Computer Support Blog

Despite all of the negative connotations about geeks, geeks generally like to have fun.  They are smart, imaginative, clever, and they like to have a good time.  Most geeks do not thrive in the stuffy confines of the business world, especially office environments where their creativity is stifled.  For those geeks who won’t be fired for a little healthy rebellion from the ordinary, there is the USB Rocket Launcher from ThinkGeek.

ThinkGeek puts the fun in office warfare with the USB Rocket Launcher.  The USB Rocket Launcher is a desktop device that launches four small foam darts.  Fear not!  The small foam darts will not cause any damage that necessitates computer repairs!  In addition to being very soft, the USB Rocket Launcher does not fire the projectiles at a force powerful enough to even scratch a computer monitor.  Truly, ThinkGeek has created a harmless projectile for those unwinding a little at work.

The USB Rocket Launcher connects to your computer or laptop through a standard USB port.  The USB port both powers the Rocket Launcher and allows the Rocket Launcher to be controlled.  You control the USB Rocket Launcher through software that ThinkGeek provides; there is no additional computer support or accessories necessary!

With the USB Rocket Launcher plugged into the USB port and the software installed, you may control your Rocket Launcher through the software on your computer.  The software allows you to turn the Rocket Launcher 360 degrees horizontally and up to 45 degrees above the launching surface.  This provides you with a great range of fire to target anyone in adjacent cubicles.

The two inch long foam rockets launch with a touch of the button!  By pressing the launch control through the computer interface, you may launch your foam rockets one by one or all at once.  The launcher quietly projects each rocket using forced air and each foam rocket has a range of approximately nineteen and a half feet.  With such range, the USB Rocket Launcher provides adequate office defense for any fake conflict that breaks out in the workplace.

Safe and easy-to-use, the USB Rocket Launcher can help any creative geek blow off steam in the workplace, without destroying anything or alienating anyone.

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 advance of Black Friday, the technical news was abuzz with one story that was interpreted a different way with every article that was written.  Right before Thanksgiving, industry analysts released the sales figures of personal computers in 2011.The news left many in the computer support world scratching their heads in confusion.  The sales reports acknowledge that HP continues to be the leader in PC sales . . . unless you consider tablet computers a PC.

Since then, pundits have written hundreds of articles on the sales projections and the nature of the PC.  In one corner, there is the perception that the tablet computer is a PC.  That perception greatly benefits Apple because with iPad tablet computer sales factored in, Apple would be the number one computer company by sales in the world.  Apple, naturally, wants to cash in on the prestige that comes from overtaking HP and becoming the world leader in the PC market.

HP, who had a disastrous tablet computer release in 2011, remained strong in sales of traditional personal computers.  HP has the element of public perception on its side in the argument.  Consumers bought tablet computers in 2011 largely as a companion for their PC, not a replacement.  Sales numbers have shown a slight decline in traditional PC computer sales over 2011, but many industry analysts attribute that to a PC sell-off in 2010 with the release of the Windows 7.  In other words, many consumers purchased their new PC last year; so many computer users do not need to buy a new computer this year.  Computer support and computer repair businesses seem to support this idea; they remain as busy as ever, solving computer problems on PCs purchased during last year’s sales spike.

The public perception for tablet computers remains that they are primarily for entertainment and personal use, not serious computing.  Tablet computers may have valuable business applications, like inventory control and presenting customers with product information, but they remain more expensive than most businesses want to invest for the technology.  As well, the tablet computer has not reached its full business potential because manufacturers have not developed the apps that meet the needs of many businesses.  As a result, consumers continue to use their PCs for serious work – business, education, and research – and their tablet computers for entertainment, like watching movies or reading digital books.

The argument over whether to include tablet computers or not is a moot point in many ways.  To many computer users, the debate just seems like big business trying to cook the books in their company’s favor.

Ironically, Apple needs the status of being the #1 computer manufacturer less than HP does.  For over a decade, Apple has built its advertising campaign around being original, buying Apple products in defiance of the Big Companies.  After years as the outsider, could Apple effectively rebrand with “Conformity is cool?”  Even Apple could not sell that.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Computers are ubiquitous items in United States society today.  As much as the millions who bought the Apple iPod might want to believe they are being counterculture, defiant against big business and otherwise cool, they have bought into one of the most popular product lines in history.  In other words, if you own an iPod, you are more a part of the majority than you might realize.  It is not your fault; so much modern technology is geared around instant recognition, as opposed to a sense of uniqueness.  There are no computer-oriented devices that are more homogenized and less customized than the computer’s keyboard and mouse.

But now, you can change that, thanks to artist Tom Gerhardt and the Japanese company, Evergreen.  Evergreen makes a bamboo mouse.  Tom Gerhardt has pioneered a device that can make any rock into a fully functional mouse.

Evergreen’s bamboo mouse fits perfectly into any environment dominated by light wood or lighter earth tones.  Each bamboo mouse is an optical mouse with scroll wheel.  It is a corded mouse, so those looking for wireless cannot yet enjoy the style of this mouse.  But Evergreen makes the minimal clutter of a cable cool by presenting a mouse made of smooth, polished bamboo panels.  Curved to fit your hand the bamboo mouse is solid and durable, as well as stylish.  Because the two mouse buttons are made of thinner, flexible bamboo over a minimal slit, the bamboo mouse actually is easier to keep clean than most traditional plastic mice!

For those who have more of a stone theme to their work space, Tom Gerhardt has the answer.  Gerhardt has pioneered a mouse ring, upon which one may place any medium sized rock.  The rock, when placed upon the ring, becomes a functional mouse!  Simple pressing the rock at the top left or top right performs the function of a left or right click!  This amazing technology makes any rock into a computer mouse, so if you have a favorite rock, one you want to feel connected with for the long hours you find yourself working at your computer, this is an ideal option.  Or, if you like the idea of changing your style up frequently, Tom Gerhardt’s stone mouse can allow you to shake it up frequently.  You could have a different rock as a mouse each day!

Since the rise of the personal computer, style concerning computers has frequently focused on modernizing one’s workspace to match the new computer.  Tom Gerhardt and Evergreen seem to realize that some homes are complete and amazing as they are.  Through their mice, we can start reclaiming a more natural sense of style that matches a warmer environment than the mass-produced computer companies would have us accept.

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 Internet has the capacity to be many things from an entertainment source to an off-site data storage facility to a powerful tool for education.  The Internet remains one of the most powerful resources for communication and understanding from people of all ways of life, all around the world.  But the Protect IP Act threatens that freedom, and it does so under the guise of improving Internet security to intellectual property owners.

Right now, the United States Senate is considering S. 968, the Protect IP (Intellectual Property) Act.  The Protect IP Act bolsters Internet security by creating new punishments for Internet providers who have any pirated material pass through their servers.  This means that the United States government would begin policing the Internet and making online data storage sites of material it believes are pirated inaccessible before prosecuting those accused of pirating.

The Protect IP Act empowers the United States Federal Government to punish service providers who may not know about the contents of their data storage units.  In fact, the more popular a site is, the less likely the service provider is to know about all of what is on the servers.  Given the vague language of the bill, the U.S. Government potentially becomes the biggest threat to Internet security by assuming a Big Brother type role.

But the Protect IP Act version of Big Brother comes armed.  Sites that welcome photo sharing or other online data storage are particularly vulnerable.  Hypothetically, the Protect IP Act could allow the U.S. Government to shut down Facebook because a photo a user posted infringed upon the copyright.  Given that copyright laws, data storage agreements and Internet security protocols are not uniform throughout the world, the Protect IP Act could easily force the U.S. government into a police action in a place where it has no jurisdiction.  Perhaps the Senate has forgotten that the first two “w’s” in “www” stands for “World-wide.”

For sure, Internet security is important and due vigilance must be maintained in defending intellectual property rights.  Unfortunately, the Protect IP Act is a dramatic overkill, analogous to chopping a person in half to remove a tick on their arm.  The bill commits the U.S. to wield such a large machete to the world and with such flimsy language in the bill and the lack of a reasonable way to enforce it overseas or where the data storage hardware is inaccessible or dangerous to reach, it is hard to see the passage of the bill as anything but disastrous.

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 anyone who has gone to the movies lately knows, product placement within movies has exploded in the last few years.  It is little surprise, then, that the forthcoming blockbuster Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol utilizes product placement in its advertising.  What is most striking in the trailers for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, however, is how few of the products are actually identifiable.

Both of the major trailers feature a device that looks like an iPod Touch.  However, the Apple logo is not visible and for those who look closely at such things, the controls are different.  Is Apple hoping the iPod Touch is such an instantly recognizable item in the public mind that viewers will not notice when the device on screen is not actually an iPod Touch?  Or is one of Apple’s competitors making one of the least successful product-placement bids of all time?

From the trailers, though, there are two very cool products that are clearly identifiable: the MacBook Air and the BMW i8 Concept car.

In the latest trailer, a thin, Mac laptop may be seen for several seconds.  When Ethan Hunt needs computer support he just calls Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn who delivers it on the MacBook Air.  Those who want to emulate the Impossible Missions team, though, may have to wait; the Apple website does not have the MacBook Air available in black, as it appears in the trailer.

BMW is investing big with its use of the BMW i8.  The vehicle with the distinct doors that rotate up appears prominently in the new trailer, which makes it easy to mistake it for a car commercial when flipping channels.  Mission: Impossible fans will not be able to purchase this hybrid concept car until 2014.  At that time, Mission: Impossible fans with an extra $175,000 (rumored) to spend will be able to drive like Ethan Hunt.  The rest of us will just have to gawk at it in the movie.

Ironically, the most-featured device is a giant touchscreen computer that appears in all of the trailers.  The display with distinctive handles and controls does not feature any brand names or logos and looks like a massive tablet computer.  The device is featured prominently in the advertising campaign for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, but what company is promoting it remains a mystery.

One might expect Ethan Hunt to have tech gear that is custom made for him, but reason takes a back seat to commercialism for some of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

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 will come as a surprise to no one that there has long been a strong connection between computers and comic books.  Since the early 1990s, artists have used  digitally-rendered, computer generated artwork to enhance their comic books.  A novelty at the time, computer artwork was used for backgrounds or conceptual points within a story.  Now, comic books and computers are intertwining in a different way through Cloud-based platforms and portable devices with extensive data storage.  Computers have become the display medium for comics through digital comic books.

Digital comic books are not new, though they have become more accessible to readers with recent advances in data storage capacity and Cloud-based storage.  Before data storage improvements, it was tough to get comic book readers to commit the hard drive space to the large files digital comic books occupied.   With Cloud technology and hard drives with greater data storage capacity, digital comics are coming into their own.

While Marvel Comics has had digital comics and a large computer support network for its users in place for years, DC Comics has been slower to adapt the technology.  With the reboot of DC Comics with their “New 52” strategy this year, DC Comics invested heavily in the digital comics market.  DC Comics sells digital comics on their “first look” nature.  New comics come out on Wednesdays and DC releases both the print and digital comic books on the same day.  Because most comic book shops do not open at 12:01 A.M. on Wednesday, digital comic readers may read the stories a few hours earlier than their friends.

As a business plan, digital comics are brilliant for both the manufacturer and the consumer.  For a limited investment in computer support personnel to transfer the printed images to a digital format, comic book publishers create a product with no materials cost.  Digital comic books replace the expense of publishing with vastly more affordable fees for data storage devices.

On the consumer end, digital comic books offer readers increased portability without risking their valuable collectible.  Collectors may keep the printed comic book in mint condition, but upload the digital comic book to enjoy the story.  Because of the Cloud-based distribution of digital comic books, readers need not have extensive data storage space to enjoy them.  Setting up the readers and apps may require some computer support to get the programs and subscriptions to run properly.

Despite the inherent benefits to the environment and the collectible value of comic books, digital comic books may not be doing a service to the medium.  The best graphic novels and comic books feature big artwork, sprawling panels that must breathe on the page.  That level of artistry is not represented well on a smartphone screen and the transitions between pages and panels may still be choppy on tablet computers.

Even so, the relationship between comic books and computers is now cemented and the future of comic books may well depend on the next technological leaps in portable electronics.

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

Flash drives have been transformed from useful data storage devices into fashion statements.  More than simply useful tools for keeping computer files safe or transferring files easily between different computers, USB flash drives have become another way for computer users to express themselves.  Some of the coolest USB flash drives help fans show their appreciation for their favorite films like Twilight or Harry Potter.  Now, Mimoco makes flash drives for one of the undeniably coolest franchises of all time, Star Wars!

Mimoco has a line of Star Wars MIMOBOTs (the Mimoco term for their designer USB flash drives).  Currently, there are twenty-one different Star Wars styles in their MIMOBOT line and they are very cool.  Mimoco molded each MIMOBOT flash drive with a somewhat rounded appearance, reminiscent of Weebles.  Most Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives come in your choice of 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB capacity.  A few, like their San Diego Comic Con exclusive Bossk MIMOBOT, come with fewer options for capacity.

Each Star Wars MIMOBOT features a different Star Wars franchise character or alien.  The stylized design of the MIMOBOT includes an elongated head on each character.  Mimoco designed the Star Wars MIMOBOTs to stand as desk ornaments when they are not in use.  The MIMOBOTS make for good decorations as each one has bright colors and distinctive markings.  The Darth Vader MIMOBOT even features an additional layer; when you remove the helmet, Anakin’s human face is underneath!

More than simply cool to look at for geeks, the Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives are entirely functional.  Each elongated MIMOBOT head is the cap for the flash drive!  By simply pulling on the character’s head or helmet, you expose the male USB lead of the MIMOBOT!  Like any other USB flash drive, the Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drive slides easily into any female USB port.  Because of the rounded nature of the casing of the MIMOBOTs, the Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives may not fit into a crowded USB hub.  These flash drives do not like to share space, so they must be plugged into a USB port where there are no other USB devices that might inhibit the physical connection of the MIMOBOT.

With designs like Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, Darth Maul and the ever-popular Boba Fett, Mimoco has tapped into the Star Wars fans’s idea of cool with their Star Wars MIMOBOT flash drives!

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

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 iPhone 4S has been the subject of a lot of writing in the blogosphere lately, especially pertaining to the phone’s failing batteries.  Because of all the press the iPhone 4S receives about the defects, sometimes it is hard to overlook all that this smartphone can do.  While there are already rumors abounding that the iPhone 5 is in various stages of development or production, the iPhone 4S has a lot to recommend it.  In fact, there are so many improvements in the iPhone 4S over the iPhone 3 that it is easy to see why the iPhone 4S is one of the hottest gifts for the 2011 Christmas season.  Because so little has changed with the physical appearance of the iPhone 4S, it may not be evident to casual observers just how much has changed with this upgrade to the iPhone.

The back of the iPhone 4S features a camera and here Apple went for professional quality.  Rather than develop a separate Apple digital camera, the iPhone 4S includes an f/2.4 designed to make Apple competitive in the digital camera market.  The 8-megapixel resolution certainly is an improvement over most smartphone cameras!  In addition to the basic camera function, the Apple iPhone 4S includes a video recording ability.  The Apple iPhone 4S features video stabilization and produces 1080p HD movies.  Apple intends for the movie function, like the camera function, to appeal to professionals.  As a result, the iPhone 4S shoots movies at 30 frames per second and is loaded with tools to capture colors with vivid reality.

Inside the iPhone 4S are 2 A5 processors.  Because the iPhone 4S is designed for its computing – from running apps to playing Cloud-based movies seamlessly to accessing other online storage programs – the powerful processing speed of the two A5 chips is a big leap forward for iPhone users.  The two A5 chips service the Retina display screen.  Apple is touting the new Retina display for having a pixel density so tight that the naked eye cannot distinguish individual pixels.

Finally, the Apple iPhone 4S features Siri.  Siri is a digital personal assistant who talks to the user and responds to voice-activated commands.  In addition to talking on your iPhone 4S, you can now talk to your iPhone 4S.  It is almost surprising that with Siri, Apple’s advertising campaign was not “You are never alone with your iPhone 4S!”

Undoubtedly, the Apple iPhone 4S is a neat smartphone and it will remain one of the best smartphones on the market . . . at least until the iPhone 5 comes out.

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