Computer Support Blog

Having to live far away from loved ones at any given time, whether it’s someone’s parents, siblings, or significant other, can be very hard to handle on a personal level.  The Internet has made the struggle much easier to cope with thanks to all the communication tools it provides.  Video calls, instant messages, and social networks all provide communication with loved ones when they are far away.  However, one of the original forms of Internet communication remains one of the most popular for long-distance communication—email.  Now, a cool person in technology wants to turn all the email conversations people have with their loved ones into meaningful mementos. Read more »

Hotels often live and die by their reputation.  The famous star rating system and referrals from previous travelers are what bring most people to the lobbies of hotels all around the world.  Reputation is key in the hospitality business and the opinion of a hotel’s guests dictates its reputation.  Now, there is a cool product in technology that helps hotels connect better with their customers.  GuestDriven gives hotels the tools to engage and provide for their guests to gain insight into what they need to improve their experience.  GuestDriven then also encourages guests to become brand ambassadors, spreading the good word about particular locations to other potential customers and improving overall business for the hotel.  GuestDriven accomplishes all of these goals through mobile technology.  Read more »

While many creative professionals have benefitted immensely from cloud-based services, product designers and concept artists who render their work in 3D have been stuck using the same complicated and expensive software that would require extensive tech support for any non-professional to use.  Products like Google Docs and Adobe’s Cloud Suite have allowed writers and designers, respectively, to do all their work without even needing a native program at times.  While dedicated programs like Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop are more robust and provide more overall options, many writers and designers take advantage of cloud alternatives every year.  Creative workers who use software that requires more computing power, such as product designers who create 3D rendering of prototypes, have had to deal without such convenient alternatives.  However, that does not appear to be the case any longer.  Cool person in technology Thiago Costa founded his company to provide photo-realistic 3D rendering in the cloud.  Finally, product designers and 3D artists can experience the same conveniences enjoyed by other creative professionals. Read more »

Before the Internet, people’s only real option for finding a respectable quality babysitter or nanny was most often simple word-of-mouth.  Times have certainly changed, as babysitters and nannies often advertise their services on sites like Craigslist.  However, the results from these general posting sites come out mixed at best.  Families are just as likely to get an awful sitter as a great one.  However, cool product UrbanSitter may be able to change the situation for families that seek babysitting help on the Internet.  Read more »

The percentage of Internet traffic that comes from mobile users steadily increases every business quarter and every year.  People engage with the web on their phones and tablets just as much as they do through a standard desktop or laptop.  In many cases, people use their mobile devices even more than their PCs or Macs. Companies need to do as much as possible to accommodate the growing mobile marketplace if they want to advertise their products, services or content successfully.  While major corporations have the resources to develop mobile applications  for themselves and their subsidiaries, privately owned small businesses find themselves at a disadvantage in the age of mobile technology These smaller companies often don’t have the internal business computer services and resources to easily develop mobile versions of their website.  However, thanks to cool product PadSquad, these companies have another option. Read more »

Storage can be a serious pain.  Whether it’s because someone is a college student and constantly moving back and forth between school and home, or because someone has recently moved to a smaller home in a new city on temporary basis, finding adequate storage options that are affordable and convenient is often difficult.  Storage centers often end up in remote areas due to the required space, and it is not always simple to retrieve stored material from them.  This reality is why so many people choose to have friends or relatives hold items for them if they live close by to the area.  It’s easy to pick something up stored in a garage.  Now, there is a cool product named StowThat that depends on a business model where anyone with convenient, extra storage space can rent that space to those who want to avoid traditional storage units. Read more »

Repair costs and quality for any type of machinery can be seriously nerve-racking.  Whether it’s computer repair, appliance repair or anything else, there is a general fear among consumers that repairs will cost too much or not last for very long once complete.

Cool person in technology Art Shaw knows this issue is especially prominent when it comes to automobile repair.  Shaw founded RepairPal to aid consumers in finding good quality car repair for fair prices.  Shaw’s company provides people with an online directory of mechanics, all with grades on quality from both RepairPal and previous customers.  Shaw wants people to use RepairPal to become more educated on care repair shops and avoid an unfortunate situation where a bad shop rips a customer off with poor work on their automobile.  In theory, by using RepairPal consumers will be able determine which shops produce excellent repair work. Read more »

Many corporate executives once dismissed online video back in the early age of the Internet.  However, it has now become a viable alternative to mainstream television and media for many people.  Sites like YouTube, Hulu, DailyMotion, and others have all helped users create content viewed by thousands daily without the help of major corporations.  This shift in media has allowed many people to start producing content with only their computer and creative ideas.

One popular type of user-created content found on video sites is the talk-show format.  Many people record interviews, product and media reviews, and discussions on video sites.  Users usually post these talk shows on a regular weekly or monthly schedule similarly to television.  This emulation of the studio style talk show has managed to get many creators viewers and fans. Still, the quality of the video is lacking when compared to similar shows on television.  This difference in quality is not surprising with such high production value for TV.  The good news is that a cool product named Vumanity may be able to change that for many content creators on the web. Read more »

Once of the few inconveniences of shopping online is the way in which the process limits the possible payment methods for customers.  Due to the nature of the system, customers must always pay with a credit or debit card when making any sort of payment online, whether it be a loan payment, rent, or just the purchase of a t-shirt.  This makes sense, of course, because there’s no viable way for users to pay with cash online.  At least, that was the belief until cool person in technology Danny Shader founded his new startup PayNearMe to give people the chance to pay for online items with cash.  Read more »

Making an impulse decision to do something nice for a loved one or a family member is hardly a rare occurrence.  While expending extra effort to do something thoughtful for another person usually isn’t really an inconvenience, it is unlikely that anyone will complain about a service that tries to make it easier to do so.  Cool person in technology David Bladow has created such a service with his Internet company BloomThat. Read more »