Admit it: If there is one skill that the pandemic has sharpened in all of us who have been working from home, that would be proper email etiquette. Well, there are a good number of things that messaging apps can convenience us with, but there are just some things that don’t cut it with just sending a private message. And since we aren’t seeing a lot of each other that much, we have resorted and depended on emails. So, aside from video conferencing and setting the right schedules for tasks to be accomplished on time despite working remotely, email etiquette is one great thing we have mastered in this pandemic.

Or have we? well, it is not too late to work on your overall working style when it comes to email, because even if we go back to a “new normal”, there is little, if no chance, that emails will all of a sudden become an obsolete way of getting in touch with work teammates and clients. With that said, here are some tips on how to keep your email …

If there is one thing that this pandemic taught us, is that you can never have too many laptops at home. With the kids doing online modules for most of the school year and the adults having to work at home or risk getting fired from their jobs, having just a tablet or smartphone won’t hack it for everyone. There is a difference in productivity between someone who uses a computer or laptop (although there is also a difference between someone who uses a unit with a separate screen or with dual screens from someone who just uses a laptop, that’s a whole other blog post) and someone who just uses a gadget like a tablet, even if it is equipped with a monitor. And if all you have as a spare laptop before the pandemic was an old, trusty laptop that saw its heyday when it was still connected to AOL and is only fast when you play Solitaire on it, then you realize that it was definitely time for an upgrade, if not buying extra unit for each …

If you are like anyone else in this time of a pandemic, you must have been spending an obscene amount of time on social media. Who is not doing that nowadays, anyway? There has never been a better time in history to plant yourself on your couch (or bed), mindlessly scrolling your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok feeds and no one will find fault in that. After spending eight hours in your “home office” (and a couple more hours of overtime because your boss tells you to finish something ASAP since you’re already at home and therefore, you won’t have to travel) and spending some time with the significant other and the kids, if any, you need to reward yourself with some activity that doesn’t require much thinking or physical activity. So, scroll away! Besides, everybody else is at home as well and busy updating everyone on their social network of their latest passion projects, so everyone is just pretty much updated with what is going on with each other’s lives.

One current trend nowadays among social media netizens is …

Just when everybody thinks that the cases of online fraud and people being victimized of scams will be decreasing because people would have empathy towards each other amidst this global pandemic, we have been proved wrong. In the area of ransomware attacks, not only have the incidences increased even if everybody is encouraged to stay indoors, the average size of ransomware payments has been on the uptrend. The increase of ransomware payments is not only just incremental but quite significant. The average payment to ransomware attackers in the 2^nd quarter of 2020 according to a report by Coveware, has increased by 60% from the first quarter of this year, which is now at US$170,000.  The trend, which has leaned towards increases, may be attributed to the various new options in tactics and the rise of new software. Ransomware attacks have become tailored to the targets, which thus have made them all the more dangerous and damaging.

Moreover, according to the Coveware report, a recent development in the second quarter of 2020 is the emergence of attackers who do not …

We are living in uncertain times, indeed. The coronavirus has put our lives on an indefinite pause as the plans that we have zealously tried to plot and implement at the start of the year has been out in the backburner or worse, turned into pipe dreams because the timing has suddenly become askew or finances have suddenly become scarce. It is not actually because people have become more fickle-minded, but even if we have the tools to execute a project, there is somewhat a more enticing proposition: To just curl in bed all day, Netflix and chill. There is just a compulsion in these uncertain times to also be uncertain and just let go – let the law of que sera, sera unfurl in your life. Is it really the best thing to be committed to something nowadays? The thing is, things are so uncertain that if we commit ourselves to something, there is a chance that the thing we have committed to will eventually not materialize because of circumstances beyond our control. So, we end up having this …

Right now, it is estimated that four billion people are working from home because of the lockdowns governments all over the world have imposed on their citizens in reaction to the accelerated spread of the COVID19 virus. Since we’re all already reporting to work from the comforts of our homes and trying our best (hopefully) to be our most productive, we may need all the help we can get to do it right. We are in this together and we are not sure of when this lockdown will be over, so might as well make sure our remote work experience is maximized.

So, how do we make the most of remote work to improve our experience, let our companies enjoy the fruits of our efforts, and make the world economy suffer a little less? Here are some ways to make remote work a win-win situation for everyone.

 

Out with voice, in with video

If there’s anything that remote work has removed, the first thing that would come to mind would be face-to-face meetings among colleagues and clients. With the …

Remember the time when people (including you, maybe) dismissed the coronavirus as just some pesky disease from China that will come to pass in weeks? Currently, literally thousands die in the US alone from the disease and confirmed cases now number to over a million. This unprecedented increase has twisted the arms of authorities to impose drastic measures to flatten the curve of new cases and avoid the overwhelming of the healthcare sector. Other countries have imposed border lockdowns, curfews, and the US included, allow those who can, to work from home.

As expected, employees will need to utilize company-provided devices in these uncertain times, as there is no timeline yet as to when the crisis will be completely defeated.  But then, the ambiguity of the situation has been taken advantage of by cybercriminals who will exploit the paranoia of remote workers and expose data and hardware vulnerabilities in the systems they use. How can remote workers then ensure the integrity of the data they get to handle is never compromised during the duration of their remote work period?

 …

It’s the era of media streaming. The days of having to be a slave to cable TV with limited choices of packages with so many unexplainable charges and fees. Cord cutters, rejoice! Future joiners of the cord-cutting bandwagon, feel free to explore your choices! This is because a streaming device that allows you to watch shows and movies and listen to music has become a hot ticket. For those with older models of smart TVs, or anyone who would want a reliable method of streaming can get a streaming device that will provide them exactly that.

But then, you may ask, “Isn’t streaming already available on computers and mobile devices through Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.?” What do you need a streaming device for?” The advantage of having a streaming device is that you have a gadget that is dedicated only to giving you content, nothing else. Let’s see which of these devices are the most user-friendly, doesn’t lag that much, can play video from the most services, and is easily updated when new services become available.

Amazon Fire TV

Coming …

There is a pattern of consumer behavior when it comes to upgraded stuff – people will hype it in anticipation weeks and days leading to the release date, crucify the developers of inevitable bugs for the earliest adaptors, and then months later, when the release has a gazillion patches and fixes and becomes stable, public opinion will be kinder. Just like most upgrades (particularly Microsoft ones), the launch of Window 10 was quite anticipated in the months and weeks before the release date and a public outcry (or at least those who were earliest to install the 2020 update) happened when bugs were discovered left and right (no audio, no search results, to name a few). Honestly speaking, with the death of Windows 7 still fresh, it might take a while (maybe until the end of the year) before the whole Windows-using public will really cozy up with Windows 10.

To help you in that process, here are a number of features that may come in handy with the ubiquitous OS’s latest update. Who knows, it might get you …

New year, new updates! Microsoft is finally laying the much-maligned Windows 7 to rest, taking out the support rug under its feet, and introducing Windows 10. And as expected, early adopters to the update have a lot to say. Of course, it is also expected that the Windows 10 updates would still contain a lot of bugs. After all, no update is anticipated to be perfect from the moment of its release. But then, with the ubiquity of Windows, the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, who have already jumped ship and eagerly downloaded the latest updates can’t help but nitpick on features that seem to have dampened their excitement for Windows 10.

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So, what features of Windows 10 have caught the ire of Windows users? What expected features have we taken for granted in our daily interactions with Windows have suddenly become problematic in this update? Have there been fixes and solutions to go around these bumps?  Let’s look at these common complaints:

Connectivity issues

Those who have updated their operating systems from Windows 8 …

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would know that the news item that’s been on headlines around the world is the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. In China, thousands have been found out to have the virus, hundreds have died, and people who have tested positive for the virus have been discovered in 24 countries and counting. The number of victims is seen to continually increase until warmer climates arrive in some countries that would discourage the virus from spreading.  Unfortunately, the arrival of warm weather will take weeks, if not months.

But then, it’s not only human health that’s been infected by the coronavirus. Apparently, cybercriminals have also capitalized on this unfortunate trend to spread malware and stage email scams. Reports in Japan have verified that this virus has been trying to dupe unsuspecting Japanese email recipients who are currently already a bit cautious because of China’s proximity to the country. Although it has not yet spread in other countries, this Coronavirus also has the potential of spreading worldwide and causes substantial damage to businesses and sadly, people’s lives.…

When you get a new computer, be it a desktop computer or a laptop, everything runs at lightning speed. All smooth, all fast. After a few months of usage, you observe that its performance is starting to slow. What could have caused it?

 

Several factors can cause slow computer performance. What your computer is made of and the maintenance you do are major factors. But you have to remember that a computer is a machine. It is made of parts that can eventually wear out. Damage caused by infiltrating viruses and malware can also cause adverse changes in the system and in your files.

 

Hard Disks. These guys store all the files and data of your computer. ALL of them. It affects computer efficiency through its read/write speeds.

Your hard disks store all of the data on your computer, from program files to documents or photos. The space available on the hard drive doesn’t have a very large affect on the computer’s performance, but the read and write speed do. A hard disk that spins at 7200RPMs will

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Taking down notes is vital because first, ideas are important. And if you are one of those who easily forget things, then a note is perfect for you. Second, it helps with organization. It also helps illustrate, describe, or narrate what we have seen, heard, or read. This is especially true in meetings, school lectures, and other discussions. If you have a lot to write down, wouldn’t it be just great if you can access your notes all in one place?

 

When it comes to taking notes, there are a lot of apps to choose from. Take for instance Google Drive. Yes, you read it right. But how?

First of all, all of your docs (or notes in this case) are saved in Google Drive, which has the best search capabilities around, hands-down. That makes it easy to find the note your looking for in a flash. Evernote’s search is good, but not as good as Google’s.

You also can use Drive’s excellent collaboration feature to write and share notes with others in real-time—an especially useful scenario if you’re

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