Computer Support Blog

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

One of the fastest-growing jobs in the computer industry is designing and programming computer-generated special effects for movies.  CGI artists are absolutely essential computer support personnel who bring the vision a director has to life.  Sony Pictures Imageworks is a CGI company with a massive studio and data storage facility and they were responsible for the computer-generated special effects for Green Lantern.

Workers at Sony Pictures Imageworks blend the artistry of a painter with the computer programming acumen usually held by professional computer support workers.  This is not surprising; CGI artists are computer support personnel working with film to transform reality as the director captured it into something extraordinary and unreal for the final movie.  Most people remain unaware of the massive effort and the impressive data storage demands creating the final images in a movie require.

Take Green Lantern, for which five members of the Imageworks staff provided computer support through developing the elaborate designs for the fantastic locations in the movie.  Green Lantern featured over 1400 effects shots created by the Imageworks team.  The time and data storage demands on the project were extensive as so many shots required CGI.

Data storage is exceptionally important on a project like Green Lantern because of the sheer number of digitally-rendered locations, costumes, characters and devices.  Sony Pictures Imageworks needed a massive data storage capacity to turn a few two dimensional drawings of the planet OA into a fully-realized digital model.  The data storage demands of turning a digital city model into a rich, color-filled environment that looks good on a giant screen is more than most viewers understand.  While a digital download of the Green Lantern film might be 2 – 8 GB, depending on the resolution of the download, the digital construction of the images required terabytes of data storage space to develop.  As the CGI artists create additional layers – from the colorless wireframe model to the filled in model to the fully colored digital environment – more data storage space is required.

Green Lantern’s data storage and computer support needs were greater than for most superhero films because the costume Ryan Reynolds wore as Green Lantern was a digital construct as well.  Reynolds and the other actors playing members of the Green Lantern Corps wore plain bodysuits with reference dots, which Imageworks used to create digital models of the actors for the costumes.  The digital models move frame by frame with the actors as an overlay, which has to be precisely timed, colored and shaped to create the realism viewers demand.  Creating those models required serious data storage that only studios like Sony Pictures Imageworks actually have.

Moviegoers seldom think about the how much computer space special effects movies take to develop, though they certainly enjoy the results of CGI done right.  Because Sony Pictures Imageworks has incredible data storage capacity and a crack team of computer support personnel working with filmmakers on projects like Green Lantern, they are a vital part of keeping the magic in movies today.

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

With the spread of Cloud-based media, the ability to transfer movies, television and other files to small, portable devices has only increased.  Smartphones are essentially tiny movie theaters now!  While tablet computers and smartphones make watching movements convenient and easy, nothing takes the place of seeing movies on the big screen, as the director intended.  Fortunately, with the proliferation of larger flat screen high-definition televisions, watching movies in big, bold displays is also easier.  The problem, for most users, is how to bridge the portable device – that has the Cloud access – and the HDTV.  For Apple products, Wolverine has the answer with the iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module.

The Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module is a remarkably simple device that allows users to transfer their Cloud-based library to any high-definition television, monitor or projector.  The Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module features a male port designed to interface with the docking port on the iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone.  That 30-pin docking port on the Apple products is one of the unique ports that Apple created for their devices with touchscreens.  Wolverine’s iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module includes a male connector that slides easily into the female docking port on the Apple product.  Like Apple connectors that connect to the docking port, the Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module clicks to lock into the port to assure connectivity.

What the connector does, then, is translate the signal coming out of the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch or iPhone into an HDMI signal.  The 30-pin connector at one end of the Module is connected to a small converter box at the Module’s other end.  That box has a female HDMI port.  What the Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module does not have is the HDMI cable needed to connect the Module to a high-definition device.  In most cases, users of the Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module will not even need to purchase an HDMI cable to connect the Module to your HDMI device.  If you already have a Blu-Ray player, DVD player or gaming console connected to your HDTV through the HDMI port, you already have the HDMI cable.  By simply unplugging your HDMI-connected device at the player, you have access to the connector that is still connected to the HDTV.  Simply plug your Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module into the HDMI cable you unplugged from the existing player or gaming console and your Apple device may now stream directly to your high-definition television!

It is that easy.  The Wolverine iPad/iPod/iPhone HDMI Module allows you to combine the convenience of streaming, Cloud-based technology with the awesome power of a full-size high-definition television or digital projector.  Finally, convenience and awe made possible by one small connector!

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

Finding toys for people perpetually attached to their computers and smartphones used to be difficult.  Now, the market is flooded with various computer-programmed toys.  The coolest computer-driven toy for the 2011 holiday season is undoubtedly the Tankbot by Desk Pets.

The Tankbot is a small self-propelled robot designed for desktop play.  The futuristic looking robot features two treads for moving the robot across flat surfaces.  The Tankbots have a universal frame that looks like Desk Pets dropped a sports car on top of an all-terrain tank frame.  Desk Pets makes Tankbots in four different colors, with each color responding to a different frequency control.  You may play with multiple Tankbots without interference provided each Tankbot is a different color.

What makes the Tankbot so cool is that it has three different operating modes.  One mode allows the Tankbot to drive around without colliding into walls or other objects using its onboard sensor array.  The second mode allows the Tankbot to infuse personality with its movements.  In the second mode, the Tankbot does not simply drive in a straight line until it encounters an obstacle.  Instead, the Tankbot may meander, make sudden turns or otherwise drive as if it has a mind of its own.

The real selling point for those who love computers and gadgets, though, comes from use of the third mode.  In the third mode, the Tankbot responds to remote control signals.  What separates the Tankbot from simple remote control vehicles is the fact that your iPhone, iPod, iPad or Android smartphone may be transformed into a remote control!  You may download an app for one of the eleven supported devices and use your smartphone or other device as a remote.  Even more impressive is that the application allows you to program a course for the Tankbot to follow.  Using your smartphone or Apple product, you may set your Tankbot on a series of commands that takes the little vehicle up to fifteen minutes to complete!  The programmable nature of the Tankbot makes the toy an ideal one for inquisitive young people or bored computer fans.

The Tankbot recharges through a USB charger on the robot.  Simply plug the male USB lead into your computer’s female USB port and the Tankbot will recharge.  The Tankbot takes forty minutes to recharge and at full charge, it will run for fifteen minutes.  There are a lot of USB-driven devices on the market this year; the Tankbot is one of the coolest.

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 much as we all love getting gifts, deciding on what to get for others—well that’s a different story. If you find yourself scrambling for gift ideas, take a look at the Fitbit Ultra, the tiny device that tracks your movements and nutritional activity value during the day to help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

The Fitbit Ultra is small, slip-on device, not unlike a Bluetooth headset in appearance, that weighs less than 8 ounces and is as wide as a quarter. The device resembles a USB flash drive. In some ways, the Fitbit is a pedometer with a whole lot of computer support. When you wear it, the device keeps track of the number of steps you take, floors climbed, distance travelled, and calorie activity. Fitbit’s website states that the Tracker is roughly 95-97% accurate, having been tested on hundreds of body types.

Step counting is becoming an increasingly popular way of monitoring one’s daily movements in the hopes of leading a healthier lifestyle. Many people believe that by merely adjusting their daily routines to include small increases in activity, they can benefit in the long haul. One way Fitbit works is by reminding its user to make healthy decisions like walking instead of driving, when possible, or taking the stairs. By seeing your activity rendered into a numeric value on the Fitbit’s screen, you become more conscious of your health lifestyle and, hopefully, seek to improve it.

Another cool feature of the device is sleep monitoring. You might be wondering why this is even necessary in the first place, since we don’t really count our tossings and turnings as a good way to burn calories! In reality, though, getting a good night’s sleep is an essential component to a healthy lifestyle. Fitbit monitors the times you wake up or shift during your sleep, allowing you to better understand what affects your sleeping habits.

Fitbit can be worn or carried anywhere, but its makers suggest that it be worn somewhere on the torso. At night, you can attach the Fitbit to a special wrist strap that’s included.

Not only does Fitbit display data about your movements on its screen, but it also automatically syncs your data with Fitbit.com using the wireless base that comes with it. You don’t have to do anything manually, as the tracker syncs your data every 15 minutes when you’re within range of the base station. Online, you can monitor your data and view the analyzed results, log what you eat, and compare your progress to that of your friends.

Battery operated, the device needs charging once every four days. Fitbit Ultra sells for just under $100, and has highly positive reviews on Amazon, though a few customers aren’t too thrilled with it. Still, given the majority of responses, it looks like Fitbit is the perfect device for complementing weight loss or encouraging healthier lifestyles.

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

It might seem obvious, but computers perform essential functions aboard the International Space Station and it is no surprise that computer support and computer repair are essential functions of the astronauts and cosmonauts who travel to the station.

The computer system aboard the International Space Station is a blend of technologies from several different countries, mostly the United States and Russia.  Since a computer worm infected the International Space Station in 2008, data on the operating system for the International Space Station has been classified.  Most computer support experts believe that, like the space shuttle, the operating system for the International Space Station is unique, custom written for the space station.

What is not a mystery is that the computers aboard the International Space Station have required quite a bit of computer support from personnel on Earth and computer repair from the astronauts and cosmonauts visiting and living on the station.  The International Space Station was assembled from at least sixteen modules from at least six countries over the course of a decade.  As a result, the International Space Station received computer support with every mission to connect the conflicting systems.  Networking the computers has been one of the top priorities each time a mission brought a new computer system to the space station.

With the computer network growing with each mission, astronauts and cosmonauts have brought laptop computers with them on the latest missions to provide computer support.  The astronauts and cosmonauts use the laptops to upgrade the outdated aspects of the station’s network.  Each new mission to the space station involves computer repair and adjustment.  Because the laptops are more modern, they often provide computer support to the newer modules and experiments brought up to the station.

For example, experiments like taking images of the oceans require computer support from the upgraded systems.  On August 12, 2011, the Naval Research Laboratory utilized an experimental payload designed to take images of oceanic topography to create a truer map of the Earth below the oceans.  The computer support system was integral to acquiring and processing the images from the advanced sensor array.  The sensor from the experiment could map the bottom of the ocean.  Because of the power of the sensor, computers are aiding in the exploration of the planet.  In a way, computers are protecting human life from environmental conditions where manned exploration is too hazardous.

While details on the exact programming of the computers aboard the International Space Station remains closely guarded, one thing is clear: like terrestrial computers, the computers aboard the International Space Station require frequent computer repairs and computer support from trained professionals.

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 Maps has expanded from just an online map system to an indispensible navigating system. In fact, newer Android phones come with their unique Google based GPS. Other uses, as you probably know, include getting directions, measuring distances, viewing satellite images, and, every once in a while, making a beautiful and creative short film like “Address is Approximate.” Still, if you’ve been a regular Google Maps user since the service’s inception, then you’re probably familiar with the occasional inaccuracies or glaring omissions that occur in some maps. Such problems used to be much more frequent in the early days of Google Maps, and are slowly becoming fewer as Google enhances the software. The cartographic data has been steadily improving since Google launched Google Map Maker in 2008.

Google Map Maker relies on a volunteer community to add features such as new locations, more venue details, and new or changed streets to its maps. This is especially helpful for Google because mapping information is not readily available everywhere. Map Maker is free, fairly simple to use, and open to the public.

Of course, though this may seem like an overtly philanthropic, egalitarian and democratizing act on Google’s part, by allowing the people who are most familiar with their own areas to contribute cartographic data, Google is saving itself a lot of time and resources. Instead of dedicating funds and advanced tech support to populate and repopulate maps with ever-changing local data ad infinitum, Google has chosen to let users do it themselves!

In many ways, this feature is almost like the Wikipedia side of Google, a side where everyone can contribute. One major difference between the two, though, is that Google is slightly stricter about its guidelines for editing. When users (called editors in the Map Maker sphere) make edits or suggestions, those changes need the approval of other members in the community. The more your edits get approved, the more merit you gain in the editing sphere, and the better your reputation, the easier it becomes for you to make changes. As you advance in the meritocracy of Google Map Maker, your edits will start to go live automatically.

The interface itself is very simple. You can tag buildings, create their outlines, and add roads. Ideally, you would do this based off the satellite image of the area you wish to edit. Next, you input some data about your newly added locale, and once you pass the approval process, you can celebrate your latest position as a Google cartographer.

If you are mainly interested in updating their own neighborhoods or specific areas, Google Map Maker allows you to subscribe to certain areas and monitor any edits that occur there. Overall, Google Map Maker is a great way to contribute your knowledge and have some fun on a rainy day. Be careful, though, it’s easy to spend endless hours editing once you’re hooked.

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

Yet again, big names in the technology world are getting heat for wandering into the still grey area of online privacy. As most of our communication rapidly shifts into the cyber medium, and as we continue abandoning communication methods that can’t keep up with the powerful, interconnected nature of smartphones, tablets, and computers, we might as well get used to constantly hearing about privacy and Internet security issues.

In a milestone step in the debate over data collection and transparency, Facebook recently reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission about how Facebook now has to clearly ask users to opt-in to its new programs, as opposed to changing privacy settings without anyone knowing. The move doesn’t affect the social network giant’s past actions, but it does threaten to fine the company $16,000 a day for future violations. Well, that’s a relief, at least partly. It’s good to know that someone in the government is looking out for us. Similarly, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner’s office is currently subjecting the company’s international headquarters in Ireland to an audit based on user concerns over the amount of information that the company stores on users. Once, again, good on you, Irish authorities.

Android developer Trevor Eckhart recently exposed an equally serious threat to user privacy. The threat comes in the form of a built-in app called CarrierIQ that runs on most Android, BlackBerry and Nokia devices. The app records immense amounts of data on smartphone users such as keystrokes and locations without asking permission first. The supposed aim of the app is to provide carriers and developers with data to better manufacture their products, according to The Atlantic Wire.

After an intense back-and-forth between Eckhart and the app’s developer in which the latter denied Eckhart’s claim and ordered him to cease-and-desist from discussing the app in the blogosphere, Eckhart finally showed in detail how the company was violating users’ privacy. So now we are faced with a new problem; not only are companies spying on people under the guise of product development, but they’re also denying it. This adds a whole new level of eeriness to the increasingly powerful technological big brother.

In many ways, the invasion of our Internet and technological privacy is necessary for the continued development of technology based on user trends and the likes. Atlantic Wire’s article presents a very interesting dilemma that we now face. The question, then, becomes, where do we draw the line? Do we stop now and slow down technological advancement, or should we let Facebook, Google, apps likes Carrier IQ, among many others to read us like open books, all in the name of progress? You see, there’s no easy answer.

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

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