Posted by callthatgirl on November 20, 2009
Here we go again…so many of you are not backing up your data! I’m going to now be the data back up annoying person. I hate to do this, but I feel that someone has to move you to wanting to at least do one back up. Can you blame me? I see this everyday in the shop…computers crash, viruses attack, they just plain fail… Your data is there and wants you to have it back asap!
You paid for that music. You stole that music. Either way, replacing your collection would be a lot of work!
Those memories off the camera? You cannot re-take those pictures. No way!
For one week, Call That Girl is offering a $1 per minute consultation. Even if you just want to check and see if your data back up is doing it’s job or going as far as setting up a whole new system that is hands freel….we want to help. We have seen many times over that people are sure their data is backed up to only find that the external hard drive or the online back up system is not backing up properly.
Many of you are not backing up on a regular basis. For the home users, this is important to get all those pictures and music collections in a 2nd home.
We can help you figure out a data back up package that fits your needs. Many of you have back up systems in place and just need a second opinion, for a buck a minute to have that checked, this is worth the price.
For the business user, you documents, excel spreadsheets and powerpoints are critical for your business to move. If your computer fails, you can at least get to your data.
This “buck a minute” special ends Wednesday, Nov 25th. If you book an appointment before then, you can book an appointment at anytime.
Email Lisa@callthatgirl.biz to schedule an appointment.
Posted by callthatgirl on November 19, 2009
Hello folks, I hope you all read my first edition of being safe on Facebook. Enough has changed in just a few months that it’s time I put out another edition.
Login Hackers
Folks are still getting hacked the old school way on Facebook. Please change your facebook password NOW. Next, please change your email password that you log in with too and make it not the same password that your facebook has.
Weird messages/links from your friends
Never click on strange messages from your friends, “Hey check out this cool video I am in” is a regularity on facebook. Any links with weird shortcuts as well watch out for. I would even be a bit careful about clicking on links that look “legit”. I see so many links a day and I tend to only click on the ones where others have tried it first, I see their comments and if it looks like they are “ok” then I am going to be “ok”. Risking my computers security is not worth watching a video of a cat playing the keyboards (even though that is by far the funniest video I have seen on Youtube!).
Youtube/flash install virus
Another common one I have seen going on. If you click on the fake Youtube link…aka Youtube virus, you can either download a direct virus or get a message asking you to update “flash”. This of course could be true, but most folks already have flash installed on their pc’s. Flash does their own updates, you get notifications if you need them. And they aren’t that often.
The “Dear Facebook User” Login virus
If you get a login that starts with that message and tells you that they are implementing a new login system, this is a hoax too. If you have done that and did the “updatetool.exe” download, you are probably in trouble and know it already. Sorry about that! If you have been infected, I am sure by now you have changed all of your passwords to everyone online right? I hope so. That “uploadtool.exe” is supposed to be a banking phishing attack.
Quizzes/Games
The quizzes and applications are still in question for Call That Girl. I am not really seeing folks getting hacks from them directly, but it’s still up in the air how the hackers are getting passwords. I still have a feeling that the developers are getting them from the quizzes/games, etc.
Fun with Facebook
I really have enjoyed using Facebook lately, but watching all my friends download viruses or get hacked has not been fun. Even a computer repair gal, it’s sometimes too late for me to jump in and help.
Be careful on Facebook, have fun but again remember that screwing up your computer isn’t worth the fun of it all. I still am fixing “Koobface” viruses all the time. “Koobface” is the Facebook virus going through the system. Call That Girl can do a virus cleaning and a regular computer cleaning if you get infected.
Good luck and have fun!
Posted by callthatgirl on November 6, 2009
Skype users are finding messages come through their systems. It is a message like this…(this is the one my client found anyway). This is a FAKE…and do not click on it or add to your contacts. This is not from Skype.
URGENT SYSTEM SCAN NOTIFICATION ! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY !!
http://www.xxxx.org (I took out the real address)
For the link to become active, please click on ‘Add to contacts’ skype button or type it in manually into your web browser !
FULL DETAILS OF SCAN RESULT BELOW
If you did add to contacts or click on the link and want your system inspected, we do computer system checks, virus detection and offer a computer cleaning. Email info@callthatgirl.biz to book an appointment.
Posted by callthatgirl on November 5, 2009
…and I don’t mean “good looking” 
Desktop computers!
They can get hot because they have no air to breathe and most people, don’t turn off their computers at night. Many folks put their computers in “computer caves” What is a computer cave? It is those computer desks that have slots for computers with doors that give no room for a computer to breathe.
See picture below.
So with a computer in a closed up space, with no good ventilation and never being shut off, the computer get hot and will start to shut down on it’s own.
My recommendations: Feel free to give your computer a break and shut’er down every so often. How would you feel if you couldn’t get a bit of shut eye? Probably very exhausted, over worked and wouldn’t want to play well.
The picture below is a better choice (if and when you buy a new computer)… that lets your computer breath with no doors.
Now on to Laptops!
Laptops, usually as they age, tend to get hot from the internal components working hard inside. Remember…laptops are way smaller than regular desktops, they have shorter lives too. They also need air to breathe!
Lift up your laptop and feel the bottom, if it’s really hot to the touch, consider buying a laptop cooling stand. Like this one…
There are many types of these available out there, or you can buy a cooling pad. Here is on for your “lap” versus sitting on a desk.
These are usually very inexpensive, so consider buying one if your legs are on fire. hah!
Call That Girl also recommends turning off your laptop at night too if it’s very hot.
Posted by callthatgirl on October 28, 2009
Hey everyone, this is Adam with Call That Girl. I decided to do my first blog about virus’s, worms, Trojans, and all those other nasty programs that slow down your computer. To a lot of people all those words mean the same thing, but there are actually distinct differences between them, and that’s what I’m here to clear up.
Virus: 
Most people call anything that ‘infects’ your computer a virus. Although that is true to an extent, there are some minor details that are overlooked. Firstly a virus wont go out of its way to infect a computer. You must download and run a virus manually. That’s not to say that Virus makers aren’t getting sneaky, and finding clever ways to make you run their virus. Many virus’s are hidden in ‘free’ online downloads of games (poker), music (Limewire), pictures (Facebook) or other such ‘freebies’ (screensavers). Best way to avoid them is to understand that nothing online comes ‘free’. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. The other big distinction with virus’s is once you are infected, they will start to infect other files or drives on your computer. For example if you get a virus, it could start to infect your word files (or any other type of file) making it so anytime you send someone a word file and they open it on their computer, they will get infected as well.
Worm: 
Worms are similar to virus’s, but with one minor difference.. A worm will spread itself with absolutely no human interaction. Once you get a worm it will attempt to spread to other computers by whatever means possible. This is why you often hear about the worm that will e-mail itself to your entire contact list in your e-mail. E-mail isn’t the only way they spread however. Many will simply infect your computer, than look for other computers near by and infect them as well.
Trojans:
Computer Trojans are similar to the Trojan Horse that the Greeks used to defeat the Trojans. A Trojan is a malicious program that hides itself as a legitimate program. One very common program they like to disguise themselves as is anti-virus programs. Many people will go Google ‘Free Anti-virus’ then just download the first thing they find. This is a very bad habit, and actually often times ends up with you installing a Trojan on your computer. These fake anti-virus programs will say they are scanning your computer, but they actually just report a bunch of fake infections, then ask you to ‘purchase’ the program. This is their attempt to get you to enter banking information. Trojans are also commonly used by hackers to collect ‘zombie computers’ for their botnets (More on that in a future blog).
Adware/Spyware: 
Adware and Spyware are becoming very common on computers now days. Adware and Spyware are very similar to each other, and often times one program will perform the options of both. Adware is a program that opens, plays, or otherwise displays advertisements. Not to be confused with internet pop-ups which are simply ad’s placed on websites your browsing. Adware ad’s will also open when your offline, even when your not using the computer at all! Spyware is a program that will monitor what you look at online, and will report it back to whoever made the Spyware. They will then turn around and sell that information to marketing companies. You can see how these programs often go hand and hand. These programs are often bundled in with other programs that you download. Many search bars that you can get online have some form of Adware/Spyware built in. My recommendation is to never download/use any search bar you find online, no matter who made it.
These are just some basic guidelines to the differences between all these malicious files. The people who make these files are starting to get more clever, and are now starting to blur the lines between them. I have seen Virus’s that spread like worms, and Trojans with Adware/Spyware inside, making it difficult to classify many of today’s Malicious files into concrete categories.
That’s it for today, check back later for more blog posts from your friendly Tech Intern.
Posted by callthatgirl on October 23, 2009
Good morning everyone! Scott, my web designer is offering a really good deal on getting your website or a new website set up like mine, in a wordpress theme! I totally LOVE my website, it’s so easy to use and change anytime I want. Very worth it if you are doing social media related marketing too.
http://www.holisticgeek.com/405-web-site-promotion
Posted by callthatgirl on October 14, 2009
Let me tell you how many computers come in the shop that have Norton, McAfee, Trend and WebRoot Spy Sweeper on them, and they are FULL OF SPYWARE!
I need to say that loudly because it doesn’t really matter what anti-virus program you use, spyware seems to get through them all.
So Lisa, please tell us…what are those programs good for? Well..they are good for a couple of things.
- Regular virus protection (today’s viruses are spyware)
- Slowing down your computer.
Period.
Spyware viruses and regular old viruses are not the same these days. Norton (I know this for a fact), will not support certain viruses and you will have to pay “extra” to get those removed. When you’re paying $80+ for the 360 package, you should get everything included. One of my clients had to pay extra for a certain virus removal. Kinda sad.
If you have purchased those products, have had a virus or 20 sneak past them or are finding them to slow down your computer…please Call That Girl for a phone consult and let us help you figure out a better system for protection.
If you are considering buying them, I would not. I remove many of those big box programs because they don’t work and are slower than bisquits drying in a hot sun.
My 2 cents! Enjoy your Wed!
Posted by callthatgirl on October 7, 2009
Today’s blog is about the interns…
Updates! The workshop is busy with 50% off deals for the umemployed and of course, virus repairs. I brought on a new intern from ITT Tech and he’s been having a fun week with me learning all the little things that can happen in a computer repair shop. We set him up with his own computer to keep our libraries of drivers and software. He’s also going to set up a Linux server for me. YAY! My first one. I really haven’t needed one in the past, but what the heck…I’ll have one. For the first time, I’ll have a workshop with every operating system going on. Linux, Windows and Mac. Exciting times! (for a geek LOL).
The other interns (all from St. Thomas btw)…are a blazing away with their projects. Next week is the week they all launch their new projects, all at the same time! I have had fun helping them along, learning why their project is important and most important, how to get it done by deadline and following a project outline. I really enjoy helping the students learn the value of “back end marketing” versus “marketing that time time” and “marketing NOW”. I use all three with my business. All three work too.
I have on 5 interns, business and marketing, finance and technical. They all come in my workshop on different days, with their own computer work areas and I gave them all their own email accounts. Which I require they use for internal communications. Some of their profiles are listed in the “meet the interns” link at the top of the page. The page is getting updated right now, so check back to meet them all in a few days.
Are you ready for interns? I was ready after my business was running for about 9 months. I had one gal on for about a year and together we got her some really good technical experience to graduate with. Did I need an intern? No. I wanted to help and I had time to give. That is the most important thing about interns. It’s not getting them board to do your crap work, but rather the opposite. Give them projects they can learn from and take some load off your to do list at the same time. I have vowed to never give the interns “junk work” unless it’s a necessary element of their proejct.
If you have alot of business/marketing needs coming up, I recommend that you go to the St. Thomas website and put up an ad for an intern. I got great applicants and have my “intern academy” working hard. Right now I have 6 on board, all doing different projects that have value for my business and their future.
Some more tips…
- Don’t take the first interns on that apply. I have been through a few since last year and you have to remember that an intern’s life comes first. Make sure that they have the same focus as you do and can give the time. I also recommend getting a senior who needs experience. Seniors tend to have the graduation/experience mindset and want to get as much done as they can. In a short amount of time.
- Figure out a communication method right away. Phone, email or text. I have found each intern likes to talk to me in different ways.
- Paid or unpaid? One of my interns said they gave up looking for a paid internship a long time ago. Paying internships are probably preferred, but I would only consider paying one if they were also doing other office duties for me. I do unpaid as it’s project based work that has value for their future positions, resume or interview experience. My interns only do projects that will help their careers.
- Schedule times for them to come in the office and help. Make them accountable for coming in or letting you know if they cannot come in. I had one intern that decided his schedule was more important than mine. 8 weeks later of me rescheduling clients for his schedule, he was let go. Having an intern requires YOUR time too, as you must mentor them. That means you cannot work during that time. Your time is important too!
- I have found that the interns doing it for experience and not credit for school are working best for me. Their dedication is unbelievable. They really do want “real business experience” and you can help them! Mentor them the best you can and you will enjoy the experience as well!
I hope this guide helps you if you are ready to bring on a student or two. Feel free to call me if you have any questions!
Lisa
Posted by callthatgirl on September 16, 2009
Many folks today are hearing these 4 words and don’t really understand what they all mean. To us technicians, we know…but you don’t. It’s terms we use everyday probably so I thought you all might like a review of what they mean.
Rebuild…to physically rebuild a computers hardware
Reformat… erase all the data/programs/settings, pretty much everything. It puts the computer in an original state, just like how you got it when you brought it home from the store. Many folks have to have this done when a computer crashes very badly or if it’s very infected with a virus. You will lose all of your data/music/pictures.
TIP: even though you reformat a computers hard drive, the data is still available! Please keep this in mind when donating a computer.
If you have not backed up your data, you should because a reformat does lose everything. Call That Girl does have tools to get that data back, but it comes in a “raw” form and you lose all the names of your documents and folders.
Reinstall …the operating system, this does not reformat the drive and usually your programs are still on the computer. But your data is not.
Repair… the computer means to install the original operating system disk and fix the glitches that are causing you problems. This usually does not change your programs or data. I would always back up though prior to doing this, just in case.
That is the quick and dirty version, I am sure there are more technical versions out there, but this is for the average reader to understand.
Call That Girl with any questions!
Posted by Hassan on September 10, 2009
Hello all!
Hassan here, your Call That Girl marketing mad man! Today was a great day in the office at CTG. All of us interns were working hard at establishing outlines for our new projects. The flyers I designed for our Reboot partnership arrived today, and we are very pleased with how they turned out. This was a really great learning experience for me, and it truly gave me an idea of the different areas marketing can cover. One thing I learned from this project, that my marketing professors at UST have failed to mention is the actual design process for materials. Lisa, my fearless leader at CTG, quickly humbled me by showing me the difference between making a flyer on Word, and using design software. After I built the information side of the flyer, and developed a very basic outline of how we wanted it to look. The rough draft for the flyer was sent to our designer, and gave her an idea of how we wanted it to turn out. She did not mess with the information being presented, or the general layout of the flyer. All she did was main some minor layout changes, to make it look spiffy! The most impressive part about all of this to me is that a little really goes a long way. Keep that in mind yourself for the next time you have to build some sort of promotional marketing material… I know I did, and it turned out GREAT!!! Have a great week folks and thanks for following along!!
Random computer fact of the week:
One of every 8 married couples in the US last year met online.
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