Podcast: Play in new window | Embed
Tech News & Commentary
Chris mentioned the Domicopter, Domino’s pizza delivering drone, here’s the video we promised:
Matthew in Ann Arbor, Michigan calling in via the FREE “Into Tomorrow” App calling in via the FREE app: “I’m in a big argument with my friends here. I was listening to the show last week and heard you guys say that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is being bought out by Google. This idiot is telling me it’s not. Maybe I’m wrong but I would like to get corrected. Thank you and God Bless America.”
You kind of win the argument because the S4 will continue to be sold as Samsung’s phone, with Samsung’s own User Interface or UI – tweaks and customized version of Android, but “soon” it will ALSO be sold unlocked and as a Nexus-style phone, which means that it won’t have the Nexus name but it will have unmodified, uncustomized, non-ruined stock Android OS.
That is a big deal because it means that the phone will come without bloatware and that it will be updated as soon as Android updates are rolled out, as opposed to whenever that Android version gets to Samsung, then the carrier, then whenever the carrier gets around to updating that particular phone then it gets to you.
But the S4 will definitely be shipping with regular, stock Android OS, even if Google doesn’t brand it a Nexus phone. And, it will still be made by Samsung!
And before you and your friend have another argument, let me offer this note — being very clear. HTC is also having a Google Edition of their HTC One phone. So, Google isn’t “buying” either the Galaxy S4 or the HTC One, but they are cooperating with the vendors to release versions of the phones that do not contain the vendor customizations. Maybe we said “brought out” and not “bought out?” I think this is a trend for Android smartphones now, at least the big-name, widely-marketed ones. There will be a vendor version with their customary UI glued on to Android, and then a “stock” Android version from Google.
Don’t forget, those stock versions are sold as unlocked phones, meaning they can run on any carrier that supports the same kind of network the phone was built for. What that means to you is, carriers aren’t subsidizing the cost and the phones are expensive. Of course, you don’t have a two year contract, but we’re just concerned about preventing sticker shock… and any more arguments between you and your friend.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Consumer Reports Feature With Mike Gikas
The LG Optimus G Pro is the latest of the jumbo smart phones that boast screen sizes of over 5 inches. Consumer Reports Senior Editor Mike Gikas is here to tell us what else is noteworthy about this model besides its huge screen.
The “Into Tomorrow” team discussed the latest apps that they have been playing with recently.
• Listener James in San Antonio, Texas listens via TuneIn Radio and is calling in via the App recommends: Everything Home, FREE
- “Makes your home screen so much easier to use.
- .”
• Mark recommends: Gmail and Chrome, Both FREE
- “This week, I’m revisiting two of my favorite Google Apps: Gmail and Chrome. So what’s new about them? Google just released MAJOR improvements to both programs for the iPhone and iPad. The big improvement with Chrome is speed. Mobile Safari was always the fastest of the browsers on iOS, but no more. Chrome loads pages in the blink of an eye — it’s really so impressive that it has to be seen to be believed. Gmail received a facelift to the latest version of the inbox, including Google’s new “tabbed category” interface, which admittedly is a bit creepy as Google reads your email and tries to decide what it’s about, so it can help segregate social network updates and sales offers from your regular inbox. The result, however, is quite good. Yes, you could always have done the same thing with labels — but most people don’t. This helps with the inbox clutter overload, and I applaud that. As with everything from Google, the new Gmail and Chrome for iOS are free in the iTunes App Store.”
- — Mark
• Marly recommends: All-in YOGA, FREE
“My favorite app this week is AWESOME for anyone wanting to improve their well-being; mind, body, spirit and overall fitness level. I actually came to the studio today in my Yoga gear b/c I just finished using this APP! Ready for it? All-in YOGA ! Ok, so maybe Yoga isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about getting fit but if the only thing stopping you from Yoga is the embarrassment of attending public classes and looking silly doing the poses…. THIS APP IS FOR YOU – thanks to this FREE app, you can try out the discipline in the privacy of your own home. It guides you through the basics, as well intermediate and more advanced yoga poses. There are 40+ pre-loaded short exercise routines. You can choose workouts based on how much time you have and what you want to achieve, such as improving your breathing, back strength, etc. There’s also a calendar to track how much time you’ve dedicated to your practice. Routines are easy to follow, with a voiceover to tell you exactly what you’re meant to be doing, plus there are supplementary videos that you can click on if you want to see a particular move performed by an instructor. SO COOL. All-in YOGA is available for FREE for iPhone Users in the APP STORE and there is an upgrade option available with more features but the free version offers TONS of excellent value on its own.” — Marly
• Chris recommends: Arlington National Cemetery Explorer, FREE
- “I feel very honored that two of my grandparents have been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery – Which is probably the most well-known national cemetery there is. Now I feel like I can sort of visit them whenever I have the urge to, thanks to the Arlington National Cemetery Explorer app. When you launch the App, it shows you a map of the cemetery. You can explore points of interests including notable graves, monuments, that sort of thing. You can also see what’s scheduled to go on in the cemetery and when, such as wreath layings. But probably my favorite feature is the ability to search the graves. I put in my grandfather’s name for instance. It will tell me the location of his grave, list his military service, his dates of birth, death and burial. But the best part is a little button that says “Show Image.” You can bring up an image of the headstone. When I do, I then get the option to also see the back. Now I see my Grandmother’s information, including the information from when she served in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps. As corny as it sounds, being able to see the image of their grave almost makes me feel like I’m visiting them. The Arlington National Cemetery Explorer app is free in the Apple App Store, Google Play, and BlackBerry App World.” — Chris
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
Chrysta Olson, Director of Communications – Pheed
Pheed is a free social media platform that provides a unified platform for sharing all forms of digital content including text, photo, audio clips, voice notes, video, and live broadcast
Pauline in Durham, North Carolina asked: ” I’m trying to find out which is the most efficient and hopefully least expensive Internet service provider that is easy to obtain.”
When it comes to Internet Service Providers Pauline, here’s what we always say we know: Good, Fast, and Cheap — Pick two.
If speed is what you want, then cable Internet is the choice for you, and the Durham, NC area is served by both Time Warner Cable and Comcast Cable. But they are both pricey. In fact, the difference between cable Internet, TV bundled and just cable Internet alone is SO small that you might as well get the TV too! Packages start around $60 per month for the bundles.
AT&T also serves your area with both DSL and, in some areas, U-verse. Prices vary depending on speed, starting around $30 per month and going up as high as $66 per month for the faster plans.
You can also have wireless 4G in home Internet. Outfits like Clear Internet serve the Durham, NC area. Their plans for unlimited 4G data are $35 or $50 per month, depending on speed. The faster plan supports 6 megabit per second download speeds, so you can assume that the less expensive plan is likely to be DSL speeds, or about 1.5 megabits per second.
We’re not sure how you would define “most efficient” but if you mean expense wise, they’re all about the same. You can expect to pay at least $35 a month, and they all top out at around double that for the fastest plans.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Alonzo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida asked: “Hi Dave, Until about 6 months ago, I have only used Windows Phones, but now have a Galaxy S3. One of the reasons for switching Operating Systems is the App availability on a Android Phone vs. a Windows Phone. How does the App availability on Windows Phone compare to that on a Android or iOS Operating Systems now that Microsoft also uses Apps on Windows 8? If I were to upgrade my phone (with Verizon) which phone would you recommend and why? Thanks for your help!”
There is no comparing the availability of apps between the Windows Store, Google Play, and the iOS App Store. Apple is still the leader here — in terms of the amount of Apps — a good deal of them are crap, with Android in second place, and everyone else is way, way, way behind.
Don’t be confused by the fact that Microsoft has adopted the term “apps” for things being run by Windows 8 and Windows RT. Those two operating systems are completely incompatible with Windows Phone. AJust remember that aything that will run on the Windows Phone OS must be designed for THAT operating system.
Microsoft has had some trouble getting popular apps on their phone. For instance, they tried to do an end-around on Google for YouTube support, and Google shut them down, forcing them to return to the standard published APIs. That means the Windows Phone YouTube app doesn’t work any better than using a mobile browser to access the YouTube service.
Now that’s a short-term issue. In the long run, Google will likely support Windows Phone with their own official YouTube app. But our advice to you is the same as we offer anyone. Before you buy a Windows Phone, ask yourself whether you’d be happy with it if the only things it could ever do were the things it could do right out of the box.
Windows Phone OS is actually a very nice system and some of their phones, such as the Nokia Lumia models, have some very nice hardware. But if it’s apps you’re interested in, you have two choices: iOS and Android.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
HDRadio: FM/HD Insignia Table Top Radios with 10 presets
Covington Creations: Earbud yo-yo — Now with Dave’s face on them! — A clever solution to tangled earbuds.
iolo: Copies of: Drive Scrubber – Erase data so it can NEVER be recovered.
Magix: Music Maker 2013 Premium – Make Music Now! With More Sounds. More Possibilities.