Computer Support Blog

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 »

One of the nice things about having so many forms of audio and visual media in a standard-style format is that eventually, someone comes along and creates a single device that reads many different media.  Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs are all essentially the same size and shape, but run on very different hardware. Purely digital media files only need the proper CODECs to render them, regardless of whether they are audio or visual files.  The future of the home entertainment system is starting to look far less bulky.  Instead of having several independent devices, you might be able to convert everything to a single media player, like the TVIX HD M-7000. Read more »

With so much to do in the real world and on the Internet, it can be hard to find enough time to watch television these days!  For those who are paying for a satellite service or cable – especially premium cable channels – this can mean the loss of money, as you are paying for a service you are not enjoying.  Fortunately, with improved mobile computing devices and less expensive laptop computers, you now have additional options for getting the most out of your television service.  All you need to take advantage of all your television and portable device have to offer is the Slingbox SOLO! Read more »

As summer actually begins, it is hard not to turn on the television and see multiple advertisements for smartphones during any given commercial break.  Smartphone advertisers are capitalizing on the idea that their phones can be associated with activity, youth, and vigor; they know that during the summer people travel more and are outside more often.  Many of the advertising campaigns are geared toward making the connection between their smartphone and your outdoor activity.  One smartphone manufacturer is doing that less, though.  Instead, Samsung is focusing on power with their advertising campaign surrounding the Samsung Galaxy III. Read more »

Despite how many functions Apple adds to each new incarnation of the iPhone and iPad, many people do not use Apple products exclusively.  Professional photographers, for example, have resisted Apple’s attempt to replace their professional photographic equipment with the camera that comes on the iPhone 4S.  Even so, there are a number of convenient applications on the iPhone and iPad that might make you want to connect your Apple mobile computing device with another electronic device you have.  The Cirago USB Synch/Charge Kit now makes connecting Apple and non-Apple devices both possible and easy! Read more »

There are, essentially, two ways to sell new technologies in a new market.  The first is to create a device that is entirely indispensible.  Creating a product that consumers feel they absolutely need is a great way to sell millions of units of a product.  The other way to sell new technologies in an emerging market is to reduce prices to move inventory.  It is that approach that Research In Motion is taking in India. Read more »

Big business transactions happen every day in the tech sector.  As more and more technology companies buy out their competition or diversify to stay relevant in a changing marketplace, it is sometimes tough to understand what specific transactions might actually mean.  Lately, there has been a lot of speculation that Google will pay $12.5 billion to buy Motorola Mobility.  This transaction has created a lot of buzz in both the tech sector and the business world.  There are several factors that make Google’s purchase of Motorola Mobility an atypical buyout. Read more »

Smartphones can do amazing things.  From mapping your current travel plans to ordering your dinner, there are innumerable things a smartphone can do.  But what many private consumers fail to consider about smartphones is that their operating systems are not always compatible with the enterprise software of individual businesses.  As a result, most smartphone manufacturers devote an entire division to meeting the unique needs of business clients.  For Motorola Mobility, that responsibility falls to Christy Wyatt! Read more »

Good journalism requires sources.  Reporting a story requires facts, verification from authorities and precise language.  In the tech sector, however, virtually every otherwise ethical and authoritative journalist throws out the book when it comes to reporting on Apple products.  Apparently, speculation on Apple’s next major release allows journalists to become absolutely sloppy and report loads of information which they later retract.  Read more »