These days, more of us are working remotely than ever before. And work-from-home life definitely has its perks—no commute, comfier clothes, lunch break naps. It’s all fun and games until your toddler walks into the room naked while you’re on a Zoom call.

While we can’t control your kids, we can share four tech tips to help you make the most out of working from home. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley. Let’s get started. 

Tip #1: Tidy Up Your Tech

First, remember to do some tech “housekeeping” from time to time. Simple actions like restarting your router, uninstalling unused programs, and updating software can help keep your devices and your internet connection running at peak performance. 

Tip #2: Reduce Video Quality, Save Bandwidth

If you are on a video call that keeps buffering, try turning off HD video or setting your video stream to 360p. This will use less data and reduce the strain on your network. You can find this option under “settings” in Zoom, Google Meet, and other popular services.

Tip #3: Silence Your Devices (it’s just good manners!)

You wouldn’t leave your phone volume on during an in-person meeting, so why would you leave notifications on during a Zoom meeting? Nobody wants to hear those “dings” every time you receive an email or Slack message! In Windows 10, go to System, then Notifications & Actions, and turn your notifications off. On a Mac, click the menu in the top right corner, then swipe down, then turn on Do Not Disturb. Just don’t forget to turn your notifications back on once the call is over.

Tip #4: Log Off—Yes, Completely!

Without a commute home, it can be hard to put space between you and the office. Logging off at 5 p.m. will help you maintain a happier work-life balance, but that’s not the only benefit. Hacking attempts are on the rise with more people working from home, and hackers may be trolling neighborhoods looking for unsecured networks. Logging out of all corporate apps and networks will help keep your valuable information safe. 

Working from home does come with some unique challenges, but we hope that these tips will help alleviate some headaches. That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

There’s no place like home for the holidays, but hosting friends and family in your home also requires plenty of preparation. There are cookies to be baked, stockings to be hung, and gifts to be wrapped. And then there’s the question of your Wi-Fi: will it be able to handle the sudden increase in traffic?

Today, we have five tips to get your Wi-Fi ready for the holidays. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley. Let’s get started!

5 Tips to Get Your Wi-Fi Holiday-Ready

  1. Location, location, location. The most important factor in ensuring the strength of your home Wi-Fi signal is the location of your router. Your router should be placed in a central location so that devices in every corner of your home can reach it. And make sure it’s out in the open; objects like appliances, walls, and cabinets can interfere with or block your Wi-Fi signal, causing slow speeds.
  2. Restart your router. Just like humans, routers need a little break from time to time in order to keep working at top speeds. Restarting is one of the simplest troubleshooting steps you can take to fix an internet connection that isn’t working properly.
  3. Identify activities that use the most data. Downloading large files, streaming video, and sharing files can take up a lot of bandwidth and slow down your Wi-Fi. If your network is running slowly, make sure you don’t have any programs running that use lots of data. 
  4. Keep your network secure. Make sure your network is protected by a strong password, and only share that password with the people you want to grant access to your Wi-Fi. This will keep any unwanted guests from connecting and crowding your network, which can really slow things down.
  5. Give your Wi-Fi a boost. If there are areas in your home—like, say, a guest room in the basement—where you know your signal is weak, consider purchasing a Wi-Fi extender. These devices connect to your router and help transmit its signals to the farthest corners of your home without requiring you to purchase an additional router.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! While we can’t guarantee that your Christmas cookies will come out of the oven perfectly, with these five tips, we can ensure that your Wi-Fi is ready when your guests arrive. Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

These days, it seems like everything can be controlled at the push of a button. You can adjust the thermostat, turn off the lights, and even lock your front door right from your cell phone. Suddenly, the flying cars and talking robots of the Jetsons don’t seem so far off.

And while smart home tools like these are appealing—with the potential to save you time and money while ensuring your house is secure—the sheer number of products on the market can be overwhelming.

If you are curious about smart home technology, but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we are going to walk you through the steps of setting up your smart home. 

If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley. Let’s get started!

Begin With the Basics

The more pieces there are to a puzzle, the more difficult it is to put together. For this reason, we recommend starting with just one or two gadgets. You can build up from there as you become more familiar with the tools and how they work together.

To get started, determine what your needs are. If you are concerned about safety, consider investing in a security system or doorbell camera. If you want your house to be a comfortable 70 degrees when you get home every day, start with a smart thermostat. We’ve compiled a list of the major smart home gadget categories. From this list, select the categories that are most relevant to you and do a bit of research on the available devices.

Security: One option to secure your home with smart technology is a smart doorbell, which contains a camera so you can see who’s at the door (and avoid pesky solicitors). Certain cameras also have features that detect nearby motion, send notifications when you aren’t home, and save recordings in the cloud for later access.

For even more protection, you can also invest in a full security system equipped with door sensors, motion detectors, and sirens. 

Lights: Smart bulbs allow you to control individual lights or groups of lights right from your phone. If you are not interested in changing out the lightbulbs in your home, you can purchase a smart switch to control your existing lights.

Thermostats: There are several brands of smart thermostats available, which allow you to adjust your air conditioning or heating depending on the time of day.

Locks: We’ve all been there: you get all the way to work and suddenly wonder, “Did I lock the door behind me?” Smart locks allow you to lock your doors remotely, and some even allow you to unlock your door just by touching it with your finger.

Of course, these gadgets are just the tip of the smart home technology iceberg. There are hundreds of other options available—from self-starting coffee pots to autonomous vacuum cleaners—but these basic tools will help you lay the foundation for your smart home. 

Controlling Your Smart Home

So you have the first few pieces of your smart home puzzle—now what? 

You may want to purchase a smart home hub, which will integrate all of your gadgets into one system. But do your research before you buy—not every hub supports every smart home device. Some of the most popular hubs, like Samsung SmartThings and  Wink Hub 2, are compatible with almost all third-party devices. The hub manufacturers’ websites will list which devices each one can support.

As you begin to build your smart home, keep in mind that every person’s needs are different, and their smart home should be too! Research multiple products, select the ones that suit your needs, and soon you will be on your way to living like a Jetson.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

Don’t be the person who puts off shopping until the last minute and shows up to Christmas with gift cards for everybody. This year, give the gift that everyone will love: technology.

Today, we are going to share our top ten tech gifts for 2020. From a smart yoga mat to a voice-activated trash can, there’s a tech gift for every interest and budget. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley. Let’s get started!

For The Coffee Lover: Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine

With the sleek Nespresso VertuoPlus, you can brew perfect single-serve coffee and barista-grade espresso drinks right in your kitchen! Plus, it comes in a variety of colors.

For the Yogi: Backslash Fit Smart Yoga Mat

Not only does this plush yoga mat roll itself up, it also comes pre-loaded with yoga routines that can be heard using any smart speaker.

For the Jetsetter: Away Carry-On Luggage

Compact enough to fit in an overhead bin and spacious enough to contain all of your souvenirs, the Away Carry-On has a removable battery charger so you can plug your phone in as you wait for your flight.

For the Forgetful Friend: Tile Mate

Know someone who is constantly misplacing their keys or wallet? Give them this little square, a location tracker that can ring from up to 200 feet away.

For the Neat Freak: simplehuman Voice-Activated Trash Can

Why reach into a stinky trash can when you can raise the lid with the sound of your voice? Plus, this smart trash can includes a liner pocket that dispenses liners one-by-one from inside the can.

For the Bookworm: Kindle Paperwhite

This latest addition to the Kindle family is waterproof—perfect if your bookish friend enjoys reading in the bath or by the pool.

For the Green Thumb: Click and Grow Smart Garden

With help from an LED light that can withstand a range of climates, this smart garden allows you to grow fresh herbs and vegetables indoors.

For The Music Lover: MH40 Over-Ear Headphones

Whether you’re at your desk or on an airplane, these noise-isolating headphones change the music-listening game. Bonus? They look as nice as they sound.

For the Home Cook: CHEF iQ Smart Cooker

The Instant Pot may have risen in popularity over the past year, but we found a Smart Cooker that does more (and looks better) at a lower price. Plus it comes with a built-in cooking scale, so you don’t have to measure ingredients.

For the Night Owl: Homagical Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock

We all have that friend who just can’t get out of bed in the morning, no matter how many alarms they set. Enter: this sunrise alarm clock, which grows gradually brighter to help you wake up naturally.

This holiday season, your options for tech gifts are virtually endless. Whether you go for flash or functionality, you’re sure to find something that every friend and family member will love. That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

These days, just about anything you want to do on the web requires a password—whether it’s sending an email, checking your bank statement, or streaming your favorite movie. With so many passwords to keep track of it can be tempting to choose something simple, like “123456” or “password,” or simply use the same password across multiple platforms.   

While these passwords are easy for you to remember, they are also easy for bad actors to hack. To protect yourself and your information, it is important to use passwords that are long, complex, and unique while still memorable for you.

Today, we are going to share five tips for making your passwords as strong as possible. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley. Let’s get started!

  1. Avoid common words, phrases, or information. The more generic your password is, the easier it will be for hackers to guess. Avoid some of the most commonly used password terms—like baseball, qwerty, and yes, password. Similarly, don’t use information that hackers could easily find about you, like your birthday, phone number, or hometown. 
  1. The longer, the better. Some of the more advanced hackers use a technique called “brute force attack,” in which a computer program runs through possible combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols as fast as possible to try and crack your password. Using this technique, it can take less than a single second to learn someone’s password. All passwords should be at least six characters long—and with every additional character, they will become a bit harder to crack. The National Institute of Standards and Technology suggests using the longest password or passphrase permissible, from 8 to 64 characters, whenever you can.
  1. Include numbers and special characters. In order to stump hackers, randomly include symbols and numbers along with letters. For example, if you are using the word “panda” in your password, replace the first letter A with an @ symbol.
  1. Do not recycle passwords. While it may feel like a nuisance, you should use a different password for every online platform you use. If hackers obtain your password for one account, and you have used that password across multiple sites, hackers can easily access all of that information. If you are worried about remembering all of your passwords, don’t write them down on a piece of paper that anyone could find—use a secure password manager, like Lastpass, which allows you store all your valuable password information in one place (and make sure you use and extra-strong password for your password manager).
  1. Change your passwords regularly. The longer you keep one password, especially a weak one, the more opportunities you are giving hackers to correctly guess it. How long you should go before changing your password depends on who you ask, but to be safe, you should change your passwords at least every few months. However, if you receive a notification from a company about a possible breach, you should change the password you use for that account immediately.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

Whether your company is working from home, you have a child taking virtual classes, or you watched that viral video about a boss who accidentally turned herself into a potato during a meeting, you’ve probably become familiar with Zoom over the past few weeks.

Concerns about Covid-19 have caused the video conferencing software’s numbers to skyrocket. In 2020 alone, Zoom has already added almost 3 million monthly active users. But what does that mean for you?

Today, we have some tips for how to work, play, and connect using Zoom. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley. Let’s get started!

Setting Up Zoom

  1. First, you will need to download Zoom. Open up a browser on your Mac or PC and head to the Zoom website to create your account. You’ll be asked to select a plan: for individuals and families, the Free version should meet all of your needs.
  1. Next, download the Zoom desktop app. Once you login to the app, you will see four main tabs at the top of the screen: Home, Chat, Meetings, and Contacts. From here, you can schedule, join, or host a meeting. 

Staying Connected Through Zoom

Businesses have been using Zoom and other video conferencing tools for years. Now that we are all practicing social distancing to stop the spread of Covid-19, many people are finding creative ways to use Zoom to communicate to friends and family. Here are just a couple of ideas:

Try hosting a virtual game night! From Ticket to Ride to Jackbox Party Packs, there are countless ways to play your favorite games online. Schedule a Zoom meeting and invite your friends and family so you can chat while you play.

And you don’t need to eat dinner alone. Schedule a “Zoom Dinner Party,” where everyone gets dressed up, makes their favorite meal, and eats together. 

In these uncertain and isolating times, technology like Zoom can help us all feel a little less alone. If you have any questions about setting up and using your Zoom account, please visit support.zoom.us.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

More and more people are turning to streaming media in addition to traditional cable television. In fact, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu account for 19 percent of television viewing in the US–double what it was less than two years ago. 

Today, we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know to start streaming. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley!

How to Start Streaming

Before you get started, there are two things you’ll need. The first is a fast internet connection. To stream videos in high definition, we recommend at least 5 megabits per second. If you are looking to stream video at 4K, we recommend at least 25 megabits per second.

Once you have a fast enough internet connection, you’ll need a way to access streaming services. The most common options are streaming devices like Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, which plug into your television’s HDMI port and give you access to every streaming service out there. 

The second option is a Smart TV—that is, a television that connects to the internet and has streaming apps like Netflix built-in. Of course, this is more of an investment than a streaming device, but if you are already looking to buy a new TV, the price is absolutely worth it.

Now that you have all the right equipment, you can start streaming with just a few simple steps:

  1. First, plug in your streaming device (unless you are using a Smart TV, in which case you can skip right to step two). Plug the device into your TV’s HDMI port, switch your source over to the HDMI input you’re using, and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
  1. Once you’ve plugged in your streaming device or installed your Smart TV, you’ll need to sign in to your Wi-Fi network. 
  1. And finally, purchase the streaming apps you want to use or sign into your existing accounts. Most services cost around 10 dollars a month, and some are even free—a small price to pay for access to thousands of TV shows and movies!

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

Are your web pages taking longer than usual to load? Is Netflix buffering in the middle of your movie? Does your friend’s voice keep cutting in and out while you FaceTime?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it may be time to restart your router. Just like us, routers need a little break from time to time in order to keep working at top speeds. 

Restarting is one of the simplest troubleshooting steps you can take to fix an internet connection that isn’t working properly, and in this blog, we are going to walk you through the process! If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley as he restarts his router.

How to Restart Your Router

For the best chance at resolving your connectivity issues, follow the simple steps below. This process works on most makes and models of routers, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t look exactly like ours.

  1. First, if there is a power switch on the back of your router, make sure you switch it to the “off” position. Note: If you see a button labeled “Reset,” now is not the time to press it—doing so will return your router to its factory settings, deleting your Wi-Fi password and any custom settings.
  1. Next, gently unplug the power cord.
  1. Now, wait at least 30 seconds. This gives your router enough time to cool down and also indicates to all of your devices that your router is offline.
  1. Now, reverse the process! Plug the power cord back in, turn the power switch to “on,” and wait for all of the lights on your router to populate. 

When you see that the DSL light is solid again, that means you are good to go! Give your router a minute or two to warm up again and reconnect to your devices, and then you should be back to FaceTiming your friends or streaming Netflix with no problem. If this process did not solve your connectivity issues, please give us a call to speak directly with one of our tech experts.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.