Cool Product of the Day

Software companies are beginning to market some of the best video slot machine games from casinos for home use.  While online video slot games can lead to grave concerns over Internet security, home computer software for video slot machine players offers the thrill of video slot machines without the threats, hassles or gambling debts.  The coolest video slot machine game on the market is IGT’s Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania.

Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania is a collection of 20 IGT video slot machine games released for PC and Mac by Masquepublishing Software.  Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania includes Cats, Stinkin’ Rich, Betti The Yetti, Carnival Of Mystery, Da Vinci’s Diamonds and other games that are instantly recognizable to anyone who has been to a modern casino.  There are also more obscure games like Price Check and Frog Princess that may not have been part of IGT’s staple line-up.

The interface for Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania is instantly cool.  Before going to any machines, you enter the virtual casino where you can see banks of the video slot machines.  It is a cute gimmick and it is enough to get anyone who likes video slot machines into the mood to play.  Masquepublishing also includes ambient noise from the virtual casino to make the experience more vivid (that may be turned off without losing the sound effects from the game you want to play if that is not your thing).  When you pick out the game you want to play, you click on the video slot machine and your screen becomes the cabinet for the game.

Like most of Masquepublishing’s IGT video slot machine games, Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania allows you to take your virtual winnings with you from machine to machine.  As a result, you may feel like you are winning more and more in your virtual casino.  The software may be set for ideal odds which allows you to build up your bank fast and experience bonus games more frequently.  With ideal odds, you win more often.  The software may alternatively be set for the casino odds, which could be a great object lesson for young children enchanted by the idea of gambling that you want to disenchant!

What is extraordinary about Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania is that it includes games that have bonus games much more sophisticated than the standard IGT releases.  Instead of just free spins, games like Betty The Yetti include bonus games that tell a story and build upon themselves.  On Betti The Yetti’s bonus game, players watch their multipliers and “adventure bonus” increase as Betty walks around her park!  Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania also includes Da Vinci’s Diamonds, a cascading reel video slot machine that is an exciting mechanic not available on any of the other IGT games released so far.

Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania installs easily from CD-ROM without the need for any additional computer support.  Gambling can be costly, stinky (all that smoke!), and involve travel: Masquepublishing and IGT make it fun and risk-free with Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania!

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

Days ago, an expedition from the International Union for Conservation of Nature began in the Indian Ocean.  While the human explorers have the drive and interest to spend the months on the ocean that this mission demands, it is the KIEL 6000 ROV that will be doing most of the work.  Made by Schilling Robotics, the KIEL 6000 is a Remotely Operated Vehicle designed for use in depths down to 6000 meters below sea level.

With its 6000 meter depth rating, the KIEL 6000 may explore depths where the water pressure would crush a human being.  Operated from the ship, the KIEL 6000 has a sophisticated computer network that allows it to respond to multiple commands simultaneously.  Far from being a glorified remote-controlled submarine, the KIEL 6000 may follow a preprogrammed flight plan or be controlled from human operators.  Those human operators control more than just simple navigation.  The KIEL 6000 has banks of video cameras and two mechanical arms for taking samples.

The mechanical arms are a real feat of engineering design and computer programming.  The mechanical arms on the KIEL 6000 are highly dexterous and have collected specimens like rare squid and other marine life found only on the depths of the ocean floor.  The mechanical arms manipulate collecting nets and then move the nets into a bio box.  The bio boxes loaded on the KIEL 6000 store tiny marine samples and manipulating the mechanical arms to get the samples from the water to the net to the bio box requires an incredible amount of skill and training.  Even with that training, sometimes the samples themselves resist, as a 20cm lobster recently fled one of the 30cm deep bio boxes before the box closed!

The level of computer control needed to make the KIEL 6000 a viable remote vehicle is substantial.  The KIEL 6000 must be able to react quickly to unforeseen events.  The computer system aboard the KIEL 6000 is designed to react with near-instantaneous precision so the rare images of the ocean depths are not lost and so life forms previously undiscovered may be captured and catalogued by researchers.

Without the sophisticated computer support system that allows the KIEL 6000 to react quickly over 6000 meters below sea level, the KIEL 6000 would be just another remotely operated vehicle.  As it is, though, the KIEL 6000 remains the cutting edge tool for undersea exploration and our best chance at understanding a vast portion of our world.

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 digital video making and viewing community came together a little more, recently.  Apple lifted the ban on Adobe Flash Player appearing in iPhone or iPad, ending online compatibility issues.

Last year, Apple refused to work with Flash, the most popular additional program for creating and viewing multi-media websites. The media creation and viewing program’s use restricted costumers to certain devices. Adobe blocked access to Flash from Apple devices. Apple’s continually expanding mobile devices struggled to view images and videos supported by the additional program.

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A new smartphone will thrill game system customers. Sony Ericsson launched Xperia Play recently, which acts both as a smartphone and as a game playing device. Gamers only need one device to play and talk while away from home.

Xperia Play runs the latest in Android technology, Gingerbread, giving customers the best technology to play games on small devices. Games and other applications perform well using a 1 gigahertz processor and an extra game processor. Images in the games are easy to see, and the colors are bright. The games also respond to control commands better than on most phones.

The most interesting part of the phone is how it physically adapts to allow gaming. The bottom half of the phone slides out for playing games and looks like a PlayStation control. Direction pads, control buttons, and pads in place of thumb sticks let gamers play as if at home. This game controller bottom makes the device bulky compared to other smartphones, but gives gamers a good hold while playing. The need for few devices excuses the larger size, as does the user’s hands not blocking the game view.

Six games come packaged on the phone already. Game titles include PlayStation favorites like Sims, Madden NFL 11 and Crash Bandicoot. The Xperia play does not offer PlayStation games exclusively. Different producers offer 60 titles for the Xperia. Sony Ericsson plans to increase the number to 150 game titles by the end of the year.

The process of getting new games on the phone will take time and some effort. Each game on Xperia Play must configure to fit into the processors used on the phone, so games cannot be transferred from other portable devices. Sony Ericsson assures game developers that existing mobile games can add the necessary support programming for the control pad easily.

Xperia Play also remembers to function as a phone. The actual telephone feature on the Xperia Play is a touchscreen system which behaves like most other Android smartphones. Sony Ericsson offers seven hours worth of talk time, or five hours worth of play time, before the battery needs recharging. Familiar applications like Twitter or Facebook links are still available for gamers who want to share scores.

Verizon Wireless started selling Xperia Play the last week of May for $199.99. Customers who like PlayStation and similar games will enjoy using the Xperia to continue the fun while away from the home game system. Sony Ericsson has added great gaming ability onto the networking capacity of the smartphone.

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

Students know about the cost and weight of text books. Across campuses upperclassmen share tricks for avoiding college bookstore prices and bursting backpacks. A new iPad application has a simple and easy new solution for students.

Inkling has contracted with Apple to create an application for putting textbooks on the iPad. Focused on making college life a little easier and cheaper, the Inkling application publishes interactive versions of textbooks. The biggest features include music attachments, note taking and sharing capabilities, and social networking.

Inkling’s application does four crucial things for the college student:

·         Saves money –Hundreds of dollars get spent on textbooks every year. Instead of hunting through used book stores or posting requests to buy books off last semester’s students, textbooks can cost next to nothing without wasting time. Save even more money buying one chapter at a time and avoid paying for unnecessary chapters.

·         Relieves carrying load– Textbooks are usually huge, heavy items that some students have trouble carrying around. Any student can carry an iPad in one hand with nearly no effort. Personal notes from lectures or reading can be entered onto the page, decreasing the need for pens, notebooks, and Post- its. Students no longer need a heavy bag of supplies to be prepared for class.

·         Saves paper. – Inkling is attractive to environmentally concerned students. Many textbooks cannot be recycled, so reducing print production also saves a natural resource. The paperless approach also decreases chances of paper cuts.

·         Provides instant discussion groups– Linked with Facebook, students can share ideas and questions about the text without waiting for a specified time and place. The discussion lasts without class time restraints. Students and professors can enter notes into the application while reading, and even scan over notes from other readers for different ideas. Terms central to the chapter can be touched for definitions and better understanding.

Inklings created a design which also translates to the print world. Text appears clearly on the screen, including page numbers found on print copies of the same book. Students can follow professor’s directions to parts of the text, or reference the text in an essay.

Currently, the Inkling application includes 25 textbooks. Many more textbooks are in production, and Inkling has deals with textbook publishers like McGraw-Hill and Pearson to start creating more. Students still can enjoy some financial and physical relief with the titles currently available. 

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

Cool Product: Attractions Application for iPhone and GPS

Vacation is more exciting and much easier when travelers do not dread planning the trip. Now, a helpful guide in finding the best destinations can come along. Fun attractions across the country now appear on Apple iPhones and GPS. RoadsideAmerica.com, known for suggesting oddities and attractions, has connected with Apple and Garmin to offer travelers mobile information on 6,000 or more national attractions and oddities.

RoadsideAmerica.com for iPhone users can get 6,700 places by choosing one of six geographic regions for $2.99, or the entire United States for $5.99 a year. Application users can plan trips around personal interests by browsing through favorite categories like music, technology, atomic, big, or 70 others. Travelers interested in the newest attractions can find “research” locations that do not appear online yet. Users can be the first visitors to the newest attractions.

Travelers can submit tips about the best parts of each attraction for future application users through the iPhone. Users can share pictures of attraction visits to the application, too.

Other fun features for the new application include

·         Been There!– The feature lets travelers mark visited sites and keep track of every trip and location.

·         Call attractions– One touch to a phone number lets the user call the attraction ahead with questions or to make reservations.

·         Save directions– Travelers can save directions to attractions to use again if the wireless connection is lost. Even if the phone is not working, visitors can have fun.

·         Editor ratings– Travelers can see what other users think about each location, and get help deciding about visiting.

·         Current information – Users can continually get updated information about hours, prices, and new places to visit.

RoadsideAmerica.com for GPS offers access to 6,000 roadside locations across the United States. Travelers can access directions to locations, attraction hours, available phone numbers for locations, and pictures of the attractions.  

Like on the iPhone, travelers can arrange a personalized journey with the lists based on each person’s favorite things to go see. Lists of interesting locations include statues, natural wonders, museums and architecture.

Garmin GPS devices and some TomTom devices accept the application from RoadsideAmerica.com. Every roadside location in the United States can appear on a GPS device for $19.99. Once the application is added to the GPS device, users can find any oddity or attraction in the country.

Both RoadsideAmerica.com for iPhone and RoadsideAmerica.com for GPS let travelers find great places to visit. The applications let users take a road trip without having to plan ahead. Fun can be found anywhere and now no one has to stop to find it.

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

Cool Product: Wi-Fi Pocket Camera

Personal photography can be wireless without losing picture quality with the Samsung SH 100, a pocket camera that can act like social networking device. The product is designed to mix the best of digital camera features with smartphone abilities. Pictures can now look the best and be shared right away.

Wi-Fi features let users share pictures and videos with friends on Facebook and YouTube directly. Pictures can also be sent to Picasa and other websites, or pictures can be shared by e-mail from the camera. The camera can automatically find a compatible PC and download images, saving images easily. With the Wi-Fi features, users do not have to wait until a vacation is over to share the fun.

The camera has an LCD touch screen control that acts like a smartphone or touch screen computer. The different options on the home menu are arranged like a smartphone screen, making using it familiar, and the home button lets users return to the first screen anytime. Photographers can view, edit and share pictures with just a little tap.

Recognition sensors take pictures when someone smiles or block the picture when someone blinks. The sensors also adjust the light on nine faces at once, creating clearer and cleaner pictures. Blurriness from low light, zooming, or an unsteady hold disappears when the camera sensors change the image path before the picture is saved. The sensors provide bright pictures with everyone clear and looking happy every time.

Some fun features are included on the SH 100. For example, Smart Auto 2.0 which picks central aspects of the picture’s composition and selects the best view from 17 different modes like Portrait, Fireworks or Night. The Magic Frame feature provides a selection of templates to give photo a personal touch. Photographers can personalize pictures without waiting for a computer’s photo editing program.

Samsung’s SH 100 produces quality pictures or videos, and removes extra equipment from the editing, sharing and saving process. The blend of camera and networking device means that the fun can be shared with everyone, and no one has to go home early.

Acer, known for competitively priced and dependable laptops, is expanding into personal computer tablets, creating another option for buyers. The newest release since company president Jim Wong started the tablet and smartphone division is the Iconia Tab A500. The Iconia is already offering competition to the well-known Apple iPad.

Both iPad and Iconia have cameras on the front and the back of the tablet for creating videos and taking pictures which are stored on the tablet. Each tablet has a dual core processing chip for fast and clear movement through the applications. Either tablet can be designed so favorite applications appear on the user’s homepage. Both tablets are light and easy to carry around.

Apple’s iPad still has more applications included in the tablet and available at the online store than the Android. Each application is easily located and opened on the home screen, too. Honeycomb first requires users to search through applications and find the program to arrange the favorites.  Third party applications are not present on the Iconia tablet, such as access to Netflix or Hulu.com. Apple already offers a variety of applications to users.

The Iconia runs Honeycomb 3.0, an Android system from Google. Honeycomb presents as a more reliable version than the Froyo, or Android 2.2. The system is truly multi-media with the ability to connect with different devices like a TV, a personal computer, or a smartphone. Videos and pictures can transfer to the TV or home computer with the Iconia. Users only need an HDMI port, a microSD memory card or a USB port to connect the machines. The system works with Adobe Flash, making video viewing online easier. The Iconia also comes with a longer battery life than iPad.

Apple has controlled the tablet market since the release of the iPad. Competitors have struggled to keep up in applications, easy use and general attraction. Competitors like Playbook, Xoom and G-Slate fail in comparison to iPad in reliability, easy use or price. Acer prices the Iconia at a more competitive rate. The iPad’s latest version prices at $499, while the Iconia starts at $449.99.

Apple’s iPad is still the tablet with the most applications, and iPad is the easiest to use. IPad offers more colorful case options, too. But, Acer is releasing another tablet later this summer with more updates to the software. For those tablet users who do not want to buy Apple, Iconia offers at least one affordable solution.

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