It’s almost second nature to think of IT as something that helps businesses achieve value. However, your IT department should be able to explain exactly what they are doing to add value to your business. Of course, if they can’t explain it they might be hurting your company. It doesn’t matter if your IT is handled on-site or is outsourced, you can do the following to determine IT’s value and then increase it.

Don’t accept metrics

IT people love using metrics to show how they are contributing to your business. The problem is most of these metrics don’t show you anything. Sure, high uptimes sound great and low mean-time resolutions are probably a good thing, but how do these impact your business? Don’t arbitrarily accept these as signs IT is contributing to the value of your bottom line. Dig deeper and get an explanation as to why these metrics matter. There is a reason your IT department wants you to see these metrics, but it is important to have them explain it.

Ban “tech speak”

There was a time in the world when it was impossible to avoid “tech speak”, but that era has passed. Your modern-day IT person should be able to explain just about everything to you in plain English. Realistically, if they are doing a good job, they should want to share that information with you in a way you will understand easily. If you find your IT department relying heavily on “tech speak”, chances are there is something they don’t want you to know about.

Make sure your IT provider understands business goals

If you want your IT working for you and adding value to your company, then those responsible for it have to know what your goals are. It is then, and only then, that they will be able to manage your technology with these goals in mind. Too often companies assume their IT provider knows what their priorities should be, founded on company principles, but the reality is that the contractor will operate on the basis of what it thinks is best. These two entities pulling in separate directions can hurt your business in many ways. By making sure your IT department – again, whether in-house or outsourced – is pulling in the same direction as everyone else, technology can add a whole lot of value to your company.

Meet with your IT provider often

It doesn’t matter if you have in-house IT or use a Managed Services Provider, you should be meeting with them on a regular basis to understand what they are doing. There is no need to banish them to some dark corner of the building, or only summon them when something breaks. By incorporating them into the operations process and maintaining open lines of communication, you are likely to see things in your office run a whole lot more smoothly. Not only will you get a better understanding of how IT is providing value to your business, they will gain a deeper appreciation of how your company operates. This will help both sides understand how the other operates, and enable you to find new ways to help each other.

Listen to IT recommendations

Chances are that whoever is handling your IT has numerous different ideas on how your company can use technology to decrease costs, increase productivity, and become more profitable. You would be foolish to not at least consider what they have to say. One of your company’s most valuable assets is technology,and your IT department should be up-to-date on what improvements can be made. There could be nothing more valuable to your company than an IT department proactively finding ways for you to get ahead of the competition using technology.

Is IT hurting your business value? Want to instead use it to drive increased bottom-line profits for your company? Contact our technology experts and find out how we can help.

Microsoft’s Outlook has proved to be a robust email and calendar experience on the web, allowing users to stay connected safely, securely and easily. The tech giant is now pushing things even further with a bunch of updates to Outlook in Office 365 that aim to help users become more efficient and better manage their calendar. With that in mind, let’s have a look at all the new features in Office 365’s Outlook.

Cleaner UI

Outlook in Office 365 now features a simplified, cleaner user interface (UI) that aims to help you work more efficiently. A new Action bar is available across Mail, Calendar, People and Task experiences, for utmost convenience and ease of use. The Action toolbar provides quick access to commands like clearing your inbox, replying to an email or adding an event to your calendar.

The email subject line is larger and more prominent, and messages in the reading pane are now indented for easier reading. More buttons in Calendar allow for simpler navigation and quicker creation of new meetings.

Enhanced inbox control

New tools have been added to help you sort through your email and identify the most important items to tackle first.

• Pin – you can now pin any message in your inbox to have it highlighted in yellow and kept at the top of your inbox. This keeps important messages handy and prevents them from getting lost in your inbox.
• Sweep – provides a simple set of actions to manage emails from specific senders, great for managing recurring messages like newsletters and special promotions. You can choose to keep messages from a specific sender for a specified number of days, only keep the most recent message, or delete all messages from the sender.
• Archive – quickly move messages out of the inbox to a folder of choice with one-click archiving.
• Undo – undo unintended actions with a single click.
• Improved single-line view – a preview of the message contents in line with the subject, allowing you to perform common actions in bulk and more quickly.
• Immersive reading pane – when in single-line view, clicking a message now displays the message in the same window.

Visually engaging emails

Outlook in Office 365 now provides the ability to easily resize images, add custom borders, apply shadow effects, rotate images, and more. Emojis have also been added, so you can express yourself better than ever before. You can also find the people you want to reach more easily; when you place your cursor on the recipient line, Outlook shows a list of the people and distribution groups you most commonly email. The list of recipients is automatically refined as you type, and adapts as the people you email change over time.

Calendar improvements

Calendar now features a five-day weather forecast. Icons next to each day give you a quick look at the forecast, and clicking on one will show a more detailed view. Calendar now supports charms – icons you can choose from to apply as visual cues that help you quickly identify different types of events. For instance, you can add an airplane charm to an upcoming flight, a music note for a piano class, and so on.

You can also create email reminders for any Calendar event and specify the recipient list, include a quick message, and set the day and time you want the email reminder to be sent. Birthday and holiday calendars are also available, and can be either overlaid across your work calendar or viewed separately.

Better mobile browser experience

A number of UI and navigational improvements has been made to enhance the mobile browsing experience, including updates to more closely resemble the UI of Outlook apps on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Navigation has been improved in order to simplify switching between Mail, Calendar and People, and comes along with more prominent search commands. A better UI allows for the simpler creation of new events and ease of using the scheduling assistant in Calendar, and the Time strip has been updated to show the full week within the calendar. You can now switch between emails without returning to the message list, too.

Looking to learn more about Office 365, its applications and how they can benefit your business? Talk to one of our Office 365 experts; contact us today.

While there are plenty of email services available today, businesses have been turning to Outlook in Office 365 for good reason: it allows users to stay connected with ease and, more importantly, safely and securely. But things just got even better, for Microsoft has rolled out new features for Outlook on the web, aiming to enhance efficiency and usability. Here, we take a look at the new features found in Outlook.

Cleaner UI

Outlook in Office 365 now features a simplified, cleaner user interface (UI) that aims to help you work more efficiently. A new Action bar is available across Mail, Calendar, People and Task experiences, for utmost convenience and ease of use. The Action toolbar provides quick access to commands like clearing your inbox, replying to an email or adding an event to your calendar.

The email subject line is larger and more prominent, and messages in the reading pane are now indented for easier reading. More buttons in Calendar allow for simpler navigation and quicker creation of new meetings.

Enhanced inbox control

New tools have been added to help you sort through your email and identify the most important items to tackle first.

• Pin – you can now pin any message in your inbox to have it highlighted in yellow and kept at the top of your inbox. This keeps important messages handy and prevents them from getting lost in your inbox.
• Sweep – provides a simple set of actions to manage emails from specific senders, great for managing recurring messages like newsletters and special promotions. You can choose to keep messages from a specific sender for a specified number of days, only keep the most recent message, or delete all messages from the sender.
• Archive – quickly move messages out of the inbox to a folder of choice with one-click archiving.
• Undo – undo unintended actions with a single click.
• Improved single-line view – a preview of the message contents in line with the subject, allowing you to perform common actions in bulk and more quickly.
• Immersive reading pane – when in single-line view, clicking a message now displays the message in the same window.

Visually engaging emails

Outlook in Office 365 now provides the ability to easily resize images, add custom borders, apply shadow effects, rotate images, and more. Emojis have also been added, so you can express yourself better than ever before. You can also find the people you want to reach more easily; when you place your cursor on the recipient line, Outlook shows a list of the people and distribution groups you most commonly email. The list of recipients is automatically refined as you type, and adapts as the people you email change over time.

Calendar improvements

Calendar now features a five-day weather forecast. Icons next to each day give you a quick look at the forecast, and clicking on one will show a more detailed view. Calendar now supports charms – icons you can choose from to apply as visual cues that help you quickly identify different types of events. For instance, you can add an airplane charm to an upcoming flight, a music note for a piano class, and so on.

You can also create email reminders for any Calendar event and specify the recipient list, include a quick message, and set the day and time you want the email reminder to be sent. Birthday and holiday calendars are also available, and can be either overlaid across your work calendar or viewed separately.

Better mobile browser experience

A number of UI and navigational improvements has been made to enhance the mobile browsing experience, including updates to more closely resemble the UI of Outlook apps on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Navigation has been improved in order to simplify switching between Mail, Calendar and People, and comes along with more prominent search commands. A better UI allows for the simpler creation of new events and ease of using the scheduling assistant in Calendar, and the Time strip has been updated to show the full week within the calendar. You can now switch between emails without returning to the message list, too.

Looking to learn more about Office 365, its applications and how they can benefit your business? Talk to one of our Office 365 experts; contact us today.

Outlook in Office 365 has been gaining popularity amongst businesses of all sizes. With integration with Office 365’s multitude of business applications, Outlook has proven to be a powerful email service that combines both usability and security. The best part is that Microsoft is now pushing things even further with the latest Outlook release. With updates that enhance the platform even more, it’s packed with new productivity features.

Cleaner UI

Outlook in Office 365 now features a simplified, cleaner user interface (UI) that aims to help you work more efficiently. A new Action bar is available across Mail, Calendar, People and Task experiences, for utmost convenience and ease of use. The Action toolbar provides quick access to commands like clearing your inbox, replying to an email or adding an event to your calendar.

The email subject line is larger and more prominent, and messages in the reading pane are now indented for easier reading. More buttons in Calendar allow for simpler navigation and quicker creation of new meetings.

Enhanced inbox control

New tools have been added to help you sort through your email and identify the most important items to tackle first.

• Pin – you can now pin any message in your inbox to have it highlighted in yellow and kept at the top of your inbox. This keeps important messages handy and prevents them from getting lost in your inbox.
• Sweep – provides a simple set of actions to manage emails from specific senders, great for managing recurring messages like newsletters and special promotions. You can choose to keep messages from a specific sender for a specified number of days, only keep the most recent message, or delete all messages from the sender.
• Archive – quickly move messages out of the inbox to a folder of choice with one-click archiving.
• Undo – undo unintended actions with a single click.
• Improved single-line view – a preview of the message contents in line with the subject, allowing you to perform common actions in bulk and more quickly.
• Immersive reading pane – when in single-line view, clicking a message now displays the message in the same window.

Visually engaging emails

Outlook in Office 365 now provides the ability to easily resize images, add custom borders, apply shadow effects, rotate images, and more. Emojis have also been added, so you can express yourself better than ever before. You can also find the people you want to reach more easily; when you place your cursor on the recipient line, Outlook shows a list of the people and distribution groups you most commonly email. The list of recipients is automatically refined as you type, and adapts as the people you email change over time.

Calendar improvements

Calendar now features a five-day weather forecast. Icons next to each day give you a quick look at the forecast, and clicking on one will show a more detailed view. Calendar now supports charms – icons you can choose from to apply as visual cues that help you quickly identify different types of events. For instance, you can add an airplane charm to an upcoming flight, a music note for a piano class, and so on.

You can also create email reminders for any Calendar event and specify the recipient list, include a quick message, and set the day and time you want the email reminder to be sent. Birthday and holiday calendars are also available, and can be either overlaid across your work calendar or viewed separately.

Better mobile browser experience

A number of UI and navigational improvements has been made to enhance the mobile browsing experience, including updates to more closely resemble the UI of Outlook apps on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Navigation has been improved in order to simplify switching between Mail, Calendar and People, and comes along with more prominent search commands. A better UI allows for the simpler creation of new events and ease of using the scheduling assistant in Calendar, and the Time strip has been updated to show the full week within the calendar. You can now switch between emails without returning to the message list, too.

Looking to learn more about Office 365, its applications and how they can benefit your business? Talk to one of our Office 365 experts; contact us today.

One of the challenges many iPhone users encounter is making the most of their storage space. You’ve probably installed new updates, utilities and gaming applications to enhance your iPhone experience but, before you know it, your storage space has quickly filled up, and it’s time do some spring cleaning. Deleting a few pictures and movies might help to an extent, but you’ve got to dig deeper if you want to make the most of your storage space. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Check your storage usage

First things first; before you start deleting applications at random, you need to see exactly what’s hogging storage space. From your iPhone’s home screen, navigate to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage. You’ll see the amount of space you have available and how much space is being used up. After a few seconds you’ll also see a list of apps, starting with those that take up the most space. The number indicates how much space the app uses in itself, and how much data is inside the app. Determine which apps you don’t need and hit the Delete App button.

Clear Safari history

If you use Safari often and haven’t cleared its data in a while, your iPhone may be storing web history and data that you simply don’t need. Clearing the cache and history can, in some cases, help free in excess of 1GB of storage space on your iPhone. To do so, navigate to Settings > Safari. Then scroll down and press Clear History and Website Data to earn some additional space.

Clean up your iMessages

By default, your iPhone will store your messages forever. This takes up a lot of space, especially if you’ve received a lot of photos, GIFs, audio messages, and videos. Keeping a few romantic messages is understandable, but you can probably live without other spammy messages that clog up your storage. In addition, the iPhone allows you to keep messages for a period of time instead of forever. Simply head to Settings > Messages. Tap on Keep Messages and set your messages to delete themselves after 30 days or one year.

Don’t double-save photos

You may notice that your iPhone saves two of the same image: a normal one, and a second one using High Dynamic Range (HDR), if you have turned this feature on. HDR images tend to look better than normal ones but, if you always want the HDR version, you can avoid duplicated images by turning off Keep Normal Photo in your Phone & Camera settings.

Delete offline data

Remember that time you had no Internet connection, when you saved an interesting webpage to read later? As your offline reading list grows, your storage space shrinks. To clear your reading list, open up the Settings menu and go to General > Usage > Manage Storage > Safari. Then swipe left over the words Offline Reading List and tap Delete to clear the cache.

These tips will help you make the most of what little space you have left on your iPhone. Want more iPhone tips and tricks? Contact our tech experts today.

Running out of storage space on your iPhone? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. If you have a habit of downloading applications that you like, using them, and forgetting to optimize or delete them afterwards, the storage space on your iPhone can quickly fill up. Thankfully there are plenty of quick and easy ways you can free up space on your iPhone. We’ve listed five simple ways to make the most of your iPhone storage.

Check your storage usage

First things first; before you start deleting applications at random, you need to see exactly what’s hogging storage space. From your iPhone’s home screen, navigate to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage. You’ll see the amount of space you have available and how much space is being used up. After a few seconds you’ll also see a list of apps, starting with those that take up the most space. The number indicates how much space the app uses in itself, and how much data is inside the app. Determine which apps you don’t need and hit the Delete App button.

Clear Safari history

If you use Safari often and haven’t cleared its data in a while, your iPhone may be storing web history and data that you simply don’t need. Clearing the cache and history can, in some cases, help free in excess of 1GB of storage space on your iPhone. To do so, navigate to Settings > Safari. Then scroll down and press Clear History and Website Data to earn some additional space.

Clean up your iMessages

By default, your iPhone will store your messages forever. This takes up a lot of space, especially if you’ve received a lot of photos, GIFs, audio messages, and videos. Keeping a few romantic messages is understandable, but you can probably live without other spammy messages that clog up your storage. In addition, the iPhone allows you to keep messages for a period of time instead of forever. Simply head to Settings > Messages. Tap on Keep Messages and set your messages to delete themselves after 30 days or one year.

Don’t double-save photos

You may notice that your iPhone saves two of the same image: a normal one, and a second one using High Dynamic Range (HDR), if you have turned this feature on. HDR images tend to look better than normal ones but, if you always want the HDR version, you can avoid duplicated images by turning off Keep Normal Photo in your Phone & Camera settings.

Delete offline data

Remember that time you had no Internet connection, when you saved an interesting webpage to read later? As your offline reading list grows, your storage space shrinks. To clear your reading list, open up the Settings menu and go to General > Usage > Manage Storage > Safari. Then swipe left over the words Offline Reading List and tap Delete to clear the cache.

These tips will help you make the most of what little space you have left on your iPhone. Want more iPhone tips and tricks? Contact our tech experts today.

Remember the day when you bought your new iPhone? Probably one of the first things you did was to fill it up with a bunch of applications. And before you knew it, after months of taking selfies, capturing videos, and installing just about every social, gaming, and utility app out there, you got an alert saying your memory was almost full. If you want to free up some storage, try the following simple tricks.

Check your storage usage

First things first; before you start deleting applications at random, you need to see exactly what’s hogging storage space. From your iPhone’s home screen, navigate to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage. You’ll see the amount of space you have available and how much space is being used up. After a few seconds you’ll also see a list of apps, starting with those that take up the most space. The number indicates how much space the app uses in itself, and how much data is inside the app. Determine which apps you don’t need and hit the Delete App button.

Clear Safari history

If you use Safari often and haven’t cleared its data in a while, your iPhone may be storing web history and data that you simply don’t need. Clearing the cache and history can, in some cases, help free in excess of 1GB of storage space on your iPhone. To do so, navigate to Settings > Safari. Then scroll down and press Clear History and Website Data to earn some additional space.

Clean up your iMessages

By default, your iPhone will store your messages forever. This takes up a lot of space, especially if you’ve received a lot of photos, GIFs, audio messages, and videos. Keeping a few romantic messages is understandable, but you can probably live without other spammy messages that clog up your storage. In addition, the iPhone allows you to keep messages for a period of time instead of forever. Simply head to Settings > Messages. Tap on Keep Messages and set your messages to delete themselves after 30 days or one year.

Don’t double-save photos

You may notice that your iPhone saves two of the same image: a normal one, and a second one using High Dynamic Range (HDR), if you have turned this feature on. HDR images tend to look better than normal ones but, if you always want the HDR version, you can avoid duplicated images by turning off Keep Normal Photo in your Phone & Camera settings.

Delete offline data

Remember that time you had no Internet connection, when you saved an interesting webpage to read later? As your offline reading list grows, your storage space shrinks. To clear your reading list, open up the Settings menu and go to General > Usage > Manage Storage > Safari. Then swipe left over the words Offline Reading List and tap Delete to clear the cache.

These tips will help you make the most of what little space you have left on your iPhone. Want more iPhone tips and tricks? Contact our tech experts today.

Jailbreaking can be an incredibly useful way to customize your iPad, enhance its functionality, and adjust hidden settings. That all sounds like fun, but Apple has never been a fan of jailbreaking for a number of reasons. There are countless downsides that you should be aware of, particularly around security issues. Here’s all you need to know about jailbreaking, and why it may not be the best idea to tamper with your iPad.

What is jailbreaking?

In a nutshell, jailbreaking is the act of removing hardware and software restrictions on Apple’s iOS, or otherwise making modifications to the device without Apple’s authorization. When you jailbreak your iPad you can install third-party software from external sources, and also manually download files from the Internet. You can change your iPad’s default look, too, and feel, as well as make a number of system tweaks that render your device more useful.

Why you should NOT jailbreak

We advise against jailbreaking. But this is not just our opinion – even Apple says the same in its technical support base articles addressing the issue. Here are some of the reasons jailbreaking is a bad idea.

1. Third-party apps are dangerous – Apple closely monitors its App Store for good reason: because malicious apps can wreak havoc on your device. Downloading and installing applications that haven’t been approved by Apple is risky in many ways. Unofficial apps may contain malware that could slow your device down, steal your sensitive information, eavesdrop on private communications – the list goes on.

2. Say goodbye to warranty cover – Although it’s perfectly legal to jailbreak your iPad, Apple has made it clear that jailbroken devices will no longer be protected under their warranty service coverage. If you mess up the process and can’t restore the device yourself, you’re basically on your own.

3. No more iOS updates – When you jailbreak your iOS device, you’re unable to update to the latest iOS versions. Technically you can, but you’ll lose your jailbreak, meaning you have to re-jailbreak your device and then re-install all your jailbroken apps and extensions. What’s more, if you decide to update your iOS you may have to sit out and wait for an updated jailbreak version to become available, which could take days, weeks, or even months.

4. Device instability – This is one of the biggest reasons why you should stay away from jailbreaking; it can lead to random reboots, and devices not working properly. You may find that your iPad crashes more often, that certain key features and apps no longer work as they normally would, and that your battery life becomes much shorter.

5. The need for jailbreaking is diminishing – The main benefit of jailbreaking, in most cases, is to modify the system in ways which Apple wouldn’t normally allow. But as Apple adds more features to iOS, the same need for jailbroken apps which provide those features is no longer there. For instance, some jailbreak tweaks allow for inter-app data sharing and split-screen multitasking, both of which are being introduced in the latest iOS version.

The detrimental effects of jailbreaking far outweigh the benefits, so why jailbreak your iPad for some minor tweaks when you can wait for Apple to release a more stable update? If you want more iPad tips, get in touch with us today.

For millions of happy users all over the world, the iPad is fantastic just as it is. It’s easy to use, and there are literally over a million apps to choose from and enjoy on the App Store. But there are also people who want to escape Apple’s restrictions. They resort to jailbreaking, a process of altering Apple’s software to remove the limitations placed upon it. Jailbreaking can open up new tweaks that allow for more flexibility in how you use your iPad, but it can also present a myriad of problems, including security concerns. Here’s what you need to know about jailbreaking, and why you should never attempt it on your iPad.

What is jailbreaking?

In a nutshell, jailbreaking is the act of removing hardware and software restrictions on Apple’s iOS, or otherwise making modifications to the device without Apple’s authorization. When you jailbreak your iPad you can install third-party software from external sources, and also manually download files from the Internet. You can change your iPad’s default look, too, and feel, as well as make a number of system tweaks that render your device more useful.

Why you should NOT jailbreak

We advise against jailbreaking. But this is not just our opinion – even Apple says the same in its technical support base articles addressing the issue. Here are some of the reasons jailbreaking is a bad idea.

1. Third-party apps are dangerous – Apple closely monitors its App Store for good reason: because malicious apps can wreak havoc on your device. Downloading and installing applications that haven’t been approved by Apple is risky in many ways. Unofficial apps may contain malware that could slow your device down, steal your sensitive information, eavesdrop on private communications – the list goes on.

2. Say goodbye to warranty cover – Although it’s perfectly legal to jailbreak your iPad, Apple has made it clear that jailbroken devices will no longer be protected under their warranty service coverage. If you mess up the process and can’t restore the device yourself, you’re basically on your own.

3. No more iOS updates – When you jailbreak your iOS device, you’re unable to update to the latest iOS versions. Technically you can, but you’ll lose your jailbreak, meaning you have to re-jailbreak your device and then re-install all your jailbroken apps and extensions. What’s more, if you decide to update your iOS you may have to sit out and wait for an updated jailbreak version to become available, which could take days, weeks, or even months.

4. Device instability – This is one of the biggest reasons why you should stay away from jailbreaking; it can lead to random reboots, and devices not working properly. You may find that your iPad crashes more often, that certain key features and apps no longer work as they normally would, and that your battery life becomes much shorter.

5. The need for jailbreaking is diminishing – The main benefit of jailbreaking, in most cases, is to modify the system in ways which Apple wouldn’t normally allow. But as Apple adds more features to iOS, the same need for jailbroken apps which provide those features is no longer there. For instance, some jailbreak tweaks allow for inter-app data sharing and split-screen multitasking, both of which are being introduced in the latest iOS version.

The detrimental effects of jailbreaking far outweigh the benefits, so why jailbreak your iPad for some minor tweaks when you can wait for Apple to release a more stable update? If you want more iPad tips, get in touch with us today.

Apple’s iOS is one of the most secure and reliable mobile operating systems out there, but it also comes with a lot of restrictions. The App Store is strongly protected, and it’s almost impossible to install third-party applications without jailbreaking your iPad device. While jailbreaking can provide you with greater flexibility to configure your iPad, it can also expose your device to potential threats. Here are a few security risks that you should keep in mind.

What is jailbreaking?

In a nutshell, jailbreaking is the act of removing hardware and software restrictions on Apple’s iOS, or otherwise making modifications to the device without Apple’s authorization. When you jailbreak your iPad you can install third-party software from external sources, and also manually download files from the Internet. You can change your iPad’s default look, too, and feel, as well as make a number of system tweaks that render your device more useful.

Why you should NOT jailbreak

We advise against jailbreaking. But this is not just our opinion – even Apple says the same in its technical support base articles addressing the issue. Here are some of the reasons jailbreaking is a bad idea.

1. Third-party apps are dangerous – Apple closely monitors its App Store for good reason: because malicious apps can wreak havoc on your device. Downloading and installing applications that haven’t been approved by Apple is risky in many ways. Unofficial apps may contain malware that could slow your device down, steal your sensitive information, eavesdrop on private communications – the list goes on.

2. Say goodbye to warranty cover – Although it’s perfectly legal to jailbreak your iPad, Apple has made it clear that jailbroken devices will no longer be protected under their warranty service coverage. If you mess up the process and can’t restore the device yourself, you’re basically on your own.

3. No more iOS updates – When you jailbreak your iOS device, you’re unable to update to the latest iOS versions. Technically you can, but you’ll lose your jailbreak, meaning you have to re-jailbreak your device and then re-install all your jailbroken apps and extensions. What’s more, if you decide to update your iOS you may have to sit out and wait for an updated jailbreak version to become available, which could take days, weeks, or even months.

4. Device instability – This is one of the biggest reasons why you should stay away from jailbreaking; it can lead to random reboots, and devices not working properly. You may find that your iPad crashes more often, that certain key features and apps no longer work as they normally would, and that your battery life becomes much shorter.

5. The need for jailbreaking is diminishing – The main benefit of jailbreaking, in most cases, is to modify the system in ways which Apple wouldn’t normally allow. But as Apple adds more features to iOS, the same need for jailbroken apps which provide those features is no longer there. For instance, some jailbreak tweaks allow for inter-app data sharing and split-screen multitasking, both of which are being introduced in the latest iOS version.

The detrimental effects of jailbreaking far outweigh the benefits, so why jailbreak your iPad for some minor tweaks when you can wait for Apple to release a more stable update? If you want more iPad tips, get in touch with us today.

If you left your desk now, how would you know if your Mac is secure? What if a nosy employee or passerbyer decided to snoop around on your machine when you’re not around? Or what if your Mac is stolen while it’s still powered on? The thief will have unlimited access to all your confidential files and data, and there’s nothing you’ll be able to do about it. Well, not any longer; here’s how you can lock your Mac easily every time you step away from your computer.

The problem with normal password lock

As you know, the normal way to lock your Mac is by either shutting it down or logging off. So if you’re simply stepping out of your office to use the bathroom, you probably don’t want to waste time doing either of these to keep your desktop secure from a snooping passerbyer. So what’s to do? Set up a password lock. This allows you to lock your Mac by simply putting it to sleep.

How to set up a password lock

One of the best parts about setting up a password lock on your Mac is that it’s incredibly easy. To do so, click on the following:

1. System Preferences
2. Security & Privacy (located under the “Personal” group of icons)
3. General tab
4. Check the box that reads, “require password after sleep or screen saver begins”

Once you’ve done this, choose “immediately” from the box that lights up. Now, your Mac will lock every time it goes to sleep, and to use it again your password will need to be entered.

So, that leaves one more question. How can you easily put your Mac to sleep?

How to make your Mac go to sleep on command

There are several easy ways to do this. The first and probably the one you’re most familiar with is to simply click on the Apple icon in the upper left hand corner of your screen, and then click Sleep.

If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, you can use one of the following:

1. Control + Shift + Eject – this makes only the screen go to sleep
2. Command + Option + Eject – this makes the computer go to sleep

Probably the easiest way of all is to activate Hot Corners, which allows you to put your monitor to sleep by simply moving your cursor to a specific corner of the screen. To activate this, click on the following:

1. System Preferences
2. Desktop & Screensaver
3. Screensaver
4. Hot Corners (in the bottom right hand corner)

Then choose the corner you would like to use to put your monitor to sleep, and select “Put Display to Sleep”. Every time you navigate your cursor to that corner of the screen, your monitor will go to sleep and your Mac will be locked.

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Do you ever worry you may be leaving private information exposed on your Mac when you leave to grab a drink or use the bathroom? What if a nosy employee or thief jumps on your computer and sees or steals your confidential information? It may sound unlikely, but it can happen. So if you’re looking for an added layer of security, here’s how you can lock your Mac easily whenever you leave your desk.

The problem with normal password lock

As you know, the normal way to lock your Mac is by either shutting it down or logging off. So if you’re simply stepping out of your office to use the bathroom, you probably don’t want to waste time doing either of these to keep your desktop secure from a snooping passerbyer. So what’s to do? Set up a password lock. This allows you to lock your Mac by simply putting it to sleep.

How to set up a password lock

One of the best parts about setting up a password lock on your Mac is that it’s incredibly easy. To do so, click on the following:

1. System Preferences
2. Security & Privacy (located under the “Personal” group of icons)
3. General tab
4. Check the box that reads, “require password after sleep or screen saver begins”

Once you’ve done this, choose “immediately” from the box that lights up. Now, your Mac will lock every time it goes to sleep, and to use it again your password will need to be entered.

So, that leaves one more question. How can you easily put your Mac to sleep?

How to make your Mac go to sleep on command

There are several easy ways to do this. The first and probably the one you’re most familiar with is to simply click on the Apple icon in the upper left hand corner of your screen, and then click Sleep.

If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, you can use one of the following:

1. Control + Shift + Eject – this makes only the screen go to sleep
2. Command + Option + Eject – this makes the computer go to sleep

Probably the easiest way of all is to activate Hot Corners, which allows you to put your monitor to sleep by simply moving your cursor to a specific corner of the screen. To activate this, click on the following:

1. System Preferences
2. Desktop & Screensaver
3. Screensaver
4. Hot Corners (in the bottom right hand corner)

Then choose the corner you would like to use to put your monitor to sleep, and select “Put Display to Sleep”. Every time you navigate your cursor to that corner of the screen, your monitor will go to sleep and your Mac will be locked.

Looking for more Mac OS tips? Curious to learn about our Mac services? Call us today to learn more.