Computer Support Blog

Not every technology company had a great 2011.  For sure, not every CEO can be a Steve Jobs, Gee-Sung Choi, or Steve Ballmer.  For every success in big business, there has to be a company that is losing its market share and usually the person blamed when that happens is the CEO.  2011 was just that kind of year for Stephen Elop.

Stephen Elop is the CEO and President of Nokia.  Just as in politics, where a current President might well be blamed for a problem they did not cause and are not able to solve fast enough, Stephen Elop assumed the mantle of leadership at Nokia when the company was rapidly losing its market dominance in the mobile phone market.  In fact, Elop acknowledged just how bad Nokia’s position in the global smartphone market was in a now-legendary “Burning Platform” memo.  But the Board of Directors of Nokia did not put Elop in charge to simply critique the company’s problems!  Instead, Nokia, which accounts for a sizable portion of Finland’s economy, chose Stephen Elop to save the company.

Stephen Elop came to Nokia fresh from leading Microsoft’s Business Division.  During his tenure at the head of the Business Division, Elop ushered the Microsoft Office 2010 product line to market.  Before working for Microsoft, Elop worked in business executive positions for software companies Macromedia and Juniper Networks.  That Elop was attracted to those companies makes a great deal of sense.  When Stephen Elop was studying at McMaster University, he helped to lay the Ethernet cable that created one of Canada’s first Internet networks!  He graduated from McMaster University in 1986.

With all of that experience behind him, Stephen Elop leaped at the chance to run Nokia.  Despite the criticism of Nokia in his “Burning Platform” memo, Elop has worked hard in his first year as Nokia’s CEO to stop Nokia’s downslide in the international smartphone market.  As one of his first concrete acts, Elop dumped Nokia’s longtime operating system, Symbian.  In his mandate for the company, Symbian was discontinued as the operating system for Nokia smartphones.  Elop quickly partnered Nokia with Microsoft to adopt the Windows Phone 7 as the new operating system.

While it is too early to tell if Elop’s gambit will pay off for Nokia, one thing is clear.  Nokia’s former CEO, Olli–Pekka Kallasvuo, acted paralyzed while Samsung and Apple clobbered Nokia in mobile phone production and Apple and Google (with their Android OS) eroded Nokia’s smartphone OS market share.  Stephen Elop is a man of action and he represents the best chance to save Nokia!

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

Virtually every portion of your computer can be customized.  You can easily change your wallpaper on your screen to make a statement about your interests or apply a skin to your laptop computer to protect it as well as show off your own sense of style.  The computer mouse is one of the more standardized computer components, though many independent artists have created audacious, unique computer mice that make the ordinary computer mouse into an extraordinary accessory.  Arguably the most incredible mass-produced computer mouse is the SONY VAIO Mouse Talk.

The VAIO Mouse Talk appears to be a regular optical mouse with scroll wheel.  The Mouse Talk connects to your PC, laptop or Apple computer through a standard USB port.  Once attached, the VAIO Mouse Talk – which is available in black or a stylish silver-blue color – functions like a standard laser-guided optical mouse.  What makes the VAIO Mouse Talk so special is that it opens up into a Skype phone!

With a standard clamshell phone design, the VAIO Mouse Talk seems instantly familiar when opened to reveal its phone function.  Skype, which is a Voice Over Internet Protocol program, allows users to effectively turn their internet connection into a phone line.  The VAIO Mouse Talk allows you to highlight and do computer work one moment and talk with a friend over your computer the next!  Anyone who has Skype may access it easily with the VAIO Mouse Talk, which eliminates the need for a Skype headset.  The VAIO Mouse Talk is a real asset on older computers that have fewer USB ports because it allows you to benefit both from a convenient optical mouse and a Skype phone through a single USB port.

In addition to the dual function of the VAIO Mouse Talk, SONY has created another product that is sleek and stylish with this mouse.  As a Skype phone, the VAIO Mouse Talk is comfortable in the hand and it is easy to use.  While open as a phone, the VAIO Mouse Talk’s scroll wheel becomes a volume control dial!  With the flick of a small button, the mouse controls are automatically switched to the phone controls, making this a very flexible to use device.

For most computer mice, you would have every reason to be alarmed if it suddenly began glowing blue in your hand.  With the VAIO Mouse Talk, the sudden blue glow means adventure is calling and you can take that call right away!

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 pitched the idea of sharing your smartphone with someone less fortunate in order to give them a holiday connection with a distant loved one.  With the holiday season behind us and the new year looming with all of its potential, we wanted to share an idea for lasting change.  A recent study found that over 100,000,000 homes in the United States are not connected to the Internet.  While politicians debate remedies and devise programs to change that, we have our own proposal.  Volunteer to help the underprivileged learn to use computers.

Why do people who live in poverty need computer access?  The Internet has enhanced the quality of life for billions of people the world over by providing reliable interpersonal connections, job opportunities and educational materials.  The poor and underprivileged have as great a need for the benefits of the Internet as any of us do.

Many communities have public Internet access, usually through your local library.  If your local library provides computers and Internet access, volunteering your time to help the less fortunate becomes very easy!  Librarians may be a great asset in finding individuals you might be able to help.

Showing another person how to use social networking tools over the Internet may give them a foothold to start their climb out of poverty.  Many poor people have friends and/or family outside their current location.  By taking the time to help a person establish an e-mail account and accounts with major social networking sites like Facebook and Google+, you may help an impoverished person become more visible to those who might be looking for them.  With an online presence, you may help another person find someone who may be able to help them.

The Internet is a wealth of educational materials as well.  Those who have basic educational deficiencies like illiteracy or the inability to do basic math are highly unlikely to approach a computer on their own.  You may make a profound difference in another person’s life by getting them online and hooking them up with Internet programs that help them develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills.  You do not need to be a teacher; online there are many teachers and programs looking to help others; they just need students!

Perhaps the greatest benefit of donating your time to helping the less fortunate get on the Internet is that you may help someone get back to work.  Many employers, especially for minimum wage or undesirable jobs require applicants to apply online.  Homeless and transient individuals seldom follow up when they are turned away from a prospective employer when that employer wants all applications to be digital.  By patiently guiding a less fortunate person through the online application process, you may well be able to help that person get a job.

By patiently guiding a less fortunate person through the process of becoming computer literate, you may provide them with a valuable skill that could change their life for the better!

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 advances in technology like the camera and video camera on the Apple iPhone 4S, it seems like smartphone manufacturers continue to forget about the basic purpose of the phone.  The telephone and mobile phone were devices used for person-to-person communication before they were data storage tools, music players or cameras.  Touch, an app for smartphones manufactured by the small Canadian company Enflick, seems to recall the origins of the smartphone and makes texting cool again, by providing more chat options and blending some of the most successful elements of social networking.

Touch, which went by the name Pingchat until recently, is an application for Apple iPhones (or any other iOS-driven device), Android powered smartphones and Blackberry products.  The Touch app is designed to make texting more flexible and to provide options for group communications over your smartphone.

The texting options Touch provides are a bit more sophisticated than standard text programs.  In addition to not having the strict character limits of traditional texting, the Chat function through Touch provides vastly faster back-and-forth messages between you and the person with whom you are chatting.  The interface has more in common with a chat program like Instant Messenger than it does a texting program, including being able to see when the person or people you are chatting with are typing.

The group aspect of Touch is another distinctive aspect of the app.  Touch allows you to chat or share photos with other individuals or select groups of your friends.  You may have a multi-person chat session with other Touch-enabled friends.  During such multi-person chats, you may share photos and videos through Touch with all of your friends.  As a result, Touch becomes a great way to get feedback from all of your friends at once.

As well, Touch allows you to send private messages to individuals or groups outside the Touch conversation.  While obscure social networks like Elftown have had systems where you could see when someone had read your message, a lot of the newer networks and apps leave you in the dark about what happens to your messages after you send them.  Touch goes back to letting you see just how your friends react to your messages, including having status updates noting your friend drafting a response to a message you sent!

By combining some of the best old ideas with some of the newest innovations in social networking, Touch reinvents texting and file sharing for smartphone users.  Touch makes intimate group texting cool and it is a welcome app for smartphone users . . . at least until we all have videophones!

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

Happy Holidays from Rescuecom!

Today, as you spend time with friends, family and loved ones, we urge you to consider the less fortunate.  If you are reading this, you have access to the Internet and one of the most extraordinary technological tools in the world.  Not everyone is so fortunate.  In fact, the poorest Americans live without computer access or even telephones.

You have the power to use your new technology to help out a person in need.  96% of the population of the United States has a mobile phone.  You may have even gotten a new mobile phone or smartphone for the holidays!  While a part of the 4% that does not have a mobile phone includes people who just do not want the technology, a growing portion of the population simply cannot afford a cellular phone.  If you have looked around for a pay phone lately, you know that those who relied upon that traditional phone technology to spread holiday wishes may have disappeared from your area.

That is where you can make a difference this holiday season.  Many poor people have family members in other parts of the country or the world.  You can help connect poor, phoneless, people in your community with their distant loved ones, even if only for a phone call.  Smartphones with Internet access truly do make the world a smaller place and access to social networks through those smartphones may make for some real holiday miracles, even if you are just helping two people connect.

If your community has a large transient, disenfranchised or poor population, odds are there is a place they congregate.  Today is a great day to go there; bring a friend or several friends and your smartphones.  Politely introduce yourself when you arrive and ask the people there if there is anyone you could help them contact.  With your smartphone, you may be able to look up friends, family members or loved ones for the poor people there.  With social networks, you may even be able to connect two poor people without phones through friends in distant areas taking the same initiative!

For the cost of a phone call and the time it takes to help an impoverished person find contact information for another person on the Internet, you can make a real holiday miracle happen.  You have a cool phone that you might well upgrade by this time next year; helping to connect two people, even for a few minutes, can give you a joy that will last much longer.

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

At the heart of most communication devices these days are batteries. Without realizing it, most products we use need some kind of battery to function. Smartphones, cameras, GPS devices, remote controls, laptops, music players, and computer tablets all need regular recharging. Naturally, the fact that the vast majority of our essential communication and entertainment devices can run on battery power rather than wired power source is an exciting thing. It’s also somewhat of an inconvenience, though.

With everything that needs to be regularly charged, it is easy to lose track of the varying battery lives among our electronics. How many times have you packed your camera for an event only to find the battery dead or close to dying when you need to use it? And if there’s one sound that everybody hates, it’s the annoying beep of your smartphone telling you to plug in the charger. Many people have car chargers for emergency uses or for charging on the go, but if you’re interested in a more reliable backup charging device, consider investing in a solar battery charger.

Solar power chargers are by no means a new invention. You might already be familiar with calculators that work on solar energy which use tiny solar chips to convert light energy into electrical energy. Solar battery chargers work using the same principle. Using sunlight, these chargers harvest solar power via a solar panel and charge a built-in battery. When you find yourself stranded or in need of an emergency charge, simply hook up your phone or camera to one of these solar chargers and off you go.

One particularly good model is the ultra-slim The XTG-SOL1500 Solar Portable Battery and Charger. The charger, which is just a little larger in size than an iPhone, has a solar panel that cover the majority of its upper side. The model includes a USB output that you can use to charge a variety of electronic devices like smartphones or cameras.

To charge the unit itself, simply place it in sunlight. Do so charges it up to 60%, according to its manufacturer. To get a fuller charge, connect it to a computer or power outlet. A USB cable is included for this kind of charging.

If you’re planning a camping or hiking trip, then this kind of device is a must-have. Forget about being lost in the woods or stuck in the desert; with this charger, all you need to keep your devices working is sunlight (assuming, of course, that your wireless network service provider covers the region you’re in).

Another cool feature of this solar charger is that it has its very own powerful LED light that’s great for reading on camping trips or in other situations where you find yourself needing some more light. Of course, the XTG-SOL1500 charger needn’t be limited to camping settings. Keep it in your bag as a sort of universal extra battery for all your other devices.

Whoever said solar power was too expensive was wrong. The charger sells for an affordable price online, and it’s definitely worth 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

The iPhone 4S has been the subject of a lot of writing in the blogosphere lately, especially pertaining to the phone’s failing batteries.  Because of all the press the iPhone 4S receives about the defects, sometimes it is hard to overlook all that this smartphone can do.  While there are already rumors abounding that the iPhone 5 is in various stages of development or production, the iPhone 4S has a lot to recommend it.  In fact, there are so many improvements in the iPhone 4S over the iPhone 3 that it is easy to see why the iPhone 4S is one of the hottest gifts for the 2011 Christmas season.  Because so little has changed with the physical appearance of the iPhone 4S, it may not be evident to casual observers just how much has changed with this upgrade to the iPhone.

The back of the iPhone 4S features a camera and here Apple went for professional quality.  Rather than develop a separate Apple digital camera, the iPhone 4S includes an f/2.4 designed to make Apple competitive in the digital camera market.  The 8-megapixel resolution certainly is an improvement over most smartphone cameras!  In addition to the basic camera function, the Apple iPhone 4S includes a video recording ability.  The Apple iPhone 4S features video stabilization and produces 1080p HD movies.  Apple intends for the movie function, like the camera function, to appeal to professionals.  As a result, the iPhone 4S shoots movies at 30 frames per second and is loaded with tools to capture colors with vivid reality.

Inside the iPhone 4S are 2 A5 processors.  Because the iPhone 4S is designed for its computing – from running apps to playing Cloud-based movies seamlessly to accessing other online storage programs – the powerful processing speed of the two A5 chips is a big leap forward for iPhone users.  The two A5 chips service the Retina display screen.  Apple is touting the new Retina display for having a pixel density so tight that the naked eye cannot distinguish individual pixels.

Finally, the Apple iPhone 4S features Siri.  Siri is a digital personal assistant who talks to the user and responds to voice-activated commands.  In addition to talking on your iPhone 4S, you can now talk to your iPhone 4S.  It is almost surprising that with Siri, Apple’s advertising campaign was not “You are never alone with your iPhone 4S!”

Undoubtedly, the Apple iPhone 4S is a neat smartphone and it will remain one of the best smartphones on the market . . . at least until the iPhone 5 comes out.

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

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

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