The company also known as a verb for the word “searching” on the internet is now delivering a web browser to compete with the likes of Microsoft, Mozilla, Apple, & Opera. On Monday, September 2nd, tech blogs reported about a leaked virtual comic book describing the reasoning behind Google’s foray into the web browsing software market. By Tuesday evening, computer users were able to test drive the new browser, titled Google Chrome.

Chrome is delivered as a beta product, which means it isn’t quite finished, but like most Google products that are released as beta, it is surprisingly stable and polished. Chrome is also distributed as an open source project, which means that the underlying code for the browser is freely available to download, and you can make any changes you want to the code and totally recreate the browser - as long as you too share the code you add or alter. The underlying rendering engine is the same engine as used by Apple’s Safari, which is called Webkit. It is this rendering engine that contributes to its amazingly fast page loading capabilities. It also handles javascript quickly, which makes web based applications work quickly. So how does it compare to the other browsers out there?

Well, I’m currently typing and posting this article using Google Chrome, and so far I am impressed. It is very clean and simple in design, but has some innovative and powerful features. I personally like the dynamic tabs, which let you drag a tabbed window out of the application to create a new window, and even add it to another existing window. If you have multiple monitors, this is pretty neat. The way Chrome handles download is also pretty cool - it puts them at the bottom of the page and has a button that lets you choose what you want to do with the downloaded file. How does it compare to my favorite browser, Mozilla’s Firefox? It currently is missing the main feature that makes Firefox so great - and that is the thousands of useful add-ons that let you customize it to do exactly what you want it to do. I do like it better than Safari on Windows, but since Chrome is not yet available for the Mac, it is hard to compare. Safari shines on a Mac, but is awkward on a PC because it neglects the Windows design standards set in place and tries to look like an OS X application instead of a Windows one. I have not used Opera in a long time (except on Nintendo’s Wii Console), and honestly have not had a reason to revisit it ever since Firefox came out, so unfortunately I really have no opinion on it. As far as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is concerned, I still think it is the worst browser ever written. Microsoft is hard at work on Internet Explorer 8, and has just released a public beta version to try out. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from version 7, and from the screenshots it looks like more of the same. The reviews for IE 8 have been quite positive though, so it might be worth a try. But lets be honest, it took me less than 1 minute to download and install Chrome. With Internet Explorer, you’d better have a good 20 minutes to get it up and running.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for this sleek and fast browser. More standards driven web browsers out there means that more websites will be forced to work on different kinds of computers and internet devices, and that is a very good thing.

This morning I had the unpleasant surprise of firing up my media center computer (a Mac Mini I have hooked up to the family TV that stores videos, music, and pictures) only to have it freeze and then not successfully power back up. After some quick diagnostics, I realized the internal hard drive (where the operating system, programs, and data are stored) had read its last bit. In other words, it died. When I woke up, I thought I would have a computer-problem-free Sunday to sit around and watch movies and the Olympics with the kids all day. Luckily, I was able to quickly return to the day of rest because I regularly back up my computer. Being a computer technician also helps as I had all the tools and a spare hard drive to quickly fix the computer, but for the average non-technical person, the most important thing in this situation is the data backup. Here are some easy ways to backup your computer to be prepared for the inevitable bout of data loss that every computer user will have to deal with at some time or another.

First of all, you need something to backup to. In the old days, people used floppy disks and magnetic tape to back up. These were slow and unstable, hence a lot of bad back-up habits were born. With the introduction of writable CD’s and eventually DVD’s, the act of backing up remained unchanged, as the process was slow and for a lot of people, too complicated. The biggest issue with these older back-up methods is that they require you to remember to do it! That is why I prefer an automated system. There are two main types of media that an automated method works well with.

The first type of media I want to discuss is an external hard drive. These are relatively inexpensive - for about $100.00 you can get 500GB of disk space to back-up to. These are really easy to install - they do not require any special software to work - you just plug in the USB cable to your PC or Mac and the computer should recognize it automatically. The only difficult part is picking a backup method to move your data to the hard drive.

If you’re running a Mac that has OS X version 10.5, you will have the easiest possible back-up software ever written built right in. It is called Time Machine, and it is so easy to set up that when you plug in a new external hard drive, the computer asks you if you want to use it for backing up. If you say yes, then you are done. As long as you have the disk plugged in, the computer will automatically periodically back up your Mac without any further interaction. For older Macs, there is a great free program called SilverKeeper, which will let you set up scheduled back-ups, but it takes a little setup and testing to make sure it is working.

For Windows-based PC’s, you have a plethora of options. In Windows XP, you can use the built-in back-up program. Microsoft has a great article on their website on how to make use of their back-up solution. Windows Vista has an even more user-friendly back-up program - you can read about the features here, and you can take it a step further by checking out this in-depth guide to using the Backup and Restore Center in Windows Vista. On my Windows based systems, I prefer to make image based backups of the whole computer hard drive. What this does is create a complete copy of the whole hard drive, so that if a hard drive fails, I can replace the physical hard drive and restore the image to the new drive. This saves me hours of time because I don’t have to install Windows or any programs first, once I restore the image to the drive, I’m back in business. I used to use a program from Norton called Ghost, but like most of their software, I believe it is now a waste of space on my computer. I have found a much cheaper and quicker program that I love from Paragon called Drive Backup. For $40.00, this program is well worth the price and is quite reliable. It comes with a program that creates a bootable CD, so that in the event of a failed hard drive, you can boot off of the CD and run the program to restore you backed up hard drive image to a new drive. Like the built-in backup programs in Windows, it lets you set a schedule to automatically backup your computer.

The other type of “media” I want to talk about is online backup solutions. There are a bunch of companies out there that do the same thing, but you really need to ask yourself who you would trust with your most sensitive data. I personally trust EMC, who have been in the computer information management business since 1979. Their product, called Mozy, is affordable and painless to set up. It also works on Windows PC’s as well as Apple computers. The way it works is that you you set up what data you want to back up, and it works in the background encrypting and then uploading your data over the internet to their remote backup servers. It does require you to have a high-speed internet connection to work, and in the event of data restoration, you will have to add the amount of time it takes to download all of your data to the time it will take to get you back up and running. Still, in the event of a disaster such as a fire or a tornado, nothing beats having an off-site data backup solution in place to ensure that your data is safe.

The best practice is to use both the external hard drive backup and the online backup solutions to cover any disaster that comes your way. In the event of a hardware failure, a hard drive backup will get you back in business very quickly. In the event of a disaster, an off-site online backup will ensure that you won’t lose your important data.

As we cross the hump of summer and head back into the school season, a lot of college goers and even high school and grade school students will have to “gear up” for the academic year. I frequently get asked to help out individuals and businesses alike to choose the right machine for the job at hand. So this year, I’m going to compile a list of suggestions that I think will be suitable for educational purposes.

There are a couple of trends that parents will have to cope with and accept. Modern youngsters depend on their computers for everything. Therefore, their needs are a bit higher than the average business computer. The current generation of techno-enabled scholars don’t watch TV (with the exception of live sporting events). They use video sites like Hulu.com, Youtube.com, and even the network TV channel’s respective websites to stream TV shows. They also download them either legally though iTunes and Amazon.com, or not-so-legally through sites like thepiratebay.org. They take thousands of pictures and store them on their computer and/or cell phone. They have digital music libraries that make your CD or Vinyl collection look quite minuscule. They also read digital books on their computers and iPods. So when it is time to buy that new computer for junior, you’ll want one that will be future proof without breaking the bank (and by future proof, I mean 3-4 years).

The first machine I want to talk about is the Apple MacBook. As of this writing, the Apple rumor sites are flooded with rumors of new versions of Apple’s laptop offerings within the next month or so. If you have time to wait around for that to happen, then you might want to skip this. Otherwise, the current lineup of MacBooks have been around for a while and the design is tried and true.

There are multiple price points for the MacBook. For the average student, the mid-grade priced MacBook, priced at $1,199.00 for students is the way to go. I would upgrade the hard drive to the 250GB option for an extra $90.00 and add the AppleCare extended warranty to the package for another $183.00. AppleCare will ensure that your child’s laptop will be free from defects for 3 years, which is a must, as well as access to Apple’s phone support techs. Unfortunately, Apple does not offer any accidental damage plan, but you may want to look into insurance to cover drops and theft. Apple is also currently running a promotion for students to receive a free 8GB iPod Touch or Nano with the purchase of a laptop. That is a $300.00 value!

Total price before tax for this configuration: $1,472.00

There are a couple of Dell laptops I currently favor. The first one is the new kid in the Dell line-up called the Studio 15. The base model is very attractive and almost fully-loaded. The only customizations I would make are to bump the processor up to the Intel Core 2 Duo T5850 2.16 GHz model for $50.00 and add a spare AC adapter for $26.00. This machine includes a 1 year warranty, but with students, it is wise to invest in a good warranty. The 3 year warranty is an added $190.00, and includes 24×7 phone support. Dell fortunately offers accidental damage and theft protection for another $119.00 on top of the extended warranty.

Total price before tax for this configuration: $1,184.00

The next Dell I like is aimed at the budget-conscious student. I’ll skip the extended warranties on this one to keep the price as low as possible. This laptop is actually only available through the business store, so you will have to state the name of your business when checking out. They don’t require any type of proof that you are a business and will deliver to a residential address, so don’t worry if you don’t think you qualify to order from this section of their website.

The Dell Vostro 1000 is a no-frills workhorse that has a base price of $399.00. I wouldn’t recommend it at that configuration though, so here is what you need to add to it when you choose the customize button on their website: First, change the processor to the AMD AthlonTM 64 X2 Dual Core processor TK-57 for $25.00. Second, change the operating system to Vista Home premium for 29.00. Next, change the memory to 2GB of RAM for $25.00. Then, you’ll want to select the 120GB hard drive option for $15.00. You will also have to choose the 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double-layer DVD+R Write Capability optical drive for $15.00. Finally, select the 6-cell battery for $50, because a 4 cell battery will barely make it through a lecture. It sounds like we added a lot, but the price is still half of the other laptops I’ve suggested.

Total price before tax for this configuration: $558.00

You will notice that there are no desktops in the above computer recommendations. The reason is that you can’t fit your desktop rig into your backpack to take notes during class. I understand the reasoning of why a lot of parents don’t want their kids to use laptops at college, but it is pretty much a necessity to have a laptop at college these days, so if you are buying a new computer for your child, don’t make him or her suffer!

The next item I would suggest is a good old laptop sleeve. These are usually made out of a good protective fabric such as neoprene and truly assist in transport of laptops from class to class in addition to a good laptop-ready backpack. You can find these at anyplace that sells laptops cases. My absolute favorite is from Waterfield Designs. They run about $40.00 and last forever.

As for laptop bags, I like the swiss army bags you see at Best Buy for about $50. For the more fashion conscious, Crumpler is the way to go, but it will cost a bit more.

Another necessity is printing. There are plenty of options available, and you will have to talk to your student about their needs. If they will only need to print out black and white text documents like reports and such, a good laser printer will save a lot of money over the course of the school year as the toner yield a lot more printed pages for your dollar. You can get an HP LaserJet P1005 CB410A from Newegg.com for $49.99 plus $9.99 in shipping. The toner is also $49.99, but it is rated at 1,500 pages. That should last them through the school year and then some.

If they need color, and the ability to scan or copy, there are plenty of multifunction options out there. The HP Photosmart C5280 Q8330A is a popular item that offers color printing, scanning, and copying. The ink will cost about $60.00 for both the black and color high-yield cartridges and will get you about 750 pages.

A great item to consider is the iPod Touch, which makes a great PDA, and comes with the MacBook if you are a student. This is a great alternative to use as a to-do pad as well as listen to audio-books and run a scientific calculator. An iPhone is an even better investment if it is within the budget, as you child will have access to email and the internet even when not within range of a wi-fi network. There are cheaper smart phones such as the Palm Centro, which will do most of the same things as an iPhone, and the Blackberry Pearl or Curve is also very useful for today’s student.

The final thing to consider is a laptop lock. It is basically like a bicycle chain for you laptop, and will help deter a casual thief from taking advantage of an unwatched laptop.

Hopefully these suggestions will help get your back-to-school computer shopping done quickly and with a piece of mind that you made a good choice. Now go to the beach and enjoy the rest of the summer!

***Please keep in mind that prices and availability of all of these items are subject to change at any moment***

On Saturday, July 26th 2008 Apple opened their very first retail store in all of South Carolina. Apple obsessed fans started lining up the night before to be the first to take in the simplicity of Apple’s retail presence.

Photo by khawkins04

You can also check out the Post & Courier’s article and watch a video of the event created by former Charleston Tech Support technician Geoff Marshall.

I think having an official Apple store here in Charleston will help the rapidly growing population of Apple users in the low country continue to grow and flourish. Don’t forget that Best Buy in North Charleston also sells Apple computers and accessories, but to anybody in the know, it is just not the same as going to an actual Apple Store.

After evaluating the current pricing for technical services in the Charleston, SC area and comparing them with my local and nationwide competition, I have come to an increase of $10 an hour starting on July 1st, 2008 to make the rate $85.00 an hour. It was a tough decision, but with the cost of doing business and the cost of living increasing so much this year, I was left with no other choice. I am happy to report that Charleston Tech Support is still one of the most affordable technical support solutions with no hidden fees and no product up-selling. More importantly, Charleston Tech Support has resolved thousands of service calls for the Charleston area since I started the business three years ago, and through that service I have met a lot of great and inspiring people as well as made some excellent friends.

As I look to the future of Charleston Tech Support, I hope to keep that number of satisfied customers growing, and I am excited about the friendships that await! I hope you have a great summer.

Joseph Nienstedt
Owner
Charleston Tech Support

Let’s all help the best web browser in the world break a Guinness World Record on June 17th, 2008. Head on over to spreadfirefox.com (or click on the graphic above) to pledge to download the software, and don’t forget to go back on Tuesday to get it! If you just can’t wait to try out the latest version of Firefox, go here to download the latest release candidate.

Well, the day has finally come for anybody who has been paying attention to the gadget world. Apple announced the iPhone 3G at their world-wide developer conference today. Here is a quick summary of what is new in the iPhone 3G:

Twice the speed? The 3G in iPhone 3G means that you now have 3G data network access which offers 2x the data speeds of the current EDGE network. But, this means nothing to us Charlestonians - you would have to go to Myrtle Beach or Columbia because the 3G network is not offered in our area. Check the AT&T Coverage map.

Half the Price? Not really though. AT&T rained all over the Apple parade today stating that the iPhone 3G pricing plans will fall in line with the rest of their phones. In other words, you will be paying $10.00 more than current iPhone owners for your monthly plan. You do the math - over a 2 year period the iPhone 3G is the same price as the original.

True GPS. The old one used cell tower information and known WiFi hotspots to estimate your position (and it works really well), but now the iPhone can find your exact location as well as geotag photos taken from its camera. It looks like my favorite GPS maker, TomTom is ready to release its version of their GPS software on the iPhone, which is huge deal!

Slightly different case design - from the front it looks the same, but the back is now all plastic and a little more curvy. They went with plastic to help boost the radio signals, and they went curvy to compensate for the slightly thicker body that houses that extra 3G radio.

White! There is a rather feminine looking white 16GB model available now. I think we will eventually see a range of different iPhone colors in the future, but for now it is just black or white.

No more recessed headphone jack. You will no longer need an adapter for non-Apple headphones for the iPhone 3G.

Improved audio quality all around. I don’t have any complaints about the audio quality of the current iPhone’s iPod feature, but the phone’s audio quality is nothing to brag about. I use a Jawbone Bluetooth headset during work hours, and the difference is amazing when compared to using the phone without it - the current iPhone’s built-in phone audio stinks (but sounds fine with the headphones or a Bluetooth device).

It will ship with the iPhone 2.0 software. Current iPhone owners will get the same software as a free update in July when the new iPhone ships. iPod Touch owners can get the new software as well, but will have to pay $9.95 for it.

Overall, you can see that current iPhone users in the Charleston area would be silly to upgrade, as AT&T is way behind other carriers in their 3G network roll-out and the biggest difference between the old and new iPhones is the faster network access. The other updates are nice, but in no way warrant a higher monthly bill. I would wait until AT&T gets their act together before even considering upgrading your existing iPhone. Apple was very smart to make the iPhone a software platform, because current iPhones will run the exact same software as the new ones. That means you will not have to worry about feeling like your phone is out-dated. Kudos to Apple for making a truly smart phone.

As for people wanting to buy an iPhone for the first time, I say go ahead and get one after they are released on July 11th. The first version of the iPhone already saw a hardware revision when they released the 16GB version, and the new one has surely ironed out most of the bugs of the first generation. I have used numerous Blackberry devices, Palm Treos, and Windows Mobile devices, and for the average person who wants a phone that does more than just make a phone call, than the iPhone is the king of simplicity, elegance, and usability. And with the coming of the App Store in the iPhone 2.0 software upgrade, the usability will be enhanced by thousands of third-party applications and games.

Apple also announce the upgrade of their outdated .Mac service. It will now be branded as “MobileMe“, and Apple has registered me.com to host it’s shiny new internet service. You will basically get everything .Mac had to offer before, but now iPhone and iPod Touch users will get wireless syncing with their computers. Anyone who has used a Blackberry in a corporate environment with a Blackberry Enterprise Server knows how great mobile synchronization is. Basically, you get your email instantly, and your Calendar and Address Book changes get synced almost instantly between your phone and computer. At $99.00 a year, the once over-priced .Mac service is a steal as MobileMe. Click here to see all of the features of the service, and also check out the guided tour.

Some roses from Amy’s rose bush. Happy Mother’s Day to all the great moms out there!

Internet payment giant PayPal (which is who we use here at Charleston Tech Support to process credit card payments) has said it will block “unsafe browsers” from using its service as part of wider anti-phishing efforts.

According to this article at the BBC, Paypal said it was “an alarming fact that there is a significant set of users who use very old and vulnerable browsers such as Internet Explorer 4″. Paypal said some users were still using Internet Explorer 3 , released more than 10 years ago. It lacks many of the security and safety features needed to protect users from phishing and other online attacks.

As explained in Wikipedia, phishing is an attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. eBay, PayPal and online banks are common targets.

Paypal said customers will first be warned that a browser is unsafe but could then be blocked if they continue using it.

What should you do? Well according to PayPal, you should be using the latest version of Internet Explorer because it supports EV SSL certificates, while Firefox 2 supports it with an add-on but Apple’s Safari browser for Mac and PCs does not. I personally think that any version of Internet Explorer is absolute garbage, you are better off with FireFox. If you would like to install the EV SSL plugin from Verisign, you can get it here.. The next version of FireFox, version 3, will have this built in, as well as Opera 9.5.

“Will you take the train or bus to work? Start washing your laundry in cold water? Just turn off a few more lights?”

Internet search giant Google is promoting Earth Day ‘08 by asking people from around the globe to pledge to do something green for this year’s Earth Day on April 22nd. They have also used the promotion to advertise a cool new feature of Google’s called Google Transit, which helps you plan trips using public transportation.

What was my pledge? I’m planning to finish converting the lights in my home to energy efficient ones!