Upgrades for Older PC's

Is your PC more than 5 years old? Thinking of throwing it out and getting a new one? Depending on your configuration, you can get an upgrade for a fraction of the cost! The motherboard, CPU and RAM are upgraded to current spec Intel or AMD setups, with the option to upgrade the hard drive to faster speeds and greater capacities, all while keeping your existing copies of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office and even your current data (no extra software to buy!). For more info on parts, have a look at our eStore at dcnsolutions.localline.com.au, or give us a call for a free quote.

Office Maintenance

Your office computer network is probably the backbone of your business. It stands to reason then to make sure things are configured and running smoothly. Imagine what would happen if a fire breaks out, or thieves break in, and you lose your computer with critical data? A backup solution is imperative, including a list of all CD keys and CD images that you have running, so that you don't have to try to hunt down older software versions when reinstalling on a replacement PC. Also, keep in mind that dust build up inside the PC case can overheat components, and cause major failures, and a regular maintenance schedule is recommended.

Reminder: July LCD Screen Specials!

Don't forget that we are offering cash backs on 2 screens for this month only: Acer G225HQBD 21.5 inch and Acer G235HBMD 23 inch. These are redeemable after purchase, but only for this month! For more info, click on the descriptions for the G225HQBD and G235HBMD. Both screens also come with a 3 year warranty by Acer! If you are thinking of getting a new screen, now is the time to get it!!!

DIY SEO!

The Internet is the most sought after advertising medium today. To get good results requires a hefty upfront cost and several hundred dollars a month in SEO maintenance. Many small and medium sized businesses shy away from such advertising due to the costs, but there is a free way to advertise: Social Networks! The aim of the game is to get news articles or RSS feeds on sites such as Facebook, Blogger/Blogspot, Twitter etc. The more articles you do, the more potential there is for customers to find your web site! We have done this ourselves:


RSS Feed - our news article feed


Blogger - Our news article Blog


Twitter - Get quick updates of our articles


Facebook - A copy of our blog, links in to our website's blog


Linkedin - Profile of me, links in with twitter

We also have our blog on our website at dcnsolutions.net/blog/

To improve your listing in Google:

1. Add a news article everyday
2. Put your articles on as many bloging/social networking sites as possible!
3. Always link your article to your web site
4. Use key words that relate to the Google searches you want to optimise!
5. Link up to other blogs/tweets to increase your reputation

There are many tricks and tools that can be used, so for more info, please contact
us!

eCommerce - Selling Things Online

Do you want to sell items online? If you are just starting off, we recommend a localline.com.au eStore. localline.com.au offers an eStore rental service, which allows you to sell anything you want for a fixed annual fee. You can customise your store front colours, logo etc. in real time! Check it out at localline.com.au/estore.

For those that wish to have their own store, we have designed custom shopping cart programs that include stock control, electronic payments, photo galleries, search functions... we can do anything you can think of! Have a look at some of our web sites at dcnsolutions.net.

PCs Need Dusting!

One thing that I have noticed that people do not do is a physical clean of computers. Some of the computers that I have seen are so clogged with pet hair, dust and cigarette smoke, that fans have stopped working, and they overheat! If you need assistance with that, we have a mobile compressor that we can bring to you to clean your computer, anywhere in the Perth metro area, and prevent any unnecessary down-time! Just give us a call!

Why Web Sites?

Some people think that web sites are only good if you want to get customers from online searches. Getting this done effectively is quite expensive, and time consuming. However, a web site can ALSO be your shop front and showroom! Some businesses simply can't afford all the floor space and man-hours to have a retail shop-front, but by having it electronic, you can direct people to the web site either by business cards, car decals, Yellow Pages or other similar marketing strategies, and get more customers coming to you without all the extra rent in floor space. Visit our web site here to see the designs we have implemented for other businesses, or contact us to see how our web and graphic designs can improve your business image!

Why Do I Need Hosting?

We have been asked this question several times by our customers, so here is a simple answer. Hosting is needed by websites to keep tham accessable at all times. Web sites are hosted on servers, which are special computer systems that are kept running 24 hours a day. When you type in a web site address or send an email, a Domain Name Server is contacted (normally managed by your internet provider) and it is then routed to the correct server, which is hosting the required content. Hosting can do more than just emails and web site storage though. Databases, and even your company server can be "co-located", so that your company files can be accessed quickly from Wangara, Joondalup, or Tokyo! For more information, please feel free to contact us!

Speed up your Office!

Is your MYOB access time getting slow? Do you have multiple database programs running on each of your computers? Do you need people to access work files from off site locations? If any of those are true, then a Terminal Server may be the ultimate solution for you.

A terminal server is a single computer running a software package that allows multiple, simultaneous remote connections. All information is processed on that single computer and the speed is much greater than VPN as the only information that is sent over the internet/network is, not that actual datafile, but just a virtual screen shot as if you were physically on that computer. This makes MYOB, Retail Manager or other database programs so much faster. Best of all, a terminal server can be setup on just about any computer (must have professional/ultimate/server version of Windows, and 2GB+ RAM), for under $400. For more information on a Terminal Server, and if it is appropriate for you, please contact us.

Facebook and Twitter Making Kids Dumber?

The latest research suggests that parents think social media sites like Facebook and Twitter distract their kids from their homework, contributing to lethargic learning. The full article can be found here. Let us know your thoughts!

New Virus Designed to Steal Secrets!

A new virus has been detected in the last week that is designed to steal industry secrets. It infects USB memory devices and targets specific program data. In general it should not be a problem for small businesses, but larger businesses with Industrial control programs may be at risk. See the full article here.

Is it Geniuine Software?

Have you ever had a message pop up on your computer saying that your software is invalid, expired, or illegal? There are some programs that genuinely are trial versions, but there are some clever scams going around at the moment, trying to trick you into buying software that you really don't need. If you have any queries with any software package, please contact us, and we'll get it sorted for you!

New iPhone Has More Than Just Teething Problems!

The new iPhone 4 has been launched in the USA, and quite a few people are complaining about dropped calls. Looks like the antenna design wasn't thought through very well! See the article here.

Reminder: July LCD Screen Specials!

Don't forget that we are offering cash backs on 2 screens for this month only: Acer G225HQBD 21.5 inch and Acer G235HBMD 23 inch. These are redeemable after purchase, but only for this month! For more info, click on the descriptions for the G225HQBD and G235HBMD. Both screens also come with a 3 year warranty by Acer! If you are thinking of getting a new screen, now is the time to get it!!!

Test Your RAM!

Does your computer randomly crash? Do you have problems installing things on your computer, but not on anything else? Try testing your RAM for errors, as faulty RAM can cause almost any symptom. You can download a free RAM tester from here.

Which Web Browser?

Today there are many different web browsers, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome, just to name a few. Internet Explorer is the most popular as it comes bundled with Windows, but quite a few people have had problems with it, especially with anti-virus software conflicting with it. Sometime a different browser will allow you to get back on to the internet, and we recommend Firefox (which can be downloaded from here). It has better security features, and displays most websites in a recognizable way.

Australian Privacy Act Gets Updated

Since Google has been busted for snooping people unprotected wireless networks, the Government has decided to change the Privacy Act to be a bit more up to date. See the full article here.

Even though you can sue someone for snooping your network, it would still be prudent to have a decent password and encryption protocols in place. For more information, please contact us.

Which Processor to Buy?

When deciding on a computer, the processor is the most critical part of a system, as it determines the maximum possible speed that the computer can run at. There are many sockets that CPUs are made for, and many processor models for each socket. The sockets that are currently available are AMD AM3, Intel LGA775 (soon to be phased out), Intel LGA1156, and Intel LGA1366, while the actual models are Athlon II X2, Athlon II X4, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i7.

So which is the best? What one do you need for your application? As a general rule of thumb, the AMD X2 processors are the cheapest, and still fairly fast for office work, web browsing etc. If you want to play games, work on 3D drawings, or process large amounts of data, go for the Intel Core i5 processor, as these are considerably faster, and even though more expensive than AMD, the best value for money. If you want the top of the range and don't mind spending the dollars, go for Intel Core i7. They are the fastest processors out, but you do pay for the privilege!

Google in Trouble!!

Google has been using a piece of code to access personal information on unsecured wireless networks. As a result, they are in a bit of trouble! See the full article here.

This could be easily avoided by securing your wireless network. For more information, please contact us.

Gillard to Stick to Web Filter Plan

The new PM wants to go ahead with a nation wide web filter, designed to stop illegal content from being accessed. Many people have voiced their concerns that this filter will enable to Government to limit access to legitimate sites as well. See the full article in the Sydney Morning Herald

IPTV: the new Foxtel!

iiNet have just released a new product called fetchtv. Movies, programs, games, music and interactive applications are all available through a set top box, and all streams through your internet connection. You can pause/rewind live TV, access the latest movie titles, even access social networking sites like Facebook, all from your TV! For more info, have a look at the iiNet site, or contact us!

Keep an Eye on Things!

Do you need to monitor your workshop when you are not around? Do you have an office out the back, and need to keep an lookout for customers entering your shopfront? Security cameras can be setup to do this, but did you know that even webcams can be setup securely to stream a live video feed over the internet to another location, without other people evesdropping in? Imagine being able to make sure things are fine at the office while you are away! The same system can even be used in an "online-classroom" setup, with multiple people viewing a single stream. The possibilites are limited only by your imagination! For more information, please contact us.

Problems with Laptop Batteries

I've had quite a few people complain that their laptop batteries are no longer storing charge. Every time, they have left their laptop for weeks without use, with the battery still attached to the laptop. This causes the battery to be unable to retain charge properly, so if you are not going to be using your laptop for a while, disconnect the battery, and save the $200 that will be needed to order in a new one!

On the subject of laptops, we have access to Asus laptops now, check out our estore here.

July LCD Screen Specials!

This month only, we are offering cash backs on 2 screens: Acer G225HQBD 21.5 inch and Acer G235HBMD 23 inch. These are redeemable after purchase, but only for the month of July! For more info, click on the descriptions for the G225HQBD and G235HBMD. Both screens also come with a 3 year warranty by Acer!

Liquid Cooled All in One PC!!

All in one (AIO) PC's are starting to become more popular, as all of your computer hardware is in the screen that you watch. But having a confined space means low heat dissipation, which means slower performance. But Asetek is in the process of developing a liquid-cooled AIO. See the video at Toms Guide!

Leaked Info on Windows 8!

Microsoft has already started on its next version of Windows. The next version is tipped to be faster, more user friendly, and have better features like facial recognition. See the full article from Tom's Guide here.

The Bigger the Better - New 3 Terrabyte HDD!

Seagate has just launched their latest in external Drives - the 3 TB GoFlex. This external drive can hold 3000 Gigabytes of information, but for US$249, it isn't cheap. See the full article here

Dual, Quad and Hexa Core!

Computer processor speeds have not accelerated as quickly as in previous years, but the number of physical cores has, up to 6 physical CPU cores. This means that newer computers can theoretically process more data at the same time compared to older single core processors. But there is a catch: programs need to be written to utilise the extra processing room. This article at Tom's Guide reviews AMD's Hexa-Core processor, see the results for yourself