Computer Support Blog

At last week’s Google I/O conference, many new products were introduced, not all of them ready for the marketplace just yet.  Most of the products were very much to be expected from the search giant who now seems to have its hands in everything.  Google, through its Android operating system has become more associated with gadgets in recent years, instead of just being considered an Internet software/search pioneer.  As a result, the fact that the I/O conference was used to generate enthusiasm (and preorders) for new products like Google Glass and Nexus devices was predictable.  What was truly audacious was the way Google declared war on Amazon and the Apple iTunes store by unveiling a new shopping platform: Google Play Store. Read more »

One way for consumers to evaluate the quality of a product, especially after it has been on the market for a little while, is to compare the price of the item new to the price of used versions.  Consumers will generally not pay full price – or even close to full price – for an item that has been pre-owned.  However, high-quality products that are in limited supply and are an exceptional value at their new price will often have a price in the used marketplace that is remarkably close to the price of the item new.  When consumers are willing to pay virtually the same price for an item new or used, it is a ringing endorsement of the quality and longevity of that product.  By that standard, the Altec Lansing Orbit Ultraportable Speaker is a cool electronic device that music enthusiasts remain very excited by. Read more »

Quite a few creative individuals find that the art they love and skills they develop through higher education are not immediately profitable.  As a result, the current generation of would-be playwrights, painters, and photographers have largely turned to the tech sector for income while they develop the craft they are passionate about in their spare time.  As such, they end up as bloggers, digital artists and software engineers while they work in their off-time toward their “big break.”  One such artist who is leading the dual life in the artistic and tech sectors is Michael Kaplan. Read more »

Apple enthusiasts are, in many ways, an ideal type of customer for a big business.  The culture that surrounds Apple products makes virtually every new product release a resounding success.  There is such enthusiasm for new Apple products that entire websites are devoted to leaking rumors to keep that enthusiasm active and engaged on a daily basis.  Add to that, Apple enthusiasts are very slow to quit on an Apple product or service.  To wit, despite consistently declining customer satisfaction rates with the service, virtually everyone who has an Apple iPad, iPhone, or iPod utilizes iTunes.  To reward Apple customers for years of putting up with a system that has not kept up with its other products, Apple is revamping iTunes. Read more »

Over the last few years, business travelling has changed dramatically.  While many businesses have been able to reduce corporate travel by more effectively teleconferencing using new technology, many business travelers have more intense needs while traveling.  Often, air travel is not a chance to relax, it is prep time for the businessperson and many businesses expect their traveling executives and technicians to be in contact, especially on longer flights.  As a result, new technologies have emerged in order to make the office a more portable thing; the office is no longer necessarily a place, but the equipment one utilizes while on the job!  One of the increasingly vital products for business travelers is the portable scanner and one of the best portable scanners on the market today is the Mobility Air. Read more »

No company, within the tech sector or outside it, is able to handle rapid growth without having an incredible staff in place or hiring individuals who fast become a team that achieves amazing results.  Neither the assembly of a great staff over time or its rapid development happens as an accident; it is the result of great human resources management.  Choosing personnel who will be successful and might make your company successful is a skill that is mastered by individuals who understand people, understand the specific workplace for which they are hiring, and have incredible instincts.  Michelle Lo has a great track record in staffing tech companies for exactly those reasons. Read more »

While much of the news in the mobile phone industry is usually about mergers and new products, the rise of a new company or the influence of a new technology in smartphones, the days of excitement for the company Research In Motion may be behind them.  Despite having bold plans for the BlackBerry 10 operating system that RIM executives have been promoting as the product that will turn around the company’s cash flow problems, there have been signs that RIM may be too weak to survive until the BlackBerry 10’s release. Read more »

As the world moves away from print media and more toward the dominance of digital media, it is unsurprising that more products and services that we used to have printed now are easily available on the Internet.  Already, the rise of e-readers and tablet computers has made a significant impact on how people read and purchase books.  The greeting card industry has been scrambling to use the Internet to remain financially viable.  That might be a hard sell, though; like so many things on the Internet, there are some great free e-card sites.  One of them is 123greetings.com. Read more »

The software field has become an important marketing tool for other, seemingly unrelated, fields and businesses.  As a company finds profitability in one venue or medium, they often look to expand and, when it comes to software, that usually means synergizing a brand name with a new-to-market piece of software.  So, while there are many different software programs that allow you to play with home design, only HGTV Ultimate Home Design has the endorsement of a major cable network that specializes in such things as home repair and interior design.  The “HGTV” moniker adds a level of celebrity and consumer enthusiasm to the software and to get the name attached to the program, the software company Nova Design had to make a business arrangement (license)  with the company that owns HGTV.  Such licensing agreements are becoming increasingly important in the software market and that makes people like John Bartlett more important than ever! Read more »

The challenge many advertisers and brands continue to have is connecting with customers, especially new customers, utilizing the Internet.  Many Internet-savvy potential customers already use ad blocking software or, because of the prevalence of ads around the Internet, mentally block out all but the most inspired Internet ads.  With social networking, the challenge of connecting advertisers and potential clients is still one that experts in the industry are figuring out.  Trying to crack the formula to utilize the power of social networking for business purposes is what Josh Emert is involved with now and with GoChime, he may be on the right track! Read more »