A buyer’s guide to business projectors
A typical projector bulb lasts 2,000 hours (and newer ones, like LED lamps, can go up to 20,000 hours). But there are other factors that affect a projector’s lifetime before it needs replacement. If you’re unsure about what to look for in your next projector purchase, this list will help you choose the best product. Brightness and light output A projector cannot display bright images without enough light output. Even if you dim the lights in the room to compensate, images will appear muddy and blurred if the light output is too low. To find out if a projector’s lamp has the correct brightness for your needs, look for its ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Lumens rating. It will tell you how much light that particular projector can put out. Projectors that have 1,000 ANSI Lumens or more are relatively perfect for the job, but other factors like ambient light, the distance or size of the screen, and the size of the room will also impact the need for fewer or more lumens. Connectivity options Some projectors in the market are more affordable because they’re only equipped with an HDMI port to connect to a TV or computer. You may have to spend more money on a projector that has multiple connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, and VGA inputs. If you want more flexibility, buy a projector that is compatible with various audio and video formats as well. Front or rear projection Many projectors can now be set up to project images from either the rear or the front of the screen, and can be mounted on the ceiling instead of just stationed on a table or flat surface. Front projection is the easiest to configure, and the most common set up for projectors. Contrast ratio This setting determines the variance between the darkest black and the brightest white, so the higher the contrast ratio, the clearer the images. Projectors with a good contrast ratio figures will allow you to enhance the quality of text onscreen and the depth of displayed images. For typical meeting rooms, the contrast ratio can range from 3000:1 to 20000:1. Any contrast higher than 20000:1 will intensify the presentation quality but bump up the price of the projector as well. Resolution Because high-resolution images and videos are so readily available these days, you may want your projector to have 720p as a native resolution. But if you can afford the full HD models, you will have the capacity to show off a comprehensive data image on screen. The caveat here is that your resolution will depend on the specs of your source media player. Our customers often forget to utilize one of our most useful service options: hardware consulting. If you’re ever in the market for new equipment at your organization, or need advice on how to get the most of what you currently have, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re an office full of gadget geeks who love the opportunity to talk about the latest and best that the industry has to offer. Contact us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Ransomware Part II
Ransomware Part II In our last blog, we explained what ransomware is, and why it can be an especially troublesome virus. Today, let’s look at what you can do to avoid falling victim.Prevention is the best cure. Follow standard “data hygiene” principles that you probably hear about all of the time. Update your OS, software, and apps whenever a new release or patch is released. Do this ASAP. Some patches may be released solely as a result of the discovery of a vulnerability. Watch out for phishing scams. If anything looks “off” about an email, don’t open it. And never open links you aren’t totally sure of. If unsure, email back to the sender to verify they actually sent you a link. Unfortunately, human error is one of the biggest problems for data security. Employees unwittingly open links received via email or download information from insecure websites. Beyond prevention, the most important thing you can do to make sure your data cannot be held ransom is strictly adhering to a regimen of backups. Routinely backup your data. However, with ransomware, even backups may not be foolproof. If your data has been infected and you are unaware of it, or the backup is not segregated from your network, your backups may also be corrupted. Given the severe consequences of a ransomware attack, consider having a security evaluation done by a managed service provider who will have the security expertise to advise on the best backup protocols for your situation. Ransomware presents some unique challenges that require more sophisticated data protection protocols. Contact a managed service provider for a complete security evaluation.