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• Use proactive software protection. Anti-malware software is a basic requirement for initial protection on all computers. Viruses and spyware can creep into your computer and easily degrade performance and corrupt or even destroy data.
• Use a firewall. Firewalls assist in blocking dangerous programs, viruses or spyware before they infiltrate your system. Various software companies offer firewall protection, but hardware-based firewalls, like those frequently built into network routers, provide a better level of security.
• Steer clear of websites of ill repute. If you’ve fallen down the clickable rabbit hole in search of a “free download”, beware. That’s typically the first step in clicking on something that is meant to harm your computer, not help it.
• Keep your operating system updated. Repair the security holes that hackers love to exploit with the newest critical updates from Microsoft or Apple.
• Consistently backup crucial data. Backing up to a separate media device, or an online backup solution, on a regular basis ensures that important files are secure. Click here to search for deals on external hard drives.

Keep your PC clean of clutter!
Over time, hard drive space can get used up by temporary files (from the Internet, program installations, and more). The easiest and safest way to get rid of these and reclaim disk space is to use the built-in Windows Disk Cleanup Utility. You can search for “Disk Cleanup” in the start menu, or find it under “All Programs” > ”Accessories” > ”System Tools”. Not only will this utility safely find the files unnecessary for your PC, but will allow you to select which of them to be removed.
Another source of frequent clutter on your drive are files stored by your Internet browser.  These files accumulate as you surf the net every day.  To clear these unnecessary temporary files in the latest version of Internet Explorer, IE 9, click the gear icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser and select “Internet Options”. On the very first page/tab, you’ll see a “Browsing History” section in the middle of the window, with the option to “Delete.” On the next window, you get the option of deleting some or all of that data. Some of the information stored within Internet Explorer, like cookies, you may want to keep, as they help track when you revisit certain websites, preferences from last visits, however you can choose to delete all the information here safely. If you’re using another popular browser, like Firefox, you would find similar options under a “Tools/Preferences” menu, typically listed as “private data.”

Keep your PC healthy and up to date!
Updates are an important part to keeping your PC/Mac as secure and bug-free as possible. If you are using Windows, search for “Windows Update” in the Start Menu, or find it directly listed in the “All Programs” menu.  On a Mac, you can click the Apple logo in the top left-hand corner of your screen, and click “Software Update.” For both, it will scan your computer and check for any available updates. Once it has determined which updates you need, you can review them prior to installation, and determine if they appeal to you. If you’re not sure what something is, just use this rule of thumb: if the update is not listed as important, then you don’t have to install them; they’re optional. Anything listed as important, however, is vital to keep your computer as secure, and well behaved, as possible.

Keep your PC safe!
Antivirus or antimalware is another thing to keep in mind while maintaining your PC. If you have an active antivirus program, we recommend opening it on occasion to make sure it is up to date, and has scanned your PC recently. If you don’t have a current antivirus program installed, there are several recommendations we can make.  Norton, Trend Micro, and Kaspersky all make very effective products for a variety of terms and options.  If you prefer a no-cost solution for your antivirus, we can also recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. While lacking some of the features of a paid antivirus product, it offers you basic protection, and is updated by Microsoft themselves.

Keep your PC dust free!
Lastly, there is the physical cleaning of your PC. If your PC is over a year old, or in a dusty location, you may want to clean it with compressed air.  Keeping your PC clean of dust allows air to flow more freely, keeping the temperature down, and protecting the PC from overheating.  If you choose to use compressed air, be careful and follow the instructions listed on the can. Not doing so could result in damage to your computer from condensation (hold the can upright, spray in short bursts).

Geek Squad recommends performing these steps every 6-12 months, to keep your PC in optimal condition.  Not sure this is a project you want to undertake?  These are some of the same steps Geek Squad Agents utilize when performing a PC Tune-Up on your PC.  Agents are standing by 24/7/365 to keep your PC in prime condition.  Chat with an Agent today at GeekSquad.com or give us a call at 1-800-GeekSquad.

Read it on Geek Squad’s blog here.

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1. Remembering Steve Jobs – The tech world lost a great leader and visionary when Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011. As a pioneer of personal computing and co founder of Apple, Jobs revolutionized the way we live our lives and will continue to influence generations to come.
2. Larry Page becomes CEO of Google – The co founder of Google stepped up to oversee the day to day operations of the company in addition to leading technology development and product strategy, his two greatest strengths. With growing properties including YouTube and Google+ as well as its dominance in the search market, Google is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
3. Amazon’s Reign – Amazon is sticking to its guns with its A to Z motto. The internet giant has infiltrated just about every product category they can compete in this year. With the success of the Kindle in the e-reader category, the introduction of the Kindle Fire in the tablet category as well as products in mobile apps, music, TV and more.
4. AOL acquires the Huffington Post – The Huffington Post transformed the way many of us receive our news online and created a community of people that were able to contribute their ideas and content to the mix.  AOL acquired the HuffPo for $315 million and subsequently named its founder Arianna Huffington President and Editor in Chief. Huffington said, “by uniting AOL and The Huffington Post, we are creating one of the largest destinations for smart content and community on the Internet.”
5. The Groupon Frenzy -  Groupon has become one of the fastest growing companies in history. Its popularity has spawned a massive amount of start-ups all looking to cash in on the daily deal business. Most notably Living Social. While Groupon said no to Google who tried to buy them for $6 billion they have decided to give it a go on their own. While there is some controversy surrounding their IPO its certain that the group buying deal of the day phenomenon is here to stay.
6. Facebook reaches the masses – Earlier this year I was in the grocery store when I saw two soccer moms run into each other and immediately started chatting about something they saw on Facebook.  I thought to myself “its reached the masses”. Facebook announced it surpassed 800 million active users this year.  Not to mention the success of the Hollywood flick about the company entitled “The Social Network” which snagged a few Oscars in January.
7. Michael Arrington departs from Tech Crunch – Editorial independence was the issue at hand according to Arrington who sold Tech Crunch to Aol for $30 million in 2010. There was clearly some ego clashing between him and Arianna Huffington who became his boss when Aol also acquired her blog, the Huffington Post this year. Arrington made his last appearance for his site at the annual Tech Crunch conference “Disrupt” where he wore a shirt donning the phrase”Unpaid Blogger”, referencing a remark Huffington made starting “Arrington must step down as an editor but could remain an unpaid blogger.” Arrington has been focusing his efforts on his new venture capitalist endeavor “Crunch Fund” which Aol has invested $10 million in.
8. Netflix + Qwikster = Big Mistake - The company made headlines this year when they announced the separation of their DVD and streaming services. Given that customers would now have to pay more if they wanted to continue to subscribe to both services, sign into two separate sites and receive separate billing statements etc didn’t go over too well. Not to mention the decision to name the new DVD entity something as silly as Qwikster before checking the available Twitter handles made this move one of the dumbest. The CEO Reed Hastings qwikly realized his mistake and revoked the service before it launched albeit humiliation from the public in the process.
9. Mobile Sales Soar – It’s been a serious shopping season in the online world this year. E-commerce sales this holiday season have increased by 33% from last year and mobile sales soared, increasing 200% from last year. The majority of those mobile sales have been done via iOS devices, predominately via Apple’s iPad. This is certainly only the tip of the iceberg. We can expect to see a whole new wave of innovation surrounding applications to cater to this market in the coming years.
10. SOPA – If you haven’t heard about SOPA yet, get ready. SOPA or the Stop Online Piracy Act was introduced in October in an effort to control the content that is published online. It’s supporters include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the MPAA (Motion Pictures Association of America), and the Recording Industry Association of America. What exactly needs to be protected you might ask? According to a statement by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “Rogue Web sites that steal America’s innovative and creative products attract more than 53 billion visits a year and threaten more than 19 million American jobs.” An initial supporter of the act was the popular domain registration company, GoDaddy. Once their customers learned of their support they began leaving in droves, including the organization Wikipedia. GoDaddy has since changed their minds and  now oppose the legislation. Additional opposition includes Google, Facebook, Twitter, Zynga, eBay, Mozilla, Yahoo, AOL and LinkedIn. Recently, the opposition above wrote a letter to key members in Congress stating “a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation’s cybersecurity.” Learn more about SOPA from Cnet who wrote an impeccable article outlining the legislation and how it affects you. This is undoubtedly the most crucial event on this list and we’ll continue to hear more about it in the coming year.

Click here to read the official rules.

Click here to read the official rules.

Please click here to read the Official Rules.

Please click here to read the official rules.

Click here to read the terms.