As much as we hate to admit it, COVID is still a real problem in our communities and, whether our concern is for ourselves or others, it’s still in our best interest to limit our in-person interactions.

With that premise, I wanted to take a couple minutes today to talk about a technology that’s been out there for years but you probably haven’t used: virtual doctor visits.

Now, disclaimer time, I don’t want anyone to take chances with their health. If you’re having serious medical issues, please call 911, go to the ER, or talk to your doctor as you always have.

If, though, you want to do a COVID test at home, there’s an option for that. If you’re experiencing something more minor going on, a virtual doctor visit might be a great option. Let’s talk about both scenarios.

COVID testing at home:

If you’re interested in a COVID test but don’t want to leave your house, there are options for that. Vault Health has a COVID saliva test that you can order and take with video assistance for $119. You simply log onto the website,  create an account, and they’ll walk you through the testing.

Virtual doctor visits:

There are many options for virtual care. Sanford and Essentia both have virtual doctor visits as an option.

• Sanford patients can schedule an e-visit via My Sanford Chart or mobile app.

• Essentia patients can schedule an e-visit or the My Health/My Chart mobile app.

But if you’re reading this and aren’t in their coverage area or if you’re interested in another option, I can also recommend Amwell . I used this app when I knew I had an ear infection. It’s really easy to use, very cost-effective and covers a broad range of treatable conditions. From acne and allergy treatment to bronchitis, or flu symptoms, or for mental health counseling, there are virtual options. Everything Amwell treats is listed here.

Regardless of the provider you choose, if you have a couple tools at your disposal, you’ll help your doctor along. Think about an in-person visit. The nurse checks your weight, your temperature, and your blood pressure. If you have a scale at home, a thermometer, and a blood pressure cuff you’re going to be able to give your doctor important information they need. But if you don’t have those things, that doesn’t mean you can’t still give it a try.

Again, we’re all ready for COVID to be over and we’re ready to get back to our normal lives. The more responsible we are with our in-person interaction, the sooner that’ll be. So if you’ve never tried a virtual doctor visit, maybe it’s time!

Be well.

Brian Crommett
CEO
702 Communications

Whether we’re distance learning or remote working, we’re spending a lot of time with videoconference apps these days. And, while we’re all used to mediocre-quality video and sound, there are options to make our videoconferences just a little more professional.

Video Options

If you’re using an older laptop, it’s easy to upgrade your video quality with a gaming camera. I’m using the Razer Kiyo which can be purchased from Razer, Target, Best Buy, Amazon and the like for about $100. It’ll shoot 1080p at 30fps or 760p at 60fps. It’s also got an onboard ring light to supplement your lighting. More details at Razer: https://tinyurl.com/yy3yn7e7.

Audio Options – Speakers vs. Headphones

I’m going to start off making a recommendation. If you’re going to be distance learning or remote working, do yourself a favor and get some decent headphones. They don’t have to be noise cancelling, but a good pair of closed-back headphones will help drown out any ambient noise and will ensure you don’t have to worry about any audio feedback due to mic/speaker placement. I’ve got an older pair of Senheiser Momentums that I like quite a bit: https://tinyurl.com/y4mhqd6w. Sure, they’re $100, but they’re good for more than just videoconferencing. Consider a splurge!

Audio Options – Microphones

Once you’ve got your audio isolated to just your ears, you should focus on a mic upgrade.

If you’re using an onboard laptop mic, odds are you’re hearing a lot of ambient noise and perhaps some room echo. For $20, I picked up the MOVO lavalier mic that plugs into either your computer via USB dongle or your smartphone. It’s not studio quality, but it’s a definite upgrade over your laptop mic. More details at Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yyacwyfh.

If audio quality’s really important to you, you can pick up a Blue Yeti Microphone. Several different options are available on Amazon for $150 or so. The Blue Yeti is very popular and used by many YouTube creators and podcasters. Amazon’s choice here: https://tinyurl.com/y39cpwu9.

So, if you’re serious about upgrading your videoconference experience, some simple options are out there to help.

Brian Crommett
CEO
702 Communications

By this point, most of us have had at least one experience with a device running out of storage. Though our phones and computers have ever-increasing storage capacity, it seems like they just keep filling up. How can you stop the cycle?

First, we have to figure out what’s taking up the space.

For most of us, it’s not the programs or apps on our devices taking up storage space. Before streaming music was prevalent, I know most of my phone’s storage was taken up with music. Now, however, I’d be willing to bet that most of our storage woes are due to photos and videos that we’ve either taken ourselves to share or photos and videos that have been shared with us.

How do you know? Well, our phones make it pretty easy to see what’s taking up space. On my iPhone, for instance, I can simply open up Settings/General/iPhone storage and I see that I’m using 39 of 128 GB of space.

Most of my stored items are actually apps, but that’s because I’m automatically uploading my photos to the cloud. If you haven’t checked into it, storage from Apple or Google is really affordable. You can change settings on your phone to automatically upload photos from your device, to the cloud, and then remove them from your device. That way, you’ve always got room on your device. It’s a great solution for keeping your device’s memory free, but it doesn’t solve everything. Unless you’re willing to continue to upgrade your storage over and over and over, you’re still going to have to take some time to curate your photo library.

I know it’s hard for some people to delete photos you’ve taken or received, but I encourage you to review what’s in your digital library. If you took a picture of something funny or clever or whatever with the intent to share, delete it once it’s been shared! You probably don’t need it for posterity. It was just something that caught your eye or tickled your funny bone at the time. Likewise, if you’re active on social media, you may have taken photos or videos to share with your friends and families on those platforms. Once they’re on a social media platform, unless you intend to print those photos or use videos for a longer project at some time, you don’t have to also keep a copy for yourself.

If you just can’t bring yourself to delete any of the 200 photos of your children or pets doing something cute or funny or can’t bear not to have 15 photos of a scenic overlook from varying perspectives, it’s okay. You’re not alone. You do have the option to continue to buy more storage space.

In this time of isolation, I’m not encouraging you to be ruthless with digital reminders of happier times, but if you do find yourself with extra time on your hands, maybe it’s a good idea to spend a little time decluttering.

Brian Crommett
CEO
702 Communications

Those of us fortunate enough to have dedicated IT staffs don’t have to think too much about backups, computer updates and anti-virus scans. But these upkeep basics don’t have to be out of the everyday home user’s reach. Here are a couple suggestions to keep your computer running smoothly and your data safe.

1. Backups. If you have data you can’t afford to lose, you should really consider setting a backup schedule for yourself. This can be as simple as setting up a Google Drive to sync with files on your computer to running full disk images via your operating system or something like Acronis. If you don’t like the idea of putting your data in the cloud, think about an external hard drive that you can connect, back up your data and then remove the device and place in a fire safe or safety deposit box.
2. Anti-virus. Every windows PC these days comes with a built-in anti-virus program but there are many others you can choose from. All of them are decent and none of them are perfect. The most important thing with anti-virus is to set those programs to automatically update so they have the most up-to-date virus definitions and also to set a scan schedule. Despite our best efforts and the real-time detection that these platforms offer it’s still a good practice to have a scheduled scan weekly, if not daily.
3. Software updates. I know software updates can sometimes be a pain. When you try to open a program and you get a notification that a new version is available, it’s easy enough to sometimes dismiss the reminder and ignore the update. I really encourage you to take the time and let the updates run their course. There are few software platforms out there that haven’t been or aren’t currently the target of hacking attempts. Developers are constantly working to maintain interoperability and security. Denying your computer the ability to update to the most recent and secure software may put your computer and files at risk.

If these steps seem like too much, there are still people that can help you. 702 Communications offers managed services that include backup and anti-virus software. We can even install a monitoring agent to make sure your software says up-to-date. For more information on those services, call us at 218.284.5702 or explore our site for more info.

I hope this post will inspire you to secure your own data!

Brian Crommett
CEO
702 Communications