We hope you all enjoyed our first edition of “From the Fox Den”.  The Redfox Team have been busy with the creation of new cost-cutting product lines, storm season preparation and putting together our traditional VIP Client Christmas Hampers.  Our boys have also been busy training over the past four weeks and have successfully increased their Riverbed accreditations.  Big congratulations to Peter and Justin!  In order to fully recharge our batteries over the Christmas period, we will be closed for 2 weeks but will have staff on call and available for any of our client’s needs.  The Team at Redfox would like to wish you all a safe and memorable Christmas, and we look forward to your continued support in 2015!  Michelle 

Redfox has continued to grow our free public WiFi program with some new local businesses coming on board.  

You can now enjoy free internet at the Botanical Gardens and Thirstys cafe, Sarina Surf Life Saving Club and Buffy Park. We are always looking for local business to support the wireless internet growth in Mackay, if you are interested or know of an ideal spot for Redfox Free Public WiFi then get in touch with us, we'd love to know!

More info - Redfox Free WiFi

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, for many of you the family will be coming home to roost for a short reprieve.
As our worlds become increasingly more digitised and all of us become hyperconnected there is a persistent hunt for data. No doubt a few in your clan will be receiving a new tablet or phone for Christmas, and if not the chances are they already have one.
WiFi is significantly cheaper to use than a mobile broadband connection, so you are doing your kin an honorable favour if you allow them to use your home WiFi network over the holidays. But, how do you manage their use to ensure you are not exceeding your data allowance or congesting access to the service you have purchased from your Internet Service Provider?
The easiest way to do this is to create additional wireless networks (SSIDs) for your guests and manage the network traffic each of these wireless networks provides to its specific users so that the service is equally divided amongst your guests.
There are two things you will need for this little project; a Router or Access Point that is capable of providing two or more SSIDs, and experience with navigating the configuration pages of the Router or Access Point. If this is something you would like to do, Redfox is here to help!

The best part of living in the Tropics is our gorgeous weather for the majority of the year, the not so good part is the over 1500mm of rain which falls between November and March (http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/mackay/climate.shtml). Anyone who has been in Mackay for at least a few years knows how much Mother Nature loves to dish out heat and storms with plenty of rainfall, the unlucky ones have felt first hand how much damage all that water can do.

We are regularly reminded to clean up our yards, secure furniture, tape up our windows, and prepare our cyclone kits. But how many people secure their digital data against the risk of loss or damage?
Our experience indicates very few! So what can you do if you are one of these folk?

Step 1
Choose how to back up your files, there are free backup software applications available online and even the standard Microsoft Windows software does a decent job. When choosing a backup software package, make sure you look at the steps involved in restoring the data. Free versions (Such as windows backup) generally require a running system with windows installed before the data can be restored, this will involve sourcing another computer, running up windows and restoring the backup, you will also need to reinstall all the software as it will not be restored with the backup. This can take anywhere from 3-8hours depending on the size of the data on the backup disk and the amount of software to install.
Paid backup software such as Storagecraft ShadowProtect takes a full snapshot of your computer’s disk image and can be restored quickly and easily using the image-deployment software, there is a level of technical know-how involved when using this software, however.

Step 2
Choose where to store your backup. USB hard drives have become the most common choice for storing the backup files, the size of the data backup will dictate the time required for the backup to run. Once the backup is on your external hard drive it needs to be stored in a safe and secure location, we recommend to have two hard drives each with a copy of the backup, one stored onsite in a secure, high-ground location and the second taken offsite with you, this will ensure that in the event access to your home/office is restricted you will still have access to your personal documents, photos and files.
Another option is to store your backup to the Cloud. This alternative maybe suitable depending on the size of the backup and the upload speed of your internet connection. Recovering the Data when required is also going to require a PC to access the backed-up files, be aware of the download limit of your internet plan vs the size of the backup (you don’t want your plan to get shaped (speed limited) halfway through the download and it ends up taking days!)

Step 3
Choose wisely! The greater the quantity of data, the longer it will take to both backup and restore. The files you should focus on backing up are the ones you can’t replace. Data such as personal photos, personal/work documents, personal/work projects and family/ work videos should be at the top of your list, whereas season 2 of your favourite TV series, your favourite movie or you favourite music album is only going to take up space and require a longer period of time to back up and restore. Movies, Shows, and music you have downloaded can be stored on an external drive which can be portable if required, although it is recommended to keep these separate from your personal data backup to avoid any possible data corruption to your personal files.

Step 4
Backup regularly! Due to the time some backups can take, starting it when you are running out the door is definitely too late. Those movies where an individual sneaks in and steals the entire contents of a computer in a matter of minutes (usually on the verge of getting caught) are works of fiction.
In a perfect scenario a daily backup would be ideal, although if there is nothing new to backup then it is not required. Businesses are highly recommended to preform daily backups where as a home user should be backing up weekly/fortnightly depending on their amount of use.
Make a note of the time the backup takes and make sure you check if the backup was successful every time you preform one!

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about any of the recommended solutions feel free to contact one of the Redfox team to discuss further. 

Every week on Thursdays at 7AM, Peter has been bringing you the latest IT tips and gadgets. Here is our monthly wrap up of Tech Talk with our top 5 tech picks...

There’s a project on Kickstarter called ‘BottleLoft’, and the idea is a simple one: make your fridge more space-efficient by using magnets to hang your bottles and cans. No longer will a new carton mean a game of 3D Tetris if you don’t have a second fridge – pop a couple of these babies in there and just grab a bottle out without knocking over the pickle jar on the way. The BottleLoft is expected to start shipping in January and it has been confirmed that they WILL ship internationally, not just in the U.S.

More Info- BottleLoft

Ryobi have come out with a line of tools for tradies (mainly in construction) to use on site as part of their normal routine. They call it “Phone Works”, and it’s basically a set of attachments for smartphones. They have a laser level, infrared thermometer, 10-inch fiber optic camera with an LED light, stud finder, and a few other devices, plus an app that ties it all together. Just connect the tool you want and fire up the app, and you get readings etc. right on your screen. The gadgets retail in the states for anywhere from 15 to 100 bucks, so far there’s no official Australian release but I’ve put an enquiry in to Ryobi Australia

More Info- Ryobi Phone Works

Home security camera comes with modern twist.
For those of you looking to beef up home security without the expense of running cables through your ceiling or buying a PC just for video storage, there’s a new camera on the market that might just be what you’re after. It’s called Homeboy, and it’s a battery-operated camera that is activated based on motion sensors. It pairs up with an iOS/Android app which basically tells the camera when you’re not home (using the GPS in your phone). Using this information, the camera will activate its motion sensor, which will in turn start it recording if it’s tripped. The camera sends the video capture via WiFi to a cloud-based storage service which means that all footage is retrievable from anywhere in the world. It can also be set to alert you via SMS or email as soon as it’s activated, and you can watch live footage of the video being recorded. Finally, as it’s battery powered (the battery can last up to 3 months depending on how often it records), there’s no need to run cable or put holes in your walls – an adhesive base lets it attach to your wall, ceiling, bench top, or anywhere else you might want to keep an eye on things!

More Info- Homeboy

AirDog takes extreme sports filming to a new level!

In Australia we love ‘extreme’ sports – surfing, skating, BMX, you name it. If it gives us a rush, we’re all about it. Now there’s a gadget which bills itself as “the World’s First Action Sports Drone”. It’s called AirDog, and its purpose is to capture your every amazing moment as it happens. What happens is that the AirDog attaches wirelessly to an aptly-named AirLeash and uses its position to record your every move, following you as you move across the waves, through the air, or around the track. With 6 different ‘follow’ modes (for now), you can set it to hover in place as you do laps around a BMX track or follow you across the water as you take on the waves. It also includes a manual flight mode if you or a co-pilot really want to take control of the camera for yourselves. If your interest goes outside the extreme sports arena, it’s also being touted for use in music videos and indie filmmaking. This one has just shipped to its Kickstarter backers, and public release should be right around the corner – maybe just in time for Christmas?

More info - AirDog

Our number one pick...  because it has potential to truely assist those with vision impairment.

Sonar ‘Watch’ to help the blind.

Researchers at Wake Forest University in the US have collaborated to design a wearable wristwatch-like device to help the blind detect objects in their area. Based on echolocation – the way bats ‘see’ – the device uses a sonar distance sensor and two mobile phone vibration motors to measure the distance to objects and provide feedback to the wearer in the form of vibrations. The more frequent the vibration, the closer the object. Basic testing has shown it to be effective and best of all, the parts required to make it cost under $60. It’s in prototype phase right now but this could potentially be a real life-changer for the visually impaired if they make it effective enough – even moreso if they can keep the cost low.

More info - Sonar Watch

Tune into Zinc FM on 101.9FM on Thursday mornings at 7AM with Peter to find out more... 

We all take it for granted that our power supply is going to be reliable and safe. We all know how unreliable mains power can be and the problems caused by surges and voltage fluxuations. With the holidays coming up soon and our family members having so much fun with all the new technology we get for presents and all  the old gear we already have. Electrical safety should be Our appliances we heavily rely on becoming broken and unsafe.

Electrical Safety for the holidays…

1. Making sure your safety switch is still working.
The owner of a house can do a self check to see if their safety switch is still functioning correctly. Just press the little blue test button on your safety switch, it should trip the device and then you can reset it again after 10 sec.. ( there can be more than one on the latest house that offer more protection on more circuits.) This will ensure when you get a faulty appliance that you don’t get electrocuted.

2. When plugging power boards and double adaptors in to existing power circuits some care should be taken to have them out of the way and not in a mess of cables or around combustible materials. Eg paper, curtains, wood etc. Also plugging excessive amounts together can overload circuit as well.

3. With the cyclone season coming our way, have you thought about a small generator to power the fridge a light to make your life easier. For a small generator only a little electrical work needs to be done to accommodate this.

Click the link below to check out our Electrical services available  Click here to see our electrical services

Check out our current Electrical offer: Summer Specials

Yes, I do want to double my data!

As Michelle mentioned we will be taking a 2 week break over the Christmas and  New Year period to recharge but more likely to eat too much, drink too much and be merry.

We will be closing shop from the 20th of December and returning the 5th of January but we will have a tech on call everyday excluding the public holidays.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New year!