According to CNet, there are several ways you can cut down on the amount of battery life that?s wasted throughout the day. Most of them involve disabling certain features that are innately made available on mobile devices. Disable Unused GPS-Based ServicesBy default, your phone has its GPS enabled. As you can imagine, all of the communication between satellites, cell phone towers, and the phone?s GPS chip put a ton of strain on your device?s battery. However, some of these GPS-based services aren?t really required for you to enjoy all of the benefits of a smartphone. These two, according to CNet, are Location reporting and Location history. These settings use your phone?s GPS alongside other Google applications to enhance your user experience, but they aren?t really necessary. Disable them by going to Settings > Location > Google Location Reporting. Make Sure WiFi-Scanning Is Turned OffYou might use WiFi in the office or at home, but what about when you?re out and about, on the open road? Most of the hot spots you encounter in public won?t be safe for you to connect to reliably, so it?s best to turn off auto-connecting to WiFi on your device. However, even when you?re not connected to WiFi, your device will search for connections unless you tell it not to. You can make sure this setting is off by following WiFi settings > Advanced. If the WiFi scanning box is unchecked, you?re all set. Control Your Data SyncYou might notice how your Android smartphone is constantly syncing to your Google account. This is a good sign that you?re keeping the files on your phone backed up online and ready to go in the event you lose data. However, this also means that your phone?s battery is draining due to it constantly syncing to the Google account. Instead of turning off the sync for all of your accounts, you can limit what syncs and what doesn?t. Do this by heading to Settings > Accounts. Select the account to access the sync settings. You can then uncheck any items you don?t want synced, or turn it off completely if you want. These are only three ways out of many to limit how much battery life your Android device consumes. For more tips on how to stay productive and efficient with your technology, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

This isn?t to say that cloud computing is without its benefits. There are many reasons to integrate cloud computing into your current IT infrastructure, including increased access to mission-critical information and a more flexible work environment. However, there are some common problems associated with the integration of cloud computing that hinder some businesses? performance. David Linthicum of InfoWorld discusses some commonly seen problems associated with cloud computing. Do You Have the Right Cloud Solution?Your business is vastly different from any other out there, and as such, the same solution that works for your competitors isn?t going to work for you in the same way. Thankfully, there are a ton of cloud solutions available for those of all different needs. The problem is finding the right one to integrate. You don?t want to invest too heavily in a cloud solution, only to find that there?s a better one out there. White Mountain IT Services can help your business decide what the best cloud solution is for your individual needs. We understand that a complete overhaul of your IT infrastructure takes time and resources. Our trusted technicians can equip your team with the best solutions that allow for maximum accessibility and flexibility when it?s needed most. Do You Understand Cloud Security and Compliance?When it comes to the cloud, business owners tend to fall into two categories; they either assume that the cloud is insecure, and therefore, shouldn?t be used, or they assume that their cloud is impregnable. Both are dangerous gambits, especially when the cloud has the power to make or break your business model. If you don?t take measures to protect your business, especially online, you?ll be stuck in a rough spot when the worst happens and you get hacked. Therefore, your business needs to exercise caution when integrating a cloud solution. White Mountain IT Services can help you secure your cloud-based data. We understand what to look for when it comes to network vulnerability and potential threats, and we?re willing to share our knowledge with you. Does Your Staff Understand Cloud Computing?One of the most imperative parts of applying cloud computing to your business is whether or not your team, the ones who will be using this technology, understand how to use it. If they don?t understand how to use your new cloud computing infrastructure, they won?t be able to perform at maximum capacity. The time wasted trying to figure out how to operate the platform should instead be spent being productive. White Mountain IT Services can help your team accomplish the most by providing any necessary advice and training concerning your new cloud solution. Essentially, White Mountain IT Services can assist your business with its cloud computing adventure from start to finish. Just give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.

As an IT company, we’ve always been fascinated by science fiction, due to its portrayal of new and exciting futuristic technology (and we know that technically Star Wars took place in the past). As we watch these movies, there’s a part of us that thinks, “Wow, maybe one day we’ll get to fly the galaxy in starships and shoot laser blasters.” With Star Wars being around for more than two generations, we have a unique perspective when it comes to the technology of this science fiction franchise. Did you know that movies like Star Wars have inspired the development of technologies that we have today? In fact, the United States military has been weaponizing Star Wars-like laser systems since the 1980s, meaning that it’s only a matter of time before we finally get lightsabers.   One of the most prominent technologies in the Star Wars universe is droids. These are robots that follow humanoid characters around, essentially acting as personal assistants equipped with an arsenal of gadgets. Having a prominent role in all six previous Star Wars movies is the blue and white droid known as R2-D2; a fan-favorite character whose lovable antics have caused movie watchers for years to say, ?Aww, I want an R2-D2 too!? With technology developing by leaps and bounds since 1977, we feel it?s a worthy question to ask on this glorious Star Wars Day, “How close are we to having our own R2-D2 droid?” Devices like smartphones can do several different tasks that R2-D2 can do. This is likely the reason why Android mobile OS software is nicknamed ?droid.? To get to the bottom of this question, let’s take a look at the R2 unit, compliments of Wookieepedia: R2-D2 was a diminutive droid, standing 0.96 meters tall. He rolled on three legs, one of which could retract into his body, and had a silver and blue domed head. His white, blue, and silver body housed many arms, sensors, and other apparatuses, many of which were not readily seen by the typical humanoid eye. This often made the droid seem like a box of tricks, unexpectedly pulling out some previously unseen but very much needed device at a critical moment. Features of the R2-series astromech droid include (bolded are the tasks that we can do on our modern ?droid? devices): Rocket booster Cable gun Oil injector Claw arm Fusion cutter Holoprojector / Recorder Internal comlink Periscope Electric pike Propeller Hidden lightsaber compartment with ejector Fire extinguisher / Smoke Screen Small Saw Air Cannon Crashmat Lariat Submarine Mode Collapsible Umbrella Flea Remover Distracter Headdress Detangler Droid Deactivator Computer Interface Arm Charge Arm (electric shock) Life-form Scanner Breakdance Mode Polarity sink Water pump/hose Inflatable mattress Media copy / storage disc drive Jukebox Small red “tongue” ribbon “Confetti-creation device” Lubricant Application Arm Motorized, all-terrain treads Power recharge coupler As you can see, we’ve still got a long way to go before we’re able to have a single device that can do everything that R2-D2 can do, but, just the fact that we can now carry in our pockets a ?droid? that can do SOME of these tasks is very telling about the direction of technology since Star Wars was first introduced ?a long time ago.? Frankly, we wish our modern-day mobile devices had confetti-launchers. What are some of […]

As you can imagine, social engineering involves exploiting the people who work with the technology rather than the technology itself. This particular method allows those who might not be as tech-savvy (or those who aren?t particularly known for their common sense) to obtain important information, like passwords or dates of birth, from unsuspecting foes. Those who are more skilled with technology can perform more elaborate social engineering attacks, like replicating websites to infect systems with malware upon visitation, or download infected software. The most well-known social engineering hacking attack comes in the form of a phishing attack. These are typically the type of emails which appear to be the genuine article from an institution you might have relations with, such as a bank. These emails request that you update or confirm your personal information. It can be difficult to discern these from the real deal at times. Other, more focused attacks are called spear phishing attacks. These are designed to target a specific individual, or multiple specific targets. Sending emails personalized to get users to fork over financial information, or even going to lengths such as contacting your business posing as someone from a media outlet. According to HowToGeek.com, this method isn?t limited to being used remotely. Social engineering hackers can also get up close and personal with their attempts: An attacker could walk into a business, inform the secretary that they?re a repair person, new employee, or fire inspector in an authoritative and convincing tone, and then roam the halls and potentially steal confidential data or plant bugs to perform corporate espionage. This trick depends on the attacker presenting themselves as someone they?re not. If a secretary, doorman, or whoever else is in charge doesn?t ask too many questions or look too closely, the trick will be successful. How To Prevent Social Engineering AttacksIn the end, keeping your business safe from social engineering attacks comes down to identifying them from the genuine article. In order to minimize the risk of falling prey to these hacks, keep these tips in mind. Some suspicion is better than none at all. If you?re receiving strange emails, messages, or phone calls from users you don?t recognize, it?s best to be on the safe side and not respond until you?re sure that you?re dealing with the real deal. It?s better to call the institution at the number you have on record before handing over any information you feel is suspicious. If something seems suspicious, such as poorly worded emails and strange links, it’s best to question it. Avoid links in emails to websites which gather sensitive information. These websites could be fake phishing sites designed to look like the official institution website. For example, you receive an email asking to update your bank information, and the link leads to a sign-in form. This is a fake site designed to fool you into entering your credentials. In this case, it?s best to try logging into the official site rather than through the email. Look at the URL and scan it for subtle differences which might hint at trickery. Enable spam and phishing filters for your email and browser. Some browsers have built-in phishing and security filters, which should always be active. These can prevent your employees from accessing a known phishing site. One particularly powerful […]