 clients chose to upgrade.  Now, with SBS “7″ on the horizon, it is time for SBS 2003 users to plan to upgrade there systems within the next year.

What does this new version offer?

• Based on Windows Server 2008 R2, the latest version of Windows.
• Includes Exchange 2010, a far more robust, reliable and expandable email system from Exchange 2003.
• Includes Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Foundation, a versatile collaboration and productivity application which can help team member keep up to date on day to day work and activities.
• Included Windows Update Services (WSUS) to allow for the deployment of Windows updates to servers and desktops connected to the SBS network.
• Optionally includes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business Server, a full SQL database for running demanding database applications.

The 4GB memory limitation of SBS 2003 is far exceeded in SBS “7″ allowing the SBS server to do more, more quickly and efficiently using the same hardware (upgraded with memory of course!).

BlackBerry App Store – Reduce iPhone Envy!
August 18, 2010
Charles Bennett, MBA

Want to add an application to your BlackBerry that tells you the weather locally as well as other parts of the world?  There’s an app for that!  In fact, there are a whole host of applications for your BlackBerry, some free and some paid for;  some business related and some personal.  The best way to browse the available applications is with the BlackBerry App World application available here.  You can also download the app directly to your BlackBerry by typing http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1. Read more…