Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Saskatoon IT Pro’s at Burnt Orange Solutions Owner Shares His Top 2020 IT Recommendations

Gareth McKee and his Trusted Saskatoon IT team at Burnt Orange, promise to have a one-hour response time for all your IT support needs. Honesty and respect are important to them. They pride themselves on ensuring their clients understand IT concerns by providing a straightforward and reliable solution with exceptional service.  Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts and in their latest Saskatoon IT tip Gareth shares his Top 4 IT tips for 2020. 

BURNT ORANGE SOLUTIONS TOP 4 IT RECOMMENDATIONS IN 2020



Gareth has worked in the IT and Telecoms industry in a variety of guises since 1993. Initially in the UK military Gareth had to master a variety of technologies from Morse Code to Computer and Network Security. Gareth has spoken at national level at IT conferences and is well known in the industry throughout North America and the UK. He has a passion for customer service and IT security and compliance. 

#1 Microsoft Office 365/MS Teams

Microsoft Office 365 allows you to download apps like Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint to your computer or mobile device. You can also use this suite of tools completely online where you can manage, share, store, and edit documents in folders, giving access to all of your team.

Aside from the more specific apps, Microsoft Teams also allows you to communicate with your teammates via video calls, email, and through an internal discussion platform where your colleagues can create posts or ask questions.

 

 #2 Managed IT Security

Now, thanks to the Covid 19 Pandemic of 2020, most of us are all working from home, the need for a thorough look at your IT security is a must. The best way for any business to secure their computers, and more importantly their valuable business data, is to hand this job task over to a professional IT security firm.

The specially trained and tooled security firms use state of the art hard and software to ensure the client’s company is as safe as can be, this is whether the data is all in an office and being accessed from other offices, homes, or even Mars. This is not as expensive as it sounds and should be number 1 on any business owners list of things to do.


#3 Access To Business Data

There are many ways in which your staff can access your business data, keeping your business running, from home safely.

  1. Virtual Private Network (VPN) – A VPN allows you to logically lay a network cable from your computer at home directly into the network at the office. The VPN traffic should be encrypted to ensure it is transmitted from your office to home securely.
  2. File Sharing Software – DropBox or OneDrive can be used to easily share your data around your staff. Two thoughts on these solutions: 1. Do not use these as a backup, they are not a backup solution; 2. Your staff will now have your business data at home on their PCs, how do you plan to remove this once you are back in the office or a staff member leaves the business?
  3. Remote Data Access – This style of access data at the office is newer than the 2 options above and is set to be a disrupter in this area. Using zero trust as a starting point of access to your data from any device, never actually moving the data offsite and yet still providing access to all your data. It is difficult to describe how this works in a short article, so I found this video from FileFlex which explains beautifully. 

Back up

#4 Backup For Everyone

With more staff now working from home, whether they are on a work laptop or their home computer, the need for a managed backup is paramount. As data gets slowly moved away from your central office server it would be beneficial if all your home computers backed up to a central point where it can be easily recovered.


And, while I am talking backup, a backup that is not tested is not a backup. You should test recover some of your data at least once per month, nothing sets of a panic like a backup which is thought to have worked, but in fact fails when the day comes that you need to recover. – Thanks Gareth

Burnt Orange IT Solutions Services:

'IT Support You Can Trust and Understand'

Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts

Trusted Saskatoon Jewellers at Batemans Shares About Gemstone Engagement Rings

Bateman Jewellers are Trusted Saskatoon jewellery experts! Did you know that they are the oldest independent jewellery store in Saskatoon?  Bateman Jewellers maintain that the relationship with their clients is very important to them. In their latest Saskatoon jewellery tip, they share all the gemstone options for engagement rings BEYOND just a diamond. 


ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEMSTONES 

Non-traditional engagement styles for trendy Millennials




Diamonds are rare, beautiful and, yes, forever. That’s not going to change anytime soon. But gemstone engagements are making a splash among Millennial buyers. Remember that recently the DPA ran its “Real is Rare” campaign? It aimed at rekindling the diamond romance with younger customers. Since the Millennial group is the largest generation in our nation’s history, it’s advantageous to understand what drives this sweeping customer base. So the question remains: Are Millennials attracted to gemstone engagements because of their uniqueness or affordability? Well, the short answer is both!

Gemstone engagements stray from conventional norms and offer individual expression for younger audiences. Their bursts of colour grant wearers freedom from the traditional look and communicate uniqueness. Also, many gemstones have a lower price point, attracting frugal Millennials who opt to allocate their money elsewhere. However, this isn’t always the case. In fact, with gemstone popularity on the rise, certain stones can rival diamonds in price per carat.

After reviewing the numbers, we’ve isolated our bestselling stones for gemstone engagements.


 Morganite + Rose Gold: A Romantic Combination


A diamond halo encircles this rosy Morganite. The heart-accented gallery and rose gold sheen make for a very romantic union. Plus, our current blog poll located on the right sidebar, places Morganite in an overwhelming lead as the most popular springtime gemstone.




Classic French-Set Blue Sapphire


Sizable diamonds adorn this blue sapphire, exemplifying traditional diamond accents coupled with a colourful contemporary center. The burnished yellow gold richly complements the velvety blue sapphire.




Vintage-Inspired Ruby Ring 


This vintage-inspired ring unites this luxurious ruby — an eternal symbol of passion — with the refined art-deco style. These enduring elements mix well with the trendy diamond halo and rose gold metal choice.







Emerald with Classic Baguette Accents


Here’s another twist on old meets new: a modern halo-style design with classic baguette accents adorning a striking emerald center. The gallery’s negative space also adds a futuristic dimension.



Yellow Sapphire on Yellow Gold



This bypass design features an interwoven halo that draws the eye to the center stone. The yellow sapphire and yellow gold combination offer a trendy look we see in gemstone engagements.




Aquamarine with Geometric Shank


Simple and focused, this geometric shank with diamond accents directs attention to the aquamarine center stone held with pronounced white gold prongs.







Bateman Jewellers continues to have a strong reputation in Saskatoon, and this is due to their loyal customers who appreciate the friendly, family-orientated store that they have come to expect! As a team, Cam and Jan are committed to ensuring that Bateman Jewellers remains the same for many generations to come.

'Your Jewellery Is A Lifetime Investment...Buy It From A LifeTime Friend'

Bateman Jewellers is a Trusted Saskatoon Jewellery Store 





Trusted Saskatoon Jewellers at Batemans Share The History Of Platinum

Bateman Jewellers are Trusted Saskatoon jewellery experts! Did you know that they are the oldest independent jewellery store in Saskatoon?  Bateman Jewellers maintain that the relationship with their clients is very important to them. In their latest Saskatoon jewellery tip they share the interesting history of the metal platinum. 

THE HISTORY OF PLATINUM 

Today, we take for granted that platinum is a coveted precious metal but do you know how long it has been around? 

The answer may surprise you - It was declared a precious metal in just 1751 

By comparison, Ancient Egyptians began using gold and silver to decorate sacred objects since around 3,000 BC. 
From 2551 BC to 2490 BC, they capped the Pyramids of Giza with solid gold, the ultimate sign of the metal’s importance and value. So if like us here at Batemans you are curious about platinum metal history read on! 

Incognito Platinum Metal

Platinum’s  history slipped into human use as a by-product of gold and silver mining. 

Gold was found with platinum and the two blended as they were hammered into shape. 

Platinum was thought to be silver — even though it was much harder. 

Chemists have identified platinum mixed with gold in items dating back to Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (1991-1718 BC). One example is the gold and “silver” cover on the 700 BCE Egyptian Casket of Thebes. An early examiner noted that while some of the silver was heavily oxidized, curiously enough, other “silver” was unaffected. In 1901, French chemist, Marcellin Berthelot, tested the metal and learned that the untarnished silver metal was a combination of platinum, iridium, and gold. 


White Specks and “Little Silver”

Across the Atlantic, archaeologists discovered Pre-Columbian sacred and decorative pieces made of gold with distinctive white specks. These were identified as platinum. In 16th century South America, Spanish conquistadors searched rivers and streams for gold and silver the Spanish King so desperately needed. In the process, they found chunks of platinum. Alas, they called it “platina,” meaning “little silver” and discarded it with no idea it was rare and valuable.

A Hard Fact

To call platinum “little silver” is insulting enough and that isn’t the worst of platinum metal history. In 1735, Antonio de Ulloa, a Spanish scientist, naval general, and explorer, visited Ecuador on a scientific mission. He encountered “platina” in gold mines where it was considered a gold “impurity.” Some thought it was “unripe gold,” and put it back in the mine or ground to “ripen” believing it would yellow with age. Intrigued, de Ulloa undertook to study it. He identified platinum as a separate metal that occurred with gold in alluvial deposits. Indeed, Ulloa found it extremely hard and invulnerable to heat which made it almost impossible to separate from gold nuggets. He observed that platinum was a “nuisance” or “hindrance” that interfered with gold mining. The Spanish abandoned some gold mines with high concentrations of this “nuisance.”

Precious Platinum Metal

In 1751, Swedish scientist, Henrik Scheffer, published the results of his platinum studies. He called it “white gold” and stated that it was:
  • Hard but malleable with the hardness of malleable iron.
  • A precious metal with durability and corrosion resistance similar to gold.
  • Unlike any of the six “old metals” because it is entirely precious containing no copper, tin, lead, iron, or mercury. Scheffer declared it a “seventh metal.”
  • Fusible with arsenic.

Workable? Well . . .

In 1786, Francois Chabaneau, a French chemist working for Charles III of Spain, developed a technique for creating somewhat workable platinum but the results were highly inconsistent. At one point, a story says he grew so frustrated with platinum that he trashed the lab given him by the King. That same year, Antoine Lavoisier, “the father of modern chemistry,” succeeded in melting tiny quantities of platinum, but not enough to work with.

Who Is Marc Etienne Janety?

Monsieur Janety was Louis XVI’s, Royal Goldsmith. He created a platinum and glass sugar bowl for the king whose beauty caused Louis XVI to famously declare that platinum was:

 “ The only metal fit for Kings.” 

In 1794, a year after the revolutionary government executed Louis XVI, Janety prudently left Paris. In 1796, he returned to create the revolutionary government’s official kilogram and meter measures out of platinum because it was the most durable and corrosion-resistant metal.




Pure Platinum

Above, we mentioned Chabaneau’s efforts to create workable platinum. The results proved inconsistent because he didn’t realize that platinum ore contained other platinum group metals — osmium, iridium, rhodium, and palladium. In the early 1800s, an English chemist, William Wollaston, found a way to produce pure platinum on a commercial scale. He kept his technique secret until just before his death.

The Heat Is On

In the waning years of the 19th century, new high-temperature blowtorches made it possible to work platinum into fine jewelry. Cartier in Paris and Tiffany & Co in New York took the lead, making platinum jewelry a status symbol. Many famous stones are set in platinum — including the Hope Diamond — are set in platinum. Nothing less will do for beauty, strength, purity, and natural white colour.

Platinum Metal Strength

Today it holds its status as the elite precious metal chosen by celebrities. It has also become the symbol of the exclusive credit cards, programs, and so on. Yet thanks to advances in technology and techniques — not to mention that its price per ounce is significantly lower than gold — platinum is available to many more customers and very popular in bridal rings. Can anything match the platinum solitaire?

Platinum: The Hypoallergenic Metal

Over the decades, we’ve learned much more about platinum. One discovery stands out: it’s hypoallergenic. This makes it a prime consideration for customers with sensitivities to nickel and copper.





sited by May 31, 2019, By Elizabeth Raffel 

Kitchen and Bath Classics Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Store Shares Top 5 Bathroom Design Trends

Whether you are building a new home In Saskatoon or remodelling a single room, the team at  Kitchen & Bath Classics Saskatoon is a Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Store offers you one of the largest selections of plumbing fixtures, faucets, lighting and accessories from quality brand names, Their showroom displays the latest trends and cutting-edge styles. In their latest offering, they share their top 5 trends for bathroom design

Bathroom Design Trends. 



 Here's a breakdown of the latest bathroom trends according to design industry experts.  

Design Your Saskatoon Bathroom With The 2020 Pantone Colour Of The Year- Classic Blue.

Classic blue represents “bringing a sense of peace and tranquillity to the human spirit”. It makes perfect sense that colour with that meaning behind it would be chosen for a place of rest and tranquillity—the bathroom.
Depending on your style and taste, Classic Blue can be used in a variety of ways. For example, a popular way to include colour in the bathroom is through tiles, either for the flooring or in the shower. You can also include a Classic Blue bathroom vanity if you want a pop of colour against flat neutrals that can use a bit of edge. If you’re feeling extra daring, you can even paint an entire bathroom Classic Blue! But we know that not everyone can commit to a paint job in a bold colour. If you want to incorporate the 2020 Colour Of The Year in smaller steps, you can try adding towels, flowers and paintings. 

Design With The Hottest Faucet Finish in 2020: Matte Black


The bathroom is a great place to experiment with matte black finishes. You can change your current faucet, showerhead, handheld showerhead, handles, pulls and lighting to this popular finish and see your bathroom transform from ordinary to extraordinarily modern.

Matte black finishes have been perfected to meet the needs of bathroom users, so you don’t need to worry about the finishes wearing off. Many luxury and mid-range brands are adding even more matte black faucets and accessories to their lineup, giving you a large selection to choose from in 2020.

Design Au Naturel and Eco-Friendly


Let your mind be free in the serenity of greenery in the bathroom. Between the hardness of bathroom finishes and materials, it's a much-welcomed idea to have plants and foliage in the bathroom. Bathroom plants are great to freshen the air, add some softness and of course, colour.

The new year also brings focus to creating an eco-friendly bathroom by changing out inefficient faucets and plumbing fixtures. 


Here are some bathroom features to think about:
  • Change out your toilet to a low-flow model
  • Install a low-flow showerhead that works on magnetized poles, like ones from American Standard
  • Get a motion-activated faucet so there’s less water wasted between washing your hands and brushing your teeth
  • Choose quartz countertops as opposed to other materials. Quartz impacts the environment significantly less than other materials

Design In Plain Sight


Here’s what’s funny about bathrooms—there are certain things we want to show off about them, like beautiful tile work in the shower or a gorgeous clawfoot bathtub. But there are other things we don’t necessarily love to look at...like plumbing and drains.

But what if they were designed to be extra pleasing to the eye? That’s what 2020 is all about.

Exposed plumbing is a rising trend. Bathroom brands are now creating industrial-inspired pipe systems that are meant to be shown off in an array of beautiful finishes. You don’t have to hide away complicated pipe systems behind drywall anymore!

As for drains, bathroom brands and designers have found a clever way to hide them in plain sight. Many shower drains can now be designed to look as though they are part of the shower tile or shower floor. The result is a sleek look that doesn’t distract!

You can even go as far as a wall-hung toilet to remove the bulk and clutter of a toilet septic tank. Bathroom brands like TOTO are trailblazing this 2020 toilet trend. It’s also great for smaller spaces where a tank can take up precious square footage.

Design Your Bathroom With Colours, Wallpaper and Fun!


Step outside your comfort zone in the colours and designs you choose for your bathroom. Break out of traditional neutrals in the bathroom and experiment with pops of colour in textiles, accents of paint colour and even wallpaper. Yes, wallpaper...But don’t think it’s the same type of wallpaper from your grandparents’ homes.

Wallpapers come in so many varieties these days. You can choose anything from gentle geometric patterns to bold prints and textures. But a great alternative to wallpaper is a nice tile. Tiles also come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours for any project. The options are endless.


Design Your Bathroom With Kitchen and Bath Classics Saskatoon 


If you're considering a bathroom remodel or renovation, contact Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Store Kitchen & Bath Classics!



Trusted Saskatoon Jewellers at Batemans share a Tip about Hand Sanitizer Effect On Jewellery

Bateman Jewellers are Trusted Saskatoon jewellery experts! Did you know that they are the oldest independent jewellery store in Saskatoon?  Bateman Jewellers maintain that the relationship with their clients is very important to them, and Trusted Saskatoon is sure you have heard Cam say in his well-known radio ads 

'Your jewellery is a lifetime investment; Buy it from a lifetime friend. ' 

What Does Hand Sanitizer Do to Our Jewellery?


In the past few weeks, you've probably increased your use of hand sanitizer and other soaps due to the global spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19 for short). But while all of those disinfecting agents are protecting you, they might be hurting something else—your jewellery.


In Batemans latest jewellery tip they share an article from JCK Online - a North American Jewellery Industry website. 




On the best days, many of us are germaphobes. My obsession with keeping germs at bay went into overdrive when I became a mom, and then throw in a pandemic, and I’m considering fashioning myself a hand sanitizer holster. Oh yeah, I’d wear it.
Years ago when I worked in retail, even then I had a small bottle of hand sanitizer close at hand. I remember being told that too much could eat away at the rhodium plating on my ring (I had a white gold wedding set at that time). Still, a quick rub here and there kept my hands feeling clean, and, though my ring definitely bled yellow over time, it’s hard to know if that was the reason why—or if it was just general wear and tear.


Currently, constant hand-washing and sanitizing isn’t just for peace of mind; it’s highly recommended. I don’t even want to write the word COVID-19—I swear it echoes in my dreams. But it’s keeping us prudently cleaning our hands, and in turn, cleaning our jewelry, too—at least, the pieces we wear on our fingers.
Let me please preface this by saying that yes, you should absolutely positively wash wash wash, spray spray spray, scrub scrub scrub—whatever keeps your hands clean. Jewelry is precious, that is true, but your health is all the more so.
However, given that I’m sporting a newly redesigned wedding ring, I can’t help but wonder what I might be doing to it with my constant use of chemicals. Am I causing damage?

I always take my ring off to shower, lotion, make meatballs—you get it. Not trying to gunk up the jewels here! But I almost never take it off to wash my hands, and certainly not to sanitize. I’m betting most wearers are the same.
I spoke with Shan Aithal, a metallurgist at Stuller, to get the dirt (pardon the pun) on keeping hands—and rings—clean. 

“To my knowledge, hand sanitizers are not capable of removing tough, albeit thin, rhodium that’s on a piece of jewelry,” says Aithal. “Hand sanitizers come in two varieties: alcohol-based and non–alcohol-based. The ones with alcohol are benign to jewelry items as alcohol is the main germ-killing ingredient. However, non–alcohol-based ones typically use chlorine-based compounds as germicides. These chlorine compounds could react with water and release free chlorine. Free chlorine radical is very reactive and could cause tarnishing of jewelry, especially if it is made of sterling silver. Also, halogens are known to cause stress corrosion cracking in low karat golds, in particular, nickel white golds.”

It is worth noting, in this case, that the CDC recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol content. As long as you’re doing that, your metal will probably stay in great shape.
Soaps, according to Aithal, are a different story. “Soaps can contain abrasives, like Lava or that orange goo dispensed near hand-washing stations, that could damage the surface of jewelry and cause rhodium to be worn away.”

What about diamonds and sapphires? 


It won’t damage them but can leave a filmy residue on the stones over time, dulling the sparkle. But it’s not permanent, and nothing a quick soak in an ultrasonic can’t fix.


“If anything, people should be cleaning their jewelry more,” says Susi Smither, founder of The Rock Hound. “Think of all that horrid buildup of crud under rings and behind the setting of claw-set earrings. Hand sanitizer kills the baddies then evaporates fast—this shouldn’t have any detrimental effects on your gemstones, even materials such as gemstones and pearls. If you’re worried, at the end of the day give them a rinse and dry when you get home.”


Peggy Grosz, senior vice president at Assael, suggests erring more on the side of caution when it comes to pearls. 

“Sanitized skin should not come into contact with your pearls until completely dry and evaporate—wait about five minutes before putting on your pearls,” says Grosz. “As with perfumes and hairspray, the alcohol in the hand sanitizer can change the surface of the pearl, the two noticeable differences being a loss of lustre and a change in colour—white pearls, for example, will become yellowed if repeatedly exposed to such chemicals. Pearl rings should be removed when applying hand sanitizer, but because they have a mounting which separates them from direct contact with the chemicals, it is safe to put rings back on after a few minutes.”

Bottom line? Most, if not all, jewellery will be just fine, lovers of Georgian and early Victorian pieces should  take special care as water can get into rings with closed-back mountings and affect the appearance of the stones. Also, locket rings or any ring that has a photo of some other decoration under glass should not be washed with water.

But of course, sometimes the simplest advice is the best. When in doubt, it is always better to take your rings off before washing your hands.!


 If you are resting your rings on the sink while you scrub, please be sure the drain is closed, okay


Bateman Jewellers is a Trusted Saskatoon Jewellery Store 




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