Tip of the Week: How to Customize Your Mouse Pointer in Windows 10

Windows 10 offers plenty of ways you can customize how your mouse pointer looks and functions, which can make navigating your PC much easier. Here’s how to do it!

There are two potential ways you can make changes to your current mouse: through the Control Panel, and through Settings.

Through the Control Panel
Access the Control Panel by right-clicking the Start menu. Next, select Control Panel. Once it’s open, you can navigate to Ease of Access. Then, click on Change how your mouse works, which will open up settings for how your mouse and cursor functions.

A window named Make the mouse easier to use will open, and you’ll see several options for customizing how the mouse looks. In the Mouse pointers section, you can alter the size and color of your mouse to suit your preference. There’s black, white, and even an inverting option that changes the color of the mouse to make it as noticeable as possible on any background. Once you’ve reviewed your changes, click OK.

Through the Settings
You can make the same changes through the Settings app. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + I to openSettings. Proceed to Ease of Access, and in the left menu, you’ll see the tab for Mouse. This opens the mouse options on the right side of the menu. You’ll see options for Pointer size, Pointer color, and the Mouse keys sections. You can then set the pointer size and color, just like how you would from the Control Panel.

Another option that you have is using your numeric keypad on the right-hand side of your keyboard to move your mouse pointer. If you’re not a fan of moving the pointer across the screen with a mouse, this might be an option, but it’s a pretty unorthodox method of navigating your PC, to say the least.

With all of Windows 10’s great customization features, the mouse pointer might not be the most immediately noticeable feature to change up. However, depending on your device, it can be convenient to change its size and color to suit your needs.

Another great Promethean Event

SETTING UP THE PROMETHEAN BOOTH!

Setting up the Promethean booth!

MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

"Middle School Principals; Reflect, Refine, Renew to inspire great schools!"

The Brooklyn Marriott Hotel
333 Adams Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Saturday, March 5, 2016

Firetronics NYC NJ

Firetronics NYC NJ installs fire sprinklers and fire sprinkler systems for residence, commercial, and industrial needs providing experienced fire sprinkler service. A common misconception about fire sprinkler system installation is one fire sprinkler activates all fire sprinklers in a home, an office, or a space from heat reaction. Fire sprinkler engineering today ensures a sprinkler reacts to temperature changes in rooms individually. A fire in an office will activate only the sprinkler(s) installed in the particular room. This saves property from extensive fire damage, isolates a fire, and limits the fire’s opportunity to spread.

Fire Sprinklers, Suppression Systems – Types - FireTronics NJ

• Antifreeze sprinkler system
• CO2 fire suppression systems
• Deluge fire sprinkler system
• Dry pipe fire sprinkler system
• ESFR- early suppression fast response
• FE-13 fire suppression systems
• FM-200
• Foam/chemical suppression
• In-rack fire sprinkler systems
• Pre-action fire sprinkler system
• Quell fire sprinkler system
• Victaulic Vortex fire suppression system
• Wet pipe fire sprinkler system

Antifreeze Sprinkler System - FireTronics
Safety at home, at work, and in business is complemented by purposeful fire protection planning. Dependable Fire Equipment installs fire protection sprinkler systems and performs fire sprinkler inspections for every professional and individual need. Dependable Fire provides professional grade fire sprinkler installation under National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommendations.

We install, maintain, and test sprinkler systems and antifreeze sprinkler systems regularly. Solutions in fire protection systems such as antifreeze sprinkler systems we analyze regularly. We test the gravity of premixed solutions for optimal sprinkler system performance and safety. Optimal factory premixed antifreeze solutions are either glycerin at a maximum concentration of 50% by volume or propylene glycol at a maximum concentration of 40% by volume. Antifreeze sprinkler systems are tested annually to ensure highest quality of sprinkler system performance.

Firetronics CO2 fire suppression systems
Commercial and industrial facilities increase on site safety with CO2 fire suppression systems. The wide adaptability of these fire systems provides extra fire protection and safety for potential hazards.

FireTronics CO2 fire suppression systems are used with:

• Automated storage and retrieval facilities
• Automotive
• Cement plant/blast furnace indirect coal firing systems
• Deluge Fire Sprinkler System
• Electronics operations
• Electronics/computer production
• Metal production and processing
• Power generation
• Printing
• Research facilities
• Shipboard (marine) systems
These carbon dioxide systems discharge a retardant that does not conduct electricity and does not damage property.

Deluge Sprinkler Systems - FireTronics NYC
Deluge sprinkler systems saturate the surface of a hazard area quickly to prevent fire from spreading rapidly. Buildings and facilities containing Class B fire extinguishers may use this type of sprinkler system when highly flammable or hazardous materials are on site. Flammable chemicals and liquids, or explosives require a fast operating sprinkler system is installed for safety and protection. Aircraft hangers, chemical processing and chemical storage facilities, power plants, and testing and research facilities working with hazardous substances use Deluge sprinkler systems. This type of system uses copious amounts of water and should be located near an established source of water supply. Spaces with high ceilings may use a Deluge sprinkler system for extensive coverage when there is a fire.

Fire sprinkler installation can increase the value of a home or a business. Dependable Fire Equipment services and maintains fire sprinklers for every property need. We can install traditional, professional, or commercial type sprinklers and sprinkler systems in residential to industrial properties to fit any décor with style.

ESFR sprinkler systems - FireTronics
ESFR sprinkler systems are used typically in industrial, warehouse, or other industrial related sites. ESFR sprinkler systems can deliver high volumes of discharge continuously. These systems are mounted on the ceiling and can replace the use of traditional in-rack fire sprinkler systems due to their high output performance.

FM-200 Fire Suppression Systems – FM-200 Clean Agent System - FireTronics NJ
FM-200 Clean Agent Systems function with open sections of facilities in large spaces. A waterless fire suppression system, the FM-200 system uses a green o-zone friendly chemical replacing the Halon systems from the 60s to the 80s. Dependable Fire Equipment is specially trained in the installation, maintenance and training of the FM-200 Clean Agent System.

Foam/Chemical Suppression Systems - Firetronics NYC
Foam is sprayed over burning liquid by foam/chemical fire suppression systems. The foam is a fire retardant that quells the active agents when mixed with water. The foam expands over the fire snuffing the liquid. Foam/chemical suppression systems are used where flammable liquids are stored usually including aircraft hangars, heliports, industrial sites, processing areas, and refineries.

In-Rack Fire Sprinkler Systems
After heat activates a sprinkler system the system releases dry or wet retardants to contain a fire. In-rack fire sprinkler systems isolate a fire occurrence to extinguish it quickly. By preventing the fire to spread In-rack sprinkler systems mitigate the potential of, injury, loss of life, and property damage.

Pre-Action Fire Sprinkler Systems
Pre-action fire sprinkler systems functions under principles common to Dry-pipe fire sprinkler systems. Heat or a smoke detection device signals an electronic valve to restrict the flow of water to the sprinkler system. Single sprinkler heads open to dispel liquid over fire areas requiring constant application of water. Freezer industrial sites or freezer warehouses use this kind of fire suppression system. Dependable Fire installs Pre-action fire sprinkler systems professionally for commercial, industrial, and storage locations.

Quell Fire Sprinkler Systems - Firetronics
Quell fire sprinkler systems in cold storage facilities and in unheated warehouses protect the goods and the storage sites with a “circle the wagons” approach to extinguish a fire. These systems encompass the fire area and douse it quickly saturating the area completely. The Quell fire sprinkler system is an effective method for fire protection with fast installation times. Dependable Fire Equipment professionally installs these durable and efficient fire sprinkler systems for fire safety.

Victaulic Vortex Fire Suppression Systems
Water and nitrogen are used by the Victaulic Vortex fire suppression to halt fires from spreading. An advantage with using the Victaulic Vortex fire suppression system is its capacity to lessen the amount of oxygen fueling a fire. This type of system can be used to contain a fire while there are occupants in the area and is eco-friendly.

Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems
The Wet pipe fire sprinkler system contains pressurized water inside the pipes ready for use at all times. The second type of fire sprinkler system issues water by demand. Damage to property by water from fire sprinklers or from a fire sprinkler system is remote compared to the likelihood of widespread damage caused by fire, however fire sprinklers must be maintained to ensure their optimum performance. The wet sprinkler system can reduce the spread of fire quickly using a either a fire sprinkler system with water by demand, or a pressurized wet fire sprinkler system. Potential for leaks in the wet system from extended periods water pressurization are prevalent as is water stagnation and biological contamination. Heat is necessary to prevent any freezing of the water within the wet fire sprinkler system fin colder climates.

What’s Better Than Watching an Eagle Snatch a Drone from the Sky? Hint: Nothing [VIDEO]

Drones are great devices for entertainment. Whether they’re flying in races or recording breathtaking videos or photos from a bird’s-eye view, drones can help you feel like you’re on top of the world. Unfortunately, just like all types of technology, drones can be abused. Violations of drone legislation have led authorities to ask a difficult question: how can you get an illegal drone out of the sky, without risking those who are passing by below?

The Dutch National Police in the Netherlands are working closely with a raptor training company called Guard From Above to test whether or not eagles will be viable drone termination options in the future. In theory, they can identify drones, snatch them out of the sky, and take them somewhere where they can be safely terminated. You can see them in action in this video:

The popularity of drones is on the rise, but there’s a significant amount of controversy surrounding them. A major domestic concern is that of privacy, which stems from the fact that many drones are often equipped with cameras. Other times, they might be used to deliver illegal goods, like dropping drugs into prisons. On a larger scale, drones can be considered a threat to national security, as they can be armed with semi-automatic weapons and even close-range explosives. If that wasn't enough of a reason to be worried, drones can potentially complicate flight patterns of other aircrafts.

The natural solution is to limit the locations where drones can be flown, but people are always testing the limits of the law. Some blatantly ignore it and fly in unauthorized locations simply because they want to. It’s these people who are likely to have their drones snatched by an eagle and carried off.

Birds of prey like the bald eagle, golden eagle, and other large predatory birds like hawks, are at the top of the avian food chain. It’s only natural that they are capable of spotting something in the sky and striking at it. It appeals to the predatory instinct within.

Other ideas have been tested, like jamming drone sensors, catching them with nets, or shooting them out of the sky, but these methods can be potentially hazardous to those passing by. The Dutch police force believe that, with proper training, eagles will be able to take down drones and safely deliver them to the ground without incident. Plus, if a grown eagle is capable of carrying off relatively large prey, it can probably handle a drone.

Still, there’s the chance that the drones might do harm to the eagles used to hunt them. What if their wings got caught in the propellers, or if the drone is somehow weaponized? Would the eagles need to be equipped with protective armaments to shield them from harm? Absolutely. Chances are that until these answers are worked out, eagles will remain an interesting and all-natural alternative to traditional drone-hunting methods.

In fact, even eagles that haven’t been trained are likely to hop on the drone-hunting bandwagon, even if their methods are… less subtle. There’s a large chance that wild eagles will see a drone in their territory, perceive it as a threat, and knock it right out of the sky. While it’s not delivered to the proper authorities, the result is, more or less, the same; a terminated drone. Here’s another video that shows a slow-motion attack on a drone from a wedge-tailed eagle in Australia.

Though these birds of prey are more than strong enough to take out drones, can they be counted on to remove potentially dangerous variants of drones? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Upgrade at Just the Right Time to Get the Most Efficient IT System Possible

Eventually, you’re going to have to upgrade your company’s technology. Sure, you could attempt to save money by holding out for as long as possible. In the end, this strategy may actually cost you money since you'll be stuck using outdated, inefficient equipment and software. How do you know, for sure, when it’s the ideal time to upgrade your business' technology?

This is an important question that every establishment must wrestle with. Being in error here can be costly; in addition to the aforementioned oversight of getting stuck with old equipment, there’s the equally costly possibility that you may upgrade too soon and replace a piece of technology that’s working just fine for you. For important technology-related decisions such as these, you’re going to want to bring in the IT professionals for expert advice. It’s a minimal expense that will yield great dividends like ending up with an IT infrastructure that’s perfectly tailored to meet your company’s needs and budget.

For example, one way that Net It On can guide your organization is by making recommendations on how to best utilize cloud computing. By now, you’ve heard of the cloud and how it’s revolutionizing business operations by giving companies anytime/anywhere access to their data, equipping staff with powerful collaboration tools, opening up new ways to communicate, and much more. However, knowing about the cloud and knowing how to upgrade to the cloudare two completely different matters.

There are multiple ways to incorporate cloud computing into your business computing model. You can go all-in and migrate all of your data to the cloud, you can replace your hosted legacy software with cloud-based apps, or you can equip your in-house network with new cloud computing hardware that will provide you with all the benefits of the cloud while giving you more control of your data than what you’d find in a public cloud option. To find out how to best incorporate the cloud, one practical way to begin is by assessing the status of your current IT setup.

Here are just a few things that our IT technicians look for when determining if an organization needs to upgrade their technology.

• Quality of current hardware: This pain point is usually the most obvious. If workplace productivity is constantly taking a hit due to faulty equipment, then you’re going to need to upgrade, and soon. If this is the case, you’re actually in a great position to upgrade to the cloud because it will cost you much less to buy a stripped-down machine like a thin client that’s connected to the cloud, instead of having to buy a fully loaded, top-of-the-line workstation or server unit. On a related note, it’s important to consider a machine’s peripherals, like if you would benefit by upgrading to USB 3.1.
• Operating systems: Even though some companies prefer to hang on to a favorite operating system for as long as possible, there eventually comes a time when the software manufacturer pulls the plug and stops supporting it (like with Windows XP and Windows Server 2000), leaving businesses that continue to use it at great risk. If you’re using outdated software, then you’re a good candidate for a technology refresh. And if you want to make upgrading your desktops as simple as possible, then let’s have a discussion about how remote monitoring and management can minimize the amount of maintenance time required for each machine.
• Legacy Applications: Often times, the newest version of a legacy application will afford your business with several useful features and benefits. In addition to looking at these features, we look at the requirements to run it and determine if that warrants a hardware refresh or a move to the cloud. As explained by InformationWeek: “Application upgrades that run locally on PC hardware also influence whether or not you should upgrade PC hardware for your end-users. If an application upgrade requires a significant boost in memory, processing, or graphics power, it may be the primary factor in deciding to upgrade.”

And so we ask again, “How can you know for sure when it’s the ideal time to upgrade?” To get the best answer possible to this inquiry, give Net It On a call at (732) 360-2999.

I Love NY!

Enough said.

84 Inch Promethean ActivPanel Installation

We installed this 84 Inch screen at a corporate customer yesterday. One of the coolest and technically advanced boardrooms that I have seen.