March 2009: WPRI providence Eyewitness News - What is this Conflicken thing? ...Conficker? Conflicker? DownAndUp? It’s all so confusing, but whatever the name, the worm is the same. Conflicker, known now sometimes by the (mis)name 'the April Fool's Virus' has been around for a while, and in fact has three known variants (versions), A, B, and C. The much-hyped event that’s anticipated for this April Fool’s Day is that a new variant, Conflicker_D will likely be deployed... read more... or Return to top of page

DECEMBER 2008: WPRI providence Eyewitness News - Koobface Virus aka Facebook Virus Getting in Your Face ...The koobface virus that already made the rounds of Myspace is again running rampant, this time through facebook where it basically takes advantage of the trusted messaging environment to spread by showing up as a message from a friend (who is already infected). There are apparently several variants being reported with subject lines that range from “You look just awesome in this new movie.” to supposed footage of Paris Hilton, or even yourself caught on hidden camera.... read more... or Return to top of page

OCTOBER 2007: CSMonitor.com - Mobile Businesses Bring the Store to You ...Mobile computer repair has also become popular. Andy Trask, "head geek" of Geek Housecalls in Boston, an independent business, says, "It's clear from the customers who come to us that they're not entirely satisfied with the conventional model – pack up your computer, take it to the store, and kiss it goodbye for a few days."... read more... or Return to top of page

JULY 2007: PR - Geek Housecalls celebrates six years and over 15,000 customers Burlington, MA (PRWEB) June 26, 2007 -- This July, Geek Housecalls celebrates six years of providing world-class home computer service and over 15,000 customers by rolling back pricing to first-year rates of $75/hour for select new and existing customers who sign up for service in July. It was July of 2001 and gas prices were hovering around $1.40/gallon. Andy Trask and Dave Ehlke were in Dave's old red Chrysler driving up and down Mass Ave. in Lexington and Arlington posting handmade flyers for the newly founded Geek Housecalls. It was a time when people didn't know quite what to make of a company that took pride in calling themselves geeks, and a time when the idea of geeks traveling to your home to help you with your computer troubles was unheard of. "When we started out," says Dave, "the idea didn't really catch on for the first few weeks, so we had a lot of time on our hands and spent most of it in the car looking for new places to put our flyers. We must have made friends with every Cafe, Pizza shop, and Laundromat Owner in the area." But as it turned out, the idea was a good one, and before long, the phone started ringing in the tiny one-room office that Andy and Dave jokingly referred to as "Geek Housecalls world headquarters". "In our first year, we had 118 customers," reports Andy. "Those days, Dave stayed in the office and took the phone calls, and I drove around to the customers and serviced their computers, then we'd usually end our day by piling a box of flyers into Dave's car and driving around. It was a kind of mobile working management meeting where we'd discuss how the day went for each of us, and what customers were saying and how they were reacting to our approach and pricing, and every now and then I'd jump out of the car with a handful of flyers and some thumbtacks as we'd come to a shop or restaurant where they'd let us post our flyers." Now six years, and over 15,000 customers later, Geek Housecalls is celebrating by offering a price cut to our first-year rate of $75/hour to the first 118 residential customers who mention this promotion while signing up for service in July! read more... or Return to top of page

APRIL 2007: PR - Geek Housecalls acquires Home Pc Networks of Peabody Home PC Networks joins the Geek Housecalls family, adopting the light-hearted Geek Housecalls image while offering serious relief to frustrated Windows and Mac computer users in the North Shore area. Burlington, Mass. (PRWEB) April 3, 2007 -- Geek Housecalls, Inc. today announced it has acquired Home PC Networks of Peabody, Mass., in response to increasing demand for computer help in the Massachusetts North Shore region. As part of the acquisition, Geek Housecalls has brought aboard Joe Riess, the founder of Home PC Networks, as a full-time Windows and Macintosh cross-over geek. This acquisition strengthens Geek Housecalls' presence in the north shore and Cape Ann areas. read more... or Return to top of page

JULY 2006: Technewsworld.com Andy Trask, co-founder of Geek Housecalls, a computer service and repair company [based] in Burlington, Mass., explained that in the past, a user's computer could be crippled by spyware. "It wouldn't take very much spyware on a system before a user became keenly aware of it because the machine would slow to a crawl," Trask told the E-Commerce Times. "But as machines get more and more powerful, the capacity for them to host spyware is unknown," he continued. "They're getting faster processors and more memory, which simply means that these machines can keep more balls in the air at the same time so what used to be a crippling amount of spyware is just background noise today." read more... or Return to top of page

JUNE 2006: PR - Geek Housecalls Celebrates 10,000 Customers BURLINGTON, MA (PRWEB) June 7, 2006 –- Geek Housecalls, Inc. the New England region’s original traveling geeks announces that it has achieved a major growth milestone with the servicing of its ten-thousandth customer. “We just wrapped up our books for 2005,” reported Geek Housecalls President Dave Ehlke, “and you can imagine our excitement at realizing we had broken through the 10,000 customer mark in December!” “We’ve been waiting for this,” stated Vice President Andy Trask, “and we’re kicking off the celebration by sending out $250,000 worth of discount coupons to our customers as a way of thanking them for their loyalty to Geek Housecalls.” read more... or Return to top of page

APRIL 2006: CFO.com "We've seen a serious uptick in hard-drive failures," agrees Andy Trask, co-founder of Geek Housecalls. Only two years ago, he says, his computer-repair company had no hard-drive-recovery business to speak of, but late last year Geek Housecalls opened a new lab for just that purpose — "the machines in our general lab were all getting tied up by recovery projects." Trask attributes the growing failure rate less to the quality of the hard drives than to the increasing number of aging computers still in use. Rather than upgrade the whole machine, he observes, customers with one eye on their tech budget often squeeze a little more service from older PCs by adding memory and upgrading the operating system, while ignoring the hard drive. That's ironic, says Trask, considering the attitude that users have toward their data today. Only a few years ago, he says, most customers who brought in a damaged hard drive simply wanted it wiped clean. But today, he observes, "with irreplaceable digital family photos and painstakingly acquired music libraries practically standard on any home machine, people are less likely to have a trash-it-all attitude." That may go double for a key computer at a smaller business. "We haven't had to hire crisis counselors yet," adds Trask, "although our service geeks end up in that role — they're like bartenders and hairdressers in some respects." read more... or Return to top of page

MARCH 2006: Technewsworld.com Andy Trask, co-founder of Geek Housecalls in Lexington, Mass., explained that the industry is riding on a wave of consumer frustration. "Consumers encounter so many problems, they become sick of it and decide to call somebody to fix them," he told CRM Buyer. "If your toilet backs up, the first couple of days you might plunge it, but by the time you get to day three or day four, you're going to call a plumber." read more... or Return to top of page

MARCH 2006: PR - Geek Housecalls expands to nationwide service Burlington, MA (PRWEB) March 23, 2006 -- Geek Housecalls, Inc. the New England region’s original traveling geeks is now offering in-home computer service to frustrated home computer users nationwide. This service, offered under Geek Housecalls’ “Not Just Any Geek” brand provides a way for customers in major metropolitan areas outside of New England to experience the level of world-class home computer service that Geek Housecalls’ local customers have enjoyed for the past five years. Andy Trask and Dave Ehlke, Geek Housecalls’ co-founders, are excited about the opportunity to help customers all over the United States, and with good reason. With individuals, families, and small businesses having an ever-greater appetite for more complex installations and uses, the home computer has vaulted to the forefront of essential home technologies and from that position, has become one incredible source of frustration for users. Ehlke states; “There was a time in the past, when home computers were owned exclusively by either computer geeks, or people who saw it as a luxury or status symbol to be placed in a home office and occasionally dusted off.” “But that time is over,” reports Trask, “The home computer has become a fundamental necessity of modern home life, and not just for entertainment.” And indeed, the home computer is gradually replacing a whole host of household essentials ranging from dictionaries and encyclopedias to cookbooks, record and CD libraries, and photo albums. Andy adds “many families today have converted entirely to digital photography which means that precious and irreplaceable family photos of aging parents and young children are being trusted to this box under the table -- and to the people who service that box.” read more... or Return to top of page

MARCH 2006: Technewsworld.com Despite growing complexities with securing WiFi, the message about the dangers of leaving the door unlocked to home networks appears to be sinking in, according to Andy Trask, co-founder of Geek Housecalls, a PC support company in Lexington, Mass. "We're finding fewer wireless networks unsecured than we have found in the past," he told TechNewsWorld. He said there's been an awareness push, both by the media warning of dangers of open networks and by manufacturers, making it easier for end users to implement security. "In the early days of WiFi -- 2002, 2003 -- most of the security didn't work on the stuff that was being sold," he said. "People's early experience was they'd have networks that worked great, then they'd turn on security, and the thing would just croak." read more... or Return to top of page

AUGUST 2005: PR - Geek Housecalls acquires Rhode Island's Downcity Systems BURLINGTON, MA and PROVIDENCE, RI (PRWEB) August 3, 2005 -- Geek Housecalls, Inc. today announced it has acquired Downcity Systems of Providence in response to increasing demand for computer help in Rhode Island. As part of the acquisition, Geek Housecalls named Jeffrey Cavanaugh, the founder of Downcity Systems, as the General Manager of Geek Housecalls’ Rhode Island Operations. This acquisition follows Geek Housecalls’ April release at the Rhode Island Business Expo announcing the formation of Geek Officecalls to focus on the unique requirements of small business customers. Recently, Jeff was on-hand with Geek Housecalls co-founders Andy Trask and Dave Ehlke for the opening of Geek Housecalls’ new, larger office at One Richmond Square located on the Seekonk River. “This is a great location for us,” reported Andy, “it’s close to the heart of the city but still gives us quick access to our customers in suburban Rhode Island and South Coast Massachusetts communities. Besides,” he jokes, “with easy access to the river, in a pinch we could always swim to our East Bay customers when the traffic on 195 becomes unbearable!” “We’re excited that Jeff is aboard,” said Dave Ehlke, “With his strong technical experience and proven leadership, he’ll really energize our Providence office and help spread the word about Geek Housecalls and Geek Officecalls to all the corners of Rhode Island.” Adding, “it’s important to us that Rhode Islanders understand we’re a local company with local roots and interests and not some big national chain store.” “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help grow Geek Housecalls and Geek Officecalls in Rhode Island, and equally excited to offer Downcity Systems’ customers the expanded flexibility and responsiveness of Geek Housecalls’ famous same-day or 24-hour service response,” says Jeff. “Also, having access to the knowledge and experience of the 50+ geeks on the Geek Housecalls staff will certainly help me bring the level of professional computer service that has been the hallmark of Geek Housecalls, into the homes and small businesses of my Rhode Island neighbors.” Jeff Cavanaugh is a Rhode Island “native geek” who grew up in Pawtucket, is a graduate of Shea High School, and holds the very geeky degree of “BS in Physics and Applied Math” from the University of Rhode Island. He currently calls the East Side of Providence home. read more... or Return to top of page

JULY 2005: RITEC - Every Company Counts The company began as a response to Andy’s father-in-law’s constant requests for “house calls” to fix his PC or reinstall Windows following housecleaning gone awry!He and Dave began brainstorming and started the company partly to become independent (breaking free of “cubicle life” at larger corporations), but mainly because they saw a tremendous need for friendly, responsive, quality services that wasn’t available from manufacturers, superstores and other service providers.Using guerrilla-marketing techniques, they started out by driving up and down Mass Ave. in Lexington and Arlington MA, posting advertising flyers in pizza shops and Laundromats and waiting for the phone to ring.They initially called themselves “Rent a Geek” but driven by the fact that the website was already taken, “Geek Housecalls” was born! Dave’s background is in the computer service industry with over 30 years of experience, serving Fortune 1000 size organizations.Andy has been a “geek” his whole life, even as a young child experimenting with electronics and eventually evolving into a Technical Support and Software Quality professional.Both Andy and Dave love meeting people face-to-face and helping them solve their computer problems.Dave says, “We’re in the frustration relief business.By the time many of our customers call us, they’ve already tried several approaches to solving their computer problem and have become extremely frustrated. Our job is to relieve that frustration.” read more... or Return to top of page

MAY 2005: Entrepreneur.com "From a computer standpoint, you don't need the latest and greatest. It can be one or two steps behind," says Dave Ehlke, president and co-founder of Boston-area computer consulting firm Geek Housecalls. A few basic guidelines: Look for a Pentium 4 processor, at least 512MB memory, a 60GB hard drive and a re-writable CD/DVD combo drive. Ehlke points to memory as an important factor. "Memory is one way you can crank up the performance on your computer," Ehlke says. "You shouldn't shortchange any of your computers on memory." Next, you need a monitor. The days of the old-fashioned CRT are fading as flat-panel LCDs have hit new levels of affordability and quality. They're easy on the eyes, easy on space and fit almost any budget. Today's laptops are right on the heels of desktops when it comes to power and performance. There's an array of options, from desktop replacements to ultraportables. A desktop replacement notebook may be a bit weighty, but it will have at least a 17-inch LCD and comparable punch to a regular desktop. Ultraportables are ideal for frequent travelers but cost several hundred dollars more than their heavier brethren. Decide how often you will carry your laptop around to see if the extra cash outlay is worth it. One key feature that is sometimes overlooked is the warranty. "Laptops are more prone to problems. I would definitely get at least a three-year warranty," says Ehlke. Find out what the manufacturer offers, and consider upping it at the time of purchase. You'll also need some basic software. Ehlke recommends going with Windows XP. Windows XP Professional is preferable to the Home edition if you plan to network computers. The Microsoft Office suite will cover the bases for word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail and scheduling. Security software is an absolute must, including anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall. McAfee, Norton and ZoneAlarm are some well-known providers. read more... or Return to top of page

FEBRUARY 2005: The Boston Globe ...Geek Housecalls Inc., whose technicians wear the requisite geek uniform -- a denim shirt with plastic pocket protector -- began to advertise its business in 2001 by plastering fliers in storefronts up and down Mass. Ave. Today, they're running a radio commercial, complete with jingle read more... or Return to top of page

JANUARY 2005: The Daily Candy You rejected more than one in high school. Politely declined the prom invite, you did. The offer to write your term paper. The request to walk you home. But the geek is back. And he’s on his way to your house. Right now. And you will have him. You will do anything. Because your screen blinks at you. Your mouse — frozen. That’s right, your lifeblood, your pipeline to efficiency and success. Your computer whacked out. So you call Geek Housecalls, a brigade of highly trained and proud-to-be-a-nerd computer specialists. They’ll come to your house within 24 hours armed with disk drives, modems, and enough brainpower to make your knees buckle. These geeks have replaced their pocket protectors with macho memory chips, bifocals with keen cybervision. read more... or Return to top of page

JUNE 2004: The Boston Globe Not so long ago, the name "geek" was one to be avoided. But now the wearers of pocket protectors, flood pants, and thick glasses have acquired a certain geek mystique - so cool, in fact that two companies are battling in federal court over who has the right to be called "geek." The Geek Squad Inc. of Minneapolis, a unit of retailing giant Best Buy Co., recently filed suit in US District Court in Boston against Geek Housecalls Inc. of Lexington, charging trademark infringement. Both firms provide technical support for home computers. In its complaint, the older Minnesota company claims the Massachusetts company adopted a similar name to capitalize on its established reputation and business. But Dave Ehlke, the founder of Geek Housecalls with 30 years in the technology business, said he and his partner, Andy Trask, adopted the name for two reasons: "We're geeks. And we make housecalls." read more... or Return to top of page

APRIL 2004: Networkcomputing.com Dear Career Coach From where I sit, reports of an uptick in tech hiring have been grossly exaggerated. Despite eight years' experience, I've had nary a nibble. Got tips? DECIDEDLY DESPERATE read more... or Return to top of page

MARCH 2004: The Boston Globe Paul Gosselin is battling the mother of all viruses. Furiously clicking his way through the operating system on his customer's personal computer, he squashes cookies, pop-up ad files, and viruses with abandon. Then he encounters the big one. Gosselin's antivirus program triggers a counterattack by the virus that shuts the computer down. The "blue screen of death" flashes up. He tries again and again, but the virus is winning. In a final, stealth attempt, he hunts down the virus file, renames it, and slays the opponent. The day's spoils: 1,136 pieces of spyware and 42 viruses. "It had Ebola," Gosselin tells Meredith Judge about her family computer. "One of the worst ones I've seen." Another day's work for Gosselin, an employee of Geek Housecalls and one man in the burgeoning army of overqualified, unemployed, or free-spirited computer technicians being deployed to front porches around the country. Gosselin is a Harvard MBA-turned-computer nerd laid off from his prior full-time job. This new breed of tradesman can solve the technical problems of increasingly wired homes with PCs, laptops, personal digital assistants, BlackBerrys, DVD players, cable, faxes, printers, cellphones, and the wireless web. For many tech-savvy households, the services of these itinerant professionals have become indispensable in an era when expectations of what technology can do are rising and the machinery has become too complex for the average person to manage. They can remove a carpet of dog hair from any hard drive vent, one of numerous computer-related tasks awaiting them in the American home. They restore old computers, set up new ones, network multiple home computers, install and smooth out programs, organize tangles of cables, debug, kill viruses, train, even customize computers to fit the quirks of any family configuration. read more... or Return to top of page

OCTOBER 2003: Mass High tech People are often uncomfortable or embarrassed to call Dave Ehlke and his team by their titles. On one occasion when Ehlke dispatched a technician to answer a call, a young man answered the door before announcing, "Mom, the geeks are here." The flustered lady of the house apologized, but Ehlke says no apology is necessary. He and his co-workers are proud to be called geeks. "Even our dispatcher refers to us as geeks," he says. Ehlke and Andy Trask, a pair of technology veterans, founded Geek Housecalls in late 2001 and it has since become one of the biggest businesses of its kind in the Boston area. They boast 2,400 current customers and 200 new ones every month. The business plan is simple - home and small business computer users who run into technical difficulties can call Geek Housecalls, which will send over an expert technician to solve the problem. The bonus is that all work is done in homes or offices, by generalists or specialists, depending on the problem. The idea came when Ehlke and Trask, often called on to provide computer fixes for families and friends, realized people didn't want to unplug their desktops and lug them to a store, or sit for hours on hold waiting for someone to answer a tech hotline call. Providing computer problem-solving housecalls seemed like a good idea then, and a great one now. Customers range in age from teens to elderly users in assisted living homes, while Geek Housecalls services all of eastern Massachusetts, going as far west as Worcester and down into Rhode Island. "We like to say we're in the frustration relief business," Ehlke says. read more... or Return to top of page

SEPTEMBER 2003: PR - Geek Housecalls Announces 2000th Customer LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003 Geek Housecalls, Inc., today announces that they recently achieved a major milestone in their growth by serving their 2000th customer since the company was founded just over two years ago. Geek Housecalls' skilled professional computer geeks travel to customers' homes and small businesses in the Greater Boston and Greater Providence areas to solve computer problems and help customers better use their computers. Newton-based human resource consultant, Heather Edelman, was the 2000th customer served by Geek Housecalls. Heather Edelman said, "I knew that in order to manage the growth of my small business it would be critical to have an efficient and effective way to manage my time and contacts so I decided to install ACT, the contact management system, on my computer. While I had a basic understanding of ACT's capabilities, I wanted to be able to maximize its benefits. I turned to Geek Housecalls, which had been recommended by a business associate. Several days later, I was being trained on the key features of ACT by one of their experts and was able to begin using the program to its fullest immediately. Based on this experience, I know I'll be a repeat customer for Geek Housecalls." Dave Ehlke, one of the co-founders of Geek Housecalls said, "Heather's experience with Geek Housecalls is representative of our small business customers. She has a business that is dependent on the use of her computer. She came from a larger company and was accustomed to readily having onsite technical support available when she needed it. In her own business now she recognizes the value of having Geek Housecalls providing that same level of on-call service at her office." "We're in the frustration relief business, and it's no secret there are a lot of frustrated computer users out there," added Andy Trask, Geek Housecalls co-founder. "Our special focus on small businesses and home PC users and our commitment to giving those often single-PC users world-class onsite service has resulted in something I consider to be a bit of a business phenomenon -- we don't just have customers, we have fans! They love what we do and we love doing it! Return to top of page

AUGUST 2002: Columbus Business Journal ...manage your technology. "I've known plenty of small business owners that get so caught up in the implementation of the technology that their business suffers," says Andy Trask, one of the co-founders of Geek Housecalls Inc., an on-site computer-support company in Lexington, Mass. For often less than $100 dollars an hour, he says, you can hire a technology expert to come to your office and help you manage system errors, organize your e-mail box, or maintain your network. read more... or Return to top of page

AUGUST 2002: Boston Business Journal Call them geeks, and Dave Ehlke and Andy Trask swear they won't be offended. In fact, when it comes to solving the assorted computer-related crises of their clients -- everything from nasty viruses to system crashes -- these computer geeks are more like computer gods. Dubbing themselves "GeekMaster" and "Head Geek," respectively, Ehlke and Trask are the brains behind Lexington-based Geek Housecalls Inc., which makes computer service-related house calls to small businesses and homes, as well as community groups and nonprofits. These groups -- usually consisting of one to 25 people with no on-site tech support for their computers and networks -- are typically underserved by larger IT services companies, Ehlke said. read more... or Return to top of page