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China, Electronics Superstore of the FutureSeptember 2nd, 2010At the end of the year, China will become only the third nation ever to boast a $5 trillion economy. The nation is on track to have a 2010 economy worth some $5.36 trillion, behind the U.S. ($14.2 trillion) and slightly ahead of Japan ($5.06 trillion), which it will knock from the number two spot. China’s economic future will affect the whole planet, and every industry from autos to electronics. Computers and electronics China’s economy has grown at breakneck speed for the last 15 years, with the growth rate for the first two quarters of 2010 being downright supersonic. Electronics, computer and communications firms are well represented among China’s top 100 firms, about 30 of which have annual revenues over $1 billion. The largest, named Legend Holdings – the firm that bought IBM’s Lenovo laptop lines – had almost $18 billion in sales for 2006, the most recent year for figures.
The new Japan? From the 1950s through the 1980s, Japan was America’s chief economic rival in certain core industries like computers and semiconductors. A slew of books were published with various predictions of just how fast the Land of the Rising Sun would leave the U.S. in the dust. In 1987, Japan was selling American firms 1MB memory chips for about $400. (If you were to max out the RAM on one of CRE’s iMac rentals at that price, it would cost you $6.4 million for 16GB.) In the late 1980s, newspapers reported economic gloom and doom for the U.S. and proof of Japan’s ascendancy. A decade later and Japan’s economy was toast. Japan squandered all the headway it made in the 1980s and 1990s by strangling its own economy over the last 15 years or so. As the Japanese started their long slide, China was still mainly an outsourcing destination, for getting your widgets mass produced at a good price. Since then, however, China has grown into a nation full of entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators, and everyone knows it: Apple, Oracle, IBM and every other forward-looking U.S. firm has one, three or half a dozen Chinese partners or vendors. What next? On the practical level, expect more and more digital gear to be manufactured (and designed) in China. Before long, Chinese firms will likely be supplying CRE with some of its LCD monitor rentals, and providing American consumers with the digital gear and gadgets needed for both work and play. Who says? In July of this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that total annual growth by the end of 2010 would be 3.3% for the U.S. and 2.4% for Japan. The same report predicts a 2010 growth of 10.5% for China. CRE recognizes a good performer when it sees one, whether it’s an industry, a product or a process. Whether you need top-performing Mac Pro rentals or the extra digital horsepower of AJA Io HD rentals, contact our experienced Account Executives or fill out the Quick Rental Quote online form. We are top performers, too, and when you need our support and expertise, you’ll get our very best, very fast! Tech and Gadget Lovers Unite for Gizmodo DayAugust 19th, 2010For fans of high technology, from hardworking devices like CRE’s Xserve rentals to hard-playing iPads, there is always a good reason to celebrate. Combine this kind of energetic tech love with social networking (another great love affair for a few hundred million folks) and what do you get? You get an opportunity to talk geek-speak with other fluent speakers and use your computer, smart phone or other favorite communications device to text, talk, tweet and e-mail in concert with tech-lovers all over this shrinking globe. Tech day for the globe Gizmodo is a popular and well-respected technology site (they insist on calling it a blog, but that seems a little too humble) that has been covering every electronics-, computer- and future-oriented subject for serious gadget-lovers since 2002. And despite arguments you might get from the entrenched denizens of the rapidly fading print media, Gizmodo is also a journalistic enterprise. Its staff and contributors have nailed some big scoops, making the news most recently by buying and blogging about an iPhone 4 prototype that an Apple employee left behind at a bar. (This led to the editor’s house being raided and searched by the authorities, by the way.) Gizmodo’s content is linked to and republished around the globe in, at last count, eight languages. Gizmodo’s London, New York and San Francisco staffers organized “meetups” for precisely 7PM (EDT) on the 11th, while loyal readers and fellow conspirators organized them in scores of countries around the world. You can probably guess that there are zillions of tech enthusiasts in such hardwired places as L.A., the Big Apple, Hong Kong and Amsterdam (and #1 Seoul, of course), so there were meetups in all languages and cultural settings. The overriding thing that tied everyone together, of course, was love for things like the latest Android devices. Because of its own avant garde image, Apple and its products were also popular topics of conversation, especially the recent Macintosh upgrades (by the way, CRE rents iMacs and other models) and the camera-equipped iPad 2.0 that is supposedly “on the way.” Great Gizmodo gallery People were able to RSVP via the Gizmodo site’s meetup links, and also showed their colors on Facebook, followed faraway events on Twitter and enjoyed what Gizmodo itself termed “equal-opportunity social-media sharing.” The final tallies about participation will be a bit longer in coming, but estimates suggest that there were almost 400 meetups worldwide and some 1500 RSVPs from over 70 countries – and lots of folks sent pictures, too. At CRE, we know and love technology, too, and make it our goal to keep you both informed about it and supplied with it. Whether it’s one of our great plasma rentals for an exhibit booth, or a breakout session setup including our Audience Response System rentals, we’ve got what you need for conventions, conferences and corporate meetings. We also outfit many of the Southland’s film and TV production and post-production firms with the Mac Pro rentals and other high-power tools they need to do their magic. Contact one of our Account Executives, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll do some of our own special magic for you, too. Apple iPhone Unlocked: More Power Unleashed?August 5th, 2010
With locked devices, iPhone users were only able to use apps from Apple, while developers had to get their software pre-approved by the Cupertino firm. Apple can still choose to disable jailbroken iPhones – with “hunter-killer” upgrades to the iOS, the iPhone/iPad/iPod touch operating system – but users are exempt from legal liability for unlocking them. Consumers become empowered In addition to jailbreaking, other new exemptions will allow iPhone and other smartphone owners to, among other things, defeat the access controls that tie their phones to a single carrier and bypass the defense systems of apps (often games) to plug security holes. The exemptions are considered a big victory by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which had urged the Library of Congress to base all rules on the simple principle that consumers actually own the high-tech devices that they buy, and should be allowed, even empowered, to modify them. The biggest change will be the arrival of scores of new apps that users can try out, whether a phone’s maker likes it or not. If you are an iPhone aficionado, it is not just about your movie-watching and game-playing. There will be a surge of R&D for apps that turn smartphones into masters of short-range control as well as long-distance calling. Smartphones can be very capable handheld controllers for presentations at conferences and three fairly mature technologies are key. Wireless technologies for communication The three most widely used short-range communications and control protocols are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and IR (infrared). Apps built for these communication channels will, one day soon, control entire racks of audiovisual rentals from up close, upstairs or half-a-world away. With unlocked phones, even proprietary apps can be developed for a firm’s own private use, while there will likely be a lot of new goodies at Apple’s App Store (and, in the post-jailbreak era, other companies’ stores, too). You can count on all kinds of developers to come up with all kinds of different ideas to give you control over all kinds of diverse devices. With the proliferation of unlocked smart phones and further tech advances with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and IR, it won’t be long before you’ll be reprogramming your interactive kiosk rentals with a smartphone, or using your iPad to control a media player showing your presentation on one of CRE’s plasma rentals. Technology news is breaking 24/7, worldwide, and we will keep you posted on things that will help you work smarter and get better results. Smartphones are not toys to us, but powerful business tools. And when you need trade show rentals or office equipment rentals, CRE is a tool, too – your personal tool for getting the job done, whatever it is. Complete the Quick Rental Quote form, and let us know what we can help you get done. Today, tomorrow or whenever you need us, we’ll be right here – and ready! New iMacs and Other Apple GadgetsAugust 3rd, 2010Apple has done it again – and again! The Cupertino company just recently announced updates to the Mac Pros, but that was just the start, apparently. It has also retooled its iMacs, introduced some “insanely great” accessories and debuted a new, improved LED Cinema Display. Apple has been criticized in the past for over-hyping some relatively underwhelming product changes, but every one of the recent product introductions has been certifiable Big News. New and potent iMacs rental
The base 21.5-inch iMac has a 3.06 GHz Core i3 processor, an ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics card, 4 GB of RAM, a capacious 500GB hard drive and an SD card slot that’s SDXC-compatible. The upscale 21.5-inch iMac begins with a 3.2 GHz Core i3 but has an upgrade path to a 3.6 GHz Core i5 unit – plenty of oomph for running Final Cut Pro with CRE’s Aja Io HD rentals. The 27-inch model’s base unit has the same 3.2 GHz Core i3 paired with an ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card, and has an optional 3.6 GHz Core i5. The 27-inch line-topping iMac has a 2.8 GHz Core i5 with an ATI Radeon HD 5750 graphics card, with an upgrade path to a 2.93 GHz Core i7 chip and even an optional 256GB Solid State Drive (SSD). This is the kind of power and speed that used to require Mac Pro rentals. Prefer a “real world measure” to the technical terms? Put it this way: Many functions are up to two or three times faster on these new iMacs. That’s some upgrade, and it means the work you actually do will get done faster. Other new Apple gadgets Along with your iMac, or any time after you buy it, you can get yourself the new Magic Trackpad (MT), a standalone version of the built-in MacBook and MacBook Pro trackpads. The MT is wireless, like the iMac’s keyboard and Mighty Mouse (MM), and allows users to make the same multi-finger, multi-touch gestures, including swipes and zoom-pinches. To support the MT, MM and the wireless keyboard Apple has released a Battery Charger with six rechargeable batteries to cycle in and out of the units that need them. Apple also introduced its new 27-inch LED Cinema Display, replacing both the 24- and 30-inch models. The new display is, like its predecessor, an LED backlit system that supports the Mini DisplayPort-equipped iMacs, minis, Mac Pros, MacBooks and MacBook Pros. With the same 2,560 x 1,440 resolution as the 27-inch iMacs, the display will be right at home with any Mac user on any platform. It will be available in September, when CRE will add it to our wide-ranging line of LCD monitor rentals and plasma rentals that offer you every type and size of large screen you could possibly need. You know that CRE has everything you could possibly need as far as anything computer-related, but we also have you covered with entertainment industry rentals and even office equipment rentals. Call or send an e-mail to our experienced Account Executives, or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form, and get what you need to get the job done. We’re here for you, to make sure it all gets done on time, on target and on budget. New Mac Pro: Apple’s Fastest Computer EverJuly 29th, 2010Apple may have dropped “Computer” from its corporate name – ostensibly to emphasize its “i” strengths, as in iTunes, iPods, iPads and iPhones – but the biggest news lately is all about their desktops and laptops. With new and scary-fast offerings in the Mac Pro, iMac and MacBook Pro lines, plus a new desktop Magic Trackpad and some iPhone happenings, there’s a lot to report. We’ll start today with the Mac Pro and work through the rest of the Apple crate in subsequent blogs.
The tremendous punch packed by the new Mac Pro makes it, once again, the fastest Mac available, after losing its top ranking some time back to a Core i7-equipped iMac. The new tower Mac can access up to 12 processing cores for 50% more performance, now fueled by up to 32GB of RAM. This makes the Mac Pro the prohibitive favorite for audio, video, animation and post-production, and will bring a new rush to working with HD or SD in Final Cut Pro when paired with CRE’s AJA Io HD rentals. Digital artists and content creators will feel like their spaceship got a new rocket or two whichever CPUs they choose – Intel’s quad- and six-core Xeon processors, the quad-core Xeon Nehalem or the Xeon Westmere with four or six cores. Apple claims buyers can choose from “1.3 billion possible configurations of the Mac Pro” when ordering, and it feels like about half of the options involve processors! Dual displays? Nope – six! The new Mac Pro maxes out, as stated above, at 12 cores with two six-core Intel Xeon Westmeres running at 2.93 GHz. (Other CPUs may have faster clock speeds, up to 3.33 GHz, but the Westmeres are the most efficient, effective workers.) Apple has left NVIDIA behind, now offering the ATI Radeon HD 5770 or 5870 graphics card. Each has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory (fast!) and get this – support for as many as six simultaneous displays. Get one or two Xserve RAID rentals, some LCD monitor rentals and send for lots of take-out, because with this kind of setup you will get a whole lot done, and you’ll have so much fun you just might want to keep going. The new Mac Pro also has a dual 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 slot, for expansion purposes, and can be configured with up to 8 TB of internal hard disk and SSD (Solid State Drive) storage, the latter offering a first for the Cupertino firm. The new models should hit the retail channel sometime in August, meaning CRE will soon offer the latest, greatest Mac Pro computer rental. Apple’s been busy! Apple has also revamped its standalone Cinema Display line (one model now, 27-inch), juiced up the surprising iMacs (available for rent), upgraded its MacBook Pro line and released a desktop Magic Trackpad. The company is also in the news with its iPhone, as the government has decreed that consumers can now “jailbreak” the device. All of this news and more will be in forthcoming blogs, so check out our new posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Don’t forget that we’re here every other workday, too, with not just the best and newest computer rentals but everything you need to attend, produce or exhibit at a conference or convention, from Audience Response System rentals to plasma panels. Call or e-mail an expert Account Executive, or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form that’s just a quick click away. We’re here with solutions, so just let us know what you need to solve! Digital Film: Art Meets TechnologyJuly 1st, 2010Those who lived (even better, worked) through the so-called paradigm shifts in desktop publishing (mid-1980s) and audio recording (through the 1990s) will recognize today’s “digital film revolution” talk. In the early and mid-1980s, when Apple’s LaserWriter teamed up with its Macintosh kin and Aldus Corporation’s PageMaker, some technology observers declared the new publishing model would put “freedom of the press into overdrive” and result in a real renaissance in publishing. It didn’t. In the 1990s, new digital technology put a recording studio in every teen rockers’ computer, but no Grammy Awards were snagged by any of these home recordists. Bottom line, there is no push-button solution. The changes that technology wrought in printing and recording took years to evolve into new workflows, as the technology was adopted and learned. It’s evolution, not revolution, that drives the creative arts. It is the same with digital filmmaking. Budding filmmakers must understand that just having the same high-tech tools as leading filmmakers doesn’t mean they can make Taxi Driver or Citizen Kane. Buying Apple’s Final Cut Pro doesn’t mean they are going to ace the post-production on that new TV pilot. To work at a professional level, one either has to put in the time to master these things, or get help with them. The reason the indie film industry is slowly but surely becoming an ongoing source of work for L.A. post-production houses is because smart indie filmmakers know when they need help, and are not ashamed to go get it. Getting the right technology tools
As novice filmmakers continue to learn the craft, many will also learn to do post-production, and some will even form new companies to offer their services. For start-up and even existing post-production facilities, the technology tools available and their evolution are essential in driving innovation in digital film making. CRE supports companies that, in turn, help a lot of up and coming filmmakers. By making everything from AJA Io HD rentals to fast iMac rentals available with a simple e-mail, phone call or Quick Rental Quote form, CRE enables post-production companies to take on work whenever it comes in. In no time at all, we can outfit you to get it all done – with PCs, Macs, Xserve RAID rentals, monitors and any other hardware you need, plus specialized software for your specialized work. Our #1 job is helping you get your jobs done! Monitoring Innovations in Display TechnologyJune 22nd, 2010Today 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 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 miniJune 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. Interactive and Collaborative Tech ToolsJune 10th, 2010In 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.
Despite CRE carrying a number of interactive, collaborative devices, our 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. Technology News: Gaming Gadgets, iPad Knockoffs and Telephoto PhonesJune 3rd, 2010Gaming 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
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
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. |
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