 Lamorinda Technology, Inc. is our new corporate name! As of January 1, 2017, we changed our corporate name to Lamorinda Technology, Inc. Why Change the Name? We love the name Nerd4Rent-it’s playful and communicates what we do clearly. However, we have known for some time that we lose business because some prospective clients think we’re not professional, or don’t take us seriously, simply because of our name. Please note that our phone number remains the same (925) 283-5666. Email addresses are now support@lamorindatechnology.com for all support needs, and clientcare@lamorindatechnology.com for non-technical questions and scheduling appointments. New Year’s Technology Tips Happy 2017! The New Year is a great time to take care of some basic computer maintenance. Here are a few quick & easy tips to keep your computer and devices in top shape and protect you from the bad guys. 1. Change your email password. Make the new password very secure. Your email password is a very important one. If your email account gets hacked, it’s easy for the bad guys to reset other passwords. How? Ever notice the “forgot password” link on almost every website that requires a login? In most cases, all that’s needed is to click the link and your vendor will send a password reset link to your email. If the bad guys have access to your email, they will change your password, and access your account with your vendor. They could then change the email address associated with the account, change the mailing address, make purchases or sales, etc. BAD NEWS. Please make sure to create a complicated password: 8 or more characters, a lowercase letter, an uppercase letter, a number, and a special character. A complex password doesn’t have to be hard to remember. Just use a long word or phrase, and substitute some characters. For example, Valentine’s Day is easy to remember. Let’s make it a complicated password: V@l3ntin3sD@y. We did that by simply substituting @ for a, and 3 for e. 2. Make sure your cell phone has an unlock code. Our cell phones often have saved passwords for email, banking apps, etc. If a bad guy steals your phone, they can do all of the damage described above and potentially much more. It’s easy to add an unlock code. Just go to your settings and look under Security or Touch ID & Passcode. 3. Keep your software up-to-date. Out-of-date software often contains known vulnerabilities that the bad guys can use to damage your computer or steal information. It’s important to keep Windows, Mac OS, and other software such as Adobe Reader, Microsoft Office, (Java & Adobe flash Player-if you use them), updated. The safest way to update most of the programs is to go to the vendor’s website and download the latest update. The little pop-ups you see may or may not be real. Fake pop-ups are commonly used to trick you into downloading malicious files. We offer a fabulous maintenance plan where we’ll handle most updates for just $8.99 per month per computer. Please give us a call (925) 283-5666 if you’d like more information. 4. Keep your cell phone operating system and apps updated. Just like your computer, your cell phone needs to be kept updated. Most devices will show a little indicator that there are updates available. iPhones, display a little number when you look at the Settings App. Just click the app and it will allow you to install any available updates. 5. Blow or vacuum dust from your computer vents and fans. Dust restricts airflow, which causes heat buildup in our computers. Heat causes excessive wear on the components and can lead to early equipment failure. Take a look at the side vents and rear of your computer, if you see dust buildup, vacuum or blow it out. For a more thorough cleaning, you can open the case and look for more dust inside. Compressed air is available at any office supply store or electronics store. We are here to assist if you need help. (925) 283-5666 Upcoming Android Basics Classes Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 16. Edward & Ryan are giving back to our community by volunteering to teach 3 Android Basics classes: January 19th, February 16th & March 16th. All classes are from 10:30-noon. Each class will consist of lecture, demonstration and plenty of time for questions. Cost for each class is $10. Classes are free to Lafayette Senior Services members. Membership is $15 per year. Classes will be held at Lafayette Senior Services Center, 500 S. Mary’s Rd. Lafayette. Please call to register (925) 294-5050.  Happy Computing! Edward Zeidan, MBA Owner |
Lamorinda Computer & Technical Support
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