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Have social robots finally arrived?

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The family robot for the home.

The family robot is upon us.

Has WallE arrived? With the recent buzz centering around social robots such as Jibo, the concept of personal robots have been or about to become reality.

According to MIT social robotics wiz, Cynthia Breazeal, she states how people want technology to treat them as a person – “Right now technology treats us as technology, beeping and buzzing at us.”

Treating your computer devices as a person is something we consumers want. That’s why we all try SIRI but anyone who has tried or does SIRI knows how frustrating this technology can be. But anyone who has any observation skills in the past ten years knows how fast the speed of technology goes so just be patient because R2D2 is near reality.

Some say the hardware for such a robot is here and affordable, the real trick is getting the apps programmed and programmed well so the robot works rather than working your nerves. The latest talk centering around Jibo, a sort of mini snowman robot looking gizmo gives some true excitement. Especially when they’re able to add some personality to the robot as Jibo claims.

They market it as a family robot. As part of the family and the home. Check out their promotional video, it’s very intriguing.

Jibo is supposed to be released at the end of next year with full production in 2016. Pre orders are being set up and claim that the starting price in 2016 will be equivalent to a high end tablet. But something as this sophisticated may mean software and apps is where the cost will bite us in the wallet.

It’s still a buzz and looks great in a video demo but the real test is when it sits on your desk and, on its own volition as it monitors you moving around, tells you to get your butt into gear because you might be late to work due to its direct monitoring of the traffic conditions, weather and the propensity for your kids to lollygag on Mondays.

Just another ShopRTO Computer Tips.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Do you own a tablet?

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tabletExperts called 2014 the year of the tablet? Apparently so. In the past several months, tablet sales have slowed. Part of the reason is more than 50% of Americans own one.

And why not? They’re easy to use. Easier to carry than a laptop. They’re getting close to being as fast as a lapktop. And they’re much more affordable.

There are still limitations. You can’t upgrade to lightening speed nor have terabytes of storage but with cloud technology even that issue can be answered. Some complain about the strain on the eyes especially when reading articles or books. Or some are just old fashion curmudgeons who pine for old days and refuse to try. Go write a complaint letter on a typewriter, I say. Go green and save a tree.

Even with seniors, the tablets are becoming the most popular. Most seniors just need a computer for internet, video and e-mailing. The ease of large app icons, keyboard and the lightweight make it perfect.

Then on the other end, kids dig ’em. They’re the perfect size for games and videos. You can play them in bed,  on the couch or in the tree house. I used to own an Ipad but for some reason it’s now owned by my 5 year old. Apparently Mom and kid cut a deal on my behalf.

So, what tablet is for you? What brand and size? The three most popular brands are the Ipad (duh), Kindle Fire and Google Nexus. Then there’s size. The mini or the tablet. That’s a huge debate.

At first, the mini was considered DOA as being too small. They called it an Iphone on steroids. But they were wrong. The minis are just as popular. So when shopping, pick up the regular size then the mini. You can usually tell in an instance. That’s why you make sure you hold one first if you have them shipped.

Then there’s price. You get what you pay for in regards to speed, durability and functions. So keep those in mind when shopping.

Another issue is wi-fi. Wi fi plans can be expensive so do you count on hotspots to take care of you or buy the plan to ensure access everywhere within reason. That’s a huge factor regarding your budget and use.

Rent to own stores are realizing the popularity and stocking up on the tablets. You can get a really affordable payment plan with the ready to own option. Own it in a year with small payments and you’re good to go. Especially with the guarantee that RTO stores carry with all of their merchandise.

Just another ShopRTO Home Computer tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Do you have an All-in-One Desktop yet? It’s the latest computer market trend.

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All-in-one desktop computers

All your work and entertainment in the all-in-one desktop.

Laptops, tablets and smartphones are the craze these days but the desktop computer is still ole’ reliable. Now with the new design and marketing of the “all in one desktop”, the desktop computer is no longer going obsolete. In fact, quite the opposite. They are the true entertainment/work system all-in-one.

They’re sleek, light and brilliantly crisp and clear. You can use it as a work computer, computer gaming through HDMI and Movie/TV viewing through the Internet. It’s a laptop with desktop speed.

One of the downsides is you get what you buy. Hardly any room for upgrade and they’re losing the Blu Ray addition with the supposition that people watch TV and movies through the Internet. Each PC company mirror their traditional philosophy. Macs are workhorses, reliable and more expensive. Whereas PCs are affordable but are more prone to being buggy.

If you’re in the market, do your shopping. Compare prices and features as there are a lot to choose from. Experts do recommend if you’re going to make that all-in-one computer purchase then go for the 23 to 27 inch screens to make sure your computer serves as a good TV monitor.

The desktop is not yesterday’s technology. Its all-in-one transformation keeps it as a mainstay for the home. Maybe, it’s the TV that’s going away?

Just another ShopRTO computer and computer gaming tip!

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Some tips to help speed up your PC

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Try these ShopRTO tips to speed up your PC

Tips to speed up your PC.

Would you like to see your computer’s speed increased?  Are you tired of dealing with a slow PC?  Here are a few ways to speed up your computer without spending a fortune.

First, you should check to see if your computer has any spyware or fragmented programs.  A good antivirus or security program can scan your PC, pinpoint the problem, and eliminate it as you see fit.

Sometimes it is good to let your computer update its system.  Some system errors are caused simply because your computer has been on for too long.  Try a system restart to see if that is the cause of your computer’s slowness.

Another way to speed up your computer is to do some cleaning.  Try to get rid of the programs you don’t need or use regularly.  Clean up your desktop icons and leave only what you need to access quickly.  Clear out your temp files and move important documents to a back up disk to free up space.

By following these simple tips, you should see your slow computer speed up.

Help speed up your PC

Computer speed tips

Just another great ShopRTO Computer Tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Laptops or Tablets for back to school?

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Which computer do you choose when going back to school? Laptops or tablets? It’s a mixed reaction out there and is the hottest question on every student’s mind. Ultimately both will get you to your PHD so it’s a matter of which one is best for you and your circumstances. Here are the factors to consider.

1. Price. It’s the obvious first consideration. Do your price comparison with all brands and between the two. Tablets will have the edge on this one. You can also rent computers or rent to own computers if your budget can’t handle a one-time big purchase. Shop your local rent to own stores for the best deals.

2. Mobility. How long does it take you to get to school? How far do you have to walk in between classes? What other items are you carrying along with a tablet and notebook. And where do you spend most of your time doing your homework?That’s a big factor when considering the easy on-the-go tablet or the more bulky lap tops.

3. Battery Life. You will need to know where your wireless will be coming from. Bluetooth or Wi Fi? Bluetooth uses less power thus better for tablets. Wi Fi uses more power so lap tops will be better for the battery life. You will also have to determine how long you will be cordless and on the Internet.

4. Software. What programs will you be using? Laptops are the work horses and tablets are limited. Are you using multiple programs such as word, powerpoint, excel and photo shop or just word and e-mail? That will help immensely in your decision.

5. Durability. Tablets are much more fragile even with their cases. How rough and tumble are you throughout the school day? And how long do you plan to keep this computer. Some brands like Apple outlast the others but are more expensive. Another important factor in your decision.

6. Speed and Storage. Laptops have the edge especially if you’re doing movies and photos.

But the biggest and best piece of advice is to do your homework. Look for the back to school specials. Compare pricing and always ask for the student discount on both hardware and software.
Another factor is the upgrade. How long do you plan to keep this computer or do you always want the latest and greatest? Remember your local rent to own stores carry both laptops and computers. By renting to own, you can make sure you can get that new computer that fits your budget. Or you can just rent it and when you want to upgrade to a newer model just trade it in with no penalty.

 

Just another great ShopRTO computer tip.

 

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

 

Your computer and TV service are going ‘Star Trek’ with fiber optic speed

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Computer broadband service

The next generation of Internet service is 100X faster.

The competition of computer technology and consumers’ devouring appetite for faster computers and Internet service has propelled the next generation of broadband service. Google recently announced its introduction of fiber optic broadband services that boast a 1 gigabyte per second speed of Internet service.

That’s 100 times faster than today’s delivery and has all of the Internet service providers scrambling to either add discounted service or jumping into the laboratory to create their own ‘starship enterprise’.

The implications go far beyond just the Internet. Because the Internet, computer and TV are all merging that means greater TV service with more DVR capabilities and such.

It also means the U.S. will once again upgrade  the infrastructure for this lightening fast service. That means digging up holes, crawling up telephone polls and all of the work necessary to attach that cable to your home. But, providers aren’t too worried as the process of providing cable service to homes has become much easier than last decade.

It will also further guarantee U.S. as number 8 or better in the world for Internet delivery service from its ranking of 22nd four years ago. The computer and its partnership with the Internet are fusing so fast that is creating what sociologists are calling the digital divide.

The division of these upgraded services for those who can afford vs those who cannot thus creating a ‘have’ vs ‘have nots’ and the implications thereof. The fierce competition between the computer companies and Internet providers also means that companies are forced to offer those products at affordable rates which will hopefully keep that digital divide at a minimum.

At any rate, all consumers need to start learning the phrase of “beam me up” because it’s here to stay.

Rent to own computers have been providing affordable and easily upgradable computers to consumers for the past two decades. Make sure you consider rent to own for an affordable way to get that computer in your home. Or to rent long enough until the latest and greatest computer technology to be introduced. Then you just replace your previous rental and get the upgrade without all of the ownership and upgrade hassles.

Just another Shop RTO futurist tip and HD TV tip.

 

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Do you work on your computer in bed? If so, then you need to read this.

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More Americans working from home on their bed

Working from home or from your bed?

More and more people are crawling in bed and… working. Working?! Studies show that nearly 1/2 of Americans like to work on their laptops or tablets in their bed. Those working on their computers in bed need the right equipment to make sure they are the most comfortable and that are not a pain in the back and neck – literally. There are several different items that you can get so make sure you google “working in bed” to find the actual products. But, here are some of the basics that will steer you to your best choice.

You can always buy the old fashioned bedroom tray that has been traditionally used to ‘eating breakfast in bed’ or another simple product is an ergonomically built pillow to place your laptop on. Don’t use your sleeping pillow as its not steady and should be used for back support. You can find many different types for different prices. Some can be as simple as $10 but mostly are around $30. The next level is lap trays with a hard cover and soft underneath. Those tend to be in the $30 to $100 range.

Then you can get real fancy and actually buy furniture with a fold out tray to set your computer. Some are roll-out drawers that have hidden pop-up trays and others are stand-alone. Those can get up to $200+ range. Another advanced ‘working in bed’ furniture is a pillow recliner that you set on your bed and keeps you upright and comfy all together. Those also can get up to the $200+ range.

If you are to work in bed, though, you need to follow these simple guidelines. Working in bed can upset your sleeping pattern and ultimately undermine all of the work you just accomplished. Unplug your computer at least 45 minutes prior to going to sleep and remove your computer from your bedroom. You want to make sure you associate your bedroom as a place of relaxation rather than as your office.

If you work in bed then you’re in good company as so did Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Renee Descartes to name just a few.

Just another ShopRTO computer tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

 

Tablets taking over as the primary computer gadget used at home

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Tablets are becoming the choice for home use.

Consumers are using tablet computers more and PCs less to check email, play games and surf the Internet at home at night, with many saying they don’t like to let anyone else to share their tablets, according to a new survey from Gartner Inc.

The top five tablet activities are checking email (81 percent), reading the news (69 percent), checking the weather forecast (63 percent), social networking (62 percent) and gaming (60 percent).

“The survey found that more than 50 percent of media tablet owners prefer to read news, magazines and books on screen, rather than on paper. On average, one in three respondents used their media tablets to read a book, compared with 13 percent for mobile PCs, and 7 percent for mobile phones.”

And while that doesn’t mean paperless homes anytime soon, it does mean more users see the appeal of tablets, saying they use the gadgets because they’re lightweight, portable and convenient. Tablets are most used at home on weeknights in the living room, with Gartner noting that tablet users say they use their PCs 20 percent less on the weekends.

As for sharing, many tablet owners say hands off to other users. Forty-five percent of respondents said they “do not share their tablet at all,” Gartner said. “This confirms that a media tablet is almost as personal as a mobile phone in terms of usage and consumer attitude.”

Gartner also found that men tend to buy a media tablet for themselves, while women tend to receive them as gifts.

 

Computer tips: Dimming Screen will save battery life

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Computer battery tips

Image courtesy of Artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When you’re not plugged in and want to save battery juice for laptops, dim the screen display. A laptop’s biggest battery-life-sucking component is its LCD display. To eke out more juice when you’re off the plug, turn down your panel’s brightness to the lowest level your eyes can stand. Most notebooks have a Function key combo—or even a dedicated hot key—for a quick crank-down. You can also adjust brightness in Display Settings under Control Panel.

The technology of laptops change so quickly that many customers are renting laptops and computers to stay on the cutting edge exchanging them every year or every upgrade.

Just another ShopRTO helpful computer tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

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