Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

What set top box should I get for streaming?

Watch Rex from Temecula, CA Comments

Rex would like to connect a computer to his new flat screen and stream videos online. What should he buy?

Leo says that Rex doesn't really want a computer, he wants something like the Roku 3, Apple TV, or Fire TV. The problem is, just one of them won't have all the shows that he wants. But considering the shows that Rex's wife wants to watch, having an Amazon Prime membership will be most beneficial because streaming videos from Amazon is free. And the Amazon Fire TV may be a good option in that case. Then there's Netflix, which is included on all of the boxes. So if his favorite shows are on Netflix, then it doesn't matter what he gets.

Scott Wilkinson says that while HBO Go is on most boxes as well, until the beginning of the year he'd have to have an HBO cable subscription to use it. Next year, however, he'll be able to subscribe to the streaming service by itself. Scott says it's a very complicated process right now because all of the devices make deals with content providers and ISPs. So it's all very fragmented. The best he can do is decide what are services he can get and then go for that.

What does Scott use? He has both Apple TV and the Roku stick. Leo says that if he gets the Xbox One or PS4, he could get an internet enabled streaming device that doubles as a Blu-ray player and a gaming device. Veronica Belmont has crowd sourced a master list of all the streaming devices and what services they offer at http://bit.ly/settop.

Scott also says that having a 4K TV has another wrinkle because the TVs don't support 1080p streaming boxes. He'd have to have an internet enabled 4K TV and use the apps it has.

Cutting through all of it though, Leo says that the Roku 3 is Rex's best bet.

What's a good app for online banking?

Watch Frannie from Gloster Township, NJ Comments

Frannie is looking for an app that can keep track of every charge she makes so she can pay everything off at the end of the month. What's an easy way to check and reconcile charges with a phone?

Leo says that credit card companies have gotten very careful about monitoring charges to guard against credit card fraud. Leo's favorite is Mint. She'll give it all of her information for all of her accounts, and it aggregates it all. But before she freaks out, it uses the same backend that banks do. So the security is the same as her bank. Mint then gives the same information as Quicken without data entry. It also will check her bank account.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

What's the best voice dictation app?

Watch Dan from Indianapolis, IN Comments

Dan would like a good voice dictation app. Leo says that Google, Microsoft, and Apple all have speech detection in its phones, and Google has it on Chrome OS too. So if he has a cell phone, he can do it, and it's about 90% accurate.

Nuance makes an app called Dragon Naturally Speaking, and it's really the best app out there for it. Yahoo Tech writer David Pogue uses it to write his indexes.

What carrier should I get for my first smartphone?

Watch Soup from Venice, CA Comments

Soup is ready to get his first smartphone. Leo says the number one thing to decide is which carrier he wants. Then choose the phone from there. He'll want the carrier that offers the best coverage in his area. Service-wise, they're all horrible in some way. But coverage is better for some than others.

T-Mobile is the best of the four and they're very aggressive in pricing. AT&T is the “fastest” for data. Verizon has the most coverage but is slower and he can't do calling and data at the same time (though that's changing). Forget Sprint, they're in trouble for adding unauthorized charges to users accounts. T-Mobile also has unlimited text and data with 100 minutes of calling for $30. He'll have to hunt for it, but it's available.

Then there are companies that resell services from AT&T and Sprint, called MVNOs. But the service isn't all that good. Some services will let him to try before he buys, basically returning the phone and cancelling the service with no penalty if it doesn't work well for him. But T-Mobile is by and large the best carrier for Leo.

Why won't my Android phone sync when I plug it into my PC?

Watch Brandon from Ontario, CA Comments

Brandon got a Google Nexus 5. He tried to plug in his Android phone into his PC but it won't sync -- it only charges. Leo says that his PC isn't loading the USB drivers for it, which is why it's not syncing. Leo says another option is to try a program called AirDroid. It will then connect over Wi-Fi and he won't have that syncing issue. It's a bit slower, but it's a good workaround.

Should I buy a screen protector for my smart phone?

Watch Ron from Lincoln, NE Comments

Ron just bought a Droid Turbo. Should he buy a screen protector for it? Leo says no. Gorilla Glass is at the point now that it's really good against scratching. And that's really all a screen protector will protect against. Nothing will protect his screen from breaking if he drops the phone. But a case is a good idea.

How can I get Yahoo Mail on my iPad?

Watch Nancy from Redding, CA Comments

Nancy is having trouble getting her Yahoo email using the iPad Mail app. Leo says there is a good Yahoo Mail client that works really well. Leo thinks that Yahoo itself is a frustrating experience and Leo prefers to use Gmail. She could tell Gmail to go get her Yahoo mail for her and download it into her Gmail account.

She also saw that her mail was automatically deleted from her Yahoo account. Can she get it back? Leo says it shouldn't automatically delete. Leo advises getting rid of Yahoo and using Gmail.

Leo also says that if she pays $10 a year for her own domain, then she can use whatever free service she wants and have it forward to her personal address.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

How much data can Carbonite back up?

Watch Chris from Miami, FL Comments

Chris ordered the 2TB Time Capsule from Apple and he wants to know if Carbonite backup that much data. Leo says that Carbonite is unlimited backup, but he should remember that it takes a very long time to back that up because he's using upstream bandwidth which is considerably slower than his download speeds.

(Disclaimer: Carbonite is a sponsor)

Is the MacBook Pro worth the money?

Watch Achmed from Akron, OH Comments

Achmed is buying a MacBook Pro with Retina display and it's a bit expensive. Is it worth it? Leo says that it is. Think of that MacBook Pro as the business class computer. That's pretty much all Apple makes. They're very well made and far more secure. So it's worth the money from that perspective. But it may be overkill for Achmed's needs.

A Chromebook is a far more affordable option for what Achmed is doing these days. Most people live their lives online. Achmed also wants to see what's on his phone on his desktop, though. OS X Yosemite will work in conjunction with his iPhone so he can continue what he's doing on his phone, on his computer. Since Achmed is on a fixed income, a Chromebook is still definitely a better, more affordable option for him.

There's also the HP Stream, which is about $250 and people are raving about it. But if he really wants a Mac, then he should look at the MacBook Air. They're a bit cheaper, smaller, and lighter. Leo also suggests looking at reburbished models. He can save a few hundred dollars that way as well.

How can I fix a stuck update in Windows 8?

Watch Todd from Sun City, CA Comments

Todd got an HP Pavilion 4 with Windows 8 and he's having trouble updating it. Every time he tries to update, it freezes up and he has to do an autorepair. Leo says that Windows 8 changed the way updates work. He'll have to do all the Windows 8.0 updates first, and he can get updates from the Windows Store. Once he's opened that, it'll tell him what updates he's missing.

Once he has all those, he can then update to Windows 8.1. If an update is being blocked, he can go into the Control Panel and remove those stuck updates and start over. In fact, he may just want to start over anyway. Back up the data, format the hard drive, and reinstall.

Can I use an HDTV as a computer monitor?

Watch Norman from Los Angeles, CA Comments

Norman is thinking of replacing his computer monitor with an HDTV. Leo advises against that. HDTVs aren't as sharp as computer monitors because he'd be sitting up too close to it. He'll see all the pixels and the resolution won't be as sharp as a monitor. He'll be paying for stuff he's not using, too, such as smart TV functions. People do it, though, and it really depends on how the computer would be used. But in general, he doesn't recommend it.

Leo suggests going to dell.com and buying a 27" monitor if he wants a large screen.

Should I buy a Pebble watch?

Watch Tom from Warren, OH Comments

Dan is thinking about buying the Pebble smart watch. Leo says that while the Pebble watch is a cool device, it's a first generation watch that isn't cheap at $349. Leo prefers the Android Wear watches. It's exactly what a smartwatch should be. Breaking news, time, adjustable watch face, and tells him who's calling. Leo advises waiting on the Pebble or go with an Android Wear watch.

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