Computer Support Blog

Despite what all of the major computer and smartphone manufacturers might want you to believe about their products, there is one of the bestselling computer products in the world that they do not manufacture.  The computer device that is facing almost no competition from any of the major manufacturers is the LeapPad.  The LeapPad is an educational tool that LeapFrog designed to look like a tablet computer, but is programmed exclusively with educational software for children from ages 3 – 9.  This is a noble idea, but it is hard for educators not to be wary of it. Read more »

Earlier this year, earnings reports from 2011 revealed that Apple had become the world’s most profitable company.  Exceeding the profits from Exxon-Mobile, Apple Computers reached the zenith of both the tech sector and the business world.  Ever since, every major player in the tech industry has worked to chip away at the exceptional market dominance Apple possesses in almost every niche in which it competes.  While some manufacturers hope to sue Apple out of the number one spot, others are simply offering Apple more competition.  Part of Microsoft’s strategy is to more directly compete with Apple products in markets it had ceded.  With that, Microsoft is re-entering the tablet computer market! Read more »

Not long ago, we presented a list of common computer components that wear out as part of the natural use of one’s computer.  While power supplies, monitors, charging ports, and CPU fans are frequent causes of headaches for computer owners, they are not the only computer parts that are likely to fail over time as you use your computer.  Other computer components that frequently fail include: Read more »

With the release of the latest iteration of Apple’s iPad, there are new accessories one has to consider!  While many of the accessories for the prior iPad releases still fit the new iPad, if you are upgrading the hardware, why not give your accessories an upgrade to reflect your current sense of fashion?  One of the first, and coolest, accessories specifically released for the new iPad is the MagFolio For iPad. Read more »

As technology has improved and advanced, advertisers have worked very hard to find new ways to exploit it.  Especially with new forms of communication technology, advertisers try to integrate product placement and utilize the new mediums to reach tech users.  For those who lived through the meteoric rise of the Internet, the days of slow modems also meant a time when you could go online and not be bombarded by advertisements all over your screen.  The video game market has been one that is much tougher for advertisers to crack into.  Advertisers want to reach the demographic, as video game players spend several hours at a time focused on gameplay, when they are not interacting with any other medium upon which they could encounter advertisements.  Xbox Live is now trying to get users to “play through” advertisements from big businesses. Read more »

In the wake of the National Traffic Safety Board’s proposal that each state pass a law to outright ban the use of electronic devices while driving and the revelation that Carrier IQ has been acquiring deeply personal data through its smartphone programming, it is hard not to feel jaded about technology right now.  The National Traffic Safety Board had absolutely the right idea in its proposal.  Unfortunately, if left up to the states or the federal government, it might take some time for government to act.  As penance for the Carrier IQ scandal, the smartphone industry should be compelled to make technology do what law enforcement has not. 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 »

The Internet has been vital to launching many businesses.  As a sales channel, the World Wide Web connects even small businesses with a potentially vast customer base.  The smartest, most modern businesses today utilize the Internet to sell their products and keep their customers informed and engaged.  Ju-ju-be.com makes incredibly good use of the Internet as it is one of the most dynamic, fun websites for new parents.  The success of Ju-ju-be.com comes in no small part Kristin Hunziker. Read more »

The Internet has a way of getting people to give out their personal information to corporations, which can be problematic for consumers.  In addition to providing manufacturers with an incredible amount of personal information for their own purposes, you may get bombarded with spam as a result of trying to win an online contest or filling out a survey on the Internet.  But, for the cunning, thrifty consumer, the Internet can be a portal to a happy birthday by providing freebies and incentives. Read more »

In this day in age, it is hard not to look at pop psychology with anything but disdain.  Unlike legitimate psychotherapy – which treats the human mind like a complex organ and human motivations as a complex series of events, triggers, consequences, and conditioned reactions – pop psychology creates simple, generic answers for virtually every situation or conditioned.  Pop psychology and the mentality that all mental disorders can be mitigated with medication, has largely been reinforced by the speed and access to information that the Internet represents.  Fortunately, People Mapping is not pop psychology. Read more »