HOUR 1:
Tech News & Commentary
Jamie in Shreveport, Louisiana listening on KEEL 710 AM asked: “International calling, supposedly there are phones for sale that are unlocked that you can purchase and use with SIM cards. You purchase SIM cards from a local carrier in whatever country you’re visiting. Want to find out how convenient that is, how existent that is, and on the possibility of using a US phone and how to unlock it.”
Unlocked phones can be easily used with foreign carriers, but there are some things you need to keep in mind. Our own Horacio has done this with a few phones.
Let’s start with the basics for you to be able to switch SIM cards the phone has to use a SIM card. That means you need a GSM phone. CDMA phones don’t have SIM slots. The biggest US carriers that operate GSM networks are AT&T and T-Mobile, but there are others.
The next thing you need to worry about is getting that GSM phone unlocked. You can buy a factory unlocked cell phone, but that usually requires giving up the subsidized price you normally pay with a contract and paying full factory price for the phone, depending on the specific handset you want to use that might add several hundreds of dollars to the price you’re going to pay.
For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
IFA2010 Update
Learn about the rich history behind one of the largest consumer electronics trade shows we report from each year in Berlin, Germany.
The “Into Tomorrow” team discussed the latest apps that they have been playing with recently.
- For iPhone/iPad:Robrecommends: Shrek Kart HD
Chris recommends: MapQuest - For BlackBerry, Mark recommends: OpenTable
Tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast for more details.
Guest in this hour:
Kelly Starling, PR Manager – AT&T
It’s Back to School season! With so many wireless devices out there, how do you decide what device is best for your child?
James from Ann Arbor, Michigan listening to the stream sent us the following email and asked: “I’m looking for equipment to backup my laptops and iPod Touch through my home’s Wi-Fi system. I’d also like to be able to upload files to these devices from the remote storage. If I can access the system from away from home, that would be even better. But in-home access is the most important function.
The 2 systems I’m aware of are NAS, Network Attached Storage, and Seagate’s FreeAgent GoFlex Net Media sharing device with GoFlex USB storage drives. I talked with Seagate techs and was directed to the GoFlex system, but I’m not comfortable that they clearly understand my needs.
I feel I need minimum of 1 Terabyte, but ability to add more. The portability of the Seagate hard drives is very attractive to me. Price isn’t a huge issue, but any money not spent on storage can be consumed by photo equipment or car parts for my old Triumph TR6!”
Seagate’s GoFlex Home Network Storage system actually is a NAS device, so in that regard it’s nothing special. On the other hand, you’re on the right track with NAS.
What the NAS device will do is provide shared access to storage space for your entire network. At the operating system level, it shows up as network drive, accessed by a drive letter just like all the other drives in your system.
For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Consumer Reports:
“Digital Cameras” with Terry Sullivan
Looking for a new digital camera? Terry’s got the latest ratings from Consumer Reports to help you get the best choice.
Dennis in Nashville, Tennessee listening to the podcast asked: “I’m considering upgrading to a larger monitor; possibly 22 or 23-inch. Also wanting to replace a small 13-inch TV. Was noticing that the monitors have a PC input. Not sure what to look for. Is it feasible to have a small TV that will also give me a monitor and maybe kill two birds with one stone? I don’t know the advantages or disadvantages of going either way.”
Yes, that is feasible. However, if you’d want to use your PC and watch TV at the same time, that might complicate things a little. Many TVs, though, have a “Picture in Picture” (PIP) option, that will help this a little. You’ be able to work on your computer and see a smaller picture with the TV image, or vice versa.
The only problem is it will be awfully hard to see whatever the PIP window is covering. That’s probably your biggest disadvantage with going with one monitor for both your PC and TV.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
SleepPhones: A Sheep of Your Dreams Kit
SmartSwipe: Secure personal credit card readers for shopping online
Smith Micro Software: Copies of Anime Studio Pro 7
Total Training: Copies of Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended: Essentials