Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 8:44AM There was a good turnout yesterday at the Cranberry/Pittsburgh event. Sophos presented a lot of good information to everyone that attended about the state of the Sophos products and the story behind the Synchronized Security Solution.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 2:35PM 
This is a great article from CRN on the new release of the version 17 SFOS operating system. One of Sophos PAC members had quote in it which is sums up the positive direction that Sophos is taking towards their Synchronized Security capabilities for your network. Good job SAM! It is good to get the word out about one of the best good news stories in the security industry and the major reason for looking at Sophos then any other solution.
If you are not aware of the Sophos Synchronized Security Story you may want to take a look at the video below. Each new version of SFOS and the Sophos Central Products bring your network more security with each new component that you add to it.
See a quick video below to get a better view of what I am talking about:
Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 12:40PM 
Ok, I bit, but I love it! There are quite a few options out there for digitizing your handwritten notes but this seems to be very functional in how I use it. So here is the concept. The ring bound notebook contains pages that have a slick surface that allows you write on it with a gel pen (Pilot Frixion) and gives you the ability to erase the ink by using the rubber tip on the top of the pen or taking a wet paper towel and wiping the page clean. This of course makes the pages reusable. Now the how do you digitize it?
There is a Rocketbook App available that you program to process the page by taking a picture of the page. Wait, before you take that picture you need to have programmed your App to how you want it to work with the image. There are six icons on the bottom of each page. Place an X over the icon or icons that you want to choose. These icons represent your workflow for storing your captured page to different cloud locations like:
You set up the icons in the app with the pointer to the cloud applications/locations that you want your digitized pages to go. For example:
I use OneNote a lot so you can see that I have mine programmed to post pages to different OneNote notebook locations. Remember that once the images are there, you can move them very easily if you need to. The App currently support Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, iCloud, OneNote, Slack, and email. The program supports both PNG and PDF formats.
While OneNote has the ability to convert “Ink” to text it does not have the ability to convert these digitized images. This would really be a neat feature if it were available.
The app even gives you the ability to bundle scans into one PDF if you would like. You can do this if you the following criteria are met:
I just like the thought of the number of trees I will be saving by not using paper anymore for capturing my handwritten notes. I get to keep using my writing skills and extend my ability to capture my thoughts into the applications that I can access from any device. Let me know what you think!
Monday, October 23, 2017 at 11:37AM This Week on Windows is all about the brand new Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, including interviews for the new Photos experience, the Mixed Reality Viewer, Mixed Reality head-mounted-displays, a rundown of new gaming features, and much, much more. Check out more about the Windows 10 Fall Creators update at https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexpe...
Friday, October 20, 2017 at 12:13PM 
So… Microsoft is now using LinkedIn for creating a method of delivering training on their products. I just went through looking at some of the new features in Outlook that were just released and though their notification link it with a tab to access one month of free access to LinkedIn Learning. According to the site they have over 4000 training videos on various subjects (see image below). This is probably a direct off-shoot of LinkedIn’s purchase of Lynda.com. The courses that are available on Lynda are also available on LinkedIn Learning so from that standpoint they are the same. However, the main difference is the platform that the courses are delivered on – LinkedIn Learning is built on the LinkedIn platform which provides the learner with additional value in the form of recommendations that are personalized for you based on your profile, your professional network, the company you work for, etc.
There is also better integration on the platform with the content itself so when you learn new skills from taking a course, you have the option to easily add those skills to your profile.
LinkedIn Learning Subscription
LinkedIn Learning is available as a Premium subscription and costs $29.99 a month for a monthly subscription, plus taxes. Annual subscriptions cost $299.88 per year, plus taxes.
Learn more about the benefits of a LinkedIn Learning subscription and payment plans.
Note: If you have signed up for the one month free trial, your billed subscription will begin automatically at the end of the trial period. Learn more about LinkedIn Premium account free trials.
Friday, October 20, 2017 at 7:24AM |
Download the Windows 10—Fall Creators Update SDK today. Want to learn more about what’s in it? Get the overview by watching the Windows Developer Day keynote and dive deeper with over 18 sessions on Windows 10 features and capabilities here. |
| And don’t forget to enter an epic sweepstakes with amazing prizes. When you submit or update a Windows Store app targeting Windows 10—Fall Creators Update (build 16299), you’ll have a chance to win one of five prize packages—each valued at over $8,000 USD.* You’ll receive one entry for each app or game you create or update that meets the criteria. |
*No Purchase Necessary. Open only to Universal Windows Apps developers 18+. Sweepstakes ends November 17, 2017. For details, see Official Rules.
Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 3:07PM |
What to look for in the Surface Book 2 USB C, 17 hour video playback on battery, both a 13.5 and 15 inch version, lots of memory, lots of CPU, lots of storage. Watch this video that will walk you through the design and reasons for the design by Jeff Stewart, Senior Director and Product Line Manager at Microsoft. |
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Monday, September 18, 2017 at 10:24AM Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 4:43PM 
We like the word “FREE” don’t we. Microsoft has extended the Windows 10 S to 10 Pro upgrade offer until March 31, 2018. Microsoft originally intended to end this offer in December but we welcome the extension they are now offering.
Windows 10 S is being positioned for the education market as a more secure version of Windows 10 because it only allows apps from the Windows Store to be installed. It also happens to come as the default operating system on the Surface Laptop. If find you need to install an app that is only available outside of the Windows Store, the ability to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro at any time is handy to have, particularly through the free promotion. Once the promotion ends in March, however, Microsoft is expected to charge upwards of $49 to upgrade.
If Windows 10 S is not right for you, you can switch to the Windows 10 edition previously installed on your device(s).+
Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 12:43PM 
It has been a pet peeve of mine that Microsoft had held back regular channel partners from selling their Surface Series Products. We are now authorized so if you are in the market let us know so that we can get you over some pricing information.
Surface Laptop in Graphite Gold, Burgundy & Cobalt Blue are (finally!) coming to distribution.
Surface Laptop Colors are launching in distribution on November 1, 2017.
Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 5:41PM Yoga 920 is boldly individual. Now with pen compatibility, it’s our most versatile Yoga 9 series to date. We’ve kept our iconic watchband hinge, upgraded our processor to the latest 8th gen Intel Core i7 U, and introduced 360 degree immersive sound with Dolby Atmos. And we’ve wrapped all of this in a sleek redesign: get yours in bronze, copper, platinum, or limited edition Vibes design with Gorilla Glass (subject to availability). Learn more here: https://www.lenovo.com
Its great that they added the thunderbolt USB3c connectors to it.
Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 5:35PM Pretty impressed with the updates.
Type. Touch. Draw. Speak. Go. The Miix 520 detachable flexes to meet your every need. Grab the Lenovo Active Pen 2 and unleash your creativity. Or leave handwritten edits on a Word document. Scan your surroundings in 3D to help you with your latest home redesign. Stay connected with optional LTE. Miix 520 was built to help you explore new levels of productivity, and deliver an enhanced entertainment experience. Don’t know where to begin? Just ask Cortana. Thanks to our far field mics, she can now respond to you from across the room. Learn more here: https://www.lenovo.com
Thursday, August 24, 2017 at 2:08PM Published on Aug 24, 2017
Transform your work, transform your world with the #1 business laptop of all time. The ThinkPad has shaped the world of business computing for over 25 years. Built by an engineering and design team obsessed with crafting every tiny detail, to give you the best possible user experience. It’s not a laptop. It’s a ThinkPad. See how different is better at https://www.lenovo.com/think
I love these ad videos.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 1:28PM 
Microsoft has been warning users about tech support scams for years, and this week shared how it is seeing these scams continue to evolve by targeting victims through emailed links that lead to tech support scam websites.
The spam emails, according to Microsoft, use social engineering techniques to get users to click suspicious links. Once a target clicks on the link, they are led to a tech support scam website, “which use various scare tactics to trick users into calling hotlines and paying for unnecessary ‘technical support services’ that supposedly fix contrived device, platform, or software problems.”
A survey last year, cited by Microsoft, found that two out of three people have experienced a tech support scam in the previous 12 months.
As Microsoft explains in a blog post, while typically tech support scams leverage a mix of techniques, including malicious ads, malware, and cold calling, email lets them “cast a wider net.”
“The technical support scam websites employ various social engineering techniques to compel users to call the provided hotlines,” Microsoft said. “They warn about malware infection, license expiration, and system problems. Some scams sites display countdown timers to create a false sense of urgency, while others play an audio message describing the supposed problem.”
Microsoft has been tracking tech support scams for years, working with law enforcement to investigate tech support fraud networks and strengthening its technology to prevent tech support scams from making it in customer inboxes in the first place. Microsoft recommends that users update to Windows 10 if they haven’t already to ensure they are benefiting from the most up to date security defenses.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 11:04AM 
I’m a big OneNote fan so I am always looking for new things that I can do with this application. Here is the new August additions:
The August update version number is 17.841.5771 to have all of these new features.
Friday, August 18, 2017 at 1:15PM I just signed up for the trial version last night and was suitably impressed at the connection speed and resolution of the image stream. This service is just $35/month and provides basic cable channels for you with unlimited DVR functions. If you are only interested in local sports and news this is a great alternative to other TV options. I’m currently looking at a $250+ bill each month for my current Comcast account. If you are thinking about cutting the cord then let’s look at the math.
Looks like a no brainer to me. The only thing I am loosing that I touch once in awhile is HBO. So…
If you decide that this is something you want to consider, you will probably want to purchase a couple of ChromeCasts for your TV’s around the house. This gives you the ability to access YouTube TV right from there without a problem.
Create a family group to share YouTube TV—as well as other Google apps and services—with up to 5 other people.
You can use YouTube TV on up to three separate devices at the same time. For example, if you're watching YouTube TV on both a computer and a mobile device, this counts as two of the three available devices—even though they’re being used by the same account.
This looks very tempting to me except that two of the channels my wife watches PBS and Hallmark, are not included and for local sports we are missing Root for the Penguin Hockey games and Pittsburgh Pirates. I have another eight months on my current Xfinity Contract so hopefully we will see some other changes over the next couple of months.
Friday, August 18, 2017 at 12:00PM 
This is a pretty neat device that one of our vendors just sent us information on. Priced at $49.95 it allows you to convert your laptop/notebook mini-display port for use with HDMI, DVI-I or HD-15 VGA.
Marketing Information: Send a video signal from a tablet, laptop computer, or another source device with a Mini DisplayPort output port to a projector, monitor, or HDTV with an HDMI, DVI or VGA input port. This compact all-in-one converter is an ideal solution for use in schools, conference rooms, or other work spaces that may utilize assorted displays with varying inputs in multiple rooms throughout a building.
On The Go Enhanced - Be prepared for any meeting, presentation, or event with the full confidence that you have the right connections in an ultra-compact design. The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI, VGA, or DVI adapter allows you to connect a Mini DisplayPort-equipped laptop or tablet to a projector, monitor, or HDTV with an HDMI, VGA, or DVI input port. The compact design of this adapter converter makes it a perfect fit for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) applications in education or corporate environments.
Straightforward Install - This simple plug and play adapter converter does not require drivers for install and the device is powered through Mini DisplayPort bus power, so no additional power adapters are needed.
Port Protection - The dongle-style adapter converter reduces strain on the video port. The cable between the Mini DisplayPort connection and the adapter converter provides strain relief that protects the port from strain damage as cords are moved.
Note: This adapter converter will output signal to one video port at a time. This adapter converter is not designed to output multiple video signals simultaneously.
Friday, August 18, 2017 at 10:10AM |
Additional products supported for the Acoustic and Conversation Analysis suites: now including Unified Communication products (Voyager 3200 UC and Voyager 8200 UC ). UC customers can now benefit from obtaining greater insights and improve the quality of conversations, that Contact Centre customers have already been enjoying. New Bluetooth Link Quality report within the Conversation Analysis suite: Helps to identify audio issues caused by the Bluetooth radio link between the headset and the computer, allowing troubleshooting right to the supported end point. Upsell Opportunities Integration Opportunities To view the release notes and learn more about what’s new see here. To learn more about Plantronics Manager Pro and what it can offer see here. |
Thursday, August 17, 2017 at 9:13AM 
The latest release of Plantronics Manager Pro has been successfully deployed globally. Existing customers now have access to all the new features and benefits.