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Preferred Blog

Preferred has been serving the Tinley Park area since 1991, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Did You Mean to Type “LOL”? This Device Will Know If You Meant It!

Did You Mean to Type “LOL”? This Device Will Know If You Meant It!

Whether or not you believe acronyms are an acceptable form of speech, some people might use them habitually or instinctively even for business communications. Of course, they don’t have much place in this context, but habits are hard to break. To address this issue, one innovative thinker has created a tool that can help determine if the acronym “LOL” is sincere or not.

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Work and Fun Don’t Have to Be Mutually Exclusive Concepts

Work and Fun Don’t Have to Be Mutually Exclusive Concepts

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as the saying goes, but is this really useful advice if you’re trying to keep Jack, Jill, and the rest of your team engaged in the workplace? As it happens, it is! Let’s explore how you can use gamification to your business’ benefit.

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A Brief Look at Virtual Assistants

A Brief Look at Virtual Assistants

There is no doubt that you have come across the virtual assistant (or voice assistant). Whether you have it on a smartphone or you use it via a digital speaker in your home, you have probably spent some time using some type of virtual assistant. 

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How to Keep Your Employees from Burning Out

How to Keep Your Employees from Burning Out

One of the most - if not the most - critical resource your business relies upon is your workforce. Your employees are what keep your operations, well, operational. As a result, they are one of your most important resources to maintain as well. They are human beings, and without the correct treatment and management, even your best employee could burn out.

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Does Tech in School Fill Up the Honor Roll or Seats in Detention?

Does Tech in School Fill Up the Honor Roll or Seats in Detention?

We typically use this blog to share information about the technology that a business should be leveraging - but in this blog, we’ve decided to focus on a different group that is increasingly reliant on technology: students. As these pupils will someday make up the workforce and almost certainly utilize technology on a daily basis, it is important that their education reflects this increase in their curriculums. Here, we’ll consider some of the effects (good and bad) that this has had.

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Our Top 7 List of IT Myths and Wild Conspiracies

Our Top 7 List of IT Myths and Wild Conspiracies

Being in IT, we’ve seen and heard it all. Between the campfire horror stories of technicians to the outlandish IT conspiracies and ‘home remedies’ that get passed around, we’ve decided to compile a list of some of our favorite IT and technology myths.

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The Future is Here: Domino’s Now Has Pizza-Delivering Robots

The Future is Here: Domino’s Now Has Pizza-Delivering Robots

Robotics are making leaps and bounds in all sorts of different industries. Robots aid doctors with surgery, work in manufacturing plants, and perform countless other functions. Now, we can add “pizza delivery” to this list, thanks to a somewhat bizarre and extremely welcome innovation by the Domino’s pizza chain.

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5 Hilarious Computing Tips From Mr. Wolfdog [VIDEO]

b2ap3_thumbnail_oh_your_wolfdog_400.jpgHappy April Fool’s Day! It’s a time to celebrate pranks, practical jokes, and laughter. Therefore, we thought we’d mix it up a bit and seek out technology advice from the funniest and the furriest CEO we know, Old Spice’s wolf-dog hybrid, Mr. Wolfdog!

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What Would it Take to Disable the World’s Technology Infrastructure?

b2ap3_thumbnail_threat_of_cyberwar_400.jpgFor argument’s sake, do you think society today relies too much on technology? In the Information Age, both businesses and governments have to be more careful than ever about how they approach cybersecurity. However, what would happen if a massive cyber war were to render any and all computing systems in the United States inert? Granted, such a powerful, in-depth attack is unlikely, but it’s sometimes fun (and frightening) to examine the worst-case scenario.

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A Trap So Devious that Even Admiral Ackbar Missed It

b2ap3_thumbnail_may_the_4th_death_star_400.jpgWith the long-awaited release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens this December, today’s Star Wars Day holiday may be the biggest yet (May the 4th be with you). As a technology-loving IT company, we’re happy to honor our favorite science fiction franchise by taking a fun look at its futuristic space technology.

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Simon Pierro, the “Wizard of iOS,” is a Different Kind of Magician [VIDEO]

b2ap3_thumbnail_tablet_magic_400.jpgDo you remember the good old days when a simple magic trick was capable of bringing a smile to anyone’s face? Optical illusions, card tricks, or sleight of hand; all of these are basic tactics used by the average magician. However, Simon Pierro, a German magician, uses his iPad to come up with mind-bendingly spectacular tricks that take advantage of modern technology.

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Turn Up the Cuteness with Pets at Work!

We've come across a fun, furry idea to relieve workplace stress. Kitties and puppies! In a fun twist to the workday, many companies are allowing staff to bring their pets with them to the office, and the results are adorable!

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On the Lighter Side, Dogecoin Cryptocurrency Hacked

We all know about the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, but do you know about Dogecoin? Its figurehead, the grammatically-challenged Shiba Inu, quickly became an Internet sensation called the Doge meme, and was adopted as the mascot for Dogecoin. However, before you go out and buy yourself some Dogecoin for you and your buddies, you should know that its database, the Doge Vault, has been hacked.

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George R. R. Martin’s Tech is as Ancient as His Fantasy Works!

When it comes to productivity, the latest technology can be a huge boon. A proper word processor can increase your productivity drastically if you know how to use it. However, one of today's most ingenious writers - George R. R. Martin - is still stuck in the Stone Age of word processing technology!

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Space Technology Repair By Chewbacca

Across the galaxy, Star Wars fans will be celebrating their beloved science fiction franchise on May 4th (May the fourth be with you). One of the most fascinating aspects about Star Wars is its space technology. As cool as lightsabers and blasters are, Star Wars tech can break down just like our modern space technology. Concerning technology repair, we think troubleshooting space tech in our day can be just as exciting as repairing space technology "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away."

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Disconnect from the Web and Experience Life

Mobile devices give you the ability to always be connected with the virtual world. It may seem like this is great for productivity because you feel like more work is getting done; but could it be that constant connectivity is wearing us down? In light of the stresses caused from being connected, it's good to unplug and recharge your brain.

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Use Rhythm for Better Sleep

There are many different sleep solutions on the market; some are simple like a fluffier pillow, others are more elaborate like a sleep apnea CPAP mask that assists with breathing. According to a new study by the University of Tubingen in Germany, the best sleep solution may be syncing the sounds around you with the rhythms of your brain.

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Information Technology at the Movies

The history of movies is rooted in technological advancement. After all, there are well over 100,000 still photographs in any feature length motion picture. The persistence of vision allows for these images to be strung together by our perception to form the images we see. It didn’t take long after the discovery of this phenomenon for it to be utilized as entertainment, and giving birth to cinema as we’ve come to know it.

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Fare Thee Well RadioShack, Makers of Fine Electronics and Sweet Commercials

Last February RadioShack declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced plans to sell between 1,500 and 2,400 of its stores. IT techie’s around the country are mourning the loss. It almost feels like losing a friend that’s always been there for you. We need closure, so let’s all gather around the store’s silicone grave and say fare thee well to RadioShack.

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Can Minecraft Teach Kids Valuable Real-World Programming Skills? [VIDEO]

Children across the world are heading back to school, and their parents breathe a sigh of relief. Instead of playing video games, children can now expand their minds in institutions designed for learning. But, what if a popular video game could teach children how valuable programming is as a real-world skill?

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      Over the past few years, huge scamming operations have operated in Southeast Asia, and now they are spreading. These scams—known as pig butchering scams—cause serious harm, as in an estimated $75 billion worldwide in 2023. With these sorts of operations spreading, let’s go o...

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      Best Places to Work - 5 YEARS STRONG!!

      Preferred is once again, honored for being a Best Place to Work for the fifth straight year!  Our team is what makes Preferred a Best Place to Work.  

      Daily Herald Suburban Business 2024 Best Places to Work Honorees The Daily Herald Suburban Business has announced the names of 51 companies, in 5 categories of competition, that are honored as the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.