OWT Internet Services
Welcome to our technical support website. We will be adding and updating this site over time. We are always willing to walk you through the changes over the phone. Just call us at 783-3454.
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Should you upgrade to iPadOS 16?iPadOS version 16 might be one of the most confusing updates we have seen in years from Apple. This is largely due to the new Stage Manager feature that can run on iPads with a A12X CPU or newer. This feature is going to confuse many but will someday be a great feature. Advanced users will have little trouble with Stage Manager and you do not even have to enable the feature. Other than this the release seems quite stable and we have had few issues. We are recommending installation at this time. If you wish to play with Stage Manager you might enjoy it - we do - but it has caused some confusion. Your mileage will vary. Should you upgrade to iOS 16?This year's iOS update has gone well and throughout the beta process we saw very few deal breaker bugs. While iOS 16 doesn't bring a lot of startling features to older hardware the software still has some nice changes that most will like. We are recommending that users upgrade to iOS 16 at this time and feel the OS is very stable for the most part. Version 16.1 solved a few minor issues and seems ready for all to use. Should you upgrade to MacOS 13 (Ventura)?
Short Answer: Not yet. MacOS 13 was released on October 24, 2022 and can be installed now if your Mac is new enough to support it. Like every other point zero release of MacOS we advise that you wait a bit. We generally wait for the .1 release when the bad bugs are expunged and this time is no exception. We haven't seen a lot of serious bugs in the final release but the confusion factor is high with significant changes to how you configure your system. We are hoping this will get a bit better but check back before the end of the year and we might be recommending installation. Update: 11/7/2022 - having now installed Ventura on some 2021 and 2022 Macs (all with Apple Silicon) we feel new hardware seems to like Ventura very well. No real problems like we see with older hardware. We are getting used to both Stage Manager and the new Settings app. Probably don't need to wait for the next update on newer hardware. Virus Woes
Ransomware is a real threat these days. Security software may only partially protect you from the worst of this but when it doesn't it is in those instances where the malware tries to trick the user into clicking on something or approving something as an authorized addition that will ultimately encrypt your hard drive until you pay a ransom. The key here is to not be tricked. While you are casually browsing the web there is just no reason to do what a popup tells you to. Close them or your web browser if you have to but BE CAREFUL. Did you know that OWT repairs computers too?
We don't just provide great tech support - we can fix your ailing PC or Mac as well. From virus issues and blown up Windows to replacing drives and other components let OWT get the job done right and save you money in the process. OWT has very competitive service rates and a lot of experience with both PCs and Macs. We do quite a bit of hardware repair and just about any kind of software related repair including data recovery. We can save you or your business money! VIRUS/SPYWARE REMOVAL * UPGRADES * DATA RECOVERY * SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS MACINTOSH AND PC Nervous about that upgrade? Let OWT take the hassles away for you. Call 783-3454 to make an appointment - we have openings just about every day! |
Our HoursWe monitor our services 24/7 but can actually be found in the office for technical support, billing questions or new accounts etc. Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Our technical support line is answered from 8AM to 6PM however. We are closed weekends and most holidays.
If you have an after hours emergency our technical support voicemail will provide you with number to page an on-call technician. When calling technical support please make sure to let the phone ring several times as we are often working away from our desk in a noisy server area and need time to get to a quiet area to answer the phone.
Our StatusOWT is still working our pandemic hours where the business office is open 9 AM to 5 PM. Tech support is still here 8 AM to 6 PM but you won't be able to drop off or pickup computers outside the 9 AM - 5 PM window unless you call us and make arrangements. We are otherwise fully open and taking meetings etc. If you need your computer worked on or wish to visit a co-located server here we ask that you call us first. This will also allow us to give you some idea of our expected turn-around time. We still strive for next day return on all but the most challenging repairs (when parts are needed etc.) but these days some issues are more time consuming even if they don't take any more actual labor time. Also note that, like you, we are trying to stay cool and so we may not have our blinds open so don't sit in the parking lot - we are probably open and even if a bit before we open the lobby is cooler than the parking lot. As always we try to be as responsive to Email as we can and often this approach may be yield a better response for you with many troubleshooting issues. This gives us an opportunity to research your issue and maybe even try to reproduce it. Protect Your Passwords!!!It's now 2023 and we STILL have customers giving up their passwords to third parties! Please KNOW that OWT will NEVER EVER ask for your password in any abnormal way. If something doesn't look right IT ISN'T! When we see compromised accounts we will immediately lock the account and you will need to call technical support for a new password. Phishing ScamsWe continue to get queries from customers about this. Please remember OWT sends out billing via Email to many of our customers but otherwise almost never Email our customers. We will NEVER EVER ask you for any of your account information via Email. EVER!!! Do not fall for these phishing scams! In reality no one does this! If any Email wants you to verify anything and you didn't just interact with them recently then it is probably bogus. If for some reason you think it might be real just login to that site THE WAY YOU NORMALLY DO AND NOT FROM A LINK IN THE EMAIL. Online scams to lure customers into providing account, personal or other sensitive information are on the rise. OWT takes several steps to help prevent this sort of thing but there is only so much we can do. Most phishing scams look very legitimate. Our MailScanner will alert you to any Email where a web link points to a different web address than the address it shows you in the Email. This bright red message might be annoying in harmless Emails where the marketer put a different link in just for tracking purposes but this feature has save many from clicking on harmful links that lead to malware installation. We would like to remind our customers that OWT, and really almost everyone that runs a legitimate business, will NEVER ask you for sensitive information via Email. If they do require additional information they will ask you to login to your existing account and THEN request that information. Even very legitimate looking requests should be intensely scrutinized and we ask that everyone think long and hard before clicking on a web link from any Email that you are not sure about. Cost-Effective Computer Repair
From the Net03/29/2023
All-Clad's stick lets you blend things that are far away from a power outlet. That may not be a good reason to buy it.
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All-Clad's stick lets you blend things that are far away from a power outlet. That may not be a good reason to buy it.
03/29/2023
To keep up with the speed of AI advances, we need to develop systems that use AI to defend public goods, too.
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Ice can trap pollutants and accelerate their breakdown, with troubling environmental consequences.
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Tech luminaries, renowned scientists, and Elon Musk warn of an “out-of-control race” to develop and deploy ever-more-powerful AI systems.
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The latest versions for iPhones and iPads are now available, complete with a revamped lock screen, Freeform, and Apple Pay Later.
03/28/2023
The latest versions for iPhones and iPads are now available, complete with a revamped lock screen, Freeform, and Apple Pay Later.
03/28/2023
The prized retro audio components are mostly manufactured in Russia and China. Now, a small Georgia company is rebooting US production.
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The new tool aims to deliver the network insights and coordination that “AI” security systems have long promised.
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A spy group working for the Kim regime has been feeding stolen coins into crypto mining services in an effort to throw tracers off their trail.
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Despite advances in anti-virus and anti-malware software virus and malware issues are as significant as ever. What's changed the most is the severity that these infections can damage your system. In the past even the most infected systems could be cleaned in no more than a few hours work but today we are seeing systems that are just too badly damaged to be properly cleaned.For this reason we are encouraging Windows users take certain steps to help minimize the impact of these infections:
