Computer Support Blog

The search for reliable, renewable, alternative energy sources is a pursuit of companies and individuals all around the world.  While the United States has been slow to adopt alternative energy sources that would wean the country from a dependency on fossil fuels, many other nations – especially the European countries – have been developing, utilizing, and marketing alternative energy products for businesses and consumers for years.  One of the leading companies presenting solar power options to the world is SMA Solar Technologies AG.  Recently, SMA Solar Technologies AG hired Emanuele Arpini. Read more »

One of the most vital and important industries within the tech sector is the energy industry.  As the world looks for alternative energy sources to end the dependence upon oil and companies try to win over conscientious consumers by reducing their carbon footprint, the solutions the energy industry comes up with are increasingly important.  Maxwell Technologies is one of the energy industry’s stalwarts, with an extensive portion of the company devoted to research and development.  Keeping that level of pure science funded and the company profitable is the work of Kevin S. Royal. Read more »

There are few phrases less applicable in the tech sector than “if a product is good, it will pretty much sell itself.”  If that were the case, the Microsoft Zune would have been phenomenally more successful and Apple would not even be considering a mini-iPad.  Instead, without great marketing, a good product can get buried by a competitor.  Conversely, with a crack marketing team, an unimpressive product can appear so vital to consumers that it will sell a million units.  So, in these times when energy efficiency is increasingly important and technology manufacturers scramble to build better batteries, a Vice President of Marketing for an alternative energy company might seem unnecessary.  Nothing could be further for the truth at Tremont Electric, though.  That is why Tremont Electric is thrilled to have Jill LeMieux.

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In the rapidly-changing world of consumer electronics, there is one undeniable fact: without power, your gadget is worthless.  It’s true.  No matter how fast your smartphone, tablet computer, e-reader, laptop computer or PC is, when it’s out of juice, it’s just an expensive decoration or fashion accessory!  While virtually every major company is in a race to create better batteries, one company is preoccupied with making a better charger.  That company is the Swedish company myFC.  The breakout product for myFC is the Powertrekk fuel cell charger.

The Powertrekk fuel cell charger represents a significant leap forward in recharging technology and myFC deserves a lot of credit for pioneering the technology.  Just as creating gold from another element is the alchemist’s dream, the holy grail for power supply generation is the ability to use water to generate electricity.  MyFC now offers a hydrogen cell charger that powers USB devices simply by adding water to the cell.  You may use the Powertrekk fuel cell charger to recharge electronic devices or power them.  The Powertrekk fuel cell charger can keep a smartphone like the iPhone powered for days, regardless of the weather.  That makes the Powertrekk fuel charger an asset to those who want to use renewable energy sources, but cannot depend upon the sun.

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Power.  Power is what every company wants, on one level or another, and it is the defining factor of success in the technology sector.  The computer that is the most powerful, as defined by speed, computing ability and consistency, is considered the very best one on the market.  But more and more, the computing ability of smartphones, laptop computers and consumer electronics at all levels are at the mercy of battery power.

Battery power, or the failures of it, nearly sunk the release of the Apple iPhone 4S.  Apple worked quickly to solve the battery problems in the new release and even revealed a battery problem with first-generation iPod Nanos to prevent future customer service problems.  Batteries store energy to keep electronic devices going and right now, it is one of the hottest industries in which to be.  Three of the most significant battery projects are:

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

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

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

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

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

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

As energy independence and the growth of renewable energy resources become more important than ever, there are very few established big businesses in the energy industry diversifying fast enough to satisfy investors and consumers.  As big energy companies struggle to keep dying paradigms for energy production and corporate management alive, a new generation of leaders is emerging.  Carlos Coe is one such emerging leader in the field of renewable energy.

Carlos Coe is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xtreme Power.  His training and work experience made him an ideal leader to trail blaze in the field of renewable energy.  After receiving his Bachelor’s in Engineering from the Citadel, Carlos Coe was accepted to Princeton University.  At that prestigious institution, Coe studied engineering at the Masters and Doctorate levels.  From the moment he received his Ph.D., Carlos Coe has worked on and managed projects for some of the biggest manufacturers in the United States.  He moved from BDM International (part of Ford Aerospace!) to the Whirlpool Corporation before running the refrigeration company Anthony International.  In 2004, Dr. Coe left Anthony International to found Xtreme Power, well before “renewable energy” was a popular buzzword!

In founding Xtreme Power, Carlos Coe took a stand against many giants in the energy industry.  Forming the company with a stated goal of innovating sustainable, renewable energy sources effectively left Coe thumbing his nose at the industry authorities.  Dr. Coe formed Xtreme Power primarily as a research and development company, which was an issue for many of the myopic energy companies.  The established competitors of Xtreme Power in the energy production industry frequently have (or had!) research and development departments. As a matter of corporate policy, many big energy companies would not pursue promising developments if the innovations required too much initial investment or upset those with whom they had a business relationship.  By forming his own company, Carlos Coe and Xtreme Power were not beholden to those old paradigms.

And what success Coe and Xtreme Power have been having already!  Just last year, Xtreme Power won a $43 million contract from Duke Energy for the Notrees Power Project near Kermit, Texas.  There they are experimenting with new batteries for storing electricity derived from wind power.  This important development could make wind power a vastly more reliable means of electricity generation than it has been.  In addition to residential and industrial power projects in Hawaii, New Mexico, and Colorado, Coe has scored big contracts with Ford Motors for power cell generation for consumer products, like automobiles!

Ironically, Xtreme Power’s innovations so far have greatly benefited several traditional energy providers by stabilizing energy output during peak demand times as well as during emergencies.  As the United States moves to more and more renewable energy sources for electricity generation, Carlos Coe and Xtreme Power are leading the way with their complete energy production systems!

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 recommended looking for an Energy Star compliant computer monitor when replacing your current monitor.  Now, we would like to highlight one of the best Energy Star compliant computer monitors.  The ACER H233H 23” Monitor is all the monitor you will need and it can save you money on electric bills when compared to older monitors as well as many of its contemporary 23” peers.

The ACER H233H 23” Monitor measures 21.7” by 16.1” with a depth of 6.8”, so it has a sizable, but narrow, footprint on your desk.  Fortunately, the wide, thin desktop monitor has a little heft to it; at 10.8 pounds, it remains stable on the desktop.  The ACER H233H 23” Monitor has a stylish black frame that looks very modern.

The ACER H233H is a widescreen 23” monitor that supports 16.7 million colors with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080.  At that resolution for that color depth, colors stay vibrant and distinct and the extremes – black and white – feature increased contrast for the optimal video experience.  Best of all, the ACER H233H 23” Monitor connects to HDMI and DVI-D sources as well as traditional VGA computer outputs.  With so many options, the ACER H233H 23” Monitor may replace your television as your monitor for your Playstation 3 or other HD gaming console.

The ACER H233H 23” Monitor includes all of the cables needed to connect the monitor to a PC, which is a rarity in today’s market.  The connectors included include the audio hook-up so the ACER H233H 23” Monitor may project your computer’s audio right from the built-in speakers.  The speakers on the ACER H233H 23” Monitor are 1.5 Watt stereo speakers which deliver a powerful wave of sound if you are sitting an average distance away.  The ACER H233H 23” Monitor may discourage you from leaning close with its booming sound system.

Power consumption is exceptionally important these days, especially with electricity prices constantly going up.  The ACER H233H 23” Monitor is Energy Star compliant and when in use, it draws an average of 38.6 Watts.  The 38.6 Watt rating is dramatically less than the 55 Watts the Asus VH236H, which is also a 23” widescreen monitor.

At an average online price of $220, the ACER H233H 23” Monitor is an affordable Energy Star compliant monitor that is made with the legendary ACER durability.  Especially for those replacing an older monitor, those who have not seen just how chic and powerful the new flat screen, widescreen monitors can be, the ACER H233H Monitor delivers more than the average user will need.

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

When you are in the market for a new computer monitor, you should consider one that is Energy Star compliant.

The Energy Star rating is a certification defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department Of Energy, not computer support services, computer repair shops or computer manufacturers.  As it becomes more chic to be environment-conscious, computer manufacturers are chasing the Energy Star rating, just as consumers look for the rating when purchasing a new monitor.

What does the Energy Star rating on computer displays actually mean, though?  At this point, most computer monitors are plug-and-play, so there is no additional computer support required to install or run an Energy Star compliant monitor.  In order to get the Energy Star certification, a display must only use one Watt while off and two Watts while in a sleep mode.  The power consumption guide for Energy Star certification varies with the size of the monitor display, but in order to get the certification, a monitor must use about 20% less power than the non-compliant monitors.

What many consumers are unaware of when they purchase an Energy Star compliant monitor is that some require the computer to be set to make use of the energy-saving benefits of the display.  You may avoid a call for computer support simply by checking that the display’s Energy Star benefits are activated.  With a properly configured monitor, the display will conform to Energy Star qualifications with no need for ongoing computer support or maintenance.

The need for computer repair or monitor repair is much less likely when consumers purchase and properly use an Energy Star certified monitor.  By running the display with the Energy Star configuration active, the monitor runs cooler and last longer, especially when the monitor is turned off.

In addition to lowering computer repair bills and avoiding computer support calls for monitor-related problems, using an Energy Star compliant monitor properly lowers the electric bill.  Consumers who use multiple computers with Energy Star compliant monitors will likely see a noticeable drop in electric bills, as 20% off one of the larger power draws adds up!

Shopping for monitors with the Energy Star certification benefits the environment, saves you money on monitor power usage, prevents embarrassing computer support calls and costly computer repair bills, making it a smart investment for all computer users.

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