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Tech News & Commentary
Larry in Millsboro, Delaware listening on 105.9 WXDE calling in from the app asks us: “I have a Windows XP and I’ve been notified that on April 8 they are going to discontinue support, I wonder what I can do about this? Do I have to get a new computer?”
Larry, You basically have two options. You can either upgrade your PC or get a new PC. To check if your PC is able to run Windows 8.1, download the Windows Upgrade Assistant and it will help you verify. The older your PC is, the more likely it won’t be able to run Windows 8.1. The second option is to purchase a new PC. If you remain using WIndows XP, your computer will be more defenseless towards viruses and harmful software.
Now, that’s what you’d need to do to get on Windows 8.1, having said that, your computer will not self-destruct if Microsoft stops supporting it.
Losing Microsoft support is bad, you won’t get updates if there are security problems, and regular bugs won’t be fixed. However, XP has been out since 2001, it’s a fairly stable product by now, and you can certainly continue to use it while it works for you.
With more of the computer’s functions moving to the web, your XP computer may very well still serve you for years.
The thing is, Larry, it might be time to discuss not whether you have to get a new computer, but whether you should. The fact is that computers have never been faster, easier to use, or cost less. You can buy a fantastic two-in-one Windows tablet/laptop hybrid for $500, a Chromebook for $200, even a MacBook Air for $1000.
A lot of what we’re doing on the web these days requires a modern web browser, like Chrome, Safari, or even Firefox. Heck, Internet Explorer 11 is the best browser Microsoft has ever released. And Windows XP won’t be able to run the latest version of these browsers. So as web technologies get more advanced, your going to run into more and more sites that tell you to get an updated browser.
So while Windows XP isn’t going to stop working just because Microsoft doesn’t love it any more, it might be time to consider what budget you have for some new hardware. You’ll be glad you did!
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Consumer Reports Feature With Mike Gikas
The Nokia Lumia Icon is the latest Windows smart phone to hit the market. Does it have what it takes to compete the best Android and iOS handsets? Consumer Reports seems to think so. Senior Electronics Editor Mike Gikas is here to give us his first-look review.
The “Into Tomorrow” team discussed the latest apps that they have been playing with recently.
• Mark recommends: Pixlr, FREE
- “I’m breaking with protocol again this week and I’m going to discuss my favorite WEB app of the week, that also runs as a Chrome web app. I just bought a Chromebook to see if they’re any good, and I’m chasing down apps in the Chrome web store. One of the first things I needed was an image editor and what I landed on was Pixlr. This is really a web site, but if you download it from the Chrome Web Store it does attach itself to your browser as if it were an extension of the browser. It’s fast, amazingly full featured, and free. In fact, it almost seems TOO good, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. The only thing it doesn’t seem to do well is allow me to overlay fancy text styles on my images. But it does layers and other advanced editing techniques previously only seen in Photoshop-like programs. So if you’re using a Chromebook or just want a nice web-based photo editor, check out Pixlr in the Chrome Web Store or online at pixlr.com.” — Mark
• Samantha recommends:Starbucks, FREE
- “The official iPhone application from Starbucks! In addition to paying from Starbucks for iPhone, you can now add a Starbucks Card to Passbook. It’s the fastest way to pay at Starbucks – just scan and go!”
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:
Kurt Bauer, CEO – One Llama Labs
Jon in Rocklin, California calling in via the App calling in from the app asks us: “I thought the days of CompactFlash were gone and that SD cards had taken over. But I’m starting to see a resurgence of CompactFlash. What gives?”
Jon, We wouldn’t say there’s a resurgence of CF cards, they’ve just never gone away from the high end camera segment, and that’s probably what you’re looking at.
For the average user, an SD card will work just fine, CF cards distinguish themselves by being considerably faster, you can buy reasonably priced CF cards that are 5 times faster than a class 10 SD card, that’s a big deal when shooting in bursts, and arguably an even bigger deal when transferring several cards worth of pictures to a computer.
Another advantage comes from CF cards having their contacts shielded from the elements (a bigger deal for photographers that work outside), and already being known as the card of choice of serious photographers. People are creatures of habit and photographers complain about SD cards being too small, uncomfortable to handle, or simply about not trusting them, so the transition has been slow.
In time, though, they will probably go away and SD cards will be come standard for even high end users, especially as speeds increase and prices drop, allowing them to compete with CF better.
CompactFlash is anything but compact these days, and camera manufacturers have to sacrifice space they could be using for electronics to fit them, and those better shielded contacts mean that the contact pins on cameras have to go through little holes in the plastic to connect to the card, which sometimes leads to bent pins which are very expensive to fix, all of those things play against CF.
The future is with SD, and outside of very high end gear, the present is with SD too, CF will eventually go away, but expect to see CF slots in high end cameras for a few more years.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Ryan from Jackson, Mississippi and listening via Supertalk Mississippi Radio 97.3FM WFMN calling in asked us: “I used to play flight simulators a lot. Its been 5 years since i’ve used it. I’m interested in getting back into it; flight zone I was wondering if there’s a really good private market for computer simulators? I’ve seen the microsoft flight zone but they weren’t really that good. I wanted your take on any new games that I can just buy and won’t cost me $1000.”
Ryan, if you’re looking for games that will cost you less than $1000, then yes, you can pretty much pick up any simulator for less than that. The latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator only costs about $30, X-Plane is roughly the same price.
Microsoft Flight Simulator X is not getting updated anymore, Lockheed Martin purchased the source code for it’s own use.
If what you’re looking for are dedicated computers for under $1000, a somewhat modern gaming computer will likely run most flight simulators, you should find plenty of capable machines under $1000.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Intuit: Activation codes for TurboTax Premier – File your taxes easily (This version includes investments and Rental property)
PhoneHalo: StickR TrackR — find any object you attach it to with your smartphone
Noizy: Kameleon Series Bluetooth earbuds
PURE: Jongo Wireless Adapters — Allows you to stream all your music wirelessly to your home audio system.
“Into Tomorrow”: Microfiber Screen Cleaning Cloths with Dave’s cartoon on them, for all your smartphones, tablets, TVs, camera lenses and computer screens!