HOW TO DISABLE ADS FROM YOUR LOCK SCREEN
Andrew Wilkinson Software

How to Disable Ads from your Lock Screen

Over the past few days, some Windows 10 users have been noticing ads appear on their computers lock screens. The ads in question have been for the new Lara Croft game, Rise of the Tomb Raider, which links directly to the Windows Store where you can purchase it.

 

These ads have been appearing through Windows 10’s new Spotlight feature, which would usually show you a section of images on your lock screen, along with some fun facts and tips. The option that enables the ads is labelled “Get fun facts, tips, tricks and more on your lock screen”, with Microsoft using the “and more” wording to push ads down to a user’s computer. This option is turned on by default in Windows 10, so naturally people are getting annoyed at seeing full screen ads when they first power on their computers.

 

To disable the ads, just follow these steps:

  1. Go to your Start Menu and select “Settings”
  2. Select “Personalisation” then “Lock screen”
  3. Scroll down and disable the option “Get fun facts, tips, tricks and more on your lock screen”

 

If you like this feature on your lock screen though but just don’t want see any ads, then there is a drop down menu you can select when an ad appears, to let Microsoft know you don’t want to see content like this again. However at this stage it is unknown if this will prevent all ads from appearing in the Windows Spotlight feature, or just the specific ad you have selected this for.

DON’T GET STUNG WITH A HUGE PHONE BILL
Andrew Wilkinson Software

Don’t get stung with a huge phone bill

If you have an iPhone 5 or later and are running the latest iOS version 9, then make sure you have disabled a feature called Wi-Fi Assist, in order to make sure your phone bills don’t blow out by a large amount.

 

With the latest version (iOS 9), Apple have introduced a new feature to their operating system called Wi-Fi Assist. What this feature does is if you are connected to a Wi-Fi Network and have a week or poor signal strength, then the operating system will automatically switch you over to 4G on your carrier’s network without informing you, in order to make sure your internet service is not interrupted.

 

This new feature does sound like a good idea, but as the majority of people only have a limited data plan on their mobiles, and as phone carriers charge enormous excess data fees, a lot people are unknowingly going over their data plans and being hit by huge bill at end of month.

 

To disable Wi-Fi Assist on your mobile, follow the below steps:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select Mobile Data
  3. Scroll down and tap the Wi-Fi Assist option

 

PERTH TO SYDNEY SERVER MIGRATION
Andrew Wilkinson Services

Perth to Sydney Server Migration

We at Tech180 have just finished our first server migration, and it was a big one. It took us 3 days, but we successfully migrated an entire business’ infrastructure from one side of the country to the other. The migration consisted of ten virtual servers running off 2 VMware ESX hosts, one Netapp datastore, and two physical servers.

 

The company, a leading national retailer with over 90 stores Australia wide, was in the process of migrating their Head Office from Perth to Sydney, and needed some specific requirements in order to make sure their business could still function while all their services were offline. As with any retail operation, downtime on any service can have a major negative affect on the business, so during our planning phase, we needed to come up with a solution that would minimise any downtime for the business, but in a cost effective way.

 

With months of planning out of the way, and a cost effective solution all mapped out, we started backing up the servers in Perth and shutting them down on day one. By the second day we were taking all the hardware out of the server racks and packing them up to be overnighted across the country ready for installation in Sydney the next day. On the morning of the third day, having caught a flight that night, we got to the new Sydney office and started unwrapping all the hardware and getting it into the new server racks. The next step was the moment of truth; we switched on all the hardware and everything successfully powered back up again without incident. All that was required next was to reconfigure certain parts of the virtualisation network, and servers, and the business was back up running from Sydney as if nothing had ever happened. All in all, it was a very successful migration.

 

If you are planning an office migration and needs assistance moving server hardware and infrastructure, contact us as Tech180 today.

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IS YOUR PASSWORD ON THE LIST?
Andrew Wilkinson Security

Is Your Password On The List?

SplashData have just announced their annual list of the 25 most commonly used passwords for 2015, making them the worst passwords to use in order keep your accounts safe and secure. If you’re one of the millions of people who are using one of these passwords, then we at Tech180 highly recommend you change it immediately. Using one of the passwords on this list will open you up for your accounts being hacked, and your data compromised.

 

To make sure your passwords are secure, just follow these simple guidelines:

  • Make sure your passwords are at least 8 characters long
  • Use a combination of uppercase, lowercase and numbers in your password
  • Always use different passwords for each of your accounts
  • Change your passwords regularly
  • Use a password manager such as LastPass to store your passwords in a secure vault, and generate complex passwords for you

 

The 25 most used passwords (change from 2014)

  1. 123456 (unchanged)
  2. password (unchanged)
  3. 12345678 (up 1)
  4. qwerty (up 1)
  5. 12345 (down 2)
  6. 123456789 (unchanged)
  7. football (up 3)
  8. 1234 (down 1)
  9. 1234567 (up 2)
  10. baseball (down 2)
  11. welcome (new)
  12. 1234567890 (new)
  13. abc123 (up 1)
  14. 111111 (up 1)
  15. 1qaz2wsx (new)
  16. dragon (down 7)
  17. master (up 2)
  18. monkey (down 6)
  19. letmein (down 6)
  20. login (new)
  21. princess (new)
  22. qwertyuiop (new)
  23. solo (new)
  24. passw0rd (new)
  25. starwars (new)
HAVE YOU UPGRADED TO WINDOWS 10 YET?
Andrew Wilkinson Software

Have You Upgraded to Windows 10 Yet?

When Microsoft announce the launch of Windows 10, they didn’t want another Windows XP scenario, where a lot of people are still using an Operating System that is no longer supported or patched with the latest security updates. To try and get as many people as possible over to their latest and greatest OS, they decided to offer a free upgrade for users running Windows 7 or later (this does not include enterprise users). This tactic has worked very well for them so far, with Windows 10 now overtaking Windows 8/8.1 as being more widely used.

 

Since then Microsoft has announced that it will start automatically downloaded Windows 10 to user’s computers, making it easier for them to upgrade when they are ready. As it stands now, Windows 10 is only showing as an “Optional” upgrade when you run your Windows Update, but pretty soon this will change to a “Recommended” update. Microsoft’s ideal plan is for every user to upgrade to their latest Operating System (which would indeed make it easier for Software Developers and Security Professionals) and are trying to make the process as simple as possible for everyone.

 

If your Business hasn’t upgraded to Windows 10, get in contact with us at Tech180 today. We will test and assess your current software to ensure it will run on Windows 10, then provide a rollout plan to upgrade all your company’s PCs.

SURFACE PRO 4 AND SURFACE BOOK
Andrew Wilkinson Hardware

Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book

Could these be the best Laptop/Tablet Hybrids on the market, and perfect your business needs?

 

As you all know, the business world is changing, no longer are we just sitting in our office stuck behind a computer screen, going about our day to day business. We are now constantly on the go, with our phone in our hands, trying to conduct business as we move.

 

The Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book are the ideal business companion. They can provide the right amount of power for the tasks you need, along with the portability and battery life required to make it hassle free to carry around with you. The docking station accessory then makes for the ideal use in the office, for those times when you just need to hook it up to that larger screen and use it with a keyboard and mouse. Both devises can then transform into a tablet to become the perfect all round device.

 

If you are interested in getting the Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book for your business, then get in contact with us at Tech180 to assist you in setting them up.