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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.
Consumer
Reports Feature with Carol Mangis
If you’re in the market for an ultra portable laptop computer but want to spend less than the pricey MacBook Air, Consumer Reports Associate Web Editor Carol Mangis says the Samsung Series 9 Notebook might be worth a look.
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. ”
— RobSome 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.
Guest in this hour:
Bryan Gonzalez, Director, Social & Digital Media Technology Labs – The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC
Why would Apple produce an iTV? When can we expect to see it? Bryan tells us about the possibility of an Apple iTV and what that would mean to consumers.
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.
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.