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CES 2012 Highlights

January 17th, 2012

There’s a lot of exciting news to absorb from the recent CES 2012, as it lit up Las Vegas once again with the latest and greatest consumer electronics. Here are some of the show’s hottest items.

OLED Monitors…the next generation

CRE Rentals’ selection of plasma display rentals and other monitors have kept pace through the years with evolving technologies. The next paradigm shift features OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens. LG will offer the first OLED TV – model 55EM9800, a 55-inch model – in the third quarter of 2012. OLED screens feature “absolute black,” superb viewing angles and an ultra-thin form factor. Computer monitors will come as the technology spreads (and gets less expensive).

PC gaming tablet

Razer is an ambitious hardware maker that is entering the computer market from the gaming side. Its Project Fiona gaming tablet runs Windows 8, which Microsoft is seriously promoting as a game platform, but it won’t be competing with our iPad rental, which is a full-featured, business-capable productivity tool.

Tablet time for Asus Asus MeMo 370T

With a potent quad-core chip and Android 4.0, the Asus Memo 370T tablet approaches the power of CRE’s tablet PC rentals. Standard configuration includes 1GB of system RAM, 16GB for storage, a high-res screen, 8-megapixel camera and HDMI output.

HP’s take on ultra books

The PC industry has a name for the MacBook Air-inspired lines of super-thin, light laptops. They’re called “ultra books,” and the HP Spectre “out-ultras” many with its all-glass lid and palm rest. Of all the new laptops at CES 2012, the Spectre is special, with premium Beats Audio, an inset analog volume control wheel and HP Wireless Audio.

Software and apps for Windows 8

BlueStacks, which is going to be pre-installed on certain Windows 8 computers, puts the entire Android marketplace at the beck and call of Microsoft’s upcoming OS. So when Windows 8 launches, some 400,000 Android apps will be available to run on your PC.

Dashboard tech for cars

QNX has developed a car “apps system” that provides instant, automatic Bluetooth pairing of the auto sound system with a smartphone. In addition to Bluetooth, the short-range radio connection built into everything from the MacBook Pro to iPods, QNX has included technology that renders phone calls in CD-quality stereo, as well as apps integration for front- and back-seat passengers.

Watch upcoming blogs for complete coverage of the new technologies rolling out of CES. Meanwhile, for everything from trade show convention rentals to do-it-all iMac rentals, one call or e-mail puts an expert Account Executive to work on your solutions. (As always, if you know what you need, use our Quick Rental Quote form.)

Technology in 2011: The Downside

January 5th, 2012

For every rousing success in life – the Denver Broncos’ Tim Tebow, Oreo cookies, our all-in-one multitouch display PC – there are many more flops. The disappointments in technology were widespread this past year (don’t forget to check out the winners in “Technology in 2011: The Upside”). And now, the winners… er, losers.

Netflix

This web innovator was too smart for its own good when it decided to spin off the DVD-delivery service as Qwikster. The move showed the worst possible timing, as the company had just doubled rates on its combo DVD+streaming plan. Netflix had a one-stop shop to order DVD deliveries or stream movies to any web-connected device – HDTV, MacBook Pro, smart phone – but users would now be forced to go to a different website for each service. Netflix reversed its decision within a month, but took a big hit to its reputation.

Google

The high-flying Google axed a lot of products in 2011, often without warning, and suffered some backlash for it. With a presence on every platform from Android tablets to Apple’s iMac, Google has always provided great tools, but when they disappear people are often left with broken workflows. In 2011, Google dumped the following apps and services:

Android App Inventor, a favorite of computer science teachers;
Buzz, a bust as a social network;
Labs, the near-legendary collection of cool, useful, experimental apps;
Code Search, a developer tool;
Timeline, a date-range filter for search results;
Wave, a poorly defined collaborative real-time something-or-other; and
various other apps and services.

If you depended on the trashed tools, you are out of luck. Fortunately, some of them – App Inventor and Code Search, to name two – went “open source” and are still available.

Hewlett-Packard

HP bought Palm in 2010 and got webOS with it. Tech observers were hoping for a “third way” for tablets, an alternative to iOS and Android, but got the notoriously kludgey HP TouchPad. We see the popularity of our iPad rental and understand why companies want to emulate its success, but HP’s idea of beating the Apple tablet on price ensured the TouchPad’s demise. Soon enough, retailers were sitting on several hundred thousand of them.

In a move that precipitated his replacement by Meg Whitman, then-CEO Leo Apotheker axed the product and blew them out the door starting at $99, a move repeated in mid-December. Although HP appeared to be leaving the consumer PC market altogether, that didn’t quite happen, but after Whitman replaced Apotheker the company released webOS as open-source code. Perhaps “the crowd in the cloud” can finish what HP started.

Don’t want to be on the losing end of technology? For high-end post-production gear like render farms or trade show convention rentals, get the winning solution with CRE Rentals. Simply call or e-mail to get an experienced Account Executive to help. Or use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need. We are always ready with the right solution, right now!

Technology in 2011: The Upside

January 3rd, 2012

It’s too early yet to decide what 2011 will be most remembered for, in the culture at large or its individual niches. For those of us in the technology niche – and the growing portion of the public that follows early adopters – there was plenty to like about 2011.

Smarter smartphones

Apple’s iPhone 4S is still a generation or two ahead of its rivals, a growing number of which are getting quite good, like the Samsung Galaxy and Nexus. The iPhone’s dual-core chip (which also powers our iPad rental) and camera technology, front and back, are both much improved. What sets it apart, though, are two future-is-now features: (1) its revamped antenna, which has markedly improved connection rates and call quality on both AT&T and Sprint networks, and (2) Siri, a talking voice-control system that starts out good and learns to be, well, insanely great.

Lighter laptops

Netbooks arrived a few years back and seemed to define a new form factor for lightweight laptops: low-power CPUs, limited RAM, a few gigabytes of flash storage, WiFi, pygmy-sized keyboards and a low price. Manufacturers stepped up, however – Apple with the MacBook Air, Sony with its VAIO line, Samsung with Series 9 – and brought Grade A design, power and style (at higher prices, naturally). Still, as with the iconic iMac, Apple sets the standard. Bottom line for the Air: The 2011 makeover brought a big power boost, it does Windows, the 11- and 13-inch screens are gorgeous and a 15-inch version is rumored to be in the works.

iPad, tablets and apps

In 2011, the “Year of the Tablet,” the second generation Apple iPad arrived with impressive new features, including the fabulous iOS 5 software. But it’s the several hundred thousand fun, productive and/or useful apps that make it numero uno. No other pads or tablets, not even our tablet PC rentals, have the iPad’s extensive library, and if you’re a “creative” type there is really no alternative. For less demanding people, however, a growing number of new tablets – Android no-names, the very good Samsung Galaxy Tab and, in particular, Amazon’s new Kindle Fire – will gobble up all the TV episodes, movies, music, YouTube clips, e-books and other media you care to consume.

Need for speed…USB3.0 and Thunderbolt

Another set of technologies, the protocols for connecting digital devices, kept improving throughout 2011. USB 3.0 on new PCs operates at 4.8Gbps and the new Thunderbolt bus, featured on the Mac Pro and other new Apple computers, runs two 10Gbps channels simultaneously. Apple’s previous high-speed connection, FireWire 800, is less than one-tenth as fast as Thunderbolt and not bi-directional.

If you want to move in a new direction, CRE can help. Find out how new technology can help you blast through production bottlenecks, or how our event production rentals can help you make a dramatic impact at your next conference. Contact us by phone or e-mail, or use the handy Quick Rental Quote form. We’re here, ready to help!

And don’t forget to check out Thursday’s blog, Technology in 2011: The Downside.

Tablet Tech Is Changing Your Desktop, Too

December 15th, 2011

“The times they are a-changing,” Bob Dylan sang over 40 years ago. He was right then, and he’s still right. In the tech world, change moves at supersonic speed, and there is so much to keep up on that doing so can be a full-time job. Lets take a look at what’s happening to Windows and Mac OS X as a direct result of advances in “tablet tech.”

Windows & Mac OS X

Tablet tech…small is (now) beautiful

When the first practical tablet devices debuted in the early 1990s – Apple’s Newton, the Palm Pilot and other Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) – they weren’t ready for prime time. The CPUs were slow, handwriting recognition was spotty and wireless didn’t exist. Just making room for batteries required a larger form factor, the predecessors of tablet PC rentals. It wasn’t until the first decade of the 21st century that WiFi, faster processors and new battery technology got small and inexpensive enough to usher in the “mobile computing era.”

In the mobile universe, screen space is limited (compared to your desktop’s monitor) so icon-based operation, whether via touchscreens like on an iPad rental or smart phone buttons, is a sensible approach. Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Windows Phone (7.5 was just released) were all developed with ease of use in mind.

Icons, apps, constant connection

As devices began to proliferate and improve, special software programs (“apps”) were developed to do specific, focused tasks. While WiFi didn’t become a standard feature until just a couple of years ago, every device of every kind (and size) is now built to be “always on.” Expect your desktop OS – Mac, Windows and, to a lesser degree, Linux – to continue making communications and connectivity as easy, simple and fast as a phone. You will get a familiar “look and feel” whether you’re on a phone, a tablet/ipad or an iMac. At long last … convergence!

Many more small-device developments will find their way into both Windows and Mac OS X, but some are already visible in current releases. The latest Mac OS X release is Lion, 10.7, but it’s not the first to use elements of Apple’s iOS (now at version 5). The App Store is now, well, an app, permanently situated in the Dock, and like others in Lion it opens into “full screen” mode. With the newly inaugurated iCloud, which we wrote about recently, you can synchronize everything from work documents to iCal entries among all your devices, from the Mac Pro at your office to the iPhone in your pocket.

Mobile advances really are changing your desktop, and fast. Whether you need high-tech advice, high-tech gear – render farms, mass storage, A/V equipment – or the best trade show convention rentals, one call or e-mail (or a few clicks on our Quick Rental Quote form) will put you on the fast track to a solution!

Who’s Using 3D and Why

December 8th, 2011

The 1950s saw the introduction of 3D movies, but the idea never quite caught on, possibly because of the dorky glasses. Today’s computer-based 3D users are mostly gamers, but in addition to consumers who want to play PC games and watch 3D TV shows, there are professionals using apps on a Mac Pro or other high-end PC to create those games and shows, too.

CRE supports many post-production and animation professionals working in 3D, with such high-tech tools as render farms and mass storage. And, of course, other specialized professionals – architects, engineers, product designers, landscaping contractors – need to see their concepts in three dimensions. Where is this all headed? Let’s take a look.

Special uses

New 3D technology helps meteorologists envision weather formations, physicists study subatomic particles and doctors examine tumors and other conditions. However, despite 3D graphics looking great and being available on most consumer PCs now – and notwithstanding rumors of 3D coming to an iPad rental – there are few applications driving adoption of 3D in the average business, and the apps that do exist are very specialized.

Of course, existing applications evolve and new ones are introduced. High-end applications like Alias/Wavefront Maya and NewTek LightWave are behind the 3D characters and effects for TV and movies, while 3D tools like Rhino from McNeel & Associates power product design for furniture, autos and other consumer items. You need real power to run these, but there’s also a growing number of low-end 3D tools that can run on basic PC desktop computer rentals. Meanwhile, companies are learning to use 3D technology in different ways.

Keys to general acceptance

The continuing evolution of realism, interactivity, ease of use and image quality over the next few years depends, naturally, on advances in CPU speed, memory and monitors – from plasma display rentals to LCD/LED models. This is true for online as well as “display” uses, such as inviting conference attendees to your exhibit booth with a 3D presentation on an all-in-one multitouch display PC. For 3D technology to succeed beyond a few niche markets, however, the following issues need addressing:

Cost: Low-end 3D creation is now fairly affordable, with software for simple 3D work and acceleration cards for aging PCs costing under $100. Plus, 3D libraries like Turbosquid.com sell 3D models inexpensively.

Ease of use: 3D image creation can be difficult with the high-end apps, but low-end ones are as simple to use as other (2D) consumer-level graphics programs. Still, new users need to learn the terminology, tools and workflows.

Demand: It will take some time to discover all of 3D’s uses, but for now the daily business practices in most firms simply don’t require an additional dimension – success is difficult enough in two dimensions!

With a single call or e-mail or a short visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, CRE Rentals can help you with any number of dimensions.

iOS vs. Android – Feature by Feature

October 20th, 2011

Although Apple has monopolized the headlines lately – Steve Jobs’ death, the new iPhone 4S and iOS 5 – Google hasn’t let Android gather any dust. In fact, Honeycomb advanced to 3.1 before iOS 5 debuted, but runs only on “large display devices” (tablets). Android phones have to settle for version 2.3. On the other hand, Apple’s iOS 5 runs on the iPhone, the iPod touch and the iPad. Let’s take a quick look at both.

iOS vs. Android

What’s New: The best additions to iOS 5 are iMessage, iCloud support, native Twitter, enhanced Camera features and “multitasking gestures” for iPad 2. Android 3.1 rolled out the new “refined” UI (User Interface), a Recent Apps list, customizable Home screen and improved browsing.

Battery Life: This depends on your hardware, and there are many different Android tablets. You can rent laptops with battery time up to five or six hours, but tablet batteries last longer (up to 10 hours). In limited tests, iOS devices seemed to have slightly shorter battery life than Android models.

Browser support: Web surfing on a iMac rental is no different (except for screen size) than on an iOS device. Safari Reader now displays web articles without ads for offline reading. Android 3.1 also improved browsing, but has been weaker in this area.

User Interface (UI): Apple’s UIs changed the world. OS X Lion (10.7) is fabulous on a Mac Pro rental, while iOS 5 is also efficient and elegant. Google’s primary goal with Android 3.1 was refining the look, but it’s still a work in progress.

Third-Party Support: Android is open source software, based on Linux, which means more opportunities for more developers to improve it over time. Apple’s iOS 5 platform is not open source, and developers need to register with Apple and jump through the many hoops keeping Apple’s “ecosystem” in order. Of course, many of these hoops are actually quality control steps, which is why iOS apps meet a higher standard.

Apps & Games Availability: Apple’s App Store has over 300,000 apps – utilities, games, networking, social media, productivity, etc. – while there are some 100,000 in the Android Market.

Flash Support: Flash support used to be a big advantage for Android. The new iOS 5 provides full Flash support (for you tech-heads, it is done by “on-the-fly transcoding”). Flash apps are still not usable, but Flash video is now viewable, a welcome addition for iPad rental users, but an original feature of Android.

Conclusion: It’s silly to condescend to either Apple iOS 5 or Android 3.1. Both have new features making them even more efficient, reliable and robust. There is tough competition ahead between Android 3.1 and Apple iOS 5, as new products are introduced to make maximum use of their advanced features. We will keep you posted.

CRE’s high-tech rentals solve production bottlenecks, while our expert event production services empower you at trade shows and conferences. One call or e-mail (or a few clicks on our Quick Rental Quote page) puts an experienced Account Executive on the job for you right now!

5 Great iPad Apps for Events

September 6th, 2011

Mobile, powerful, flexible and customizable, the original iPad was already a great device for event planning when we blogged about the subject in January of this year. Since then, we have seen the introduction of a potent upgrade, the iPad 2, with plenty of new (as well as newly improved) apps. Here are five great iPad apps for events.

Flexible planner

OmniGraffle, by The Omni Group, is among the most expensive iPad apps (at $49.99), but is worth every cent. With simple gestures you can draw shapes, make notes and develop your ideas, while templates (called “stencils”) help you track convention rentals, create floor plans, visualize processes and manage people. You can output PDFs or transfer your files to OmniGraffle for Mac with this professional-grade app.

Banquet boss

You can get a lot of power for less, too, like $2.99 for myBanquet by Upiksoft. It gives you everything you need to manage food services for small meetings or annual shareholder conferences. You can import contacts, design floor plans, assign seating, manage guest lists/RSVPs and more. You can also save banquet plans for reuse and share them with other myBanquet users. There are similar programs for tablet PC rentals or laptops, but the iPad’s small form factor and ease of use make it the platform of choice.

Travel troubles?

GroundLink lets you book car service in seconds for today, tomorrow or next month. As opposed to some “limo” apps that work only in select cities, GroundLink works around the world. With the app running on one of our iPad rentals, you can see what vehicles are available, track the arrival of your car with a specified ETA, view your route and check the charges prior to booking.

The simple things

Avantar’s free White & Yellow Pages app has comprehensive listings and powerful search functions. Search for people and businesses – by industry, name, address or phone number – and work with the results to add/edit contacts, save favorites, link to sites and get GPS driving directions. Whether you need to find a photographer or some plasma rentals, this phone book is all you need.

Ever improving Evernote

The free Evernote app is the original iOS “cloud service.” Its evolving set of capabilities can help you plan an event of any size, style or purpose. Simply create a “notebook” for your event and save your notes, ideas, photos, Web sites, contacts, contracts and voice memos. You can install the appropriate Evernote program on everything from iPhones to iMac rentals, too, to keep everything (and everyone) in sync.

When you and your digital workflow are out of sync, a simple call or e-mail to our experienced Account Executives can get you back on track. With post-production gear (like AJA Io HD rentals) and everything you need for a successful trade show exhibit (like LCD touchscreen monitor rentals), we’ve got you covered – completely. (Know what you need? Use our handy Quick Rental Quote form.)

Best iPad Apps for Marketers (Part 2 of 2)

August 18th, 2011

Today, we are wrapping up our list of best iPad apps for Marketers (check out Part 1 ). These mobile marketing tools include iPad apps for event organizers to news aggregators and more. Let’s jump right in.

iPad apps

iPad apps for planning and event management

Great marketing campaigns succeed because the responsibilities are defined, the tasks organized and the schedule followed. Personal planners, like Todo, help make all that happen, and document how, as you proceed step by step to your goals. The app syncs with iCal or Outlook calendars, including ones shared on iMac rentals, enabling you to schedule reminders, set alerts, keep a conference team in sync and manage your contacts. ($4.99)

Bento is something like Todo, as it also helps you organize customers and contacts. It has a “big brand” pedigree, though, as it is from the makers of Filmaker Pro, a full-fledged relational database. Like Filemaker, Bento can track projects, organize meetings and plan events. With 25 templates to customize for whatever you could possibly have to organize – a Keynote presentation, your customer contacts, an event schematic or date/time lists of things to do – Bento will take you all the way. ($4.99)

Apps for news, info and connections

Flipboard is an “aggregator,” not a creator of original content. According to your preferences and how much personal data you are willing to give up, the app scours the Internet to present just what you want in a slick, magazine-style layout. Mix business magazines with The Onion, subscribe to whatever feeds you want and monitor your Twitter, Google Reader, Facebook and Flickr accounts. You can keep multiple “boards” with different kinds of contacts and information, making Flipboard an excellent communications solution for business and personal use. (Free)

It’s not the first app to turn into a cult, but Instapaper Pro users in the millions (yes, millions) swear it changed their lives. This potent product lets you save Web pages for later offline reading – just click to save the “good stuff,” which you can then access from smart phones, laptop rentals and other devices. It is unsurpassed as a browser tool for researchers, writers, corporate creatives and tech professionals – and the marketing pros that sometimes wear all those hats. ($4.99)

All apps are available at the App Store, iTunes, the developer’s site and other locations.

CRE doesn’t just have the best, most powerful high-tech tools – from Xserve rentals for networking to the post-production pro’s best friend, our render farm rentals – but expert Account Executives to provide specific solutions to your unique challenges. A quick call or e-mail, or a visit to our Quick Rental Quote page, will get you what you need to get you to your goal. It’s what we do.

Best iPad Apps for Marketers (Part 1 of 2)

August 16th, 2011

One reason for the Apple iPad’s astonishing success is its versatility. CRE’s experience with iPad rentals shows they can be all things to all people – a sketchpad for designers, a portable presentation platform for exhibitors, even a mobile video editor. It’s because of the high-quality apps developed for iOS, the software platform iPads share with the iPhone.

iPad Apps

The App Store launched in July 2008 with 500 apps. Apple approved the 500,000th app in late May of this year. From among them, pundits and end-users have made various lists of iPad marketing apps, many overlapping in their suggestions. Of the many apps for tracking trends, leveraging social media, publishing content, planning marketing campaigns and analyzing results, here are the Best iPad Apps for Marketers (Part 1 today, Part 2 on Thursday, August 18th).

Socializing = networking

You will need some or all of your networking apps – Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. – but it is easy to overload and get bogged down. Here comes HootSuite to the rescue, managing your multiple profiles. HootSuite integrates them all so you can post breaking news, locate people, manage schedules, track stats and monitor lists, #hashtags and keywords. (Free)

Content is king

If you have a WordPress blog, the WordPress app for iPad is a no-brainer. A “lite” version focused on easy blogging, it’s best to do page design and other major work on a computer. Still, the widescreen layout gives you plenty of room to write, edit, moderate comments, add/remove images and stay on top of your content wherever you are. WordPress also released a plug-in that makes Web sites “iPad friendly”. (Both free)

Photos and graphics

Pictures do speak louder (and faster) than words. They bring life and energy to blogs, marketing brochures and e-mail ads. Photoshop Express, now at version 2.0, is the perfect photo-editing tool for on-the-go marketing pros, a simple but sophisticated app for creating, cropping, rotating, revising and repurposing photos and images. (Free, optional tool pack $3.99)

Analyze sites and monitor ROI

AnalyticsPro is a powerful, flexible app that uses your Google Analytics account for on-the-fly decision-making. You can get detailed reports on Search Keywords, Top Content, Top 10 Countries, Referral Sources, Traffic Sources, etc., and analyze the Return On Investment (ROI) of your marketing campaigns. You can export those reports as PDF and other formats, and view them on everything from smart phones to tablet PC rentals. ($5.99)

All apps are available at the App Store, iTunes, the developer’s site and other locations.

Deadlines ahead? Conference coming? An Account Executive will help you get just what you need, to get where you need to go. Make a call, send an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll get you what you need to succeed – indeed!

Watch for Part 2 of Best iPad Apps for Marketers coming up on Thursday, August 18th.

Gadget Fun for August

August 4th, 2011

Once a month or so we like to show you that high tech can be fun, too. With new ways to connect you to the world – the real one you’re photographing or the virtual one you’re immersed in – and inventive ways for you to express yourself, gadgets may begin their lives as “cool new things” but often wind up being indispensable new tools for creative pros. Let’s check ‘em out.

Hasbro My3D

There are lots of ways to watch 3D movies, so that’s not the aim of this new device that you use with your iPhone or iPod touch. Hasbro’s My3D has seven applications that insert you into virtual worlds like a shark tank (that’s fun?) or an asteroid belt in space. Sure, people have figured out how to watch 3D material on computers like our iMac rentals, but those attempts fail to deliver the “immersive experience” of My3D’s closed goggles. Like the venerable ViewMaster, Hasbro’s My3D opens up new worlds for you to explore.

Eye-Fi Direct Mode

Eye-Fi Direct Mode SD cards send photos wirelessly from your camera to your smart phone. What’s the big deal? Before Direct Mode, you’d use Eye-Fi cards to transfer photos to a computer, a photo-upload service like Flickr or a social site, but you had to access a Wi-Fi hotspot first. What a hassle. Now you can take advantage of the wireless network you carry – your smart phone, CRE laptop rentals with 3G dongles, anything like that – and upload directly to Facebook, Twitter or wherever you want. In essence, it gives your camera the power and connectivity of whatever 3G device you use. Cool!

Wacom Bamboo Stylus for the iPad

Wacom desktop tablets are the unchallenged standard in the industry. Now the company has released the Bamboo Stylus and a companion app, Bamboo Paper, with some of the same great functionality. With the firm, nearly frictionless black rubber tip, using the stylus comes very close to the feel of pen on paper. Using it in place of your finger feels strange the first few times, but you get used to it fast. The Bamboo Paper app is free in Apple’s App Store whether you have the stylus or not. And if you do have the stylus, you can use the app on CRE iPad rentals or your own iPad, as the device is not linked in any way to any certain device. Great stuff!

Whatever cool gadgets you need to plow through your digital workflow, a call or e-mail to CRE’s experienced Account Executives is all that’s required. Use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need, talk to us if you don’t. We don’t charge anything to help you figure out what to do, and then we provide the best tech at the best prices for your CRE solution.

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