Tech tips from ChezvousPC
Cold Callers – It may seem obvious, but signing up for a service with someone who called you out of the blue, often isn’t the best idea. We have had customers who have agreed to transfer their phone and broadband over to a ‘new’ provider who got in touch on the land-line, only to discover that they have been transferred onto a phone-only package, and no longer have any broadband at all. A 50% saving isn’t so great if you are only getting 50% of the service!
Photos - Are you struggling to send photos via email now Windows Live Mail is out of support? Some providers still have quite low limits for attachments, and resizing manually can be quite a pain. There are some good JPEG photo resize programs which will do a whole folder in one go; we like one available at www.rw-designer.com/picture-resize - you can specify the maximum size (In pixels) of any one dimension, and then you just drag your photos onto the icon, and a resized copy is created. 2000 pixels is a good start point if you want to give it a go.
Surge Protection – After August’s issues we feel it is worth re-enforcing the idea that surge protection on your electrical sockets is good, but won’t protect you if you have equipment connected to a telephone line. Consider your router, and all the devices that are connected to it with ethernet cables – these are potentially unprotected if your phone line is hit. There are dongle-style surge protectors available that go between your router and the telephone socket, which drastically reduce the chance of damage occurring - and as they are priced around £5, you have no reason not to get covered!
Apple Passwords – If you have forgotten your Apple ID password and are struggling with the reset emails, or your account is on an email address you can’t access - try giving Apple a call. We have found their technical support friendly and helpful - a pleasant change from some other large corporations.
TIM, Tim and Carol – ChezvousPC
For help with any home or business IT needs, give us a ring on 01822 855822 or visit chezvouspc.com