Archive for the ‘Tech News’ Category

Apple Brings Mobile Computing to Your Wrist

Posted July 11, 2014 by South City Computer

As many may have already heard, rumors have been going around of Apple producing a smart watch designed to work with iPhone users’ mobile devices. Apple has been very secretive about the specifications of the watch, but various numbers have been thrown out, such as a screen size of up to 2.5″ — the size of the current iPod nano, which can be worn as a watch. This iWatch would differentiate itself though in that it would run a more complete version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS.

Since the watch is said to have waterproof features, it is also expected to have health tracking related features, which would integrate with a health app expected to be included in the upcoming iOS 8.

Contrary to what many Apple fans believe, Apple is not the first company to come up with this idea. In fact, Samsung, Sony, and LG all have smart watches that are already available. All these are, of course, only compatible with Android smartphones, however, watches, such as the Pebble, that do offer iPhone compatibility exist.

This move by Apple indicates a continuous trend that computing is quickly moving away from the Laptop and Desktop, and even away from the smartphone, into devices that integrate right into one’s everyday life.

Local South City Computer repair store is different

Posted July 2, 2014 by South City Computer

The computer repair industry is a 21 billion dollar industry with almost 60,000 businesses that provide computer repair services. The businesses run the gamut of large computer retailers to IT management companies, to the small local computer repair store in your neighborhood, to the guy fixing computers out of his garage for extra cash. So how can you be sure you are going to get the best service at a reasonable price?

Here is what makes South City Computer different than all the rest:

Small local business! South City Computer is a local independently owned and operated computer repair store in south St. Louis City. South City Computer is your neighbor who can help you with your computer issues and support. Sometimes it is nice to see a familiar face, or to be able to ask for somebody you already know and have a comfortable working relationship. You can expect the same great familiar quality service every time. By choosing to do business with South City Computer you are supporting your local community and helping to provide jobs to people who also live in your neighborhood.

Quick turn-around! South City Computer can usually provide same day to next day service if necessary depending on the complexity of the issue. South City Computer can provide agile service because it is a small business. The fastest most stores can service your computer is usually anywhere from a couple weeks to months. South City Computer understands how important a computer can be to your business or everyday life, and that having it out of commission is not a viable option.

Flat rate service menu! Most computer repair services follow the South City Computer flat-rate service menu. You will know how much your computer repair is going to cost you right when you walk through the door. There are no hidden service fees or expenses. You can quickly determine if it is worth the expense to repair the computer issue or is it time to invest in a new computer. The technicians at South City Computer can give you advice to guide you to make the wisest decision.

On-site and remote repair services! South City Computer offers on-site and remote computer repair services. A technician can come to your house or office to diagnose and possibly fix your computer issue. A computer repair and support expert can also connect to your computer remotely to try to diagnose and fix computer issues without you having to unplug anything. This may save you some time and hassle during your computer repair.

Visit the Technology Bar! Ask an expert South City Computer repair technician a question, seek advice, or have them take a look at your computer, laptop, cell phone or other technology at the South City Computer Technology Bar. Get a quick fix, learn something useful, get helpful advice, or discover an answer to your computer technology question. Schedule an appointment today! The South City Computer technology experts can help!

Free PC Checkups! You probably have gone to your doctor for a physical checkup just to make sure you are doing well, think of the Free PC Checkup as exactly the same thing, but for your computer. South City Computer can give your computer a thorough scan for potential issues or threats, and maybe give it a quick tweak to make it run faster and smoother, all that is for FREE!

Technology News! South City Computer is in the “know” when it comes to technology. South City Computer offers updates and alerts on the latest viruses, trojans, ransomware, spyware threats, as well as computer tips, computer software recommendations reviews, smartphone app recommendations and reviews, computer repair resources, and other interesting tech news from around the world syndicated on the website, in an email newsletter, and on Facebook and Twitter. All this is for FREE!

South City Computer strives to be different than the rest by offering you more value and better friendlier service. South City Computer is your friendly neighbor that can help you with your computer needs. You will recognize the difference immediately when you choose South City Computer.

#TBT 5 1/4″ Floppy Diskette

Posted June 26, 2014 by South City Computer

5 1/4" Floppy Disk Do you remember the 5 1/4 inch floppy disk? The 5 1/4″ Floppy Diskette had a “whopping” 1.2 MegaBytes of storage space. That is probably not enough space to store 1 image from your digital camera or smart phone these days, but back in the day these disks used to store entire software applications. It would take nearly 2084 of these 5 1/4″ floppy disks to install Windows 7 on a computer.

Tips for Increasing Laptop Battery Life

Posted June 17, 2014 by South City Computer

Imagine a laptop battery that lasted for days or weeks instead of just hours. Over the past few years, scientists have been working on a Lithium sulphur graphene battery that could last more than twice as long as a Lithium Ion “Li-ion” battery (the type of battery in most modern day laptops and cell phones). Most Li-ion batteries have between 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles. The Lithium sulphur graphene batteries are able to go through over 1500 charge cycles without deterioration. Improved battery technology is at an ever increasing demand by car companies like Tesla, as the electric car is becoming closer to an everyday reality of modern life. Experts claim these batteries could enable electric vehicles to travel with a range of more than 300 miles on a single charge. These batteries are still at an early stage in development, and the cost and use of these batteries is still unknown. So for now we are stuck with the Li-ion battery.

Probably everyone would like to have a laptop battery that lasts forever. Unfortunately this is not currently possible with modern day Li-ion battery technology. However with some simple care and maitenance you can buy some extra time out of your laptop battery.

NOTICE: These are only recommendations, you should always use the manufacturers recommended care and use for your Li-ion battery.

KEEP IT COOL

Temperature plays a huge role in the lifetime of a laptop batter. Always keep the battery at a normal moderate room temperature. Never allow the battery get too cold. Do not ever charge a laptop battery if the computer reaches a temperature below freezing. Only charge at moderate temperatures. Some batteries accept charge below freezing but at a much-reduced charge current. The battery performance decreases with cold temperature and increases with heat, however shortens life by a factor of two for every 10°C increase above 25–30°C (18°F above 77–86°F). So while the battery will perform better when warm, a battery lives longer when kept at a moderate room temperature.

TURN IT OFF

If possible turn off your laptop while charging. This allows the battery to reach the threshold voltage unhindered and reflects the correct saturation current responsible to terminate the charge. Running the laptop while charging can confuse the charger and the battery will never actually reach the recommended maximum charge.

PULL IT OUT

If you are going to have the laptop plugged into the wall for extended periods of time remove the fully or partially charged battery from the computer and put it into storage. Never remove the battery from the computer if it is not at least partially charged. Be sure to store the battery in a cool dry place. Never store a laptop battery in a refrigerator since this can cause condensation and ruin the battery.

SLIM IT DOWN

Be sure to dim the screen. The screen is the largest drain of the battery in most laptop computers.

Slim-down the processes on the computer. Avoid extraneous programs from running, and stop updates from running. Also avoid processor intensive processes such as movies and games.

Shutoff or remove any hardware that is not being used. Also disconnect any USB hard drives and USB peripherals such as wireless mouse, or a wifi antenna.

PARTIAL CHARGE AND DISCHARGE

Lithium-ion batteries do not actually need to be fully charged. It is actually better to only do a partial charge. It is better not to fully charge the laptop battery, because high voltages stress the battery. Choosing a lower voltage threshold, or eliminating the saturation charge altogether, prolongs battery life however this reduces the runtime. However since most people want maximum runtime, most chargers go for maximum capacity rather than extended service life.

Li-ion should never be discharged too low, and there are several safeguards to prevent this from happening in most laptops. Most laptops cut off when the battery discharges to about 3.0V/cell, stopping the current flow. If the discharge continues to about 2.70V/cell or lower, the laptop battery’s protection circuit puts the battery into a sleep mode. This renders the pack unserviceable and a recharge with most chargers will no longer be possible. To prevent a battery from falling asleep, apply a partial charge before a long storage period.

Battery manufacturers ship batteries with about 40 percent charge. The low charge state reduces aging-related stress while allowing some self-discharge during storage. To minimize the current flow for the protection circuit before the battery is sold, advanced Li-ion packs feature a sleep mode that disables the protection circuit until activated by a brief charge or discharge. Once engaged, the battery remains operational and the on state can no longer be switched back to the standby mode.

Do not recharge lithium-ion if a cell has stayed at or below 1.5V for more than a week. Copper shunts may have formed inside the cells that can lead to a partial or total electrical short. If recharged, the cells might become unstable, causing excessive heat or showing other anomalies. Li-ion packs that have been under stress are more sensitive to mechanical abuse, such as vibration, dropping and exposure to heat.

These are just a few helpful tips you can use to try to extend your laptop battery lifetime. Always follow the manufactures recommended care and use for your Li-ion battery. If you are experiencing issues with your laptop battery or cell phone battery, it may be time to have it checked by a computer repair and laptop repair store. Bring it to South City Computer to have an expert computer service technician diagnose your laptop or cell battery today.

Better Wi-Fi without a new router

Posted June 9, 2014 by South City Computer

Wifi not working As Wi-Fi in the home has become more and more commonplace, router manufacturers have continued to make their home products better and simpler. However, you may still find yourself in a situation of frustration because of your Wi-Fi’s seeming rebellion to your wishes.

Wi-Fi isn’t quite how router manufacturers portray it. It’s not some force-field that engulfs and fills your house as soon as you plug the router in. Rather, it uses radio waves, just like a plain old radio does. The difference is that Wi-Fi works on a frequency of 2.5 or 5 gigahertz, and FM radio between 80 and 100 megaherts (depending on the station). The point of this is to keep your Wi-Fi from messing up your radio and vice versa.

There are other things that do operate within the frequency band of Wi-Fi, though, including microwave ovens. When devices like this introduce interference, your devices will stay connected to the network, but the speed will drop dramatically.

If you think you’re not getting all that you should out of your Wi-Fi, or if you’re suffering from random disconnects and service outages, you should consult one of the experts at South City Computer. Located in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood, one of our technicians will visit you on site to find you the perfect physical configuration, program your router to minimize interference, and educate you on how to use your home network to it’s fullest capabilities.

Give us a call today!

Mother’s Day Special

Posted May 8, 2014 by South City Computer

Upgrade Mom's Computer for Mother's Day
Is your mom still using a Windows XP computer? Ivanhoe Computers is offering an affordable Windows 7 Lenovo ThinkCentre M57 desktop computer that your mom can upgrade to this Mother’s Day.

Lenovo-M58

Going for a little over $200, these units are a cost effective quick and easy solution. They run Windows 7, so if you’re mom is already using Windows XP or Vista, she’ll be greeted with the same familiar interface (just with the colors tweaked a bit). These great computers are in stock, no ordering, no waiting in line – just drop by and say you want one (while supplies last)!

These refurbished units have been verified to be in excellent condition by the same staff you’ll meet when you come in.

$224.99

Tech Specs:

CPU:

Model: Intel Core 2 Duo E4600
Number of Cores: 2
Clock Speed: 2.40 GHz

Memory (RAM):

Amount Present: 2.0GB
Number of Installed Modules: 2
Total Number of Slots: 4

Storage:

Hard Drive Model: Seagate ATA ST3160310CS
Storage Connection Type: SATA
Number of Connectors: 2
Removable Storage: CD/DVD RW Drive

Ports and Connections

USB: 2 Front, Six Rear
Display: 1 VGA
Serial/Parallel: One DE-9, One DB-25 (Printer)
Storage: 2 Internal SATA Connectors, 1 rear eSATA
Audio: Front: microphone and headphone jack; rear: micrphone, line in, and line out
Network: Gigabit Ethernet

Expansion Ports

One PCI and one PCIe

Stop by the store if you need additional technical details.

Is it time to TOTAL your computer?

Posted April 28, 2014 by South City Computer

Is it time to say goodbye to your computer? Depending on the age and value of a computer, sometimes a repair is just not worth it. Many people buy cheap bargain computers from retailers like Best-Buy, Micro-Center, or OfficeMax. While these computers may have come at a seemingly great deal, eventually you might have to ask yourself; “Is this computer worth the cost of the repair?” Computers can be totaled just like a car after an accident or major malfunction. At some point most computers will experience a hardware or software malfunction where the repair cost could exceed the actual value of the computer. Many people who come into South City Computer for our expert computer repair services want to know if they should move forward with the cost of the repair, or if they should just total their computer and look at a new computer purchase.

5 of the most common issues that total a computer

Motherboard

Most computers can be considered “totaled” if the motherboard starts to malfunction. This can be caused for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is the capacitors on the motherboard will begin to bulge and leak. This is not an easy repair, and will most likely require the entire motherboard to be replaced on the computer. Think of the motherboard like the engine in your car, usually if your engine locks up or seriously malfunctions, you would probably not pay to replace the engine and would seek to purchase another car.

Broken/Shattered Screen

While it seems silly to throw away a laptop just because the screen is shattered or goes dark, usually the price of repairing a screen is more than just putting that money toward a replacement laptop computer. A replacement screen will vary depending on the computer. The cost of the labor to replace a screen, while reasonable, can make the cost of the repair more than the value of the computer.

Viruses and Rootkits

On older computers having viruses and/or a rootkit is almost a fact of life. A computer that is infected with viruses and/or a rootkit is usually repairable, but if the computer is old this service may be too costly to invest in an old computer. You can usually determine whether your computer is too old for this repair by looking at the version of Windows running on it. If it is at least 2 versions behind, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on a total operating system repair.

Broken or Failing Power Jack

The point where the computer attaches to the power supply, known as the DC jack, sometimes becomes a point of failure on a laptop computer. On most laptops the DC jack is usually connected directly to the motherboard and the force and movement exerted from plugging and unplugging the power supply usually breaks this off of the motherboard. You may notice the power jack wiggles around when it plugs in, and may turn off and on when the computer is moved. There usually is no easy fix for this, and will cause the entire motherboard to need to be replaced.

Broken/Dead Hard Drive

No Operating System Found? Eventually the hard drive on your computer may die. Unfortunately on almost all newer computers the Windows recovery partition is included on the hard drive, and becomes un-recoverable after the hard drive dies. Windows 8 computers do not even have a license key on the outside of the computer anymore, and if the hard drive dies, you have to pay to replace the hard drive and re-purchase Windows 8.

A replacement hard drive will vary in price based on the size and speed of the hard drive. The real cost comes into the cost of the replacement Windows operating system and the time it takes to re-install and re-setup the Windows operating system.

Some older computers have a recovery CD that comes with the computer or can be ordered from the computer manufacturer. These CD’s are usually not too costly, but can take time to get. Since time is money you may have to consider is the computer worth the wait or should you just purchase a replacement.

Ultimately there is no one size fits all way to figure out if your computer should be totaled, or incur the cost of a repair. Essentially it is based on the value you place on your computer.

If you are unsure of whether or not your computer should be totaled or repaired, bring it in to South City Computer for expert honest computer repair advice. We can give you an estimate of what your computer is worth based on market value, and let you know about what the repair cost is that your will incur on the computer.

Heartbleed Bug still a threat

Posted April 19, 2014 by South City Computer

The “Heartbleed Bug,” officially know as CVE-2014-0160, is one of the most far reaching vulnerabilities ever discovered. It allows a hacker to break the encryption on webpages, and steal personal information such as credit card numbers, but more importantly passwords.

When you connect to a secure website, the website uses something know as SSL to encrypt your connection. By doing this, all the data that’s sent between you and the website is meaningless to anyone except those who have the decryption key, i.e., you and the website. One of the features of SSL is that it uses a “heartbeat signal” that is repetitively sent between you and the website to confirm that you are still connected to the real thing. Your computer sends the website a special packet of data, and the website responds with another special packet. Heartbleed exploits a vulnerability in the OpenSSL brand of SSL that allows a hacker to create an abnormal heartbeat packet, which, when sent to the server, will get it to respond with the decryption key. Once the hacker has this key, he can use it to decode all your communications with the website and get more information, like your password.

Not all websites were vulnerable to Heartbleed, but most were. These include Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and many more. Even though all major websites, and most small ones, have patched the bug by now, any information that you sent before it was patched could have been stolen.

This is why it’s extremely important that you change your password for all of the online services that you use. A hacker could have stolen your password before the bug was fixed, and has just not used it yet. Keep in mind that this must be done after the site you’re using has fixed the bug. If they haven’t fixed it, then you make your new password vulnerable too. All major websites (Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) have fixed it, but when working with a smaller website, like a corporate intranet for example, you should check with the administrator to make sure first.

Support for Windows XP Ends in Less Than a Month

Posted March 14, 2014 by South City Computer

Microsoft released Windows XP in 2001, and it was arguably the most popular Windows operating system ever. In fact, it still is extremely popular. 11% of people who are visiting web applications still use Windows XP. Unfortunately, Windows XP is about to be put out of support by Microsoft.

“Out of support” can be kind of a vague description of what is actually happening. Microsoft ending support means that no more software compatible with XP will be released, and none of the software you have installed will recieve updates. These updates include critical security patches that protect your computer from viruses. When these updates stop being issued, more and more vulnerabilities will be discovered, but will never be corrected.

This is why it is important to upgrade your system. With support ending next month, it is critical that you do this as soon as possible!

You have two options when it comes to upgrading.

Purchase a new PC
If your computer still runs Windows XP, it may be time just to replace it. South City Computer can offer you help in finding a new computer suitable for your needs. We can also transfer your personal files from your old computer to a new one so that you don’t lose anything in the process.
Upgrade your current computer’s software
Some computers that currently run Windows XP are capable of running a newer version of Windows. These computers are generally ones that were extra powerful when initially purchased, or computers that were purchased towards the end of the Windows XP era. If you’re wondering whether or not your computer can be upgraded, just give us a call or drop by our store in the St. Louis City Lindenwood Park neighborhood.

Some other Windows End of Support dates to consider:
Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows Vista on April 10, 2012. Microsoft will end mainstream support for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015. Also Microsoft Windows Vista end of extended support will end April 11, 2017. Learn more about the end of Windows lifecycle here.

There are bigger and better things than Windows XP today. So, this is the end. If you’ve stuck with XP until now, you need to get upgraded. Because, trust me, you don’t want to be there when support ends.

Is your computer dirtier than your toilet?

Posted February 24, 2014 by South City Computer

Chances are, the answer is yes.

Your keyboard and mouse may be dirtier than you think. In fact try to think back to the last time you cleaned your computer. Judging by the looks of the computers that come into the repair shop here in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood, there’s a good chance you haven’t ever cleaned your computer.

Even if you’re the only one who uses your computer, it is comparable in dirtiness to a public toilet. Anything you touch will get transmitted to the computer, and stored there on the keyboard for the next time you use it. The truth of the matter is that any disease you could catch from dirty toilet you can catch from your computer. The problem is that people just don’t think of their computer as something that would get dirty. After all, it is made of hard plastic that seems to be impermiable. Often, your keyboard isn’t visibly dirty. As a result, computers get cleaned much less often than toilets, making them prime for catching diseases from. In addition, most people don’t wash their hands after using the computer, meaning the germs you get off your computer stay on your hands.

So, yes, you can get a cold or even the flu from using a dirty keyboard or mouse.

So, here’s how to clean your computer.

Turn off your computer
Power off your computer so you can freely clean the keyboard keys without causing things to happen. Turning off will also prevent electrical damage should you use too much liquid.
Use a soft, damp cloth
Make sure the cloth that you use to wipe down the computer is soft and free from particles that might scratch the computer’s body or screen. Get the cloth just damp enought to effectively wipe away dirt without getting the computer overly wet.
Use a disenfecting cleaner.
Use a disenfectant like alcohol or a cleaning product that kills germs to clean your computer.
Don’t use solvents or harsh chemicals
These can cause discoloration to the body of the computer or even start to dissolve it.
Clean it often
Cleaning your computer before and after every use is ideal.

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