Author: Christopher Roberts

Christopher's Author Bio: Founder and editor of Technology Bloggers, Christopher is passionate about sustainable technology and environmental initiatives. He wants to popularise critical thinking, promote responsible innovation, and excite you about the world around us.

Is your computer damaging your eyes?

42 Replies Christopher Roberts

Do computer screens do any real and lasting damanage to our eyes? There is a lot of debate on this issue, which I am going to explore in this article.


A healthy looking eye

There is no escaping them, screens are everywhere. At home, many of us choose to use computers, games consoles, and televisions – although they all seem to be merging into one.

At work we often are forced to spend hours each day staring at screens in order to get our job done. Word and Excel vs the dreaded filing cabinates, it’s an easy decision for many of us! In schools, many children now use computers more than they use pens and paper. Even when we are on the go, many of us carry phone with us, to keep us up to date and in sync, whilst we are out and about.

Eyes

One must therefore consider: are there any potentially dangerous side effects of using all these devices? We all get headaches from time to time, and computers are probably the cause of some of them. Often, when working at a screen for prolonged periods of time, many of us also get eye strain.

The short term effects of using a PC are unquestionable, but are there any dangerously irreversible long term effects on our eyes? Well according to my research, no, there aren’t. However, there is the possibility for long term effects for other parts of our body.

UPDATE: This article was written in 2011, and whilst there is still no conclusive evidence that suggests prolonged exposure to screens can cause irreversable damage to the eyes, there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that looking at screens too closely and for too often may well cause eye problems in later life.


The eye of someone staring at a computer screen

Posture

Our back and neck are especially vulnerable, due to the large amount of time we spend sitting down in one position. Even with good posture, sitting in the same position for hours on end is not good for your body, that’s why we have muscles, bones and joints!

Repetitive strain injury is also a big issue. Many office workers will at some point experience this, in either their wrists or hands, due to the nature of typing and using a mouse.

In fact, repetitive strain injury is such a big issue, it is estimated that its annual cost to UK industry is between 5 and 20 billion pounds! In the US, the figures are also similar.

Despite its potentially harmful effects on the body, computers cause no proven long term damage to your eyes. Symptoms like sore eyes, blurred vision and a change in colour perception are usually only short term, and clear within hours of leaving the screen.

To help yourself avoid the short term computer-related symptoms of eye strain, my best advice is take regular breaks. Get a drink, go to the loo or just have a wander around every 30-40 minutes and you should be able to avoid such symptoms altogether.

Why not have a break now? Go on, get up from your desk and go and have a wander. 🙂 If you are using a tablet or are on your mobile, take five minutes off and then read another article. 😉

Why not? Your eyes will love you. 🙂

Will iCloud Revolutionize Cloud Computing?

18 Replies Christopher Roberts

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Cloud computing, although only recently becoming more mainstream, has been around for quite awhile and has already done much to revolutionize the way the business world works. The virtual desktop has long been employing Google Docs, which runs on cloud computing, to help with its day-to-day functions, and many employees have been able to enjoy working from home because of the cloud. So why are so many getting worked up over the release of Apple’s iCloud? It’s mainly in the marketing.

As stated before, cloud computing has been around for awhile. Apple has simple brought it into the foreground. What does, however, make iCloud different from other cloud computing services is that it is coming already integrated into Apple’s new operating systems, iOS5 and Mac OS X Lion, which is a pretty cool feature.

The iCloud LogoThe program will immediately sync all of your files to all of your Apple devices allowing you to easily access your iTunes, photos, and other documents from anywhere on whichever Apple device you happen to be carrying at that moment. Although being able to have all your files synced together for free is nice, perhaps the biggest perk of iCloud, is the iTunes feature.

You can upload of your iTunes, and even your zipped files, into your iCloud. Users are then able to swap music and download hundreds of other new tunes. While this seems like an way around pirating music, Apple assures that what iCloud is doing with iTunes is legitimate, and it even cut the music industry a $1 million check to prove so.

What also makes iCloud so attractive is that you can sync everything together for free. The only exception is iTunes which is currently coming with a $25 annual fee when used with iCloud. Not to bad when you consider that you will now have access to hundreds of other iTunes files without having to necessarily pay the higher prices normally associated with individual iTunes songs.

For many, the introduction of iCloud is incredibly exciting simply on a music aspect. However, it will most likely not revolutionize could computing, and will most likely just drive Google to produce something bigger and better. For avid Android users, the iCloud is even more exciting. Google was one of the first to release cloud technologies, and now with Apple ahead of them, the company will be sure to unveil a great product similar to the iCloud with features that iCloud currently lacks.

Stream Yourself into More Customers – With Little Buffering!

4 Replies Christopher Roberts

This is a sponsored post. To find out more about sponsored content on Technology Bloggers, please visit our Privacy Policy.

When starting a business like a restaurant or a speciality retail clothing outlet, the main goal of the owner is to entertain customers in order to get repeat business. While retaining customers is the goal, how to attract them in the first place is a goal of all aspiring business owners. Once the events and activities at your location have become old news, customers can always go down the street to get a beer. Using websites and other technology to make your business more interactive will attract more customers and keep your location fresh and alive.

By placing a webcam in the kitchen, visitors to the website can watch cooks chop, dice, fry, and set on fire the food being prepared in real time. If you have a staff of flamboyant bartenders, visitors to your website can watch them craft cocktails, set tequila on fire, and entertain guests.

A Webcam

The Boatyard in Panama City, Florida has live cams on both their bar and the ship dock so website visitors can see what kind of seadogs are pulling up to get their grog. If a potential customer visits your website and sees a vibrant and lively atmosphere on your stream, they will be more prone to check out your physical location.

An event such as a concert is a sure way to draw customers into your building while naturally increasing sales. The same theory will hold true if you post a video or stream of your concert to your website. By marketing through social media, visitors will visit your website for the video and stick around to find out about your business. In order to guarantee maximum stream quality, your business can use a cloud gpu to ensure your event has a seamless broadcast.

Offering live streaming video of your business on your website will help you gain ground in search engine results. Instead of relying solely on word of mouth and reviews from other websites, your page will rank higher in search results even when people use generic terms like “best local seafood” or “high-end retail.”

Streaming video can also be used in reverse to keep customers who are already at your business entertained. While waiting for friends to arrive customers can watch streaming content on television while enjoying a drink at the bar. In a high end fashion boutique you can stream video about how your products provide more benefits than the competitor’s. By using cloud hosting services you can ensure that your streaming video network operating system doesn’t interfere with the day-to-day operation applications you use for business.

There is no doubt that everyone you want to visit your business is on the internet. Instead of sitting idly by, make sure you catch more customers by making your online location as cool as your physical.