Smart Doorbells

In the last few years, the "smart doorbell" category has become very popular. This is mostly for two reasons: security and convenience.

Backing up a little bit, a smart doorbell is usually just a doorbell that adds video capability, and lets you see who's at the door without opening it. Like a digital peephole that can be peered through from anywhere in the world. When someone presses the button on the doorbell, you'll get the usual chime, but you'll also get a notification on your smartphone in seconds, letting you bring up a full color video of the person at the door. In most cases, you can even talk to them if you like.

Most of these devices also give you the ability to record and store video of what happens in your doorbell's view, for security. Do you have a problem with people stealing your packages? Want to keep an eye on your driveway? Many of these doorbells are now part of a larger system of security cameras that let you keep a record of what's been going on around your home.

These devices are also a nice convenience. I have an office in my basement, and it's nice to be able to check the door and see that I don't need to walk upstairs to answer it because it's a solicitor or it's UPS dropping off a package. If you live in a townhouse and need to walk down two or three flights of stairs, this could be especially appealing. It's also very difficult to hear my doorbell in the basement if my office door is closed. My smart doorbell can ring an additional chime unit I've plugged into my basement to make sure I can hear it.

If this sort of technology sounds appealing, give me a call or send an email and we can discuss pricing. The recommended product will vary based on a person's needs and what kind of doorbell is there already.

Additionally, I can help with all sorts of home automation systems in your home.

Zombie OS!

There's only one time when I have a definitive answer to the question "when should I upgrade my computer?" That's when the current computer is running a dead operating system.

Not just dead, but a Zombie!

Microsoft has a general policy of supporting their operating systems (XP, Vista, 7, etc) for 10 years after they're first released to the public. After that, they end support for those systems because they don't want to dedicate the resources necessary to keeping them up, and they want people to use their new software.

In the industry this is called a product's "End of Life" (or EOL). But when it happens, your OS doesn't just suddenly stop working, and nothing actually changes on your computer. But that's also the problem. Microsoft regularly pushes out updates to Windows to keep it secure and to fix bugs. After an EOL, Microsoft stops working on security patches for the OS. This means that while your computer may keep on working, it becomes less and less secure with each passing day. When hackers find holes in the operating system, those holes don't get fixed. That's when the computer becomes a zombie. And your zombie, like in the movies, can go around infecting others. Hackers will often use large networks of hacked computers (called "botnets") to carry out their nefarious work. Beyond this security concern, you'll start to notice that new software often won't even run on older operating systems because the developers don't want to put in the time.

So what does this all mean? Well, if you have a computer running either Windows XP or Vista, STOP USING IT! I can't stress this enough. It's time to move on. Chances are, it's a computer worth upgrading anyway. But XP lost support in 2014 and Vista saw its EOL in 2017. Both of these operating systems should be considered insecure. The bad news is that neither one can be upgraded to a newer operating system without completely wiping the hard drive and starting over, so a new computer is the sensible way to go. Feel free to call for suggestions on new systems!

Fortunately it's a little early to worry about the EOL for other operating systems. The incredibly popular Windows 7 doesn't lose support until January 2020. Don't quote me on this, but I wouldn't be surprised to see that support extended a little due to 7's popularity - XP got two extra years after all - but nothing is for sure and I'd treat 2020 as the deadline. Windows 8 is supported all the way until 2023!

Windows 10 will be tricky, as Microsoft currently plans to make Windows 10 an ever-updating operating system, so theoretically after 2023 there won't be any new zombie operating systems.

As usual, if you have any questions please email me!

A Change of (Backup) Plans

Backups are essential for every computer user. For years now, I've recommended Crashplan for backup services to all of my clients. Sadly, Crashplan announced they are stopping their home user service. They're honoring all subscriptions, and even giving their users two additional months. They want to make sure everyone has time to find another backup service before Crashplan stops working. I'm very disappointed in Crashplan's decision, but will work to get all of my clients onto a new service before their subscription ends so there's always backup coverage.

At the moment, there isn't one backup service that fits all users like Crashplan did. If you're one person with one computer, I'd recommend using Carbonite. It starts at $60/year per computer, depending on the features you need. Honestly, it's not my favorite service, but it's fairly straightforward and easy to use. Carbonite gives you unlimited backup, like Crashplan did, but only for one computer at a time. It can also back up external hard drives for a little more each month.

If you have more computers in the house, and especially if you have more computer users to back up, I recommend a service called iDrive. It doesn't offer unlimited space, but the amount they offer (2TB to start) should cover most users. This is the service I'm using now that my Crashplan service is over. It's a little harder to set up, but very powerful and has lots of special features that you don't find in other services.

There are many options for local backup, where you back up to an external hard drive or something on your network. This can be done with third party applications, or just using the backup programs included in Windows or MacOS.

If you're uncertain which service will work best for you and your computers, give me a call. I'll offer a personalized recommendation, and if you need me to set things up we can make an appointment. It is absolutely vital that every computer user have a backup of their data.

When to Get a New Computer

One of the most frequent questions I get from my clients is "When should I replace my computer?" As the conversation continues, another common question is "how old is my computer?" Both questions are tricky to answer, but I'll try to do so here.

In the late 90's and early 00's, the rule of thumb was every two to four years (to keep up with Moore's Law). Today, there's no need to upgrade at such a rapid pace. Instead, my advice for upgrading a computer is simple: upgrade when common tasks take longer than you're willing to live with. If it feels slow to open basic applications like Word or your web browser, you might think about replacing the computer, or at least replacing the hard drive with an SSD.

Sometimes a computer starts running slowly just due to use (often called "bit rot" or "software rot").  Sometimes dust builds up inside and makes the CPU hotter, which makes the computer run at slower speeds so as to not create as much heat. Sometimes, though, it could be hardware failure, like a hard drive that's going bad. That means you should upgrade immediately.

The other question, about a computer's age, is harder to answer. Without a receipt or email confirmation of purchase we're left to some sleuthing. If you have a Dell computer, you can go to their support site, enter your computer's service tag, and under "System Configuration" you'll see the date the computer was shipped. If you didn't buy the computer directly from Dell, chances are you bought it sometime after that, but that should be pretty close.

There are ways to find out a computer's age from within the operating system, but this can change if you've gone through any major software updates, like the Windows 10 upgrade.

The last option is to narrow down a PC's age to a general timeframe. The best way I've found - though not perfect - is to check the model number of the CPU. Here are the steps:

1. click on the start button
2. type "system information" and hit enter
3. look at the information next to "Processor"

If you have an Intel Core processor, you can get a pretty good idea of how old the CPU is. The model numbers always follow this convention: Intel Core i5 6200. In this example, the 6 is the number that determines the age as it indicates the generation of Intel Core CPU in your computer. The current generation is 7, and Intel has put out a new generation roughly once a year. So, if you have an Intel Core i5 2xxx, that computer is probably around five years old.

(The i5 is the level of CPU within that generation. It's always an i3, i5, or i7, in order of slowest to fastest. I recommend an i5 for most users.)

If you don't have an Intel Core processor, I recommend searching Google for the processor you do have. The first result will likely be an Intel page (like this one for my own CPU), and it will show you the date that CPU was launched. Your computer is most likely a little younger than that number.

In the end, the decision to upgrade a computer is purely subjective, but there are a few clear cut cases when someone should upgrade some or all of their computer:

1. You have Windows XP or Vista installed. Those operating systems are unsafe and no longer supported by Microsoft. The longer you use them, the more likely it is you'll get hacked.
2. You have a CRT monitor. Please do your eyes a favor and dispose of that thing (responsibly - CRTs should never go into the trash). Flat screen monitors are very cheap these days.
3. ...if your computer looks like the one at the top of this article. I'll just guess that it's too old.