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Electronic recycling is something that everyone should think about doing for any/all electronic devices you need to get rid of to make space in your home or just to get rid of the device. Before you just send your device to the recycler, please consider the following before hand:

1. Did you log out of your device?

2. Did you erase your device completely to rid it of your personal data?

3. Did you remove any identifying marks (i.e., phone numbers, stickers, names, address, etc.)?

4. Did you remove your device from any login accounts (i.e., apple ID, google accounts, etc.)?

5. Did you collect all the accessories that came with your device?

After you have considered the above please take your device to your trusted E-waste center/recycler. DO NOT put them in the trash!

Use common sense here. If you live or your business is in a place where power fluctuations, surges, spikes, and outages are present, then you need to choose the right power equipment for you and your devices. So, the question is, whats the difference between a power strip and a surge protector? Those versus a power conditioner versus an uninterruptable power supply? Well, they all have there place and you may need only one kind or a few of each, or non of the above. Also, nothing last forever, so replacing these may be a difference maker in performance. Again, use common sense here. 

1. Get to know your devices' power limits and operating environments.

2. Choose the right power accessory for your devices and home setup.

3. Inspect and replace old, damaged, or worn power accessories every 2-5 years.

Power Strip: Essentially, this is like an extension cord for your power outlet on the wall.

Surge Protector: This looks like a power strip, but it also carries a certain rating of protection against power surges and spikes. Some come with a device warranty if the surge protector fails to keep your devices protected (limitations apply and vary by product).

Power Conditioner: This is a unit that condititions the power coming into your home or office so that your devices do operate on "pure power." The conditioner does just that... it protects against surges and spikes, voltage correction, and fluctuations. Also, it limits or removes electrical noise from your lines that can interfere with your devices performance.

Uninterruptable Power Supply (PSU): These devices are used when your power goes out and you need time to power down your devices properly to preserver and protect your data. These sometimes also carry protection from surges and spikes.

The short answer.... YES! All devices need a break. Especially now that our devices have more than a basic operating system. Most devices today, have A.I. (artificial intelligence) software to help us with our day to day lives. So, much like our bodies, our devices need rest. Imagine this.... You go to work on Monday all day. But instead of getting a full nights rest, you are only allowed to take a cat nap, or short snooze. Then your back at work for another full day plus the hours your not sleeping a full nights rest. Do this until Friday. How exhausted are you going to be by Friday? How frustrated and unwilling to work will you be by Friday? You need your rest! So too, do all of your devices (phones, tablets, computers, watches, etc.). Like the power topic before, use common sense here. If you have projects, or own a business, choose a day when you can power everything down! Be sure that you think about this DOWNTIME and choose it wisely. I think you get the point... you need to power down your devices. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. At the dinner table (home or eating out), turn off your phone for the duration of dinner.

2. When you go to bed, turn off your tablet and restart it as you get your morning coffee/tea brew going.

3. On the weekends (when you have fun plans) turn off your devices and enjoy no interruptions. (This way you'll have a surprise when you turn it back on).

4. At the end of a work week, check for updates and choose an option to shutdown after installation of the updates on your PC. Or, check back with your phone in about 2 hours after the update completes and turn it off. It's the end of the work week remember.

5. TURN IT OFF at any time you choose .... this is a perfect excuse to take a mini-vavcation/staycation and rejuvenate your spirit at the very least.

From a security standpoint, YES, you should do updates. Operating systems now more than ever, have what is know as measures to prevent "Brute Force" attacks on your devices. Your anti-virus, spyware, malware, ransomware software can do the rest. How often should updates be done is a touchy question. We recommend that you do updates when they become available to your device. However, if you are using an antiquated (old) software, then an update may disrupt that softwares ability to perform properly. So, be sure to consult your IT person, company or us with details about your setup. Now, updates take a while. So you will need to be sure that you have time in your day to update your devices. Otherwise you might find yourself on the clock and stressed if an update is initiated in the middle of a project, zoom meeting, production run, etc.! Allow for this time and interruption. That is why we recommend a once a week update check and do these updates on weekends or when you have time to allow the update to complete normally. Important note: Please be sure that your device is plugged into a power source before and during the update. Otherwise, if you device relies on a battery, the battery may die and the update will cause an operating system (OS) corruption or collapse. We hope this helps.

OK, updates are designed to update, improve, enhance and to protect our devices from "Brute Force" attacks. However, a side effect of an update can be, that some of what is known as "User Preferences" can be reset back to a factory settings. Alert/Ring tones are reset, Display settings are reset, cloud services need logging back in, social media accounts need to be logged back into, etc.. If you have a smart phone you may have experienced this. As much of an inconvenience this is, it is important to understand that without the update, the potential for a before mentioned "Brute Force" attack happening is more likely. So, to lessen the stress of the before mentioned inconveniences, prepare yourself, before you choose to update your device. Allow for some re-setup time.

Simply put, a "Browser" is a program that you use to access the internet/web. For instance, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Duck Duck Go are all examples of "Browsers." Now the "Search Engine" is the algorithm functions inside the browser that brings up all the search information, you the user type in when you want to visit a website or get information from the internet/web. So, it is possible to have browser use a different search engine than the one provided by the browser itself. If you are not sure of which or what to use, contact your IT person, company or BTS Corp. for more help.

This is question's answer is specific to the user of the computer/phone/tablet/device. We say this because devices today are a lot like our personal vehicles. Why would someone choose an american car over a foreign car? Hence, why would someone choose a PC over a Macintosh? Preferrence, Price, Ease of use, function, fashion. This list goes on and on. Thus, choosing a device that is best for you is really, well up to you! We recommend that you test drive all devices that strike your fancy and research the benefits, advantages and features to see which device is best for you. If you need help, again speak to your IT person, company or BTS Corp., so you can make the right device decision that best suits you.

Updating is when you improve or update your existing device to keep up with user demand, workload, technology and times. Upgrading is when you replace your existing device with a new device to keep up with user demand, workload, technology and times. Why would someone do one versus the other? Depends on their situation is our answer. All kinds of factors play into this question. From budget, size, speed, storage capacity, function, fads, equipment or software availability/compatibility, and more. So to determine this question, again consult your IT person, company or BTS Corp. to get the right answer for you.