HOUR 3:
Tech News & Commentary
Chris in Sumter, South Carolina asked: “I was wondering if there’s any true way to get high speed Internet through satellite TV. and I don’t mean like DSL speeds. Something that’s compatible with cable high speed Internet.”
The fastest downlink speeds typically offered by satellite Internet providers is 5 megabits per second. DSL is generally 1.5 megabits per second, while cable runs from 15 to 50 megabits per second. Satellite would therefore be faster than DSL, but still quite a bit slower than cable. Generally speaking, satellite is not where you go when you want the fastest possible Internet speeds. If cable is available in your area, or something similar like Verizon FIOS, that’s going to be your best bet for sheer speed.
Satellite’s benefit is that it doesn’t require wires. For rural customers living outside of cable or DSL service areas, it’s the only option many of them have, and it’s far better than dial-up. Latency can be an issue with highly interactive uses like VPN connections back to a remote office, or online gaming. Latency refers to the amount of time it takes for a packet to travel between you and the remote Internet site. Satellite latencies are often ten times higher than cable. Once the packets start rolling in, however, latency doesn’t really affect things like download speeds or video streaming.
The future of high speed wireless Internet is bright, but a little uncertain. Chances are that it will focus less on satellites and more on UWB, or Ultra Wide Band, terrestrial transmissions. Those are ultra high frequency radio transmitters. Of course, in Japan they’re running 100GB transmissions through satellite. So it really all depends on where the money lands. The bottom line is that someday we won’t have to plug in to go online, but for today that’s still the fastest option.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
“Into Gaming Update” Weekly Feature with Mark Lautenschlager
Wesley in Milwaukee, Oregon listening on XM Radio asked: “Wondering if there are any e-readers out there that can be used by totally blind people.”
You can try the Intel E-Reader, the mechanism called the Reader, photographs the text and then reads it to you audibly.
The Reader can read several things like MP3 files, DAISY books and files relocated from a computer. The gadget has tactile button to help the visually impaired and the text menu are read aloud so that it is straightforward for individuals with little to no vision.
You can buy it on Amazon for $899.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Carol listens to the stream via the iPhone app: “I heard you say on a show a while back that you found an app for the Android that switches Bluetooth off and on without going through several screens. Do you know if there is one for the iPhone?”
Yes and no! Our App Developer Horacio tells us that Apple tightly controls what they do and do not allow on the App Store and they will not make bluetooth controls available to developers through their official software development kit.
What that means for you is that you will not find a bluetooth shortcut on the official App Store, you can however get a bluetooth shortcut if your iPhone is jailbroken.
There are several apps that provide shortcuts to bluetooth, wifi, 3G, the phone service itself and several other iPhone features that can be turned off to increase battery life, the most popular one these days seems to be SBSettings, which works with at least iOS 4.0 and 4.1 (we’ll see how it fares with the new 4.2), but different ones come out sometimes and they all do almost the exact same job.
If your phone is not jailbroken, remember that jailbreaking is not illegal (and that comes from the US government itself), but Apple and AT&T will not help you fix your phone if you brick it during the jailbreaking procedure, and that your jailbreak will most likely go away whenever a new update comes out if you install it, forcing you to go through the process again every time you update your phone.
Some jailbreakers consider that the extra functionality is worth the inconvenience, but if all you’re getting out of the jailbreak is an easier way to reach the bluetooth on and off switch, it may not be worth it for you.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Guest in this hour:
Christopher Coppola, CEO – Christopher Coppola Productions/Host of DigiVangelist Show
How does Hollywood tech affect you? Christopher produces the reality show “DigiVangelist”. DigiVangelist brings the latest technology to everyday people helping to empower them in telling their own story.
Kathy in Durham, North Carolina listening on WPTF 680 AM asked us the following questions: “What is the difference in the AMD processor and the one you were talking about, the 5? (i5) Which one is better?”
Both AMD and Intel are expected to release next their next generations of chips soon, but as things stand now the vast majority of benchmarks give Intel the edge. AMD’s closest competitors to the i5 are the Phenom II series of chips, and while they are usually cheaper that Intel’s chips they don’t seem to match the i5’s performance on benchmark tests
Having said that, there’s a reason why AMD is still in business, most users don’t need the absolute top performance, and if you don’t need the best performing chip on the market you may be more than happy to pay less for a chip that will still fulfill your expectations.
So yes, AMD’s chips are falling behind on tests… but not by a lot! and if you’re not a hardcore gamer, video editor or a similar type of heavy user, odds are you’ll never notice the difference between an i5 and Phenom II, so if you’re on the market for a new processor take a look at the price/performance ratio before ruling out AMD’s chips for “not being the best”.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Evelyn asked: “Please let me know if there is a digital photo frame which will scan 4 by 6 pictures. I need to get rid of albums and albums of pictures.”
You can try the Skyla FS80 Memoir 8-inch Digital Photo Frame. It’s got a built-in scanner that scans pictures up to 4×6 at a high resolution. It’s 1GB of internal storage can hold up to 3000 photos. It even let’s you enjoy music while viewing photo slideshows.
Basically, you slide your picture into the slot on the front and it will show up on the digital frame. You can then create a digital album with the pictures you scan. The frame automatically senses ambient light conditions and adjusts its backlight accordingly for optimal display of photos and a Smart Touch Pad allows you to edit and enhance your digital pictures on the frame itself.
The Skyla FS80 Memoir 8-inch Digital Photo Frame is available under $150 online.
There are other similar digital photo frames with built-in scanners. We found another 8-inch frame from a company called Mustek (Mustek Pf-a6l Digital Photo Frame With Scanning Function) that costs around $180.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Norman in Chattanooga, Tennessee listening on XM asked: “I have a cabin out in the woods. I want to be able to watch it while I’m away, if anyone breaks into it. what would be a good type of stuff to use to keep an eye while I’m away on the road.”
As long as you have a broadband connection at your cabin, which we wonder if you would — then you can try one of several security cameras that we have been experimenting with lately. All the cameras can be configured to detect motion, send Email and/or Text messages when motion is triggered and record to a computer on the home network or attached storage devices for detailed monitoring and playback.
For example: the D-Link IP Security Cam DCS 930, is a versatile solution that connects to your wired or 802.11g WiFi network to provide remote monitoring over the internet. We have one of these D-Link cameras here in our studio and it works pretty well. Newegg.com has them for $49.99 per camera.
Another is the new Logitech series of cameras. Quite a bit more expensive, Each Logitech Alert Master System comes with their Alert Commander, a powerful desktop application for your PC that lets you configure your video security system, watch live video, store video on your PC and review recorded video. An Indoor system starts at $299. Outdoor at about $350. Dave has a pair of those here at his house as well and can watch the video on his Android phone too.
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.
Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza
Holiday Gifts Part 1
Techies are among the hardest to shop for during the holidays. Into Tomorrow has compiled some our favorite tech gifts for 2010. Rob Almanza reports on our Product Spotlight this week.
— By Rob Almanza, “Into Tomorrow” Correspondent
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
D-Link: Several MyDlink-enabled Wireless Network Cameras to keep an eye on your home.
Honestech: Copies of Claymation Studio 3.0 Deluxe with PC Camera included – stop motion video creation software
TrenMicro: Copies of Titanium 2011 — Maximum Internet Security including 10 gigs of online backup.
TuneUp: Copies of TuneUp Utilities – Optimization software for PCs.