Computer Support Blog

Facebook has many challenges to it, both technological and commercial.  While Facebook should better monitor the applications it allows to run on its platform, some of the issues with Facebook are internal and systemic.  One of the most significant problems with Facebook is that it has an annoying persistence.  Have you ever noticed how Facebook continues to recommend the same people to you?  Have you ever noticed that the Facebook recommendation for friends just keep coming back?  What is it that Facebook doesn’t get when you click the little “X” next to their recommendation to simply not friend the people they recommend?!

The Facebook system works on the principle that there are very few degrees of separation between people.  As a result, when you add someone as a friend on Facebook, the Facebook program suggests friends of your friend be added as your friend.  From pretty much the moment you friend anyone new, you will begin to see on your sidebar, people that Facebook recommends you add as a friend.  A great way to test this is to add someone you do not know well at all as a Facebook friend.  After you add an acquaintance watch how Facebook suggests all sorts of people you don’t know from your new “friend’s” friend list.

Who cares?  Why is this an issue?  Unlike friend requests that you can deny and they go away, Facebook insists you consider their recommendation.  If you have ever gone to the complete list of people Facebook recommends you “friend” and painstakingly gone through the list to clear the (often) hundreds of people Facebook wants you to friend, you will discover your time was completely wasted.  Go back there now and you will see!  You can go through your entire list, remove everyone that Facebook recommends and the next time you log in, their recommendations will be back.

Facebook: “No means no!”  When you inform Facebook by clicking on the “no” button – indicating you do not want to add their suggestion to your friend list – Facebook ought to listen.  The Facebook program not only wants to connect people, it is persistent in a troubling way.

Facebook needs to simply be programmed to respect our wishes and stop making the same mistake.  Whether you have one of your ex’s friends and do not want the whole barrage of their other associates or have left a real social situation where you only want to retain a relationship with one person from that group through Facebook, there are millions of situations where you might want one person as a friend, but not everyone with whom they are associated.

Forget the Timeline, forget the “dislike” button, all you really need is a Facebook that listens and provides a way to permanently stop suggesting a person once you have indicated you do not want the Facebook-suggested individual as a friend.

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

Free speech and free access to information is absolutely vital in a capitalist democracy.  Any government that allows individuals, organizations and businesses to contribute financially to the political process owes its citizens a transparent process for auditing those contributions.  In the United States, there is no easier system for tracking money in politics than OpenSecrets.

OpenSecrets.org is a website run by the nonpartisan Center For Responsive Politics.  On OpenSecrets, you may investigate the fundraising of every political candidate registered with the Federal Election Commission.  Because the Center For Responsive Politics is not affiliated with the FEC or any political party, it provides unbiased tools that track the flow of money in politics.  Understanding how money flows to a candidate may provide voters with a realistic view of how that candidate will actually act when elected.  Because politicians are beholden to their donors, it is very easy to spot a hypocritical candidate.  OpenSecrets makes that very easy to do.  Because the website features a whole section on influence and lobbying, voters have easy tools to investigate the candidates on their ballot, whether the media does or not.  OpenSecrets shows which Political Action Committees donate money to each candidate, giving voters a more precise picture of the political landscape.

OpenSecrets.org features a very easy to use interface and a powerful search engine.  Users may find quarterly representations of a candidate’s financial standing through prominent tabs.  Clicking on the Politicians & Elections tab easily transports you to a guide for any Federally-recognized election for the current election cycle.  Clicking on a candidate or politician’s name, OpenSecrets.org provides you with the current financial status of their campaign!  The interface is so easy to use; you can be at a political rally and check the candidate’s finances on your smartphone!

Arguably the best tool that OpenSecrets.org provides is a powerful donor lookup tool.  OpenSecrets has archived all the FEC’s donor filing documents and provides you with complete, free, access to them!  By clicking on the Donor Lookup tab, you can find out if any private citizen has donated to any political campaign dating back to 1990 when the disclosure laws went into effect.  The Donor Lookup tool on OpenSecrets.org can give you a better idea of who you are voting for, what issues are important to your friends and just who puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to politics!  Moreover, the results come in fast; the typical search on OpenSecrets takes less than a second to execute.

OpenSecrets is a powerful political tool, especially in a time when the Courts frequently fail to protect access to information that should be public.  OpenSecrets is an online storage depot of information that belongs to the public and we are lucky to have such a sophisticated system watching the flow of money in politics.

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

In a market that has quickly become a trendsetter for what is cool, the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset stands out.  A few years ago, simply having a mobile phone was considered cutting edge.  The evolution of the trend had a meteoric curve: phones had to have cool ringtones, wallpaper, skins, then play movies, take pictures and connect to the Internet.  With the transition to hands free devices for mobile phones, the curve was even steeper.  The innovation of Bluetooth technology made hand’s free headsets with a cord or cable passé.  Since then, every major company has been racing to keep their Bluetooth products cool and for this season, the must-have is the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth.

The Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth comes in four colors, though each one measures an unobtrusive 2” long by .9” high by .6” thick.  The rectangular Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth is visually appealing and with the colored panel below the black mesh of the casing, it is not garish.  Like most Bluetooth headsets, the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth comes with a removable hook for use with the ear hook for stability or with the standard earbud loop for comfort.

Using the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth is simple, as it features easy-to-use controls and is compatible with all of the latest products, like the iPhone 4.  The Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth has minimal physical controls: a power slider switch, talk button and micro-USB charging jack.  Instead, the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth relies upon the apps one has on their smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled computer to control the volume or other functions.  This can be very appealing as a discrete glance to a smartphone can be much cooler than grabbing one’s ear to control every little thing.

Every Bluetooth headset has a gimmick and the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth has one that is far cooler than most.  The Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth has pioneered a motion technology they call Motion X.  Using an accelerometer, the Motion X technology allows one to shake their head to answer the phone and perform some additional basic functions.  This is a clever idea that makes this Bluetooth headset a true hands free device.

With its five and a half hour functioning time, the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth can perform for a very full night on the town and because it is at the forefront of the market, it is designed to work with minimal or no smartphone or Apple iPhone support.  That keeps the Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth, and those who use it, at the cutting edge of what is 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 results are in for RESCUECOM’s 2010 first quarter Computer Reliability Report, IBM/Lenovo claims the top spot, Apple drops to third!

RESCUECOM’s Computer Reliability Report starts out on a high note in 2010, with all five leading manufacturers putting up superior reliability scores to last year’s averages.  Apple, last year’s overall leader, improved its reliability score, but that still wasn’t good enough to maintain the top spot in the first quarter of 2010; instead Apple dropped to third place.  IBM/Lenovo decidedly took first place improving their score over 200 points from their average last year.  Not to be forgotten, Asus also posted significant gains and took second place.  Rounding out the top five were Toshiba and HP/Compaq, respectively.  As 2010 progresses it will be interesting to see which manufacturers can maintain their gains and which ones may fall due to increased need for computer repair. Read more »

RESCUECOM offers its top 5 cost-cutting tips to keep computers running smoothly and help consumers avoid unnecessary PC expenses

SYRACUSE, N.Y., May 13, 2009 – Without proper PC maintenance, computers’ performance slows down and may even grind to a complete stop. And in these tough economic times, buying a new computer to restore efficiency or trying to rescue data from a dead machine can be painfully expensive.

Proper and regular computer maintenance can save you time, money and stress, according to Josh Kaplan, president of RESCUECOM, the nation’s premier information technology services company. Whether users opt for RESCUECOM products and services or find their own resources, desktops and laptops can be kept running fast and efficiently through the following five strategies. Read more »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASUS, with new track record for success, and veteran leader IBM/LENOVO take top positions

SYRACUSE, N.Y., March 24, 2009 – Results are in from the latest RESCUECOM Computer Reliability Report, which recently increased the frequency of releasing its data from an annual to quarterly basis. An unbiased analysis that compares computer vendors’ market share with consumer service calls from RESCUECOM’s 1-800-RESCUE-PC call center, the report revealed a new leader in reliable personal computers. At the close of 2008, Apple had secured the lead with the fewest number of service calls. However, Apple slipped into second place while ASUS made a surprise leap into the top spot, with IBM/LENOVO sharing the lead. Read more »

Report Helps Consumers Make Informed Choices When Purchasing a Computer This Holiday Season

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Dec. 15, 2008 — RESCUECOM the nation’s premier information technology services company, today announced the results of its third annual RESCUECOM Computer Reliability Report, an unbiased analysis that compares computer vendors’ market share with consumer service call data from RESCUECOM’s 1-800-RESCUE-PC call center. Results of the report – based on a sample of more than 36,000 service calls to RESCUECOM – provide computer users with unique insight about the likelihood that they will require support beyond what is provided by the computer maker’s warranty. Read more »

You’re not just buying a machine; you’re also buying a company!

Among the most popular holiday gifts this year will be computer laptops, desktops and related products. Those who buy computers as gifts can easily make the wrong purchase if they don’t give their decision the proper thought. With that in mind, RESCUECOM has issued a Holiday Computer Buyer Checklist, items to consider before buying that first computer you see, or the first one the retailer suggests you buy.

With cut-rate pricing, high-pressure sales, and new technology being introduced all the time, confusion ends up being the biggest Grinch for technology shoppers during the holiday season. Those buying computers must think not only about the price of a machine but other factors such as warranties, reliability, how the recipient is likely to use the computer and what additional accessories they are likely to need.

The RESCUECOM Holiday Computer Buyer Checklist is designed to give shoppers guidance in their technology purchasing decisions. If used in conjunction with RESCUECOM’s soon to be released National Computer Reliability Report, shoppers will be ready to make the right purchase this holiday season. Read more »

Winning Is A Choice!

The first step in winning in business is to make the conscious choice to do so. If running a business was easy, everyone would do it. What makes it difficult for startups and small businesses to grow is that most people don’t have the level of expertise needed in dealing with all the different disciplines necessary to be successful. The purpose of any startup business, or small business, or even a corporate conglomerate is to increase its revenue, reduce its costs, and thereby increase its profits, and this has to happen in order for market share growth to accumulate and translate to success.

***** Technology Resource *****
How you do get your business to increase revenue, decrease costs and increase profits? Visit
https://www.rescuecom.com/business-support/business-support.aspx to learn more about automating your business processes,

or

call 1-800-RESCUE-PC and ask for a free business process review for your business.
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Rescuecom’s business processes allow us to deliver fast and flawless computer repair and support, 24/7.

“Winning is why we play.”

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

Winning Is A Choice!