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Tech News & Commentary
“Into Gaming Update” Weekly Feature with Mark Lautenschlager
John in Bossier City, Louisiana listens on NewsRadio 710 KEEL asked: “How do i improve my internet reception if my router is in another room?”
John, Depending on your current router’s model, you MAY be able to buy a similar one that will let you extend your network.
The setup varies a little bit depending on the particular router, but it will usually involve setting up the same network name and password and giving it the mac address of the router that’s creating the network you want to extend.
If you can run a wire to whatever room needs service, you may be able to connect an access point at the end of that wire and extend the network that way instead.
You can also use a wireless network extender, or repeater. Many wireless access points include a mode where they do this, and there are some dedicated repeaters that simply plug into an outlet like some kind of giant mutant air freshener. How they work is simple. They receive anything being broadcast on the frequencies used for wi-fi networks and rebroadcast them…for lack of a better word, “louder.” As long as you put the repeater where it can hear the existing network, it will extend it further into your house. I’ve used them in installations over the years, and they DO really work.
You can also use a wireless network extender, or repeater. Many wireless access points include a mode where they do this, and there are some dedicated repeaters that simply plug into an outlet like some kind of giant mutant air freshener. How they work is simple. They receive anything being broadcast on the frequencies used for wi-fi networks and rebroadcast them…for lack of a better word, “louder.” As long as you put the repeater where it can hear the existing network, it will extend it further into your house. I’ve used them in installations over the years, and they DO really work.
You can also use a wireless network extender, or repeater. Many wireless access points include a mode where they do this, and there are some dedicated repeaters that simply plug into an outlet like some kind of giant mutant air freshener. How they work is simple. They receive anything being broadcast on the frequencies used for wi-fi networks and rebroadcast them…for lack of a better word, “louder.” As long as you put the repeater where it can hear the existing network, it will extend it further into your house. I’ve used them in installations over the years, and they DO really work.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Guest Segment:
Jared Hansen, Founder and CEO – beZilch
View specs for any of the products you might buy or sell
“IFA History Feature” brought to you by Messe-Berlin
The history of electronic exhibitions began on December 4th 1924 with the German Radio Show in Berlin in Germany, where the art of engineering was most advanced. The event attracted more than 200 exhibitors to display the new technical wonder machines on an area measuring 75,000 sq. feet. The public was excited; more than 180,000 people came to this event. They were fascinated by the detectors and the first valve radio receivers on show and to the fantastic new world of listening to something transmitted from distant locations to their home. The show still exists as IFA and is one of the biggest consumer tech shows in the world.
Randy in Nashville, Tennessee listens on SuperTalk WTN 99.7 asked: “I’m trying to convert WAV or WMA files to a PCM file and I don’t know the best way to do that. I have a Windows 7 computer. Can you help me?”
Randy, PCM stands for Pulse Code Modulated, and that refers to the format of the actual audio itself. WAV and WMA, on the other hand, are file formats. So a WAV file, typically, is using PCM data.
PCM is an uncompressed file format, which is different from lossless (that’s compressed but only in a way that doesn’t lose any of the file’s original data when being uncompressed) and of course is MUCH different from compressed or “lossy” (where a portion of the file data is thrown away to make a small file size).
WMA can be either lossless or lossy, but WAV should always be uncompressed PCM format files.
If what you have is a WMA Lossless format file and you want to convert that to an uncompressed WAV PCM file, Microsoft themselves makes a free tool you can download. We’ll link that to you in this week’s show notes.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Dan in Fairbanks, Alaska listens on KFBX 970 AM asked: “Dave, I just bought a new computer with Windows 8.1 on it. I’ve been trying to put Linux puppy or Linux Ubuntu and I find it locked up. I was wondering if you could help out with that.”
Dan, We don’t know exactly what you mean by “locked up” but you used to be able to install Linux by just running and installer, but in some newer machines, Windows has finer control over the hardware, and you may need to take a couple of extra steps.
For starters, you should shrink the partition that Windows is using so you have space to install Linux. That hasn’t changed, you’ve always had to assign each operating system a domain over which to rule, but if you haven’t been doing that, make sure you do it.
You will also have to turn off Fast Boot under System and Security on your Control Panel so that you can boot from your installer media (DVD, USB, external hard drive or whatever you’re using), and you will have to turn off Secure Boot from your UEFI settings. After doing that you should be able to run the Linux installer without any problems.
Searching for specific information on your make and model of computer and including the keywords “linux,” “ubuntu,” and “freezes during installation” might also give you some pointers. It is possible, although perhaps not likely, that you need something adjusted in your build of Linux to compensate for some specific issue with your brand of computer.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
If you have any questions about any of this week’s show info, please email us here.
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Westinghouse: Unplug Wireless Bluetooth Sound System