Apple scores the most headlines, but far more people in the world use Windows PCs than Macintoshes. 2011 brought speed increases for buyers of some new PC and Mac models, but progress by Intel was nearly canceled out by the flop of AMD’s so-called “Intel-killer” chip, nicknamed Bulldozer. Still, Intel helped the iMac achieve power rankings in Mac Pro territory with the latest, third-generation “Core-i” chips.

Ironically, now that a basic PC desktop computer rental can sport a high-end CPU – and since AMD is no competition – speed gains are no longer Intel’s “goal #1.” The newest Core i7, the fastest PC processor ever, is only marginally speedier than its predecessor. Even with two of its six cores turned off, it powers some iMacs past a Mac Pro rental in speed tests. That’s why Apple is reconsidering the future of its tower models (more in an upcoming blog).

What’s coming in 2012?

The modest progress in CPU power was widely expected, but so too were advances in graphics processors – and Android tablets were going to take over the world at $99, remember? For 2012, the following developments seem likely:

• CPUs will take a back seat to GPUs (Graphics Processor Units);

• Android tablet makers will finally field a worthy competitor to the  mighty iPad rental; and

• light, thin laptops from numerous makers – with SSDs (Solid State Drives)  – will try to knock off the “original Ultrabook,” the MacBook Air.

The CPU/GPU scene

There won’t be a big increase in core count or clock speed in 2012, with the former number maxing out at four (“quad-core”) and the latter at 3.5GHz (3.9 with Turbo). But potent integrated graphics means speedy encoding times, and images will get to plasma display rentals or other high-end monitors with greater speed, resolution and clarity.

Summarizing PC hardware trends for 2012, we expect to see:

• the race for the fastest PC chip to slow down, as Intel’s Core i7 outperforms the competition even with two of six cores turned off;

• graphics performance to make gains in 2012, meaning Apple Cinema Display rentals will look better, react faster, reproduce color more accurately and use less electricity; and

• the new Ultrabook form factor to pack desktop power into an under-two-pound, half-inch thick form factor. (If you want to see the future now, check out the Asus Zenbook. More on Ultrabooks in Part 2.)

At CRE, we serve experts in post-production who need render farms and other high-end gear, just as we serve marketing managers who need trade show convention rentals. If you know what you need, use our Quick Rental Quote form. But if you need help to overcome today’s bottlenecks – and prepare for tomorrow’s – then one call or e-mail puts you in touch with an expert Account Executive. Just let us know how can we help!

Watch for PC Progress in 2012, Part 2 on Thursday, May 17th.

It’s hard to make predictions about technology trends, killer apps or which Palo Alto start up will be the next Google. Even when we go real slow and simply review products “in the pipeline” – as we did in the two-part “10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012″ last August – it is still hard to forecast accurately.

It gets even harder when Apple is involved. The most successful, respected, innovative and admired brand in the world is the subject of literally thousands of blogs, magazines, websites, user forums and conferences. No matter how hard you work to sort through the rumors and hype, it’s tough going and never-ending. Now that the CRE iPad rental is the latest and greatest from Cupertino, Apple fans have turned their attention to the next big deal, iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 rumors abound

The iPhone 5, of course, was developed alongside the model christened the iPhone 4S. MacRumors.com and other top Apple watchers seem fairly certain about a release date of “early summer”. Interestingly, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is in San Francisco this year from June 11-15, and it has seen many key product announcements, including MacBook Pro rental introduced last year.

The iPhone 5 rumors range from ludicrous (a new length of four inches!) to such safe bets as iCloud integration. The form factor is set, so it’s all about ensuring that the iPhone’s software and hardware continue to “mature” so that the device — like iPads, the iPod touch, the iMac and other Apple computers – is fully functional in Apple’s iCloud environment. As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, such as “Cloud of Confusion?” in January, “total connectivity” is the mantra of the moment, so the new iPhone will have GSM, CDMA and LTE network compatibility. The final prediction is for dual 8MP cameras.

A little surprise, perhaps?

Among the “iffier” rumors, Apple is alleged to be working on a low-cost “mini iPhone” connected to iCloud. One imaginative blogger  likens the concept to a “nano phone” that is specifically targeting a young demographic that expects low prices on high tech. An A5 dual-core processor with a clock speed of around 1.2-1.5 GHz – the “CPU class” and power level equivalent to a tablet PC rentals – will supposedly power the small phone, whose flash memory storage capacity is thought to be 1GB. But who knows? It’s a rumor, right?

Sometimes it’s hard to separate rumors from facts, but at CRE we do that every single day. We try to keep you informed, and we run our business to keep you productive. Whether you need a range of trade show convention rentals or some mass storage for a video project or post-production task, a single e-mail or call does it all. In a hurry? Head to our aptly named Quick Rental Quote page and tell us what you need.

The National Real Estate On­Line Convention and Exposition in April 2002 is typically cited as the world’s first “virtual conference.” Produced by the Real Estate CyberSpace Society, it attracted 10,000 pre-registered real estate professionals from 28 countries and drew another 15,000 “online walk-ins” over the event’s five days.

In 2009, one Microsoft division made its annual industry analyst event a virtual one. Sessions streamed over the web, meetings between executives and customers took place via tablet PC rentals, and the keynote featured slides with LiveMeeting. Surely one of the premier tech firms of all time would revolutionize the virtual conference, right? Wrong. Seven years after the first one, virtual conferences just weren’t catching on, although they’re starting to now.

Psychology, not video conferencing technology

After a decade of declining prices for videoconferencing technology – plasma display rentals, wall-sized screens and media-friendly computers – it turns out that it’s not technology, but psychology, that is holding up progress. User forums and corporate networks have their share of rants, raves and predictions (“Real-time 3D full-wall HD surround-sound conferencing coming soon!”) but much of the talk is about “intangibles.”

A common refrain is that there is “no substitute for personal interaction,” and that talking is still more efficient than iMessaging with an iPad rental. People pay attention to much more than the words they’re hearing, too, reading body language, interpreting “vibes” and observing how folks relate to one another. If you reflect on the number of intriguing conversations you’ve had in hallways, elevators and lunch lines, you know the intrinsic value of informal conversations.

Characteristics of virtual conferences

Virtual conferences save on obvious costs like air fare, hotels, dining and so forth, but you will still need event production rentals – just different ones than usual. Still, before there can be successful, smooth-running virtual conferences, they have to evolve the following characteristics:

• Excellent planning and execution. A virtual conference is a big, complicated production. Don’t underestimate the effort.

• Fail-safe technology. Streaming media is great, but everything needs to work regardless of what the attendees bring to the event (MacBook, PC laptop, smart phone).

• New model. There is still no consensus on the best model for virtual conferencing, although “informative” and “interactive” are two buzzwords that echo across the Internet. (Ideas, anyone?)

Perhaps in 2012 we will finally see the emergence of a workable virtual conferencing model. Most people need to be engaged and drawn into the action, but how this will get done virtually is still a mystery. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted as “virtual” turns into “reality” in the conference industry.

Here’s a dose of reality for you: CRE is your one-stop shop for trade show convention rentals, high-tech and high-powered post-production gear, potent laptops and desktop PCs, Macs, mass storage and more. A single call or e-mail, or a trip to our Quick Rental Quote page, puts an expert Account Executive to work solving your problem. Call now!

Microsoft has gradually taken the wraps off Windows 8, the most recent version of its flagship operating system (OS). Windows 8 is the first “MS OS” to be developed from the ground up for multiple devices – your laptop, that PC desktop computer rental, various tablets, big-name smart phones and who knows what else down the line (your refrigerator?). You can get a preview version of the OS online and use it until the final product is released late this year.

Microsoft “spokesfolks” describe the current pre-release version of Windows 8 as “a work in progress [that] will change before the final release,” advising those who install the trial to expect “hiccups and bugs.” Companies that distribute “beta” and “consumer preview” releases count on getting a lot of feedback – via user forums, blog posts and telemetry – for refining the final product. There is a little feedback trickling in, and it is cautiously optimistic. Let’s check it out.

OS mash-up?

Windows 8 strikes some as a “crazy quilt combo” of the iPad, classic desktop Windows, Windows Phone and Microsoft’s Metro interface. The tile layout is meant to appeal to folks that have adopted and adapted to the uncluttered interface of the latest smart phones and iPad rental. The Redmond firm clearly wants this new, growing generation of multi-device users to see Windows 8 as a common interface.

That common interface comes in three versions. The newest member of the family is Windows RT, optimized for use on a tablet or all-in-one multitouch display PC with such “touch-optimized” software as OneNote, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. With a lean, clean interface and excellent battery-power management, Windows RT is what you’ll run on your new ARM-powered tablet.

Not your Daddy’s Windows OS

The standard package, Windows 8, is headed for most people’s laptops and desktops as the successor to Windows 7, with Internet Explorer 10, built-in access to the new Windows Store and all the flexibility most users need. Windows 8 Pro, for serious business users and geeks, ups the ante with virtualization, encryption, network management and domain connectivity. Finally, Windows Media Center – with expanded capabilities for controlling external devices like A/V (audio visual) equipment rentals – is a simple “media pack” add-on to Windows 8 Pro.

This isn’t your Daddy’s (or Mommy’s) Windows OS. Windows 8 was developed to combine standard desktop components with new-fangled elements from the parallel world of pads, tablet PC rentals and phones. Tiles, finger swipes, icons and apps, the touch-driven interface – these are among the new threads that tie everything together in Windows 8. Microsoft execs have not announced a precise release date for Windows 8, but they’re smart, so expect it in the fall, right on time for holiday shopping.

CRE is always right on time, too, with everything from event production rentals to special, high-powered post-production technology like  render farms and mass storage. One call or e-mail, or a trip to our Quick Rental Quote form, gets it all going! Call now!

CRE Rentals offers its technology gadget roundup featuring bendable phones, a digital music player and the first “couch mouse”.

(Left to Right: Digital Music System, “Couch” Mouse, Bendable Phone)

Nokia Kinetic

The flexible touchscreen is one of those “futuretech” ideas that has been “just around the corner” for years. Numerous firms are apparently rounding the turn now, as “flexible phone” ideas are sprouting up everywhere. Cell phone giant Nokia has a concept model dubbed Kinetic that interprets bends and twists of the display, in addition to finger gestures, as commands. Finally, Samsung announced that it would have a smart phone and/or tablet with such a screen, perhaps even an AMOLED one, “sometime in 2012.”

With tablet PC rentals available for years, some folks wonder why it took so long to get from that form factor to the iPad-type tablet of today. The CPUs and other components of 2001 A.D. would have supported such a design, but screen technology continued to lag. Still, the time between renderings of futuristic concepts and deliveries of retail-ready products is getting shorter. Keep your eyes peeled for a bendy-twisty phone in the coming year.

BeoSound 5 Encore

Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that makes boutique audiophile products that are beautifully designed, made of expensive materials and priced in the stratosphere. Their new BeoSound 5 Encore  is a digital music system that sports a high-resolution 10.4-inch display and provides just about every way to connect and play tunes – from external hard disks and USB flash drives to Bluetooth from your iMac or Internet streaming. Be the first on your block!

GlideTV Navigator

With the proliferation of “media center” computers and Home Theatre PCs (HTPCs) came an awful lot of lousy remote controls. Filling the need in the consumer tech aftermarket for good ones are products like the GlideTV Navigator. The firm is trying to promote its term “couch mouse” as a hip new addition to computer slang (well, maybe), but that’s not a bad description of a device that has a trackpad in the middle, flanked by some music- and media-related buttons.

With USB ports on about every PC desktop computer rental and Macintosh made since the end of the 20th century, this hand-sized gadget’s wireless USB dongle will give you control over your tunes, videos and other media in mere minutes. Some of the reviews at alatest.com refer to previous versions of the Navigator, but the overall ratings average is over 4 on a scale of 5. It’s worth a look (even an on-couch test drive) if the lame four-button dinosaur that came with your Boxee or WD Media Hub is denying you your unalienable right to effortless entertainment!

Need some plasma display rentals for that upcoming conference? Some energy-efficient iMacs for that new marketing campaign? One call or e-mail puts an experienced Account Executive to work finding the right solutions for your unique challenges. Or, if you know what you need, visit the Quick Rental Quote form and be on your way in mere minutes!

There is always a sense of both excitement and dread when Adobe announces the development of a new product. It’s exciting because Adobe has great products that have helped the firm corner the market for high-end photo-and-image software (Photoshop) and dominate the publishing world (InDesign). These are two superb programs, running on everything from plain vanilla PCs to the beefiest customized Mac Pro rental around.

Of course, the other members of Adobe’s Creative Suite, soon to be at version CS6, are also heavyweights in their respective categories – Illustrator for design, Acrobat for PDFs and Dreamweaver for websites. But Adobe has also put dread in the hearts of its customers by showing signs of “Microsoft Frontpage-itis,” a condition characterized by a dumbing down of software.

With the introduction of Muse, yet another website program, comments in the blogosphere are gaining in number as well as negativity.

Who’s the target?

It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Muse is aimed at Microsoft Frontpage level users, people who (1) don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on a top-of-the-line program like Adobe’s own Dreamweaver, and/or (2) will never, ever learn HTML. Muse will compete with Apple’s iWeb, MS Frontpage and a slew of other paint-by-the-numbers website makers from Intuit, Coffee Cup Software and Xara. Adobe will differentiate the product by offering more control, precision placement and power user options. Differentiation and branding in its own product line will be a bit tougher.

Available until release (late 2012?) as a free beta download, Muse is aimed at non-coding web designers who want to work in a powerful WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment. “Earth to Adobe, Earth to Adobe: You already have that capability in Dreamweaver!” In Adobe’s existing web program, Dreamweaver CS5, you can split the screen to show both the code and the design preview, or work in one or the other. Like some of the self-contained online site builders, Dreamweaver is an advanced program, but beginners can get decent results with practice.

Rare Adobe misfire?

In fact, if Dreamweaver were just a bit more user-friendly, it could arguably command more market share. What is the compelling case for Muse? Inquiring minds want to know – but will have to wait, perhaps until Muse is headed toward version 2.0. As presently constituted, it is not quite entry-level and certainly not advanced. It’s as if a post-production pro were using floppies (but nice, new multicolored ones) instead of an Xserve RAID for mass storage: Sure, you can do it, but why would you?

We could ask you the same question when it’s time to rent laptops or get state-of-the-art trade show convention rentals. Why would you go anywhere else but CRE? One simple call puts an experienced, expert Account Executive on the job for you. And your visit to the Quick Rental Quote page can get you set up in mere minutes. We’re here, ready to help!

In a slow economy, management takes a hard look at all expenses. Some firms choose to rent laptops rather than buy them, and make other cost-effective changes, but should resist zeroing out the marketing budget. It seems counter-intuitive, but a recession can be an excellent time to inject some fresh thinking into your marketing efforts.

Here are six top tips for marketing in recessionary times.

1. Do an e-mail newsletter. Every modern iMac and Windows PC has an e-mail program with easy-to-use templates (“stationery”), so you don’t need design chops. Keeping the message short, focused and useful increases the likelihood that it will be forwarded (a good thing). However you assemble your mailing list, put an opt-out message in the footer of the newsletter.

2. Revisit your Rolodex. If there are still names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses buried in your business card pile and old paper-based Rolodex, it’s way past time to get them into your computer’s Address Book. Make a habit of visiting your (digital) Rolodex regularly.

3. Update and upgrade. When business is slow, especially in small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), some “free time” should be invested in your online presence. Whether you’re using Facebook as a business portal, working the “circles” in Google+ or doing a blog on the new all-in-one multitouch display PC, the Internet has a nearly limitless number of ways to connect, promote – and prevail!

4. Volunteer and contribute. Whether you are a creative pro that uses our AJA Io HD rental in post-production, or a CPA that “counts the beans” in the company coffers, you have valuable skills. Consider volunteering, on a one-shot or ongoing basis, at a local nonprofit. Share your corporate know-how, lend a helping hand and meet all kinds of people. You never know what it might lead to.

5. Start a breakfast meeting. One or two breakfasts each week – with former clients, current colleagues, even future competitors – can keep you abreast of potential opportunities. Take along a MacBook for written and/or verbal notes, and if you keep things interesting and useful, you could be moving from a table for two to the banquet room real soon.

6. Search offline, too. If you save all your e-mail (by archiving or using Gmail), and hang on to Post-It notes and inked-up napkins, then you should search all of it – there’s no telling what might spark a new idea. Notions that didn’t make sense at a certain time or in a certain context might be just right for today’s – or tomorrow’s – challenges.

To meet your big challenges – in post-production, at trade shows or with corporate presentations – you need the best tools and techniques. Simply call or e-mail CRE Rentals and an experienced Account Executive will assist you, or use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need. We’re always ready with the right solution – right now!

Most people know that the fourth dimension is time, and a few even follow the meanderings of string theory, which posits 11 dimensions (this week, anyway). But it’s the 3D world that everyone is talking about now, especially as it pertains to  new display technology (and even newer printing methods). Here’s a quick update on the 3D technology that most of us will be using soon enough, if we’re not already.

Monitors and displays

Samsung released the first “3D ready” television in early 2007, and the first 3D plasma model in 2008. Viewsonic then debuted the first LCD computer monitor in 2009, and by 2010 the big “consumer tech” firms had launched a tidal wave of 3D models. There is now a wide range of consumer 3D TVs available from scores of manufacturers, as well as 3D displays even being considered for new versions of all-in-one multitouch display PC models.

More than a few tech pundits predicted a huge, immediate market for 3D TVs and monitors. The actual results have been underwhelming. Media professionals working on 3D models for animation or product design – the sort that use the AJA HD IO and other high-end gear – have a true need for a 3D display. Most graphic designers, and the overwhelming majority of “average” computer users, do not. For growth in this sector, watch the TV makers.

Printers

“Additive Manufacturing” (AM) is the industry term for “3D printing,” a new technology that could gross over $5 billion worldwide by 2020. Low-cost 3D printers span the professional and consumer markets, and their gradual introduction over the past several years has brought additive manufacturing into the mainstream more than anything else. 3D printers made by the same “biggies” that make some of our printer rentals have made the new technology accessible to hobbyists, entrepreneurs, students, researchers and inventors.

Glasses

3D viewing still requires the use of special glasses. Initially, manufacturers made proprietary ones that worked only with their own products (and possibly with similar models from other makers). The “Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative” is a new consortium of “entertainment giants” – Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and others – that hopes to replace a slew of incompatible glasses with ones based on the “Xpand 3D” standard. This new standard is expected to proliferate on everything from high-end digital theater screens to plasma display rentals.

From high-end post-production gear to the best in trade show convention rentals, our expert Account Executives have a solution for you. With a simple call or e-mail, or a visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, you’ll find us ready, willing and able! Call now!

In Top Security Threats in 2012, Part 1 of 2, we discussed the increasing number of targeted attacks on websites and servers in 2011. Today’s, lets focus on social media threats and mobile mayhem.

Social media scams

Social media is among the primary means by which consumers and businesses communicate, do business, interact and share on the Internet. This makes social sites virtual magnets for criminal types. When the original iMac debuted, makers of cheap PCs immediately copied the colorful design to capitalize on Apple’s resurgence. In the same way, much of the current crop of malicious spam mimics the “look and feel” of such leading social networking sites as LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and, increasingly, Google+.

Scams on Facebook, in particular, spread by “likejacking,” where people are fooled into “liking” a page to make their Facebook walls available to the scammer for posting ads, porn promos or who-knows-what. Facebook alone will have over a billion users before long, logging on with phones, laptops, tablet PC rentals, game consoles and as-yet-unimagined wireless doodads. Despite ongoing improvements in security measures, the concentration of users and data on a handful of sites makes an irresistible target. Expect more of the same scams, along with some new ones, in 2012.

Mobile mayhem

With social media such an inviting target, malware targeting social media will increase, especially as millions more people buy tablets, rent laptops or log on to social media from even the cheapest cell phones. In addition to stealing data, malware can also track a device’s location, a serious new risk to child safety. And personal photos on most devices get stamped with the time as well as GPS coordinates of where the picture was taken, revealing more than you may wish to share.

The primary concern with mobile malware is the vulnerability, as well as the technical ignorance, of average users. In most companies, PCs are maintained by an IT department (one person or 100, depending on the size of the firm) that handles everything from operations and upgrades to networks and security. But if employees use their own mobile devices to access, use and store corporate data, some security teams may not even know. Companies must expand their security policies to control access to company networks by mobile devices. This may just be the most serious security threat for the year ahead.

If the year ahead holds production and/or post-production challenges for your firm, CRE can help you strategize just the right solutions from our industry-leading inventory of render farms, mass storage and other specialized gear. Plus, our rental equipment is tested to ensure security threats are eliminated.  One call or e-mail, or a visit to the Quick Rental Quote page, is all it takes!

As the Internet and other modern communications technologies continue evolving, so too do the various security threats. With every new laptop or PC desktop computer rental, it seems there’s also another new virus or identity-theft scam. Now a report from the experts at M86 Security Labs predicts the top Internet security threats for 2012, the first three of which continue trends that emerged in 2011: targeted attacks, social media threats and mobile malware.

Recent history

In 2011, targeted attacks increased dramatically over previous years, lighting up the mass media headlines with well publicized hits on RSA, Sony and Lockheed. With the incredible growth of social media, cybercriminals have developed sophisticated, legit-looking scams on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to steal users’ personal and financial data and, as usual, spread some more malware around.

With so many tablets, iPad rentals and smart phones around, perhaps the most troubling security trend is malware that exploits weaknesses in wireless/mobile devices, turning them into bots, infiltrating mobile applications and stealing data. With people now using their personal devices at work, cybercrooks can kill two birds with one stone and potentially get both personal and corporate information through a single, vulnerable device.

What’s in store for individuals and companies in 2012? The full report from M86 (PDF) details the top 10 web and e-mail threats that their experts expect to see this year, but today lets focus on targeted attacks (in Part 2, we will discuss social media threats and mobile malware).

Targeted attacks

Until the last few years, incidents of targeted attacks were rarely made public, as corporate victims preferred not to advertise their weaknesses. However, such “hacktivist” groups as LulzSec and Anonymous happily report on their nefarious deeds. Also, since there are now many more Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) being used against corporate and governmental targets, Internet “battles” and “cyberwars” are regulars in the news.

In 2011, a series of attacks forced Sony to shut down its PlayStation service for long enough to lose lots of money (and even more credibility, since confidential user information was obtained). A cyber-attack on Lockheed-Martin may have resulted in the theft of fighter jet blueprints. Armed with no more than a Linux netbook, a PC laptop or a MacBook Pro, a hacker can cause real chaos, and real easily, so you should expect more attacks via APTs in 2012 – and more of them being launched against big corporate targets.

Remember when you rent post-production computers to trade show convention rentals, our rental equipment has been tested to avoid these sorts of security threats.  With a simple call or e-mail, or a visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, you’ll find us ready to help with the right solutions, right now!

Read Part 2 of Top Security Threats featuring social media threats and mobile malware on Thursday, April 12, 2012.