HOUR 3:
Tech News & Commentary
We discussed discussed a Geo Metro look-a-like built by a 72 year old russian man, here’s what it looks like:
Flying russian car
While the car can fly, it is not a true plane, it can only fly at 10 feet off the ground for distances of about 600 feet.
Joe in Lincoln, Nebraska listens to the podcasts and asked: “I’d like to ask about a navigation problem. I am a field technician. Means I travel all over the place and fix people’s broken computers and such. While I’m out on the field, I sometimes get higher priority calls and try to schedule my route to make it more efficient and avoid backtracking. Is there any device that I can plug into my laptop that would combine the best of the GPS and mapping software so that I can have that in my laptop since I already have that with me?”
What you’re looking for is “true route optimization” … something large delivery companies like FedEx or UPS use. The answer to your question is not consumer tech, you need more professional technology to accomplish what you want to do.
What you need is software that can understand multiple destination points and offer route optimization. Now, you wanted the further feature of having it understand that some stops were higher priority than others and adjust the routing accordingly. That is going to take you into systems designed for companies operating fleets of service or delivery vehicles. For instance, an outfit called C2logix has several systems they offer, but pricing is customized based on client needs (that’s code for “this isn’t a consumer product, and your Visa card doesn’t have enough room on it”).
One forum post we found was from a guy who claimed he’d been able to do this using a laptop, a $350 product from Microsoft called Mappoint, a plugin for that product called “Advanced GPS” and a USB GPS adapter for the laptop. We can’t substantiate this, of course, and we’d hesitate to recommend a solution that we can’t try ourselves.
On the consumer side, a GPS such as the Garmin nuvi 2450 or 2460 series will offer multiple destinations with route optimizing for the most efficient travel. This doesn’t adress your question of making some of those routes higher priority than others, but it does provide you with a consumer product between $200 and $300 dollars, depending on the specific model, that will understand you have more than one place to go and find the most efficient route to reach them all.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
“Into Gaming Update” Weekly Feature with Mark Lautenschlager
Mike from Springfield, Tennessee listens on 1590 AM and asked: “Hello Dave, you and your team put on a great show. I listen to you every Sunday afternoon. My question is: When should we expect Windows 8 to be available and will it be as rumored compatible with Xbox software?”
Earlier this year, while delivering a keynote in Japan, Steve Balmer was kind enough to tell us that we should expect to hear a lot about Windows 8, that it will be coming out next year, and that we should also hear about a lot of Windows 8 devices, including tablets, slates, PC and devices in a variety of other form factors.
So now we know! No, we don’t … Microsoft PR came out instantly and said something to the effect of: apparently there was some confusion, we meant that Windows 7 hardware will be coming out throughout the next year. We’re not ready to announce when the next generation of Window will be coming out or even what it will be called.
However, Microsoft has now launched the Windows 8 blog for distributing information on the new operating system in a sort of ongoing dialogue as it is finished. Left hand, meet right hand?
Developers will supposedly get their first hands-on look at the OS next month at Microsoft’s BUILD conference in Anaheim, Calif. It’s expected the company will launch Windows 8 in the first half of 2012, though an exact date has not been confirmed.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Bill in Memphis, Tennessee listening on 98.9 FM asked: “I have a Blackberry I’m trying to recover deleted text and or emails. I did not back up on desktop. Also, how can I view current logs? The forum says to hold down the —?? button (doesn’t identify the button) then type “lglg” and the logs will come up?”
The button you’re looking for is ALT. If you hold down ALT and type “LGLG” your phone will show you the events log. The problem is that the events log is more of a development and diagnosis tool than a recovery tool. Even if the phone shows you the logs, it probably won’t show you anything you deleted and it won’t be able to bring anything back.
As far as we know, the only way to recover lost messages is from a phone backup. If you don’t have one of those, you may be out of luck…
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Guests in this hour:
Mike Calvo, CEO – Serotek Corporation
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about a free iPhone app for the blind called “Eyenote” that scans dollar bills and identifies the denomination. We asked for input from our listeners to educate us on how the blind use smartphones with touchscreens. We got a lot of feedback and want to provide more info for you, so … Our next guest provides accessibility products that help those who are blind or low vision to get the most out of any computer.
“IFA History Feature” brought to you by Messe-Berlin
In 1971 the Funkausstellung was officially renamed international Funkausstellung, IFA in short, with exhibitors from all over the world. Philips and Grundig showed the prototype of the world’s first video cassette recorder, based on the VCR standard. The tape was housed in a cassette with two loops of tape on top of one other. As a timer an alarm clock was built in, recording time was up to one hour.
That’s this week’s IFA Update brought to you by Messe-Berlin. Be sure to visit IFA-Berlin.com.
Ron from Rockridge, Florida listens via Stitcher and the Android App and asked: “Hi Dave, I was going to call and rant about things, but I don’t have a good phone voice. First question: As you know, Florida is flat and I still get dropped calls. Why!!!! Next question: Why do they (cell providers) get us hooked on smartphones and then limit or throttle our access? I would think people would be rioting in the streets against these artificial caps. Thanks for giving us a forum for this.”
We’re gonna go with: money and . . . money…
You’re right that Florida doesn’t have as many obstacles in the way of signals as other locations, but that really just means that phone companies can get away with installing fewer towers, and any phone company with a desire to stay in business will probably put up the smallest amount of towers possible. Sometimes they take it too far…
The smartphone question has really the same answer, people are using their phones less and less to talk, and more and more to access the internet, so phone companies are moving away from the “voice provider” business and into the “internet service provider” business.
Unlimited plans were probably not overwhelming the networks when everyone had them, and limited data plans are probably not overwhelming the networks today, but selling data in chunks (200MBs, 1GB, 2GBs, etc.) gives mobile phone companies another way to introduce budget and premium pricing, and make more money.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Eric (the CEO of Ooma) sent us the following message: “Hi Dave, I was in Cambodia a couple of weeks ago (on a boat on Lake Tonle Sap) and discovered my Dave Graveline hand sanitizer was with me in my travel bag (ever since my guest appearance with you at CES of course). After my kids started petting a “baby” python snake, it turned out to be very useful. All the best, Eric”
Here are some pictures Eric shared with us from his trip:
Eric and his “Into Tomorrow” hand sanitizer in Cambodia
Brave girls petting the “baby” python
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
If you have any questions about any of this week’s show info,
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.