Thor's Archive
Schrock Innovations will be offering some amazing deals starting this Friday and going all weekend along through Sunday at both Schrock Innovations locations.
A couple days ago I was on KMTV Channel 3 in Omaha to talk about the great Black Friday Weekend deals at Schrock.
You can read all about the details and get the specifications on the computers in our Black Friday Weekend Event circular.
Some of the items on special include:
- Preventative Maintenance Checkups only $29.99 (regular price $70)
- Norton 360 Installed and Warrantied only $79.99 (regularly $150 - 25 per Service Center)
- Compaq notebook computers only $399 (3 available per Service Center)
- Ultimate Upgrade 2011 Special only $399 (10 available per Service Center)
- $100 off the 2010 Holiday Special Desktop PC (only 16 left per Service Center)
- Free $10 gift card for every $50 gift card you purchase
You can also purchase the discounted Maintenance Checkups or the discounted Norton 360 installation as a certificate. They make a great stocking stuffer and they all display the full retail price of the item. They are redeemable after Christmas 2010 and are an outstanding value!
You can purchase certificates by phone. Click here for the number of the Service Center nearest you.
What is the Ultimate Upgrade?
The Ultimate Upgrade is a special computer that we typically only offer once each year in the spring. With the Ultimate Upgrade you trade in your old, tired computer for a brand new Modular PC for only $399.
For the Black Friday sale we are offering the 2011 Ultimate Upgrade model, which is almost identical to our X3 model that retails at $799.
As you can see, it is an amazing deal that will not last long. There are only 10 available per Service Center.
We are allowing orders by phone on this item. Please understand that we will answer phones as quickly as we can, but we are expecting a massive response Friday morning.
You don't trade in your old computer until your new one is ready, and no old parts are used in the construction of your new PC.
I am going to be on the KMTV Channel 3 in Omaha during Monday's Morning Blend program to talk about some of the best Black Friday tech shopping tips and to highlight some of the amazing things Schrock has on special next weekend.
I have been watching all of the Black Friday leaked ads to find out where the best deals are, what time you need to be there and how many of them will be available.
If you are not the get-up-early type, we are also going to tell you about some amazing deals that Schrock Innovations will have all weekend long - starting Black Friday through November 28th.
Unlike the box stores, we don't get a kick out of watching our customers freeze in the cold for hours just to have a 1 in 100 shot at a sale item that is over-hyped and under-stocked.
Schrock's Lincoln and Omaha Service Centers will both be opening at our normal business hours (10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday and Sunday noon-5pm).
You can expect some amazing deals including:
- Compaq notebooks for only $399.99 (3 available per Service Center)
- Ultimate Upgrade Desktop Computers for only $399 (10 available per Service Center)
- Norton 360 Installed and Warrantied for only $79.99 (25 per Service Center)
- $10 in FREE Gift Cards for Every $50 You Buy
- PC Preventative Maintenance Checkups for Only $29.99 (all weekend long)
- $100 Instant Rebate off the 2010 Holiday Special Desktop PC
- Register to win a Free 3-night Branson Condo Stay
All of the Black Friday Weekend Event details will be posted online on the Schrock Innovations website. If you want to see the hardware firsthand (and you are in Omaha), be sure to tune into KMTV Channel 3 Monday morning at 9!
Schrock Innovations has produced and released a new commercial featuring the 2010 Holiday Special on ESPN 1480 in Lincoln, NE.
The new ad will begin airing on November 8, 2010 and will run through November 28th, 2010.
Click here to download or play the commercial.
Schrock does not do a lot of advertising on Lincoln's only full-time sports talk station, so the ad has been scheduled in heavy rotation to achieve maximum awareness before November 28.
What is the 2010 Holiday Special?
The 2010 Holiday Special computer is a special system offered once a year in very limited quantities. This year's Holiday Special features a 120 GB solid state hard drive, a 6-core processor and 12 GB of RAM.
For $1,499 purchasers receive the tower, a full 1080p HD display, wireless keyboard and mouse, and speakers. If the purchase is made before November 28, 2010 customers receive a $100 instant rebate, bringing the cost down to an amazing $1399.
The 2010 Holiday Special computer is only available at Schrock Innovations, and can not be custom built at any price on the Dell or HP websites.
As tonight's historic election results come in, Schrock Innovations thought it would be a great opportunity to run a commercial thanking our Lincoln customers for voting us Best of Lincoln for the 9th consecutive year.
This spot was actually the second shooting of the commercial. We shot the first attempt in the Lincoln Service Center but due to a camera error, we had to re-shoot the entire spot again. Because of schedule conflicts, we had to shoot it in our brand new Omaha Service Center.
The commercial will air on Lincoln's Channel 8 throughout tonight's coverage. Take a look at the spot below:
A couple months ago a member of the National Guard 1/209 RTI out of Camp Ashland asked us if we could spare a couple dead hard drives for a training exercise they were planning.
Schrock had a couple hard drives that had been wiped clean and were slated for destruction, so we donated them instead. I honestly thought they would blow them up or something, but what they ended up using them for was a whole lot more fun than that!
A few days ago we received this video and a beautiful plaque thanking Schrock for the donation.
In the video you will see the 3rd Platoon on an exercise to retrieve the data storage devices from a downed UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) in a hostile environment.
You can see the soldiers move into a protective formation around the objective before recovering the data storage device.
It was a real treat to get a surprise like this, and we are all happy that we were able to help our soldiers in a small way.
Each year Three Eagles Communications in Lincoln asks listeners of their 6 Lincoln, Nebraska radio stations to vote for who they consider the best local business in a number of categories.
Schrock Innovations is proud to announce that for the 9th consecutive year we have been voted the #1 independent computer repair company in Lincoln.
At Schrock we are always working to make sure each of our customers leaves our Service Center satisfied with the work we provided and happy to refer their friends and family to us in the future.
Knowing that so many listeners across many demographics, age groups, and stations all voted for our company is extremely humbling.
Awards are a great indicator of past performance, and we all know that we are only as good as our last customer's service experience.
We promise to continue working hard to communicate better, develop cutting-edge products and solutions, and always keep sight of the fact that each customer who asks us to work on their computer is trusting us with a small piece of their lives.
Two months before our Omaha Service Center opened we started hiring new technicians to train in Lincoln. Some of those technicians worked out and some did not, but Joe Clark is proving to be a customer service go-to guy and just the kind of employee Schrock needs in Omaha.
Joe had a significant background in network cabling, operations management, and field repair experience at Qwest so we decided to bring him on board for a 90-day trial.
From day one Joe showed professionalism and the kind of concern for our customers' satisfaction that a tech needs to have to succeed at Schrock Innovations.
Now that the Omaha Service Center is up and running you can find Joe helping customers on the phone, in their homes, and on our benches.
Welcome aboard Joe and thank you for your commitment to Schrock's customers!
As of October 22, 2010 computer manufacturers (including local OEM companies like Schrock Innovations) are no longer permitted to install Windows XP as a primary operating system on new computers.
The only exception to this is if the customer buys a newer operating system on the computer like Windows 7, and then buys a second license for XP and downgrades the system. This option will be supported through 2015.
With that said, the days of getting XP systems from Dell, HP or any other business provider are officially over.
In fact, and computer builder, local or otherwise, who tells you they can still build you a new Windows XP PC that is properly licensed with Microsoft is lying to you. Unless you buy 2 operating systems it can't be done legitimately. (Trust me, you don't want to call Microsoft's bluff on licensing or stuff like this can happen to your company.)
One of the most popular questions I get on my radio show (now available free on iTunes) is when will XP be dead? I guess this is the final answer.
Sunday morning at 7:00 AM I took to the KFAB airwaves for our weekly Compute This radio show (available free on iTunes) to announce the opening of the Service Center that afternoon.
The show was awesome and I left the studio a little less nervous than when I got up that morning.
A Smashing Success!
We had over 100 people come in that Sunday (10/10/10 no less) and nearly all of them brought computers in for a discounted Preventative Maintenance Checkup.
The Omaha staff did a great job making everyone feel welcome, processing in the computers and making sure everyone got a helping from the Lovely Kimberly's amazing cookie buffet.
In fact, 11 days later - after the glow of the grand opening had completely passed, our bench is STILL full with an average of 11 computers coming through the service center every day.
What is New in the Omaha Service Center?
In 2008 we built a state-of-the-art Service Center in Lincoln, NE. We got a lot of things right when we built that, but we also could have done a few things differently.
For example, we built the walls in the new Omaha Service Center all the way to the ceiling to help reduce echo, we shortened the distance from the front desk to the front door, and we leased two full bays - one for retail and service and another for repair.
The new configuration allowed us to install 40 bench spots (as opposed to Lincoln's 26) - and thankfully so. As you can see in the picture above, the bench is full!
What's Next for Schrock Innovations?
Now that Omaha is launched and moving I am working to catch up on things I have been neglecting (like this blog). We also have some big events coming up soon:
- Our 2010 Holiday Special
- Possibility of a Black Friday Sale
- Significant internal and external website updates
- A new software product that many of our customers have been asking us to make for years
With everything going on with the new Omaha Service Center opening, we haven't had time to get our latest KFAB Compute This shows edited and posted on the Compute This page of the Schrock website until now.
Two KFAB shows are now available online free from commercial interruption.
You can listen to the August 15, 2010 show here.
You can listen to the August 22, 2010 show here.
We have two other shows in raw audio format that we need to edit. We should have those online this week.
Our KFAB shows are a little different from the shows we air on KFOR. On the KFAB show I do not have a co-host (Chris won't get up at 5 on Sunday morning to drive to Omaha).
Also, because KFAB covers Lincoln and Omaha, we get callers from all over the state.
The format is a little different, but give it a listen. It has really been catching on in Omaha and I think you will enjoy it.
Windows 7 comes complete with all of the software you need to backup your computer’s hard drive completely and safely.
One of the most expensive procedures in computer repair is recovering data from a failed hard drive. You can save yourself the heartache and money of a costly repair by following these simple directions below.
What Do I Need?
- A computer running any version of Windows 7
- A blank CD-R disc
- A removable hard drive
Preparing to Backup
- Connect your removable hard drive to a USB port, preferably on the back of your computer. These backups are automated, so you want to leave the hard drive hooked up all the time. Try not to use it for storing anything other than your backup files and images.
- Label your blank CD-R disc Windows 7 Hard Drive Recovery Disc with a permanent marker (not a ball-point or other hard writing instrument) and place it in your CD burner.
Creating Your Backup Routine
- Click on Start in the lower left hand corner of your screen
- Click on All Programs, then click Maintenance
- Click on Backup and Restore
- On the left, click on “create a system repair disc”
- Click on Create Disc to start burning to the CD in your drive
- After the burn is complete return to the Backup and Restore screen and click “Set up Backup on the right”
- Select your backup hard drive from the Backup Destination list & click Next
- Click the “Let Me Choose” option
- Check all boxes and check the “Include a system image” box toward the bottom & click Next
- Click the “Save settings and run backup” button
Your backup will now run every Sunday evening at 7 PM. Remember that your computer must be turned on for the backup to work.
With this backup in hand you will be able to restore a complete image of all of your files and programs should you ever have a hard drive crash.
Should you ever need to perform a recovery simply boot from your recovery CD and restore the backup image that is created every Sunday night.
Over the past two weeks I think I have been busier than at any other point in my life. Most of the work I have been doing surrounds the launch of our new Computer Repair Service Center in Omaha, NE.
We had a big hold up on the permits (over six weeks!) but finally the City of Omaha got us everything we needed and our general contractor was able to get started on our job.
We got a lot of things right when we built our new Lincoln Service Center in 2008. We also overlooked some things that we plan on doing better in the Omaha Service Center. For example:
- Lincoln has too much display space an not enough bench space - Lincoln has 26 bench spots and Omaha will have 40
- While our concrete counters look great, they are hard to keep clean. We decided on stainless steel for Omaha's display fixtures
- Although our conference room in Lincoln is handy, it is wasted space. We eliminated it in Omaha and replaced it with a high top table and some stools.
With any luck construction should be complete on our bay by the last week of September and we should be ready to service customers by October 3. Stay tuned and I will keep you posted!
The audio for the August 7, 2010 Compute This Radio Show is now available online.
You can right click here to download the audio to your computer or MP3 player.
On this show, Thor and Chris touched on the following topics:
- How different types of computers are designed to be used in different ways
- The Smart Summer of Savings Sale at Schrock Innovations
- Needless babble about Submariners an d the tail end of a Navy guy joke ;-)
Computer This airs on the following stations. Each show is a live broadcast and callers are always welcome:
- KFOR 1240 AM on Saturday from 10-11 AM - 489-1240
- KFAB 1110 AM on Sunday from 7-8 AM - 558-1110
Also, don't miss the Living Digital Show on 1240 AM KFOR Saturdays from 2-5. Thor brings you the latest technology news from a non-technical perspective.
Things are coming along nicely for our Compute This! show that airs Sundays from 7-8 AM on 1110 KFAB.
Last week we had our first show and we were packed with great callers, interesting questions, and great information.
We got the online streaming bug resolved, so listeners should be able to listen online through the KFAB website or the iheart radio smartphone app.
Our show update page is alive and kicking on the KFAB website as well.
Take a look at this page to learn what we will be covering on the show this weekend. Of course, we will take calls and that can lead to all sorts of tangents, but you can get an idea of the thrust of the show there.
This week we will be giving away one $25 on each of our shows. Here is where you can listen and how you can win:
Saturday Show on KFOR:
1240 AM KFOR
Call in Numbers - 489-1240 or 800-825-5865
10-11 AM Saturday Mornings
1110 KFAB
Call in Numbers - 558-1110 or 1-800-543-1110
7-8 AM Sunday Mornings
The audio for the July 24, 2010 Compute This Radio Show is now available online.
You can right click here to download the audio to your computer or MP3 player.
On this show, Thor and Chris touched on the following topics:
- Launch of the Smart Summer of Savings Sale Event
- Examples of Great Schrock Service
- Lots of Callers With Great Questions
Computer This airs on the following stations. Each show is a live broadcast and callers are always welcome:
- KFOR 1240 AM on Saturday from 10-11 AM - 489-1240
- KFAB 1110 AM on Sunday from 7-8 AM - 558-1110 (coming August 1st)
Also, don't miss the Living Digital Show on 1240 AM KFOR Saturdays from 2-5. Thor brings you the latest technology news from a non-technical perspective.
Schrock Innovations has been a staple in Nebraska’s computer repair industry for over 11 years. Testimonials like the one to the left explain how Schrock attained that position and how seriously we take our reputation in the community.
During that time, our Lincoln Service Center has won eight Best of Lincoln awards and this year we were honored as Nebraska’s #1 Customer Service company (out of all Nebraska businesses) by the Nebraska Retail Federation.
Although many of our successes have come from our Lincoln operation, Schrock is no stranger to the Omaha Metro area.
In 2005 we won a Best of Omaha award and we are presently building a $750,000 Service Center at Village Point Mall on 168th and Burke (scheduled for a September opening).
All promotional stuff aside, there are no computer repair businesses like Schrock Innovations in Omaha.
Most computer repair shops are focused on making a quick dollar. They are very willing to help people with their problems, for a price.
At Schrock Innovations we choose a different path. We want to build a relationship with you and earn your trust. Then, when you really need us, you can feel comfortable picking up the phone and asking for help.
That is why we offer a free hour of labor coupon for new customers (just mention it when you call 934-9423), that is why we recycle old computers free of charge, and that is why I get up every Sunday morning to do this show.
Compute This! and Schrock Innovations exist to help you make your computer do what you want it to do.
I am the 100% owner of Schrock Innovations, so when you hear me on the radio you know you are talking to a person who is in our Service Centers every day. I take pride in the fact I know my customers by name and I expect nothing but the best from my staff of trained technicians.
I wanted to start this show a few weeks before we opened our doors for business because building relationships takes time.
All I am asking from you is to listen every Sunday from 7-8 AM.
I promise that you will learn things about your computer that are genuinely interesting and useful. This is not a computer show for techies. This is a show for real people who just want their technology to work.
With that aside, let’s cover one promotional item for the show.
Every person who calls the show Sunday at 558-1110 with a question or comment will receive a free $50 Schrock gift card.
Just call, ask a question, and get a free $50. It’s that easy.
Normally we give away one $25 gift card PER SHOW, so $50 per caller is a VERY rare opportunity. Don’t miss out!
Tune in August 1 from 7-8 AM to Compute This!
The audio for the July 24, 2010 Compute This Radio Show is now available online.
You can click here to listen to the show.
On this show, Thor and Chris touched on the following topics:
- Callers asked about upgrading Netbooks to Windows 7
- Dell motherboards were shipped with malware on their microchips
- Lots of emails this week from listeners
Computer This airs on the following stations. Each show is a live broadcast and callers are always welcome:
- KFOR 1240 AM on Saturday from 10-11 AM - 489-1240
- KFAB 1110 AM on Sunday from 7-8 AM - 558-1110 (coming August 1st)
Also, don't miss the Living Digital Show on 1240 AM KFOR Saturdays from 2-5. Thor brings you the latest technology news from a non-technical perspective.
Grant Mellor is one of Schrock Innovations' newest technicians. Typically a technician must work at Schrock for 90 days before we official assign them to one of the Service Centers.
In Grant's case we did not have to wait that long to understand that we had a talented technician and a great guy on our hands.
After just a few weeks on the job, Grant has accumulated more customer compliments, thank you notes, and mentions on Compute This than I could possibly list here.
Because of his great technical efforts, his positive attitude, and his committment to providing excellent service, Schrock has assigned Grant to our new Omaha Service Center to help train and coordinate the next generation of Schrock Innovations staff.
Congratulations Grant and thank you for your excellent work!
Starting August 1, 2010 Schrock Innovations will be airing a weekly radio show on 1110 KFAB every Sunday morning from 7-8 AM.
The new show will be called Compute This (the same as the show they currently air on KFOR 1240) and will feature myself and Grant Mellor in a call-in style format.
Why 1110 KFAB?
It will be interesting to see what the Arbitron ratings say when they come out, but as of the last book, KFAB has a 9.6 share in Omaha.
A 12 share means that of all of the radios active in the Omaha metro area, 9.6% are tuned to KFAB at any given point in time (KFAB pulls a 3.5 share in Lincoln as well). This is HUGE. In fact, KFAB is the highest rated radio station in Nebraska and can be heard all the way across the state.
In comparison, our Lincoln weekly radio show on 1240 AM pulls a 7.1 share. When you factor in that Omaha's metro population is 3 times larger than Lincoln AND the fact that KFAB is heard in Lincoln as well, the promotional power of the station is second to none.
Why Omaha?
Schrock Innovations is re-launching its second location at 168th and Burke in Village Pointe South in September 2010.
Omaha is the logical expansion location for Schrock Innovations because we already have a customer base there, it is a mere hour from our Lincoln location, and there is a skilled talent pool to select from.
The radio show is starting August 1 so we can gauge the listener response and hire appropriate staff to handle our grand opening sale (hint hint!)
Can I Listen Online?
Absolutely! In fact I do three radio shows a week right now, and you can listen to all three online if you would like:
Compute This on KFOR 1240 w/ Chris Goforth and Thor Schrock (10-11 AM Saturdays)
The Living Digital Show on 1240 with Thor Schrock (2-5 PM Saturdays)
Compute This on 1110 KFAB w/ Thor Schrock & Grant Mellor (7-8 AM Sundays)
It always amazes me that some people just can't seem to grasp the concept that if you raise costs on businesses the prices they charge consumers for services will go up.
Congress is considering more sweet-heart union legislation that would require express mail carriers (like FedEx) to be regulated under the National Labor Relations Act (NRLA).
The Teamsters Union has been at work in UPS for years causing regulation headaches and increasing shipping prices for consumers and now they want in on the FedEx action as well.
Their objective is to boost their membership numbers and consequently the money they can spend on political campaigns and lobbyists. The fastest way to do that is to get a piece of the non-unionized FedEx pie.
Rather than asking FedEx employees if they want to be represented by a union, the Teamsters have used political influence and Capital Hill lobbyists to try to force their employees into paying union dues whether they want to or not.
Hoffa Wants 100,000 FedEx Union Members
Teamsters Union President James Hoffa called on Congress to force FedEx air express workers to operate under the NRLA, and vowed to "organize 100,000 workers at FedEx" once that happens.
Multiple attempts at company-wide unionization of FedEx have already failed as workers reject union monopolies, so Teamsters have developed legislative strategies to force unionization.
The Senate is expected to decide on the bill, Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, soon. This legislation would be government intervening in a private company’s operating procedures– and it amounts to a boon to the Teamsters union, and a drag on our economy.
What You Can Do to Stop Abusive Union Legislation
Call your Senators today and ask them to please VOTE NO on the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act and to oppose the special deal for the Teamsters.
It is anti-competitive and another example of Washington backroom dealing—without public oversight.:
US Senator Mike Johanns in Omaha: (402) 758-8981
US Senator Ben Nelson in Omaha: (402) 391-3411
What Happens if This Law Passes?
Today, prices are down, reliability is up and access to markets has never been better in the shipping industry. Our economy depends on a reliable and competitively priced express-delivery network for emergency medicines, replacement parts and critical inventory.
But if Congress creates a government-mandated monopoly, prices will increase, service and reliability will decrease, and then access will be limited.
Consumers may have to pay a “hidden package tax” to fund this bailout. Estimates vary, but a mere 10 percent increase in costs would result in an extra $9 billion cost for consumers. Not to mention reduced reliability, longer shipping times and more limited access to rural markets around the globe.
In addition, FedEx and other overnight air carriers will be subject to labor strikes like UPS experienced in 1997, which had catastrophic consequences for the economy.
Shipments of indispensable items like medications, food, paychecks - could end up stranded on shipping docks across the country again.
It took a while for us to find just the right location, but after a lot of searching and negotiating Schrock Innovations will be locating its new Omaha Service Center at 168th and Burke in the Village Pointe South Development.
Village Point South is just across the street form the large Village Point Mall at 168th and Dodge. Some of our technology neighbors include Best Buy and the Apple Store.
Schrock will be occupying 2 bays in the development for a total of 2,400 square feet.
No More Moving!
Our Omaha customers might remember that we launched our first Omaha Service Center in 2003. Following the same model that has brought success in the Lincoln, NE market, we chose to advertise with a weekly radio show on Magic 590 AM.
Our first year was a success and we started hiring more employees and expanding the array of services we offered in Omaha. In the midst of our expansion, we received notice that Magic 590 was going to flip formats to become a sports talk station, and our show was canceled as a result.
We worked on a few other advertising mediums, but nothing produced like our radio show did. Eventually we were forced to lay off most of our Omaha staff and eventually, we closed our physical Omaha location and serviced our customers on-site exclusively in Omaha.
This new location is a 5-year lease and was selected specifically for its location and proximity to other technology companies who we already know we can outperform with our award-winning customer service.
New Radio Show
I make lots of mistakes, but I always learn from them. I knew there was only one AM station in Omaha that was going to bring the success that we needed to support a new Omaha Service Center, and that station was 1110 KFAB.
But getting on KFAB is not as easy as calling a sales rep and asking how much. When we lost our Magic 590 show we sent demo CDs into KFAB only to be turned down.
You have to understand that stations like KFAB are approached every day by people who want radio shows. Some are serious, and some are not, but most do not have any radio experience whatsoever. KFAB is a market leader and they need to have quality talent on their airwaves at all times.
After we were rejected in 2003 by KFAB I went to work honing my radio abilities on our Lincoln affiliate, KFOR 1240 AM. Things started going so well that in late 2009 KFOR and I developed a new 3-hour weekend show called the Living Digital Show.
With a LOT more experience under my belt and a home-based studio to boot, we approached KFAB again and they agreed to grant us a 1-year contract for Compute This on KFAB.
The new show starts August 1, 2010 and airs every Sunday morning between 7-8 AM.
Construction Begins
Our new bay is a bare shell. It has never had any other business in it before, so that means we get to design the space to meet our unique needs. I may be good with computers, but I am definately not a measure twice cut once kind of guy. We needed a General contractor to keep our build out on track.
We plan on signing a letter of intent with a contractor tomorrow and we should be open for business by September.
Since our radio show starts in August and the shop won't be ready until September, we have hired employees to do free pickups, drop-offs and on-site appointments in the meantime.
Nothing Like Schrock in Omaha
The thing that makes me excited the most is that there are no other companies like Schrock Innovations in Omaha. There are lots of places to get your computer fixed, but there are no service-leaders.
I am confident that our blend of ultra-talented technicians, radio fun (and a little marketing), and the Schrock dedication to customer service that we will do well in Omaha. Stay tuned for the grand opening party coming in September :-)
The July 17, 2010 edition of the Living Digital Show has been posted on the Living Digital Show website. Click here to listen.
On yesterday's show we spent three hours covering a wide variety of topics. Some of the most interesting stories included:
- Apple's "Antenna-gate" - Free cases or refunds for all
- Russian spies infiltrate Microsoft
- American plumber designs Gulf spill valve stack
- DARPA to map underground bunkers using gravity
- Bionic pants help paraplegic walk
- Google working toward "life integration"
- Next Nintendo Wii will NOT be 3D
- Melody Martin amber alert - Keeping kids safe online
- Self charging batteries
- New Blackberry OS6 tries to save RIM
Not to mention a bunch of calls and emails as well.
The Living Digital Show airs every Saturday afternoon on KFOR 1240 AM in Lincoln, NE from 2-5PM CST. After each show archives are available commercial-free and at no cost on the Living Digital Show Website.
Yesterday Channel 8 News stopped by Schrock Innovations' Lincoln Service Center to talk about the Amber Alert that was issued yesterday for a 15 year old girl.
It seems she was playing Second Life and met a 30-year old man from New York. He was nice enough to drive from New York to Nebraska to have "coffee" with her.
Luckily, the two were found in Arkansas. It seems they had made plans to run away together.
Here are some tips for parents who are concerned about their kids on the Internet:
If you purchased a computer between 1999 and about 2003, you probably ended up with a nasty repair bill a couple years later.
The reason was a glut of capacitors that were manufactured in the gray market that contained a mix of electrolytes that was slightly off. The result was capacitors that eventually bulged, popped, and leaked. This would cause your computer to malfunction in any number of ways.
In our Service Centers at Schrock Innovations we have replaced many boards (mostly on 2005 and older E-Machines) that suffered from what became known as the capacitor plague.
Massive Desktop PC Failure
Owners of Dell computers are reliving some of those bad-old-days lately. It seems that the capacitors on many Dell motherboards are going bad at an alarming rate. Engadget is reporting that the failure rate for Dell computers is around 97%!
Most consumers who call with capacitor-related symptoms don't really know why they are experiencing problems, so Dell's technicians move the caller through the standard troubleshooting tree over and over as their warranty slowly ticks away.
The leaked documents explain that Dell is actively and intentionally telling their customer service representatives to ignore the capacitor problem:
The docs show that Dell asked customer service reps to deny there was any problem with their motherboards, telling them to pretend they'd never heard about the issue and to "emphasize uncertainty."
These problems seem to be confined to Dell Desktop computers. If you own a laptop you should be ok. The only way to get your board replaced under warranty is to actually have a technician inspect your system looking for bulging, cracked, or leaking capacitors.
What Should I Do if I Own a Dell Desktop PC?
If you find one, call Dell's technical support with your symptoms and then add "and I also have a leaking capacitor inside my computer." There is no way for their support representatives to deny you a motherboard is you KNOW it is bad and they know you are certain.
For a limited time at Schrock Innovations you can bring in your Dell Desktop system - whether it is in its Dell Warranty or not - and our technicians will inspect its capacitors free of charge. If you have a bad one, we will check your warranty status and deal with Dell for you.
No appointment is needed. Just drop your desktop system off - no cords or monitor required - and we will have it back to you usually within 1 day.
This morning an article ran in the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper stating that one of Schrock Innovations' local competitors, QuickTEQ computers, is being sued by Microsoft for allegedly intentionally selling counterfeit Windows XP Professional products and improperly using Microsoft's trade marks.
The basic outline of the story is that QuickTEQ sells a lot of refurbished laptops and Desktops. According to the article, Microsoft detected QuickTEQ was selling copies of the company's Windows XP Professional operating system in ways that did not conform with the company's licensing rules.
Microsoft warned QuickTEQ with a letter, and later sent an undercover investigator to follow up and see if QuickTEQ was still improperly selling Windows XP Professional.
After the investigator returned his findings, Microsoft hired Omaha attorney Richard Jeffries to file a suit against QuickTEQ.
Exactly What Did QuickTEQ do Wrong?
That is hard to say at this point. Microsoft's licensing rules are complex in refurbished computer situations. QuickTEQ sells refurbished computers that were sold coming off leases, at auctions, or in other situations when companies and government entities are done using them.
As a rule, when a computer is purchased and it has a copy of Windows pre-installed on it, that software is licensed under certain conditions. For example:
- You can't remove the hologram sticker and reapply it to another computer owned by someone else
- You can't transfer ownership of the Windows Operating system without the manuals and the original hologram CD or recovery media
- You can not resell an Enterprise installation of Windows (big business copy) to a home user
The article doesn't say exactly what QuickTEQ is accused of doing wrong, but I was personally really surprised to hear about Microsoft filing this suit.
QuickTEQ Was Reportedly Trying to Be Careful
I had heard through the grapevine that QuickTEQ had received a letter from Microsoft about licensing. My understanding from my sources was that the company was taking the letter very seriously.
I spoke to a couple former QuickTEQ employees this morning and they reported that as employees they were aware the company received a letter from Microsoft and that QuickTEQ was "trying to be careful."
What is Going to Happen Now?
In these situations, Microsoft is likely to ask for a temporary or permanent injunction against QuickTEQ to prevent them from selling any additional licenses.
According to the Journal Star, Microsoft is seeking information that will allow them to identify their exact monetary loss in the situation. I am not certian if that means they want a tally of the number of licenses sold, or they want the information about who bought the licenses.
Generally, Microsoft does not go after individual consumers for buying counterfeit software. They prefer to go after the players who they believe are putting the counterfeit software in the market for others to buy.
With that said, QuickTEQ has not told their side of the story yet. They did not comment to the Journal Star, and are probably just learning about the suit as well. QuickTEQ and its owner, Kevin Knudsen, are honorable staples in the Lincoln business community and I personally believe there is some misunderstanding here that will eventually be settled out of court.
How Can I Tell if My Software is Genuine?
Microsoft maintains a website that helps users determine if the Windows Software on their computer is genuine. Here are a few of the key things from that website to look for so you can put your mind at ease. Signs your Microsoft software may not be genuine:
- You did not receive any documentation or manual with your software
- Your computer does not have a holographic Windows sticker applied to its case
- You did not receive a hologram disc or recovery media with your computer
- Was the software properly licensed (home user buying Enterprise license for example)
As I have mentioned here before, my wife and I are seeking to grow our family through Open Adoption.
The Open Adoption process scares some people because there are a lot of misconceptions about it and how it works. The basic idea is that it is better for your adopted child if he or she knows who their birth mother is and has a healthy relationship with her.
My wife and I were contacted by a birthmother about a month ago who was pregnant with a little girl. I was a little nervous because she would only communicate through text messages. I was worried that she was trying to keep distance while at the same time move forward with an open adoption plan. Our attorney reassured us that the younger kids out there text more than they talk these days and it was not necessarily a sign of trouble.
We got to know the birth mom over the next few weeks. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. She already had a one year old, her boyfriend was in jail in Iowa, and she wanted to go back to school. She was a good mid-western conservative in her opinions and beliefs. She did not want to go on welfare. She wanted a good, healthy relationship with her little girl. It was a perfect match for what we wanted in a birthmom.
Signs of Trouble
Sunday morning my wife received a text message from the birthmom. She was going into labor and was headed for the hospital. We got our stuff together, grabbed the brand new car seat we bought (couldn't have her riding around in a boy's car seat now could we?) and dropped Jacob off at grandma's house.
As we headed to the hospital we received word that she had already given birth. It all happened in about 45 minutes! I was there to cut my son's cord, and I was hoping for the same with my daughter, so I was a little bummed. We pushed the accelerator down a little bit more as we rushed to meet our daughter.
We received another text from our birthmom. She wanted to get cleaned up and rest a bit before we came up. It was like torture to hang out in a lobby when we knew just three flights up our newborn daughter was waiting to meet us. But we respected her wished and waited.
Two hours later, after no communication from the birthmom, we headed up to the third floor to make sure everything was ok. The nurses on the maternity ward were great. We were headed toward our birth mother's room, but we didn;t want to interrupt anything or have an awkward moment so we stopped a nurse and asked to to let our birthmom know we were outside and would like to join her if she was ok with that. After all, she had told my wife she had wanted us there for the actual delivery.
The nurse knew she was placing her baby for adoption, and that was a relief to us. Another good sign. But then the nurse came back out and told us that she wanted to rest a bit more and to please have us wait in the maternity lobby.
A Special Kind of Purgatory
My wife and I spent over 4 hours in the lobby. My wife was really concerned. This was NOT a good sign. She had to know we were dying out here. We watched her family come and go throughout that time. They glanced at us and we at them, but no words were exchanged.
We were becoming convinced that she had changed her mind. We felt tricked in the most cruel way possibly imaginable. As we sat there holding a plush pink pig for her 1 year old daughter and a small vase of carnations for our birthmom it was becoming difficult to stay another minute.
Just as we were packing up our things to leave, the birthmom's parents came out and introduced themselves. They invited us into her room. We went from lower than low to sailing on a cloud.
Meeting Our Beautiful Daughter
It was then that we first saw her. So perfect, so health and so amazing. Kathryn Grace-Lyla Schrock was her name. Lyla was a family name that our birthmother asked us to use, and again we honored her wishes. Kathryn is my wife's mother's name and Grace is my Grandmother's name.
We spent the next two days at the hospital pretty much all day. It was so nice to see our birthmother's parents and sister there to support her. We did our best to give them time with the baby because we knew we would have forever to hold her and touch her. I couldn't wait to press her against my chest and close my eyes in a quiet room and thank God for such an amazing gift.
My wife's parents came up to meet our birthmom and their granddaughter as well. My wife's mother cried when she found out she was named after her. I called my 93 year old grandmother to tell her the baby had her name as well. She said, oh my! When will I get to meet my great granddaughter? Soon I told her.
My four year old son came up with grandma and grandpa to meet his sister. Our birthmom saw him peeking at the baby and she looked him in the eye and asked him, "do you want to meet your baby sister?" My son nodded eagerly and he ever so gently touched her hair. He asked if he could hold her, and with some guided assistance he did. It was one of the most heart-warming sights I had ever seen in my life.
Our birthmother was about to get a massage and a pedicure form the hospital staff, and my wife made sure she had some nice nail polish to use as well. We left to get some dinner and give our birthmom some privacy. Little did we know that was the last time I would ever see my daughter again.
Time to Leave the Hospital
On Tuesday afternoon our birthmother was going to be discharged. My son had pre-school that morning so the plan was to drop him at pre-school, head to the hospital and make sure we were available to run interference with lawyers if need be. Our birthmother did not seem to like the attorney we had hired to represent her in the adoption, but she was the absolute best. She managed to find and serve our bithmother's boyfriend with the adoption papers while he was in jail in Iowa. She was tough and efficient, so we wanted to be there in case things got out of hand.
We were all piling into my wife's car to drop Jake off at pre-school. Jake was super excited to get to wear his Big Brother shirt to school and tell all of his new friends that his baby sister Katie was coming home today.
My wife's phone rang.
The caller ID said it was our attorney. Our hearts stopped beating for what seemed forever.
My wife answered it and all I could hear from where I was were the words "I have some bad news."
Devastation in Motion
I immediately started talking to Jake about what he was going to do at School today.
My wife's eyes started welling up.
I reached into the Emergency bag and pulled out a new shirt. It said Dad is my #1. It had a "10" on it. That is Jake's favorite number.
My wife started to sob.
I don't want to change my shirt. I like my brother shirt he said.
Jake saw my wife crying and was concerned. Mom, you need to calm down he said.
My wife got out of the car and shut the door. It didn't do much to cut the sound of her crying.
I looked at Jake and said, baby Katie isn't going to get to come home today. As his face tilted slightly in preparation for that favorite 4-year old question my mind was racing. How do you explain to a 4 year old that a birthmom is changing her mind?
How could I have been so stupid. I exposed my son to this. I allowed him to meet her and the baby. We were so sure...
He asked, Why daddy?
Everything is ok, I lied. Baby Katie is going home with her mommy. She's not going to be your baby sister. I'm sorry buddy.
The look of disappointment was crushing to me. I redirected. Smiling, I asked him who his best friend was in pre-school? It worked. He moved on - for now anyway.
Explaining the Unexplainable - Why???
My wife and I held it together and asked Jake if he wanted to go to School. He was pumped to see Thomas now, so he wanted to go. I walked him in and explained to his teachers what had just happened. My wife stayed in the car.
We pulled away as my wife texted our former birthmother asking her what happened.
Choosing to place a child for adoption is one of the most difficult decisions a mother can make in her life. The day you leave the hospital it get real. It's not just an ambiguous idea or a fictional plan where everyone lives happily ever after. When it comes down to actually placing that child its a gut check.
Our birthmother changed her mind. That's her right. It is her baby. Yes we are hurt, and yes we are angry, and yes we feel like we just lost a child.
After a long delay the reason our former birthmother texted back was that she didn't feel we loved the baby enough.
I understand that you changed your mind, I thought to myself. But don't you do this to my wife. Don't you tell her she did something or didn't do something that changed your mind. Don't leave her with the what-ifs. Make your decision, own it and move on. You owe us that. My anger was melting into sadness as I watched what these texts were doing to my wife.
Kathryn Grace-Lyla Schrock was renamed and left the hospital around 1:00 with her mother. I don't know what her name is today, or if she will ever know about us or what happened on the days surrounding her birth.
Despite everything if the birthmom called us back and said she changed her mind again we would welcome that child into our home without question and make sure that she and her birthmother had a strong and healthy relationship. But that's the stuff of late-night tear soaked fantasy now.
We are working to move on and find another birthmother to begin the process anew. If you know a woman who is considering open adoption and wants to place her child with parents that will encourage a strong and healthy relationship with the childs birth family, please direct her to our website at http://www.nebraskaopenadoption.com
I love Google. I like Google's innovation, their easy-to-use technology and the competition they bring to the marketplace.
But I don't love Google sticking its nose into every corner of my life, recording every website I visit, every email and attachment I send, and tracking my GPS location through my cell phone.
I have been growing more protective of my privacy over the past few months, and Google's recent WiFi spying revaluation has made me even more concerned.
While Google claims the spying was inadvertent I find it hard to believe that a whole team of data engineers looked at the raw amount of data that was collected and said, oh yeah... that is just a bunch of WiFi locations.
Coming from a guy who was one mouse click away from buying a Nexus One phone from Google's store, you might understand that I try to give Google the benefit of the doubt. But not any more. It is time for rash actions.
Goodbye Gmail
The biggest intrusion into my life by far is Gmail. Like hundreds of thousands of others I eagerly agreed to let Google read my email, archive my attachments in Google Docs, and display relevant ads on which I have never clicked. It seemed like a great deal.
By itself, it probably is. However, if you have ever sent an email and regretted it, if you have ever attached the wrong document to an email, or if you have foolishly included credit card numbers or other personal it is all archived for eternity at Google - even if you delete your Google Account. I am not ok with that.
For about $10 a month I got a private IMAP account from Rackspace.com and now all of my email moves through that IMAP in the same way it did before with Google. My phone, desktop, and webmail are all synchronized in beautiful, silent privacy. I love it.
Goodbye Google Toolbar
The next step it to uninstall the Google Toolbar and remove the Google Gears extension from my Firefox browser.
The Google Toolbar tracks every website your browser visits, and when cross-referenced with the pervasive cookie that is present on your computer when you log into any Google Service, the G-Master knows what web pages you look at, what you search for, what videos you prefer on YouTube, and even the data you place in certain forms on websites.
It is time for me to close that door of information as well. I don't plan on using many Google Services anyway, so Gears won't be too much of a problem.
AdWords and AdSense
I am not ditching AdWords and AdSense and its not just the great money I make as an AdSense publisher or the customers I can attract to Schrock Innovations using AdWords.
AdSense and AdWords have a clear revenue model. Google is buying and selling advertising. It's a marketplace where money is exchanged for advertising.
When you use Google's free products you are trading your privacy for the use for the free product. I am no longer willing to pay that price - especially when I can get similar services for such a small amount of money.
So Am I Paranoid or Just Realistic?
People I have talked to either think I am nuts that Google gives a damn about what I am doing in my computing time and others see the potential for privacy abuse in the future.
I am afraid of so much personal information being stored about me in one place because history has shown that in times of economic and political strife, private companies do things they would not ordinarily do.
Take it a step further... Lets say a state or the Federal government decides they want to charge you retroactive sales taxes on everything you have bought using Google Checkout. They can use the courts to FORCE Google to hand over their treasure trove of your personal information.
If you thinks that scenario is nuts, watch out - its already happening right now to Amazon in South Carolina. See below from the Charlotte Observer:
Unable to get Amazon.com to collect the taxes, the state recently began an audit of online businesses, trying to track down what it assumes are millions of dollars in uncollected taxes. The state has told Amazon that it wants buyers' names and the amounts they spent. That state also needs to know the general categories of spending, like books or movies or food, because some items are tax exempt. Amazon has refused to comply, claiming in federal court that North Carolina may be able to learn the titles of books and movies that its customers have bought, imperiling privacy and free speech. North Carolina officials have said they are not seeking those details. Now it is up to the court to decide whether Amazon will have to reveal the names of customers, without titles.
So would Google go to bat for you? Who knows.
You can't trust Google implicitly because they are a business created to generate profits. In most cases protecting privacy is key to generating profits, but if governments demand a fat check from the G-Master OR the names of others to collect from, what do you think they would hand over?
ZDNet is reporting today that new research released by Dasient shows that as many as 1.3 million malicious ads are displayed to web surfers daily. The bad ads break down into two categories - 59% percent of them are drive-by downloads and 41% were fake-alert security software scams.
This new method of infecting PCs is called malvertising, and it is on the increase. Malicious attackers trick an ad network into running an ad that contains viruses or malware. The ad is then displayed on legitimate websites like Fox News, CNN, and others. Visitors get infected and if there is any blowback, it gets thrown at the website because most surfers don't understand that its was the advertisement that nipped them
The research also indicated:
- The chances of getting infected from a malvertisement is 2x more likely on a weekend, and infected ads go undetected for up to 8 days on average
- 97% of Fortune 500 web sites are at a high risk of getting infected with malware through third party software providers like Java or Flash
- 69% of Fortune 500 companies use external Javascript and 64% of them are running outdated web applications
How Do The Bad Guys Trick Fortune 500 Companies?
The bad guys are posing as a legitimate company and tricking the advertising departments of legitimate media outlets to run the malvertisements. That is why they run the ads on the weekend when no one at the big companies is paying attention. For example, in September of 2009 the New Your Times got duped:
The creator of the malicious ads posed as Vonage, the Internet telephone company, and persuaded NYTimes.com to run ads that initially appeared as real ads for Vonage. At some point, possibly late Friday, the campaign switched to displaying the virus warnings. Because The Times thought the campaign came straight from Vonage, which has advertised on the site before, it allowed the advertiser to use an outside vendor that it had not vetted to actually deliver the ads, Ms. McNulty said. That allowed the switch to take place.
It Won't Happen to Me, Right? WRONG
If you plan on keeping safe by avoiding weekend surfing, don't get too comfortable.
In another report recently released by Google’s Security Team, they stated that the fake-alert malware infections are now making up 50 percent of all malware delivered via ads.
In this month's issue, Consumer Reports ranked security software. The ONLY product that was able to protect your PC against malvertisements (malware infections) was Symantec's Norton Internet Security and Norton 360 software.
NONE of the free security products protect your computer and MOST of the paid ones (including McAfee, Webroot, and Computer Associates) don't get the job done either. Overall, Symantec was ranked above all others.
What are you doing to keep your computer safe? Have you been stung by one of these ads?
The KZKX morning show is one of the most highly-rated morning shows in Lincoln, so you can understand how THRILLED we were when Schrock Computer Company was featured during their show today!
Carol and Mick said some kind words about us as they introduced us to their listeners and kindly mentioned that we give a free hour of labor to all new customers so they can experience what real service feels like.
Tim and the Animal took a couple minutes during the Morning Show today to throw a few kind words toward Schrock Innovations Computer Company.
We have done a LOT of work for Animal's computers over the past few months and no matter what he sounds like on the air, he is one of the most good-hearted, caring person that I know. Tim is a true tech lover and he and I would talk for hours about the latest cameras and audio technology if the boss wasn't around to break it up.
Have a listen to what they said about Schrock on the air. Thanks guys!