HOUR 2:
Tech News & Commentary
Russ in Raleigh, North Carolina listens to the Podcast and asked: “I am trying to find a device that may not exist yet. Looking for an e-printer that’s small and rugged enough to go in a car. Done some research and found that HP has an e-print, which is a printer that has its own email address. You just e-mail something to it and it just prints it and spits it out. I need a device like that for my car without having to use a power inverter.”
This is not exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s as close as we’ve found… have a look at the HP OfficeJet 100, it’s not an “e-printer”, but it lets you print via Bluetooth (which means you don’t have to plug in every time you need to print).
It’s ruggedized and while it’s not made to run on 12V, it does come with an internal battery that allows you to print without being plugged in. The HP printer you’re referring to, most likely, is the HP A10 “Printing Mailbox” that’s used with the Presto email-to-printer service. That’s a unique device, so if you need a printer that receives emails and prints them without a computer being involved, that’s your solution.
The issue here is printing without a computer being involved. That’s tricky. Of course, network printers do it all the time, and it’s theoretically possible for you to turn your car into a rolling hotspot and use a network printer that’s driven by a remote computer, but you’re going to need far more hardware than just a power inverter to do that, so we’ll assume that’s out. A Canon PIXMA iP100 portable printer mated to a Canon LK-62 printer battery kit would allow you to print without a power inverter, but you would still need something to actually do the printing. The iP100 supports wireless printing via IrDA and Bluetooth. The printer sells for around $200 and the battery kit for around $100.
Maybe you should just have the documents emailed to you as PDF files instead, and get yourself a nice tablet for viewing them? Let us know what you decide to do!
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
“This Week in Tech History” Weekly Feature with Chris Graveline.
Tim in Sacramento, California listens online and asked: “Hi Dave, proud Android user. I notice the built-in browser uses flash no problem, but Firefox for Android doesn’t. What’s the story?”
It’s probably all about performance. Very Flash-heavy sites could overwhelm the phone and make it really sluggish, and people would be more likely to blame Firefox for being a sluggish browser than to blame the site or the phone.
Most of the time, Flash works just fine on phones — except of course iPhones — but phone processors are limited and Flash is not very efficient software, so pages with a lot flash content can sometimes be more sluggish, as you will probably notice if you use an Android browser that does support Flash.
Firefox 6 Mobile still does not support Flash, and it appears now that it won’t. Mozilla is publicly pushing for HTML5 on the mobile platform and has included support for that. If you want alternative browsers that support Flash, I’ve found that both Opera Mobile (not Mini!) and Dolphin HD browser work fine with Flash sites.
On a semi-related note, even Adobe has started pushing HTML5 software lately, so you may not have to worry too much about Flash support soon…
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Rosa in Santa Fe, New Mexico listens on 1260 KTRC asked: “I have an iPod Touch 4th gen. I’ve had it since just after they came out. I’m noticing that it’s getting really slow. It’s especially noticeable when I’m playing graphic intense games. How do I speed it up?”
You didn’t tell us whether your iPod Touch is jailbroken or not. If it is, that can be the cause. A lot of people with jailbroken iPods download tons of software that stays on the memory and eventually, as these programs add up, the iPod slows down. “Themes” apps like Winterboard are well known for slowing down iPods and iPhones.
If your iPod is not jailbroken, there’s one feature we have to ask you to check. It sounds silly, but one reason iPods sometimes appear to slow down is because their owners inadvertently turn on the “screen zoom” accessibility tool. It can be turned on by mistake, all it takes is tapping the screen with three fingers. It has been reported as a cause for sluggish behavior. To turn it off, go to your “Settings” > then “General” > and then “Accessibility” … and make sure that everything you don’t need is turned off.
We should mention that the iPod Touch works similar to a computer. Like all computers, sometimes it benefits from the oldest tech advise in the computing world: turn it off and then turn it back on. A reboot!
If all else fails, you can connect your iPod to your computer > Open iTunes and Restore it to factory settings. That would most likely fix the issue, but it comes with the inconvenience of having to re-sync all your media, contacts and apps.
But, before you restore it, make sure you sync your iPod and back it up. That way when you restore it, all of your previous settings and content will be saved and re-synced.
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Guests in this hour:
Lynda Weinman, Co-Founder & Executive Chair – Lynda.com
It’s back-to-school season! But, you don’t necessarily have to go to a school campus to be considered a student. Lynda.com offers many courses online to help sharpen your computer skills, Photoshop skills, and more.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT with Rob: “Tablet Keyboards” Several tablet owners prefer buying hard keyboards and case combos for typing on the go. For instance, Dave always carry his trusty Zaggmate Keyboard Case with my iPad. This week Rob’s got a few keyboard options for your tablets – both Android and the iPad. |
Products:1) Tablet Bluetooth Keyboard for Android and iPad• Low profile keyboard
• Keys are nicely spaced (very similar to laptop keyboards) • Carrying case functions as a protective cover for the keyboard while on the go … and as a stand for your tablet. • Compatible with tablets running Android 3.0 or newer • Powered by 4 AAA batteries • Buy online between $60-$70
• For devices running Android 3.1 or newer • Scroll up and down on web pages and documents • Scroll through your home pages and apps nicely • $50
) iTablet Bluetooth Thumb Keyboard • Looks like a game console controller • Backlit keys & a built-in rear-facing touchpad • Rechargeable via a USB cable • $99-$130
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Some of our listeners gave their opinions about tablet keyboards, here are a few of them:
Martin said: Then what is the good with a tablet if you need to use a keyboard?
Victor said: I am already seeing people with their tablets balanced on steering wheels going 75 on the freeway.
Tom said: I don’t mind keyboards. I just want them to actually do what they are supposed to do without workarounds and use SD cards yeesh. Big A won’t sell me an iWontPhone until I can use a micro SD card with it.
What do you think? Do tablets need external keyboards?Let us know!
John in Hartland, Michigan listens on 800 CKLW and asked: “I was wondering if you guys have seen the new FBI Child ID mobile app and wondering what your opinion of it was.”
Yes, we have. In fact, Chris highlighted it on last week’s show in our “Favorite Apps of the Week” segment.
We think it is a very useful app. You can store indentifying information for your children and with one click, send that info to the authorities in the even your child goes missing. The app also includes tips on keeping children safe as well as specific guidance on what to do in those first few crucial hours after a child goes missing. There are also single click buttons that will connect you to either your local 911 operator or the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
What we don’t like about the app, is that it is not password protected. Granted, you’re not storing things like social security numbers or addresses, but if you’re gonna have pictures and physical descriptions of your children, you’d probably want that information secure. There’s no telling if that could become a problem if your phone gets lost and ends up in the wrong hands. Hopefully they’ll think of that in future updates.
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
C.Crane: Several Super USB WiFi Antenna
Endangerbles: Several music CDs to help children learn about endangered species
Lynda.com: 1-year premium gift subscription – You’ll have access to all of Lynda.com instructional videos, on hundred of topics.