Computer Support Blog

Every major industry has a merchandising arm designed to attract business.  If you have ever been to a medical conference, you may have gotten nauseated seeing how much money pharmaceutical companies pour into some of the weirdest swag in the world.  So, it ought to be utterly unsurprising that computer companies have similar merchandising arms.  Apple, for example, has an entire line of products from clothes to pocket knives.  Similarly, to commemorate the defeat of a human chess player by the supercomputer Watson, IBM has produced some limited clothing.

The Watson cap is a black baseball cap that features the Watson logo on it!  Clearly IBM wanted Watson to be able to identify who in a crowd was allied with the supercomputer as this hat is made of quality materials.  The cloth of the hat is enzyme washed cotton twill and the adjustable strap on the back of the hat is fabric and features a buckle and grommet design.  IBM made the strap padded for comfort and easy adjustment for different head sizes.  What truly separates the Watson hat from cheap baseball caps is the embroidered Watson symbol on it.  Instead of just silk screening the bright blue and green symbol on the black cap, IBM embroidered the symbol so it will not chip off or fade as easily!

Read more »

When purchasing new computer equipment, now more than ever, customers are aware of the energy consumption of their hardware.  The rise in electricity costs and increased interest in environmental protection has led most consumers looking for computers and appliances to consider the energy consumption of their products before they make their final purchase.  Fortunately, with computer products like computer monitors, the energy-efficient options are obvious through Energy Star certification.  The Energy Star certification is a powerful visual tool for consumers that indicates a product has superior energy conservation capacity compared to other, similar, products of the same type on the market.  What you might not know about Energy Star certification is that it comes from a U.S. government organization, the Environmental Protection Agency.  The chief Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is Lisa P. Jackson.

Lisa Jackson is one of the most effective activist Administrators in the history of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Jackson was one of Barack Obama’s first confirmed appointees when he took office in 2009 and since she took the post, she has been tireless in promoting environmental preservation and protection.  One of those efforts was to increase the EPA standards for Energy Star certification, which would require manufacturers to meet even more stringent standards for their monitors to receive the certification!

Jackson was a natural choice for Administrator of the EPA, though she had to sacrifice a promotion to Chief of Staff to the governor of New Jersey when nominated for the post.  As Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Jackson would have the greatest influence over a wide range of environmental policies that had been of interest to her for the bulk of her career.  Lisa Jackson attended Tulane University after working with Clean Sites in the aftermath of the Love Canal Disaster.  From Tulane, she pursued her Master’s Degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University where she decided that what she truly wanted to do was save the world’s resources from environmentally irresponsible businesses.

Fresh out of college, Jackson worked for the EPA and her specialty was in the political efforts of the Administration.  While she worked as both an engineer and an overseer on several important clean-up operations, Jackson made her mark at the Environmental Protection Agency by proposing important changes to how the EPA worked at disaster sites.  The Agency adopted many of those proposals, so Jackson had left her mark on the EPA long before she took over as its Administrator!

Under Lisa Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency has prioritized protecting children, the elderly and other low-income demographics.  Part of the policies she has enacted and proposed involves reducing carbon dioxide emissions and protecting the quality of air and water for all citizens.  Because so many technology manufacturers use processes that could potentially pollute the water and/or air, Lisa Jackson has been using the EPA to watch them more closely!  With her commitment and record of environmental protection, Lisa Jackson is a great EPA Administrator!

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 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

There are very few computer-related items as stylish, distinctive, or varied as the USB Flash Drive.  You can find flash drives for virtually any occasion or sense of style.  For the uber-geek, there are Star Wars flash drives and for Twi-hard girls, there is even a Twilight USB flash drive.  What about manly men who want a distinctive USB flash drive?  For the masculine man with a sense of whimsy, there are Flash Rods.

Flash Rods are handmade USB flash drives in the shape of popular or memorable automobiles.  Since 2004, Flash Rods have been integrating die-cast toy cars and flash drives to create a fun 4 GB flash drive that appeals to car enthusiasts.  Each Flash Rod is manufactured with the male USB jack projecting out the back of the car.  Each Flash Rod slides perfectly into any female USB port, so the tires and any back fins or ornamentation of the car end before the male USB jack begins.

The distinctive cars are what make the Flash Rods cool.  Currently, there are over twenty different Flash Rods available.  Many of the basic Flash Rods come in different colors.  If you have a favorite car type, you can pick up multiple Flash Rods to keep different files on different color Flash Rods of the same model car!  The basic Flash Rods include the Volvo 1800, GT 40 #11, a Delorean and Rudolf’s New Car.  There is an entire section featuring modern cars, like the Audi R8 and a Camero, and another section featuring muscle cars like a 1967 Mustang GT500 and a Studebaker Pick Up!  As well, there are some neat variants, like a clear race car.

Women need not feel excluded from the Flash Rods phenomenon!  Women make up a sizable portion of the NASCAR audience and Flash Rods seems eager to appeal to that market.  Flash Rods produces a series of five limited edition pink Flash Rods.  The pinks are custom colors and they look amazing on vehicles like the Tesla, ’67 GTX and SLR.  The pink line is one of the most distinctive and coolest collections Flash Rods manufactures and because Flash Rods produces them in very limited quantities, you should get them while you can!

But geeks need not shun the Flash Rods; this is not just a product for the guys who used to beat you up and take your lunch money!  Flash Rods caters to the hardcore geek audience with Flash Rods of some very cool, genre-oriented vehicles.  Doc Brown’s time machine Delorean is part of the current fun inventory of Flash Rods.  As well, Flash Rods recreated the black van driven by the A-Team as a Flash Rod flash drive.

With an average price of $25 (plus shipping) the Flash Rods are a very cool way to store your valuable computer files.

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

Google+ has some real challenges to overcome as it becomes the new kid on the block of social networking sites.  Even so, Google has shown resiliency in its corporate history, so there is every reason to believe that Google+ could become the next Facebook at the top of the social network food chain.  Here is why Google+ may well succeed:

1. The social network market is dynamic.  Google+ enters the social network race exceptionally late.  Even so, the rise of Facebook and Twitter over Myspace illustrates that users have remarkably little brand loyalty to their social network.  Users have Facebook for friends and family contact, Picasa for online photo storage, and LinkedIn for professional networking.  Google+ combines all of those aspects, especially the data storage options for photo albums, all on one platform.  With over 40% of social network users belonging to 3-5 social networks, it is clear that social network enthusiasts enjoy the process of exploring new networks.

2. The Google+ interface.  The Google+ social network is based on the idea that people have several different groups or cliques to which they belong.  You make your own groups and associate your friends and acquaintances with whatever group you want.  You can watch as people move you between different groups.  The advantage is that you have the ability to compartmentalize the different people in your life and that is a clever way to run a single profile over many different interests.  The ever-changing nature of the Google+ relationship model encourages you to check in frequently.

3. The advertising.  Google+ advertising constantly during prime time this holiday season hits all of its key demographics fast, making it seem like it is an already established phenomenon.

4. A solid revenue model.  Google+ arrives on the social networking scene with its fundamental advertising revenue model in place.  Because Google’s AdSense is already in place and integrated with the Google+ platform, Google does not need to devote nearly as many resources to courting advertisers.

Google wants a piece of the social networking business, but they are coming very late with Google+.  Even so, it seems the platform has everything needed for Google to have another success in its portfolio.  Because social network users are fickle enough to constantly change their relationships, Google+ seems to have an interface that speaks directly to its target demographic.  Just as Google+ allows users to move friends among different groups the user creates, Google hopes to woo users from the other social networks.  Hopefully, it has a model to keep them there once they land on Google+!

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

Over the last few years, millions of Angry Birds have attempted to rescue their stolen eggs from the evil green pigs. They fling themselves repeatedly at the pigs’ enclosures, attempting to knock them over and kill the pigs inside. Each time they succeed in killing all of the pigs they are one stage closer to the return of their precious eggs.

We have all heard of the Angry Birds game, and probably most of you have played it at least once. Have you ever wondered how this simple game of flinging birds at pigs became a nation-wide trend? Who thought up this game and why?

Rovio Entertainment Ltd created the hugely popular game Angry Birds in December of 2009 and launched it as a smartphone app. The game was a final effort to bring the company back from bankruptcy, according to Business Insider. Their efforts certainly paid off, with their small puzzle game launching a $50 million business built around the merchandising from one game.

There are Angry Birds plush toys, t-shirts, board and card games, blankets, headphones, backpacks, and so many other products. Rovio knows how to make money from their products – that they have created a game that so many people play is an accomplishment in itself, but to sell so many unrelated products simply because they have Angry Birds on them is phenomenal.

The game itself is very easy to learn how to play, but can be quite difficult to win. A basic understanding of physics and a lot of trial-and-error can take you far in the game, but the stages are progressively harder as you move further into the game. It could be said that Angry Birds has the popularity it does because of this method of game design – anyone can play it, but it takes determination to win.

There is currently an Angry Birds game available for all of the popular operating systems, including Windows, Mac, IOS, and Android. As an added incentive to buy their other products, Rovio has recently made the Angry Birds game completely free on Android.

Users should take caution, however, of possible Internet security threats from pirated copies of the Angry Birds game. With its huge success come many pirated copies of the game, some of which could contain malware and other threats to your Internet security. If something happens to your mobile device because of these Internet security threats, do not wait, get help from professional computer repair specialists at RESCUECOM.

Rovio is still keeping their focus on Angry Birds for now, but they have hinted that they are working on a new game, but it will be a while before it is ready. It is very likely that Rovio’s next game will capture the world’s attention the same way the Angry Birds has.

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 early 1990s, Decipher acquired the licensing rights to several lucrative franchises and developed Customizable Card Games for Star Trek and Star Wars.  As the CCG market changed, Decipher lost the license to Star Wars and then Star Trek.  What Decipher underestimated was the commitment their players had!  That commitment to the game has sprouted The Holotable and The Continuing Committee and the advent of “virtual” gaming cards.

When Decipher changed its corporate direction, it decided to dump the vast online support network it had created for players of the Star Trek CCG.  Undeterred by lack of corporate support, a band of Star Trek CCG players acquired the Star Trek content from Decipher’s significant website and created The Continuing Committee.

The Continuing Committee is an online resource for players of the defunct Star Trek CCG.  More than a reference for what Decipher created, the Continuing Committee has continued developing the game through collections of virtual gaming cards.  The virtual gaming cards present images with game text in the format of the original Decipher cards.  All of the various corners of the Star Trek universe that Decipher did not have a chance to incorporate into the game have been rendered online by a dedicated community of player/developers.  Online, they create “cards” that allow them to continue playing their beloved game well-beyond the static product represented by Decipher’s cancellation of the product line.  The Continuing Committee’s efforts are not a true progression of the game in the virtual world; players are encouraged to print the virtual cards and then play those physical cards.

What is a pretty incredible reimaging of the defunct physical game is the effort made by The Holotable.  When Decipher discontinued the Star Wars CCG, another company launched a Star Wars trading card game.  Players who invested so much time and money in Decipher’s product and game mechanic resisted the other release.  They founded The Holotable.

The Holotable took the idea of virtual cards to an entirely different level.  Instead of simply creating card images that matched the style and game mechanic of the Star Wars CCG, they created an entire virtual play platform.  Registering with The Holotable, players may assemble virtual decks – file folders of their virtual cards – online.  Players then play against one another by connecting through the Internet and adding their decks to a random shuffling program that then allows players to play against one another online with the sense of unpredictability for which card games are known.  Ironically, the customizable card game industry was born out of a desire to compete with video games (the same demographics tend to be targeted for both), but the Holotable has essentially saved their card game by making an exceptionally sophisticated virtual gaming platform!

They may not (usually) exist in the physical world, but the ingenuity shown by The Continuing Committee and The Holotable to transform their beloved games into virtual games online is undeniably 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

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