Category Archives: Computing

From internet browsers to keeping your children safe from predators, the computing blog covers it.

Nintendo Teaches You to Drive

Yesterday, I finally changed my driver’s license over from Connecticut to Pennsylvania. While I didn’t have to take a knowledge test, I did have to stand in line for nearly an hour. During that time, I glanced through the drivers manual. While I already new all of the information that was presented in the thick book, it struck me that the book was very thick. There is certainly a lot of information to know, from what a buggy crossing sign looks like (we are in a state with a large population of Amish) to how to safely enter and exit … Continue reading →

My Pseudo Cell Phone

My cell phone-less status is being threatened. Next week I will have a birthday, and my husband is already hinting around for ideas on what to get me. By hinting around I mean that he point blanks asks me, �Do you want a cell phone, an iPod or what? If you want both then what about the iPhone?� I crush his hopes almost immediately when I tell him that I don�t need any of that. After all, I could always use his nano, if I really wanted one, although the last time I tried that for morning walks I would … Continue reading →

The Phenomena of Second Notebook Computers

Today must be a day for me to talk about interesting phenomena. One trend that I have been noticing lately is the growing number of people who are purchasing second notebook computers. Much like the second (and third and fourth) televisions in a home, second notebooks seem to be coming almost a standard desire, or seen as a very convenient necessity. For our terms, when I talk about a second notebook, I don’t mean having more than one notebook in a household that is assigned or used by different household members. Dad may have a laptop and so may Junior, … Continue reading →

Sniplits: Downloadable Audio Short Stories

I am very excited to introduce you to Sniplits. Their tagline is “Audio Shorts 2 Go” and they mean it. Their stories are published DRM-free, making them compatible with any device that plays digital music, which means you can take them on the go with you wherever that may be! What Kind of Stories Does Sniplits Publish? Sniplits publishes a variety of genres. From Literary/Mainstream to Romance, Horror to Humor they’re sure to have a story that will appeal to any taste. (They even have a Tweens2Teens section.) Complete Listing of Sniplits’ Genre Categories Literary, Mainstream Adventure, Travel, Sports Humor … Continue reading →

Grand Theft Auto 4 on Sale

Video gamers have long been looking forward to the fourth and latest installment of the video game Grand Theft Auto. The game went on sale today, and analysts are predicting that sales of this game will break records. It is estimated that Grand Theft Auto 4 (or GTA 4) will sell more than 6 million copies and make more than $400 million in sales for this first week surpassing Halo 3, which currently hods the record for all-time record sales on a video game. This video game release has people taking off of work and school in order to be … Continue reading →

Computing Week in Review: April 21st Through April 27th

This past week, we’ve answered that age-old (well at least decades-old) question, does turning your computer off and on damage it. for the answer to this dilemma, as well as stories about greening up your technology and more, check out the Computing week in review for April 21st through April 27th. April 21st Does Shutting Off Your PC Daily Shorten It’s Life? One of the greatest technology debates is not about cell phones causing cancer or Yahoo versus Google, but something more domestic. Does shutting down a PC on a daily basis shorten its life? Do you have to compromise … Continue reading →

Are You Shortening Your Laptop Battery’s Life?

One of the concerns that plague laptop owners is whether or not they should make an effort to run down their laptop computer battery to nothing before charging it back up again. Sometimes this just isn’t convenient, such as when you shut down your laptop at night and it only has 15 minutes of battery time left. That 15 minutes is certainly not enough to get your through the next day, but if you plus the laptop in to charge it, are you shortening your battery life? The brief answer is probably not, although there are some considerations to make. … Continue reading →

Controversial Device Repels Teenagers

In a previous article, we wrote about a ring tone that only teenagers can hear. They use it to fool adults into thinking that they aren’t using a cell phone, such as in school where cell phones may be banned. Now, it seems, the adults are getting back at the teens, taking advantage of the sound to repel teens from hanging out in places where they are not wanted, such as in front of an apartment building, at the street corner or on school grounds after hours. But the device is highly controversial. Human rights activists and civil liberties unions … Continue reading →

Are Cookies Tracking You?

When surfing the Internet, are you worried about cookies tracking your every movement and reporting it back to the bad guys, or advertisers (also sometimes known as the bad guys)? How can something with such an innocuous name strike fear and annoyance into the heart of Internet users? Cookies first appeared on the web to help websites keep track of certain data or preferences to help increase the load time of websites or to serve up appropriate content. Since that time, users have been cautious about cookies, or just plain angry that they are there. But does the average cookie … Continue reading →

Greening up Your Technology

Going green can mean ensuring that your technology doesn’t hog electricity and other resources. A good part of your “footprint,” the amount of impact that you and your household have on the environment, can be affective my your technology. Here are some ways to green up your stuff without living like you are off the grid. Know your home theater As televisions get larger and the standard CRT gets replaced by plasma and LCD, and as surround sound speakers are added, the energy consumption on your home theater system goes up. Knowing which of these products have the least impact … Continue reading →