Computer Support Blog

A few years ago, it probably seemed like a silly idea to license from popular franchises in order to produce flash drives.  The Boston-based Mimoco, however, did just that and they had a pretty impressive success with their Star Wars line of character USB flash drives.  Science fiction geeks can now be joined by comic book geeks as Mimoco’s popular MIMOBOT line includes an extensive selection of characters from DC Comics! 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 »

If you are building your own computer, or upgrading the one you have, it might be tempting to include a Blu-Ray drive.  After all, Blu-Ray disc drives are finally coming down in price to the point where it is no longer so intimidating to make them a part of your computer system.  If you want more than the basic Blu-Ray drive, you might want to look at the Lite-On iHES212 12x Internal Blu-Ray Combo drive. Read more »

In most companies, within the tech sector and without, there is usually a pretty distinctive difference between the marketing and public relations divisions.  Marketing, historically, is all about selling your potential customers on your product.  Public relations is the division that promotes a positive view of your company by dealing with customer service issues, as well as corporate outreach.  So, it is fascinating to find a manager at a major company who is in Marketing, yet functions as a public relations specialist.  Tony Ou, of Silverstone Technology, is one such fascinating individual. Read more »

More and more consumers are discovering solid-state drives, it seems manufacturers continue to find new ways to utilize the technology.  Solid-state drives have shown far greater resiliency than traditional magnetic hard drives, which have moving parts that break down.  Some of the newer, more sophisticated, devices that employ solid-state drives do more than simply store your files.  One card with solid-state storage capacity that does a bit more is the WarpDrive SLP-300 Acceleration Card. Read more »

No one wants to have to call a computer support service or take their private personal computer to a computer repair shop.  At some point, though, we all have to get a computer repair because computers are designed to break down and eventually fail.  Rather than railing against the planned obsolescence of the computer industry, it helps to know what is most likely to fail so you know what to expect from a computer repair.  A trained computer support technician may diagnose most of these conditions simply by hearing the symptoms of your computer problem.  Some computer components that frequently fail or break are: 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 »

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 »

Those who are serious about long-term data storage are migrating toward solid-state drives.  Solid-state drives, like flash drives, do not use any moving parts inside, so their life expectancy is exceptionally high.  Reliability is the hallmark of the latest generation of solid-state drives and if you do not want to risk your important files on traditional hard drives, which have a finite lifespan, you should be in the market for a solid-state drive.  One solid-state drive now on the market is the CipherShield 160GB Solid-State Drive. Read more »

As computer programs change, the demands consumers put on their computers change as well.  A few years ago, the idea of having multiple monitors connected to your computer was a concept embraced only by people in design, digital photography and few other businesses.  Now, however, in the era of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, consumers are finding increasing benefits to having many monitors attached to a single computer.  In addition to enhancing the full perspective afforded by current video games, working with multiple monitors can be useful in many businesses for offering the ability to make complex comparisons side-by-side, as opposed to switching between windows.  For hooking three monitors up to your computer, the TripleHead2Go Digital is a real asset! Read more »