How Technology Changed the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics February 26, 2014 By Editor New technologies have been developed and utilized for the events and participants of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Ironically, even though these are Winter Olympics, Sochi has a relatively subtropical climate, where there isn’t a lot of snow. Snow making industries had to step into a new gear in snow production. Instead of put it straight on to the slopes, however, the snow is stored and applied when needed. In fact, about sixteen million cubic feet was stored for these Olympics. Also, a process called salting was applied to courses in order to keep the conditions fair. Salting is a when a chemical is put on the top layer of snow, which first melts it, but then freezes it. Also, new gear has been developed for the Olympic competitors. This including the all new March 39 suit, produced with the partnership of Under Armour and Lockheed Martin. Using the input of dimples onto the suit allows the racer to travel much faster due to decrease in air resistance. Also, skiers have the opportunity to wear jackets containing the lightest waterproof zipper ever made. Not only has new technology been applied to jackets, but also to socks. Socks for hockey players were designed for calve and Achilles protection thanks to the use of copper and Kevlar. Although Sochi has had its malfunctions, these new technologies are only few of many developed for the 2014 Winter Olympics. These new developments have only driven our home team to greater success overseas during the Olympics! Congratulations! #TeamUSA
Nothing Is More Important than Computer Security February 14, 2014 By Editor Any time that you connect your computer to the Internet you run the risk of being attacked by any number of viruses, Trojans, malware programs, or any one of many other attempts to hack into it. Whether you simply use your computer to surf the web or conduct most of your financial business on it, it is up to you to provide the right level of computer security to protect yourself and your personal information. Know What You Are Trying to Do The first step in computer security is to have a good idea of what you are trying to do. There is no real end to providing a secure environment for your computer and personal information. It is an ongoing task that must be kept up with on a regular basis as anything less will only result in your data being compromised. Part of this requires you to keep the software installed on your computer updated at all times. It also means keeping your operating system fully updated as many of the updates contain security patches intended to protect your computer. Scanners, Security Programs and More While keeping all of the software on your computer updated is a major step in keeping your database secure, there is more you must do. Adding a virus protection program to your computer or network is vital to ensuring its security. There are a number of free antivirus programs on the market, many of them automatically update their definitions on a daily basis. These programs can be programmed to scan every file on your hard drives for viruses, Trojans, worms and many other forms of malware and then remove them. Most are also designed to help prevent malware from even accessing your computer in the first place. Installing this type of software needs to be your first line of defense in providing the highest possible level of security for your computer and all of the data and personal information you have stored on it.
The Future of Mobile Devices and What it Can Mean For You February 6, 2014 By Editor Mobile devices have evolved from a simple cellular phone to a small mobile computer. These devices are now so heavily integrated into our day to day lives many of us could not function without them. We use them for shopping, for banking, paying our bills and even conducting business. There are apps for games, watching TV and anything else you could imagine. These devices already do so much so what is the future of mobile devices and what can it mean for you? Wearable Devices As devices continue to shrink it is possible that the handheld portion of the device will simple disappear. Displays will be integrated with corrective lenses, glasses, earpieces or earrings will provide sound, and a virtual keyboard will be project from a watch. Technology will become a part of our clothing that we wear every day. Increased Processing Power Mobile devices continue to grow in power and they are helping to remove the shackles from the PC. But there is currently a limit to how much data can be presented on the small screens of mobile devices. Artificial intelligence is needed to optimize the data that is being presented to make optimum use of the space available. This artificial intelligence will come with a price and to truly benefit we will need to allow the device to gather information about us. This valuable data will be something that marketers will want to get their hands on so the security risk will continue to get worse as mobile devices evolve. Cloud Computing An important part of mobile devices is cloud computing which offloads the storage of large amounts of data into cyberspace. By reducing the storage requirements of the mobile devices it lets designer become more innovative in the products they design. This also makes it easier for you to upgrade to the latest and greatest device. What is the future of mobile devices and what can it mean for you? It means wearable mobile devices, increased processing power and heavier use of cloud computing so that your mobile device will continue to be more and more integrated into your daily life. OMA Comp can help you set up a secure cloud computing system in your entire system – home, office, everywhere. We can also help you setup any device such as phones, watches and other wearable tech. Thinking about getting a new computer? OMA Comp can give you the most professional assessment in terms of what you need to do to optimize your workstation and computer equipment.
Making Your Computer Last as Long as Possible PART 2 January 29, 2014 By Editor (Click here for Part 1) Tip # 3 – Never Let your Computer Overheat Airflow is your computer’s best friend. Never place your computer in a closed cabinet or block air from circulating. If your computer overheats it will first throttle back performance in order to save the life of the processor before it will finally cease to work. Make sure that your computer has proper airflow and never overheats to make sure your computer lasts as long as possible. Tip #4 – Keep your Computer Clean Keeping your computer clean will help extend the life of your computer. Cover your computer only when not being used and regularly dust it with a dusting spray. This will reduce the stress on key components and help make your computer last as long as possible. By following these four tips you can make sure your computer lasts as long as possible and protect one of your most valuable purchases. Do you think you could benefit from some of these services/ features? Call 248-616-3057 today and we’ll get you on track to a better performing workstation in no time.
Making Your Computer Last as Long as Possible January 22, 2014 By Editor Your PC is a valuable tool and you have invested a lot of money in getting the best one you can afford. You want to make sure this valuable tool lasts as long as possible. It is important to know how to make sure your computer lasts as long as possible and with the following tips you will. Tip #1 – Set a Sleep Timer One of the biggest drains on computer longevity is long periods of inactivity. If you leave your computer and forget to come back and put it in sleep mode setting the sleep timer will suspend activities and reduce the wear on your computer. Tip # 2 – Do not turn the computer on and off There is no need to shut off your computer every time you are done using it. Power cycling can actually drain computer life. Instead of shutting off the computer just put it in sleep mode. This suspends activity and will mean the computer is ready to go when you sit down again. Part 2 coming soon
The Right Video Production Company Can Make All The Difference January 14, 2014 By Editor The world is turning toward the Internet for everything from shopping to education and research. This relatively new form of “media” has changed the way in which we do business and the manner in which we reach out to them. In recent years the percentage of a company’s advertising budget allotted to video production has been increasing rapidly. For years the only form of video advertising was the television with millions of viewers each day. Today billions of people are turning to the web and services such as YouTube for a number of advertising videos, training videos, and entertainment. Video Production Is a Complicated Affair Part of the problem lies in the fact that video production can be a somewhat complicated affair. If you hire a company lacking in the necessary skills, the work they turn out may not be good enough to attract the right clientele if it attracts any at all. Just as the advertising on television must have a high level of polish as well as content, any that you have added to your website or included in sales emails or on sales landing pages must have the same level of quality. Professionalism is Key Quality is a word that has many different meanings to an equally large number of people. When it comes to your video production, you want a company who is going to provide you with a compelling and professional finished product. You simply cannot afford to have anything less. Your customers come to you looking for the best possible products or services. If your advertising appears to be of any lesser quality, they may not bother to follow up with visiting your website, let alone taking the initiative to invest in your products or services. Take the time to thoroughly vet the video production service to ensure you will receive the highest possible return on your investment. Everything from script writing to teleprompter work, you can be well on your way to professional video production services by OMA Comp. Call today at 248-616-3057 or 248-867-0711 for your video production consultation.
3 Social Media Marketing Tips Everyone Should Know January 7, 2014 By Editor A sort of self-made social media guru, Jeff Bullas has grown a social media company into an empire thanks to flawless SMM strategies and giving the people what they want – good content. The following article talks about doing just that in the form of properly presenting one’s company to get you those clicks – whether they’re organic or paid – and getting you those leads. One of major notes to take from this is that social media is a key component when it comes to getting your quality content out there for the people to see and thus helping you rank even higher with keywords that are heavy hitters in your specific market and/or region. You can read the article here.
Preparing for New Year’s Resolutions December 27, 2013 By Editor The coming of a New Year is a time to reminisce over the events of the past year and plan for the coming year. Each year we make a New Year’s resolution but each year they are forgotten about within the first month. So why are we wasting time with New Year’s resolutions if we are only going to break them? How are we preparing for New Year’s resolutions that we can keep up with? Set a Realistic Goal Most resolutions are broken because we set an unrealistic goal. If your goal is to stop eating chocolate it would be more prudent to set a goal of limiting the amount of chocolate you eat rather than eliminating a favorite sweet from your life altogether. Make it Measurable Making a measurable resolution will help your to be more successful at keeping them. If your resolution is to cut back on eating chocolate then a measurable goal would be allowing yourself one serving of chocolate a day then gradually reducing the amount to one every other day until you reach your final goal of perhaps eating only one chocolate a week. Preparing milestones for your New Year’s Resolutions will help your chances of keeping your resolution. Create Milestones and Reward Your Achievements To help keep your resolution set milestones. For example, using the chocolate example at the end of the first week if you limited your chocolate consumption to your one a day goal then allow yourself an extra treat at the end of the week. At the end of the month go on a quick shopping trip to buy something new if you managed to keep your goal for a month and continue this till you have successful incorporated your resolution into your daily life. In conclusion, most New Year’s resolutions fail because the goals are not realistic, measurable and there are no milestones to help reward your progress. By following these basic steps you will be successful in whatever your New Year’s resolution may be. Now get to it! TNW had a piece last year regarding the best apps one could use to monitor and track their resolutions. Check it out here. OMA Comp has always been proactive in advancing one’s abilities. Whether it’s our own or our clients, we want to be better next year and the year after that. With that constant goal in mind, you can’t go wrong in whatever your ventures may be.
Don’t Fall Victim to Scammers This Time of Year! (Part 2 of 2) December 13, 2013 By Editor There are ways to avoid being pulled into a scammer scheme: 1) As an online shopper, you must pay attention the URL. A website usually has http in the beginning of the web address. If you see https instead of http, this means that the website has security for transferring personal information. 2) If you go to a website and you get a pop-up with an offer that’s too good to be true, close it immediately. If excepted, it can infect your computer either immediately or take you to a website containing a virus. 3) Keep security software on your computer updated, and do scans every once in a while to make sure there are no hidden viruses on your device. 4) It is safer to type the website you are looking for into the actual URL bar than following links to get to where you want to be. The links you following can redirect you to infectious pages. 5) When it comes to malicious emails, don’t click on any links you aren’t familiar with, or on any links sent from random companies. Basically, if you weren’t expecting it, don’t open it. 6) If you receive any offers for donating to charities, look up the charity, and confirm the legitimacy of the cause and its website. 7) If you are online shopping, check your credit card statements and make sure there aren’t any illegal charges. 8) If a website or company contacts you with a plea that you enter personal information, don’t. Holiday shopping is a time of great deals, and is a great time to buy gifts for others. I myself ,a programmer, have seen people get scammed, and by following these guidelines and being aware, you can easily prevent this from happening to you. OMA Comp can help in any and all of these situations. If you think you’ve fallen victim to a identity theft or online-shopping scam, call OMA Comp today and we’ll help you stay safer for the next time.