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Tech News & Commentary
“This Week in Tech History” Weekly Feature with Chris Graveline
Ken in Jackson, Mississippi listens on SuperTalk 97.3 asked: “I have a standard car radio – 2004 model car – no Bluetooth or aux input jack. I am wanting to play music on my iPhone 4s in my car. Every fm tuner kit I use I get static when acting whatever. Is there something out I can use?”
Ken, Try to not only pick an open frequency to transmit to, but pick one that also has open frequencies above and below it. This will give you the least amount of static. Another thing is to set the transmitter to .1 above or below what the radio is set to it may clear up a little. (example: 
transmitter set to 89.8 and radio set to 89.7)
If your car has a removeable antenna then go ahead and remove it, it should make every station crystal clear, however by doing this you won’t be able to listen to your typical radio stations, but it will should eliminate any static.
Depending on how involved you’re willing to let things get, you can always replace the radio, you can buy an aftermarket car radio with a built-in AUX input for as little as $25, but you will need to either install it or have it installed by someone, and you may not like the look of it on your dashboard.
If you have an old enough radio with a tape deck, you can also buy a cassette adapter that plugs into your phone and lets you transmit music that way. That would be free of static, since it’s a wired device, but cassette players in cars are harder to find these days, and it’s quite likely you’re just trying to replace a CD rather than tape these days.
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Guest Segment:
Jurgen Kurz, CEO – Nero
Multimedia Software – Leader in secure and reliable Blu-ray, CD and DVD burning – download
Joe in Sparta, Tennessee listening on WTN 99.7 asked: “I have a Windows XP and there was a message that popped up on my computer that said support ended on April 8. I was wondering what I can do about this? Do I have to get a new computer?”
Joe, You basically have two options. You can either upgrade your PC or get a new PC. To check if your PC is able to run Windows 8.1, download the Windows Upgrade Assistant and it will help you verify. The older your PC is, the more likely it won’t be able to run Windows 8.1. The second option is to purchase a new PC. If you remain using WIndows XP, your computer will be more defenseless towards viruses and harmful software.
Now, that’s what you’d need to do to get on Windows 8.1, having said that, your computer will not self-destruct if Microsoft stops supporting it.
Losing Microsoft support is bad, you won’t get updates if there are security problems, and regular bugs won’t be fixed. However, XP has been out since 2001, it’s a fairly stable product by now, and you can certainly continue to use it while it works for you.
With more of the computer’s functions moving to the web, your XP computer may very well still serve you for years.
The thing is, Larry, it might be time to discuss not whether you HAVE to get a new computer, but whether you should. The fact is that computers have never been faster, easier to use, or cost less. You can buy a fantastic two-in-one Windows tablet/laptop hybrid for $500, a Chromebook for $200, even a MacBook Air for $1000.
A lot of what we’re doing on the web these days requires a modern web browser, like Chrome, Safari, or even Firefox. Heck, Internet Explorer 11 is the best browser Microsoft has ever released. And Windows XP won’t be able to run the latest version of these browsers. So as web technologies get more advanced, your going to run into more and more sites that tell you to get an updated browser.
For more information, tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
Red in Delaware listens on WDEL 1150 asked us: “How come no one makes a tablet that can also be used as a regular phone?”
Red, One of the main reason why tablets haven’t come out with the phone capability feature is basically to keep costs down and many cellphone carriers want to sell phones AND tablets, and if they combine both together, they are concerned it will affect sales.
However, there are some tablets that do carry this feature such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab or Dell Streak 7 but they’re not designed primarily for phone use.
Or … some have said there is a size limit on what can be considered an actual phone verses a tablet. Dell Streak 7 has Sim Card capabilities but is currently only available in Canada. There are apps you can use that require Wi-Fi, mobile data or possibly both such as TextPlus, ooVoo, fring, and Skype being the most popular of the calling apps. These apps are available on Andriod and Apple devices.
There may even be a simpler answer. Not enough people want them. It’s expensive to design and build a consumer electronics device. It only makes sense to do it if you believe that you’re going to sell a bunch of them. And while we get a question like yours every once in a while, we’re confident that the number of people out there who want to spend money on a tablet that is also a phone isn’t large enough to justify making one. How do we know? Well…because no one makes such a device. And they WOULD, if they thought they could sell it.
For more information tune in to Hour 2 of our podcast.
This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Sling Media: Slingbox M1 – Set top media box with smartphone integration
SMS Audio: Street by 50 – Over-The-Ear Headphones and earbuds
Parellels:Parallels Desktop 10 Software allows you to run Windows on your Mac
Kanex: GoPower Battery Pack – Mobile battery pack with built-in stand for smartphones
Tylt: Several Charging cases and cables – for smartphones and tablets