Computer Support Blog

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.

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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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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.

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The Kinect for Xbox 360 has been the ‘next big thing’ for gaming since it came out in November of 2010, but now it may become the ‘next big thing’ for computers too. Microsoft recently announced that they are releasing a Kinect for Windows in February of this year.

According to Todd Bishop on MSNBC, however, the Kinect for Windows are “more likely to show up first in business settings, such as car dealerships and retail stores. This is not coming to your home computer in a couple weeks.” He says this because what Microsoft was announcing was the release of the software development kit so that businesses could develop programs for the Kinect for Windows.

At this point, The Kinect for Windows has limited or no computer support with your personal home computer unless you develop the software for it yourself. Down the road though, the Kinect for Windows has great potential to change how we think about computers and their functionality. With its ability to detect movement both close up in Near Mode and farther away like the Kinect for Xbox, the Kinect for Windows will be a great new way to interface with the computer.

The Kinect for Windows is able to more accurately detect movements than its predecessor, so that when companies develop software for it, this technology will be useful and precise. It will also be able to recognize voice commands more accurately than ever before. This new user interface device will be a truly revolutionary product, when it becomes available widely to the public.

One of the downsides, however, is that because Microsoft owns the Kinect, this technology will only be compatible with Windows computers. Most likely, it will only work with Windows 7 and 8 (to be released this year). Other companies are working on this kind of motion sensing devices for televisions and other electronic devices, but Microsoft may have a monopoly on this type of technology as it applies to computers for a while.

There are plenty of other applications for this technology, as demonstrated on the Xbox Kinect website itself. There are videos there presenting the innovative ways people are already using their Kinects, including helping doctors look at MRIs and CAT scans, teaching autistic children, and helping stroke patients regain motor skills.

The Kinect for Windows could lead to some completely new applications as well. With its ability to track movement and recognize faces, the Kinect for Windows, might be the latest step in moving towards completely immersive gaming and computing. Admittedly, that is a long way off still, but it cannot hurt to dream!

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 this age where the world is continually getting smaller through improved communications networks and less expensive means of transportation, it is not uncommon for multinational corporations, even those based in the United States, to have a very diverse executive portfolio.  Even Intel, the chip manufacturer based in Santa Clara, California, has executives from other countries.  This makes sense, though, as Intel has a habit of hiring from the best and brightest minds around the world.  After graduating from the Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology, with a degree in Electrical Engineering, David Perlmutter came to work for Intel.  Now, Perlmutter is an Executive Vice President for the company, as well as the General Manager of Intel’s Architecture Group.

As General Manager of the Intel Architecture Group, David Perlmutter is responsible for determining which products Intel will develop.  Because Intel has such a massive research and development branch, the company needs an executive to determine which projects are worth pursuing and which experiments need to be retooled.  The position calls for someone who has the judgment to evaluate the state of technology and the vision to push the envelope of what is possible.  David Perlmutter is just that type of visionary.

Shortly after graduation from the Technion, Perlmutter worked hard on innovating new microprocessor designs.  His engineering talents were impressive and he innovated new designs of branch target buffers and multiprocessing cache coherency protocols which he holds the patents for!  Those developments brought David Perlmutter to the attention of Intel.  Eager for just such an inventor, Intel hired Perlmutter to head their development team.  In that role, Perlmutter designed the Intel i387 and then created the microarchitecture for the Intel Pentium processor!  David Perlmutter led the teams that fundamentally change an entire generation of microchips!

With that type of success in his portfolio, the Board promoted Perlmutter through the ranks of the research and development divisions of Intel.  He had vital roles in Intel’s microprocessor manufacture for mobile phones, allowing Intel to enter the ultra-low power handheld market.  As the natural evolution of his successes, CEO Paul Otellini promoted him once again.  As General Manager of the Intel Architecture Group, Perlmutter is responsible for overseeing all of Intel’s products from data centers to consumer electronics.

Not one to rest on his laurels, David Perlmutter shepherded Intel’s latest breakthrough, Sandy Bridge, to the forefront of Intel’s manufacturing effort.  Sandy Bridge is a microprocessor with a revolutionary new microarchitecture, said to be a leap forward much like the Pentium was.  If Sandy Bridge lives up to its potential, David Perlmutter will prove that his best days are not behind him!

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 the vernacular of the young folks: O M G.

Just when you might think you have seen everything there is in the marketplace that could define decadence, someone pioneers some new overpriced bauble and puts to shame everything that came before.  It is hard not to have that sort of gut-wrenching, jaw-dropping reaction when you see the most expensive computer mouse in the world. That mouse is the Diamond Flower RF mouse from Pat Says Now.

Pat Says Now is a Swiss novelty mouse manufacturer.  The company also caters to high-end customers who, apparently, have far too much money to spend.  The Diamond Flower RF mouse is their premium product and currently stands as the most expensive computer mouse in the world.  The current retail price of the Diamond Flower RF mouse is $20,250.  That is not a typo: twenty thousand, two hundred fifty dollars . . . for a computer mouse.

Wow.

The Diamond Flower RF mouse is a standard computer mouse in many ways.  It is a standard RF mouse in that it is wireless and includes a receiver.  When you plug the receiver into your computer’s USB port, the mouse relays even the tiniest movements to your computer to move the cursor on your screen.  The Diamond Flower is a plug-and-play ambidextrous mouse for that works on any Windows-based computer from Windows 98 to Windows Vista.  The Diamond Flower also interfaces perfectly with all Mac computers running OS X and beyond.  The Diamond Flower features two buttons and a scroll wheel.

What, then, makes the Diamond Flower RF mouse worth over twenty thousand dollars?  First, the scroll wheel is not actually a scroll wheel.  The Diamond Flower RF mouse does not have anything as inelegant as a physical wheel that might make noise or need periodic cleaning.  Instead, Pat Says Now designed an optical sensor for the scroll wheel.  Just as the laser below the mouse precisely tracks in the place of a physical mouse ball, the optical scroll allows you to lightly pass your finger over the sensor on the top of the mouse to get on-screen movement you would expect form a scroll wheel!

The main factor driving up the price of the Diamond Flower RF mouse is the fact that the shell of the mouse is 18 carat gold.  Because you might not want to have the same vastly overpriced mouse as your other rich friends, the Diamond Flower RF mouse comes in white gold or a traditional yellow gold shell.  Embedded in the gold shell are fifty-nine diamonds.  Yes, the name “Diamond Flower” is not just for show, the Diamond Flower RF mouse features fifty-nine diamonds in the shape of a flower embedded in the shell of the mouse.

So, if you want to feel like a high roller and have enough money to buy a new car, but want to spend it on a computer mouse instead, the Diamond Flower RF mouse is for 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

In the video game world, there is never truly time to relax.  Despite innovations in gaming that might create the year’s biggest entertainment phenomenon, executives at video game companies are always pushing for the next big thing.  So, even though Electronic Arts had one of the biggest video game releases of 2011 with Battlefield 3, it is already deep at work trying to dominate the market in 2012.  Leading EA Labels is Frank Gibeau.

Frank Gibeau is the President of EA Labels, the division of Electronic Arts that oversees all of the video game divisions.  Gibeau rose to the lead position of EA Labels after years of hard work with a very painful beginning.  After getting his B.S. in Business and International Relations, a stairway collapsed on Gibeau, seriously injuring him.  Gibeau broke his leg in the accident, forcing him to be immobile while his leg healed.  He recuperated at his parents’ house, playing video games.  At the time, Electronic Arts was in its infancy and they were looking to hire professional game players to test their games. Gibeau limped over and got himself a job for $10,000/year playing video games!  Gibeau’s real big break, though, came in 1999 when he was assigned to market The Sims.  With The Sims, Gibeau had a huge success for EA that brought him to the attention of the executives at EA who fostered his career.

Taking over as President in 2011, Gibeau made the successful transition from game player and marketer to corporate executive.  In addition to the exceptionally popular Battlefield 3, as President, Gibeau brought to market the very successful Dead Space 2, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, and The Sims: Medieval video games.  Gibeau saw the potential of growing social networking platforms and launched SimSocial on Facebook as well.  2011 was a very good year for EA because of Gibeau’s guidance of the company.

Gibeau ended 2011 with his biggest gamble yet, the release of the massively multi-player online role playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic.  This new video game required a massive investment of time and money on the part of EA and while the project was begun well before Gibeau took over as President, it fell to him to successfully shepherd it to market.  Competing against the exceptionally popular World Of Warcraft and the recently-successful DC Universe Online Legends, Gibeau had the dual challenges of attracting Star Wars fans who have not traditionally been video game fans to the endeavor and luring the fiercely loyal fans of the other massively multi-player online role playing to the new game.  With huge sales since December 20 when EA originally released the game, Star Wars: The Old Republic Gibeau gets to take credit for this a massive success!

Frank Gibeau has a keen marketing sense, as is evidenced by the exclusive Battlefield 3 V.I.P. kits, and the gaming credentials to lead EA Labels effectively!

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

Every generation hopes the future will be better for their children than it was for them.  Even with that hope, the first generation that was banking on the flying car ended up with the personal computer and the second generation raised to think the flying car was coming developed the Internet.  As two generations lament the lack of flying cars, the future is looking a little brighter for the next generation.  The hope that robots might make life easier and better for the next generation is becoming more of a real possibility because of the DragonBot.

The DragonBot is a robot, though some have diminished it by simply referring to it as a toy.  The researchers at MIT, Northeastern and Harvard who worked together to design and manufacture the DragonBot have called it an educational tool.  With a $1000 price tag, those who are likely to buy the DragonBot would probably prefer to consider it an educational tool as opposed to a toy as well!  While there have been several robotic toys or educational tools on the market in recent years, none is quite like the DragonBot.

The DragonBot is a furry, feathery robot that is over a foot tall.  It looks like a cross between an owl and a cocker spaniel.  The DragonBot is a robot that has two arms, two legs and a tail that has a limited range of motion.  In published tests so far, the DragonBot is able to move up and down and flail its arms.  So far, the little robot is also able to shake its torso.

One of the distinctive aspects of the DragonBot is that it does not have a face.  While initially this might seem horrible, the designers of the DragonBot seemed to think it was time Android lived up to its name and they designed the DragonBot to use an Android-powered smartphone as a controller.  Your Android-smartphone utilizes a special graphics program when you install the DragonBot app.   By activating the app and plugging it into the DragonBot’s head, your smartphone becomes the DragonBot’s face!  The faceplate is fully animated, so when your DragonBot emotes with eye movements or speaks, the face graphic moves!

What is most remarkable about the DragonBot is that it learns from the experience it has and from the experience of every other operating DragonBot.  The DragonBot runs using a Cloud-based program through the Android network.  As a result, when one DragonBot learns not to smack a dog in the eye, every DragonBot everywhere learns the exact same lesson!  While this might have vastly different results – one need only consider the neighbor child in Toy Story to posit that an entire generation of DragonBots might be raised to rightly fear children – the idea is a very cool one.

For those who love expensive gadgets, toys that learn and their Android smartphones, the DragonBot provides a must-have toy for children and adults alike!

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

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

As the publishing industry changes with technology, it is no surprise that digital comics are becoming an important part of the lives of comic book readers everywhere.  Comic book fans have often been maligned as either being oddly illiterate (requiring pictures to actually read books) or obsessive compulsive collectors who do not even read their mint-condition books.  Digital comics confound those prejudices by giving the collectors a virtual product that allows them to enjoy the stories they love and illustrating that most comic readers are not only literate but tech savvy.  While digital comic book programs like the one from Comixology have their benefits, for readers of Marvel Comics comic books, there is no substitute for Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.

Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited is a comprehensive premium subscription digital comic reader that has been around longer than any other mainstream digital comics program.  The Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited service is both a first-run digital publication service and the most incredible archive a Marvel Comics fan could hope for.  For $9.99/month or $59.88/year, you have access to the incredible Marvel Comics vault as well as all new comics in a digital form.

When you subscribe to the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, you get unrestricted access to the Marvel Comics vault.  Every day, Marvel adds many vintage comics to the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited collection and the stated goal from Marvel is to have every single issue of every single book Marvel Comics ever published available in a digital form in the vault.  Already, there are tens of thousands of Marvel Comics available from the service.  Each comic book in the collection is rendered as a Flash program.  As a subscriber, you may open any available comic book on your computer, smartphone or tablet computer to access read the book.  The Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited format guides you from panel to panel of each book, so you read at your own pace, but in the order the author intended you to read the book.  This format is especially helpful when reading comic books where the illustrators awkwardly arranged the panels of the book on the page; the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited format eliminates that issue!

Marvel releases new comics in the same format, so there is consistency between old and new comic books.  Marvel publishes each new comic to the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited program a few months after their initial print publication.  This, they argue, keeps the print medium relevant while still encouraging subscribers to the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited program.

With the rising costs of graphic novels and comic books, a subscription to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited may be the most cost-effective way to keep reading comic books old and new!

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