Here are our 5 must-do jobs to clean up your tech:

1. Clean your Hardware – Remove crumbs and dust from your PC or laptop – you can use compressed air to help blast the debris out from nooks and crannies (be sure to follow the instructions). Use a damp microfibre cloth to clean the casing, screen, smartphone and tablet.
2. Cut the Clutter – Remove unused apps (if you are unsure which apps you should leave you can check here). Freeing up space by deleting unwanted apps and software will speed up your device and help it last longer.
3. Have a Sort out – Go through your files and photos, delete duplicates, old screenshots and any that are blurry and get them organised into folders – be sure to back them up to an external drive. Print your faves and put them up to enjoy!
4. Clear the Cache – When you visit a website or open an app for the first time your device collects data and stores it in order to make it quicker to load in the future. Over time this cached data can cause your devices to run slower so it makes sense to periodically clear the cache.
5. Update Your Operating System and Antivirus – Make sure your devices are running the latest operating system – any known bugs and security issues will get fixed and your devices will run more efficiently. Antivirus is a non negotiable – make sure it’s up to date and running to protect your devices from phishing, hacks and viruses.

Have fun clearing out some garbage and give your devices a well deserved spruce up.

If you need any help cleaning your laptop, PC, smartphone or tablet then we are always on hand. Contact Ben here: https://www.filegenie.co.uk/get-in-touch.html

It is a good idea to take precautions to protect our valuable items such as using the inbuilt security on our phones and computers or using strong locking and immobilising devices on bikes, cars and caravans. But did you know there are national registers that allow you to input your valuables to their databases and apply security tags to allow them to be returned to you if they are recovered?

Immobilise is the world’s largest free register that can be used by the public and businesses. You simply register your valuables and/or company assets and the ownership details can then be viewed by the police on the national property database – NMPR. Immobilise is the only ownership registration service supported by all UK police forces, the Greater London Authority, and the mobile phone industry.

How Immobilise works:

• The Immobilise Property Register is part of the Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem – Learn more about Recipero here: Recipero
• Police are able to track and trace owners of stolen or lost items by utilising the data help on Immobilise/NMPR.
• You can purchase additional security devices from Immobilise to help track and protect your belongings from would-be thieves. These include security marking kit, bike RFID tagging device, asset labels and window decals.
• You can register most items on Immobilise – you are not limited to items with serial numbers as you can give detailed descriptions and add photos of the items in question (eg jewellery) – marking the items with UV pen or asset label will give you a uniques identifier for something that otherwise wouldn’t be able to be registered.
• Reporting lost or stolen items is quick and easy and  simply by logging into your account.
• Immobilise is linked with CheckMend – a database which allows traders to check if goods they are purchasing are stolen.
• You can even download property details for a police report or to give to your insurer, simplifying the claims process.

Theft and loss will always happen but taking steps to protect your valuables through Immobilise can help deter thieves and increase the likelihood of your belongings finding their way back to you should they be recovered. As with any security you want to make your valuables as difficult and unattractive to steal as possible – using a database to register your items adds that extra layer of protection.

File Genie will tell you that Tech is my Achilles heel and lock down has done it’s best to compound the issues I have already, slow and intermittent fault on my internet supply, slowing my laptop performance – File Genie to the rescue; new Apps I don’t understand, File Genie to the rescue and venturing into Apple from Android and Windows, again Ben from File Genie to the rescue.

What have I learnt other than File Genie is a knight in shining armour:

• Well, I need to do more of what I preach to stay calm, relaxed and in the positive, intellectual part of my brain. When I work from this part of my brain, I can achieve and do achieve lots more. I also learnt that every cloud has a silver lining even if a Genie needs to get involved.
  
• Getting tense and stressed definitely has triggered old whiplash related restrictions and migraine like headaches but much can be done to rectify and to prevent it.
• A mix of physical and mental health remedies self prescribed. Drink plenty, don’t try to do too much, eat properly, structure my day with different activities, ice, the power of just being, catching up with friends, exercise and gardening.
• Mind and body are undisputedly linked, look after one and the other will follow and for your tech headaches, consult File Genie.
• The other thing that I have become very good at is reframing (seeing the silver lining). Lockdown therefore equals Liberation.

 
Bridget Bath, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Forward Focus Hypnotherapy