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For more Leo and friends all week long, listen to the
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Saturday February 13, 2010
- Show Audio
- Tech News
- Hour 1
- Hour 2
- Karl, Anaheim Hills, CA - Cellphone recommendation
- Roz, Los Angeles, CA - Lost computer program
- Erin, Riverside, CA - Credit card processing and the iPhone
- Roberto, Portland, OR - No Audible for Android?
- Morris, Corona, CA - Cellphone recommendation
- David, Houston, TX - podcasting
- James, Los Angeles, CA - Upgrading to a tablet PC
- Hour 3
Show Audio
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Edited Audio | |
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Posted one week after broadcast… | |
Tech News
MacWorld Expo this week
Leo was at MacWorld Expo this week and it’s been a few days of everyone holding their breath as this was the first MacWorld without Apple involved. And Leo says there’s nothing much to say, even though the iPad was announced, it won’t come out for another 6 weeks. No new iPhone, nothing. And the fans aren’t thrilled. Some feel that Apple owes the fans who are devoted to the “Cult of Mac.” Leo says that Apple has actually outgrown that narrow fan base to be a major electronics company now.
It was fun to get together with the Macheads, but the bottom line is, the future of MacWorld without Apple is far from clear.
Google takes on Facebook/Twitter with Google Buzz
Leo says that Google Buzz is better than both Twitter and Facebook and is certain to be the “next big thing.” And with it’s open source API, anyone can add a buzz to the experience.
When you log onto GMail, users are now getting a request to joins Google Buzz. But Privacy advocates are saying that Google Buzz, which automatically adds people you talk to via Gmail and GTalk, will allow the world to see who you talk to and what you’re talking about. But you can hide it so nobody can actually see it.
Dr. Mom, in the chatroom, says that she doesn’t like Google Buzz because she communicates with patients via GMail. So she had to hide Buzz immmediately. Good point, Dr. Mom.
Hour 1
Q Colin, Huntington Beach, CA - Overseas phone options
Colin has the Samsung Behold with an OLED screen and loves it. He’s from England and when he travels overseas, he buys a SIM card from the local country and he saves a bundle on both calls and data. It’s much more affordable than buying an international data plan and getting socked with roaming charges when you pass the data cap.
Q Angela, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CAN - Watching video online
Angela is getting a lot of “buffering,” while she’s watching Leo online. Leo says that streaming packets can sometimes get delayed or even arrive out of order, and so the image must buffer in order to wait for all the information to arrive and put it in order. And if it doesn’t happen, sometimes the digital player will skip over the missing data and just move on. But the whole idea of buffering is to get ahead of the stream so it can wait should the packets come out of order. And then the buffer gets smaller and when it stops, the buffer has to get larger again.
Q Thomas, Stockton, CA - Streaming HD content
Thomas just upgraded his RAM on his MAC G5 and added DOCSIS3 for his internet connection, but his streaming isn’t all that great. Leo says that Thomas should go to speedtest.net to see what his speed is. But downloading and streaming isn’t just about speed, it also has to arrive and in order so that it can stream properly. Otherwise you get buffering and stuttering. Also check out pingtest.net. Done by the same people that run speedtest.net, this site will test your broadband quality, latency, etc. and grade it.
Hour 2
Q Karl, Anaheim Hills, CA - Cellphone recommendation
Karl’s contract is up with Verizon and is thinking about the iPhone. But he’s holding back to see if Verizon is getting the iPhone. Leo seems to think that the iPhone will eventually make it to Verizon, but when the CEO of Verizon said they’ll get the iPhone in 2010, that could be December for all we know. Meanwhile, you can take a good long look at the Nexus One, which is coming to Verizon this month. Leo loves it and it’s his main phone now. It may be that Apple is waiting until June, which is traditionally when Apple announces new iPhones. Then again, the impression Leo got from the iPad announcement is that Apple could be committed to AT&T. But only time will tell.
Q Roz, Los Angeles, CA - Lost computer program
Roz accidentally deleted a program called Picture Gear she needs for her photos. Her laptop is a Sony Vaio and it came preinstalled. Leo says you can download the program and reinstall it. Leo also says you can pull out your recovery disk and reinstall it that way. You may have an option which would allow it to install parts of the image, rather than the whole thing. Pay close attention here. If you can’t, then Leo says you may just have to backup your data and restore your entire OS.
From the Chatroom - Sony’s recovery disc will allow you to reinstall individual applications.
Another option is to download and install Google’s Picasa. It’s free and is an outstanding photo management tool.
Q Erin, Riverside, CA - Credit card processing and the iPhone
Eric has the iPhone and wants to use it to process credit card sales. Leo recommends getting an app which also has a a reader attachement that allows you to slide the credit card. SQUARE Personal iPhone Credit Card Reader works by plugging into your audio jack. You also need a merchant account and Square does it for a small percentage for those who don’t have merchant accounts. Mophie also has one reach as does Acorn.
Q Roberto, Portland, OR - No Audible for Android?
Roberto has an Android phone but it doesn’t have an Audible app. so he also has to keep his iPhone around to listen to his audio books. Leo says that’s unfortunate, but being that Android is more open source, it’s probably a copyright issue that’s keeping it from playing outside of iTunes. But Leo hears that an Android Audible Player is coming in the next few months. There Are Audio Book converters like Maxim which exploit the “analog hole” of iTunes in order to convert the books into mp3s.
Q Morris, Corona, CA - Cellphone recommendation
Morris is trying to decide between the Droid and the Eris. Leo says that the Eris is a Droid without a keyboard. But are essentially the same. The Droid is faster though. Leo likes the Eris, even though it doesn’t have a physical keyboard - the keyboard on the Droid is disappointing anyway.
What about the Storm? Leo’s not a fan. He doesn’t like the tactile clicking screen, although the screen has been improved in the Storm 2. But he’s not a fan. Leo recommends waiting a few more weeks, as the Nexus One will be available come March.
Q David, Houston, TX - podcasting
David got the Plantronics 665 headset and wants to do a podcast that’s more interactive. Almost like a voice chat. Leo says that TalkShoe is probably the best option. It’s free. He also wants to control who talks and who doesn’t. And he wants to record it. Leo says that Talkshoe records it for you, and they host it, even on iTunes. And you can use an IRC client to add text chat.
Q James, Los Angeles, CA - Upgrading to a tablet PC
James has been using an Apple Newton 2100 forever, but is thinking of coming into the 21st century and upgrading. Thoughts? Leo says that using a Windows 7 Tablet (Leo likes Lenovo and Dell) and run One Note, which recognizes handwriting in a very similar fashion to the Newton. Apple’s iPad will be coming soon, but it doesn’t use a stylus.
Hour 3
Q Jessica, Anaheim, CA - GPS trouble
Jessica got a Garmin GPS for the holidays. But it keeps crashing. Leo says it needs to be returned. What about the GPS programs through the iPhone? Leo says they aren’t as good and are expensive. Just bring your Garmin back and replace it with another. If you want a backup GPS for your iPhone, Leo recommends G-Map. It’s regional and costs about $25. Full US/Canada for $50. A dedicated GPS is your best bet.
Q Chuck, Riverside, CA - eBook readers
Chuck is considering the Kindle 2 and the Nook by Barnes and Noble. Leo prefers the Kindle. eInk. Wireless delivery. Great for newspapers. Better selection. But Apple’s iPad is going to change everything and it may be a good idea to wait. It’s backlit LCD which is advantageous for low light situations, although some complain of eye strain - Leo hasn’t had that experience.
Will iBook have a good selection for the iPad? Leo says that initially, no. But Apple is signing major book publishers with their agency model that allows them to set the price (Amazon sets their own prices) and it’ll grow pretty quickly. And Leo also thinks that Kindle Books will be available to read on the iPad since there’s a Kindle App. So you could conceivably get the Kindle now and then decide later if you want to upgrade to the iPad.
Q Dan, Springfield, MO - Laptop recommendation
Dan is looking for his first laptop, needs it for both business and for music. Recommendations? Will the i3 processor handle it? Leo says that the i3 will be the low power budget variety and the i7 is really the chip you want for the applications you’re using. But with the large amount of tracks Dan uses in Pro Tools, Leo doesn’t know of a laptop fast enough to handle that number of tracks. One thing. Consider putting a Solid State Drive in it. They are lightning quick, boot nearly instantaneously. Could even be more important than processor speed.
Q Howard, Toronto, ONT CAN - eBook readers
Howard says he’s been reading books on a Palm Treo with a backlit screen for several years and doesn’t think it’s that big a deal to read a book like that. Didn’t hurt his eyes at all. Leo agrees and can’t wait to get the Apple iPad. He’s already planning to hand down his Kindle 2? to his wife.
Howard also wonders if the Lenovo U1 can be used as an eBook reader. Leo says it runs a bit sluggish and runs on Linux. Leo says that the reason tablets haven’t taken off is because they still run on a desktop operating system. The iPad will run on the iPhone OS, which is far streamlined and will be a huge success. And running Apps will give them a great advantage for casual gaming, chatting, media, even for students and the healthcare industry.
Q David, on the I5 - Crash code in Windows
David’s son typed in an crash error code to Google and it crashed! How can that be? Leo says that has to be coincidental. It’s possible David’s son found a wierd bug in Windows, but it’s highly doubtful.
David also has Sprint for his cellphone service and he does a lot of Conference calls with other truckers on the road. Leo says that’s fantastic. Has that replaced CBs? David says it does because there’s no real range issues, you can chat with people from all over the country. But if somebody calls in and afterwards, hangs up, it doesn’t clear the line. Leo says he’s had the same issues and it’s probably how cellphone companies have responded to dropped call complaints by turning up the dropped call timeout time before disconnecting.
See you tomorrow!
