TechBLOGogy
Why do I get hits from China on my website?
Why do I get hits from China on my website? If you pay attention to your website analytics, this is probably a question you’ve asked yourself at some point. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with my friends over at WBIR to discuss this phenomenon and whether or not you should be worried by this. One quick note; as I understand it, the New York Times incident mentioned in the [...Read More]
Java Vulnerability Patched… Should you bother?
Last Friday (Jan 11) the US Department of Homeland Security announced that computer users should either disable or uninstall the popular browser plugin Java, at least until Oracle patched a vulnerability that allows for remote code execution. Like many such security bulletins, the announcement came as hackers were already taking advantage of the weaknesses to compromise unknowing web user’s computers. Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit down with my friends at WBIR [...Read More]
Consumer Electronics Show 2013
I had the opportunity to sit down this afternoon with my friends over at WBIR to discuss the Consumer Electronics Show happening right now in Las Vegas. This is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting shows for us gadget geeks, and this year has been no disappointment. I mention in the video that I LOVED the new Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, which is the coolest thing I’ve seen from CES 2013 so [...Read More]
Future Camera Tech
I recently had the chance to sit down with my friends at WBIR to discuss the future of cameras and as you’ll see in the video there are lots of neat things on the horizon. I think my favorite concept is that of running the Android operating system on my camera so I can upload pictures straight from the camera AND do some editing if needed. How cool would that be? And hey… [...Read More]
3D Printers: I want one
Okay, so I have to say this is one of the neatest spots I’ve had the opportunity to work on in quite a while; and is one I’ve had on my mind for a while. 3D printers… this is something you’re going to want to pay attention to. 3D printers are nothing new; they’ve actually been around for quite a while now (a very long time if you count a CNC machine [...Read More]
Google buys Nik Software… buy why?
This morning I had the chance to sit down with the morning crew on the local FOX affiliate, WTNZ, to talk about Google’s latest acquisition, a company called Nik Software. Nik Software is the maker of popular photo editing plugins for packages like Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop, for doing things like black and white conversions. Almost every photographer I know that deals in black and white on a regular basis owns, and regularly uses, [...Read More]
iPhone 5 is Finally Here!
This Thursday I had the opportunity to sit down with my friends over at WBIR a few times to discuss the Apples newest release of their popular iPhone line, the iPhone 5. As usual, Apple delivers on the hype and the new phone is definitely a work of art. Should you upgrade and when is the new phone going to be in stores? Check out the videos below for more information! –Dan Thompson FOX [...Read More]
Dell XPS 13 Review
During the month of July I had the pleasure of testing out one of Dell’s new Ultrabooks, the XPS 13… and I’ll jump right to the point; it was awesome! Several months back I ran into our Dell rep and he mentioned that it had just come out and I should look into it. I of course asked for a demo (that’s how I roll) so I could potentially talk about it on the [...Read More]
Technology and the Olympics
On the day of the opening ceremonies in London for the 2012 Olympics, I had the opportunity to sit down with my friends over at WBIR to discuss how technology is changing the Olympics and how it is helping athletes train smarter. This is one of those spots that was truly fascinating to read up on and an absolute blast to do. In the spot I reference a Wired Magazine article (which you can [...Read More]
Why I hate Instagram
Okay, I don’t *hate* it… but I do have a strong dislike for what I feel it is creating. Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with local photographer Lisa Mueller and my friends over at WBIR to discuss how smart phones and technology are changing the landscape of photography today (you see what I did there?). Regular readers of my blog know that I’m passionate about both technology and photography… so [...Read More]
Apple’s new iOS 6 and other WWDC goodness
Monday was the launch of Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) and as usual, lots of exciting things were announced during the key note speeches. I sat down with my friends over at WBIR to discuss the new iOS 6 operating system and the features that users can expect. The top two things that caught my attention were the new maps app and the fact that Facetime is available over cell connection instead [...Read More]
Verizon Ditching Unlimited Data Plans
A little over a week ago I sat down with my friends over at WBIR to discuss Verizon’s move to finally get rid of all their unlimited data plans for 4G customers. As expected, this move was met with a lot of backlash and Verizon has since modified their statements slightly, saying that existing customers will not have to change until their existing contract is up. Once that happens they’ll be forced into one [...Read More]
Using Tablets to Help People with Disabilities
One of my coworkers recently sent me an article from the Chattanooga Times Free Press which discussed how a learning institute there was using iPads to help kids with disabilities. I was totally fascinated by this… so much so that it led to more internet searching and two TV spots! So often we talk about how iPads and other tablets can entertain us or how they can (supposedly) make us more productive at [...Read More]
My favorite travel apps for iPad and Android
In addition to using websites to plan your next vacation, there are also a number of helpful apps out there that you can download and use. I sat down with WBIR anchor Abby Ham to discuss my favorite ones on the Fox Morning show. –Dan Thompson
Planning Your Next Trip Online
This month on the WBIR morning show I got to discuss two of my favorite things… technology and travel. People have different strategies on how they plan their trips and when they use a travel agent; on this show I discuss my personal one. Speaking of travel agents, I get asked all the time who I use when I do use a travel agent. My friend and travel agent of choice is Judy Myers [...Read More]
Apple Announces Its New iPad
To much fanfare, Apple announced its newest addition to the iPad lineup… the “new iPad” as it is being referred to today. Oddly enough, the internet seemed to be as much abuzz about the fact that it hadn’t been given either of the titles that tech experts were guessing (iPad 3 or iPad HD) as it was the newest features. Speaking of those features, notables were the new Retina display for super crisp resolution [...Read More]
Google Announces Privacy Changes
Google’s new privacy changes will be taking affect soon and it has been getting a lot of attention around the internet. Ackermann PR’s Shane Rhyne and I sat down with WBIR’s Beth Haynes on the 10 News at 5 show to discuss what it all means and what users of the services need to be aware of. The long and short of it is… if you don’t want people to know something, don’t put [...Read More]
What to do if your identity gets stolen
This month on the WBIR morning show I discussed some tips to help avoid identity theft, but what do you do if your identity does get stolen? That was the topic of discussion on the Fox Mornings Show. In the video I reference the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft website, it is a huge asset if you find yourself in this situation. Watch below for more information. –Dan Thompson
Tips to Avoid Having Your Identity Stolen
Identity theft is a common topic it seems no matter what circles you travel in. For this month’s tech topic I sat down with WBIR’s Abby Ham to discuss a few tips on how to avoid having your identity stolen. –Dan Thompson
Camera Connectivity Kit for iPads
I get asked this question ALL the time… how can I connect my camera straight to my tablet so I can skip using my PC to share photos? The idea is simple enough… tablets are taking over computing as we know it, and a very common use of computers is sharing photos online with friends and families. Turns out… it just isn’t that simple… until now. The camera connectivity kit from Apple for the [...Read More]
Last Second Gift Ideas for Techies
Techies can no doubt be hard to buy for when it comes Christmas time… especially if you’re not a tech geek yourself. I’m here to the rescue though! I sat down on the WBIR morning show to discuss some ideas… and it was admittedly a thinly disguised pitch to my family for what they could get me! –Dan Thompson
What to do with old electronics
Christmas is just next week and lot of people will be getting new gadgets and electronics. That may have some of you asking, “what do I do with all my old stuff?”. This month’s tech topic on the WBIR morning show covers just that. Check out the video below to find out how to get rid of your old stuff AND do something nice for your community in the process. –Dan Thompson
AT&T Bandwidth Capping
There is certainly a lot of buzz about AT&T’s new bandwidth capping procedures. What is happening and what do you need to know about it? Check out this video to learn more and see if you should be looking for a new provider! –Dan Thompson
Motorola Webtop, your next “desktop computer”?
One of the perks of my job as Manager of Product Development is that I get to play with all the cool new gadgets that come out (I know… it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it). As neat as that may sound, checking out new phones can get old. I have been unimpressed with much of the market lately… not because they’re not nice devices or aren’t worth buying… there just [...Read More]
Exchange 2010 generating lots of transaction logs
So this is an interesting one… Yesterday we noticed one of the Exchange 2010 servers we manage was running low on drive space on the transaction log volume. I initially was thinking the usual suspects would be the culprit; VSS had freaked out and the logs weren’t getting truncated appropriately. This, after all, happens sometimes. After a quick review of the backups, everything had completed successfully in recent history. Odd. After looking again at [...Read More]
Last Second Gift Ideas
As everyone knows, tech people can be hard to buy for sometimes, especially if you yourself are not a techie. I sat down with my friends at WBIR to discuss some last second gift ideas for those hard-to-buy-for techies on your list. Check out the video below for my thoughts on some gifts; most of which are under $50! –Dan Thompson
Xbox Kinect: Why You Want One
A couple months back I sat down with our friends at WBIR to discuss Kinect, for Microsoft’s Xbox 360. At the time of the interview the system hadn’t actually made it in stores yet so I thought I’d revisit the topic now that I’ve had a chance to get my hands on one. You’ll also likely be excited to know that the company I work for is going to be giving away one of [...Read More]
Logitech Revue: Part Deux
Last week I started taking a look at the Logitech Revue, but unfortunately my review was cut a little (okay, a lot) short due to a malfunctioning device. Magically though, the Revue started working after not messing with it for a day or two… so I was able to pick back up where I left off. To whom ever wins the device; never fear. We’re sending this one back and getting you a brand [...Read More]
Common Questions about 3D TVs Answered
This morning’s tech topic was the third in a 3 part series on the hot tech gifts for this holiday season (Part 1 and Part 2). Today we look at the common questions around the 3D TVs currently on the market. I’ve got to say, these things are pretty cool. If you haven’t yet taken the time to check one out, you should definitely run by a store and throw on a pair of [...Read More]
Internet TV box summary
This week I’ve reviewed the Roku XD, the Boxee Box, and then Logitech Revue, and so I thought I’d give a quick little wrap-up here to go along with the video from this morning’s WBIR spot. After looking at each unit it seems that each has a place in the market depending on what level of integration you are looking for. If you want no frills and don’t have content on your home network [...Read More]
Logitech Revue: Why you want one, sort of
Of the three devices I tested for my company’s Black Friday giveaway (details here); the Roku XD, the Boxee Box, and now the Logitech Revue powered by Google TV, this last one was the one I was most interested in seeing first hand. With Sony already picking Google TV up as a built-in feature on some of their new TVs, it pertains to be the clear front runner in the space with Boxee Box [...Read More]
Boxee Box: Why you want one
The second of the internet streaming boxes that I’m reviewing for my company’s Christmas giveaway (full details here) is undoubtedly the most hyped of the trio; the Boxee Box by D-Link. Boxee has a huge internet following and is quickly becoming the HTPC user interface of choice. Boxee makes applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux that create a nice user experience while sitting on the couch and looks great from across the room. This [...Read More]
Roku XD: Why you want one
It is no secret that the internet is jam-packed full of audio and video content that can provide hours of entertainment. Several tech-savvy companies have now put together some devices that allow you to watch all that content on your TV, instead of just your PC or smart phone. This year for Black Friday, the company I work for has purchased the three hottest internet streaming boxes for me to review, and then we’re [...Read More]
Verizon will struggle with the iPhone
It seems natural to think that with the release of the iPhone on Verizon, its market share will go through the roof and AT&T will fade away as soon as users can get out of their contracts. After all, Verizon’s network has more coverage, and the iPhone is the only reason people would stay with AT&T, right? But AT&T had to start struggling for a reason – the same reason Verizon will struggle after the [...Read More]
So what is the cloud?
By now, most of us have heard of cloud computing. Talk about a buzzword – it’s easy to get caught up in the term and not know what it actually does. Is there any clarity about what cloud computing is? Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and countless others offer the cloud with lots of claims associated with it: it saves money, it boosts efficiency, it does email, hosting, backups, and so on. So what is cloud computing? [...Read More]
Three things to learn from cable outages
An outage yesterday from one of the nation’s largest cable providers had a lot of folks hurting. Voice and data went down, so hoards of people were disconnected and businesses were literally dead in the water. Web users aren’t unfamiliar with outages; they happen. YouTube, Wikipedia, and Facebook have all recently dealt with service interruptions, and user communities aren’t quiet about them. Some things we can take away from this: 1. It’s a good idea [...Read More]
Netbooks vs. Notebooks: What’s the deal?
It seems I get asked at least once a month if I think someone should buy a netbook, or a notebook… and to be honest, I’m always hesitant to answer that question because I’ve never had the chance to really put one through the paces. So who should consider a netbook as their next computer purchase?
A whole new way to discover your city
There is a new social media site in town and local businesses as well as Knoxvillians might want to give it a look. FourSquare.com, which went active last March, was originally only open to certain cities around the country. Just a couple of weeks ago though, the site opened itself up to the world and Knoxville is already testing the waters. So what is it, and how can you or your business take advantage of it?
#TMDP #TMD Pink – Huh?
There is lots of buzz about Microsoft’s to-be-released smartphones, codenamed “Pink”… here is what we know so far, and some fun insider information about the #TMD and #TMDP hashtags being used by the development team.
Google Goggles: Beginnings of Orwellian Big Brother?
Google Goggles is both the coolest thing I’ve seen all week (maybe all month) and the scariest thing I’ve seen all week (maybe this decade… or in my lifetime). Will it lead to an Orwellian style “big brother” take over by Google and all things Government? Well… lets checkout the facts first, and then I’ll tell you why I think this is something you should be concerned with… or at least put some thought [...Read More]
Motorola Droid: The “iPhone Killer”?
There seems to be a whole lot of buzz surrounding the new Motorola Droid phone, so much so in fact that people are now referring to it as the “iPhone Killer”. With all that hype I just had to check one out for myself and try to answer the question; does it have what it takes to knock the iPhone off it’s perch as the coolest phone on the market? Since I’m including it [...Read More]
Hey Look, I’m a (WiFi) Hotspot!
For this year’s Black Friday spots on the WBIR morning show I decided to look for a handful of devices that I thought were either going to be a big hit over the holiday season or at least had HUGE potential. This is different from the years past when we did the “shotgun approach” of doing just quick little highlights of tons of stuff… and to be honest, I think I like this [...Read More]
Windows 7: Released Tomorrow!
Dan Thompson discusses the newest operating system from Microsoft, Windows 7, on the WBIR morning show. This new OS is due out in stores tomorrow!
Keeping it up-to-date, with software updates
We’ve all heard a million times that we should stay on top of our software updates, but why exactly is that? I answer this question and several others on the WBIR morning show.
Plan the Plan
Sometimes we have to wonder why business disasters surprise us. Not only do we live in a world with tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, but we live in a world where the “new guy” at the office downloads a virus on your network or a fire starts in your server room. What the fire doesn’t ruin, the sprinklers will. So the question becomes, “How do we effectively prepare for these disasters?” Backups are good to have, [...Read More]
Protecting Your Identity Online
Last week I had the opportunity to work with local news anchor Abby Ham on a piece covering social networking security. I sat down with Abby, the WBIR news crew, and Knoxvillian Lauren Hughes to review her Facebook profile…
How-to: Securing your Social Networking Profiles
Over the past couple months we’ve been doing a lot of talking about social networking / media sites and the potential security concerns they pose. The one thing that’s been missing from all those discussions however is a “rubber meets the road” type of article actually showing how to make your online presence as tight as possible. Well here it is…
Confidence Scams and the Social Networking World
Dan Thompson sits down with the WBIR morning show crew to discuss a confidence scam making its way around the popular social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.
The Anatomy of an Online Confidence Scam
Online scammers have some new tricks up their sleeves and are utilizing social networking sites to try and seperate you, from your money. Would you help a friend in need?
Managing Your Digital Identity on Social Media Sites
As I discussed a few weeks ago on the WBIR morning show, Web 2.0 / Social Media sites are all the rage these days. People are finding all kinds of uses for them, personal and business. With all the positive potential these services provide, there are some downsides that tag along as well, and we discussed them on WBIR’s morning show today. (See the video below.) The discussion focuses on what we’re telling [...Read More]
Goodbye analog, hello… analog?
The switch from analog to digital TV is finally here… buy why are we doing it, and what happens to all those freed-up channels?
Social Networking and Business
Social networking sites are THE most popular websites on the internet today and continue to gain steam. What are they, and how can businesses leverage them were a couple of the ideas we sat down to discuss with our friends at WBIR the other day. Check out the video below and let me know what you think! Also, later this month we’ll be discussing social networking again, but this time looking at it from [...Read More]
Update Rollup 7 for Exchange SP1 woes
Man, it feels like just the other day I was talking about patches from Microsoft breaking mail flow in Exchange 2007 environments… oh wait, it was just the other day. The latest one revolves around Update Rollup 7 for Exchange SP1. Prepare yourself, this is sweet. The problem first manifested itself as a 5.4.0 NDR (The destination server for this recipient could not be found in Domain Name Service) when replying to messages [...Read More]
Office 2007 Service Pack 2: The Gift That Keeps Giving!
Office 2007 Service Pack 2 hasn’t been out a week yet and already little bugs are starting to rear their ugly heads… one of which you might not notice for months if you don’t regularly configure new Outlook clients to connect to your Exchange environment via Outlook Anywhere (formerly RPC over HTTPS). Oh, and the really fun part is the fix isn’t something you do to the client… its something you do to the [...Read More]
Introducing Windows 7
Dan Thompson discusses Windows 7, the next Windows operating system from Microsoft, on the WBIR morning show.
More on Computer Hacking and the Conficker virus
Okay, so we’re trying something new today… a Podcast! After doing the last WBIR interview, I felt like there was plenty more on the table to be discussed. I also wanted to dive a little deeper than I can normally do on TV, so Claris Networks employee Emmy Jones and I sat down to do an interview… Podcast style. In this interview I discuss computer hacking today and how that relates to viruses, as well [...Read More]
New Facebook Scam Steals Passwords
There is a new email scam going around, supposing to be from the Facebook Support Team, which attempts to steal your passwords.
Viruses, Trojans, and Hackers… Oh my!
I recently had a chance to sit down with my friends at WBIR to discuss viruses, why they’re coded, and what we can do to protect ourselves from them. Expect more on this topic soon, but in the mean time, check out the video and let me know what you think! Are you being a good neighbor on the internet? – Dan Thompson – Dan Thompson – Dan Thompson
Finding a Job Using the Internet
I recently sat down with my friends at WBIR to discuss a couple of ideas on using the internet to help find a job. Now, we’re not talking monster.com or other resume mills… we’re talking grassroots style stuff. The first website we looked at was the Work at Home Mom online magazine. This site was setup to help stay at home moms, be work at home moms. If you’re a guy, don’t look [...Read More]
It’s Baby Time!!!
Real quick before my mom passes out, my wife and I are not pregnant. It does, however, seem that a LOT of my friends are having babies… so this article is for them. So again, no announcements at this time. As I mentioned though, it seems like a lot of my friends are having babies and subsequently posting ultrasound pictures (including the super cool 3D ones) to their websites and Facebook pages. In [...Read More]
The Great DTV Conversion
I’ve personally done four TV shows on the topic (the fourth of which is below for your viewing pleasure), and countless others have aired by the government and various broadcasters… but apparently people still just aren’t quite sure about what is going to happen to their TVs come February 17th. Unfortunately it may get worse. President elect Barack Obama has requested that Congress push back the February 17th cutover date, citing lack of funding [...Read More]
Windows 7 Beta: First Impressions
A few days ago (January 7, 2009) Microsoft released it’s newest operating system, which at this point is called Windows 7, in beta form to the general public. Microsoft has yet to give us any firm date as to when this operating system will be available in it’s final format (anywhere from the end of 2009 to mid 2010 has been tossed around), however they have insisted that this beta version is “feature complete”. What [...Read More]
More on the National Championship in 3D
A few days ago I discussed the fact that the BCS National Championship game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators was going to be broadcast live in 3D here in Knoxville. I’ve since sat down with my friends over at WBIR and recorded a spot about the whole thing. Check it out! – Dan Thompson
BCS Championship Game in 3D… in Knoxville!
By now you may have heard that the BCS National Championship Game between the Sooners and the Gators will be broadcast in 3D to select theaters around the US on game day… if not… well the BCS National Championship Game is going to be broadcast in 3D to select theaters on game day! Oh, and we’ll be able to get in on the action here in Knoxville! Pretty cool stuff. Sony Electronics and [...Read More]
ASP.net and the Mailbox Server Role in Exchange 2007
If you haven’t made the jump to Exchange 2007 yet, now is as good of a time as any. There have been tons of implementations already, a service pack, and several rollups since it was originally released to market… I think it’s safe to say that it’s a stable platform to move to. While you’re at it, go ahead and make the switch to Server 2008 as well. There is one sneaky little snag though, [...Read More]
Last Minute Gift Ideas… for Techies!
Around this time of year I can always count on being quizzed by friends and strangers alike on what to get the techies on their Christmas list. Admittedly this can be a daunting task, especially when you yourself are not technically inclined. Well, just for you guys, I sat down… racked my brain… and came up with a few "can’t go wrong" ideas. Check out my discussion with WBIR morning show’s Russell Biven on the [...Read More]
Dan: 
