LITE 98.7 » computers

Can The 'Dell Dude' Come Back and Save the Computer Giant?

Jeremy Taylor — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 18:06:13 +0000

A decade ago, Dell was riding high. They sold more computers than any other company in the world, and some of their success could be attributed to an ad campaign featuring a character affectionately (or not so affectionately) known as the “Dell Dude.” Actor Ben Curtis played “Steven,” a wisecracking, slacker type who would sing the [...]

Fake Groupon Emails Contain Hidden Viruses — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:01:37 +0000

Even the best writers sometimes misspell things, but if you’ve recently gotten an awkwardly worded, typo-laden email that appears to be from daily deal site Groupon, you can rest assured that you didn’t just catch the editors on a bad day.

That spelling-challenged missive is the work of scammers.

DCWG.ORG Can Detect If Your Computer Is Infected with Crippling Malware – Internet Alert

Eric Meier — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:02:30 +0000

A potentially crippling piece of computer malware could block your access to the internet on Monday July 9. Quite often the virus warnings that pop up across Facebook and other social networks are hooey – but this bug warning is backed by the FBI. Check out the details below on how to keep your computer safe. Yahoo.com [...]

Will Computers Replace Human Tutors?

Shauna Wright — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:49:32 +0000

Human tutors are usually good teachers — but what if a computer program could do the same thing, right down to identifying students’ emotions and boredom levels? Researchers from the University of Notre Dame, the University of Memphis and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have collaborated on programs they call the “AutoTutor” and “Affective AutoTutor,” [...]

Wondering What Most Use the Internet for? Well, It's Not That Exciting — Survey of the Day

Nick Romano — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:02:19 +0000

Why did the average American go online? For no particular reason (Ba-dum-bum).

Although this may not become the newest joke anytime soon, it’s actually a true statement. According to a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 53 percent of 18- to 29-year-old Americans go online just for fun or to waste time. With 2,260 participating adults, it turns out that 58 percent of all adults go online for the same reason.

Is Your Computer Password Among the 25 Worst of 2011?

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:05:12 +0000

Password management app maker SplashData has released its list of the “worst computer passwords of 2011″ based around the most commonly stolen password data. It should come as no surprise that the password “password” topped the list of no-nos. Besides the shockingly popular “password” password, sequential number variations like “123456″ also proved quite common and easy [...]

Online Courses for Elementary and High School Students?

Shauna Wright — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:23:02 +0000

In an effort to accommodate students with varying levels of advancement and in reaction to state budgetary cuts, at least 30 states in the US now let elementary and high school students take all their courses online.

According to Evergreen Education Group, a consulting firm that works with online schools, an estimated 250,000 students nationwide are enrolled in full-time virtual schools, a 40 percent increase in the last three years. And the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a trade group, says two million kids take at least one class online.

Prestigious Waldorf Private School Keeps Computers Away from Kids

Shauna Wright — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:12:03 +0000

The 160 Waldorf private schools in the United States boast an impressive student body: the children of tech luminaries from firms like eBay, Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard.

But what makes Waldorf a seemingly odd choice for such parents is that until kids are in the eighth grade, the school is completely unwired with not a computer screen to be found.

The Scary Statistics on How Much We Use Phones and Computers [INFOGRAPHIC]

Shauna Wright — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:32:41 +0000

It’s no secret that a lot of us these days practically live on our computers and smartphones — but what exactly do we do with them? According to this infographic created by Online Schools, the answer is “practically everything.” Some highlights? About a third of smartphone owners check our phones before we even get out [...]

Couple Has Their Wedding Officiated By a Computer [VIDEO]

Jeremy Taylor — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:37:26 +0000

Miguel Hanson and Diana Wesley of Houston, Texas had planned on having a friend officiate their wedding. But when that fell through, the two self-professed geeks simply coded a program for a virtual minister — named Reverend Bit — and had a computer do the job instead. “We’re both friends of the computer,” Wesley explained. [...]

An Amazing Prediction Of The Future Of The PC [VIDEO]

Mark Richards — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:15:57 +0000

I stumbled onto a fantastic video from 1966 that speculates on what life will be like in the future of the home computer. It is so funny the way they talk about 'the wife' and 'the husband'. Unlike most videos from the past that speculated on flying cars and robots doing all our chores, this one went for the 'home shopping' angle, bank account unification and a way to send letters electronically all over the world. Wow, I thought to myself, right on. Check it out.

On This Day in History for June 10 The Apple II Is Released

Mark Richards — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:01:39 +0000

You can take a look back in time for an eventful moment that took place on this day in history and you’ll see a very old computer or, you can look at Dave After Dark’s desk and also see a very old computer. In 1977, the Apple II became one of the most popular computers ever. From [...]

Spam is Going Down, but Smart Phone Malware is Rising

Rich Lawrence — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:30:59 +0000

It’s a well know business mantra, that you go where the people or money are, and cyber criminals are doing just that. They’re following innocent victims away from their email and computers, and going to smart phones and mobile devices. Smart phones are basically like mini computers. They can be vulnerable to the same kind [...]

People Without Technology Experience New Disorder

Dave Wheeler — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:53:56 +0000

Do you remember a world without computers and cell phones? It’s hard for me to remember. With my phone always attached to my hip, and access to a computer 24/7, what would happen if these were taken away? According to a new study from the University of Maryland, people forced to live without computers, mobile [...]