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Weekend of August 28th, 2009

Are you in the market for a new flat-panel HDTV? What do you think of LED TVs? Also, are you feeling the Android OS? We have T-Mobile's myTouch 3G on this week's Product Spotlight.

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

Linda in Middleton, Wisconsin listening on WTDY 1670 AM asked: "What are the latest options for Home security? Not big homes, but everyday home security. What types of cameras, locks, timed lighting, that kind of stuff are available? What is new for the consumer for home security?"

Great question Linda! NextAlarm protects our studios in Miami. They have many alarm system configurations available. The best part is that they're completely wireless (except for power and phone of course). They also recently added video to their systems. They have both stationary and pan/tilt cameras so you can keep an eye on your home while you're not there.

You can also look into the Defender security camera systems. These are also do-it-yourself setups with multiple camera configurations. In addition to recording and archiving video, you can log into the system from anywhere you have an internet connection and see what's going on. Their DVR systems range from $500 to about $1900. For more of the latest video surveillance products, check out one of our sponsors: ComputerSights.com.

"Technology On-The-Go" Feature With Andy Frankel from Eviant

Bruce in Hayesville, Kansas listening to our Podcast asked: "I've been hearing that you can use a camcorder to hook up to your computer and use for Skype video messages. I have a laptop that I'd like to hook up to my camcorder. They do hook up via USB, but as far as knowing how to make it work on Skype, I wonder if you could help me."

Programs like Skype typically use webcams, not camcorders for video-conferencing. However, if you get creative, it is possible to use a camcorder. There are software programs that will allow you to do that. One is DVdriver, which is a software tool that lets you use your camcorder with any software that works with webcams. It works by fooling Windows into thinking that your camcorder is just an ordinary USB webcam. It sells for $20 and is only available for PCs.

Another program that works essentially the same way is Splitcam. This one is free, but like DVdriver, is only available for PCs. One advantage of using a camcorder is that the picture quality is usually much better than that of a webcam.

Ed in Lake Worth, Florida listening on XM Ch. 139 asked: "Is all this 3D stuff the new thing in entertainment or just a big fad that will disappear in a few years? It seems when Hollywood finds a way to get people back to the movies the home video market comes up with the same and less expensive. My thought is that movie screens will be out of business in less than 10 years! My reason is because I took my family of 4 to the movies to see a 3D animated film and just the tickets were $55 before popcorn, add another $30 to that and for $85. I rather stay home and watch any movie on my 52-inch Panasonic with Blu-ray DVD player and my surround sound system any day."

3D movies have become very popular and many more will be out soon. It is definitely the latest trend in movie-making. We agree with you that it's ridiculously expensive to go to the movies, but don't think movie theaters will become obsolete anytime soon.

Patty in Wilmington, Delaware listening on WDEL 1150 AM asked: "I have a son entering college as a freshman. He has two laptops and he's gonna have a roommate. I wonder if you think those laptop locks that are wires that go around a desk leg are sufficient to protect a laptop from being stolen or do you have another suggestion?"

Well, yes and no. They are a somewhat effective theft-deterrant, but if a thief wants a computer bad enough, they will get it. Especially if the lock is just wrapped around a table leg and all they have to do is slide the cable off the leg.

One thing you could look into, though, is a laptop tracker. There are a few companies that have software that wil be able to track a laptop every time it goes online. You might want to give the follwoing a try:

1) MyLaptopGPS: You setup your account online with your computer info, contact info, etc. Then, you install the software onto your computer. Everytime that computer is connected to the Internet, it sends out a signal to the servers saying, "Hello, here I am," and the servers record the IP address and location of the computer. The software is invisible to the person on the computer. Service starts at about $10 a month. For that, you can protect up to 2 machines.

2) LoJack for Laptops: Similar functionality to the MyLaptopGPS. Their plans start at about $40 a year for the basic protection. They have another version, that goes for about $50 a year, that includes the capability to remotely erase the data on the computer.

"Wireless Update" Feature with Chuck Hamby from Verizon Wireless

Bob in Chicago, Illinois listening on Sirius Ch. 108 asked: "I am having a problem with my computer. When I try to log onto Internet Explorer with Comcast as my webpage, it tells me that it's an invalid website and gives me a very long string of letters and numbers. I was wondering if you could tell me what that might be and how I can correct that."

When IE becomes stuffed up, what Microsoft will tell you to do is pull down the 'Tools' menu and select' Internet Options'. Click the 'Advanced' tab and at the bottom of that tab click the 'Reset' button. That will restore IE to its default settings. It should fix nearly anything. However, If that doesn't work, you might have some kind of virus or malware on your computer. A good security program should be loaded to correct it.

HOUR 2:

Tech News & Commentary

 

Josh in Shreveport, Louisiana listening on 710 KEEL AM asked: "My wife and myself are almost out of school. All we've had are hand me down televisions. We were looking to purchase a nice size television for watching movies. We also have a Wii and play Rock Band. What would be a good size and brand of TV to purchase?"

Size and price matter these days! For all budgets, we highly recommend Vizio LCDs and Plasmas. You can find these at Walmart and Costco stores around the country. Hear about their new products by listening to the interview with Laynie Newsome, one of their founders, later this hour. An alternative to Vizio would be Sony's BRAVIA series. One of the things we like about them is how it tells you which input has something connected to it, so at a glance you know what source to choose.

For movie watching and videogaming, we think a nice size would be somewhere between 42" and 55". If your budget and space in the room where you'll put it allows for a bigger screen, there's nothing wrong with going with a bigger one.

"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.

Chris in Nashville, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked: "What causes rundll errors? I have had a lot of issues with that coming up. I also get a lot of runtime errors on my browser. What would cause this?"

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of things that can cause a DLL error. DLL is a Dynamic Link Library and RUNDLL32.EXE is the program that executes them. A RUNDLL error will be associated to a specific library and error code. We'll give you the generic recommendations that we give all Windows users. Make certain you have a good antivirus and antispyware security program and you keep it up to date, and scan often. Download a registry cleaner like the free CCleaner and fix any registry errors. Those are often at the root of DLL problems.

We wish there was a simple answer. When you get RUNDLL errors, you should do a Google search for the offending module and include both the memory address and the error code. That should at least start you on the path of finding out what is wrong.

David listening on XM Ch. 139 sent us the following email: "I ordered a product from a company I heard about on your show, Newton Peripherals, and it seems they have developed amnesia after receiving my money for a Bluetooth headset for iPhone called "Mogo Talk for iPhone". I have tried contacting them by phone and e-mail and can get no response from either. They still list the product on their web site and so apparently someone is alive there, but they keep pushing the product ship date back every month. Do you have any information as to the status of the above mentioned company? I would at least like to know if they are still in business. If you can help in any way, would appreciate it."

Sorry for the inconvenience you're experiencing with Newton Peripherals. We forwarded David's message to them and got a reply from their President & CEO, Stuart Nixdoff:

"We were just waiting for FCC testing and the tooling for the iPhone case to be complete before we start delivering to our pre-order customers. We now have FCC and several hundred units. We’ve e-mailed all customers that pre-ordered last week and gave them a choice for a refund or to be first in line. Right now, we have a few hundred in line. We’re still here – just a different cast of characters."

Since then, we heard back from David, who replied with: "I received an e-mail and also a phone call from Newton Peripherals. They said there was an e-mail sent about the status of my order, but I did not receive it. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps it went to my Junk Mail folder. Newton peripherals assured me that my order would be shipped as soon as they could fulfill it and offered me a refund if I chose not to wait. Thank you for your “leverage” to them as I am still doubtful they would have responded otherwise."

Glad we were able to help you David. Stay tuned “Into Tomorrow”!

 

Jeff in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada listening online asked: "I'm looking for a way to record telephone calls through the voice modem in my computer. I haven't been able to find any software that has really worked. In this day and age where you can do pretty much anything, I find it hard to believe that there's not some simple software that will allow you to record a telephone call between yourself and another party when both parties have agreed. If you could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated."

You can try TRx Phone Recorder software from NCH Software. It's a recording application that can be used to record telephone conversations. TRx can also work as caller ID system as well as to put call on-hold and play on-hold messages or music. You can buy TRx professional or TRx Home User for Windows and Mac users.

David in Fort Lauderdale, Florida listening to our podcast asked: "My partner is buying me a new phone for my birthday. It's between the iPhone or the Palm Pre. I like the fact that most surveillance companies have applications that allow the iPhone to view the cameras. The Palm Pre does not, at least not yet. What is your personal preference, Pre or iPhone?"

It really comes down to preference. You might want to play around with both phones before you make a decision. We have major beef with the Palm Pre because of its CRAMPED keyboard. It sucks! However, based on the points you brought up in your email, we think the Pre might be a better choice for you. Most of the “Into Tomorrow” team carry iPhones and love it! Let us know what you end up getting.

“Into Tomorrow” Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza: myTouch 3G Android Smartphone from T-Mobile (Scroll down for more info)

HOUR 3:

Tech News & Commentary

Correction: Last week Kristine the Intern did a story about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Mars closer to the Earth.  Well, it turns out that was not true. Kristine fell victim to an Email that was going around and learned the hard way to check her sources! She promises that won’t happen again. Mars did make an extraordinarily close approach to Earth several years ago, culminating on August 27th 2003, when the red planet came within 35 million miles of Earth, its nearest approach to us in almost 60,000 years.

Joanna in Longview, Texas listening on 710 KEEL AM asked: "I'm thinking about getting my boyfriend a GPS for his car for his birthday. I'm noticing that some of them have real-time traffic. I've been told that you have to do the real-time traffic service in order to get this because it tells you traffic conditions, wrecks, speed limit, etc. I've got a question about that and maybe the best brand of portable GPS to buy."

Good question! It all depends on what you'd like your GPS device to do and how much you're willing to spend. You are correct with your statement that there are charges for having real time updates for traffic and weather. We found that the Navigon 5100 offers real-time traffic without a subscription fee. It is a smaller unit, that can take some time to connect with a satellite, but it offers free real-time traffic updates.

We've been using TomTom units for a while and have found their maps to be dependable. Their GO 740 LIVE receives traffic information from their LIVE Services. Traffic updates are sent every two minutes directly to the device via its wireless modem, so you don't have to pair it with a cell phone. Three months of LIVE Services are included with the purchase of the TomTom GO 740 LIVE. After that, it costs $60 for a year of service.

 

“Into Gaming Minute” with Mark Lautenschlager

Brian in San Antonio, Texas listening on Sirius Ch. 108 asked: "I'm in the market for a new laptop computer. Interested in a 17-inch display. Looked at different products like Gateways and HPs. Just wondering what your recommendation is on product nowadays."

We can suggest, but it really depends on what you'll be using your laptop for. If you're the gaming type you may want to try out Alienware.They recently debuted their M17x, which has the world's first quad-core mobile CPU. It's the best you can get, with a big price to match, starting at $1,800 and going up from there. If you'll be using your laptop mainly at home for browsing, pictures, and watching movies, the HP G70t has an HDMI output for your big screen TV. You can find that starting at about $600-$700.

JW sent an email and asked: "I went to one of the sites on your TechNewsletter and every time I tried to view the video it would never load. It was the one dealing with Wal-Mart's $99 Blu-Ray player on Revision3 website. Is this a common problem?"

Internet streaming video typically comes in one of three major formats: Flash, Quicktime, or Windows Media Player. As long as you have the latest version of each of these company's respective players loaded, you ought to be able to see 99% of videos on the web. Do not download them from third party sites! Get the players from Adobe (Flash), Apple (Quicktime), and Microsoft (Windows Media Player).

We want to point out that you should also download the DivX codec. A lot of web videos using Windows Media Player are compressed with DivX and you'll need their decompresser to see them. It's 100% free, as are all of these players.

Mark in Willard, Missouri asked: "Trying to get some information on the orders Microsoft is taking for Windows 7. Is it true the program they're selling is an upgrade and not an OEM copy? So then if we ever had to reload we would have to install our original program, then upgrade? Yuck!"

Microsoft is selling upgrades, but you can also buy full retail packages from them. I'm not sure why you would do that because that is horrendously expensive. An "OEM version" will never come from Microsoft directly. Those are sold by system vendors with a "system," although something as simple as a new hard drive qualifies as a system for this purpose. If it's an OEM copy that you want, don't go shopping with Microsoft.

Tom in Delaware asked: "I recently tried to purchase a new laptop and now I'm interested in a netbook. Which processor on the Netbook is faster? The G520 or the AM280?"

We have never heard of a G520. By AM280, we assume you mean N280, one of Intel's Atom CPUs. The Atom is available as an N270 and N280 model, the latter is faster. Mark Lautenschlager shares his thoughts with us. Be sure to listen to the podcast to find out.

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

Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza

Have you jumped onto the Android bandwagon? Are you carrying a G1 phone and want to upgrade? Is the myTouch 3G the phone for you? Rob reviews the myTouch for you.

This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners

Hitachi: simpleTOUGH external hard drive & SimpleNET NAS Head
USB 2.0 Portable Dongle

JayBird Gear: Tiger Eyes earbuds w/ Mic

Paragon Software Group: Product keys for Hard Disk Manager 2009 Suite

Wilson Electronics: iBooster Wireless Kits for the iPhone

ITTV Video

Are you feeling the Android OS? Check out the myTouch 3G, the latest Android phone, on our Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza. Also featuring: This Week in Tech History with Chris Graveline.

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