Computer Support Blog

Artsy, a cool product on the web, has made it its mission to use the Internet to make the world of high art accessible to anyone that wants to experience it.  Artsy collects art internationally by partnering with major galleries to keep an online database where anyone can search for, learn about, or view specific artwork that is for sale.  They have also formed partnerships with several museums and foundations to provide online access to public art that is not for sale, but enthusiasts may still want to view and discover online in high quality. Currently, Artsy claims to have over 50,000 pieces collected on their site for viewing.  The site offers users a multitude of ways to filter the content on the site to suit their specific interests.  The site sorts works by medium, subject material, style, price, movement, geographical origin and time period.  Artsy tries to ensure than anyone can easily find their specific tastes within the site’s ever-growing database.  If you have trouble navigating the site, call for PC support services. Read more »

People sharing and renting each other’s property is a growing trend in the consumer web space.  Companies like Airbnb have people share their apartments and extra rooms so others don’t have to use hotel services.  Cool product Qraft wants to take this trend and apply it to recreational vehicles and items that its website refers to as “adventure” related.  This includes alternative transportation like boats, planes, RVs, and motorbikes.  Qraft also has a section for users to rent out hiking, climbing, and camping gear for those who prefer to have their adventures on foot.   What makes a Qraft potentially very profitable for its users is that these items and vehicles often go unused for months at a time.  That means that people can rent their items out often and make a profit on their recreational toys.  These items are often very costly and see very limited use, but with Qraft, a user could theoretically get much more out of their investment in an item like a boat or RV.  Recreational vehicle owners who want to rent their items out but struggle with the web will want online PC support to help them. Read more »

There is constant discussion in education circles about how to use technology to improve students’ experience and performance.  New startup and cool product Quizlet is directly addressing this issue with its online tools to aid children in studying.  Quizlet attempts to take the stress and tedium out of studying by solving two problems: the consolidation material that a student needs to study and the engagement of the student in the studying process.   Quizlet solves the first problem by allowing students, teachers, or parents to input their own study sets so only the necessary information gets into Quizlet’s system.  This cool product solves the second problem by turning the information provided into a series of games that randomize the material to optimize it for multiple playthroughs.  Each time a user adds a study set to the Quizlet website, they also post it publicly for any others who may want to use it.  This makes it easier for teachers to utilize Quizlet for their classes, as they can simply link students to the appropriate study set to ensure all students are studying the correct material. If you ever have trouble uploading study sets onto their website, remote tech support should be able to help you. Read more »

The video entertainment industry has seen a massive shift in its business model over the last several years thanks to the success of subscription-based streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon.  Following these changes, music-streaming services like Spotify and Rdio also grew rapidly and proved the subscription model works for music as well as video.  However, there is one form of entertainment that until recently was still untouched by the purely digital subscription model: books.  Cool product Oyster wants to change that with a monthly subscription model for eBooks.  The team at Oyster has seen that the market proves that subscription-based entertainment is a viable business model and they want to prove that eBooks are the next form of entertainment that can benefit from this system.  Currently, they offer a monthly subscription where users can access any of their library of 100,000 books on any iOS device as often as they want.  If you have concerns about using your Apple products to read books, find Apple tech support to learn more.  Read more »

There are many question and answer services on the Internet, but cool person in technology Chester Yeum believes that there is an inherent flaw in all of them: they don’t let you choose who can answer your questions.  In response to this problem, Yeum founded Quextit, a question and answer website that lets users set restrictions on who can answer the queries they post.  Unlike public question and answer sites where anyone can answer users’ inquiries regardless of their credentials, Quextit lets users target potential answerers by age, gender, ethnicity, language, educational experience, job, marital status and location.  This means that users won’t get unfit answers from a man with only a high school diploma if the question they’re obviously aiming their question at women with PhDs.  Yeum wants users to be comfortable asking questions on his website.  He believes targeted questions are the best way to do this, as well as ensure that users get answers as relevant as possible when they use the site.  If you have problems creating your profile or using the Quextit interface, contact online tech support to get help.  Read more »

Starting any company from scratch is difficult, but founding a hardware startup comes with its own unique set of challenges that make it especially difficult—manufacturing costs, distribution problems, and shipping concerns are just the most obvious of these.  That’s why cool person in technology Scott N. Miller runs Dragon Innovation to help new hardware startups ship their first products.  Miller has run Dragon Innovation for many years as a consultancy firm for hardware startups that need help due to inexperience with manufacturing physical products at scale.  However, recently Miller has taken his company in a slightly different direction to set itself apart from other firms.  Miller has added a crowdfunding aspect to Dragon Innovation’s business model and is utilizing this new trend to enable his firm’s clients to succeed.  Read more »

Many founders and CEOs can attest to how running just one business can consume someone’s life.  That’s why cool person in technology Tony Stubblebine stands out in his field.  For him, one tech startup was not enough, he actively runs two.  In 2007, Stubblebine founded CrowdVine, a company that creates web-based social networks for conferences and company events.  That company grew over the years and remained successful, but in 2011, Stubblebine decided that he needed more.  He had another idea that he wanted to nurture and grow into a successful business.  That idea was Lift, an iPhone app that assists users in forming and maintaining good habits such as exercising, eating healthy, and keeping in touch with old friends.  Some founders and CEOs would have left one company to start another, or even sold their first venture to support the next, but Stubblebine continues to work as the head of both businesses. Read more »

Geotagging has become a useful tool for many consumer technology startups and services. Travel and hospitality websites and applications see the ability to attach information to specific locations digitally as a way to add new features and increase convenience for their customers.  However, cool person in technology Pedro Valdeolmillos doesn’t think geotagging’s benefits should be limited to locations on land.  Valdeolmillos founded tech company Bloosee to help sea-lovers take advantage of this technology as well.  Read more »

Safety on the road is an issue that has proven to be difficult to address. Many people don’t take the time to evaluate how their children develop as drivers or even reflect on their own driving practices.  People also often miss important maintenance deadlines on their car because they aren’t keeping track of what their car needs. This can lead to breakdowns and mechanical failures that cause accidents.  However, cool product Zubie is trying to solve these problems with an electronic device that monitors your car with the help of a companion mobile app for your iPad or iPhone.  Zubie keeps track of your car’s condition and its location so you can ensure that nothing goes wrong with it. You can read your car’s status on the smartphone app that pairs with your Zubie “key”.  You install the Zubie key in your car and then receive updates about potential issues through the app.  Those who need help using the Zubie app should get help from smartphone PC support. Read more »

External batteries for the extended use of mobile devices have grown in popularity over the last few years.  Power users who travel frequently like having constant access to an extra power source so they don’t disconnect at inconvenient times.  Unfortunately, not unlike smartphones themselves, these external batteries can sometimes be quite fragile.  Zendure CEO and founder Bryan Liu has developed an external battery where durability should not be a concern.  Liu calls these batteries the A-series.  Zendure is aiming these products at those who want extra charge for their mobile devices on the go, but don’t want to worry about carrying around another easily breakable electronic accessory. Liu is a cool person in technology who wants to solve this type of problem for consumers. Read more »