CES 2014 To Offer Curved Phones, Curved TV's, And Much More!

So here is the thing. The year is quickly coming to a close and we all know that. Maybe you are done with this year so far as the tech goes. Maybe you are more interested in the what's coming out than what's out now. There is nothing wrong with that. But, if staying up to date with the newest tech trends is your thing, you're going to want to be ready for the CES 2014 convention.

For those of you who may not be familiar with this particular convention, here is a crash course. The acronym CES stands for "Consumer Electronics Show" and basically encompasses all things to come in terms of tech. The CES show had it's first debut in New York City back in 1967, but has since moved its domain to the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The average attendance of up to 140,000 over the average 3 day period means that many of the big industry tech leaders will be there showing off what they have in store.

With every year getting more intense than the last, especially with all the advancements that have been made in technology in the past few years, there is a lot to expect.

Well what exactly CAN we expect to see at CES?

Naturally, expect to see the biggest names in the industry right now showing off their advancements for the upcoming year. Companies like Sony, Apple, LG, Samsung, and Microsoft already have big plans and announcements prepared. Everything lies in wait until show time but there may be a few things that are being rumored to be talked about and introduced.

Sony is bringing the big guns with the release of the PS4 only weeks ago. The company has seen more than 2.1 million units sold, so we are likely to see new product accessories for the new gaming console. The company is planning on bringing on the realm of VR (virtual reality) gaming to the PS4 with a head piece modeled after the Oculus Rift VR headset. Sony is also expected to bring forth a new series of phones, as seems the standard for every big company nowadays.

Apple has not announced too much yet, but expect to see a myriad of upgraded iPads, iPhones, and other mobile devices. It has been rumored that Apple may come forth with the new iWatch to compete with the other smartwatches that have been popping up recently.

LG will more than likely be pushing the LG G Flex phone. The big kicker with this new smartphone is that the phone is actually curved, and will be able to be bent without the product actually breaking. They are also working on flexible OLED TV's that may come with remotes designed to curve the TV as you see fit. Definitely not a bad look for LG

Samsung is obviously going full steam ahead with their focus on the mobile market. Be on the look out for the announcement and possible release of the Galaxy S5. It is being rumored that the S5 may be working with a new 64-bit chip processor. It is also slated to have an all metal body casing and a 16 megapixel camera. Samsung is also doing its best to compete with LG's G Flex, with their own curved phone, the Samsung Galaxy Round. Everything up to now have been prototypes, but they may be unveiling the new phone at CES. Samsung is planning on releasing it's own brand of curved TV's as well. Just another way of competing with LG and trying to push the market.

Microsoft is not being looked at as a key player in the CES, but still have plans on making themselves known to convention goers. With the recent release of the Xbox One they, much like Sony's PS4, will be sure to have some type of tech accessory announcement or other large software announcement for the system. Along with the gaming consoles, be ready to see sales numbers for the Surface 2, the Surface Pro 2, and possibly some new info on the Surface 3 as well. They are definitely doing their best to remain relevant, especially in the tablet and gaming front.

CES, is right around the corner, and is dated for January 7th through to the 10th. Expect to see only the biggest and best new products for the 2014 year. 140,000 attendees can't be wrong, and these companies are putting all their cards on the table. This years CES convention is going to be bigger and better than ever.

Rentacomputer.com is your technology solutions provider for your next Las Vegas meeting, conference or convention!

Android vs iPad: Which One is Right for You?

Now that Google's Android platform is rising in popularity and going head to head with Apple's iPad, things can get a little confusing when you are shopping for a good tablet without hassle. Actually for some people, if you're standing 5 feet away it can be hard to tell them apart sometimes. Which one are you going to choose? You have the iPad, the Nexus, the Kindle, the Galaxy, the choices seem endless. If you have a few hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket and you're sweating trying to figure out which tablet to pull the trigger on, all of your problems can be solved by simply asking yourself what you are actually looking for in a tablet.

Let's look at some pros and cons of each device.

iPad: Pros

One huge strength of the iPad is it's whole ecosystem. This includes the App Store with almost one million different apps that are designed specifically for the iPad. And if they aren't designed for the iPad, they can still run on the iPad with pretty much no issues. There is also the extensive list of accessories that you can get for it. These include iPad cases, wireless keyboards, even external speakers. You can even hook your guitar up to you iPad and use it as an amp, or download arcade games and play all day without spending one single quarter.

The iPad also seems to be a bit more stable than Android tablets. Apple approves each individual app before it hits the app store. This insures that is does what it says and most of the bugs will be worked out before you even have the chance to download it. See, for Apple and it's app creators, they only have to worry about a select few devices, making it easier to work out the kinks. Android has an absolute ton of different devices, and despite efforts to make their OS more simplistic and easy to use, Apple has them beat in that category.

iPad: Cons

There is a big trade off in being more stable and easy to use. This takes away the ability to fully customize and to expand. Yes, it is great that each app is reviewed and tested before it hits the store. Yes, it's great that iPad users don't have to worry about malware infections on their devices. But this approval process does cut out some pretty useful apps. The iPad also completely lacks the ability to expand it's storage. You can't use flash drives, SD cards or anything of that nature. What you get is simply what you get.

An iPad is also more expensive than your average Android. When the iPad first came out, their price was one of their biggest selling points. At the time it was almost impossible to believe that a touch based tablet was only $499. Now, with 7 inch tablets becoming more popular, you can get an Android tablet that does just about anything under the sun for $199, which is almost half the price of the iPad Mini.

Android: Pros

Androids biggest perk has to be the sheer amount of devices that you have to choose from and the amount that you can customize each one after you pick it out and make your purchase. Between the Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy and Kindle Fire, there are three premier Android tablets to pick from. On top of those, there are hundreds of other brands and models to pick from. In the past few years, Android has also grown up quite a bit. They support many features like, like widgets for example, that Apple has always stayed away from and completely ignored.

We also have the Google Play market which has come a long way in the past few years. Now you have literally just about the exact same amount of apps as you'll find in Apple's App Store. While the lack of quality control for apps means more of those apps could be a little bit screwy, the boost in numbers does offer a lot more variety than Android ever had before, even just a few short years ago.

New 7 inch tablets also provide a cheaper entry level price range than Apple.

Android: Cons

Of course a big con would be the lack of supervision over Google Play. You know what you're getting when you download big-name apps, but when you see a little unknown app that sounds cool, you honestly have no idea what you could be getting into.

Piracy has also done a lot of damage to Android. While it's probably possible to pirate apps on the iPad, it's actually a really big deal on Android. It's really easy and people do it all the time. This is causing some developers to stick to building apps specifically for iOS devices rather than risking the money it would take to develop the app for Android. This is the biggest problem when it comes to top games that you may want on your tablet. They may never be made.

THE BIG PICTURE:

The iPad:

A great tablet for anyone. You can write books, create music, surf the web, whatever you want. It's also great for anyone who is a little bit intimidated by technology because it is so simple to use, and there really isn't anything to worry about. You can have more fun with less time spent trying to figure it out.

The Android:

The Android audience can be a bit more broad. Anyone who wants to watch movies, read books, listen to music and play casual games. OR, those of you who want to customize and and tweak your device to get everything out of it that you can to get the best experience out of your media. The price tag won't hurt your pocket, you have a ton of options to choose from, and you can always upgrade your device whenever you decide you need more out of it.

With all of the great tablets on sale this holiday season, I hope this helps!

Seagate Debuts New Solid Storage Hybrid Drives, Promises Speed and Storage at Low Prices

Seagate has just unleashed the newest generation of its Solid Storage Hybrid Drives (SSHD) for desktops. In addition to that, the company has released an entirely new line of Solid Storage Hybrid Drives for laptops as well.

SSHDs are drives that are made up of Solid State Drives with low capacities and a regular disk drive. This allows the company to combine the low price and the high storage capacity of the SSD with the speed of the disk drive. The end result is, ideally, the best of both worlds with a drive that is almost as cheap as a regular disk drive and almost as fast as a Solid State Drive.

Seagate's new 3.5" Desktop SSHDs come in two flavors: 1TB and 2TB with 8GB of the space being flash storage space. The laptop versions are slightly smaller, measuring only 7mm thick, though they also support 8GB of flash memory. The difference with the laptop SSHDs is that they only come in 500GB and 1TB capacities.

For the laptop SSHDs, Seagate promises five times better performance than with a regular 5,400 rpm laptop drive while the desktop SSHDs should clock in at four times as fast as a regular desktop drive. The second part of these drives that is appealing is the price. Both the desktop and laptop versions are actually very affordable. The 1TB desktop version will only set you back $99 while the 2TB runs $149. The 500GB for the laptop SSHD will run $79 with the 1TB capacity coming in at $99.

Solid State Drives have long been the preferred method of storage for hardcore computer users as their speed and capacity are unmatched. Unfortunately, the price drove many users away. These new Solid Storage Hybrid Drives seem to be the perfect solution for people who want capacity and speed at an affordable price and the fact that you can get them for both your laptop and your desktop make it all that much sweeter of a deal.

Don't forget that if you are ever on a business trip across the country or setting up a booth at a trade show or convention and you need some temporary technology, then Rentacomputer.com is your go-to source. With thousands of technicians all over the country and Tech Travel Agents that can acquire anything for you anywhere, at any time, nothing beats renting technology from Rentacomputer.com.

Copier Rentals Perfect for Company Marketing Projects

Company marketing is one of the most crucial aspects of any growing business. Getting your name out there and letting people know about who you are and what you have to offer is one of the best ways to gain new customers along with new contacts and business partners. However, marketing your company in the right way requires a lot of work and equipment that is necessary to get the job done. Company marketing projects require a number of different things, including enough copiers and printers to create all the flyers and signs that you need.

Most companies have their fair share of copiers, though in order to completely maximize your marketing project, you will undoubtedly need more than you probably have. When more copiers are a necessity, but only for specific projects like this, it doesn't make sense to go out and buy two or three brand new copiers (or even used ones) if you won't be consistently using them. Renting a copier for this exact purpose is something many companies consider whenever planning a marketing project.

Click Here For Office Equipment Rentals Nationwide!

A copier rental from Rentacomputer.com is a temporary solution for your company's marketing project needs. It allows you to acquire the exact technology you need for only the time you need it, meaning you don't have a lot of technology sitting around gathering dust, making you regret ever spending money on it.

Rentacomputer.com has a lot of versatile copiers that are perfect for a variety of situations. A good copier doesn't just copy papers. Any copier worth getting can also handle index cards, transparencies and other heavier media. Versatility in a copier is a must and it is essential to rent a copier that can handle everything you throw at it. Another good feature to look for is a flatbed copying surface so that the copier can copy pages from books and manuals as well.

No matter what type of company marketing project you are doing, a copier rental is the perfect solution. Not only does it allow you to have extra technology to handle big projects, but it also won't cause you to spend a lot of money on a purchase that you may only use once or twice a year. In addition to that, Rentacomputer.com also offers local delivery, installation, testing and pickup of your copier rental by a professional technician, meaning you don't have to worry about any of the logistics. With nearly 25 years of experience in the industry, Rentacomputer.com knows what it takes to make a company marketing project a success!