Typically when you get notified of price changes it usually means you’re getting increases… Not with us! We’re announcing a price drop with some of out most popular services. Check out our updated price list or look below for the services and new prices..

Technical Services > PC Setup & Support – NOW JUST $50!

Web Development > WordPress CMS Websites – NOW STARTING AT JUST $299!

Web Development > “HTML” Websites – NOW STARTING AT JUST $599!

Web Development > Ecommerce Solutions – Shopping Cart Setup and more NOW STARTING AT $99!

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Often times I go through my email spam folder to see what was incorrectly marked as spam and I sometimes see messages with a warning from my email service that says..

“Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. “

These emails are often referred to as “phishing” or “spoofing” Wikipedia says “..attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public”

Using good email filters such as from your anti virus software and help prevent this. My email provider, Google has a informative article and video on this very topic.

Google Help – Unwanted or Suspicious Mail

For non Google email users, go to your email and search under the “help” section for steps your email provider gives in relation to your unique mailbox settings.

Report all phishing websites, email addresses to your email provider.

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another test

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For Android users, there have been more ONE THOUSAND reports of malware (malicious software) as reported last year and its just getting worse. For many of us, our smartphones are more valuable then our own wallets, if we lost it or someone with ill intention picked it up could potentially create a lot of problems.

In many ways, our mobile devices are small computers we carry around with sensitive data not thinking of protecting it with the same effort because we still consider it a “phone”. How many of us have mobile banking apps, email or other personal data just sitting on it? If you think that security code you put in when you “wake up” your phone is enough protection.. THINK AGAIN!

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Tell all your friends, LutchenPC is now running specials for virus removal and PC tech service starting at $49.95, tune up’s starting at $29.95, and fully functional, out of the box ready, customized websites for anyone starting at $199!

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There are tons of options out there for people to store and upload their files to an online hosting server and many have packages starting for free. These services are sometimes referred to as “Online Backup” and “Cloud Storage”, but the differences are apples and oranges.

“Online Backup” Is used in a lot of different ways from backing up a single file to backing up your entire system. A true online backup service is a dedicated managed backup service  that provides users with a system for the backup and storage of computer files such as Mozy, Carbonite or Barracuda Networks 

“Cloud Storage” is based on the cloud network architecture for collaborative sharing  where data is stored on virtualized pools of storage which are generally hosted by third party hosting servers such as Liquidweb or Rackspace.

“Online Storage” or “File Hosting Service” is simply a online personal storage locker aimed at private individuals, offering

personal backup, file access, or file distribution. Users can upload their files and share them publicly or keep them password-protected. Ideal for those running out of room on their computer or want a file they can access from any machine  such as  Microsoft 365, Google Docs (and its sister brand Google Apps for business) Dropbox, Evernote,  Amazon S3, iDrive for Mac or Microsoft  Live Mesh and their SkyDrive.

If you take the time to check out each application in their respected categories you’ll soon find out each offers a unique service that can be used independently or overlap with other ones. To get the most bang for your buck, most users  take advantage of all three categories with an application that best fits your needs and preferences. There are dozens more companies out there as the ones listed in this article are ones I either have used or currently use now. They all offer good for what they do but its important not to mistake or assume  an “Online Storage” as a dedicated “Online Backup”. I personally like to keep all my computers lean, mean and fast. The most important factor to remember is at the end of the day your computer is a computing device not a storage device. Many people keep tons of documents and high rich media like photos, videos and songs on their computer slowing it way down or worse yet waiting for it to be lost if it crashes.

In conclusion, I hope you learned a little more about online storage services and how it can help you keep your files safe while keeping your computer fast. Do your homework, find out what they all do and dont do and make sure you find applications that offer you solutions you need. For more information about this or any other technology related news, contact us today!

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I had a friend of mine who’s a professional  blogger tell me its a cardinal rule NOT to post a blog about more than one topic. As I agree with and follow most tried and true blogger rules especially from this expert I know, sometimes to stand out you need to mix it up with trial and error.

Without further adieu, This post will discuss how to utilize both Facebook and YouTube for your business. Both lists may overlap but still provide insightful and helpful advice for both platforms. Let me know what you think!

Contents:

• 5 Things Your Business Needs To Do On Facebook
• 34 Ways to use YouTube for Business

5 Things Your Business Needs To Do on Facebook

At this point, it’s fair to assume that most people are familiar with Facebook. While a few years ago, questions about the social networking giant were personal in nature, they’ve since become business oriented. Whether large or small, more and more businesses are asking themselves,

“How should I be using Facebook for my business?”

Recent revelations by digital marketing analyst comScore, Inc. that Facebook accounted for nearly one-third of online display advertising in the U.S. makes it abundantly clear that Facebook is here to stay.

If becoming a social media marketer makes you wonder where to begin, here are 5 things you should do on Facebook for your company:

1) Create a professional company page

A company page is different than a simple profile page. Your company’s Facebook presence should include a custom welcome page that visitors land on when they first visit rather than the Facebook wall page. The welcome page should specifically be designed to generate interest in your business, and motivate your page visitor to become a fan. Be sure you update your page content on a regular basis, just as you would with a retail store location. Keep it fresh by adding new photos, testimonials, or other news and information about your business as it grows.

2) Generate fans

Once you have a page for your business, the next step is to build your fan base. There are many ways to do this, but the most effective one is to advertise your new social media presence to your existing network of friends, colleagues, and most importantly, customers. If you have a physical location, put up signs in your shop, add your Facebook page URL to your business cards and other marketing materials, and encourage others to spread the word. Conducting an email campaign to your customer base is another great way to build your fan base.

3) Communicate with your fans

Unlike fine wine, Facebook posts don’t improve with age. Be sure to keep your fans interested with a regular stream of status updates, contests, and other engaging activities. If you don’t want to spend money on contests or incentives, consider sharing exclusive information, creating a poll using Facebook Questions or providing other information that would be of value to your fans. A top reason why people become a fan of a page is because they’re already a customer and want to support your business. Use this already-established good will as a way to reward this loyal group and let them know how much they’re appreciated.

4) Take full advantage of social word-of-mouth

Use your status updates and page to inspire your customers and fans to share your page with their network of Facebook friends. Create fun and easy content to generate buzz. Get creative by using simple, free resources like Facebook Questions to create a poll. Promoting a specific cause on your page, called cause marketing, is a great way to get fans interested, and also support the causes important to you and your business. If you’re using this type of marketing, be sure that your cause has an obvious relationship to what you do at your business to ensure that it is effective. For example, a local veterinarian may promote the local Humane Society or a pet rescue organization.

5) Stay involved

Before you even begin to contemplate a Facebook presence for your company, you have to be clear that it isn’t something you can put on autopilot. Social marketing is not a misnomer; it actually requires you to be social! Be sure that you are willing to invest the time and resources necessary to make your business successful in social media. If you follow these basic steps, you can watch your online community grow. In today’s economy, small businesses need to be highly adaptable, and proficient at change. These same skills translate well into being a social marketer. But for those small businesses that lack the time, technical knowledge, or skill to build a professional and effective Facebook presence, working with an experienced professional one-on-one can help.

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Description: Our Computer Setup & Support. Most virus removals are in this category.
Each additional computer is half off at $50 in same visit. (See our Pricing for details)

*Note: If the operating system file system/structure has become corrupted due to the virus, the service is then considered a “System Corruption Repair” thus be re-imaged / reformatted. Or if the disk has become unstable, it may require the Disk Repair Service. If either of those are required, you pay for the higher service fee (we will not double charge you).

• Removal of all viruses, spyware, malware and rootkits from the computer
  • Repair any operating system issues (boot issues, blue screen of death, etc)*
• Apply system ‘tweaks’ to optimize system performance,
• Update operating system with any unapplied critical and important updates,
• Schedule Weekly or Daily Virus Scanning (based on your needs),
• Schedule Weekly or Daily Malware Scanning (based on your needs),
• Check Firewall and Router to ensure basic security settings are active,
• Schedule Weekly or Monthly (based on your needs) System Defragmention,
• Answer any and all questions and give advice on security software solutions.
• Provide on demand remote connection assistance 24/7

Our Satisfaction Guaranty Promise:
We are great at our job, sometimes these viruses / malware / spyware are a little more invasive and buried a little deeper in the system than most. We provide a unheard of 15 day guaranty to cover any reoccurring issues, remotely or onsite.

If, after 15 days after we fix your computer, you are not completely satisfied with the fix, contact us and we will do our best to resolve the issue at no additional cost to you!*

(Examples of this would be, we came out to remove a virus causing pop-ups, and you go onto your computer the next day, and your still getting some pop-ups)

*As long as the issue is based on the original issue, and not a new issue, virus, or incident. Still not convinced to use us? Check out our client testimonials

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Whether you are looking for classes on computer safety made easy, digital photography, social media for small businesses or wireless networking.  We do it all and will show you how too! Browse our workshops in Saint Paul, Hastings and Woodbury, MN

http://www.lutchenpc.com/services/technical-services/calendar-of-events/

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Microsoft Word is a program used universally by people who need a word processor for their computer. If you have Works or Notepad, you have probably found you cannot share documents with other people because they are not compatible. Word can be expensive to purchase depending on your budget. Fortunately, there are a few ways to get around this problem.

1) Hence the title.. Get Microsoft Word Free, yes FREE!

In August 2009 A Texas judge ruled that Microsoft cannot sell one of its flagship products, Word, in the United States because of patent infringement. Fast forward to 2011 and the United States Supreme Court has rejected Microsoft’s appeal against a ruling that Microsoft Word infringed on patents owned by a tiny Canadian software maker. As a result, they’re not outwardly marketing getting Word for free but they did need to change how people can access it. Microsoft Office Starter is a new base productivity suite that replaces Microsoft Works gives home users who are buying preloaded PCs the ability to perform the most common and basic productivity tasks right out of the box. Office Starter consists of Microsoft Word Starter 2010 and Microsoft Excel Starter 2010 only, reduced functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel with advertising. Office Starter is available only as preloaded software on select new PCs with the option of upgrading to the full Office suites at any time. Office Starter is not trial software, it has a perpetual license that does not expire. If you just need to read a Word document, but not change or modify it in any way, then you have things really easy. Just download Microsoft Office Word (Excel and Powerpoint also have viewers for spreadsheets and powerpoints) Viewer for free, an official Microsoft product that does exactly what it promises – it lets you open and read Word documents, even if you don’t have the program installed As far as Microsoft actively marketing free products, try their anti malware, Microsoft Security essentials. I use it and we think you should too!

2) Tell Microsoft To Hit The Road!

What if you dont have a new preloaded PC? You dont NEED to spend over one hundred dollars for Microsoft Office to have a all-in-one productivity application much less a word processor program. There are reliable and just as effective alternatives for FREE! Yes FREE. Open Office is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software and is written using a very similiar graphical interface so there is a bit of a learning curve, but well worth it for anyone considering getting out from Bill Gates.

Another free alternative is Google Docs. Think of this as “Microsoft Office In The Clouds”. Google Docs is a web-based word processor, spreadsheet, slide show, form, and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. In other words Google Docs is Google’s “software as a service” office suite. Documents, spreadsheets, presentations can be created with Google Docs, imported through the web interface, or sent via email. Documents can be saved to a user’s local computer in a variety of formats. 1 GB of storage is included for free. Currently additional storage costs per year are: 20 GB-$5, 80 GB-$20, etc. up to 16 TB. I would say for any small business, or anyone like a student or professional who’s always on the go / shares documents, this is well worth it. They even have a enterprise version called Google Apps for large corporations who can potentially save millions on license fees as the City of San Diego did not to long ago.

3) What Else Ya’Got?!

Open Office is an incredible alternative to Microsoft Office but for whatever reason, people dont care for it. In that case, check out LibreOffice. The Word alternative here, Text Document, is highly versatile and, as an added attraction, looks like older versions of Word, which is perfect for nostalgic types who have never been able to love the ribbon interface.

4) I Cant Live Without My Microsoft Word!!

If you’re addicted to the style of Microsoft Word but like the accessibility of Google Docs but dont have the money for Office365 (Microsoft’s new online office client), then you have to check out the Word app that comes as part of  for free. OK, so you’ll need a Windows Live account to use it, but once you’re in, it’s like a pared-down version of the Office classic and has exactly the same layout of the desktop app, so you’ll feel at home almost immediately.

If you have a question or comment regarding this blog or others, please contact us today!

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