HOUR 1:
Tech News & Commentary
Marcos in Lindsay, California listening on KTIP 1450 AM asked: “I noticed that there are HDTVs coming out that are Wi-Fi enabled. What special purposes do those have? Can you browse on those? Is it for Netflix type services?”
Several manufacturers like Sony, Toshiba, Vizio, and others are coming out with Wi-Fi enabled TVs. They can stream content straight to their display without a network cable. For example, The Toshiba UX600 LED TV not only lets you watch movies from your cable or Satellite or DVD or Blu-ray, but it also lets you enjoy video from Into Tomorrow, YouTube, slideshows from Flickr, and other online content.
In addition to streaming video content from the Net, this set also has a customizable “Ticker” that lets you stay current with News, Weather, Twitter accounts and other stuff. These Toshiba models from 40 to 55″ start at about $1400.
Another good example is the VF552XVT TruLED LCD HDTV from Vizio. It uses the latest wireless technology, like the others, so you can connect to the Internet, stream movies, and TV Shows using the Netflix and Amazon widgets, listen your favorite music with Rhapsody, and even get the latest news & sports through Yahoo. You can also use the Universal Bluetooth Remote with slide out Qwerty keypad to send a tweet or change your status on Facebook. That 55″ unit is available for $2199.
For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
“Consumer Reports” Feature with Paul Eng
The “Into Tomorrow” team discussed the latest apps that they have been playing with recently.
- For Android: Peanut Gallery.
- For BlackBerry: RIM’s own Twitter App.
- For iPhone/iPad: Words with friends.
Tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast for more details.
Guest in this hour:
Wayne Irving, CEO & Founder – Iconosys
With summer drivers hitting the highways, how do you stop the obsession of texting while driving? Wayne may have a solution for you.
Ron in Topeka, Kansas listening on WTN 99.7 FM sent us the following email and asked: “When is 2.2 with flash for Droid supposed to be released?”
An official answer will have to wait for one of the carriers or device manufacturers to officially announce a date. Until one of them does that, all we have for you is rumors. We tried again this morning and nothing yet on several of our many Android devices.
The tech blog Boy Genius Report, one of our favorite stops on the web, claims to have intercepted an email sent from HTC in which they said Android 2.2 would be available for downloading to their HTC Incredible models at the end of July or first week of August. Another less famous tech blog reports that the Android 2.2 over the air update for the new Droid X is happening between now and July 27th. Now, that’s again just a rumor, but all signs are pointing to a release that’s sooner rather than later.
For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Lisa sent us the following email and asked: “We are not computer savvy people and have a computer from 2004. We are thinking of upgrading in the near future, but not sure when this will be. We have a Sony VAIO desktop and laptop, but can’t seem to find this one anymore. What do you recommend for a decent computer?
All we do is our banking, both online, and also we use Microsoft Money and love it. Other than that, we check email and occasionally like to print pictures and greeting cards.
Also, what do you think of System Mechanic to clean things up?”
You can take a look at the Gateway SX2840-01 with the new dual core i3 processing chip. With pretty good performance, a huge hard drive, and a reasonable set of basic specs, this Gateway is a very capable computer for you. It’s well equipped out of the box with Windows 7 64 bit home premium, 6 GB of Ram, and 1 Terabyte hard drive, DVD burner, a multiformat flash card reader, and a VGA and HDMI output.
System Mechanic is a good tool for cleaning your computer’s registry and fixing a variety of other problems, too. We’ve had copies for giveaway from time to time, and everyone who has tried it has good things to say about it.
However, a good free alternative is CCleaner. It used to be Crap Cleaner, but political correctness shortened the name. CCleaner does a terrific job of repairing registry errors and cleaning unnecessary files from your computer, and did we mention it was free?
For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
“Wireless Update” Weekly Feature with Verizon’s Chuck Hamby
Have you ever had cell phone sticker shock? When your monthly bill is much higher than expected? Chuck helps you block the shock.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
D-Link: Several MyDlink-enabled Wireless Network Cameras to keep an eye on your home.
Honestech: Copies of Claymation Studio 3.0 Deluxe with PC Camera included – stop motion video creation software
TrenMicro: Copies of Titanium 2011 — Maximum Internet Security including 10 gigs of online backup.
TuneUp: Copies of TuneUp Utilities – Optimization software for PCs.