Category: Websites

Geek Squad Holiday Support Chat

I had an opportunity to participate in a bold little experiment created by the Geek Squad team this year, in which they asked for volunteers to man an online holiday tech support channel to provide free support for all that new technology received as gifts this year.

Eighteen agents volunteered, including computer support agents such as myself, along with Geek Squad home theater and car audio experts as well.

I participated across all three days, answering as many questions as I could. It was a humbling experience to see just how many people came to us for help and a great feeling when we could make their holiday a little less stressful. It was a strong reminder that even though it’s a job, there’s some real good that you can do when you’re helping someone make their life a little better through technology.

I look forward to the next holiday support event!

WordPress 2.7 Update Available

While my Macbook downloads and installs it’s updates, I’m spending time on my other system updating the blog here to the recently released WordPress 2.7 update.

While there shouldn’t be much difference from the outside, other than some performance enhancements, the back end looks to have a completely updated interface, which should make bloggers happy. Or angry. Or both.

This may be the motivation to start looking at a new layout for the site, since I’ve used the current design for nearly 5 years.

Christmas Music Remix

SomaFM.com, one of my favorite streaming Internet radio sites, now has a new channel available called “Christmas Lounge“.

They describe the channel as “Chilled holiday grooves and classic winter lounge tracks. (Kid and Parent safe!)” and so far it’s been an interesting mix of remixed Christmas music with a dance and electronic feel, interspersed with old holiday music that I haven’t come across being played on the regular radio stations.

Google Chrome Now Available for Download

Google has just released their first public beta for Google Chrome, a brand new web browser based on the Webkit codebase. Currently, only Microsoft Windows is supported with an available download, though there are links to register for updates for Linux and OS X.

For a detailed, though entertaining, explanation on why the company is working on their own web browser, visit the Behind the Open Source Browser Project comic.

Exactly how much of an impact the release of yet another web browser will have is still undetermined, but if any company can make it big, it would probably be Google.