Who is LINKING to my website?

One of the essential methods to help your website rank well in search engines results - that is improving your SEO or Search Engine Optimisation - is to have sites linking back to yours.

There is plenty of information on the web about how you can do this but here is a very simple tool that you can use to find out who is currently linking back to your website.

Go to Yahoo's website and enter the following into the search field:

"link:http://www.yourcompanyname.com"

so for example we would enter: "link:http://www.btechnologies.com"

You will then see all of the websites that are linking to yours. You can also play around a little bit further by using the drop down boxes and selecting different options on the results page.

The perfect weapon against SPAM!

We at B Technologies have a brand new service to combat the ever growing threat of SPAM to small businesses.

SPAM messages waste time, disrupt work and often carry malicious attachments or links that threaten your systems.

We have recently launched a SPAM filtering solution which uses technology which ensures that your emails are filtered of SPAM before they get to you, using the latest anti-spam technology with 5 layers of filtering, thereby producing a number of benefits.
- The load (or pressure) on your server to process all the SPAM emails is decreased, therefore you may see an increase in system speed.
- The filtering screens Email for malicious software - such as computer viruses and spyware, and phishing (fraud based emails).
- The service is relatively fast to set up and can be activated in 1 or 2 days with the results starting to take effect within 2 working days.
- The SPAM filtering process uses the latest technology (IronPort Mail Security)and is highly successful, ensuring that approximately 95% (or more) of your SPAM will be rejected or captured. As SPAM continues to grow as a business challenge this service evolves to combat the increasing new threats.

Kind of feedback we have been receiving sound like this:
“Daniel this is working like a dream – thanks heaps. The boys are only getting one or two spam a day if any.”
“The spam is a LOT better, thanks very much. We only received 2 in the last 2 days they both said spam in front of them.”
“I had only 1 spam email today, and it went directly into my junk email folder. I have asked around and everyone is getting the same”

Personally we at B Technologies have also been using this service and have reduced our daily intake of SPAM from several hundred to only a couple.

Contact us now to eliminate SPAM from your business - 1300 885 200.

Who owns a particular domain address?

Have you ever wondered who owns a particulra domain address? go to www.who.is and you can find out in less then a minute.

For example if you like the domain name www.bigbusiness.com and want to find out who owns it so you can make an offer to purchase it, this is the site to tell you what you need to know.

Also recently a couple of clients of ours stopped receiving their emails. We checked on who.is to see that their domain name registration has expired and we were able to pay for the renewal by checking the registration details which tell us which company the name is registered with.

This is a tool you will not need often but you will love it when you need it.

Where has all the space gone on your computer?

You want to find out how much space your music collection is taking up?
You want to find out why you can no longer fit downloaded movies onto your harddrive?
Here is the answer...

You laptop or PC has a certain amount of hard disk space which you can store files on. In a standard computer you can find out how much that is by clicking on 'my computer' and right clicking' on the 'C' drive. Select 'properties', and you should now see the size of your hard disk and also how much free space you have available.

But if you want to find out where the space has actually gone on the computer, which files and folders are what site... then you need "TreeSize Free 2.3" This is a small program that's free to download and easy to use.

Once you have downloaded and installed it, you run the program and it will start to give you the size of each folder. Each folder can be expanded in Explorer-like style to see the size of its subfolders.

Something to note: You will not be able to open files from this program, and the program doesn't remember the data it collected so you have to run it from scratch every time you want to see the size of your folders but this is no big deal as I don't expect that this is something that you would need to do often, the process doesn’t take long and it can run in the background whilst you do other things.

How to get this program:
1. Go to http://download.cnet.com/
2. Enter "TreeSize Free 2.3" and scroll down to find it amongst the results
3. Press 'download'
4. Save it somewhere and run it to install it

Protect your data in 3 simple ways

Here are three simple steps to ensure that when you walk away from your computer, people will not be able to see what you are working on.

1. Set up a password so you have to log on everytime you start the computer. This is the most basic protection you really should have in place - and most workplaces already have this.

You can password protect individual files, folders or the whole computer.
Create strong passwords that:
- Are at least 6 characters
- Include upper and lowercase letters
- Contain at least 1 special character (@$*>?) and/or numbers

To set up a password there are a number of ways but an easy one is to press these 3 buttons at the same time; 'Ctrl' 'Alt' and 'Delete' and click on 'Change password'

2. Set up a screensaver with password protection - this means that when you walk away from your computer a screensaver will automatically start after a preset number of minutes and when you are ready to start work again, you will have to enter in your password to be able to access your work.

To turn on your screensaver with password protection, go to the ‘Control Panel’ and look under ‘Display’. Go to the ‘Screensaver’ tab, where you will see the available options. Set the amount of minutes the system should wait before it start the screensaver when the computer is not being used. Tick the box for password protection.

3. Finally before you walk away from your computer at work or in a public place, press these 3 buttons at the same time; 'Ctrl' 'Alt' and 'Delete' and select 'Lock Computer'. In this setting all your files remain exactly as they are, but noone will be able to see them or access them while you walk away. When you come back you simply enter your password and you can continue working as before.

These are just 3 simple techniques you can use to protect your data!

Let us know if you have any other handy tips like this. Remember the team at B Technologies is here to help.

Keeping Microsoft Windows updated is easy, free and important

For Windows users, you should regularly install Microsoft suggested critical updates!

If you have a Windows operating system installed on your computer you should ensure that it is set to receive automatic updates as they are released. These updates are released as security and performance issues are identified on a regular basis, so receiving the updates is a very important process.

To ensure you have the latest updates RIGHT NOW, you can go to http://update.microsoft.com/. You will first be asked if you want to do an express or custome installation of any critical updates. I usually select 'custom' so I can review all of the available updates. By reading their descriptions I can decide whether I need them or not.

Once you have selected one of the buttons a scan of you system will start automatically which will identify all available updates to your system. You should install any critical updates and sort through the optional updates to see whether you really need them or not.

The same concept applies to any other programs THAT YOU TRUST. If you know that the program is safe, it is advisable to now and again check for any updates as these are usually released by the developers to fix any issues that have been identified or to add new features.

Remember this is all free.

9 easy steps to solving most hardware problems

Should your equipment fail to turn on, be recognised by your system, or function properly, follow these 9 easy steps to address some of the most common hardware issues:

1. Determine that equipment has been assembled correctly, by consulting your product manual or referencing the manufacturer's Web site.
2. Confirm that your device is securely plugged in and receiving power. For equipment that relies on an A/C (wall outlet plug) power adapter, you can double-check that the outlet is functioning correctly by plugging in another device and checking if it starts up or begins charging.
3. Check to see whether equipment is properly connected to your PC by making sure all cables are properly plugged into the correct ports.
4. Verify that hardware is turned on.
5. Look for error messages displayed on either the equipment itself or on your desktop. Solutions for many of these can be found in your product manual or by searching on Google.
6. Install or reinstall drivers for the device. Windows automatically searches for drivers when new devices are connected and notifies you of any available updates. It may be necessary to manually install them yourself, if these files are contained directly on the device, on a CD/DVD sold with the equipment, or on the manufacturer's Web site. To activate setup, just double-click on the driver installation program. You may need advice, if the installation program fails to run.
7. Confirm that you're using the latest drivers for your hardware. Manufacturers routinely issue patches to correct errors and inconsistencies that users encounter. To do so, simply check the Download or Support section of the manufacturer's Web site.
8. Reboot your system and test the device again.
9. If all else fails, contact the hardware manufacturer's customer support department.

Remember, the team at B Technologies is only a phone call away.

Find out the speed of your internet in seconds

Have you ever wondered what speed your internet connection was at any time?

There is a free online tool that can help you find out the speed of your internet in seconds.

You simply go to http://speedtest.net

DO NOT click on the top bar which mentions 'free scans' and 'turbo-charge your internet performance'. This wants to provide you with something that you do not need.

In the middle of your screen there is a map, and on the top of the map there is a small rectangle with the words 'Start Test To Recommended Server ...' Click this box and the speed test will happen automatically in about 30 seconds.

The test will provide you with an upload and a download speed.

How to tell if a website is truly secure or not

Someone sent me an email with some very useful information that I wanted to share with you all about the difference between http:// and https://

This is one of the ways that you can check whether a website that you are about to enter your credit card details into for example, is secure or not! So it’s this simple:

The main difference between http:// and https:// is it’s all about keeping you secure

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol, which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) for information to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients.

The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.
The S stands for "Secure".

If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://

This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecured language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never ever enter your credit card number in an http website!

But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://

If it doesn't, do not enter sensitive information like a credit card number.

You can also see the Wikipedia article on the subject

Protect your emails - backing them up is simple but if you lose them they are gone forever!

Following on from our last blog post, we have been asked by several clients about how to backup their email. There is a different answer for those using Mac, Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Vista but I will start with the most common; Outlook 2007/2003/2002.

First you need to download a backup tool from the official Microsoft website. This is a small file and will take less than a minute to download. To install the file:

1. Turn off Outlook
2. Save the file to your computer
3. Run the program

To back up your emails you can find the instructions on the Microsoft website or follow these instructions:
1. Start Outlook
2. Under the 'file' menu you now have a 'backup' option, select it
3. In the new window select 'options'
4. here you have 3 selections to make:
1 - if you want an automatic reminder to help you backup regularly, check the box under the 'reminder heading, and select the number of days.
2 - under 'backup files' select which email folders you want to backup.
3 - Under 'file location' select the location where you want your emails backed up to. When you are done press 'OK'.

It’s that simple. Now the key is that when your computer has done a backup, you need to save the backup file onto a CD, DVD, USB, external hard drive or another computer to make sure it is safe in case something happens to your data.

BACK UP YOUR DATA REGULARLY!

P.S. To backup your files on Vista you can follow the instructions via this link.

The importance of data backups!!

If you lost all of your business information, would you be able to continue serving your customers? Would you lose money? Could your staff continue working? What about if someone stole your laptop and your personal photos from the last 10 years were on it, could you replace them?

The importance of backing up your data can not be overestimated. This is a key message that we at B Technologies continue to remind our clients about but still we are sometimes faced with the difficult task of trying to recover data after a laptop is lost or stolen, or a virus or a power surge destroys PCs or a server.

There are many ways to lose or damage your data and the impacts can vary greatly. Often our clients have contractual obligations about their own customer's information so losing this information can have legal ramifications.

The message of this blog entry is this:
- If you do not already have data back up for your business or home, you must talk to a professional to organise some level of protection. We can tell you what you need to protect yourself against and what options you have available to you. There are many back up options available, some cost as little as a few hundred dollars but they are worth their weight in gold.
- Do not wait until it happens to you and its too late. Believe us when we say that backing up your date is one of the most important things you can do. Too often we work with clients who try to pick up the pieces once it’s too late. Even if recovering lost data is possible, it some cases it can end up costing thousands of dollars.
- Make sure you ensure that the back up procedures are followed. Some businesses have great back up systems in place but the back up is left at work, so if a fire destroyed the building, the data AND the back up is lost. Whatever back up procedure you finally decide to go with, stick to it. Often your business represents your livelihood.

If you haven’t got protection in place to protect your data or if you would like us to review your current arrangements and assess whether they provide an adequate level of protection, contact us now on 1300 885 200 or email us at info@btechnologies.com

P.S. We also have an article on our website that goes into much further detail on this topic

Email Tip - Have you ever sent an email to the wrong email address?

When you start typing into the 'TO' field of an email, usually the email program you are using will give try to complete the email address that you are typing.

So if I start typing 'D' for example, I am given the opportunity to select from all the email addresses that I have used before, that start with 'D'.

But what happens if someone has changed their email address? Sometimes we end up selecting the wrong email address and send to a person's old email or work email.

There are two things you can do to avoid this:

1. If the person you are writing to is an actual 'contact' of yours, edit their details and remove any email addresses that are no longer used. You can do this by searching your address book and finding their name, or by double clicking on their email address in the 'TO' field (which will also take you to their contact card).

2.You can remove any old email addresses in the 'TO' field of a new email, by typing in the first letter of the email address, scrolling down to the email address using your up or down arrows, and pressing 'delete' when you have the email address selected that you want to get rid of.

Remember, sometimes even our email addresses need a spring (or summer) clean.

To contact us visit our website or email us at info@btechnologies.com

What are the differences between CDs and DVDs?

There is a link on Dr Marc Dussault's blog about what is the difference between CDs and DVDs. This link is to the BigPong Help Centre where there is a full explanation about:

- What the main differences are between the two
- How much information and what kind of information various CDs and DVDs can hold
- What do all those names such as CD-R, CR-ROM, DVD+RW mean

So if you ever wondered about CDs and DVDs and all their differences, check out this link.

To contact us visit our website or email us at info@btechnologies.com

Protect your customers' privacy

If you are sending out emails to multiple recipients at any one time, you will probably want to enter their email addresses' not into the 'To' field of your email but in the 'Bcc' field. This means that none of the recipients of the email will see each other's email addresses.

This has many benefits:
- It protects the privacy of your clients by not providing their email addresses to others - seeing your email address being sent to a hundred people can make people very upset
- It ensures that your email is seen as more personal (rather than being one of a hundred recipients)
- It protects your valuable client list and doesn't expose it to other businesses who may now sell to them before you get to do so

Common Internet Error Messages Explained

Sometimes you can find great information to everyday questions in the FAQ section or customer support section of major service providers.

If you’re not a BigPond subscriber, you might not have seen this list of common error messages explained - click on the hyperlink below for a list you’ll want to keep handy the next time something’s not quite working the way it should!

Some common error messaged explained include:

Error 404: Page not found. This is a very common error message – and it simply means that the site or page you’re trying to visit doesn’t exist. This may be because:
• The web address has been typed incorrectly (that may not be your fault).
• The webpage may have moved to a different place on the website.
• The webpage no longer exists. You may be able to get around the error by:
• Checking the web address and entering it again.
• Going to the site’s home page and then navigate from there to the area you want. If you can’t find the home page, try using a search engine like Sensis.com.au to find what you’re looking for.

501 Internal Server Error: The site or page you are trying to visit is currently experiencing problems. Usually, just trying again later will resolve the problem.

For the full list go to:
Common Error Messages Explained

Thanks Dr Marc Dussault's for some more great information.

Protect Yourself From Dangerous Viruses

Several of our clients have found that their computers were infected by a nasty 'antivirus software' virus. Read this article to learn how to spot the virus and for tips on how to prevent infection of your systems!

Based on initial analysis, this virus arrives mainly via spammed email messages that contain a link to bogus offers, and we have also received reports that the said link is circulating in instant messaging applications and private messages in social networking Web sites, too.

Once the said URL link is clicked, the Web threat infection chain begins and ultimately leads to the download of a Trojan. This Trojan is a 'rogue anti-virus' that displays very convincing messages that are meant to scare and confuse the user, ultimately tricking the user into revealing their credit card details. The message is perceived to be from a trusted Microsoft source. The messages come in a wide variety such as the following:







The trojan tells the user that since they are only using the “trial version" the users should get the full version so that they are always supposedly protected. The messages can look like this:




So ultimately if users find any of these or similar messages, they should contact B Technologies straight away as the trojan / virus has to be removed from the computer effectively.

To protect your computer against viruses users should do the following:

• Run effective anti-virus software. Look for anti-virus software from major vendors like McAfee or Symantec.

• Keep your anti-virus software updated. Remember that new viruses come out all the time and anti-virus software can only protect you if the software has been updated to know about the newest threats. You should update your virus definitions at least once per week if not more often.

• Don't open attached files via e-mail. Whatever e-mail program you use, don't open any attached files, even from people you know, unless you were explicitly expecting that particular file. Many viruses try to convince you that a file attachment containing the virus is something you really want to read. Be sceptical and careful!

• Keep your computer up-to-date with the latest patches. New security holes in operating systems are found on a regular basis. Use Windows Update to make sure your computer always has the latest fixes and patches for security holes.

• Use a firewall. Viruses and other threats can come over networks in methods other than e-mail. Many malicious programs 'probe' your computer looking for known security holes or open services. A port scan of your system can take seconds and can find innumerable vulnerabilities. A firewall blocks outsiders from probing or connecting to your computer unless you initiate the connection via a Web browser or other program. ZoneAlarm is a popular free Windows firewall application and may be a good option for many users. If you have a cable modem or DSL connection at home, consider a dedicated hardware firewall/router from manufacturers like Linksys, SMC, or Netgear.

• Never enter your credit card details into any program or website unless you are absolutely sure that it is trustworthy.

This is a topic that we at B Technologies take very seriously, if you have any concerns about the security of your computer or network, contact us so we can ensure your assets are appropriately protected.

A recent testimonial we received

We have just received a testimonial from our friends at Excel HP which goes like this:

"We have found B Technologies to be a one-stop shop for all of our IT requirements. As a small business, we do not have the time or money to support in-house services and have decided to outsource.

In doing so, B Technologies were able to configure all of our IT and introduce effective systems. We have found their Team to be extremely helpful and resourceful - particularly when it came to dealing with our Macs.

We have no hesitation in recommending B Technologies to others. "

A big thank you to Trish and the team at Excel HP, and to read some other testimonials from satisfied customers click here

IT humour

Here are a few examples of genuine help desk calls that are sent around on the Internet.

Customer: Hi, good afternoon, I can't print. Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it...

Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at Woolies.

Customer: I can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars (*****)

Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?

A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine."

AND

A horrendous truck roll-over on F3 today!

The "WaybackMachine" - archived images of all web pages from 1996 to the present

There is a website that allows you to browse through 85 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago. That means that you can see what websites looked like historically.

To use the WaybackMachine, type in the web address of a site or page which you want to see, and press enter. Then you can select from the archived dates available to see what the website looked like on those dates.

How fast does your website load onto a customer's screen?

Would you like to know how fast your website loads onto a customer's computer screen? Your could be losing customers if your site load speed is slow!!!

There is some great advice from here at Blogger.com, who suggest that you use "The StopWatch" program which will measure the time for you.

Simply go to their page and enter the URL to be measured and watch the top of the window that opens.

The StopWatch can only measure websites that can be displayed in a frame. Some websites use javascript to break out of frames. This is not a StopWatch bug.

Information from their own website:
Tip: to reload a page and bypass the cache of your browser:
Internet Explorer: Hold the Control key and click the Refresh button on the toolbar.
Mozilla, Firefox, Netscape Navigator: Hold down the Shift key and click the Reload button on the navigation toolbar.
Safari: Hold down the Shift key and click the Reload toolbar button.

How does it work?
The StopWatch is a small Javascript that runs on your computer (not the Numion server). It measures the time between the moment your browser starts to load the URL and when the browser signals that it has finished ("Done" in the status bar). The measurement therefore includes fetching and interpreting all HTML (including frames), images, and Javascripts. It does not include content that is handled by plugins. If the page is in the cache then the stopwatch will measure the faster loading time (see tip above). The accuracy is the accuracy of the Javascript timer, on most systems 10 milliseconds.

Clearing Your Cache and Cookies to Improve PC Security and Performance

Most browsers hold a saved copy of visited webpages. Clearing your browser's cache and/or cookies can resolve a number of problems you may be experiencing while using sites on the web. Problems that can be solved include reduced speed, security issues such as viruses or spyware and other strange behaviour of your computer. Of course it increases your privacy as well, deleting the record of what sites you have visited.

Google provides some simple instructions for clearing your cache and cookies. Remember these are different for each browser type, so to clear your cache and cookies, you can follow the steps below:

For MS Internet Explorer:
Click Tools at the top of your browser window.
Select Internet Options from the menu.
Select the General tab, if it's not already selected.
Locate the Browsing history section and click Delete.
In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete files If a pop-up window appears, click Yes.
In the Cookies section, click Delete cookies If a pop-up window appears, click Yes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Mozilla Firefox:
Click Tools at the top of your browser window.
Click Options.
In the Private Data section, click the Settings button.
Ensure that Cache and Cookies are checked.
Click OK.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Safari:
Click Safari in the upper left corner of your display.
Select Reset Safari from the menu.
A pop-up box will appear. Click Reset.
Click Safari again.
Select Empty Cache from the menu.
A pop-up box will appear. Click Empty.

The global number of internet users has surpassed one billion

In a recent Nine MSN story it was reported that the global number of internet users has surpassed one billion with China accounting for the largest population of web surfers.

The actual number of web surfers is probably higher than that these figures were based only on the number of internet users aged 15 and above working from home or work computers and did not take into account traffic from public computers such as internet cafes or access from mobile phones or personal digital assistants.

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 41 per cent of the one billion global internet users, followed by Europe (28 per cent), North America (18 per cent), Latin America (seven per cent) and the Middle East and Africa (five per cent).

China had the largest population of internet users with nearly 180 million people going online, followed by the US with 163 million, Japan with 60 million, Germany and Britain with nearly 37 million each and France with 34 million.
India was next with 32 million internet users followed by Russia (29 million), Brazil (28 million), South Korea (27 million), Canada (22 million) and Italy (21 million).

Google was the most frequently visited web property in December with 777.9 million unique visitors, followed by Microsoft sites (647.9 million visitors), Yahoo! (562.6 million visitors), AOL (273 million) and Wikimedia (273 million).

Facebook.com had grown by 127 per cent in the past year and welcomed 222 million visitors in December, making it the top social networking site worldwide.

The head of the group responsible for th research stated: "It is a monument to the increasingly unified global community in which we live and reminds us that the world truly is becoming more flat"

Convert Images Into Formats You Can View With Ease

Today's post is simple but very useful.

Have you ever struggled with an image file that’s in the wrong format? Maybe you could open it or couldn't view it with the programs you have.

Using this FREE online Image Conversion Utility, it’s no longer a problem! VERY simple to use so I'll let you figure it out for yourself, but as always, if you have any questions feel free to ask.

From the Team at B Technologies