Blog & Updates

Innovative technology project display at school science fair featuring a girl and adult smiling with a robotic figure and creative posters.

Rivermont Collegiate’s Technology Fair

April 9, 2018

This weekend Twin State Technical Services participated as a sponsor for the Rivermont Tech fair on Saturday, April 7th, 2018. This year, for the first time it was opened to all students in the Quad Cities. It is a place where students can explore technology and their passions. A member of our team, Micah Moser, snagged a picture with Abigail J. She was the blue-ribbon winner of the “Innovation in Tech” award with her “Smart Mirror”. She programmed a Raspberry Pi to present helpful information to display on a transparent mirror. Her concept was a vision to help kids with ADD to get ready in the morning quickly and to increase awareness of the time and tasks needed completion for the

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Simplification of Legalese in Using Common Software

April 4, 2018

Recently, we wrote a post on the changes in terms of clarity and simplicity that the European Union regulators are bringing to the technology companies. Well, Microsoft has just announced in the US their first move toward simplification, aiming it to its consumer-based online products: We are updating the Microsoft Services Agreement, which applies to your use of Microsoft consumer online products and services. We’re making these updates to clarify our terms and ensure that they remain transparent for you, as well as to cover new Microsoft products, services, and features. These updates, which are summarized below, will take effect on May 1, 2018. If you continue to use our products or services on or after May 1, 2018, you are

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Secure website icon and warning for website security status.

Internet Browsers, Now Marking Sites as “Not Secure”

March 7, 2018

Does your website have an SSL certificate? If not, Chrome, Firefox and Apple Safari mark you as “not secure.” How can you tell? When you look at your URL bar you will see either http:// or https:// before www.example.com. Google Chrome already positively labels sites that have been secured with an SSL certificate. They earn a little green padlock, with the word “Secure” next to their website address. In other browsers, you can tell if your site is protected by reading the domain name. Does it say “https” at the beginning? If so, congratulate yourself! That “S” stands for “secure,” and means that you have an SSL certificate installed.  http://www.example.com  vs. https://www.example.com If your domain name instead says “http://” without the “s”,

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The European Union is Moving at a Faster Pace in Defining Individual Privacy Rights

March 7, 2018

Companies like Microsoft now issue versions of software to meet compliance requirements for national and global governing bodies – for example, Microsoft version N. The European community has a strong commitment to informing citizens of how to know and exercise their rights of protection to their own personal information. This is also causing our software vendors to create multiple versions of software, for U.S. customers and European customers. For example, Microsoft has Windows-N or KN available for download with an open license account, but it is the incorrect version to work in the United States. We work with a firm, Sequel Law, who advises about legal governance technology globally. Melise Blakeslee, Managing Partner, informs us that: “General Data Protection Regulation’s (GDPR) transparency

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How to Write a Google Review

February 26, 2018

Local reviews are important. 93% of consumers use online reviews to impact their purchasing decisions suggested by a recent survey by Podium. Reviews remain very influential when it comes to making decisions for B2B and B2C; consumers read these reviews before they make their purchasing decisions whether that’s products or experiences. The study suggests that 68% of consumers are willing to pay up to 15% more for the same product or service if they are assured they will have a better experience. How to Leave a Google Review: 1. Search for the business you wish to review. 2. On the right-hand side, under the business’ profile click Write a review. 3. If you’re not already signed in, it’s going to

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Why Every Company Needs a PR Crisis Plan

February 20, 2018

If you’ve ever questioned business’ having social media accounts, read how Crock-Pot saved their brand with Twitter. Spoiler Alert: If you watch NBC’s “This Is Us” and you are not through Season 2, you may want to stop reading this blog. If you don’t watch the show “This Is Us”, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. If not, just know it is a series on NBC and it is raved about. This award-winning drama is a heartwarming and emotional story about a set of triplets and their struggles, and the wonderful parents who raised them. This show has done a great job getting its viewers to really feel the plot line, connecting the show to their own lives. Since the

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What is Spear Phishing?

February 12, 2018

[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] No, it’s not spearfishing. That is a completely different topic. So if you’re looking for different ways to fish in a lake, this article isn’t for you. If you’re wondering how data breaches are actually done? How cybercriminals execute an attack and pick their methods? I’d encourage you to continue reading. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Phishing vs. Spear Phishing Spear phishing is targeted version of phishing. Phishing Phishing is an exploratory attack that targets a broad audience. For example, once information, such as bank credentials, is stolen, the attackers have completed their goal and got what they were looking for.  Spear Phishing In spear phishing, gaining access to credentials and personal information is phase one of the attack. That information is

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Why You Should Be Using SharePoint

February 7, 2018

SharePoint is a collaborative platform developed by Microsoft. This intranet allows you to intelligently share and manage content, knowledge, and applications to empower teamwork, quickly find information, and seamlessly collaborate across the organization. Benefits of Using SharePoint It is a web platform; it can be easily accessed anywhere with any browser while still being secure or only internally available.  This is important because everyone can use it with different devices, screen sizes, whether it’s on a PC, Mac, or mobile device. SharePoint is a part of Microsoft Suite. So it can work with Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) or your desktop applications, this can enable features that work with applications such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. An example of a

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Types of Videos for Businesses

January 19, 2018

What Type of Video Works Best for Your Business? Does your company wish to utilize videos to promote your business? Smart Move! Video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80% so it is obvious why 87% of online marketers use video. We have included 9 types of videos that every business should utilize. If you’re stuck on what type of video would be best for your company to put to use, check out these examples! Remember, our brains are wired to prefer visual information, and these visual messages are processed 60,000 times quicker than text. Product Videos | Product Update Videos | Explainer Videos | Onboarding Videos | Internal Training Videos | Testimonial Videos | Promotional Videos | Company Culture

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Data Privacy Day – January 28th

January 16, 2018

Mark your calendar, January 28th is Data Privacy Day! [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Data Privacy Day is an international holiday that occurs every 28th of January. The purpose of Data Privacy Day is to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. It is an educational initiative originally focused on raising awareness among businesses as well as users about the importance of protecting the privacy of their personal information online, particularly in the context of social networking.  We received a great newsletter discussing the importance of everyone being educated on the value of their personal information and how you can manage your online privacy. “According to a Pew Research Center Study, today Americans are more connected than ever via smartphones and

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