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Weekend of April 30th, 2010

Dave Graveline was back from "vacation"! He and the rest of the “Into Tomorrow” team were ready to answer your calls and emails on the listener hotline.

Listeners & Guests on the show this week:

For ALL the details ... be sure to listen to the show by downloading the MP3 or clicking the RED & WHITE "Play" button on the media player, both on the right-hand side of this page.

HOUR 1:

Tech News & Commentary

 

Lonny in Nashville, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked: "I'm using a Razr-type phone on Verizon because it's waterproof. I'm wondering if the (Casio G'zOne) Brigade will be as waterproof with the keyboard."

The Brigade appears to be very tough and we're told works great while fully submerged. The keyboard flips open.

When it was tested by Garwood Laboratories to military specifications, they immersed the phone under 1 meter of water for 30 minutes with, and this is key, all ports closed. That indicates they did not attempt to open or use the phone under water.

So, if you jump into the pool with the phone in your pocket, you won't kill it. It will also be able to withstand driving rain and high humidity without any trouble.

Click here to view the video

 

 

The "Into Tomorrow" team discussed the latest apps that they have been playing with recently.

• For Android, Dave recommends: MotoTorch LED
  
  
• For iPhone/iPad:
  
  Rob recommends: Adobe Ideas
  Chris recommends: Logitech TouchMouse
  
  
• For BlackBerry, Mark recommends: Ultra Podcast Player
  
  

Tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast for more details

 

Jabster sent us the following email and asked: "Hi, I want to know if there is a thing where you can get Wi-Fi wherever you go on a iPod Touch."

There is no device that will get you Wi-Fi everywhere you go, but you could look into devices like the MiFi. That will give you Wi-Fi access wherever you have cellular coverage. In the US, they are available from Sprint and Verizon. The MiFi is about half the thickness of a deck of cards and can give you Wi-Fi access fro up to 5 devices at a time using 3G.

You could throw a MiFi in your pocket and surf the web on your iPod Touch, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device. We've found the MiFi very handy when we've been traveling, especially at hotels that want to charge you a small fortune to access the Internet for just a few minutes. We've fired up the MiFi and been able to check our email, and do whatever else we needed to online.

In fact, when we have had rooms close together, we have been able to use it from other hotel rooms, although the signal wasn't necessarily the best through walls.

Click here to view the MiFi on Verizon

Click here to view the MiFi on Sprint

For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.

 

Trevor in Alaska sent us the following Facebook message: "Ok Rob, so being the tech type guy you are, I thought maybe you could help me. A friend of mine sent me a couple videos of herself, but when I went to play it, all I got was the audio. I tried playing in on Windows Media Player. I even tried on my iPhone. Do I just need a bigger hammer or should I just wrap it all up in det cord and blast it into next week? It's a dell laptop if that helps at all."

For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.

 

 

Shawn sent us the following email and said: "You asked about what apps do we use out here in the real world, and I have one for you. It is My-Cast Weather, the $3.99 version. By far, is the best weather app on the iPhone hands down. However, the last update still failed to include all of the features that I had on my Moto Razr in v7.0, but with any luck, the next update will finally be complete. As a truck driver, this is one of my 2 most used apps. The other is Google Maps, but I use that more for the real-time traffic info."

 

Travis in Kingsport, Tennessee listening on WJCW 910 AM asked: "Touchscreen computers, worth the money or just stick with a regular desktop?"

It really depends on what you are trying to use the computer for. Generally, unless you want that wow factor, a regular desktop or laptop would function just fine. Touchscreen computers seem to be becoming more and more popular, especially as the technology gets better and the prices continue to get cheaper, but can you easily get used to not using a keyboard & mouse?

Many people that pay the extra money for touch screen computers quickly revert back to using a keyboard and mouse, because it is simply not comfortable to use the touchscreen monitor, as it usually means you have to keep your hands elevated. Until there is a solution to this problem, we suggest you save your money and stick with a regular desktop.

Rob has tried the HP TouchSmart PC before and, honestly, wasn't impressed. It doesn't seem to keep up with his commands or "touch", and it's a little slow. However, we learned at CES that tablets or slates will become very popular this year. These aren't "touch" desktop computers, but we are seeing an increasing amount of people who prefer touching their screens, like they would with an iPhone. He wouldn't be surprised to see a touchscreen iMac soon. Also, AOC has a new all-in-one touchscreen computer we featured at CES.

 

Greg in Colorado Springs, Colorado listening on XM Ch.139 sent us the following email and said: "Sure enjoyed the piece on the Oasis of the Seas. I served for 22 years in the Navy and found the information fascinating. Thanks and keep up the great work."

HOUR 2:

Tech News & Commentary

 

Steven in Nashville, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked: "How do you setup wireless printing when you don't have high-speed Internet?"

You don't need Internet access at all for wireless printing. It uses your internal network, so all you'd need is a Wi-Fi router. Of course, you'd also need a printer that supports wireless printing. There are many of them available and some manufacturers have wireless adapters you can connect to an existing printer.

You'd then configure your Wi-Fi router to create a wireless LAN between your computer and your printer. What this essentially does is create an Intranet, which is sort of like a "closed circuit" network that doesn't connect you to the outside world via the Internet.

You want to make sure that even though your Wi-Fi network isn't going online, that you still have a password to protect it. Otherwise, any passers-by with a Wi-Fi device could essentially access your computer and all the information on it.

 

Joe in Lewiston, Pennsylvania listening on 103.1 has a tip for downloading YouTube videos.

For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.

 

Matt in Nashville, Tennessee listening on XM Ch.139 asked: "I have a Samsung HDTV, and when I watch DVD movies on it, there's an occasional shift in the picture quality. It gets blurry for one to two seconds, then goes back to a crystal clear picture. Is this related to how my TV is setup or is it related to the DVD?"

We would tend to think the first place you want to check is your cables. It may be as simple as a loose connection, or just a crappy cable. If you're using one of those "courtesy cables" that comes with just about every piece of home theater equipment, throw it out. Those are usually the cheapest, lowest quality cables you can get. Companies put them in the box as a courtesy (as the name suggests) just so that you'll be able to connect the components as soon as you unpack them.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether more expensive cables get you better quality than cheaper ones. It's our belief that all cables are not created equally. The more expensive cables tend to use higher quality metals, better soldering (which is what joins the wires to the connector), and many of them are hand-made. As opposed to the cheaper cables, which tend to be mass-produced by machines. The two may get you very similar quality in the beginning, but as time goes on, the slightly higher priced cables tend to last longer.

For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.

 

Martin in Huntsville, Alabama listening on XM Ch.139 sent us the following email and asked: "I own a iPhone 3GS, and every week I get an email from the app store, but I am unable to read it since it has flash or some other "disabled" plug-in.

I understand Apple saying flash is bad, but shouldn't they practice using only code the iPhone can display if it is an email about the Olympic app for the iPhone?"

Chances are better than average that the email in question was not written by Apple, and also was intended for people to read in a desktop email client, not on the iPhone.

Now, don't ask us why someone trying to sell an iPhone app would create an email that wasn't readable on an iPhone, but we learned a long time ago that there's just no predicting people.

For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.

 

 

 

Patrick in Nashville, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked: "Blu-ray DVD Players. What about a PS3? How does it compare to the DVD players you were just talking about?"

PS3 game consoles make excellent Blu-ray players, and they incorporate many of the same streaming video features that we discussed on the high end stand alone players. Streaming Netflix, for example, works splendidly on the PS3.

Mark has said before that he would buy a PS3 for his Blu-ray player to get the game console along with it, and he still believes that's what he'd do. But the price of the PS3 will be a bit higher than any of the stand-alone players.

HOUR 3:

Tech News & Commentary

 

Scott in Weatherford, Texas listening on Sirius Ch.108 asked: "Curious about what you think about the Palm Pre Plus from Verizon. Amazon and Verizon have dropped the price to a penny. What do you think is in store for Palms that they seek a new owner/buyer?"

The problem is apps. What good is a Palm Pre Plus going to do you when all development work for the Web OS stops? BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, each of these has strong ongoing developer communities and thriving app markets. Palm's Web OS is technically very sound, but has gathered no support to speak of, and with the shaky financial picture of the company, it's not likely to any time soon.

Of course, this can all change if a high profile company buys out Palm. They could easily breathe new life into the Pre. In the meantime, you should remind yourself, there's a reason why Amazon.com can sell them for a penny.

 

 

The "Into Tomorrow" team talked about the Sleeptracker Elite Watch

Tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast or click here for more details.

 

Cliff in Nashville, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked: "When I check text messages on my BlackBerry, it will jump to about a month back, and then I have to scroll with the wheel all the way back to the top. There is a button you can press to have it go to today's date."

When you open the text messaging app on your BlackBerry, the newest messages will always be on the top of the file. You can press the "T" key to instantly jump to the top of the file. That actually works in many, if not most, BlackBerry apps.

 

Curtis sent us the following email and asked: "What happened to the new invisibility cloaking technology? It was making news consistently for a while there."

For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.

 

 

 

Julie in Detroit, Michigan listening on WYCD HD3 sent us the following Facebook message: "My iPod Touch is stuck on endless restart loop."

It's times like these when you realize how few buttons the iPod Touch has, you run out of things to try very quickly.

Here are the instructions:

1) Plug your iPod into your computer.

2) Hold down the small power button (the one on top) for 3 seconds, ignore the "Turn off" slider near the top of the screen.

3) Without letting go of the power button, hold down it and the round "Home" button together for 10 full seconds.

4) After the 10 seconds, are up let go of the power button but not the "Home" button, continue to hold down the home button.

Right about now, your computer will probably make some noise acknowledging that a device has been plugged in and iTunes will display a pop up telling you a device in recovery mode has been plugged in and needs to be restored.

Now, just follow the steps on the screen and iTunes will attempt to restore your iPod.

After all that, your iPod will hopefully be up and running again.

For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.

If you have any questions about any of this week's show info, please email us here.

Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza

Mobile Hotspots Update

You’ve heard us talk a lot about the MiFi mobile hotspot on the show. Basically, this is a portable 3G router that creates a WiFi network that handles up to 5 devices like notebooks, netbooks, MP3 players, cameras, PDAs, portable gaming systems or whatever else you need a WiFi connection for. This week we’re giving you an update on how this technology is evolving.

For example, you’ve probably heard about the Palm Pre Plus. Some physical features of the design have changed from the original Pre. But, the most notable one is its built-in 3G mobile hotspot. It works just like the MiFi on Verizon’s network. Like the MiFi, it can support up to 5 devices at the same time. The Palm Pre currently costs under $50 with a 2-year contract.

Another option is the Palm Pixi Plus. It’s an entry-level smartphone, but takes “basic” a little further with WiFi capability and the ability to use the smartphone as a mobile hotspot. It too allows up to 5 devices on its WiFi. The Palm Pixi costs under $30 currently with a 2-year contract on Verizon’s network as well.

And here’s the really good news! Verizon no longer charges for that privilege. With a regular data plan, the mobile hotspot is FREE. However, you have to be careful. It only includes up to 5GB of data access. Any usage above the 5 GB monthly allowance will be billed at a per-Mega Byte rate.

We've been huge fans of mobile hotspots like the MiFi since the beginning and are excited about where this technology is expanding ... “Into Tomorrow”!

-- By Rob Almanza, “Into Tomorrow” Correspondent

 

 

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This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners

Firefold: Several gaming accessories & HDMI 1.4 cables

Flipper: A Big Button Remote

Honestech: Copies of FOTOBOX Plus -- Easy to use Photo Slideshow Creator

SpectorSoft: Copies of Spectro Pro for Mac -- Internet Monitoring Software.

ITTV Video

Mobile hotspot technology is evolving! Rob Almanza shows you two Palm phones that have a built-in mobile hotspot in our Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight this week. Also featuring: Chris Graveline with This Week in Tech History.

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