Computer Support Blog

One of the common misconceptions many people have when they hear the advertising about smartphones is that “4G” refers to the speed of data transfers across a network.  “4G” does not actually mean something like “four gigabytes per second” or anything of the sort.  Instead, “4G” is a simple term referring to the fourth generation of standards that guide transfers over wireless cellular networks.  But even as 4G networks are the key selling point to current hardware like the Samsung Infuse 4G or the Sony Xperia 4G, if Broadcom has its way, 4G will soon be passé.  Broadcom has innovated the fifth generation of cellular wireless standards. Read more »

It is rare for a Chief Operating Officer of a company, especially a company in the tech sector, to have a visible presence in the media.  More often than not, when a company issues a statement, they use their press department, the Director of Marketing or even the CEO.  But for VisionTek, that is not always the case.  In fact, in 2010 when rumors were swirling that the company was facing bankruptcy, it was VisionTek’s COO Michael Innes who leapt into the public spotlight to quell those fears. Read more »

Businesses that endure in the marketplace, by and large, weather trends that are cyclical.  No company has an unfettered ascent; there are adjustments, products that fail to launch the way the company anticipated they would, and economic events unrelated to the particular business that nevertheless impacts the business.  In the tech sector, companies that were once leaders suddenly find the niche they dominated crowded by competitors who devour their market share.  That is where smartphone manufacturer Research In Motion, inventor of the Blackberry, now finds itself. Read more »

In the late 1980s, there was a popular game called Laser Tag.  Despite the controversies about it at the time, Laser Tag was remarkably popular with young adults who enjoyed the technology and the physical activity the game required.  As a precursor to paintball, Laser Tag was a safe way for young people to run around shooting one another for live-action play.  Players had a laser sensor and a laser gun.  The object of the game was to shoot your opponent three times (as registered by changing lights on their sensor each time they were “hit”) with the laser gun . . . before they shot you!  Young people played Laser Tag in buildings, woods, and fields, both during the day and at night.   Now, Metalcompass, Ltd. is updating Laser Tag with some new twists with their XAPPR Gun! Read more »

When an executive in a prominent company retires, dies or is otherwise no longer able to perform their duties, there are often strict rules which govern how they will be replaced.  In most big businesses and stockholder-held companies, senior management officers must be approved at an annual meeting of the Board of Directors.  However, the workload that an executive officer had does not simply disappear with the individual leaving the position.  As a result, many corporations employ an interim executive until the approval process for the position may be completed.  Frequently, the interim executive is approved and comes to fill the position that they accepted on a temporary basis.  That means that Jessie Becker could be the next Chief Marketing Officer of Netflix! Read more »

Protecting intellectual property rights is an essential part of providing art, products, and services all around the world.  In the tech sector, intellectual property rights are protected through the use of patents, most of which are actually held by business entities, instead of human inventors.  Because businesses control patents, they frequently buy and sell them as part of larger negotiations.  Recently, Google acquired the mobile phone manufacturer, Motorola.  With the acquisition of the company and its patents, Google has inherited a legal battle with Microsoft. Read more »

Right now, the United States economy is at an intriguing place that it has never been at before.  As the country continues to emerge from its recession, the housing market remains understandably depressed (understandable because financial issues in the housing market precipitated much of the current economic malaise).  While a shaky economy and even more problematic housing market are nothing new, this is the first time since the Internet became a household tool that these conditions have existed.  This means unprecedented opportunities for fast access to information about real estate.  Rather than searching the totality of the Internet or allying yourself with one realtor, you might want to check out Zillow. Read more »

With the proliferation of digital photograph editing programs, a number of new companies have sprouted up.  In order to make these emerging businesses successful, most of the new companies are staffing from established, successful technology companies.  The opportunity to trade the steady, reliable position that a large company offers for the excitement of a small start-up is surprisingly appealing to a number of people in the tech sector.  One person who enthusiastically transitioned from a major firm to a small IT company was Paul Murphy. Read more »

Virtually every business journal has weighed in on the decline in Facebook’s stock.  After years of playing coy about it, Facebook had its initial public offering in May at $38 per share.  When the stock fell below $30 on May 29, every pundit in the business world weighed in on the decline.  The prevailing wisdom was that Facebook’s stock was overvalued and investors did not have a good-faith belief in the long-term profitability of the company.  That makes perfect sense from a business perspective.  The problem, however, with that view, is that it completely neglects the consumer perspective and there is an excellent chance that the consumer perspective is what is affecting Facebook’s stock. Read more »

One of the truly wonderful things about computers today is that they have enough power and programming to allow you to do just about anything, provided you have the right programs.  No longer are consumers limited by highly-pixelated monitors, graphics cards that lack power or processors that keep you waiting hours to render a single image or program.  With today’s fast-running computers, you can accurately envision almost any task, including home and landscaping alterations.  When you purchase HGTV Ultimate Home Design, you can see how any home and garden project should come out before you ever purchase supplies or reach for your tool belt! Read more »