Protecting Kids in the Evolving Digital Landscape, Patrick Jensen, 3/15/2024
From online bullying to inappropriate content, the internet poses unique risks to children that didn’t exist just a decade ago. While basic safety measures such as avoiding suspicious links and keeping personal details private are still necessary, today’s kids face a more complex threat landscape that demands continuous vigilance from parents.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the top concerns and what proactive steps you can take to shield your family.
In-Game Purchases and Loot Boxes
Many popular games and apps entice kids with in-game currencies and randomized “loot boxes” that can function similarly to gambling. Children can unwittingly spend real money with just a few intuitive taps without understanding its value. While some platforms have added parental controls, enforcement remains inconsistent.
The safest approach to avoiding unexpected in-game spending is to avoid entering payment details altogether and use only gift cards with set balances for your kids’ accounts.
Filtering Across All Devices
With smartphones and tablets in the hands of even the youngest children, they now have constant internet access well beyond the home computer. It’s critical to employ consistent, comprehensive content filters across all devices your family uses, from desktops to mobiles.
Depending on your child’s age and maturity, options range from white-listing only approved websites to selectively blocking categories such as adult content, violence, or social media. While some devices have built-in parental controls, third-party solutions often provide more customization and coverage for multiple connected products in one place.
Monitoring Screen Time, Activity and Mental Well-Being
Both mobile and desktop operating systems offer parental controls to view activity reports and limit when and for how long children can use technology.
You can restrict specific apps, games, and websites, helping guide them toward age-appropriate content and healthy screen habits. Regularly reviewing activity logs ensures tools are properly configured to reflect your family’s needs and values. It also allows the prompt addressing of any concerning online behavior before it negatively impacts their well-being or development.
Educating Children About Internet Safety
Alongside tools, open communication helps kids navigate the online world safely and responsibly. Discuss appropriate ways to interact with others online and how to handle seeing upsetting content or bullying. Explain the potential dangers of oversharing personal details.
Prioritizing Safety Shouldn’t Mean Sacrificing Learning
While online threats have grown more complex, so too have the educational benefits of technology for curious young minds. With the right balance of education and protection, families can experience all the internet has to offer while ensuring their children’s well-being remains the top priority.
Contact us at (651) 456-8655 today or visit our Contact page to discuss a digital solution tailored to your household.
If you’ve noticed your home internet experience declining recently, with Netflix frequently buffering, lag in online games, or spotty Wi-Fi coverage throughout the house, it may be time for an upgrade.
Before you get frustrated with the slowdowns and dropouts, let’s evaluate if a new router could resolve these issues. A modern model designed to handle today’s bandwidth-heavy demands may be just what you need to restore fast, seamless Wi-Fi where you need it most.
Slowing Performance as the Network Grows
In the last 5–10 years, home networks have seen exponential growth in connected devices. Where households once had only a computer or two, it’s now common to have 10 or more devices simultaneously using the router for streaming media, Web browsing, online gaming, and more.
This increased bandwidth demand stresses older routers that are not designed for high-traffic networks. They have less powerful processors, less memory, and less advanced chipsets than newer models. Over time, an aging router may struggle to keep up, resulting in lagging or buffering issues.
Frequent Disconnections and Requiring Reboots
If you’ve noticed your Wi-Fi signal cutting out regularly, forcing you to reboot the router to get reconnected, this is a telltale sign that the router may be on the way out.
Outdated Wireless Standards
The Wi-Fi standards supported by routers have advanced rapidly in the last five years alone. Older models may be capable of only slower legacy standards such as 802.11b/g or 802.11n, while newer devices take full advantage of the increased speeds that standards such as 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) and 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) provide.
It also leaves you vulnerable, as older standards have known security flaws that newer protocols have addressed.
Missing Security Updates
Wireless router manufacturers typically support a device with firmware security updates for around five years after its release. But after that point, if new exploits are discovered, your older router model may no longer receive patches, leaving it open to hacks and malware.
By upgrading to a currently supported model, you can ensure the latest bug and vulnerability fixes for years to come, keeping your home network protected as threats evolve.
Feeling left behind by your ISP router?
If your current router was supplied by your internet service provider (ISP) as part of the connection package, it was likely a very basic and low-cost model selected to meet the minimum functionality requirements.
While “free” at the time, these OEM routers are often underpowered for today’s needs. An independently purchased router gives you complete control to choose a model tailored to your specific usage scenarios, such as whole-home coverage, fast speeds, or robust parental controls, ensuring you get the most out of your broadband home network.
Is it time for an upgrade?
If any of the issues above seem familiar or you want a faster, more reliable network throughout your home, an upgrade to a new, higher-performance router is well worth the investment.
Give us a call today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page, and one of our experts can recommend the right model for your needs while also handling hassle-free installation.
Reasons to Rethink Your ISP-Provided Router (10/25/2023)
When you sign up with your internet service provider (ISP), you may also get a modem and router combination. It could be free, a rental, or something you buy outright. Before assuming that this is the best device for your needs, weigh up these considerations.
Many ISPs provide you with a proprietary router and modem. Your internet service plan may include it for a rental fee, or you might have to pay over time to buy the device. If that’s the case, find out how much the modem and router would cost to buy outright. You might be able to buy a higher-quality device at a better price.
Other times, ISPs offer free modems and/or routers included with your plan. The price is reasonable, sure, but you could be getting a low-quality device. You might want to upgrade to a better option for not much more money.
What you need to know about modems and routers
Your home network requires a modem, router, or combination device. The latter are becoming more common.
The modem connects your home to your ISP through a physical connection. This device translates ISP data into a format your home network devices can use.
The router creates a local area network (LAN), connecting your devices to your modem. This allows your computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones to connect to the internet. You’ll have either a wired or wireless router.
In summary, the modem sends and receives internet signals, while the router distributes them to your devices.
What to look for in a router
Before relying on an ISP router, consider the benefits of store-bought devices.
If parental controls are important to you, shop for a router offering those features. You may have parental control apps on your devices, but having the controls on the router can be more effective.
Encourage a safer online environment for children with features such as:
website filtering
content filtering
time restrictions
safe search
device management
reports and alerts
remote management
You can also improve network security with a router that allows you to set up a separate guest network. Provide guests with internet access without worrying they can access your private network.
You can also look for a router that supports Quality of Service (QoS). This feature allows you to allocate internet bandwidth to different devices or applications. For example, you can prioritize a work computer with more bandwidth than a gaming console.
Don’t settle for the ISP’s equipment
We’ve given you plenty of reasons to rethink your ISP’s router, yet choosing an alternative could overwhelm you. We can help you identify the right solution for your specific needs. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
“What’s that password again? Wait, I changed it… Harrumph. I don’t remember!” We’ve all been there, sometimes many times a day. Password autofill on our Web browsers felt like the sun was shining on our online activity again. Sorry to tell you, but this convenience may not be entirely safe.
Most browsers will ask after you’ve entered a new password into a site or changed a password if you want it stored for you. That way, when you revisit that site, the browser can autofill the access credentials for you. It saves you the struggle of trying to keep all your passwords straight.
The problem is that some sites, including legitimate sites, can be compromised with a hidden form. You’ll never see it, but your browser will. So, it will autofill that form, and in clear, unencrypted text. This allows bad actors to capture your username and password without your knowledge.
Another risk? Irresponsible digital marketers may use hidden autofill forms to track your online activity. That’s done without your consent.
Using browser autofill with a password manager can also cause confusion, especially if your browser autofills, whereas the manager asks before filling in forms. Using both at the same time you also run the risk of duplicating passwords, which could make it difficult to track your passwords and increase the risk of security breach.
How to disable autofill
You can protect your passwords by disabling autofill on any browser you use:
On Microsoft Edge, go to Settings, then Profiles, then Passwords, and disable “Offer to save passwords.”
On Google Chrome, go to Settings, then Passwords, and disable “Offer to save passwords.”
On Firefox, open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Logins and Passwords, and “Autofill logins and passwords.”
On Safari, from the Preferences window, select and turn off Auto-fill.
Can I keep using password managers?
A password manager, such as LastPass or 1Password, typically provides more security than browser autofill. Password managers have strong encryption algorithms to protect your login credentials, which means that even if your device is compromised, your passwords are safe.
Still, if the manager autofills your credentials, you face the same risks. Most password managers have autofill disabled by default. That’s good. Leave preemptive autofill off. You might see it called “Autofill on page load.” Keep that turned off, too.
Our advice? Use a password manager that requires you to click a box before it fills in your credentials. This action avoids your information from automatically populating a hidden form.
Securing your online activity is an ongoing challenge. Our experts can help identify ways you can protect your privacy and data online. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our contact page.
Tech Tips Everyone Should Know – 4/16/2023. There are billions of computers in the world today. In fact, 286 million computers shipped globally in 2022, and that was a 16% drop! Those figures make it obvious how many of us have access to computers, yet that doesn’t mean we all know the simple shortcuts available to us. This article rounds up top tech tips that can benefit every user.
Tech Tips #1: Search Google smarter
Google is the market leader with over 85% of Web search traffic. But did you know you can search this popular online engine even easier? When you know you are looking for something on a particular site, you can narrow your search. Go to the Google search bar as normal, then, in the search box, type “site: www.website.com” (without quotes) with your search term. This refines your search.
So, if you wanted to find an article on coaching on the Forbes website, you would search “site: forbes.com and coaching.” You’ll see that all the responses you get back come from the Forbes domain.
Tech Tips #2: Undo your mistakes
We all make mistakes while working on our computers. Here are some ways to undo the common ones.
“Unsending” an email is possible in Gmail. Go to Settings and set up the Undo Send section to give yourself 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds. Then, save your changes, and you’ll have this option enabled in the future. It doesn’t technically “unsend” the email but delays sending it for a few seconds so you can stop it if need be.
You can also reopen a closed browser tab by using Ctrl+Shift+T on your PC or Command+Shift+T on your Mac. This reopens the last tab you closed. If you closed a bunch at once, you can also reopen them from your browser’s History dropdown menu.
Then, there’s Ctrl + Z for just about everything else. Pressing the control button and Z key together undoes your action in many Web browsers and operating systems. It will depend on your application and how far you can go back with this shortcut.
Tech Tips #3: Capture your screen
Some modern PC keyboards come with a “print screen” key, which you can use to get a screenshot of the desktop windows. If you want to crop that screenshot, on Windows 10, go to Start and type Snipping Tool in the Search bar. You’ll get a box you can drag to any shape over your screen.
You can also take a screenshot on a Mac by pressing Command + Shift + 4. To crop the screenshot size and shape, you’ll press Command + Shift + 5.
One more little secret
How many times do you find yourself picking up your USB cable and trying to put it in the wrong way? You can stop doing so by looking for a symbol on the cable near where you’ll plug it in. It’s only found on one side, and it’s not for decoration. The symbol should be facing you when you plug in the USB. This will get it in the first time, whether you’re plugging in a vertical or horizontal cable.
These tech tips can help you be more efficient and effective with your technology, but you may still want help in other areas. Reach out to our IT experts today. We’re here to help. Call us at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
Content Creation – Choosing the Right Laptop 3/27/2023
Are you an influencer? Or do you aspire to join the more than 50 million people making content for YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram? If you want to be a content creator, don’t struggle with a computer that isn’t up to the task. Considering these factors can help you land the best laptop for your needs.
Yes, the average person can take a video on their smartphone and post it for friends to enjoy, but when you’re serious about your video editing or creating high-quality, long-form content, you’ll need more.
To make your content look professional, pay attention to these factors. It will help you choose the laptop that sets you up to be the next Spielberg.
Video card
Pay attention to the video card. Also known as a graphics card, this is the piece of the computer that renders images on the display.
A laptop typically has a less robust video card than a desktop. That’s because laptops are often thinner. For the benefit of mobility, you compromise on the space available for a beefier graphics card. The card may also run slower because the card needs to be efficient without setting the laptop on fire.
So, when selecting a laptop with plans to edit video, do your research. You can easily find rankings for “laptops with good graphic cards” online. You can get away with an RTX 2080 (that’s a few generations old). Ideally, though, you’ll want the RTX 3080 or Intel Iris Xe.
Processing power
The laptop’s processing power can also play a role in your video editing success. A lot of video editing software needs multi-core processors. You can think of it as having many arms to get different things done at once.
For a PC laptop, go for at least an Intel i9 CPU. For Mac, a modern MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro CPU is a good choice.
Memory
For your laptop to be able to do many things at once, you also need powerful memory. Random access memory (RAM) is what you’ll be comparing here. RAM loads the operating system, runs video editing software, and performs other background functions.
At minimum, you’ll want 16GB of RAM, but the more you have, the better. Obviously, the budget will factor in here.
Storage
Your storage capacity also impacts how efficiently you can do all that you want to do.
If you’re working in Full HD (1920×1080), you could have some big project files to move around. The more storage you have, the easier this will be.
You’ll be choosing between hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). SSDs are good for working on the fly. They can run faster, as they don’t use any mechanical parts, but they can cost more.
A good idea is to work off your SSD for your current editing needs. Meanwhile, you can store archived videos and completed footage on a second hard drive. This can be on the laptop if there’s space, or you can attach an external HDD.
Display
Whether you are the star of your content or someone else is, you’ll also want to consider laptop display size. There are two main display types: Twisted Nematic (TN) and In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels.
TN panels cost less, but you can lose color accuracy on angles. The IPS panels give you more color at more angles, but they cost a little more.
Connectivity
You might want to attach an external HDD or connect to a larger desktop monitor. In that case, look for accessory ports and external display connectivity.
Need help deciding on the laptop that best suits your content creation needs? Our experts are here to help. Connect with us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our contact page.
Custom PCs Built by Twin Cities PC Repair – 3/24/2023. We have another happy customer coming to pick up their custom built PC!
Whether you are a home user, a business, a gamer, or a specialist such as a photo and video editing company… We can build a PC for you – really, no matter what your specific requirements are, we can make sure you get the best machine to match your productivity requirements. In conjunction with your hardware requirements, we can determine the software that you need as well. We will ensure that we don’t clutter and slow down your new PC with unwanted programs. Often times, ‘out-of-the-box’ computers are heavily loaded with software including trial software that you will never use which can slow down the performance of your machine.
You will be dealing with the same custom PC builder during the consultation and build process. You will also be dealing with us for any support that you may require. We are experienced PC builders and we can provide references from past clients who attest to our expertise and approachable manner.
Custom Built Computers With Affordable Computer Repairs And Service
Save yourself time and hassle in trying to choose between the mass-manufactured PCs on the market.
You can be assured that your machine has quality, stable, hardware components and configuration.
You won’t be paying for software/hardware that you don’t need or want.
Your machine won’t be slowed down by space hungry software that you won’t use.
You will be paying for a machine that will do what you want it to do… Quickly too!
Here’s our most recent build configuration (Pictured):
Intel Core i5-13600K 14-Core CPU.
Integrated Wi-Fi.
16GB DDR4 3200 (PC4-25600 Memory.
1TB PCIe Solid State Hard Drive.
500W Power Supply.
Black Mid-Tower Case w/ Top USB Ports.
27” Eye Care Monitor Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS 75Hz Adaptive-Sync HDMI D-Sub Frameless.
Windows 11 Home 64-Bit.
Open Office Productivity Software.
Adobe Reader.
12 Month Warranty.
We are experienced in building custom computers to meet your specific needs using quality, stable components at an affordable price. Our custom PCs are built to last. If you are interested in a new screaming PC, please call us at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
You drop your computer in the bathtub, or your basement home office floods and the desktop is under water. Or you spill your tea across the keyboard. If any of this happens, you can guess right away that you’ll be dealing with liquid damage. Only it’s not always that obvious. Knowing the common signs to look for can help you diagnose liquid damage in your devices.
If you are right there when your computer is exposed to liquids, unplug it immediately. Wet components can short-circuit and cause issues for your motherboard, hard drives, and more.
Still, you might not know immediately that liquid damage is to blame. You might live in an area with high humidity. Or maybe someone in the family watches Netflix while in a steamy bathroom. That’s when you look for signs that there’s moisture inside your computer.
Signs you can see yourself
Liquid spilled inside your keyboard can make keys or the trackpad stop working. Even a few liquid droplets can cause the keyboard or trackpad to start responding to your touch erratically.
You might also experience screen issues. This depends on where the liquid penetrates your laptop. Look out for:
images not displaying properly;
pixel discoloration;
a display that won’t turn on.
These are pretty obvious signs that you need to get help. You might also see some discoloration on the outside of the computer. The white or green residue is not a good sign.
Another scary indicator? The computer won’t turn on at all. That suggests that internal components are damaged, and you’ll need to take action.
Signs that repair shops can see
Most people should not be opening up computers on their own. Even if you think there might have been liquid damage, it’s safer to take the computer to a trained expert. That way, you won’t do more damage trying to see what’s wrong in the first place.
At a computer shop, the person doing the repairs will look inside for corrosion around connectors and your motherboard. They’ll be looking for that white or green residue you were hoping not to see on the exterior.
Another sign? The liquid damage indicator shows exposure to water or liquids. The indicator is a small device inside the computer that’s used by manufacturers to deny warranty coverage (despite the consumer’s protests, the laptop never got wet).
What to do with a wet computer
Unplug it. Get help. The sooner you take a liquid-damaged computer in for repair, the more likely it is to recover. Work with a professional IT repair shop to diagnose and repair your device issues. We’re here to help. Call us at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page. Check out our additional laptop services HERE.
When looking to buy a laptop, one of the main things you have to decide is how much storage you need. That’s a challenging question for many of us to answer. Let’s discuss the factors that matter and how to decide.
The short answer, for many people, is that you don’t need much laptop storage. Having 512 GB available is often enough for a regular user, but it’s going to depend on how you’re using the laptop.
For example, if you use cloud email, your account likely comes with cloud storage. Using cloud-based applications such as Google Docs also saves storage space.
If you’re using the laptop to stream videos on TikTok or YouTube, or watching your series or movies on Netflix or the like, you’re also taking advantage of the cloud. Very little data is actually stored on your computer.
Even so, remember to account also for your operating system. Microsoft and Apple recommend 32 GB of storage space to accommodate their OSs. Otherwise, you could encounter performance issues.
Also, if you edit videos or work in graphic design, you’ll likely want a lot more available storage.
How storage space impacts your computer use
Storage space is the capacity your computer uses to store files and data. So, when you have a lot of data, images, or video to hold and work with, more storage helps the PC recall them more quickly.
If you are a digital hoarder, that can also factor into your storage needs.
When thinking about storing photos, you’d have to have many albums to make a dent. If the average image size is about 4 MB, it would take 1000 photos to use up 4 GBs of space. But video eats up a lot more space. An hour-long 1080 p video could occupy 10,000 MB (10 GB).
If you regularly download new apps and games, you can quickly fill up your storage space. Purging unused files and apps consistently frees up space.
Considering the cost of laptop storage
More storage can mean a bigger price tag, so you’ll want to balance your storage needs against your budget constraints.
If you can spend freely, go ahead and get more storage. Otherwise, you’ll want to weigh hard disk drive (HDD) and solid-state drive (SSD) upgrades.
HDDs offer more storage for less cost, but slower reading and writing. SSDs can be three to four times as expensive, but you do get greater speed. SSDs are also typically quieter, more durable, and consume less energy.
One option is to buy a laptop with a smaller SSD and get an external HDD to meet both your speed and storage needs. HDDs can be better for data recovery and for storing large amounts of data you’re not accessing often.
Need help making decisions about your laptop purchase or storage needs? Our IT experts have the answers you need. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
Vertical Monitors – What are the Benefits? – March 2023
Horizontal is the norm when we’re thinking about televisions or computer monitors. Yet vertical monitors are an option. Consider these advantages of going vertical.
On a horizontal monitor, there is more width than height. The usual 16:9 horizontal monitor is great for watching movies, but when it comes to other processes, there’s a lot of wasted space. If you have a vertical monitor setup, you can enjoy a better viewing experience.
You’ll find it’s easier to scan websites, view search engine results, and read online content or long blocks of code. If you’re big into cryptocurrency, you might enjoy displaying data in an easy-to-read form, plus, you’ll be able to react more quickly.
You can also have a full view of photographs or a project if you’re trying to design something with a vertical layout.
Vertical screens can also reduce eye strain. With this setup you reduce the range of movement, which can save your eyes from getting as tired.
Further, you might be able to save space with a vertical monitor if you have less room on your desk.
A vertical monitor can be appealing if you use two monitors at once. Having dual monitors can increase productivity. You enjoy added viewing space to multitask, browse the Web, watch videos, or games. If you’re working from home, you may also find it easier to collaborate with colleagues with a second screen. When you set up one screen to be vertical, you can benefit from the best of both worlds.
Going vertical is Easy
You don’t have to buy a special monitor to take advantage of a vertical setup. While many screens are only capable of a horizontal display, you may be able to adjust the way it is mounted. You can get a stand or mount that allows you to easily rotate the screen. As long as it is a VESA-compatible monitor, you can easily make the choice of horizontal or vertical. Then, you can change the layout in the operating system’s display settings. Windows, MacOS, and Linux all support vertical screen rotation.
Some monitors have mounts that allow physical rotation, which is a good way to test drive the vertical monitor. That way you can see how it compares to a horizontal layout for your needs. Keep in mind, though, that this repositioning of the monitor will affect your stereo speakers. You’ll need to attach an external pair of speakers to have them work with the new orientation.
Vertical monitors aren’t for everybody; if you game a lot or want to watch movies or do 3D modeling, you might prefer the horizontal screen. Many computer games, for example, are programmed for horizontal play, and opening that game up on a vertical rotation can cut off or compress your visuals.
One other common criticism of vertical screens is that they catch glare from nearby light sources more easily. So, if you don’t want to deal with glare, stick with horizontal.
Our IT experts are here to consult on your computer needs. We can advise you on your screen choices and so much more. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
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