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HOUR 2:
Tech News & Commentary
Jack in Los Alamos, New Mexico listening on KTRC 1260 asked: “I’ve seen a lot of tablets advertised for some very attractive prices: $100-$150. Most seem to be running Android 2.2. Wondering if it’s worth it. Mainly, what am I giving up in terms of speed and capabilities by using 2.2 instead of later versions of Android? Would it be worthwhile waiting a few months to see what Apple comes out with the iPad 3 and so forth?”
You technically don’t have to lose any speed, that depends on the hardware inside (though we’d expect fairly basic hardware for that price), and you really won’t lose much functionality compared to tablets running Android 2.3. But, 2.2 is not formatted for tablets. Basically, you’ll be buying a bigger Android phone that doesn’t make calls.
Newer versions of Android (beyond 2.3) will give you an OS that is designed specifically for use on a tablet, so you should have a better overall user experience.
As for waiting for a potential iPad 3, you can do that, but you won’t find it in the $100-$150 price range. If Apple does come out with a replacement for the iPad 2 soon, it will almost certainly be more expensive than the very low end Android tablets.
Also, remember that Apple brought the price down on the iPad 1 when the iPad 2 came out. It was on sale for $100 less. So, the 16GB WiFi-only version sold for $399 vs. $499. That’s still isn’t in the attractive price range, but it does help a little. And, the iPad 2 is an improved version of the first one, offering you faster processor speed and two cameras. We can assume that when iPad 3 comes around, the iPad 2 will have a more attractive price. The tech world expects to officially know more about the iPad 3 around March 7th. So, at this point, we suggest you wait until next month if you’re considering an iPad.
For more information, tune in to Hour 1 of our podcast.
“This Week in Tech History” Weekly Feature with Chris Graveline.
Philip in Shreveport, Louisiana listens via the App asked: “Would like to know if the Android Thunderbolt is still a good phone to hang on to, or whether I should start looking at upgrades, considering the battery gets real hot on the Thunderbolt when running 4G. Is that typical?”
Let’s start with the battery problem. We have found plenty of reports about the Thunderbolt running overly hot at times, especially when using some processing power or when the 4G radio is on. There’s not a clear solution. Some people have had some luck turning off some apps, but other people have failed to solve the problem when trying the same approach. Replacing the battery also doesn’t seem to help and people report having this issue on replacement Thunderbolts after having it replaced.
As for whether or not the Thunderbolt is a good phone, well, it depends on what you need, it certainly is a powerful phone, it has access to a very fast network if it’s available in your area, you won’t find many phones with better specs, but whether or not it’s the best one for you is something that we can’t tell you, maybe you’d prefer a less powerful phone with a battery that doesn’t worry you.
If you’re thinking about replacing it for a newer one just to have the latest and greatest, you should probably wait, new phones aren’t that far ahead of the Thunderbolt yet, if you’re just not happy and want to try something different, then sure, have a look around, you may like the Droid Razr, it has similar specs as your Thunderbolt but in a much thinner package, and is made by a different manufacturer.
And if you are seriously considering a replacement 4G LTE phone, then the Droid Razr Maxx might be the best bet. Battery life was a real problem on the original Droid Razr, and the new Maxx edition fixes that in a big way. It has the longest battery life per charge of any smartphone you can buy.
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Guest in this hour:
Andrea Woroch, Consumer & Money Saving Expert
Electronics have a rapid depreciation value, so our next guest has compiled a list of 8 Ways to Defeat Depreciation in Electronics and will share tips with us.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT with Rob: “GoPano Micro for iPhone”
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 Click on the image to view Rob’s 360º videos – It’s only compatible with the iPhone 4 and 4S. – Using the GoPano app on your iPhone, you can record and spin the video to look around, simply by swiping the screen with your finger. When you’re finished, the video is then uploaded to the GoPano website, where you and others can playback and swipe your iPhone to spin the video for a 360-degree view. – If you’re on a computer, login to GoPano.com where you can interact with these videos by dragging your mouse over it. And, you can share these videos on your social networks so your friends can watch your creations or other fun recordings that you’ve enjoyed watching. – The only complaint we have is the focus. You can manually calibrate the focus with the app when you have the lens attached. However, even after calibrating it, there is a soft focus on all the videos. We hope that with future versions that gets improved. – Retail price is $80 |
Greg in Manchester, Tennessee listens on WTN 99.7 asked: “Question about my router. I’m having to reboot it every couple days. My laptop is not picking up the wireless connection. Wondering if you have any tips or suggestions, and if my router is going out.”
This is a fairly common problem with some routers, if you’re needing to restart it that much and it was working fine before, you could try to take it back to factory settings.
There’s usually a reset button somewhere in the back and holding it down for 5 to 10 seconds will usually do the trick, but it will also erase any configuration you may have done on the device after you bought it.
You could also look on the manufacturer’s website and see if they’ve released any firmware updates since you got the router, this may be caused by an issue that they addressed with an updated at some point. You can typically find firmware updates in the support section of their websites or under downloads and drivers.
Also, ask yourself some basic troubleshooting questions. Is your laptop having problems connecting with other Wi-Fi locations? Do other devices have problems connecting with your wireless router? What kind of security protocol are you using? WEP? WPA? WPA2? You might want to try a different security protocol and see if that improves it.
However, our advice is not to try too hard. Chances are you have an older router, maybe even a Wireless-G model. A much newer, faster Wireless-N router would be a nice upgrade and they are very inexpensive. Simple models run as little as $30, while fancier units or those from better known brands will run you more.
If you choose to replace your router, consider one that offers simultaneous dual radio support, so you can run Wireless-G on 2.4 GHz for compatibility with older devices and Wireless-N on 5 GHz for less chance of interference. It’ll cost you more, but in our opinion might easily be worth it.
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Fanny Wang: Customize your own Fanny Wang noise-canceling headphones! We have a promo code for one lucky listener.
Honestech: Audio Recorder 3.0 Plus – Convert all of your music, including cassettes, LPs and 8-track tapes, into MP3s, WAV files, audio CDs and MP3 CDs, and listen to them on your portable music players.
Moola Street: $25 Gift Cards. Of course, Moola is slang for money and this is a unique way to give Gift Cards that cost you only 10% until the recipient redeems it!
ZAGG: ZAGGkeys FLEX Tablet Keyboard & Stand – A versatile standalone Bluetooth keyboard for smartphones and tablets. An $80 value.