Computer Support Blog

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

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

Over the weekend, Epsilon notified millions of customers that the company had experienced a break-in and email addresses were stolen.  One consequence is that now it’s open season for phishing!  Now, instead of using bait to “catch” personal information, a more direct line of attack against your private information exists. 

You can avoid having your sensitive material, including your email address, exposed in this or some similar way.  Josh Kaplan, President of RESCUECOM, strongly recommends that you take immediate action to set up a separate e-mail address for all online transactions – and ONLY use this address for online transactions.  You should be aware that it is not safe to give your personal e-mail address used by your friends and family to any company. 

Even “reputable” companies with whom you may have been doing business for years should not be given your personal email address.  Companies regularly outsource their e-mail communication.  For example, companies such as Marriott, JPMorgan Chase, Walgreens, Capital One, and others contracted with Epsilon to manage their email information and send out e-mail blasts to customers.  Rather than directly overseeing the security of this information base, a third party is involved, thereby increasing the chances of compromised data.

Unfortunately, for many people, such as those affected by the recent data breaches at Epsilon, this warning may come too late.  Be sure that you set up a separate email address for those online business transactions today.  Consider setting up a new personal address as well if your existing address has already been compromised.

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

Speculation and rumors are flying among techno enthusiasts about the much-anticipated, but highly speculative, release of an iPhone 5 from Apple.  A Chinese supplier of iPhone parts has reportedly leaked just enough information to spark the imagination of anyone following the developing news.

The speculation includes details about the design of Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone.  It has been said that the general look of the iPhone will be similar to the iPhone 4 except for two major differences – screen size and material.  Most sources seem to agree that the new iPhone will have a larger display screen, going with an edge-to-edge screen design.  A 4-inch display would compete well against Android device’s larger displays, yet no official source has pinpointed an exact screen size.

It has also been rumored that Apple will move away from the glass back, opting rather for something similar to the metal back of the first generation iPhone.  The glass back, reportedly, posed a problem for some iPhone 4 users due to scratching of the glass surface.  Reports from China sources have backed up the larger screen and metal back theories, so these design details seem to be likely.

Some less commonly held rumor speculations relate to the antenna for the new phone design.  The iPhone 4 reportedly had antenna problems, so whether the same wrap-around antenna design will be used or not is yet to be seen.

Certainly, the timing of the launch of the new iPhone product has been hotly debated.  Keeping in step with the rhythm Apple has established for its new iPhone releases, many have expected the new model to appear in late June or early July of this year.  Yet evidence is unclear whether or not this will happen.  Apple officially announced the annual Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) will be held June 6-10 in San Francisco.  While there is no official confirmation that the iPhone 5, if that indeed will be the title given by Apple to the new device, will surface at this conference, Apple is known for keeping product unveilings secretive.

We’re also keeping tabs on rumors that indicate Apple’s iPhone 5 will include a dual-core A5 processor as well as enhanced voice control and iOS5.  A multi-core design would improve both battery life and performance.

Other possible features to ponder: Will the new iPhone be offered in white?  Will the iPhone 5 feature Near Field Communication (NFC)?  Will users be able to “wave and pay”?  It looks like we all will just have to wait upon Apple and see.  What do you think?  Login with your thoughts by joining the discussion on our Facebook or Twitter site.  We’d love to talk to you about 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

What is reliability?

When it comes to manufacturing a reliable computer, it means more than just putting together something that works.  It’s about putting together a computer that holds up and functions well over the long haul.  It’s about providing computer service when that computer doesn’t hold up, and about ensuring that a customer gets the fixes they need to get up and running again. Read more »

Rescuecom Releases 5 Tips for Mobile Device Security

SYRACUSE, N.Y., August 9, 2010 – Mobile devices are extremely popular, but also extremely vulnerable.   Internet security is no longer just a concern at home or the office, and phone data recovery is more than a solution for users.  To help you understand the issues of Internet security and phone data recovery for your mobile devices, RESCUECOM offers these 5 tips.     Read more »

Before purchasing a new computer, most consumers do research on the specs of various products, looking to find the one that best suits their needs.  What’s often overlooked is the computer support and computer repair records of the companies behind the machines.  “Consumers need to know that those records may be more important than the computer’s specs,” says RESCUECOM CEO David Milman. Read more »

The results are in for RESCUECOM’s 2010 first quarter Computer Reliability Report, IBM/Lenovo claims the top spot, Apple drops to third!

RESCUECOM’s Computer Reliability Report starts out on a high note in 2010, with all five leading manufacturers putting up superior reliability scores to last year’s averages.  Apple, last year’s overall leader, improved its reliability score, but that still wasn’t good enough to maintain the top spot in the first quarter of 2010; instead Apple dropped to third place.  IBM/Lenovo decidedly took first place improving their score over 200 points from their average last year.  Not to be forgotten, Asus also posted significant gains and took second place.  Rounding out the top five were Toshiba and HP/Compaq, respectively.  As 2010 progresses it will be interesting to see which manufacturers can maintain their gains and which ones may fall due to increased need for computer repair. Read more »

Recently, it was revealed that Dell Computers had misled and possibly outright lied to customers who had purchased one of their computers and were in need of computer repair.  This is not the first time Dell has come under scrutiny for their computer repair and customer service practices.  In light of these recent revelations, RESCUECOM offers some information and clarification for those Dell Computer customers who may be in need of computer repair.

The Dell computers that were affected were OptiPlex desktop PCs sold between 2003 and 2005.  These Dell computers were primarily sold to business customers, usually in large quantities.  The computer repair problems that then cropped up would, therefore, put the customer’s business at risk. Read more »