5 Tips to Avoid Android Malware: Be Aware When Downloading Apps

android marketEveryone loves free apps, especially Android users (phones and tablets). While most of these apps are legitimate, the number of free Android apps that are actually malware keeps increasing. Android users are more at risk than iPhone and iPad users because the the Android market is much more open than Apple’s.  This means more choices, but also more risk.

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Local Computer Repair Service Beats Big Boxes

Local Computer Repair Service Technician

Local Computer Repair Service is Your Best Choice

Local Computer Repair Service shops always beat out Big Box store service. Unfortunately, people often pick big name businesses, thinking big means better. Unfortunately, when it comes to computer repair service, or most any other type of service, the opposite is true.

Why? Because these stores are just that…. Stores! They are retail stores, not computer repair shops. Their business is to sell you stuff, not to fix stuff. These big stores add “repair services” as a side business, but it’s main goal is to support their retail sales, in other words, to sell you stuff! [Read more…]

7 PC Security – Virus Protection Tips from the NSA

PC Security - Virus ProtectionPC Security – Virus Protection and Privacy is a huge issue. An article I read recently outlined some security tips and recommendations by the NSA for its Department of Defense and intelligence customers. Seven basic measures stood out that both consumers and small businesses can easily implement to protect themselves from hackers and cybercriminals.

Some of these are very well known standard procedures that I have recommended to my customers, or went ahead and set them up as part of my regular maintenance service. A couple were new to me. Read on and make your computer safer. [Read more…]

iPad Repair More Viable than Android

ipad screen repairiPad Repair jobs are much more common in our shop than Android tablet repairs. While we replace 4-6 iPad screens per week, we may only see one Android per month!

You may think this is because iPads are more popular, but this is only part of the story. Android has actually gained a lot of ground in terms of market share in the last year.

The main reason is that Android tablets a much cheaper than iPad tablets, therefore may not be worth repairing versus replacing. They have become so cheap they have become “throwaway items”. When they break, people just get a new one.

For example, the new Google Nexus 7 tablet sells for $229. The Kindle Fire is under $200. A full size 10.1″ Android tablet, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, starts at only $350. By contrast, the iPad starts at around $500. The iPad Mini is around $330.

iPad Repair is Always Worthwhile.

The problem with tablet repairs, is that the amount of work and skill necessary to repair any type of tablet is the same. Therefore the repair cost is the same. The most common repair, a cracked tablet screen, typically costs around $200. Clearly, repairing an Android is not worth it, unless you bought a super high end unit. Even an iPad Mini repair is questionable. A full size iPad repair is the only one that’s worth it.

On a side note, many Android tablets use the popular “Gorilla Glass” for their screens, which is very scratch and crack resistant. Some some silly reason, Apple refuses to use this stronger glass.

In my mind, the Android is a better choice, given you get a more durable device for less money. If you’re unlucky enough to break it, you would end up buying a new, more modern unit for the same price the poor iPad owner pays for just a repair.

If you ever need any type of iPad repair and you are in Tucson, come by our shop and we can help you out with our high quality repair work.

By: Steven Frantzis
Owner, Saguaro PC Tech, LLC

Finding Quality Computer Repair Service, Help, Support & Virus Removal Services in Tucson

Computer Repair Laptop Repair ServiceWhere can you get quality computer repair service in Tucson? Who can do a virus removal & repair that will last? You may ask, “who can fix my computer that I can trust”?  Can they do laptop screen repairs? What about MAC and MacBook repair? Android repair? Will they guarantee their work?

Before I toot my own horn, I will say there are around six well established computer repair shops here in town. These businesses have been around eight years or more, and have good reputations (BBB members). [Read more…]

FBI Virus Removal Cases Still Common

Virus Removal Woes Continue:

FBI Virus Removal TucsonFBI virus removal jobs keep coming to our shop. Will this annoying thing ever go away?

I hate to say it, but the only reason it’s still around is because people are falling for this scam!

Of course, the customers we see, are the ones that don’t fall for it and come to us to remove it. I should mention that along with the main scam, it installs all kinds of other spyware as well.

This is actually typical of most viruses. They bring their friends along! That’s why when we do a virus removal, we don’t stop when the offending virus is removed. We do further analysis and cleanups as well. We use no less than four different scanning and removal tools, as well as some manual work.

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Malware Virus Attacks Facebook Pages

Virus Malware Facebook

A new Malware Virus is hitting peoples and businesses’ Facebook Pages!

If your page is suddenly crowded with ads, even in your timeline, you got the “Iminentmalware infection. You will notice their logo on the ads, like in the attached photo.

It will install to every browser on your PC! Your antivirus software won’t remove it, because it’s not technically a virus. It’s more like those toolbars that sneak in when you’re downloading something else. It won’t hurt your PC, but it will annoy you and make your Facebook page almost unreadable.How do I know? It happened to me!

It also puts in buttons on the ads do download other things, and I don’t know if those might hurt. The one that made me most suspicious was one telling me I had to download a “special player” to see a video. That’s a dead giveaway to more potential viruses.

To remove it, you must go into the “Add-ons” or “Extensions” area of your web browser and disable it. Then you must uninstall it from your PC.  I then recommend running a Registry Cleaner, like CCleaner or Glary Utilities. Here’s the steps to remove it from the different browsers. [Read more…]

Small Business Computers: Is Office 365 or Google Docs better?

small business computer appsThe release of Microsoft’s new Office 365 brings great new possibilities for Small Business Computer environments. How?  Wouldn’t it be great if your  business computers could get the power of Microsoft Office, with the convenient web based, cross-platform functionality of Google Docs?

Working on the same documents from your PC, Laptop, MAC, Tablet, or even your phone? How about having your documents in the cloud, accessible from almost any device, anywhere? No more thumb drives. No more setting up special VPN connections to your office network!

If you’ve found yourself using Google Docs on your small business computers for the accessibility, but bemoan its lack of power and features versus MS Office, your problems may be over. The new Office 365 is now both a cloud-based program, as well as a desktop program. So should you upgrade and use Office exclusively, or should you stay with your current version, using Google Docs when you need to? I contrast and compare the two below. [Read more…]

All-in-One Desktop PC Becoming the New Standard with Windows 8

all-in-one-pc-windows8 After years of being the “weird kid on the block”, the All-in-One desktop PC is now becoming mainstream with the release of Windows 8. With the touch screen capability of the new Windows, these PC’s are now attractive. People seem to like their similar look and feel to tablet PC’s.

The advance of the technology has made this form of computer more realistic and reliable than ever before. When they first came out years ago, they were clunky, slow and unreliable. They would overheat because of the cramped space inside and require lots of visits to the computer repair shop. Ultimately they all died a quick death. With today’s cool running, yet powerful processors from Intel and AMD, the PC’s no longer have heat issues. [Read more…]

Windows 8: A Computer Repair Guy’s Thoughts.

As a computer repair shop owner here in Tucson, I thought I’d share my experience and impressions of Windows 8 to help people make sense of this drastically new version of Windows that we’ll all have to get used to sooner or later.

I’ve been playing with Windows 8 since the preview release came out in the summer.
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