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Weekend of February 17th, 2012

Dave and his team of tech geniuses are in the studio this week addressing your questions and comments.

Our Latest ITTV Video Update (Watch in HD)

This week we take a closer look at the GoPano Micro 360-degree panoramic video lens for the iPhone. See how it works and what you can do with it. Also, Chris Graveline takes us back into yesterday on "This Week In Tech History".

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

 

Lisa in North Slope, Alaska listens on 88.5 FM and asked about tablets: "I want to get one that has to get reception on the North Slope of Alaska, which is limited. Wondering if an aircard works in any tablet. Can I buy it at Best Buy or if I have to go through a cell provider? Would a Wi-Fi tablet work with an aircard?"

 

Aircards will most likely not work with many tablets at all. The Archos 101 G9 comes with a built in aircard, and it allows 3G tethering from a cellphone. But, for the most part if you want connectivity on tablets you will need either WiFi or a tablet with a built-in 3G or 4G chip.

If you're willing to pay for an aircard just for the tablet, consider getting a 3G or a 4G tablet. If this is an aircard that you'd use with a computer as well, then maybe you should look into getting a MiFi type of device. You'll pay a monthly fee like you would with an aircard, but the WiFi network it creates can be used with any tablet you choose, and you could even use it with your laptop at the same time, as it supports more than one device simultaneously.

You don't have to go through a cell phone provider to buy either an aircard or a MiFi. You can buy them through third party stores like Best Buy, but you will need to get service from someone, which may mean a contract or a prepaid plan. Either way you'll be getting it from a cell phone service provider.

The challenge on the North Slope is finding good coverage. Alaska Wireless has invested in cell towers that cover the Prudhoe Bay and surrounding North Slope areas quite well. They sell the Novatel MiFi device for $79 and their mobile broadband data plans are priced about the same as anyone else's. 5GB of data per month will cost $29, 10GB is $59, and 20GB is $99.

If you're not in the Prudhoe Bay area, then we'd need to know more specifically where you are to suggest a provider, but Google can find one for you also. Search for your zip code and the nearest city name, combined with "cell phone coverage," and you'll hit a gold mine of information.

 

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

 

 

 

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

For Android:

 

• Mark recommends: ESPN ScoreCenter, FREE

 

"Are you a sports junkie like me? Does your TV remote have worn buttons over the numbers that tune in the ESPN networks? If so, then you probably know the most hated question any friend can ask you when you're away from your computer...."what's the score of the game?" It's a pain to have to dig around on Google to find the score. What YOU need is the ESPN ScoreCenter Android app. This free app is like having the SportsCenter crew in your pocket, keeping you posted on scores in real time. You can download the ESPN ScoreCenter for free from the Android Market." -- Mark



For iOS:

 

• Rob recommends: Face Fun, $1.99
"With Face Fun, you take a picture and it automatically swaps faces. You can take a picture of two people together or import from library. The app will swap their faces. After the swap is finished, you can adjust the new face by pinching to make it fit properly. When you're finished tweaking the picture, you can then share it on Facebook or Twitter or save to your Camera Roll. This app works with both the iPhone and the iPad. It's currently available for free for a limited time. Regular price is $1.99. " -- Rob

Some examples:







• Chris recommends: Slide to Unlock, $0.99

"You do it all the time, but have you mastered it? A simple yet addictive game which tests your speed and unlocking prowess. Play online against thousands of the world's best iPhone users in four challenging game modes to determine who is the slide-to-unlocker to rule them all."

What are your favorite apps? Let us know!

 

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

 

 

Deborah in Porterville, California listens via KTIP 1450 AM and asked: "Is a three year old Zune too old to mess with? Should I just go out and buy a new one?"

 

If it works for you and does what you want, there's really no reason to replace it. Having said that, Microsoft announced last year they would stop making the Zune, and focus their attention on Windows Phone -- what we like to call WinPho. They say that the Zune services will continue working, warranties will be honored and that customer support is still available. But, they will not be producing any new models. You can still find them for sale, as some retailers may still trying to sell the remaining units they have in stock.

If you do decide you want to buy a new media player, your choices are nearly endless. Remember, it doesn't have to be an "i" device, although the iPods are probably the most popular. The best advice we can offer is to go into your local electronics retailer and play with some of them. Most stores have a selection laid out for you to pick up and play with.

Everyone's tastes are a little different. A feature that may be a selling point for one person may not be important to another. So, take a look for yourself and see which one you like the best.

You may want to consider why you'd even need a separate music player device. Today's smartphones are capable phones, web browsers, cameras, and music players. It's not even a huge drain on your battery to play music, as long as you're playing files that you've downloaded to the phone.

Using a streaming app like Pandora or Spotify will obviously use more battery power since it's running your data connection, and that also means it could affect your bill if you don't have unlimited data. So be careful to know whether you are playing music from your phone or streaming music to your phone.

 

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

 

Phil in North Ferrisburg, Vermont listening online asked: "I'm wondering if there is any way to root an older 2.2 firmware Android Incredible, to be able to use it as a Wi-Fi router."

 

Short answer? Yes. There are multiple options available for rooting an HTC Incredible with Android 2.2. We're not too keen on rooting our phones around here, so you should probably spend some time asking the rooting experts on the Droid Forums. There is an HTC Incredible forum with a sub-forum devoted to rooting and hacking the Incredible.

You will need to get a Wi-Fi hotspot app. You won't be able to use anything that ties back to your cellular provider. Those don't work any more once the phone is rooted. Again, since we don't root our phones, you will need to get advice on specific apps from people who do.

A word about rooting. Rooting your phone means burning new system ROMs to it, replacing the version of Android that came from your wireless provider with a version you download where you have root, or superuser access to the phone. This lets you install all kinds of apps that the wireless providers consider forbidden. Rooting is entirely legal and will not harm your phone, although if it doesn't go well it may leave it in an unworkable state and you'll have to get assistance from your provider. Note that once the phone is rooted, they will not support it, so expect to pay a fee if you need help fixing a root-gone-bad.

So do it at your own risk. We've said several times that we don't do it. That doesn't mean that it's wrong, or bad, but it just means that there is nothing we do with our phones that requires rooting and we prefer to have support from our wireless providers.

 

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

 

 

HOUR 2:

 

Tech News & Commentary

 

Jack in Los Alamos, New Mexico listening on KTRC 1260 asked: "I've seen a lot of tablets advertised for some very attractive prices: $100-$150. Most seem to be running Android 2.2. Wondering if it's worth it. Mainly, what am I giving up in terms of speed and capabilities by using 2.2 instead of later versions of Android? Would it be worthwhile waiting a few months to see what Apple comes out with the iPad 3 and so forth?"

 

You technically don't have to lose any speed, that depends on the hardware inside (though we'd expect fairly basic hardware for that price), and you really won't lose much functionality compared to tablets running Android 2.3. But, 2.2 is not formatted for tablets. Basically, you'll be buying a bigger Android phone that doesn't make calls.

Newer versions of Android (beyond 2.3) will give you an OS that is designed specifically for use on a tablet, so you should have a better overall user experience.

As for waiting for a potential iPad 3, you can do that, but you won't find it in the $100-$150 price range. If Apple does come out with a replacement for the iPad 2 soon, it will almost certainly be more expensive than the very low end Android tablets.

Also, remember that Apple brought the price down on the iPad 1 when the iPad 2 came out. It was on sale for $100 less. So, the 16GB WiFi-only version sold for $399 vs. $499. That's still isn't in the attractive price range, but it does help a little. And, the iPad 2 is an improved version of the first one, offering you faster processor speed and two cameras. We can assume that when iPad 3 comes around, the iPad 2 will have a more attractive price. The tech world expects to officially know more about the iPad 3 around March 7th. So, at this point, we suggest you wait until next month if you're considering an iPad.

 

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

 

 

 

Philip in Shreveport, Louisiana listens via the App asked: "Would like to know if the Android Thunderbolt is still a good phone to hang on to, or whether I should start looking at upgrades, considering the battery gets real hot on the Thunderbolt when running 4G. Is that typical?"

 

Let's start with the battery problem. We have found plenty of reports about the Thunderbolt running overly hot at times, especially when using some processing power or when the 4G radio is on. There's not a clear solution. Some people have had some luck turning off some apps, but other people have failed to solve the problem when trying the same approach. Replacing the battery also doesn't seem to help and people report having this issue on replacement Thunderbolts after having it replaced.

As for whether or not the Thunderbolt is a good phone, well, it depends on what you need, it certainly is a powerful phone, it has access to a very fast network if it's available in your area, you won't find many phones with better specs, but whether or not it's the best one for you is something that we can't tell you, maybe you'd prefer a less powerful phone with a battery that doesn't worry you.

If you're thinking about replacing it for a newer one just to have the latest and greatest, you should probably wait, new phones aren't that far ahead of the Thunderbolt yet, if you're just not happy and want to try something different, then sure, have a look around, you may like the Droid Razr, it has similar specs as your Thunderbolt but in a much thinner package, and is made by a different manufacturer.

And if you are seriously considering a replacement 4G LTE phone, then the Droid Razr Maxx might be the best bet. Battery life was a real problem on the original Droid Razr, and the new Maxx edition fixes that in a big way. It has the longest battery life per charge of any smartphone you can buy.

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

 

 

 

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT with Rob: "GoPano Micro for iPhone"

Click on the image to view Rob's 360º videos - This is an iPhone case that uses a camera lens adapter that snaps on to record 360-degree panoramic videos. - It's only compatible with the iPhone 4 and 4S. - Using the GoPano app on your iPhone, you can record and spin the video to look around, simply by swiping the screen with your finger. When you're finished, the video is then uploaded to the GoPano website, where you and others can playback and swipe your iPhone to spin the video for a 360-degree view. - If you're on a computer, login to GoPano.com where you can interact with these videos by dragging your mouse over it. And, you can share these videos on your social networks so your friends can watch your creations or other fun recordings that you've enjoyed watching. - The only complaint we have is the focus. You can manually calibrate the focus with the app when you have the lens attached. However, even after calibrating it, there is a soft focus on all the videos. We hope that with future versions that gets improved. - Retail price is $80

 

 

Greg in Manchester, Tennessee listens on WTN 99.7 asked: "Question about my router. I'm having to reboot it every couple days. My laptop is not picking up the wireless connection. Wondering if you have any tips or suggestions, and if my router is going out."

 

This is a fairly common problem with some routers, if you're needing to restart it that much and it was working fine before, you could try to take it back to factory settings.

There's usually a reset button somewhere in the back and holding it down for 5 to 10 seconds will usually do the trick, but it will also erase any configuration you may have done on the device after you bought it.

You could also look on the manufacturer's website and see if they've released any firmware updates since you got the router, this may be caused by an issue that they addressed with an updated at some point. You can typically find firmware updates in the support section of their websites or under downloads and drivers.

Also, ask yourself some basic troubleshooting questions. Is your laptop having problems connecting with other Wi-Fi locations? Do other devices have problems connecting with your wireless router? What kind of security protocol are you using? WEP? WPA? WPA2? You might want to try a different security protocol and see if that improves it.

However, our advice is not to try too hard. Chances are you have an older router, maybe even a Wireless-G model. A much newer, faster Wireless-N router would be a nice upgrade and they are very inexpensive. Simple models run as little as $30, while fancier units or those from better known brands will run you more.

If you choose to replace your router, consider one that offers simultaneous dual radio support, so you can run Wireless-G on 2.4 GHz for compatibility with older devices and Wireless-N on 5 GHz for less chance of interference. It'll cost you more, but in our opinion might easily be worth it.

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

 

HOUR 3:

Tech News & Commentary

 

Art in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania listening on 1360 WMNY asked: "I like to watch our local football team on TV, but I like to listen to our local announcers on the radio. But I can't sync up the sound. Wondering if there's a way I can listen to the radio broadcasters and watch it on TV and have the sound synced. Somebody mentioned a DVR, but that's a little too expensive for me."

 

As you already know radio broadcasts get to you faster than TV broadcasts, the DVR option that you were offered might help you if you're going to record both the TV and the radio and watch them later synced up, if you want to watch the games live though, a DVR won't be able to speed up the TV and make it sync up with the faster radio broadcast. If anything you'd benefit from recording the radio, pausing for a few seconds and then letting it play along with the TV image.

For $60 you can buy a radio called SportSync that will help you achieve just what you want. It looks like a regular portable radio, it works like a regular radio too, but it comes with a delay slider that makes it possible to make the audio play a few seconds later, and in that way, make it sync up with the image on your TV. It might take some trial and error, but you should be able to make the image and the sound sync up pretty well using the SportSync's slider.

SportSync can also be plugged in to speakers, so if you have a home theater set up, you might be able to make the sound come out through the speakers around your TV.

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

 

 

Michael in Miami, Florida listens via the app and asked: "I would like to know more about rooting the Android Tablets."

 

Unfortunately we can't give you too much generic information about how to root a tablet. Rooting is done without manufacturers' consent, and it's done by exploiting vulnerabilities in the different Android operating systems, that means that the way to root an Android 2.2 tablet won't necessarily be the same way you root an Android 2.3 tablet, in fact it may not be the same way you root an Android 2.2.1 tablet.

If you want to know how to root a specific tablet, you can call us again and we'll give you specific information, if you just want to have a general idea, you can come to the website and we'll link you to a page that details different procedures for different tablets.

The benefits of rooting tablets are similar to the benefits of rooting phones, custom ROMs with less bloatware, control over internal function such as overclocking or underclocking the processor, and generally extra customization that the manufacturer wouldn't allow.

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

 

Karl in South Dakota listening on KOTA 1380 AM asked: "I would like to gather reading articles from websites while my iPad is connected to the Internet and then read them when I am offline. The app should chase my reading down seamlessly as I am doing other stuff with my iPad. What can you suggest?"

 

You can try a couple different of apps to read articles offline on an iPad. A very popular one is Instapaper, it will cost you $4.99, but it saves both texts and images and it has a very eye-pleasing user interface.

You can also try ReadItLater, it won't necessarily cost you anything but for extra features you can ungrade to the pro version. ReadItLater will let you save webpages and then bring them up either as text only or as a full webpage with images and the original formatting.

Another app you can have a look at is Offline Pages, this one might be the one for you, it stores complete webpages like the other two, but it also includes a feature that let's you auto update your favorite pages, so you don't have to manually download them each time, you mentioned wanting an app that could "chase your reading down seamlessly", if this is what you meant, then Offline Pages may be the app for you.

The bad news about that is that Offline Pages is also the most expensive of the three apps...it will cost you $9.99 for the version of the app that allows auto-updating.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa in Nashville, Tennessee listens to WTN, calling in via our free app asked: "I have an iPhone 3G, is it possible that it can get a virus. If so, is there a way to protect it? I appreciate it."

 

If your phone has not been "jailbroken" then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. There is no virus protection for iPhones because there are no known viruses -- at the moment. Viruses, most often, are attached to e-mails. The iPhone OS doesn't allow software to be installed from an e-mail message or an MMS. It has to be downloaded from the App Store or installed from a computer while the phone is connected to it.

Even with "jailbreaking", it doesn't necessarily allow a virus to be installed. What it does sometimes, depending on what sotware was installed, is open up some security vulnerabilities. Apple warns against this on their site, saying that it can allow hackers access to your personal information. Now remember, jailbreaking isn't illegal, but if you do it, you will ensure that Apple will not offer you any support, should anything go wrong.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners

Fanny Wang: Customize your own Fanny Wang noise-canceling headphones! We have a promo code for one lucky listener.

Honestech: Audio Recorder 3.0 Plus – Convert all of your music, including cassettes, LPs and 8-track tapes, into MP3s, WAV files, audio CDs and MP3 CDs, and listen to them on your portable music players.

Moola Street: $25 Gift Cards. Of course, Moola is slang for money and this is a unique way to give Gift Cards that cost you only 10% until the recipient redeems it!

ZAGG: ZAGGkeys FLEX Tablet Keyboard & Stand – A versatile standalone Bluetooth keyboard for smartphones and tablets. An $80 value.

 

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