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Macro Systems Blog

Macro Systems has been serving the Metro Washington, DC area since 1997, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Check Out These 5 Crazy Mobile Contraptions from 2004

b2ap3_thumbnail_crazy_old_mobile_400.jpgTen years ago, the world was a different place. In the technology world, Gmail was first introduced, and North Korea banned mobile phones. But while North Korea banned them, just south across the country’s border was the ITU Telecom Asia expo in Busan, South Korea, where the future of the mobile phone was bright. How did they think the cell phone of the future would pan out?

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Microsoft Fixes Vulnerability Going All the Way Back to Windows 95

b2ap3_thumbnail_vulverability_fixed_400.jpgWell, better late than never.
This is to be said of Microsoft after they recently patched a security flaw that’s come with every generation of its operating systems going all the way back to Windows 95.

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Why a Digital Scanner Should Be at the Top of Your Shopping List

b2ap3_thumbnail_document_scanner_400.jpgThis holiday season, upon witnessing the aftermath of opening exchanged presents, you may look across the sea of wrapping paper strewn across your living room and say to yourself, “There’s just way too much paper in my life right now.” If one of those boxes contains a digital scanner, then you’ve got everything you need to take back your life from the throngs of paper.

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Tip of the Week: How to Take the Sting Out of Downtime

b2ap3_thumbnail_downtime_boom_400.jpgEvery office worker knows that downtime experienced from a technology issue can totally derail the day’s productivity. However, one thing that office managers might not be aware of is how, in a downtime event, it’s possible to divert a worker’s energy so that productivity still happens on some level, which helps take the sting out of downtime.

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Darkcoin: Anonymous Cryptocurrency for the Paranoid… and the Criminal

b2ap3_thumbnail_darkcoin_400.jpgThe world of online currency is a strange, bizarre realm. While it’s designed for online transactions, it has gone from the somewhat useful (Bitcoin) to just plain silly (Dogecoin). However, there’s now an anonymous cryptocurrency available for use called Darkcoin, which attempts to make online transactions more difficult to trace.

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IT Notifications Are Important Too!

b2ap3_thumbnail_notifications_delivery_400.jpgIt’s important to keep your communications plans organized, but it’s especially important for your IT department to keep in touch with other parts of your business. If a fatal problem shows its face, you want to make sure that they are there to fix it. In order to prevent these situations, plan out your IT communications strategy in detail, and stick to it.

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Tip of the Week: How to Stay Productive Even When You Feel Sick

b2ap3_thumbnail_under_the_weather_productivity_400.jpgIt doesn’t matter how extraordinary your business skills are; eventually, your body begins to catch up with you and you’re hit with a storm of illness that no painkillers or medication can quell. In this case, it’s often better to quarantine yourself to your home and take it easy for the day. But, that doesn't mean that you can’t be productive at the same time.

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How Will Future Technologies Change Two-Factor Authentication?

b2ap3_thumbnail_two_factor_authentication_400.jpgIn these times, passwords are losing their effectiveness. Hackers can now input millions of passwords every second to crack your code. Even now, professionals are working on new solutions which can jumpstart online security. While using a password is still an ideal choice, there are plenty of other options that are being discussed in the two-factor authentication field.

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Tip of the Week: How to Remotely Wipe Your iPhone or iPad

b2ap3_thumbnail_wipe_clean_ios_400.jpgWith the new iPhone 6 release just a few short weeks ago, many users are excited to ditch their old devices and get the flexible new piece of hardware. Unfortunately, these users might not take into account that their phones could potentially hold private information which should be deleted before forking over the device.

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What Does Your 2015 IT Budget Look Like?

b2ap3_thumbnail_it_budget_info_400.jpgAs we near the end of 2014, the topic of IT budgeting is on everyone’s minds. How much are you willing to spend, and on what? In order to provide optimal figures for the new year, you need to take some time to plan out what you think you need to spend, versus how much you’re willing to spend, on IT. Thankfully, you don’t have to do this alone.

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PowerPoint Rangers Lead the Way!

b2ap3_thumbnail_powerpoint_rangers_400.jpgOne would assume that being an officer in the military would require the ferociousness of a warrior and the mental fortitude to make split-second life-saving decisions on the battlefield. Surprisingly, in today’s modern military, there’s one skill that’s valued above the ability to fight: Microsoft PowerPoint proficiency.

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As Seen in Zoolander, Tech Support Miscommunication Can Be Frustrating

b2ap3_thumbnail_tech_support_miscommunication_400.jpgIT support is heavily reliant upon communication between both parties involved. Without both sides being on the same page, IT support miscommunications are far more likely to happen. Sometimes you just can’t help but laugh at poor communication skills, as seen in the 2001 movie Zoolander. But thankfully, these situations don’t arise too often in the non-fictional universe… right?

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Should Windows Upgrades Be Free?

b2ap3_thumbnail_free_windows_updates_400.jpgAll operating systems change over time, and upgrades are eventually made available. But in light of Windows 10, Windows Threshold, or whatever their new OS’s final incarnation is going to be called, one has to wonder if Microsoft has ever considered free upgrades to the Windows operating system family tree.

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Tip of the Week: 8 Ways to Perform Better Google Searches

b2ap3_thumbnail_google_seach_logo_400.jpgGoogle is the world's most popular search engine, but sometimes it just can't find exactly what you're looking for. This is because Google utilizes algorithms, which don't crunch data the same way that humans do. What we might think is common sense doesn't qualify for Google. Thankfully, there are several different ways you can narrow down Google's search results.

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The PC on Haunted Hill

b2ap3_thumbnail_pc_on_haunted_hill_400.jpgOur minds often attribute unexplained phenomena with hauntings from ghosts. Most of the time, there's a perfectly good scientific explanation for what's going on. If you ever see your computer's cursor move on its own, your PC isn't haunted. Although, you might prefer a haunting to what's really happening; a hacker is probably stealing your data. Now that's scary!

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Tip of the Week: How to Stay Sanitary with Your Technology

b2ap3_thumbnail_not_so_sanitary_keyboard_400.jpgWhether it’s warranted or not, some people are worried about the spread of the Ebola virus. Office employees should also be concerned with the many other cooties that remain on common surfaces. This points to sanitation as a primary issue, especially in public places like your office. Among many other surprising germ-transmitting mediums, like money, cats, and dogs, technology accumulates a lot of ilk which could potentially spread to the entire office… that is, if you’re not careful to nip it in the bud.

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The Internet of Things Might Invoke Murder, Ransom, and More

b2ap3_thumbnail_internet_of_things_death_400.jpgWith the Internet of Things connecting more devices to the Internet, these devices can potentially be turned to nefarious use. Despite all of the benefits of the Internet of Things, like big data analytics, anything connected to the Internet is threatened by cyber crime to at least some degree. In fact, some professionals believe that the Internet of Things will usher in an era of new types of cyber crime; murder included.

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Tip of the Week: Recovering Lost or Corrupt Microsoft Office Files

b2ap3_thumbnail_ms_office_logo_400.jpgIf your business were to lose important files due to an unexpected Microsoft Office crash or hardware failure, what would you do? Losing files can be difficult to recover from, especially if you aren’t using a cloud service which saves automatically after every edit. Lost files don’t benefit anyone, and if they are important, it could even put your business at risk. But don’t worry; there’s a way to recover lost Office files if things turn sour.

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Caution: Enhanced Cryptowall Ransomware Threatens Networks

b2ap3_thumbnail_cryptowall_2_0_400.jpgAs a business owner, you have an obligation to keep your data and network files safe from prying eyes and criminals. The latest threats, like the new Cryptowall 2.0 ransomware, can be a difficult hurdle to jump, especially when they are disguised and designed to ruin you. Thankfully, you don’t have to take on these threats alone.

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Sandworm: Russian Cyber Espionage Campaign Uncovered After 5 Years

b2ap3_thumbnail_sandworms_400.jpgA new threat, dubbed Sandworm by iSight Partners, has been discovered. It is a cyber espionage campaign dating back to at least 2009, and is said to be based in Russia. Sandworm uses a previously undiscovered zero-day vulnerability in Windows operating systems to steal information from government leaders and organizations.

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Macro Systems
3867 Plaza Drive
Fairfax, Virginia 22030