Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock
Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock

Schrock Innovations is holding a special recycling event May 21 and 22 in their Lincoln and Omaha Service Centers. If you have old computers or cell phones around the house and you have been looking for a safe and easy way to recycle them, this is your opportunity!

May 21 and 22 Schrock will take any computer related equipment or cell phone equipment and accessories absolutely FREE. There are a few limitations if you have a ton of stuff to bring in, so read up on all of the details on the Schrock Website.

Don’t miss this chance to recycle your old gear safely and protect the environment!

Thor Schrock was a guest on KMTV Channel 3’s morning show, the Morning Blend to talk about Schrock Innovations 2011 Ultimate Upgrade Sale.

The best part was when he spooked Mike DiGiacomo by just knowing he had a Commodore VIC-20 in his basement that he could trade in if he wanted to.

Take a look at the video. The sale is going on at Schrock Innovations through May 7, 2011.

I just finished placing a component order for my Computer Repair Service Centers in Omaha and Lincoln and I noticed something curious.

Slowly over the past 8 weeks base component prices have been edging higher. For example, each component that we install in a new computer is costing on average between $.40 and $.99 more than it did eight weeks ago.

Specifically, the cost of the motherboards we use in our Modular Computers has increased over $1.40 in the past 8 weeks.

I’m not an economist, but there are a few things that I see reported in the news that could be responsible for the upward tick in component costs:

1. The price of oil and Diesel continues to rise
2. The dollar is weakening against foreign currencies
3. Gold, Silver, and other component hard costs are going up

So far Schrock has been able to avoid paying the cost increases by ordering in larger quantities and aggressively shopping for those vendors who purchased their inventories before the prices started to move up.

No matter who you buy from, eventually this is going to come home to roost on individual consumers.

I am still young enough that I have not experienced sudden and dramatic inflation, but from what I have seen in fuel and food prices and what i am seeing now in our component costs I am starting to wonder if this is the beginning of what may be a significant inflationary trend.

While many people think about surge damage during severe weather season, the truth is that surges do not have a season – they attack your equipment all year-round and you need to have surge protectors to keep your valuable electronics safe.

Today I was a guest on KMTV’s Morning Blend show where we discussed real examples of surge damage that Schrock Innovations has repaired in their Service Centers and how you can keep your equipment safe.

Until 4/17/2011 (or as long as supplies last) Schrock Innovations has our Audible Alert surge protectors on sale for 50% off the regular retail price!

Normally these units sell for $60 each, but this week only you can get the peace of mind that an Audible Alert surge protector provides for only $34.99.

We only have 100 of these units arriving on Tuesday. These are very popular and difficult to find in large quantities.

There is no quantity limitation on how many you can buy at the sale price. We recommend getting as many as you need for your home or office, and then one extra to have in reserve.

Contact either of our Service Centers NOW to reserve your units while they last.

Take a Moment to Check Your Surge Protector

In Nebraska the average surge protector needs to be replaced once each year.

The trouble is that you can’t really tell if your surge protector is working for you or if it is worn out and working like a glorified extension cord.

Over time, a surge protector sacrifices its self to block surges. Once the surge protector has taken all of the damage it can handle, surges pass right through it as if it wasn’t even there.

Even if your surge protector has a “protected” light, it may simple be an LED that stays lit regardless of your surge protectors remaining capabilities.

What is an Audible Alert Surge Protector?

Audible Alert surge protectors (only available at Schrock Innovations) take the guess work out of protecting your valuable equipment.

When an Audible Alert surge protector can no longer protect your computer, flat screen TV, or other electronic device it begins chirping like a cricket.

You will know EXACTLY when it is time to buy a new surge protector because it will tell you.

Because you know with certainty when to replace your surge protector, you can use it for a longer period of time saving your money while you keep your equipment safe.

What Features Does the Audible Alert Surge Protector Have?

Aside from the Audible Alert warning technology, this surge protector has some other great features that set it apart from most older models:

* 10′ Shielded cord gives you the length you need
* Right Angle plug lies flat against the wall, allowing you to push furniture all the way back to the wall
* 1040 joules of protection ensure a long life
* 5 regular outlets and three spaced outlets to handle all of the devices you use
* Automatic grounding detection warns you if your outlet is not properly grounded

How Can I Tell if My Surge Protector is Worn Out?

If you don’t remember the last time you purchased a surge protector it is time replace it. Surge protectors cannot heal themselves.

Look for these tell-tale signs of a warn out surge protector when you examine yours:

* Dim, flickering or extinguished power light in switch
* No protected light whatsoever
* Metal bodies or components indicate the unit is over 25 years old
* Thick, heavy dust is a great indicator of “time in service”

Schrock Innovations‘ PC Maintenance Checkup Sale is by far one of the most popular times of the year to bring a computer into their computer repair Service Centers.

Over the past week Schrock’s technicians have been pulling overtime to keep up with demand.

As you can see, as soon as Schrock launched the sale computers started pouring in to the Service Centers.

By the end of the first day more than 100 computers had arrived for the $30 maintenance offer. Throughout the course of the sale Schrock took in over 1,000 systems for maintenance between Omaha and Lincoln, NE.

The load was unusually weighted toward desktop computers over laptops. Over the past couple years Schrock has seen a steady shift away from desktop computers toward notebooks.

The company has also been advertising on FM radio stations for the past 9 months which tends to bring in a younger demographic who prefer the portability of a notebook over a desktop. Either way, it was a little surprising to see the desktop hanging in there in the quantity department.

Schrock;’s customers oftn hear that the Maintenance Checkup Sale is going on for “one week only,” but in reality Schrock’s technicians have been working under a load of 100+ computers in queue for more than 3 weeks now.

When Schrock launches a sale this big, it is always a challenge to keep turn-around times reasonable the customer.

To help moderate the work flow, Schrock will email customers about the sale first, then work through the bulk of that response before taking it live on the radio.

Schrock emailed over 8,500 customers about the sale and the response was immediate and intense.

While a flood of Schrock’s existing customers was expected, we were all shocked to see that about 20% of the computers coming in after the email were new customers. Apparently the sale announcement email went viral with customers forwarding it to their friends and relatives.

All in all, Schrock’s technicians have been putting in 60-70 hours a week EACH in an attempt to keep up with the demand. With the sale ending today at 5 PM they should have everything back to normal again in each Service Center within a few days.

Thank you Schrock customers for another amazingly productive Maintenance Checkup Sale!

This week Schrock Innovations launched a new commercial in Lincoln and Omaha promoting the PC Preventative Maintenance Checkup Sale that is running through March 20th at both Schrock Innovations’ locations.

In the commercial you will see a computer’s processor fan that is almost 50% constricted by dust.

While Schrock does a lot more than a physical cleaning during a Maintenance Checkup, there is no disputing that the 8 hours of work that goes into a checkup is worth the $29.99 sale price!

Contact Schrock Innovations today for more information about the sale.

There is going to be a hearing at the Nebraska Capital Building today at 1:30 regarding LB626 the “Electronics Recycling and Job Creation Act.”

This bill will not create any net jobs, will collect up to $1.5M in taxes from local companies, and will burden individual citizens and businesses alike with new rules and regulations.

What Does LB626 Do?

A few years back a similar bill was introduced in the unicameral that I testified against. This bill is very similar to that one and I believe it represents a hidden tax on consumers in Nebraska.

Here is a link where you can read LB626.

LB 626 does a lot in a mere 20 pages. The bill proposes:

1. If you make your own house brand computers you WILL pay a tax to the state between $1250 and $10,000+ annually
2. If you do not pay this fee, you are prohibited from selling computers in Nebraska
3. You are REQUIRED to provide FREE recycling to your customers and you are REQUIRED to pay the cost of recycling collected equipment
4. If you resell Dell, HP, Gateway or any other national brand that is not participating in the state’s program, you pay the taxes described above
5. This bill imposes a landfill ban for all consumers and schools and requires recycles to accept goods form consumers and schools at no cost
6. This bill collects between $1M and 1.5M a year from local manufacturers, and the amounts collected per company operate on a sliding scale. The bill states NE WILL collect $1M – $1.5M annually, regardless of the number of manufacturers. If NE loses manufacturers individual manufacturers pay more.
7. Although this bill collects ALL of its revenue from Computer manufacturers and recyclers, it promises grants of up to $1M to small towns and villages to demolish old buildings. If the bill collects $1M to $1.5M a year, how can they operate the bureaucracy, grant the million, and “create recycling jobs”?

In my opinion, this bill represents a hidden tax on the Nebraska consumers who patronize our local businesses.

The costs of this bill will be eventually paid by the consumers in Nebraska at a time when Social Security cost of living increases are non-existent, wages in Nebraska are not rising fast enough to keep up with food and energy price inflation, and our state, cities, and counties are running budget deficits.

This is a bill that will reduce consumer choice in Nebraska as businesses choose not to sell PCs in the state, increase the costs of electronic goods, create time and energy burdens on individual citizens, and will kill more jobs than it creates.

The State does not create jobs. Only businesses can do that.

This is a bill that costs EVERYONE involved form the consumer to the manufacturer more money and duplicates many services that the private sector is already providing to consumers at little or no cost.

I know this is VERY short notice, but I will be present to testify against this bill this afternoon in the legislature. Three years ago I was able to kill a similar recycling bill with my testimony, but this is a different scenario. New players and new rules. If there is any possible way you can make it down to the capital today at 1:30 in Room 1525 please make an effort to do so.

Schrock Innovations will be holding our first Preventative Maintenance Checkup Sale of 2010 starting this weekend, March 12, 2011 through March 20, 2011. Although we are “officially” launching the sale on this weekend’s Compute This radio show, you are invited to bring your PC in now and beat the inevitable rush! Last week I was […]

Most computer users try to be safe when they are online. Many people won’t open emails from people they don’t know. Some only go to websites they know they can trust.

But if you think you are safe online because you are careful, think again.

Microsoft has announced a new security vulnerability was discovered that allows hackers to install malware on any computer from Windows XP up through Windows 7 and all you have to do is visit a website to infect yourself.

This means that you (and 900 million other people) just became a target and all the hackers have to do is get you tto visit an infected website, deliver an infected ad to your computer, or just wait for you to make one fatal typo in your browser’s address bar.

How Can my Computer be Attacked?

With this specific vulnerability an attacker needs to get your browser to load something from an infected website. Some possible ways your computer could be infected include:

• You click on a link in an email taking your to the infected website
• A trusted website displays an advertisement from an infected website
• You mistakenly type an incorrect URL in your address bar
• Your visiting crazy Uncle stupidly just goes to the site an infects your computer

Once your computer is attacked it can sit for hours, days or even weeks before exhibiting signs of infection.

What Do I Need to Do to Stay Safe?

It is always a good idea to employ the safe computing practices I listed at the beginning of this article.

The only security software that Schrock Innovations recommends for its customers is Norton 360 because it is literally the only software program that we have installed for our customers that keeps them safe.

In fact, if you are running Norton 360 you don’t have to worry about the vulnerability discussed in this article at all because Norton has already covered it for you.

If you are not running Norton and want to switch to keep your computer safe, Schrock Innovations has Norton 360 on sale through February 6, 2011.

For only $79.99 Schrock will log into your computer over the Schrock Desk remote support service, clean any infections in your computer, install Norton 360 and configure it for only $79.99!

Contact Schrock Innovations to take advantage of this special offer before it runs out!