HOUR 3:
Tech News & Commentary
Katy in Dallas, Texas asked: “Looking for a new GPS. Which is the best, most user friendly and, also, not too pricey?”
Most are very affordable these days and there still are many to choose from. One that we can recommend right off is the Garmin nuvi 260 W. It’s a touchscreen interface that gives you turn by turn directions with voice-over guides.
Chris still uses the Garmin nuvi 660. That one has been discontinued, because it’s such an old product, but he has been extremely happy with it. Each year, he purchases the new maps and loads them into the device to keep it up to date. But he hasn’t really seen the need to upgrade.
“Into Gaming Update” Weekly Feature with Mark Lautenschlager
With news from E3 this week!
The “Into Tomorrow” team posted the following Facebook message: “Did anyone pre-order the iPhone 4? How long did it take you and what website did you use? Or did you order by phone? Share your experience with us!”
Tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast for more details.
Guest in this hour:
Elias Janetis, CEO & Founder – MobileHelp
MobileHelp is a medical alert system, providing emergency assistance to users inside and beyond their home.
Paul in South Bend, Indiana listening on WSBT 960 AM asked: “I have some stereo slides that my uncle took back in the 50s that I’d like to convert to DVD or some other digital format. All we have right now is the “binocular” type viewer to see the stereo images. But, that’s not good for large crowds. If there’s any way of being able to produce it, even if it’s in mono to put in a presentation, I’d really appreciate it.”
There are many companies out there that will convert stereo pictures to standard flat digital images.
The process is not as simple as just scanning the slide. There are color and other image adjustments involved, and shops will typically only scan one side of the slide and work with that.
The going price seems to be around $1 per slide. Not cheap, but it will allow you to take those old pictures into tomorrow.
The following are some shops for scanning:
Bubba in Louisiana listening on 710 KEEL AM asked: “I have a Ford Explorer and I have 2 CDs that are stuck in there. Who should I go to? Do I need to go to the dealer? Is it going to be expensive? Should I go to a car audio place? Or can I do it myself?”
Without knowing what type of radio you have, whether it be stock or aftermarket, it’s very hard for us to give you exact advice. However, paperclips were made for this reason. Check to see if your CD player has a small hole near where you put the CD’s in. If it does, try sticking a point of the paper clip in there while holding the eject button and see if that works.
If your CD player doesn’t have one of those little holes, you can always put the paper clip into the CD slot and try and lift the CD again, while holding the eject button. The risk you run here is you could damage the CD.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Russ in Raleigh, North Carolina listening on WPTF 680 AM asked: “In the past couple of months you spoke with a guest that had a solution to monitor your family’s text and picture mail messages. I told a customer of its capabilities, but could not recall its name. Could you provide that product’s name and a link please?”
The product you were mentioning is SpectorPro.
If you have any questions about any of this week’s show info, please email us here.
Into Tomorrow Product Spotlight with Rob Almanza
WikiReader: Wikipedia at your reach without the Internet.
Wikipedia hasn’t often been considered a trusty source of information, yet, a lot of people use it anyway. And if you use it regularly, wouldn’t you like to have it available to you at all times without the need of an Internet connection? Meet the WikiReader … a dedicated device that helps you do one thing: look up information, or Wikis. It’s simple to use and portable. Powered by 2 AAA batteries, so you won’t have to worry about charging it.
The design is quite simple. You have a power control, a touchscreen, and 3 ways to look for topics – Search, History or Random. And, it doesn’t require data service. It’s all built-in.
Just search for a topic, tap on the phrase, and then, scroll up on the screen to read more. (Be sure to watch our demo on this week’s Product Spotlight video above) You can also view your history to see what you’ve searched for previously. And for fun, hit random – a different topic every time you click. That’s a cool way to run into interesting topics and learn!
So how do you keep this device current, since it doesn’t connect to the Web? It doesn’t require constant updating, but you can update it. Log onto TheWikiReader.com and look for the “Update” page. There are a couple of solutions for this. 1) You can copy an update onto the Micro SD memory card or 2) Buy a new card with the latest content.
For the summer season, the WikiReader can be helpful to kids, especially those who are always asking questions or may be taking courses. They can search on the WikiReader for answers. By the way, Openmoko, the company who created the WikiReader, provides parental controls so youngsters don’t run into articles that may not be appropriate for their age.
If you have a smartphone with a data plan, you obviously can access Wikipedia on the go, and may not need the WikiReader. However, not all kids have access to the Internet at all times; and, most schools ban cell phones on campus. We don’t guarantee it, but we think school teachers and principals would likely allow this device at school, as it’s a digital encyclopedia. No games. No music-playing. No Internet. Just information! Well over 3.1 million Wikis pre-installed.
If you’re interested, it’ll cost you under $100. Get one here. Have fun searching for Wikis!
We’d like to know what you think about this device. Call our listener hotline: 1-800-899-INTO or connect with Rob below. You can also leave comments on our “Into Tomorrow” Facebook page.
— By Rob Almanza, “Into Tomorrow” Correspondent
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Amazon: HydroRight Smarter Flush Technology Converts any size toilet to Dual-Flush & Anti-Siphon Fill Valve!
Honestech: VHS to DVD 4.0 Plus – Easy to use video conversion software
iMPROV Electronics: Several Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablets
Joby: GorillaTorch Original – Hands-free flashlights with flexible, bendable legs and magnetic feet
RadioShack: Weather Clock Radios with SkyWarn