Technocom Blog

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from the employees of Technocom and UGuardU.

We wish you all the best over the holidays and in the coming year. Thank you for choosing us to provide communication technology services for your homes and businesses. We look forward to working with you throughout 2012.

Holiday Schedule

Our offices will be closed on Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2. Emergency service will be available. Call 503.454.7373 or email service@gotechnocom.com.

Service Special

Don’t forget our redisential service special…Santa’s (Technical) Elves are available to help set up your home A/V system. Get a 20% discount through January 2.

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Santa’s (Technology) Helper

OK. You got the big screen TV, the surround sound system, and the fancy universal remote to control it all. You have the installation manuals and the cables. Now, do you need some help getting it all integrated and making it work? Santa’s (Technology) Helper is available at a discount from December 19th until January 2nd. So don’t get Grinchy, get some friendly help so you can enjoy all those holiday movies and games.

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What Should I Put In Your Stocking?

This is the time before the year end holidays that many companies acknowledge their customers, and thank them for the business they have provided over the previous year. Craig Hill, VP of Customer Relations, muses on the myriad of options available, and how to determine what to send.

what-should-i-put-in-your-stocking.pdf

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Holiday Season Productivity

The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years are the most productive for retailers. But what about other businesses? Craig Hill, VP of Customer Relations, points out the many ways productivity can be compromised during December, and suggests ways to keep employees motivated.

how-the-grinch-stole-business.pdf

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Happy Thanksgiving

A thank you letter to our customers, complete with a brief history of Thanksgiving, and a fun quiz to test your knowledge of this favorite holiday. Enjoy!

thanksgiving-story.pdf

thanksgiving-quiz.pdf

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Live Christmas Trees, a living tradition

Christmas trees stand out as an ancient symbol, linking us to nature. For many years we have continued this tradition with cut Christmas trees. Recently, people have begun bringing living trees into their homes to decorate. It is a way to say they believe in the future and caring for the earth.

If you choose to decorate a live tree for the holidays, it is critical to note that the tree can be indoors for only seven days. In choosing a living Christmas tree, think first about how you would like to care for your tree in the seasons ahead. Are you planning to plant it in the ground this winter? Alternatively, would you like to keep it in the same container, bringing it back inside in future years? If you want to plant the tree this winter or spring, you may choose any kind of tree. However only certain kinds of trees will survive container life. The following paragraphs give more details to help you make your decision.

Dwarf conifers are well suited to containers because they grow so slowly. In addition, pines are especially suited to life in a container for several years. The following list provides some ideas for dwarf conifers and pines for long term container plants.

Chamecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’Grows 6-12”/ year. Matures at 30’ tall. Chamecyparis obt. ‘Compacta’3-6”/ year to 10’+. Cryptomeria japonica ‘Black Dragon’Slow growing to 8-10’ +, conical habit. Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans Compacta’Grows 3-6”/ year. Matures at 6-12’ tall. Picea glauca ‘Conica’, Dwarf Alberta spruceGrows 3-6”/ year. Matures at 8-12’ Picea sitchensis ‘Papoose’Dense, egg shaped shrub, grows 1-4”/ year. Pinus artistata, Bristlecone pineGrows 3-6”/ year. Matures at 10’+. Sciadopitys verticillata, Umbrella Pine. – Grows 6-12”/ year. Matures at 25’+. In addition, tropical evergreens such as Norfolk Island Pine can remain potted and indoors their whole life.

The classic Christmas trees such as Noble fir and Grand fir (Abies procera, Abies grandis) can only be used for one Christmas before they need to go directly into the ground. Minimize transplant shock by planting these trees before spring rolls into summer. Again, please keep in mind that these trees can grow very large (60-90’) and live for a hundred or more years.

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Cyber Monday! by Andy Cox

Gift list: Check. Web sites loaded: Check. Coffee: Always checked. All systems go for Cyber Monday.

If you’re opting out of the Black Friday 4 a.m. wake up calls, mall crowds and parking lots, but still after holiday bargains, the spike in online shopping the Monday after Thanksgiving – yes, Cyber Monday – probably represents you.  But instead of requiring you to get into your car and fighting crowds all day, Cyber Monday asks only one thing of you – an Internet connection. 

Obviously being a QWEST business partner, a fast and reliable Qwest High-Speed Internet® connection is our suggestion, but here are some other suggestions for your online shopping extravaganza: 

*           Safety first: protect against hackers and other schemes by securing your wireless settings and your firewall settings, updating your anti-virus and anti-malware software (Qwest High-Speed Internet customers receive anti-virus protection at no additional charge), going directly to official Web sites instead of clicking on links and only visiting Web sites you trust. Don’t forget to fully log off of secure sites.

*           Make your list and check it…well, you know: have your gift list written out in front of you and organize based on product type, like electronics, home furnishing, clothing, toys, etc., so you don’t have to jump back and forth between store Web sites.

*           Lock and load your Web sites: organize the Web sites you plan on visiting based on how you organize your gift list.

*           Pay to play: however you plan to pay for your purchases, whether credit card, debit card or gift cards, have them ready and in front of you. Be sure to check future statements for double or wrong charges.

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Did you know today is Alexander Graham Bell’s Birthday?

I thought I would share a little tidbit of information.  Did you know that today is Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday?  Usually the news and media don’t seem to recognize his birthday even though he provided us with a very important invention.  His mother and wife were deaf and that influenced his life’s work.  Alexander’s research on hearing and speech led him to experiment with hearing devices which culminated in being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876.  Upon his death, all telephones throughout the United States “stilled their ringing for a silent minute in tribute to the man whose yearning to communicate made them possible”.
Think about where we would be without telephones.  His invention has lead many other inventors to improve on what he did and wow, have they improved it.  Without phones, business would be a lot more difficult and talking to friends and family would almost be non-existent because who wants to constantly drive or walk to someone’s house just to say hello.  I’m sure if Alexander didn’t come up with the invention someone else eventually would have but why not give him credit for what he accomplished.  I would like to raise my handset up in his honor and say “thank you for starting a wonderful thing”.   : )

http://www.design-technology.org/telephone.htm

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