Computer Support Blog

Geek culture overlaps itself.  The relationship between computer geeks, comic book geeks and gaming geeks has become so intertwined in the last few years as to make it almost impossible to distinguish between the subspecies of geek.    This year for Christmas, why not celebrate your inner geek with a Computer Sitter?

Computer Sitters are the latest PVC accessory from Funko.  Funko, the U.S. company that popularized the bobblehead toy, created the Computer Sitters line off the Japanese distorted figure concept.  That concept promotes the recognizable aspects of the character as opposed to making a true representation of the original subject.  Thus, characters like Wonder Woman in the Computer Sitters line have disproportionately large heads and bodies that get progressively smaller.

The first line of Computer Sitters, available now, includes Wonder Woman, Batman, Spider-Man, Yoda, Darth Vader and, of course, Boba Fett.  Unlike action figures that might sit on your desk and take up space, the principle behind the Computer Sitters is that they attach to the top of your computer monitor or the edge of your tower computer.  Once you have found the perfect place for your Computer Sitter, you may attach the Computer Sitter to the top of your monitor through the use of the sticky pad that comes with it.  The adhesive connects the Computer Sitter to your monitor. Most of the Computer Sitters have additional molded features that hang over the edge of the monitor’s frame.  So, for example, Funko molded Yoda’s feet and robes to hang off the edge of the monitor frame, which provides him with additional stability on your monitor.

Each Computer Sitter is approximately 3” tall, so they make a noticeable statement.  Computer Sitters are good for alleviating boredom as well as displaying your interest in popular genre works.  Each Computer Sitter features a bobble head so the wobbling head may distract or amuse you while you type.

So, why not surprise the geek who helps you with minor computer repairs?  Why not brighten up your office with a Computer Sitter of your favorite DC Comics, Marvel Comics or Star Wars character?  Why not embrace your own inner geek with the growing fad that Funko is pioneering with their Computer Sitters?

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

Outside Kermit, Texas, there is an experiment in industrial batteries going on now that has the potential to change the computer world.  In fact, if the experiment is successful, it may well reduce the need for a major, common type of computer repair, as well as eliminate many consumers’ fears of failure to their data storage devices.  The Notrees Power Project is testing a new 36-megawatt battery and that should have computer users and manufacturers paying attention.

One of the most common forms of damage to computers comes from power surges.  Inadequate surge protection can lead to expensive computer repair bills.  Because power surges can damage hard drives, sometimes even a computer repair cannot recover data you were storing on the drive.  The threat of power surges has led many businesses and personal computer users to invest in online data storage or redundant data storage off-site.  However, if the off-site data storage and primary computer connect to the same power source, your data remains at risk.  There is little that is more frustrating than costly computer repair bills and the wasted investment in multiple data storage methods when you irrevocably lose your data from an extreme power surge.

Until the Notrees Windpower Project began to experiment with the massive 36-megawatt battery, wind power was notoriously unreliable for generating electricity and led to data storage problems from faulty power delivery.  Power surges and the erratic power supply that frequently comes from the generation of electricity using wind power has acted as a threat to computer users since U.S. power companies began to generate wind power.  The success of the battery would mean that whenever the wind was not generating enough electricity at the Notrees Windpower Project, the battery would discharge its stored electricity to keep the power supply constant.  That consistent energy delivery would eliminate many computer problems for computer users who receive electricity through wind power generation.

While surge protectors have prevented many computer problems and data storage errors, no type of power delivery reliably prevents the need for a computer repair like a clean power supply.  Until the Notrees Windpower Project battery experiment, wind power has not been able to deliver a clean, constant power supply, though the local nature of wind power generation has lessened many of the transmission difficulties other means of generating electricity still suffer.  A constant power supply that does not fluctuate, surge or collapse prevents damage that mandates a computer repair.  Only stable energy can alleviate power-based fears relative to data storage devices and that is the potential of the 36-megawatt battery.

For sure, the technology being developed at the Notrees Windpower Project is still experimental and may not protect the power supply from other environmental factors like solar flares. The promise of clean wind energy is enough to give hope to those who have had data storage failures as a result of power fall-outs.  If the Notrees battery is successful, it may encourage the generation of more wind farms to help consumers get more reliable, affordable, renewable electricity that will not harm their computers.

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 best engineers will tell you that if a device is designed properly, it will be intuitive to use.  That means if when a manufacturer makes a gadget in the most efficient way possible, how to operate it will be self-evident.  TASCAM seems to realize that with their new iM2 Stereo Microphone.

For audiophiles, though, the TASCAM iM2 Stereo Microphone is not only intuitive to use, its purpose it obvious.  The TASCAM iM2 Stereo Microphone is the ideal tool for creating high-quality recordings of live music presentations using your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.  Without actually endorsing bootlegging, TASCAM creates the ideal equipment for recording stereo performances with your Apple mobile device.

Why else would TASCAM devote so much attention to quality and flexibility?  The three inch wide stereo microphone array plugs directly into the docking port on your Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.  From there, you may rotate the microphones up to 180 degrees, which gives you an impressive range for recording sounds with real auditory depth.  The TASCAM iM2 accommodates sounds up to 125 decibels without distortion, so your recording is true and vibrant.

While the hardware of the TASCAM iM2 Stereo Microphone is impressive, the software support it comes with truly sells the product.  The TASCAM iM2 Stereo Microphone includes an app for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.  The app provides you with graphic representations of the audio levels as you are recording them.  The indicators allow you to make adjustments to the iM2 Stereo Microphone to achieve the optimal location and sound levels for recording, without losing any of the material you wish to record.  Because you have access to second-by-second indicators of volume, channel and recording length, you may make adjustments to preserve the material in ways that you could not before.  In fact, in the hands of a skilled audio recorder, the iM2 may make a recording that fixes the problems often experienced by lousy sound engineers!

For recording interviews, conversations or mundane dialogue, users do not need a stereo microphone.  Those who love the depth of sound that comes from a stereo music performance, those who want to be able to listen to that performance with its entire nuance, need sophisticated equipment.  The TASCAM iM2 Stereo Microphone is exactly the right equipment for those recording music they want to play back with the proper stereo sound as the artists intended.

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

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

The Nielsen Company, the company whose ratings determine which television shows will continue being produced, gathers a wide range of data outside the entertainment industry.  One of the growing markets where Nielsen statistics have become increasingly more relevant is the technology sector.  Nielsen ratings for electronics, computer services and consumer trends in the technology sector help steer the technology markets.  Just as television studios change the course of their programming based on the trends Nielsen television ratings indicate, manufacturers of consumer electronics put a lot of stock in Nielsen ratings for determining their corporate direction.

The Nielsen Company has released its 2011 Third Quarter analysis of operating systems for smartphones.  As consumer spending rises in anticipation of the Christmas holiday, this information may be particularly valuable to shoppers.

The statistics collected by the Nielsen Company indicate that the third quarter was very good for smartphones running the Android Operating System.  Android-driven smartphones account for 42.8% of the smartphone market share.  The next most popular, by sales, operating system was Apple’s iPhone Operating System at 28.3% of the market share.  The only other substantial (over 10% market share) smartphone OS was RIM Blackberry’s Operating System with 17.8% of the market share for the third quarter.  Four different operating systems split the bottom 11.2% of the smartphone operating system market!

What does this mean for consumers?  Consumers spending money on smartphones for the Christmas 2011 holiday may want to consider an option other than a phone driven by Windows Mobile, Palm/HP Web OS, Symbian OS or Windows Phone 7 OS.  Those four operating systems may not have anything wrong with their functionality, design or support mechanisms.  Because they occupy the bottom of the market share, though, those manufacturers are most likely to re-evaluate their operating systems.  Smartphone consumers want stability and products that work. If the manufacturers decide to scrap their OS to reprioritize their focus on areas in which they may be more successful, consumers must change their OS.  Failure to change an operating system on your smartphone may leave you with a smartphone that cannot access the network where you have a smartphone plan.

Conversely, Android, Apple and RIM have a lot to be grateful for going into the fourth quarter.  Their platforms dominate the smartphone industry and Android especially has every reason to feel secure.  With over 42% of the smartphone market using Android-based smartphones, consumers have added incentive to purchase smartphones that run on the Android OS.  By dominating so much of the smartphone market, Android implicitly promises the stability consumers demand.

Smartphone technology changes almost every quarter, so selecting a phone with a stable and successful operating system ensures your smartphone will continue to change with the times.  Keep that in mind when buying this season!

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 modern history continues to head in the direction Firefly predicted, we should all start learning Chinese.  Fortunately, there are some very cool programs that help teach Chinese and other programs that provide computer support to reinforce what you learn!  There are almost as many different ways to learn Mandarin Chinese on the computer as there are teaching styles.  Some of the best software for learning Mandarin Chinese follows:

Active Chinese may well be the most comprehensive computer-based tool for learning Mandarin Chinese.  With clear delineations for different education levels from Kindergarten through fourth-year college levels, Active Chinese takes a multimedia approach to teaching Mandarin Chinese.  Through pictures, movies and audio clips, Active Chinese provides a comprehensive approach to learning different levels of Mandarin and provides the tools to reinforce and test the lessons.

Learning styles differ and CCHAR Chinese Character Software is for those who learn best through writing and reading, as opposed to hearing and speaking.  CCHAR’s program teaches users the finer points of Chinese calligraphy and how to recognize the characters in written Mandarin.

Most people who want to learn Mandarin want to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese.  The L-CEPS Free Chinese Lessons software online has a very direct word with phonetic translation interface that teaches users key phrases.  While this might teach users a very limited set of Mandarin Chinese lines, it does reinforce them well and provides a very clear progression of lessons to make the process fun.

For those on the go, there is the HNHSoft English-Chinese Talking Dictionary for smartphones.  Less of a learning tool and more of a support mechanism, this dictionary may be installed into your smartphone including the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.  This dictionary offers fast translations of English words into Chinese and features an interface that clearly illustrates how to pronounce each word.  Even if you learn Chinese with one of the other programs, the HNHSoft app can be a real lifesaver for travelers to fall back on.

Regardless of what the future holds, anyone who wants to learn Chinese will find the software to learn Mandarin Chinese less expensive and less intimidating than private lessons or classes.  With computers, smartphones and these programs, learning Mandarin Chinese can be cool and fun!

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

Google has finally released its latest application, Google Music. The search engine giant officially made the latest Google service available Wednesday. Google Music is a simple concept with big ambitions, namely, to emerge in the online music world as a viable iTunes competitor. The service combines an online locker service with a music marketplace.

Google has gotten three of the big four music labels to sign on, as well as Merlin, a collection of larger independent labels, according to the L.A. Times. The only major music label that hasn’t yet signed on is Warner.

Though in general, the blogosphere received GMusic in a cool—maybe even hostile—way, there were still plenty of blogs and websites who found lots worth admiring in GMusic. Many people have automatically dismissed GMusic as an iTunes alternative that will fail, but we know from recent history (Kindle Fire, Android phones) that not all Apple alternatives fail. Indeed, there’s plenty of room for multiple service providers in the tech world, which is a good thing for innovation, competition and prices.

Rather than merely looking at GMusic and seeing how it fails against iTunes, we need to consider how viable its potential for growth is. Surely, we can’t expect it to take down iTunes a mere few days after its launch.

Google Music offers two main services, as well as a variety of smaller features here and there. The first is a cloud storage system for music. Google’s service allows users to store up to 20,000 songs for free. On the other hand, Apple’s iTunes cloud charges users $25 a year for a very similar service. With the cloud storage, of course, comes the ability to stream content from one’s cloud library to any device that has the free Google Music app, which is currently available for Android, or just access the service using a regular web browser. Compared to iTunes, this is really a breakthrough—no limit on number of devices that can link to the cloud (ten for iTunes users) and no need to have iTunes installed on each of them.

GMusic comes with an easy-to-use music manager that users can download for free from the online service. Once downloaded the music manager lets users upload their music to the cloud, where they can organize it. Some users complain that the uploading process takes too long, but given the fact that the service is free and that the uploading is a onetime thing, that shouldn’t really matter.

The other big service is GMusic’s marketplace. With big names like Universal and EMI, Google is offering users over 13 million songs, some of which are free.

So, even though at first, the service doesn’t seem all that amazing, a closer look reveals that it’s actually very appealing. It’s free music backup, free cloud access and storage, and occasionally free music. The interface is simple and attractive; the available collection is on the rise. What’s not to like?

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

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks to the unsung hero in the marketplace: the Alpha Consumer.  An Alpha Consumer is “the first to know, the first to try, the first to buy.”  Alpha Consumers deserve praise because they act as the real market testers of all new products.

As the first to buy new computer products, Alpha Consumers are the first to encounter issues that require professional computer support responses.  Alpha Consumers have the money to buy the latest laptop, operating system or gadget and time to interact with computer support agents when problems arise.  Because the Alpha Consumer is highly computer savvy, they tend to be the first to encounter Internet security issues.  Through their interactions with computer support personnel, Alpha Consumers uncover and report Internet security threats both through software and identity theft issues.

The usefulness of Alpha Consumers is not limited to alerting computer support technicians of real-world problems with systems or Internet security issues the programmers did not consider.  Alpha Consumers create the demand for products that drives down the price, like the Playstation 3 game console.  One reason the price dropped on the Playstation 3 is that Alpha Consumers satisfied initial demand by buying up the original offering at the higher price.  As well as enduring the Internet security vulnerabilities found on the Playstation 3, the Alpha Consumers alerted the computer support staff at Sony of those issues.  Those who purchase the new models do not suffer the same risks as a result.  Alpha Consumers have the income and inclination to upgrade frequently, exposing Internet Security issues and concerns requiring computer support in the new units.

The value of the Alpha Consumer is evident in more than just areas that require computer support.  The initial price of all consumer electronics is higher and geared toward Alpha Consumers to basically fund the production of future units. The higher initial price also pays for the technical support personnel who fix Internet security issues or design threats found by Alpha Consumers.  Alpha Consumers supported the Blu-Ray player by purchasing the initial units at around $800! Now Blu-Ray player prices average at $175, while Alpha Consumers upgrade to 3-D Blu-Ray.

Critics argue that the Alpha Consumer would not be as important if producers simply tested their products more.  They argue that the need for computer support would be less if product testing met the demands of research and development, rather than appeasing stockholders by rushing product releases.  How many threats to Internet security would delaying products have prevented?

We will never know; the rise of the Alpha Consumer is the domination of a “buy now, fix later” mindset.  Consumers who benefit from the investment and tenacity of the Alpha Consumer, the Alpha Consumer’s endurance in the face of Internet security issues and flaws that require computer support to fix, owe the Alpha Consumer their thanks.

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

Anyone who went to the movies over the summer or watches their television for more than half an hour on network television knows that the Muppets are returning to the big screen with The Muppets.  While the dozens of trailers and parody posters might be exciting the online communities, no one is bringing the Muppets into real life quite like Performance Design Products.

To help promote The Muppets and show off the stylish nature of the Muppets, Performance Design Products has released more than a dozen Muppet-related products.  Performance Design Products is not without a sense of humor about how they merchandise the Muppets, either: to protect the Apple iPad, Performance Design Products has released a case and sleeve that features the chaotic Animal.  Animal is one of the most popular characters from the Muppets and the bright rendition of the character on the neoprene sleeve is enough to make users go wild with their iPad.  For more sedate Apple iPad users, there is an equally durable Kermit the Frog sleeve and clip case for protection against mundane wear.

Performance Design Products makes it easy to be green with the Kermit The Frog iPod Nano slap band.  The Performance Design Products Kermit The Frog slap band perfectly complements the latest iPod Nano.  The current generation of iPod Nano features a clock face function and Kermit The Frog is preloaded!  Great for children or just those with an unabashed love of the singing green frog, the Kermit The Frog slap band securely accessorizes the iPod Nano.

Performance Design Products’ products from the Muppets are geared exclusively to Apple products, with the bulk of their merchandising being directed at protecting iPod Touch 4 and Apple iPhone 4 and iPhone 3 mobile phones.  Performance Design Products protects iPod Touch 4 with one of six clip cases with matching screen protector.  Fans may choose between Animal in color or black and white, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Kermit or Beaker, the cantankerous lab assistant.  Beaker clip cases are also available for the iPhone 3 and iPhone 4, while the black and white Animal clip case is only available for the iPhone 3.  Naturally, the diva Miss Piggy has a clip case for the iPhone 4 exclusively.

All of the Performance Design Products protectors are functional as well as stylish and with the durable materials they use, it is hard to imagine one’s Apple product showing any wear when protected by their sleeves and cases.  Certainly, the time is right: regardless of how The Muppets performs in theaters, the Muppets have influenced the generation that uses the latest Apple products.  The new protectors from Performance Design Products ensure that the Muppets will be around to influence the next generation!

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