Computer Support Blog

More and more consumers are discovering solid-state drives, it seems manufacturers continue to find new ways to utilize the technology.  Solid-state drives have shown far greater resiliency than traditional magnetic hard drives, which have moving parts that break down.  Some of the newer, more sophisticated, devices that employ solid-state drives do more than simply store your files.  One card with solid-state storage capacity that does a bit more is the WarpDrive SLP-300 Acceleration Card. Read more »

With the rise of Zynga, a video game developer that has effectively utilized Facebook as a platform for social gaming, traditional video game companies seem to have a lot to worry about.  After all, as Zynga’s market share grows, that company diminishes the market share of other video game companies.  But Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello is not sweating the completion; he has an ace in the hole.  That ace is Gabrielle Toledano. Read more »

There is a somewhat ugly trend in the tech sector right now where the corporate philosophy seems to be “be everything to everyone.”  The behemoths of the tech sector – Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. – are each struggling to capture the market share of virtually every division and idea within the tech sector.  When one company branches into mobile OS development, the others leap into mobile OS development and start developing their own search engines.  The result is that consumers are forced to ally themselves with one company’s many product lines or scatter their allegiance on a product by product basis, often ending up with incompatible technologies causing additional headaches.  One of the latest fronts is online mapping programs.  Looking to shore up their position in the market, Google is launching improvements to Google Maps in advance of Apple unveiling its new mapping service. Read more »

No one wants to have to call a computer support service or take their private personal computer to a computer repair shop.  At some point, though, we all have to get a computer repair because computers are designed to break down and eventually fail.  Rather than railing against the planned obsolescence of the computer industry, it helps to know what is most likely to fail so you know what to expect from a computer repair.  A trained computer support technician may diagnose most of these conditions simply by hearing the symptoms of your computer problem.  Some computer components that frequently fail or break are: Read more »

For anyone who grew up watching Knight Rider, the idea of a talking car is nothing new.  In recent years, of course, talking cars have become more of a reality than a fantasy, thanks to GPS systems that deliver turn by turn directions out loud.  But, for those who still pine for a Knight Rider-style talking car, the car with an artificial personality is still several years away.  TomTom, though, now has the next best thing with voice upgrades for your GPS system! Read more »

Those who lived through the late 1960s laugh at the absurdity of protest today.  Protests since the late 1990s, like when protests erupted against NAFTA or the World Trade Organization, have become highly choreographed events that usually involve getting permits, inviting the media and the like.  They are also remarkably ineffective.  The fact that Occupy Wall Street does not actually feature tents and human chains physically blocking access to the critical financial buildings there illustrates the differences between protest then and protest now.  Protesters of days of yore fought for Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly (Constitutionally-protected rights) using means that were frequently illegal (trespassing).  Today’s protestors seem very pale by comparison. Read more »

There are many executives for whom their technology business is the end of their personal or professional growth.  This can make a lot of sense, as it is a herculean task to establish a successful business within the tech sector.  So, it is always interesting to find an executive who remains close to their roots and uses their businesses success to fund the causes dearest to them.  Lorne Trottier is one such executive. Read more »

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 »

Today, there are few technology-related aspects of life that are as important as having a reliable Internet connection.  Most people can easily live without advanced television features or even the telephone capabilities of their smartphone, but finding oneself trapped without a reliable connection to the Internet is enough to make you pull out your hair.  One of the essential tools for virtually any business or home, then, is a good router.  The ADSL2+ Four Port Ethernet Switch Router is a worthwhile router for home or business use. Read more »

One of the common misconceptions many people have when they hear the advertising about smartphones is that “4G” refers to the speed of data transfers across a network.  “4G” does not actually mean something like “four gigabytes per second” or anything of the sort.  Instead, “4G” is a simple term referring to the fourth generation of standards that guide transfers over wireless cellular networks.  But even as 4G networks are the key selling point to current hardware like the Samsung Infuse 4G or the Sony Xperia 4G, if Broadcom has its way, 4G will soon be passé.  Broadcom has innovated the fifth generation of cellular wireless standards. Read more »