Technologic

Hey there! Loons here!  So you want to create a monster. ...erm....a computer! Well, what a wonderful thing to do! I have great news about your endeavor...it's easier than you think! Today, we will go over a computer system's hardware components. After reading this blog, you can easily identify what parts are needed when building a computer. The hardware components of a computer system are much like the fundamentals of information technology. They involve certain building blocks that rely on each other to create a system that borders on modern magic. I’ve been familiar with computer components since I was 16, but even in a short 16 additional years, things have advanced tremendously. Since the invention of the world's first general-purpose computer in 1946, we've come a long way. At the time, a computer with a fraction of the power of my laptop required an entire room to contain. (Brockmeier 20021) That computer was an absolute monster known as ENIAC. It contained over ...

  Hey there! Loons here! Today's post is a longer one, so we're going to dive right in. We'll be talking about network security and the different ways nefarious entities try to keep the upper hand. In today’s world, with our reliance on computers at an all-time high, it is no wonder that criminals and nefarious entities have turned to attacks on computer systems to get what they seek. This can come in the form of direct attacks on individuals to steal sensitive information or larger-scale attacks on businesses or networks meant to do as much financial damage as possible. Sometimes, this is for financial gain or perhaps to convince a company or individual to do or not do something. This paper will give some details on a few types of attacks, what symptoms will help you know you are being attacked, and what options we have to attempt to prevent these types of attacks. The first example we will review here is the DoS attacks or denial of service attacks. These attacks can be e...

  Hey there! Loons here! Today, I wanted to talk a bit about the function of computers at my place of employment and in the customer service industry in general. I'll speak about my personal situation at work, the functions of the applications we use daily, and the importance of technology in today's world. Regarding supporting customers and keeping track of their billing and accounts, computers' efficiency cannot be overstated. I talk to about 60 customers a day. When a customer calls me, I use a computer to access a database of all customer accounts. I go over each of these customers' billing, both current and historical. I address any adjacent issues and can see all of the customer's previous interactions with this. I can file tickets that go to engineers in the field or tech support to correct a problem without our system. If I were attempting to do all this without a computer, I could help less than half the number of customers I help daily. Computers drive my ...

 Hey there! Loons here! Today, I want to share my experience with ping and traceroute commands! Anyone can do this. It is a fun activity, provided they have a PC to do so! Its simplicity makes it fun, especially since you can plug in any website. I sat down with my nine-year-old and had him pick any site he could think of, and we had fun watching the traceroute do its thing. This knowledge helped both of us learn and grow. This experience has been excellent and is a great way to illustrate the difference between ping and traceroute and what they can accomplish. Let's get into it!  When it comes to ping and traceroute, I like to think of it as sending a letter. With ping, you can see the interaction between two different parties or hosts. So, with ping, you can tell how long it's taking for your information to travel between parties. This would be like counting the days it takes for your letter to get from you to its destination or vice versa. Traceroute, on the other hand, is ...

  Hello reader! Loons Here! In today's post, I'll reflect on some of the more basic functions of Microsoft Office and my experience documenting a day using these programs. In today’s world, so many things make our lives easier. Whether it be having a refrigerator so we do not have to worry about food spoiling when it is warm or a telephone so we can communicate quickly rather than waiting for letters to arrive. As we advanced as a species, we have found ways to fine-tune even the basic things that make our lives easier. Our phones can now simply type messages, and our fridges can be monitored remotely or even used to create grocery lists. A big part of this fine-tuning was the invention of applications. Some applications are for incredibly specific tasks, like a timer or a button that makes a particular sound. Others are much more universal and recognizable and are used as the building blocks of business presentations and ways to relay information within a workspace. Some of th...

Hello everyone! Loons Here! Welcome to the very first review of the Technologic blog! Today, we'll review an app I begrudgingly use far too often. The app I'm referring to is the Starbucks app. Those of you who use the app probably know some of the frustrations. It's not a terrible app. For simply ordering coffee, the app does the job. There are some things present with these apps that irk me a bit. That said, let's get into it!   When opening the app, you will find yourself on the home page, which will show your "star balance," which is essentially just reward points for getting more coffee or whatever other sugary concoction your heart desires. Scrolling down will get you the latest featured items that Starbucks is focusing on selling. I enjoy a simple layout; this app screams that the main point is to sell you as much as possible regardless of whether you've ever taken any interest in that particular product in the past. The color palette is the familia...

 Greetings reader! Today, we're going to talk a bit about programming languages ! We communicate in many different ways, whether through spoken word, physical gestures, or written communication. The world of computers is no different in that all the parts need to have a way to communicate with each other to perform specific tasks. The result is our smooth experience when using a laptop, desktop computer, or smartphone. To get that result, many different programming languages are used to create what we see as an end user. The purpose of this paper is to describe my experience with a few different programming languages and their purpose. My experience with programming started with this course. I have had a couple of decades of experience using computers, but never have I really got down to actual programming language. It is different from building a computer. When building a computer, I have clearly labeled parts that I can fit together, whereas, with some of these programming langu...