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XFER Blog

XFER has been serving the Livonia area since 1994, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.
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Tip of the Week

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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Prevent Lollipop’s Bug From Breaking Your Alarm Clock

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If you own an Android device, you’re no-doubt aware that Google issued an upgrade to Android’s OS not too long ago. This update, dubbed Android 5.0 Lollipop, presents several aesthetic upgrades to devices which were running a previous Android OS. However, there were also some functionality changes, a few of which were less than desired; like the unexpected changes to Android’s alarm clock.

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App Android Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: Keep Your Employees By Keeping them Engaged

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As far as you’re concerned, managing a business is a highly engaging job. However, your staff might feel differently about their jobs. According to a recent study by Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends, only 13 percent of employees are legitimately engaged in their work. A disengaged worker is a serious problem for any workplace.

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Workplace Tips Tip of the Week Employer-Employee Relationship
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Mike

Tip of the Week: See What’s Taking Up All of Your Google Drive Storage

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Heavy users of Google Drive may experience the issue of running low on storage space. The easiest way to resolve this problem is to give Google money and upgrade your account. Before taking this step, there are a few tricks you can do to free up Google Drive space by locating and getting rid of unneeded files.

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Google Hosted Solutions Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 4 Ways to Cut Down On Your Mobile Data Usage

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As the world pushes toward a more mobile era, so too does the workplace embrace Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) with open arms. As such, workers will need some type of network connection in order to access mission-critical corporate data. Therefore, if they can’t connect to a WiFi network, they’ll default to their cell provider’s mobile data plan.

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Mobile Devices Save Money Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Dramatically Reduce Workplace Stress

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"Work smarter, not harder.” When you’re at your wit’s end, it’s annoying to be told this by a relaxed, know-it-all coworker. However, this productivity axiom holds up. Following this rule will allow you to get much more done, in a much shorter amount of time, and in a much more relaxed manner. Here are five productivity tips to help you “work smarter, not harder.”

Or, don’t follow these tips. Keep doing things the hard way and stress yourself out. The choice is yours.

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Workplace Tips Tip of the Week Managing Stress
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 3 Options to Consider Before Trashing Your Old Technology

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It’s often the case that people excitedly upgrade to new technology without giving much thought about what to do with their old tech. In an upgrade situation like this, you’ve got a few options for dealing with your old technology that are good for the environment, socially responsible, and may even provide you with some cash.

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Technology Upgrade Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Know When You Need a Consultant

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Have you ever felt like you aren’t sure how to proceed, or how to get yourself out of a rut? You surely don’t want your competitors to know about your weak points, but you feel so much pressure that you might think twice about asking for tips of the trade. After all, a hand once in a while can make all of the difference. This is when you might consider outsourcing a consultant.

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Efficiency Tip of the Week Consultant
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Find the Perfect Outsourced IT Company for Your Needs

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A growing company tends to experience a lot of IT pains. This is because growth usually goes hand-in-hand with an expanding IT infrastructure, and your in-house IT staff might not be able to keep up with the increased workload. This is especially painful if your budget isn’t as flexible as you’d like. You decide that it’s in your best interest to outsource your IT, but where should you start looking?

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Managed Service Provider IT Services Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Put the Power Back In Your PowerPoint Presentations

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Presentations are a necessary, albeit time-consuming, responsibility that you have as a business owner. Thankfully, there are simple tools like Microsoft PowerPoint available to help make your job a little easier. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to make a boring or less-than-great presentation, which can hamper the audience’s ability to let the message sink in. Here are five ways to make sure that your next PowerPoint is as effective as possible.

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Microsoft Office PowerPoint Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Integrate 2-Step Verification with Your Google Account

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It seems like you can’t go a week without hearing about some new security vulnerability or massive data breach. Naturally, this leads the average computer user to feel nervous, especially when dealing with sensitive information. With only a password standing between you and your account, hackers can easily access it if you’re careless. Two-factor authentication is the key to maximizing your online security.

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Security Google Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 7 Common Methods to Protect Your Smartphone

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Those who believe that smartphones are secure from threats are in for a rude awakening. Modern businesses need to apply adequate security practices to maximize the protection of mobile devices, or risk everything.

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Mobile Computing Smartphone Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Prevent Getting Burned By Your Job

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Occupational burnout is a real risk for the busy business owner. Wikipedia defines it as, “Characterized by short-term exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm and motivation, feeling drained, and also may have the dimension of frustration and/or negative emotion and cynical behavior, and as a result reduced professional efficacy.” Can you relate? How can you prevent occupational burnout?

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Best Practices Workplace Tips Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: Avoid These 3 Common Grammar Errors

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We live in an age where everything we do is auto-corrected through our word processor or email client. This makes it particularly easy to make grammar errors, especially when you’re in a pinch and you need to send out a reminder or an email within moments. If your business isn’t careful to avoid these mistakes, you could potentially be seen as unprofessional in your industry.

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Communication Tip of the Week Marketing
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Get the Most Out of Google Now

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Android smartphones are everywhere. As a result, Google Now, Android’s personal assistant application, is everywhere. The application integrates with a user’s Gmail account to provide information, directions, and perform functions.

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Tip of the Week Google Android
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 4 Tips to Jumpstart Productivity with Your Commute

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As a business owner, you know there simply are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. However, what some professionals fail to notice is that their morning and afternoon commutes are an entirely untapped market for productivity-boosting activities. By using this time wisely, you can get more done in the office, reducing stress and freeing up your schedule.

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Productivity Worker Commute Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Back Up Your Browser’s Bookmarks

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When you have your workstation’s browser just the way you want it, you feel unstoppable. You have all of your most-frequently visited websites stashed in your browser’s bookmarks, and your latest search results can point you right where you want to go. Then your hard drive crashes, and you’re left with nothing whatsoever. What can you do to prevent this?

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Tip of the Week Browser Quick Tips
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Power Up Your WiFi Signal

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A strong WiFi signal is imperative to the success of your company. If your business has a reliable signal in every part of your office and home, let the productivity commence; but if it’s spotty in some areas of your office, you might want to consider a signal extension. It could make working much easier for both yourself and your entire team.

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Tip of the Week WiFi User Tips Business
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Stay Productive, Even When You Feel Under the Weather

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Even if you’re a top-tier businessman, you’re still only human; and the human body can be defeated by something as insignificant as germs. Eventually, your body’s immune system can give in and let a biological virus or two into your system. When you’re feeling under the weather, it’s probably best to stay home, but you can still keep yourself preoccupied and productive if need be.

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Best Practices Productivity Tip of the Week
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Mike

Tip of the Week: How to Keep Yourself Safe while on Public WiFi

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As a business owner, you might find yourself on the road a lot, and you likely feel the need to check your email for important updates from the home base. This becomes more difficult as you move from civilization into the vast unknown, with the only available WiFi connections found in public places. Unfortunately, public WiFi spots are notorious for being unsecured and unprotected, and it’s important to practice proper security when dealing with them.

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Tip of the Week Security WiFi
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Mike

Tip of the Week: 8 Tips to be an Expert Googler

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Have you ever tried to search for something on Google, only to be disappointed that you couldn't find what you were looking for? You might think you're being extremely specific, but in reality, you're not doing anything different from the average joe. Googling is an art lost to the ages, a secret technique of legend. But, not really. Here are some tips to help you get more out of the world's most popular search engine.

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Tip of the Week Search Google
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