Computer Support Blog

It is developer’s conference time!  Following on the heels of Apple’s Developer’s Conference and the All Things D D10 Conference, where guests from all across the tech sector and media spoke, Google’s annual I/O Conference will start on June 27 in San Francisco, California.  The three day conference is sold-out and is expected to include a slew of new product releases that should reach the marketplace by the end of the year.  Rumored products being announced at the I/O Conference this year include: Read more »

Computer programmers are essential to the tech sector, which is why many tech companies try to recruit talented programmers right out of college and many tech companies provide their programmers with uncommon perks (the legendary Google cafeteria, for example).  The life of a software programmer can be a series of odd contradictions: long solitary hours of working alone on coding paired with massive collaborative efforts where a single programmer’s work is buried, without credit, within a larger project.  Most programmers seem to accept that as the reality of the job, joining large firms for the job stability and regular paycheck, content with the tradeoff that their names are unlikely ever to be recognized, even in the software programming community.  That, however, is not the path that Thomas Tempelmann took! Read more »

While there are many companies in the tech sector whose names and products are easily recognizable – Microsoft, Google, and Apple, for example – there are other companies whose names are frequently mentioned, but their product lines remain a mystery to the general population.  For example, many Americans would probably say they have heard of Oracle and know that it is a big business within the tech sector.  The population would be dramatically smaller, though, of Americans who could identify a specific product from Oracle.  In a similar fashion, “Quest” often appears on technology and business updates, but what the multibillion dollar company produces is unclear to many who do not have direct dealings with the company. Read more »

Today’s software companies face a number of challenges that software companies did not have, or were not as extreme, thirty years ago.  Now, in addition to increased competition, software companies face licensing issues, increased piracy, and more intense marketing campaigns to remain commercially successful.  That is why software companies need corporate leadership from an individual who truly understands the complexities of international economics.  Software manufacturer Avanquest has Roger Bloxberg! Read more »

California is the home to so many tech sector jobs that it is almost hard to believe that anywhere else in the country would have any tech jobs that needed filling!  Part of the reason so many start-ups and enduring tech sector businesses take root in California is because of the colleges.  Some of the world’s most renowned universities for science and technology are located in California: UCLA, Stanford, and the University of California at Berkeley, to name a few.  Many businesses work to recruit ambitious, technical-minded employees right out of college.  That is what happened with Alicia Chen. Read more »

Well before the rise of Angry Birds, there was a puzzle game that filled the niche left by Tetris finally waning in popularity.  But while Angry Birds might have captured the public’s attention because of its fun (and merchandisable) animation, many serious gamers who love puzzle games remain enchanted by the game that preceded Angry Birds.  That game is Hexic and it remains as cool as it ever was. Read more »

Have you ever wondered just what kind of person it takes to design a puzzle game?  Who comes up with things like Rubik’s Cubes and Tetris and Angry Birds?  It takes an incredible, special mind to create a puzzle game that becomes a phenomenon.  Alexey Pajitnov is that exact type of imaginative thinker who can make a brilliant puzzle using only his imagination. Read more »

The ability to read and type are two essential skills one must have in order to use computers and the Internet.  While there are many adult literacy programs both on the Internet and in many communities, there are fewer volunteer services that teach adults to type.  As a result, many adults have to learn on their own.  Some of the most popular software in the marketplace is typing software, but a lot of typing software is tailored to teaching young children and teenagers to type.  For adults who want to learn to type on their computer, one of the most enduring and popular programs in the marketplace is Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Platinum. Read more »

One of the truly wonderful things about computers today is that they have enough power and programming to allow you to do just about anything, provided you have the right programs.  No longer are consumers limited by highly-pixelated monitors, graphics cards that lack power or processors that keep you waiting hours to render a single image or program.  With today’s fast-running computers, you can accurately envision almost any task, including home and landscaping alterations.  When you purchase HGTV Ultimate Home Design, you can see how any home and garden project should come out before you ever purchase supplies or reach for your tool belt! Read more »

It is hard not to love food.  In addition to being fuel for our bodies, food can be delicious, artistic, and promote a sense of community.  Whether you are on a diet or enjoy cooking for family and friends, so long as you are cooking food, there is no more essential tool than a good cookbook.  In recent years, the tech sector has contributed to reducing kitchen clutter by developing online cookbooks and cooking software.  One of the more useful pieces of software for cooking is MasterCook 11. Read more »