This week, Comcast can’t keep itself out of the news. First, Comcast announces that it is bringing the fastest Interwebs in the country to Jacksonville (WOOT!) and other cities in Florida. Then, the FCC and the Justice Department rain on Comcast’s parade and lets it know they are not going to let it merge with Time Warner Cable. In other news, a paranoid dad flew a drone to school with his daughter, and two guys took the iPhone/Android fight way too far.

The Deemable Tech Podcast is brought to you by A Small Orange, Homegrown Hosting. A refreshingly different approach to web hosting. On the web at asmallorange.com.

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Thank you to our Redditors who have been helping us decide what stories we talk about on the show. Go to our subreddit page and submit a story, and vote other stories up or down. Deemable.com/reddit will take you there.

THIS WEEK’S RUN DOWN

Comcast Gigabit Pro

People in Jacksonville and some other towns in Florida are going to be pretty excited next month. In a story Jessica Palombo contributed to Deemable.com, Comcast is bringing the fastest fiber optic Internet service in the country to a few cities in Florida, including our own fair town. The service, which is called Gigabit Pro, will actually have 2 Gbps download and upload speeds ? more than twice the speed of Google Fiber.

However, Comcast would not give a price for the new service. The next fastest service from Comcast is Extreme 505, which runs up to 505 Mbps up and down, and costs over $400 a month with taxes and fees.

Comcast Drops Its Bid to Merge With Time Warner Cable

Speaking of Comcast, earlier this week it was looking pretty  looked bad for its merger with Time Warner Cable. According to Bloomberg, the Justice Department’s antitrust department was going to recommend blocking the merger. And, the FCC was not negotiating the terms of the deal with Comcast, which made it look even less likely that it was going to go through.

But now, ?people with knowledge of the matter? have told Bloomberg that Comcast is backing out of the merger. There was supposed to be a board meeting Thursday. And an official  announcement will probably come Friday.

As the Verge pointed out in an editorial, throughout this whole process, Comcast has never answered this simple question: Why not compete?

Verizon to offer custom pay TV packages, let customers choose monthly programming bundles

And while we?re on the subject of Internet and TV providers, in move that is one small step closer to a la carte cable TV, Verizon recently announced that they are rolling out a new pay TV service that will let customers choose from channel bundles that they change monthly.

These Verizon FiOS ?Custom TV? packages will start at 65 dollars a month for broadband service, 36 fixed basic cable channels, and two genre-based channel packs that customers can swap or unsubscribe from after a month. You can also add packs for an extra 10 dollars. Verizon has seven of these packs to choose from, including sports and children?s programming.

Verizon says they are going after customers who want something in between giant, fully loaded cable packages and cheaper basic packages offered by their competitors.

After “Drone Dad” follows his daughter to school, DJI Phantom 2 grounded

Tennessee father Chris Early?s daughter decided she wanted to walk to the school bus by herself so he did what any tech-inclined father would do: he followed her with a drone.

The drone was a model known as a DJI Phantom 2 which has a high def video camera mounted on it. Early followed his daughter with the drone. A local news station caught wind of this and the story went nationwide. Chris Early has been called ?overprotective?, ?the world?s most embarrassing father? and ‘drone dad’. As a result of all the attention he says he has grounded the drone for now.

One World Trade Center Elevator Shows 515 Years Of New York City

One World Trade Center has added an elevator that displays 515 years of New York City history in 50 seconds.

The New York Times covered this story, but I wrote an article about it for Deemable.com.

While they haven?t developed time travel, the engineers and designers behind the elevators that takes guests to the observatory at the very top of One World Trade Center in New York City have come pretty close. When you board the elevators, you will see a panoramic view of New York City rising out of the underground in the 1500s all the way up through time to the 102nd floor today.

The elevator uses nine 75-inch screens to create the illusion that it is a glass-walled elevator traveling through time.

Along the way, you’ll see the arrival of the Europeans, the Revolution and the rise of the skyscrapers. Inevitably, as time travels through the late-1900s, one of the Twin Towers enters your sight and just as quickly fades away as the 2000s begin. It is a touching, beautiful memorial to the history of the site. You can see The New York Times video of the elevator on our website at Deemable.com

YouTube celebrates 10 year anniversary

This week marks the 10 year anniversary of the first video being uploaded to YouTube.

On April 23 2005, YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim posted a 19 second clip of elephants at the zoo titled “Me at the zoo.”  In it, Karim discusses the elephants’ “really, really, really long trunks” and, well, that’s all. Pretty tame compared to what you can find on YouTube today.

About a year after this video was posted, Google acquired YouTube for $1.6 billion.

According to reports, YouTube will mark the anniversary with a month-long celebration starting next week.

Skycure Hack Can Use Wifi To Disable iOS Devices

A research firm called Skycure reported that it has developed a hack based around a bug in iOS that could allow it to disable all nearby iOS devices using a wifi router. The wifi router has to be configured in a specific way. It will then cause any device connected to it to keep crashing and rebooting in an endless loop. It can be combined with another hack that forces iOS devices to connect to that network. Essentially the only way to escape the endless cycle of rebooting would be to get out of range of the router.

Skycure has not publicly released technical specifications for the bug it used to create the hack to give Apple time to patch it.

Argument Over Which Smartphone Is Better Turns Deadly

Police in Tulsa, OK apprehended a man staggering around a parking lot late at night cut up and covered in blood. The man reported to them that he had been in a fight with his roommate over which smartphone was better – the iPhone or the new Samsung Galaxy. iPhone versus Android fights can get heated, but most stop short of physical conflict. The man reported that he and his roommate had been drinking and wound up stabbing each other with broken beer bottles. Both were admitted to the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery. No word on whether either man was arrested or whether either had his mind changed about his preferred choice of phone.

How many tabs does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

Redditor Peanut Butter Shudder suggested an answer to Ray’s question. Last week during Shower Thoughts, Ray said he didn’t know how many tabs he had ever opened in his life. Peanut Butter Shudder mentioned Tab for a Cause on our reddit page (reddit.com/r/deemable) Tab for a Cause apparently tracks how many tabs you open and it has a bit of slacktivism built into it. If you install the browser extension, you’ll raise money for charities simply by browsing the internet. Heck, why not?

Who had the best segue?

Vote! Send us an email to feedback at deemable dot com or leave us a voicemail at 1-888-972-9868.

And, don’t forget to help us to decide what stories we talk about on the show, go to our subreddit page and submit a story, and vote other stories up or down. deemable.com/reddit will take you there.

Photo credit: iPhone vs Android by nrkbeta.no is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

You: “I’d really like to learn Photoshop. Ugh! There aren’t any classes when I am not at work. Private tutoring is so expensive, I guess I’ll just have to get a book and learn it on my own.”

Later, at the store…

You: “Man, there are so many books on Photoshop! I had no idea! I guess I will just get the book labeled “FOR DUMMIES” because I want to start from the beginning.”

Does that scenario describe your own experience? If so, you are reading the right post. Many people choose to buy a book when they want to teach themselves something on the computer. This works wonders if you are technically minded, a self starter, and extremely disciplined. The worst offenders are the “For Dummies” books. Have you even read one of them, actually read one? They may work for some people, but for most, they are too wordy and more technical than us “dummies” need. Their counter parts are the “Missing Manuals“. There was a reason they were missing. They come across as the bible of whatever subject their title boasts. However, upon further examination, they fall into the same mindset that anyone reading a technical book must be technically minded.

But, you are reading this to find out which books are the good ones.

The “Teach Yourself Visually” series is one of the better ones. They give you lots and lots pictures. There are some step-by-step instructions, but mostly pictures. I recommend this to my clients who are visual learners and those who learn by doing. The “Simplified” series come in a close second. Another great series for someone new to a certain subject is the “Plain & Simple” series. It is a great short book to get your feet wet in any subject.

“Visual Quick Tips” series is always a great reference. “Sam’s Teach Yourself” is good if you are attending a class where someone can explain what Sam fails to explain. It is a great supplemental read.

Portable Genius is a great series of how to and quick reference guides for anyone with an iPhone or iPad only. (Your parents, grandparents, etc.) It is a great series for those who just want to learn the basics and not be bogged down with too much outside info. Que came out with a “My…” series that rivals the “Portable Genius”. The “My…” Series covers all types of tablets, computers, phones. They even have a book on the Chromebook.

“In Easy Steps” and “In Easy Steps For Seniors” are two amazing series out of England. They are some of the best step-by-step and easiest to understand for seniors. I recommend both of these series to all seniors. The books are light, uncluttered, and a larger print; perfect for the Greatest Generation.

As you excel in your studies, “Digital Classroom” and Adobe’s “Classroom in a Book” series takes you to the next level. “Step by Step” is another series that can bring your skills from a 3 to a 7 in a matter of hours. They can be wordy, but they are easy to understand.

The O’Reilly books are not to be topped when it comes to the best in the business. If you are at a higher level and need that extra push or want to learn something new, O’Reilly is for you. They are comprehensive and serve as great desk references as well as paperweights when needed. They are worth every penny, and now available in non-paperweight edition (eBook).

When purchasing a book, Rule #1 is to always make sure you are getting the book that is right for you. If you have Mac OSX Lion, but the book you have in your hand is Mountain Lion, put it back. You should be getting the exact book for your exact program. If you have MS Word 2013, an MS Word 2010 book will not be kind to you. Close enough only works in horseshoes and hand grenades. Now that we know to match our book to our program, what about when the book was written? Was the program updated since the book was written? Take Facebook for example. People buy a book about Facebook, get it home and realize that nothing looks the same. Facebook doesn’t have a new “edition” out, but the program has been updated.

Rule #2 is always check the copyright! If a book was not published in the current year (ie: 2013), it is not worth looking at. When it comes to technology, everything changes so fast. It can take up to one year to bring a book to press and distribute it to the stores. If you have a book in your hand that says it was copyrighted in 2011, the info could be up to 3 years old!

For those of you on a budget, the library is a great resource, but remember to check on Rule #2! Many public libraries also now offer eBooks that can be “checked out” on a tablet or computer with an Internet connection. It takes a bit of time to figure it out, but it is a great alternative to the $60+ some books can run.

Another alternative is used bookstores. Sometimes, if you are trying to learn a program that is 1-2 versions back, the regular stores do not carry books on that software anymore. (See Rule #1.) Another option is a nifty little website called ALLBookstores.com. They have a one stop shopping approach to book buying. The site compares all other bookstore sites to find you the best price on any given book. They compile a list of well-known sites like Amazon, eBay, and Half.com, as well as the little guys like WonderBooks, and Textbookx.

If you still can’t find the right book, try this tried and true test. Grab three books off the shelf on your subject. Open each one into the middle. If you can comprehend and understand what they are asking you to do, and it makes some sense, it is the book for you! Not all writers write books for everyone. Find one that has a writing style you can learn from, hence the test.

Happy Hunting!

Ray may not have written Johnny B Goode like Marty McFly, but he almost broke the space-time continuum.

On this week’s episode of Deemable Tech, Ray creates a temporal causal loop by leaving a voice mail for Deemable Tech and answering it.Then, he and Tom answered questions about whether you can play 3D Blu-Rays discs on your HD TV, if can you delete a picture without deleting the picture, how to stop your Kindle devices and apps from synchronizing, how to Google better, how to extend the battery life of your cellphone, what order you should unplug your laptop in, and does Facebook owe you money?

All that and more, on this episode of Deemable Tech!

Make sure to subscribe to the show in iTunes by clicking here, or subscribe to the show in another podcast reader by clicking here. Also, make sure to leave us a review in iTunes. The more reviews we have the higher we’ll be listed in iTunes and the more listeners will see our show!

Need tech help? Got a problem or tech question about your computer, phone or tablet? Give us a call and leave us a voice mail at 1-888-972-9868, or send us an email to questions at deemable dot com. We’ll take the best questions and answer them on the show.

Links mentioned on this week’s show:

• PhotoAlbums+
• ?You Google Wrong? by The Atlantic Wire
• Inside Seach – Advanced Power Searching – Google
• www.fraleyfacebooksettlement.com
• AppGratis
• Apps Gone Free

Episode 28 – A Voicemail Causal Loop

Crowdsourcing an Answer

Ardis asked,

Dear Deemable Duo,
I’ve recently been having some issues scheduling D&D games due to the busy lives of my fellow dice rollers. I’m sure you find the idea of D&D players having lives as shocking as I do, but regardless, if games are to continue we need to find some way around this problem. I was wondering if there was any kind of program that might make it easier to coordinate our schedules? Not necessarily something that will show our full schedules but something that could let us see what free time we have in common or something to that effect. Thank you for whatever insight you might be able to give.

What do you recommend for Ardis? Leave your suggestion in the comments down below. Thanks!

On this week’s episode, we have a new toll-free phone number (1-888-972-9868) and a bunch of questions.

Questions

• How can I control what my kid can access on an Android tablet?
• What is the best option for kid safe email?
• What’s the easiest way to share a tablet like an iPad?
• What is the best antivirus software money can buy?
• Which Macs can do Airplay Mirroring on the Apple TV?
• Why isn’t my Rosetta Stone software working?
• What do I need to do to get my GS3 to stop talking to me?
• Why is every window I open only half-size?
• Where can I upload 20 GB of photos for free?

All that and more, on this episode of Deemable Tech!

Make sure to subscribe to the show in iTunes by clicking here, or subscribe to the show in another podcast reader by clicking here. Also, make sure to leave us a review in iTunes. The more reviews we have the higher we’ll be listed in iTunes and the more listeners will see our show!

Need tech help? Got a problem or tech question about your computer, phone or tablet? Give us a call and leave us a voice mail at 1-888-972-9868, or send us an email to questions at deemable dot com. We’ll take the best questions and answer them on the show.

Episode 26 – Keeping Your Kids Safe Inside Small Windows!

We’re back and we’ve got spam! Yes, folks, even we here at Deemable Tech get spam now and then. But, this is a new kind of spam scam, so tune in to find out more about it so you don’t fall victim to it. Also, we have our predictions for 2013 in the tech industry, and we have apps to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. And one listener wants to know, can a laptop be used as a desktop? All that and more, on this episode of Deemable Tech!

Make sure to subscribe to the show in iTunes by clicking here, or subscribe to the show in another podcast reader by clicking here. Also, make sure to leave us a review in iTunes. The more reviews we have the higher we’ll be listed in iTunes and the more listeners will see our show!

Need tech help? Got a problem or tech question about your computer, phone or tablet? Give us a call and leave us a voice mail at 904-372-3336 (DEEM), or send us an email to questions at deemable dot com. We’ll take the best questions and answer them on the show.

Episode 25 – Single-Handedly Fixing New Year’s Resolutions and 2013 Tech Predictions!

What are your resolutions for 2013, and what apps are you using to keep track of them? Also, do you have any tech predictions for 2013? Tell us in the comments down below!

Apple has finally released the latest update to iTunes, the application that began as an MP3 player, but now is the all-encompassing media player and companion software for their mobile devices. iTunes 11 was scheduled to be released in October, but was delayed due to problems with development. The newest version has a cleaner design than the earlier versions and is more like the experience in the iPhone and iPad iterations of iTunes, so that, as Apple puts it, “it looks and works the same wherever you shop.”

Other than a whole new look, iTunes 11 is supposed to come with improved iCloud features, which if they work the way they should, they won’t be noticeable. You’ll just open iTunes and be able to download your iCloud purchases. One thing that you might notice is iCloud playback syncing. Now, if you pause a movie in iTunes and turn on your Apple TV, it will pick up where you left off. Also, a universal search across the entire local iTunes library has been added.

Hopefully, since this is a completely redesigned version, Windows users will have some respite from the earlier versions that had become notorious for being excessively bloated and slow.

Before you upgrade to the latest iTunes, check your specs. PCs will have to be running at least Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later or the 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, 7 or 8. Macs will need OS X 10.6.8 or later.

iTunes is available in the Apple Mac Store and from apple.com/itunes

Have you downloaded it yet? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.

I love the smell of new app updates. Well, I wish they had a smell. If they did, Google’s latest updates would probably smell like a nice, new fabric upholstered car. Not luxurious leather, but nice fabric. The update to Google’s two major offerings in the iOS app catalog have been long awaited, and are quite nice; however, they’re not enough to get super excited about.

Google Chrome, the alternate web browser for the iPhone and iPad, brings the less exciting of the two app updates, so I’ll cover it first. According to the update description, version 23.0.1.271.91 (They are very exacting with their version numbers, aren’t they?) of Google Chrome allows you to open PDFs with other apps, save tickets and boarding passes in Passbook, and enable text encoding detection so that the app will automatically show non standard characters correctly. Other than that, and the usual stability, security and bug fixes, that’s all that Google Chrome’s update bring with it this go round. The ability to open PDFs in other apps is long overdue, and something that most other browsers, including the built-in Safari web browser, could already do. This is a nice feature though if you have a preferred PDF viewer, and you have been using Chrome.

The ability to save tickets and boarding passes in Passbook is surprisingly unique to Chrome since Safari does not currently have that feature. Passbook has not been as simple and easy as most Apple products are known for being and as it seemed it would be when it was announced at WWDC earlier this year. When iOS 6 debuted, there were very few apps that worked with Passbook, and currently, only iOS apps that are Passbook compatible can generate a Passbook card. It will be interesting to see how this is implemented. Once I find a website that I can use to save a Passbook card, I will leave a comment on this article.

The big update tonight came in the Google Drive app. When the Google Drive app was originally released it was depressingly limited in its capabilities. Other than renaming and deleting files it was basically useless. Recently the Google Drive app added document editing, and now, the Google Drive app finally adds spreadsheet editing and file uploading to its range of features. Now, Google Drive users can create, edit and collaborate on spreadsheets that they save to their Google Drive account. That, combined with Gmail’s update yesterday to allow users to attach files of up to 10 GB to their emails, makes Google Drive a powerful tool for business users.

Spreadsheets on Google Drive are much more limited than on other spreadsheet apps such as Apple’s Numbers. However, the Drive app loads spreadsheets significantly faster than Numbers. The Drive app leans towards the more practical and less pretty, but in a usable, well designed manner. Just like document editing in Drive, formatting options are in the graphic menu along the top of the screen. Notably missing is number formatting. Even though you can bold, underline, strike-through and left, right and center align your cells, you cannot choose whether they are formatted as numbers, dates, times, or currency. The formatting is assumed based on what you enter into the cell, and cannot be changed. So, if you enter “1/4” Google Drive assumes you are entering a date and changes it to 1/4/2012. That is problematic if you were intending it to read “one quarter” or “one divided by four”.  Formats can, of course, be changed on a desktop in the web in Google Chrome, but that is an annoying extra step. Hopefully, that will be changed in a future update.

As usual, Google has brought good updates to an app that is slowly growing in usefulness and power. When it was launched, Google Docs was clunky and terribly under-powered. With each new update, Google Drive becomes more and more of a powerhouse that makes Google serious competition for Microsoft’s legendary stronghold, the enterprise.

The Google Drive app is available in the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch for free.

If you are looking for live streaming video of the Apple special event happening today at 10 AM Pacific Time, look no farther than Apple’s own website. Apple is going to be streaming video live from the event on its website at http://www.apple.com/apple-events/october-2012/ and on Apple TV.

This is the first time in many years that Apple has allowed any video or audio from the event to sneak past the doors during the event. Some enterprising journalists have attempted to start live streams during the event, but have often been permanently blacklisted from Apple events in the future as a result.

I’ve discussed the reason why Apple didn’t allow or provide live streaming of its events in the past, but this change brings up new questions. Why now did Apple decide to provide a live video stream? Does Apple think this will increase interest in what might otherwise be an insignificant event, or do they expect this event is more significant than others, so more people should be able to hear it live? Is Apple unsatisfied with how the press has handled live blogs during the events and want to control the information flow themselves? And, of course, the question that journalists will continue to ask until the end of time, what would Steve have done?

These are all questions that we’ll never know the answer to, and, quite honestly, do they even matter? To the lives of most people, they won’t make any significant difference, but to the technology industry they could change how other companies do business. We’ve seen in the past few years more and more companies following Apple’s model of announcing products and services at special press events that are only for itself, instead of at major tech conferences like the Consumer Electronics Show and Mobile World Congress. Could Apple be changing the game again?

See that guy in the back seat looking at his iPhone as he plummets down Splash Mountain at Disney World? Yeah, that’s Ray. Yes, he’s wearing a Wookie t-shirt. No, we have no idea what they guys in front of him were doing.

Last week, after Ray started feeling better, he went to Disney World! He got lost on his way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and found out that Apple Maps lost Epcot! This week, Ray and Tom were joined in the studio by Aaron Edelson, a green tech consultant with a.edelson, LLC.

Deemable Tech – Episode 15 – Apple Maps lost Epcot!

Today’s Questions:

• Should I get the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S? Is the 4S worth the extra $99?
• Can I print something from my phone?
• Can I upgrade my computer, or is it even worth it?
• What is open source software?
• Is it safe to use free Wi-Fi, or will my phone get hacked?

Need tech help? Got a problem or tech question about your computer, phone or tablet? Give us a call and leave us a voice mail at 904-372-DEEM (3336), or send us an email and questions@deemable.com. We’ll take the best questions and answer them on the show.

Debunkable

• Are redheads going extinct?

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• AirPrint Activator
• Google Cloud Print
• Crucial System Scanner
• Xubuntu
• Puppy Linux
• Ubuntu
• PrinterShare

Apple has finally released iOS 6, the latest version of its mobile operating system that runs iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. Are you ready for all of the iOS 6 goodness like built-in GPS turn-by-turn navigation, Facebook integration and Passbook, but don’t know how to update your iPhone to get it? Here’s what you have to do.

1. First, just in case, make sure that you back up your iPhone. It doesn’t usually happen, but sometimes updating your iPhone’s Operating System can cause you to lose your apps, files or your contacts. Backing it up will save you if that happens.
2. Second, open the Settings app, by tapping the Settings icon.
   
3. Next, tap the General menu.
   
4. On the next screen, tap the Software Update menu:
   
5. You’ll see another screen with a swirling circle while your device checks to see what version of iOS you have, and what the most recent version of iOS is.
   
6. Once it is done checking, you should see this screen:
   
7. If you don’t see this, something is wrong. If the Download and Install button is grayed out, you either need to make sure that you have enough space available to download and install the new operating system, or you need to connect to Wi-Fi. Read the instructions to find out.
   
8. Tap Download and Install, then tap Agree to agree to the terms and conditions. After you are finished downloading the update, it will prompt you to install or wait until later. If you don’t press anything, it will automatically install.
9. Now, if you haven’t already done it, as Glade says “Plug it in. Plug it in.” Find an electrical outlet and plug your iPhone in because this is gonna take a while. Also, go find something to do; A watched pot never boils and all that. Our suggestion? Listen to Monday’s episode of Deemable Tech: Cats on a Laptop.

Once it’s done, your iPhone should reboot, and you should have all that iOS 6 goodness. Why do I keep saying should? Because I’m doing it right now! I’ll let you know when mine finishes. Let me know in the comments below if you beat me.

6:24 PM EST – Done!

After the installation you’ll get the classic reboot screen, black background with a silver Apple logo, with a progress bar. The logo seemed to have a glow behind it that pulsed, which reminded me of the Palm webOS boot screen I don’t know why, but I got two progress bars. It filled up, then it emptied and filled up again. Finally, it opened to the lock screen.

After my iPhone verified the update, I got an Update Complete screen, then it asked for my Apple ID password to sign me into FaceTime, iCloud and iMessage.

I was then asked to sign another Term and Conditions, this time for iCloud. After I tapped Agree, they asked me again, just to make sure I was certain.

Finally, it asked for my FaceTime and iMessage contact numbers and email addresses. One of the features of iOS 6 was integrating your contacts on iMessage and FaceTime so that you can be contacted on any device just by knowing one of the contacts. I verified the addresses and phone numbers.

Finally, I’m done!

Now to play with my new toy. Well, at least my old toy with a new operating system and new features. I’ll try to get a review written up by Thursday or Friday at the latest. Have fun updating to iOS 6!

The only most interesting thing announced at the Apple special announcement last week was the new Apple EarPods. Apple has redesigned the earbud headsets that have come standard with every iPod and iPhone since they were released in 2001. I picked up a pair and unboxed them for your viewing pleasure below.

The EarPods look strange, alien and futuristic when you look at them in the package, but after you try them in your ears, the design makes perfect sense. They are substantially more comfortable than the classic Apple earbuds. They don’t fit into my ears perfectly, but after all, these aren’t custom molded to my ears like a pair of Logitech Ultimate Ears. These also aren’t $170 to $1999 either! However, these were designed to comfortably fit as many people as possible, and you can tell when you put them in your ear. Instead of being a big, round globes that you have to wedge into your ears, they are an angular orbs that gently fit into the natural shape of your ear. The EarPods also have multiple sound ports instead of one large metal mesh screen. The multiple sound ports allow the airflow in your ear to occur more naturally and allow for a resonating chamber for the lower range of notes.

The ear pieces are made of hard plastic, which seems at first glance like a bad choice for something that is going to be against your skin for long periods of time. However, the plastic has a glossy smooth finish, and it rests comfortably in the ear without creating the vacuum suction that silicon in-ear headsets cause. It’s nice having something that fits snugly in my ear, but doesn’t feel like it’s going to suck my brains out. This is also helped by the airflow ports that I talked about above. I have managed to use them for around 2 hours straight before my left ear started getting a little achy. My left ear, which I suspect is smaller than my right ear, usually starts feeling achy around 20-30 minutes with most earbuds.

The sound quality of the Apple EarPods is substantially better than the traditional earbuds. If you’re a true audiophile, you’re still not going to be satisfied, so don’t throw away your Bose or your Beats headsets. For the price, however, the sound these put out is pretty incredible. I tested them on Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak, DMX’s …And Then There Was X, Owl City’s Ocean Eyes, Zac Brown Band’s You Get What You Give,  Yo-Yo Ma’s The Goat Rodeo Sessions, and Lady Antebellum’s Own The Night. The bass was much more solid than before, and the trebles aren’t quite as tinny and annoying. As always, the mid-range is where these headsets really shine, but it was more balanced than the older earbuds. On the older earbuds it felt like all you could get out of them was a solid mid-range, painful highs and shallow lows, but this was a well balanced, comfortable blend. If you turn the volume on them beyond the 14th preset volume level, or about 90%, the sound does still get a bit distorted, but not nearly as bad as most other earbuds on the market at the same price point. Also, no one should really be listening to their music that loud since that is far beyond the safe listening volume. I also listened to Tech News Today, The 404, and Deemable Tech to see how podcasts sounded. They also sounded crisp, clear and warm.

The microphone/remote has been enlarged to make it easier to use. It feels much more substantial in your fingers than before. The older version felt like two thin pieces of plastic that could snap if you clicked too hard. The new version feels like a real usable piece of equipment. It is also easier to use the controls without looking at them. Even though it is larger, it doesn’t feel any heavier, although I expect it might have added a fraction of a gram to the weight of the EarPods.

My favorite feature of the EarPods is the case. I have long desired a decent solution for carrying a pair of earbuds in my pocket since I lost my first pair of earbuds that I purchased back in 1998. They were Sony earbuds that came with a winding, hard plastic case. I always knew where my earbuds where, and they were never tangled. Sadly, Sony discontinued the higher quality version that came with the winding case, and the cheap ones were terrible. I’ve tried everything to manage my earbuds so that they don’t end up a mangled mess when I actually want to listen to a podcast or music. The case that comes with the Apple EarPods is the best compromise that I have found in the last ten years since I lost them.

The case is hard plastic, but smooth and polished with a nice, rounded rectangular shape. No surprise, it has an engraved Apple logo on the back. The cover of the case is clear plastic and the bottom is white. The cable wraps around the inside of the case and both earpieces and the microphone/remote have special places to insert them to hold them in place. Everything fits nice and securely, except when you put them in your pocket. Then they jiggle around and make a sound like you have maracas in your pocket. Another irritating thing about the EarPods is that the case is perfectly smooth along the edge that separates the case from the lid. This makes it annoyingly difficult to open. I find myself popping the case like a plastic Easter egg to get it open. I expect this will not be good for the long-term use of the case.

Final score, I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5. If you get a pair with a new iPhone or iPod, you probably won’t want to buy a third-party headset unless you are a true audiophile. If you have a pair of old ear buds and you weren’t fully satisfied with them, but didn’t want to drop a bunch of money on an expensive headset this would be a great buy. However, the case, although I love the concept, isn’t quite perfect. The noise it makes in my pocket is irritating, and it is frustrating to open. It is a really good, first-generation design. I expect it will be refined and re-released down the road. For the price of $29.00, the Apple EarPods can’t be beat. They are available now in Apple Stores, and will be included with the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch.

Today, Ray and Tom finally took down the “NO GIRLS ALLOWED” sign as they were joined in the studio by Kristen Spencer, video game journalist and editor of CountGameula.com to talk to us about the Nintendo Wii U announcement.

Deemable Tech – Episode 14 – Cats on a Laptop

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST)
• Chrome Web Store – Google Chrome to Phone Extension
• Google Chrome to Phone – Android Apps on Google Play
• Downcast
• Podcasts by Apple
• Stitcher
• Our podcast RSS feed: http://dmbl.co/pod
• Why Mobile E-mail Signatures Can Hurt Your Business Relationships – CBSNews.com

Bumper Music

• Paul McCartney – Band On The Run (8-Bit Remix)
• The Beatles- Here Comes The Sun 8-bit

After the obligatory months and months of iPhone rumors, Apple has finally announced its latest smartphone, the iPhone 5. If you were waiting with bated breath for something new and exciting, go watch the iOS 6.0 announcement from WWDC back in June. The only really exciting features in the new iPhone 5 are the features that come with iOS 6.0, which is coming to the iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S on September 19th. In fact, I can sum up the differences between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 in under sixteen words: it’s a little bit taller, a little bit lighter, a little bit thinner, and it’s faster. That’s it. Oh, and it has a new connector that doesn’t work with any of the accessories you already have, but you’ll be able to buy an adapter. The only thing that the iPhone 5 can do that the iPhone 4S can’t do, other than showing an extra bar of icons, is take pictures while I’m shooting video. I guess that’s kinda cool.

OK, so yes, there are more things about the iPhone 5 that are different than the iPhone 4S, but not much that is going to impress the average consumer. The new 4″ screen is 1136-by-640 resolution instead of the 960-by-640 resolution of the 3.5″ that the iPhone 4 and 4S has. Since Apple kept the width of the screen the same, the new screen is now about 9mm taller than the previous iPhones. Apps that aren’t redesigned to work on the iPhone 5’s longer screen will be letterboxed, like what happens when you’re watching an HD movie on a regular definition television.

The new connector that Apple has dubbed, the Lightning connector, while making all of your existing accessories obsolete, is supposed to be more durable, and easier to use. No more trying to figure out if you are putting the cord in the right way though; the Lightning connector is reversable. A $29 adapter to make the iPhone 5 compatible with devices designed to work with the older 30 pin iPod connector is supposed to be coming soon, however the adapter does not support video out.

The iPhone 5 will be quite faster than the iPhone 4S because it has Apple’s A6 processor in it and LTE 4G data. However, because of the complexity of the different LTE 4G technologies, the iPhone 5 will not be a world phone like the iPhone 4S was. In the United States the GSM version will be supported on AT&T, and the CDMA version will be supported on Sprint and Verizon. Even with the faster processor and wireless data, the iPhone 5 is not suffering from decreased battery life. In fact, the

The rear camera on the iPhone 5 is the same as the iPhone 4S, but the front-facing is now a 1.2 MP camera that can shoot 720p video. The lens is made of sapphire crystal which is second in hardness only to diamond, which should help some iShutterbugs from scratching their iPhone’s camera lens. Also, the entire back of the iPhone 5 is no longer glass like the iPhone 4S and 4; instead, it is now mostly aluminum, with glass inlays on the top and bottom.

Apple also announced new “Earpods,” headphones that have been redesigned fit into your ear more comfortably and securely and to give better, fuller sound. The remote on the headphones has also been enlarged to make it easier to use the controls. It took 11 years, but Apple has finally fixed the problem of having a tangled mess of wires in our pockets; the Earpods come with a storage and travel case.

The pricing of the iPhone 5 remains the same as the pricing of what the iPhone 4S was: on a two-year contract the iPhone 5 costs $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, and $399 for the 64 GB. The iPhone 4S has been reduced to $99 on a two-year contract, but only comes with 16 GB, and the iPhone 4 is now $0 on a two-year contract. Preorders of the iPhone 5 begin on September 14th, and the iPhone 5 will be available in stores at 8:00 AM, September 21st.

So, in summary, if you’re in the market for a new phone, the iPhone 5 is a good phone. It has solid hardware, and it is a handsome phone. If you were hoping for something more exciting, we’re sorry to disappoint. As soon as it is available in stores we’ll put up a hands-on review with the iPhone 5.

What’s your take on the iPhone 5? How do you think it matches up with the current phones on the market and the ones that have been recently announced? Let us know in the comments down below.

I have a bad habit (or good habit depending on your perspective) of updating apps without even looking at the description. As soon as I see the badge next to the App Store, I will automatically update all apps as soon as I get on Wi-Fi. So far this hasn’t been to my detriment. I know that a rogue update or bad app could slip through, but my mild OCD just can’t handle leaving badge numbers that can be cleared. So far, the worst that has happened has been that I have overlooked awesome new updates. That is apparently what happened yesterday. This morning, I opened my iPhone to take a look at next week’s show. I opened this week’s script for Deemable Tech, and I noticed a new green button that said “Edit.” I jumped for joy! Does this mean that Google Drive finally has native editing on iOS? Yes, it does! I went back to the App Store to see what the Google Drive description of the latest update said. It reads:

What’s New in Version 1.1.0

– Edit Google documents with formatting and collaboration
– Edits to your Google documents appear to collaborators in seconds
– Richer Google presentations with animations and speaker notes
– Create a new folder or Google document
– Upload photos and videos from your device or a photo directly from your camera
– Move an item to a folder in your Drive
– Delete and remove files from your Drive
– Drive is now available in over 30 languages

Thank goodness! This has been one of my pet peeves about Google Drive ever since the app for iPhone and iPad came out. Several apps (including GoDocs and AirSharing) could already upload and download documents to Google Docs before and after Google Drive was launched. It was ridiculous that Google’s own app couldn’t do that. Nothing drove me crazier than watching the Android guys edit the show notes on their phones while I was stuck using a desktop or laptop.

Unfortunately, the update only gives iOS users the ability to create and edit documents; spreadsheets and presentations are still out in the cold. Get to work on those spreadsheets and presentations, Google! I have TPS reports due by noon! At least I can create and edit the cover sheets in Google Drive, though.

The interface is quite attractive though, and in traditional Google style is very simple and clean. Once you tap the edit button, all the formatting options are at the top. A swipe to the left shows the rest of the options that aren’t on screen. If there are more options, an extra menu temporarily appears at the top or the bottom to select your option.

All in all, the update isn’t a huge step, but it’s enough to keep me happy for a while. How much can we really complain though? Pages from Apple costs $9.99 and it doesn’t even have an easy to use web interface or collaborative tools. Although to be fair, Google Drive doesn’t have nearly as many features as Pages for iOS either. Keep up the good work, Google.

Yesterday, both Nokia and Motorola announced their latest flagship phones, the Lumia 920 and the Droid RAZR HD respectively. Both of them seem like they will be quite impressive phones when they come out. The question that wasn’t answered at either of these press conferences is, when are they being released?

Kobo did the same thing today. They beat Amazon to the punch by announcing two new e-readers and a new 7-inch Android tablet hours before Amazon’s event scheduled for later today. They didn’t provide a specific launch date for the Arc, the Android tablet, but at least they gave us prices and told us what month it was coming out.

Why is it that Apple and Amazon seem to be the only companies able to wait until a product is ready to be sold before they announce it? Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, is more excruciatingly frustrating as a consumer and a tech enthusiast than to listen to an entire announcement about an amazing product, only to be left hanging, waiting for the two most important details: when can I buy it, and how much does it cost? Does announcing a product before the company has even decided how much they are going to charge for it actually help to increase sales? I know that beating Apple out of the gate has to be good idea, but announcing a phone or tablet without a price or a launch date is like jumping the gun and then tripping and falling on your face. You’re not going to win the race, even if you are a better runner. In my humble opinion, announcing a product before it is ready to be launched screams insecurity. Your company is saying that you really don’t think you can compete head-to-head with another company’s product, so you have to announce yours first, or you’ll lose in the long run. That doesn’t make me want to buy your product. That makes me want to kick you in the shins.

I’m done.

End rant.

###

I hate to give Android fanboys fuel for the flames, but it is true that sometimes convenience makes us stupid. Don’t take me the wrong way. I love my iPhone. I love using it. I love the way it works. I’ve never had as enjoyable an experience using a mobile device as I have had since I bought my iPhone 4S. I sometimes wish it was more like webOS, but otherwise I am quite happy.

However, last night I realized that I had accepted a less than ideal situation simply because it was the most convenient at the time. Let me give you a little background. One of the first actions that I found out Siri could do was setting an alarm. Just say “Wake me up at 7 o’clock,” or “I need to get up in 6 hours, ” or “Set my alarm to go off at 7:30,” and Siri figures out why you are talking about and sets the alarm accordingly. I love this feature. There’s nothing worse than trying to fumble with menus and buttons when you really just want to crawl into bed, and I’ve found that Siri often understands my slurred, half asleep speech better than my wife does. In the 10 months I’ve had my iPhone 4S, Siri has only failed me twice, which is much better odds than I was running before.

It had started getting on my nerves that I had to set the alarm every single night, though. Also, every single night Siri would remind me, “You already have an alarm set for 7:30. I turned it on for you.” As if she had this insatiable need to complain about how she has done this every night for the past 10 months. (Quit complaining! You have no rights, machine! Get back to work!) On my previous phones, I had been able to set an alarm for every weekday. Then, all I had to do was turn it off in the morning when I woke up. It would automatically be ready for the next morning. Since I had always used Siri to set the alarm. I didn’t know that my iPhone could do the same thing.

Last night I went to bed after my wife, and I didn’t want to wake her up by talking to Siri. So, I manually set the alarm clock. I opened the Clock app, and I accidentally tapped the Edit button on the Alarm tab.

That’s when I saw the “Repeat” option.

I tapped it, and saw that I could set the alarm to repeat on specific days. I tapped Monday through Friday, then tapped “Back.”

Now, the Edit Alarm screen showed “Weekdays” next to the Repeat option. On that screen you can also choose a different sound to wake up to, turn the snooze option off (What sick person would do that?!) and change the label of the alarm.

The last option is nice if you have a specific reason for an alarm clock, like remembering to take out the trash, or if you feel like berating yourself will help you get out of bed.

Now, is it Siri’s fault that I didn’t know about these options before? No, not exactly. It was just so simple and convenient to ask her to wake me up in the morning that I never investigated further. The irony is that if I hadn’t used the simple, convenient method to set my alarm clock, I would have discovered something that would have literally saved me hours over the course of the past 10 months. Oh well.

Have you ever discovered a feature on your phone that made you feel stupid for not knowing about it before? Tell us in the comments below.

Deemable Tech – Episode Nope, no episode today. Happy Labor Day!

Well, WJCT is closed today for the Labor Day holiday, so there will be no Deemable Tech episode today. But, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be any tech news today. In fact, this week looks like it’s going to be a real doozy in the tech industry.

Nokia is teasing that everything is going to change Wednesday, September 5

While Nokia has scheduled a joint press conference with Microsoft for September 5th, we’re only expecting two Windows Phone devices right now. A new video from Nokia’s official YouTube channel hints that the company could be preparing a big announcement on September 5th. The video, which appears to be shot on a camera phone, shows a bike ride with the text “things are about to change.” An accompanying description notes the change will occur on September 5th… [Read more at Mashable]

Amazon has a big announcement Thursda, September 6

Amazon has just emailed out an invite for a press conference to be held the morning of Thursday, Sept. 6, in Santa Monica, Calif. Amazon rarely holds press conferences beyond its annual press conferences in New York to introduce new models of its Kindle Fire and Kindle line of E-Ink e-readers each fall… [Read more on The Verge]

And as the expected to be announced Apple event on September 12th draws near, the rumor mill really gets started warming up

Bloomberg says that the iPad mini will be here in October

Apple Inc. (AAPL) will use screens from AU Optronics Corp. (2409) and LG Display Co. (034220) for a smaller version of the iPad to be released in October, according to four people familiar with the plans. TPK Holding Co. (3673) and Yeh Cheng Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, will supply the lamination coating for the device that will measure 7.85 inches diagonally, said the people, who declined to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. Current iPads measure 9.7 inches… [Read more at Bloomberg]

French website nowhereelse.fr has pictures of the alleged iPhone 5

A batch of new photos of a device said to be Apple’s next-generation iPhone have shown up on French site nowhereelse.fr, and they look quite convincing. The photos show the ?iPhone 5? compared with its older brethren, the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS. The new model is longer than both and substantially thinner than the iPhone 4…[Read more at Mashable]

If that doesn’t keep you entertained until we get back next Monday, here’s a funny cat video:

Deemable Tech – Episode 12 – Fly Me 2 d Moon

The News Feed:

1. The world lost a reluctant hero, Neil Armstrong.
2. Samsung’s worst scenario happened; Apple won. Samsung was found guilty of wilful infringement of Apple’s patents.

Debunkable:

• Neil Armstrong was misquoted, or was he?
• Good luck Mr. Gorsky!

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• http://www.markpilarski.com/deal-me-in/getting-ignored-by-a-touch-screen.html
• The official NASA transcripts from the Apollo 11 mission.
• lingo2word.com/translatetxt.php
• transl8it.com/
• Text Talk: the Top Text Message Abbreviations, 2012

Bumper Music

• Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon (8-bit) by Bryan Lopez
• The Clash – I Fought The Law (8-bit NES Version)

Deemable Tech – Episode 11 – Call Me (Internationally), Maybe

The Deemable Dozen:

1. Apple’s attorney’s are on crack? 
   As the legal smack-down in California heads into its final stretch, District Court Judge Lucy Koh’s patience appears to be wearing thin. With Samsung having rested their case and Apple left with only a few hours to wind up theirs, they submitted a massive 75-page document detailing 22 separate witnesses that they supposedly intended to call. Judge Koh reportedly told Apple’s attorney, ?Unless you’re smoking crack, you know these witnesses aren’t going to be called when you have less than four hours.? Apple’s lawyer protested that he was not smoking crack, but agreed to pare down the list. The trial is expected to wind up this week, which will give everyone a brief reprieve before the inevitable appeal process begins.
2. Motorola-Google fires first shot at Apple, seeks ban of all major devices in US.
   In other tech lawsuit news, Google’s Motorola Mobility division, which Google purchased for its extensive patent portfolio, is seeking an injunction from the US International Trade Commission against just about everything Apple makes. Motorola claims that Apple has violated patents it owns regarding email notifications, location reminders, and phones that can also play video. Siri, Apple’s popular voice-recognition software, is also implicated in the lawsuit.
3. Apple rumored to be in talks with cable companies.
   The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is apparently in talks with cable companies to add cable service to their set-top box. Although AppleTV has been something of a hobbiest’s toy up until now, being able to get cable through it would definitely be a game-changer. On the other hand, after seeing what Apple did to the music and publishing industries, the cable companies probably aren’t going to roll over easily on this one.
4. HP turns Palm into Gram.
   Fans of the old Palm WebOS rejoiced last week with word that HP was forming a subsidiary called Gram to manage the now fully open-source mobile platform, which they own. But don’t get too excited guys, because HP has also created another mobility unit which will apparently work on Windows tablets. At this point HP’s strategy appears to be: ?Yes, let’s do something with mobile… stuff.? They are also rumored to have ?the cloud…”
5. Square’s flat rate.
   In a bid to court small businesses, mobile payment provider Square has announced that it will begin offering flat rates for companies that are processing less than $250k in transactions through the service. Square normally takes a 2.75% cut of each transaction, but are now offering smaller users the option to pay $275 a month. That sounds like a lot to me, but people don’t offer me their credit card numbers a lot, so what do I know?
6. Facebook’s stock fall.
   Facebook’s stock took a huge hit Friday, tumbling to $19/share, half of what it was at the company’s Initial Public Offering in May. The plunge comes a day after the expiration of a lock-down period where early investors and insiders were required to hold onto their shares. Apparently once they were free to dump them, they did. Since Facebook went public it has taken a real beating in the stock market. I wonder if Mark Zuckerberg has updated his Linked In profile recently?
7. Washington state to enable Facebook voter registration.
   Washington state is poised to allow citizens to register to vote through Facebook. Washington was the second state in the US to allow online voter registration. I suppose this is the next logical step. At least half my Facebook friends already seem to think that ?Liking? Obama or Romney is equivalent to voting for them.
8. iPhone SMS spoofing.
   ?White hat hackers? (those are the good kind) have discovered an iPhone bug that allows someone to send text messages masquerading as any phone number. ?Black hat hackers? (those are the bad kind) might be able to use this technique to impersonate friends and extract personal information from iPhone users. So play it safe: when your friend starts texting you and asking for your credit card number and SSN, don’t give it to him.
9. Adobe announces Flash for Android is dead!
   Flash is dead. Long live Flash. Adobe pulled the Flash Player from the Google Play store this week, meaning it is no longer available for download for Android devices. For nearly a decade Flash was the technology of choice for doing things like animation or streaming video on the web. Things took a turn for the worse for Adobe’s platform after Apple spurned it by refusing to allow it on iOS. Last Christmas Adobe apparently saw the writing on the wall and announced that it would begin focusing on other technologies. If you already have Flash on your Android phone or tablet, it’s not going away, but many websites and apps are already steering away from using Flash towards sleeker, more reliable mobile-friendly technologies such as HTML5.
10. eBay to officially ban ?intangible? items, such as including ?spells, curses, hexes, conjuring, magic, prayers, blessing services, magic potions, healing sessions?.
    Bad news for enterprising Hogwarts students: Ebay has updated its selling policies to ban sales of “advice, spells, curses, hexing, conjuring, magic, prayers, blessing services, magic potions, [and] healing sessions,” beginning in September. In related news, Magical Ebay has reportedly banned sales of ?useless muggle items such as cars, power-tools and digital wristwatches.? This just in: this may be the nerdiest news item we have ever reported.
11. Publishers fight over whether or not to sell DRM-free (Digital Rights Management) eBooks.
    E-books outsold traditional hard-cover books for the first time in the first quarter of this year. They are now officially Big Business. Tor, the world’s largest science fiction publishing imprint announced in April that it would release all of it’s books without any Digital Rights Management. That announcement didn’t sit well with British publisher Hatchette UK, who this week sent out a letter to its authors gently suggesting that they are not okay with having books they sell with DRM sold DRM-free in another territory. Science fiction author, Boing-Boing editor and opponent of all things DRM Cory Doctorow lashed out at Hatchette, saying ?Hachette has balls the size of Mars if it thinks it can dictate what other publishers do with titles in territories where it has no rights.?
12. Cloud gaming service ?OnLive? has been sold.
    Cloud-based gaming service ?OnLive? announced Friday morning that it had laid off all 200 or so of its employees and sold all of its assets to a new owner. OnLive later issued a press release claiming that it would continue to offer all its services, that nearly half of its employees would be hired back, and that everything was ?business as usual’. Dissolving your entire company only to re-form it hours later doesn’t sound like ?business as usual’ to us.

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• http://speedtest.net/

Bumper Music

• Violin Super Mario!!!!!
• Skrillex – Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites – Ferro Version (piano tutorial with sheet music)

This week Ray Hollister, Tom Braun, Kevin Clark, and Aaron Edelson we introduced a new segment of the show that we’re calling “The Deemable Dozen”, the top twelve tech news stories in under 12 minutes, and then talked about how Gizmodo reporter Mat Honan’s digital life was destroyed, and then we did the Two Step Verification, baby. (You’ll have to listen to understand.)

…all that and more on this episode of Deemable Tech.

Deemable Tech – Episode 10 – The Two Step Verification, Baby

The Deemable Dozen:

1. Sprint reduces iPhone 4S to $149.99 and Apple prices matches.
2. 3 guys try to buy cheap iPads off Craigslist and get robbed instead.
3. Google Nexus Q production postponed, but you’ll get it for if you already placed a pre-order.
4. Before Apple went nuclear on Samsung, Apple offered Samsung a licensing agreement: $30 for every smartphone and $40 for every tablet.
5. Google Listen is dead! Long live all the other podcast apps in Google Play!
6. Microsoft asks everyone to stop calling it Metro; call it Windows 8.
7. Square and Starbucks partnered up,  and ordered Orange Mocha Frappuccinos for everyone!
8. Everyone else in the mobile payments industry except for Square or Starbucks (including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Google, Intuit, ISIS, PayPal and several banks) joined the Mobile Payments Committee of the Electronics Transactions Association.
9. OUYA ended its Kickstarter campaign 8.65 million over their goal! Now OUYA has started accepting preorders.
10. Apollo 13 was really saved by a hippy at MIT?
11. WikiLeaks is under attack.
12. Mat Honan got hacked.

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• http://www.androidcentral.com/5-better-podcast-options-android-now-google-listen-dead
• http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/08/apple-amazon-mat-honan-hacking/all/
• http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&topic=1056283&answer=185839

Bumper Music

• Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling (8-Bit)
• The Beatles – I Am The Walrus (8-Bit Remix)

This week Ray Hollister, Tom Braun, Kevin Clark, and Aaron Edelson held the first ever  Presidential app debate, argued about Apple and Samsung arguing about patents on rectangles and sliders, and Deemable Tech got its 200th Facebook Fan!!

All that and more on this episode of Deemable Tech.

Deemable Tech – Episode 9 – The Presidential App Debate and Apple Patented the Rectangle

Today’s News Stories:

1. 0:45 – Presidential Apps
2. 9:09 – Mars Curiosity Rover Landing and the Seven Minutes of Terror
3. 13:37 – Apple vs Samsung
   

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• With Mitt on the iTunes App Store
• Obama for America on the iTunes App Store
• Mitt’s VP on the iTunes App Store
• Mitt’s VP – Android Apps on Google Play
• Gary Johnson 2012 on the Android Play Store
• Hackintosh Instructions, Hackintosh How To Guides @ Hackintosh.com
• How to Create a Portable Hackintosh on a USB Thumb Drive
• Install OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion on Your Hackintosh
• Building a Hackintosh Apple Can’t Sue You For
• No Root Screenshot It – Paid app, ROOT permissions are not required
• Screenshot – Free app, but requires ROOT on your device
• Screenshot Free – Free app, sometimes works without ROOT
• City of Jacksonville Electronic Waste (e-waste) information
• The EPA e-cycling website
• How secure is Dropbox?

Bumper Music

• Mars, the Bringer of War [8-bit]
• 8 Bit Star Trek:The Next Generation Theme

This week Ray Hollister, Tom Braun and Aaron Edelson tackle the tough questions, like “What is the cloud?,” “How do I cancel an AOL account?,” “I’ve lost my copy of 50 Shades of Grey! What do I do?,” “How do I get my money back from a crappy app?,” and “Is breaking out of jail bad?” (Seriously, someone still has an AOL account??)

All that and more on this episode of Deemable Tech.

Deemable Tech – Episode 5

Links we mentioned in this episode:

• http://myaccount.aol.com/
• How do I cancel my paid AOL account?
• How do I cancel my free AOL account?
• http://amazon.com/kindlesupport
• iClickr PowerPoint Remote for Android
• StageFlow Keynote Remote
• Presenter

Updated: 3/6/2012 2:47:08 PM PMEST

Starting at 10 AM PST, Wednesday March 7, 2012, Apple fanboys and tech news fanatics will be scouring the Internet for every scrap and morsel falling from the keyboards of the journalists attending the iPad 3 (or the iPad HD if you believe the rumors) event that Apple is holding at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Unfortunately, just like the last Apple press event, the one thing that they will most likely not find is a live video stream of the Apple iPad event.

Although Apple always posts high-definition video from the keynote events on its website afterwards, the last time that Apple live streamed an event was in 2010. A few reporters have tried to stream audio or video from the event, however they have allegedly been blacklisted by Apple’s PR folks from then on.

These sites have confirmed that they will be live blogging the Apple iPad 3 event:

• CNET
• Engadget
• Gizmodo
• Macworld
• PC Magazine
• PluggedIn
• SlashGear
• Time
• The Verge

CNET’s Buzz Out Loud and iMore will be doing live video commentary during the event on their podcasts.

These sites usually live blog Apple events, but they have not confirmed yet:

• TUAW
• ZDNet

Emily Dreyfuss, from CNET, plans on trying to sneak into the Apple event, so if all of the other sites are bogged down, that should be entertaining. Also, apparently Financial Post has worked out the kinks in their Mr Fusion powered Delorean, because they have posted tomorrow’s Apple iPad 3 live blog today! They will be covering the event tomorrow again, as well. The Motley Fool will also be live blogging the Apple iPad press conference discussing what the event means for investors.

Here are the times that the Apple event will be held in your time zones:
07:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM – Central
01:00PM – Eastern

Let us know in the comments where you are planning on hanging out for the Apple iPad 3 announcement, and if you’re reading this article outside of the United States, leave your time zone in the comments below, too.

Apple Attempts To Revolutionize Yet Another Industry: Education

TRANSCRIPT:

RAY HOLLISTER: This changes everything, again, or does it?

On Thursday, January 19th, Apple held a special press conference at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City where  Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, laid out Apple’s two-part vision for revolutionizing education. For the first part, Schiller explained the problems with textbooks.

PHIL SCHILLER: If you’re a child who has to move from class to class with 3 or 4 or 5 of these, it’s a bit cumbersome. They’re not interactive. They’re not searchable. An author can’t update the content once they’ve been handed out to the students. They’re just not the ideal, modern teaching tool.

RAY HOLLISTER: So, Schiller announced that to solve these problems Apple was…

PHIL SCHILLER: reinventing the textbook.

RAY HOLLISTER: Apple is reinventing the textbook with the introduction of two new apps: iBooks 2 and iBooks Author.

iBooks 2 brings a slew of new features to Apple’s iBooks app, including the ability to embed audio, video, and 3D models right into the book, making their otherwise fairly static electronic books highly interactive. These new textbooks are searchable, and they can have embedded glossaries that students can access just by tapping on a word. Also, Apple has added the ability to make highlights in the textbooks with just a swipe of the finger and the ability to add notes in the book just by tapping the screen. Additionally, one of the most impressive features is that using those highlights and notes, iBooks automatically creates study cards that the student can use to prepare for quizzes and tests.

iBooks Author is a new application that publishers, professors, teachers, and writers can use to create iBooks that can be submitted for free or for sale in Apple’s iBookstore. With iBooks Author anyone can create their own textbooks, cookbooks, history books, novels, non fiction,  or picture books. The software allows the user to drag and drop from Microsoft Word or Apple Pages documents, and it automatically formats the content into chapters and sections. Also, the author can easily add interactive photo galleries, videos, Keynote presentations and 3D objects using the “Multi-Touch widgets” that the software provides. Surprisingly, Apple has made this software available to everyone for free, however, it only works on Mac laptop and desktop computers.

For the second part of Apple’s vision for revolutionizing education Schiller passed the torch to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

EDDY CUE: So, I want to tell you about the second thing we’re doing for education today, and that is we’re gonna help teachers reinvent the curriculum, and to do that I’d like to talk about iTunes U.

RAY HOLLISTER: iTunes U used to just be a section of the iTunes store where video and audio podcasts of college lectures could be downloaded. Now, Apple has turned iTunes U into a stand alone own app where students can get everything they need for a class all in one place. When student “enroll” in a class on the iTunes U app on their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch they will find the syllabus and all the lectures, presentations, assignments, books and quizzes at their fingertips. Professors and teachers can make changes to the class as needed, and push notifications will go out to all the students on their iOS devices.

The elephant in the room that critics say Schiller did not realistically address in his presentation was the issue of cost. Printed high school textbooks currently tend to cost between $50 – $100, and to save money, most schools only replace them every 3 to 5 years. The high school textbooks that Apple introduced at the event were priced at $14.99. However, in order to use these textbooks effectively each student would have to have their own iPad. Starting at almost $500 a piece, issuing an iPad to each student would add a significant cost to public school district budgets that are already stretched thin from limited tax revenues.

However, at least one school here in Jacksonville is making the switch. University Christian, a private school, is going to require students to own an iPad 2 starting next school year. Students already spend about $700 a year for textbooks. So, now they’ll have a $500 iPad, plus iBooks at about $15 a piece, and the student’s overall cost ends up being about the same as before or less.

And, there’s hope on the horizon for cash strapped public school districts to join this education revolution as well. Each year, when Apple announces the latest version of devices, it almost always reduces the price of the prior year’s model at the same time. Based on Apple’s previous track record, the iPad 3 is expected to be announced in February, and at that time, it may also reduce the price of the iPad 2 to $399. This will put the “iCurriculum” at a price point that is closer to what many school districts are currently paying for textbooks which just might let Apple change everything, again.

 I’m Ray Hollister

Wondering where you can watch a live video stream of today’s Apple iPhone event. In a word, the answer is: nowhere. Even though “Let’s Talk iPhone” is being held at Apple’s headquarters (where it is safe to assume there are a plethora or computers handy), and even though there are more people interested in this event than any previous Apple keynote events, it  is not being streamed on the internet. As far as we know, no journalists will be broadcasting videos from inside the event either. So, this made me wonder, why? Did Justin.tv not have the bandwidth to handle it? Did Ustream.tv refuse to give Apple the entire frontpage of the website? Was CBS too busy at the Adobe event? Got any theories? Share them in the comments below. Also, what sites are going to be live blogging the event today? Where will you be catching your iMorsels as they drop from the keyboards of the journalists that are attending the event?