If you have a Blackberry that is running on a Blackberry server, chances are you have had issues with sending and receiving emails.  This is common if the Blackberry Enterprise Server needs an update or if your blackberry is in a no-reception area or cannot sync with the BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server). 

You or your Blackberry network administrator may follow the below steps the next time your blackberry is not working:

1. Turn off and on your Blackberry device
2. Turn off your device, remove the battery, and then turn on your Blackberry.
3. Have your BB (Blackberry) admin re-send an activation code.  This will push through the synchronization process.
4. Wipe out your blackberry info by going to: Options->Security Options->General Settings->Password and select the “Wipe Handheld” option.
5. If all of the above doesn’t work, have your BB admin remove and add your account from the BES server and then re-send an activation code.

These steps will help resolve many Blackberry issues.

If you cannot boot your computer into Windows, you might still be able to boot into safe mode.  Why go into Safe Mode?  What is Safe Mode?

Safe Mode allows you to still boot into Windows if you have a bad software driver or corrupted startup file.  Safe Mode can let you still get into your computer, and while you’re in your computer, you can attempt to resolve the problem.  You may get into Safe Mode but tapping F8 at startup. 

If you thought the new Windows Vista operating system is bad, wait until you hear this…  Microsoft is already in the works to create a new Windows operating system after Vista.   Vista has become so glitchy that Microsoft feels compelled to already start working on a better operating system.  Basically, Microsoft is looking to create an operating system that is entirely different from Vista so that consumers will have a more enjoyable and stable computer experience.Vienna, is the code name Microsoft is calling this new operating system.  Longhorn was the code name used for Vista during its pre-release.  Most different will be the desktop which will be entirely different than the Vista interface.  Don’t worry - Microsoft is still in the rebuilding phases of Vista to ensure all of the incompatibilities are fixes.  So, before the new Vienna OS is released, Vista should hopefully be stable and working more smoothly.What can you expect with the Vienna operating system?   It will be faster, more secure, and with less problems. 

We are in the age now that we need all of our pictures, music, and files at our fingertips at all times.  Now, it is common to have a Mac, PC, and blackberry or iPhone.  Between home and work, it is common to either VPN into work or use some product, such as GoToMyPC or LogMeIn to remotely access your office or home computer while away.  The whole point is to stay in command of your files wherever you are.

Now, you don’t have to worry about remoting in here or there.  You can use SugarSync which will do it all for you.  Here’s what you get from SugarSync:

• Automatic synchronization of files from PCs, Macs, and mobile devices.  There is no  limit of how many computers you can sync.  This means you can say what to sync, and voila…all your computers will have access to these updated files.
• Automatic backups

Pricing starts at $2.49/month for 10GB and all the way up to $25/month for 250GB of storage.  We have implemented this solution for a few clients and found good results.  Just make sure not to have duplicate name folders that you’re syncing (i.e. My Documents) or one computer can save over another duplicate named folder.

You may check out the CNBC video showcasing this product.  Overall, this is a neat way to sync and back up your files for the 1 person user without having to worry about a server backup system.

In our busy lives, it might be difficult to stay in touch with the family.  Who’s going where and when are a couple of easy forgetful items. 

Connected Family is a great site to update an online calendar, contacts, memos, and pictures for your family.  This will allow you to jot down birthdays, events, and post messages.  It is easy to forget birthdays and special anniversaries so this is a way for all the family members to put in their own special days for everybody to share.

At $9.95 per year, you can have your own website name and privileged access.  The only downfall is only 1GB of picture storage is available.

If your hard drive goes bad on your computer, you simply just have to replace it with a new one.  Then, install the Windows or Mac operating system and possibly recover files from the bad drive.  What do you do if you have a tiny laptop that is hard to open up for replacement?  Well, you can bring it to a certified hard drive replacement specialist or you have another option:  boot to an external hard drive.

Instead of taking hours to open up your portable laptop, you may direct your laptop to boot to an external hard drive.  Most newer computers are able to handle this and you  may check to see if this option is available in the BIOS.  In the BIOS, there will be options in sequence what to boot first: CD-drive, hard drive, network, USB drive, etc.  If there is something that says USB, secondary or external drive, you’re in luck.  Just make sure you direct your BIOS to boot to your external drive first and then let your operating system disk do the rest.

Usually,  a portable laptop costs in the neighborhood of $2,000.  Now, with the decreasing cost of computers and rising competition among computer manufacturers, you can land yourself a solid portable laptop at a reasonable cost.

The Toshiba U405-S2830, at $1,150, is a 3 lb tiny laptop that packs some big specs in it.  It has a huge 250GB hard drive and it lightning fast at 2.1GHZ duo core processor and 3GB of RAM.  Throw in a bunch of built-ins: webcam, microphone, 3 USB ports, fingerprint reader, speakers, 802.11g, and DVD burner. 

This laptop is a good choice, and should require any computer upgrades anytime soon.

It’s not easy to find an easy GPS to use.  Some might look user-friendly…and then the many buttons and clicks makke it difficult to navigate (pun intended).  What’s a directionally-challenged, lost soul to do?

Garmin’s Navi 660 makes finding your destination a snap.  First of all, the graphics and screen is very easy on the eyes.  No squinting is necessary.  Also, you may request voice or just on-screen point-to-point directions.   The GPS picked up directions under a minute and got back on schedule after making stops.

Notable features are: mp3 player, language translater, and bluetooth connectivity with you cell phone.  If your phone rings, the GPS becomes quiet.

Overall, this is a great GPS is a steal at $350 - 750.  And best of all, it doesn’t require an IT department to set it up.

Yes, but only in certain cases.  We recently had a client who had expensive Bloomberg software on his computer.  His motherboard died and he needed desperately to be up and running since he’s a day trader.  The only issue was his license for Bloomberg expired and wasn’t able to reinstall it any more.  The obvious fix was to take the hard drive and throw it in another computer.  Is it that easy?

No, it’s not that easy to take a hard drive and put it into another computer?  Why?  If the motherboard is not the same or very similar, whether XP or Vista, the computer will not start up all the way and will instead give you the typical boot options (i.e. Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, Normal Mode, etc).  You’ll need to make sure your computer model is the same and chances are so is the motherboard, and then you can make the hard drive swap.

What do you do if your motherboard is different?  If you’re going from and to Windows XP, you can get by with doing a Windows repair after putting the hard drive in .  You’ll need the Windows XP CD and know how to run an automatic Windows repair and re-certify the license.  You might need a Windows certified technician or you may potentially wipe all of your files.  With Windows Vista, there is no other way typically as Micosoft has become even stricter with Vista.  Even with the same motherboard model, Vista will recognize that it is still a different one and not allow you to boot into Windows…period.

It is great to check out the weather all the time by having a weather software installed.  However, this type of software is constantly looking for the temperature every second and can really slow down your overall computer performance.  If you’re not sure what this software is, it is the one that pops up the temperature for the preferred city of your choice.

Why does it slow down your computer?  Like a mapping software, this weather program syncs with nearby satellites to determine the temperature for the day as well as week.  It may also sync up with other weather sites for accurate forecasts.

Also, it has been shown that this weather desktop application can possibly bring about spyware and popups.  It’s a free program, and as like other free stuff on the Internet, spyware is sure to follow eventually.  So, next time you’re looking for the weekend forecast, check out NY1 or you can even check out NBC Online for real-time weather info.  You can pop in your address or zip code and always track your weather by marking this preference as a favorite.