Erich Stauffer

Blog

  • AVG 2012

    If you use AVG anti-virus software, which many of our clients do, you may have noticed a new pop-up that looks something like this.  It’s advertising a free upgrade to AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 or a paid upgrade to AVG Internet Security 2012.  Either one is fine and you can feel free to click the link, which should take you toAVG.com.

    The free version protects against:

    • Viruses and spyware
    • Social networks like Facebook
    • Web surfing and searching
    • Losing your identity online

    We’re currently recommending Microsoft Security Essentials to our clients.

  • Windows XP Support Ends in August, 2014

    As you may remember, even in 2011, I’m still installing XP for clients, but just so you’re aware, support for XP ends in August, 2014.

    According to Microsoft Support Lifecycle, support for Windows XP will end on August 4, 2014. Most companies still on Windows XP are skipping Windows Vistafor Windows 7, which will probably still be the dominant operating system choice for businesses in 2014. If you haven’t started testing your programs for Windows 7 compatibility, now is the time. Worst-case scenario is that you’ll have to run your XP apps within a virtualized XP PC on your desktop, but that is a pain and can take up extra system resources. Windows 7 comes with a compatibility checker that runs on install, but that’s probably not the best time to test.

    How much does Windows 7 cost?

    At Amazon.com, Windows 7 ranges from $266.22 for Ultimate to $174.99 for Home Premium:

  • Is Google Docs Cloud Computing?

    Ether Fleet’s Cloud Computing recently answered a couple of the most asked questions about cloud computing.

    A lot of people ask, “Is Google Docs Cloud Computing?” and they do a good job of answering that while Google Docs runs web-based apps such as a word processor, spreadsheet, presentations, and forms Google Docs itself is not could computing.

    The other popular question, “Is Windows Live Cloud Computing?” is very similar, with the difference being that some Windows Live applications are local desktop apps for the PC.

    Ether Fleet is a good resource for cloud computing news.

  • How to Go from VGA to HDMI?

    I have a client using a Vostro 2510 laptop who wanted to display the contents of demonstration from the computer onto a HD TV via HDMI. Unfortunately, the Vostro 2510 only has a VGA output, which is analog, and HDMI is digital, so we needed to get a VGA to HDMI converter box. I normally recommend buying through Amazon.com, but due to time constraints, they needed to get it somewhere local like Best Buy or Fry’s Electronics.

    If you get a converter box, make sure you get an HDMI cable long enough too. They come in 6 to 50 ft cables. The converter boxes are easy to use, plug-and-play devices, but make sure it comes with a VGA cable and audio cable, too. Once you have it, it’s a matter of connecting the VGA cable and audio from your computer to the box, plugging in the converter box to a power outlet, and then run the HDMI cable from the converter box to the TV. Change the input on the tv to HDMI and you’re all set to go. Here is a video on Youtube about how to use the device I’ve linked to above.

  • White-Label Apps

    Apps that do the same thing, but can be branded for different businesses under a licensing agreement or for a large fee are white-label apps.

    Major brands, universities, chambers of commerce, and businesses are all in need of certain types of mobile apps that don’t need to be redeveloped, just re-branded. Appetyte makes trivia and location based guide applications for the iPhone.Whiteapp is “a directory of mobile applications (apps) that serve as building blocks for yours. Starting from an existing application saves a lot of creative and production cost.” Their white label apps directory featuring a shopping cart app, not 1, but 2 augmented reality apps (1 and 2, a QR reader, desk clock, and a GPS store finder – just to name a few. One other example is FormEntry, which is an app that handles forms that can be what they call “private labeled”, which is another word for “white label”.

    How the white label app purchase and rebranding process works

    Your marketing or technology agency inquires about or identifies an app that is currently available to be white-labeled and the price for re-skinning it. You then propose the idea and it’s price to your client. The client is delighted with your proposal and price and says, “Yeah, go!” Everybody discusses objectives over beers or coffee. The best method of implementation is discovered. The details are written up and agreed to. You provide the clients relevant assets (pictures, logos, text content) to the developer. The developer makes it shiny, new and awesome. The application submission and acceptance process with Apple or Android is started and once accepted, you’re published for a fraction of the cost of a totally new app development.

    Both Appetyte and WhiteApp are located in the UK, but we use an iPhone developer in the US called Orange Group Apps who we are currently in discussions with creating a white label app to reskin and sell to prospective markets all over the US. If you are interested in developing an iPhone app in Indiana or are willing to work remotely with the developer, consider Orange Group Apps. We have been really pleased with their work and they are a great couple of guys on a personal level. They have helped us through the app development process all the way through helping us manage ad networks and the Apple app submission process.

  • Are You Overwhelmed with Spam in Your Email?

    When business owners ask me what they can do about all the spam they’re getting, I recommend Google Apps. Not only does Gmail stop most of the spam they’ll get, but it also allows them to create email addresses for all of their employees, setup distribution groups, and access their email from anywhere, including their mobile devices.

    But while spam might be the reason to switch to Google Apps, Gmail is not the only benefit. Your company will also get shared calendar, contacts, documents, and an internal website which you can use as a wiki or as a CRM. And if the tools Google Apps provides by default aren’t enough for you, there are hundreds of add-on software packages for project management, accounting, and customer relationship management that make Google Apps one of the most compelling tools for business owners today.

    Erich Stauffer has helped many businesses switch over from their standard POP accounts to the enterprise-level services that Google Apps provides. If you’re looking to reduce spam in your email and communicate more effectively with your employees and your customers, Google Apps may be right for you.

  • Having Trouble Installing XP Professional on a Dell XPS 400

    I’ve been trying to install XP Professional on a Dell XPS 300 that originally came with XP Media Center Edition. It has a SATA hard drive that requires a driver before Windows Setup will recognize the hard drive. This requires using a program like nLite to create a ‘slipstreamed’ version of XP.

    Each iteration of this process involves copying the source files from the original CD, adding the drivers for the SATA drive, and then building and burning a new CD or DVD to try. I’ve done this 3 times so far and am on my 4th attempt. I’m pretty close to just buying Vista or Windows 7 to put on this machine in order to get it to join to a domain (Windows XP Media Center doesn’t join domains by default).

    [Update 1/1/2011: I ended up just swapping out the SATA drive with an IDE drive and moved forward. It’s like breaking down and using tables when you can’t get CSS to work (which I haven’t had to do in a while).]

  • Can’t Create New Google+ Plus Page?

    Is your Google+ Plus Create Page Button Grayed Out and Not Allowing You to Create New Google+ Plus Pages?

    I currently have 13 Google+ Pages, but I’m unable to create more because the “Create” button is no longer active. Has anyone else had this problem?

    [Update 1/2/2011: The “Create” button is red again and I can click on it. It seems Google+ put me in a waiting period and then released me.]

  • How to Find Your Top Keywords in the New Google Analytics

    If you’re like me, you had trouble originally finding where the top keywords were in the new Google Analytics dashboard. It used to be under Traffic Sources > Keywords, but now it’s under Traffic Sources > Sources > Search > Organic.

    Google Analytics Organic Search Keywords report shows Site Usage with Keyword, Visits, Pages/Visit, Average Time on Site, % New Visits, and Bounce Rate as the default metrics. Most of the time its best to have high Visits and a low Bounce Rate, but not always.

    When you’re reviewing your keywords, look for problems people are trying to solve, issues their having, or products their trying to find. If you’re not solving these problems, know the answer to these issues, or sell what they’re looking for, these are opportunities for you to grow.

    Erich Stauffer is a search engine optimization (SEO) web design firm located just north of Indianapolis. We specialize in helping business owners create great content to make it easy for people looking to solve problems to find them as the answer.

    What problems do you need solved?