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This week Dave and his tech panel answer more of your questions in our Miami studios via the Ask Dave Hotline. Call us … toll-free 1-800-899-INTO (4686) … with any consumer electronics question, opinion, help another listener or tell us what your favorite app is and why. You can also participate via our FREE “Into Tomorrow” App (iOS/Android/Intel AppUp). Thank you for your participation!
Tech News & Commentary
The Kindle Fire ad we mentioned on the show
“Honey, I shrunk the iPad 2!” – As expected Apple unveiled iPad mini at Press Event, among other device updates
UPDATE: Apple sells 3 million iPads during the weekend release of these new devices. They didn’t specify how many iPad minis are included in that number.
There’s a smaller iPad 2 in town! Uh, we mean, a “mini” version of the popular iPad. Apple dubbed this “as light as a pad of paper” during their press conference.
As we all expected, it is officially called the iPad mini, or what we’re calling the “iPad meh-ni”. It has a 7.9″ screen, it is only 7.2mm thin, and weighs only 0.68 lbs. The screen resolution is the same as the iPad 2: 1024-by-768. Say what, NO Retina Display?? You read correctly. And that could be a bummer for several iPad fans. However, we do like the smaller border on each side of the screen. iPad mini also sports both FaceTime and iSight cameras like the larger version. The iSight camera shoots 5-megapixel photos and records full 1080p HD video. Apple touts it has a 10-hour battery life. The Wi-Fi-only version will cost $329. We’ll pass, thank you. Overpriced when compared to other comparable tablets. Apple surprised us with the unveiling of a 4th-generation iPad with Retina Display, which basically makes the “iPad 3” obsolete after only 6 months. Some specs: Retina Display (2048-by-1536 resolution), dual-core A6X with quad-core graphics, FaceTime HD Camera (1.2MP photos/720p HD video), 5 MP iSight camera (Records HD video in full 1080p), faster Wi-Fi technology, and Lightning Connector. We wonder: why did Apple bother releasing an iPad 3?
Pre-orders for these new iPad models begin Friday, Oct. 26th for the Wi-Fi-only version or can be bought at an Apple Store on Friday, Nov. 2nd. Wi-Fi + cellular data versions will come out in mid November.
Apple also unveiled a 13-inch version of the Retina Display MacBook Pro. They called it “the second highest resolution laptop” (15-inch Retina MBP being the 1st). The screen has over 4 million pixels. The 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro is 20% thinner, weighs 3.57 lbs, and is only 0.75″ thin. The 2.5GHz dual-core i5 8GB RAM 128GB Flash model costs $1699 and is available for purchase today.
Apple refreshed the Mac mini as well. Added USB 3 ports, dual or quad Intel Core i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge processors, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and up to 16GB of RAM. The 2.5Ghz dual-core i5 with 4GB of RAM and 500GB HDD model sells for $599.
In other Mac news, we were mostly impressed by the design of the new iMac with its 5mm edge. But, that’s only the edge of the display; there is still a bulge on the back with all of the electronics inside. Apple said they had to use friction-stir welding to make this thinner design possible. The 21.5-inch model starts at $1299 and will ship in November. The 27-inch model will start at $1799 and will ship in December, just in time for the holidays.
What do you think about Apple’s latest product announcements? Join the conversation on our Facebook Page, or call us toll-free: 1-800-899-INTO (4686) or send us a voice message using our free “Into Tomorrow” app.
Joe in Phoenix, Arizona asked: “I live in Phoenix and leave my house in the summer where the temperature can get to 105 degrees inside the house. I would like to buy a new flat screen TV. What would be the best flat screen TV that I can buy that will handle the temperatures reaching up to 105 degrees?”
Plasma screens’ maximum operating temperature will top out at around your home’s temperature in the summer so you will probably want to steer clear of them. (By the way, postpone buying a TV and consider an air conditioning unit, please.)
LEDs can operate at much higher temperatures, something around 180-degrees F, some of them even closer to 200F. Those would be the TVs for you.
The problem is that every manufacturer and every TV are different and use different specs, so make sure you check that the specific model you’re interested in buying that can survive the Phoenix head. You’re really pushing the limits of some sets. LEDs will likely be safe to use though.
But seriously, consider an A/C unit.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Consumer Reports with Carol Mangis
Vizio is primarily known for their affordably-priced LCD TV sets. But the company announced they would also be adding personal computers to their product lineup, including a 27-inch all-in-one desktop. Consumer Reports Associate Web Editor Carol Mangis shares how that model did in their lab tests.
The “Into Tomorrow” team discussed the latest apps that they
have been playing with recently.
• Tim in Pembroke Pines, FL recommends: Soundhound, FREE
“I love Soundhound and how it gives the scolling song lyrics in real time by just turning your phone sideways. Also, I’m using Flixster a lot but it seems to crash way too much.”
• Rob recommends: Becoming Mr. President, FREE
“It’s fun trivia game that tests your knowledge of America. I’ve been using this on my iPad. The game takes you on a journey through 10 cities around the US and tests your knowledge of each city: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington, Miami, Houston, Denver, Chicago and Portland. Every correct answer earns you virtual money to finance your very own American Presidential Campaign and have your shot at Becoming Mr. President. However, you need to earn at least $20 million US dollars. There’s a fun social aspect to it: If you don’t know the answer, you can use the Hide One button or post the question on Twitter. If somebody replies to your tweet within 20 seconds of posting it, their tweet will be displayed on the screen.”
— Rob
Becoming Mr. President Screenshot• Chris recommends: Weird But True, $1.99
“Weird But True presents each of the 300 facts in a fun, colorful, and interactive format that will keep kids entertained—and learning—for hours! And parents can rest easy knowing that each fact is age-appropriate and handpicked by a brand they know and trust: National Geographic Kids.”
Guests in this hour:
Kevin Meagher, Vice President of Smart Home – Lowe’s
Want to make your smarter without it costing an arm and a leg? Kevin is with one of the largest home improvement stores that has entered this industry market.
Tim in Jefferson City, Missouri listening on KLIK 1240 asked: “I would like to know how you can get Windows 8 on your computer and how much does it cost?”
Windows 8 is actually probably the least expensive Windows to date. If you have Windows XP or a newer version, you can upgrade for $40.
How you upgrade actually determines what price you get, if you go to a store and buy a disc, you’ll end up paying about an extra $30 to upgrade. If you do that, just pop the disc in your drive, restart your computer and follow the prompts on screen, the installer itself will guide you through it and it won’t be much different than what you’d see if you were to install a program or game.
Your other option is to pay the $40 to get it online, you’d have it at almost half price, and can just download it and install it straight from Microsoft’s website, you’ll get the instructions right there.
The important thing that they might not tell you about is back up before you do anything. Operating systems are not programs, they’re the thing that run the programs, so if something goes wrong, you may lose data, and it may be very hard to recover, so back it up beforehand in case anything goes wrong.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Jaime in Tampa, Florida listens to the Podcast and asked: “What are your views on getting an extended warranty? Let’s say you get a new phone and you want to get insurance on it. Is cell phone insurance a good idea?”
It depends on what your warranty covers and what you paid for your phone. Most warranties won’t cover the stuff that actually breaks smartphones, cracked screens, water damage, those kind of issues. How often do you hear anyone complain that their phone stopped working after a few months before of a factory defect? If that’s all the protection you’re paying for, skip it.
If the warranty you’re looking at covers some accidental damage, then it may be worth considering. It all depends on how much it costs and how likely it is that you’ll use it.
Also, if you get a free phone and something happens to it, it’s probably not as big a deal as if you paid $500 for a phone and something happened to it, so it all depends on how much having a free replacement is worth to you, and how likely it is that you’ll be covered for what killed your phone and actually get that replacement.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners:
Magix: Copies of Music Maker 2013 – Create your own tunes! Even beginners can easily create music.
Microsoft: Copies of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2013 Software
Steve Nicholls: Copies of his book “Social Media in Business – Succeeding in the New Internet Revolution” – A guide to the understanding of social media’s business value.