Computer Support Blog

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In just a few days, Victorinox will release one of the coolest products to hit the portable memory market ever.  However, like so many initial product releases, it comes with a pretty hefty price tag.  As a result, many of us will rely upon the fact that Alpha Consumers satisfy the initial demand and absorb the expense of producing the next, less expensive, round of the product.  The cool new product is the Victorinox 1 TB USB/eSATA II flash drive!

Victorinox, most famous for creating and selling the Swiss Army Knife, has been making and selling USB flash drives of a similar style for years.  Incorporated into their trademarked fold-out design that allows you to essentially keep several different tools within a common handle, Victorinox included a USB flash drive to keep the tool relevant in the 21^st Century.  Victorinox is pushing the envelope forward now with their 1 TB USB/eSATA II flash drive.

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There are plenty of different options for data storage available on the market and many of them work great. So why do we need a new device for data backup? The Samsung Optical Smart Hub is not quite the same as any of the other options, although it is not yet for sale. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Samsung unveiled the Optical Smart Hub SE-208BW along with their many other great new products.

Until now, the options for data backup were CD/DVDs, tape drives, external hard drive, or a Cloud (a method of online storage for data). These are all great methods of backing up your data and programs, but they usually require you to connect to some other device in order to work such as a CD/DVD burner.

If you are looking for a more secure, off site method of data backup, however, look no further than Rescuecom. Rescuecom provides online backup on our secure servers so that you will never lose your valuable information.

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There are very few computer-related items as stylish, distinctive, or varied as the USB Flash Drive.  You can find flash drives for virtually any occasion or sense of style.  For the uber-geek, there are Star Wars flash drives and for Twi-hard girls, there is even a Twilight USB flash drive.  What about manly men who want a distinctive USB flash drive?  For the masculine man with a sense of whimsy, there are Flash Rods.

Flash Rods are handmade USB flash drives in the shape of popular or memorable automobiles.  Since 2004, Flash Rods have been integrating die-cast toy cars and flash drives to create a fun 4 GB flash drive that appeals to car enthusiasts.  Each Flash Rod is manufactured with the male USB jack projecting out the back of the car.  Each Flash Rod slides perfectly into any female USB port, so the tires and any back fins or ornamentation of the car end before the male USB jack begins.

The distinctive cars are what make the Flash Rods cool.  Currently, there are over twenty different Flash Rods available.  Many of the basic Flash Rods come in different colors.  If you have a favorite car type, you can pick up multiple Flash Rods to keep different files on different color Flash Rods of the same model car!  The basic Flash Rods include the Volvo 1800, GT 40 #11, a Delorean and Rudolf’s New Car.  There is an entire section featuring modern cars, like the Audi R8 and a Camero, and another section featuring muscle cars like a 1967 Mustang GT500 and a Studebaker Pick Up!  As well, there are some neat variants, like a clear race car.

Women need not feel excluded from the Flash Rods phenomenon!  Women make up a sizable portion of the NASCAR audience and Flash Rods seems eager to appeal to that market.  Flash Rods produces a series of five limited edition pink Flash Rods.  The pinks are custom colors and they look amazing on vehicles like the Tesla, ’67 GTX and SLR.  The pink line is one of the most distinctive and coolest collections Flash Rods manufactures and because Flash Rods produces them in very limited quantities, you should get them while you can!

But geeks need not shun the Flash Rods; this is not just a product for the guys who used to beat you up and take your lunch money!  Flash Rods caters to the hardcore geek audience with Flash Rods of some very cool, genre-oriented vehicles.  Doc Brown’s time machine Delorean is part of the current fun inventory of Flash Rods.  As well, Flash Rods recreated the black van driven by the A-Team as a Flash Rod flash drive.

With an average price of $25 (plus shipping) the Flash Rods are a very cool way to store your valuable computer files.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

As energy independence and the growth of renewable energy resources become more important than ever, there are very few established big businesses in the energy industry diversifying fast enough to satisfy investors and consumers.  As big energy companies struggle to keep dying paradigms for energy production and corporate management alive, a new generation of leaders is emerging.  Carlos Coe is one such emerging leader in the field of renewable energy.

Carlos Coe is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xtreme Power.  His training and work experience made him an ideal leader to trail blaze in the field of renewable energy.  After receiving his Bachelor’s in Engineering from the Citadel, Carlos Coe was accepted to Princeton University.  At that prestigious institution, Coe studied engineering at the Masters and Doctorate levels.  From the moment he received his Ph.D., Carlos Coe has worked on and managed projects for some of the biggest manufacturers in the United States.  He moved from BDM International (part of Ford Aerospace!) to the Whirlpool Corporation before running the refrigeration company Anthony International.  In 2004, Dr. Coe left Anthony International to found Xtreme Power, well before “renewable energy” was a popular buzzword!

In founding Xtreme Power, Carlos Coe took a stand against many giants in the energy industry.  Forming the company with a stated goal of innovating sustainable, renewable energy sources effectively left Coe thumbing his nose at the industry authorities.  Dr. Coe formed Xtreme Power primarily as a research and development company, which was an issue for many of the myopic energy companies.  The established competitors of Xtreme Power in the energy production industry frequently have (or had!) research and development departments. As a matter of corporate policy, many big energy companies would not pursue promising developments if the innovations required too much initial investment or upset those with whom they had a business relationship.  By forming his own company, Carlos Coe and Xtreme Power were not beholden to those old paradigms.

And what success Coe and Xtreme Power have been having already!  Just last year, Xtreme Power won a $43 million contract from Duke Energy for the Notrees Power Project near Kermit, Texas.  There they are experimenting with new batteries for storing electricity derived from wind power.  This important development could make wind power a vastly more reliable means of electricity generation than it has been.  In addition to residential and industrial power projects in Hawaii, New Mexico, and Colorado, Coe has scored big contracts with Ford Motors for power cell generation for consumer products, like automobiles!

Ironically, Xtreme Power’s innovations so far have greatly benefited several traditional energy providers by stabilizing energy output during peak demand times as well as during emergencies.  As the United States moves to more and more renewable energy sources for electricity generation, Carlos Coe and Xtreme Power are leading the way with their complete energy production systems!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

The influx of new technologies for computers has not made everything better.  If you owned your PC for many years, it is entirely probable that you have an old mouse or keyboard that you like.  Perhaps it is an ergonomic keyboard that you are very comfortable with.  Maybe you have a customized computer mouse that matches both your grip and your sense of style.  Many of the older computer peripherals like mice and keyboards connected to the computer through specialized PS/2 ports.  Many PCs and laptop computers today are manufactured without that special port.  As more computers adapt the USB interface format exclusively, those who have favorite older peripherals are compelled to upgrade their accessories in addition to their systems.

Fortunately, StarTech is here to help consumers who have the computer accessories they were happy with and do not want to change!  StarTech manufactures a PS/2 mouse to USB adapter.  They also have an adapter that transforms any PS/2 keyboard into a USB-compatible device.  These are very simple devices, but both are very cool.

The StarTech PS/2 Mouse to USB Adapter is a white plastic and metal device around 1 ½” in length.  It is a solid adapter that features a female PS/2 Mouse port and a male USB connector.  To use the adapter, simply plug the male end of your favorite older computer mouse into the female end of the adapter.  The adapter and mouse will now plug into any female USB port.  Through this adapter, you will be able to use any older mouse on any plug-and-play capable computer or computer device.

In an identical fashion, StarTech’s PS/2 Keyboard to USB Adapter allows you to continue using your favorite older keyboard on your newer systems.  Color coded purple like the standardized PS/2 keyboard jack, StarTech’s PS/2 Keyboard to USB Adapter features a female PS/2 port and a male USB jack.  Simply plugging the USB jack of the adapter into any USB-compatible device allows you to then plug your favorite keyboard into the jack and continue using it.  In this way, you may use your already-purchased ergonomic keyboard or keyboard with sentimental value on your new, faster computer.

Just because technology is changing, you should not have to give up the devices you already own and love.  StarTech’s PS/2 Mouse and PS/2 Keyboard adapters allow you to use the peripherals you enjoy with the benefits of your new computer device!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Within the last five years, the USB drive has transformed from an efficient data storage device into a fashion accessory.  Before USB drives became popular, computer users were compelled to carry floppy discs, CD-ROM discs or bulky portable hard drives to make information portable.  The USB flash drive made your information portable and universally-accessible.  No longer were Mac and PC users entirely at odds because one system did not recognize the medium of the other.  With USB flash drives, consumers may transport information between computers, gaming consoles and other electronic devices with a USB port.  This is especially handy, particularly in locations where Internet connections are not available or under circumstances when the physical (not transmitted) transfer of files is essential.

Just as the USB flash drive has made data storage easy, various manufacturers have found ways to make them more stylish or interesting.  USB flash drives can show off your interest in social causes, your allegiance to a major film franchise or your sense of humor.  Even more than memory capacity, the form of a USB flash drive is its selling point now.  Some of the most interesting USB flash drives currently on the market are:

The Swiss Army Knife Flash Drive.  Swiss Army knives have long been a handy tool.  They feature an iconic red handle and blades that fold out of the handle when you want to use them.  Now, there is a Swiss Army knife that includes, in lieu of some blades, a flash drive.  With capacities of 2, 4 and 8GB, the Swiss Army Knife Flash Drive takes the tool into the 21rst century.

The Thumb Flash Drive.  Show off your sense of humor with a thumb drive that is a thumb!  Currently on the market in novelty shops, there is a flash drive of a thumb is disturbingly realistic in its molding and shading.  Users who want to get the shock value of sitting with what appears to be a thumb from the knuckle to tip sticking out of their USB port will find the thumb flash drive, with its 8 GB capacity fits the bill!

Moon Chrome Swarovski-Philips USB Drive.  For classier computer users using their flash drive as a fashion accessory Swarovski and Philips teamed up to make a pendant flash drive.  Made to look exactly like a fancy crystal necklace, the Moon Chrome pendant houses a retractable USB connector that makes your jewelry into a flash drive!

The USB flash drive is both an invaluable tool and a social statement.  Think carefully before you buy your next flash drive about what the drive says about you!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

The United States is full of fiercely independent people.  These independent Americans have a tendency to resist any form of change that involves the United States government.  When the U.S. Postal Service first adopted the ZIP code, these independent alarmists preached that the government was categorizing its citizens!  While members of this same subculture have resisted the Electronic Health Record, they are not the biggest obstacle to the adoption of the new technology.  Doctors have actually been slower to adapt to the practical development of the EHR than consumers or developers!

In case you have not heard of it, Electronic Health Records are a relatively new concept that would provide doctors with a universal framework for medical records through the United States government.  The Federal government has sought to create both an identification card and a standardized computer system that would make your medical records completely portable.  More than simply a database, the EHR would completely overhaul the field of health informatics.

The Electronic Health Record would be accessible through the Internet or a more protected government/medical intranet (this is part of the technology that is still under development and the subject of much debate).  In order to gain access to your records, you would need to provide your identification card.  Swiping your identification card in the EHR terminal, your doctor would have complete access to your entire medical history.  The EHR is not a system like stuffy old medical records; it is more like a Cloud-based multimedia presentation!  Every doctor you have ever had will make notes in your EHR and they may include photographs, diagrams and even video footage of their procedures!

. . . At least, that is the theory of how the EHR will work.  Despite mandates and government incentives, many doctors have not purchased an Electronic Health Record system.  There is a sizable portion of physicians who have purchased their EHR hardware, but have not used it yet!  In addition to bearing the expense of the EHR system, many doctors have been resistant to take the time to learn the new computer system that the Electronic Health Record creates.  Moreover, doctors with vastly different proficiencies in using the system contribute to each patient’s record.  If a particularly loquacious doctor provides an extensive narrative that is read by a doctor who just needs bullet points, your treatment may be delayed.  Similarly, if a doctor does not provide all necessary information in a useful fashion, your next doctor may misdiagnose any subsequent ailment.

The theory behind the Electronic Health Record is that you will have an entirely portable medical history.  If your job transfers you to a different part of the country or you get hurt on vacation, your EHR record will give doctors in any medical facility every medical fact about you.  But because the system requires doctors to learn how to both contribute to and gather data from the Electronic Health Record, it is clear that the practical implementation of the EHR is still many years away.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

What do wild conspiracy theories and overheating laptop computers have in common?  Dean Haglund worked on both!  Dean Haglund is an actor and artist who portrayed Langley on The X-Files and its unfortunately too-short-lived spin-off The Lone Gunmen.  As Langley on the two shows, Haglund delighted geeks of all ages with the idea that bizarre theories could be reasonably pitched to otherwise professional people and that you can grow up, but you do not have to cut your hair.

Haglund is less commonly known for inventing the Chill Pak.  Almost a decade ago, Dean Haglund invented the Chill Pak and it remains a cool product (pun intended) to this day.  Like many laptop computer users, Dean Haglund spent a great deal of time on his laptop computer.  As a result, he would notice that his laptop computer’s fan would run excessively and that his computer would become physically hot to touch.  After correctly observing that the warmer his laptop computer became, the slower it ran, Haglund set to work solving the problem.

The Chill Pak was Haglund’s solution to laptop computer overheating and it is a surprisingly elegant one.  The Chill Pak is a patented mat for under your computer.  The Chill Pak comes as a mat filled with gel and when you first receive it, you need to place it in your freezer.  After about twelve hours of freezing, the Chill Pak works like an ice pack for your laptop computer.  Placed underneath your laptop computer, the Chill Pak significantly cools down your laptop computer’s internal components.  The result is that your laptop computer’s fan will not engage, so your laptop runs quieter as well as faster.  The Chill Pak operates for four hours at normal room temperature before the gel fully liquefies and needs to be refrozen.

But what about moisture in the air condensing on the Chill Pak as it heat up?  Dean Haglund thought of that!  The Chill Pak is made of a special fabric designed to absorb and wick away moisture.  As a result, the Chill Pak cools down your computer without getting it wet and necessitating laptop computer repairs!

There are a lot of solutions on the market now for cooling down your laptop computer, which was not true when Haglund invented the Chill Pak.  External laptop fans are noisy and use up a USB port on your laptop computer.  Similar crystal/gel mats do not keep laptop computers as cool for nearly as long as the Chill Pak.

Dean Haglund brought one of the first, most effective, laptop computer cooling devices to market with the Chill Pak.  The fact that it is still a relevant, functional product almost a decade since it was first released makes the Chill Pak very cool.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Flash drives have been transformed from useful data storage devices into fashion statements.  More than simply useful tools for keeping computer files safe or transferring files easily between different computers, USB flash drives have become another way for computer users to express themselves.  Some of the coolest USB flash drives help fans show their appreciation for their favorite films like Twilight or Harry Potter.  Now, Mimoco makes flash drives for one of the undeniably coolest franchises of all time, Star Wars!

Mimoco has a line of Star Wars MIMOBOTs (the Mimoco term for their designer USB flash drives).  Currently, there are twenty-one different Star Wars styles in their MIMOBOT line and they are very cool.  Mimoco molded each MIMOBOT flash drive with a somewhat rounded appearance, reminiscent of Weebles.  Most Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives come in your choice of 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB capacity.  A few, like their San Diego Comic Con exclusive Bossk MIMOBOT, come with fewer options for capacity.

Each Star Wars MIMOBOT features a different Star Wars franchise character or alien.  The stylized design of the MIMOBOT includes an elongated head on each character.  Mimoco designed the Star Wars MIMOBOTs to stand as desk ornaments when they are not in use.  The MIMOBOTS make for good decorations as each one has bright colors and distinctive markings.  The Darth Vader MIMOBOT even features an additional layer; when you remove the helmet, Anakin’s human face is underneath!

More than simply cool to look at for geeks, the Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives are entirely functional.  Each elongated MIMOBOT head is the cap for the flash drive!  By simply pulling on the character’s head or helmet, you expose the male USB lead of the MIMOBOT!  Like any other USB flash drive, the Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drive slides easily into any female USB port.  Because of the rounded nature of the casing of the MIMOBOTs, the Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives may not fit into a crowded USB hub.  These flash drives do not like to share space, so they must be plugged into a USB port where there are no other USB devices that might inhibit the physical connection of the MIMOBOT.

With designs like Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, Darth Maul and the ever-popular Boba Fett, Mimoco has tapped into the Star Wars fans’s idea of cool with their Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives!

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Outside Kermit, Texas, there is an experiment in industrial batteries going on now that has the potential to change the computer world.  In fact, if the experiment is successful, it may well reduce the need for a major, common type of computer repair, as well as eliminate many consumers’ fears of failure to their data storage devices.  The Notrees Power Project is testing a new 36-megawatt battery and that should have computer users and manufacturers paying attention.

One of the most common forms of damage to computers comes from power surges.  Inadequate surge protection can lead to expensive computer repair bills.  Because power surges can damage hard drives, sometimes even a computer repair cannot recover data you were storing on the drive.  The threat of power surges has led many businesses and personal computer users to invest in online data storage or redundant data storage off-site.  However, if the off-site data storage and primary computer connect to the same power source, your data remains at risk.  There is little that is more frustrating than costly computer repair bills and the wasted investment in multiple data storage methods when you irrevocably lose your data from an extreme power surge.

Until the Notrees Windpower Project began to experiment with the massive 36-megawatt battery, wind power was notoriously unreliable for generating electricity and led to data storage problems from faulty power delivery.  Power surges and the erratic power supply that frequently comes from the generation of electricity using wind power has acted as a threat to computer users since U.S. power companies began to generate wind power.  The success of the battery would mean that whenever the wind was not generating enough electricity at the Notrees Windpower Project, the battery would discharge its stored electricity to keep the power supply constant.  That consistent energy delivery would eliminate many computer problems for computer users who receive electricity through wind power generation.

While surge protectors have prevented many computer problems and data storage errors, no type of power delivery reliably prevents the need for a computer repair like a clean power supply.  Until the Notrees Windpower Project battery experiment, wind power has not been able to deliver a clean, constant power supply, though the local nature of wind power generation has lessened many of the transmission difficulties other means of generating electricity still suffer.  A constant power supply that does not fluctuate, surge or collapse prevents damage that mandates a computer repair.  Only stable energy can alleviate power-based fears relative to data storage devices and that is the potential of the 36-megawatt battery.

For sure, the technology being developed at the Notrees Windpower Project is still experimental and may not protect the power supply from other environmental factors like solar flares. The promise of clean wind energy is enough to give hope to those who have had data storage failures as a result of power fall-outs.  If the Notrees battery is successful, it may encourage the generation of more wind farms to help consumers get more reliable, affordable, renewable electricity that will not harm their computers.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com