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In a recent review of Microsoft's newest version of Windows, Windows 8, MIT professor and professional wise-guy (internet entrepreneur) Philip Greenspun stated that 8 was a "Christmas present for someone you hate".  That sentiment seems to be shared by many home PC users who have purchased a new desktop of laptop in the past few months.

Surge protectors are an often ignored part of keeping your technology safe from power spikes and surges.  When I worked at a big-box store (I won't mention any names, but needles to say, my black and neon green uniform shirt was pretty eye catching) it was my goal to make sure that each person walked out the door with the right technology, every time.  People would come in and drop hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on technology for their homes and businesses, buying anti-virus programs, backup programs and backup hardware to keep their investment safe.  Surprisingly, many people balked at the idea that they needed anything more to keep their data and digital gadgetry safe.  The lowly surge protector, and it’s bigger cousins the battery backup units are an integral part of keeping your devices and your information safe from harm.

When the subject of power protection comes up, many people think of the simple stick-style “power strips” that have been a staples of offices and homes for decades.  Unfortunately, these inexpensive items do not provide much, if any protection from normal surges and power spikes.  Computers, phones, routers and other high-tech digital devices are very susceptible to damage from power surges, and the last thing you want to is get hit with a surge and not have your machine turn on the next time you try to use it.  Protecting your electronics from damage when the power goes out or a circuit breaker trips is now more important than ever with how much we have come to rely on our technology.

Have you ever been somewhere and wanted to show a family photo or retrieve a document, only to realize that the file is on a home computer? The more connected our devices become, the more they increase our desire to access our information anywhere. TeamViewer, the all-in-one software for remote access of your devise just may be the answer.

30 years ago, computers were an after-thought in most people's minds. They were good for academic work and business applications, but the average person never dreamed that they would become such an important part of our everyday life. Fast forward to 2012 and computers are in nearly every electronic object we interact with. There are even refrigerators with computers in them! Using computers has become second nature to most people. Whether it's the computer on your desk that you check Facebook on or the computer in your car that tells you how fast you are going, nearly everyone uses a computer of some form or another every day.  On top of that, many users 30 years ago did not have an idea of the enviromental impact a single PC can have.

If you have been paying attention lately, you will have seen that Microsoft has released it's newest version of of it's flagship operating system, Windows 8.  What does this mean for the masses?  Well many new things are in store for anyone who makes the change over to the new version, ranging from new features to a new look and general mode of operation.  In order to help you along with this, the geeks over at PC World have assembled a Start up Guide for Windows 8, Check it out here, price for the guide is $2.99-3.99 depending on the format you want.

Grand Theft Auto: Hong K– umm, Sleeping Dogs shows you all the joys and trials of organized crime with a beautiful backdrop of modern-day Hong Kong in a energetic, movielike look at the open-world 3rd person action-adventure genre. But how strong truly is its Kung-fu? Enter Wei Shen, an undercover police officer who is given the herculean task of infiltrating the Sun On Yee, one of China’s many organized crime families, or Triads. Wei is deep undercover (read as nearly in over his head), in an underworld where snitches and police are executed with impunity. Any mistake will end up with him floating face down in the island’s surrounding waters. His charade is a difficult one, but our Wei is driven by revenge, so his road into the depths of the Hong Kong criminal world is dark and twisted.

One of the most important jobs done by engineers, developers, marketing managers and others is to turn their ideas into reality. One of the procedures included in this process is the creation of sketches and prototypes.

If you are a child of the 70's or 80's, chances are at some point in your life you spent some time in school driving a covered wagon through the harsh wilderness.  By this I mean playing the "edutainment" game Oregon Trail.  The game is a highly-regarded example of early gaming, and for many of us it was our first introduction to video games. Game developer The Men Who Wear Many Hats have combined this classic game with a (un)healthy dose of the zombie plague to create The Organ Trail, a fantastic game set during the obviously inevtable zombie apocalypse. 

All work and no play makes this techie a dull boy, so we here at Northampton Computer Repair recommand a daily allowance of fun.  If games are your thing, check out these time-wasters to keep you occupied for your lunch break and beyond.  A word of warning though, games like these are often addicting...