Kevin Martin of NerdsToGo of Franklin, Mass recognized with Sales Achievement & President's Award

NerdsToGo®, a leading IT solutions and technology services franchise, recently held its 2024 NerdsToGo Franchise Convention in Orlando, Florida. Themed "Secure Your Future," the four-day event celebrated franchisee achievements and the growth initiatives of the network.

With an unprecedented number of franchisees in attendance, the conference was a reflection of the managed services industry's robust growth and the brand's growing U.S. presence. The event included networking opportunities for franchisees, roundtable discussions, and a comprehensive vendor show. Recognized leaders in the MSP industry, including Sean Lardo, a ConnectWise evangelist, and Rob Rae, CVP of Community and Ecosystems at Pax8, shared their expertise on growing a successful MSP business.

"Our 2024 convention brought our franchise network together to celebrate and recognize their many achievements, as well as to engage in both networking and educational opportunities," said Jim Howe, President of NerdsToGo. "The excitement from the convention is contagious, and it was the perfect way to begin a successful 2024, especially against the backdrop of significant industry growth. This growth not only highlights the achievements of our franchisees but also opens up a wealth of opportunities for owners to grow revenue and reach new heights in the managed IT services sector."

Highlights from the 2024 Awards Dinner at the Convention include:

• The award recognizing the Highest Volume locations in Sales Achievement were presented to Regis DeVeaux: NerdsToGo of Alexandria, Va.; Kevin Martin: NerdsToGo of Franklin, Mass.; and NerdsToGo of Bellevue, Wash. team led by Michael Santiago.
• The President's Award, which recognizes the top NerdsToGo locations with the highest total sales, was given to Regis DeVeaux: NerdsToGo of Alexandria, Va.; Kevin Martin: NerdsToGo of Franklin, Mass.; Gina and Michael Santiago: NerdsToGo of Bellevue, Wash.; David Alcorn: NerdsToGo of Kemah, Texas; Rory Dunnaback: NerdsToGo of Milwaukie, Ore.; and Erik Nelson: NerdsToGo of Swarthmore, Pa.
• Susan and Don Dally of NerdsToGo of Knoxville, Tenn., were recognized with the Rookie of the Year Award, which honors the franchisee with the highest sales for the first full 12 months of operation.

"NerdsToGo is at the forefront of providing franchisees the support they need to be successful in the growing IT solutions industry," said Regis DeVeaux, franchise owner of the Alexandria, Va. location. "I'm proud to be part of a network that is not only thriving but also embracing new strategies for revenue growth and operational efficiency."

About NerdsToGo®:

NerdsToGo® is a growing IT services franchise brand that provides a simple path to overcoming the pain points and complexities of technology. Friendly and approachable Nerds offer solutions for efficiency and security for small to medium-sized businesses, as well as the individual who needs help with personal computers, devices and home networks. NerdsToGo is a service-oriented brand in the Propelled Brands® family. Providing Managed IT Services for business, the Nerds can assess, design and support IT networks while providing remote support and vendor management.

For more information or to learn about opportunities, visit NerdsToGo.com or contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@propelledbrands.com or call 214.346.5679)

Visit the webpage for Franklin to find out more info or schedule service   https://www.nerdstogo.com/franklin-ma/

Kevin Martin of NerdsToGo of Franklin, Mass recognized with Sales Achievement & President's Award

Franklin.TV: Computers Run Computers

It’s Like a Digital Hall of Mirrors

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 11/19/2023

Since COVID’s ending (um- sorta) there are some practices that continue. What was necessary then remains convenient to this day. Nothing is more obvious than Zoom meetings. In our shared isolation (oxymoron), we all gave Zoom a collective bear hug.

That meant managing and streaming remote meetings – remotely. Today, it’s a common task for us to have computers running computers – that run computers.

The screen(s) shown here at the left are from a computer in my home office. It’s hosting and recording a ZBA Zoom meeting.

Franklin.TV: Computers Run Computers

My other computer at the right is managing another computer at Franklin●TV. 

That computer is controlling our Zoom stream to a computer at YouTube – and another computer (not shown) that is controlling what our cable subscribers are watching on our Government Channel Comcast 9/Verizon 29. It’s also recording the meeting for later rebroadcast.

It’s a digital high-wire act. Ensuring that all of these participating computers are on their best behavior requires a bit of digital discipline and preparation that takes place for up to an hour before each event. And, yes, there is one more small computer that is ‘tuned in’ to the cablecast – monitoring the progress of the meeting. Before COVID a common maxim held that one can never be too rich or too thin. Welcome to the digital post-COVID age where one can never have too many computers.

And – as always –

Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. 

And, thank you for watching.

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

CommonWealth Magazine: "Why is the state’s technology so bad?

“THE…DISASTER WAS completely avoidable, as administrators knew the system was not ready, yet decided to launch it anyway… Investigations cannot undo the taxpayer dollars wasted and the disruption of families’ access to health care.”

That comment could have been voiced recently by critics of the state’s troubled vaccine finder website – but it wasn’t. It was actually a critique of the state’s disastrous rollout of the Health Connector website in 2014, built under then-Gov. Deval Patrick. The speaker was then-gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker – now the governor in charge of the Vaxfinder website best known for the four-armed orange octopus that appeared when it crashed.

There are significant differences between the debacles. The Health Connector website failure cost hundreds of millions of dollars and, in its initial form, never worked. The state had to give hundreds of thousands of people temporary Medicaid coverage because it couldn’t figure out what insurance they were eligible for. The Vaxfinder website cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and ultimately, it has worked, with tens of thousands of people using it to sign up for vaccine appointments, despite the difficulties."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/technology/why-is-the-states-technology-so-bad/

The article goes into some history on problems with State systems. Let's take it this way: What State system actually works the way it should? Your answers welcomed in the comments, on Facebook, Twitter or email.

 

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds: Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar

	Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
	Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar As part of an ongoing effort to provide outreach to Norfolk County communities, Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell recently hosted a free informational seminar on computer assisted land record research. At the seminar, attendees learned how to navigate the Registry's online research page www.norfolkdeeds.org and to access documents such as deeds, mortgage discharges, Homesteads and other land related materials. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds state-of-the-art computer system has more than 6 million land document images available for viewing, dating back to 1793. Register O'Donnell noted, "We have put a great deal of effort into ensuring our land documents are online and are accessible within 24 business hours of recording. The feedback we have received from attendees indicates these computer seminars are very helpful whether or not the attendee is a real estate professional, genealogical enthusiast or simply an interested member of the general public." For those attending the seminar, computer skills were not required. Each attendee received free reference materials, which they took home with them. Additionally, there were several staffers on hand, including Register O'Donnell, who were available to assist and answer questions. "Those attending our recent Spring seminar learned how easy it is to look up land related documents. With this knowledge, they can do this research from the comfort and convenience of their home or work computer," noted the Register. Register O'Donnell concluded, "Computer seminars are held by the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds twice each year in the fall and the spring. The dates are advertised in local papers throughout the county as well as through the Registry's social media outlets. For further information, you can contact Alicia Gardner at 781-461-6104 or at agardner@norfolkdeeds.org." To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, like us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds and instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street, Dedham. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry's website at www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org. Register William P. O'Donnell Norfolk County Registry of Deeds email: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org phone: 781-234-3336 web: http://www.norfolkdeeds.org

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831 Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds:  Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar

Tri-County Carpentry Students Build Oak Podiums for the Seekonk Police Department

Two oak podiums were delivered to the Seekonk Public Safety Communications building by students in the Carpentry program at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School. The collaborative project involved other Tri-County vocational program students including Engineering Technology and Advanced Manufacturing. The students used their fine skills in designing and building the podiums with the help of Engineering students. Then, they were challenged to program a CNC router, in conjunction with advanced manufacturing students, in order to design the town of Seekonk logo in wood. The Municipal project gave carpentry students valuable hands-on experience in reinforcing their existing skills while working with new technology.

“The Tri-County School District would like to thank the town of Seekonk for providing our students with such a rich and authentic project, said Jean George, Vocational Director. “Our Carpentry students collaborated with students from Engineering Technology to create a set of plans using the AutoCad software. Once the design was ready, it was time to build the podium. As a finishing touch, the Town of Seekonk Seal was created using the skills of the Advanced Manufacturing students as they created the code to draw an exact replica of the seal. Those students guided Carpentry students in using the CNC router to complete the emblem. That is what we call STEM - Thank you again Town of Seekonk.”

Municipal projects give students in Tri-County’s Career Programs valuable hands-on experience in their industry. To learn more, visit: www.tri-county.us.

Tri-County Carpentry Students Build Oak
Podiums for the Seekonk Police Department

Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham.

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds: Computer Seminar Reminder - May 11

Press Release ~ Norfolk County Registry of Deeds Computer Seminar Reminder

Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell reminds Norfolk County residents that the Registry will host a free informational computer seminar on land records research at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street in Dedham from 4:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. on Thursday, May 11, 2016. The seminar is geared for both real estate professionals and the general public.     Register O'Donnell noted that the program will include a brief introductory presentation followed by a series of hands-on computer exercises. There will also be opportunities to ask both basic and advanced questions. Computer assisted land records are currently available both at the Registry and on the Internet at www.norfolkdeeds.org.    "These services have proven to be invaluable tools for our customers. We hope that this seminar will be both helpful and informative," said Register of Deeds Bill O'Donnell. There is no charge for the seminar, but anyone planning to attend is asked to register by calling Alicia Gardner at 781-461-6104 or by email to agardner@norfolkdeeds.org.  Please include your name, address, email and a daytime phone number when you register. "This seminar is filling up quickly, so I urge residents to sign up as soon as possible, " noted the Register.    To learn more about this and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, "like" us on facebook.com/norfolkdeeds, follow us on twitter and instagram @norfolkdeeds.    The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham. It is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County, amassing approximately a half of million land records, dating back to 1793. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org . Norfolk County Registry of Deeds Computer Seminar Reminder Thursday, May 11th ~ 4:30pm to 5:30pm email: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org phone: 781-461-6116 web: http://www.norfolkdeeds.org STAY CONNECTED:

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831 Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with Try it free today Norfolk County Register of Deeds - screen grab

Coding and Robotics Workshop @QI SCHOOL

Coding and Robotics Workshop @QI SCHOOL

Open to children from 1 to 10 years old

Date: Wednesday 8/10/16
Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Address: QI SCHOOL, 650 Pleasant St, Franklin 02038

It's never too early to learn how to code! Please join us for the second session of our Wondrous Workshop Series! 

In this free workshop, children will explore the functions of computers, the basics of computer coding, and robotics through interactive games. 

Children under the age of 5 will have the chance to play with Code-a-pillar that can move and turn, and children above 5 will learn to give commands to programmable Ozobots through drawing colored lines and patterns.

Coding and Robotics Workshop @QI SCHOOL

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds Computer Seminar - Sep 29

Press Release - Free Computer Seminar ~ September 29, 2016 ~ 4:30pm

Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell  to Host Computer Seminar Thursday, September 29, 2016 ~ 4:30pm to 5:30pm Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell will host a free informational seminar on computer assisted land records research at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds at 649 High Street in Dedham from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on Thursday, September 29, 2016.  The seminar is intended for both real estate professionals and the general public.   Register O'Donnell noted that the program will include a brief presentation complete with reference materials and hands-on exercises. There will also be opportunities to ask both basic and advanced questions. Computer assisted land records research is currently available both at the Registry and on the Internet at www.norfolkdeeds.org. "These services have proven to be invaluable tools for our customers. We hope that this seminar will be both helpful and informative," said Register of Deeds Bill O'Donnell. There is no charge for the seminar, but anyone planning to attend is asked to register by calling Alicia Gardner at 781-461-6104 or by email to agardner@norfolkdeeds.org.  Please include your name, address, email and a daytime phone number when you register. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham.  It is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County, amassing approximately a half of million land records dating back to 1793. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information.  Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org. To learn more about this and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives like us at Facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds.

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831 Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Norfolk County Register of Deeds Computer Seminar

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds - Computer Seminar - May 4

Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell  to Host Computer Seminar Wednesday, May 4, 2016 ~ 4:30pm to 5:30pm   Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell will host a free informational seminar on computer assisted land records research at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds at 649 High Street in Dedham from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.  The seminar is intended for both real estate professionals and the general public.   Register O'Donnell noted that the program will include a brief presentation complete with reference materials and hands-on exercises. There will also be opportunities to ask both basic and advanced questions. Computer assisted land records research is currently available both at the Registry and on the Internet at www.norfolkdeeds.org. "These services have proven to be invaluable tools for our customers. We hope that this seminar will be both helpful and informative," said Register of Deeds Bill O'Donnell. There is no charge for the seminar, but anyone planning to attend is asked to register by calling Alicia Gardner at 781-461-6104 or by email to agardner@norfolkdeeds.org.  Please include your name, address, email and a daytime phone number when you register. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham.  It is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County, amassing approximately a half of million land records dating back to 1793. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information.  Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org. To learn more about this and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives like us at Facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds.

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831 Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with Try it free today

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing - Lauren Albee

Tri-County Regional senior Lauren Albee was recently named a 2016 Runner-Up for the National Center for Women and Information Technology Aspirations in Computing Award.

Albee, a Computer Information Systems student from Medway, received several prizes, including a laptop, a glass trophy, and a certificate of recognition. She was also awarded a $10,000 scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors young women for their computing-related achievements and interests. Recipients are chosen for their technological aspirations, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.

Lauren says she was encouraged to apply for the award by her teacher, Kim Zogalis. Organizers took particular interest in Lauren's involvement with the school's First Robotics team. Lauren has been a member of Team 3236 for three years.

Tri-County Regional senior Lauren Albee

In addition to First Robotics, Lauren was captain of the Varsity Soccer team during her senior year, a member of the Student Council, and a student representative for Tri-County's Administration Council.

"All of us at TC are very proud of Lauren,” said Tri-County Principal Michael J. Procaccini. “She is one of our CIS leaders and has put together a long list of accomplishments this year. CIS is an exceptional program and Lauren is an exceptional young woman.”

Lauren plans to attend Johnson and Wales University in North Miami where she will major in Criminal Justice and continue her studies in the Information Technology field. She believes her background in technology will be valuable in her collegiate studies and her career due to the prevalence of Cybercrime.

PC Handyman: Encryption malware —"Ransomware"— Is your data protected?

Recently, The Boston Globe and other news media reported that a file server at the Tewksbury Police Department was infected with a strain of malware, which had encrypted all of the files stored on this server. These files were arrest and incident records. When someone tried to access these records, they found that the files could not be opened because they were corrupted. Then they found a document that explained that the files had been encrypted and gave instructions on how they could pay $500 to get the encryption key to recover their files. 

PC  Handyman

After several days of trying to recover the files, with the aid of federal and state computer experts and 2 outside IT firms, they finally paid the $500, using an electronic form of payment called Bitcoin, and got the data back.   

This sort of thing has been happening for a while now to all sorts of businesses and individuals—this got media attention because public money was used to pay the ransom, so it became public information. Payment forms like Bitcoin and MoneyPak are used because the payment is not traceable to the recipient.
 Can it happen to you? Yes! 

This malware is usually installed through an email attachment, often in an email supposedly from FedEx or UPS about a package being delivered. There is also evidence that it can be installed by a hacker getting into a server through a remote connection. Sometimes the encrypted data is recoverable through Windows, and sometimes with a 3rd party application. Usually, the malware turns off features like System Restore and Volume Shadow Copy so that these recovery methods are no longer available.  I'm sure that the Tewksbury people tried everything.

Another scary thing—if the infected PC is connected to mapped network drives, such as on a file server, those files can be encrypted too. And if a backup drive is connected to the PC, doing automatic or periodic backups, the files on the backup drive will be overwritten with the encrypted versions, since the files have been changed to newer versions. Cloud-based backup services may save previous versions of backed up files—you should ask your backup service. 

The best strategy against this issue seems to be keeping a periodic manual backup to a drive that is disconnected after the backup is completed. Frequency of the backups determines how much data is at risk. I can set this up for you, including providing the drive. I can come in to your business on a regular basis and run the backups too.  Let me know if you need help. 

Is your data protected? 

The PC Handyman, 508 346-3502 info@pchman.com

Online course available through Brown University

Interested in neuroscience and/or computer programming? This might be up your alley!

Hi Steve, 

I am a Franklin resident, a lecturer at Brown University, and an avid reader of Franklin Matters :-) 

I was wondering if you might be interested in promoting a course I am teaching online starting at the end of the month.  The course, Exploring Neural Data, is offered for free to anyone, on the Coursera platform.  Brown University did a write-up about it today: https://news.brown.edu/articles/2014/09/mooc 

I thought it might be fun for members of the community to participate in the course, so I was hoping that Franklin Matters might be a way for them to become aware of it.  The course has no prerequisites, and would even be appropriate for advanced high schoolers with an interest in neuroscience and/or computer programming.  Here is the link to the course: https://www.coursera.org/course/neuraldata 

Please let me know what you think and if you need any more info! 

Thanks,
Monica 

--
Monica Linden, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Dept. of Neuroscience
Brown University
Box GL-N
Providence, RI 02912
401-863-5192

neuroscience online course through Brown

In the News: malware, budget, reading

Remember to check computer for malware today

by Lolita C. Baldor

Patrick signs $32.5 billion state budget

by Associated Press

Summer Reading: It's not just for kids anymore

by Joe O'Connell/Daily News staff

FBI recommends check to prevent loss of Internet access on Monday

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

FBI recommends check to prevent loss of Internet access on Monday

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 7/5/12

Hundreds of thousands of Internet users may lose their online access on July 9, 2012, and Better Business Bureau is urging all consumers and businesses to run a quick and easy diagnostic test to see if their computers are infected.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

“It was an amazing experience’’ to work at 3C

“The best place I ever worked,’’ said Jack Rathmell of Franklin. There was “an esprit de corps that won’t quit, epitomized by the fact that we still have over 70 people show up for a reunion 46 years after the Honeywell acquisition." 

Rathmell is among those planning this year’s reunion, to be held Thursday evening at the Elks Lodge on Union Avenue. In past years, even EMC’s Egan would attend, fellow 3C alumni said. 

“It is unfortunate that many of the group has passed on,’’ said Harvey J. Bloom, a former Bellingham resident who now lives in New Hampshire. “The group has the most creative and fun people."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1310216338/Remembering-Framinghams-Computer-Control-Company#ixzz1uptitTj9

Additional information can be fond at at www.3CReunion.com