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Tech News & Commentary
Matthew in Wasila, Alaska listening on KBYR 700 “Alaska Talks Here” asked: ” I just got a Galaxy S2. It’s still running on Gingerbread. I was wondering how I can get the newer version of Android onto my phone without using a computer. Since I got a smartphone, I kind of stopped using the home computer and now it’s pretty much a paperweight.”
You can’t. If no updates are being pushed to you by your phone company, the only option you have left is to download Ice Cream Sandwich builds released by Samsung and install them using your computer.
Even that is a little tricky, from what we’ve heard. The versions of Ice Cream Sandwich 4.1.2 for the S2 that are available online were originally intended for other countries. They seem to work in all other regions, but you should probably make sure that you want to take the risk of installing something that wasn’t released by your carrier or for your country before you do anything. And again, even that installation will require a computer if they phone itself is not finding updates pushed by your carrier.
That is, by the way, one of the things you need to take into account before deciding between iPhone and an Android phone. With the former, wireless carriers do not control the software on the phone. When Apple issues an iOS update, all iPhones can get it at the users’s discretion. When Android is available in a new version, the wireless carrier gets it, spends however much time it wants adding their own interface tweaks and baked in applications to it, and then, if they choose to, push it out to their customers. Android may indeed be the mobile OS of “choice,” but it’s not always your choice.
Now, you can always root your phone and install whatever ROMs and Android version you like, but we’ve already mentioned the potential pitfalls to a rooted phone. You’re on your own for support, you might void the warranty, if you unlock the phone while rooting it you’re breaking the law, and you just need to be fairly tech-savvy to make it go smoothly. We hope you’re able to resolve your problems with less headaches, but honestly? You’re really sort of stuck with what your wireless carrier wants to offer you.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Gary in Salem, Oregon listening online asked: “Hey Dave, I have a question about the iOS. my son has been updating his and now it seems he’s not getting the same battery life as before. I want to know what could cause this issue? and is it common with the new update.”
That’s a hard questions to answer. It may be a common issue, but there’s no clear way to tell.
Whenever there’s an update, someone will complain about shorter battery life or some other issue, sometimes it’s real and sometimes it’s imaginary. We haven’t heard complaints about iOS 6 from a huge number of iPhone users, but we certainly have heard at least some complaints.
If this is a real issue, it’s probably not stemming from anything your son is doing, but from some battery leak in the OS itself. If that’s the case, he pretty much has to sit tight and wait for Apple to update the OS, he can’t stop draining the battery by not doing something he’s already not doing…
Now, you asked what could be causing it, we don’t know exactly, especially considering that we don’t know for a fact there is an issue, but it could be something as simple as a bug in the OS keeping some program running when it should’ve let it close, or it could stem from something not being done as efficiently as possible, that would cause more processor cycles to be needed and, in turn, that would cause more battery to be consumed.
We can’t tell you exactly, but if this is an issue with iOS 6, and if it’s a big enough issue that users can notice it, it will likely be fixed with the next update.
On my own personal iPhone 5, I have noticed improvements in battery life after the last few iOS updates (since 6.1.2, actually). The current release of iOS is 6.1.3, so you might want to make certain that is the version your son is using. Also, even though you shouldn’t have to do this, you can close all open applications. Double click the home button to reveal the multitasking bar, long press on any of the icons in that bar, then tap the red X in the upper left corner to close them. (If you miss and long press the icons on the home screen, ALL the icons will begin wiggling and show a black X in the upper right corner. Stop and click the home button again if that happens, so you don’t delete an app by mistake.)
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Steven in Ashland City, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM asked: “What can you tell me about these internal antennas that, if you’re in a poor reception area for your cell phone, that you’re supposed to be able to use the wireless system inside your home to boost your signal?”
There are plenty of these and the one that will work for you depends on the cellular technology your phone uses, so we can’t recommend a general one anymore because a regular cell phone booster may not help you with a 4G LTE signal, for example, but if you know what you’re using the choices are simple.
We’ve tried cell phone boosters from both WiEx and Wilson Electronics. They’re priced similarly, and as long as you get a signal somewhere in your house, you should be able to set them up without too much trouble.
The important thing is: know your network. You will find some $500 ones that will extend fewer networks than some $300 ones, but that will have the power to extend the hotspot you’re creating over a wider area. If you have LTE, make sure you get an LTE booster, if your family is on several different networks, get one that will cover them all (it’s easier than it sounds, they make some models that will cover all US carriers, though they may not cover the fastest connections on all of them).
In terms of price, you’re looking at a range of around $300 to $500 on WiEx devices, depending on the cell phone network you need and how big an area you need to cover, Wilson has similar prices, but they also vary depending on the area you’d like to cover.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Guest Segment:
John Miewald, Marketing Manager – Pathway Innovations & Technologies
Mike in Montgomery, Alabama listens via iHeartRadio calling in from the app asks us: “How can I use my android phone to give Internet to my laptop?”
What you’re looking to do depends a little on the capabilities of your particular phone. On many Android smartphones you’ll find an app or settings option to turn on a personal hotspot. That should do what you need, if you have a plan that will allow it.
If your phone doesn’t allow it, it can usually be done by rooting it, though that has it’s own downsides. And try to make sure your carrier is allowing you to do it, otherwise you might face some unexpected charges at the end of the month, or even a full cancellation of your contract.
There are some apps that may let you tether even without rooting, they’re a little hit and miss, but you can give them a try, the most popular ones are PDAnet, BarnacleWiFi and EasyTether.
Most of the new “shared data” wireless plans, such as the Family Share plans from Verizon and AT&T, include wireless tethering at no additional charge. So for those users, a smartphone hotspot makes perfect sense.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Ismail is in Saudi Arabia and calling-in with the FREE “Into Tomorrow” App calling in from the app asks us: “In your opinion, which is best – iOS or Android?”
This is a very tough and controversial debate both have a very different approach for the user experience, it’s not an easy choice to make.
iOS is made by Apple, and they control it entirely, they don’t let anyone outside of their company mess around with the software, including cell phone carriers. The design of the Operating System is very streamlined, consisting of icons, buttons, a keyboard, and other design elements that are made by Apple and that developers use to make the overall experience feel familiar around the entire system.
Android however is a lot more open, infact the software itself is what we call “Open-Source” meaning that anyone, with programming knowledge, can tap in, modify, customize and install their own ‘Flavor’ of android. That’s why when Google releases an update of Android, the manufacturers and carriers have to apply their customization to the new version, and that can take some time.
Overall both operating systems have the same features, but the approach to the user experience is different. They both have their own app stores with paid and free applications and they are both getting more and more cloud connectected.
At the end of the day it all depends on what you prefer, if you want customization, widgets and ‘freedom’ then Android is the way to go. On the other hand if simple design and ease of use is what you are looking for the iOS is the obvious choice.
We recommend that you try out both systems side by side if you can, try doing the same tasks on both OS’s and see what you like most.
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
Jolene in Jefferson City, Missouri listening on News Talk KLIK 1240 calling in from the app asks us: “Wireless headphones: This may be a dumb question, but I can’t be the only one who wants to know. I bought a set to listen to the TV without bothering other people. What I really want is a wireless headphone that I can use to listen to my computer. Is there such a thing? Nobody can give me any information.”
You can probably use the exact same wireless headphones. Your computer should have a headphone jack, if it’s a laptop it will be on the side, but if it’s a desktop it may be on the back.
Once you find it just plug in your headphones’ wireless transmitter and that should take care of it. Computers are compatible with regular headphones, you can buy USB versions specifically for them (that usually come with microphones as well), or Bluetooth versions if your computer has Bluetooth connectivity.
Plantronics has a product called the Ribbon that will connect to your bluetooth enabled device, whether that is a computer, phone, tablet or anything else, and will act as a bluetooth receiver for conventional wired headphones. That may be a good product for you if you have a bluetooth enabled computer, but whatever you’re using with your TV now will most likely work just fine on your computer too.
And although this has nothing directly to do with answering Jolene’s question, it’s such a cool thing that we wanted to mention it. The new Roku 3 streaming player features a headphone jack in the remote. You can connect a regular pair of headphones or earbuds to your Roku remote for listening without disturbing others in the room, whether you’re watching TV with the TV sound off, or whether you just need to boost the volume for yourself in order to understand what the heck people are saying on that show. (You crazy kids! Get off my lawn!)
For more information tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Akitio:Neutrino Thunder Duo – 2-bay Thunderbolt Hard Drive enclosure
V Moda Headphones: a variety of styles of the DJ Inspired, Hollywood Designed Headphones
Ventev: An assortment of tangle-free USB cables and battery cases for iPhones