SetUFree VA » IT

Ready For The Newest IT Gadget?

Ronnelle Melwood — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:16:58 +0000

The rumor mill is churning – Apple should be announcing the next generation iPhone on June 8th. Check out this blog for predictions on features: new iPhone.

Personally, I’m still on the fence – should I get a BB, iPhone, iPod or stick with the cell phone? (Verizon EnV specifically – so much more than a phone) Don’t they all do the same thing in different packaging?

What’s your gadget of choice? Perhaps you can influence my decision…leave a comment @ setufreeva.com/blog

What Is The Cost Of FREE?

Ronnelle Melwood — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:52 +0000

As business owners we attempt to keep the balance between quality and cost effectiveness – meaning, if it’s free ‘HOW GOOD IS IT REALLY?’ Now, don’t misunderstand me, I like free, but it must be weighed against quality. Which brings me to the point of this blog – “Open Source Computing” or the new buzz word “cloud computing”? I read a great article in smallbusinesscomputing.com which listed numerous open source “cloud” platforms. The author tempered his article with sage advice “this may not be the best decision for all business owners” – translation: proceed with caution. We all want to save a few bucks, but not at the cost of our reputation. My favorite – and currently only – open source platform is PDF creator – works great! And of course, it’s free!

What are your favorites? Do you use open source software exclusively, not at all, or a mixture of both? Inquiring minds want to know? Leave your comments, suggestions, and opinions @ www.setufreeva.com/blog.

Save Time With Fire Fox Add-ons

Ronnelle Melwood — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:18:15 +0000

I used to be a diehard Internet Explorer user – through pure ignorance. If you are employed, you use what is provided – because bottom-line – any security issues are theirs (read Big Corporate Machine) vs. yours (business owner).

Through education via the virtual assistant forums, I learned that Fire Fox is a more secure, stable platform…needless to say I made the switch. If Fire Fox is your browser of choice, check out these time-saver add-ons:

1.Fox marks – seamlessly sync changes to bookmarks and passwords across all your computers
2.Shareaholic – share, bookmark and email web pages via your favorite social sites
3.Fotofox – organize your pictures or create an album without interrupting your internet browsing
4.Morning Coffee – like to be in the know at the moment? Use this tool to organize the websites you view daily
5.Reminder Fox – setup alarms/alerts to highlight those important dates/events – ex: “Mother’s Day – May 10th”
6.Tab Sidebar – an alternative to the main tab bar – why? Options are good!
7.Sxipper – keeps track of usernames, passwords and personal info; add-on allows you to store this data on your computer. Personally, I’m skeptical of this particular feature – I’ll stick with the password protected excel sheet

Do you use any of these or do you have a favorite to add to the list? Share it! Each one, teach one!

Leave a comment @ http://www.setufreeva.com/blog/

Websites for IT Professionals

Ronnelle Melwood — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:00:59 +0000

I read an interesting article in InfoWorld that highlighted 9 websites that IT professionals should master in 2009. The article states “this list is not for geeks. It’s for IT professionals…to keep up with the latest innovations on the internet.” Amongst the list were 2 social networking sites: LinkedIn and Twitter. Social networking is here to stay…and I’m sure you don’t want to be left out!

Do you have a presence on LinkedIn? Do you need assistance maintaining your presence on LinkedIn and other social media? I’d be happy to assist you; here’s mine www.linkedin.com/in/setufree.

The Website – How Much?

Ronnelle Melwood — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:55:43 +0000

As a virtual newbie, you are bombarded with information and need to make a lot of decisions. One of the biggest decisions: your virtual footprint – aka your website. By virtue of being virtual – how can you not have a website? So now that that decision is made – the next looming question: how much? The “how much?” is subjective given individual financial situations. Some individuals are blest with financial and/or technical abilities to have the “Rolls-Royce” (or whatever luxury vehicle you prefer) of websites. And some go the D.I.Y (do-it-yourself) route. What did I do? Both!! Let me explain, I went the D.I.Y route and couldn’t D.I.M (do it myself); I got some assistance and the finished product was better than where I began. In my desire to make my first impression an impressive and lasting one, I sought the opinion of a website guru and friend, Steve Jones, President of Websignia. After discussing the pros and cons of my current site and reviewing some of his work – quite impressive – I opted to enlist his company to produce my virtual footprint: (my website)

So, what route(s) did you take in your business? Did you have an experience similar to mine? Has my experience swayed you in either direction? Leave me a comment, I’d love to know!