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April 20, 2016 By Nate Forant

Creation Crate: Project In A Box – Mood Lamp

This is a sponsored post. Creation Crate sent us this great project to try and review.

Creation Crate includes both the hardware and the programming. This box is the “Mood Lamp”. Each month they deliver a box with a different project wrapped in bubble wrap. The components have been wrapped since it is electronics. Because there is programming, you will also need a desktop or laptop to download the Arduino software. The intended age range for Creation Crate is 12 and older. The projects start out simple and get harder as you go through the boxes.

Safely wrapped in bubble wrap to prevent damage

Safely wrapped in bubble wrap to prevent damage

Inside the box you will find the instruction manual that will guide you through the steps of the hardware setup, programming, common errors and exercises.  You can also access their support page on their website. The box also comes with some extra parts for that just in case moment, if something breaks.

Everything needed to complete this project

Everything needed to complete this project

The Creation Crate that we received was a “Mood Lamp”. The project was for part of homeschooling for my children.  The children ages 10 and 11 did most of the assembling, and I ended up doing the code for them.  It was the first time that I programmed any electronics, but it was a great way to learn. The next box, the kids will sit in front of the computer and type of the program.

The hardware is complete

The hardware is partially complete

After working on the programming for a bit, we decided to go ahead it give it our first try which ended up in getting errors.  The second time we got errors, but they were different errors within the programming. The third and final time that we tried was when we had success.  A mood lamp, with LEDs that change from red to green to blue. Pretty awesome to see the smiles on the face of a child that just made a lamp.

The Review

The kit says that no experience is necessary, but I found that it was helpful to a have a little. The instruction booklet that comes in the box is pretty small as far as the text goes, but workable. Having never taken electrical engineering classes, I didn’t even know what a breadboard was. It was fun for both of my children and myself to learn something new and work on it together. I definitely will recommend this subscription to family, friends and business contacts.

finished project

The subscription box is a great gift or project for both kids and adults wanting to learn more about electrical engineering and electronics. No one is ever too old to learn.

If you have children interested in learning more about technology and electronics, Creation Crate has several subscription options:

Four different subscription options

Four different subscription options

Get 10% off your first box when you use the code “SOBXTECH”


About Us

SOBX Tech is Eastern North Carolina’s leader for computer services, computer repair, software installations and software upgrades.  SOBX Tech serves the Southern Outer Banks community and surrounding areas. Located in Eastern North Carolina, along North Carolina’s beautiful Crystal Coast, we’re happy to provide on-site service in your home or business, at no extra charge!

 

Filed Under: Reviews

April 14, 2016 By Nate Forant

Grand Opening of Sheetz – Conover, NC

Sheetz Grand Opening in Conover, NC

Tomorrow I will be traveling to the Grand Opening Celebration of the new Sheetz location in Conover, NC. As a blogger and a member of the NC Blogger Network I have the opportunity as they open to be there. Being a veteran, Local Heroes day is the perfect day to be there. Not only will I be there for the Grand Opening, but I will be there honoring Fire Fighters, police officers, EMT’s and all of our military. Local Heroes Day is tomorrow,  so come out and celebrate with us from 12 am Friday morning until Midnight and honor local heroes.

All the information is in the press release. Any questions about the event, please contact Laura Hager at 410-456-9771 (Cell).                                                                                                                                               

SHEETZ ANNOUNCES THREE NEW LOCATIONS COMING TO HICKORY AND CONOVER, NC
Family-owned convenience store chain to host week long community celebrations for new store openings

Altoona, PA (March 24, 2016) – Sheetz, one of America’s fastest growing family-owned convenience store chains, continues its expansion in North Carolina this spring with the opening of three new locations in North West Catawba County. Each store will hold a week long community celebration full of family activities, charitable giving, prizes and M•T•O® (Made-To-Order) food sampling.

So, what exactly is a Sheetz?

Open 24/7, 365 days a year, Sheetz’s menu of fresh, made-to-order food rivals any quick serve restaurant, using only the highest quality ingredients. Orders are prepared exactly the way you want it, when you want it. And all menu items are completely customizable using the easy-to-use in-store touchscreens or online ordering. The new North Carolina stores will also feature MTGo! (made-to-go) and Shweetz Bakery items along with Sheetz Bros. Coffeez®, a full-service espresso and smoothie bar staffed by a trained barista.

Event Details

The celebration begins Monday, March 28 at the new Sheetz in Hickory, NC, located at 2191 13th Avenue Drive SE Hickory, NC 28602, with different events held each day of the week as follows:

FAMILY DAY (Monday): Bring the kidz for an afternoon jam-packed with family-fun activities, including make-your-own-sundaes, face painting, caricatures and prize giveaways. Kidz ages 12 and under eat free, ends at 8 p.m.

COMMUNITY CONNECT DAY (Tuesday): Come out to support the community as Sheetz hosts an M•T•O® sandwich fundraiser to benefit local schools. Members of the Sheetz family will be on site for a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 am, and Sheetz will make a donation to the Special Olympics. 

EAT SHMART (Wednesday): Introduces Hickory to healthy MTO options for any meal of the day; focusing on tasty, customizable, healthy breakfast demonstrations throughout the morning.  Enjoy eat shmart samples, MTGo! offerings and $2 off salads throughout the day.

GET A KICK IN THE BEANZ (Thursday): Fuel up all day with Sheetz Bros. Coffeez®. Indulge in free specialty beverage samples from Sheetz baristas, free self-serve coffee and $1 off ANY full-service SBC Specialty Drinks throughout the day. 

SHEETZ THANKS LOCAL HEROS (Friday): Sheetz would like to thank local first responders with free M•T•O® sandwiches all day from 12:00 am (Friday morning) to 12:00 am (Saturday). Simply show up in uniform or with a service ID.  And there’s something for everyone with free fryz for all guests with every M•T•O® purchase.

Two additional week long store opening celebrations are slated to follow, starting April 11 at 1819 Fairgrove Church Road, Conover, NC 28613 and in early June at 2387 Springs Road NE Hickory, NC 28601.

Making History in Hickory

Sheetz opens the three new locations on the heels of being named to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For®. Focusing the majority of its 2016 store growth in North Carolina, the one-of-a-kind convenience store chain plans to open more than 10 new stores and hire more than 300 employees in the state this year.

“Sheetz has a great base of loyal customers here in North Carolina and we are thrilled to be a part of the Hickory community,” said Ryan Sheetz AVP of Brand Development. “Our brand is about providing our customers with what they want, how they want it and when they want it, 24/7. We’re excited to invite Hickory to experience this first-hand during our weeklong celebrations and beyond.”


Hickory and Conover will also feel the love through Sheetz’s deep commitment to the communities its stores serve.  Annually since 1992, Sheetz For the Kidz® events have provided more than 85,000 underprivileged children with new toys, clothes and necessities during the holiday season. Sheetz also partners with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, sending over 40 families of seriously ill children on dream vacations to Disney World each year. In addition, every Sheetz location supports the Special Olympics and a local food bank in its area by donating time, food and funds.

About Sheetz, Inc.

Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America’s fastest growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains, with more than $6.9 billion in revenue and more than 17,000 employees. The company operates over 500 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides an award-winning menu of M•T•O® sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through unique touch-screen order point terminals. All Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For more information, visit www.sheetz.com or follow them on Twitter (@sheetz), Facebook (www.facebook.com/sheetz) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/sheetz).

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Blogger Outreach Events

March 31, 2016 By Nate Forant

How to Backup Your Data and Why You Should

How to Backup Your Data and Why You ShouldWhat is a Computer Backup?

It’s World Back Up Day.  A backup is a second copy of all your important files — for example, your family photos, home videos, documents and emails.

Instead of storing it all in one place (like your computer), you keep another copy of everything somewhere safe.

The easiest way to explain it is, a backup is the digital copy of your data saved somewhere that’s not your internal hard drive. So, if you save your pictures to an USB flash drive, that’s a backup. Save your entire collection of funny cat videos to an external hard drive, that’s a backup. Using an online company’s software and servers to save your entire computer, that’s really good backup.

Backing Up Online

The correct question to ask is, why shouldn’t you backup? Fact is, files are precious and we need them on hand for a lot of things. Whether it’s baby’s first steps or a work portfolio template, certain information needs to be secured against loss and damage.

Which is why it exists. So use it, and feel free to kick back knowing even if someone accidentally smashes a hammer into your laptop, the backup is keeping the data all safe and secure.

Sounds like common sense right? Turns out common sense isn’t as common as its namesake. Check out these statistics:

  • 113 phone are stolen every minute of everyday—costing consumers 30 billion every year.
  • 29% of all electronic losses happen by accident
  • 1-in-10 PCs are currently infected with a virus
  • Over 30% of people never backup

To help prevent anything listed above from happening to you, please backup.

Women Backup Up Better Than Men

According to a survey conducted by Airbackup, the fairer sex are fairly better at keeping backups compared to men. The study also concluded that women are better at not losing their electronics, however the survey reviews were taken from personal statements, so take that as you will.

Chromosomes aside, there are things we should all do to ensure there is always an available copy of our data.

We should always endeavor to kick laziness in the butt and regularly backup our files, avoid using smartphones to process our data, and do so on an established routine. Because facts are facts, machines will fail, and when they do, there is usually no bringing them back. Human error is also lurking around the corner, backed up by cronies such as natural disaster, theft and sometimes plain bad luck.

But, it’s not just private citizens that need a way to secure their data, some would say businesses have the real raw and important data, and that stuff needs to be backed up proper before companies start losing customers and respect.

Here is a link to the best online backup services from 2016 by PC mag

So, how do you backup your files? Most people backup their files in one of two ways: to an external hard drive, usb drive, or somewhere on the internet.

Backing Up Online

A simple way to start saving your files to the internet is by using OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive to save the most important things you’re working on right now.

You can save certain files or you can backup the entire computer, which is what I recommend doing.

Different Operating Systems have different ways of backing up your data. Below is the way you would complete this task.

Windows 7

  1. Click the Start button
  2. Type “backup” into the search box
  3.  Click on Backup and Restore.
  4. Choose “Setup Backup”.
  5. When Windows has finished preparing, select your external hard drive and click Next.
  6. Click “Let Windows Choose”and press Next.
  7. Click on “Save settings and run.”

Windows 8

Windows 8 is a little bit different than windows 7.

  1. Open your start screen and start typing “file history settings”.
  2. In the search results panel, tap or click “File History Settings”.
  3. Tap or click “Select a drive”.
  4. Choose your external hard drive from the list.
  5. Click “Turn on”.

Windows will automatically save your files from now on. Make sure you leave your hard drive plugged in – or plug it in often.

MAC OS

  1. Open the  menu (in the top left of your screen) and choose System Preferences.
  2. Click on “Time Machine”.
  3. Click “Select Disk”.
  4. Choose your USB hard drive from the list and select “Use Disk”.

Linux

  1. Open the HUD (click the Ubuntu button in the Dash) and type“Backup”.
  2. Click on the search result “Backup”.
  3. Click on “Just show my backup settings”.
  4. Activate “Automatic backups”.
  5. Choose the location to store your backup on the tab “Storage” (your external drive).
  6. Choose how often to backup on the tab “Schedule”. The more often, the
    better!
  7. Click on “Back Up Now” on the tab “Overview” to start backing up.

Here are a couple of our posts relating to your data and securing your files.

Data Back-Up

Laptop and PC Protection

Recovering From A Virus or Trojan Horse

Will you take the pledge with us.

Today is World Back Up Day 2016 and we challenge everyone to take the pledge.

THE WORLD BACKUP DAY PLEDGE

“I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st.”

We are here to help so don’t hesitate to give us a call at 252-285-9592.

Filed Under: How To Tagged With: Data

March 22, 2016 By Nate Forant

Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast – March

Geek breakfast

You’re invited to join us for a monthly Geek Breakfast, Friday, March 25, from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Southern Bread Bakery & Cafe.

We’re pleased to bring the local tech community together, right here along North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. If you’re interested in technology, blogging, work in the industry or just want to learn what’s going on in the area, come on out and let’s connect.

What’s a Geek Breakfast?

A Geek Breakfast is a monthly community-driven meeting for local (and visiting) technology-minded people. Each month attendees congregate over breakfast foods and plenty of coffee to discuss topics like social media, blogging, digital marketing, design, programming, and ways to better their communities through technology.

Who Can Participate?

Everyone, attendance is free (excluding food, beverage and gratuity).

You’ll meet bloggers, tech lovers, and social media enthusiasts like –

  • Trish, NC Blogger Network’s Chief Blogger in Charge
  • Allie, our Photojournalist, of AMillerFoto
  • Ragan, our Campaign and Event Manager
  • Nate of SOBX Tech
  • Sherry of  Blind. Not Invisible
  • and a bunch of other locals who have a love for social media, tech, etc.

Can we count on you to be there too? It’s fun, informal and a great way to get to know the bloggers and tech-lovers in your community.

Where?

This breakfast will be held at:

Southern Bread Bakery & Cafe
4050 Arendall St
Morehead City, NC 28557

When?

Friday, March 25, from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.

What’s the Hashtag?

The official hashtag for this event is #GeekBreakfastSOBX if you can’t make it but would like to follow along online. Pictures, audio and video should be licensed under Creative Commons and tagged using “CrystalCoastGeekBreakfast” and “GeekBreakfast” and we encourage you to add them to the Geek Breakfast Flickr Group.

What’s Next?

Though registration isn’t required, please take a moment to RSVP the Facebook Page at: Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast – March so we can get a good idea of how many people to expect.

Questions?

For more information, call Trish at (252) 226-0885 or you can post your questions on the Facebook page. We’re looking forward to meeting you, March 25, 2016 and getting some great conversations started!

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast, Tech Tips

March 18, 2016 By Nate Forant

Laptop Comparison For The Consumer

Are you looking for the perfect laptop? Have you been looking for a comparison chart?  The market has gone through some major changes in the past few years.  The models today encompass everything from featherweight, business-savvy ultra-portables that barely weigh 2 lbs, to the behemoth gaming option that could weigh 10 pounds or more.

When people ask us which laptop is best for their needs, the first thing we tell them is that there is no clear answer. There are too many different types of laptops, and different price categories to suit them. However, we do give people a checklist that they should consider before splurging on a new device.

1. Size: If portability is your main concern, then you need to consider a notebook that has a small-ish screen and a light weight. Any laptop marketed as a Ultrabook should fit your bill here, designed to be slim and light. More to the point, though, look for a laptop with a screen that’s 12.5-13.3 inches in size, and a weight that is from 1-1.5kg.

2. Screen quality: You’ll be staring at your laptop for many hours every day, so you want to make sure you get a screen that is comfortable to look at. Many laptops these days also have touchscreens, which means they are glossy. Glossy screens lead to reflections, so consider a laptop that doesn’t have a touchscreen.

Next, look at the resolution. A 1920×1080-pixel resolution (aka Full HD) if you want plenty of space to line up windows and keep things in view. Finally, the viewing angles are extremely important. A laptop screen that touts IPS (in-plane switching) technology offers the widest viewing angles and the best user comfort.

3. Keyboard quality: For long typing sessions, you must get a laptop that has a comfortable keyboard. You don’t want to get a keyboard that packs in every key under the sun (think keyboards that have squished in number pads) because that can translate to a poor overall user experience when hunting for keys like the arrows.

You want a keyboard that has a comfortable layout with full-sized keys and some space around the arrow keys. The keys should have adequate travel on the downstroke and snappy responsiveness when you let them go. Make sure the keyboard is also backlit, so that you can type with an easier view on the keys in dimly lit environments.

As with the screen, it helps to try before you buy, especially if your main task will be typing.

4. CPU: It’s hard to go past any of Intel’s Core-based CPUs when buying a new laptop. Think Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7. These CPUs offer the best performance when it comes to multitasking and multimedia tasks. Core i3-based notebooks are generally found in entry-level systems, while Core i5 makes up the majority of mainstream computers.

Core i7-based systems are for those of you who want the best performance from your laptop. However, note that with a Core i7-based system, heat coming through the base of the laptop can be cause for concern, especially if you plan to actually use the laptop on your lap a lot of the time.

5. RAM: You need 4GB of RAM or more to get the best out of your system. More RAM allows for more applications to run at the same time, and for more data to quickly accessible by the system at any one time, which comes in handy for tasks such as editing photos.

6. Storage: Hard drives used were all the rage, but these days they are mostly out of favour, especially for thin and light laptops. This is because they were slow, somewhat bulky, and produce noticeable heat and noise. A solid state drive (SSD), on the other hand, offers a lot more speed than a hard drive, runs silently, and is installed in a form factor that doesn’t add too much to the weight and bulk of a laptop.

The only problem is that SSDs don’t offer as much capacity. You’ll be stuck with a drive that’s either 128GB or 256GB in size, and even then, laptops with 256GB SSDs are pretty expensive. Stick to a 128GB SSD for your new laptop, and you’ll love the speed with which it can load programs, access your data, and how quickly it can boot up your system (it takes under 7 seconds for some Windows 8 systems).

7. Battery life: Manufacturer-quoted battery life is often not indicative of what a laptop can do, and is based on the many variables that affect battery life. These are the screen brightness, the screen resolution, and the tasks that you run. If you run programs that need lots of processing, or if you stream lots of online video, or if you transfer lots of files over your wireless network, then your battery will drain a lot sooner than what the vendor has quoted.

Look at the rating of the battery in Watt-hours (Wh) or milliamp-hours (mAh). The larger these figures are, the longer the battery can last. For a 13.3in Ultrabook, for example, a battery with a rating from 44Wh to 50Wh will give you the best results.

8. Wireless networking and Bluetooth: This is something that is often overlooked when buying a laptop, but considering that most laptops rely on an Internet connection for the majority of their tasks, it’s an extremely important feature. At the very least, you need a laptop that has a dual-band Wi-Fi adapter. This will allow you to use the laptop with a dual-band router’s 5GHz network, allowing it to work quicker and perhaps segregating it from other devices on your network that use the 2.4GHz network.

For those of you who want the fastest networking, get a laptop with an 802.11ac wireless adapter (some laptops come with an Intel Wireless-AC 7260), which can work with the latest range of 802.11ac routers that have hit the market recently. Using 802.11ac, your file transfer rates will be able to hit speeds over 30 megabytes per second (MBps), and in some cases even approach 40MBs. This is beneficial when you want to transfer video files to your laptop before going on a trip, for example.

Also look for Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth isn’t only handy for connecting to wireless mice and keyboards, it’s also awesome for connecting to a Hi-Fi system wirelessly. We use Bluetooth all the time to play music through a stereo system from our laptop. This is music that’s either stored locally or streamed from Google Play Music or online radio stations while we work.

9. Full-sized SD card: Why would you want a full-sized SD card? Well, if you’re a photographer and you quickly want to get photos off the camera and to your laptop, the SD card slot is the best way to do so. Many modern cameras come with Wi-Fi to facilitate transfers from the camera, but that’s still a fiddly process. Some SD card slots are better than others, too. Look for one in which the card can sit all the way in, rather than a slot that makes the card stick halfway out.

10. USB 3.0: You shouldn’t get a laptop without a USB 3.0 port, and you should look for a laptop that has at least a couple of these ports. This is for obvious reasons such as plugging in an external hard drive to back up your laptop’s data, or for when you want to connect a conventional mouse or a fancy keyboard.

Of course, always want to make sure that you meet your budget.

Laptop Comparison Chart

Best Laptops of 2016

Best Laptops of 2016 options

This is a great comparison to what is out there. Depending on what you need and want. There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right laptop.

If you need help or just have a question, just give us a call at 252-285-9592.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Apple, Microsoft

March 11, 2016 By Nate Forant

Tech News – KeRanger Ransomware Hits OS X

SOBX Tech News

The big news this week for techies and Mac users? KeRanger Ransomware hits OS X. If you own a Mac, we recommend that you back up your system to a flash drive or external hard drive. You can read all the details on these stories and more below.

Every day we scour the Internet for the best stories in tech. As a technology company, we try to keep up to date on everything that is going on.  Quite often we share this tech news on our Facebook page or via our Twitter account. We thought it might be a great idea, for those of you who may have missed those social shares, to read them on our site. So, without further ado, here are 10 stories we thought were tops for the week.

KeRanger Ransomware Hits OS X

1. ‘KeRanger’ Ransomware Hits OS X

2. Microsoft Teams With Rhode Island To Bring Computer Science To Every High School In The State

3. Dell: Cloud, Mobility and Malware Keep Execs Up at Night

4. Toyota Introduces Wearable Device For The Blind

5. Home Depot Sets Aside Millions to Pay for 2014 Breach

6. Facebook Fixes Major ‘Brute Force’ Bug

7. ISIS Data Breach Leaks Recruits’ Details

8. Apple Sets Next Product Unveiling For March 21 — A Day Before Big Court Hearing

9. Cyber Crooks Steal $80 Million from Bangladesh Bank

10. Online Users Are Not Protecting Their Own Security

If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful to our community, we encourage you to add them in the comments below. If you’ve enjoyed this article, please subscribe on our sidebar.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Tech News

March 10, 2016 By Nate Forant

Learn How to Make Social Media Work for You

learning-social-media, social-media-workshops,

Save the date! Small business owners, learn how to make social media work for you. Our friends over at DayngrZone Media recently shared their schedule of FREE upcoming workshops and classes. Learn how you can use social networks to your advantage! These workshops are must-have resources if you’re interested in getting started, or have the desire to learn more about Social Media Marketing and Content Creation. –

  • Facebook For Business – Intermediate (Mar 30)
    • This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to use their page. We’ll review set-up best practices, dive into posting do’s and don’ts, how to use hashtags, social media policies and terms of use, as well as content creation. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry. Additionally, you’ll need to bring a digital copy of your business logo and 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best).
  • Facebook For Business – Advanced (Apr 13)
    • This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to market more effectively. We’ll cover the basics of Facebook Ads, insights, demographics and data mining, content scheduling and creation, along with scheduling features and monitoring tools. Learn how to effectively and efficiently manage your Facebook page and community. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop and Facebook Intermediate Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees will need to have a Business Facebook page already fully set up with 35 or more fans, 5 bright and colorful digital pictures to use for posts and knowledge of Facebook page management basics.
  • Blogging For Business (May 4)
    • Learn why your business should have a blog as part of your website, how to find content to blog about, and how to promote your blog.
  • Website Optimization (May 11)
    • This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in learning more about Website Optimization and SEO, keywords, optimizing your site and your pages.

All workshops and courses take place in the Wayne West Building at:

Carteret Community College
3615 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
  

How to Register for Digital Marketing and Social Media Workshops

To register for upcoming digital marketing and social media classes, click the links in the descriptions above, or visit the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, or call Amber Buster at (252) 222-6361 Wanda W. Bennett at (252) 222-6127.

Be sure to subscribe to DayngrZone Media’s newsletter to receive announcements for upcoming events and offers.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Social Media Workshops

February 29, 2016 By Nate Forant

Privacy Tips for Using Unsecured Networks

macbook privacy

Privacy is very important

 

Access to public computers in libraries is convenient and a great resource for library users.  But before you use the internet, take time to understand the privacy risks and learn how to spot potential problems.   Take a moment to be certain the path ahead is clear and watch for warning signs.  Enjoy the internet with greater confidence, knowing you’ve taken the right steps to safeguard and protect your privacy while using a public computer.

Privacy Tips

Protect Personal Information

Every individual who takes all the possible public WiFi security precautions are going to run across issues from time to time. That’s why it’s imperative to keep your Internet security software installed, up-to-date and running on your machine. The top consumer security software will also offer business protection solutions, so you can protect yourself while you’re out and about, and your servers back at the office, all at the same time.

Practice Security for Privacy

Enable the “Always Use HTTPS” option on websites that you visit frequently, or that require you to enter some kind of credentials. Remember that hackers understand how people reuse passwords. Most websites that require an account or credentials have the “HTTPS” option somewhere in their settings.

Turn off Sharing

When connecting to the Internet at a public place, you’re unlikely to want to share anything. You can turn off sharing from the system preferences or Control Panel, depending on your OS, or let Windows turn it off for you by choosing the “Public” option the first time you connect to a new, unsecured network.

Keep WiFi Off When You Don’t Need It

Even if you haven’t actively connected to a network, the WiFi hardware in your computer is still transmitting data between any network within range. If you’re just using your computer to work on a Word or Excel document, keep your WiFi off.

Use a VPN (virtual private network)

By using a VPN when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you’ll effectively be using a ‘private tunnel’ that encrypts all of your data that passes through the network. This can help to prevent cybercriminals – that are lurking on the network – from intercepting your data.

One recommendation in keeping your network secure. You can purchase your own person WiFi and bring it anywhere.

A couple of software recommendations

  • https://www.malwarebytes.org/
  • http://www.mcafee.com

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email. We are also available in online chat which is located right on our website.

 

 

 

Filed Under: How To Tagged With: Tech Tips

February 12, 2016 By Nate Forant

Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast – February

GeekBreakfastSOBX

Tech and Blogger Enthusiasts,

You’re invited to join us for a monthly Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast, Friday, February 26, from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at The Java Post.

We’re pleased to bring the local tech community together, right here along North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. If you’re interested in technology, blogging, work in the industry or just want to learn what’s going on in the area, come on out and let’s connect.

What’s a Geek Breakfast?

A Geek Breakfast is a monthly community-driven meeting for local (and visiting) technology-minded people. Each month attendees congregate over breakfast foods and plenty of coffee to discuss topics like social media, blogging, digital marketing, design, programming, and ways to better their communities through technology.

Who Can Participate?

Everyone is invited, attendance is free (excluding food, beverage and gratuity).

Who You’ll Meet

You’ll meet bloggers, tech lovers, and social media enthusiasts like –

  • Trish, NC Blogger Network’s Chief Blogger in Charge
  • Allie, our Photojournalist, of AMillerFoto
  • Ragan, our Campaign and Event Manager
  • Nate of SOBX Tech
  • Sherry of  Blind. Not Invisible
  • and a bunch of other locals who have a love for social media, tech, etc.

Can we count on you to be there too? It’s fun, informal and a great way to get to know the bloggers and tech-lovers in your community.

Where?

This breakfast will be held at The Java Post:

The Java Post
207 WB McLean Drive
Cape Carteret, NC. 28584
 

When?

Friday, January 26, from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.

What’s the Hashtag?

The official hashtag for this event is #GeekBreakfastSOBX if you can’t make it but would like to follow along online. Pictures, audio and video should be licensed under Creative Commons and tagged using “CrystalCoastGeekBreakfast” and “GeekBreakfast” and we encourage you to add them to the Geek Breakfast Flickr Group.

What’s Next?

Though registration isn’t required, please take a moment to RSVP the Facebook Page at:Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast – February so we can get a good idea of how many people to expect.

Questions?

For more information, call Trish at (252) 226-0885 or you can post your questions on the Facebook page. We’re looking forward to meeting you, February 29, 2016 and getting some great conversations started!

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast, Tech Tips

February 12, 2016 By Nate Forant

Tech News – Obama Debuts Cybersecurity Action Plan

SOBX Tech News

There is a lot of big news this week for techies. Obama debuts cybersecurity action plan.  This is not a cheap cybersecurity plan.

Part of the plan is a much-needed software patching and updating audit, and more training and recruiting for cybersecurity specialists.

None of this will be cheap, of course—the White House will look for Congress to approve a 35% increase in the cybersecurity budget to secure $19 billion in funding for implementation starting next year. $3 billion of that will be for the IT modernization effort.

You can read all the details on these stories and more below.

Every day we scour the Internet for the best stories in tech. As a technology company, we try to keep up to date on everything that is going on.  Quite often we share this tech news on our Facebook page or via our Twitter account. We thought it might be a great idea, for those of you who may have missed those social shares, to read them on our site. So, without further ado, here are 10 stories we thought were tops for the week.

Obama Debuts Cybersecurity Action Plan

1. TMZ Users Hit with Malvertising Blitz

2. Tech Would Be Better If More Women Designed It

3. Adwind Malware-as-a-Service Platform Hit 400,000 Victims Globally

4. DoJ and DHS Employee Details Exposed in Latest Hack

5. Teen’s Moving Video Makes You Really Think About Cyberbullying

6. Amazon Plans To Compete With Fedex, UPS and Alibaba

7. Obama Debuts $19Bn Cybersecurity National Action Plan

8. Twitter Is Losing Customers And Its Stock Is Plummeting

9. IRS Hack Affects 101,000 Tax Returns

10. Leaky Mobile Apps Expose Personal Info for Millions

If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful to our community, we encourage you to add them in the comments below. If you’ve enjoyed this article, please subscribe on our sidebar.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Tech News

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