Computer Support Blog

Around the holidays each year for the last five years, there have been two recognizable business trends.  The first trend is that more and more people are purchasing Christmas gifts online.  For 2011, Cyber Monday sales totaled $1.3 billion, making it the strongest online shopping day in history.  The trend toward shopping on the Internet as opposed to going out to crowded brick and mortar stores has been steadily growing since 2005.  Even as online shopping increases, brick and mortar stores have made it harder to return unwanted gifts after Christmas.

The trend against universal returns is an irksome one.  Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart as a customer service-driven retail store.  One of the principles Walton used when establishing Wal-Mart was that “the customer is always right.”  The advertising campaigns used to promote the first Wal-Mart super centers in the late 1980s restated that principle frequently.  At that time, Wal-Mart actively advertised a return policy so generous that they would accept returns, even if the item came from another store.  Now, however, Wal-Mart’s return policy is far less liberal or customer service oriented.  Wal-Mart.com’s return site requires order numbers and shipping information, even for gifts!  Wal-Mart stores accept returns without a receipt, even if the item was purchased online.  However, most returns without a receipt are only valid for store credit or exchange.  The only post-Christmas change to Wal-Mart’s return policy is that the store extends the return date for electronics to increase the amount of time you may return or exchange electronics.

Other major electronics or computer vendors are following that less customer-friendly return policy.  Apple Stores only accept unopened items with their original or gift receipt.  If you get an Apple iPhone as a gift, returning it after the holidays does not necessarily cancel your service commitment.  As a result, returning an iPhone means returning the physical phone and contacting your carrier to cancel service, and, with some contracts, you may not be able to cancel early without fees!

With most major stores requiring a receipt and your gift to be unopened in its original packaging, now it is more important than ever to be careful about dropping gift hints.  If you want a new laptop, smartphone or other computer device this holiday season, be precise when requesting it and be careful not to ask more than one person for the same thing.  The best defense against the miserly return policies of stores is to not have to make a return at all.

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

According to the IFPI Digital Music Report from 2011, the music industry is a 15.8 billion dollar industry.  In 2010, legal digital music downloads generated $4.6 billion.  That number, which represents 29% of the music industry, has a vast number of analysts reaching very different conclusions.  The report, which notes that the music industry suffered a 31% loss between 2004 and 2010, is enough to give audiophiles pause.

Digital music in the form of digital downloads – audio files traditionally found online – have been on the market for over fifteen years.  However, the music industry started more carefully tracking the market share of digital downloads in 2004, following the collapse of Napster.  The influence of digital music in the marketplace has only increased; since 2004 the value of the digital music market increased 1000%!

Even with the convenient access to music that digital music affords its listeners and the lower production cost digital music offers producers, the music industry has seen widespread revenue losses.  Most in the music industry want to attribute the loss of revenue to pirated digital downloads.  Trends of pirating of digital music vary with every country, but some areas with less stringent intellectual property protections contribute more to the loss of revenue from pirating.  In the UK, 76% of music obtained online in 2010 was obtained illegally.  Industry experts estimate that digital music sales would be 131% greater if all piracy ended.

But the industry analysts may be making too many stretches in blaming digital music piracy for the industry’s woes.  The Digital Music Report attributes the 12% drop in global Top 50 concert revenues to pirating.  That connection may be a false one.  There is no evidence to suggest that those who pirate music either were attending concerts before they became music pirates or are less inclined to attend concerts once they begin pirating.  A much more likely factor contributing to lower concert attendance is the global financial crisis which has left many without the disposable income to spend on attending concerts.

Moreover, the report acknowledges that at 30% of their revenues, the music industry invests more heavily than any other entertainment sector in marketing and A&R (artists and repertoire, which is essentially talent scouting and artist development).  The report and analysts are quick to blame music piracy as the overwhelming cause of 31% drop in the value of the music industry since 2004.  Again, this is a simplistic view.  In that same time frame, pop music has all but died, replaced by rap, hip-hop and R&B on most Top 40 stations.  It is just as likely that the A&R sector of the music industry radically misjudged what music customers would pay for as it is that the piracy of digital music has precipitated the loss of revenues.

New services like Google Music continue to bolster the legal propagation of digital music downloads; there is no corresponding A&R avenue to so vigorously promote new, quality artists.

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 rabidly check every computer-oriented or technology-related site on the Internet to keep up with the most current events in the technical world, you may well be confused by a name you keep seeing there.  For the last few weeks, one name keeps appearing with a frequency that has not appeared on technical news sites and blogs since the death of Steve Jobs.  The new name on the tip of virtually every technology geek’s tongue is Louis C.K.

Louis C.K.?

Louis C.K.?!  Who is Louis C.K.?  If his name is on the technical sites, he must have taken over one of the big computer companies!  Is Louis C.K. the new CEO of Microsoft?  No, Louis C.K. is none of those things.  Louis C.K. is a stand-up comic and comedy writer.  He has, to date, illustrated no particular aptitude for anything computer-related or innovative in the electronics field.  Why then, are so many technical sites that usually focus on Internet security issues, forthcoming computer product releases and everything concerning the minutia of smartphones paying so much attention to Louis C.K. all of a sudden?

In mid-December, the 44 year-old comedian decided to skip the networks, bypass potential FCC censorship and all of the other potential middlemen who might have profited off his talent and presented his latest stand-up comedy special, Louis C.K.: Live At The Beacon Theater.  The reason this has become such an issue for the computer sector of the blogosphere is that Louis C.K.’s direct-to-consumer offering has several significant technical aspects that have been untried until now.

On the most technical side, Louis C.K. has attempted to make his program exceptionally easy to view.  Louis C.K.’s website sells the program directly and after paying via PayPal, you return to the site where you get access to the video and have the ability to download it.  Louis C.K. presents the video without digital-rights management programming or regional encoding, which means you may view it on any computer or smartphone around the world.

The computer and electronics industry place a huge premium on intellectual property rights and protecting those who create programs and media.  The reason so many technical sites are interested in Louis C.K.’s direct-sale from his website experiment is that Louis C.K. is counting on fans to not pirate his work for free distribution.  That’s it; Louis C.K, is using the most advanced technology on the planet to test the most basic human instinct.

The experiment appears to have worked.  After almost a week on the market, Louis C.K. claims that 110,000 paid downloads streamed from his website.  To date, there appears to be only one pirated source of the program on the Internet and that means Louis C.K. might have hit on something many of the multi-billion dollar media companies have not.

If people like what you produce, they will buy.  Maybe it truly is that simple.  Louis C.K.’s success certainly makes that argument.

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 doing last-minute shopping for a video game player this year, it might help you to know what video games, across all platforms, have been the bestselling of the year so far.  While Mario Kart 7 has been tearing up the global gaming sales charts for the past week, Nintendo came shockingly late to market with the game.  It did not even register on the top ten bestselling games of the year!  Sure, that could change in the last few weeks of the year, but it would have to overcome several titles like Batman: Arkham City and Just Dance 3, which are desperately clawing their way up the Top Ten list for the bestselling games of 2011.  What might well surprise video game enthusiasts is that in 2011, three of the top six bestselling games of the year were not released in 2011!  The Top Five bestselling video games in the world (across all platforms) for 2011 are:

5. Wii Sports.  Beating out Wii Sports Resort by just over one hundred thousand units, the exceptionally popular game for the Nintendo Wii managed to add over five million sales to land in the top five, even after five years on the market!  Nintendo rightly realized that video game enthusiasts are not adverse to moving around and people who like sports enjoy them even as a video game!

4. Kinect Adventures! A late-release in 2010, this adventure game had a strong 2011.  While it might have only sold 5.3 million units in 2010, Microsoft has a real hit on its hands with over 12.5 million units sold total!  It might not have sold as many units as the Wii Sports games, but Microsoft is showing it knows how to produce successful sports games as well.

3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  Who says every sequel stinks?!  Not video game players!  Bethesda Softworks hyped the fantasy role playing game for over a year and when it released in mid-November, the market was primed for it.  With just under six million units sold, Skyrim is a very safe bet for fantasy game enthusiasts if you need a late gift!

2. Battlefield 3. Almost seven million people decided that being a first-person shooter along the Iran/Iraq border sounded cool.  As U.S. troops were withdrawing from Iraq, gamers across all platforms were experiencing virtual combat situations through this game.

1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This first-person shooter game buried its peers.  With over 16.3 million units sold, the latest installment in the Call Of Duty franchise outsold even Battlefield 3 by almost ten million units!  With the Internet-based companion service, Call Of Duty: Elite, it is unlikely that video game enthusiasts will run out of interest in this game and franchise, promising Activision a good 2012 as well!

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

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

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

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

Say what you will about Apple computers, but they are boring.  For sure, you can access all sorts of cool things with your MacBook, iPad, iPhone or iPod, but the look and color scheme of Apple products is boring.  In fact, it is hard to recall such a sterile looking product line that has been as successful as Apple’s many electronics and computing products.  Fortunately, MegaVinyl shakes up the boring Apple sense of style with its Custom Vinyl Decals.

MegaVinyl Custom Vinyl Decals are available online exclusively through Etsy.  Through the online store, MegaVinyl provides Apple users with decals to lend personality to their Apple MacBook or iPad.  Part of what makes MegaVinyl’s Custom Vinyl Decals so clever is that MegaVinyl seems to realize that Apple users want other people to know they are Apple users and their decals are designed around that.  Because the MacBook has a lit Apple symbol on the back of the monitor, most of MegaVinyl’s Custom Vinyl Decals are oriented around that symbol and do not obscure it.  So, for example, Family Guy fans may purchase a Lois Griffin MacBook decal that has Lois oriented so it looks like she is holding up the Apple symbol!  In a similar way, most of the decals incorporate the Apple symbol into their design.

Each of the MegaVinyl Custom Vinyl Decals is made of high quality vinyl, which protects your MacBook or iPad from wear.  The decals come with explicit instructions on how to apply them and include a money-back guarantee in case you have issues with the application of the decal.  With that protection in place, it is very easy to shop MegaVinyl for decals for your iProducts!

MegaVinyl taps into popular culture with some very cool custom decals and the willingness to do custom work.  Fans of Disney can get all sorts of variations on Snow White, from the traditional to a Goth rendering of her!  Fans of Family Guy, Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Hello Kitty will find several options each.  MegaVinyl’s standing inventory includes characters like the Joker and Iron Man, Bugs Bunny and Homer Simpson!  Assuming their custom work is as good as what is in their store, truly the possibilities are endless for making your Apple computer product distinctive and unique.

Minimize the need for computer repairs by protecting your Apple MacBook, iPad or iPod with something that expresses your unique sense of style.  MegaVinyl’s Custom Vinyl Decals do just that and they can make your blasé Mac cool again!

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