Category: General Tech Info

Here at Bendy Computers, we sell Desktops, software, service, and more.

However, some people like video-games, and some people prefer PC games.

We recommend PC for the following reasons as opposed to buying an updated Xbox one console from Microsoft.

1. A 1 Terabyte Xbox One bundle costs around $300.
2. You will need a TV to go with that, and the Xbox One REQUIRES HDMI, and a PC does not.  The cost of a 4K Resolution TV is around $400 and that would be one less than 60 inches.
3. You will get one controller, one game, and no java, no legacy compatable web browser, no keyboard, and need xbox live every month.
4. You can’t use an Xbox One and TV to work.
5. Price: At Least $700

 

1. A desktop machine with a monitor and accessories can cost the same depending on choice of hardware, which we allow.
2. A desktop machine will also run games and productivity software.
3. A desktop machine can run a business.
4. A desktop machine can be upgraded over time or repaired more easily than an Xbox One.
5. Price: Flexible.

Imagine a baby monitor in the 1990’s.  It was no more than a simple walkie talkie.  A refrigerator from the same era didn’t dispense filtered water or ice in most homes.  Cars had tape decks, and cellphones were for the rich and very basic, insecure, and a luxury.

This term is best used as a pseudonym for home automation, since that is the main application of it on the consumer market.

Lights can be turned on and off remotely, doors locked and unlocked, climate control managed, and your baby can be watched from the internet somewhat securely.  Other home automation projects can include refrigerators with touch screens, and the humble dishwasher.

But notice how I said the baby can be watched somewhat securely.  The underlying systems in place to send information can be haphazard, as the internet was built on trust, and in the modern world, people online can commit crimes from miles away.  This wasn’t a consideration when Tim Burns Lee made the first web browser and server.  He and other tech pioneers consider profits over security every time, and thus the market isn’t ready for Alexa.

Most households are still in pain from the Great Recession, and wage growth remains stagnant even for the college educated.  Household debt is high to maintain consumer spending, and most smartphones are bought on installment plans.  No such credit is available for an Alexa, and people are wary of being recorded at all times by massive data-centers.

When it’s possible for a nefarious individual to breach the security on an internet connected refrigerator and kill the compressor remotely, I prefer an old fashioned on with just white bread in it, not WiFi.  If a crook could send a text to a smart dishwasher and cause it to flood my kitchen, I wouldn’t be happy and neither would the homeowners insurance company be happy with that claim.

So, if you know someone who is handy with micro-controllers or embedded systems, do this.  Allow them to build a custom solution for you that has the code written to run it made with security front and center, not Christmas ship date.

These systems are complex and somewhat pricey, also not off the rack entirely.  They are also time consuming to develop and market.  However, this is one area I personally have experience in through my education since 2010.  I have used 3d printers, BASIC Stamps, and Java based robotics platforms in the past.  The sensors and actuators that can be hooked up to such devices are numerous and well documented, and regular progress reports on software development will be submitted per any agreement between you and us.

 

ZTE, a Chinese tech firm making smart phones among other things; ceased major operations after a ban was ordered in April.

The ban was against United States suppliers doing business with ZTE, essentially crippling the firm.

The Commerce Department removed the ban shortly after ZTE deposited $400 million in a U.S. bank escrow account as part of a settlement reached. The settlement also included a $1 billion penalty that ZTE paid.

“ZTE should be put out of business. There is no ‘deal’ with a state-directed company that the Chinese government and Communist Party uses to spy and steal from us where Americans come out winning,”  Marco Rubio said in a statement.

A photograph circulating among employees at the firm around midnight showed managers each giving a thumbs-up to the news, which was flashed on a screen at the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The lesson here is a trade war can brick your devices, and that sometimes smartphone makers spy on you with backdoor access codes and devices.  The internet and, “The Cloud” can’t be trusted sometimes.  It’s up to everyone to protect their own data with common sense when companies put shareholders and politics first.

What a web designer does:

• Plans site design and general layout.
• Installs all the needed software, helps buy domains, and locates a good web hosting environment.
• Sometimes updates the content, answers phone calls, and may work remotely or on a job-site as needed.
• Sends invoices.
• Eats cold pizza at his or her desk.

What a web designer doesn’t do:

• Work for free.
• Turn down a fair offer.
• Host your site in a mop closet for dirt cheap.
• Shut down sites for no reason at all.
• Give you a dishonest opinion on your color scheme or fonts.  Some fonts should never be used.

Bendy Computers is committed to a better computing experience.  We are well trained and flexible on many things.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, and some things we can and cannot do on your behalf by law.  Every client here is special, so let us work with you and negotiate on your behalf to get you the best price for a domain, hosting, and web design.  Remember, websites are a bill like anything else.

“Disruption” is a term used in the technology world to describe alleged good.

Estimates show that within the next few years, the Earth will launch more satellites into space than have been launched before. This is a disruption in the best sense; however, there’s a serious problem: Space Law.

Commonly referred to as The Outer Space Treaty, the agreement dictates that each nation be responsible for all and any of the space activities originating from their nation — whether they’re conducted by citizens, companies or the government itself. Each must also maintain full jurisdiction and control over all space objects originating from their country.

This treaty was negotiated, signed, and drafted in 1967… before the first man set foot on the moon.

OK, so the U.S. government is responsible for it’s stuff in space, and anything a us company or citizen does in space.

Needless to say, the current system is a mess of red, white, and blue tape.  Maybe some caution tape and warranty void stickers too.

Satellites are too much paperwork.  Do your paperwork , and we’ll do ours to ensure you’re happy with your blog articles and computing experience.  Maybe a tuneup or a whole new system to do it would be a good start?

VPN stands for Virtual private network.  Using one can help by:

1. Creating a tunnel for your private information to go through online.
2. This secure tunnel uses encryption to make sure that your personal business is protected over any network you don’t own or manage.
3. You don’t own or manage the internet, so you can’t always trust things you see on it.
4. Using a vpn is like driving through a tunnel under the harbor, instead of trying to drive your car across it.
5. Using a vpn isn’t free, and some vpn resellers can be shady.

Even though it isn’t straightforward, just use common sense and you will be ok online for the most part.

Sometimes when something is free, the product is actually you and your personal business.  So be careful.

CPU De-lidding certainly isn’t for everyone:

1. It is not a PC modification you need to do, but can help sometimes.
2. It may or may not make your system cooler.
3. It is a very delicate procedure that should only be done by a trained professional.
4. It involves opening the cleaning the cpu’s lid and then opening it to do some delicate cleaning.
5. It will void any warranty I’ve ever heard of and isn’t for the faint of heart.

Do not attempt CPU de-lidding on a system purchased from us.  It’s a cool thing to see and do, but we don’t cover physical damage and offer no warranty for that.

Because SIM cards are electronic, here is a small list of what can cause them to fail:

1. Electric shock from the battery of the device they are supposed to go in.
2. Static electricity.
3. Corrosion if exposed to excessive humidity.
4. Bad handling, like being bent.
5. Age: degradation of the materials they are made of.

Just treat your sim card with care, and your phone will have internet if the bill is paid, and the sim card is inserted correctly.

 

 

So, My experience has been rather confusing, but pleasant with the MVNO FreedomPop.  FreedomPop can use cdma or gsm unlocked phones, and they use a sprint signal for cdma phones, or a tmobile signal for gsm unlocked phones.

I can’t use FreedomPop because both of my mobile phones are gsm and carrier locked, meaning that the phone company has restricted me from using their phones on another gsm network.  Also, the phones can’t use a cdma signal from Sprint or Verizon.

When you buy a phone on installment, it is locked to the carriers network, and will only accept a sim card from that carrier.

So, both my current personal phones can’t use any other sim card other than a t mobile one.  But that is acceptable because I use google voice, and I’m ordering a new phone from another carrier.  T mobile is just too expensive, and an MVNO with a cheaper handset, sim card, and plan just makes more sense for some people.

My advice to you is to never buy an carrier locked phone, and never buy a phone on installment, and buy gsm if you can.