Computer Support Blog

If asked what they first think of when putting cars and smartphones together, most people would answer with something about not texting while driving or about touch screens in their car. No one would answer with “an iPhone case.”

That may be about to change, however, because Nissan is getting ready to release a new iPhone case. Yes, Nissan the car manufacturer is making an iPhone case, yet why they are is very interesting. The Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case will heal itself from any kind of scratches that occur.

Read more »

When you are not a member of a certain subculture, you may be entirely ignorant of its existence, much less what the principles and beliefs are for that culture or group.  As the Internet has effectively made the world smaller by connecting people from obscure subcultures, it has made learning about different groups of people much easier.  One of the most intriguing subcultures that has a surprising interest in computers and technology is the steampunk movement.

The steampunk subculture is preoccupied with reimagining the modern world as if steam power was still the dominant form of power.  The steampunk movement glorifies the sense of style of the Victorian Era and redesigns our modern conveniences to fit that style.  One of the very best resources on the Internet for those looking to understand steampunk is The Steampunk Workshop.

Read more »

In the past Vizio has dealt exclusively in televisions and, within the last year, tablets. Their products have always been reasonably priced and of durable quality, hardly ever requiring any kind of computer repair. With their sleek designs and Smart TVs, Vizio has long been a reliable company from whom to buy good televisions. They constantly try to push the boundaries. Even this year, they released two mind-blowing televisions: an 84-inch Smart TV with a resolution of 4000×2000 and their Cinema Wide TV, which shows videos in 21:9 widescreen just like at the movie theaters.

This year, though, Vizio stepped dramatically out of its comfort zone and began making computers. They introduced three new laptops and two new all-in-one desktops at the Consumer Electronics Show. The sleek look and silver coloring of these computers give them a widely impressive design.

Read more »

Have you ever wondered what material the screens on your computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones are? Why does it not scratch or break every time you drop it? On most new devices, the screen is Gorilla Glass, which is made by Corning Incorporated. Corning has created a thin, scratch-resistant, damage-resistant glass that manufacturers use in nearly all electronic devices for the screen. You can find Gorilla Glass in televisions, desktops, notebooks, smartphones and tablets from most manufacturers.

According to HowStuffWorks, after they prepare the glass mixture, they pour the Gorilla Glass into a trough that allows it to be pulled very thin. A potassium salt bath then treats the glass to provide the damage-resistance that makes it special. This kind of chemical treatment on glass is not unique to Gorilla Glass, but Corning’s glass is the most widely used and one of the toughest in the industry.

Beginning with the original Apple iPhone, Gorilla Glass has allowed new screens to be clearer, brighter, and stronger than ever. They report that Gorilla Glass is currently in over 600 different products. Now, Corning has announced that they have improved their Gorilla Glass to version 2.0.

This new version, Gorilla Glass 2.0, is the same in scratch-resistance and damage-resistance, but is 20% thinner than before. This new thinness will allow manufacturers to create smaller, lighter devices and therefore have more flexibility in their designs. With Gorilla Glass 2.0, Corning says that the screens will be even brighter and more sensitive to touch as well.

There is also the possibility that Corning could make the Gorilla Glass 20% stronger while leaving it the same thickness. That would mean we would be able to have similar devices in weight, but that last longer and do not require mobile computer repairs as often. You could drop your phone more often or probably throw it harder and not have to worry as much about the screen breaking.

Unfortunately, even when Gorilla Glass 2.0 is standard on almost all devices it will still be able to break when given enough force because it is glass after all. Therefore, until they find a way to make screens that are completely shatterproof, we will continue to deal with broken, chipped, or cracked screens. When that happens, as we all know it does happen, as least you can get reliable computer repair help from experts such as those at RESCUECOM, in order to get your electronic device’s screen repaired quickly and easily.

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

There are few computer accessories that show little or no change from when the personal computer became a household item, but arguably the device that has changed the least is the keyboard.  The keyboard is essentially the same layout as a classic typewriter with an extra number pad on it.  While the ergonomic keyboards broke up the solid keyboards and wireless keyboards made your keyboard more portable, those improvements left the basic keyboard remarkably intact.  The leap forward for keyboards that we have been waiting for finally comes with the Cellulon Virtual Laser Keyboard “Magic Cube.”

As the name implies, the Magic Cube projects a keyboard using lasers to create a keyboard anywhere you might want one.  The Virtual Laser Keyboard is only physical in that it requires a surface to be projected onto; the only physical component to this cool device is the Magic Cube.  The Magic Cube is a laser projector and it is a comparatively small device at that.  At 1.5” wide by 2.95” tall by 1.14” deep, the Magic Box is very easy to transport.  The Magic Cube connects to a PC, laptop computer or any smartphone with a USB port.  Connecting your Magic Cube to a USB port allows you to swap the Virtual Laser Keyboard between any of your computers, tablets or smartphones with which you type.

The Virtual Laser Keyboard is a red laser projection that comes from the Magic Cube to any flat surface nearby.  While the Magic Cubes come in several stylish colors, to date they only project red virtual keyboards.  The projection is a standard QWERTY-style keyboard, so in that way Cellulon maintains the familiarity of the classic keyboard.  The Virtual Laser Keyboard operates easily, with the projected “keys” typing letter on your computer when you break the beam associated with a specific letter.  As a result, you do not need to vigorously press against the surface upon which the Virtual Laser Keyboard is projected.  This makes the Virtual Laser Keyboard ideal for those who have injured hands or overly sensitive fingers.  The Virtual Laser Keyboard is also ideal for travelers who might not have a lot of space before them upon which to project the keyboard.  They may use a smaller surface area for the virtual keyboard, simply by projecting the keyboard with a more narrow focus!

While the standard price of $170 for the Virtual Laser Keyboard may seem steep for personal use, it is a steal for industrial and scientific settings where space is at a premium or industrial elements require you to replace a keyboard frequently.  Because there are no physical keys for the Virtual Laser Keyboard, there are no keys to gum up!

The Virtual Laser Keyboard from the Magic Cube is the next leap forward for both the convenience of a full-sized keyboard and the flexibility of a portable 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

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

The current structure of most keyboards is neither intuitive nor mechanically necessary. The layout of most keyboards today is a remnant of the days of typewriters. The first typewriters had letters arranged alphabetically, but because hitting adjacent keys often jammed the machines, manufacturers rearranged the keys in order to distance letters that frequently occurred consecutively in language. The result was what today we know as the QWERTY keyboard, named after the first six letters on the top row.

We are so used to typing on the straight rows of QWERTY’s keys that an alternative way of typing probably seems impossible. But in reality, if you take a moment to look at your hands the next time you type on your keyboard, you’ll notice that your wrists are bent outwards. Most people never realize the awkward movement involved in typing on a keyboard. Human hand form favors typing at a slight angle. In fact, take a minute to look at how your wrists. Notice their awkward typing angle.

Learning to touch type can help increase your typing speed, reduce neck-related injuries, since you do not need to look down at the keyboard all the time, and increase your typing accuracy. Still, even touch-typing places unnecessary strain on your wrists. If you’re at a job where you spend all day typing, consider switching to an ergonomic keyboard, that is, a keyboard whose keys are structured to reduce the risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries associated with typing and to allow your wrists to remain in an more ergonomically sound position as you type.

Think of ergonomic keyboards as a means of supporting your body. We spend plenty of money on providing tech support for out machines, so why not get some for our wrists?

Ergonomic keyboards can range in price from affordable to very expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good deal. Many online websites offer discounts on ergonomic keyboards. Amazon, for example, is offering the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for under $30.00.

Most ergonomic keyboards provide added support for hands, wrists, and forearms by splitting the keys down the middle and positioning them at an outward angle to allow you to type more naturally. Some also elevate the keys in an inward curve.

Switching to an ergonomic keyboard might take some getting used to, though. After all, just like switching between playing the piano and the electric organ or between typing on an Apple keyboard and a standard keyboard, your fingers need some time to adjust to the heaviness of the keys, the different spacing, and the angle. Once the adjustment period is over, you will find that your wrists and hands are much happier typing at an angle.

Ergonomic keyboards work normally with any computer device that requires a standard keyboard and require no additional computer support. So take advantage of online sales, and get yours today.

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

When you are in the market for a new computer monitor, you should consider one that is Energy Star compliant.

The Energy Star rating is a certification defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department Of Energy, not computer support services, computer repair shops or computer manufacturers.  As it becomes more chic to be environment-conscious, computer manufacturers are chasing the Energy Star rating, just as consumers look for the rating when purchasing a new monitor.

What does the Energy Star rating on computer displays actually mean, though?  At this point, most computer monitors are plug-and-play, so there is no additional computer support required to install or run an Energy Star compliant monitor.  In order to get the Energy Star certification, a display must only use one Watt while off and two Watts while in a sleep mode.  The power consumption guide for Energy Star certification varies with the size of the monitor display, but in order to get the certification, a monitor must use about 20% less power than the non-compliant monitors.

What many consumers are unaware of when they purchase an Energy Star compliant monitor is that some require the computer to be set to make use of the energy-saving benefits of the display.  You may avoid a call for computer support simply by checking that the display’s Energy Star benefits are activated.  With a properly configured monitor, the display will conform to Energy Star qualifications with no need for ongoing computer support or maintenance.

The need for computer repair or monitor repair is much less likely when consumers purchase and properly use an Energy Star certified monitor.  By running the display with the Energy Star configuration active, the monitor runs cooler and last longer, especially when the monitor is turned off.

In addition to lowering computer repair bills and avoiding computer support calls for monitor-related problems, using an Energy Star compliant monitor properly lowers the electric bill.  Consumers who use multiple computers with Energy Star compliant monitors will likely see a noticeable drop in electric bills, as 20% off one of the larger power draws adds up!

Shopping for monitors with the Energy Star certification benefits the environment, saves you money on monitor power usage, prevents embarrassing computer support calls and costly computer repair bills, making it a smart investment for all computer users.

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

Protecting files and having adequate data recovery resources available is essential today.  This is one reason why Iomega’s eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive is a vital tool for Mac users.  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive features the sleek look Mac users have come to expect from Apple computer products.  Iomega’s vital hard drive will not clash with the style Apple pioneered.

More than flash, what the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive has is function.  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive connects to a Mac computer through the USB 2.0 port or the Mac FireWire 800 ports.  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive makes great use of the FireWire 800 ports as they allow the hard drive to back-up data almost twice as fast as through the USB port.  Using the Mac computer’s FireWire 800 technology, the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive backs up a Mac’s hard drive at a rate of 800 Mbits per second.  The USB is not slouching at 480 Mbits per second.  Either way, a 500 GB hard drive may be copied to the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive in less than five hours.

Because this eGo is for Mac computers, the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive instantly interacts with a Mac through the Time Machine program.  Iomega generously includes all of the needed cables, which makes the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive useable right out of the box.

With portability being an essential function of the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive, it is worth noting that the portable hard drive is barely over half a pound and only 5.3” long by 3.53” wide by .76” deep, so it travels as easily as a mobile phone does!  The Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive protects the data it is storing through the Iomega Drop Guard Case.  So long as one does not drop the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive from a height greater than seven feet, this portable hard drive keeps data secure enough to leave the user feeling fully confident.

The benefits of the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive cannot be understated.  Data may be stored off-site for secure data storage, preventing the need for other tools unless actual computer repair is required. With the security and durability of the Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive, Mac users have found their essential Mac accessory.

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