Computer Support Blog

It seems that the online forums and chat rooms where people could meet, anonymously or otherwise, to discuss like interests are not nearly as popular as they once were.  It is nonetheless undoubtedly true that people still want to have conversations based upon like interests and seek places online to do so.  However, it can be difficult to meet new people on existing networks, especially for the types of discussions people would often like to have, without the disruptions, distractions, and outside influences social media brings.  This is where Meeps comes in.  It is a mobile app that allows people to chat with others around the world and connect through shared interests. Read more »

According to economists, there is ample demand for a social blogging service that targets stocks, trading, and financial information.  While there is already plenty of similar data all over the Internet, Stocial is different, working to make stocks social.  Its developers intend it to be, in their own words, a one-stop shop for all financial news, including stocks, analysis and financial journalism, all curated in a live feed.  It does this by having an updated news feed that incorporates Twitter, StockTwits and Yahoo! Finance, as well as similar financial news sites and tickers.  It goes even further, though, gathering information from your friends, family and followers as well. Read more »

While social networks are good, many people may want a more personalized sharing experience of all the things that really matter—not simply uploading a picture of breakfast or talking about every mundane thing, but actually sharing something of real value.  Compass.to is an app that, in essence, allows you to create a playlist of the daily experiences that matter to you.  It exists to give you a way to compile and post your personal “greatest hits” of favorite locations, pictures, music, and experiences all in one place, and can lead you to the things you love wherever you are at any time.  It is an app that lets you collect your personal real-life moments, connect with friends, and discover like-minded people who share similar experiences nearby. Read more »

Social networking, including the ability to share any aspect of our lives that we choose to with virtually anybody at any time, is one of the foremost uses of technology and continues to grow rapidly.  Most social media sites have a very broad focus, though some exist based on specific interests or groups of people.  Any communication is up to the user, though, and he or she must meet someone in person first before interacting.  Conversely, ONE is a social network designed for college students that matches them with other students nearby who share the same interests.  It relieves much of the fear of an initial social engagement from those who are not comfortable making an unprepared approach while ensuring that introductions made are more productive.  In its developers’ words, ONE brings the power of online social networking to the real world. Read more »

Consumers are engaging retailers on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter in constantly growing numbers. Whether by liking a deal, tweeting the link to a product, or even participating in an online contest, shoppers are mentioning and interacting with these e-commerce sites on a daily basis. The problem with traditional online loyalty programs is that they focus on rewarding users for only their purchases. Simply gaining more exposure drives business, and the challenge for retailers is not only how to track online mentions, but also how to meaningfully reward consumers for these mentions. Enter an app called 500Friends, which offers a platform called Loyalty Plus that allows retailers to reward their customers for social actions. There are companies that help you reward customers for what they buy and manage your fan page, but little rewarding customer for loyalty beyond that. It is also necessary now to fit social into the overall picture, and it is these aspects combined that 500Friends addresses. Read more »

Despite the prominence of social media in almost every aspect of our lives, it can still be difficult to find and plan fun activities with friends sometimes. Fortunately, there is Sosh, an app that helps you find local events and activities based on your location, occasion, interests, and friends.  The app’s developers refer to it as “a personal concierge for your social life,” while some have called it “the Uber of restaurant dining.”  Essentially, it is a recommendations app helps you find the best stuff to do in your city. Read more »

Too often, workplaces operate in a way that makes them undesirable places of employment for a number of reasons. Workplace tensions, poor relationships between coworkers and management, and lack of engagement can lead to disloyalty and apathy. These in turn lead to high employee turnover and loss of profit. The intent behind Zealyst is threefold, according to its designers. Firstly, it works to strengthen relationships between employees. Secondly, it improves the office “culture,” making it a healthier environment for everyone to work in. Thirdly, it increases employee retention as a natural result of their office being a better atmosphere and a place they are more likely to want to remain. Read more »

Before the Internet took over popular media, television was not only the dominant medium for entertainment, but in many ways was also a very social medium.  Groups of friends and families would often watch television together as a collective activity.  They would talk and interact while their favorite shows were running rather than sit in silence.  People would do this especially often during sports broadcasts, and in fact, many still do, as Super Bowl parties are part of a lot of people’s yearly social calendars.  However, for most situations, the social element of TV has transferred online.  Rather than talk about what’s happening on a show with friends that have come over for the night, people go on Twitter and Facebook to post status updates about it.  Cool product in technology Tok.tv is working to make the social aspect of watching television more interpersonal again and ironically, is doing so with the use of technology itself.  Tok.tv is a mobile app that combines a second screen experience for television with group voice chat over the Internet.  Users who have issues downloading the app can get help from an Android support or Apple support professional depending on the device that they own. Read more »

Despite the fact that human bodies come in an unlimited variations of shapes and sizes, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many people to find clothing that fits them appropriately.  Many mainstream clothing outlets sell clothes designed specifically for one or two body types.  Buying online is also risky since users don’t have the option of trying clothes on first.  Cool product in technology Fitbay wants to be the solution to this problem by presenting users with a customized online marketplace that only offers clothes to a user that will fit him or her.  Fitbay wants to act as a personal online shopping place where worries about choosing the right size are no longer something for shoppers to concern themselves with when looking for new items.  Users create personal profiles on the Fitbay site and the company uses their data to populate their personal online stores only with clothes that fit them.  Anyone who has a problem creating an account on this cool product’s website may need assistance from a computer support professional. Read more »

Making plans and trying to account for and include all of one’s friends is not always a simple task.  Keeping track of one’s own plans is difficult enough in many cases.  Trying to keep track of every friend’s long-term plans as well is pretty much impossible.  Enter cool person in technology Karl Jacob and his new product Hangtime.  Hangtime is a smartphone app that aggregates local events of all types and allows its users to indicate what events they are definitely going to be at and what ones they are potentially interested in attending.  Once a user and all his or her friends are on Hangtime, making plans with other people becomes far simpler.  For example, if a user sees that there is a concert they want to see in their area, that user simply taps to indicate that they are going.  The app notifies any friends also going or interested in the event so that they can contact the user if they want to make plans to attend together.  Anyone who has trouble downloading Jacob’s program from the App Store should contact iPhone tech support for help.  Read more »