Computer Support Blog

As the worldwide economic instability continues and nations look to protect jobs for their own citizens, Americans who buy with the motto “Buy Made In The U.S.A. Only” are facing an impossible task when it comes to computers.  While there are thousands of United States-based businesses for computer support and computer repair, finding a computer with all of the components made in the U.S.A. is virtually impossible.  Long before the technology sector began to outsource computer support and computer repair jobs, U.S. computer companies exported jobs in computer manufacturing to countries with more lax environmental, safety and worker’s rights standards.

Unfortunately for “Made In The U.S.A.” purists, the Christmas 2011 season has no computer offerings that are entirely the result of United States manufacturing.  For sure, there are a number of computer support and computer repair organizations in the United States, like Rescuecom, touting  a workforce as 100% U.S. Based.  However, even the computer support companies that assemble new computers make their computers using components made outside of the United States.  It is a similar thing for computer repair companies; it is possible to get a real, live American to answer your call, but if hardware is required to fix your computer, there is no way to guarantee every part will be from a U.S. manufacturer.

Is computer support from the United States the most consumers should expect?  Realistically, yes.  While phone-based computer support may solve many problems, physical computer repair is sometimes necessary.  Physical computer repair for hardware issues will always be less expensive the more local it is; the odds of outsourcing computer repair jobs to other counties and forcing users to mail their systems to another country is ridiculously low.  But computer support positions seem to be one of the last bastions of quality American service whereby consumers may contact a highly-trained, highly-educated and comparatively local professional to receive aid.

What would it cost to make a computer entirely manufactured with parts made in the U.S.A.?  There is no hard data on that, largely because U.S. businesses do not synthesize most of the components needed to manufacture a computer and they have not for years.  But with the lingering computer manufacturing jobs in the United States having an average hourly wage of $21.03 (in 2008), conservative estimates would put the manufacture of an all-U.S. computer over the $1000 range for even the most basic models.

While consumers seem willing to protect their investment through customer support services and computer repair companies that require serious financial commitments, the American consumer seems unwilling to spend as much on the initial expense of a computer.  Who can blame consumers for not wanting to spend more on computers created with a model of planned obsolescence?  The best consumers can do is understand that the global economy is now very interconnected and that the best investment in America might well be supporting U.S.-based computer support and computer repair companies like Rescuecom.

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

Days ago, an expedition from the International Union for Conservation of Nature began in the Indian Ocean.  While the human explorers have the drive and interest to spend the months on the ocean that this mission demands, it is the KIEL 6000 ROV that will be doing most of the work.  Made by Schilling Robotics, the KIEL 6000 is a Remotely Operated Vehicle designed for use in depths down to 6000 meters below sea level.

With its 6000 meter depth rating, the KIEL 6000 may explore depths where the water pressure would crush a human being.  Operated from the ship, the KIEL 6000 has a sophisticated computer network that allows it to respond to multiple commands simultaneously.  Far from being a glorified remote-controlled submarine, the KIEL 6000 may follow a preprogrammed flight plan or be controlled from human operators.  Those human operators control more than just simple navigation.  The KIEL 6000 has banks of video cameras and two mechanical arms for taking samples.

The mechanical arms are a real feat of engineering design and computer programming.  The mechanical arms on the KIEL 6000 are highly dexterous and have collected specimens like rare squid and other marine life found only on the depths of the ocean floor.  The mechanical arms manipulate collecting nets and then move the nets into a bio box.  The bio boxes loaded on the KIEL 6000 store tiny marine samples and manipulating the mechanical arms to get the samples from the water to the net to the bio box requires an incredible amount of skill and training.  Even with that training, sometimes the samples themselves resist, as a 20cm lobster recently fled one of the 30cm deep bio boxes before the box closed!

The level of computer control needed to make the KIEL 6000 a viable remote vehicle is substantial.  The KIEL 6000 must be able to react quickly to unforeseen events.  The computer system aboard the KIEL 6000 is designed to react with near-instantaneous precision so the rare images of the ocean depths are not lost and so life forms previously undiscovered may be captured and catalogued by researchers.

Without the sophisticated computer support system that allows the KIEL 6000 to react quickly over 6000 meters below sea level, the KIEL 6000 would be just another remotely operated vehicle.  As it is, though, the KIEL 6000 remains the cutting edge tool for undersea exploration and our best chance at understanding a vast portion of our world.

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

Breaking news about Apple!  The Domain Name Wire is reporting that control of seven domain names that use brand product names in the URL were given to Apple today.  Individuals and companies purchased sites like iphonecam4s.com and iphonesex4s.com prior to the release of the iPhone 4S and had been bringing visitors to racy sites.  Apple, presumably, objected to this because they do not want any URL with their product name associated with sex.  What Apple is hoping those paying attention to this story will not notice, though, is the history.

Apple has usually paid to get back the domain names associated with its products.  Yes, back in 2007, Michael Kovatch sold iPhone.com to Apple reportedly for a million dollars.  Similarly, a Swedish company that held the domain name iCloud.com sold the domain name for $4.5 million dollars to Apple in 2011.  The Swedish company that owned the iCloud.com domain is a computer support company that utilizes Cloud-based technology.  What both domain names had in common was that the purchase of the domain name radically predated the invention by Apple that necessitated Apple’s interest in the domain name.

One need not be an Apple genius to see the potential here.  If you can guess the next big Apple product’s name, you stand to make millions of dollar for a minimal investment.  The cost of a domain name registration for one year is approximately $12.  If you accurately guess the next big Apple product name, you may have a real cash cow in your portfolio!

The World Intellectual Property Organization mediates disputes over domain names, which is how Apple received control of the domain names today.  However, by purchasing a domain name and putting up your own content in advance of Apple creating a product with the same name, you actually have more of a right to it!  After all, Apple does not have the intellectual mandate on putting “i” before other popular words. To strengthen your claim to the domain name you buy, you should establish a website there that illustrates a legitimate business function, like online storage or sales of a product that you tie to your domain name.  Then you have to wait for Apple to be as creative as you are!

So, will the next big leap be the imac3 (imac3.com is still an available domain name)?  Clearly, Apple does not want to have to pay more for these domains than they have to – which is probably why iPhone7G.com is not available – but they can only cover so many bases before their efforts seem ridiculous or unprofitable.  And for the cost of $12/year, the potential gain is less of a risk than playing the lottery for those who are creatively inclined.

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

For several months, the Occupy Wall Street Movement has been going on in New York City.  The protest, currently physically clogging up New York City’s Zuccotti Park, seeks to bring attention to how the 1% of the wealthiest people control the fates of the remaining 99% of the population.  There is a strange disconnect in the literature provided by Occupy Wall Street through their website and the physical protest; it is unclear how the protesters hope to bring change to economic inequality through randomly clogging up a park near the Wall Street financial buildings.

What is fascinating is how every sector of the media is trying to make a statement about Occupy Wall Street.  On November 15, the Wall Street Journal posted a video online in which three reporter/commentators discussed a spike in Twitter activity the night before.  Twitter has been an invaluable tool used by members of Occupy Wall Street to communicate with one another through their smartphones.  The story focused on how Twitter traffic quintupled from about 100,000 tweets with Occupy Wall Street hash tags to 500,000.  This occurred when police came into the park in the middle of the night to clean.

The attention social networking media gets through stories like this is enough to make legitimate journalists and private citizens blanch.  A quick Google search of November 15 and Occupy Wall Street leads readers to surprisingly little information.  Legitimate news sites note that an eviction happened and that authorities allowed protesters back into the park by morning.  In a protest that has had moments when the major news outlets have covered police violence and significant crowd actions, a spike in Twitter traffic pertaining to Occupy Wall Street seems like a non-story.

The Wall Street Journal tacitly admits as much in the podcast when Zachary Seward notes that much of the traffic that contributed to the Twitter spike did not come from people actually in Zuccotti Park.  This is a textbook definition of hearsay and is more an illustration of how fast small events can be blown out of proportion.  When the Wall Street Journal treated what was essentially a high-tech game of “Telephone” as a legitimate news story, Edward R. Murrow rolled over in his grave.

Twitter could be a great asset to the media or to Occupy Wall Street, but the way people who are not involved in stories use Twitter to relay messages as if they were present sets a dangerous standard that journalists today, at the very least at the Wall Street Journal, seem content to follow.  The non-story from the Wall Street Journal calls to mind a brilliant parody done by The Onion News Network about assumed casualties from a train wreck.  At least viewers for The Onion know to expect humor as opposed to serious stories; we expect better from The Wall Street Journal.

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

Right about now, Justin Timberlake must feel like he has egg on his face.  In June of 2011, Justin Timberlake and Specific Media bought Myspace.com and began to retune the website to place more of an emphasis on music.  Myspace now features popular and up and coming musical artists and if you did not know that, it is no surprise: Myspace.com has fallen to the 88^th Top Site in the U.S., below The Drudge Report and CBS Sports.

Even in its heyday, Myspace was not exactly a haven of Internet security.  More than suffering from spreading viruses, Myspace users found the Internet security threat of stalkers.  As the first online social network for many users, Myspace users quickly found that the key component to Internet security is simply not putting deeply personal information about yourself on your page.  As well, the lax Internet security measures on Myspace allowed adult predators to gain access to children eighteen and younger.

In addition to basic Internet security concerns embodied by Myspace publishing users’ birthdays and birthplaces, which allowed some crafty criminals to divine portions of users’ social security numbers, Myspace users have found there is simply no good reason to go back to Myspace.  Unlike other social network sites that provide archives for online storage, Myspace encouraged users to link to external sites.  As a result, Myspace quickly turned into a portal to other, cooler sites, as opposed to one where users built an online storage depot of their own, cool works.

It is clear that Justin Timberlake is trying to change that now.  But intensifying the Internet security to Myspace and rebranding the site as an online storage option for the music and music videos of musical artists has not turned around Myspace’s slide in popularity.  The artists who are using Myspace as an online storage venue often repost their music and videos to other sites, leaving little unique content to draw users back.

More than Internet security concerns and the desire to combine social networking with online storage, a hook that photo sharing social networks have found effective, much of the demise of Myspace simply comes from the fact that it is not cool anymore.  Social networking is following the same long term ebb and flow of every trend and it is clear that Myspace is in the unenviable flow wherein the network is not cool to mainstream users.  Counterculture users are not yet using Myspace, even ironically.

Justin Timberlake is just a victim of bad timing, buying into a network that has already jumped the shark.  More than fear of Internet security threats or the desire to start up an online storage folder on a network that they have already left, users are stating that they are happy to get their music on other sites and no amount of rebranding Myspace will make them come back.

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 is hard to think of water pressure as cool, until there is a problem with yours and you need a device to monitor or test water flow and that is what the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder does. The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is available in one of two kits for home or industrial use and the specificity of the design is most impressive.  In the kit, the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder has the connectors and relevant computer services needed to make the data collection easy and versatile along a number of consumer and municipal needs.

The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is a durable gadget that screws onto the 2 ½” nozzle outlet on a fire hydrant or the end of a garden hose.  For private citizens, the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder collects data to reveal water pressure problems to a landlord or service provider.  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder protects the data because each unit is durable with a battery that lasts about seven years.

Of course, most people should not need seven or more years of testing their water pressure.  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is ideal for monitoring industrial water flow and while that may seem boring or lame, when the fire department comes and attaches their lines to the fire hydrant nearest your house, it becomes a very different matter!  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder allows cities or towns to test fire hydrant pressure easily.  Crews outfitted with the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder from the Flow Test Kit II-D can travel hydrant to hydrant to check pressure to find leaks, cracks, or other pressure problems resulting from environmental factors like changes in temperature.  Workers simply open the fire hydrant, attach the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder with the diffuser and they get an accurate model of the flow from each hydrant.  Through those tests, the Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder ensures that every citizen has equal access, not just to the water, but to water delivered at a great enough pressure and volume to make a difference in any building fire.

One need not worry about retesting or data recovery with the HPR-31, as the raw data captured by the HPR-31 is uploaded to the Palm Pilot in the HPR Kit II-D and the Flow Test Kit II-D.  The easy-to-use connectors have no exposed electronics which is ideal when one is working with a lot of forceful water!

Far too often, we take for granted essential services or aspects of daily life.  Some of the coolest gadgets are designed simply to make sure those services work properly or make sure service is delivered uninterrupted.  The Telog HPR-31 Hydrant Pressure Recorder is an essential part of making sure water gets where it needs to be, in a useful way.

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 most common problems computer repair companies encounter is with customers who have slow running computers.  A slow running computer can require computer support, but the need for computer repair may be prevented through some simple general maintenance.  General maintenance is limited to actions on the computer that a novice with a limited understanding of how computers work may accomplish without harming the computer.

Slow running computers are computers that lag during functions that had once been mundane.  These are not problems that require computer repair, just vigilance in general maintenance.  Most computer users are unaware that the tools needed to solve slow running computer issues are on their computer already.  Computers run slow because they lose space on the hard drive due to information and programs, some of which run independent of the user, like malware and viruses.

But not all slow running computers require significant computer repair or computer support.  Instead, users may easily eliminate many of the problem files through tools available on their desktop.  The easiest way to stop a slow running computer from developing problems that require computer repair or additional computer support from professionals is to run a Disk Cleanup.  In the Windows Accessories tools, there is a Disk Cleanup option.  By cleaning out temporary Internet files, the recycle bin and Downloaded Program Files, even a computer that has only been in use for three days may free up 2 GB of space!

Many computer repair experts recommend removing unwanted applications as well.  Without additional computer support, you may simply remove unwanted or unused programs through the “Add Or Remove Programs” function on the Start menu of Windows computers.  This is an easy process, but computer repair professionals will recommend that you do a full back up before making changes to programs, just in case you accidentally remove a program that you actually need.  After you remove programs you no longer use and find your system working faster, you may want to make a backup of the cleaner version of your hard drive.

The other general maintenance procedure that requires no additional computer support or aid from a computer repair service would be running a Defrag of your registry. After backing up the registry, use the Advanced Registry Optimizer to eliminate files, programs and applications that your computer no longer uses and should not look for.

Finally, you may prevent a call to a computer repair service simply by installing and regularly using an antivirus program.  With several antivirus programs on the market, there are many options that novices may load without requiring additional computer support from professionals.  Eliminating viruses, spyware and malware is a great way to get a slow running computer back up to speed.

If you are a novice, you need not become an expert in computer repair to keep your computer running fast.  Without additional computer support, you have the tools to protect your computer!

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

To prevent the inevitable computer repair that a hard drive failure demands, it is essential to develop a regular, orderly method of backing up your hard drive data.  There are many services that offer data recovery once a hard drive or data storage device fails, but prevention is the best method for keeping data safe and secure.

Hard drives, like cars, light bulbs and textbooks, are designed to fail and be replaced.  The industry of data recovery, data storage, and computer repair exists because of the planned obsolescence of the hard drive and other components.  Despite leaps forward in recent years in devices for data recovery and storage, the magnetic medium of the hard drive remains the standard in computers.  With data recovery a problem for most computer operators and computer repair coming most often as a sudden, unbudgeted expense, prevention is the best way to survive the loss of your data from hard drive failure.

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Portability does not need to be a trade-off with quality with the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter.  Today, consumers use their telephones to take pictures and are encouraged to download digital downloads of movies, digital textbooks and audio performances to their laptop computers.  While this may appeal to tweens and those whose only computer device is a portable phone, serious movie lovers and large groups of people need something more.  For that, they need a converter.

Virtually every computer and laptop computer on the market today features a VGA port.  The video port allows users to export images and sound to devices that project those media.  The current standard, since mid-2009, is High Definition.  High Definition televisions and projectors, however, do not accept VGA or less refined video signals.  For that, users need the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter.

The Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter is a gadget that converts the VGA signal from a laptop computer or desktop computer port to a High Definition signal.  By connecting a standard VGA cable from the computer to the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter and an HDMI cable from the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter to the HD device, users may watch movies, share pictures or present computer-based presentations on much larger devices.

The Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter transforms a laptop computer into an educational tool when it is connected to an HD projector.  A home PC may similarly stream movies from the Internet to an HDTV or through a digital projector when connected to the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter.  As a business tool, one needs only their laptop and the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter to connect to common devices and share information with large groups.

In addition to the relatively low expense – the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter is available online for $56 – $80 – the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter is exceptionally easy to use.  It requires no software to transform the signals from a video card to the HD device.  Moreover, by using physical connections instead of wireless means, one maintains data and network security.  The Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter allows users to share information, presentations and art with a lower risk of being hacked or requiring virus removal.

For a comparatively low investment, the Sewell SW-9393 VGA To HDMI Converter allows portable devices to become effective presentation tools.

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