Computer Support Blog

StumbleUpon recently made some changes.  Guided by focus groups, StumbleUpon’s CEO authorized alterations to StumbleUpon with the stated purpose of making the site easier to use.  While not entirely eliminating the fun, random nature of StumbleUpon’s interface – which took you to websites that conformed to your stated interests – CEO Garrett Camp made a number of changes to the popular site.  In addition to putting graphic representations of interests on the front page and adding a search engine to the site, StumbleUpon now features Channels. 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 »

With the rise of Zynga, a video game developer that has effectively utilized Facebook as a platform for social gaming, traditional video game companies seem to have a lot to worry about.  After all, as Zynga’s market share grows, that company diminishes the market share of other video game companies.  But Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello is not sweating the completion; he has an ace in the hole.  That ace is Gabrielle Toledano. Read more »

There is a somewhat ugly trend in the tech sector right now where the corporate philosophy seems to be “be everything to everyone.”  The behemoths of the tech sector – Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. – are each struggling to capture the market share of virtually every division and idea within the tech sector.  When one company branches into mobile OS development, the others leap into mobile OS development and start developing their own search engines.  The result is that consumers are forced to ally themselves with one company’s many product lines or scatter their allegiance on a product by product basis, often ending up with incompatible technologies causing additional headaches.  One of the latest fronts is online mapping programs.  Looking to shore up their position in the market, Google is launching improvements to Google Maps in advance of Apple unveiling its new mapping service. Read more »

Along with all the other forms of media available on the Internet, comics have made quite an impact for those who enjoy finding humor online. Webcomics have become a very popular Internet phenomenon and they vary in content and style as much as any other form of entertainment does. There are a few very popular webcomics online, one of the most popular of which is xkcd. Read more »

Have you ever wondered just what kind of person it takes to design a puzzle game?  Who comes up with things like Rubik’s Cubes and Tetris and Angry Birds?  It takes an incredible, special mind to create a puzzle game that becomes a phenomenon.  Alexey Pajitnov is that exact type of imaginative thinker who can make a brilliant puzzle using only his imagination. 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 »

For anyone who grew up watching Knight Rider, the idea of a talking car is nothing new.  In recent years, of course, talking cars have become more of a reality than a fantasy, thanks to GPS systems that deliver turn by turn directions out loud.  But, for those who still pine for a Knight Rider-style talking car, the car with an artificial personality is still several years away.  TomTom, though, now has the next best thing with voice upgrades for your GPS system! Read more »

In the complex legal framework that defines both major corporations and the Internet, it helps to have a good lawyer on your side.  In fact, virtually every major company in the tech sector has an executive Vice President for General Counsel.  Now, specialized law departments write up and enforce contracts and deal with all legal issues that confront the company.  For the professional social network LinkedIn, the General Counsel is Erika Rottenberg! Read more »

Those who lived through the late 1960s laugh at the absurdity of protest today.  Protests since the late 1990s, like when protests erupted against NAFTA or the World Trade Organization, have become highly choreographed events that usually involve getting permits, inviting the media and the like.  They are also remarkably ineffective.  The fact that Occupy Wall Street does not actually feature tents and human chains physically blocking access to the critical financial buildings there illustrates the differences between protest then and protest now.  Protesters of days of yore fought for Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly (Constitutionally-protected rights) using means that were frequently illegal (trespassing).  Today’s protestors seem very pale by comparison. Read more »