But recently, more and more professionals have been seeking our advice on which iPhone apps they can use to better enhance their productivity. Specifically, people want to know what we’re using to make Preemo as efficient as it is.

Besides apps like Facebook and Gmail, almost everything we do revolves around increasing our productivity; we like making our business day simpler. So after a round-table discussion on our favorites, here are the five business apps we use the most and recommend the highest. (And yes, we know there are actually six apps listed. You’re just going to have to read the rest of the post to find out why.)

1) Card Munch – If you are a networking professional, you probably have a expansive collection of business cards. If you wish you didn’t have to dig through the pile daily, this app is for you. When you connect with someone, take a picture of his/her business card. Card Munch will convert the card to a contact on LinkedIn automatically. This app alone makes LinkedIn the best social media platform for gaining referrals. You can connect with your professional network on a daily basis and never lose a valuable contact again.

2) Asana  – We have a significant number of projects that require a team effort. And while Asana is a new kid on the block, we tinkered a bit and, combined with Dropbox, it has completely replaced Basecamp for us. The mobile app, the iPad app and the web-based software sync perfectly together and keep everyone up-to-date on all of our ongoing projects. As Asana also sends out email reminders every morning, our daily to-do meetings just got a whole lot shorter.

3) Groundwork – Up until recently, we relied on Groundwork as our Basecamp app. While a little steep pricewise, we found it does the best job of replicating Basecamp on a mobile platform. Even though we’re advocates for Asana, we still recognize the best trailblazing project management tool available. (This is the additional app that we mentioned earlier—we couldn’t bear to exclude it as it’s such a great application, but as it is our second app for project management we felt it might be breaking the rules a bit. But as you can see, we kept it in regardless).

4) mbPointer – If you create and deliver Powerpoint presentations on a daily basis (or even on a weekly basis), you need this app. mbPointer turns your phone into a remote control, allowing you to control the entire presentation from the palm of your hand. Never again do you have to be hunched over the computer to manually change the slides while trying to command the room. The app’s only drawback is that it needs a wi-fi connection – and your computer and your phone need to be on the same network.

5) Quickoffice suite - We’ve been waiting for years for Microsoft to release a mobile version of their Office suite, but we’ve be given nothing but rumors. If you need to edit (or create) Microsoft Office documents from your phone, this is the easiest app to use on the market. It syncs with Dropbox, Google Docs and other cloud-based file sharing apps, so you can do practically everything that you can already do from your computer. And, if you don’t need the whole Office suite, you can buy the individual programs.

6) Time Tracker – Even outside of hourly-charged projects, we recommend using Time Tracker. It’s easy to use and shows exactly how much time we are spending on any given project (including the building out of our new store). We’ve seen our productivity increase since we started tracking our time through this app. It’s immensely beneficial and we recommend it for professionals across all industries.

 We also know how to make your battery last longer and how to prevent your server from crashing, so keep all those tech questions coming. We’re here to help seven days a week.

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I eagerly signed on to participate in this great program. I wanted to show a student what can be accomplished with a little drive and dedication towards doing what you love.

Meet My Student

Eduardo Hernandez is a senior at Miami Beach Senior High. He is part of the IB program and will be a card-toting member of the 2012 University of Florida freshman class. He’s aiming to study either computer science or engineering. Within minutes I knew Eduardo was going on to do great things–drive and dedication was not something he needed to see; he lived it.

Our Big Day

Unlike some professions, Fridays aren’t slow days for us at Preemo. No one can really prepare for a computer malfunction, a virus contraction or a downed internet connection. As it is, it just so happened that after Eduardo got the “Official Preemo Tour,” where he got to visit our offices,  meet the team and take a sneak peek at the new store, we got a call from a client who was unable to connect to their internet. As Fridays aren’t a slow day for insurance companies either, we headed over to tend to the problem quickly. After diagnosing and resolving the issue–we  headed back to the headquarters for lunch where we talked about the day and Eduardo’s future goals.

What’s Up Next For Eduardo

Eduardo is ready to take Gainesville by storm, while keeping focused on what will come after his next big graduation day. Computer science and engineering interest him the most. He’s got a great sense for the current market status and more importantly, where it will be heading in the coming years. We think an internship this summer at a top firm in Miami is the way to go.

How about it, Sapient? Got space for a great new high school graduate?

As a society, we store mountains of valuable data digitally. It’s a sign that we live in the age of information. It’s why businesses that treat their troves of data as an asset have a distinct advantage over their competitors that don’t. It’s also why at Preemo, we encourage everyone to not only back-up their data on site but also use an online back-up system as well.

Yes, we are partners with Mozy and offer online back-up as one of our services. But this post isn’t meant to be a sales pitch. In fact, if we wanted to increase sales, we’d discourage you from using online back-ups at all because it would exponentially   increase the amount of data recovery jobs we get. But that’s like a cardiothorastic surgeon promoting an all-bacon diet and shunning aerobic exercise.

This is a Public Service Announcement

You don’t need to have the most prestigious online back-up system in the world, but you have to have a system. If emailing yourself every document, saving it to your hard drive and Dropbox as well as having an external hard drive that you update monthly works for you, do it. All we ask is for you to be diligent about it.

This is incredibly important because computers are machines and machines eventually wear out. No matter how well maintained a system is, its lifespan isn’t infinite. And if disaster strikes and your computer crashes, it can be a relatively painless process to upload all of your files to a new computer or it can take weeks of toil without guarantee that the data will be ever be recovered if lost.

In Case of Emergency: Back-Up Beforehand

Data, whether personal or professional, can be the glue that holds your world together. From photos and family videos to business proposals and client projects, losing data can feel like the end of the world. At Preemo, we have seen countless amount of clients walk in in desperation, frustration and panic. Nine times out of ten we’re able to see them leave elated, on cloud nine and refreshed. It’s that one time, that 10%, where there was a tragic loss of data and they were without a single source of online back-up that makes our days emotionally tough. So, please, we beg of you to seriously look into backing up your files and data online. If you have questions about the process and your options, feel free to contact us directly.

Lost data can cripple a business, quickly turning what should be an asset into a liability. And, if our house was on fire and we could only save one thing, we’d much rather save the dog than our computer.

Contact Us For a FREE Online Back-Up Consultation

But, as Apple’s sales and market share grows, they become a more and more attractive target for evildoers and malware creators. Many experts have been saying it’s only a matter of time before Apple gets a virus. We agree with them.

Brought To You By Flashback Trojan

The word is out. Flashback Trojan, a so-called Trojan Horse, is the newest malware to attack Macs. While it isn’t technically a virus, as it doesn’t spread from computer to computer, it does make infected Macs vulnerable to data theft and keystroke logging. It was well disguised as an installer for Adobe Flash and more than 600,000 Macs were infected before it caught the world’s attention. And later models of Flashback are capable of downloading and installing themselves without any user interaction.

If history repeats itself, we can expect to see many more permutations of this attack to come. For you Mac users who are a little rusty on cautions computing: don’t worry, we can help.

The best way to keep your Mac safe and secure is to be cautious of where you download upgrades to your plug-ins. If Adobe flash says there is an update available, don’t click the link in the notice. Go to adobe.com and check it out. The same is the case for any upgrades to your operating system (many virus experts expect this is the next place to be attacked). Do two minutes of research before upgrading and you can save yourself hours of frustration and potentially your credit score.

Also, keep your plug-ins up to date. They put security patches in as needed and a perfectly updated computer is the best defense against attacks.

Problems Solved

Here’s a great step-by-step guide to find out if your Mac has the Flashback Trojan, and a slightly more complicated way to remove it, but the problem is the Flashback creators are constantly changing the malware so it can keep gathering data for them.

If you want to make sure your Mac is clean and in the clear, don’t hesitate to bring it into our shop today. We’re more than happy run a systems check and optimize your computer to make sure it is ready to take on any malware creator.

Some members of the Hacktivist group Anonymous just released an operating system aimed to easily decipher passwords and hack into corporate networks worldwide. Some members of Anonymous have come out and disowned the software, but just because some hackers are more noble minded doesn’t mean the rest of the bunch are less of a threat.

And hacker’s toolboxes aren’t being limited to software, either. Now, companies like Pwnie Express are building hardware like their Pwn Plug that makes it insanely easy to hack into any network. Designed to look inconspicuous, the Pwn Plug literally plugs into a network and opens the door for whoever put it there to access the network from afar.

Protect Yourself

Fortunately, it’s fairly simple to stop your network from getting hacked by a Pwn Plug: be wary of who you let in your office. Make sure it’s standard protocol for everybody to check with higher-ups before allowing a contractor to do work. Send out company-wide emails to announce when work is going to be done as the simplest method for hackers to get access is to pose as electricians that are checking the building for power surges.

It should be noted that while the Pwn Plug can be put to nefarious uses, in the right hands it can help secure networks. Along with similar tools, the Pwn Plug can be put into a network by the system’s manager as a tool to find security leaks remotely (which is Pwnie Express’s business, not hacking). This way it becomes a sweet little tool that can save significant time and money as IT technicians can monitor your network’s security from their desk.

WPE vs WPA vs WPA2

Another key to keeping your network safe is to drop WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption right now. It literally takes about ten minutes for a twelve-year old without experience with networks to hack. There are even dozens of how-to hack a WEP network guides all over the Internet. You really want WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) or at least WPA to secure your network. They make your password your weakest point and a good password can take years longer to hack through than it takes us to notice someone is attempting to break in to your network.

A Tech Arms Race

It’s a sad state of affairs, but as hackers gain access to more sophisticated tools to break into networks, it becomes more and more imperative to have IT experts on your side that know how to defend against online attacks. Vulnerability to hackers is one of the fastest ways to turn your technology from an asset into a serious liability.

We are more than happy to give you peace of mind and ensure your business is protected from hackers

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