LogMeIn Increases Prices 70% Year over Year, Alternative Remote Access

LogMeIn Rate increase of 70%

Does your firm use LogMeIn for remote access?  Many of my clients do based upon my recommendations in the past.  It was an affordable alternative to GoToMyPC and provided a very good service.  It along with WebEx (Citrix) began as a free service before starting to charge for it's products.

I provide this information to give you time to weigh the benefits of continuing your current subscription, scaling down the number of seats you have or looking at alternatives.

Below is a chart that details the increase in the 2, 5 and 10 seat subscription.

# Seats	2017	2016	$ increase	% increase
10 Users	$1,099.99	$649.00	$450.99	69.4900
5 Users	$599.99	$349.00	$250.99	71.9169
2 Users	$249.99	$149.00	$100.99	67.7785

If your subscription has already been renewed and you haven't checked your credit card statement you will want to check.  If you haven't been billed in 2017 yet, login to your account, go to Settings and then select Subscription to see when it renews and the new rate.  You can also check your Billing History under Settings, Billing and Billing History.

LogMeIn's new Rates

Alternative Remote Access Options

In my blog post of November 18th, 2016, I wrote about 15 free remote access services.  One such service in particular offers a viable alternative to LogMeIn.  Team Viewer is free for personal use.  It is a stable platform and works very well.

https://www.teamviewer.com/en/

http://dforceatl.blogspot.com/2016/11/an-american-made-iphone-cloud-spending.html

I'm not against LogMeIn per se, GoToMyPC has been charging at these levels for years.  LogMeIn has added 1 TB of cloud storage per seat as an additional service.  This was a replacement to their former pay for Cloud Service, Cubby.  However many of my clients are using Office 365 which provides 1 TB of OneDrive space per user and the ability to sync the desktop to the cloud.  LogMeIn's cloud space does not allow syncing nor does it allow you to map a network drive to set up a sync using software such as Syncovery.  I do not want to pay for services I don't use or need.

Finally the thing I never liked about LogMeIn is that they auto charge your credit card without notification and without providing a receipt.  I had a lot of my clients on my AMX card and it was a hassle to determine whose account I was being charged for.  In my opinion, a 70% increase in cost is worthy of a notification.

DFS-New Intel Generation 7 Workstations

Intel 7th generation processors, faster, smaller and less power hungry.

Intel 7th generation processors, faster, smaller and less power hungry.

How can I tell if my processor is any good?

The gain in speed isn't increasing as fast as it use to but what is happening with the newest generation of Intel processors is that you are finding power previously available only in desktops in smaller form factors.  The new processors smaller size and less power consumption mean they run cooler and battery life is longer.

There are differences within the generations?

I have clients who purchase new computers, especially notebooks and then complain that they are not as fast as they expected.  Intel has marketed their premium chips as Core i3/i5 and i7 since the first generation was introduced in 2009.  However there are differences that you need to know to make an informed purchase.

There have been cheap Intel Pentium chips that were faster than Core i7’s! Intel uses BMW-style branding, where the Core i3, i5 and i7 are marketed as good/better/best. 

Did you know that a Core i3-6100 (6th Gen) processor is faster than certain Core i5 chips.  It has become difficult to discern which is the best processor and which gives the most bang for your buck.  This is because of the confusion Intel created when branding their Core i3/i5/i7s in 2009 when first introduced.

Intel introduces variances of the same chip.  The newest, fastest Gen 7 processor use 15 watts of power.  In 2014 Intel introduced a new family of processor called the Core M.  This chip was supposed to bridge the gap between the power Core processors and the Atom processors which were good for battery life.  The Core M processor was not a success in the PC notebook market.  However Apple used it in the MacBook lineup which is the only reason for its survival today.

Unfortunately, with Kaby Lake (7th Gen), Intel changed its naming system by putting a Y in some chip numbers. The Core m5 became the Core i5-7Y54 and the Core m7 became the Core i7-7Y75. People who may think they are getting a full-power 15W Core chip will in fact be getting a slower 4.5W Core M. Caveat emptor.

The second-gen Core i5-2500 in my 2011-vintage desktop PC is still faster than most current Intel chips, but it runs at 95W. It’s slightly slower than a brand new Core i7-7600U, but that runs at only 15W.

The new Intel processor have 20% better performance than the previous generation, but you must choose wisely when making the purchase decision.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/core-i7-processor.html

All-New Experiences for Every Customer No matter the need, 7th Gen Intel® Core™ processors have the power to deliver. Content creators can achieve unprecedented levels of productivity with 5.5X faster 4K 360 video creation. Gamers can broadcast and maneuver seamlessly in worlds built by 3X faster graphics performance. Business users can roam freely and productively with 9.5 hours of battery life on new laptops.

Windows 7 in 2017 is so outdated it is no longer secure.

Windows 7 in 2017 is so outdated it is no longer secure.

So you like Windows 7 and don't want to change.  Windows 7 is a good operating system and if you were XP oriented it doesn't vary too far from the familiarity of XP.  However Windows 7 was introduced in 2009, 8 years ago and much has changed since then.  Businesses are under constant attack by hackers, DDOS attacks and malware/ransomware.  This past July there were over 58 million attempts to infect customers with ransomware uing email alone.

Windows 10 has security features that neutralize 2 of the latest zero-day exploits, that's good.  Stopped in its tracks before ever getting started.

1. Zero-day

   Computing

   A zero-day (also known as zero-hour or 0-day) vulnerability is a previously undisclosed computer-software vulnerability that hackers can exploit to adversely affect computer programs, data, additional computers or a network.

   
   

   Zero-day (computing) - Wikipedia

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-day_attack

Read more at appropriate link below:

Windows 7 vs Windows 10 Ransomware attacks compared.

I have dealt with ransomware attacks before.  Each time it was a PC with Windows 7 installed.  This past July there were over 58 million attempts to infect customers with ransomware uing email alone.

The new Edge browser included in Windows 10 is yet to have a zero-day attack and when it happens which I'm sure it will, there is additional built in protection to contain damage.  Adobe's Flash Player, often exploited by hackers runs in an application container to prevent attacks from reaching critical Windows processes.

Windows Defender has been much improved with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.  There is a new feature called Block at First Sight which responds faster to previously unknow malware.

If you don't know what ransomware is?  The following definition and link from Wikipedia (almost type Wikileaks, :-))

Ransomware is computer malware that installs covertly on a victim's computer, executes a cryptovirology attack that adversely affects it, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt it or not publish it. Simple ransomware may lock the system in a way which is not difficult for a knowledgeable person to reverse, and display a message requesting payment to unlock it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware

Read about this and more at the appropriate link below:

Microsoft: Windows 7 in 2017 is so outdated that patches can't keep it secure

Microsoft warns business customers to begin migrating from Windows 7, exactly three years before it reaches end of life.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-windows-7-in-2017-is-so-outdated-that-patches-cant-keep-it-secure/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_related&ftag=TRE0fb9d06&bhid=2219791

Microsoft: Windows 7 is way more exposed to ransomware than Windows 10

For those of you who've avoided upgrading to Windows 10 so far, Microsoft has offered some scary ransomware numbers to prove it's in your interests to do so.

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=651333948286906154#editor/target=post;postID=3389228430565249382

Microsoft to make Windows 10 upgrades free for more Windows 10 subscription plan users

Microsoft is enabling Windows users who buy Windows 10 Enterprise as a subscription service from its cloud partners to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1 for free.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-to-make-windows-10-upgrades-free-for-more-windows-10-subscription-plan-users/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_related&ftag=TREc64629f&bhid=2219791

 

Apple's iPhone turns 10. Where does it go from here?

Apple's iPhone turns 10. Where does it go from here?

It's been 10 years (actually June 29th) since Apple went into the phone business with it's revolutionary iPhone, destroying Blackberry's dominance and changing the way we watch entertainment, surf the web, socialize and do business.

Lots of competitors have jumped into the fray and introduced their own phones on an assortment of platforms, notably Android.  However the iPhone remains the standard that most strive to achieve.

https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-iphone-turns-10-where-does-it-go-from-here/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=21042726186831923270015874178287


Not everyone was a fan however.  This review from the AJC Business section, June 2007.  (previously published 11/17/15, dforceatl.blogspot.com 

iPhone, a crappy device?

The iPhone was introduced in the U.S. on June 29, 2007 to much fanfare but not everyone was impressed.  An article in the AJC Atlanta Journal Constitution opined that it was too trendy and consumer would not shell out the dough for the pricey novelty.  LOL, see below.

Another article that questioned if the iPhone was a crappy device quote Jon Stewart of Comedy Central fame who said on his show, “Why? That’s my question. You just end up with a crappy phone and a crappy camera.”

http://ries.typepad.com/ries_blog/2007/06/is_the_iphone_t.html

Intel's new 7th Generation Core processors deliver up to 12 percent faster productivity performance and up to 19 percent faster web performance over our previous generation from just a year ago.

https://newsroom.intel.com/editorials/new-7th-gen-intel-core-processor-built-immersive-internet/

Highlights from CES 2017 the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, Robots, laptops and a giant flash drive

The annual Consumer Electronics show kicks off in Las Vegas today but already there has been plenty of announcements.

There promises to be lots of Robots, new gaming laptops and a 2 TB flash drive (USB or thumb drive) from Samsung.

In laptops, Acer introduces an $8,999 gaming laptop, the Acer Predator 21X, 17 pounds and 21 inch screen.  However for a cheaper alternative Dell's Inspiron 15 7000 puts a gaming GPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti GPU into a sleek design with HD or 4K screen, $799.

CES 2017 will be dominated by the Internet of Things -- drones, VR/AR headsets, wearables, rideables, self-driving cars, smart home appliances, smart city technologies, and new things we never imagined we'd see at CES.

Read about the new tech at the following links,

http://www.zdnet.com/article/ces-2017-the-4-business-tech-themes-to-watch/

https://www.cnet.com/news/all-that-matters-from-ces-2017-so-far/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=21042726186831923270015874178287

https://www.cnet.com/news/ces-2017-press-day-1-how-to-watch-live/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=21042726186831923270015874178287

What is Microsoft doing at CES;

http://www.zdnet.com/article/what-microsoft-will-be-doing-at-ces-2017/?loc=newsletter_small_thumb&ftag=TRE0fb9d06&bhid=2219791

                                                                                                                                                         

DFS-Driving Force Software Product Lineup

Dell Gaming laptops;

http://www.dell.com/en-us/gaming/alienware-deals?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&dgc=BA&cid=305966&lid=5793659&acd=123092272232611032c101354360&ven3=675503035227067874