Admit it, technology doesn't always make life easier. Even though tech helps people to do their jobs and the tasks that they need to accomplish, maintaining your tech can involve lots of little chores you probably hate doing. Here's a list of our least favorite tech chores, and steps we've taken so that they don't bother us too much anymore.
1. Computer Virus Scan: If you've got a computer, you need to run virus scans. Depending on how many hard drives you have, and how thoroughly you scan them, this process can take hours to complete.
AVOID IT:
-Run your scan late at night, when you're not using your computer.
-Run it while you're at work — start it off before you leave and it might be completed by the time you get back.
2. Charging Your Phone: It doesn't matter what kind of phone you have, eventually you'll have to charge it. The process makes using your phone less convenient, especially if you need to use it while it's charging.
AVOID IT:
-Buy a cheap battery pack, either a case or an external battery, and charge up your phone when it needs juice. I've been doing this for the last couple of months when I'm gone for the whole day. The cheap case means that I don't have to carry around a phone charger.
3. Defragment Your Hard Drive: If you haven't automated this task on your PCs, odds are that the next time you run a defrag, it will take days to complete.
AVOID IT
-The only way to avoid it is to schedule it regularly when you're not using your computer, preferably late at night. Check out this post on how to do this.
4. Upload Photos to the Cloud: If you take a lot of photos, it's probably certain that you either back them up to your computer and/or back them up to the cloud. With cloud storage services getting cheaper and cheaper, it's just common sense to have a backup in case a hard drive falters.
AVOID IT:
-If you take a lot of photos, this process can take time. It's best to do it every couple of days and get it over with, when you're busy doing something else. The good thing is that once the photos are queued up, you can unplug your device from your computer.
5. Managing Media on Mobile Devices: There's nothing more annoying that having to delete media from your phone or tablet when you've hit the limit. Lucky for me, I ensure that this rarely happens on my mobile devices. At home, it's another matter.
AVOID IT:
-The way to avoid this is to be good at managing your mobile device's storage or to buy the versions of devices with the most storage. With 64GB on both my phone and tablet, I've never had to delete much media. However, I do manage my photos/videos and delete things that I no longer need or duplicate pics.
MORE TECH CHORES POSTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Automated Diagnostics You Should Run On Your PC
(Images: 1. Flickr member Philip Kalantzis-Cope licensed under Creative Commons, 2. Flickr member Chrisaut licensed for use under Creative Commons, 3. Range Govindan, 4. Flickr member ilamont licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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I don't necessarily agree that basic computer maintenance is so awful that it warrants a blog post, but to each their own. You hate computer maintenance, I hate doing the dishes.
With that said, what is horrible, or more importantly depressing, is the thought of having to sit in that white walled, broken tile, tiny window, absolutely no charm of an office in the first picture. Those windows do nothing but remind you that the world is beautiful and you're stuck in this small white room with nothing but a laptop (that probably has a virus because you hate doing basic computer maintenance).
I'm pretty sure that's the point of the photo....
The floor is surprisingly interesting in there, though. o.O
What about deleting e-mail?
lol bether, when I saw the picture first I could not imagine that to be a real 'office' and that little table is too small and not sturdy.
Are all these devices suppose to make our lives easier? I don't think so.
Really? I was thinking how lucky that woman in the photo is to have such a bright, clean, undistracting space to work in, with such pleasant, peaceful views out the window.
I am with bether 100%. That's what I immediately thought, that would not be able to stand sitting at a rickety little table in such an depressing room.
Funny comments on the picture. At first I thought the floor was covered in paperwork.
Her set-up is an ergonomic nightmare waiting to happen. If any of you are older than 20, you know what I mean.
Funny comments! We (myself included) on this blog are so geared toward room decor!
I recently switched my anti-virus to Avast, which someone recommended when I complained about how the AVG updates, not to mention scans, were basically making my computer unusable. I don't know specifics about Avast, but for sure, after having it two months, I have not once noticed its presence.
*note, to be unaware of its presence, you do have to choose to turn off verbal notifications! Otherwise a sweet voice tells you every time Avast has found or updated something!
Agreed, Avast is more than a step up from McAfee or AVG, it's several handsful. Have you figured out how to turn off the pop up mini-report that's everything's basically fine in the newest version? I can't seem to find the right box to uncheck. It's a small drawback though. :)