Computer Support Blog

Engaging children with engineering concepts at an early age can often be a difficult task.  LightUp looks to solve that problem with specialized hardware kits and an augmented reality mobile app designed to teach kids about the inner workings of electronics.  Using the augmented reality app, kids view their electronic constructions through a mobile device’s camera.  The app will then superimpose virtual electrical currents over the image of the hardware kits to show kids what’s making their constructions work.  The app can also detect if something is wrong with a construction, indicating what that error is, explaining it to the child, and prompting them to fix it.  The kits themselves actually work as electronic circuits and aren’t just models.  However, since they are designed to teach kids, each piece of hardware connects together easily through magnets rather than through soldering.  This creates a “building block” feel to the kit as kids can easily put constructions together, tear them apart, and tinker with them at their whim.  Read more »

Busywork taking time away from productivity is a problem in many workspaces, but one of the most damaging places this issue pops up in is education.  Teachers waste many hours hand-grading quizzes and tests when they could spend those hours on lesson plans and finding better ways to engage students every semester, both in primary and secondary education settings.  However, the team at Design by Educators, Inc. has developed an iPhone app that they believe could help solve this problem for good.  Quick Key is an application that allows for quick, efficient grading and it only requires a smartphone to work.  In theory, this program could be able to save many teachers’ hours of time grading that they can put back into making the classroom a better space for learning.  Read more »

Most of us have experienced it at one point or another: you’ve finished your meal at a restaurant and its taking far too long for the servers simply to close out your bill.  Many have probably wondered if there was a way for recent advances in mobile technology, like smartphones and tablets, to improve this process.  TabbedOut sets out to do exactly that.  TabbedOut is an app found on both iOS and Android devices that allows patrons to check in to a restaurant and then pay their check when they are finished via their mobile device.  In theory, this could save both the customer and servers valuable time and improve the overall experience of eating out.  While there are many apps and services for purchasing take-out food, TabbedOut is unique in that it focuses on the experience of dining out.  However, if you have problems operating the mobile app, you should ask mobile support for help. Read more »

 The world truly is interconnected by telecommunications technology now.  Even so, there are gaps in the worldwide network and the people who explore those gaps are often the individuals who would benefit most from having reliable technology.  Where smartphones may fail or one might find themselves out of network – on the open sea, in the wilderness, hiking and/or climbing – there are technologies that may allow you to communicate with the rest of the world and the mainstream communications networks.  One of the premiere companies providing such communication channels is DeLorme.  DeLorme has an impressive satellite network that allows its devices, like the Inreach For Smartphones, to operate wherever you are on Earth. Read more »

Digital photography has dramatically changed the photography market.  What was once a casual hobby or a top-dollar profession for skilled experts has become a daily routine for many people across all different walks of life and social strati.  With the prevalence of cameras on smartphones and social networks, people all over the world take millions of photographs per day and frequently post or store them on the Internet.  With the rise of so many digital photography options, there have come many new services related to digital photography on the Internet.  One of the most engaging digital photography sites on the Internet is Shutterfly, and it is run by Jeffrey Housenbold. Read more »

Virtually every musical artist will tell you that when they created their music, they did not format it in such a way that the ideal presentation would come from a pair of ear buds.  Most musicians create music that resonates in the open air or rattles the wall from the depth of sound it produces.  An entire generation is being raised on digital music players where the priority is portability, not sound quality.  But that generation is not lost yet; many manufactures are producing docking systems that allow you to play music from your portable music devices over a more sophisticated speaker system than the native ones.  For fans of Apple portable music and computing devices, there is the iOnly Bass Docking System. Read more »

Samsung Electronics, in addition to making very reliable computers, is one of the largest, most effective, multinational corporations on Earth.  With strong products in the personal computer, smartphone, and tablet computer markets, Samsung seems to have its fingers in all of the most profitable pies in the tech sector!  The success of the company is no accident, though; it comes from having a strong management team, both in Korea and the United States.  Dale Sohn is an integral part of Samsung’s leadership in the United States. Read more »

In the tech sector, major fields can change with alarming speed.  A few years ago, for example, the idea of streaming movies and music from the Cloud was a far-fetched notion and even the leaders of big businesses in the tech sector were unsure how to capitalize on such an idea.  Now, there are several companies and services that offer streaming video and it is a huge business.  Given the rapidly-changing nature of technology, human resources personnel for media technology companies, like Netflix and Hulu, have their work cut out for them.  When they make a hire, they have to evaluate how the candidate will work for the company as it is now and how it might radically change in the future.  In the case of Netflix, managing the personnel is made much easier thanks to Tawni Cranz. Read more »

The popularity of Apple’s mobile computing devices has led many manufacturers to create accessories that attempt to make Apple’s products even better.  While Apple’s mobile devices, like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod lines are convenient for travel, they may be less-than-ideal for presenting media in a home environment.  Seeking to augment the usefulness of your iPod or iPhone, Denon now makes a cool iPod/Networking Client Dock With Wi-Fi. Read more »

Even with the rise of the smartphone, the need for specialized personal safety devices persists.  For sure, a smartphone may be very helpful in a medical emergency or when there is a threat against your life.  However, with so many smartphones running sophisticated programs, one must often unlock their smartphone and wait for it to boot to a menu screen from which you select the applications you wish to use.  The time it takes to unlock your smartphone may be the moments – especially in a heart attack or assault situation – you need to actually be able to make an emergency call.  Fortunately, as communications devices have become more sophisticated, so too have the specialized emergency/personal safety devices.  One useful personal safety device is the ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus. Read more »