Network-attached Storage (NAS) systems and devices are increasingly becoming a popular as a networking device for business networks. NAS provides a means to store and share data within a local network with the advantage of increased read and write speeds and other special features built within the system.

Although there are many NAS devices available today in the market, the best among them are those that offer the highest speed and read rates and have special features. Among the best NAS devices that are recommended by IT support professionals are:

Synology DiskStation DS1813+

This device boasts of record breaking read and write speeds backed up by a good hardware. It can support a storage capacity of up to 72 Terabytes and are upgradeable through the 8 drive bays for expansion that can be fitted with a 2.5 or 3.5-inch solid-state drives or regular SATA drives.

Seagate Central

Although this device has been popularly used for home network and entertainment purposes, it is packed with business-class power making it ideal for business applications. Seagate central is among the few NAS devices with remarkable read and write speeds. It is an excellent device to choose for remote-access services and has built-in components that allow this device to integrate with Facebook and other media devices.

Western Digital My Cloud Mirror

This device offers redundancy-enabled storage for improved performance and data protection. It can provide a personal cloud service which can support storage capacity of up to 8 TB. It can either be used for everyday needs or for business networks.

FreeNAS Mini

This device boasts of the highest recorded read speed for NAS so far. It is a powerful NAS storage device with lots of features and functionality. The built-in system, however, is UNIX, which makes it difficult for other non-Unix users to use. On the other hand, those who are adept at the said operating system can take advantage of its power in using this NAS device for networks.

QNAP TurboNAS TS-470

This NAS device is designed to meet both the consumer and business needs with power and features that are at par with other best NAS devices in the market. It has a competitive read and write speeds, and has high tolerance for faults, which makes it perfect for file backup systems.

The above-list NAS devices are not the best of its kinds when we direct our minds to the possibilities in the future. The technology for these devices will keep on improving as they  become increasingly useful in most computing tasks.

A computer/network server represents one of the largest investments a business, fledgling or otherwise, makes. Additionally, a purchase like this often represents a long-term commitment. If you wish to avoid being saddled with a sub-optimal server that you might have to replace, it is vital to do research on any potential product your business might buy. Things like driver-support, connectivity, scalability, and redundancy all matter, but it can be difficult to know what to look for when you find your business in the network server market. It is an IT infrastructure that need IT maintenance. In the space below, we take a further look at some of the factors you want to consider when buying a new server.

Scalability

A server might look optimal for your business when you have fewer employees and client/customer demands. However, as your business grows, that server could prove fundamentally unable to perform the tasks at hand now that your needs have grown. If you suspect your business might grow, you want to specifically ask for things such as multiple drives and room within the chassis for expansion and always look at maximum storage capacity. A server that works for you today may not meet your needs tomorrow. Fortunately, several network servers come equipped with the expectation of scale.

Redundancy

Most businesses cannot afford the risk of losing critical data or information of any kind. An interrupted task resulting in memory loss can spell the end for critical deals and operations. Since your business likely cannot afford this setback, you want to look for redundancy in a server, as counterintuitive as that may seem. Basically, redundancy means a server uses multiple parts that complete a single function. This means a server might have two separate power outlets or multiple memory banks. You want to make sure a server has redundant parts because it is critical for a business to have security if something were to go wrong.

Size and Space

This one might seem obvious, but a server’s physical size plays an important role and it is a quality that is too often overlooked and regretted later by businesses. Network Servers are notorious for their unwieldy size. Form factor is important and a server that needs the support of a rack can hardly be expected to run optimally in an environment not suited to it. You need to make sure you have an environment with decent airflow because Servers often run hot. Fortunately, this is an easy one to look out for. 

In today’s digital world, storage space is always something to think about whether at home or for commercial purposes. Transaction records, portfolio and media are among the main reasons why everyone is looking for a suitable method to store their data. With the increasing need to share this data over a network, it is becoming more and more important to get storage methods that support the same. The main contenders proposed by your IT service team are usually Network Attached Storage and Cloud Storage. These two systems allow for data access from multiple computers and devices over a network. Below we will highlight the strengths of both options head to head.

Initial costs

To make use of an NAS system, you will incur the cost of acquisition of the device and any extra hard disk drives required. You will also need to come up with the necessary space in your home or office to store the unit. On the other hand to make use of cloud storage, all you need is an internet connection and then purchase a suitable package depending on your storage needs.   

Storage space

Data storage space on the NAS is determined by the number of hard disks that can be fitted on the device in use. For instance for a two slot unit you can store up to 4TB of data. If you need more space you will need to swap out one hard disk for a new and empty one. This means you remove the data in that unit from the network.

On the other hand, cloud storage does not require any data to be taken offline as all you need to do to access more storage space is to upgrade your package. This means as your storage needs grow all that is needed is a simple package upgrade while maintaining the availability of previously stored data.

Security

The security of your data should always be of great concern to you. The NAS system allows you to set up user access rights to ensure that access to the data is restricted. However, your data may be lost in the event of a local disaster such as fire or flood, since the unit is stored in-house.

This risk is eliminated by the use of cloud storage. Cloud storage service providers normally backup your data in multiple servers at different locations to eliminate the risk of loss due to natural disasters. However that fact that many people use the same service can expose your data to hacking. This is however mitigated by the use of state of the art encryption and data security tools.

When it comes to the use of IT resources, small businesses have been lagging behind larger entities due to the fact that less of them see the value of the same. Small businesses do not fully appreciate the benefits they stand to gain by initiating a sound IT strategy. It is up to IT service providers to take their time and convince these entities of the value proposition envisaged in adopting IT services. With a rapidly changing business environment, small businesses are finding themselves with a reducing customer base and increasing operational costs, as their competitors adopt IT processes which increase their efficiency as well as reduce their costs.

IT services offer small businesses the chance to improve the efficiency of their internal operations and reduce the time taken to adjust to changing industry norms. IT services are mainly concerned with capturing vital industry and market information, disseminating the same as fast as possible within the organization, resultantly providing useful information for decision making. Below we have compiled a simple description of how IT services can benefit small businesses.

E-Procurement

Effective IT systems usually help businesses communicate with their suppliers faster and better helping them make orders in a more efficient manner.

Inventory Management Systems

Once a supply order has been made and received, the IT system will then be employed in inventory management. This is vital as it enables automatic inventory monitoring and will originate notifications at certain inventory levels, especially when restocking is necessary.

Global Communication Networks

IT systems also enable the maintenance of global communication with partners in a timely fashion to respond to growing/changing market needs. Partnerships can be forged using IT systems.

E-marketing

From a marketing point of view, e-commerce is supported by the implementation of IT systems. Businesses can be able to serve more customers and initiate successful online marketing campaigns on a local and global scale for small businesses.

Customer Relationship Management

IT has become one of the main customer relationship management tools. Customer feedback and notifications can be made using IT systems such as the internet. The business can use this information to make timely responses to changing customer needs.

Internal Operations

The internal operations of a business also stand to improve by deploying a sound IT system. Accounting, human resource and Communication functions can all be improved using IT. Accounting records can be processed and models produced using computer systems. Employee training can be done through e-learning applications; whereas communication throughout the organization can be conducted faster using intranet.

If you regularly deal with a massive amount of data, then you definitely struggle with storage and access issues. Storing all your data in one storage location is the best way to ensure that you can get the data you require whenever necessary, without wasting time looking for any dedicated storage media. A Network Attached Storage, usually abbreviated as NAS is a storage system that allows different users to access data stored in it via a network. This means that you can use it to store data which will be used by several computers in the network as opposed to dedicated storage devices which can only be accessed by one computer at a time.

Steps on How to Set Up the NAS

The first step is to shop for the most suitable NAS device on the market. It is important to note that there is a variety of NAS devices marketed today all with different features, capabilities, and prices. Carefully consider your needs and budget while looking for the most suitable device to buy. For instance, a NAS device with FTP, web and mail server capabilities is a great option for those who do want to set up their own server. 

Now that you have the best NAS device for the intended application, proceed to install the hard drives. Most NAS devices do not come with the hard drives installed and require the buyer to acquire them separately and then install them.

Next you will need to set up the Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) to manage the storage of data on the device. RAID allows you to define how data will be distributed in the hard disks in the NAS device given that it has more than one disk. Most importantly RAID allows you to mirror certain hard disks so that you will not lose any data if it were to fail, otherwise you need to look for data recovery services that will cost additional more. If you have two disks, you can mirror one disk on the other. 

 After you have set up RAID format the device.

Once formatting is done you will need to create folder structure, and set the access rights to each folder. If you do not want everyone viewing the entire database, be sure to clearly define the access rights. If you are not sure on how to protect your important documents, do contact IT support professionals. Breach of confidential documents can damage your company greatly.

After setting up the file structure and creating access rights, you can now enter all the data you want to store in the device. This step will take some time depending on the amount of data you have.

The need for IT services for all businesses can’t be denied. Computers have come in and simplified business operations across the board. However, it is also important to note that running IT operations is in most cases expensive. Hiring dedicated IT staff and acquiring computers and other assets required to set up the entire IT system may be quite costly and is in most cases out of reach for most small businesses. Outsourcing enables businesses transfer this responsibility to the firm offering outsourcing services. This includes all necessary assets and technicians. The parties then agree on a Service Level Agreement; a contract laying out the responsibilities of each party in the agreement.

Benefits of IT Outsourcing

By outsourcing IT services, small businesses are able to eliminate the cost of hiring dedicated personnel as well as acquiring expensive IT equipment. This is a highly prohibitive cost and lifts a major weight off the business.

Outsourcing IT services also helps small businesses focus on their core activities. This means that the owner will no longer have to worry about their network being functional especially if the business does not deal in IT services.

IT services outsourcing can also lead to higher employee productivity especially when it comes to employees who had been forced to perform IT duties as well as other core duties. For instance, small businesses normally have one of their employees double as the IT manager while also doing other duties just because they are good with computers. Doing laptop repairs will distract them from their work and make them feel less motivated. Outsourcing the service will help the employee focus on what they were initially hired for and hence boost their productivity.

Outsourcing service providers usually hire qualified IT technicians because they are dedicated to IT work. This means that small businesses get to benefit from their expertise as well.

On the other hand, outsourcing has some associated drawbacks

IT outsourcing encompasses trusting other people with handling your vital business data and information. An unscrupulous employee at the outsourcing company can take advantage and leak the data.

 After agreeing to a service level agreement, you may feel locked in; this is especially in cases where the outsourcing company seems to be delivering comparatively lower quality services. Using proprietary software can make you feel like you cannot work with anyone else.

Even with the drawbacks associated with outsourcing, it is still important to note that the rewards outweigh the limitations by a greater margin. This is why most businesses today, large and small choose to outsource their IT operations. 

Over the years, business environment and operational norms have been changing. Technological advancements have resulted to a total shift in how businesses run their operations. For instance, paperless operations are the norm today, with most businesses opting to store all their information and data in digital format. The convenience and cost savings of this are overwhelming since businesses no longer have to invest in storage cabinets and large amounts of printing paper. This is only part of the revolution that has been brought about by the digital age. As a small business owner you might be wondering what the importance of reliable business services is to you; scroll down to find out.  

Productivity

Reliable IT services enhance an entity’s performance by improving the efficiency of the personnel and operations. As a small business owner, it is vital for you to stay up to date with every aspect of the business’ operations; this also includes resolving any issues with the IT setup. With reliable IT services, you do not have to keep taking time off from your core duties to look up issues in your system. Reliable IT services ensure the flawless functioning of all business operations at all times. It is also important to remember that IT systems facilitate easier and faster access to records for faster services, hence higher productivity.

Security

Without a reliable IT system in place, most small business owners store most of their data either in dedicated storage media or on their computer. Laptops can be stolen or damaged leading to a massive loss of vital customer data. Laptop repairs can difficult and time wasting when done by non IT personnel. Dedicated storage media can be poorly maintained or even misplaced due to the lack of dedicated IT personnel to manage it. Both these situations can force you to halt operations for an extended period while looking for alternatives leading to loss of business. On the other hand, personal computers and dedicated storage media devices are bound to have little to no security protocols exposing your data to theft. A reliable service will have dedicated personnel maintain highly secure servers.

 Easy Access to Data

The speed of access to data is mainly dictated by the storage medium used. A reliable IT service will have optimized data access speeds, meaning that employees can be able to pull up data whenever necessary and fast. This helps respond to customer needs faster as compared to wasting time trying to find data in various dedicated storage devices such as external hard disks. 

In our last blog post, we have covered on how to check for bad sectors in your hard disk in Windows. This post will cover on how to verify and repair your disk (if possible) in Mac. To start, open your application launcher and look for Utilities folder

When you click on the Utilities folder, you will see a lot of tools inside this folder. To check on your hard disk, choose the Disk Utilities.

Disk utility tools will be started. A window like the picture bellow will be shown. Click on verify disk to check if there are errors. 

The program will scan your disk to check for errors. Once it is completed, the "Repair Disk" button below the Verify Disk button will be enabled if necessary if there are items need repairs.

When your computer is slow, it is can be because you have too many files in your hard drive. You should delete or backup files that is not in use. However, your hard drive contains a lot of folders and files. Which file should you delete and remove from your computer? Previously, we have cover in a previous blog post on how to identify large files in Mac. In this blog post, we want to cover how to do it in Windows.

For Windows, you can use a tool called WinDirStat. You can download it at the following website for free. www.windirstat.info

There is a window where you can see all your folders sorted in size, from the largest to the smallest. And there is a heat map bellow, where files are represented by a rectangle block. The larger the block, the bigger the file. The block colours indicate the type of the file, you can see the file type by looking at the legend.

Click on one of the rectangle and you can quickly identify which file and which folder it is located. This really helps if you want to know which file to delete and to backup. Enjoy the exploring your drive!

Very often hard disk will experience wear and tear. Especially when it is a HDD that still uses mechanical components to read and write data to the hard disk. Damaged parts of hard disk are not readable and writeable anymore. These damaged parts of the HDD is called bad sectors.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

How do you know whether your hard disk has bad sectors? How many bad sectors are there in your hard drive? Good news is that there are tools to check. Laptop repair and IT support professionals will scan your hard disk using these tools to check if there are many bad sectors are there in your hard drive. If there are too many bad sectors, you should change your hard disk. 

For Windows-based computer, you can check for bad sectors using a command line tool provided by Windows. In this blog post, we will cover how to do it in Windows. The next blog post will cover Mac. Open the command line console from windows by pressing the Start menu > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt

Do run the Command Prompt as an Administrator. You can do that by pressing the right click and select "Run as Administrator". A black window will appear. Type CHKDSK  and press enter. The program will scan your hard disk.

Once the scanning result is completed, it will show us how many bad sectors there are in your disk. For my computer, luckily there is none.

I wrote an article previously on how to check who is using your WiFi network. For those who missed it, the article is about using a tool called Wireless Network Watcher to check who is in your wireless network.

There is a lot of reason why you want to secure your wireless network

1.     Save guard your data from being sniffed out by malicious parties.

2.     Prevent bandwidth stealing

3.     Prevent your network from being hijacked and used as proxy for hackers or any malicious activities.

So, how do I protect my WiFi from unauthorized access?

There are a plenty of ways to harden the security of your wireless network. Most of them are easy to setup, while some need a little bit of configuration on your wireless router. There are so many routers out there and we can’t possibly provide the details setting of each. Instead, we will share with you the general idea of the configurations.

1.     Change SSID Name

To make it easy to deploy, manufacturer will ship your router preconfigured with the default SSID name and password. If I see a wireless network with a default SSID name, it makes me think that most probably the password will be the default password as well.  I can just look it up on the internet and there is a high chance that I can get access to your network.

2.     Hide Your SSID

One neat trick is to hide your SSID. When you hide your SSID, you will need to manually add your SSID network to your device in order to get connected to it instead of the standard SSID broadcast which can be picked up by everyone.

3.     Change Default Password

Most WiFi password is preconfigured by the manufacturer so that when you connect to your network, you can easily connect to it. Most people tend to overlook this. If you google default password for your router, you will get hundreds if not thousands of results related to your search.

4.     Use WPA2 Encryptions

There are 4 main type of encryptions for Wifi; Open (no encryptions), WEP, WPA & WPA2. Always use WPA2. If you are using Open or WEP, the chances that your wireless network being breached are high since the encryption is weak. WPA with TKIP is actually an interim encryption method used for securing WiFi when WiFi security was still evolving several years ago. WPA2 is the upgrade version of WPA and you should use this at all time.

5.     Connected Device List

Most commercial routers will have a web interface for management and from here you can see list of connected device. You can also use the tool, Wireless Network Watcher to check who is in your network. It’s a good idea to check this once in a while, so you know who might be siphon out your bandwidth from you

6.     Enable MAC Address Filtering

MAC address filtering allows you to whitelist your known devices so that only these devices can connect to your router. When an unknown device is trying to connect the router even if they have the password, the router will automatically drop their session making them unable to connect to the network. Most router web interface need you to manually enter the MAC address which you can grab them from the list of connected devices or manually from the device. I have also written ways to get the MAC address of common device in the previous article, Use this tool to check who is using your WiFi .

7.     Disabled WPS if Not in Use

WPS makes it easy for a new device to connect to a wireless network without having to enter long key passphrase. Device such as your XBOX or Sony Playstation or even your SmartTV will pretty much benefit from it. I don’t really use it since I prefer to type the long passphrase and I found it to be inconsistent across device. There are several security paper published on the vulnerability of WPS which comes to my recommendation which is if you have a device that easily key in your passphrase, use it instead of WPS.

Here are 7 things you can do to secure your wireless network. It work individually but it works effectively in combinations of more than 2 methods. Good luck!

Ever wondered if anyone else is using your wireless network? Ever felt like someone is stealing your bandwidth? Bandwidth theft can lead to your network to be slow and laggy. You don’t have to wonder anymore!

There is a freeware tool called Wireless Network Watcher v1.76 from NirSoft that can help you have a better overview of your wireless network without having to login to your router web interface. It scans your wireless network and display all the computers and devices which are currently connected to your wireless network. It will list out the IP addresses, the computer/device name, the MAC address and the name of manufacturer that produce the network adapter. How cool is that! The tool can be downloaded from NirSoft website for FREE! 

Some of us have too many devices connected to our wireless. I know a guy who has a Samsung Galaxy Note, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, 2 Laptop, 1 XBOX and a blackberry PlayBook and of course, a Mac Book Pro. For those who are not really tech savvy, here is how you can cross check whether the device above is yours or not.

For Android phones

You can check your android phones MAC address as below.

1.     android 4.0 and above  - Settings > About Device > Status

2.     Android 3.0 and below - Settings > About Device > Hardware Information

Some manufacturer might customized the interface but as a general rule, please look under Settings > About Device and look for keyword MAC Address. It should look something like this.

For iOS Device

You can find your iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) MAC address under Settings > General > About and look for Wi-Fi 

Images taken from Tech-Recipes.com

For Windows Desktop/Laptop

1.     Click on your wireless icon on the icon tray on the right side of your windows screen

2.     Right click your wireless name.

3.     Click Status.

Look for Physical Address. That is your MAC Address

So, now that you know who is connected to your wireless, how can you prevent people from using it. We will talk this in the next article. Stay tuned!

It is an unfortunate truth that computers break down.  Troublesome electronics can be anything from a minor inconvenience to a major delay in completing work.  If you find yourself in need of desktop or laptop repair, Singapore luckily has no shortage of options to get your computing device back up and running.

Know Your (Technological) Enemy

“It’s broken”.  While that may be the first or only thing you know about your problem, any other information will be useful in selecting which service will take care of your needs.  If you don’t have the tech-savvy to know more about your problem, that is a useful piece of information, too.  If you do know more about the problem, every detail will help.  The more you know about your problem, the better you will be at selecting a service to fix what’s wrong.  Your device’s manufacturer, model, and age, and specifications will factor in while selecting a repairer who specializes in your particular type of problem.

Decisions, Decisions

A simple search of “laptop repair Singapore” will give you more than a few options for people and businesses that would all like to help you repair your device that have begun to cause trouble.  With so many choices before you, it would be best for you to know exactly what you need when you start looking. Understand your need whether it is for a home residential or for small business IT services.

Process of Elimination

Use what you know about your device and your personal needs to narrow your search.  If you need a repair done in your home or office, filter out anyone who doesn’t do service calls.  If you need desktop repair, look for those who specify knowledge about desktops.  If you specifically need laptop repair, Singapore even offers you people who have extensive experience on laptops, specifically.  The main idea here is to weed out anyone whose expertise doesn’t directly relate to what you need.  There may be nothing wrong with the people you remove from your list of prospective technicians, but you are trying to find the best fit for you. 

Make Contact

Now that you have narrowed your expansive list down to a few options that seem well-suited to your needs, start talking.  Many of those who remain on your list will likely offer free quotes or consultations.  Take advantage of your conversations with these providers to find additional options like pricing and availability.  Sometimes, even being able to drop off your device for a repairer can help with the cost of repair.  When you need laptop repair, Singapore has the options you need to find the best repair.

Your computer may be slow and you think of sending your laptop for repair. However, it can be due to your hard disk is full. You should to clear up space in your hard drive. However, you have so many files and folders and you don't know what files to delete. There is a great tool to help you identify large files. In this post, we will cover how to do it in Mac. The next blog post will cover how to do it in Windows.

First of all, you need to download a tool called Disk Inventory X. This is a common tool used for laptop repairs. Just google it and the first page result will give you the site. 

When you open the main page, it will show you the following page. Click on the link to download the latest version. This tool is free and open source.

You just need to download the installer. Once downloaded, open the installer. It will show you a file like bellow. Click and drag the icon to your Application folder in your Mac.

You will have it inside your application launcher.

Click open the app. You will be asked to choose which drive you want to perform a scan.

The window on the left will show you all the folders and files that take up space. For example, Users folder take up 41.5GB. You can click open the windows to drill down on that folder to see the size of the files and subfolders in that folders

Next to it, there is a map-like structure, where boxes of different colors indicate the files in the hard disk. The bigger the box, the larger the file. The color of the box indicated the type of the file as shown on the right window. In this case, a blue is a file that is a virtual disk image and red colors are document files. Go ahead and click on the square and you can identify the files where it is located. For example, I click on a red square in the center (marked by a yellow border), and I can see that it is a swap file located under /var/vm folder.

By identifying which are the largest files, you can backup (or delete) large files that you don't really need. Happy cleaning up your hard drive.

In some rare situations, reinstalling OS X on a Mac may be required. This is made fairly easy as all modern Macs include the OS X Internet Recovery feature, which lets you reinstall OS X through a reinstalling OS X on a Mac may be required. This is made fairly easy as all modern Macs include the OS X Internet Recovery feature, which lets you reinstall OS X through a netboot type of mode that is accessed from the internet rather than a local drive. This is helpful in the event you need to reinstall Mac OS X whether for fun, because something has gone truly haywire, or because you need to replace the system software for whatever other reason.

To be clear, we’re going to focus on Internet Recovery here, but there are actually two modes of system recovery; one of which is based on a local Recovery disk partition, and the other which is called Internet Recovery, the latter being triggered if the Mac does not have a Recovery partition found or if booted directly into as shown in this walkthrough. Both of the recovery modes let you re-install OS X, but the version of OS X that is installed onto the Mac will be different depending on the type of recovery mode used. Specifically, the Recovery HD partition will re-install the most current version of OS X that is currently installed on the Mac, whereas Internet Recover will re-install the version of OS X that originally came with the Mac. That difference in how the two features works means you could theoretically use Internet Recovery to downgrade OS X to the version that shipped with the Mac, though there are better ways to do that if you have a Time Machine backup from the prior OS X release handy.

Note: Re-installing OS X is typically only necessary when something is seriously wrong with the Mac system software and the computer is not functioning as it should. Do not attempt to use recovery mode for reinstalling unless you have made a thorough backup of your important files beforehand, doing so without a backup may result in irreversible file loss. You can always start a backup with Time Machine before if you need to. Contact a professional laptop repair if you have important data. This guide is simply going to cover how to start a reinstallation of OS X with Recovery mode, and not the other options available when booted into recovery.

ReInstall OS X on a Mac Using Internet Recovery
Internet Recovery requires internet access, that may be slightly obvious but it’s worth mentioning because if the Mac is unable to connect to a network then it will not be able to download the operating system. Whenever possible, you should back up the Mac with Time Machine before attempting this.

You can start the internet recovery reinstall process from either a shutdown Mac, or by rebooting the Mac. This process will be the same on any new Mac, be it an iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, etc:

Immediately after hearing the Mac boot chime, hold down Command+Option+R – if you see the Apple logo you waited too long and need to reboot and try again*
OPTIONAL: You may or may not see an option to join a wi-fi network, this depends on whether the Mac can access any saved networks from OS X or not

When you see a spinning globe icon, Internet Recovery mode has been entered with a message saying it can take a while, a progress bar appears as the recovery functions are downloaded
Starting OS X Internet Recovery Mode on a Mac to reinstall system software

When finished downloading, you’ll see the familiar “OS X Utilities” screen, choose “Reinstall OS X” to begin the re-installation process of the Mac operating system
Install OS X from Internet Recovery

Select the destination and complete the re-installation (or installation) of OS X as usual
You’ll notice the version of OS X that can be reinstalled this way is shown in the icon or listed under the “Reinstall OS X” option, and that version will match whatever version of OS X came preinstalled on the Mac. For example, if the Mac shipped with OS X Mavericks but is now running OS X Yosemite, then OS X Mavericks would be the version that reinstalls through the Internet Recovery reinstall process.

For Macs that do not currently have an operating system found or installed, the option will show as “Install OS X” rather than “Reinstall OS X”.

Installing and re-installing OS X through Internet Recovery is pretty easy, but do be aware that because everything is coming from Apple servers, it can take quite a while as the system restore features are downloaded locally, and then the version of OS X to install are also downloaded locally as well.

When OS X has finished installing on the Mac, it will boot into a fresh install of OS X system software.

Do note that if you are reinstalling OS X to try and repair some greatly messed up operating system install, you’d likely be better off performing a true clean install of the system software by formatting the drive and then installing OS X onto it (or another drive). If interested in going that route, you can learn about clean installing OS X Yosemite, or clean installing OS X Mavericks, both of which are best performed from a separate boot drive or bootable USB installer.

* You can also use Command+R to boot into Recovery mode, older Mac models that do not support Internet Recovery will need to do that. Note that newer Macs that have both options can choose either, or they can can skip the recovery drive and go directly into Internet Recovery by using the Command+Option+R boot shortcut.

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.

Article is from Maclife.com

Have you been having a slow wireless experience on your desktop or portable Mac? With the advent of new AirDrop technologies in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, a feature called Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) is to blame. This technology is used for AirDrop, AirPlay, and direct-play gaming connections. This could be a Bonjour and AWDL clash, but regardless, it can be a little annoying. To instantly see faster results, we've got a Terminal trick that'll make online surfing and network file transfers a little faster. Continue reading, and we'll show you how it's done.

To begin, open the Terminal application on your Mac (located in /Applications/Utilities). Once there, you'll want to type the following command, followed by the enter key:

sudo ifconfig awdl0 down

You'll be prompted to type your password after entering this command to verify your administrator account. Once entered, you'll instantly have a faster wireless connection. However, this will also disable AirDrop on your Mac.

Note that some older Macs may not use AWDL to handle AirDrop/Handoff, in whiuch case using this trick may give you an error message such as "interface awdl0 does not exist." On the plus side, then you're not experiencing the related Wi-Fi slowdown issue to begin with.

If you wish to have access to AirDrop, but go back to a slower connection, then you'll want to navigate back to the Terminal and type in this command:

sudo ifconfig awdl0 up

After re-verifying your password, your AWDL and AirDrop service will be restored and your Mac will function as normal.

We hope that Apple will figure out and fix this issue with an upcoming update, but until then, you can use this little trick to ensure that your Mac's network speed is operating at its maximum.

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.

Google is a part of our daily lives but do you know that Google can do more than just "search'? Here we have 21 hacks that can possibly change your life! (Article from Buzzed.com)

1. Use Google as a timer:

Via quora.com

Just type “Set timer 30 minutes” (or however long you want) in quotes, and the countdown begins!

2. Google will calculate your tip for you:

Via quora.com

Type “tip calculator,” and a tip calculator will magically appear and do your bidding.

3. Search for special days:

Via quora.com

Type in an important upcoming day and Google will automatically provide you with the date it’s occurring on and a brief description of what it’s all about. Saint Swithin’s Day is coming up, you guys!

4. You can also use the same method to get movie release dates…

Via quora.com

5. A full schedule for your favorite shows…

Via quora.com

6. Songs by your favorite bands…

Via quora.com

7. And a list of books by your favorite authors:

Via quora.com

8. You can also get quick flight schedules:

Via quora.com

9. The exact time of the sunrise in your city:

Via quora.com

10. Info on a company’s founders:

Via quora.com

11. Help with your geometry homework:

12. You can tell Google to do a barrel roll:

13. Or tilt, ever so slightly, to the right:

Via quora.com

14. Searching for “recursion” will get you into a dangerous infinite loop:

Via quora.com

15. And searching “Anagram” will get you some nifty anagrams you can use to impress all your friends:

Via quora.com

16. A “Festivus” search brings up a beautiful aluminum Festivus pole:

Via quora.com

17. “Binary” and “hexadecimal” take you directly into the land of the nerds:

Via quora.com

18. And while you’re there, you may as well try Googling “Zerg Rush”:

You can actually play this game: Click as fast as you can on the O’s as they attack your screen to save your search results from the Zerg.

19. Google will also show you the etymology of certain words…

Via quora.com

20. A calorie comparison of your favorite foods…

Via quora.com

21. Or you can go back to a happier time:

Via quora.com

Just type “Google in 1998” in the search bar and you can search Google as if you were back in the glorious ’90s.

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.

This article is from liberiangeek.net. 

Microsoft has just announced the release of Windows 10, but before you can go and get yourself a copy, hear this first; it’s not available just yet to be purchased.

If you wish to install Windows 10, you must download the evaluation ISO copy or Windows 10 Technical Preview copy which is available for free for testing purposes only. This brief tutorial is going to show you how to do that if you don’t already know.

For more about Windows 10, please go here and see what’s Microsoft has to say about it. I am not going to be saying much here about it because I haven’t tested it.

So, to get a tech preview ISO copy, go and register for an account to join Windows Insider Program. The Insider Program allows tech professionals, and IP enthusiasts to preview Microsoft newest operating systems before they’re released to the public.

• Join Microsoft Insider Program

To get Windows 10 right now, you must go and join Microsoft Insider Program, it’s free. Just go to the link below and sign up if you don’t already have a @hotmail.com, @live.com or @outlook.com account.

If you do have one of the above accounts, then you’ll be able to sign on and download an ISO copy of Windows 10.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview

• Download The ISO File

Next go the technical preview link to download the ISO file. You can then burn the ISO file onto a CD/DVD and boot your computer from it. The ISO file should also work if you have virtual software like VirtualBox or WMware Workstation installed.

Since Windows 10 is still in beta or previews state, don’t install it as a production environment. There will be a time that Microsoft will disable this previous version and force your to purchase a copy to use.

So, use it only for testing purposes and nothing else.

After you’ve downloaded a copy of the ISO file, burn it to a CD/DVD. Or use a virtualization to test. When you boot Windows, it will prompted you whether to upgrade or perform a custom installation.

Select custom installation to continue.

Windows file will begin to copy and install. Wait until the installation is complete and Windows has rebooted. After that, you’ll be prompted to customize the installation or use express settings.

The express settings option works OK.

If you want to create a local account and not a Microsoft online account, then select the option to create a new account. If you want to use your Microsoft Online account to sign on, then type your email address and password below to sign on.

Again, if you wish to sign on with local account and now with a Microsoft online account, click the link the reads Sign in without a Microsoft account.

This option will allow you to create a local username and password and use them to always sign on.

Next, create your username and password to sign on. Then wait for Windows to log you on. That’s how Windows 10 desktop looks like.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.

PDF documents are everywhere. It helps compress large files without loss in quality and formatting. But at times due to the media content in the document, the PDF files can end up being bloated which leads to being rejected by many email and web platforms due to its large file footprint. 

So we thought why go through the hassle of installing an unknown application and taking up disk space while there are many cool web platforms that'll perform ever great. 

So here are the step on how to compress your beloved PDF document with ease:

Step 1 : Go to http://smallpdf.com/compress-pdf

Step 2 : Drag the PDF document you wish to compress to the box with dotted line.

Step 3 : Wait for it to upload and compress

Step 4 :...and Voila! You now have a compressed PDF document without any hassle! Just click the "Download" button and you are good to go!

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.

Xiaomi became World’s Most Valuable Tech Startup valuing at $46b. It has successfully sold its Redmi range of products at real competitive rates. It comes with a slick UI and great hardware but it really has one small flaw, that is the absence of a Google Play store. I guess what they wish to push their own branded Mi Store forward. So we decided how we can help you unleash the inner geek and get the Google Play store yourself on your brand new Xiaomi phones.

So here is how in 4 step you can achieve this:

Step 1. On your Xiaomi device, tap Settings > Security and slide the Unknown sources switch to the right.

Step 2. Now open the browser on your Xiaomi phne and visit this thread over at XDA forum to download the latest Google Play Store apk file.

Step 3. Once the download is finished, open the notification panel and tap the Download complete notification to start the installation process on your xiaomi phone. See the screen shot below:-

Step 4. Now the Google Play store in installed on your device. Open the app and login with your Google account and install all you favorite Google apps form the plays store.

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.