Dell Deals

Dell is having a sale on many of their Home/Home Office computers. Most of them are around $200+ off. I don't recommend them for the office since they use XP Home, but still some sweet deals. The 5150, for $569 with monitor and shipping, is an especially nice deal. Check out the current specials here.

Try Office 2007 For Free

Want to see what the fuss is about for Office 2007 but don't want to download the beta onto your computer? No swat. Microsoft has released an online version of Office 2007 that runs in your browser, complete with tutorials on the new features. Check out their site to test drive the new Office. There's often a short wait (much shorter than what they show it to be).

Windows Annoyance

If you are in an office that we have installed, then you know that we highly recommend having Windows automatically update itself. However, one very annoying "feature" is that you get prompted every 10 minutes to reboot your computer. If you want to change the settings so that you only get prompted once each day, this site has a great write-up on how to easily do this.

Schein Buys an Island...

Island Dental, to be exact. If I were a user of Mediadent software products, I'd be getting nervous right now since Island is a key distributor of Mediadent and I can't imaging Schein wants to promote a product that competes with their flagship Dentrix software. Keep tuned for more news. You can read the press release here.

Messenger Live Plus! is Released

The add-on for the popular MSN Messenger program, Messenger Live Plus, was released yesterday. This isn't a stand-alone program but instead adds to the functionality of Messenger. If you use Messenger, this is a must have download...and it's free.

Remove the Ads

If you find your web surfing is slowed down by all the banner ads, this site offers some great advice on how to remove those. You'll need to download the HOSTS file that they recommend, but this technique really works. Give it a try.

Patterson Digital Photography

Patterson Dental Supply Presents the Latest in Digital Dental Photography
Patterson and Dental Learning Centers team up to offer comprehensive, high-tech equipment solution

Patterson Dental Supply, Inc. and Dental Learning Centers (DLC) have partnered to supply dental offices with a complete digital photography solution, the Canon DentalFoto Digital Camera Kit.
The Canon DentalFoto Digital Camera Kit is optimized through custom programming and a proprietary lens extension manufactured by DLC to assist dentists in achieving accurate and professional photos that are ideal for patient case photos. Precise and lightweight, the Canon PowerShot A620 camera offers 7.1 megapixels, weighs slightly more than 12 ounces and features a 4X optical zoom.
The complete kit includes the Canon PowerShot A620 camera, proprietary lens extension, close-up lens set, lens cap, two sets of rechargeable batteries and a trickle battery charger. The kit also includes three Secure Digital memory cards, a card reader/writer, custom aluminum carrying case and dental photography manual.
"As advancements in digital photography continue, it is important for dentists and their staff to be equipped with this powerful, easy-to-use tool for educating and caring for their patients," states Patterson Technology Marketing Manager Anne Mansfield. "The DentalFoto Digital Camera Kit offers a simple solution for dental offices, allowing them to purchase an integrated dental photography system with one easy step."
For more information about Patterson Dental or the DentalFoto Digital Camera Kit, call 1-800-873-7683 or contact a local Patterson Technology Representative.

Stumble On Over

Here's a site I've been playing with the past few days that has some real promise: StumbleUpon. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically, it's way for people to share great websites with others of similar interests so that you can find information more easily? Confused yet? Just download it and try it out, you'll see what I mean. Of course, it doesn't cost a penny.

100 Best Products

PC World has released their 100 Best Products of the Year. While I was familiar with many, here are a few I hadn't heard of that might be of benefit to readers of this blog:

1. Engadget. If you like gadgets (and who doesn't?), this daily blog has tons of great articles on the latest and greatest gadgets.

2. Mionet. A very simple, yet powerful, remote access and file sharing tool.

3. Thinkfree. An online Microsoft Office competitor that allows you to work with Office documents.

Fell free to check the others out; there are many gems.

Keeping Tabs on Your Team

Do you worry that staff members may not be using your computers for their intended use? A great program to consider is Spytech SpyAgent 5. The program records IM conversations, web sites visited, email transfers, files accessed, windows opened, and applications launched. You can also use the software to lock down your computers at a certain time each day. There's a free trial that allows you to monitor for 30 minutes; the full version is $69.95.

Every state has requirements about whether you can install this type of software without telling your employees, but my personal recommendation is to tell them and use it as a deterrent.

Important Utilities

PC World has released a list of the top 20 Low Cost or Free Utilities for maintaining computer systems. There are some real winners here.

Why Blog

Here's a great review of why all business, including dental practices in my opinion, should have a blog.

Online Progress Notes

Here's an interesting concept that I jus heard about: Verinotes. It's an online service for entering progress notes. Notes can be entered just with mouse clicks instead of typing them out longhand, and you can upload images as well as grant patients limited access to their charts. I see the benefits for offices with multiple locations but not sure if it will catch on with single-location offices, but I'm curious to see how it pans out.

Free Ways to Do Work on the Web

Here's a really good article that the New York Times just printed that talks about the online alternatives to Microsoft Office and other high-cost software. They have links to many great free services. You can read the article here.

G2 Goes Beta

I gave a lecture on behalf of Dentrix today in Minneapolis and got confirmation that the lastest version of Dentrix, G2, has been released as a Beta to about 200 offices. You should contact Dentrix if you want to be a beta tester, although I highly recommend that you do not install it on your everyday server. I expect the Beta and bug squashing to take about two months, so an early Fall release seems to be a distinct possibility.

Security Checklist

This is probably the most comprehensive list I've ever seen for making your XP machine as secure as possible. Most people will only need the Basic and Intermediate, but don't overlook the Advanced list either. You can see the checklist here.

Patterson Ups the Ante

Patterson is now offering a 100% rebate for purchasers of Eaglesoft and Caesy. Here's the press release:

Patterson Dental Supply Offers 100 Percent Software Rebate
Qualifying customers receive software at no charge after rebate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 13, 2006) Patterson Dental Supply, Inc. announces a 100 percent Patterson EagleSoft software rebate to customers who purchase both Patterson EagleSoft and CAESY patient education software.
Increased from the previous 60 percent rebate, the 100 percent Patterson Plussm Software Rebate for Patterson EagleSoft is now available to qualifying Patterson Plus Gold customers who purchase EagleSoft and CAESY Enterprise and remain an active customer throughout the rebate term. Patterson Plus Silver customers will still receive a 30 percent EagleSoft software rebate.
The Patterson Plus Software Rebate program was established in 2004 to provide additional cost-effective ways for Patterson customers to run their businesses.
"Quite simply, offering our customers a 100 percent EagleSoft software rebate is a cost-effective, efficient way of doing business," says Patterson Vice President of Marketing John Bettencourt. "We at Patterson are excited to be able to reward Patterson Plus Gold customers with this offer as a way to implement new technology and continuously improve their practices."
Rebates are divided equally over a period of three years, and customers must maintain their Patterson Plussm commitments for the three years of the rebate plan.
For more information about the 100 percent Patterson Plus Software Rebate, contact a local Patterson Technology Representative or visit www.eaglesoft.net.

Mama's Got a Squeezebox

I had a chance to install the Squeezebox digital music system in an office in New Hampshire this weekend, and I was VERY impressed with it. It's small device about the size of a PDA that you can out in every operatory. It connects to the network wired or wirelessly, and you can either stream your own music or Internet music stations. Each operatory can choose their own music. Paired with some wireless headphones, it's a nice option to consider. About $250 each.

Dual Boot Vista

As many of you may know, Microsoft recently released to the public a Beta version of Windows Vista. As with any beta, you should never reply on this software to run your computer. However, assuming you don't have a spare computer lying around, one way around this is to install Vista on another partition on your hard drive. If you don't have another partition, you can use a program like Partition Magic. The following article walks you through how to set up the dual boot.

Free Magazines

I found this great site online, TradePub.com. They have literally hundreds of free magazine subscriptions, White Papers, and Podcasts. You have to fill out a brief questionnaire and it's up to the publisher if you "qualify" (make sure you indicate that you work in the field of whatever publication you want), but there are some excellent magazines here. I was pleased to RDH and Woman Dental Journal on the list, but there are many computer and IT journals as well. Happy reading!

Top 10 Free Programs

These lists are popping up all the time, but what was interesting about this list is that I hadn't heard of many of these programs. You can check out the list according to Consumer Electronics Net right here.

Lightyear Trouble?

I've been getting some very troubling reports from Lightyear Digital Radiography users the past few days. There appears to be two basic issues:

1. Tech Support seems to be either on an extended vacation or is simply no longer answering calls. We're hearing reports of folks being out on hold for hours at a time and nobody ever answers.

2. There are also a few reports that they have decided to drop their Speedvision software and will return to Apteryx or some other program. Due to the proprietary nature of Speedvision, there may not be any way to convert existing images into another program.

Again, these are just reports we are hearing from some of their users, but if you are considering their system, caveat emptor for now.

Security Tips

Found this on the Privacy Commission website. While it may be old news for some, it's always good to get a rehash of what you need to do to keep your system secure:

Here is a list of the top 10 tips to keep your system secure.

1. Antivirus software: This is obvious, but too important to skip - install a good antivirus package, and update it regularly. If you don't have enough money for a good antivirus, try a reputable free solution; there are many available (Grisoft AVG, Avast, and Antivir, for example). Remember to keep the real-time protection ON at all times. For lazy people like me, it is also a good idea to schedule a weekly virus scan of your local hard drives.

2. Anti-spyware. Never be shy about running anti-spyware tools. It doesn't always make you a wimp (unless you install a spyware infected anti-spyware). For starters, just go to any download site (even download.com will do) and browse the top spyware scanners list. More often than not, you'll find some decent ones. Update the definition files of your spyware scanner too. It runs on the same principle as your antivirus software, so whatever schedule you keep for one, do the same for the other.

3. Encryption is your friend: Encryption is good for a lot of things, and isn't just for corporations anymore. If you think building secure containers or encrypting drive volumes is overkill, just use any good encryption product which uses a secret key algorithm, and encrypt your *secret* documents. Use a strong key, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT write the key on a sticky note and paste it on your monitor. It not only makes you look like a dork, but also defeats the purpose of encryption.

4. Passwords are good. Many people keep a single, easy to remember password for everything. This is a bad practice. First, have unique passwords for everything, and make them difficult to guess. If you can't remember them all, use a password manager, and make sure the master password for your password database is very strong. Remember, the chain starts there.

5. Build your firewall. You may have heard of them, but you probably don't use them properly. Whatever kind of network connection you have, use a firewall. It is good to know which programs are accessing the network, which users are doing it, and exactly what is using the resources on your computer. With any decent firewall, you can set up highly flexible rules for each and every classification of packets in and out of your computer.

6. Patch your system. Patch, patch, patch up your system. Keep up to date with the latest security patches your software vendor dishes out. A lot of people ignore this advice, thinking somebody would really have to be driven to exploit your computer, and someone always is. Prevention is better than a cure.

7. Can that spam! Be careful of what you subscribe to. If you still have a perverse to give your email address to every site you visit, create a trash account you only use for newsletters and other inane stuff.

8. Batten the hatches! If you do not have a need for services like SMTP and Telnet, why not close them? Stopping services you don't use frees up resources (like memory) on your computer, and also makes your system that much harder to communicate with without your knowledge.

9. Clear your cookies and cache. If you're really big on privacy and stuff, always remember to clean out your browser cache and all the cookies. If you are so inclined, you may also want to clean up your other tracks like history and recently used documents. There are a lot of freely available tools which do the cleanup work for you.

10. Knowledge is power. The last tip is to use your common sense. Remember, security is a mind game. If you are unsure about something, read up on it. Be proactive in your approach to it. Read a lot of security news and educate yourself, and if possible sign up with a decent security newsletter.

Laser Printer Deal

You say you want an extra laser printer for the office but don't want to spend a lot? Well, how does $50 grab you? NewEgg is selling the Samsung ML-2010 for $49.99 after rebate. I've used a similar printer in my office for years and this is a great little printer. Not ideal for the front desk in a busy practice, but perfect for personal use by the office manager or doctor or at home.

Customizable Monitors

One of my favorite screen manufacturers, Eizo, has come up with a great idea. They allow you to customize your monitor based on the speed, case color, stand, and audio options. The extremely high contrast ratio of 1500:1 makes them an excellent choice for dental operatories.

Email VoiceMail

Here's an excellent idea that I'm surprised hasn't been done as well before: GotVoice. The premise is easy: you get voice messages at home or on your cell phone. Rather than calling in to check, the messages are converted to MP3 files and then sent as email attachments. Very cool idea...and best of all, the basic service is free. Check it out.

New Dell 24" Monitor

One of the monitors I've been dreaming about, the 2407FPW, was officially announced yesterday. It's already on their website but no formal date has been posted...yet. While probably too large for most operatories, this is an excellent option for the reception area or consult room, and at under $1000, it won't break the bank.

Wall Jack PC

This might very well be the coolest PC I've ever seen. It basically looks like a wall jack and can used to connect to a server of the Internet. Not ideal for a dental operatory, but certainly useful in other locations. It's being released in 2 weeks, so more info then.

No Peepers, Please

One of the things that we recommend for people who don't want others to see what they are working on are 3M Privacy Filters. You can pick these up at most Staples and similar stores for laptops and desktop monitors. They are also ideal for offices who are worried about HIPAA concerns of patients being able to see the screens in the office. Most models are under $50.

PC 101

One of the best things you can ever do to learn about computers is to build one yourself. I found a great site that explains all the different parts of a computer to help in this process. Even if you don't plan to build, this site gives a really nice overview of what's inside your computer and what it does.