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July Trade Shows: Comic Books, Chips, Graphics

June 29th, 2010

SEMICON West 2010, from July 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center, is the leading annual event in North America for the global semiconductor and microelectronics industries, with technical meetings, business programs and networking events. Exhibitors on hand will be featuring new cables, communications and computer hardware, data communications products, electrical components and other technologies. CRE has the entire range of convention rentals to make your SEMICON appearance a success.

From a massive inventory of audio/visual equipment rentals CRE can assemble just the right package for your booth and/or breakout room. CRE has it all, from simple mixers to complete sound reinforcement packages, to reach people’s ears, and the full range of plasma rentals, up to 61” in size (diagonal measure), to capture their eyes. If you need an entire breakout room package, CRE has years of experience at SEMICON events and will deliver, set up and pick up your rentals in strict accordance with conference guidelines. Our veteran delivery staff, plus 24/7 tech support, make CRE the number one choice for all your SEMICON needs.

Comic-Con 2010 is the 41st edition of the world’s premier comic book and popular art convention, being held July 22-25 at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con is a unique mix of both low and high tech approaches to the comic book art form, where pen and ink artists mingle easily with computer-based illustrators. Exhibitors and attendees alike come from all points on the artistic and business spectrum – from writers, designers and illustrators to publishers, broadcasters, filmmakers and all the technical personnel working in those fields.

CRE’s Comic-Con rentals run the gamut from exhibit booth necessities to breakout room requirements. CRE has a long history of supporting exhibitors, small and large, with everything from Comic-Con plasma rentals for exhibit booth displays to large-room solutions for breakout sessions, as well. A session package may include wireless mics, powered speakers and/or other audiovisual rental technology that CRE can provide.

SIGGRAPH 2010 takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 25-29, once again creating the best place in the world to behold the state of the art in computer graphics and interactive technologies. As an attendee, exhibitor or both, you can meet and brainstorm with worldwide leaders in research, software, animation, visualization, art, hardware, special effects, games and education. From speaker panels to breakout sessions, the SIGGRAPH conference is five days of top-notch, interdisciplinary education with a commercial exhibition on the last three days, an unfailingly exciting show that attracts hundreds of diverse exhibitors from dozens of countries.

CRE’s SIGGRAPH plasma rentals provide an effective means of grabbing attention for your booth, while interactive kiosk rentals act like extra team members, since they can be set up in high-traffic areas to present product demos and collect contact information from interested parties. In addition to the technical programs, SIGGRAPH has numerous display areas (“installations”) that provide close-ups of the latest digital art, offer hands-on opportunities for creative collaboration and focus on new, emerging technologies.

Whether you’re exhibiting or attending (or both); a small firm needing a few MacBook Pro rentals or a media company contemplating a video wall; a graphic arts studio or inventors of a new, improved drawing tablet for computer-based art – whatever you want to promote, discover or share at one of July’s hot-as-summer trade shows, CRE is the conference expert you need on your side. A call, an e-mail or our Quick Rental Quote form is all it takes to get us working on your booth or breakout session plan.

Monitoring Innovations in Display Technology

June 22nd, 2010

Today there are some pitched battles going in such niches as netbooks, tablet PCs, iPads and various kinds of “e-readers.” The most exciting part about any and all of these devices is the display technology, and there are envelope-pushing developments bringing us screens that feature color, touch sensitivity and video capability while using less power and lasting longer! Here’s an update for you about the latest in display screen technology.

Competition in display technology heats up

Qualcomm has a new screen technology called Mirasol (isn’t that dishwasher soap?) with a fast enough refresh rate to display video. The screens are low-power and light, perfect for the low end of the pad/tablet (“padlet”) market, which right now is Augen’s e-book reader. It has a (non-touch) LCD color screen, supports all major e-book formats, plays MP3 files and videos, and is equipped with 64MB of RAM, word processor, QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, built-in speaker, headphones, SecureDigital card slot and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

While Prime View continues its move to color, scores of other firms around the world are working to get more performance with less energy and cost. One particular firm, Pixel Qi, has begun manufacturing 10-inch tablet-style screens featuring color and video that use less than half the power of a standard 10-inch LCD. The field is wide open now, and companies that are not even in the display industry – like Japanese tire maker Bridgestone, among others – are contributing to both R&D and production of new screen types. (Progress continues at the high end of screen tech, too, like the LED technology in 30″ Apple Cinema HD rentals.)

Some downsides to the upgrades

Special effects firms that meet emergency deadlines with the help of CRE Mac Pro rentals will not be trading those powerhouses in for an iPad rental or other mobile device any time soon. However, the movie trailers or animations their artists create will populate the Web, so Wi-Fi padlets will need to display them, either in browsers or with standalone media apps. The problem is that, at the low end of the netbook line now (and rumored for some upcoming padlets) you will find the Windows CE operating system. Originally released in 1996, the OS shows its age in almost every function.

Apple powers its first generation iPad with the iPhone OS, but there is talk (isn’t there always?) about the iPad running a stripped-down OS X or hybridized iPhone/OS X system. However, even with a better, multitasking OS, the CPU in the iPad can’t keep up with CRE’s iMac rentals, much less the mighty Mac towers. You will not finish your 3D shading on an iPad while lunching in the park, nor is it certain that you could even view a big JPEG file on one of the CE-powered “padlets” hitting the U.S. now.

At CRE, we stay stay current on everything — especially the technologies you need for post-production, digital workflows, conferences, conventions, presentations and the like. A phone call, e-mail or request for Quick Rental Quote will put an experienced Account Executive on the job for you right away. Whatever you need to accomplish, we can show you how to turn your problem into a successful solution. It’s what we do.

Apple’s new big bad Mac mini

June 18th, 2010

The Apple Macintosh mini, the computer so small it doesn’t even get a capital letter for its name, is the latest Mac to get a facelift and refreshing. (“Facelift” refers to cosmetic changes, while “refreshing” means operating hardware has been upgraded.) Base unit drive sizes are 320 and 500GB.

Of course, some real goodies are still standard in all models – Airport Extreme, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, upgraded NVIDIA GeForce 3200M graphics, a FireWire 800 port, four USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot, Mini DisplayPort for external monitors, an HDMI port and both optical digital and analog audio ins and outs. This is not your father’s (well, older brother’s) Mac mini by any means. Not only are the Core 2 Duo CPUs ugraded to 2.4 and 2.66GHz, the base models come with 2 and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, respectively, and both now accommodate a max of 8GB.

The mini bundle is brawny

A tad wider than the original, the mini has a new, unibody aluminum case like CRE’s MacBook Pro rentals, and it’s only 1.4 inches tall. The external power supply has been miniaturized and installed in the case. All of the first hands-on reviewers (from Computerworld to MacWorld) have raved about the small size, great design and energy-stinginess (it draws just 10 watts at idle, a 25% reduction over previous models). The mini is the most energy-efficient desktop computer you can get.

Along with Mac OS X Snow Leopard (now at 10.6.x), the mini can be outfitted with an easy-to-configure copy of OS X Server, while every model in the line gets the usual laundry list of solid Mac programs – iTunes for your media, Time Machine for backups and other essentials like Spaces, Quick Look, Spotlight, Dashboard, Address Book, QuickTime, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row and Xcode Developer Tools. For productivity, you have Mail, iChat, the Safari browser, iCal and the fabulous iLife bundle (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb and GarageBand).

CRE carries wide array of Macintosh models, from the potent Mac Pro rentals to the best laptop for creatives on the go, the MacBook Pro. In addition, the phenomenal new 21.5- and 27-inch iMac rentals are in stock (as are the 20- and 24-inch models) and ready to help you push on through another deadline or another last-minute job. We are your Mac-at-work specialists so when you are ready to rent the new Mac mini, just give us a call or use our Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you fully equipped in no time.

Business Sustainability: A Recession Lesson

June 15th, 2010

After equipping Smokey Bear (“the” is not his middle name) to lead the fight against forest fires for half a century or so, the government finally learned that occasional fires are good for the environment. They clear out deadwood and stir the environmental ingredients into action again. Leave it to Southern California’s own Scott Harris – marketing agency owner, business columnist, college and seminar instructor and jovial contrarian – to bring this metaphor to life for business professionals struggling to push their way out of a lingering recession.

Success breeds mediocrity

Business Sustainability Like new growth after a forest fire, companies that have survived the recession “should now be stronger and better managed,” Harris writes in a recent San Fernando Valley Business Journal column. They should also “be smarter for the experience.” One of Harris’ famous warnings is, “Success breeds mediocrity,” by which he means that “it’s easy to be a lazy manager, business owner or employee when things are going well.” In good times, marginal employees are kept on, wasteful practices are winked at and, most dangerously, “difficult decisions” are put off. The economic turmoil that began in 2008, and is lingering still even as some hopeful signs emerge, brought much of this nonsense to a quick, often inglorious end.

Managers of companies that survived the last two years need to critique everything, preferably in a group setting – every policy, practice, procedure and process – and be willing to jettison anything that does not work. “[If we] drift back to our previous ways,” warns Harris, “then we will have wasted a tremendous opportunity.” Harris closes his comments by assuring his readers that he does not advocate any controlled burning of businesses, but does “strongly recommend that we take a moment and learn as much as possible” from the recent recession. Only then, he insists, will American businesses, of all sizes and kinds, “be equipped to make the next few [years] as successful and as profitable as possible.”

Like Apple says, “Think different”

Bottom line? Think different, as Apple used to say in one of its longer-running ad campaigns. In an example from the special effects and post-production facilities that CRE rents to, management often divides into two camps with respect to the high-tech equipment they rely on – renters and buyers, with the latter historically more numerous. Many businesses learned to think differently during the recession, finding that it was actually more cost-effective to rent than own. Consider: Companies with Mac Pro rentals do not have to pay to repair a crashed hard drive. One call and a new computer shows up. Firms using interactive kiosk rentals to capture contact information at conventions turn the kiosks back in, rather than watch them collect dust until the next time they’re needed.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Every purchase, every expense, every procedure, every rule – all of it needs to be evaluated in light of new operating parameters. For want of a better word, let’s borrow one from the environmental movement and call it “Business Sustainability,” as others are already doing. Combining the strongest core elements of green thinking, flexible management, recycling, goal setting, group dynamics, creativity and strategic planning, it can help chart new routes to the future. With a commitment to enlightened management, excellence and success, there’s no telling what the next few years might hold!

CRE supports your business with the best technological tools as well as the expertise to deploy them. Whatever you need to accomplish, our Account Executives are here to help. Send an e-mail, make a call or use the Quick Rental Quote form to let us know what you need. We will make your priority our priority. That’s what we do!

Interactive and Collaborative Tech Tools

June 10th, 2010

In every phase of your business now – from marketing and prospecting to R&D, from attending trade shows to exhibiting and making presentations at them, as well – you can avail yourself of today’s potent interactive and collaborative technologies. With wireless mobility and real-time connectivity come faster product development and better feedback from clients and prospects, which is good no matter what industry you’re in. CRE can help you leverage this technology to great benefit, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Apple’s iPad has been getting a ridiculous amount of press, but precious little has been said about serious, productive uses (even in our own first look). Its size, about midway between a smart phone and a netbook, means it has enough screen real estate to do real browsing, writing (with a nice on-screen keyboard or a Bluetooth wireless one), reading and document handling (PDFs, photos, video, etc.). With WiFi-only and WiFi-plus-3G connectivity, you can stay in touch with one, two or 200 colleagues, customers, clients and/or coworkers, wherever you are, to accomplish pretty much whatever you need to do. When the “excitement of the new” wears off, the iPad should be standing tall, regardless, as it really can be a great tool for you, as Adobe proved this week with its release of iPad-specific publishing tools.

Tablet PCs running Windows have been around forever, it seems, and have been refined over the years. It can be argued that the humble tablet PC was a precursor to the iPad, as it combined Wi-Fi, handwriting recognition, a good bit of audio-video capability and ease of use in a mobile (if not pocket-sized) form factor.With CRE’s tablet PC rentals, conference teams or salespeople can run PowerPoint presentations, maintain contact with headquarters, stay abreast of breaking news or take handwritten notes. On site or on the go, a tablet or pad can be a true collaborative tool. Although Windows tablet PC’s typically run a special version of Microsoft Windows XP, CRE can configure your tablet PC with the ever-popular Microsoft Office, or even the Ubuntu version of Linux. CRE features award-winning tablets from Motion Computing, which can also run Windows 7 if you’re a Top Geek, like the fellow in this YouTube video.

A recent CRE blog discussed some of the new technologies finding their way into Audience Response Systems. In addition to tighter integration with MS Office applications, particularly PowerPoint, the leading ARS makers are making much more capable keypads and are allowing input from more and more wireless devices all the time, from smart phones to (yes) the iPad. There are few better methods for getting real-time input from your audience than one of CRE’s Audience Response System rentals.

Despite CRE carrying a number of interactive, collaborative devices, our interactive kiosks are the only products in the CRE lineup that feature “interactive” in the name. Standalone kiosks let you multiply your presence at trade shows, conferences or your own annual shareholder meetings. They can be set up remotely, as well, to run product demonstrations, capture contact information from interested parties, feature surveys, connect job seekers to your firm’s online employment application and 1001 other things.

When it comes to helping you meet the challenges of today’s marketplace, whether it’s with a number of iMac rentals for post-production or some audio-visual rentals for that conference or presentation, CRE Rentals is ready to help. Send an e-mail or make a call to our experienced Account Executives, or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you “interactivated” and “collaborational” in no time.

Mac vs PC? Creative Professionals Weigh In

June 8th, 2010

Mac-vs-PC

Creative professionals weigh in on the age old question…Mac or PC? An unscientific sampling at a designer site indicates that between 70-80% of designers use Macs, compared to the 80% of “regular Internet users” who use PC’s.

Although most designers acknowledge that the same design tools are available on both platforms, many tout the Mac’s ease of use and superior build quality. One respondent summed it up by saying that “the platform has nothing to do with the outcome of design. But designing on Mac feels a lot more natural to me. I’ve used both PCs and Macs extensively, each has its own advantages. For design, multimedia and other creative work, I personally feel more at home on a Mac.” Although some PC partisans – and, honestly, plenty of good work is done on PCs – brought up some good points about cost differences, it is clear that there remains a solid majority of Mac-using designers.

Some professionals use both-Mac and PC

Within that complement of Mac users, of course, are plenty of people who use both PCs and Macs, just as most companies do these days. It is not uncommon to see a Fortune 500 firm with PCs in the accounting department (although that’s changing slowly) and Macs in the art/marketing department. And with the cross-platform programs and ease of PC-Mac networking, there is no reason that both kinds of computers can’t co-exist peacefully. It’s just that when it comes time for entertainment professionals to edit the movies or master the records or finish the magazines, more of them reach for a Mac Pro rental than a PC, although CRE Rentals does rent both.

Another important development is the power of the Macs. The fastest Mac ever tested by Macworld, by the way, isn’t an eight-core Mac Pro, but the top-of-the-line iMac with the new Core i7 Intel chip. The rest of the iMac family is similarly potent, making CRE’s iMac rentals a sensible alternative to the Mac tower. However, the Mac Pro has the advantage in many areas, like PCIe slots and other expandability options, that make it a continuing favorite for use with Final Cut Studio and other audio-visual software. CRE can equip any kind of Mac, any kind of way you need. Of course, if you need a PC to run PC-only software (certain accounting packages, proprietary builds, etc.), then CRE can outfit you with speedy PC computer rentals, as well.

Which one….Mac or PC?

Comparing Mac and PC computers makes for interesting reading. The bottom line is creative professionals should use “the best tool for the job. Nowadays the OSes aren’t different enough to make the decision for you based on features. If you already know one OS, stick with it until you have a very compelling reason to switch.” This is a reasonable position however, some Mac loyalists point out that Macs can run both Windows and the Mac OS. If you need desktop rentals for your post-production work, and want to use both OSes, then you really do have just one choice – a Mac (learn more about which Mac to rent).

CRE’s Account Executives are experts at getting you what you need to push through your bottleneck of backed-up work, take on that new project or bring in new clients. Send an e-mail, make a call or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and you’ll be sailing smoothly in no time.

Technology News: Gaming Gadgets, iPad Knockoffs and Telephoto Phones

June 3rd, 2010

Gaming gadgets coming to E3

It was at the 2009 E3 trade show, one of many annual events for which CRE does convention rentals, that Microsoft announced an add-on to its Xbox 360 gaming console, code-named Project Natal. (You can read about the upcoming 2010 E3 confab right here.) Instead of using the notoriously complicated Xbox controller – with a dozen buttons, double joysticks and thumb confusion for all but diehard users – gamers will now interact with the console via a new device. The attachable extra has a motion-tracking camera and specialized sound sensors that enable it to recognize faces, detect/interpret motions and obey voice commands. The Xbox Live service is a portal that connects to content from Netflix, among others, making the Xbox a game console that streams media – or is it a media server that plays games? You decide.

iPad Knockoffs: The big names jump in

Apple iPad Apple has sold two million iPads in under two months, and not because they’re productivity enhancers like CRE’s megapowerful Mac Pro rentals – quite the opposite, in fact. The iPad is the Cupertino company’s “first pure entertainment play…since the iPod.” As a media device – for reading, music, movies, photos, social “site-seeing,” tweets and so forth – it seemed reasonable to surmise that the first iPad competitors would come from the low-end of the spectrum. You know, take some audio-video innards, stick on a screen and voila! In addition, there are news reports out of China telling of an iPad clone, that is, a pad trying very hard to look and feel like Apple’s own.

Now, some of the first non-Apple (and non-clone) pads even lacked touch-screens, but others (like Augen’s) had decent specs and build quality. Now the big boys have jumped with both feet into the growing market. WePad (“we” as opposed to “I,” get it?), ExoPC, LG, and ASUS have all released new “pen and finger computing” devices (Bill Gates’ preferred terminology) in just the last few weeks. Some firms, like MeeGo, are concentrating on the operating system (OS) for these devices, and licensing the software to various other device makers. This tech niche should stay hot right through the holidays.

Cell phone camera optical upgrade

Cell Phone Telephoto Lense The cameras on cell phones are now better, in general, than the first several generations of digital cameras. The one glaring weakness has been lenses, but specialty manufacturer Brando is on top of things in this department. The company has released do-it-yourself kits for many Motorola, Sony/Ericsson and Nokia models that will equip your phone’s camera with a powerful zoom lens (6X). The difference between having this optical zoom, versus some cameras’ built-in digital zoom, is night and day, truly. The before and after pictures posted online are pretty impressive. Phones with video capabilities would be perfect candidates for this optical upgrade.

It doesn’t matter what creative, administrative or production-related snag you’ve hit, CRE is your designated high-tech solution center. Send an e-mail, make a call or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form and we will have your rental solution ready in no time.

June Trade Shows: Automation, Entertainment and More

June 2nd, 2010

Design Automation Conference (DAC)

The 47th Design Automation Conference (DAC) is set for June 13-18 in Anaheim, California. DAC is the world’s premier technical conference and trade show covering electronic design and design automation. It is where the many members of this technological niche gather to learn, network and conduct business. CRE can help you stand out in this milieu, as we are intimately familiar with it, providing more rentals to DAC exhibitors than anyone in the business.

There are a number of different ways to showcase your company and your product, from the exhibit/suite space and the IC Design Central Partner Pavilion to special promotional opportunities and scores of customer meetings, Exhibitor Forum Presentations and social functions. From plasma screen rentals displaying your company presentation in the exhibit area, to all the audio-visual rentals you need for breakout sessions, CRE can get you set up for success.

Whether you’re leading a workshop or making a special invitation-only presentation, CRE has the projector rentals and every other presenting aid you need to keep your audience focused. To “stir the pot” and get the creative communication flowing, DAC increased the number of User Track sessions, workshops, discussion panels and co-located events. For electronic design and design automation, DAC is definitely the place to be.

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games, plus related products. It is being presented in Los Angeles on June 15-17 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. group that supports the business and public affairs needs of member companies that publish games for video game consoles, personal computers and the Internet. With such members (and 2010 exhibitors) as Activision, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Sega, Sony, Disney, LucasArts Entertainment, Nintendo and Warner Bros., the E3 will doubtless be full of new product releases for the 2010 holiday buying season.

In addition to leveraging both presentation and info-collection tools – from mac rentals to interactive kiosks – a conference team would be right in the spirit (and the “spec”) of the event by getting some high-end desktop rentals and hooking these gaming-grade PCs to some nice, big, bright monitors (LCD monitor rentals or the ever-popular plasmas). What better way to hawk your visual wares than to make a bold visual statement? But remember, too, that a big part of the thrill in electronic gaming is from the “sound design” – not just the composed music, but the tight, story-enhancing arrangement of crashes, booms, glissandos and orchestra hits that give life to the animation and action. So some capable, decibel-bangin’ audio-visual rentals would combine with your big screens for a dramatically effective company display. CRE really does know how to make your E3 appearance a hit.

Cisco Live 2010

10_06_03_CiscoLive Cisco Live 2010 take place this year from June 27 to July 1 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. With over 400 technical breakout sessions covering four groups of (overlapping) roles – Networkers, IT Management, the Cisco Developers Network and Service Providers – attendees can formulate customized educational experiences that will pay off handsomely on the job. If you are exhibiting, CRE has vast experience with Cisco events and can ensure a successful presence.

Various Super Sessions will highlight how Cisco works with its partners to advance technology and deliver innovative solutions, while you can capture contact info from the swarms of sessions participants as they pass by one of your interactive kiosk rentals on their way to and fro. The World of Solutions Expo is where your conference team can avail yourself of plasma rentals and other tools CRE has specifically tailored caching peoples’ eyes at this event. Finally, the breakout sessions include model-specific instruction – Cisco Catalyst 3750 Switch Architecture, for instance – as well wide-ranging discussions on innovative approaches to social media and Web 2.0.

CRE has long-term, intimate experience with these trade shows and can set you up to be a powerful presenter and exciting exhibitor. Send an e-mail, make a call or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form online and we will get you “trade show ready”!