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Tech News & Commentary
Terry in Carthage, Missouri listens to the podcast and is calling via the app asked: “Chromecast and Fire stick: Which one do you think is better? Can I throw movies that I have on my computer or my tablet up onto the big screen without having to use my data?”
Terry, In terms of which is actually better– there is no definitive answer and it’d be unfair for us to tell you one is better without you being aware of what each has to offer. That decision is completely up to you, but we can help guide you by telling you the specs of the Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Price is not a big factor when considering which to buy, because the Chromecast and Fire stick are very close in range. The Chromecast will be a few dollars cheaper, usually found at about $35 while the Fire stick is about $39– which could surely confuse any average consumer because usually a product that has more to offer would cost more, but at only a $4 difference, it isn’t really the case here.
You did ask if you can just throw movies you have stored on your computer or tablet onto your screen, and yes you can, by using screen mirroring. On Chromecast, you can do so using a Chrome browser or an Android device. On the Amazon Fire TV stick, you can do so by using your Amazon Kindle or, “soon” by using your Android device.
If you’d like to use other internet-based apps for whichever streaming stick you choose, you’d need to take the Wi-Fi capabilities of the device into consideration and in that area– the Fire stick is much better. The Chromecast uses a single-band Wi-Fi antenna and the Fire TV stick uses a Dual-band, Dual-Antenna MIMO (my-moh or me-moh) which could significantly improve the performance of the Fire TV stick over the Chromecast.
Both also have gaming capabilities, but the Fire TV Stick does have a leg up over it’s competition because for about $40, you can purchase a gaming controller separate from it’s normal controller. Also, when taking the two devices into consideration– keep in mind that Chromecast performs without using a control whatsoever. You must actually stream anything straight from your device to the Chromecast in order to view it, which is either a big upside or downside, depending on your personal preference. Understandably so, there are some people who would like the nostalgic feeling of a handheld control while others would rather not have the liability of keeping track of where they left another remote.
There are certain apps that work on the Chromecast that don’t work on the Amazon Fire TV stick and vice versa, so if you are concerned a favorite app of yours might not be available– take a more in-depth look by verifying it for both, but most staple apps work for both.
What you didn’t ask was about the Roku Stick, which at $49 is only a few dollars more, and offers more streaming services than either of the other two. Quite frankly, it might be the best of the “sticks,” so perhaps you should give that one a look also. And IF your tablet happens to start with an “i” don’t forget that Apple has lowered the price of Apple TV to $69, although that’s not a stick.
For more information tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
“This Week in Tech History” Weekly Feature with Chris Graveline
Belinda in Benton, Louisiana listens on KEEL 710 AM asked: “My dog sat down accidently on my laptop and I guess it broke the screen, where do you go or what do you do to get it fix. I don’t know what to do, I’m not computer savvy.”
Belinda, Replacing a laptop screen can be bit pricey, so if your laptop is kind of old, we would suggest just getting a new laptop. If it’s a new model of some sort, you can try checking Yellow Pages for local computer technicians or local computer shops.
Geek Squad from Best Buy could be an option, but their prices tend to be a lot higher than those of local computer shops. If all else fails, try contacting the computer’s manufacturer.
If you know anyone personally that is tech-savvy, you can buy the screen online in sites like Amazon and Ebay. There are many instructions online detailing how to replace a screen. We only suggest this option, if you know someone personally who knows what they’re doing, someone tech-savvy would be best. While local computer shops, Geek Squad, and the computer’s manufacturer prices may be kind of high, the Do It Yourself option will cost you only around $100 depending on the screen. And lunch, or whatever you have to buy your friend who fixes it for you.
And as with all things, Google is your friend. If you enter the make and specific model number of your laptop, then add the words “lcd replacement” and the city or area you live in, you’re likely to get on the path to finding someone who can replace the screen for you. As we mentioned, depending on the size of the screen and the age of the laptop, having a screen replaced should cost between $150 and $200. It’s entirely up to you to make the decision about whether that’s worth doing.
If you have a laptop that is three or more years old, you might find that for just a few hundred dollars more than replacing the screen, you can replace the entire computer with a much faster model.
For more information tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Jeff in Carey, North Carolina listening on Stitcher asked: “I am seeking an improved email experience for my wife, as she continually gets frustrated with the PC and all the associated scans and upgrades that always happen when she is trying to access her email. I’m considering an alternative to the usual PC, that of a Chromebook or maybe a Chromebox. Ideally I would like to have a Chromebook that is a high definition screen, 4gb RAM, and something more than 16GB storage. Is there a Chromebook that you would recommend, and would you recommend a Chromebox in lieu of a Chromebook?”
Jeff, You’re probably looking for something like the Acer Chromebook 13, it has a 1080p screen, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of SSD storage. However, be careful, Acer makes a lot of Chromebook 13s, and specs vary. The only one that will meet your requirements is probably the top of the line $370 model.
ASUS makes a similar model, high definition screen, 32GB of storage space, gigabit WiFi, but it’ll save you some money at $270. Any new Chromebook you buy right now will come with 100GB of online storage on Google Drive for free for 2 years. Keeping that storage after that, would cost you $1.99 a month right now, prices may change within the next two years.
About a Chromebox, there are not many around, we know of an ASUS, an HP, and a Samsung model, and if you wanted to get one, it would probably work just fine for you, but they cost the same as Chromebooks, and they don’t really offer any extra functionality.
They mostly seem to be geared towards businesses that want to take advantage of Google’s offer to take care of all support work for $250 a year. Since you’re not going to need that for a home computer, the big advantage for you would be able to able to connect it to a big TV if you wanted to use it for Netflix, for example, but you can do that with a Chromebook anyway, and you can also use it on the go, so what’s the point?
Mark has told us, that as a Chromebook user himself, you are spot on with your assessment of the environment it will create for her. Assuming that she’s using a web based email account like Gmail, she will find that using a Chromebook instead of a Windows computer removes ALL of the frustration with scans, updates, and virus checks. The new generation of slightly larger Chromebooks with 13” 1080p resolution screens are nicer from the usability point, but Mark likes the extreme portability of my Acer Chromebook 720 with it’s 11” screen, and the $199 price tag is pretty nifty as well. But for any web-centered uses, and remember that means no Windows apps period, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a Chromebook.
For more information tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Guest Segment:
Chuck Hamby, Executive Director – Public Relations – Verizon Wireless
Dave and Chuck referenced Verizon’s ‘Mobile Mom’ Tech Survey, you can read more about it here.
Hunt in Columbia, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 FM – calling via the App asked: “What is the difference in sound quality between a sound bar, located under the TV, and the wireless surround sound systems I’ve seen on the market. Prices are similar, but the sound bar is much more convenient. Wondering what are the advantages/disadvantages of both.”
Hunt, Both soundbar and wireless surround sound systems are great sound devices but both have their pros and cons. Just as you mentioned, the sound bar is more convenient in terms of installation because it only requires a few wires, and a single sound system compared to a surround sound system that has multiples.
The main two disadvantages are that the location of the sound bar can affect the sound quality and also it doesn’t produce complete surround sound for large environments.
With a surround sound system, you get a complete full range of sound and have the control of where the sounds systems are placed throughout the room. Honestly, the appearance of certain surround sound systems give a theater-like appearance which can completely transform the feel of the room. The downfall with the system is that to ensure the best quality surround system, you would need a wired connection between the television and the speakers. Also, the installation isn’t as easy as the soundbar.
One more thing to consider is the type of room and its configuration. If the room is open and there aren’t corners to locate remote speakers in, you might find it better to use a soundbar simply because it’s like regular TV speakers on steroids. For many people, that actually makes the soundbar BETTER, because it’s a more familiar sound, just louder and clearer. Yes, it will never produce true surround sound like a 5.1 speaker system will, but the convenience and the cost mean you shouldn’t rule out a soundbar.
Models such as the Bose units even have positional audio where they listen to the echoes of sound from around the room and determine what sort of delays they need to introduce to give you the illusion of surround sound.
Like always, trust your ears. Go to a store that has both kinds of systems set up and give a listen.
For more information tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Sharon in Kansas City, Missouri listens to the Podcast asked: “I wondered if you know if there will ever be a 1TB thumb drive. Someone told me that they are out there, but I don’t know.”
Sharon, You can already buy 1TB thumb drives, the problem is not availability, it’s price. Kingston introduced it’s first 1TB flash drive at CES 2013.
If you come by the showpage, we’ll link you to a Kingston 1TB thumb drive in case you really need one. Having said that… it will cost you $850, so you could technically buy an entire laptop with a 1TB hard drive to store your files in instead, it’s not a cheap little drive.
Beware the inexpensive 1TB USB 2.0 flash drives that you see advertised. Those drives are smaller capacity drives with hacked controllers that show a high capacity but can’t deliver it. They are a complete, straight up rip-off. One “HP” drive for sale on eBay is priced at just $60, but oddly enough HP doesn’t think they MAKE a 1TB flash drive. (That’s because they don’t.)
Fact is, 1TB flash drives that work require special controllers and super high density memory chips. Even at that, they’re big and bulky for flash drives. You would likely be much better off looking at a 1TB USB 3.0 7200RPM external hard drive. Be sure to get the 7200RPM, though, as you want decent performance.
For more information tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
OWC: Dual USB Flash Drives – The amazingly small flash drive with both a Micro USB and a regular USB interface all-in-one.
Education.Com: Several “Brainzy” 12-month codes for online early-learning programs for math and reading. If you’ve got Kids … you WANT one of these!
PhoneSoap: Several Antibacterial – All Natural Touch Screen Polish (Ad lib: sorta like Cap Stick for your Phones & Tablets)
NanoTech: Several UltraFlix Gift Cards for 4K Content, like movies and a ton of other cool stuff. Let us know if you have a 4K Ultra HD TV!
iLuv: A pair of ReFashionOlogy Canvas Exterior, Collapsible Headphones with a Titanium Diaphragm
Westinghouse: Unplug Wireless Bluetooth Sound System