Technology Myths... Busted!

With the holidays among us, I think it is a great time for a list. I mean, the holidays is all about lists. You make a Christmas list, there is a list of things your true love gave to you, and there is the list of items you need to return on December 26^th.

So here courtesy of our friends at CNET, here is a list of the top ten technology myths of our generation.

1) You must wait 15 seconds before rebooting your computer
Since this is the myth that got me started on this, it's the first one I'll address.

I decided that since this was a hardware question, the best place to turn was to the Geek Squad, those hearty IT folks in the black and white VW Beetles. Last week, I spoke with Ismael Matos, a Geek Squad deputy field marshal, and asked him about the 15 seconds myth, as well as several others having to do with hardware.

Matos said that the question of how long to wait before rebooting a computer has to do with the health of the plates of the hard drive. Since the plates are spinning at speeds of up to 10,000 rpm, and need to come to a stop before rebooting, "it's definitely good that you wait just a little while" before restarting the machine.

But 15 seconds? That might be overkill, Matos suggested, though it certainly couldn't hurt.

"I'd say 5 seconds is [OK]," Matos said, "but 15 seconds to be on the safe side. If you want peace of mind, then 15 seconds is OK, but it's not a rule that's set in stone."

2) Size matters (in megapixels)
If you've listened to any camera marketing, you've probably had it pounded into your head that with megapixels, more is better. And of course, the more megapixels you want, the more you have to spend. What a coincidence.

Do megapixels matter?

But the reality may not back the camera companies' marketing.

As photographer and self-described photography expert Ken Rockwell puts it, "sharpness depends more on your photographic skill than the number of megapixels, because most people's sloppy technique or subject motion blurs the image more than the width of a microscopic pixel.

"Even when megapixels mattered, there was little visible difference between cameras with seemingly different ratings. For instance, a 3-megapixel [photo] pretty much looks the same as a 6-megapixel [photo], even when blown up to" 12 inches by 18 inches.

The Geek Squad's Matos would seem to agree. While he says that megapixels might matter if you're trying to put together a mural--or its cousin, a billboard--the average camera user would almost never see the difference between photos taken with most lower-megapixel and higher-megapixel cameras.

"You really start noticing the differences when you blow the picture up," Matos said. But "it really depends on the size of the image, and how much you plan on blowing it up...If you blow it up to 16 by 20 [inches], you'll still maintain the quality, and you won't notice any difference in quality" with fewer megapixels.

3) You have to run your battery all the way down before you charge it
This is one I've heard for a long time, especially when you're talking about what to do when you first get a new battery-operated gadget.

And while it's not that hard to imagine running the juice on a new device all the way down before charging it the very first time, that's not at all an easy thing to do on an ongoing basis given that we often find ourselves fearing being away from a power source and, therefore, charging up as a precautionary measure.

But Matos said that the best possible thing you can do for your device's battery is, in fact, to run it down to zero before re-charging, each and every time.

"If you start plugging an AC adapter in while it's half-charged," Matos said, "components in the battery start to settle, and so it doesn't maintain its ability to re-charge, and so you end up weakening the battery a lot quicker."

Matos said that, ideally, we'd all run our batteries down all the way every time, but he acknowledged that's not realistic for most people. So he nods to reality: "It's recommended, so whenever possible...just let the battery drain completely before you charge it up."

No need to cry over spilled coffee on your keyboard.

4) You can put a keyboard you've spilled coffee on in the dishwasher
Though this might be a myth that would get you to shake your head in pity at anyone who believes it--let alone practices it--Matos said that, in fact, it's true.

It only applies to wired keyboards, though; Nothing with a battery, or wireless components in it will keep operating after being run through your dishwasher.

But Matos said that as long as you don't use soap or warm or hot water, a cycle through the Kenmore will wash away the coffee and get you pounding away at the QWERTY before you know it.

5) Anything stored digitally will last longer than that on analog media
It's a lovely idea that once you've put something on your hard drive, or some other form of digital backup, you can depend on it being there in perpetuity. It certainly seems like it should be true. After all, digital seems impervious to the passage of time, right?

But counting on ever-lasting storage of your crucial 1s and 0s may well be a fool's game. According to the Associated Press, many important digital recordings are "at risk of being lost much faster than older ones on tape, and many are already gone."

The problem, the study cited by the AP reported, is that digital files run the risk of being corrupted, and some physical forms of digital media, such as CD-R discs, can begin breaking down in as little as three years.

And the same seems to be true of online recordings. "I think we're assuming that if it's on the Web, it's going to be there forever," Sam Brylawski, the co-author of a Library of Congress study on sound, told the AP. "That's one of the biggest challenges.

One part of the dilemma surrounding digital storage of audio and other important records, is that we've become trained to use such media given its ubiquity and its ease of use. "But the problem," Brylawski told the AP, "is they must be constantly maintained and backed up by audio experts as technology changes. That requires active preservation, rather than simply placing files on a shelf."

6) Turning a computer on and off regularly is bad for it
Another myth I heard when I canvassed my social networks was that a computer can be damaged over time by being regularly turned on and off.

In fact, said the Geek Squad's Matos, it's specifically recommended that you do power your machine off on a daily basis, for example at the end of each work day.

According to Matos, "Every computer needs its rest time," in part to be sure that if you're away from it and there are power fluctuations or surges, it isn't damaged by them.

As well, he said, it's recommended that if you're going to be away from your computer for small periods of time, you let it go to sleep while you're gone. But in any case, he said, a regular on/off pattern is definitely good for the computer, not bad.

7) Macs are immune to viruses
This myth is one that is pushed relentlessly, both overtly and subtly, by Mac fans, and, of course, by Apple. Everyone knows that Windows machines are constantly being bombarded by malware and that keeping them secure is a never-ending task.

But you rarely hear about such things from Mac users, and the common theory is that it's because Apple's computers are simply safe from being attacked.

Not so fast. It does seem, as has been well-reported, that that are far fewer exploits hitting Macs than their Windows-based cousins. But it's hardly because Macs are immune from attack. Indeed, according to security researcher Nitesh Dhanjani, it has much more to do with market share--there simply aren't anywhere near as many Macs out there as there are Windows machines.

"If we were to flip the market share, we would see a lot more exploitation in the wild," Dhanjani told my CNET colleague Elinor Mills earlier this year. "More specifically, browser security is one of the more important items to consider today from a risk perspective. I know Internet Explorer has had a considerable share of vulnerabilities, but the Safari Web browser also has a lousy reputation in the security community--it almost seems a child's play to locate an exploitable condition in Safari. Apple really needs to get its act together with Safari since OS X is enjoying a healthy market share climb at the moment."

Other security experts seem to agree that Macs' relative lack of virus problems has much more to do with the computer's market share than any kind of actual fortitude against attack. As Halvar Flake, head of research and CEO of Zynamics, told Mills, "Vista/Win7 has more extensive countermeasures against attacks and a codebase with presumably fewer security issues. But it's the operating system of the majority of users, hence making it profitable to attack. Attackers will therefore spend lots of time bypassing the countermeasures. Mac OS has fewer countermeasures and lots of easily exploitable bugs, but the market share is low, making it a less likely target."

Then again, the market share dynamic does, in fact, mean that Macs are less likely to get hit, so in that sense, they are safer. "For an everyday consumer that just wants to use a computer and not worry about getting owned with every click of the mouse, I'd go for a Mac," Joe Grand, president of Grand Idea Studio, told Mills.

Is your ISP tracking everything?

8) Your ISP is tracking everything you do
This may not be something most people are thinking about, but for those constantly worried about digital privacy, it is a signature concern, since, if true, everyone would be subject to tracking because we almost all have to get online through an Internet service provider.

Your ISP "is your local link to the worldwide computer network known as the Internet," Dave Roos wrote on Get Stuff. Every page request you make and every e-mail you send must travel through your ISP's routers first. It would seem, therefore, that your ISP has the power to scan and save every piece of data that flows through its system."

But before you get alarmed, Roos also wrote: "The truth is that it does have the power. Fortunately for us, it doesn't have the money or the desire to archive every bit of information that comes its way. ISPs in the United States don't routinely save the Web surfing histories and e-mail conversations of their users. It would simply be too expensive to save all of that data and the public outcry from privacy rights and civil liberties organizations would be deafening."

9) Girls don't play video games
The stereotype of gamers is clearly a teenage boy sitting in front of his Xbox, pounding away at one Halo or Call of Duty game or another for hours and hours on end. And while the industry certainly brings in many, many, many millions of dollars because of that pimply-faced teen, he's by no means the only face of the gaming community.

Indeed, women and girls make up a very large bloc of gamers--they just are a little more quiet about it.

"Girls and young women are a 'pot of gold' for the [video game] industry," George VanHorn, a senior analyst at market research firm IBISWorld, told Reuters. "The gaming industry has market characteristics that many would die for."

Reuters reported that in an IBISWorld study, "38 percent of U.S. gamers are female, up from 33 percent in just five years. From January through August of 2008, females ages 18 to 45 made up 28 percent of the total industry revenue, ranking second to males ages 18 to 45, who made up 37 percent."

So while they may not be the largest group of gamers, it's clear that women and girls are spending their fair share of time playing.

10) Anything you delete from your hard drive is gone forever
Given that we lay our lives bare on our computers--what with doing personal banking, storing family photos, researching our medical conditions, and so forth--it would be comforting to be able to believe that if we erase something on our computers, we don't have to worry about that data being available to anyone who might want to access it later.

Sadly, that would be a naive assumption. The truth is, it's very difficult to permanently get rid of your data. And if you want to do so, you probably need to go get a drill.

That's the advice of the Geek Squad's Matos, who said that, "When you delete [data], yes, [its] icon may be gone, but that information is still intact on the hard drive. The only thing the computer does is [mark] that section to be overwritten. It just gives the operating system the OK to write over that area."

So if the operating system isn't actually removing the data from your hard drive, how can you get rid of it?

Matos said it's not so easy, and you may not ever want to just hand an old computer off to someone else if you're worried about them accessing your private data.

The only way to ensure that no one can ever access it is to bring tools to bear. "Let's say you're getting rid of an old computer," Matos said. "You're going to want to take the old hard drive, take a drill, and drill 10 to 12 holes through the drive--and not in a straight line. Scatter the holes and make sure they go straight through."

Co-location Invigoration

Whether it be due to a lack of space, sub-par power requirements, or for the purpose of a business continuity plan Collocation has become a viable options for small, mid-sized, and enterprise level businesses.

TNS partners with Cervalis and occupies a full cage at their world class data center in Wappinger Falls. By procuring its own cage, TNS can sell space to prospects by the unit, rather than by the rack, which is the standard policy at Cervalis.

There are many benefits to collocating your network hardware:

Collocation Provides Reliable Uptime

§ Within a "Class A" collocation facility everything is redundant so that if anything goes down the collocation customers server and network equipment will not even notice it as there are redundant systems in place that automatically replace those that went down. This includes; the air conditioning systems, UPS (uninterruptible power systems), power generators, utility power, network routers, redundant Internet backbones with plenty of extra capacity, and redundant onsite network engineering staff. Not every collocation provider and collocation facility includes all of these important services, but those that meet the Class A certification requirements.

o Better Network Speed and Reliability

§ Most collocation facilities run BGP and have redundant Internet networks and different Internet backbones coming into their facility. When a company sets up a network at an office they usually just get the Internet bandwidth capacity that they need such as a single T3, which is 45 Megabits, or an OC3, which is 155 Megabits without the redundancy. Premium Class A Collocation facilities go to a much greater extent to provide a fast and always reliable Internet network, for example Hurricane Electric's collocation facilities network connects to over 500 major national and International Internet backbone networks.

o Better Power Redundancy

§ At and office a company will have the primary utility supplied power and may also use a small UPS to backup the servers or computers on their network. Few offices have automatic emergency generators unless it is for a data center, hospital or other important office building. Even with the office buildings that do have an emergency backup generator it is usually the type of backup generator that has the ability to run for 2 or 4 hours and is rated for "backup". In the best "Class A" collocation facilities the generator is a "Prime Source" type of power generator and the UPS system is a whole facility UPS system. This type of system can take up a whole room with the electrical breaker panels, automatic generator switch gear, and large UPS systems. If an office wanted to install these type of power systems they would need to upgrade the power grid to the facility and get permits from the land owner and the City for the pad mounted large UPS systems to be installed

o Redundant and Improved Cooling / AC Environment Conditioning

§ Many office environments have AC systems that can handle a set amount of cooling for the environment and are set to run during business hours. When you introduce a large amount of servers or network gear, the power used is converted to heat that must be cooled. Office AC systems just aren't made to handle the additional cooling required for a large amount of server and network gear used for Internet applications. In addition to this, should the AC system at an office fail, or just need to be turned off for routine maintenance then the heat would rise. Hot computer equipment is prone to fail and has a much shorter life span.

o Significantly Lower Setup and Monthly Cost For Services

§ High bandwidth deals at a True Class A collocation facility can cost as little as $100/month for space for a server and Internet bandwidth on a dedicated 100Mbps Internet port or as little as $1080 for the whole 100Mbps within a collocation facility. This includes all the special redundancies and services that a collocation facility includes. Yet, if and office were to try to set up the same 100Mbps Internet bandwidth with just a limited redundancy to cut costs it would still cost more than 30 times the cost per month ($30,000) for a lesser service. Below is a detailed item by item explanation of what this would cost.

Visit www.thetnsgroup.com for more info, or call me at 203-316-0112 ext: 105 for a free collocation estimate today!

Joe Carretta

The Next Frontier

Here at the TNS Group, we are constantly looking for ways not only to extend our reach to new clients, but also to expand our core offerings and drive the business upward. Recently when faced with the losing business to outside hosting companies, TNS explored the possibility of investing capital to create our own hosting environment, rather than risk losing the business.

A recent article on ITnews described how other companies in the tech sector are doing just that; looking beyond our borders for the next growth market to capitalize on.

Acer, the world's third largest PC vendor, expects fast growth in China next year as its revenue there climbs to US$2.5 billion from $1 billion this year.

The company believes its China operations will make up more than 20 percent of total revenue within 5 years, an Acer representative said, confirming comments made by Acer Chairman J.T. Wang at a conference in Taipei.

Acer believes China is going to become the world's largest PC market within the next two years.

In addition to Acer’s core line of laptop computers, they hope to enter the fray into the tablet market, which took off this year after Apple unveiled the iPad. A number of companies have followed with similar products that use touch screens, such as Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Tab and Research In Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook.

Acer executives earlier this year forecast the tablet market will reach about 40 million to 50 million units globally next year, and said Acer could take a 15 percent to 20 percent share of that market.

Taking a stab at a new global market is nothing new to TNS. After starting small in 1998, TNS has moved from a local Connecticut Citrix shop into a full service IT company servicing NJ, NY ant CT.

Joe Carretta

What is worth $960 Million?

Dell agreed to buy data storage company Compellent Technologies for about $960 million in cash, to expand beyond PCs and catch up with rivals Hewlett-Packard and IBM in technologies like cloud computing according to an article on CNBC.com

Shares of Dell were lower Monday after it announced that it would offer $27.75 a share for Compellent, a price that is about a 3 percent discount to Compellent's closing price on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.

Monday's deal was widely expected after Dell and Compellent announced last week that they were holding "advanced discussions." At that time, Dell said it would bid $27.50 a share.

In an attempt to position themselves for an economic recovery and become "one stop shops" for corporate clients' technology needs, Dell, HP, and International Business Machines have chased deals in the past year. Three months ago Dell lost out to HP in a bidding war for another storage firm, 3Par.

Dell sees the Compellent deal, expected to close in early 2011, adding to its adjusted earnings in fiscal year 2012, it said on Monday.

Data storage plays a crucial role in cloud computing, the accessing of remote computing power and data over the Internet. Dell entered this market in 2008 with its purchase of EqualLogic.

Compellent specializes in storage and recovery of data for small and medium-sized businesses, compared to the high end business targeted by 3Par. Dell said it plans to keep Compellent's existing operations in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

While some analysts have said Dell did well to settle for the more affordable option, others have said Compellent, unlike 3Par, is not capable of addressing the needs of customers with large data centers.

Some analysts and bankers say NetApp could also be a target, but at a market capitalization of nearly $20 billion, they say it could be too big and the major technology companies have already bought storage technologies.

Joe Carretta

Ciao For Now!

It is a sad day here at The TNS Group because it is my last day as the Marketing & Sales intern. I really enjoyed my experience here as part as the TNS team. I was able to learn a lot, meet a lot of great people, and had some fun in the process. I know that my experience here will be beneficial to me in the post-graduate world. Thank you to everyone at TNS for this great opportunity.

Unfortunately, this also means the end of my tenure as a tech blogger. To all my faithful fans and followers, I will miss providing you with the latest scoop on all things IT-related. Hopefully, my colleague Joe Carretta will be able to sustain the professional level of blogging that I have set (although he will never think of better titles than me).

It's been real.
Laura Matthews

Smartphones On The Scene

The IT world is always buzzing with rumors of new features and gadgets, especially around the holidays. The TNS Group blog is here to set the record straight on the latest tech toys that will be in stores for the most wonderful time of the year.

- Samsung Nexus S Smartphone for Android 2.3: Google has announced the release of its latest operating system for its Android phone, featuring 16GB of internal memory, a front and rear facing camera, improved copy & paste functions, and a 4 inch contour display. This Smartphone will be available in stores on December 16, right in time for holiday shopping.

- BlackBerry Bold 9780 for T Mobile: This latest installment for BlackBerry features double the memory of its predecessor, 5 megapixel camera (improved from 3.2 megapixel), and is preloaded with the BlackBerry 6.0 Operating System. The Bold 9780 is in stores now.

- Samsung Focus for Windows Phone 7: This device has been dubbed the "first great device" for the Windows platform, features an easy-to-use layout, great display screen, and compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint -- excellent news for businesses that utilize these programs. The best part? The rumors are true.. AT&T is offering a Buy One, Get One Free campaign for the holiday season.

- Now we get to the "core" of the rumors with Apple: There has been a lot of talk lately about the possible release of the iPad 2. While this is normally enough to get Apple fans' heads spinning, there is a catch. Rumor has it that Steve Jobs & Co are pushing for a February 2011 release date. Of course, this will really upset customers who bought iPads for the holidays. It seems that Apple wants to move the current iPads out of stores this holiday season to make room for the new ones to follow. Our advice? Although you may be dying for an iPad from Santa, try to hold out to see if there's any truth to the iPad 2. You don't want to be "outdated" in February.

There you have it, these are the holiday gadgets to look out for this season. Happy shopping from TNS!

Printin' All Over The World

Although it may come as a surprise, printing is one of the most cost intensive areas of IT services. Think about it. How many times a day do you print? How many printers does your office own? Do you find yourself throwing out unnecessary pages? Have you ever thought of how much ink you were using by re-printing that colorful presentation?

Technological innovators such as Google and HP are coming up with ways to ease the troubled responses to these questions. Once again, the answer lies in the cloud. Cloud printing allows users to print on any application, on any device, to any printer in the world. This technology will change the game now that more and more businesses are relying on various devices (tablets, desktops, laptops) and working on a global scale with mobile applications. In other words, an executive can now print a document from his iPad to a printer in his office, all while sitting in an Amtrak train en route to a meeting.

Although cloud printing is not yet mainstream, companies should keep a lookout for it because it offers many advantages. Aside from saving on the cost to maintain several printers, cloud printing is the most "on demand" form of printing for increasingly mobile employees. Cloud printing is also secure because users can print documents to a specified printer without having to save it on the device, which is beneficial for maintaining the security of data storage.

Keep an eye out for new software such as ThinPrint and HubCast to transform the game of printing, and remember to check back here at The TNS Group blog or our website for the latest information on how to keep your company up to date in the fast-pace world of IT.

Beware of the Malware

After Black Friday, small business Saturday, and now cyber Monday, holiday shopping is in full swing. While going to the mall might lend a ding on your car door, going online from the workplace can have a much worse impact on you and your company.

Cyber Monday not only traditionally draws workers away from spread sheets and emails and into online shopping sprees, but also brings them slower to Malicious attacks. According to a recent CNET article There will no doubt be malware hiding on retail sites, fake sites created just for distributing viruses and Trojans, and e-mails with malware-laden attachments and links leading to nastiness. Once inside the corporate network, the malware can easily spread to other computers in the company and leave back doors that can be used later for nefarious purposes, putting corporate data at risk.

Unless a company forbids Web surfing on company time and uses software to monitor and enforce the policy, there is little recourse once workers start browsing. IT departments should do what they can to protect the networks before then, by using the most up-to-date spam filters and anti-malware software and adjusting the enterprise Internet settings to alert users when a program attempts to download something.

TNS Group specializes in internet security and privacy not only on Cyber Monday, but all year round. With cutting edge spam filters, malware detectors, and various web monitoring tools, TNS helps IT departments control what does, and doesn’t appear on employees computer screens.

Contact Us today to learn more about these and other services, and keep your company safe from holiday hackers.

Our Heads Are in the Clouds

There is much discussion in the technology world about the topic of virtualization and, specifically, cloud computing. But what exactly does this mean?

Cloud computing is Internet based computing which allows the sharing of resources, information, and software among multiple computers. It originally developed due to the ease of accessibility provided by Internet-based resources. It is known as "cloud" computing because the cloud is a metaphor for the Internet, as abstract depictions in diagrams of the Internet are often drawn as clouds.

Some of the key features of cloud computing are:

- Improves the speed of technological infrastructures
- Reduces costs
- Allows users to access systems via the Internet, no matter where they are or what device they are using (compatible with PCs as well as mobile devices)
- Enables sharing of resources across a large range of users
- Extremely reliable, allowing for business continuity and disaster recovery
- Improved security
- Easier maintenance of applications

Hopefully, this explanation has helped to clear up any confusion you may have had about cloud computing. If your business is interested in improving your infrastructure with virtualization, contact The TNS Group and ask us about our Total Care Solution.

Surviving Holiday Hustle & Bustle

With the holidays right around the corner, it's time to come up with your holiday season survival plan. Before you become overwhelmed with trips to the mall, here are some tools to make your life easier. Al Sacco from CIO.com presents 10 Blackberry applications that will help you stay afloat in the coming month. The best part is, you can let your credit card rest.. most of these applications are free! The TNS Group tech blog would like to share with you a few of these great apps:

- Flixster for BlackBerry: Amidst of all of your holiday parties, don't forget that this season is a great time to go to the movies. This free app allows you to watch trailers, read reviews, find theaters, and purchase tickets from your phone.

- BlackBerry Wallet: If you utilize the convenience of online shopping, simplify the process even more by downloading this free app, which stores your gift cards, loyalty cards, credit card and shipping information. This will definitely be a time saver, and don't worry, the app is secure, so you won't have to worry about putting your credit card information on your phone.

- SBUX (Starbucks Card Mobile): With all the tiring shopping you'll be doing, you will definitely need some caffeine. As long as you have a valid Starbucks card, you can avoid lines and submit your order on your phone. At some Starbucks locations, you can scan your bar code to easily pay for your spiced latte.

- BeWeather: Although you have to pay for this app ($9.99), it's definitely worth it to have the most accurate weather information with you at all times during your holiday travels.

- Camera Plus: This app is affordable ($2.99) and allows you to take photos of your favorite holiday memories and then quickly attach multiple photos onto one e-mail. Without this app, you can only send one photo at a time. This way, you can send out your Christmas card to everyone in your e-mail database.


Use these great apps to navigate your way through the crowds this season. Happy shopping!

Apple's "Big" Announcement

Yesterday, the technology world was buzzing with excitement because of a cryptic message on Apple's homepage reading "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget". Rumors swirled that the announcement could refer to cloud storage because of the new North Carolina data center.

However, at 10:00 am EST today, fans let out a collective groan. Really, Apple?! The huge announcement was simply that music from The Beatles is now available for purchase on iTunes, after seven years of negotiation.

This is not to say that we at The TNS Group are not Beatles fans. Who doesn't love listening to a little "Hey Jude" or "Let it Be"? But the problem is, most Beatles fans who wanted to enjoy this music on their iPod have already found ways to get it on there. Odds are, most fans have taken advantage of the release of digitally-remastered CDs and have long since uploaded them onto their iPods.

If somehow you don't already own copies of your favorite Beatles hits, you can purcase the entire collection on iTunes for $149.

We expected more from Apple, the leading innovator in today's technology. All of the hype surrounding the announcement turned out to be a very anti-climactic moment that left us feeling less than impressed.

Turn Your Office Green

If you constantly find yourself at the printer, it might be time to rethink how you can save paper and save money. Here are some simple solutions on how to protect the environment -- and your wallet -- when you print.

HP has developed Smart Web Printing, which makes printing off of a website, which is usually cluttered with advertisements and images, more sustainable. This device works with any printer (not just HP's) and allows you to reorder parts of a website onto a single document. The best part is, it's free to download.

The FinePrint device attaches to the top of your printer and makes it easy to print multiple pages per sheet, print in grayscale to save on black ink, and remove unnecessary pages and images. This product will only set you back $50.

These two products are inexpensive and will ultimately help your business save money. The cost of paper adds up, and ink is costly. When you need to print a less important document or web page, cut corners by using these methods to be more sustainable.

Another way to get your green on in the office is by using cloud computing. According to a recent study sponsored by Microsoft, cloud computing drastically cuts down on energy. Your business can use anywhere between 30-90% less energy by switching to cloud providers, depending on the size of the company.

For more tips on how to improve the efficiency of your business, remember to check back at The TNS Group tech blog.

Good Food and Conversation with TNS

The TNS Group and Compellent joined forces last Thursday for the much-anticipated Executive Technology Exchange. The event, held at Stamford's Capital Grille was enjoyed by all.

The TNS Group kicked things off with a preliminary company overview and presentation by TNS's Joe Carretta, explaining our business model and the competitive advantage a company receives by choosing The TNS Group. To demonstrate this point, Brian Boschert, the IT Director of Star Gas gave a client case study. Boshert explained how The TNS Group helped his company become a national leader in home energy.

Next, Compellent's Northeast Sales Representative Andrew Johnson informed the attendees about their latest Fluid Data Technology (For more information, read our previous blog entry here).

After an extensive question and answer period, the attendees enjoyed a delicious steak lunch and informative conversation. Thank you to all those who attended and helped make our event successful. If you were unable to join us, be on the look out for another Executive Technology Exchange hosted by The TNS Group in the future.

Google Buzz Settlement Reached

Yesterday, Google announced that a federal district court judge approved a settlement for a lawsuit filed against them by Gmail users.

Google launched Google Buzz, a tool used for social networking and messaging in association with Gmail. However, Gmail users were upset because they were automatically signed up for Buzz. Without any consent, Gmail users had their data and frequent contacts displayed. Subsequently, users took Google to court, citing privacy violations.

District courts have approved a settlement, which requires that Google pay $8.5 million to organizations that provide education on Internet privacy and policies. Additionally, Google has made changes to its Buzz service and is educating its users on its privacy settings.

Yesterday, all Gmail users in the United States received an e-mail that clarified the nature of the settlement. Gmail users will not receive any monetary compensation for the lawsuit. In the email, Google stated, "Just to be clear, this is not a settlement in which people who use Gmail can file to receive compensation".

In a statement released today, Google announced, "We are satisfied with the agreement and are glad to move forward, We have always been committed to offering users transparency and choice in Buzz and all our products, and will continue to work together with users to provide the best experience possible."

Although the payout for the settlement is a large figure deal, it is clear that Google will not have a problem paying the $8.5 million. As previously mentioned on The TNS Group tech blog, Google will make an estimated $15 billion this year in advertising, and is continuing to grow and improve annually.

Is Your Vote Safe?

Happy Election Day! If you were thinking of voting via the Internet, read on before you cast your vote.

With technology becoming so advanced and the Internet becoming increasingly widespread, more than thirty states will count votes from e-mail, fax, and voting websites this year. On one hand, the idea seems to have many advantages. In terms of "going green", online voting is extremely environmentally-friendly because it eliminates the use of paper. Additionally, in theory, online voting would increase voter turnout because people can vote from anywhere. Many people are unable to vote because they cannot leave work, they are elderly or disabled, or they are overseas. A great feature of online voting is that anyone can simply access a computer to cast their vote without having to leave work or the home.

However, virtual votes could threaten national security because it could expose network infrastructure and leave us vulnerable to cyber hacking. Unfortunately, this fear is very real. In tests by University of Michigan technology students, the voting systems for overseas and military voters was fairly easy to hack. Even worse, the University of Michigan students found that the system had already been hacked by individuals in Iran and China.

Your vote matters. Don't let it get manipulated or altered by foreign threats. Utilize traditional mechanical voting machines to cast your vote this election day.

Stay updated on all security and privacy news by keeping up with The TNS Group tech blog.

Google Outdoes Itself

The Internet is technology's most formidable source, and it just keeps getting bigger. In fact, traffic increases at an amazing 40-45% each year! But what website is crushing all the competition?

None other than... Google. The search engine giant accumulated a third quarter revenue this year of $7.29 billion, a 23% increase from last year. Even more fascinating, according to recent data from Arbor Networks, Google accounts for a whopping 6.4% of all Internet traffic in the world!

The numbers don't stop there. Because Google is so widely used, its advertising sales are equally astronomical. This year, Google's total ad revenue will be an estimated $15.7 billion. To put that into perspective, last year Time Warner and Viacom, among the biggest media companies in the world, earned $8.8 billion and $4.7 billion in advertising revenue, respectively.

The Internet is expanding so rapidly, its hard to imagine what will come next. With impressive progress being made on Google's self-driving car, it seems that anything is possible. To stay up-to-date with the latest in technology news, keep checking back at The TNS Group's tech blog.

The Key Components of Compellent

Compellent is a leader in providing effective solutions to business needs, such as data center virtulization, space reclamation, energy efficiency, enterprise automation, and unified storage. One outstanding feature of Compellent is Live Volume. As a recent tech article explains, "Live Volume can detect when VMware Vmotion moves a virtual machine from one server to another. Immediately after the detection of the virtual machine move, Live Volume will flag the replicated secondary volume as the new primary and will automatically reverse replication direction".

Another key feature of Compellent is the use of Enterprise Manager. Enterprise Manager utilizes a single console for administration of all Compellent systems, local and remote. According to Compellent's website, using Enterprise Manager is beneficial because it will:

•Maximize resource utilization and reduce disk costs using accurate capacity and performance data
•Streamline disaster recovery planning and replication configuration with a simple point-and-click interface
•Speed event resolution with centralized alert notification and event log management
•Identify trends and monitor storage use by business unit for accurate needs assessment and chargeback
•Automatically calculate energy savings and generate boardroom-ready hero reports

Compellent has many other features to offer, including their latest endeavor, Fluid Data Storage. To hear more about Compellents products and services, join The TNS Group at our annual Executive Technology Exchange on November 4th. For more information, contact Joe Carretta at 203-316-0112 ext. 105.

VMware On The Rise

As consumer demand for virtualization increases, companies that specialize in this realm of the IT world are profiting. Specifically, VMware is enjoying success and having a great fiscal year. With third quarter revenue exceeding expectations, VMware is anticipating great numbers in the final quarter of the year. According to a recent tech article, VMware's maintenance and services revenue is up 49% from last year.

As the industry leader in developing virtualization technology, VMware revolutionizes IT infrastructure for businesses ranging from large scale data centers to single-server boutique firms.

The TNS Group only partners with companies that we trust. In fact, one of our employees, Joe Carretta, is currently attending a VMware sales conference to ensure that we know how to better serve our customers. The TNS Group is confident that by using VMware products such as Virtual Infrastructure, Converter, VMotion and VCente, your business will cut management costs and see easier and more reliable network manageability.

With Compellent, The Future is Fluid

As one of our most truted partners, Compellent Network Storage Solutions is among the best in the business. According to their website, Compellent Fluid Data storage actually reduces the number of drives in a system by optimizing utilization through ultra-efficient technologies such as Thin Provisioning, Automated Tiered Storage, Replays (continuous snapshots) and Storage Virtualization.

You can increase your Storage Efficiency with Compellent:

•Optimize capacity utilization with Thin Provisioning, consuming disk space only as data is written
•Automatically classify and migrate inactive data to less costly, low-power disks with Automated Tiered Storage
•Minimize the cost of downtime by streamlining data backup and speeding data recovery with continuous snapshots
•Merge all disks into a single pool of storage with Storage Virtualization, delivering higher performance with fewer drives


Compellent now offers Fluid Data Storage, which can:

•Slash the time and cost of IT up to 80%
•Instantly respond to the increasing demand for IT services
•Enable network storage changes without application outages
•Reduce cycle time for every new technology and application
•Ensure data is recoverable and always secure
•Provide a fully virtualized foundation for your entire IT stack

For more information about Compellent, be sure to join The TNS Group at our Lunch n Learn on Thursday, November 4th at Capital Grille in Stamford.

Windows Phone 7 is the Latest Smartphone on the Scene

On Monday, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 7, its smartphone to compete with Apple's iPhone and Google's Android. Microsoft's goal is to bring consumers an easy-to-use "glance and go" screen, which is customizable according to user preference.

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, nine different phones will be available on sixty mobile operators. Users have a choice of Samsung, HTC, and LG phones, among other options.

The major benefit of this product is its use in business. As a Microsoft product, the phone will be seamlessly compatible with Outlook, PowerPoint, and other services from Microsoft Office.

The phone features 1 GHz processors, a 5 mega pixel camera, and a touch screen face including hardware buttons. Additionally, the popularity of games and applications will also be made available on the new Windows Phone 7. With the use of XBox Live, this phone will be a worthy competitor to Apple.

However, only time will tell if the Windows Phone 7 can compete with the massive popularity of the iPhone and Android in consumer markets. If your business utilizes any of these devices, The TNS Group is qualified to assist in all your Smartphone integration needs.

New Partnership for The TNS Group?

The TNS Group just had a great meeting with Aruba Networks, which could potentially lead to a new partnership.

Aruba is one of the top wireless companies providing wireless mobility to offices. This company is looking for systems integrators to sell and install equipment for them. Knowing that The TNS Group is a leading IT Consulting Firm, Aruba came to us to discuss a potential partnership that is very exciting for our business, and for improving our services to our clients.

One of The TNS Group's five practice areas is Network Infrastructure. Some of our offerings are Blackberry, PDA, and Smartphone Integration, Data Center Consolidation, Remote and Mobile Access Solutions, and Technical Assessments. We are committed to providing our clients with the best and the brightest in the IT world, which is why we are considering this new partnership. Check back here at our blog for more updates about this potential partnership, as well as other TNS-related news.

Dell Unveils New Cloud Computing Software

On Wednesday, Dell launched its new data center known as Virtual Integrated System (VIS) in order to allow businesses to switch to cloud computing. This new system comes as a result for enterprise demands to share data and resources among departments, which ultimately allows a company to decrease spending and increase productivity and workplace solidarity.

According to the senior vice president at Dell's Enterprise Product Group, Brad Anderson, “Dell’s VIS architecture is unique in that it works with a customer’s existing architecture and their current products and investments – whether from Dell or another provider".

They key features of Dell's new cloud software are that it creates virtualized resource pools and automates the way applications are deployed, all on one web-based platform. The Virtual Integrated System architecture is available beginning today.

If your company is looking to outsource its IT department, The TNS Group provides a reliable and effective method for all of your server virtualization needs. Call us today at 203-316-0112.

IT Companies Use Desktop Virtualization To Improve Services

The latest in IT news reveals that Desktop Virtualization is quickly becoming the hottest IT trend. The advantages of desktop virtualization are plentiful, including simplified management, improved ROI, and better security.

For those unfamiliar with this IT trend, desktop virtualization is essentially used to store clients' operating systems, application stack, user profile, and data in one central location.

According to the most recent UBM TechWeb Research Report, 42% of IT companies surveyed are using desktop virtualization, or are planning to implement this method by 2011. Businesses are employing the use of desktop virtualization to enhance data security and improve rates of availability to clients. By allowing users to access programs and applications from desktops, assets are effectively consolidated and IT support can provide more efficient help to clients.

The survey, sponsored by Dell and Intel, found that 84% of IT organizations that utilize desktop virtualization felt that, as a result, technology met or exceeded their expectations.

This is beneficial for clients because they no loner risk losing data because of increased security, and it also becomes easier to access the desktop from a remote location.

As a leading IT consulting firm that provides the highest quality services, The TNS Group also utilizes desktop virtualization. By applying this method, The TNS Group is able to increase customer satisfaction because of easier maintenance and controllability. For our clients, this means less time spent on trouble shooting. The TNS Group will continue to seek out more techniques that will improve business technology.

Consumers Rate Macs Higher Than PCs

In the past several years, more and more Americans have brought computers into their homes. According to a report released yesterday, consumers prefer Apple computers over Windows.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index, who commissioned the report, found that overall, customer satisfaction has been steadily on the rise since 1994, when the study began. This year, Windows users scored their level of satisfaction at 78 out of 100. Hewlett Packard, Dell, and Acer all followed behind closely with a score of 75.

The clear leader, for the seventh consecutive year, was Apple, whose customers rated their computers an 86 out of 100. Many analysts attribute this to a halo effect, resulting from consumer's fixation with iPods, iPhones, and the newest innovation, the iPad.

Although Apple computers are at the top, the lower-priced accessibility of PCs and recent improvements with Windows 7 could change the game and shift popularity back to the PC in forthcoming years.

No matter which type of computer your company prefers, The TNS Group has you covered. Our IT Support staff is competent in both Mac and Windows platforms, and is fully capable of assisting your business' IT needs.

Business is Booming for IT Companies

In the past couple years, the majority of fields in the US economy struggled significantly to stay afloat. However, one market that managed to grow in revenue is the realm of IT Consulting. According to a 2010 survey of 172 CIO’s, CTO’s and Senior IT Executives from different US companies, IT budgets and salaries consistently increased, despite the nature of the downward economy.
The survey, commissioned by The Society for Information Management, found that 65% of CIO’s reported that their IT budgets were larger in 2010 than any previous year, and almost three quarters responded that they expected an even bigger increase in 2011. The good news for consumers is that a bigger IT budget translates to an enhancement in quality. With more available funds, companies are able to afford more IT training for their staff, thus a better-equipped workforce. Additionally, businesses are using their surplus of IT finances to focus on progressing interpersonal communication. Much of the IT budget will go towards improving written and oral communication, as well as marketing and presentation skills.
The TNS Group is no exception to this trend. In 2009, our company’s revenue increased by about 16%, and is projected to carry on this upward path. With this increase in revenue, The TNS Group will continue to seek the highest level of customer satisfaction, and is committed to customer surveys to find the best possible products for our clients.

Social Networking Improves Customer Relations

According to an IT News article, despite the mass popularity of social media websites, a large number of corporations are unsuccessful in providing their clients with an online presence. According to a recent study commissioned by Siemens Enterprise Communications, only about 30% of companies are taking advantage of the benefits of using networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.

The aforementioned study also reported that 70% of customers desire some sort of online interaction with businesses, and almost 60% affirmed that if there was a social media presence, they would likely increase their loyalty to the business as a direct result of social media communication.

Because of the accessibility of social networking websites, a wide range of consumers can be reached via this outlet. In turn, consumers benefit by staying informed on any updates that would be relevant to them. Businesses that do not extend their expertise into the realm of social networking will lose valuable customers and could eventually become obsolete in the fast-pace technological world. This also could cause a disconnect between the companies and their prospective, and even current clients.

Unlike 70% of companies who neglect social media websites, The TNS Group maintains a Twitter account and, of course, a blog. At The TNS Group, we value our relationship with our clients, and are committed to interacting to improve customer relations. To stay posted on news regarding The TNS Group, be sure to check for updates on our Twitter and check back here at our blog.

Farewell!

This summer I joined the TNS Group’s team as a Marketing/PR intern. I am now writing my last blog as this is my last day. I’m college bound next week, and going into my senior year. My experience at The TNS Group was extremely positive. Everyone here was very welcoming and eager to teach me about the IT industry. I just wanted to thank everyone for being so kind and teaching me so much.

I think we all can attest to IT being somewhat of a challenge for me but I tried to make the most of it! I learned so much relating to website design, pipeline reports, keeping up with the blog/twitter, creating PDFs, and cold calling from overhearing Joe and his “gift of gab”.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to intern with this company and the skills that I obtained will surely benefit me in future positions. I wish you all the best of luck with business, you’re a great team and contributed to a great summer!

Thanks!

Tara McKenna

 

Intel to buy McAfee

According to the New York Times, a business merger is about to take place. On Thursday, August 19^th Intel, the leading manufacturer of semiconductor chips agreed to buy McAfee, the computer antivirus software maker for about $7.7 billion in cash. Besides Intel’s efforts to produce a core-chip making, their efforts to expand the business and take over McAfee, has been their biggest effort to date in terms of expanding the company. Their last major purchase was in 1999, when Intel bought Level One Communications for $2.2 billion.

Paul Otellini, Intel’s chief executive, said, “In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences.”

With The TNS Group being in the tech industry, we know that this industry has been one of the busiest for deal-makers and companies taking over new sectors.  With Intel’s purchase of McAfee it will put the company into covering security tech.

Tara McKenna

Kids in Crisis Volunteering Today

In addition to providing superior IT services to all of our clients, The TNS Group looks to give back to their community any chance they get. Today Office Manager Maggie Cabral, President Steve Viscardi, and Office Manager Maggie Cabral are all attending Kids in Crisis seminar today. The event will be focused around teaching children of this program how to use computers, and introduce them to the ever growing world of technology. The TNS Group finds this aspect of community life vital to its local connections, and frequently participates in many other charity events.

To learn more about Kids in Crisis and how you can help their cause visit their website

http://www.kidsincrisis.org/

Joe Carretta

Testimonials

As a business progresses it needs recommendations that will ensure future clients that our work is commendable. At The TNS Group, we take pride in our work and we make sure that your IT performance will ensure long-term success for your business. With this mindset, we have recently received five new testimonials from very satisfied customers.  Below are some testimonial excerpts:

1.       “As a firm in the highly competitive financial services industry, we needed a vendor that would provide us with dependable and outstanding IT services. TNS has been more that an IT vendor to our firm. We viewed the TNS team as our partners and trust their expertise in devising our platform, providing our disaster recovery and most importantly, servicing our day-to-day technology support.  The team of TNS individuals that have serviced our account have been beyond excellent – they are respectful of our data, our time, and our business.  They have been instrumental in recommending (and not over recommending) products and services, and allowed our business to function smoothly. 

-ARCIM Advisors

2.  “Since partnering with The TNS Group, EC Scott has had vast improvements with our IT performance and stability. I would like to focus on the Total Care Solution that we recently purchased. The TNS Group was there every step of the way in designing the package that best suited our business needs and budget. Their professionalism and reliability let us experience the best possible customer service. “
                - EC Scott

3.  “Despite the challenging times in the publishing industry, The TNS Group has proven to be a valuable partner providing technical services at a good value. Whether it’s improving the security of our environment, enhancing our remote access capabilities, performance tuning and/or troubleshooting of our IT network performance, or a call for technical support help, The TNS staff has always been dependable and extremely capable of getting the work done.”
                -Guidepost

We are very happy that The TNS Group’s work adds to the success of partnering companies. Thanks to all who contributed!

 

Tara McKenna

 

Away from it all

What if we took a break, away from all of the technological machines and distractions we cling to every day? We are attached and addicted to some of these devices! It is argued that heavy technology use, which is only growing, can inhibit deep thought and cause anxiety, and that getting away or into a relaxing place can help (nature). 

From an article in the New York Times, Todd Braver and a team of scientists did exactly this, and got away from it all. The team traveled to Glen Canyon National Park in Utah, and stayed there for a week pursuing one goal: to understand how our heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects.

There was no cell phone service on location, laptops were left behind and e-mail was inaccessible.  Some thought it was just time to relax and get away from work, but the trip’s organizer, David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, said that studying what happens when we step away from our devices and relax our brains, how attention, memory and learning are affected-is important science.  Mr. Strayer also added, “understanding how attention works could help in the treatment of a host of maladies, like attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and depression. And he says that on a day-to-day basis, too much digital stimulation can “take people who would be functioning O.K. and put them in a range where they’re not psychologically healthy.”

At the end of civilization, or downstream, was where their adventure began. They rafted through the canyon, set up camp when it was dark and slept outside surrounded by nature alone. Participants noticed that nature started to refresh the brain. Mr. Strayer said, “Our senses change. They kind of recalibrate-you notice sounds, like these crickets chirping; you hear the river, the sounds, the smells, you become more connected to the physical environment, the earth, rather than the artificial environment.” A sad fact is that currently, more people are more connected to the artificial environment rather than the actual one we live in.

So do we need more time to let loose and get away from it all? It is questionable whether it will improve our mental and emotional capacity. The world, (in terms of technology) is growing immensely, so sometimes we need to step back and go back to basics.

Tara McKenna

 

Employee Workarounds

IT Security is crucial for keeping the office systems clean of viruses.  Certain sites cause pop-ups and viruses, hence the choice for some businesses to block specific sites. For marketing teams at many companies, social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube are essential for pursuing marketing strategies, but may cause trouble for the servers.  However, I think it all depends on the industry your business is in. Does your company need social networking-or should it be blocked? As stated on ITNEWS, “If you work at the Department of Defense, I don't think any time at a social networking site on a secure computer is acceptable.” 

Yet, there are sites that are universally blocked at all companies, some being pornographic and gambling sites. It goes without saying why these sites are blocked at the office.

Unfortunately, some employees have been working around blocked sites ignoring the consequences that follow. This puts the company’s network at risk. Hugh Thompson, Program Committee Chair of the RSA, said, “Industrious employees can, and do, find ways around site restrictions at work, potentially putting your network, data and even intellectual property at risk.  Some workarounds can be dangerous because they might create a channel that data can flow out through that is not managed or monitored. These types of bypasses might make defenses like some data loss prevention systems less effective."

Some workarounds that employees are using include:

1.       Typing IP address instead of domain name

2.       Finding a cached version

3.       Hiding behind encryption

4.       Using proxy servers and other privacy-friendly tools

5.       Using smart phones

As an IT company, The TNS Group must take all necessary precautions with which sites can harm our servers. Look into ITNEWS “Workarounds” to find the security fixes when employees enter blocked sites.

 

Tara McKenna