Well,

It has come to that – Apple let slip iTether – another tethering app, into their store and the world exploded . iTether allows tethering off of your iPhone data plan via a USB cable, which is what a lot of people need. It does this without complicated proxy servers like HandyLight, another tethering app that concealed a key combo that enabled tethering. For those lucky enough to snag iTether from the iTunes App store for $14.99 – congratulations. For the ones that failed to do so in the 12 or so hours the app was live before it got pulled – sorry. Look for a friend who got it and ask them if they can provide (temporarily) their iTunes username and password so that you can get it as well. Once you have iTether on your phone you will need to download Tether-iPhone.dmg (attached zipped here) and Tether-iPhone.exe (attached zipped here) as the server load is huge.

Enjoy iTether, as I am, the $14.99 are nothing for me as it allows a very convenient way to access the Internet when I’m in a pinch. Before iTether I would have to set up a network off of my MBP, connect the iPhone to it, change MBP to static IP, enable proxy on it, fire up the HandyLight app, enter the key combo and finally be able to surf the Internet waves. One word of advice for all:

Once you set up the connection (on my Mac it shows a Bluetooth PAN) change your DNS servers from the default ones to Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4). You don’t want your queries served by anything other than Google.

Enjoy iTether once again.

P.S. Oh, and yes, I’m using it right now

Hello again to all,

Here’s a quick way for all my fellow Keller Williams agents/techies who, just like me, have converted to Mac. Now, I am not saying it will work for ALL printers, but if your office is using Brother, Epson, Gestetner, HP, Infotec, Kyocera, Lanier, NRG, Ricoh, Samsung, Savin and others chances are these steps WILL allow you to print in your KW office. Here’s a list with all supported printers at this time. A word of caution. THESE SETTINGS ARE CONFIRMED TO BE WORKING IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT THAT UTILIZES PRINT CODE ENFORCEMENT. NOT ALL PRINTERS ARE SUPPORTED.
So, here’s what you need:
1. Download PXLMono-1.9 and install it. This is a Disk Image so it will automatically get mounted and open a window. Double-click on the package and follow the installation instructions. From that window install the PXLMono.
2. Download Foomatic-rip-4.0.6.230 and install it the same way as step one.
3. Download GhostScript-8.71 and install it the same way as step one.
4. Download Change User Codes archive onto your mac. It has a readme file into it and a Command Script (Huge thanks to Matt Broughton for writing this script).

Step 4 is needed to change your print code (the defaults for this installation are 1001, 1002, 1003) to what your print code is in the respective KW office, IF you are using print code enforcement.

So, once you have installed the files from steps 1, 2 and 3 and then downloaded the file from step 4 it’s time to add the printers to your mac.

Here are the steps to add the printers:
1. When logged to your office (wireless) network, click on System Preferences on your dock (the icon with the gears)
2. Click on Print & Fax.
3. Click on the + sign in the bottom left corner.
4. Click on IP in the top left corner, between Fax and Windows.
5. For Protocol select HP Jetdirect – Socket.
6. In the Address field enter the IP address of the printer you are trying to add (ask you IT guy for that). For the offices that I service send me an email and I will reply with the additional settings.
7. in the Name field change the IP address with something that you will remember – ex. Color printer or BW printer.
8. MOST IMPORTANT: under Print Using make sure the driver that is selected ends with PXL. If it is something else, use the drop-down menu and change it. If there is no other driver then you won’t be able to install that printer.
9. When you click Add the next step will ask you what additional features the particular printer has, e.g. Finishers, additional trays, etc. Again, your IT guy should be able to tell you. If he can’t, he should be able to check for you, if he does not know how… well, don’t want to bad-mouth him/her then
10. Once the printer is added, find where you downloaded the file from Step 4 at the very beginning of this post and double-click it. You should simply follow the prompts but here’s a reduced version of it – it will ask you to enter your Administrator password, enter it. (if there is no Administrator password simply hit Enter) It will then ask you which added printer you would like to change the codes to. Select the corresponding number. Then select which code you would like to change, it should be 1001. Now enter your office print code and hit Enter. Confirm once or twice the Y/N prompts and you should be good to go. Test printing.

Repeat the steps to add more printers and change their print codes the same way. Again, some printers will not be available. These instructions are generally for use with Ricoh, Savin, Gestetner and Lanier BW and Color MFPs. Ask your IT guy for the IP addresses of these machines and for the additional Accessories that they have, e.g. Finishers, Additional Trays, Puncher, etc.

Hope this helps all you guys.

Hello again,

Yonko here. Here is another classic scam, this one looks even more legitimate than the PayPal scam. Very elaborate I would say. Yet, it remains a scam. A huge Thank you goes out to Sheri Arispe for forwarding that email to me. Here’s a picture of the email:

Bank Of America Phishing Scam

Moreover the Subject Line of the email stated: Your Bank of America account may have been accessed from an unauthorized computer! Also the email is obscured under Bank Of America, whereas it actually is coming from ixm...@accounts.net. Hm, Bank of America email address???? Not!

Pretty convincing, yes? And it is, however, upon scrutiny the actual website that the link in the email will take you to is:

http://24-171-24-196.dhcp.stls.mo.charter.com/online (DO NOT FOLLOW), which eventually terminates into http://96.38.230.38/member/ (DO NOT FOLLOW). And that particular address…? What do we find out about it is that it has been reported as a malicious one. How do I know? I use Firefox and it stopped my attempts to open the website by displaying this picture:

Firefox saved the day from web forgery

So, please, please, please always check where a link would take you before clicking on it.

Thanks,

Yonko

www.HomeOfficeTechSupport.com

Hello again people,

Yonko here. Just had this pop up in my mailbox today, a second time in two days. Classic spam/phishing email. In essence it looks very legitimate, unfortunately it’s not. Here’s the email:

Subject was:  PayPal Notification, and the sender was covered to look like Support.

Dear PayPal Member,

We recently have determined that different computers have logged onto
your PayPal account, and multiple password failures were present before
the logins. We now need you to re-confirm your account information to us.
If this is not completed by March 11, 2009, we will be forced to suspend
your account indefinitely, as it may have been used for fraudulent purposes.
We thank you for your cooperation in this manner. To confirm your Account
records click on the following link:

http://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-submit&dispatch=588

Thank you for your patience in this matter.
PayPal Customer Service.
Please do not reply to this e-mail as this is only a notification.

1999-2009 PayPal. All rights reserved.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Scanned with Copfilter Version 0.84beta3a (ProxSMTP 1.6)
AntiVirus: ClamAV 0.91.2/9095 – Wed Mar 11 17:20:07 2009
by Markus Madlener @ http://www.copfilter.org

Sure looks relatively okay. Trust me it’s not. The address that this link points you to is:

http://211.147.211.100:8085/webscr/webscr/login.htm?cmd=_login-run?CMD=Login

Here are the flags:

1. PayPal does not send messages like this.

2. PayPal always works with secure websites. The Link does not start with httpS:// but with http:// which means it is not secure. It does not point to the PayPal website. It points to some unknown server – 211.147.211.100.

3. For those of you that were present in my Security, Firewalls and Anti-Virus/Spyware class you know that a link may appear to be legitimate but you need simply place you mouse over it to see where it would take you. In this case, somewhere to a server in China, downloading who knows what.

Stay away from messages like this one. No bank or financial institution would just “lose” your information, they make money off of you so it is in their BEST interest to keep that information safe and secure even from yourself.

Your helping hand in trying times,

Yonko

www.HomeOfficeTechSupport.com

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my, humble at the moment, first attempt at blogging. It took me quite some time to sit down and finally start a blog. “What’s the big deal?” – you say. “Everyone has a blog these days.” Well, apparently not. I did not have one, although I had helped a few people start their own. I even posted for them for awhile. But never really got into one myself… Until now. I looked everywhere trying to find a suitable platform, trying to figure out all the things involved in starting a blog. I really did want to make it as perfect as possible. Sorry, that’s my nature. That’s how I’ve been raised – if you start doing something, better do it right. Otherwise, don’t do it at all.

And so, here I am. This is my first blog, ever. I am using WordPress, hosted on GoDaddy.com, using the Thesis theme by DIYThemes. Did purchase it (ouch), but I believe it has a lot of potential to be developed. Please be patient with me as I have just installed everything. Literally 2 hours ago. I scrapped all the settings, reloaded the entire MySQL database on GoDaddy and gave myself and the blog a fresh start. I already feel much better. I don’t have to go through a ton of menus (well, I do, but there a lot help files) and I don’t really have to know CSS or HTML (helps, though). I can “read” it… if that’s something you can imagine, but can’t implement it.

Aaaanyway… so what’s this blog going to be about? Well, I have always had a hobby – computers, electronics, cell phones, practically anythig that you can consider in the electronics and computer department. I am way more inclined towards computers, as I make my living supporting a few of Keller Williams offices – you know, the Real Estate company.

That actually became one of the main reasons for this blog. I wanted to help not just one person at a time, but many. I could not see a better way of doing that, other than starting a blog that would include video tutorials, help files, various tips and tricks that would aid my agents tackle their IT issues and come on top. And you think people should know basic stuff – don’t tilt your computer too much, don’t bang it against the side of the desk. You know, basic!

Truth is – they don’t! Most of them, that is. Don’t get me wrong, I love helping people. Otherwise, I would not be doing what I am doing. Most common thing I have encountered – “Can I ask you a stupid question?”. What do I do? I smile and reply – “There are no stupid questions, there are only questions we know the answer to, and others we do not. So ask away.”

No, really, think about it. Cause if you believe someone asking “Do I have a wireless switch on my laptop?” is a stupid thing then let me ask you this: “How’s your quantum physics these days?” Mine sucks, but I’m willing to learn. Bad example? Not really. Any subject could very well be in that spot. If you don’t know something – ask. We were born with no knowledge of the world and we have been asking questions our entire lives. So… spare me the “Well, that really is a stupid question.”-type of speech.

I think that’s enough for a first post, it’s too late anyway, so… off to bed, shower, mouth wash and teeth-brushing… and not necessarily in that order.

Stay tuned, folks. I have LOTS of things to tweak here, please be patient.

All good,

Yonko