Tech Tips

We were about to run an article on the much touted HP “Slate” Windows 7 tablet PC, but just learned that HP has halted the project.

The device was first unveiled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at CES 2010 in January and was supposed to hit the market in mid 2010. It’s now understood that HP is not satisfied with Windows 7 as a tablet operating system and has terminated the project (something CrunchGear mentioned months ago).

HP may also be abandoning Intel-based hardware for its slate lineup simply because it’s too power hungry. That would also rule out Windows 7 as an operating system.

So what will HP use as an operating system? Look for Google-powered devices, which have already been announced. HP recently purchased Palm, so Palm's WebOS is certainly a possibility. They said how important it was to them recently, and they will likely experiment with porting it to a slate-type device.

While the iPad may not seem like the greatest innovation ever, it's smaller brother (the iPhone) is still the top smart phone on the market. Apple unveiled it's new operating system for the iPhone a few days ago with a slew of new features. Multitasking seems to be the headlining feature that everyone has been waiting for; the ability to run multiple apps at once. There is a new interface which will allow users to organize their apps into folders as they choose. Other new features include a unified inbox (all of your email accounts in one place), bluetooth keyboard support, 5x digital zoom for the camera, custom backgrounds, iBook, a new game center, and more. The new OS will roll out to iPhone 3GS devices during the summer, the iPhone s3G will get some of the features (not yet specified yet), and the iPad will get the full OS in the fall.

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1. How to Know if Your Download Really Has a Virus
Every now and then you download something, and you're pretty sure it's safe, but your antivirus program seems to disagree.  This can be a tricky situation.  Luckily there are numerous ways to double check.  The best one uses a program called Virus Total Uploader to check your file against 40 different antivirus.  That's pretty impressive, and it's easy to use.

Click here to read an article about using Virus Total Uploader and other ways to double check your files for viruses.

2. Facebook Privacy
Facebook is by far the most widely used social networking website.  Unfortunately, Facebook is notorious for having sketchy privacy policies for it's millions of users.  Fortunately, there are steps you can take to secure your privacy on the social networking megasite.  PCMag.com has written a nice guide for securing your privacy on Facebook.  They include tips like hiding your profile from Google searches, how to block websites from using your information, blocking applications, specifying who can tag you in photos, and more.

Click here to read PCMag.com's guide to protecting your Facebook privacy.

3. You're Probably Spending Too Much on Printer Cartridges
Printer makers want you to believe that using refurbished or refilled cartridges will void your service warranty, but that isn't true.  You won't void your warranty or harm your printer in any way.  Refurbished cartridges can save you 10 to 20 percent off the price of a new one.  Refilling your cartridges can save you 50 percent or more.  A drawback is that you might not get quite as much ink with a refilled cartridge (the amount is at least 95 percent).  Each cartridge can be refilled three to eight times before you'll have to recycle it and get a new one.  Print quality also might not be quite as good as manufacturer's cartridges, but the money you'll save should make up for it!

Technology Musts for Small Businesses
Intuit recently hosted a town hall meeting in New York City which featured 14 small business owners who shared their success secrets in a rough economy.  The Internet is a wide open world where anyone, with a little know-how, can help grow their business.  It's easier than ever to open an online store to increase profits. For a few e-commerce solutions check out GoDaddy's New Business Solution or Microsoft's Office Live Small Business.  Business owners are encouraged to start their own blogs to better connect with their existing client base.  Some tools to help you start your own blog include Blogger, Joomla (which we just used to upgrade our site!),  Wordpress, and TypePad. Other tools include strong analytics, which describe the type of traffic or visitors that go to your website and from what site they came.  Some good web analysis tools include Google Analytics, VisiStat, and Analytics HD for the iPhone or iPad. This information can help tailor services to a specific target base.  Social media has become an important technology utilized by many small businesses.  Many business owners were able to eliminate online advertising, in favor of Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  Other recomended time savers included CoTweet and Hootsuite, which both allow you to send out tweets about your business on a schedule.