This is probably one of the biggest and most deadly misconceptions that most computer users fall victim to. Computers are just like cars. If you don’t change the oil, change the filter, rotate the tires, flush the transmission, and perform other regular maintenance on your car, it will eventually break down and cost you FAR MORE to repair than the cost of the basic maintenance.

There are certain maintenance checks that need to be done daily (like virus updates and spam filtering), weekly (like system backups), and monthly or quarterly (like checking for and installing security patches and updates, disk defrag, spyware detection and removal, checking the surge suppressor and the integrity of the hard drive, and so on). Your computer repair technician should be adamant that you have regular maintenance done on your machine and should offer to set up automatic virus definition updates, spam filtering (to avoid viruses), and automatic system backups OFF-SITE.

If your technician does not press you to let him do this for you, then RUN – don’t walk – out of their office. Lack of system maintenance is the NUMBER ONE reason most people end up losing valuable files and incurring heavy computer repair bills. If your technician isn’t offering you these services, you need to find someone else to support your computer or network for two reasons:

1. Either they don’t know enough to make this recommendation, which is a sure sign they are horribly inexperienced, OR

2. They recognize that they are profiting from your computer problems and don’t want to recommend steps towards preventing you from needing their help on an ongoing basis.

Either reason is a good one to get as far away from that person as possible!

Buyer Beware: The Computer Repair And
Consulting Industry Is NOT Regulated

Here’s an embarrassing (and little-known) fact about my industry: it is not regulated like many other professional service industries which means ANYONE can claim they are a “computer repair expert.” In fact, a lot of the businesses in this industry started because the owner was FIRED or laid off from their job and couldn’t find work anywhere else. That means many of the so-called experts are useless and make the sleazy auto repair shops look like the pinnacle of virtue and competence.

Automotive repair shops, electricians, plumbers, lawyers, realtors, dentists, doctors, accountants, etc. are heavily regulated to protect the consumer from receiving substandard work or getting ripped off. However, the computer industry is still highly unregulated and there aren’t any laws in existence to protect the consumer – which is why it’s so important for you to arm yourself with the information contained in this report.

Anyone who can hang out a shingle can promote themselves as a computer expert. Even if they are honestly trying to do a good job for you, their inexperience can cost you dearly in your network’s speed and performance or in lost or corrupt data files. That is why we decided to offer this report. The information in this Guide is provided to help raise standards within the computer repair and support industry, and to give YOU useful information to help you guard against the unethical or incompetence of some companies and technicians.

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Get the Complete Guide by Clicking Here!

<< Back to Consumer Awareness Guide To Choosing An Honest, Reliable, and Competent Computer Repair Technician

Hiring the wrong computer repair guy can not only be incredibly frustrating and expensive, but you could end up losing ALL of your irreplaceable files, photos, music, e-mails, and other important documents!

Read this guide and you’ll discover: 

• The “dirty little secret” of the computer repair industry that most people don’t know and will never be told by their IT guy (knowing this ALONE could save you from wasting tons of money and untold aggravation when outsourcing your computer support).
• 5 Costly misconceptions about computer maintenance and repair.
• Viruses, worms, spyware, and hackers: what you need to know to protect yourself.
• 7 Questions you need to ask before buying any computer equipment.
• 5 Critical characteristics you should demand from your computer repair technician.
• Why you need to avoid “cheap” or “bargain” computer repair shops.
•  The one surefire sign that you should run – not walk – out of a computer repair shop.

Provided as an educational service by:
Jason Penka, President
Tech Junkies, Inc.
2707 Vine Street, Suite 19A – Hays, KS 67601
2306 Planet Avenue – Salina, KS 67401

From The Desk of: Jason Penka
President, Tech Junkies, Inc.

Dear Fellow Computer User,

There are no shortages of horror stories about fly-by-night computer repair shops causing problems as a result of their unethical or incompetent behavior. I’m sure if you talk to your own friends and family you will get an ear-full of the unfortunate experiences they have encountered in this area.

You see, the computer industry, along with a lot of other industries, has its own share of unethical businesses who will always try to take advantage of uneducated buyers in their greed for easy money. Fortunately, businesses like these are the minority, but we know they exist because we have had a number of customers come to us to clean up the disasters they have caused.

The information in this Guide is provided to help raise standards within the computer repair and support industry, and to give YOU useful information to help you guard against the unethical or incompetence of some companies and technicians.

This Guide will be released in sections over the next several weeks. Make sure to check this page for updates.

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Get Complete Guide by Clicking Here!

• January 25th, 2012 – The “dirty little secret” of the computer repair industry that most people don’t know and will never be told by their IT guy (knowing this ALONE could save you from wasting tons of money and untold aggravation when outsourcing your computer support).
• January 26th, 2012 – The Five Most Costly Misconceptions About Computer Maintenance and Repair 1 of 5: If your computer is working fine right now, it does not need any maintenance.

Tech Junkies now fixes smartphones. We repair broken touch screens, remove viruses and speed up performance to help you get the most out of your smartphone.

If your phone does start to act up and performing a basic scan does not fix the issue, give us a call. We are happy to help. We offer repairs for iPhone, Android, Windows, and Blackberry software errors. Drop your phone and break your screen? We can fix it! Just bring your phone to either of our locations for a quote and estimated repair time.

I found an article that pointed out a few good tips for Android users to follow to avoid getting a virus on your smartphone (yes phones do get viruses).  I wanted to share this with everyone while were are on the subject of smartphones.  Based on the key points of the article (which is linked below) we have compiled a short list of free and professional anti-virus software for use on your Android smartphone.

Article - http://www.broadbandexpert.com/blog/advice/mobile-advice/iphones-appear-much-more-secure-than-android-smartphones/

Use the QR codes below to download each program.

AVG Free

AVG Pro ($4.95)

Kaspersky Mobile Security ($9.95)

Norton Security and Anti-Virus (Free)

College started this month and its time for returning students to decide to upgrade their current laptop or replace it with a newer faster model. With school starting for high school and middle school students you need a computer for your student to research reports, do homework, socialize, and play games (after all the homework is done of course).

This time of year is stressful enough without having to do additional research and comparison shopping for the tools you need for school. At Tech Junkies, we have done the work for you. We have Dell Vostro laptops in stock that give you the features you need.

The Dell Vostro line of laptops and desktops are designed with small businesses in mind. That means you get quality and support unmatched by other brands and models. We can help you find the right processor, memory, storage and warranty you need to get you through the next four years. If you want more power and performance, we can custom order a Dell laptop to fit your needs.

With Tech Junkies you get:

• Local Support and Warranty – We service what we sell.
• The Power of Dell – After hours and weekend phone support provided by Dell 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Remote Support – No matter where you go to school or where ever you call home, Tech Junkies is only a phone call or click away.
• Setup and Maintenance Options – We provide a complete computer setup package to help get you started on the right foot. Our VIP Membership offers a maintenance schedule and support discounts you can’t beat.

Stop in either of our locations to speak with a Customer Service Technician trained to help you find the laptop you need.

The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel app is free and easy to use. The map and radar features are a little buggy and the app might not provide all the information a weather junky would want. The app does stay out of your way and it  doesn’t have a lot of services running in the background. This makes it the perfect app for novice to intermediate weather buffs.

iPhone - http://itunes.apple.com/app/the-weather-channel/id295646461?mt=8

Android -

WeatherBug

The WeatherBug app is also free but is supported by ads. To remove the ads you can download the Elite version for $1. WeatherBug has a lot more information available than The Weather Channel app such as pollen count, sunrise/sunset times and rain data. However, this can be an overload of information on a daily basis. The app stays running in the background and updates the current temperature in your task bar. Some find this helpful and some find it annoying. Personally it reminds me of removing WeatherBug bloat-ware off new computers back in the day. This made me hesitant about using it on my Android phone. However, it has worked flawlessly so far. I am still against downloading the WeatherBug desktop application though.

iPhone - http://itunes.apple.com/app/weatherbug/id281940292?mt=8

Andriod -

Online Sources

When using a desktop or laptop to check the weather, it gets a little tricky. Many weather sites are targets for hackers. I recommend http://www.noaa.gov. Simply type in your city and state in the search field on the upper left hand side of the screen and it takes you directly to a forecast page with links to radar images. It’s not 100% hacker proof, but due to the lack of ads it has a much less chance of being infected. If you have a site you already use and don’t want to change, just remember a few tips:

• If you have visited the site before and it now asks to install something for the site to work, be weary. Very few websites will actually prompt you to update a feature on your computer for the site to work correctly.
• Make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and current; this is the first line of defense.
• Don’t bounce around to several sites. Find one that works for you and stick to it. This helps you get familiar with the site and avoid clicking on an unexpected prompt.
• If you do get infected, STOP. Don’t click on anything else and don’t give out any personal information. Call us at Tech Junkies and we will be happy to assist you from there.

If you have a favorite weather website, please post a link on our Facebook page. We will take a look at the site and add it to a Recommended Weather Watcher’s Site list.

-Jason Penka, Tech Junkies

Do:

• When looking for an item online, go directly to the store’s website instead of using Google or MSN. This will ensure the search results you get aren’t redirects to infected pages.
• Pay with a credit card or online payment service. When you make online purchases using a credit or charge card, the transaction is protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, which gives consumers the right to challenge and dispute unauthorized charges. Some online retailers also guarantee that cardholders will not be responsible for unauthorized charges made on the Internet.
• Print and save your order confirmation and receipts. For returns or to dispute charges, it always pays to have a paper trail.
• Beware of holiday promotions sent to you through email or Facebook. About 60% of all e-mail sent in the world is spam, and about 40% of that contains some form of virus.
• Make sure that the Web site is secure. Always scan online shopping sites for evidence that they are secure. Some sites feature a lock icon in the browser’s status bar while others might have a Web site address that begins with “https:” (the “s” at the end stands for “secure”).

Don’t:

• Submit any financial information other than your credit card number. If a message asking for financial information such as your Social Security number or bank account information pops up while you are shopping or checking out, cancel the transaction immediately and leave the site. Reputable online retailers will never request that kind of information.
• Pay with a debit card, cash or wire transfer. These types of transactions can be difficult — even impossible — to refute or reverse. When shopping online, stick to credit or charge cards.
• Buy from spammers — or scammers. Never make purchases in response to e-mails with tempting offers that seem too good to be true. Most likely, they are.

Check out the articles below for more information.

F-Secure – Cyber Monday Cyber-Watch List: Most Dangerous Gifts 2010

CNet – Cyber Monday: Beware the malware

We are proud to offer the new Tech Junkies Website to our current and future customers. Information on each service is provided from Home and Office to Business Solutions. We have included information about our new Data Solution Division to help businesses provide disaster recovery solutions. Also included are sections on our popular VIP Membership as well as our Tech Junkies Assurance Policy. We will be providing tech news, virus alerts, product releases, tech tips and product reviews through our expanded Tech Junkies Blog. These articles will be directly linked to Facebook and twitter for easy access.

Enjoy the new Website and please feel free to call our store at 785-621-2445 with any questions.

-Tech Junkies