Computer Support Blog

The Nielsen Company, the company whose ratings determine which television shows will continue being produced, gathers a wide range of data outside the entertainment industry.  One of the growing markets where Nielsen statistics have become increasingly more relevant is the technology sector.  Nielsen ratings for electronics, computer services and consumer trends in the technology sector help steer the technology markets.  Just as television studios change the course of their programming based on the trends Nielsen television ratings indicate, manufacturers of consumer electronics put a lot of stock in Nielsen ratings for determining their corporate direction.

The Nielsen Company has released its 2011 Third Quarter analysis of operating systems for smartphones.  As consumer spending rises in anticipation of the Christmas holiday, this information may be particularly valuable to shoppers.

The statistics collected by the Nielsen Company indicate that the third quarter was very good for smartphones running the Android Operating System.  Android-driven smartphones account for 42.8% of the smartphone market share.  The next most popular, by sales, operating system was Apple’s iPhone Operating System at 28.3% of the market share.  The only other substantial (over 10% market share) smartphone OS was RIM Blackberry’s Operating System with 17.8% of the market share for the third quarter.  Four different operating systems split the bottom 11.2% of the smartphone operating system market!

What does this mean for consumers?  Consumers spending money on smartphones for the Christmas 2011 holiday may want to consider an option other than a phone driven by Windows Mobile, Palm/HP Web OS, Symbian OS or Windows Phone 7 OS.  Those four operating systems may not have anything wrong with their functionality, design or support mechanisms.  Because they occupy the bottom of the market share, though, those manufacturers are most likely to re-evaluate their operating systems.  Smartphone consumers want stability and products that work. If the manufacturers decide to scrap their OS to reprioritize their focus on areas in which they may be more successful, consumers must change their OS.  Failure to change an operating system on your smartphone may leave you with a smartphone that cannot access the network where you have a smartphone plan.

Conversely, Android, Apple and RIM have a lot to be grateful for going into the fourth quarter.  Their platforms dominate the smartphone industry and Android especially has every reason to feel secure.  With over 42% of the smartphone market using Android-based smartphones, consumers have added incentive to purchase smartphones that run on the Android OS.  By dominating so much of the smartphone market, Android implicitly promises the stability consumers demand.

Smartphone technology changes almost every quarter, so selecting a phone with a stable and successful operating system ensures your smartphone will continue to change with the times.  Keep that in mind when buying this season!

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

Breaking news about Apple!  The Domain Name Wire is reporting that control of seven domain names that use brand product names in the URL were given to Apple today.  Individuals and companies purchased sites like iphonecam4s.com and iphonesex4s.com prior to the release of the iPhone 4S and had been bringing visitors to racy sites.  Apple, presumably, objected to this because they do not want any URL with their product name associated with sex.  What Apple is hoping those paying attention to this story will not notice, though, is the history.

Apple has usually paid to get back the domain names associated with its products.  Yes, back in 2007, Michael Kovatch sold iPhone.com to Apple reportedly for a million dollars.  Similarly, a Swedish company that held the domain name iCloud.com sold the domain name for $4.5 million dollars to Apple in 2011.  The Swedish company that owned the iCloud.com domain is a computer support company that utilizes Cloud-based technology.  What both domain names had in common was that the purchase of the domain name radically predated the invention by Apple that necessitated Apple’s interest in the domain name.

One need not be an Apple genius to see the potential here.  If you can guess the next big Apple product’s name, you stand to make millions of dollar for a minimal investment.  The cost of a domain name registration for one year is approximately $12.  If you accurately guess the next big Apple product name, you may have a real cash cow in your portfolio!

The World Intellectual Property Organization mediates disputes over domain names, which is how Apple received control of the domain names today.  However, by purchasing a domain name and putting up your own content in advance of Apple creating a product with the same name, you actually have more of a right to it!  After all, Apple does not have the intellectual mandate on putting “i” before other popular words. To strengthen your claim to the domain name you buy, you should establish a website there that illustrates a legitimate business function, like online storage or sales of a product that you tie to your domain name.  Then you have to wait for Apple to be as creative as you are!

So, will the next big leap be the imac3 (imac3.com is still an available domain name)?  Clearly, Apple does not want to have to pay more for these domains than they have to – which is probably why iPhone7G.com is not available – but they can only cover so many bases before their efforts seem ridiculous or unprofitable.  And for the cost of $12/year, the potential gain is less of a risk than playing the lottery for those who are creatively inclined.

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

If modern history continues to head in the direction Firefly predicted, we should all start learning Chinese.  Fortunately, there are some very cool programs that help teach Chinese and other programs that provide computer support to reinforce what you learn!  There are almost as many different ways to learn Mandarin Chinese on the computer as there are teaching styles.  Some of the best software for learning Mandarin Chinese follows:

Active Chinese may well be the most comprehensive computer-based tool for learning Mandarin Chinese.  With clear delineations for different education levels from Kindergarten through fourth-year college levels, Active Chinese takes a multimedia approach to teaching Mandarin Chinese.  Through pictures, movies and audio clips, Active Chinese provides a comprehensive approach to learning different levels of Mandarin and provides the tools to reinforce and test the lessons.

Learning styles differ and CCHAR Chinese Character Software is for those who learn best through writing and reading, as opposed to hearing and speaking.  CCHAR’s program teaches users the finer points of Chinese calligraphy and how to recognize the characters in written Mandarin.

Most people who want to learn Mandarin want to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese.  The L-CEPS Free Chinese Lessons software online has a very direct word with phonetic translation interface that teaches users key phrases.  While this might teach users a very limited set of Mandarin Chinese lines, it does reinforce them well and provides a very clear progression of lessons to make the process fun.

For those on the go, there is the HNHSoft English-Chinese Talking Dictionary for smartphones.  Less of a learning tool and more of a support mechanism, this dictionary may be installed into your smartphone including the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.  This dictionary offers fast translations of English words into Chinese and features an interface that clearly illustrates how to pronounce each word.  Even if you learn Chinese with one of the other programs, the HNHSoft app can be a real lifesaver for travelers to fall back on.

Regardless of what the future holds, anyone who wants to learn Chinese will find the software to learn Mandarin Chinese less expensive and less intimidating than private lessons or classes.  With computers, smartphones and these programs, learning Mandarin Chinese can be cool and fun!

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 has been almost eight years since bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, was an international story.  While dramatic agricultural reforms in the meat industry played a large role in keeping Mad Cow Disease from spreading, computer support via computerized models continue to play a key role in monitoring and preventing a Mad Cow outbreak.  Computer models that calculate far more accurately than a single person could are now protecting humans.

According to “Mad Cow And Computer Models: The U.S. Response To BSE,” the sheer number of variables needed to calculate the vectors of a Mad Cow Disease outbreak are staggering.  Despite the seemingly daunting task of correlating all of the necessary data through computer support techniques, the USDA now has a model to predict and calculate the vectors of a Mad Cow Disease outbreak.

One of the significant challenges in predicting and tracing the outbreak of a prion disease like Mad Cow Disease is that the disease is only evident through an autopsy of an infected cow.  Once an infected cow is found, the race begins to trace back all of the relevant factors in that cow’s life.  Those factors include: the food source that each infected cow was fed from, every location where the cow lived, every cow in the herd with the infected cow each time the infected cow was sold and the location of the infected cow’s parents and offspring, if any exist.

To get this data, the USDA must have access to complicated databases of shipping records, sales records and inventory controls for both cattle and the cattle’s food supply.  While the USDA must be vigilant for these models to work, the most common challenge to the model is human error, missing data, or computer support failures.  However, with the database working ideally, the USDA hopes to have a rapid response plan in place to prevent both an outbreak that would endanger the United States and a series of sweeping mass cattle executions that would effectively end the beef industry.

The USDA’s database, if properly maintained, will allow ranchers to target specific cattle when authorities find an infected cow.  Based on feed source, herd and sales records, the USDA would inform every rancher who had a potentially exposed cow in their herds.  In other words, the database provides the possibility that the infected cow’s food source could be traced back and then predicted for all cows in the database.  Then, ranchers would be notified of which of their cows were likely infected with Mad Cow Disease and they could be killed before ever entering the human food chain.  And, if potentially infected cows already entered the human consumption market, the USDA could issue a more precise recall.

The computer models for Mad Cow Disease rely upon vigilance, precision and updates over a long period of time, but they offer the greatest potential for humans to survive an outbreak.

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 one spends thousands of dollars on a dog, they need something that protects that investment and the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System does exactly that.  A family pet can be one of the most expensive investments, from the initial purchase to the ongoing investment in the dog’s health and training, and it is the investment most likely to literally run away.  The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System may not be able to prevent escape artist dogs, but it does allow one to find a dog on the loose.

The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is a GPS system for medium to large dogs that comes with both the Astro 320 handheld device and the DC 40 collar unit for on the dog.  The Astro 320 handheld GPS device is self-contained and, as such, does not require any additional computer support to operate or update the unit.  The DC 40 collar is a specialized GPS transmitter that interfaces with the owner’s Astro 320.

The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is like a standard automobile GPS system.  The DC 40 is a collar that one simply puts on their dog and activates.  With a seventeen to forty-eight hour charge, the DC 40 ensures that a lost dog will not stay that way for very long.

The Astro 320 component of the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is a handheld GPS device that includes a bright, full color screen with preloaded topographical maps.  The position of the dog is indicated with a high-contrast color dot or, when tracking a moving dog, a line.  The Astro 320 also features a compass module to help the user more effectively follow the escaped or hunting canine.  With the tracker function on, the Astro Dog Tracking System easily keeps the user informed to prevent users from following a dog’s trail after the dog has doubled back or changed direction.

One of the most appealing features of the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is that the system may be used the moment it is removed from the box.  The user does not need to subscribe to an expensive monthly mobile phone plan to access the data from the transmitter.  Unlike many pet GPS products, the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System does not rely upon any other product or service.  At the same time, the Astro 320 features a port through which the user may upgrade to premium services, but most users will find the out-of-the-box benefits of the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System to be more than enough to safeguard their dog’s wellbeing.

Hunters, tourists, dog owners on vacation with their beloved canine and owners whose dogs who have a large property to roam will find that the Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System is all they need to recover their dog when the dog escapes.

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

With all of the changing technologies and new products, having computer support is no laughing matter.  When you need computer repairs, you want a company that provides efficient, professional service that addresses all your computer repair and computer support needs.  Even so, there is a rich amount of humor found in customer service calls to computer support technicians.  Communications problems frequently hamper computer repair over the phone or through online computer support. The inability of the technician to see and directly interact with the equipment they are repairing also creates issues.  The communications issues between computer support personnel and customers are the subject of a number of websites on the Internet.   Here are some of the best:

Computer Stupidities: Calls From Hell – This site features excruciating computer support calls from customers who take every word literally or do not understand the purpose of the disc for the game they just bought!  The computer support technicians attempt to aid customers with support issues and computer repairs with frequently hilarious results.  This site has some of the most in-depth humorous dialogues between computer support workers and actual customers.

Tales From The Techs – For more random computer support calls, technicians upload their humorous stories here.  Less technical than many of the computer repair humor sites, this features stories from the customer support technicians themselves and is worth a few good grins.

Funny Support Calls – Tech Support Jokes – This is a great site for quick jokes, as opposed to in-depth humorous stories between customers and computer support technicians.  These jokes from the perspective of computer repair technicians and computer support professionals are quick zingers that will make you smile and are work-safe.

The Joy Of Tech – For the visually-inclined, this is a tech-themed Internet comic strip that features daily geek humor.  While not limited to computer support jokes, this comic strip is intended for those who see the humor in computer repair and the oddities of computer design.  Anyone who understands the frustration of the computer support technicians on the other humor sites is likely to be computer-literate enough to get a real kick out of this comic strip.

Computer support and computer repair should be done by technicians who are patient, kind and professional.  While there is humor in the foibles of over-the-phone and online computer support calls, be sure to get your service with a company that respects your business and your dignity.  Rescuecom hires their computer support professionals and computer repair technicians with that in mind; our sense of humor is just an added part of the service!

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 there is one group of people who do not get sick of doing the same things over and over again and for whom cool need not mean new and trendy, it is babies and toddlers.  The toys today’s parents grew up on, like Big Mouth Singers and Lincoln Logs, are being replaced by educational DVDs and computer programs, like Adventure Workshop Toddler 9^th Edition.

Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition is the latest in a series of educational computer programs geared toward teaching children and helping them to become familiar with how to operate a computer.  Made by Encore, Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition stands as an effective tool to teach children, even as the program entertains them.

The Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition does this by pairing popular television characters with lessons.  As a result, Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition works with popular children’s programming from PBS and other networks to provide an interface that a toddler will find engaging.  A parent or adult needs to install Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition from the CD-ROM.  As a customer review from Amazon.com noted, installation to a Vista system may require additional computer support.  Other systems appear to install Adventure Workshop Toddler 9^th Edition with no issues.

With Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition up and running, toddlers get age-appropriate lessons using characters like Arthur, Matilda, Bailey and Reader Rabbit.  Arthur has games that involve counting and sorting.  Bailey stimulates creativity when it comes to learning words and spelling.  Sammy has science movies and creative activities that teach children cause and effect.  Reader Rabbit has reading exercises. Each of the programs has an interface that toddlers will find easy to use.  While the toddler is learning life skills, Adventure Workshop Toddler 9^th Edition teaches the child how to use a mouse and some basic keyboard controls.

Because Adventure Workshop Toddler 9th Edition does not require the user to go online, there is no Internet security required to get the most out of the program or protect the child using the program. This enhances the value of Adventure Workshop Toddler 9^th Edition by creating a program that is as safe as it is educational.

Children growing up today will need to learn how to use computers, but they must also develop basic skills like the ability to do math, read and think critically and creatively; Adventure Workshop Toddler 9^th Edition teaches children these universal skills on their home computer.

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

With the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G, the Xperia Play is already obsolete.  The Xperia Play is not actually passé, but because gamers tend to be on the cutting edge of new technologies and are one of the groups of people most likely to upgrade products with even small improvements, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G will make a lot of gamers upgrade.  Given that the MSRP of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G is $50 less than the Xperia Play, Sony is clearly trying to make the upgrade worthwhile.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G uses the same shell as the earlier model, so it is 4.7” tall by 2.4” wide by .6” deep, when closed.  The “when closed” notation is important as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G slides open to present a control pad for playing video games.  As a mobile phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G works much the way the Xperia Play did, though it has additional software in the form of an Adobe player and connects through the AT&T network in addition to Verizon.  As well as having Playstation certification, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G can be synchronized using Google Sync, which was not available on the earlier model.

The real selling points for gamers, though, come in the data transfer abilities of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G.  When using the 4G network, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G has Category 8 High Speed Downlink Packet Access.  This allows players to play multiplayer online games from the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G at the same fast speeds they get at home or in an arcade.

Given that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G came on the market about six months after the Xperia Play, it is not surprising that the embedded camera does not feature any new hardware.  Still, Sony did not forget the camera aspect of the mobile phone as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G supports four video formats its predecessor did not.  As well, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G comes with a new game preloaded, so users will be paying less to get more.

The big change with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G, though, is the ability to connect to the 3G and 4G networks of both Verizon and AT&T and that makes quite a difference for multiplayer online gamers.  While the screen on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G may be smaller than one’s home HDTV, the small gaming device still receives all of the same data.  That means speed and bandwidth are essential and that makes the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G a worthwhile upgrade.

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

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