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Tech News & Commentary
Joshua in Sparta, Tennessee listening on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN asked: “I have a Galaxy S4. I filled up my memory card. I am buying a new one. I’m looking for an easy way to transfer the contents of this memory card, to a new one with more space.”
The easiest way is to use your computer to read the card, then copy everything manually, including hidden files, and then copy them from your computer onto the new card.
If you don’t want to do it manually, you can try HDD Raw Copy Tool or Win32DiskImager, they will both clone your old card onto your new one without the need for manual input.
Those programs may help you, because it’s hard to make sure you’ve copied all of the files you’re gonna need, a lot of them are in hidden folders that you may or may not see, and you may or may not be able to copy easily. If in doubt, you may want to use those.
If you decide to use a computer for this, you should know that very few (if any!) computers have a slot for a micro-SD card like the Galaxy S4 uses. You will need to purchase an adapter that converts the micro-SD card into a standard SD card. They’re not expensive, in many cases they even come with the micro-SD cards. We just wanted you to know another part would be required before you stood in front of your computer with your micro-SD card in hand, wondering just exactly where you should stick it.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
“Into Gaming Update” Weekly Feature with Mark Lautenschlager
Anthony in Benton Harbor, Michigan asked: “I have a Galaxy Note 2. I was wondering is there any free apps you can download where I can type and fax letters and do a powerpoint?”
You have a few options for faxes, but they won’t be sent straight from your phone, they will be sent to a web service that will then send it to the number that’s supposed to receive it.
Some of those services have apps, and those are the ones you’d need to download. eFax, lets you attach documents and pictures to include with your fax, and the app itself is free, though the service is not.
iFax, works in a similar way, you can also attach files, images, a signature, and you get an incoming number, but again the app is free, and the service is not.
iFax is interesting in that it is a port from their iPhone app, and it looks almost exactly like an iOS 6 app on your Android phone, it’s a little odd.
PowerPoint is a different story, to be completely honest, you’re better off using a computer for decent PowerPoint presentations, there are some apps that will let you view presentations, and even those are not as good as what you get on a computer, but to make one you really don’t want to use your phone.
Even Microsoft’s own official Office Mobile app for Android only lets you create Word and Excel files, and edit but not create PowerPoint files. They do support that feature on phones running their Windows Phone software, as you might expect, but for some reason they withhold that capability from Android and iOS users.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Don asked: “What is the best and most economical way to extend my WiFi signal?”
There are several things you can do to ensure you are getting the maximum signal. First and foremost check the channel. Wi-Fi routers operate on specific channels. When you set up a typical router, it usually chooses a certain channel by default. Some routers choose the least-crowded channel, but yours may not have. Check for yourself which Wi-Fi channel is the least crowded to boost the router’s performance, perhaps boosting signal range.
Secondly, Check the placement of your router, Move it, if you have range issues. You don’t have to have the router in close proximity to your modem. Ideally, a Wi-Fi router should be in a central location. I would check these first as they are the free option. If these are at their optimum placement and setting you may want to invest in a hi-gain antenna, which you can position so that the Wi-Fi signal goes in the direction you want. These antennas can boost wireless signal strength from a standard 2dBi to 15dBi. Antennas like these can attach to most routers that have external antennas connectors. Hi-gain or “booster” antennas range in pricing from $40 to $100 dollars. If all else fails, throw in the towel and upgrade. I am not sure what you are working with now, but upgrading your home network to 802.11n and using the 5 GHz band should give noticeable performance improvement
If you are going to purchase a new wireless router and you ARE interested in using the 5 GHz frequency, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, unless you’re going to shut off the more common 2.4 GHz band, you’ll want to choose a model that features dual simultaneous radios, so it can send and receive on both frequencies at the same time. Also, while 5 GHz channels are more numerous and usually free from interference (since wireless phones, microwave ovens, and various other consumer electronics devices all fight for space at 2.4 GHz), 5 GHz will not transmit as far as 2.4 GHz will. So, 5 GHz is faster but shorter. You’ll need to keep your devices closer to your router.
Oh, and on the subject of those 2.4 GHz channels we mentioned earlier, only three of them, channels 1, 6, and 11, don’t overlap each other. You should really choose one of those three, if you are going to manually reassign your channel number. To determine who is using what channels in your area, we recommend a free tool from Metageek.net called inSSIDer (that’s pronounced insider, but spelled with SSID because it’s clever). This is available for Windows computers or Android devices. Apple maddeningly frowns on network scanning software.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Guest Segment:
Dr Stevanne Auerbach, Dr. Toy – Dr. Toys Guide
“IFA History Feature” brought to you by Messe-Berlin
When the DVD was introduced mid 90s it was first used for data storage, as its capacity was five times higher than that of a CD. In 1997 the first DVD burners for PCs came to the market, followed by the first consumer DVD players which had their world premiere at the International Funkausstellung in 1997, now known worldwide as IFA. Movie content was protected by regional codes and copy protection and the quality was perfect even in multiple copies.
Paul from Bowling Green, Kentucky listening via the App asked: “How do I stop my 15 Year Old from being on the internet while I’m sleeping? Is there a way I can disable the internet? We have wireless internet in the home and need to disable it so she cannot get on it from her computer. ”
You can go high tech or low tech here… the simplest way to do this is: 1) unplug your router, modem or both, 2) take them into your bedroom or lock them somewhere. Your teen is now offline, unless she has a smartphone or anything else with it’s own internet connection.
If you’d like a more high tech option, your router MAY have a scheduling option, that allows you to either shut off the internet completely or shut off access to certain devices. We can’t really give you instructions without knowing what your router model is, but it will probably be under a tab with a name like “access control” or something to that effect.
If you can ban specific devices between certain hours, you’re going to need your daughter’s computer’s MAC address, if you just opt to shut off the internet all together, you’ll just need to specify the times.
However, the computer and your wireless network might be only half the battle. Does your daughter have a smartphone? Does that smartphone have a data plan? You might shut off the wireless network, but she can still get on social media apps using her phone.
Unfortunately, rebellious teenagers are usually very resourceful and determined. So if you’re going to ban the Internet after bedtime, remember to confiscate any smartphones in addition to shutting off the wireless router.
Do keep in mind, Paul, if you shut off the wireless router and you have devices that want to use the Internet to auto-update themselves during the night, they won’t be able to do that. You’ll want to check for updates manually every so often, to make sure you don’t miss things.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
Jim in Oceano, California listening on K-TIP 1450 “Talk is Power” asked: “Is there any way I can have whatever is on my computer show up on my wall mounted TV?”
Yes there is but it depends on your TV and your computer. If both your TV and your computer are fairly modern, then they will both most likely have an HDMI port.
If that’s the case, all you need is an HDMI cable, which you can find for prices ranging from like $1 online to $100 at places like Radio Shack.
Feel free to go cheap, it won’t make a huge difference. Once you plug it in to both devices, it should just work right away.
You’ll typically have 2 options for how things are displayed on your TV: either your screen will be “mirrored” — in which case everything that happens on your computer will be on the TV as well; or, it will be set to “extended desktop” in which case you basically get a long desktop, part of it will be on your computer and part of it will be on your TV and you should be able to drag things from one to the other.
For more information, tune in to Hour 3 of our podcast.
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This Week’s Prizes for Our Listeners
Scottevest: Lola Puff Jackets for Women & Puffer Jackets for Men – Complete with pockets for all your gadgets.
iolo: Copies of System Mechanic- Fix and speed up your PC Automatically.
TYLT: An assortment of Smartphone charging accessories and bluetooth speakers.
Nite Ize Innovation: Connect Case and Connect Cradle for iPhone – Hard case with belt clip, vehicle mount and desk stand.