June 2018 01 YOUR MONTHLY IQ IQ Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE: CAN YOU P.01-02 Can You De- Google-fy Yourself P.03 GDPR Is In Efect. de-Google-fy So what? P.03 Meet Our Team P.03 Improve Your Tech YOURSELF I P.04 Welcome New Client P.04 Calendar + Client Comments Our Milton Milto Bartley Bartley? Tries a Month Without Google; Gains Unexpected Benefit Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in 2018 without Google? Jay Malory Inspired by the recent headlines about big tech companies, their use of your data and the new European data privacy law (GDPR), I set out to see just that. Starting Easter weekend, I attempted to free myself entirely from the Google ecosystem for one month. I wanted to see if it was possible to live a life without Google, and what limitations that would place on me. Where to start? The first thing I did was catalog the Google services and products in my life. I found it included the Chrome browser on my laptop, two Gmail accounts, and on my iPhone, the Google app, Google Maps, and Gboard (my favorite third-party keyboard app). Then came search. Google has been my default search engine for more than a decade. Once I had the list, I started with my computer. I uninstalled the Chrome THIS MONTHLY browser and replaced it with Opera and Vivaldi. They are both built on the PUBLICATION IS same Chromium software code as Google’s Chrome, so many of my essential BROUGHT TO YOU BY plugins – specifically 1Password, HighFive, and Grammarly – worked just MILTON BARTLEY, fine. I changed the default search on both to Bing – from Google. JAY MALLORY AND H THE IMAGEQUEST TEAM. continued on P.02 IMAGEQUEST.COM | [email protected] | 888.979.2679 Milton’s June 2018 02 Google IQ Newsletter continued from P.01 Alternatives I don’t think it was a conscious decision, The next step was tough. I’d had the same but I found myself using the phone Gmail account, which I had used as a catch- less, to the point where I now leave my all personal account, since 2005. Just iPhone in the kitchen at night. I don’t the thought of changing my personal find myself lying in bed trying to fall email address was a bit unsettling, but asleep and then reaching for my iPhone I plowed ahead. I decided if I was going to look up something or send myself a to make this change that I wanted it to quick note. Plus, I no longer wake up and count. There were dozens of choices, and check email before I am even out of bed. after much research, I settled on a Swiss Less screen time has unquestionably led company, Kolab, primarily because their to better sleep. privacy policy was so simple to comprehend. So, can you live in 2018 without As I did with the Chrome browser, I Google? permanently deleted my Gmail account, Probably not is my simple answer. I effectively severing a 13-year relationship. could not escape Google entirely. For Next, I turned to my iPhone. I decided to example, Google Earth powers the built- take the opportunity to purge my phone in navigation in my car. My company, like of scarcely used apps. Rather than yours, relies on Google search for our delete individual apps, I chose to reset clients and future clients to find us on the phone to factory defaults and start that I know where everything is and the web. If you are not an Apple iPhone from scratch. what every gesture on the mousepad and keyboard combination reveals. user, chances are your phone is using It had been years since I set up an Surprisingly, it only took a few days Google’s Android operating system. iPhone without restoring from either an Moreover, the top two most visited sites iCloud or local backup, so before I reset to get used to Bing and DuckDuckGo on the web are Google and Google- it, I made a list of all the apps I used to search. By the third day, I had forgotten owned YouTube. ensure I added them back to my iPhone. it was different. Granted, my searches After reset, I went to the app store and were almost all general in nature. Did I experience limitations downloaded the essentials. For me that I didn’t use advanced features like by “de-Google-fying” myself? included Outlook, Slack, MLB at Bat, Boolean searches or tracking packages Not really. I am still using Bing as Amazon Music, Overcast (for Podcasts), or checking currency rates. my primary search tool. I alternate Freeletics, and Audible. Notably absent The change that affected me the most between Vivaldi and Opera as my from my newly setup iPhone were was on my iPhone. Leading up to this browsers. But I did add Gboard to my Google Maps, the Google app, and my experiment, I expected Google Maps to iPhone in early May (I can’t believe I trusty Gboard keyboard. Lastly, I went be the most significant “how do I live went nearly five weeks without it). I am into the settings and set my default without this” app, and getting used to still using Apple Maps on my phone; I Safari search to DuckDuckGo. Apple Maps took a few weeks. However, can’t remove Google Earth from my car. It was done. I had wholly removed the most significant change was the time I Even though today Google is so deeply Google from my life - or had I? spent using my iPhone. After I reset it and woven into the fabric of our lives, there The first few days were challenging, reloaded apps, I went from four screens of are worthy alternatives out there if you because of my technical muscle apps and folders - over 120 total apps - to a are willing to look for them. I suggest memory. I have used Chrome for so long single screen and 54 total apps. you Bing it! The most significant change was my iPhone. I went from four screens of apps and over 120 total apps to a single screen and 54 total apps. I don’t think it was a conscious decision, but I found myself using the phone less. DO YOU KNOW A COMPANY LOOKING FOR IT SUPPORT? WHAT WOULD MAKE A GOOD HOW DO I SUBMIT A LEAD? REFERRAL? You can submit your referral by emailing A great referral for us is a company in us at [email protected], or by any professional industry with at least calling Milton Bartley or Jay Mallory at 20 computers – or any organization with 888.979.2679. You can get more details at a regulatory compliance standard they https://www.imagequest.com/referral- must follow. program/ IMAGEQUEST.COM | [email protected] | 888.979.2679 June 2018 IQ Newsletter 03 MEET OUR TEAM CANDICE WEATHERS is a Candice joined ImageQuest in 2012. “I think what’s important for Technology Account Manager whose She says she enjoys “the amazing prospects to understand is that primary role is to partner with our culture” fostered by CEO Milton they’re not just getting a help clients to help them plan for and Bartley. desk,” Candice said. “We have a acquire the appropriate technology “He values the opinions and the project management team, a server administration team, our NOC team, for their business. She loves solving knowledge from his team, which is our help desk - we also have our problems and considers her job a huge and important,” Candice said. “We’re not just a cog in some big security and compliance team. “ perfect fit for her personality. corporate wheel. We are part of the “I think that’s one of the things that “Part of what sets us apart from decision-making process for a lot of sets us apart from our competitors,” other managed service providers is our new products and services and Candice said. “To have those that we engage with our customers Milton values our input and opinions.” resources available to cover all throughout their business process,” The amount of change in technology aspects of a customer’s IT service she said. “We know what their since she joined ImageQuest has been is usually difficult to get in a single business is, what they need, how they tremendous, Candice said, and she resource.” need to work. So when we’re having particularly likes that “Milton pushes Hear directly from Candice herself discussions about their technology, it us to grow offerings and services” as at https://www.imagequest.com/ gives us an edge.” technology continually evolves. meet-Candice/. GDPR is in effect. So what? Should you You’ve probably seen a lot of news articles care about examining different aspects of this European regulation. You’ve also probably seen many notices the European about privacy and browser cookies. Union’s It’s all driven by what some call strict new limits General Data on how companies can use individuals’ data without Protection further permissions from them. The fine for Regulation, violating these regulations is a scary $24 million – which took unless four percent of your global revenue is higher. effect May U.S. firms can't completely ignore this sweeping 25? It new regulation – unless they can guarantee they depends. never serve a customer who is an E.U. citizen. And that's a risky guarantee, as we know E.U. nationals We’ve put together a brief overview on GDPR, can visit the U.S., visit U.S.