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Tech News & Commentary
Bill in Manchester, Tennessee listens ono WTN 99.7 asked us: “I have a iPhone 5s, and somebody told me that other people can watch you on your camera. Is this true?”
Bill, Well, to put your mind at ease – without some major hacking efforts you cannot be seen by others through the camera on your phone.
Now, newer iOS devices have FaceTime which is a built-in app that allows you to video chat with people who have called you or if you’ve called them. If you happened to accidentally video call someone then of course they can watch you that way, but if they are good friend they will let you know. Unless, you have some of those goofy friends who love to embarrass you by showing off the fact that you accidentally video called them. There are other apps with video chat such as ooVoo, Google Hangouts, and Skype. I wouldn’t worry though about being watched because you physically have to push buttons for it to engage the video chat on all these apps.
No one will be watching you without your permission, but if you’re worried about your camera being on without you knowing it, a band-aid may solve that problem for you quite inexpensively.
If your iPhone is not jailbroken, then apps running on it should not have the level of security access needed to take over your phone. There have been a few reports of iPhones doing things as if they were under remote control, sending text messages or emails, opening up apps, those sort of things. But the text messages were gibberish and the app opening was random. In almost every case it turned out to be a hardware fault with the touchscreen that was generating random “phantom” taps and swipes.
So I wouldn’t worry. By the way, it IS true that you can hack in to a MacBook computer and activate the webcam without causing the green light to turn on. So if you want to cover anything with that bandaid we mentioned, it might be your webcam (Mac or Windows).
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Consumer Reports Feature With James McQueen
The Asus PadFone X attempts to seamlessly combine both a smartphone and a tablet. But can its dual abilities make up for its heavy weight? Consumer Reports electronics spokesman James McQueen is here to give us a quick review.
The “Into Tomorrow” team discussed the latest apps that they have been playing with recently.
• Mark recommends: WWDC, FREE
- “My app this week, in honor of Apple’s WorldWide Developers Conference is WWDC, an app from Apple themselves that functions both as a schedule and handy reference, but also links in many session videos (including things like the keynote speech) so the Apple faithful can have the experience of being at the conference — without being at the conference. WWDC is free in the iTunes App Store.” — Mark
• Dave recommends: NomNom Finder, FREE
- “Food trucks are all the rage these days if you live in a big city. Instead of you going to a restaurant to eat, the truck can come to where the people are. Since they move around a lot it can be hard to find your favorite trucks. NonNom Finder is a new app that allows you to easily see where food trucks are on a map. It’s well designed, simple to use, and handy when you’re in the mood for some truck food. It’s free.”
- — Dave
• Michael recommends: GAIN Fitness, FREE
- “My app this week is one for you workout buffs or those who want to stay fit and healthy. It’s GAIN Fitness which like having a personal trainer in your pocket. THe workout is based on what you want to do whether it’s staying healthy, build muscle, or lose weight, and where you plan to workout, in addition to you age, weight and height. These workouts have been compiled from many Fitness Trainers from Pilates, CrossFit, circus arts and yoga. You can advance your workout even more by going to Packs on the app and either selecting FREE or purchasing packs for $6.99. I found this handy because it customized to my needs and what I had available at home for workout equipment. This app is available in the iTunes App Store for FREE!” — Michael
What are your favorite Apps? Let us know at 800-899-INTO and we’ll feature them in this segment!
- Tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast for more details
Guest Segment:
Scott Jordan, CEO and Founder – SCOTTEVEst
multi-pocketed clothing that is secure & stilysh
Stephanie in the US Virgin Islands heard on WVWI asked us: “My question is about Internet access while traveling in different countries. We live on a sailboat and plan to leave the US virgin islands and sail to the Bahamas. Right now we have AT&T and pay for 3G access for one smartphone and one iPad. It costs about $120/ month. When we leave US territory and enter, say, the Dominican republic, we’ll be roaming so won’t even try for Internet via 3G and phone will be only for emergency. We’ve gone the local sim card route with an unlocked phone but not with a smart phone. Any suggestions on how to best use a smartphone/ iPad in a foreign country? And can you recommend the best unlocked smartphone on the market right now under $200? Appreciate your help.”
Stephanie, You may be able to unlock your AT&T smartphone Stephanie and use it in the Bahamas, depending on when you bought it, AT&T may do it for you.
Since you asked, yes, you can buy decent unlocked phones for $200 or less, an unlocked Motorola Moto G running Android will cost you $199 online with no monthly plan, a Galaxy S3 Mini will cost you slightly less, but around the same, they would both make very nice travel phones if you could find a decent pay as you go plan for them abroad.
You can also just get a super cheap feature phone and use that there if you find that wherever you’re tying up your boat happens to have WiFi, since WiFi is very common at places like that because of travelers like you. That would allow you to have an inexpensive phone in case you need to be reached while on the go, but you could have a very cheap or even free way of communicating while you’re on-board the boat.
If you find that they do have WiFi, consider buying a directional antenna that you can point at wherever the WiFi signal is coming from, since you may not get the best signal if you’re not too close to the router otherwise.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Ken in North Miami, Florida listens online sent us the following comment: “I just traded in my HTC One for the new Galaxy S5. The phone is lighter, the camera is better. I looked at a couple of the videos on comparisons between the HTC M8 and I thought the better choice for me was the Galaxy S5. Thanks for helping me select that.”
Thank you, Ken.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Other World Computing (OWC): Power2U – AC/USB Wall Outlet
Phone Halo: StickR TrackR — Find any object you attach it to with your smartphone
Bits Limited: Mini Squids — Travel-Sized surge protected power strips
Tylt: A plethora of USB charging cables for iPhone and Android phones and iPhone battery cases.
“Into Tomorrow”: Microfiber Screen Cleaning Cloths with Dave’s cartoon on them, for all your smartphones, tablets, TVs, camera lenses and computer screens!