What?s the Situation? What is often referred to as the ?Big Four? (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google)–and sometimes referred to as the ?Big Five? (adding in Microsoft or Netflix, but somehow never both)–are some of the most lucrative and successful companies in world history. Their influence is pervasive in our society. As a result of their enormous reach, economists began to argue that Big Tech has gotten too big and needs to be reined in. It?s only been in the past 18 months that politicians have started to listen. In an intriguing OPED in the New York Times Chris Hughes, one of the founders of Facebook–who has moved on to other things–suggested it was time to break up the social media giant because it gave Mark Zuckerburg and the other decision makers at Facebook far too much power. He is not the only voice suggesting something has to be done either. Harvard economist and former IMF chief, Kenneth Rogoff, who writes at length of Big Tech?s ability to stymie competition by buying out even indirect competitors, also believes that Big Tech needs oversight. In the summer of 2019, it finally came to a head, and the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice began investigations to determine if these major companies are operating on an even playing field. In July, the U.S. House of Representatives held hearings to see if these tech companies were killing off smaller competition before there was a market. Facebook alone owns social media giants Instagram and WhatsApp, leaving regulators skeptical whether these organizations were playing the same game as their competitors. Why They Do What They Do So how do these huge corporations use their data? The same way many businesses do, but since they have access to so much data, the applications it fuels is far and away larger and more in depth than anything most companies can accomplish. We are talking about literally billions of people accessing these interfaces every day. For the millions of people that search Google every hour, the millions on Facebook, the millions watching YouTube, all of their actions create a user profile. When used, it provides users a very personalized experience. How many times have you seen ads in the sidebar that meet something you just searched for recently? How many times have you been suggested to see some media that matches what you typically watch? What benefit would a business have from mining all this data? Why would there be a push from regulators and the public to break apart these entities; or, at the very least, give users more control over their own data? The answer is pretty easy to see. These organizations, despite a perceived lack of competition, and continual regulatory acts to stymie it, do present a great deal of value to consumers. I mean how much would you get done without Google Search? Would Google Search still be a viable product if Google didn?t mine and use all of a user?s data to make it so? These are interesting questions that won?t be answered any time soon. One thing that is certain, however, is that there are many people who are starting to question whether these organizations have grown too big to challenge, making a faceoff with regulators almost inevitable. Who do you […]
Setting Up a Chromecast To set up your Chromecast, you?ll naturally need the device itself, along with a few other things: A television with an HDMI input port An open USB port or power outlet A device with either the Chrome browser or Google Home application installed Wi-Fi access Once you have all of the items on this list, you can set up your Chromecast. Plug it into a power source and the television?s HDMI port, and install an application. At this point, the Chromecast will lead you through the rest of the process. Using Chromecast to Mirror Your Phone Let?s assume that your Chromecast will be set up in a conference room. If you have something pulled up on your Android device to share with the room, you can cast it to the display (assuming that Android OS 4.4.2 is installed, but since the OS is currently on version 9, this is a pretty safe bet). To do so, you have to connect your Android device to the Wi-Fi that the Chromecast is connected to. Once that?s been done, open up your Android?s navigation drawer and press the ?Cast Screen? button. Your Chromecast should be an option for you to cast your screen to. Once you?re finished, you can stop casting by repeating the process, just selecting Disconnect instead. Broadcast Google Slides Casting a slideshow only makes sense. After all, the point is to share information with a group. Chromecast and Google Slides allow you to cast your presentation. To do so, make sure that – again – both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi signal. Once you access your slideshow and click the ?Present? button, a drop-down menu will appear – including ?Chromecast.? Once you select this, your presentation will be visible on the Chromecast-connected displays. Casting Chrome Pages Casting a page from the Chrome browser is very easy to accomplish, as there is a simple integration that provides this ability. The Chrome browser features a button in the toolbar that allows you to cast the page to a device that you select. There is another means of doing so, via the menu – conveniently located near the casting button. Under that menu, select the Cast? option, and your active page will be cast onto your device – a process sometimes called ?casting a tab.? Activating Guest Mode There will likely be visitors to your office for meetings and such, visitors who may need to use your Chromecast device to present their own information. If you want to avoid giving out your Wi-Fi password to anyone looking to use their Chromecast, try using Guest Mode. Using the Google Home app on your smartphone, you can control an outside Chromecast by clicking on the three-dot menu at the top-right of the application, activate Guest Mode, and then anyone can use the Chromecast in the room like normal. Performing a Factory Reset Like any other piece of tech, a situation might come about where you need to reset your device. Here is how you do it: The first way you can do this is, of course, manually, by pressing and holding the Chromecast button until the LED turns orange and then to white. Once it?s white, let it go, and your Chromecast will reboot. Another method is to go […]
How Many Monitors? Not many people have a home setup with more than one monitor. In fact, many don?t even consider the possibility until they encounter it at work. Even if your work responsibilities don?t actually make it necessary to have a dual-monitor setup, it helps improve productivity and cut back on time navigating between windows and applications. Depending on the connections built into the desktop, support for multiple monitors is often available out-of-the-box. Here are some connections that you?re likely to find: VGA: An older connection, these have a plug with little pins that need to be tightened like screws. Older monitors will definitely have these connections, and most desktops have at least one VGA port to make sure they are compatible with older connectors. HDMI: HDMI is the familiar connection, commonly used by flat-screen televisions, modern gaming consoles, and Blu-Ray players. These are relatively standard these days. DisplayPort: DisplayPort resembles HDMI. Since it can carry both video and audio, it will likely become the standard connection. For our purposes, you can think of DisplayPort and HDMI as the same thing, as there isn?t much point in diving into the minute differences. If you have a monitor in mind to purchase for your new computer, it is important to know that it is compatible with the connections on your computer. Some may require specific connections or adapters to work properly. Comparing Integrated Video and Dedicated Graphics Depending on the intended use for the device, some will need additional hardware to what comes built into the motherboard to properly process video and graphics. This is relatively rare in office workstations, but those used for graphic design, video editing, and (on a personal note) gaming should have a dedicated graphics card built in. This will have an impact on the price however, and it likely won?t be small. A high-end graphics card can set you back anywhere between $500 to $1,500. There are a LOT of options out there for you to consider, especially since most graphics card chipsets come in a range of models; and, different companies have proprietary brands they offer. Unless you?re specifically building a machine to be capable of processes like 3D rendering or editing video, you won?t have to worry about this so much – and if you are, you probably have a good idea of what you?re looking for already. In most other cases, the hardware built into the device already is sufficient. Which Monitors are Right for Your Desktops? This is another area that can be overwhelming with the number of available options. Just know that the most important factors to consider are the monitor?s resolution, and its refresh rate. Here are some of the most important considerations to keep in mind: Resolution: This indicates how many pixels a monitor can display. Most desktop monitors render in a 16:9, or widescreen, display ratio. This is the current standard for a monitor, but there are also ultra-wide monitors that use more advanced display ratios like HD, FULL HD, Ultra HD, or 4K. HD: HD is the most common resolution for a monitor, commonly known as 720p. This is standard for budget laptops. FULL HD: Often referred to as 1080p, this is the most common resolution you?ll find. Ultra HD: With a pixel resolution of 3840 […]
The solution is implementing a password management system. A password manager is ideal for any business, providing an array of features which can further enhance your password practices. First, let?s talk about what a Password Management System is. Password Management Business Solutions Password management is exactly what it sounds like — a program that stores passwords for you. By storing passwords, it allows users to create custom passwords without the worry of forgetting them. What?s worse than forgetting passwords? Storing passwords in an unsecure document. Therefore, for any business owner password management is the ideal solution. Password management systems do not compromise security in exchange for convenience. These programs often contain tooling which assists in starting and maintaining excellent password practices. Which Password Manager is Right for Me? Although many different options are available when choosing a password management system, your business should select a system that maximizes not only security, but also productivity. Security Your business should never sacrifice security when choosing what is supposed to be a beneficial program. These programs remind you of best practices, giving the user an alert if passwords are too similar. They should require a multi-factor authenticator in order to be accessed. Perhaps most importantly, these programs should store all but one password – the password to the program itself. The hidden behind-the-scenes security should also be a major factor in choosing a program. Your password management system should be protected by role-based access, secure cloud storage, and encryption. Without these security features, your password management system is nothing but an open document for anyone to view all of your passwords. Storage Considerations Like all things, there are pros and cons associated with choosing a storage method. Here are the two common methods passwords are stored: in the cloud or kept natively on your device. So, which one is right for you? Storing passwords in the cloud gives businesses the ability to access these credentials on any device. This also means anyone unauthorized who gains access to the cloud, is also able to access these credentials. Likewise, storing passwords on an in-house device leaves businesses susceptible to device failure, or being burglarized. The storage method is important to understand, but not a critical factor in choosing a password management system. Usability Implementing this new program would be rendered useless if, well, it isn?t used. While password management systems once had a reputation for being overly complicated and difficult to set up; this is no longer an issue with the modernization of these systems. Simplicity is an important factor when implementing new software into the office. It should be simple to add or remove business? accounts, but also easy to update credentials. Password management systems should offer a feature which automatically logs users into a website or application. If accessing a new application, the tool should offer to save these credentials for future access. White Mountain IT Services is familiar with a wide variety of password management platforms and maintaining these systems. Our experts have enough experience to assist your business in choosing and implementing the correct solution for your needs. Call (603) 889-0800 to speak to one of our experts.
RAM is not the same as storage. You can think of it as your brain?s short-term memory, giving your computer the ability to store temporary data that can be called as needed. Like many other computer components, you have options on both the higher end and the lower end of the spectrum, but what you will need will mostly depend on the work being done on the device in question. Due to the fact that the CPU handles instructions and processes the data that the RAM holds, the more RAM you have available, the faster your device will be. How Much RAM is Needed? While there are plenty of brands to choose from for your RAM, you likely won?t need to hear about all the miniscule details unless you plan on building your own PC. This guide might oversimplify things a little bit, but it contains all you will need to know for purchasing RAM for your device. Skimping the budget: The smallest amount of RAM that is acceptable on a Windows 10 device is 4 GB. You can get Windows to run on less, but it?s certainly not recommended. You will only be able to handle some light document editing and Internet browsing, but anything beyond this is unlikely to prove fruitful. Low-end: Most reasonable budget PCs will have at least 8 GB of RAM. This should be enough to handle the operating system, document editing, photo browsing, web surfing, and some other tasks. Mid-range: 16 GB is considered the safe bet for many businesses, and it?s actually pretty possible while on a budget. 16 GB is the entry point for gaming systems, as well as more resource-intense builds. It?s not quite a catch-all, but it?s a decent enough entry point for most anything. High-end: On the higher end of the spectrum, the cost increases according to the amount of RAM. For example, the Mac Pro can reach 1.5 TB of RAM, but it costs around $20,000. Suffice to say that anything higher than 16 GB might require a second opinion before investment. Wrapping It Up Ultimately, if the device can be updated later on, we recommend at least 8 GB of RAM, with 16 GB for devices that can?t be upgraded later on. Does your business need help installing new hardware? White Mountain IT Services can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
