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Remembering The Man Who Made the Future

October 6th, 2011

The 2000′s didn’t start out well for technology, as the dot-com bust tore through Silicon Valley and other centers of high-tech power. There was one fellow at the time, however, who saw nothing but great opportunities ahead. Because of what he has done in the decade or so since then, he has been hailed as the

“CEO of the Decade” by Fortune magazine,
“Best-Performing CEO in the World” by the Harvard Business Review,
“Person of the Decade” by the Wall Street Journal and
man behind the “Brand of the Decade” by Adweek.

This person is Steve Jobs, who passed away Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at his Northern California home.

Remaking industries

You can get the whole Apple history elsewhere if you don’t know it already; we are focusing on the astonishing events of the last decade, as Jobs and Apple remade entire industries. Music and entertainment have been revolutionized by iTunes, and personal communications by the iPhone. Meanwhile, computers like MacBook Pro have been at the forefront of advances in mobile computing.

The decade of the 2000′s started with the revolutionary Bondi Blue iMac and futuristic OS X, and ended with a mature, industry-leading iPhone and Apple’s insanely great tablet – the iPad. It was January 2001 when Jobs announced his “digital hub” strategy. The analog era – with its records, cassette tapes and chemically-treated film – was at an end. The world and everything in it would “go digital,” with distribution over an ever-faster Internet.

Only (and always) “the best”

Always at the center of Jobs’ strategy and Apple’s approach would be the best hardware, the best software, the best OS, the best service and the best user experience. The proof of their success is discovered by every CRE customer that rents a Mac Pro or Apple laptops. And as a leader in iMac rentals and other Apple gear – as well as the specialized peripherals needed for digital media, like Ethernet disk RAID – CRE has adopted the same approach of offering “the best”.

The Future…

Steve Jobs has had a powerful effect on the world’s future and his legacy remains with the amazingly successful company he has left behind. Apple will continue to lead the technology industry with “out of the box” thinking and innovation … a tribute to the man that started it all – Steve Jobs.

Our sincerest sympathies to his family and friends.

New Technologies and Strategies for Marketing Events

October 4th, 2011

When you develop marketing strategies for events – the trade shows where you’re exhibiting, the presentations or company conferences you put on – you always need to pause, consider the current “best practices” and adapt them to your message. Then, too, there are always new technologies popping up to assist your marketing efforts. Don’t get caught up in the “new toy” excitement, though. Yes, those iPad rentals are very cool, but what’s even cooler is that they’re powerful tools for promotion. Let’s get up to speed with the latest new technologies and strategies for marketing events.

Social sales

Social media is where strategy meets new technology head on. While some marketing experts always capitalize it (“Social Media” seems so much more important) and act as if it’s the only technology you need, it is but a part. Not only that, but certain parts of social media may be more valuable than others – like the parts you don’t write, such as positive comments on your blog. Use them in your marketing materials, splash them on our eye-catching plasma rentals at your booth and “re-tweet” any that come from Twitter.

Speaking of Twitter, it is great for strategic marketing campaigns and lead generation, too. In fact, you want to combine/leverage all of your communication channels to build better relationships with customers, stakeholders and the media. The quickest way to get a handle on all this may be to take a gander at successful competitors. Early adopters (and bigger firms) can blaze the way for you, while saving you from costly errors.

Don’t forget that you have a legion of experts to assist you – your customers. You should poll them on an ongoing basis – even use Audience Response System rentals at one show to get ideas for the next one. Customers will let you know (right away!) if you need to optimize your shopping cart, tweak your service model or make other improvements. Listen to them. They’re your “partners in commerce.”

Quick codebusters

The Postal Service plans to use QR Codes and other high-tech tools, so why don’t you? You can easily create your own QR Codes with low- and no-cost applications. These codes are among the most effective ways to engage customers, as they are easy to scan with webcam-equipped laptop rentals or smart phones.

Richly relevant

Video animation and “rich media” can draw people into your exhibit area, as well. LCD touchscreen monitor rentals fairly beg to be touched and used, and exhibits are only one place they shine. You can use them for customer service training, too, to improve sales results and efficiencies.

Fact is, CRE has many ways to help you improve sales results and efficiencies. Our high-tech rentals support you on-site with your workflow, while our expertise with event production services supports you off-site with trade shows and conferences. One call or e-mail (or a few clicks on our Quick Rental Quote page) gets the ball rolling!

10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012 (Part 2)

August 25th, 2011

In Part 1 of “10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012″, we gave you the first 5 new technologies to expect in the future. Today, lets get the last five blockbuster developments which includes even more hardware, software, smart appliances and multipurpose devices.

6. Android 4. Technoids are looking forward to the Samsung Nexus, and not because of the phone – it will be the first smart phone to run Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4. (Android 3 was called Honeycomb. Go figure.) Although Apple holds the lead in smart phones and tablets with its iOS-powered devices, Android is a solid alternative in both product categories, and new ones like embedded systems.

7. Branded tablets. Following the successful Kindle 3, Amazon is revising its approach to branding and product development. There has been talk of a touchscreen version, and the rumor mill now suggest that Amazon will release two different Android tablets in 2012. Aggressive pricing is a given, as is the entry into the tablet market of innumerable other companies.

8. Hybrid hard drives. Solid State Drives (SSDs) are fast, but expensive. Rotating-platter hard drives are inexpensive and offer huge storage capacities, but can’t keep up with CPU and system bus speeds. Until SSD prices come down with time, hybrid drives will combine fast-booting SSDs with big conventional drives to speed things up a bit. For swift, large- scale storage today you can rely on Ethernet disk RAID rentals, but tomorrow’s technology will encompass a variety of drive types and configurations.

9. Multi-touch commands. The futuristic trackpads on the new MacBook Pro rentals and Apple’s Magic Trackpad, introduced multi-touch commands to modern computing. Other manufacturers’ laptops, tablets and digitizing pads are moving the same direction, as the touch interface is natural for humans. As the screen costs continuing dropping, you will find touch commands on everything from vending machines to refrigerators.

10. Wireless everything. We had a blog with that title last November, which is ages ago in “tech time.” Suffice it to say that we really mean everything this time. You’ve seen the WiFi all-in-one office devices, right? HP was a trailblazer, but WiFi printing and scanning is old hat now, especially compared to the astonishing new “EyeFi” SecureDigital cards. They’re so astonishing, in fact, that they made our “Gadget Fun for August” blog last week. Pay attention, in particular, to advances in wireless power and charging stations.

CRE pays close attention to tech trends, as well as what its customers need. With great service to complement the expertise of our Account Executives, your call or e-mail will get you the right answers, right now. If you know what you need, of course, our Quick Rental Quote form will get you in, out and on your way.

10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012 (Part 1)

August 23rd, 2011

We’re deep enough into 2011 to make some “tech predictions” for 2012, despite the big non-tech prediction calling it humanity’s last year of existence. We prefer to think positively, and we’re positive you will find the “10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012″ Parts 1 and 2 – as useful as they are interesting.

1. Windows 8. Windows 7 came out ahead of the usual Microsoft (MS) schedule due to the low adoption rates of Vista. Windows 7, more stable than its predecessor, has been well received on CRE computer rentals. (Meanwhile, so many people stuck with XP that MS finally had to declare an end to XP support in April 2014 to prod its installed base of users along the upgrade path.) Watch for Windows 8 in 2012, with cloud integration and a complete overhaul of the file system.

2. New components and form factors. The cylindrical tube in the accompanying image looks very much like a futuristic scroll. Cylindrical tube component Unlike great laptop rentals, this device isn’t ready for work yet, but computer scientist and designer Hao Hua’s “next generation laptop design” does feature emerging tech like a flexible OLED screen, flexible pull-out keyboard, straps with USB outlets and a wrist-mounted webcam. You will see these features debuting independently in new products that will compete for attention (and buyers) starting next year.

3. Smart TVs. The Vizio XVT3D6SP has a very easily satirized model name – it looks like comic book swearing – but it won CNET’s Best of CES award in the TV category and is a major hit. Passive 3D functionality, LED backlighting and Google in the DNA makes it part of a true dynamic duo when paired with an Android phone or tablet. The era of net- and computer-connected TVs is fully upon us, and this is the trailblazer.

4. iPhone 5. Rumors of a radical new design are based on the assumption that the Apple iPhone 5 needs a new lease on life. Instead, say other observers, Apple will follow its usual evolutionary path. The iPhone isn’t new, and doesn’t need much in the way of new excitement to stay wildly popular. It is much more likely that internal improvements – an A5 processor, FaceTime cameras like those found in MacBook Pro rentals, improved battery life – will get the nod, as the body and screen are already gorgeous.

5. LightPeak aka Thunderbolt. Sony is incorporating leading-edge technology throughout all its product lines. For its VAIO PCs and laptops, some of which are in our computer rentals inventory, Sony has now added the same next-gen connection technology (LightPeak, aka Thunderbolt) that the new iMac rentals have, and other computer makers are poised to follow.

Unfortunately, we can’t help you with these new technologies just yet but we can offer you some other digital strategies to improve your company’s workflow. Talk it over with an expert Account Executive in a phone call or e-mail, or use the Quick Rental Quote if you know what you need. We’re always ready to help!

Don’t forget to check out Part 2 – “10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012.”

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.

Wave of PC Advances

July 21st, 2011

It has already been an exciting week, as Apple released its long-awaited upgrade, OS X 10.7 (Lion). We will give you that story in an upcoming blog, because there are some very exciting things happening “on the PC side.”

Solid state control

Wave of PC Advances Solid State Drives (SSDs) are increasing in size while decreasing in price. The secret to their speed is the “drive controller,” the best of which is made by SandForce. They sell controllers and “SSD Toolbox” firmware kits to manufacturers who then supply SSDs to computer makers like HP and Dell. SSDs are mainstream enough now that CRE could install them in a variety of computer rentals depending on customer need. One day all drives will be solid state (but don’t hold your breath, we’re talking years not months).

USB is up to 3

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) debuted in the mid-1990s and quickly lived up to the first letter in its acronym, connecting computers to everything from printers to external drives. About seven times faster than USB 2.0, USB 3.0 is fast, but is not as fast as the Thunderbolt technology on the new MacBook Pro rentals. Apple is not planning to add USB 3.0 to its models any time soon, and even Intel is favoring other technologies.

DDR4 memory chips

Everything from laptop rentals to Mac Pros pumping out video will work faster now. Developed by Samsung Electronics with a 30nm class process, the new DDR4 memory draws lower voltage (1.2v) than existing DDR3 chips (1.35v and 1.5v). Like new car engines that get more power with less gas, the lower-power DDR4 memory will run at up to 3.2Gbps, versus 1.6Gbps for DDR3.

New brainpower, too

“Bulldozer” is the code name for the new CPUs coming soon from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The chips will have 8 cores, and are said to be as much as 50 percent faster than the top-of-the-line Core i7 4-core CPU from Intel. Folks who can get their work done on tablet PC rentals don’t need this much power, but post-production pros using potent Mac Pro rentals and doing sample-accurate work (you know who you are) need all they can get.

Staying abreast of all the changes in technology is tough. At CRE, we specialize in technology so you don’t have to – and we can make it all understandable for you if that’s what you need. A simple call or e-mail is all it takes to connect with an experienced Account Executive whose sole focus will be solving your problems and giving you options. If you know what you need already, save time with our handy Quick Rental Quote form.

Direct-to-Web Programming: New Surge?

July 7th, 2011

Whoa! What’s Kiefer Sutherland doing at the top of the CRE blog? Has CRE “gone Hollywood”?

Truth be told, CRE has been in Hollywood for a long time, if we define “Hollywood” as “the entertainment industry around L.A.” CRE Rentals’ high-end gear (like render farm rentals) and powerful computers (Macs and PCs with the right software) support media professionals from creation through production, post-production and distribution. That last one, distribution, is our subject today – specifically, the new surge of programs going “direct to Web.”

The “old” days?

The year 2000 may not seem like the “old” days, but in Tech Time it’s eons ago. The first “direct-to-Internet movie” debuted that year, a sci-fi story entitled The Quantum Project — it was filmed with a Panasonic DVCPRO50 digital camcorder and good special effects.

When you discover that the movie didn’t stream, but had to be downloaded and watched in Windows Media Player, suddenly it does seem like 2000 was the Stone Age. Finally, a decade after that inauspicious start, the Web is showing signs of maturing into a first-rate distribution channel for original programming, especially since storage aids like Ethernet disk RAID rentals can make workloads shorter than what used to take days.

So where’s Kiefer?

Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt star in the Web series, The Confession, on Hulu.com, comprising 10 seven-minute webisodes. Co-producer Chris Young of Digital Broadcasting Group says the show sets a high bar “for what is possible in original webisodic content” and is clearly aiming at “motion picture quality.” Young expects a “seismic shift in how content of this caliber is released” and believes that well-produced programs could attract audiences rivaling those “of a hit television series.”

Talented pros of many kinds look to CRE for high-powered help, from our people and our equipment. Our AJA Io HD rentals are a great example of how to tackle a big project with Final Cut, for instance. It takes the same general kind of hardware and software to make a webisode as it does to make a movie – they are just delivered in different formats. Even if you want to compress and convert your production to MPEG-4 (mp4, h264) for watching on iPad Rentals, you still must create it at the highest possible resolution, then “repurpose” it for DVD, HDTV, traditional TV broadcast and so on.

From audio visual rentals for your movie set to Xserve rentals for networking, CRE has you covered. If you know what you need, use the handy Quick Rental Quote form. Otherwise, call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive for help in blowing through that bottleneck or ramping up that new project.

Top Tech Gadget Site to Start Mining

June 30th, 2011

Every month or so we like to have fun with a blog about the latest gadgets, from rumored to real. In fact, long before we had iPad rentals we followed the story of Apple’s tablet in the “gadget blogs.” If you don’t want us to decide what the hippest, coolest gadgets are – and want to see 100′s of gadgets rather than the 4 or 5 we can offer in one blog – then start mining these top gadget sites yourself:

Gizmodo.com was the first truly popular gadget site, and it’s in the top handful still. In fact, Engadget’s founder left to start Gizmodo. It rivals Engadget in breaking (and leaking) news – including early photos of our latest-generation iMac rentals – but the tone is playful, as opposed to the button-down professional tone of other sites.

Engadget.com is one of the two or three top gadget blogs (depending on how you measure). It covers all categories and is a prime source for corporate “leaks” and spy-worthy photos of unreleased devices.

Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine

Geek.com is like Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine in a way, as it evokes the feeling of “OG” (Original Geek). You’ll get the whole spread here, from video games and futuristic flights of fancy to the new Thunderbolt I/O technology found in the latest MacBook Pro rentals.

GeekSugar.com proves what we already knew, that women are as tech-savvy as men. Our render farm rentals and other high-end gear isn’t exclusive to the male of the species, but the chic, stylish gadget gabfest at Geeksugar is targeted to a female audience. It’s the feminine take on tech, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, folks.

TechCrunch.com has carved out something of a niche, with coverage focused on Web-linked or -enabled gadgets. Now that everything from tablet PC rentals to telephones fit the definition, the site’s coverage has expanded – considerably!

CNET.com is more than a gadget blog. The site covers the “big stories,” too, like Apple’s years-long development of the brains and brawn now residing in CRE’s Mac Pro rentals. This is a trusted site with podcasts and videos that actually demonstrate new products as no print review can.

TUAW.com, “The Unofficial Apple Weblog,” covers more than just Apple products, but does concentrate on iPhones, iPads, Macintoshes, iPods, AppleTV – and its library of Steve Jobs’ keynote addresses. You can also trust the site’s comparative reviews, in case you want to see how different computer rentals line up with your particular needs.

Gadgets for workflow, workplace and workstation

Speaking of particular gadget needs, whether yours is for convention rentals or everything required to open up a branch office tomorrow (yes, tomorrow), CRE is your one-stop solution. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or use our Quick Rental Quote form, and get a workflow, workplace or workstation gadget solution right now!

Windows 8 – Tablet-Style Interface

June 21st, 2011

Reports from last week’s WWDC 2011 conference confirm that Apple’s Mac OS X Lion (10.7) is going through a process of “iPadification,” borrowing visual cues and multi-touch gestures from the iOS that runs CRE’s iPad rentals. But the two operating systems will not merge. OS X will remain a computer-only creature while iOS will run Apple’s tablets and phones.

Microsoft has decided to think different, to coin a phrase. Following the botched Vista and the well-received Windows 7, Microsoft settled on a new tablet-style interface for Microsoft Windows 8 Windows 8 and will deploy it for desktops, laptops and tablets. In the MS lineup, it will be phones not PCs, that have their own OS (now called Windows 7 Phone). Microsoft has to begin seriously competing in an insane tablet market of the iPad’s making.

Share and share alike

Windows has an installed base of some 93% of the world’s PCs. Sounds great, but it’s a big challenge: MS must keep existing Windows users happy on their desktops and laptops, while capturing (and satisfying) tablet users with the same user interface. Remember, too, that Windows 8 will be designed for touch functionality.

Blogger Mike Halsey runs the Web site Windows8News, where he recently likened the upcoming OS to a “mashup.” Programmers drafted bits and pieces of Zune, Windows Phone and Media Center Metro to fashion a tablet-type user interface, but “big chunks” of classic Windows are there to maintain the “MS look and feel.” Its designers must make it as efficient with laptops and computer rentals as with the various styles and sizes of wireless devices.

Shared OS…it just might work

Some pundits are dubbing Microsoft’s strategy a “have your cake and eat it, too” approach that will only work if MS can merge the two interfaces seamlessly. From recent peeks, official and otherwise, they may be getting close. In the Apple universe, it would be as if the iPad had a secret “stealth mode” for using OS X when needed. But that’s not how the story was written, and Apple’s astonishing success suggests Steve Jobs made the right call.

A shared-OS approach doesn’t make sense for Apple. Does it for Microsoft? Perhaps. If the company retains ties to Windows’ original, “old school” heritage as it moves into the mobile market – pads, phones, tablet PC rentals, etc. – it will have a potent OS offering real options. If users don’t like the Windows 8 “tile” user interface, for instance, they can easily switch to the “classic” Windows look. Windows 8 will be released in 2012, according to a Senior Marketing Executive.

Windows has always given users the freedom to choose software, hardware components and drivers, so providing a choice of interfaces builds on a core strength. CRE’s core strength is helping you break through challenges and workflow bottlenecks. Call or e-mail an expert Account Executive, or use the Quick Rental Quote form, and get hold of the solutions you need right now!

Apple Conference (WWDC 2011) Insanely Great

June 14th, 2011

Before this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2011), which took place on June 6, Apple released a bit more information than the company typically provides about upcoming events. It may be that Apple was so busy with the new Mac OS X Lion and iOS5 that it wanted to get a few things out of the way. As it turns out, it meant more stage time for Steve Jobs and his “insanely great” stuff.

The ailing but energized Jobs and a team of Apple executives put on a great show. Jobs, as predicted, unveiled Apple’s new iCloud service. Attendees also got a nice dose of information on the next iteration (iOS 5) of the mobile operating system used in CRE’s iPad rentals, as well as details about the long-awaited OS X 10.7 (Lion).

OS X Lion arrives in July

The subject of a recent blog, Lion OS is being finalized for a July debut. The WWDC presentation confirmed that Lion will feature

• increased Magic Trackpad integration for multi-touch gestures, furthering the Mac’s “iPadification”;

• an upgraded Mail application with threaded messages;

• the new “AirDrop” file transfer utility for simple, short-range exchanges;

• a “Versions” feature whereby apps save “editions” of documents as you work, automatically, letting you to return to any saved version, any time;

• some new capabilities for the FileVault data encryption scheme; and

• an Auto Save feature for everything you do, in every application.

Apple announces iCloud

Wherever you are – at work with CRE’s high-end Mac Pro rentals, at home with your iPod, on location for a commercial shoot with a laptop – Apple wants you to have access to your digital media, hence the new iCloud service. A user can stream media to computers or iOS 5 devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), as well as through them to wireless networks and devices, via both Wi-Fi and 3G. If you have songs in your library that didn’t come from iTunes, a new service will add it from the online database or let you upload it manually. Called the iTunes Match service, it will cost $25 a year.

As far as the new features coming in iOS 5, there will be a long-overdue overhaul of iOS notifications, “a weak spot in a strong OS.” The new notification system will work like the well-rated third-party “push notification” app, Boxcar, which integrates all message notifications (texts, tweets, IMs, etc.) into one window. Finally, OS X Dashboard-style widgets migrate to iOS, as well as voice-recognition for text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionality.

Speaking of text and speech, you can contact an experienced Account Executive by e-mail or phone, or let us know what you need by filling out the handy Quick Rental Quote form. From audiovisual rentals to the best in post-production gear, CRE is ready to equip you for success!

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