Computer Support Blog

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks to the unsung hero in the marketplace: the Alpha Consumer.  An Alpha Consumer is “the first to know, the first to try, the first to buy.”  Alpha Consumers deserve praise because they act as the real market testers of all new products.

As the first to buy new computer products, Alpha Consumers are the first to encounter issues that require professional computer support responses.  Alpha Consumers have the money to buy the latest laptop, operating system or gadget and time to interact with computer support agents when problems arise.  Because the Alpha Consumer is highly computer savvy, they tend to be the first to encounter Internet security issues.  Through their interactions with computer support personnel, Alpha Consumers uncover and report Internet security threats both through software and identity theft issues.

The usefulness of Alpha Consumers is not limited to alerting computer support technicians of real-world problems with systems or Internet security issues the programmers did not consider.  Alpha Consumers create the demand for products that drives down the price, like the Playstation 3 game console.  One reason the price dropped on the Playstation 3 is that Alpha Consumers satisfied initial demand by buying up the original offering at the higher price.  As well as enduring the Internet security vulnerabilities found on the Playstation 3, the Alpha Consumers alerted the computer support staff at Sony of those issues.  Those who purchase the new models do not suffer the same risks as a result.  Alpha Consumers have the income and inclination to upgrade frequently, exposing Internet Security issues and concerns requiring computer support in the new units.

The value of the Alpha Consumer is evident in more than just areas that require computer support.  The initial price of all consumer electronics is higher and geared toward Alpha Consumers to basically fund the production of future units. The higher initial price also pays for the technical support personnel who fix Internet security issues or design threats found by Alpha Consumers.  Alpha Consumers supported the Blu-Ray player by purchasing the initial units at around $800! Now Blu-Ray player prices average at $175, while Alpha Consumers upgrade to 3-D Blu-Ray.

Critics argue that the Alpha Consumer would not be as important if producers simply tested their products more.  They argue that the need for computer support would be less if product testing met the demands of research and development, rather than appeasing stockholders by rushing product releases.  How many threats to Internet security would delaying products have prevented?

We will never know; the rise of the Alpha Consumer is the domination of a “buy now, fix later” mindset.  Consumers who benefit from the investment and tenacity of the Alpha Consumer, the Alpha Consumer’s endurance in the face of Internet security issues and flaws that require computer support to fix, owe the Alpha Consumer their thanks.

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

For several months, the Occupy Wall Street Movement has been going on in New York City.  The protest, currently physically clogging up New York City’s Zuccotti Park, seeks to bring attention to how the 1% of the wealthiest people control the fates of the remaining 99% of the population.  There is a strange disconnect in the literature provided by Occupy Wall Street through their website and the physical protest; it is unclear how the protesters hope to bring change to economic inequality through randomly clogging up a park near the Wall Street financial buildings.

What is fascinating is how every sector of the media is trying to make a statement about Occupy Wall Street.  On November 15, the Wall Street Journal posted a video online in which three reporter/commentators discussed a spike in Twitter activity the night before.  Twitter has been an invaluable tool used by members of Occupy Wall Street to communicate with one another through their smartphones.  The story focused on how Twitter traffic quintupled from about 100,000 tweets with Occupy Wall Street hash tags to 500,000.  This occurred when police came into the park in the middle of the night to clean.

The attention social networking media gets through stories like this is enough to make legitimate journalists and private citizens blanch.  A quick Google search of November 15 and Occupy Wall Street leads readers to surprisingly little information.  Legitimate news sites note that an eviction happened and that authorities allowed protesters back into the park by morning.  In a protest that has had moments when the major news outlets have covered police violence and significant crowd actions, a spike in Twitter traffic pertaining to Occupy Wall Street seems like a non-story.

The Wall Street Journal tacitly admits as much in the podcast when Zachary Seward notes that much of the traffic that contributed to the Twitter spike did not come from people actually in Zuccotti Park.  This is a textbook definition of hearsay and is more an illustration of how fast small events can be blown out of proportion.  When the Wall Street Journal treated what was essentially a high-tech game of “Telephone” as a legitimate news story, Edward R. Murrow rolled over in his grave.

Twitter could be a great asset to the media or to Occupy Wall Street, but the way people who are not involved in stories use Twitter to relay messages as if they were present sets a dangerous standard that journalists today, at the very least at the Wall Street Journal, seem content to follow.  The non-story from the Wall Street Journal calls to mind a brilliant parody done by The Onion News Network about assumed casualties from a train wreck.  At least viewers for The Onion know to expect humor as opposed to serious stories; we expect better from The Wall Street Journal.

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

Social networks come and go, especially with changing Internet security concerns stemming from identity theft, but one of the social networks that never truly came of age and is having a slower collapse than others is Elftown.  Elftown – www.elftown.com – is an online artistic community and it was one of the earliest social networks online.  Founded in 2002, it predates both Myspace and Facebook.

Despite Internet security concerns, the site is not dead yet!  Many artists are still discovering Elftown as a viable off-site option for data.  In the last year the reference photography page on Elftown has become a resource for digital artists with tens of thousands of images that users have made available.  Despite concerns over Internet security, Elftowners use the site for data backup of their artistic works.  As a relatively unknown site, Elftown does not have as many Internet security issues, making it an ideal place for artists to store digital copies of their artwork.  This makes it an ideal site for data backup for artists who are storing their works on older systems.  Using Elftown for data backup and data recovery is certainly what Elftowners do with reference pictures.  A simple Google search of “reference pictures” puts Elftown as the second result out of 283 million results!

Elftown is most analogous to deviantART, though Elftown follows a less commercial model.  Elftown has never effectively monetized the site and relies upon donations of funds and equipment to keep the Elftown servers running.  Elftown’s distinction is that it focuses on the creation of art, while protecting artists through reasonable Internet security, screening methods and protected data backup options.

What Elftown has that the other social networks lack is a strong sense of community involvement.  When you sign up for Elftown, your application has to be approved by the site’s founder, Hedda.  After Hedda approves you, Guides greet users, and artists on the site randomly say “hello.”  A bar on the right side of the Elftown page shows a list of the Elftowners who are currently online.

As artists, artistic integrity is very important, as is Internet security to protect their intellectual property. The social aspect of Elftown is visible by Guards who patrol the site to enforce the terms of use and prevent violations to copyright laws, as well as guard against Internet security violations and threats to data backup on the site.  Elftown runs contests where users are encouraged to generate original art for specific themes, encouraging healthy competition.

Elftown started as a virtuous idea: to connect artists of all mediums with one another to encourage art and the free spread of ideas.  As Myspace.com and Facebook decline, perhaps the Elftown model will have its day simply by enduring through Internet security threats and by providing reliable data backup for artists.  Social networking is about connecting, not monetizing, and Elftown has endured when others on the Internet have not.  Elftown is still ahead of its time.

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

Right about now, Justin Timberlake must feel like he has egg on his face.  In June of 2011, Justin Timberlake and Specific Media bought Myspace.com and began to retune the website to place more of an emphasis on music.  Myspace now features popular and up and coming musical artists and if you did not know that, it is no surprise: Myspace.com has fallen to the 88^th Top Site in the U.S., below The Drudge Report and CBS Sports.

Even in its heyday, Myspace was not exactly a haven of Internet security.  More than suffering from spreading viruses, Myspace users found the Internet security threat of stalkers.  As the first online social network for many users, Myspace users quickly found that the key component to Internet security is simply not putting deeply personal information about yourself on your page.  As well, the lax Internet security measures on Myspace allowed adult predators to gain access to children eighteen and younger.

In addition to basic Internet security concerns embodied by Myspace publishing users’ birthdays and birthplaces, which allowed some crafty criminals to divine portions of users’ social security numbers, Myspace users have found there is simply no good reason to go back to Myspace.  Unlike other social network sites that provide archives for online storage, Myspace encouraged users to link to external sites.  As a result, Myspace quickly turned into a portal to other, cooler sites, as opposed to one where users built an online storage depot of their own, cool works.

It is clear that Justin Timberlake is trying to change that now.  But intensifying the Internet security to Myspace and rebranding the site as an online storage option for the music and music videos of musical artists has not turned around Myspace’s slide in popularity.  The artists who are using Myspace as an online storage venue often repost their music and videos to other sites, leaving little unique content to draw users back.

More than Internet security concerns and the desire to combine social networking with online storage, a hook that photo sharing social networks have found effective, much of the demise of Myspace simply comes from the fact that it is not cool anymore.  Social networking is following the same long term ebb and flow of every trend and it is clear that Myspace is in the unenviable flow wherein the network is not cool to mainstream users.  Counterculture users are not yet using Myspace, even ironically.

Justin Timberlake is just a victim of bad timing, buying into a network that has already jumped the shark.  More than fear of Internet security threats or the desire to start up an online storage folder on a network that they have already left, users are stating that they are happy to get their music on other sites and no amount of rebranding Myspace will make them come back.

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

It is hard to think of water pressure as cool, until there is a problem with yours and you need a device to monitor or test water flow and that is what the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder does. The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is available in one of two kits for home or industrial use and the specificity of the design is most impressive.  In the kit, the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder has the connectors and relevant computer services needed to make the data collection easy and versatile along a number of consumer and municipal needs.

The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is a durable gadget that screws onto the 2 ½” nozzle outlet on a fire hydrant or the end of a garden hose.  For private citizens, the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder collects data to reveal water pressure problems to a landlord or service provider.  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder protects the data because each unit is durable with a battery that lasts about seven years.

Of course, most people should not need seven or more years of testing their water pressure.  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is ideal for monitoring industrial water flow and while that may seem boring or lame, when the fire department comes and attaches their lines to the fire hydrant nearest your house, it becomes a very different matter!  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder allows cities or towns to test fire hydrant pressure easily.  Crews outfitted with the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder from the Flow Test Kit II-D can travel hydrant to hydrant to check pressure to find leaks, cracks, or other pressure problems resulting from environmental factors like changes in temperature.  Workers simply open the fire hydrant, attach the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder with the diffuser and they get an accurate model of the flow from each hydrant.  Through those tests, the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder ensures that every citizen has equal access, not just to the water, but to water delivered at a great enough pressure and volume to make a difference in any building fire.

One need not worry about retesting or data recovery with the HPR-31, as the raw data captured by the HPR-31 is uploaded to the Palm Pilot in the HPR Kit II-D and the Flow Test Kit II-D.  The easy-to-use connectors have no exposed electronics which is ideal when one is working with a lot of forceful water!

Far too often, we take for granted essential services or aspects of daily life.  Some of the coolest gadgets are designed simply to make sure those services work properly or make sure service is delivered uninterrupted.  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is an essential part of making sure water gets where it needs to be, in a useful way.

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

Portability does not need to be a trade-off with quality with the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter.  Today, consumers use their telephones to take pictures and are encouraged to download digital downloads of movies, digital textbooks and audio performances to their laptop computers.  While this may appeal to tweens and those whose only computer device is a portable phone, serious movie lovers and large groups of people need something more.  For that, they need a converter.

Virtually every computer and laptop computer on the market today features a VGA port.  The video port allows users to export images and sound to devices that project those media.  The current standard, since mid-2009, is High Definition.  High Definition televisions and projectors, however, do not accept VGA or less refined video signals.  For that, users need the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter.

The Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter is a gadget that converts the VGA signal from a laptop computer or desktop computer port to a High Definition signal.  By connecting a standard VGA cable from the computer to the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter and an HDMI cable from the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter to the HD device, users may watch movies, share pictures or present computer-based presentations on much larger devices.

The Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter transforms a laptop computer into an educational tool when it is connected to an HD projector.  A home PC may similarly stream movies from the Internet to an HDTV or through a digital projector when connected to the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter.  As a business tool, one needs only their laptop and the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter to connect to common devices and share information with large groups.

In addition to the relatively low expense – the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter is available online for $56 – $80 – the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter is exceptionally easy to use.  It requires no software to transform the signals from a video card to the HD device.  Moreover, by using physical connections instead of wireless means, one maintains data and network security.  The Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter allows users to share information, presentations and art with a lower risk of being hacked or requiring virus removal.

For a comparatively low investment, the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter allows portable devices to become effective presentation tools.

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

If you’ve ever been in a small pizzeria or a local family diner that has just recently started accepting credit cards, you might have seen a little gadget that’s attached to the checkout computer—a small credit card reader. With the advances in network services, it has become very easy to attach a credit card reader to almost any computer with an Internet connection. In fact, if you’d like to swipe away your credit cards at home, then by all means, go for it. SmartSwipe is a small, very cool personal credit card reader that can be used to read credit cards at home or in the office.

SmartSwipe isn’t just a cool way of playing shop at home. Sure, you can swipe away your credit cards when shopping online to get a more commercial feel for your transactions, but there’s more to this credit card reader than fun. SmartSwipe adds an entire new dimension of security to your online financial activities that involve using credit cards. No matter how secure you think your Internet connection is, and regardless of how advanced your anti-virus software is, when you enter your credit card information, you still face some Internet security risks. SmartSwipe reduces (or maybe even eliminates) these risks by encrypting your credit card data before it reaches the information field. This way, if a hacker is trying to monitor your keystrokes or remotely observe your screen, he or she will not be able to see the information you enter.

Under normal circumstances, when you use a credit card to make an online purchase, the website you’re using scrambles (encrypts) your data to prevent hackers from seeing it in its raw form. However, if your device is infected with spyware, for example, that program will have access to the data before it is encrypted. SmartSwipe encrypts the data in its external hardware so that by the time it reaches your computer, it’s protected.

The safe credit card reader is an essential tool for people who regularly enter their credit card information online, whether it’s for online shopping or other financial transactions. As Identity theft problems increase, it’s essential for users to safeguard their private information.

The device is easy to use and connects to your computer via a USB port. Additionally, it is compatible with all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB.

SmartSwipe doesn’t come with hidden fees, according to its manufacturer, and using it is completely free after you have purchased the product. The device also helps protect you from accidentally buying the same product twice as it only accepts one purchase per transaction.

To investigate how well the card reader actually works, CBS affiliate, KUTV, independently put it to the test. The show’s producers attempted to get access to a volunteer’s credit information as she completed two transactions, one with SmartSwipe and one without it. Sure enough, when she used SmartSwipe, the (friendly) hacker wasn’t able to see any of her information. On the other hand, when she didn’t use the device, all her data was visible.

Costliness aside, the SmartSwipe looks elegant, connects to your computer easily, and, most importantly, adds a priceless level of security to your online financial transactions, and really, can you put a price tag on that?

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

Everywhere you look these days there are people doing all sorts of cool things with their smartphones.  In fact, the one thing you see them doing least is actually talking on them.  They are availing themselves of the crazy number and types of apps available to them right there in the palm of their hand.  How many of those users do you suppose are worried about who has access to their personal information?  Not just the information they are exchanging with a friend at that moment, but ALL of the information their smartphone (aka Mobile Computer Device) to which their network service is connecting them?

Of course most business users are well aware of the risks associated with using mobile devices and have acted appropriately with their network services to assure that they are adequately protected.  The everyday user may not even know enough to worry about this.  Everyone who uses a smartphone requires a connection to a network service.  There are a number of ways that providers accomplish this connection to a network service, not all of which represent secure computer service.  Then there are all those apps users download, some of which are extremely cool.  Are those apps from a secure network service?  Is any information you share while using those apps protected by secure computer services?

As we all know, providers of apps and services often do not have the consumers’ best interests at heart, in fact, many prefer that we not use secure computer services.  The truth is that a virus or thief has victimized pretty much anyone who has been using a computer in any form for any length of time.  A network service who intends to stay in business over the long run will probably be a secure computer service, but a look into their records and comments from users is still a good idea.  Still, the user should not become so paranoid about suspicious providers and network services that they stop using their smartphones entirely.

Awareness is the key here.  If you are in doubt about the integrity of a particular app, do not download it until you can check it out through a reputable network service.  If you are not sure what kind of personal information your provider is sharing with whom, contact them directly and ask.  It is best to use secure computer service, especially as the use of mobile devices increases at such a rapid pace.

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

So just what is “analytics” in the world of computing today?  According to the impeccable Wikipedia, “analytics is the process of obtaining an optimal or realistic decision based on existing data.  Business managers may choose to make decisions based on past experiences or rules of thumb, or there might be other qualitative aspects to decision making; but unless there are data involved in the process, it would not be considered analytics.”  Therefore, business people are using computer support to gather vital information.

Most savvy members of the business end of Internet use, marketing, and Internet security are already busily using analytics to keep their competitive edges, just one of the many reasons that intellectual property and Internet security are such hot issues.  Here is an interesting twist though.  What if a behemoth of online marketing began allowing lesser competitors to use its giant market to market their goods?  What if this behemoth even provided lots of computer support and increased Internet security for them?  How could this be good for the behemoth’s bottom line?  Analytics is the answer.

If a giant online marketer can collaborate with a lot of lesser marketers, the giant marketer can then watch these marketers much more closely without violating any Internet security protocol.  This watching is possible since sales and demographic data of the smaller marketer will be a part of the giant’s business now.  This collaboration will essentially remove any issues of Internet security and spying.  The giant is cutting out the middleman – the computer support analytics guy who used to have to chase all over cyberspace getting this same information, sometimes even violating Internet security.

At the same time, the giant is improving its upfront profile by providing access to and computer support for all of these products and services without the consumer ever having to leave the giant’s site.  In addition, at least in the short run the smaller vendors are getting a potential boost in sales based on their greater visibility, not to mention a greater sense of Internet security for their customers and for themselves.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to see this as a mutually beneficial relationship for the long run.  In the business of Internet marketing and competition, the object seems to be to always to come out on top.

That is not to say that these larger operators are merely victimizing their smaller competitors.  For right now, it seems as if both are benefitting in good ways, sharing computer support and Internet security.

Just for the sake of argument though, before a smaller competitor signs a contract with one of the “big guys,” it would be good for them to consider exactly what sort of access to information they are giving the bigger entity in exchange for their greater visibility.  How much computer support and Internet security are they gaining or losing for the sake of some perhaps temporary increased sales?

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

In an interesting blog on September 24, 2011, Sharon Machlis discusses a recent “study,” (Harris Interactive/Rebtel survey).  The study suggests that women “dominate” men at a rate of about 3 to 2 in their use of social networking.  Ms. Machlis takes issue with some of the study’s methodology, and thus its results.  From a purely pedestrian standpoint, the study seems as if it is probably close to accurate.  After all, women are indisputably more communicative than men are in general.

That is not the point here though, because this is the sort of information and data upon which crucial management, networking and marketing decisions are based Ms. Machlis suggests that the ways in which the surveyors worded and asked the questions may have skewed the results somewhat.  Many of us use, say, Facebook, as a business tool, so even though we are on it almost daily, we are not actually doing social networking.  We are using it as just another handy computer service.

A myriad of computer services and social networking options are presented to us daily.  Most of us cannot do business effectively without these services and options.  How we choose which computer services and social networking to use has little to do with gender and much more to do with what we need.  The casual computer user who wants to keep in touch with a friend or loved one probably chooses based on what the friend or loved one is using.

The serious business person who is maintaining contacts, tracking trends, marketing, and just “watching,” certainly has to be more discriminate in his or her choice of “social networking” sites to pay attention to and to use.  As stated above, the “dominance” this study claims for women may not be taking into account the number of women who use those sites mostly for business.  If we could subtract that number from the total, the user ratio might well be much closer to equal.  Of course we’re also going to have to subtract the men who use the social networking sites primarily as business tools, but if Ms. Machlis is correct, the ratio is still going to even up considerably.

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