Tech Hacker is a commentary on the many popular and not so popular tech and business happenings of today.  I ‘hack’ through all of the many tech stories and give my honest outlook and opinion on them.

Tech Hacker is maintained and worked on by myself, Chris Smith. I am a tech enthusiast and full time MIS major at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pa. I enjoy (or obsesses over, depends on how you look at it) technology and the newest gadgets of the time and love to put my own spin on things. I plan on posting regularly and growing a deep website, hopefully with tutorials, definitions, and a weekly podcast.

My Bio

My name is Chris and I currently live in Meadville, Pennsylvania. I am on my way to an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems at Penn State Erie: The Behrend College. I am very interested in IT, business, technology, computer programming, journalism, productivity, and music.

Technology

Technology is a passion of mine. I have been interested in computers and technology since I was in 5th grade and since then have become comfortable with many types of hardware and software. I started, of course, using Windows and Microsoft products at a young age. Once I became somewhat bored of the normalcies in Windows I learned how to use different types of Linux distros.

Since then I have been extremely interested with gadgets, operating systems, open source software, programming, and web technology.  I am not a huge fan of social networking and that whole jazz, but I do understand how it can be used efficiently and how we as a society can gain from it’s use.

I am excited to keep up with technology by reading blogs and sites such as Engadget, CNET, Reddit, Digg, ZDNet, Hacker News, and Google Technology News. I feel that keeping up with technology news and IT information is essential for me to perform well as an IT professional in the industry.

Personal Tech

As of right now I own a “homemade” desktop PC that dual boots Windows XP professional and Ubuntu 8.04 (Linux). The PC has a 2.13Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, MSI motherboard, nVidia 7800GTX graphics, and 4GB of Corsair RAM. I love to use this computer when I’m at home; it is extremely fast and I can accomplish layouts, graphic manipulation, and 3D work without a hitch.

In the next couple of years I may build a low cost server using Linux to better my understanding of server technology and how to keep it running on a continual basis while troubleshooting common problems.

For mobile use I have a Dell Latitude 131L that is entirely too slow. The Dell may have to go soon and be replaced by a MacBook or MacBook Pro netbook. Just like on my home computer, my Dell dual boots Windows XP Pro and Ubuntu 8.04.

I also am a BlackBerry user (in a couple of days I’ll be an HTC user) and have actually changed some of the applications on the phone. I consider myself a BlackBerry power user and understand the “nuts and bolts” of the BlackBerry OS. I love the Pearl, but I think that I will soon be in the market for something better such as the iPhone or the Android G1.

Personal

When I’m not at work or doing school work I enjoy reading, watching movies, playing with my dog, and relaxing with my girlfriend. I also like to travel whenever I get a chance. Recently my girlfriend and I went to Saint Augustine, Florida for about a week and a half. We plan on going somewhere this summer as well (anywhere but here and hopefully somewhere warm).

Hopefully, after I complete my education at Behrend, my girlfriend and I will move to a warmer climate probably down south somewhere. We would like to take advantage of the warm weather and nice beaches. You can view more pictures at my Flickr link.