Archway Computer

I Asked ChatGPT to Train Me for a Half Marathon… and It Worked

I Used AI to Run a Half Marathon (Really) A few months ago, I tried to run a single mile—just one—and it nearly broke me. I was huffing, puffing, and questioning every life decision that led me to that sidewalk. Let’s just say… it was humbling. Then my daughter Hannah—Archway’s marketing director—told me she was […]

Tricks, Treats, and Cyber Threats: Your Halloween Cybersecurity Guide!

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As we gear up for Halloween, it’s also time to wrap up Cybersecurity Awareness Month! While everyone’s getting into the spooky spirit, don’t forget that hackers love to play tricks too—but we’ve got the treats to keep your agency safe. This newsletter is packed with valuable insights, tools, and tips to protect your business from […]

7 Must-Have Amazon Essentials for Applied Net

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Labor Day weekend is here, and what better time to get everything you need for Applied Net? Every conference pro knows that preparation is key, and after attending Applied Net for years, I’ve learned a thing or two about what it takes to thrive at this event. That’s why I’ve put together a list of […]

AI Bracketology + Virtual Victories with Valor Pro

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Buzzer-Beaters and Bracket Busters At Archway Computer, we’re obviously all about cybersecurity, but this time of year we can’t resist the allure of March Madness! Even though my beloved UCLA Bruins didn’t hit the court this year (huge props to our women’s team for making it to the Sweet 16!), the tournament has been a […]

Script to Screen with ChatGPT + Cybertruck Chronicles

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Script to Screen in an AI Flash Imagine crafting a professional-grade video in less time than it takes to brew your morning coffee. Dive into the future of video creation with the ChatGPT Veed.io plugin, where your words transform into cinematic magic faster than you can say “Action!” The process is simple: you provide the video instructions, […]

DMARC Directives + Travel Triumphs

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DMARC: Your Email Security Sidekick  DMARC, a vital email authentication tool, is now a mandatory requirement by major email providers like Gmail and Yahoo Mail. This new regulation ensures that emails sent from your domain are authenticated, protecting your communications from being classified as spam or fraudulent.   DMARC complements SPF and DKIM protocols, adding an extra […]

Aerial Adventures + Dual Display Delights

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Turbulent Thrills: A Go-Around Adventure Strap in for this one! Recently, I experienced the adrenaline rush of a go-around maneuver on my flight. For those unfamiliar, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that’s already on final approach, not just thrilling; it’s a testament to the incredible safety protocols in aviation. And guess […]

Policy Protectors + Microsoft Mastery

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Policy Protectors: Crafting Cyber Safeguards Greetings, digital defenders and insurance aficionados! This week, we’re diving into a cyber conundrum. Our VP of Customer Support, SueAnn, noticed a sharp insight has unveiled a startling trend among independent insurance agencies – a glaring absence of cyber insurance policies and procedures. It’s like having a firewall with holes!   […]

HEX-it + Unveil the Dual-Screen Delight

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HEX-it Stage Left Tired of trudging through the digital Dark Ages? It’s time to break free from the clutches of the past and journey towards a brighter, more integrated future. In case you missed it, Applied Systems is discontinuing offering and supporting the Applied Microsoft Hosted Exchange email service. Bid adieu to your antiquated email system, […]

2023 Vision + Lights, Camera, Archway!

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  Reel in the Risk If you happen to own a Barracuda hardware device called the Email Security Gateway (ESG), though, we’ve got a little issue to discuss. These devices have run into a pretty serious vulnerability that could put your data at risk. Initially, Barracuda tried to fix it with some software updates, but turns […]

Brad’s Back – What’d I Miss?

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ChatGPT: Your AI-ssistant for Life’s Little Tasks Do you ever wish you had a personal assistant to help you with all the little things in life? Well, now you can have one, thanks to ChatGPT! ChatGPT is an AI chatbot app that can help you with just about anything (except write this newsletter, of course ;)). Need to […]

Conference Commotion + Prime Day 2.0

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  Applied Net + IAOA Innovation Double Header What a whirlwind the past week was! In case you weren’t there or missed our last newsletters, Archway Computer was in Nashville at both AppliedNet and IAOA Innovation, and we had an absolute blast. Our team had a great time learning, networking, educating, connecting with so many […]

Mission IM-Possible

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Mission IM-Possible In this digital age where the insurance industry continues to evolve, are you equipped with the tools to protect your agency from the potential risk of a cyber attack? Join me today at 11AM on Mission IM-Possible Focus Group Session brought to you by our friends at InsuredMine, where I’ll be discussing best practices […]

Internet Everywhere + Tech (Neck) Support

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Imagine a world where you never have to ask the question, “Is there Wifi?” But Elon Musk is on a mission to make that world a reality, especially for those who live in rural and underpopulated areas, where satellite internet is often the only way to get connected.

Debunking the Jetsons + Winter Sun Saftey

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Did you know The Jetsons took place in 2062? By the show’s predictions, only 40 years away from today, shouldn’t we all be traveling around in flying cars by now? I’m only joking, (kind of) because while we’re not yet piloting flying cars or teleporting from place to place, it’s certain that our vehicles are becoming more and more modern. This is especially evident in the rise of the Electric vehicle.

Brad’s Favorite Things + You’ve Got Smish

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It’s not the Holiday season without Oprah’s Favorite Things List. And while the living legend is featuring some incredible items this year, let’s make this year a little geekier for you all.

Running on Clouds + Smarter Snacktime

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I do not like spending a lot of money on clothes, but with my mileage increasing as I train for my 10k, I knew it was time to upgrade my current running shoes

Windows ‘Free’ Trials + A+ in iPhone

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Even though I consider myself an A+ student in ‘iPhone 101’, the folks at Apple continue to surprise me with new features, settings, and time-saving hacks. Here are some of my favorites I recently learned:

Brad’s Back + Fully Charged

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Not going to lie, the past few weeks have been crazy, in the best way possible! Between work, family, and what seems like a never ending amount of activities to do now that the world is opening up again, I think we can all agree that life is moving much faster now.

Spring has Sprung + Lessons from Lockdown

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I gotta say, using all this time inside to install a few upgrades is really starting to pay off now that we can occasionally leave the house again…my new Sensi Touch smart thermostat is equipped with geo-fencing so it turns climate control off as soon as I leave my driveway…very 2025.

New Normal, Same Busted Bracket

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Things finally appear to be getting back to normal after some truly crazy times in the past year or so. One indication of better times ahead is the arrival of a different type of Madness altogether….that’s right, March Madness is now in full swing!

The Future is Back on Schedule

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You’ve probably noticed I don’t have a whole lot to say about COVID in this space, and that’s mostly because there’s certainly enough information on the subject out there without me also throwing my years of study at YouTube University into the discussion.

The Labor-Saving Lifestyle

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Let’s start off with what’s important: my new profile picture turned out great. Home office is coming along nicely, and I even put on pants with my spiffy suit jacket just for the photo.

Applied Science + Taking Notes Online

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Greats of the human race from daVinci to Edison have sworn by the pocket notebook, so when I’m feeling inventive (or forgetful) jotting things down really helps lock them into my mind. Being a dedicated tech geek, I opt for Apple Notepad instead of analog tree slices, especially with the number of features it brings to the table…this piece from PCMag details some of the slickest. 

A Year for the eBooks

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There’s never been a better time to get and stay informed than the present, and so I’m proud to announce a strong start to 2021 with our new eBook!

A New Hope

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It´s (finally) 2021 and that means it’s time to make our New Years resolutions…or is it?

Social Distancing Archway Style

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To Social Distancing’s Early Adopters ¨Social distancing¨ has become enshrined in the pop culture vocabulary of 2020 and beyond, but any nerd knows that we were doing it way before it went mainstream….so when my daughter came up with the concept for the shirt you see, I immediately ordered one for all of Team Archway…but I […]

Making the Most of It: Do´s and Dont´s

Browse Like You Mean It Are you spending a lot more time with your laptop lately and wish you had a bigger screen?  Well, if your local essential goods store specializing in oversized computer monitors has shut down for a bit, you may have an option already lying around at home: your television! This easy to […]

The Decision: Windows into Brad’s Future

Jumping Ship (Again) I’ve been holding on to this update for a while because I know it might come as a bit of a shock for those that have heard me talk up the device over the years, but here it is: I’ve officially left my trusty Chromebook in 2019. (Surprise!)  There’s an origin story […]

WIndows 7 Options, AppliedNet and Apps

The End of Windows 7 If you haven’t heard Windows 7 is going end of life on January 14, 2020. You can read about it here. But you have options. Many are using this as an opportunity to replace their computers. Some, depending on when you purchased your PC are entitled to a free upgrade. Others […]

Fast Fingers and Speedy Scooters

Joy Ride It’s the weirdest thing, seems like electric scooters are taking over the world. All across the country, names like Lime and Bird are filling the streets with these zippy little conveyances which you just pick up at a charging point and leave…well, wherever. There’s even a site called scootermap.com where you can locate the nearest […]

The Bezos Letters and Faster PC’s

Analyzing Amazon In case you’re not familiar, Jeff Bezos has been writing an open letter to Amazon’s shareholders every year since its’ inception. Since the mind behind the world’s number one retailer has pretty much demonstrated beyond doubt that he knows what he’s talking about, every edition of the letter is the subject of extensive […]

Clean Colon – Happy Eyes – Better Gmail

All’s Well that Ends Well If you were trying to get in touch with me this past Friday, I may not have immediately responded but I had a  really good reason for it: I was having my quinquennial colonoscopy (means every 5 years, thought learning something new would take some of the edge off this […]

The Changing Face of the Workplace

Connected Coordination Remote work is exploding in popularity…let’s be honest, there’s really no reason for some of your employees to be onsite full-time. Along with helping save on office space, forming an offsite team also allows you to attract more new talent that may be happier and therefore more productive outside a traditional workplace environment. […]

Free Photoshop and I-Team to the Rescue

Big Shot Brad I’ve always thought that being a big shot must be nice…public spotlight, friends in high places to handle sticky situations…and now that I’ve had a taste of the life, I know it for a fact. You see, I’ve talked before about the billing issues at my former home in the wake of […]

Office 365 Marches On

Outdated Office Microsoft has been absolutely nailing its online productivity suite for years now, and it’s more powerful than ever before.  How powerful, you ask? So much so that even the company itself acknowledges its traditional desktop Office as an inferior product, sort of like when you’re at the movies and the guy at the concession […]

Giving the Gift of Geek

Kids These Days Sometimes I just sit and marvel about how great it must be to have a modern-day childhood. 10 year old me would have walked across a field of Lego barefoot just to lay hands on a smartphone, and goodness knows how much mischief I could have gotten into with a camera drone […]

Amazon: Your next health insurance company

Winter Wonderland Weartest You´ll never catch me saying that Chicago isn’t one of the greatest cities in this coast-to-coast country of ours…spectacular sights, fantastic food, and as an aesthetic note, what just might be the spiffiest city flag in America. What an incredible place to find yourself for a week or so…except, of course, for […]

USPS Joins the 21st Century and SimplTxt

You’ve Got Mail Recovering from the fire is going about as well as can be expected, things are slowly getting back to normal. After getting a new place, I´ve even been able to turn my attention to everyday concerns like the mail. USPS has finally gone digital, rolling out an Informed Delivery service in many […]

Is Office 365 Hippa Compliant and more Insuretech

Doctor’s Office One of the questions I always get from people who use Office-365 is how suitable it is for logging sensitive information…for instance, medical professionals rely on HIPPA compliant programs to keep their patient information safe and also not get totally sued. It’s one of the most stringent standards for data security this side […]

Saving the World One Straw at a Time

Primegeddon If you had issues with Amazon on Prime Day, you weren’t alone…a major malfunctionat the junction caused the world’s biggest retailer to experience problems with the site worldwide on its most celebrated sales day. The crash happened almost immediately after the start of the sale, and was linked to the sheer volume of visitors keen […]

NetVU Atlanta and Google Duplex

NetVU Accelerate Giveaway! I hope you woke up feeling lucky this morning: it’s that special time of year again! The NetVU conference is upon us once more, and we’re giving away some truly sweet tech toys this time around: Apple Airbuds and Amazon Alexa Show! You don’t even have to attend to win!! …but just […]

Ultimate Upgrades: Your Life, But Smarter

Rise of the Machines In case my svelte silhouette doesn’t give it away, I’ve gotten more into fitness in recent years. Part of it’s by necessity since I like the way my knees work and the doc says staying active will keep them functional longer, but it’s also easier than ever before thanks to connected […]

This Week’s Upgrades for Your Life

Be Where You Are It’s really amazing to the sum total of human knowledge and a global communication device fit into your pocket, isn’t it? If we’re being honest, it’s sort of addictive…we’ve all seen that table of friends enjoying a night out with their smartphones, silently scrolling through their Snapchat. You may have even […]

New Year, Same Geek

…and we’re back! First things first: Happy New Year 2018 to all my readers! By now just about everyone is settling back into their everyday routines, which have hopefully been amended to reflect all those ambitious resolutions made just last week. A simple alteration that has made a tangible impact on my quality of life […]

Falls and Screen Shares

For Your Family I wish I could start off with better news, but this is important to me and could be to you or someone close to you as well. My mother had herself a bit of a fall recently, and unfortunately she sustained some injuries including a concussion and blood loss in the incident […]

Talking InsureTech and InsureTurkey

The Season Begins Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, check your calendar, it is actually the end of November. With that in mind, carving a turkey can be either an engineering challenge on the scale of the Golden Gate Bridge or an effortlessly efficient process, depending on if you know what you’re doing or not. For the many […]

Slick Sales and Christmas Chromebooks

California Wildfires Before the fun and games kick off today, I have to take a minute to address something that continues to affect many of my fellow Californians. Even though the pictures and videos from the disaster paint a dramatic image t’s hard to get a sense of the devastation that the ongoing wildfires have had […]

No Holiday for Hackers

Hacking the Holidays Tis the season…for email phishing and other scams. Unfortunately, cybercrooks are well aware of the increase in online activity that comes with this time of year, and with tools such as keystroke loggers and spoofed links in widespread use, it’s no surprise that a recent survey says at least 15 percent of […]

Netflix Around the World and Billing Issues

Worldwide Workaround Did you know that streaming services like Hulu and even YouTube have different content based on what country your account is currently based in? It’s all due to convoluted licensing and distribution details that can be neatly summed up by the phrase “because money,” but that doesn’t make it any less annoying when […]

Video Vigilance and 14K Chairs

Video Vigilance It’s amazing how the Internet and the proliferation of WiFi have transformed the face of home security. Where once it was a planned Saturday afternoon of watching a burly stranger come into your home and weave a web of wires, now it’s a simple matter of mounting a few cameras, possibly downloading an […]

Is It Really November Already?

‘Tis (Almost) the Season Okay fine, I’ve seen the public service announcements…it’s a few weeks too early to be scouting for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts. We have to let Thanksgiving have its’ turn, it is holiday law. Still, I’m always encountering neat little gadgets that make everyday life just a bit more convenient, and those […]

Fearless Flyers

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Stronger Through Tech Before the fun starts, I want to start off this week by sending my continued thoughts to those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as well as my readers in the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest who are dealing with massive wildfires in their respective regions. While obviously tragic, events like these […]

What a Wonderful World (with WiFi)!

American Eclipse In case you’ve been living under a rock—or outside the one we all share—the first full solar eclipse to take place over the Continental United States in many of our lifetimes is set for next Monday and it’s going to be blanking spectacular. The “path of totality,” which is NASA-speak for “front row seating,” cuts […]

Brad Ruben: Ambassador of Earth

Say Hi to Hannah! I’m proud to start off this week by introducing my readers to a longtime friend of Archway! Hannah is a social media and digital marketing wiz (the geek doesn’t fall far from the nerd tree) who happens to have her own consulting business at sincerelysocial.net. Hannah is long overdue for offering her signature brand of marketing insights […]

Is Tech Affecting Your Happiness?

Technically Happy It seems like just a month or two ago that everyone was bidding a fond farewell or other final “F’s” to the year 2016, but somehow we’re well over halfway through the year. Time is sort of funny that way, either months at a time run together into a bland oatmeal of everyday […]

LA Drivers on Expired Drugs

Empire State Strikes Back It might be too little, too late, but I do at least find it encouraging that governments are at least attempting to catch up with the cybercrime epidemic with state-level security legislation. New York is lighting the way with a bill known as NYCR500, which applies to all agencies that transact […]

Are You Even Ready to Be Rich?

Rags to Riches to Rags… An accountant might raise an eyebrow at the frequency with which I use my Amazon Prime subscription, but I’m generally good with money. I pretty much have to be since I’m not the heir to a candy bar fortune or anything, but who knows…somebody reading this might have a rich […]

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