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Multimedia Laptops Z41 and Z51 Ultimate Workstations from Lenovo

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Multimedia Laptop Workstations from Lenovo

Revolutionary Intel® RealSenseTM 3D camera on the new Lenovo Z51
The new Lenovo Z51 also features an optional Intel® RealSenseTM 3D camera that brings the world to life in 3D. Featuring full 1080p color and a depth sensor, the revolutionary 3D camera allows the new Lenovo Z51 to sense and capture depth like the human eye.

Multimedia laptop lenovo-z41

Users can 3D scan objects to 3D print, play 3D games or use gestures to control the laptop. Customers can also create a more lifelike video chat experience by changing the background and sharing content.

Lenovo Z41 and Lenovo Z51 – The ultimate multimedia workstation for music and movie lovers
The new 14-inch Lenovo Z41 and 15-inch Lenovo Z51 multimedia laptops are equal parts home-entertainment center and powerful workstation. Featuring a stunning FHD display (Full High Definition), optional AMD discrete graphics, and immersive Dolby® DS 1.0 Home Theater® Surround Sound for crisp sound and sharp visuals, they are ideal for streaming videos, and downloading music, and gaming.

Multimedia laptop lenovo-z51

The new Lenovo Z41 and Lenovo Z51 multimedia laptops come with advanced 802.11 a/c WiFi technology for up to three times the Internet speed of regular laptops for faster web surfing, streaming, and downloading content. Engineered for productivity, the new laptops are powered by up to the latest Intel® CoreTM i7 processor with up to 1 TB of storage. The new Lenovo Z51 and Lenovo Z41 stand out for their beautiful color options in ebony black, chalk white, and crimson red (for the 14-inch laptop).

Lenovo Z41 and Lenovo Z51 (featuring an optional Intel® RealSenseTM 3D camera) are the ultimate multimedia workstations for music and video lovers

These Lenovo multimedia laptops will hit markets in June, Contact A1 Computer Repair for ordering information.

How To Protect Your Files From Malware

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Protect Your Files From Malware and Viruses

Backing up your files is the best way to protect your files and data. Once you have a great backup system installed, you’ve already taken the most important step in protecting your computer – but there are threats beyond data loss that you can prepare for.

How To Protect Your Files From Malware

Malware (short for malicious software) is software that is developed to disrupt or damage a computer system. It can appear in a number of ways and can be used to gather private information, delete data or even lock people out of their own files. According to Kaspersky Labs, there are more than 200,000 new malware threats per day!

One such malware, Cryptolocker, has been making the internet rounds over the past several weeks. The software is called “ransomware”, as it encrypts the files on infected computers so users can’t access them. When someone tries to open a file on a computer infected with this malware, they are alerted that they must pay $300 for their files to be unencrypted so they can access them. Deleting the malware or refusing to pay the ransom will leave their files encrypted.

As a trusted partner in data protection, Carbonite Backup wants to ensure that our customers are aware of these threats and know how to prevent them from infecting their computers and servers. Here are some tips that can help you avoid malware and other types of viruses to protect your files:

  • Be an email skeptic: Malware is often spread through email links or attachments. Don’t open attachments or click on links from people or companies you’re not familiar with.
  • Free software – too good to be true?: Downloading free software is tempting, but it may include spyware and other malicious content. Only download software from trusted vendors.
  • Down with the pop-ups: Block pop-up windows and don’t click on links or buttons within them.
  • Bump up your browser security: Go into your web browser settings and make sure your security settings are set to medium or higher.
  • Beware of illegal downloads: While it’s tempting to watch a movie that’s still in theatres on your computer, many files shared on illegal file-sharing sites have pieces of malware attached to them.

These are just a few tips that can help you avoid the headaches to protect your files and other negative effects of malware. Need more information on backup software? Contact Us or Open a Support Ticket, we are here to help.

Reprinted from an article

Do I Need a Surge Protector?

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What is a surge protector?

A surge protector is a device that protects sensitive electronic equipment from harmful voltage spikes and power surges. It absorbs excess energy much like a sponge absorbs water. They are different from power strips which provide power extension and extra outlets but offer no protection against power spikes or surges.

Do I Need a Surge Protector

What is a power surge?

A power surge is a short-term increase in voltage (or voltage spike) due to lightning strikes or unusual line conditions, like when power companies switch power distribution across grids. It’s important to periodically replace your surge protector (once every 3-4 years is recommended in most cases) since power surges wear down the protective components inside the surge protector over time.

Why is surge protection important?

  • The average household gets 350 power surges per year.
  • Overvoltage, brownouts, power surges, and voltage spikes occur five times a day on average.
  • Small, frequent power surges cause cumulative damage to connected electronics, shortening the product lifespan.
  • Power surges are the number one cause of data loss.
  • Over 50% of equipment failures can be attributed to power surge/failure.
  • The right surge protection will save your electronics and extend the life of your products.
  • Choosing a surge protector will safeguard all your valuable electronics; many are backed by Connected Equipment Warranties.

What is a connected equipment warranty?

A connected equipment warranty covers equipment that is damaged by transient voltage while properly connected through a surge protector to a properly wired AC power line with a protective ground. Brands that offer CEWs will repair or replace any equipment damaged by a power surge, spike, or lightning strike while properly connected to their surge protector, up to the listed amount.

What are the basic features of a surge protector?

  • Joules of Protection range from 300 to over 4,000 joules to protect all devices from lamps to 4K televisions
  • Multiple Outlets: 1, 3, 4, 7 6, 8, and 12 outlet variations accommodate any setup throughout your home
  • LED Indicators indicate whether the surge protector is properly grounded and whether your devices are protected
  • USB Ports charge mobile devices rapidly and safely
  • Cord Length: Choose the length that best fits the setup in any room of your house
  • Protective Housing resists impact, corrosion, and scratches

How many joules of protection do I need?

Below 1,000 joules protect:

  • Lamp
  • Digital Alarm Clock
  • Cell Phone Charger
  • Phone/Answering Machine
  • Small Kitchen Appliances

Between 1,000-2,000 joules protect:

  • Laptop/Notebook
  • Tablet
  • Router
  • Printer
  • Power Tools

2,000 joules and above protect:

  • HDTV
  • Desktop Computer
  • Stereo System
  • Gaming Console
  • DVR/Blu-ray Players

What is a spike? What causes them?

A spike is a significant increase in voltage that can enter electronic equipment through AC, network, serial, phone or coaxial lines, and can damage or completely destroy components.

Spikes are most often caused by:

  • Lightning
  • Unusual power line conditions
  • Noisy electrical surroundings
  • Disturbance generated by users

Have any questions about protecting your computer equipment? Contact A1 Computer Repair

Reprinted from Amazon’s “What Is a Surge Protector” Article

Panda antivirus problems

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Panda antivirus software labels itself as malware

Affected users were warned not to reboot their machines

An antivirus program labeled itself as malware, causing some computers it was running on to stop working.

Panda antivirus software labels itself as malware

After an update, essential components in two Panda Security antivirus programs became corrupted, leading them to be mistakenly identified as malign and quarantined.

Panda said a fix had been released and warned that rebooting affected systems could exacerbate the issue.

Steps to Fix You Computer: http://www.pandasecurity.com/uk/homeusers/support/card?id=100045

It asked those affected to get in touch so it could help fix their machines.

One security expert noted the irony. “People’s first response is to turn [their computer] off and back on again, but in this case, it seems like the wrong thing to do,” said Prof Alan Woodward, of Surrey University.

The “last thing” people would expect to cause their computers to break down was its security software, he said.

Corrupted files

Panda Security said that the signature file in both its PCOP and its Retail 2015 packages became corrupted.

Read the Full Story at: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31851125

Clean Up Your Computer By Removing Duplicates

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You might occasionally discover identical (or seemingly identical) files on your computer. Identical files waste storage space and can make it difficult to manage your files. Duplicate File Cleaners enable you to track down duplicate files on your PC that can take up extra space and remove them.

Removing Duplicate Files

The only program we use and the only one we recommend is Duplicate Cleaner from Volcano Software and it is great! it is very easy to use and easy to group and delete duplicates.

It Finds Duplicate Files by content, name, or date. It Finds similar images and compares music by tags. It will search your documents locally or on the network.

duplicate finder

Duplicate Cleaner will deep scan for all types of files – photos, music, films, video, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, text files – you name it, if it appears twice on your computer then Duplicate Cleaner will find it. Once these files are found you are provided with helpful tools to enable you to select which copies to delete or move. These files can be deleted to the recycle bin or moved elsewhere.

duplicate finder by volcano software

You can Download Duplicate Cleaner Here, there is a free version and a Pro Version. The Pro Version is only $29.95 and if you have a lot of files to manage, I suggest grabbing the pro version.

Free Software Isn’t Free and Installing It Can Cost You

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Freeware isn’t actually free software, and we’re all paying for it now. We regularly tell our customers to be very careful when installing free software because it generally carries a hidden payload of crappy software with it.

Free Software Isn't Free

Most computer tune-ups we perform for our customers begin with the removal of a bunch of free, useless programs that are sapping the life out of our customer’s computers. In most cases they did not even install this pesky software, they installed something else that snuck the bad software into their computer as a hidden payload.

The folks over at http://www.howtogeek.com went to the leading software download sites and grabbed the top ten software recommendations and here is what happened when they installed it. Check out the results, you will be surprised. Do you and your computer a favor and stay clear of free software, when it comes to software, you really do get what you pay for.

Every Freeware Download Site is Serving You Crapware (Here’s the Proof)