#LeapIntoIT Kindle Fire Giveaway

It’s that time again!  Time for us to have some fun, and help one of our Upstate, SC friends get something cool to play with.

We’ve given away stuff before, like Trend Micro anti-virus, a wireless IP security camera, a Cisco Flip Mino HD video camera, Microsoft Office 2010, and even a Microsoft X-BOX 360, but this is likely the most exciting thing yet, or at least the 2nd most exciting!

We decided that since it is a Leap Year, we will help one person leap into the tablet computer revolution by giving them one of the hottest little tablets out… The Amazon Kindle Fire!  It is far more than just an eBook Reader, it’s a smokin’ hot tablet too!  So hot, it’s on FIRE! =)

Let’s call it the “Leap Into IT” giveaway!  #LeapIntoIT

Who is eligible?

Anyone who can walk into the Homeland Secure IT office at 104 Mauldin Rd, STE E in Greenville, SC to retrieve the tablet in person. We will NOT SHIP IT. Also, you must not be prohibited by law from participating in any giveaway, and all that legal mumbo-jumbo. Let’s put an age restriction on it too.  You must not be older than, no wait, you must be at least 18 to participate.

Employees of Homeland Secure IT cannot play this silly game because they would never get any work done.

Past winners of Homeland Secure IT giveaways ARE eligible (Andrea, James, Hal, etc)

How do you get involved in this?

There is NO purchase necessary, but there are some things that you will want to do…

• Pass through our initiation process – This is where you tattoo your forehead with the Homeland Secure IT logo. Okay, this is optional.
• Sign up to this blog by hitting the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON over in the right-hand column. You can receive the daily blog posts in email first thing in the morning this way. And you can opt out later (after the contest is over) when you get tired of my yammering…
• Sign up for our SUPER LOW traffic mailing lists HERE … We rarely send anything out, so you won’t be too annoyed. You can unsubscribe from either or both at anytime, AFTER the contest end date.
• Go to our home page at www.HomelandSecureIT.com and hit the Google +1 button & Facebook “like” while you are there.
• Go to our Google business places page and leave a review and rating (hopefully a good one)
• Go to Merchant Circle and leave a review/rating
• Go to Yelp and leave a review/rating
• Go to Yahoo! and leave a review/rating
• LIKE us on facebook HERE …     Follow us on Twitter HERE …

Here is a list of ways to connect:  

http://www.homelandsecureit.com/connect.html

If you connect in a different manner and you feel it is important, email me, or tag me in a post so I can see what you have done and count that as well!

In review, it is up to you to determine how much, or how little you wish to get involved. The more ways you connect, the more chances to get this darn Kindle Fire!

How is the selection made?

Good question! We lay out a grid, with your each name written in it in the parking lot, and we then shoot a gerbil straight into the air, and in whatever grid the gerbil falls into, that’s our winner.

Okay, (maybe) it isn’t like that at all.  No, in fact it is not.

On February 29th, 2012, I’ll take every name/email address from our mailing lists, all the names of those who have reviewed us on Yelp, Google Places, Yahoo! & Merchant Circle, all the mentions on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, all the Likes and Follows on Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In, all the Google Plus +1s, and dump them into a spread sheet. Next I go to www.Random.Org and put the number of lines in my spreadsheet as the max number and generate a random number.

Whoever matches that number in the spreadsheet is contacted.

If they are out of the area and cannot get it in person, another number will be selected and the process repeated until we have a winner!

So, with that said… Let’s do this!   Leap Into IT!!!!

In addition to performing all your favorites, we’re going to be premiering two new songs, “Carolina Girl” and “Standing in the Dark” which will be on our forthcoming album, due out June 8, 2012.

If you would, please visit our facebook page at http://facebook.com/DocksideBand and “like” us!!!!!!

Actually click HERE

But what makes it any different than her other birthdays? Well, for one, this birthday is her first as a young lady out on her own, or close to being on her own. She’s attending college and though it is only an hour away, it feels like she has moved halfway across the country!

But, at least she has today and tomorrow off, so, tonight, we are going out to eat and live it up…

If you see her, wish her a happy birthday, even if it is next week. Honestly, our family celebrates “Birth WEEK”, so this could go on for another few days!

Happy Birthday Megan – I love you so much – MORE!  =) =)

We’re working on new and exciting things that will help us to provide even better computer service & support to Greenville and Upstate area individuals and businesses, as well as bringing on new products as requested by our clients.

Our office will be closed tomorrow, Friday the 30th, and will not reopen until Monday the 3rd of January, 2012. If you need emergency assistance, please call our office or send an email, we will be monitoring voice mail and email and will get back with you ASAP! Most clients have our cell phone numbers and shouldn’t hesitate to call if a need arises.

We wish you, your family and your business many blessings in the coming year!

Also, if you are looking for a great party, come to The Hide-Out in Easley and catch The Dockside Band on New Year’s Eve! We’ll be playing all your favorite tunes.

http://facebook.com/DocksideBand or http://www.TheDocksideBand.com for more info!

More information is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/147966045304842/

Please like us too! https://www.facebook.com/DocksideBand

Happy New Year!

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas – Computer Version

I first read this story on a University of Arkansas computer system sometime before 1985 and promptly typed it up and put it on my BBS (Non-Prophet BBS) for people to read. I have sent it in email, and “snail mail” for the last 25 years or so…  I still get a kick out of it.   If anyone knows the author, please contact me so I can give credit and thank them. – John M. Hoyt

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas – Computer Version

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the shop,
The computers were whirring; they never do stop.
The power was on and the temperature right,
In hopes that the input would feed back that night.

The system was ready, the program was coded,
And memory drums had been carefully loaded;
While adding a Christmasy glow to the scene,
The lights on the console, flashed red, white and green.

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
The programmer ran to see what was the matter.
Away to the hallway he flew like a flash,
Forgetting his key in his curious dash.
He stood in the hallway and looked all about,
When the door slammed behind him, and he was locked out.

Then, in the computer room what should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer;
And a little old man, who with scarcely a pause,
Chuckled: “My name is Santa…the last name is Claus.”

The computer was startled, confused by the name,
Then it buzzed as it heard the old fellow exclaim:
“This is Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
And Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen.”

With all these odd names, it was puzzled anew;
It hummed and it clanked, and a main circuit blew.
It searched in its memory core, trying to “think”;
Then the multi-line printer went out on the blink.

Unable to do its electronic job,
It said in a voice that was almost a sob:
“Your eyes – how they twinkle – your dimples so merry,
Your cheeks so like roses, your nose like a cherry,

Your smile – all these things, I’ve been programmed to know,
And at data-recall, I am more than so-so;
But your name and your address (computers can’t lie),
Are things that I just cannot identify.

You’ve a jolly old face and a little round belly,
That shakes when you laugh like a bowl full of jelly;
My scanners can see you, but still I insist,
Since you’re not in my program, you cannot exist!”

Old Santa just chuckled a merry “ho, ho”,
And sat down to type out a quick word or so.
The keyboard clack-clattered, its sound sharp and clean,
As Santa fed this “data” into the machine:

“Kids everywhere know me; I come every year;
The presents I bring add to everyone’s cheer;
But you won’t get anything – that’s plain to see;
Too bad your programmers forgot about me.”

Then he faced the machine and said with a shrug,
“Merry Christmas to All,” as he pulled out its plug,
“And to all, a good night!”

 Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

We are hoping to book more gigs in the area and need your help!  If you would, please mention us to anyone who matters at bars, clubs, restaurants, and if you know any event coordinators, let them know we are available for bookings too!

We’ll play just about anything, from street fairs and festivals, to weddings, anniversaries, graduations, you name it!  Having a big family reunion? We’re in. Barn raising? Yep, sounds great!

More information can be found by going to http://www.facebook.com/DocksideBand (please LIKE us!) or visit our website at http://www.TheDocksideBand.com

The Dockside Band

The Dockside Band performs what we consider to be “Fun, Summertime” music spanning many genres such as country, rock, beach, blues and folk and many generations, from the 60s to current.  Artists we cover include Jimmy Buffet, Zac Brown, Journey, Bad Company, Matchbox Twenty, Van Morrison, Otis Redding, The Drifters, Kenny Chesney, The Commodores, Toby Keith, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, Garth Brooks, etc…

We have played at restaurants and events that require low volume levels, so that is never an issue!

If you would like to check us out, we are playing New Year’s Eve at The Hide-Out in Easley, and then January 28th at Rendezvous in Greenville!

For more information, give me a call at 864-979-1224 and thank you for your support!!!!

Please move along, nothing to see here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to your family!

In order to allow everyone at Homeland Secure IT to prep for the festivities, we are taking off early today, Wednesday November 23rd, hopefully around 2pm, and will return Monday November 28th.

We *will* be available for emergency calls as always.

Please, eat too much, and spend way too much on Black Friday, because that is the American Way!

So call me a softy or whatever, but this video makes my eyes get all watery and stuff.

Megan is certainly one of the main things I am thankful for this holiday season, in addition to my wife, son, a secure source of income, good health and the fact we live in the greatest country and one of the greatest states!

Hopefully you have just as much to be thankful for yourself!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Homeland SECURE IT Achieves Select Certification from Cisco

Greenville, SC, November 1, 2011:  Homeland Secure IT announced today that it has achieved Select Certification from Cisco. The Select Certification recognizes Cisco® resale channel partners that focus on meeting the technology and service needs of small businesses.

Cisco’s portfolio of both Small Business and Small Business Professional Series products directly complement and enhance Homeland Secure IT’s Systems Design, Sales, Installation and Support of end-to-end communications and physical networks.

Cisco Select Certified

“The Cisco Select Certification was created in response to customer demand for channel partners capable of designing and implementing Cisco solutions purpose-built for small businesses,” said Andrew Sage, vice president of Worldwide Small Business Sales at Cisco. “With the Select Certification, Homeland Secure IT has made an investment in obtaining the training, skills and knowledge necessary to play a pivotal role in meeting this growing demand.”

To earn Select Certification, Homeland Secure IT fulfilled the training and exam requirements for the Cisco Small Business Specialization.  Homeland Secure IT also met the personnel, training and post-sales support requirements set forth by Cisco.

The Cisco Resale Channel Program provides a framework for channel partners to build the sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills required to deliver Cisco solutions to end customers. Through the program’s specializations and certifications, Cisco recognizes a channel partner’s expertise in deploying solutions based on Cisco advanced technologies and services. Using a third-party audit process, the program validates channel partner qualifications such as technology skills, business best practices, customer satisfaction, and presales and post-sales support capabilities — critical factors for customers choosing a trusted channel partner.

About Homeland Secure IT

Homeland Secure IT is headquartered in Greenville, SC, and serves Greenville and the Upstate of South Carolina.  Our goal is to deliver seamless design, implementation, and support to customers requiring both simple and sophisticated communications solutions.

• Unified Communications (VoIP)
• Wireless (WLAN)
• Video Surveillance
• Storage Solutions (NAS, SAN)
• Backup and Disaster Recovery
• Security (Firewall, A/V)
• Switching

For more information about this topic or to schedule meeting with our design and engineering team, please call 864-990-4748 or visit our website at http://www.HomelandSecureIT.com

We were seated right at 7pm and met our waiter, Jess, who took very good care of us.  As every year, John and I enjoy a filet cooked to perfection with a crispy seasoned outside along with a three pound lobster prepared classic tableside.  We also enjoyed a new side dish of Cauliflower fritters that were very tasty and much more than the two of us could finish.  The dinner was finished off with the baklava purse created by the pastry chef complete with “Happy 5^th Anniversary” scrolled in chocolate =)  What great attention to detail!  We both left the restaurant smiling and stuffed … until next year when we anticipate another great night of reflection over the prior year and make future plans and goals to enjoy together!

Pamela Hoyt – Homeland Secure IT

@PamelaHoyt   –   http://www.facebook.com/PamelaMHoyt

Purrrrrrr

“Sorry, I can’t respond to my emails today as something has crashed on my computer, and my mouse seems to be missing…”

This cracks me up every time I see it.   It’s from over on icanhascheezburger.com I believe, but was posted to someone’s facebook timeline today and made me smile all over again.

BTW: If you call us up to perform computer repair on this issue, I think my response would be, “I’m sorry, I can’t find anything wrong with it, it seems to be working purrrrrrfectly.”

Muahaha

http://www.iheartchaos.com/post/10489506835/best-buy-ads-from-1996-look-like-they-might-as-well

You likely buying your computers at half the cost of those listed in the ad.

Remember when RAM was that expensive? What about CRTs, or whole computer systems? It’s been ages since we sold a notebook with the same price tag on it as in the Best Buy ad from 1996.

Have a great weekend, and be glad you don’t have to put one of those big flip phones up to your head still!

No sooner had I posted about that than Google’s Chrome development team had posted that they have an update already prepared for the Chrome browser that in theory should protect from the man-in-the-middle BEAST attack.

More information can be found over on The Register …

When the update comes….  Install it =)

Our office has moved to Androids, and in particular Samsung Epic 4G (original and the new Galaxy S II Touch) and absolutely love them.

I’d love you input….

I think the only cool thing to do is give it away!

Anyone who buys a HOME / PERSONAL computer from us during the month of September will be entered into our little contest.

On Oct 3rd, 2011, we will draw a name and give that person a free copy of MS Office Home & Student 2010 to go with that computer you purchased!

This is normally a $120.oo value…

Need a computer for your home or business, or maybe dozens of computers??? We are resellers and partners with some of the biggest names in computer and server technology! HP, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Nexlink and more!  Call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com for more information.

Only one problem…  Nobody that I called in the Greenville area has one!  One person told me only 200 of the top stores got them today and those 200 stores only received 2 each.

So I will wait a while, or I could buy it online at sprint.com.

Why do I want it? Last year about this time, we replaced our aging Blackberry phones with Samsung Galaxy S Epic 4G phones and have loved them! BUT, that was this, this is now. The new phone does not have a keyboard built-in, so it is much thinner, and it also has a much larger display. The battery life is improved to boot.

As far as speed, the new phone has a 1.2Ghz DUAL CORE processor, compared to the 1Ghz single core we currently have.

The OS is upgraded, the camera is 8 megapixels.  What’s not to like?

Apparently the size. Some people don’t like that bigger 4.5″ screen, compared to the 4.3″ screen in our current phones.

We’ll see… Maybe by next week I can find one?

Thoughts?     OH, and don’t make it about carriers.  Sprint has done a great job of keeping us happy.  Verizon would be our 1st choice, but we’re locked in for a little while longer with 3 of our phones.

Have a great weekend!

Narcissus loves himself all through the intermission

Wow, what a busy weekend!  We managed to pack so much into 48 hours this past weekend and had a great time doing so.  Our daughter that is a freshman at Converse College called this past Wednesday to ask if we could go see the production of Metamorphoses at the Warehouse Theatre.  We were fortunate to attend all of last season’s plays and so enjoyed every one of them.  I think she needed a family time event to look forward to while encountering her busy schedule at school.  I immediately called our friend, Paul Savas, and purchased four of the last remaining tickets for the final show! Yay!

Later in the week, Brett informed me that I had forgotten he would be going to the Clemson game on Saturday.  Geesh, it is difficult being the family entertainment coordinator and keeping everyone happy!  I told him not to worry and have a good time, we would find someone else to gladly take his ticket… and we did!

Our evening started with a delicious dinner at Saskatoon’s with Jay Handler, John, Megan, and me.  Megan and I were able to try new dishes that we otherwise would not dream of tasting… very good!  We shared many laughs and deep discussion and lost track of time before we dashed off to try to make the curtain call.  Megan and I dashed through the front door as John and Jay filled the parking meters and Shannon Robert (the plays director) ushered us to “the best seats in the house but a little difficult to get to!”  I envisioned a dark narrow stairway, but quickly knew what she was referring to when Shannon whispered, “Give me your shoes!”  We climbed a ladder in the dark to the balcony where the audio and lighting technicians work their magic, and indeed found “the best seats in the house”!  I was tickled but felt slightly guilty since WE were the people that we always scorned running in at the last second.

What a great performance to have balcony seats for “Metamorphoses”.  Shannon Robert did such an excellent job of directing Ovid’s classic that was created by Mary Zimmerman in 2002.  She even created the ominous feel of the Greek Mythological past in the poolside setting complete with over 3,400 gallons of water!  The play is actually a culmination of stories from Greek mythology which I love.  Several of the skits were interpreted in modern day with a twist of comedy or a glimpse of shock to leave us wanting more in the next story.

Although “Metamorphoses” was a fabulous opening show for the Warehouse Theatre’s new season, this makes me even more excited about what’s yet to come!  I would be amiss not to encourage my friends and colleagues to consider making time for each and every one of these productions.  We have always enjoyed and looked forward to our family fun nights of visiting the Warehouse Theatre!  Please take a look for yourself and mark your calendar now for these wonderful upcoming events so you don’t miss out.  I will certainly make a point of being early for the seating for the “The Elephant Man”, I hear the lead actor is wonderful! http://www.warehousetheatre.com/season

Pamela Hoyt – Homeland Secure IT

@PamelaHoyt   –   http://www.facebook.com/PamelaMHoyt

Trey Pennington, a man I met no more than maybe a dozen times in person, never shared a meal with or had a real conversation with outside of business, marketing or social media, took his own life, and there are countless blog, facebook and twitter posts about that unfortunate incident.

No, nothing I have to say is important at all, other than to say a thank you to Trey for all he did for us, and to apologize for not taking the time to get to know him on a personal level.

To his family, especially his children, God bless you all. He loved you dearly! He made that apparent with every appearance and conversation he had.  You will be in our prayers.

Microsoft XBOX 360 Arcade

The moment has arrived!

It’s time to give away the Microsoft XBOX 360 gaming console….

Today I combined all our lists into one long Microsoft Excel spreadsheet…  The list included names compiled from:

• General mailing list subscribers
• “Secure IT Alerts” mailing list subsribers
• Blog subscribers
• People who hit “like” on the www.HomelandSecureIT.com page
• People who “liked” our http://facebook.com/HomelandSecureIT page
• People who used the Google +1 button on www.HomelandSecureIT.com and on blog posts
• People who responded and retweeted about the contest
• People who responded and shared on facebook
• People who left reviews on Google or Merchant Circle
• People who TRIED to leave reviews but Google wouldn’t let them for some reason and they emailed me telling me
• People who posted on LinkedIn or left an endorsement
• People who told me they emailed info about the contest to someone
• People I found who used other creative ways to spread the word, including one who blogged about us!
• For grins, I included those who liked http://facebook.com/DocksideBand and related accounts too!

Next up for a giveaway?  Give me a few days to think about it.

HP ProBook 4530s Notebook

Last week we had to cut the cord and let our baby girl go off to college… That was more difficult than I care to relate to you in a blog post!

One of the items on our task list was to secure a quality notebook that she could probably use for the four years she is in school.

Being obsessive-compulsive, I started comparing every notebook that was available to me that fit the specs I had determined (Keep in mind that Homeland Secure IT offers HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Lenovo, Nexlink and more for sale). This was an overwhelming job!

Once I had narrowed it down to a handful of machines, with the proper specs and within the target price range, one notebook stood out.

It was the HP ProBook 4530s, and more specifically the XU015UT#ABA, based around the Intel Core i3, with 4 GB of RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD-Writer w/LightScribe, 802.11n wi-fi, gigabit network, Intel 3000 graphics, Bluetooth 3.0, built-in webcam & mic, Microsoft Windows Home Premium, memory card reader, even a biometric fingerprint reader, and more.

There’s lots of expansion available besides the card reader and connectivity, through the 4 USB ports (1 is USB 3.0), VGA and HDMI video outputs and an ExpressCard/34 port.

With its 15.6″ LED display, it is easy on the eyes, and uses a minimal amount of power. It is also fairly light for such a big notebook at 5.5lbs. The finish is “pretty” and the build is sturdy.

The outstanding 6+ hour battery life was what sealed the deal.  And I tested it several times over after we got it to see just what the battery life was, and as advertised, it was on the nose, and better when using battery saving technologies like letting the screen darken when on battery.

This model is available at Staples currently for $579.oo, and amazingly enough, Homeland Secure IT can match their price, which is surprising since they buy in large quantities.

It comes with Microsoft Office Starter 2010, so all you need to purchase is a product key card (PKC) to enable the full versions of Microsoft Office, available at a minimal additional cost.

Whether you get the HP 4530s from us, or someone else, I don’t believe you can go wrong. Check one out!

For more information about notebook computers in the Greenville / Upstate SC area, either for yourself or your business, please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com

The idiot who attempted to extort money with a “collar bomb” was most likely caught due to leaving a message on a USB flash drive that he had deleted files from.

The ONLY safe way to remove data from a hard drive, flash drive, tape drive or other types of media is to physically destroy it. Our friend Brent over at ShredDisk can help you with that. Don’t make the mistake of deleting files only to find they are recoverable.

Here’s a link to the original article which mentions additional clues that were used to find the “collar bomber”, such as meta data in a recovered Microsoft Office Word document.

That is all…