We all know in these hard economic times as business owners the last thing you want to spend money on is your IT department.  You’ve cut all the corners you could have, your still surviving and starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully.  You used to have ten employees and now you’ve been making do with five.  The Server and network you have is the one you invested in five years ago. Sally complains every day the network is slow, the server has had its share of outages in the past few months, and you know it’s time for a new server, but to spend eight to ten thousand dollars right now is just not in the budget.  You could call us to be you’re your IT Department, but your just not there yet. What do you do? 

Well since you are down to only five employees, we have a simple and affordable solution to get you back on top of the ever so changing technology curve.  A simple “Peer to Peer” network may be the right solution and fit your budget.  Remember that kind of expensive desktop you bought Sally last year, because she’s the loudest in your office when it comes to the computers, Well Sally may be your new Server girl.  With a Peer to Peer network any computer on the network can serve as the desktop and the server at the same time.  In a Peer to Peer network your desktop has network features that allow you to share files and printers alike built in to the software.  Now with us installing a simple SonicWall wireless total secure appliance, your network is back to full speed and much more stable than it was. So instead of spending thousands you’re up and running for about fifteen hundred, when you’re ready to expand again to ten or more employees we can always go back to the server network configuration that you once had because business will be much better and the budget will compensate for it. So don’t stress the small stuff, let us at Kotori Technologies show you how to stay “A Step Ahead”, and stay within your budget.

Portables have been outselling desktop computers for years. They take up less room, are relatively inexpensive and even an entry level model will easily handle basic web browsing, video, music and word processing functions we require on a day to day basis. What is the difference between a laptop, netbook and tablet? Which one should you get? Glad you asked, keep reading.

What is a netbook?
I will start with netbooks, since they're very popular right now.
A netbook is a very small, very light laptop computer. While a typical laptop has a 13 to 17-inch display, netbook's are between 7 and 10 inches and weigh very little. Netbooks became popular a few years ago with the launch of the 7-inch Asus EeePC.
The compact dimensions mean that netbooks barely make a dent in a bag and the battery life can be outstanding, with many models running for eight hours or more off a full charge. This is the main draw of a netbook – you have a computer running a proper operating system that can last the entire day.
The small size is also a downside, though. The keyboard and the display are cramped so it can be uncomfortable to use for long periods. They also run slower than standard size laptops, ruling out any games with a lot of graphics, demanding applications and sometimes high definition video. And don't forget that netbooks do not generally include DVD drives.

The good…
• Compact size and light weight
• Low price
• Long battery life
The bad…
• Small display
• Cramped keyboard

What are laptops?
They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from ultra-thin 12 and 13 inch models up to gaudy 20 inchers.
Compared to a netbook a laptop is much more comfortable to use for long periods thanks to the larger screen and keyboard and you can do a lot more with them. The components used are often comparable to desktop PC hardware, if not identical on bigger laptops, so gaming, video editing and other power-hungry tasks are easily possible.
You may hear the term “desktop replacement” being thrown around when talking about larger laptops. That's an easier way of saying that a laptop is too heavy to be carried around and the battery will last about half an hour. Assuming you don't need anything portable, desktop replacements are worth considering as an alternative to desktops since they don't need as much room but can still be just as powerful. Plus you can pack them away in a desk drawer.
Then you have ultra-portable laptops, which are a hybrid of netbooks and laptops and where the line between the two gets a little fuzzy. Ultra-portables may be like the Apple MacBook Air, incredibly slim but missing key features like an optical drive.
For most people a 15 inch laptop will provide a good middle ground. They are cheap and small enough to cart in a book bag or laptop case yet still have enough features to replace the desktop PC at home. Just remember that the battery may only last a few hours, so have a spare on hand or remember to bring your power cable.

The good...
• Huge variety of sizes and features
• Powerful components
• Can replace a desktop PC
The bad...
• Battery life shorter than a netbook
• Can be large and heavy
• Often too hot to be used on your lap

Touchscreen tablets
Tablet PCs are laptops based on a touchscreen interface which are designed to be more practical than laptops in some situations, such as e-book reading or surfing the internet in bed. Go back a year and we wouldn't even be mentioning them, because until recently they were a niche product, but then Apple came along and did its usual thing of revolutionizing the market and suddenly tablets are in the news again.
You can buy a tablet PC running Windows now, but what you'll get is an expensive convertible laptop with a screen that swivels down over the keyboard. It's not going to work like the Apple iPad and will cost a lot more, too. The iPad is the first tablet with mass market appeal.
The iPad is an Apple netbook without a keyboard and we can expect the same “slate” form factor from competing manufacturers. So if you primarily want a netbook or laptop for mobile web surfing and entertainment, and aren't too bothered about computing power or getting a lot of work done, this is the way to go. The pros and cons of the iPad have been endlessly debated for many months now so we won't go into them here. If you're not sure the iPad is for you we'd recommend giving it a few months to see what else shows up because by the end of the year there'll be a flood of similar products on the market and you'll have a variety of choices.
 
The good...
• Touchscreen interface
• Great for entertainment and web browsing
• Easy to use anywhere
• Very portable
The bad...
• Not usually very powerful
• Convertible tablets are pricey and awkward
• Touchscreens not ideal for typing

If you are interested in purchasing one, or if you need more advice to find the perfect one, contact Kotori Technologies today.

This past week, a client asked Neadom about a QR Code Scanner app for a Blackberry.  This is something new and something Neadom and no one at Kotori has used, therefore, it makes for some research for a new article. You may be like me and asking what is a QR code and why would anyone need a scanner.  Well, I did the research for you. 

QR Codes are a step above to the traditional barcode. The typical barcode could hold a maximum of 20 digits and could only be read horizontally. The QR code can hold up to 7,089 characters and can span horizontally and vertically and can be scanned from any angle. The term QR is an acronym for Quick Response. QR Codes originated in Japan and have recently become popular in the Middle East and Europe and now the US.  They first hit mainstream when they were initially used for tracking parts by vehicle manufacturers. Now they are being used commercially in the telecommunications industry where the mobile phones are driving up their popularity.

Now that you know what a QR Code is, how does it benefit you and why would you want a scanner? (That was my question.) You can take a use your mobile phone and take a picture of the QR Code. The QR Code software decoder can then transform the data from the code to a meaningful action like: connect to a web address, download an MP3 file, dial a telephone number, and prompt your email client with a sender address. Of course, this is all done in a matter of milliseconds making the transformation of your mobile phones browser to the mobile web instantaneous. The picture above is a QR code for Kotori Technologies website.

Now that you know what they are and how to use them, where and what to get? This, in part, depends on what type of phone you have.  And like I said, we haven’t used any of the software, so we can’t really pick one over the other without the experience. Some that seem to be more popular are:

For Blackberry
BeeTagg http://www.beetagg.com/
Neo Reader http://www.neoreader.com/
Up Code http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software/#upcode

For iPhone
NeoReader http://download.cnet.com/NeoReader/3000-2124_4-201792.html
Optiscan http://download.cnet.com/Optiscan/3000-20418_4-10977515.html
QR App http://download.cnet.com/QR-app/3000-20418_4-10977516.html

If you have any experience with the QR Code or have a recommendation, please let us know.

Batten down the hatches and nail down the door it’s going to be a rough one!  Ok so I am being a bit dramatic but Hurricanes can cause some serious damage to your home and business.  I was watching TV this weekend and saw on CNN that we have our first named storm.  Alex is off the cost of Central America.  Very close to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Hurricanes go boy, girl, boy, girl, etc.. Then ABCD… right down the list. The next one on the list is Bonnie.  I wonder how far down the list we go this year?  Hopefully not too far.  I hope none of them make landfall anywhere.  But, ask yourself this, do you want to be the business owner that let Bonnie, Colin or Danielle ruin your business.  I mean they are not even employees at your company.

What kind of damage can a hurricane do to your business well let’s talk about the easy ones; physical damage, flooding or, even worse, death.  Those are the ones that the insurance people really get their marketing dollars out for right? They scare you into buying.  Well many times we don’t think of the other issues like disasters that strike that aren’t even in your area.  Ask yourself this… How would a hurricane or other disaster affect my vendors or customers?  Let’s take for example a clothing company in Summerville, SC that gets all of their fabric from a nice textile company in India.  Well most of the time all of that gets shipped from overseas.  The ports are very important to this company as this is how the fabric company gets their raw goods.  What would happen if something happened to the ports or even worse to the company in India.  Where would they get their raw materials from?  I could go on and on about this.  There are thousands of possible issues that go on.  So how does a small business prepare themselves for a disaster of any kind?  Well it all starts with planning.  Here are a few quick tips on how to help you be more prepared.

1)      Have a backup location to do business.  If you know where you will setup shop when the disaster hits then it is one less thing to deal with.

2)      Have the right insurance that will allow you to get set back up and going quickly.

3)      Make sure your vendors have their own disaster recovery plan.  You don’t want them having a disaster be your disaster!  Have backup vendors.  If you can’t then know the risk and try and protect yourself.

4)      Backup your Data daily and test the backups monthly.

5)      Write it all down.  It sound simple enough but a one page document is much more effective place to start when you are in panic/task mode.

Remember the best way to survive a disaster is to plan, plan and plan.  Then test, test and plan again when the tests fail.  I truly hope that disaster never strikes you. But when it does knowing who to call and what to do will be your best allies in rising from the storm and being number one!

If you have called us this week, you may have already noticed a difference. Kotori Technologies upgraded our phone system to a new voice Over IP. This new system allows for easier access to our sales reps with a new “follow me” feature. It also allows us to be more flexible with our voicemail options and after hours menu. If you are thinking about a new phone system, please call us today so that we can discuss a wide variety of features to simplify your business.