Computer Support Blog

Every executive in charge of a big company has a story.  Some of those stories are intriguing and complex, others are surprisingly mundane.  One might suspect a consumer revolution would occur if most Americans knew just how many CEOs became CEO by simply being in the right place at the right time.  Few CEOs, however, have had the complicated and fascinating careers of Meg Whitman.

Meg Whitman is the new Chief Executive Officer and President of Hewlett-Packard.  Whitman’s rise to CEO is not a happenstance and her ascension comes after a particularly rough business year for HP.  Whitman’s new role as CEO of HP is generally seen as a desperate move to put Hewlett-Packard on a more successful track after a particularly tumultuous series of failing CEOs.  Whitman’s predecessor served as CEO for only eleven months before the Board of Directors showed him the door!

Since the mid-1980s, Meg Whitman has been a powerful executive.  Her first executive position was as a senior vice president at Bain & Company.  From there, she moved to various executive positions at the Walt Disney Company, FTD, and Hasbro.  Her big leadership opportunity came when she assumed control of eBay as its CEO.

As CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman made eBay from a minor Internet sales site into an international powerhouse.  The company grew from thirty employees to a significant international company.  More importantly, Whitman helped eBay achieve its success by completely reorganizing the corporate structure as well as the site’s functional organization.  Under her guidance, eBay became a publicly traded company, adopted the iconic four-colored logo and purchased Skype!  Whitman ran eBay for a decade before moving on, leaving the company as one of the most powerful women in business and one of the most influential CEOs of the last decade.

Immediately before taking on the job of CEO of HP, Meg Whitman ran for governor of California.  As a Republican candidate, Meg Whitman hoped to continue Arnold Schwarzenegger’s style of leadership over the traditionally Democratic state.  While she lost in the general election, her campaign made a good showing after several scandals that would have taken down a lesser person.  Following her failed gubernatorial run, Whitman joined HP’s Board of Directors where she served until the Board promoted her to CEO.

If Meg Whitman’s past successes are any indication, she represents the best chance Hewlett-Packard has to restructure and survive as a powerful business in the tech sector!

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 you have had M&M’s lately, you might be contributing to a growing problem without even knowing about it.  M&M’s has a current promotion on many of its wrappers advertising the chance to win free movie tickets.  This is very exciting; in addition to getting some candy, you have the chance to get into a movie for free!  How cool is that?  Your response might be a little different after you pull back the curtain and look at what MARS/M&M’s is actually doing (and they are not the only ones!).

When you go on the Internet to enter the code found on your wrapper of M&M’s, the site requests your birthdate and state.  This is a very odd redundancy as the M&M’s website requires you to provide your birthdate just to access the site (it reconfigures for different age groups, which is admittedly pretty cool).  After you have added your date of birth and state or territory, you may enter your game code.  When you enter your game code, you are compelled to provide your e-mail address before the site will tell you what you have won.

And lo!  The vast majority of winners who win anything from M&M’s.com have to enter their address . . . so M&M’s may mail you your movie coupon.  This may seem like a very exciting process that has you eager to go to the movie, as well as eat more candy (you could win again!).

But what has really happened?  In the space of about one minute, you have provided the MARS/M&M’s Corporation with your name, address, e-mail address and birthdate.  You have given the company everything they need to put you on a mailing list!

Virtually every company with an online presence now gets their data directly from their customers in this fashion.  Why pay for a mailing list from a competitor when you can simply have your customers furnish their contact information under the guise of winning something?  The bottom of the receipts for Taco Bell and Wal-Mart promise the chance of money each month when you call and inform the company about the service you received.  Some users online have reported spikes in e-mails from companies like Wal-Mart following filling out those surveys!

It used to be that businesses kept customers in the dark about how their names ended up on mailing lists.  With the rise of Internet contests and surveys that require you to give your contact information, the process is being redressed poorly.  But kudos to the big companies!  They have realized they do not need data miners; they just need to offer the possibility of getting something more with your seventy-five cent candy!

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 you are alive and living in a First World or Second World nation, you probably know what an iPod is.  In our world today, the iPod is a universally-recognized device.  While Apple Computers would prefer its trademarks not be infringed upon, “iPod” is used far more frequently to refer to any portable digital music player.  That sort of meteoric product launch and instantaneous word association does not just happen.  The smashing success of the iPod and the products that have followed it from Apple Computers came from effective marketing.  In fact, you would find it difficult to find a person in the United States today who cannot recall a single Apple advertisement.  That level of cultural penetration from advertising is largely the work of Philip Schiller.

Philip Schiller is the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Apple.  When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, Schiller became an integral part of Apple’s executive leadership team.  He ascended to the post of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing after a strong marketing career with software companies Macromedia and FirePower Systems.

As Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Schiller was responsible for rebranding Apple and his success speaks for itself.  In his tenure, Apple Computers went from being a floundering computer company to the dominant computer manufacturer on the planet.  While Steve Jobs and Tim Cook deserve a lot of credit for pushing the company’s direction into the emerging markets of portable digital music players and handheld computing devices, all of their efforts would have been for naught had it not been for the effective marketing Schiller and his team provided.  As the leader of the marketing department at Apple Computers, Philip Schiller made the first iPods seem indispensible and easy-to-use.  Even more important, through his targeted advertising strategy for the iPod, Schiller made the iPod cool.

As Apple has risen to dominate the portable digital music player market, Schiller’s marketing teams have made the career of many musical artists through their association with Apple’s advertising.  Schiller is an executive who is not content to rest on a single success.  As such, Schiller effectively led the Apple marketing arm through an entire rebranding.  Well in advance of the product releases for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad, Schiller and his marketing department created such hype that each of those product releases became an event.

It is one thing to have a successful product launch, it is entirely another to market so effectively as to create a culture surrounding a company’s entire product line.  That sort of result requires a leader and Philip Schiller is just that type of leader for Apple!

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 2011, Lenovo had a lot to be happy about.  Rescuecom named the computer manufacturer Lenovo one of the most reliable computers on the market in the First Quarter 2011 Reliability Report.  As the creator of one of the most reliable PCs on the market, Lenovo is looking to broaden its horizons.  Lenovo has chosen to branch out into the gaming console market and 2012 may well see the first Lenovo gaming console.

Lenovo announced the iSec and is planning to release the console in May of 2012.  The iSec, which is an acronym for “Sports Entertainment Center,” will be released first in China.  Chinese citizens are not allowed to purchase or own most of the popular gaming consoles they manufacture in their own country.  As a result, Lenovo’s iSec will not be competing with the Wii, Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 for the hearts and minds of China’s consumers!  Not having to compete against the big consoles that dominate the U.S. gaming market gives Lenovo hope for a successful product launch.

Lenovo also has a potential advantage in China with its interface.  Lenovo is continuing to pioneer motion capture technology with its iSec.  Your body will act as the controller for the iSec; there will not be any external controller to play the games the programmers are developing for Lenovo’s new platform.  Lenovo is showing real forethought in its market with the controller-less approach to launch its gaming system; the Asian markets have shown a strong predilection toward physical video games.  Dance video games, which are sweeping through the popular youth culture of the United States now, were hugely popular in Asian countries before the U.S. “discovered” them.

Eedoo Technology, a Beijing-based partner with Lenovo on the iSec, is not limiting its software developing to sports-related projects.  Already, eedoo has showcased a fantasy adventure program for the iSec, which broadens its appeal in the gaming community.  As well, the iSec features an interface with the user’s home stereo system.  This transforms the iSec from a gaming console into a full entertainment system.  The first major application that makes the iSec into a full entertainment system allows the gaming console to be used as a karaoke machine.

Whether Lenovo is successful with the iSec or not, the company seems to have done its homework in designing a gaming system that enters a rather flooded market with some new ideas.  If the iSec is successful in China, Lenovo could release the gaming consoles in the United States in time for a late-2012 release.

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

Geeks, as a general rule, tend to be a highly-educated, highly literate subculture in the United States.  Part of the reason geeks end up so smart is that they are raised smart.  Geek families tend to teach acceptance, manners and commitment to the things that interest them.  In other words, not even having children can keep geek parents from watching their Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica or other smart science fiction television shows or movies.  George Lucas seemed to understand that, and the eagerness geek parents have for sharing their beloved programs with their children, when he designed programs like Yoda’s Challenge for the Lucas Learning branch of Lucasfilm.

The Star Wars Yoda’s Challenge program has been winning awards since 1999 when Lucas Learning introduced it and the program remains popular with parents and children to this day.  Yoda’s Challenge is educational software intended for children ages six and up and for students in grades one through four.  One of the first key selling points of Yoda’s Challenge is its ability to grow with your child.  Yoda’s Challenge features four different skill levels that parents may change.  This allows you to use the same basic program to adapt to your child’s individual learning curve.

Yoda’s Challenge comes on CD-ROM and is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh computers.  Macintosh computers running OS 7.6 or higher should have no trouble installing Yoda’s Challenge.  For Windows users, patches may be required from Microsoft as Lucas Learning wrote Yoda’s Challenge for use on Windows 95/98 systems!

Do not let the age of the software give you pause!  Yoda’s Challenge is as useful and cool today as it was when Lucas Learning released it over a decade ago!  Yoda’s Challenge helps children learn how to read both words and basic sheet music.  Beyond the concrete skills, Yoda’s Challenge encourages logical development through challenges that require deductive reasoning in order for students to progress to the next level.  Children learn spatial relations and how to manipulate objects through tangram puzzles.

Lucas Learning keeps children stimulated by disguising their education as fun.  Activities like piloting a ship through a cave help children learn directions and the properties of motion, without explicitly directing the student.  The entire interface for Yoda’s Challenge is Star Wars based, so children who have seen the movies with their parents – or watch The Clone Wars animated series – will recognize characters and scenarios from the movies.  Because the setting if familiar to children, they are more likely to absorb the lessons than through unique or new environment.

George Lucas’s commitment to education is impossible to deny with cool programs like Yoda’s Challenge from Lucas Learning which uses a galaxy far, far away to teach your child right in your own home!

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

Recently, we did a little profile on Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Computers.  Cook is hardly the only interesting professional in the computer industry. We would like to continue to present a look at some of the others who make the multibillion dollar computer industry work.  Today we take a look at Lisa Brummel, the Chief People Officer for Microsoft.

Lisa Brummel is a name that most people have probably never heard associated with Microsoft, but she has been an integral part of the Microsoft company since 1989.  As “Chief People Officer,” Brummel has the coolest title of any of the executives on Microsoft’s corporate directory.  She also has one of the few photos on the Microsoft corporate directory where the subject actually looks genuinely happy.  By all accounts, that is because Lisa Brummel has worked hard and now has a fun job with Microsoft that she actually loves.

Brummel took a risk in joining Microsoft back in 1989 before Microsoft truly dominated the software and OS marketplace.  She came aboard Microsoft after working for Prentice Hall publishing.  Brummel worked her way through various management positions to become the head of Microsoft’s Human Resources Division.  Before taking over as head of Human Resources, Brummel managed the Microsoft teams that marketed Microsoft’s Interactive Media Division, which helped to make it a success from its inception.  Brummel worked for a long time managing Microsoft’s Macintosh line.  So, if you use Windows for Mac, you have Lisa Brummel’s management skills to thank.

Lisa Brummel is distinguished from many of the other Microsoft executives by her casual speaking style and just how in touch she is with consumers.  As the former head of the Home and Retail Division of Microsoft, Brummel had to manage a billion-dollar division of Microsoft.  Part of the way she successfully managed the Home and Retail Division of Microsoft was through her ability to explain the complex workings of Microsoft in simple terms.  Brummel has a knack for making complicated ideas simple. When she speaks, Brummel communicates in a very casual way free from much of the jargon that makes speeches from other Microsoft executives intimidating to those not in the business.  In addition to having a mind that is adept at keeping all sorts of facts and figures straight, Brummel is known for having a great sense of humor.

That sense of humor is an asset to Brummel as she helps staff Microsoft as the Chief People Officer.  Since 2005, as Microsoft’s business models have changed and the company has grown in new directions, Brummel has been responsible for finding the right people for the new jobs.  Certainly part of the success Microsoft has had in recent years is because Lisa Brummel has put the right people in the right place within Microsoft.  If you’re looking to work for Microsoft, she is the woman to know!

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

While scientists work to engineer a completely artificial hamburger, computers are actually improving the agriculture industry in more appealing and practical ways.  Computer usage and ownership has been increasing in the United States steadily since 2001when the USDA began first seriously tracking computers on farms.  But just how do farms and computers relate?

In 2011, the USDA reported that 65% of U.S. farms have access to a computer, with 63% owning or leasing their own computer.  That statistic is significant in that it indicates that the agriculture industry is the most vital industry in the nation with the lowest computer penetration.  While large-scale farms have adopted the computer to aid in the business of agriculture, many family farms and farms run by an older generation of farmer have actively refused computer integration.

The farms that use computers largely use them for their Internet capabilities.  95% of farms that have a computer have Internet access.  The World Wide Web is being used to connect farmers across the country.  Oddly, it is the resistance of traditional farmers that may be hurting their own business.  The Internet provides local farmers with a new avenue to reach specialized local markets.  However, the USDA found that farms making sales between ten and one hundred thousand dollars only use their computers for farm business 41% of the time!  This is in stark contrast to the farms with sales above $250,000.  Those farms used the computer for farm business 72% of the time.  The willingness to use advancing computer technologies allows larger and specialized farms to continue to grow.

The most common use for computers on farms involves data storage.  Farmers use computers to keep track of workers and inventory.  While many of the smaller farms, the ones that resist the computer, still use traditional bookkeeping methods, most computer-connected farms use computers for keeping track of workers and payroll.  As well, computers help tech-savvy farmers keep a closer eye on inventory and supply chain issues.  By computerizing their feed and fertilizer inventories, farmers using computers provide more precise estimates to economic forecasters.  The estimates developed by economists from data supplied by farmers has been more accurately able to predict price spikes in the price of a gallon of milk, which is one of several key indicators in calculating the poverty line!

Farmers are also using their computers to get more accurate meteorological and climatological data.  Getting data on the weather is vital for farmers, especially crop farmers.  Livestock farmers are also helping to provide environmental scientists with data that is helping to predict and regulate more accurately the environmental impact of agricultural production, like the beef industry.  The flow of information both ways has helped to create sophisticated models that have prevented further outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease.

The agriculture industry may be the last big holdout in accepting the role of the computer, but those farmers that have adapted to the times are discovering the benefits of the computer outweigh the discomfort of change.

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 revamping the aviation industry to revolutionize air travel, many new products and technologies are being developed.  One of the Federal Aviation Administration’s highest priorities is to replace outdated systems that have been in place since the 1950s.  To that end, the FAA has developed products like the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast and it is working on revolutionizing the communications systems between air traffic controllers and support workers at airplane terminals.  Another product integral to the NextGen program for changing the airline industry is the System Wide Information Management system.

The System Wide Information Management system is a new software system for the airline industry.  Created as a new, uniform operating system, SWIM is responsible for correlating data in the new vision of the aviation industry.  SWIM has essentially created a National Airspace System intranet and it is one of the NextGen programs that is already up and running.

The aviation industry employs a ridiculous number of computer systems to gather and correlate data.  In addition to plane movements, weather patterns and atmospheric conditions, the FAA receives data from the military, the government and small civilian airports.  Many of those organizations have their own intranets and when they provide data to the FAA, it is not in a form that is easily usable by the FAA.  For the past fifty years, there have been many jobs in the military and civilian sectors manually re-entering data from those disparate sources for the FAA.  Remedying the problems that come from trying to mediate between all of the systems aviation computers is why the FAA developed SWIM.

SWIM eliminates the need for manually re-entering data into an FAA-based program.  The innovative System Wide Information Management software collects data from the National Airspace System affiliates and correlates it into a standardized database.  SWIM provides a new, uniform interface, which will make jobs in the aviation industry much more portable.  With SWIM fully realized, a technician working for the Air Force would not need to retrain on a new system when they re-entered the civilian work force!

The System Wide Information Management system stands to make the aviation industry much safer by providing all of the information collected by members of the National Airspace System and presenting the data to all members in a universal interface.  SWIM will make flying easier and safer and software that can do that 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

Geeks love swag.  It’s true.  The only thing that truly separates the shopaholics who cannot resist when their favorite department store bundles an obscene number of cosmetics together at a discounted price and the geek community is what the different demographics are spending their money on.  Comic book geeks thrill over variant covers, cinephiles will hunt down exclusive packages like the Inception briefcase and fans of Katy Perry shelled out extra cash for a bonus package of her c.d. Teenage Dream that included a baby-t.  Video game enthusiasts are no exception to the overall geek culture.  In 2011, there were some exclusive packages and incentives that will make video game geeks salivate.  The best include:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collector’s Edition.  Video game fans wildly anticipated Skyrim in advance of its mid-November release.  To build on the hype and merchandise it, Bethesda released a Collector’s Edition of Skyrim that includes a statue of one of the primary characters from the game, a book on the artwork of Skyrim and a “Making Of Skyrim” DVD, none of which are available elsewhere.  This remains fairly available, probably because it is still such a new game.

Batman Arkham City Collector’s Edition.  Comic book geeks and video game geeks truly synergized for the release of Batman Arkham City this year.  Warner Brothers banked on the long history of comic book readers wanting exclusives to boost the video game’s sales.  The Collector’s Edition appeals to the comic book-loving geek with its inclusion of an exclusive statue.  The Collector’s edition also includes a DVD of Batman: Gotham Knight, collectible art book, digital album of music inspired by the game, a map and an exclusive skin.  This has been very popular with both types of fans.  Past history with this sort of exclusive has illustrated they appreciate well after they sell out in the primary market.  Because of the sheer number of exclusives, this is likely to be a great gift even for those Batman fans that do not play video games.

Battlefield 3 VIP Kit.  EA, the producer of Battlefield 3, produced a limited edition VIP kit for celebrities.  This rare item is highly sought after, as Battlefield 3 was one of the bestselling games of the year.  Only fifty of the kits were made, which makes sense because the exclusive package is a metal military trunk!  Inside, EA – the producer of Battlefield 3 – included the game, a controller, an Apple TV, a watch, dog tags and a hollowed out grenade.  Unless you know a famous rapper or game player who got one of these, odds are this will remain the holy grail of video game exclusives!

Fans of video games will want to hunt for the best possible version of the game they love . . . or suspect they will love before they make their initial purchase.

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 so much in the news about the recent death of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, it might be hard to believe that the Apple Corporation is still running at all!  Indeed, if the media attention was the sole indicator, the public would believe that Apple was a headless company.  That is not the case, as Tim Cook has been Apple’s CEO since late August of 2011.

Tim Cook was a logical choice to succeed Steve Jobs, for many reasons.  The most obvious reason Tim Cook was handed the reins of Apple was that he had done the job twice before.  While Steve Jobs recovered from surgery in 2004 and 2009, Tim Cook became the temporary CEO and Apple ran just fine.  Since Cook became CEO in August, Cook has led Apple through the release of iCloud, the iPhone 4S and the new generation of MacBook Pro laptop computers!  While Steve Jobs may have founded Apple, the company continues to innovate and produce under Tim Cook.

Stockholders and the Board of Directors are responsible for naming a company’s CEO and they are largely satisfied with Apple’s growth under Tim Cook.  Employee approval of Tim Cook is 99%!  When the overwhelming majority of your work force enjoys working for you, it bodes well for the company. Apple stockholders should be heartened by Cook’s approval rating.

Tim Cook’s rise to CEO was the result of a lot of hard work.  Before becoming Chief Operating Officer of Apple, Cook made Apple more profitable during some of its leanest pre-iPod years.  Before 2007, Cook strategically closed factories and warehouses to reduce inventory and eliminate issues in Apple’s manufacturing processes.  By stripping the company of waste, Cook laid the framework by which Apple could reinvent itself, which it successfully did.  With Apple’s infrastructure streamlined, Cook assumed more responsibilities as the Chief Operating Officer.  In that capacity, Cook ran the operations of Apple in such a way that made the manufacture and distribution of products like the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad exceptionally profitable.  Under Cook’s leadership, the environmental standards of Apple manufacturing have become more stringent and the company has reduced its carbon footprint.  Steve Jobs may have had the vision to make Apple products like the iPod into a cultural phenomenon, but Tim Cook had the responsibility to execute significant reforms in corporate stewardship.  Cook met those challenges, which made him an easy choice for Chief Executive Officer for the Board.

The world can never replace the mind of Steve Jobs, who founded Apple Computers.  But in Tim Cook, the world sees hope that the legacy of Steve Jobs will endure.

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