Geelong Computer Help

"for all things I.T."

Call Us: 03 5229 9557                

 

 May/June 09 Newsletter

 

@ GCH we have had a few busy months recently and we have had to skip our April newsletter and bring out a supersized May/June combined newsletter for you guys. Hope you enjoy it...

 

> Microsoft News: Bing Beta (www.bing.com)

 

Microsoft has launched it's new search engine Bing, which their hoping will give Google (and Yahoo) a run for their money. Only time will tell how well Bing will cope with the popularity of Google and how entrenched it has become in our daily lives. I personally would utter the phrase "Google it!" on at least a daily basis, if not more.

 

At first look Bing does look and feel a lot like Google, with it's simple interface and it's category based searches such as Image and Video searches. But when you dig a little deeper you find a few little nifty features that make your life a lot easier. Here are just a couple we have found:

 

Image Searches - A lot less cluttered and you only the extra information when you mouse over and image you are interested in seeing.

 

Video Searches - Video's start playing when you pause your mouse over them, which means you can see quick previews without having to leave the result page.

 

You also have the option to attach your Windows Live account with Bing, which allows you to have all your account features nearby which searching.

 

Unfortunately, like all things Microsoft, there are a few negatives too. The main one being the lack of localised searches for the Australian market. But because it's in it's Beta stage, we will probably have to wait and see how things progress for this new search engine.

 

I personally will be sticking with Google and can't see my self actually uttering the words "Bing It!" anytime soon. But if you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a look and who knows you might prefer it.

 

 

> Apple News: iPhone 3G S & OS 3.0 Software Update

 

Apple has announced the new iPhone 3G S, which is due to come out on the 26th of June. It boasts the following new features for us to drool over:

  • "The Fastest iPhone Ever" - up to 2X Faster.

  • The ability to shoot videos with a 3 Megapixel Camera

  • Voice Control - Answer you iPhone with a voice command!

  • A Compass! (It may come in handy)

  • The ability to Cut/Copy/Paste! - Finally!

  • A whole lot more...

For more information, visit:

 http://www.apple.com/au/iphone/

 

 

For all you iPhone plans who have been losing sleep over not being able to copy and paste on your iPhone, the wait is almost over. On June 17th Apple will be releasing iPhone OS 3.0 which will add the following functionality to your iPhone:

 

  • Cut, Copy & Paste

  • Landscape Keyboard

  • Send MMS

  • A whole lot more...

For more information, visit:

http://www.apple.com/au/iphone/softwareupdate/

 

> GCH Security Tip: Make Sure You See A Padlock!
 
With the increase of online shopping, more and more people are using the Internet to make their everyday financial transactions.
 
But it surprises us that there are still websites out there that don't have the proper security and encryption in place to make your transactions secure.
 
Just a warning to all our clients, look out for the security padlock on your browser (see image below) before making any financial transactions over the internet.
 
Image Source: http://www.tep.com
 
If you don't see a padlock, don't continue the transaction!
 
If you have any questions about your online security please do not hesitate to contact us on 03 5229 9557.
 
 
> GCH Tech Tip: The Benefit of a Disk Defrag

 

Recently we have been noticing an increase in computers having problems due to fragmented hard drives. Problems such as:

  • Music breaking up during playback

  • Computer not booting into Windows

  • Computers slowing down

  • Slow transition between programs

A simple way around this is to run the Disk Defragmenter that's part of Windows. Running it regularly, such as on a monthly basis, you can prevent a lot of the issues mentioned above.

 

If you have any questions about your computer please do not hesitate to contact us on 03 5229 9557.

 

 

> GCH now on

 

You can now follow us on for hints and tips and IT know-how. Also great fun to watch us stress out every now and again. To follow us, go to:

http://twitter.com/gchelp

 

 

 

GCH News

 

May/June 2009 - Current

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