Repair or Replace your PC?

Computer Care: Knowing when to fix, when to replace

	By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: September 6, 2013 9:48 p.m The last three computers I worked on all needed to be retired, replaced or used for target practice. There comes a time when it’s simply no longer cost-effective to keep your old XP relic running, no matter how much you like it. I have an XP machine in my lab that I use solely for research while working on other computers. It has its issues, but serves its purpose. But it is not my main computer and should it fail, I have others. One decade-old computer I recently worked on had a failing hard drive, was in need of additional RAM and had an inoperable optical drive. Could I have repaired it? Sure, but the cost would have been close to that of a new computer with a faster processor, lots more RAM, a huge, new hard drive and a warranty. In a couple of hours I could have had it running like new, but for $200 more than my fee, an inexpensive replacement could be had. If you only require a memory upgrade though, by all means go for it. An additional gigabyte or two won’t cost much and you’ll really see the difference from 512 MB of RAM to 2 GB. Browsing within your computer and across the web will both be much faster. If you have enough memory already, but your hard drive fails, it is probably worth replacing the drive. You will need to have a Windows installation CD though. You can copy your data, but the Windows will need to be reinstalled on that new hard drive. Keep in mind your programs will need reinstalling as well. Your photos and documents can be transferred, but the programs that created them and the operating system cannot. Be advised to back up your files regularly. It may be too late by the time you think of it. Once a hard drive fails, there is precious little time to extract data from it. The easiest way is to either use an online service such as Mozy or Carbonite, or get an external USB hard drive for storage. Redundancy is good for important files. Make more than one copy if you value your data. DVDs can get scratched and hard drives can fail, so spread your data around on various mediums. More than once I’ve had to reinstall my printer driver and software. I’d attempt to print something and Windows would advise me that I had no printer installed. Go figure. There was nothing else wrong with my computer, just no printer anymore. All printer manufacturers offer free driver downloads from their websites. It’s a simple, yet annoying fix for a printerless system. If your computer beeps more than once when it boots up, it’s telling you something is wrong. Most times it’s a memory error. Modules go bad or work their way loose. Desktop batteries also die. That’s another inexpensive, yet annoying fix, not worth trashing your computer over. Many clients have advised me that if I couldn’t speed up their system, they would throw out their computer and get new a one. To make a computer faster is not too much trouble nor much cost, either. It’s all know-how and labor. There are no parts to replace. If all that’s wrong with your computer is its speed, there is no reason to replace it. A robust tune-up will suffice. More than a virus, malware can bring your computer to its knees, making it crawl. Use of a proper utility or an occasional tune up will eradicate malware infections and help keep your system up to speed. One of the biggest malware scams is the registry cleaner. You see a pop-up advising you to click somewhere to fix your system’s registry. The key here is that without running a scan, there is no way for a program to know there are errors in the registry or anywhere else. Also keep in mind that many pop-ups say that Windows has discovered registry errors. Windows will never tell you that. It’s just not part of its job, not yet anyway. This is not to say that cleaning your registry won’t help your system; it will. You need to have installed a bonafide registry utility of your choice, though. Don’t pick one that mysteriously appears on your computer’s desktop. Some are real; others are not. Keep your computer healthy. Run virus and malware scans, clean temporary and history files and keep the registry and file system clean. An occasional defragmentation will help, as will updating your system drivers when necessary. But if you have multiple hardware failures on a computer that is older than your dog, it’s time to replace. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Photography Tips

Computer Care: Tips for the best summer snapshots

By Arthur Glazer glazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: August 23, 2013 9:04 p.m. This summer I spent more time with my camera than my computer. As a camp photographer up in the mountains of White County, I shot more than 20,000 photos. To make them look good, I had to edit them quickly and judiciously -- good enough for parental scrutiny. Although the dog days of summer are behind us, Labor Day is just around the corner and chances are you still have some pictures to take. I’ve seen more poor quality images posted to Facebook recently; some were dark, some washed out, some simply blurry or in need of cropping. Even with the ubiquitous cellphone camera, quality photos can be created with little effort. The primary thing to consider when taking pictures is where your light is. Ideally, you don’t want to shoot into the sun, but rather have it over your shoulder. Even if you’re outdoors, don’t be afraid to use a flash. It will remove facial shadows and brighten up your pictures. Keep in mind though, the pop-up flash on cameras will reach only about 6 feet before its light dissipates. In order to get the most from the light that is available, your camera will read it with a meter. In DSLRs, most point-and-shoots and many cellphone cams, you control the meter. Usually, if you place the crosshairs in your viewfinder on the face of your subject and press the shutter release button half-way down, you not only place your subject in focus, but take a reading of the light on them as well. The thing is to hold onto that meter reading. Readjust your view to take the photo without releasing pressure on that button. Otherwise your pals will be in shadows, all blurry with the lake behind them sharply illuminated. After you get that reading, continue to frame your image, then finish pressing the shutter release button. When composing a picture, look at it as if it were a print. Be critical. Are there trees or poles coming out of your subjects’ heads? Are they in the light? Are there extraneous objects in the photos, like people or vehicles? It’s always a good idea to take a few extra shots to ensure one will come out. Some may be too dark or light; others may have someone not smiling or their eyes closed. There were close to a thousand shots at camp I didn’t use. Edit out the bad shots on the fly, before you get home. This will cut down the editing process. Just about every shot needs some editing, whether it be cropping out extra sky or people, or adding contrast or light to the image. However you alter it, the paramount rule of editing is not to save over the original photo. If you are working on photo 123.jpg, rename the edited image as 123a.jpg and save it in your docs or photo folder as opposed to the card it came from. This way, should you inadvertently ruin a picture, you will always have the original to try it again. Photoshop is the granddaddy of photo editors, but there are many good free editors online. GIMP is an open-source image editor. It is the closest thing you can get to Photoshop without paying anything. There’s a learning curve, but it’s free. Find it at www.gimp.org. Easier to use and free, are IrfanView, at www.irfanview.com and PhoXo at www.phoxo.com. Both will provide the basics of adjusting light and contrast with crop tools and more. Without loading an app to your computer, you can use online editors, like FotoFlexer found atwww.fotoflexer.com and Pixlr, at www. pixlr.com. They save you the trouble of an installation. Experiment with being creative with your photography. Try the different modes your camera has to offer. They change the exposure settings so you don’t have to. Most have a panoramic mode, one for sports and another for portraits. Looks at the icons on your camera’s mode dial or display and you’ll figure it out. If you want to experiment with manual settings, just remember the F-stop (aperture opening) works in direct relation to the shutter speed. If you raise one, lower the other. You’ll get basically the same picture with a little different results. Although the same amount of light comes through, a faster speed freezes action better and a smaller aperture yields a greater depth of field (more things in focus). Want create the effect of motion? Try panning your subject. If you have a moving subject like a car, a runner or bike rider, move you camera with it as you shoot the picture. Your subject will be in focus with a blurred background, looking as if he/she is really moving. Try it a few times and you’ll easily perfect this technique. So if you still have pictures to take this weekend or haven’t really done anything with images from the Fourth of July yet, now you can get busy with the knowledge of how to shoot better photos and how to fix those that didn’t come out as you’d expected.  Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Hi-tech Gadgets

Computer Care: Plenty of gadgets for Dad to marvel at for Father’s Day

By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com


POSTED: June 15, 2013 12:07 a.m.

My dad was into gadgets. He liked to be on the cutting edge of electronics. OK, this was the late 1960s so nothing was really small or cheap yet. But when pocket calculators initially arrived on the market, they were about three-quarters of an inch thick and about the size of a cellphone.

So what, you say. But they also cost more than $100 each. My brothers and I each got one that year from our dad and it was just after I learned to work a slide rule. Anybody out there remember those?

If my dad were around today, he would marvel at the gadgets we have available. Father’s Day would be easy for me. I’d make sure he had a cool smartphone, a tablet computer, a GPS for the car, an electronic tire gauge and the brightest LED flashlight I could find on Amazon.

But he’s been gone for a while now, so I must buy these toys for myself (or suggest to my girls that dad could never have too many gadgets).

When I get emails from stores like newegg.com, tigerdirect.com or thinkgeek.com, I stop and browse their wares, thinking how much my dad would have enjoyed all of today’s technology.

Some are absolutely useful, while others — perhaps not so much.

Fans of the “Doctor Who” sci-fi TV series may be familiar with the Tardis and the Doctor’s special pen. Well, you can get these online now. The pen may not open locked doors or shoot a laser, but they make cool noises and flash multiple colored lights.

For the computer geek dad, there are endless USB gadgets that plug into laptops, from lights and fans to mini-refrigerators and coffee cup warmers. What dad wouldn’t appreciate one of those?

Everyone talks about pen drives. I bought a pen that unscrews to reveal a 4 GB flash drive. Now that’s something I use.

How about a pizza cutter looks like the Starship enterprise or a multi-tool that folds to fit on a key ring? Now these are both cool and practical.

I love flashlights. Aside from the indestructible ones that I use to peek inside computers (see gorillagadgets.com), I also carry a one watt, one cell (AAA) minilight that fits in my shirt pocket and is incredibly bright. I never leave home without it. Really. (See cyberguys.com)

I just ordered a portable water filter from beprepared.com that is the size of a straw from a Big Gulp. They have some really cool things on their site for the outdoors type as well as survivalist.

For clever, useful items all under $10, check out tmart.com. I got a couple of lithium ion batteries and a charger there for my high-end LED flashlight. It was a no-name battery, half the price of brand names, but ended up working just great.

If you’re into solar power for your lights and gadgets, check out sheepleg.com for a large variety of alternative energy products. They also carry camping and outdoor items.

Coolest-gadgets.com carries tech products for your Apple device, PC (USB), games and kitchen as well as solar powered toys, spy tech, home theater and wearable technology. It’s worth a browse.

If you want to see if there is a coupon to save you a buck or two at your online store, try looking at retailmenot.com, couponcactus.com or coupons.com/coupon-codes. Between them, they have hundreds of coupon codes to shop with online.

Don’t get frustrated or give up if you get a few dead ones. Some may be expired, but lots of them do work and will save you money.

Many online retailers that are covered include Amazon, Best Buy, Sears, Macy’s, Wal-Mart and Target, among others.

Did I mention that I love Amazon? They sell everything; plus shipping is free if you have their Prime membership and stuff arrives quickly. Should something happen and you have an issue, Amazon stands behind what is sold on their site. I’ve never had a problem with them that wasn’t resolved quickly.

So if you still haven’t gotten your dad something for tomorrow, get him a gadget. So what if it arrives a few days late. Get him a card in the interim. Even if he can’t really use that gadget, he’ll still appreciate it.

In 10 years, you’ll both look back and have a laugh at the what was today’s hi-tech toys. Compared to the holographic portable communicators we’ll probably have by then, a USB-powered refrigerator may not sound that great in comparison.

But since we can’t beam ourselves to where we want to go or Skype in 3D, I think a cool beverage device next to your dad’s computer may still suffice.

I know my dad would have been glad to get one.

Happy Father’s Day!

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Printer Support

Computer Care: If your printer needs attention, be careful with the ink

By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com
POSTED: May 31, 2013 10:46 p.m.

Every few weeks I hear a panicky plea from across the house, “Honey, the printer’s not working.” So I bellow back, “ Did you try rebooting the computer?”

After a few minutes I usually hear a sheepish, “Never mind.”

But this morning, that fix-all failed to rectify the situation. It often heals many computer ailments and does it quickly. However, this time I actually had to perform minor supplementary surgery on our HP printer.

We had a paper jam, which often is not a big deal. I learned early on not to extract the sheet of paper in question from the front of the machine. I ruined a perfectly good and relatively new printer by trying to force a piece of paper out backward from the feeder tray. I won’t do that again.

Most, if not all printers have an escape hatch on the rear of the machine. Some pull straight out, others have clips or dials. Whichever yours has, my suggestion is to learn how to remove it when you (or your spouse) are not in panic mode.

When there is an actual paper jam, your printer will advise you of the situation. Open the back door and s-l-o-w-l-y pull the sheet out, trying not to rip it.

If it does come out in pieces, use a can of compressed air to blow the remnants out from both sides of the feed. Hold the can upright to avoid the liquid (cold) propellant from getting on your printer components. You may need tweezers or needle-nose pliers to extract small pieces left on the roller or gears.

When you’re sure the suspect paper is gone, replace the back door you removed the same way you took it out.

I added some ink to my black cartridge with a kit that I use. Depending on what type of cartridge you have, it may be an easy task — or not. I refill mine with a hypodermic-type needle that sucks ink from a bottle and transfers it to the cartridge via a small pad.

If you do refill your own ink, do it in the sink and keep paper towels handy. Should you overfill one, it could get messy.

In my case, I left the printer unused for over a week and that allowed the ink to coagulate on the print head, clogging it.

Should this happen to you, the next step is to run your printer’s cleaning utilities. Look in Control Panel or Printer and Devices section for your (default) printer. Locate the tools section, sometimes under Utilities tab, sometimes under the Advanced tab.

What you are ultimately looking for is the Clean Printhead utility. Run it once and see if the readout is clear. If not, run it again.

In a worst-case-scenario, you may need to dampen a paper towel with some isopropyl alcohol and wipe the head with it to remove a hardened ink scab.

Use extreme caution when working with printer ink. Love may not always be forever, but ink is. Try not to get it on anything and work in a safe area (i.e., not on the rug or bed). It will come off of your hands with mechanic’s soap, but if you get it on your favorite shirt, you’ll soon be finding a new one.

You may also need to run the Printhead Alignment tool at this time. If your output is skewed, follow the instructions your printer will give you. It’s a matter of choosing the best looking output on the test page that it prints.

To avoid future paper jams, be sure to use fresh, dry paper. Keep it stored it its wrapper, as humidity will soften it, leading to jams.

Make sure the edges of the stack are even and that there are no bent corners on the feed end. Don’t overstack the tray. See your printer’s documentation for the tray’s capacity.

While you are in printer repair mode, check for an updated driver.

Go to the printer manufacturer’s website (hp.com, epson.com, etc) and look for the section that is usually labeled support, downloads or drivers. Find your exact model and then choose your operating system (Windows 7, 8 or whatever you have). Some sites may ask if it’s 32- or 64-bit. 

Right-click on your Computer icon on your desktop , choose Properties and look for this information.

An updated printer driver may enhance your printing experience or simply fix a constant error you may have been experiencing.

After the download is complete, open the file and just follow the instructions. The entire process should take two to three minutes. If you choose the software package with the driver, it will take longer.

Be sure to reboot when you’re done.

Don’t be in a hurry to toss what you may believe is a broken printer. Jams can be fixed and heads can be cleaned.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

How to Keep Win 7 on your PC

Computer Care: Tips to keep Windows 7 on your PC

By Arthur Glazer

glazer.tech@gmail.com
POSTED: May 18, 2013 1:00 a.m.

Windows 8 is great, if you are used to it or if you have a touch-screen laptop or tablet. But more and more of my clients are complaining that they just got a new PC with Win 8 installed — and they hate it. What they really want is that new computer loaded with their old operating system, Windows 7.

What to do? Well, there are options.

Windows 7 machines are still available, contrary to what commissioned sales people may advise you. They are just hard to find and are mostly online.

Alternatively, you could downgrade your Win 8 system to Win 7, but it’s not as straightforward as it used to be to accomplish this task.

There is also the option of using a Win 7 install CD to set up a dual-boot configuration on your Win 8 system.

The simplest solution short of getting used to the new OS is to adjust the settings on your Win 8 system to make it look and behave more like Win 7. Click on the tile labeled “Desktop” on the primary screen of the Windows 8 system to accomplish this. You’ll then have a more recognizable graphical user interface.

There are also Start button apps that can be downloaded (many for free) online.

But let’s start at the beginning. Microsoft says it will support Windows 7 until January 2015, that retailers may sell PCs with the older system until October 2014 and sell boxed versions of the operating system until October 2013.

The problem is finding them. You may have better luck on sites such as overstock.com that sells last year’s technology, some new, some refurbished. Online retailers may also be your best bet for finding copies of Windows 7 when the brick-and-mortar stores advise you that it’s no longer available.

Websites that sell to businesses may have more older systems, even going back to XP computers. 

Dell.com for example has a section for home users and one for business use. You are more likely to find a Win 7 PC on the business side of their site.

The problem with downgrading from Windows 8 to 7 is a hardware issue. Windows 8 computers are designed differently from their predecessors, especially the hard drives. They are configured and partitioned to accommodate the newer, higher tech version of the operating system.

Without getting too technical, the new systems are designed with a new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. They have secure boot along with fast startup features. The drives are partitioned differently from how they used to be to thwart off malware in the boot sector.

Although all you may see under your Computer icon is your C drive, the other partitions are there, just hidden. This is what makes downgrading to Win 7 difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.

If you have 64-bit version of Windows 7 Pro, it does support the new partitioning. Just choose the advanced setup and make sure you’ve backed up all your documents. The new installation will format your hard drive, wiping the contents of it. You will lose everything.

You may encounter some difficulty activating the new installation and have to phone Microsoft instead of the usual online activation. The number will be provided, should you need it. What you are doing is legal and free, if you already have the CD.

Better option yet, if you have a full copy of the Win 7 install CD (any version), is to set up a dual-boot so both operating systems are there. Win 8 remains intact, but you may choose to ignore it and go right into Windows 7.

The worse part of this is that it will void your warranty if you are making these adjustments on a new computer. It’s your call, but it may be worth it.

Google, “How to dual-boot a Windows 8 system with Windows 7.” It’s not too difficult. Just be sure to find a site with instructions you can understand clearly and follow them exactly.

Whichever option you choose, I think you’ll agree with my clients. Windows 7 is the way to go.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Love Your Tablet

Computer Care: Learning to love the tablet


By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com
POSTED: May 3, 2013 9:07 p.m.

Since the early 1990s, I’ve had half a dozen desktop computers, five laptops, various printers, a couple of faxes, a plethora of dumb phones and a couple of smartphones. But just this week I got my first tablet computer. As I once initially thought, I had no need for a computer (my dedicated Smith Corona Word Processor was just fine for a writer), I also thought I didn’t need a tablet.

I was wrong. Many times I needed a computer at a client’s home but didn’t feel like packing up my laptop in its case, grabbing the cord and throwing it in the car. Having a tablet is infinitely easier.

If it had 3G, I’d be happier, but it was an extra hundred bucks and my carrier doesn’t allow a la carte data usage on extra devices anyway. So I’m stuck with just Wi-Fi, which is really OK.

I ruled out Apple products mainly because I believe they are just too expensive. I considered a Windows tablet (also another extra $100), but went with what I already have on my phone: Android. It’s easy to use, has an abundance of free apps and is the cheapest type tablet on the market.

For less than $200, I got a mobile computer that, although won’t replace my laptop, will certainly complement it. Much of what I did on my phone and some of what I did on my computers, I now do on the tablet, and do it with mobility.

It’s a great tool for business. It allows me to chat, connect to a Windows computer remotely and I can now check email on the fly without having to use the crowded keyboard on my phone. It also allows me to browse the Web and actually see where I’m going and speak my search criteria, should I prefer not to type it.

I have a memo and to-do list, and I’m finally able to use a calendar that’s large enough to actually see. I can take decent videos and photos with the tablet, although I mainly use my DSLR for that.

It comes preloaded with Polaris Office Suite, that allows you to create and edit .doc, .docx text documents as well as .xls, .xlsx spreadsheets and .ppt or .pptx presentations.

On the light side, I can watch movies, TV shows or YouTube videos with my 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 model with its high quality 1024 x 600 display. I can read e-books, use it as a universal remote for all of my electronic devices and listen to online music. There are a ton of games available. Admittedly, I do subject myself to the occasional Mahjong challenge.

Granted, it obviously lacks the surround sound audio quality of a home theater, but for a device that’s less than 3/8 inches thick, the sound is surprisingly good and the video quality is fantastic.

It has a dual-core, 1 GHz processor with 8 GB of flash memory which allows it to go from page to page flawlessly.

The tablet, like many, also has dual cameras, so I can video chat with my girls or clients, if necessary.

After I logged on to my Galaxy Tab for the first time, all my cloud-based docs and photos were there for me to view because it synced to my Google Docs and Dropbox accounts. That was a nice surprise.

There are some drawbacks though, to using a tablet. There is obviously no keyboard; it uses a touch-screen. It ‘s smaller than a laptop, but larger than a phone.

There is a photo editor installed on it and although the Google Play Store has thousands of apps to download, other editors included, I do miss my Photoshop.

I also miss the availability of a USB port. That was a disappointment. I will have to resort to either sending my tablet files electronically or put them on the Micro SD card I added to the system. It only came with 8 GB of on-board storage space, so I added an additional 16 GB (it takes ups to 32GB). It does have Bluetooth, though.

Typing is easier than with my phone, and although I can dictate via the microphone app, it lacks the handy Swype feature of my Smartphone.

Just as I was once surprised that I liked my computer, I like my tablet. It’s a versatile mobile device.

It would be the perfect device if it only had a phone in it.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

	POSTED: May 3, 2013 9:07 p.m. Since the early 1990s, I’ve had half a dozen desktop computers, five laptops, various printers, a couple of faxes, a plethora of dumb phones and a couple of smartphones. But just this week I got my first tablet computer. As I once initially thought, I had no need for a computer (my dedicated Smith Corona Word Processor was just fine for a writer), I also thought I didn’t need a tablet. I was wrong. Many times I needed a computer at a client’s home but didn’t feel like packing up my laptop in its case, grabbing the cord and throwing it in the car. Having a tablet is infinitely easier. If it had 3G, I’d be happier, but it was an extra hundred bucks and my carrier doesn’t allow a la carte data usage on extra devices anyway. So I’m stuck with just Wi-Fi, which is really OK. I ruled out Apple products mainly because I believe they are just too expensive. I considered a Windows tablet (also another extra $100), but went with what I already have on my phone: Android. It’s easy to use, has an abundance of free apps and is the cheapest type tablet on the market. For less than $200, I got a mobile computer that, although won’t replace my laptop, will certainly complement it. Much of what I did on my phone and some of what I did on my computers, I now do on the tablet, and do it with mobility. It’s a great tool for business. It allows me to chat, connect to a Windows computer remotely and I can now check email on the fly without having to use the crowded keyboard on my phone. It also allows me to browse the Web and actually see where I’m going and speak my search criteria, should I prefer not to type it. I have a memo and to-do list, and I’m finally able to use a calendar that’s large enough to actually see . I can take decent videos and photos with the tablet, although I mainly use my DSLR for that. It comes preloaded with Polaris Office Suite, that allows you to create and edit .doc, .docx text documents as well as .xls, .xlsx spreadsheets and .ppt or .pptx presentations. On the light side, I can watch movies, TV shows or YouTube videos with my 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 model with its high quality 1024 x 600 display. I can read e-books, use it as a universal remote for all of my electronic devices and listen to online music. There are a ton of games available. Admittedly, I do subject myself to the occasional Mahjong challenge. Granted, it obviously lacks the surround sound audio quality of a home theater, but for a device that’s less than 3/8 inches thick, the sound is surprisingly good and the video quality is fantastic. It has a dual-core, 1 GHz processor with 8 GB of flash memory which allows it to go from page to page flawlessly. The tablet, like many, also has dual cameras, so I can video chat with my girls or clients, if necessary. After I logged on to my Galaxy Tab for the first time, all my cloud-based docs and photos were there for me to view because it synced to my Google Docs and Dropbox accounts. That was a nice surprise. There are some drawbacks though, to using a tablet. There is obviously no keyboard; it uses a touch-screen. It ‘s smaller than a laptop, but larger than a phone. There is a photo editor installed on it and although the Google Play Store has thousands of apps to download, other editors included, I do miss my Photoshop. I also miss the availability of a USB port. That was a disappointment. I will have to resort to either sending my tablet files electronically or put them on the Micro SD card I added to the system. It only came with 8 GB of on-board storage space, so I added an additional 16 GB (it takes ups to 32GB). It does have Bluetooth, though. POSTED: May 3, 2013 9:07 p.m.

Smartphone Security

Computer Care: Keep your smartphone secure against malware, infections

By Arthur Glazer

glazer.tech@gmail.com

	POSTED: April 20, 2013 1:00 a.m.

Today’s smartphones allow us mobile access to so much more information than ever before. We can take charge of our schedule, email, texts, social networking, computing, Web browsing, banking and more. But what if you weren’t the only one that had control of all that sensitive information in your mobile phone?

Security applications are currently available for smartphones and most of them are free, but few of us take advantage of them. All it takes is for you to download and install an app that clandestinely allows another user to have the same access and control over your phone’s information as you do. There goes your contacts list, your photos and perhaps your checking account.

According to Symantec, there have been hackers who installed their own code in apps that were downloaded from the Internet that allowed full access to mobile phones, sensitive data and banking info included.

Last year, more than 32 million Android phones became infected with malware. That’s three times the amount of the previous year.

Currently, Android phones are more susceptible to these rogue infections than iPhones, simply due to the fact that Apple only allows downloads from its app store. With Android, you can get an app from anywhere.

The best course of action is to scrutinize what you download to your phone and use only trusted sources for those downloads.

If you must live on the computing edge as I do, at least install some protective utility to your phone. Most anti-virus companies that have apps for computers, also have apps for phones, and as I mentioned, many are free.

I now have a comprehensive utility called Advanced Mobile Care 3.0 on my Android. It is from Iobit, the folks who created Advanced System Care for your computer. So far, so good. It’s easy to use and to my knowledge, I have not been infected.

What they call a Swiss Army Knife of tools for the mobile user, it scans for viruses and malware, cleans clutter, has a battery saver, protects your privacy and has the ability to kill tasks, if necessary. It’s available from iobit.com or from Google Play on your phone.

The folks at AVG, McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, Dr. Web, ESET, Avast, Kaspersky, F-Secure, Sophos, Lookout Security and others have similar apps for download. Just as with tools for your computer, most offer free utilities as well as their premium versions of the same programs with more bells and whistles and better security. In the end, you get what you pay for.

You need to decide which you want by trying one or two. See how they work on your phone. Is the interface easy to use? Does it use too many resources that finding your way to other apps become encumbered? Does it have the intended protection?

Go to the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) to see what’s currently being offered. Remember what’s at stake here. Even the paid premium versions of the security app cost only a few dollars. For what you get in return, it’s worth a few bucks for the protection.

Some of these utilities offer more than others, so take a few out for a test drive. Security is what we are after here, but if a junk cleaner or battery extender is thrown in, it may be worth considering.

When I look for an app to download, I take heed in what other users have said about it in feedback. Google Play is similar to CNET’s download.com in that there is user feedback. If too many users agree the utility is hard to use or it freezes their phones, I move on to the next one.

Often it’s the phone that had issues, not the app. So pay attention if it’s all HTC users or everyone with a Samsung that can’t use certain apps; it may not be the app.

Don’t feel too superior if you are an iPhone user. Just as with Apple computers, you are not invulnerable. Virus and malware writers have focused on PCs due to the sheer volume of them versus Apple products.

Now that Apple has a huge market in the mobile phone arena, it’s only a matter of time until the iPhones begin to become infected, too. It’s time we all took a hard look at our mobile phone security.

The ACLU recently argued with the FTC that AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile do not offer adequate security for their mobile customers. Although Google has beefed up security more with each new version of its Android Operating System, the phone companies have not.

Be it so, or not, I wouldn’t wait for your carrier to provide a defense against hackers for your mobile phone. It’s your phone, your data and ultimately it’s your responsibility.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.