Computer Support Blog

In the tech sector, big is often considered better, at least when it comes to the size of the company.  Gadgets and computing devices may continue to get smaller and lighter, but success is often measured by one’s position in a large, well-known, technology company.  Despite that overwhelming pressure to conform, some people still strike out on their own and find success with their own small operation in the tech sector.  One person who has managed to build and sustain his own company for the past twelve years is Nicolas Vesin! Read more »

It is hard not to look at the advancement of recent technology and wonder just what the science fiction model coming out of the current generation will be.  From Star Trek to now, science fiction media has posited a future where technological leaps free humanity from the shackles of capitalism, consumerism, and want.  Indeed, one of the iconic moments of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was when James T. Kirk had to admit that he did not have any money – and that was set during the “greed is good” 1980s!  With so much of today’s technology geared toward simply getting consumers to spend more money, buy more products, consume more, it is a dismal time to consider not only the future of science fiction, but the actual future. Read more »

Today, we have a disturbing experiment for you to try, assuming you are not using any form of advertisement blocking software and cookies are enabled in your web browser (they usually are if you have your computer set to automatically enter your login information when you visit your most frequented websites).  Open a search engine and initiate a search for something you have never looked for before and shares no commonality with any website you already frequent.  For example, search for “computer glasses” or, even more specifically, “Superfocus.”  Once the search results come up, visit every page on the first page of search results.  Tomorrow when you go online, if not sooner, consciously look at the advertisements on the websites you usually frequent.  The odds are better than even that whatever topic you searched in depth yesterday will appear heavily saturated on the sites you visit today.  In fact, because of Web Targeting, the odds are significantly biased toward advertisements you see being related to that random search topic. Read more »

When one thinks of cool products and cool places to visit on the Internet, the U.S. Government is hardly a name near the top of the list.  When many people think of the federal government, they think of the IRS (often negatively) or political in-fighting.  The Federal government actually runs several vital, completely apolitical, organizations.  One of them is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  And, believe it or not, NOAA has one of the coolest websites on the Internet! Read more »

The real estate market constantly changes.  If you have ever bought a house, you know how fast bids may be accepted, how a listing that seemed ideal might have been off the market for months, or how a property you might have never known was on the market actually was available.  The Internet had not kept pace with the real estate world until Zillow.com appeared with comprehensive information about properties in the United States that are available for sale, for rent or is in any state of financial distress that might allow a buyer to get a steal of a deal!  To keep Zillow.com functional, stylish, and growing, the website has Kristin Acker. Read more »

Every good idea has its time and what is groundbreaking at one point in time soon becomes the standard.  Just as having a tape deck in an automobile was once considered audacious, yet is now tragically out-of-date, with the announcement and demonstration of the new Apple iOS 6 operating system, it is possible GPS systems are about to go the way of the audio cassette. Read more »

For most computer users, the webcam is something of a luxury.  Webcams are an often-convenient device that is hardly considered essential for most computer users.  Even so, many laptop computers now feature webcams for telecommunications purposes.  Businesses even use webcams for video conferences in order to save money; instead of transporting a Board of Directors from around the world to a central location, you can now patch in a video feed.  For high-quality results, the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 is a great webcam. Read more »

Sometimes, the best ideas on the Internet are some of the simplest ones.  In the case of Internet humor, the evolution from simple shared comics e-mailed to friends to websites that collected memes to full-on Internet comedy channels is an intriguing one.  Too often, Internet users take for granted all of the work that goes into forming a humor-based website and making it successful.  For Ricky Van Veen, the challenges of establishing a viable Internet-based humor site are familiar; he runs CollegeHumor.com. Read more »

For months, there have been rumors in the tech sector of a new competitor to Google Maps.  That competitor is none other than Apple and at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the new Apple mapping service made its debut.  Here are some important aspects of it:

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As streaming videos from the Internet becomes an increasingly legitimate entertainment channel, major companies in the entertainment industry are working to find their niche there.  Some of the most powerful production companies are rapidly expanding their Online division in order to use the Internet as an effective medium.  FremantleMedia is one such company that is devoting considerable resources to producing material for the Internet, including programming tailored to the mobile computing market.  All of their efforts, however, would be for naught if it were not for Mary Jones. Read more »