Technology Bytes

Getting ready to move!

April 5, 2009 by Peter Kokinda

It’s hard to believe we’ve been in South Natick for 4 years now, but we are getting ready to move on to our new space in Millis! In a couple of weeks, we will be moving to our new location on Main Street in Millis in the beautiful new building called “Centennial Place”. We’ll have a bit more elbow room, but most importantly easier access for our clients with ample parking, and elevator access!

More information to follow, check back for details soon!

Feel secure about using your credit card online!

March 27, 2009 by Julie Sears

The other day I got a letter in the mail from one of my Credit Card companies telling me that my current credit card had been cancelled “for my own protection” and that a new card was on its way. Apparently, it was a precautionary procedure the credit card company was taking due to a recent data breach at a major retailer. Unfortunately, we are starting to hear more and more stories of credit card theft.

With online shopping so easy and convenient now (did you know you can order pizza online???) a lot of people are getting hesitant to make purchases online for fear of being another victim of fraud. Luckily most major credit card companies have found a way to help ease that fear - if nothing else make it much more difficult for your data to be comprised - by allowing card holders to use a service called Virtual Account Numbers. This is basically a one time virtual number generated by your credit card company to disguise your real card number to online merchants. I have used this service on numerous occasions and have to say that it does give me a better sense of security, especially when dealing with a new merchant online. Most major Credit Card companies are now offering this service free to card holders and it’s very easy to use. Certainly a lot easier than dealing with identity theft!

If you haven’t already done so, check with your Credit Card companies and see if this is something they offer. Then go shopping – virtually worry free!

Why is my computer limited to 4GB of memory?

July 23, 2008 by Michael Kingston

As memory becomes cheaper, many people are making the decision to purchase the maximum amount of memory on their new computers. However, a common complaint by some is that their new computer does not recognize all of the memory, typically along the lines of “I ordered 4 gigabytes and my computer only sees 3 gigabytes”. This “missing memory” is in fact a limitation of the operating system.

The limitation comes about in the fact standard 32-bit operating systems use 32-bit memory addresses. Therefore the maximum number in memory addresses can be determined by the following equation…

2^32 = 4294967296 bytes … resulting in a maximum address spacing of 4 gigabytes

This is the most that a 32-bit operating system (be it Windows, Linux, Unix, etc.) can address. The “missing memory” comes about because MMIO (Memory Mapped I/O), video card memory, and AGP Aperture sizes are mapped within this 4GB of memory address spacing as well. What remains is now used by your memory (RAM) chips, and is what your computer recognizes as available. This can vary from PC to PC, but typically falls between 3GB and 3.5GB.

While common operating systems such as Windows XP, Vista Home, Vista Ultimate, Redhat Linux, etc. are all 32-bit, there are 64-bit versions of common operating systems such as Windows XP x64, or Vista Ultimate 64-bit that specify they are 64-bit operating systems. These use 64-bit memory addresses, and therefore equate to the following…

2^64 = 18446744073709551616 … resulting in a maximum of 17.2 billion gigabytes

Unfortunately, once you have hit the 32-bit maximum, there are only a few options to view larger amounts of memory such as disabling/uninstalling devices you don’t need, decreasing aperture sizes, or the only real fix being an upgrade to a 64-bit version of the operating system.

However, to prevent this from happening to you, one can make sure that they have a 64-bit operating system from the start. But don’t jump right in to 64-bit processing; keep in mind that there are several significant drawbacks, as well as hardware requirements that I will get into in a future post.

BlackBerry vs. Windows Mobile Handhelds

June 2, 2008 by Peter Kokinda

A question we are asked quite frequently; which type of handheld device should I buy a BlackBerry or a device running Windows Mobile?

We tell everyone the same thing, our clear hands-down preference is any Windows-based Smart Phone (Windows Mobile) especially for business users with a small business server. Examples of this are Sprint’s Moto Q, Verizon’s Samsung SCH-i760 or any provider’s Palm Treo 700wx.

All and all, Blackberry is more cleverly marketed and the term is frequently used synonymously with mobile phones like Coke is used for cola. People will say they want a BlackBerry but in fact are thinking about the concept of receiving their e-mail on their phone vs. actually buying a BlackBerry product/service.

A quick summary of each platform:

Windows Mobile:

Usually cost less per month for data service (depends on carrier)
No need to purchase expensive server software, connectivity included with your server
Maintain just one inbox, delete something on the phone and it deletes from your Outlook
Your calendar, contacts, tasks can all be synchronized wirelessly easily (no more cables!)
Secure transmissions through an SSL certificate
Intuitive user interface as it is designed on Windows XP
Broader range of application support built-in, including Word, Media Player, Internet Explorer etc.

BlackBerry:

More expensive data service per month
Expensive server software required, high administrative costs to maintain the software
Unless you have the add-on software installed on the server, you will maintain 2 inboxes (one on the phone, one in Outlook), plus your calendar, contacts, etc will only go to the phone via a cable sync.

For some people, the BlackBerry does make more sense, especially if they are sole proprietors or home users where synchronized information is a luxury not a necessity.