Getting lost trying to use Windows 8?

Windows 8 is out in force.  If you haven’t experienced Microsoft’s newest release, you certainly will soon.  My maiden voyage occurred at Christmas.  I’ll spare you the gory details of my fumblings in front of relatives, as my niece’s brand new still-in-the-box laptop was handed to me to load Microsoft Excel.  I’ll simply say that the following Hotkeys may make your navigation to familiar territory easier than mine was…especially if you have an audience!

• Windows Key + X  -  If you only remember one, remember this!  It will open a menu which includes items such as: Control Panel, Command Prompt, Task Manager, File Explorer, Power Options and Show the desktop.

• Windows Key + D  - Simply shows the desktop

• Windows Key + E  -  This opens ‘My Computer’

• Windows Key + Tab  -  Allows you to cycle through your open apps. 

• Windows Key + F  -  Opens up a search of files

• Windows Key + R  -  Opens ‘Run’

This tip was brought to you by BizTech Networking Consultant, Larry Tussing

Larry Tussing Joins BizTech as an Infor VISUAL & Network Consultant

Toledo, OH – January 16, 2013:  BizTech, a provider of information technology and business software solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of Larry Tussing to its team.  Larry has joined BizTech as an Infor VISUAL & Network Consultant. In this role, Larry will assist clients by providing a variety of technical support services.  Utilizing Larry’s combined experience of supporting Infor VISUAL ERP software and IT systems management will allow BizTech to better serve their clients.

“Larry has significant experience supporting ERP and IT Systems.  Also, he has a thorough understanding of the effects of technology in a business environment,” said Joe Zalewski, Managing Partner and COO at BizTech.  “His versatility will definitely be an advantage for both our VISUAL and Network support clients”.

Larry resides in Pemberville, Ohio and will work from BizTech’s corporate office located in Toledo, Ohio.  Larry has 25 years of experience as an IT Manager in a manufacturing environment, with 14 of those years using and supporting the Infor VISUAL ERP software.  Prior to joining BizTech, Larry worked as the IT Manager for Kennametal Inc.  and Clarke American-Lincoln.  Larry’s strength lies in his versatility and understanding of supporting IT and ERP in manufacturing facilities.  In addition to his many certifications, Larry has an Associates Degree in Computer Science from the University of Findlay.

About BizTech

Founded in 1999 and located in Toledo, Ohio, Business Technical Consulting, LLC (BizTech) is dedicated to providing complete Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)and Information Technology (IT) solutions that deliver value to our clients. Long-term Partnerships with our clients are forged by investing the time to understand business objectives, so that we can deliver valuable results that will help their organizations to be more productive and profitable.  BizTech delivers results with solutions from industry leading manufacturers such as Infor, Microsoft™, DELL™, HP, Citrix® and Cisco. BizTech is an Infor VISUAL™ ERP Channel Partner, a Microsoft™ Registered Partner, a Citrix® Authorized Solution Advisor, and Comptia A+ Certified.  The BizTech Team has one simple goal: to partner with your company in a joint effort to improve your business processes and increase your profitability.

Integrate your devices with Mobile BI

Have you ever wished that you could check your work email, data or apps from your smartphone or tablet? You can, with BizTech's Mobile BI (Mobile Business Intelligence). 

We can integrate your tablet or smartphone with your corporate network to safely allow access to email, calendars, data and applications on your secure intranet and internal networks to help you work on the go!

Find out more about Mobile BI smartphone and tablet integration

National Clean Your Desk Day

If you see some co-workers cleaning on this coming Monday, January 14, 2013, it may be because of 'National Clean Your Desk Day.'  This got us thinking...how often does the typical office-worker clean his/her desk?  From the looks of the desks around our office, not much.

If your desk is cluttered- first go through the stacks of papers.  If it is a lot of mail, sort it and throw away what isn't needed.  Stackable trays can help you sort papers by what is important, what needs filed and what you still need to look over.  If you have a lot of small office supplies cluttering your desk, get some drawer organizers to keep them in their place.

If you take a lot of notes on paper or have post-its all over, digitize them!  Included in Microsoft Office 2003 and newer versions is the wonderful Microsoft OneNote.  It is a very efficient program you can use to take notes, organize projects and conduct research.  Find out the Top 10 Benefits of of OneNote.

Once the clutter is gone, take a minute to think about what is on your desk/keyboard/mouse/phone that  you can't see...  A few years ago, a study was done by the University of Arizona that found an office desktop had 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat!  All that bacteria can put you at risk for becoming sick, especially if you eat at your desk.

Your keyboard is probably filled with food crumbs, hair, dead skin cells, etc.  That is an easy fix- shut down your computer, turn your keyboard upside down, and shake it out.  A can of compressed air works great, too.  Then, you can wipe the keyboard down with antibacterial wipes or isopropyl alcohol.  A cotton swab works well for between keys.  Then, make sure to wipe down your phone, mouse (get in the grooves), all the buttons and knobs on the computer/monitor/speakers, and your actual desk and drawer handles.  It may be a good idea to wipe down your writing utensils, staplers and scissors too.

Now, run to your office closet and get out the antibacterial wipes and sprays.  It is time for a deep cleaning!

Top 10 Benefits of Microsoft OneNote

1. Organize, store and search your ideas, information and notes in one easy-to-use location.
2. See results as you type with improved Search functionality and view prioritized lists of Search results.
3. Take notes while working in Word, PowerPoint, or in Internet Explorer and automatically link them.
4. Use quick filing to organize notebooks, ideal when you’re working on multiple projects.
5. Easily organize and jump between your notebooks with the improved notebook Navigation Bar.
6. Easily take notes while working in other applications with the Dock to desktop feature.
7. Apply styles and formatting to selected text in another paragraph with the new OneNote Format Painter.
8. Use the customizable Ribbon – new to OneNote – to access your favorite commands more quickly.
9. Easily access Save, Print and Share features and commands quickly with the new Microsoft^® Office Backstage^™ view.
10. Post your notebook online and access, view and edit it from virtually anywhere with Office Web Apps on Windows Live SkyDrive.
    
    
    
    
    Microsoft OneNote is included in Microsoft Office 2003 and newer.  For more information, email us a info@gobiztech.com 

7 Ways to Help your PC Last Longer

A primary concern for most business owners is how to get the most bang for your buck. When you’re purchasing expensive technology, this becomes an even more valid point of consideration. Buying computers is one of the larger investments you have to make in order to effectively run a business. To avoid surprise crashes and loss of data, it’s not recommended to hold onto a frequently used computer for more than four to five years. However, there are things you can do to help prolong its life span and enable it to perform better over time, saving you money in the long run.

1. Keep it clean
Dust, dirt, food and other particles tend to accumulate in the crevices of keyboards, mice and monitors. If not removed, these particles can scratch hardware components and eventually build up enough to cause overheating, shortening the life of your computer. To avoid this, make sure to dust and clean your computer and its accessories on a regular basis. Compressed air is a great way to get small particles out of keyboards and tight cracks.

2. Keep it dry
PCs and liquids do not go together well. Never drink or rest water, coffee, soda or anything liquid near a desktop or notebook. A spill could mean you’ll be buying a new one much sooner than you had planned.

3. Give it space
This tip applies mostly to laptops/notebooks. The nice thing about them is that they’re portable. On business trips, it can be tempting to set them down on a hotel pillow or bed while you’re casually answering emails or doing research. But soft, padded surfaces do not allow airflow into the ventilation holes underneath the notebook, which leads to overheating. To limit this risk, make sure you always rest your notebook on a cool, solid surface, allowing air to travel underneath it.

4. Protect it
Viruses could be the biggest threat to the health of a notebook or desktop. One of the very first things you should do when you buy a new computer is install anti-virus software. Some popular, effective applications include Microsoft Security Essentials and McAfee.

5. Give it more memory
Painfully slow processing is a sign that your computer may be starting to fade on you. Add extra RAM (random access memory) to relieve the strain of an overloaded machine. Once it stops relying on hard disk memory, your computer’s performance will become exponentially faster.

6. Keep it uncluttered
All of the programs that you don’t currently use on your computer are taking up valuable space. Getting rid of them will improve performance and save memory. Most PCs have a “disk cleanup” function that will delete “unseen” files and empty caches. You can also go through your files manually and remove anything you haven’t been accessing.

7. Choose it wisely
There are many things to consider when purchasing a computer. If you’re looking for a desktop or notebook that can stand the test of time and endure harsh environmental conditions, a computer such as the HP Elite PC may be your answer. All Elite products must endure 115,000 hours of durability testing to prove they’ll be able to give you many years of reliable service.

Unfortunately, no matter how well you take care of it, the reality is that no computer can live forever. To decrease your risk of a catastrophic crash, make sure you don’t wait too long to buy a replacement. After several years, most computers start to display glitches and show signs that they could be struggling. To be on the safe side, you should plan on replacing your desktops and notebooks about every four years.


These 7 Tips were gathered from HP's Technology at Work Newsletter

Tech Tips to Increase Work Productivity

• Use Windows keyboard shortcuts
• Start with using just a few; Ctrl+C (copy); Ctrl+V (paste); Ctrl+S (save).
• Get rid of Spyware
• Spyware slows down your computer- getting rid of it can make your life much easier.
• Use more than one monitor
• Using dual-monitors greatly increases your productivity- no more clicking to different tabs on your spreadsheets, and copying/pasting into different documents becomes a cinch.
• You could even have one screen for your emails, and another for other tasks.
• Sort your email inbox
• Creating folders and filters can help you manage your chaotic inbox.
• Use calendars
• Using your calendar in Outlook or Google Calendars keep track of your meetings, appointments and other important tasks that you don’t want to forget about.