Computer Support Blog

Despite what all of the major computer and smartphone manufacturers might want you to believe about their products, there is one of the bestselling computer products in the world that they do not manufacture.  The computer device that is facing almost no competition from any of the major manufacturers is the LeapPad.  The LeapPad is an educational tool that LeapFrog designed to look like a tablet computer, but is programmed exclusively with educational software for children from ages 3 – 9.  This is a noble idea, but it is hard for educators not to be wary of it. Read more »

Outside protecting business interests, there are remarkably few executives in the tech sector who make bold or frequent political statements.  In fact, the marketing gurus in the tech sector work very hard to make technology apolitical; the market should be everyone.  So, it is a rare thing when one’s personal politics overtly guide their corporate policy within the tech sector.  The fact that his loud dedication to free access to information clearly guides Wikipedia makes Jimmy Wales an exception to the status quo in the tech sector! Read more »

Not long ago, we presented a list of common computer components that wear out as part of the natural use of one’s computer.  While power supplies, monitors, charging ports, and CPU fans are frequent causes of headaches for computer owners, they are not the only computer parts that are likely to fail over time as you use your computer.  Other computer components that frequently fail include: Read more »

Today, we have a disturbing experiment for you to try, assuming you are not using any form of advertisement blocking software and cookies are enabled in your web browser (they usually are if you have your computer set to automatically enter your login information when you visit your most frequented websites).  Open a search engine and initiate a search for something you have never looked for before and shares no commonality with any website you already frequent.  For example, search for “computer glasses” or, even more specifically, “Superfocus.”  Once the search results come up, visit every page on the first page of search results.  Tomorrow when you go online, if not sooner, consciously look at the advertisements on the websites you usually frequent.  The odds are better than even that whatever topic you searched in depth yesterday will appear heavily saturated on the sites you visit today.  In fact, because of Web Targeting, the odds are significantly biased toward advertisements you see being related to that random search topic. 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 »

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 »

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 »

In the late 1980s, there was a popular game called Laser Tag.  Despite the controversies about it at the time, Laser Tag was remarkably popular with young adults who enjoyed the technology and the physical activity the game required.  As a precursor to paintball, Laser Tag was a safe way for young people to run around shooting one another for live-action play.  Players had a laser sensor and a laser gun.  The object of the game was to shoot your opponent three times (as registered by changing lights on their sensor each time they were “hit”) with the laser gun . . . before they shot you!  Young people played Laser Tag in buildings, woods, and fields, both during the day and at night.   Now, Metalcompass, Ltd. is updating Laser Tag with some new twists with their XAPPR Gun! 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 »

For those who still use personal computers and who enjoy full-screen high-definition televisions, it is hard not to see your monitor as a significant expense.  The money you spend on a monitor or high-definition television is not a small amount and, odds are, you want to protect that investment.  Unlike mobile computing devices like smartphones and tablet computers, no one has yet innovated a screen protector for full-sized screens that has captured the interest of consumers.  As a result, you have to clean your high definition monitor and that is where ScreenDr comes in! Read more »