Give us a call

Ferrum Technology Services Blog

Ferrum Technology Services has been serving the Elgin area since 2007, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Tip of the Week: Ctrl+F May Be the Most Handy Keystroke that You’re Not Using

b2ap3_thumbnail_find_that_needle_400.jpgThere is so much content on the Internet that finding exactly what you’re looking for can be quite challenging. Search engines like Google and Bing help out immensely by narrowing down your search to one web page, but how do you find what you specifically need on a single page?

The Vital Difference Between Cloud Services and Virtualization

b2ap3_thumbnail_cloud_vs_virtualization_400.jpgMany businesses go about their daily duties without understanding the difference between a cloud computing solution and virtualization services. Contrary to popular belief, they are, in fact, NOT the same thing. Rather, virtualization itself is an important part of integrating a cloud solution.

Hackers Turn to Radio Signals to Get the Data They Want

b2ap3_thumbnail_radio_signal_400.jpgYou should never assume that your data is safe from a hacking attack. Just like how the technology industry is working toward new ways to protect the public from hacks, those who lurk in the gutters of the Internet are trying to undermine these developments by any means possible. Some security professionals believe that even radio signals can undermine network security.

Tip of the Week: How to Attract and Keep Quality Employees with Workplace Flexibility

b2ap3_thumbnail_workplace_flexibility_400.jpgWith each new generation comes a new group of workers, and attracting good, quality help can be difficult. Even if you can find good help, it can be a challenge to keep. A study at Cornell University has proven that workplace flexibility can greatly improve the odds of finding good employees - and keeping them around.

Connectify Turns Your PC Into a WiFi Hotspot [VIDEO]

b2ap3_thumbnail_wifi_hotspot_virtual_router_400.jpgDo you need a WiFi signal? If you’ve got a PC with a wireless card, then you’ve got what it takes to download Connectify and turn your PC into a WiFi hotspot. These days, with everyone being so dependent on WiFi, having an additional WiFi hotspot can come in handy.

We Salute You, Mr. Do-It-Yourself Entrepreneur!

b2ap3_thumbnail_real_entrepreneur_400.jpgFerrum Technology Services presents to you, “Real Men of Brilliance.” Today, we salute you, Mr. Do-It-Yourself Entrepreneur.

Tip of the Week: Don’t Limit Yourself to 1 Page in Microsoft Word

b2ap3_thumbnail_word_icon_400.jpgWhen working in Microsoft Word, it can be helpful to view more than one page at a time. Did you know that Word allows you to view up to eight pages at once? Here’s how you do it.

Even Homeland Security’s IT Is Preparing for a Security Storm

b2ap3_thumbnail_america_it_security_400.jpgJust like any other high-profile entity, a government should place great emphasis on its IT infrastructure. The U.S. government is moving through 2015 with an increased awareness of the state of cybersecurity, and with all of the huge security breaches that happen almost regularly, it qualifies cyber threats as important as other national security threats.

2 Conflicting Views of the Cloud

b2ap3_thumbnail_cloud_gears_400.jpgCloud computing is here to stay. Yet, there are still companies hesitant to adopt the cloud. While every business that hesitates migrating to the cloud has its own reasons, one common source of conflict that we’ve seen is the opposing view between the business owner and their IT department.

Tip of the Week: How to Walk the Line between Boss and Friend

b2ap3_thumbnail_office_relationships_400.jpgWhen you first started your company, you may have had a group of close friends who were your original employees. They started off ambitious, like you, but gradually they grew more and more complacent. Now they are a hazard to your company’s future, and you don’t like that. You feel like you need to replace them with someone who cares about the company’s future, or maybe you just found someone who has more skill than them, but what if you don’t get along as well with the new employee? And how do you fire a friend?

Can a Robot Win the Pulitzer Prize?

b2ap3_thumbnail_robots_writing_stories_400.jpgTo maximize your business' communicative abilities, you need to produce content. Content is found almost everywhere and it is an essential variable in every form of written communication. Innovators don’t miss out on the importance of content, and have developed content-writing software. Yet, this poses an important question: can a robot truly imitate prose written by a human?

Why Your Team Should Have A Basic Understanding of Technology

b2ap3_thumbnail_troubleshoot_your_own_pc_issues_400.jpgWhat separates the average PC user from the IT technician who routinely takes care of your technology issues? In essence, the only difference is the amount of technical training. Our years of technical expertise have given us the ability to diagnose and resolve varieties of problems, but we don’t hold our knowledge close to the chest. Rather, we want to share it with you.

Tip of the Week: Prank Your Co-Worker By Changing the Size of Their Desktop Icons

b2ap3_thumbnail_desktop_icons_tip_400.jpgIt’s fun to find new ways to customize your PC’s desktop to fit your taste and personality. In fact, we bet that your current wallpaper image speaks volumes about who you are. Did you know that you can even adjust your desktop’s icon sizes?

If You Love Facebook, then You’ll Dig “Facebook at Work”

b2ap3_thumbnail_facebook_at_work_400.jpgFacebook has become the most popular social media outlet in the world, but in the eyes of corporate offices, it can be an immense time waster and productivity killer. However, it can be an incredibly efficient tool for connecting with other professionals, sort of like a pseudo-LinkedIn. To counter this stigma associated with social media in the workplace, Facebook has produced Facebook at Work.

Has Performance for Consumer PCs Finally Peaked?

b2ap3_thumbnail_moores_law_2015_400.jpgThe world was vastly different in 1965. The smooth, compact smartphones and laptops of today were nonexistent, and civilization was on the verge of experiencing a revolution of technological growth and advancement. This is all thanks to Moore’s law, which paved the way toward making technology smaller and more easily accessible for both end users and businesses.

Tip of the Week: How to Make Naptime a Real Thing for Your Office

b2ap3_thumbnail_nap_at_work_400.jpgWe live in an age where we are trying to get the most out of our employees, but sometimes it can be difficult to keep up the hard work all day. Productivity applications and software can only go so far when your team is exhausted. Sometimes you might wish you could be back in the good old days of elementary school when naptime was a thing. So, why not give it a try in the workplace?

Harness the Power of the Tomato to Get More Work Done [VIDEO]

b2ap3_thumbnail_pomodoro_technique_timer_400.jpgHave you ever wondered how in the world you’re going to get everything done, only to lose track of everything or get distracted? Some researchers believe that the tomato might be the key to unlocking the latent knack for productivity that lies dormant within us all. Albeit, not a real tomato, but the familiar tomato-shaped timer that counts down from 25 minutes.

Operate Your Network on a “Need-to-Know Basis”

b2ap3_thumbnail_user_permission_400.jpgIf a company neglects network security, they’ll quickly find their network inundated with threats. However, if you fail to protect your business from internal problems as well, you might have a whole other monster on your hands. Some businesses have encountered this problem when employees access certain documents and then accidentally misplace or delete them, causing damage that your organization was not particularly prepared for.

Tip of the Week: Don’t Let the Undertaker Overtake Your Business

b2ap3_thumbnail_mortician_msp_400.jpgBusiness is booming, and you are busier than ever. Your company is expanding at a crazy rate. But, what if something were to happen to you? Would your company be able to carry on in your stead, or would it crash to the ground in a blaze of glorious defeat?

Arguably the Most Important Computer in Star Wars

b2ap3_thumbnail_death_star_may_the_fourth_400.jpgToday is known the world over as Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you). We want to take this opportunity to look at the technology of one of our favorite movie franchises. Given how much exciting technology there is in the fictional Star Wars universe, picking just one technology can be difficult. Since we work with computers, let’s look at one of the most important computers in the film, the X-wing targeting computer.

Blog Archive

2025
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2012
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2011
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2010
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2009
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2008
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2007
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Mobile? Grab this Article

QR Code

Contact us

Learn more about what Ferrum Technology Services can do for your business.