Shirley Futch Plaza ~ Computer Training Center: March 2014

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Windows XP's open invitation to hackers

The death of Windows XP is just days away, and experts say businesses that don't upgrade are basically sending an open invitation to cybercriminals. On April 8, Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) will no longer provide security updates, or "patches," for its Windows XP operating system. This means computers running on XP -- and even machines like ATMs -- will be largely unprotected against viruses and cyber attacks.

While Microsoft declined to disclose how many small businesses currently use Windows XP, Forrester Research estimates about 6% of companies' PCs will still be using it by the April deadline. Experts say those are predominately small and medium-sized firms.

"A year ago, 35% of machines for our small business customers [about 1 million machines] were still on XP," said Sergio Galindo, general manager with GFI Software, which provides IT support to small and mid-sized businesses. "I couldn't believe it." (That's since dropped to about 23%.)
What does this mean for those businesses on April 9? Not a lot -- at first, said Galindo. XP will keep working, and businesses that rely on it will keep functioning.

But the risks will compound over time.

"It's like expired milk," said Galindo. "If you drink it one day after it expires, you're OK. But after a month, the risk is exponentially greater."

The risk can't be overstated, said Thomas Hansen, vice president of small and medium business at Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500). In fact, Microsoft's own research has shown that Windows XP, released in 2001, is five times more susceptible to viruses and cyberattacks than Windows 8, its newest operating system.

Microsoft announced in September 2007 that it was planning to phase out Windows XP in order to give people plenty of time to prepare.

"The world and technology has moved on," said Hansen. "This is a decade-old technology that doesn't fit in the modern world."

Migrating to the new platform requires firms to invest in new software and hardware. Upgrades could run from several hundred dollars to thousands, depending on the size of the firm and the age of the machines.

"If you're still running XP, chances are that your computer is at least 10 years old," said Galindo. "Businesses might be better off updating their devices anyway."

On average, small businesses spend more than $400 on repairs for PCs that are four years or older, said Hansen. "Running old technology is costly, and it hampers productivity," he said. "But you can get a new PC that's running Windows 8 for about the same price."

Dr. Omar Ibrahimi is bracing to spend much more than that to upgrade the systems at his dermatology practice in Stamford, Conn.

"All of our computers run Windows XP, and we've invested a lot of money in our systems," he said. "Microsoft's decision to pull support for it has upset a lot of people."

Ibrahimi expects to spend between $15,000 and $20,000, which will include buying new machines and hiring IT consultants to help with setup and training.

Eric Marcus has seen both sides of the issue. His IT firm, Marcus Networking in Tempe, Ariz., caters to small and medium-sized businesses and has updated more than 1,400 workstations in the last five months.

He also spent $20,000 replacing 15 laptops at his own business with machines that run Windows 7.

It's a cost he budgeted for, but many of his clients have struggled with the expense. "They have to pay for new equipment and our time. It adds up," he said.

And some businesses, he's discovered, run proprietary programs that are only compatible with XP.

Microsoft's Hansen said the company is aware of that problem. "We don't have the perfect answer yet on how to solve that situation," he said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL POST ON CNN.COM

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Funny Cats Stealing Dog Beds

This is so funny and so very true!!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Travel Day -> Martinique

Martinique is an island in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of 1,128 square kilometres and a population of 386,486 inhabitants.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT MARTINIQUE

CLICK HERE FOR 10 FACTS ABOUT MARTINIQUE

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Boudin —a fat sausage of spicy pig's blood—is a staple at all holidays. At Easter and on Pentecost a spicy dish of crab and rice, matoutou , is always served. Small fried vegetable or fish cakes ( acras ), used to be reserved for saints days but have become a popular appetizer. Special occasions call for a gumbo and vegetable soup with crab or salted meat ( calalou ). East Indian influence is evident in the colombo , a mutton, goat, or chicken curry. No social gathering is complete without drinking a ti-punch (straight rum with a twist of lemon sweetened with cane sugar) or a planteur (fruit juice and rum). Shrubb (rum with marinated orange or tangerine rinds) is served at Christmas.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE ANSE CAFARD SLAVE MEMORIAL IN MARTINIQUE

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW FOR A SLIDESHOW ABOUT POET Aimé Césaire

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF MARTINQUE

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Shirley Futch Plaza is in the newspaper!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Berkheimer gives computers to low-income program

The Computer Learning Center, serviced by Better Tomorrows at Shirley Futch Plaza, received five computers from Berkheimer Business Services of Bangor.

Better Tomorrows is dedicated to empowering low-income people and the communities where they reside. It works to ensure that their voices are heard and enable them to create stronger communities, beginning with themselves. It supports and strengthens individuals by creating new mindsets and eliminating the mental chains that keep people suppressed.

Their hands-on innovative programs focus on life-skills, household maintenance, health and wellness, computer literacy, financial education, entrepreneurship and youth enrichment.

Shirley Futch Plaza is an affordable housing apartment complex for senior citizens and the physically handicapped and/or disabled. The newer, faster computers will give the residents of Shirley Futch Plaza better opportunities to do medical and genealogy research, bank online, listen to music and stay in touch with family, friends and others.

Due to the sensitivity of the information Berkheimer supports, all of the computers were reformatted and all of the original software was removed. Lydia Strunk, Berkheimer's director of Accounting Services, and her husband, Dan, purchased and donated five copies of the Windows operating system for each computer.