Computer Support Blog

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 »

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 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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In the wake of the National Traffic Safety Board’s proposal that each state pass a law to outright ban the use of electronic devices while driving and the revelation that Carrier IQ has been acquiring deeply personal data through its smartphone programming, it is hard not to feel jaded about technology right now.  The National Traffic Safety Board had absolutely the right idea in its proposal.  Unfortunately, if left up to the states or the federal government, it might take some time for government to act.  As penance for the Carrier IQ scandal, the smartphone industry should be compelled to make technology do what law enforcement has not. Read more »

It is interesting to watch how the market reacts to a change.  Sometimes, the influence of a product or service is not realized until the product or service is removed from the marketplace.  Watching the market react to the shutdown of Picnik, a niche market online digital photo editing tool, has been a study in corporate loyalty and opportunism.  Fans of Picnik vociferously resisted the integration of the Picnik tools into Google+.  The market responded with the birth or promotion of several services similar to Picnik.  One of the frontrunners to replace Picnik in the Internet zeitgeist is Aviary. 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 »

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 »

Anyone who has ever started working out after months or years of inactivity knows how difficult it can be to maintain the energy and determination needed to make that workout a habit. Once it becomes habit though, working out is far easier to continue.

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 Most phones have a plastic or aluminum casing. The purpose of the casing is to protect the sensitive inner components by creating a barrier that absorbs any damage. It is also an opportunity for users to personalize their phone by purchasing a special color or by adding a patterned case from another company.

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Learning a new musical instrument is never easy.  But, following the demise of Guitar Hero, there is – as one might suspect – an app for that!  Now, those who want to learn to play the guitar need only a guitar, an iPad, and Wild Chords to get started on a road to musical proficiency!

Wild Chords is an application, currently exclusively available for the Apple iPad, that helps teach you how to play the guitar.  In order to use Wild Chords, all you need is a guitar and an iPad; you do not need speakers or an amplifier if you are using an electric guitar.  In fact, if you are using an electric guitar, you have to unplug it from other equipment – like an amp – because the distortion from other equipment affects the program.  Even if you have never picked up a guitar before, Ovelin – the app’s publisher – is confident that Wild Chords can teach you.

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