Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

On Saturday, July 21st 2014, the Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference took place in New York City. It's a place where hackers discuss ways to improve the society in which we live. One of the more controversial panelists, Edward Snowden, has suggested hackers pool their efforts into creating anti-surveillance technology to decrease government espionage.

Apple's iOS operating system is notorious for being fairly secure from external attacks, but what about internal threats? There have been reports of backdoors being found in the operating system, which allow Apple and subsidiaries of the law (i.e. the NSA) to access devices that run it.

Most people associate the summer with a vacation of sorts, and many business owners might think that it's time to pack up and disappear for a while. But what some people might not realize is that a tablet is the perfect size for a summer getaway, and can enhance your leisure time while still being connected to your business.

What would the world look like if everybody spoke one language? We think a lot of conflicts would be resolved and our civilization would advance to the place where we're more like Star Trek and less like a train wreck. Thanks to new technologies like Skype Translator, the language barrier may soon be a thing of the past!

This wasn't supposed to happen. After Microsoft pulled the plug on its popular Windows XP operating system this past April, use of the decade-old OS was supposed to sharply decline and quickly become extinct. Only a few months out from the XP-end-of-life event and the opposite has proven to be true.

For years now, the technology world has witnessed a battle rage between iOS and Android enthusiasts. Anybody familiar with this tech battle always suspected that generalities can be drawn between both camps. Now, there's research to prove it!

The Surface Pro 3 is the latest major release from Microsoft. It's an impressive piece of tech with a 12-inch screen and a Core i3 processor for the base model. Microsoft hopes that the Surface Pro 3 will dethrone Apple's iPad from its title as "King of the Tablets." However, the two devices may be too different for the Surface Pro 3 to even compete.

When it comes to hackers, they are shrouded in darkness and treachery. They lurk in the shadows, waiting for us to make a mistake and to steal our life savings, or other equally nefarious things. But there are a few assumptions that they make concerning their prey, and they wish to hide these from us at all costs.

Oh man, it's so hot outside! When the summer heat is at its worst, car door handles become like glowing irons removed from the fire and it feels like nature is one big oven. Summer heat is especially hard on your office building's air conditioning unit. Consequently, the heat can put your computer equipment in danger. Portable cooling to the rescue!

We're just about to roll into a weekend, which to a lot of employees (and hopefully some business owners) means a little bit of relaxation and freedom from the day-to-day grind of business - not that it's all THAT bad, but it's nice to step away for a while, right?

We know what it's like running a business. Sometimes you simply can't unplug, step away, and be free. There's just too much to worry about, and not enough time in the day. Business owners often sacrifice that little bit of freedom the weekend brings (when you should be spending time with family, recharging your batteries, and preparing for yet another Monday). We have a few ways to help you free up more time.

LinkedIn is not only useful for the unemployed, but is also a great tool for business owners to connect with one-another. In general, social media can be a wonderful tool to grow your business. But Facebook might be a bit too social for some to take seriously, and Twitter is really only great for short announcements due to their tweet character limit. LinkedIn remains as one of the more purely work-related social media outlets. By utilizing LinkedIn as a business tool, you can jumpstart the way your company communicates both internally and externally.

Do you have trouble keeping track of your budget and expenses within your company? It's not your fault - prices change over time, and paperwork can be tedious to go through. By taking advantage of Microsoft Excel's basic mathematical formulas, you can simplify the way that keep track of your business's budget.

Once in a while, a server must play its part in the ultimate task - moving all of its data to another server. This includes moving all of the files and applications on one server to another unit in a process called server migration.

Do you have pets at home? You might find it painful to leave them behind when you head to the office. You might find yourself wishing that you could bring them to your workplace with you. Well, why not? We're hearing about more companies that have implemented a pet policy that lets them bring their furry friends to the office with them.

For years, we have been watching the growing trend of mobile computing. All of us knew that one day mobile technology would overtake PC desktops, and 2014 looks to be the year when the scales finally and decisively tip in favor of mobile tech.

Two weeks ago, the National Communications Administration managed to weaken a set of malware designed to steal banking and personal credentials from unsuspecting users. They warned the world that GameOver Zeus and Cryptolocker ransomware would be back with a vengeance, and that immediate action could prevent a whole lot of pain later.

The issue of net neutrality is a hot topic in the United States, but not many people actually know what it is and how it affects their day-to-day routine. This is certainly an important topic that shouldn't be ignored, as it might very well affect all end users.

Artificial intelligence might not be a thing yet, but according to the results of a recent Turing test, it might very well be on its way toward becoming reality. A Russian team has put together a computer program named Eugene Goostman that may (or may not) be the first program to pass a Turing test.

Do you know what to get Dad this Father's Day to show him that you appreciate all that he's done for you? If he's a business owner, we have the perfect gift for him!

That's right - Business Solutions & Software Group's managed IT services! We don't mean buy them outright for him, but by suggesting our services to him, you can give him the greatest gift of all: peace of mind and a whole lot more cash in his pocket. Here are four good reasons to outsource Dad's IT services.

Despite what many people think, Microsoft Word is far from a normal word processor. Microsoft has thrown all sorts of nifty new toys in there for its consumers to enjoy, such as a built-in citation machine for all of your research needs. When writing a white paper, you want to use specific examples and you want to give others credit when it is due. That's the only professional way to do it.