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Weekend of July 31st, 2009
Dave has been carrying a Palm Pre and shares his thoughts with us. We also answered many of your calls and emails.
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
Ron in Lewisburg, North Carolina listening on WPTF 680 AM asked about recording over-the-air HD programming on a DVR.
We recommend the following DVRs:
1) DTVPal DVR from Dish Network - Records up to 150 hours of standard definition programs or up to 30 hours of high definition programs. No subscription fees for the TV progamming guide.
2) TiVo HD DVR - Records up to 20 hours of high definition programming or 180 hours of standard definition. Works with cable and antenna, but doesn't support satellite.
If you ever get digital cable, we recommend the MOXI HD DVR. Has similar features to TiVO, but there are no monthly fees involved.
"Technology On-The-Go" Feature With Andy Frankel from Nextar
Steve in Salt Lake City, Utah listening on XM Ch. 139 & Podcast asked about building laptops from scratch like desktops.
We're not at the point where every single part to make your own laptop is readily available. One of the ways to come close to building your own is buying barebone laptops. They retail much cheaper than those you can customize on the company's e-store. Manufacturers that offer these include: Asus, MSI & ECS. Some parts are available from online retailers like Newegg.com & TigerDirect.com. Check out this article from someone who has used barebone laptops and has customized them: "Do It Yourself Laptop"
Troy in Apex, North Carolina listening on Sirius Ch. 108 asked about an application that shows you what your PDA is capable of doing.
An "application" to show you what it can do isn't likely, so your best resource is the Internet. Online, you'll find communities of users sharing tips and explaining how things work.
Guest in this hour:
Raj Jain, President – Defender
Is your home safe when you’re away? Defender offers complete security kits that home and business owners can setup themselves.
"Wireless Update" Feature with Chuck Hamby from Verizon Wireless
Bob in Loretto, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked about how many spyware and anti-virus programs are enough on your computer.
Some people go overboard installing anti-virus programs, but too much is not good. Listen to the show and find out more.
Topic for Discussion: Recycling your electronics - Trading old electronics for new ones.
Several companies offer their own recycling programs for old electronics. For example, RadioShack's Trade-In Program is taking old but working cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units, digital cameras, camcorders, game consoles, and other electronics as part of a new trade-in program for store credit.
Phil in Texas listening on satellite radio asked about running Windows progams on his Linux box using VMware instead of Wine.
The product you'll want here is VMWare Workstation, which allows you to run a Guest OS on a computer using a support Host OS. Those Host OSes include many flavors of Linux. Check the VMware web site for the complete list. Once you have VMWare Workstation running on Linux, you'll be able to run most 32-bit and some 64-bit versions of Windows as the Guest OS.
HOUR 2:
Tech News & Commentary
Jody in Pittsboro, North Carolina listening on WPTF 680 AM asked about the drawbacks in Internet based phone services.
Internet based phones services are a great thing, assuming you have a high speed connection that wil handle good quality VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls. Companies that offer this service include: Magic Jack, Vonage, Packet 8 and Skype. The main drawback to VOIP services would be the 911 service. Dave and Chris explain more on the show. Additional resource: FCC Consumer Advisory - VOIP & 911 Service
"This Week in Tech History" Feature with Chris Graveline - Brought to you by C.Crane. Call C. Crane at 800-522-8863 or visit them online here.
David in Nashville, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked connecting two computers to transfer data.
We do it all the time at “Into Tomorrow” using a device called the Tornado from Data Drive Thru. It has a retractable cable with two USB connectors on it. The Tornado is plug-and-play, so the software you need is built-in to the device.
Wesley in Milwaukee, Oregon listening on XM Ch. 139 called to comment on the IRIS Internet Radio for the blind, which we discussed on our 07/24/09 Show at the end of Hour 3.
Grace in Las Vegas, Nevada listening on KNUU 970 AM asked a "green-oriented" computer monitor that can turn off on its own whenever she walks out of the office.
A company called EIZO makes LCD monitors with a feature they call EcoView. A motion sensor triggers the monitor to switch to a power-saving mode when it doesn't detect anyone in front of it for 40 seconds. The monitor turns back on when you return. Another solution is to have your computer power down the monitor into a very low power sleep state after a predetermined time of inactivity. Check the Power Options on your computer.
Guest in this hour:
Stefan Weitz, Director, Bing Search Group – Microsoft's Bing
You may have seen the TV commercials by now, so what’s all the buzz behind Bing.com? Is it the end of Google? Learn how bing.com works.
Mustang Mary in North Miami, Florida listening to our podcast asked about getting podcast files back after accidentally deleting them.
If you use iTunes, search your "iTunes Music Folder" on your computer, unless you sent the files to the trash bin (check there first). Typically, the files would be in your Music Folder > iTunes music Folder > Podcasts. When you locate it, import into your iTunes library. Another way is to unsubscribe, re-subscribe and then download whatever podcasts you want.
“Into Tomorrow” Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza - Featured product this week is the Palm Pre. Watch this week's ITTV Update or scroll down to read Rob's review.
HOUR 3:
Tech News & Commentary
Cameron in Ogden, Utah listening on satellite radio asked about how to amplify his cell phone signal as he drives through many "dark" spots.
We recommended the following companies that make cell phone signal boosters:
1)
Wi-Ex: They have several models available from $120 for a single user, all the way up to a $400 dual band, multiple-user, cell phone booster for homes or offices.
2) Wilson Electronics: Check out their Mobile Amplifiers kits. These products improve your cellular and data performance when you are on the move.
Richard in Las Vegas, NV listening on KNUU 970 AM asked about an issue he's having with a netbook where it gets a wireless signal, but doesn't get the IP address.
Getting an IP address requires communicating with a DHCP server (that's the device or computer that is in charge of assigning these addresses). If other devices connected to the same network can get an IP address, then you need to check your Windows network connection properties for your wireless network adapter and be sure that it's configured to automatically obtain an IP address and DNS server address. That will be under the TCP/IP properties (or TCP/IP v4, if you're using Vista).
Peter in Missouri listening on satelite radio asked about splitting a modem to run his son's Xbox Live and continue having Internet access on his desktop.
We're going to assume that you have a direct broadband connection to your computer. If that's the case, you will need to connect your DSL or cable modem to a broadband router. Then, plug both the Xbox and the computer into the router. Many broadband routers will allow you to connect the DSL or cable line directly into the router, but that's typically not required.
Guest in this hour:
Thomas Streigler, CEO – iZ3D
Want to play games in 3D? iZ3D is a pioneer in the
manufacturing of 3D monitors and 3D drivers for gamers.
Tracy in Austin, Texas listening online wants to buy her husband a new iPhone, but doesn't know how much storage would be plenty -- either 16 GB or 32 GB. She's worried that her husband will use up the memory with lots of apps.
The apps don't take much room on iPhones ... music and videos do. There's nothing wrong with having more storage space, so if you can afford it easily, go for the 32 GB iPhone. However, if you don't have an extensive music library, then the 16 GB iPhone would work.
Victor in Smyrna, Georgia listening on XM Ch. 139 called to comment on our recent Mac vs. PC debate.
If you have any questions about any of this week's show info, please email us here.
Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza
The Palm Pre has arrived at “Into Tomorrow"! Dave and Rob put it to the test and share their thoughts.
We congratulate Palm on their new operating system “webOS”. What we like most about it is that you can have more than one application open at the same time and switch back and forth easily. They call these “activity cards,” which you can flip through and then throw off the screen when you’re finished. Very intuitive! Think of it as ALT-TABBING between programs on your computer. iPhone users can’t do that!
One of Dave’s favorite features is Palm Synergy, which links all of your calendars, contacts and emails into one centralized view. For instance, it gathers all of your contacts info from your Outlook Address Book, Google and Facebook and combines them into one. It does the same with layered calendars, where it combines all of your calendars and appointments from Google, Outlook and Facebook. We found that to be convenient.
Other things we like include: the bright screen (even though it’s small), multi-touch capabilities (similar to the iPhone), the notifications, which don’t interfere with whatever you’re working on (they’re not in your face!), and the 3 MP camera.
The optional Touchstone charging dock charges the Pre through induction. You have to change the back cover, which is included in the kit. While it charges on the Touchstone, the Pre will be active. The Touchstone kit sells under $70.
Everyone was thrilled to hear the Pre would have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard when it was announced. Unfortunately, it’s super cramped and quite uncomfortable to type on. Palm disappoints with the keyboard. Also, the battery life seems to be worse than the iPhone. We have to charge it everyday. We found the Pre to be slow when opening apps. Hopefully that’s a major thing that Palm will improve on with updates in the future.
The Palm Catalog is in Beta right now and doesn’t come close to comparing to the App Store for iPhone and Blackberry App World. Since it took so long for Palm to announce the official launch date for the Pre, we thought they should’ve been more prepared and offer more apps.
Overall, the Pre is a nice looking phone and has many intuitive features not available in other smartphones. If you’re on Sprint already and have the ability to upgrade, then we recommend it. However, visit your local Sprint store and play with it before you take the plunge. The Pre sells for $199 with a new 2-year service contract.
Do you own a Palm Pre? Are you buying one soon? Share your thoughts with us via email.
Submitted by Rob Almanza
*Some of the images above were provided by Palm
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
SanDisk: 16 GB microSDHC Cards & MobileMate Micro Memory Card Readers
Wilson Electronics: iBooster Wireless Kits
Xantrex Technology: Duracell USB In-Car chargers
ITTV Video
Now that we can touch and play with the Palm Pre, Rob Almanza shares the good and the bad on our Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight. Also featuring: This Week in Tech History with Chris Graveline.
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