Computer Support Blog

Sometimes, the best ideas come from the ashes of a previous idea that simply did not work out.  When ZeptoLabs began making computer games, the chief programmer worked very hard on a physics software engine.  That engine was programmed to realistically mimic how objects fell based upon a player cutting the ropes that suspended the object.  ZeptoLabs went with a different game mechanic for their first release, Parachute Ninja.  However, the programmer who worked on the initial version of the game thought there might be a way to use that game engine.  That tenacious programmer was Efim Voinov! Read more »

There are some combinations of services that you would not expect to work together, but when they do, they work surprisingly well. One example would be airlines’ recent use of social networks to connect passengers. On international flights with a few companies, passengers can now upload their social network profile to the airline website and see other passengers’ profiles.

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Traditional television service, like any other service, has both positive and negative attributes.   Lately, though, it can be difficult to find the benefits of traditional broadcast television service when the detractions to it are so easy to spot (like weather-related outages).  Even cable television no longer seems as impressive a service, especially when compared to emerging Internet-based television options. Users of Internet television services have discovered that they can pay a fraction of the price to subscribe to Hulu Plus or HBO Go and get a more customized service. Read more »

2011 saw some real changes in the world on online video streaming.  As the Cloud rose to prominence thanks to Apple and it advertising juggernaut, some of the traditional leaders in home media found themselves in drastically new positions.  Netflix, for example, was quick to reinvent itself as a digital streaming company, but in the process of price hikes and trying to distance themselves from their DVD subscribers, the company had a much more erratic year than many in the industry thought they would.  With Netflix faltering, Amazon.com was able to make significant strides in the digital video streaming market.  Amazon.com now has a service called Amazon Prime that allows members to stream unlimited videos and receive free two-day shipping on all orders, for only $79 for a year.  Amazon Prime’s video streaming service is now a very cool way to get your movies and television programs on your computer.

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The first big threat to traditional advertising models on television came from the development of cable tv.  Advertisers liked it even less when premium cable channels like HBO, Cinemax and Showtime offered viewers both original programing and advertisement-free television viewing at a price customers appeared willing to pay.  As advertisers struggle with how to monetize streaming television technology, HBO is working to adapt to the digital transmission framework.  For that, they have Alison Moore.

Alison Moore is the Senior Vice President of Digital Platforms for HBO.  In that role, Moore is responsible for all aspects of HBOs online and streaming presence.  It is her job to oversee the creation of a viable online subscription service for HBO, especially marketing its original content on the Internet.  Her responsibilities also include promoting and positioning the HBO digital services to compete with established streaming services like Netflix and Blockbuster Online.

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There are amazing things users can do on YouTube. YouTube is the ultimate playground for users with creativity, a video camera, and a computer. It should come as no surprise then to find that the YouTube user ThatsMrRobertson has created a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game entitled The Dark Room. Read more »

For anyone who is not a fighter pilot or is unfamiliar with video games, a heads up display (HUD) might be a new concept. A heads up display can best be described as a screen that projects information within a person’s field of vision in order to conveniently augment what the user sees. Within a video game, this information generally pertains to the character’s health and weapons. Soon, video games may not be the only way most people use HUDs. Read more »

We are using our smartphones less and less for actual phone calls and more for mobile web browsing, text messaging, video chats, and apps. This implies that we do not like calling people anymore, not when it is far easier to simply text them or pull up a website. Of course, that applies to ordering takeout food as well.

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There are many settings in education and business where the benefit of a computer may not be easily utilized.  For example, teachers who create PowerPoint or other computer-based multimedia presentations often find it difficult to execute those presentations on a single, simple computer screen.  Similarly, in business, presentations are made more clearly and dramatically when those to whom you are presenting do not have to hunch over a computer monitor.  For large-scale presentations, one needs a digital projector.  The Ricoh PJ WX3231N Digital Business Projector is an excellent choice for those with both a computer network and the need to present projects frequently.

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With so many consumer electronics devices on the market, it is hard to find enough space to store all your gadgets, much less charge them all!  While technological growth has expanded incredibly fast over the past decade, housing requirements have not; the standards for the spacing and number of electrical devices in new buildings have not adjusted for the sheer volume of devices one might plug in these days.  Fortunately, for the tech savvy consumer who has a lot they need to recharge, there is the Chargepod.

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