Computer Support Blog

Anyone who’s ever driven into a big city such as New York or Los Angeles for a major event and tried to find parking at the last minute knows how much of a struggle the process can be for a driver.  Street parking fills up incredibly quickly, leaving parking garages and paid lots as the only options.  However, even those garages and lots fill up very often and sometimes charge more for a spot when demand is high.  Cool product in technology SpotHero wants to solve this issue for drivers by helping them pre-book parking spots before ever getting into their cars.  Read more »

For many people, one of the greatest advantages of mobile technology is the ability to find whatever they need when they are out in the physical world.  The ability to look up the closest gas station when someone’s car is running low or finding the nearest ATM when a person’s wallet is thin are some of the greatest advantages of mobile computing.  Cool person in technology Jim Brady founded Earthcomber to push these advantages even further and make it even easier for people to find what they need with their smartphones and tablets.  Earthcomber finds the services and locations that users want to know about automatically.  Brady’s technology uses GPS to detect where people are when using their phones.  Earthcomber then finds the places closest to a user that will be most helpful to them based on their profile.  If users indicate they like to know where the nearest banks are whenever traveling, Earthcomber will automatically find them without them having to search for it.  Users can also set the app to detect things like restaurants, gas stations, hotels or even locations with free Wi-Fi.  If Earthcomber isn’t detecting locations properly for a user, that person should consult a smartphone computer repair professional about the phone’s GPS. Read more »

One issue that hiking enthusiasts face when they travel across the country to conquer many different hiking trails is that quite a few major trails lead to places where no cell phone signal exists.  No phone signal means the GPS function of many smartphones becomes useless.  Cool product Gaia GPS allows users to download GPS data for specific hiking trails so they can use the maps and data points even when they have no Internet connection out in the wilderness.  Gaia GPS is available on the web, on iPhone and on Android devices.  People can load the data for their particular hiking trail or trip on the app beforehand and then access the maps they need while hiking.  Any people who have trouble operating the app on their smartphones or tablets should get mobile IT support to help. Read more »

Everybody likes a little surprise in their day.  At least that sentiment is what the creators of cool technology product Doot are counting on with their location-based smartphone messaging service.  Doot lets users leave messages with their smartphone that tie themselves to specific location.  When one of your friends comes to that same location, their phone notifies them and shows them your message. Your friend gets a surprise message about where they are and hopefully find the surprise interaction fun and whimsical.  Users can post public messages to all of their friends or direct specific messages at particular people.  Doot integrates with Facebook so you can leave messages for all your friends and contacts as soon as you download the app.  If you have had trouble with Facebook connected software before, remote computer support may be able to help you. Read more »

Jump2Spot is a cool product in technology that operates on the idea that every geographic location has a story worth telling.  The team at Jump2Spot wants to share those stories and make them easily accessible to the world with the help of mobile technology.  With the combination of intense research and geotagging technology, Jump2Spot has mapped over 70,000 moments and stories to their location.  Those who want to learn the stories that a place holds can go online or on the Jump2Spot iPhone app and search through a location’s moments.  Moments can be things like groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs, important political happenings, or even something as simple as a major public figure or celebrity visiting a store or a restaurant.  These moments have been tagged to their location digitally either by the Jump2Spot staff or the app’s users.  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 »

There is a plethora of options for mobile users who want to use their smartphone as a GPS navigation system.  However, most of these navigation apps are essentially the same.  The only differences you are likely to find are in their user interfaces and perhaps the accuracy of their specific mapping systems.  iOnRoad is a cool product that breaks this trend of homogeneity.  Instead of merely relying on the old conventions of GPS navigation and mapping software, iOnRoad uses your smartphone’s camera to create an experience based on augmented reality instead.  Users mount iOnRoad so it can take video through their cars’ windshields.  The app then overlays its interface on top of the video while it navigates drivers to their destinations. Read more »

So suppose for the moment that you are not driving your fully automated vehicle that drives itself where you want to go. How can you still get the greatest benefit from technology linked to your car?  You may already have a dashboard system that manages your onboard communications and security, but what about something that monitors your driving style?  Sure, user-based insurance policies have helped make safe driving cheaper.  Yet the cofounders of Driveway Software take issue with the current system.  The team has developed a completely free app, Drivewise.ly that helps “create new, safe drivers.” Read more »

Sometimes, if you are not a part of a subculture or community, the devices utilized by that group of people might seem alien.  Even so, if there is a niche market and a device that might benefit that group, you can pretty much bet that there is a company within the tech sector that will try to market to that niche.  For those who want to get the most out of their golf game, there is no longer a need to carry around your tablet computer or use multiple devices on the golf course.  Garmin has devised the ultimate golf watch, the Approach S3. Read more »

Every good idea has its time and what is groundbreaking at one point in time soon becomes the standard.  Just as having a tape deck in an automobile was once considered audacious, yet is now tragically out-of-date, with the announcement and demonstration of the new Apple iOS 6 operating system, it is possible GPS systems are about to go the way of the audio cassette. Read more »