Computer Support Blog

Imagine walking into your neighborhood pharmacy and having your body’s calcium, cholesterol, and sodium levels tested by a lab technician on the spot. Then imagine receiving a total medical bill of $9.85, covered by your insurance, with tests results in a matter of hours. Sounds like science fiction, but it’s already happening at select Walgreen’s stores. The Theranos Wellness Center is an innovative new CLIA-certified lab, partnered with Walgreen’s, and offering nearly 200 lab tests with no hospitals, no waiting rooms, and no needles! Read more »

Men notoriously dislike shopping for clothing. Then along came the Hointer Beta Store, adding robots to the equation to make the experience as fast and simple as ordering a cup of coffee! Yes—you heard right—robots! Read more »

It’s probably safe to say that given the chance, most people would donate more to charity.  However, lack of resources, lack of time to do proper research, and general difficulty get in the way very often. Because of this difficulty, people overlook philanthropy in their busy lives.  Cool person in technology Theresa Preston-Werner has founded a new startup that aims to take all the potential hassle out of charitable giving.  Preston-Werner wants to make it so anyone can donate to well-run, effective charitable organizations without having to give it much thought.  Her organization, Omakase, does all the research on charities for its users.  Omakase researches to find the most effective and helpful charities so that donors never have to worry that a poorly run organization will waste the money they give.  Omakase works on a monthly basis, meaning that all donors pledge a certain amount of money to give every month automatically.  Preston-Werner likely believes this model will appeal to those looking for convenience, as it creates a “set it and forget it” mentality once someone pledges.  Users sign up for Omakase’s curated charities through the web.  Anyone who wants to donate but has Internet connection problems should call for home computer support.  Read more »

Solar power can potentially save homeowners significant amounts of money on electricity every year.  However, installing solar panels into a home can be extremely costly.  It also requires significant amounts of time and effort many working people simply don’t have.  Cool product Sunrun is a service that makes these issues irrelevant by repackaging solar power as a cheap, fixed-rate service to consumers.  Rather than having to purchase solar panels for a high price and install the technology themselves, consumers who sign up for Sunrun receive free panels and installation in return for signing a contract that requires a monthly fee. Sunrun says on their site that they offer locked-in rates for twenty years, so a customer’s electric bill remains static over long periods of time.  Sunrun proposes that it can still save homeowners money with its solar power as a service model, while offering lower fixed rates compared to traditional electricity’s unstable month-to-month prices.  With Sunrun’s fixed monthly fees, consumers shouldn’t have to worry about electricity-hogging activity like air conditioning or keeping the computer on for long periods during remote computer support sessions. Read more »

While many people make an attempt to grow healthy food at home, it can be difficult to optimize the growing conditions for fruits and vegetables.  Without the correct expertise, many who grow food in our gardens are merely making educated guesses about the best methods to treat plants.  Jason Aramburu is a cool person in technology who wants to change this by giving people the power to measure things such as the nutrient content, pH, temperature, and moisture of their soil accurately.  Aramburu wants to give people the appropriate help so they can grow healthy, sustainable food at home.  He calls the device and system that he’s developed to give people this help Soil IQ. Just as good computer support makes using technology easier for many people, Aramburu wants Soil IQ to have the same effect on those trying to grow their own food. With Soil IQ giving people the data they need to ensure they’re doing everything right to cultivate their own fruits and vegetables, Aramburu is hoping that more people will choose to grow healthy food at home in the future.  Read more »

How far has identity authentication come?  From formerly high tech methods such as face unlock to retinal scanners in action-packed spy movies, technology is moving toward a system that requires “putting your heart into it.”  Imagine coming home and, without any action on your part, pulling into an unlocked garage, entering your unlocked home, and entering a room where your music of choice and even your room temperature of choice welcome you home.  Add having your favorite dinner on the table and the candles lit and you’d have the perfect picture! Read more »

“Going where no device has gone before,” according to Leap Motion’s website, “the Leap Motion controller is an amazing device for the things you do every day and for things you never thought you could do.”  Some of those things you never thought you could do might include soaring in toward a planet at the furthermost corner of the galaxy, drawing, painting, or sculpting a 3D creation, or yes, even playing a virtual musical instrument.  For the serious science student, dissecting a frog or taking apart a human skull has never been so within your virtual reach!

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Lost it again?  A new app for your phone will make it easier to find than ever before.  The Tile App, a product developed by Reveal Labs, is a thin device with a double-sided adhesive to stick to virtually any surface.  Place the tile on your laptop, wallet, keys, guitar, bike, or whatever else you have the tendency to misplace.  In fact, Reveal Labs states that the app can handle up to 10 tiles on one account. Great for the individual on the go who just can’t seem to keep their stuff all together! Read more »

It’s always the right time to throw a steak on the backyard grill.  An app from iDevices takes some of the pressure off the grill chef by monitoring your food via your Apple or Android device.  The app developed by iDevices may be the perfect solution for your next party or just right for the non-stop schedule you keep.  Read more »

Poor user engagement can kill an enterprise’s website performance.  Even if your company’s website gets high traffic, you’re not getting the most out of your site if users aren’t staying and digging deeper into it.  Cool person in technology Murray Galbraith knows how much of a problem this is for many businesses.  That’s why he built Youneeq.  Youneeq tracks the behavior of users on your website and keeps them engaged by only showing them the content they want to see.  Galbraith’s company uses its data to filter your site’s content on an individual level so that when someone visits the site, they only see what interests them specifically. In theory, this increases engagement on the site and prevents users from leaving due to having to filter through too many things that they have no interest in viewing.  Read more »