So what’s the big deal? A huge audience, that’s what. There are about 330 million cell phones in the U.S. alone, with Apple selling a big chunk of them (plus iPads, iPods and Macs). Add in all the Android tablets and e-readers and the number gets big enough to make marketing managers positively giddy. The Online Publishers Association (OPA) estimates that some 75% of mobile devices already access the Internet and, as time goes by, more of them will have real browsers.

General rules for website design

All businesses need to make it easy for clients and customers to connect with them. That used to mean a Yellow Pages ad. With the advent of the Internet, it came to mean a website viewed on a home or office monitor. Today it means being available to people everywhere – at home, at work and, increasingly, on the go – whether they’re using a phone, an iMac or a laptop.

So, what’s the best way for your site to meet the mobile challenge? Here are a few rules of thumb:

• Take a test-drive: At the very least, your company’s basic business information (name, address, phone, e-mail) should display clearly on a cross-section of mobile devices. Visit your site from a smartphone or two, a 7- or 10-inch pad and a tablet PC rental, for example. If you need a new site to accommodate mobile devices, you will know it immediately.

• Your existing site may work: If it is simple HTML, without e-commerce capabilities and a Content Management System (CMS), your current site may be fine for mobile devices. If it is, you can get away with simply registering a dot-mobi extension and forwarding visitors to your existing site.

• Color counts, too: If you are going to tweak colors across devices – using calibrated color management or Pantone color-matching – you need a big, high-resolution monitor made for color accuracy. Of course, this perfectly describes our plasma display rentals.

• Double up: If you have a complicated site, it may be best to host a brochure or bullet-list version of your website on your dot-mobi domain (same as your .com, if possible). Remember, your mobile site exists so that people can find and contact you, quickly and simply, by phone, e-mail or a (secure) browser form.

You can connect with CRE by phone, e-mail or our secure Quick Rental Quote form. We’re your go-to specialist for event production rentals, high-end post-production gear and everything in between. We help you turn mobile (or other) challenges into accomplishments. Call today!

Free and low-cost video conferencing

Skype, one of the first video calling services, is still the most popular VoIP voice and chat application. Only one-to-one communication is supported without adding (and debugging) third-party plug-ins. But Skype runs on everything, from an iPad rental or iPhone, to laptops and desktops running Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.

ooVoo, another free video conferencing service, supports up to six users, plus video mail. Because the service has its own servers, it can offer good quality.

SightSpeed is a free PC-based calling and one-party video-conferencing application. At just $4.95 monthly, the paid service adds video mail, multi-user capability and file sharing. Running on All-In-One Multitouch Display PC, SightSpeed calling is like stepping into a Sci-Fi Channel feature.

Yugma offers free teleconferencing for as many as 10 participants. Like Skype, it is compatible with the three major OS packages, and the paid version supports up to 500 participants.

Tokbox offers free video conferencing with up to six users via your browser, making it the best kind of video conferencing on a PC Desktop Computer Rental – there’s nothing to download or install.

iChat is the messaging, VoIP and video conferencing application installed on all Macintoshes, like a iMac rental. A feature-rich solution, it requires you to have an AppleID or AOL account to do video calling.

Business services

Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional combines powerful audio and video conferencing, file sharing and a whiteboard – a “complete web communications solution” – in various pay-per-use plans with flexible pricing. Free trials can be arranged.

AT&T Connect, especially designed for corporate use, has scalable IP software architectures for voice and video communication. Partially hosted and partially on-site, firms negotiate a fixed price for either defined or unlimited usage.

WebEx – a paid video conferencing, chat and file sharing service – works with an installed application. A 14-day free trial lets you work with as many as 10 total participants, and paid solutions can be tailored for small, medium or large companies.

Companies with enough money (and need) can build custom in-house systems. The cost for a wall-size screen and all the other bells and whistles can be six figures or more.

In the meantime, whatever you need in high-tech gear, like a screaming-fast Mac Pro for post-production or some heavy-duty RAID storage, we’re here for you. One call, one-email or a few clicks on our Quick Rental Quote form, and an experienced Account Manager will help you overcome whatever challenges you face!

1. Be bold. Bold statements get attention, making listeners focus on what comes next. So when you make a bold claim – “This industry will die by 2015″ or “Your grandchildren will live to 100″ – have your follow-up ready.

2. Ask a question. You can start with a question and use your presentation to answer it. Another approach is to use multiple questions throughout your presentation. By using CRE’s Audience Response System rentals you can capture valuable feedback.

3. Encourage new thinking. Asking people to use their imagination – “Imagine how to reward innovators” – puts them in the middle of the experience. As an “open, non-restrictive demand,” it allows their creativity free reign.

4. Challenge old thinking. People fall into patterns of thinking as well as behavior. “Old” thinking led many technology analysts to forecast failure for Apple’s iPad. CRE’s experience with iPad rentals, like Apple’s with the device’s phenomenal worldwide sales, clearly spells success, and also shows that innovation can be confusing and counterintuitive.

5. Tell a (true) story. People are most convincing when speaking from the heart. Your audience will sense your sincerity when you share a personal anecdote, unless you try to act sincere or lay it on too thick. You want to connect, not perform.

6. Be yourself. If you don’t tell jokes well, then don’t tell any. Make sure your presentation sounds like you, not your firm’s marketing copy writer or product manager. Digital recorder rentals can help you practice and perfect your delivery for a smooth performance.

Of course, you may run into snags. Stuff happens! Since authenticity is an important element of all these tips – and the subject of fascinating new research – be real. If you flub a line or lose your place, excuse yourself and move on. In fact, it is at these embarrassing times that seasoned speakers make use of Tips #5 and 6. Be honest, be yourself, but never forget Show Biz Rule#1: The show must go on!

If you are “putting on a show” we have a full range of convention rentals and the expert Account Executives to put it together for you. If your work involves putting on someone else’s show, we’ve got the render farm rentals and other post-production gear you need for that, too. One call or e-mail is all it takes, or a few clicks with the Quick Rental Quote form. We’re ready to help, right now, the right way!

In today’s blog, we will look at Web-based platforms, including WordPress.com and Blogger.

The basics

WordPress.com is the 800-lb. gorilla in the blog universe, a free application and hosting service rolled into one efficient tool. For experienced bloggers it offers full and customizable control over their publishing operations, while newbies can get going easily and learn along the way. And because it’s Web-based, they all have equal access, too, from PC computer rentals as well as Macs, tablets and mobile phones – any net-connected device, essentially. Now at version 3.1.3, WordPress is stable, feature-rich and extremely popular.

Some beginners may prefer Google’s Blogger, with its shorter learning curve, or even Posterous, made for casual blogging where customizing isn’t called for. Tumblr, yet another freebie that is a lot like Posterous, is good option for both beginners and “shotgun blogger” that post short, sweet messages and lots of ‘em. With most of these blogging platforms offering apps for iPad rentals and smart phones, blog management itself can be “in the cloud.”

The choices

Blogger is entry-level simple, Posterous is a bit more capable (and simpler) than Tumblr and Tumblr is decent – unless you want a unique domain, which means figuring out the integration issues on your own. WordPress.com, however, makes using your own domain easy, in keeping with its inviting character. In fact, it is common for new WordPress.com users to stay up late into the night playing with (excuse me, “working on”) new design templates and testing program settings. The more you use WordPress.com, the more you will want to use it.

Signing up for a free WordPress.com account means entering the desired address of your blog – and it’s free if it ends in wordpress.com. Then pick a user-name, password, e-mail address and your preferred language. That’s it. Once set up, you can access and work it from any net-connected device – CRE Mac Pro rentals, your iPhone, whatever. It feels like you are working with business software, not a design program. WordPress.com is a winner. Full disclosure: WordPress.com is so good we use it for this very blog!

We have all the great tools you need for your media projects, post production, movies, video – we can equip you with everything from render farm rentals to event production services. We do it all, and we do it well, so call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or use the Quick Rental Quote form, and get what you need to get the job done!

Listen to the audience

As with other challenges, it may be easier to tell you what not to do. Professional speaker and presentation guru David Paradi surveyed audiences about presentations. Following each negative comment is the percentage of agreement:

• Speaker reads slide copy (69.2%)
• Text unreadably small (48.2%)
• Sentences rather than bullet points (48%)
• Colors unreadable (33%)
• “Busy” graphics, special effects (27.9%)

It’s impossible to list all the good ideas and tell you what you should do, but there are some agreed-upon basics for creating effective presentations. Start here and stay teachable as you look around for more help.

Five steps to a better presentation

1. Successful slides are supportive, giving your message impact and making it memorable. A slide must clarify, reinforce, make an emotional appeal, take the audience to a different “mental location” and/or portray complex concepts simply. Using graphics sparingly maintains their power. Using too many dilutes it.

2. Establish a powerful presence by making your slides readable from the back row. Keep copy simple and follow the “Rule of 66” – six lines of text per screen with six words maximum per line (minimum 24-pt type). Viewing screens with white backgrounds, whether you use monitors or CRE projector rentals, can be like “like staring into headlights” for audiences. Use light text on dark backgrounds.

3. Make your point with “bullets” using the absolute minimum verbiage. Full sentences, if you must use them, should be memorable, brief (15-20 words) and clearly superior to shorter alternatives. Audiences typically remember things with impact, like quotes.

4. Simpler is better for graphs that grab and charts that clarify. Do your fancy effects add to audience understanding? If not, they likely cloud meaning while cluttering the screen. Making clear points is hard enough without annoying people.

5. Show a “map” so your audiences know where you’re headed. You can divide your presentation into sections, using different background colors or icons to show progress and position. Explain the agenda in your opening and never leave your audience guessing.

Don’t dilute your message

Remember, visuals must add power and/or clarity to your presentation or you shouldn’t use them. Used wrongly, they will dilute your message and can even alienate your audience. You should consider one of CRE’s audience response system rentals so you can get real-time feedback on your presentations, in-house and at conferences, for ongoing improvement.

From PCs, displays and office equipment to specialized gear like render farm rentals, CRE is your one-stop solution. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or tell us what you need with the Quick Rental Quote form. We’re ready with your solutions right now!

Training adds value

There are many kinds of training that can empower your employees – one-on-one, small and large groups using CRE’s iMac rentals, offline, online or some combination – and the challenge is finding one that works the best for the majority of the people you are training. Worker productivity increases 88% with assisted training versus 24% for employee self-training, according to a recent report from the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). Work with your employees to find out how they learn the best.

“Mentoring” was also found very effective in that report, especially as the term is no longer narrowly defined as a one-on-one relationship with private study. Although that’s the way most people think of it, mentoring is now understood as an ongoing process wherein more experienced employees or managers help the less experienced. It can be done individually or in groups – the important thing is learning!

A culture of learning

After investing time and money creating FCP experts to work with AJA Io HD rentals on vital projects, you need to keep them. Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and other firms that have invested heavily in mentoring and training have discovered that effective programs nurture leaders, reduce learning costs and help retain valuable employees. If you want to customize your own training, companies like MediaPro offer programs, procedures and tools to do so. But there’s free help, too.

SCORE (Service Corps Of Retired Executives) has 13,000+ mentors in over 500 fields, making it the premier source of free business advice for small businesses. You can connect with them any which way – in person, by e-mail or on the phone. For a group, you can even set up video conference calls on large-screen plasma rentals (one for a small group, or several for a large group). SCORE’s Web site is full of resources, old-time smarts and new ideas. Did we mention it’s all free?

CRE’s expert Account Executives always have new ideas for you, too, whether you need potent Mac Pro rentals or the comprehensive attention of our event production specialists. Whatever your project, simply call or e-mail for assistance, or help yourself with the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need. Our job is to help you get your jobs done, whatever it takes.

We have reported on collaborative workflows, as well as apps for smart phones and iPad rentals that allow review and markup of project files – PDFs, MS Office documents and more. The challenge is no longer primarily technological, as the barriers that used to exist between different document types and Operating Systems (OS) are pretty much gone. The challenge is not dealing with too few tools, but too many. This is where good management comes in.

Communication is key

Virtual teams, of course, have to do real work, but management can now construct teams without regard to employee location, choosing the best people rather than the closest ones. Of course, the “cloud” that everyone is talking about (including us…tech forecast is for clouds) is a global one, so getting everyone connected to the right workflow is no longer a 1980s nightmare. For the project manager, it’s about establishing protocols for scheduling, creating, editing and finalizing the work across time zones and borders (those antiquated things).

The availability of great iMac rentals, mobile work platforms of all kinds and true “pocket PCs” does not negate the need for strong leadership – which experts insist must include (you guessed it) good communication skills. Therefore, your initial focus should be to set up your virtual team with simple, stable, fault-tolerant procedures for staying in touch with (a) the cloud-based project files and (b) each other.

Virtual team, real work

Like the headline says, virtual teams really can do real (and vital) work. Establish your protocols and make sure everyone can access the files, mark them up with comments and get in touch with one another. No longer must you ensure that they all have the same computer, OS or program – today’s tools are, like the cloud itself, “cross platform.” Whether team members use one of CRE’s potent PC computer rentals, an Android tablet or a Blackberry phone, they can see the files and add their two (or three) cents.

If you are getting your wires crossed trying to set up a virtual team, CRE Rentals can make sense of it for you. Whether you’re setting up a global team, or equipping a branch office with everything from PCs to office equipment rentals, CRE is your solution. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or tell us what you need with the Quick Rental Quote form. Either way, we’re ready to help right now!

The PC side

On PCs, that “90% of all computer problems” phrase means that your computer likely suffers from one or more of the following conditions: a fragmented hard drive; Windows registry errors and improper settings; too many programs loading at startup; and adware, spyware, malware and viruses. Bad RAM, dying hard drives, faulty motherboards and other serious problems cause the 10% of cases that require expert repairs.

CRE computer rentals, of course, arrive in perfect working order, but there’s no magic involved, just the generally accepted PC regimen: Use a decent defragmenter (the one that comes with Windows is notoriously bad); use a registry cleaner; get your startup routine in order; and use a well-rated tool for removing adware, spyware, malware and viruses. If you don’t have time to study all the alternatives, a recent PCmag.com article discusses the best maintenance and tune-up tools.

On the Mac

One recurring problem with Mac OS X is programs crashing (freezing). It can happen even with well-maintained iMac rentals, but the solution is easy – press Command-Option-Escape or choose Force Quit from the Apple menu, and select the unresponsive program from the resulting list. Forcing a crashed program to quit will rarely affect other programs or the OS itself, and the application should run fine when restarted. If your Mac is beginning to slow down and feel sluggish, on the other hand, it could be many things – but remember, the chances are nine out of 10 that the problem is among the basic ones we’re discussing here.

At least 20% of your hard drive should be free space (with Windows, too). Check yours by highlighting the drive icon in the Finder and pressing Command-I (Get Info). If there’s not enough free space, throw out garbage, offload files and/or buy a bigger hard drive (internal or external). You also may need to repair permissions, which you do with the Disk Utility program. This application will also “verify” your drives and “repair” a number of common problems with files and volume structures. The same problems that can crash an iMac can bring down the mighty Mac Pro rentals, too – but never fear, Disk Utility comes on every Mac.

Bottom line reminders

If you learn the basic steps in this article, and read the other instructional blogs that we publish regularly, soon enough you will only have to worry about the 10% of computer problems that require expert intervention. Speaking of experts, our Account Executives are ready to reply right now to your call or e-mail. Of course, you can use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need.

Get the facts

There is no reason to worry about the non-problem of EMFs, specifically, or your office workplace in general. According to the National Safety Council, you are “safer at work [than] at home.” If you wish to put your mind at ease about EMFs, there are many Web sites, like EMF Safety Network, that have all the information you need. As for the other (and real) safety concerns for office workers, here’s what you should watch out for in today’s office environment:

Falling

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says falls are by far the most common workplace accidents and cause the most disabling injuries. Interestingly, office workers are up to 2.5 times more likely to be disabled by falling than non-office workers. The most common causes of falls are tripping (furniture, cords and cables, loose flooring, rugs), using a chair instead of a ladder and slipping on wet floors. Whether in the office or at your trade show booth with CRE office equipment rentals, make sure to reduce risks by properly positioning and securing cables and cords.

Lifting

Lifting even light objects incorrectly can cause injury to your neck, back and shoulders, so know your limits. You should lift things correctly by squatting to the floor and using your thigh muscles (not your back) to rise up, keeping your back straight and holding loads close to your body (don’t twist or contort your limbs). You won’t injure yourself setting up CRE plasma rentals at your trade show booth because we handle setup and breakdown for you, and that goes for any of our convention rentals. Safe and easy.

Office obstacles

Office workers are also hit by objects and bump into things. This includes running into desks, things falling off shelves, dropping items on feet, etc. Over time, too, bad workstation and chair design can cause preventable musculoskeletal problems.

Yes, there are real dangers in the office, but they don’t include cell phones and laptop rentals. There is zero evidence of harm from these devices, while paper cutters and extension cords cause cuts and sprains all the time. Focus on prevention, and you will fare better – but focus on the right things, not the latest scare stories.

Our focus, of course, is on you – equipping and empowering you to blast through production bottlenecks or blow away your breakout session audience. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and let’s get it done.

One very important benefit of CRE computer rentals, like all our high-tech rentals, is a straightforward financial one: You save money. If you need render farm rentals a few times per month, purchasing the equipment is not a good investment for you. You have to maintain it, repair it and upgrade it – and ultimately you have to replace it. It’s a costly cycle. For monthly training sessions, getting a dozen or 20 iMac rentals is a bargain compared to buying the computers to sit idle most of the time.

The dismal science

Every business has a unique situation with respect to equipment needs, budgets, production demands and so forth. Yet no matter what your needs, CRE has you covered. As just one example of the real-world edge CRE offers, we know that your marketing and trade show dollars need to go farther and do more than ever. CRE convention rentals will bring your exhibit area to life.

You could have your interactive product demos running on touchscreen LCD monitor rentals, or stop passers-by and show them the same thing on the bright, colorful screen of our iPad rentals. Send some of your team members around the conference center, with iPads or even tablet PC rentals, and they can stay in touch with Wi-Fi, capture information from attendees, show product videos or PDF brochures, and check work e-mail. Work efficiently, follow your plan, remain positive – and you will stretch that budget.

Micro and macro

On the micro level – you, your company – it’s easy to see the benefits of CRE for everything from the aforementioned tech gear to office equipment rentals. There’s lower capital investment, reduced production overhead and predictable expenses. On the macro level – everyone else, the rest of the planet – CRE rentals are a nice shade of green. With multiple production companies, studios and animators using potent Mac Pro with Kona Card rentals just when they need them, there is no “inefficient ownership.”

CRE offers efficient rentals to counter the inefficiencies that some businesses experience with costly hardware that needs continuous upgrading. Whether it’s one of our Xserve RAID rentals or a slick way of enhancing your small firm’s presence in a cavernous conference center, we’re ready to equip you for whatever it is that you need to do. Call or e-mail an Account Executive and we’ll show you how efficient and effective CRE service and support can be.