Cool Product of the Day

As technology has improved, it is easy to recall the milestones in terms of experience.  Those who were alive during the transition between black and white and color television often recall the first program they saw in color.  Similarly, those who were raised on older color televisions can usually recall how awesome their first experience with a true high definition set was.  Now, the next leap forward has hit the market with an ultra-high definition 3D television from Samsung!

The best part is, with this 3D television, you do not need special glasses!

Read more »

For those who chose to keep the purity of the Kindle idea alive by not upgrading to the much-hyped Kindle Fire, there are some rewards awaiting you!  The e-reader concept was upgraded into a multimedia player, much like a tablet computer, with Amazon’s latest iteration.  But for those who like to read, for whom being trendy, current and/or not upgrading at the first sight of the next new product, companies like SolarFocus are there for you!  SolarFocus has a great product for Kindle users with its SolarKindle Lighted Cover!

The SolarKindle Lighted Cover is a portfolio-style cover for the Amazon Kindle that features a powerful solar panel on the front cover.  The cover helps to recharge both the Kindle and the case using solar power.  As trendy as renewable energy is, there have been very few companies to tap into the market and synergize it with the e-reader and tablet market.  With the SolarKindle Lighted Cover, SolarFocus brings together two very popular concepts to enhance the user experience of the Kindle e-reader!  Read more »

Alpha Consumers, we need you!

In just a few days, Victorinox will release one of the coolest products to hit the portable memory market ever.  However, like so many initial product releases, it comes with a pretty hefty price tag.  As a result, many of us will rely upon the fact that Alpha Consumers satisfy the initial demand and absorb the expense of producing the next, less expensive, round of the product.  The cool new product is the Victorinox 1 TB USB/eSATA II flash drive!

Victorinox, most famous for creating and selling the Swiss Army Knife, has been making and selling USB flash drives of a similar style for years.  Incorporated into their trademarked fold-out design that allows you to essentially keep several different tools within a common handle, Victorinox included a USB flash drive to keep the tool relevant in the 21^st Century.  Victorinox is pushing the envelope forward now with their 1 TB USB/eSATA II flash drive.

Read more »

Angry Birds is very cool and it is time we acknowledged that.  Angry Birds may have started as a limited computer game for smartphones, but it has evolved into a real cultural phenomenon.  In addition to the smartphone game, Angry Birds is now a merchandising bonanza.  Stuffed toys, t-shirts and other swag featuring Angry Birds hit the market right in time for the holidays last year and were very popular among a diverse range of ages and subcultures.  Even Hartz, the pet product manufacturer, licensed Angry Birds for dog and cat toys!

Why is Angry Birds so cool?  First, Angry Birds is very easy to buy.  The popular game started its life as a game application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch.  Because those products featured a touchscreen, Angry Birds exploded onto the market as one of the first games that utilized that technology well.  Apple customers were excited about their touchscreens and Angry Birds gave them something to get truly excited about.  While Angry Birds was originally only available as an Apple app, with the rise of Android, the game’s publisher, Rovio, expanded the programming to allow it to play on the Android Operating System.  Now, there are versions of Angry Birds for virtually every platform, including Windows, Playstation 3 and the Nintendo 3DS!

Read more »

No matter what the latest leaps forward in computers, we are still a long way away from having computer systems that implant images straight into your brain.  That means that no matter what type personal computer you have, you are going to need a monitor for it.  Even if you have moved to a laptop computer or tablet computer, a good monitor can make all the difference for enjoying games and media presentations when used in conjunction with an adapter cable.  The monitor that can give you the best picture quality at affordable prices is the ASUS ML228H High Definition LED Monitor.

The ASUS ML228H Monitor is a 21.5” flat screen monitor with widescreen proportions.  This Energy Star-compliant monitor has a true resolution of 1920 x 1080, which gives it great definition and pixel density.  ASUS pioneered a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio that lights images with a powerful backlight resulting in images that look lifelike.  The images are so vivid that looking at photographs on the ASUS ML228H Monitor is like looking through a window into an alternate reality!  That sense of picture quality is not only for static images.  With the 2ms response time, moving objects on the ASUS High Definition monitor remain clear and crisp.

What does all of this mean outside the jargon?

Read more »

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 »

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 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

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

Every generation hopes the future will be better for their children than it was for them.  Even with that hope, the first generation that was banking on the flying car ended up with the personal computer and the second generation raised to think the flying car was coming developed the Internet.  As two generations lament the lack of flying cars, the future is looking a little brighter for the next generation.  The hope that robots might make life easier and better for the next generation is becoming more of a real possibility because of the DragonBot.

The DragonBot is a robot, though some have diminished it by simply referring to it as a toy.  The researchers at MIT, Northeastern and Harvard who worked together to design and manufacture the DragonBot have called it an educational tool.  With a $1000 price tag, those who are likely to buy the DragonBot would probably prefer to consider it an educational tool as opposed to a toy as well!  While there have been several robotic toys or educational tools on the market in recent years, none is quite like the DragonBot.

The DragonBot is a furry, feathery robot that is over a foot tall.  It looks like a cross between an owl and a cocker spaniel.  The DragonBot is a robot that has two arms, two legs and a tail that has a limited range of motion.  In published tests so far, the DragonBot is able to move up and down and flail its arms.  So far, the little robot is also able to shake its torso.

One of the distinctive aspects of the DragonBot is that it does not have a face.  While initially this might seem horrible, the designers of the DragonBot seemed to think it was time Android lived up to its name and they designed the DragonBot to use an Android-powered smartphone as a controller.  Your Android-smartphone utilizes a special graphics program when you install the DragonBot app.   By activating the app and plugging it into the DragonBot’s head, your smartphone becomes the DragonBot’s face!  The faceplate is fully animated, so when your DragonBot emotes with eye movements or speaks, the face graphic moves!

What is most remarkable about the DragonBot is that it learns from the experience it has and from the experience of every other operating DragonBot.  The DragonBot runs using a Cloud-based program through the Android network.  As a result, when one DragonBot learns not to smack a dog in the eye, every DragonBot everywhere learns the exact same lesson!  While this might have vastly different results – one need only consider the neighbor child in Toy Story to posit that an entire generation of DragonBots might be raised to rightly fear children – the idea is a very cool one.

For those who love expensive gadgets, toys that learn and their Android smartphones, the DragonBot provides a must-have toy for children and adults alike!

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