Expert Data Labs Blog

So now you are on Twitter, and you follow your family and friends, but you are sick of learning about the latest restaurant your sister went to. You want to hear more intriguing and worldly information.

You're in luck: Great thinkers, legislators, celebrities, sports stars, scientists, and entrepreneurs all have their own Twitter feeds, and you can catch a glimpse into their daily lives by simply following them.

Here are 7 interesting folks who will get you started if you aren't sure whom to follow:

1. Conan O'Brien: The late-night talk-show host is definitely one of the wittiest people around. He's also a master of the absurd. That said, his Twitter comments are always entertaining. You'll be happy to know, too, that he never promotes his show through his Tweets.
2. Marissa Mayer: You might not know Marissa Mayer, but if you love technology, she's worth a follow. Mayer is the first female engineer at Google. If you'd like some interesting tidbits about Google and a look at the life of a tech expert, follow @Marissamayer.
3. Mike Massimino: Head in the clouds? Then follow @Astro_Mike, the Twitter home to NASA astronaut Mike Massimino. This astronaut can give you the inside scoop on life at NASA as well as a glimpse into what it's like to go into space. (Also, he made a recent cameo on the Tv series The Big Bang Theory. And, yes, he tweeted about it.)
4. Rainn Wilson: You probably know Rainn better from the character of Dwight Schrute for the popular Tv program The Office. What you probably don’t know is that his Twitter feed is just as entertaining as the show. Follow him @Rainnwilson.
5. Ryan Penagos: Are you a comic book fan? If you are, you really should follow @Agent_M. Penagos. This is Ryan Penagos’ Twitter; he is the editorial director of Marvel Comics. He's an active Tweeter, updating his followers about his favorite comics and new video games that are being released.
6. Barack Obama: Maybe you didn't vote for him, but Barack Obama is the president of the United States. How can you not follow his Twitter feed? Look at what the Commander in Chief has to say at @BarackObama.
7. Bill Gates: You may not like Microsoft Windows, but you should still check out the Twitter feed of Bill Gates. The man has made an undeniable impact in the tech world. And today, he and his wife are devoting their time and energy to important charitable causes.

Microsoft is one of the most powerful companies in the world. Its Windows and Office products power computers worldwide. Microsoft's chief, Bill Gates, remains one of the more important names in the technology field. But one thing…Microsoft is not cool—at least not yet. Having said that, there's some evidence that Microsoft's new smartphone software, Windows Phone, may possibly change this.

Microsoft has long fought an industry reputation as a sort of stodgy dullard. There's a decent list of failed Microsoft products. Remember the Zune music player? Perhaps not. What about the Kin phone? That flop has long vanished from the minds of most consumers.

Windows Phone software may change this, as it is a hit amongst the technology press and consumers alike. Consumers are saying that in general Windows Phone is among the most effective operating systems available on the market.

The praise that Windows Phone is receiving is predominantly dues to its bold look and the animated home screen tiles, as opposed to the more static home screen of the iPhone. This OS has people fired up as well because it gives users easy access to their social networks. The social media icons on the home screen come to life when a friend posts an update or image, this means you don’t need to click the Facebook icon to get a peek at your activity.

Even with all these features and praise Windows Phone has not been the biggest seller. This is perhaps because of the phones that come equipped with the OS. Many people believe these phones are bland and wireless services providers are still pushing the iPhone and Android in a big way.

The Windows Phone could, however, represent a turn around for Microsoft. Perhaps this is just the beginning of a line of chic, hip products from them.

We've already had a taste of mouse-free computing. Touchscreens on our smartphones and tablets let us search the Internet, compose e-mail messages, send texts, and stream movies, all without having to use a mouse. So what on earth do you think this will lead us to in the future? How will we interact with our computers in the coming decades? After we ditch the mouse, what comes next?

Gesture sensing

Gesture sensing is something most gamers understand. The PlayStation and Wii both employ this technology. By using a wireless remote you can control the game using only body movements. This technology hasn't been perfected or widely applied to computing but think about the possibilities. Perhaps in the future we will boot our computer by putting on a sensor bracelet and every little gesture we make will execute a task on our computer!

Multi-touch technology

Multi-touch technology is the one other interactive innovation that is being used in a few common devices, namely, tablets, e-readers, and smartphones. This technology allows users to tap icons to open program, pinch or extend their fingers to zoom or minimize the pictures on their screens. Since this is a relatively new technology it is still being refined. How do you think this will be used down the road to allow us easier navigation around our computers?

Voice recognition

This technology has been around for quite a while but has had a lot of kinks. As these get resolved, it will continue to gain global recognition. This technology allows people to simply speak commands to their computer to complete them. The most common vendor for vocal recognition software is Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Once this technology is refined the possibilities for its use in computing are endless.

No matter what new technologies arise or how refined the ones we spoke about get, chances are that the mouse is not going to disappear all together. It has served us well, and we know we can easily rely on it.

You use your smartphone to purchase movie tickets, download your favorite songs, and make online reservations at the new French restaurant. However, if your smartphone battery dies, it's not possible to do any of this. And truth be told, charging your smartphone the old-fashioned way is a drag. You have to plug your charger into an outlet leaving it connected long enough to give it enough power.

But now there is an easier way to charge your phone: a smartphone charge pad.

Charge your phone wirelessly

Charge pads are mats that enable devices to be charged wirelessly. By simply setting your device on the mat it will begin to charge, this nearly eliminates cord mess and searching for an outlet. You can even charge multiple devices, such as iPods and tablets, at the same time using these mats.

This might appear to be magic but charge pads rely on electro-magnetic induction charging. They generate a magnetic field, which charges the battery in your smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets.

Charge pads a technology in progress

Though these charging pads can make our lives less difficult they aren’t as popular as you would think. Mainly this is due to their cost; they are often as expensive as the devices they charge.

Another reason is that they take up space. Consumers who wish to eliminate the mess of cords don’t mind this, but this doesn’t benefit people aiming to create more space on their desk. 

An improving wireless world

As technology improves we are sure to see smaller, more efficient, and cheaper charging pads that can be purchased. Eventually, my guess is that these will be must-have items.

Windows 7 represents a significant improvement over previous Windows operating systems. However, if you don't know how to use this latest version of Windows properly, you'll miss out on a host of goodies that'll allow you to work more proficiently.

By mastering a few simple tricks, you can get the most out of Windows 7.

• If you want to move images to outside disks, you can now achieve this quickly with Windows 7. The operating system permits you to burn ISO images onto CDs or DVDs. To do this, you merely have to double-click on the ISO image, tell Windows 7 the drive that holds your blank disc, and then click the "burn" option. Windows 7 will do the rest.

• Finding issues and repairing them is also simple with Windows 7. To do this select the “Control Panel” and select the “troubleshooting” option. This will give you usage of a number of wizards that look for and fix common OS issues. For example cleaning up adware and eliminating clutter.

• What if you have younger members of the household who insist upon installing cumbersome software onto your computer? Install too much of this software, and your computer will become a sluggish mess. Thankfully, Windows 7 has the AppLocker feature. This feature enables you to run and install only programs with your pre-approval. For example, you can tell AppLocker to only run programs created by reputable companies such as Microsoft. If your kids attempt to install a program from an unknown publisher, AppLocker will block it.

• One great feature for individuals that work remotely is its power efficiency service. It’s simple to get information about the amount of power your laptop is using, which may be important if you are working on a project and are far from a power source.