Read Deemable Tech’s live blog from the Apple special press event discussing the announcements of the iPad Pro, new Apple TV and the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, and the new accessories, Apple Pencil and Keyboard.

Here’s Ray’s iPhone rebooting thanks to the “effective. Power” bug. Seriously, don’t be that guy.

This week Tom and Ray were left by themselves to hold down the fort. In Sean’s absence they talked about Google’s unsurprising announcement that the next version of Android will be “M” and the surprise announcement that Android is getting HBO Now… sometime later. Ray and Tom also talked about a text message that will make iPhones crash, presidential 404 pages, Jony Ive’s new promotion and, on a more serious note, Ross Ulbrich’s sentence to life in prison for his involvement in Silk Road.

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THIS WEEK’S RUN DOWN

Android to get HBO Now… later

At the Google I/O conference this week, Google VP Sundar Pichai announced that HBO Now is coming to Android devices. While a specific date has not been announced, Pichai mentioned that it would be available in time for season 2 of True Detective, which debuts on June 21st. HBO Now will be available as an app and will be compatible with the Chromecast.

Apple was believed to have a window of exclusivity with regards to the HBO Now service; it is clear that that window is now coming to a close.

Reddit User PeanutButterShutter commented, “There is a God and his name is Google.”

Apple is trying to look at things a little closer

Apple has filed a patent for a built-in telephoto camera for a possible future iPhone. Instead of adding lenses to the existing camera, the patent proposes a solution that would add an additional camera to the device. So you would have a regular camera and a telephoto camera. The telephoto camera would have a much narrower field of view, but also a much higher magnification factor.

Of course, just because Apple has filed for a patent doesn’t mean that we will ever see it come to fruition in an Apple product. Apple has an incredible amount of patents that have never seen the light of day as a real product. Apple currently has a patent for bayonet-style camera lens attachments for the iPhone and iPad, a patent for an iPhone with interchangeable lenses and even an iPhone with multiple camera sensors and beam splitters to separate the blue, red and green light spectrum.

Google announces Android M

Surprising absolutely no one, Google also announced at Google I/O that the next iteration of its Android operating system will be coming out this year and that it will be code-named ‘M’, in keeping with the alphabetical theme of previous releases. What is not known is what delicious, sugary treat ‘M’ will stand for. Android ‘K’ turned out to stand for Kit Kat and the current version of the system, ‘L’, is Lollipop. The word on the street is that ‘M’ will stand for Macadamia Nut Cookie, but we hasten to add that this is pure speculation.

Oh, you want ‘substance’ to your news reports? Fine. While previous releases have focused on upgrades to the system’s design, performance and battery life, ‘M’ promises a focus on the basics: stability and usability. Google also says that M will give users the ability to grant permissions to apps on a case-by-case basis. Interestingly, this ability was present in earlier versions of the Android OS but was intended for developer use only and was eventually disabled. iOS users have enjoyed so-called ‘granular permissions’ for years.

This is one case where we are glad to see Google taking a page from Apple’s playbook.

Jony Ive becomes Apple Chief Design Officer.

Jony Ive is stepping down? or is it stepping up? Let’s call it stepping away from ? the day to day routine at Apple. Jony Ive as you may know has been the Senior Vice President of Design at Apple for quite some time. Jony is the man behind most of the iconic designs that have come out of Cupertino. Jony is now the Chief Design Officer at Apple. Which is safe to assume means that he will have less to do with the day to day management. Richard Howarth is taking over as vice president of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye is the new vice president of User Interface Design, two departments that Ive was overseeing at the same time. Now Ive can focus on overseeing design, and potentially spend more time at home with the family.

Silk Road Founder Gets Life

Ross Ulbrich, founder and operator of the notorious dark net drug market The Silk Road, was sentenced this week to life in prison. Ulbricht, alias The Dread Pirate Roberts, was tried and found guilty narcotics conspiracy and other charges earlier in the year. The minimum possible sentence that he faced was twenty years, a term that he and his lawyers had pleaded for.

During the sentencing hearing the court heard several accounts of people who had become hooked on drugs or even overdosed on drugs obtained through the Silk Road. Ulbricht’s failed attempts to order hits on other members of the Silk Road community probably did not help his case either.

His life sentence comes without the possibility of parole. Barring a successful appeal, Ulbricht will die behind bars.

The text message that will reboot your iPhone

This next story sounds like it must be an urban legend, but it is not: there is a text message that, if you send it to a friend with an iPhone, may cause their phone to reboot.

OK, you are probably waiting breathlessly for us to tell you what the message is, but here is the thing, we can’t tell you, because it is gibberish: it involves a lot of special characters from other language character sets. The first two words are in English, however, and they are ‘effective. Power’. So we can call this the ‘effective. Power’ bug.

From what we are hearing, the ‘effective. Power’ bug happens when an iPhone attempts to display a shortened version of this message in the notifications. The iPhone will then reset if your phone is locked. Otherwise your phone’s screen will go black. That is the only effect, it is basically harmless. You can clear it out by asking Siri to read unread messages, and then using Siri to reply to the person that sent the offending text.

Early reports indicated that turning off text message notifications would disable the bug but some users are reporting that it still works even with notifications disabled.

While Apple is working on an iOS fix, as of this recording one has not yet been released. However, something else really interesting has happened. Tonight as we were attempting to test and verify this bug, we found that we could not send each other the message! It simply will not go through. It would appear that some carriers have wised up to this trick and may be blocking messages carrying the dangerous string of characters.

Regardless, be a cool friend and don’t spam your friends with the “effective. Power” text.

404 Candidate Not Found

As candidates throw their hats in the ring for the 2016 presidential election, The Atlantic has identified one key issue that no one has looked at: whose campaign website has the best 404 page. The 404 page is the page you see when you try to reach a page on a website that is broken or that no longer exists. The majority of the internet’s websites produce uninspired 404 pages with stock text, but a few, like Twitter’s famous ‘fail whale’, are memorable classics. If you think about it, this is exactly what America wants in its chief executive: the ability to remain cool in a crisis, maybe crack a joke or two. And being unable to find the web page you need? That is definitely a crisis. So, Ray, with your permission I thought we would visit a handful of the announced candidates’ campaign sites and 404 it up.

• Bernie Sander’s 404 page.
• Carly Fiorona’s 404 page.
• Hillary Clinton’s 404 page.
• Lindsey Graham’s 404 page.
• Marco Rubio’s 404 page.
• Mike Huckabee’s 404 page.

?

If you have a suggestion, or just have a comment for the show. Give us a call and leave us a voicemail, 1-888-972-9868 or you can send us an email to feedback at deemable dot com.

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It’s always good to make sure you have the latest version of iOS that your Apple device can run. iOS updates include bug fixes and security fixes that keep your smartphone and tablet running fresh and safe. Here’s how to update your iPhone to the latest version, iOS 8.1.3.

If you’re like us, you probably got a shiny new smartphone or tablet for the holidays. Here are our tips for keeping that device looking brand new, and few ideas for what you can do with your old one.

Protect Your New Device

An iPhone 4 in an Otterbox Impact case. Image credit: gisuser / Flickr

The first thing you should do with your new device is put a case on it. We can’t stress how important this is. It breaks our hearts to see people with gadgets that came out not even a month ago, and they’ve already broken the screen.

There are a ton of different kinds of cases out there. If you’re really concerned about protecting your device, we recommend a hefty case from companies like Otterbox, Lifeproof or Griffin. Both brands offer cases that are rated for protecting against drops from normal heights and have material to keep your screen scratch-free. Some of them even claim to be waterproof.

If you don’t want to hide your fancy new smartphone or tablet, a number of companies sell thin, clear plastic cases. These will not offer the same level of protection as an Otterbox case, but they will be better than nothing. Look around online or head to pretty much any store that sells electronics to find one that best fits your needs.

If you decide not to get a case (or even if you do), you should seriously consider buying an extended warranty for your device. For most electronics, we don’t feel like extended warranties are worth the money. However, they are a godsend for smartphones, especially if they cover accidents

Whether you get an extended warranty or not, take the time right now to figure out how long your warranty will last. A year is pretty standard for a new smartphone, but be sure to double check. It also helps to mark that date on your calendar or set a reminder. If your device starts acting funny, you can make sure to get it taken care of before that timer runs out.

With a good warranty, the device maker will often send you a new one before you mail back your old one so that you don’t have to be device-less for any longer than necessary.

What to Do With Your Old One

If you’re not planning to keep your old smartphone or tablet as a backup or for archival purposes, you should consider selling it or recycling it.

To get the best price, you’ll want to sell it on Craigslist or eBay. The downside to Craigslist is that you have to meet strangers from the internet in real-life. The downside the eBay is that you have to go to Post Office or the UPS store. You can try searching through other auctions and online for a good idea of how much your device is worth in the condition it is in.

If you have a fairly new gadget like an iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy 4, you could also check out places like Amazon and Gazelle. They will buy your phone online and pay you fast. Or you can trade in your iPhone at the Apple Store, Best Buy, Game Stop and Target. You won’t get as much selling your iPhone or Android phone to the big companies, but you’ll get rid of it fast and get your money fast. So, if convenience is what matters to you, that’s the route we would go.

If you have a smartphone that you think is too old to sell, or you just want to do something nice for others, there are a lot of charitable organizations that can make good use of your old device.

If your phone can at least still make phone calls, you can drop it off at any Verizon Wireless store and they will get it into the hands of someone who needs it. Through their program HopeLine, they collect phones and give them to victims of domestic abuse.

If your phone is completely dead, there are charities that accept electronics that can recycle them and get money to go towards their efforts. As always, make sure that you trust the charity you are giving to.

Also, many cities have e-waste recycling centers for computers and other electronics. Try looking on your city’s website to see if there is one near you.

No matter what you decide to do with your old device, you need to make sure you wipe its memory and reset it to factory default if possible. The last thing you want is for your personal information to fall into the wrong hands. Your device should have come with instructions on how to reset it. We’ve got full details on how to do it for iPhones, iPads and Android phones in this article.

In this episode of the Deemable Tech podcast, Ray and Tom answer your questions about controlling your Apple TV with your Mac, keeping your emails up-to-date across multiple devices, managing your iTunes music library and more!

If you’re looking to buy a new laptop, the guys also take a little time to discuss a few of the best laptops according to Laptop Magazine and PC Magazine.

We’re currently working on our second hour-long public radio special, and we want you to be a part of it! Leave us a voicemail with your tech question at 1-888-972-9868 to “audition” for the show!

#62 This Is How Deemable Tech Does It

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Laptop Magazine’s Best Laptop Guide
• PC Magazine’s Laptop Guide

Q: My son recently gave his mother an iPad as a birthday gift. He bought it earlier this year, but he decided he wanted an iPad mini instead. What’s the best way to delete all of his data and accounts on the iPad, and get him moved over to the iPad Mini without losing all of his emails, contacts, music and apps?

Image Credit: Ben Miller / Flickr

A: It is really important to clear your iPad out before you give it to someone else. You don’t want to hand out your personal information when you sell or give someone your iPad or iPhone. But, it’s also good to do, even if the only reason is so that the other person has more room for their own stuff. So, here’s what you do on your iPad to clear it out.

First, you want to back it up and sync it with his computer before you do anything to it. Backing it up saves his settings, Messages, photos in his Camera Roll, documents, saved games, and other data. Syncing his iPad saves all of his downloadable purchased content such as movies, music, podcasts, and apps.

In general, you should sync and back up any iOS device, like an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch once a day, but if you only back it up once every couple of weeks, or even once a month, it’s OK. I won’t tell on you. Just keep in mind, you could lose anything that’s on your iPad at any time since the last time you backed up and synced your iPad. So, the more often you back it up and sync it, the better.

Just plug his iPad into his computer, and you’ll be able to back it up and sync it in iTunes. Once you’re done with that you can take his iPad Mini and plug it into his computer, and restore it using the backup you just made of his old iPad. Just plug it in, and tap Restore iPad. If it asks you which backup to use, make sure to choose the most recent backup. Once iTunes is done restoring and syncing his content, he should have everything back and it should look just like his old iPad. Of course, it will look a little smaller since it is an iPad mini.

Now, the next step is to wipe the old iPad. Now, don’t take this step lightly. Once you’ve done it it cannot be undone. His iPad will be completely wiped clean, and it will look brand new like the day he bought it. Well, except for those scratches and the ding on the corner.

To wipe his iPad, open the Settings app and tap General, then tap Reset, then tap Erase All Content and Settings. The iPad will give you one warning to try to pull you to your senses. If you’re sure you want to do it, pull the trigger and tap Erase iPad. It will take a few minutes to do it’s magic, but once it’s done, it will reboot, and you’ll be greeted with the setup greeting screen, just like he was when he first got the iPad.

Sounds easy, right?

Well, it is easy, if it works. I’ll be honest, this is the one area where Apple to this day has still dropped the ball when it comes to the iPhone and iPad. If it works, it’s seamless and polished. But, a lot of times, it just doesn’t work, and it is very complicated to make sure you have all of your files from your old iOS device on your new iOS device. So, if you try it and it doesn’t work, you may want to contact a professional before you wipe the old iPad.

If you were wondering, yes, this is exactly how it works to move from an old iPhone to a new iPhone as well.

Q: My coworker lost her iPhone at work the other day. She was in a panic because she thought that someone had stolen it. Fortunately, someone turned it in later the next day. I thought I heard there was some way to find an iPhone if you lost it? Is there a way, and if so, how does it work?

A: Thanks for your question Emily, and you’re right, there is a way. Any iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) that is running iOS 4.2 or higher has a feature called “Find My iPhone”. With Find My iPhone, you can see on a map where your iPhone is, remotely lock the phone with a pin number and send a message to your iPhone that will show on the screen like, “Hey! I lost my iPhone! Call me at this other number if you find it!” You can also make an alarm go off on your iPhone that’s pretty loud, even if your ringer is on silent. And, in case you are a spy or secret agent, you can wipe your phone and delete everything on it.

To find out if you have Find My iPhone setup, open the Settings app. Then, tap on iCloud (which is right under General at the bottom of the first screen). Then, scroll down until you see the listing for Find My iPhone. Make sure that the switch is turned on.

Now, here’s the fun part. Go to iCloud.com on a computer and sign in to the website with your Apple ID. That’s the email address and password that you enter when you purchase something from iTunes or the App Store. Once the page loads, click on the Find My iPhone icon. The web page will open to a map showing a dot where your iPhone is. Click on the dot to get a menu to play a sound on your phone, put it in “lost mode”, and erase your iPhone.

You can also go to someone else’s iOS device and download the free Find My iPhone app and login with your Apple ID account and do the same thing.

So, if you actually lose your iPhone, immediately go to iCloud.com, or find a friend that has an iOS device and download the Find My iPhone app on their device. Login to the website or app, then put your iPhone in Lost Mode and lock your iPhone. Make sure to remember your pin. Do this regardless of whether you think it was actually stolen or not. A smart criminal might remember to turn off Find My iPhone, and an innocent person might not be able to figure out who you are or how to get the phone back to you.

Then, if you suspect that you just lost your phone, click “Play Sound” and send a beep to your iPhone. Hopefully, someone will notice it and return it to you. If that doesn’t work, or if you know your iPhone has been stolen, call the police and tell them where the iPhone is. Then, of course, just, let them do their job.

There’s something similar for you Android users out there. Since Android doesn’t have a baked-in feature like Find My iPhone, you’ll need to download an app called “Where’s My Droid” in Google Play that does pretty much the same thing. With the free, full version of Where’s My Droid, you can send a text message to your phone with a special activation word that will make the phone ring at full volume and provide your phone’s location. You can also go to WheresMyDroid.com and use all of the features there.

With the paid, pro version, you can also remote lock the phone, and remote wipe the device and/or the SD card.

Also, if you lose your Android and you haven’t already installed Where’s My Droid, there is a lite version that you can actually install remotely just by going to WheresMyDroid.com. That version is more limited, but you can still make the phone ring at full volume and get the GPS location of the phone.

Apple Inc. produces a lot of patents, and the media that covers tech news, loves to “read the tea leaves” to figure out how the patents might be implimented in future Apple products. Often nothing ever comes of the patents, but sometimes we are able to see a glimpse into the future by reviewing the filings of Apple at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For his prognostication on Apple’s latest filing here is Landon Robinson’s article from BestTechie.com.

Apple’s Latest Patent May Turn Your iPhone Into a “Smart Home” Universal Remote Control (via http://www.besttechie.com/)

According to a patent filed by Apple and published yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, your iPhone may soon be able to not only control the media in your home, but also your lights, window shades and garage door, to name a few. This…

Image Credit: Chris Owens / Flickr

Q: I use two desktop computers at work, and I’m starting to feel like having two keyboards and mice is taking up too much space on my desk. Is there any way I can use one keyboard and one mouse for both computers? Also, is there any app I can use to control my computer from my iPad?

A: Thanks for your question, Mike. There are a couple of methods to control two different computers from one keyboard and mouse: either with a cable or with software.

First, there is a cable called a KVM switch, which is short for “keyboard, video and mouse” switch. These let you share one mouse, keyboard and monitor between two computers. There are also KM switch cables that allow you to share just a keyboard and mouse with two computers that have two separate monitors. If you are using the two different computers at the same time, that second one might be the best option for you.

Either way, they both run between $20 and $100. The great thing about using a physical cable is that the connection is really fast, and you’ll never have any lag. The down side is that you are limited by the length of the cable. Also, you’ll need to press a button, or turn a switch, to go back and forth between the two computers.

If you want to go the software route, there are two great programs that do the same thing as a KM switch, but over your network instead of a cable. One is called ShareMouse. It is super easy to use, and isn’t too difficult to set up. However, it normally costs $30 per computer!

Another option is a program called Synergy (this is the one we prefer). It’s a tiny bit harder to set up than ShareMouse, but it starts at only $10 and it’s open-source, so there’s an entire community constantly working on it to make it better! On both programs you don’t have to press a button to switch computers – it’s as simple as sliding your mouse off the edge of one screen, and it will appear on the other screen. Also, both programs support clipboard sharing, which allows you to copy text on one computer and paste it on the other.

Both programs are relatively small ones that don’t use up a lot of resources on your computers or bandwidth on your network. One potential downside of using one of these programs is that if your network is bogged down (for example if you are running streaming video or downloading a lot), you might notice a slight lag in reaction time. Also, neither program supports sharing a monitor between the two computers.

If you are trying to do that with software, you’ll have to try Remote Desktop or a Virtual Network Computing program. That’s a little bit more complicated, and probably isn’t worth it if you have both computers in the same room.

If each computer does have its own monitor, we recommend starting out by trying Synergy. That will probably be the best solution for your problem. If that doesn’t work, then try ShareMouse or a hardware KM or KVM switch.

To answer your second question about controlling your computers from your iPad, we recommend Mobile Mouse Pro. You can get it in the App Store for $2.99 (it’s also available for the same price in Google Play for Android users). You have to install a small server app on your desktop, but once you do and open the app, your phone or tablet turns into a multitouch trackpad, remote keyboard, and music and presentation remote. If you just want to try out Mobile Mouse before you buy it, there is a free version called Mobile Mouse Lite in the App Store and Google Play.

Hopefully one of these options will help you out, Mike. Try them out, and clear off that desk!

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!

Q: I like to charge my phone overnight while I’m sleeping. It really only takes a couple hours to charge the phone, so this worries me. I have heard that charging a battery too long can shorten its lifespan. Is this true?

A: There’s a lot of contradictory advice about batteries out there. The reason for this is because there are a lot of different types of batteries, and different types require different care. A similar thing that we had heard was that if you unplugged them before they were finished charging, you would reduce their charging capacity. That was pretty worrying to us because sometimes we need to grab our phones and go, whether they’re done charging or not. Was this killing our batteries?

Fortunately, none of us needs to worry. Virtually all modern smart phones use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are designed with the understanding that you’re going to be using your phone on the go. Sometimes you’ll need to unplug it before you’re finished charging; sometimes you’ll plug in the phone for a quick top-off, and, of course, you’ll often leave it plugged in overnight. These batteries are designed for all of that.

It’s also OK to recharge your battery before it runs all the way down. In fact, for lithium-ion batteries, it’s preferable. Consider letting your battery run all the way down before charging it maybe once a month or so. This will help calibrate the battery. But most of the time you don’t need to do this.

The truth is, the major threat to your battery life is time. You see, rechargeable batteries have “charge cycles”. A charge cycle is basically going from near-empty to completely full. Every phone battery has a finite number of charge cycles. That number is very large, but eventually your phone’s battery will reach a point where its charging capacity starts getting smaller. Rechargeable batteries just don’t last forever.

Now, going back to your original question, fortunately all smart phones these days are programmed to stop charging the battery once the battery is fully charged, and from that point on, the phone runs solely off of the charger’s electricity. So, there’s no risk of it overcharging the battery when you leave it plugged in overnight. In fact, when we’re at work, we usually leave my phones plugged in at our desks. When the battery is fully charged, the battery isn’t in use at all, which should extend its lifespan.

You can also help prolong your battery’s lifespan by using fewer charge cycles. That means, of course, using less battery power. Conserve battery use by dimming your phone’s screen, turning off 3G/4G data when you have very few or no cell bars, and not playing too many games. Games, especially ones that have intense graphics (like fighting games and racing games) tend to eat up batteries like crazy.

Another thing that is bad for batteries is heat. Using your cellphone in a hot environment can run down the battery really fast. And of course your phone can heat up as well from intensive use. Try to avoid that, or at least not run apps that heat up your phone for too long. A cool phone is a happy phone.

Now, it’s important to keep in mind that we’re talking lithium-ion batteries here. Most cellphones, tablets and laptops use lithium-ion batteries, but many other devices do not, so care for them may be different.

RAY: Hi, I’m Ray Hollister,

TOM: I’m Tom Braun,

RAY: and we’re the hosts of Deemable Tech. On the show, we answer your questions about computers, tablets, mobile phones and the Internet, like this question:

TOM: Joe asks, I have a printer problem but not with how it works: it’s the cost of operation. We bought two inkjet printers for my kids to use in college.

While the printers were very cheap to purchase, they have been very expensive to operate. I am not sure which cost more – college tuition or the ink for the printers! Now that the kids have graduated, I would really like to find a printer that’s inexpensive to run and has decent print quality for occasional home use. Any ideas?

RAY: Great question, Joe.

Inkjet printers are often cheap to buy, but they are notoriously expensive to maintain. When I was working for a certain office supply company years ago, I learned that the companies that make the printers actually make their money off selling the ink.

But here’s a question for you, Joe: how much do you really need to print?

That question may sound crazy but, do you have a mobile device that could replace whatever you are using the printer for? In my house, we hardly print anything anymore because we have an iPad. You would be surprised at how much a tablet or good smartphone will replace printing stuff out.

TOM: Wow, so a good argument for buying that shiny new tablet is to save on printer costs!

RAY: Absolutely!

Remember going to MapQuest and printing out directions before you went on a trip? A device with built-in GPS can take care of that.

And, one of the main selling points for inkjets is that they are fantastic for printing out high resolution color pictures. But how often do you really need to do that? Again, that’s something that a lot of folks who own tablets and smartphones don’t need because the pictures look better on the mobile device, and if you want to show them off, most of them have a way you can show the pictures on your high def television screen.

TOM: And if you do need to print some pictures, your local print shop can probably do a much better job and do it cheaper, all things being equal.

RAY: Right.

Now, my wife really only uses our printer for couponing and the occasional form that has to printed out and signed. You don’t need a color printer for that. So, she did some research and discovered that the cheapest solution was actually a black-and-white laser printer. You can get a consumer grade laser printer for around $1-200, and the cartridges, comparably, are insanely cheap.

TOM: Really?

RAY: Yeah, they run you about $50, but they last for thousands and thousands of pages instead of the only 200-500 prints you’ll get out of most inkjet printer cartridges.

You know, the next time you go into your office Joe, take look around at the printers and see if they are inkjets or laser printers. I’ll bet you the majority are black-and-white laser printers because businesses know that these are the most cost-effective printers.

So, if you do print a lot, I would ask how often you need to print in color. And, if the answer is not often, get a black and white laser printer, because it’s gonna be your best bet for the money.

Unless you’re a photographer or you print out a lot of color pages and you really need to have control over how they print, a color inkjet printer is probably not a good investment.

But if you just need to do basic printing, I recommend getting a black-and-white laser printer. You’ll get a great cost-per-page, and it’s usually a lot faster!

TOM: That is great news Ray!

RAY: Why is that?

TOM: I finally have a legitimate excuse to go out and buy that $500 tablet I’ve been looking at!

RAY: Oh, brother.

To hear more answers to questions like this one, listen to our show at Deemable dot com, that’s D-E E-M A-B-L-E dot com. There you can listen to all of our previous episodes, and subscribe to our podcast.

TOM: If you have a question for Deemable Tech give us a call us at One Eight Eight Eight, Nine Seven Two, Nine Eight Six Eight, or you can send us an email at questions at deemable dot com.

RAY: For Deemable Tech, I’m Ray Hollister…

TOM. And I’m Tom Braun.

Alana wants to know why iMessage – a feature on Apple devices like iPhones iPads that lets you send text messages using your data plan rather than your texting plan – separates texts according to which device they were sent to or from, even though they’re all from the same person. What does she need to do to make sure all of her devices are using the same login information? The hosts of Deemable Tech, Ray Hollister and Tom Braun, help her out in this week’s Ask Deemable Tech.

RAY: Hi, I’m Ray Hollister

TOM: I’m Tom Braun,

RAY: and we’re the hosts of Deemable Tech. On the show, we answer your questions about computers, tablets, mobile phones and the Internet, like this question:

TOM: Alana sent us an email with the great title iMessage iAin’t iWorking. She asks: I thought that when iOS 6.0 came out iMessage was supposed to be synchronized between your iPad and your iPhone. I have an iPad and an iPhone, and my husband has an iPhone, but he has to send texts to either my iPad or iPhone. It doesn’t work on both. Did I read that wrong, or do I have something set up wrong?

RAY: iOS 6 did fix the problem, but it didn’t fix it automatically.

TOM: OK, first of all, for our listeners that don’t have iOS devices, iMessage is a text messaging system that works on iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. It replaces text messaging for folks using those devices. So, your iMessage texts don’t use your texting plan, but go over your data plan instead.

RAY: The problem was that you had to keep track of which device you were messaging. So, for instance, I could send a message to my wife’s iPhone or her iPad, but not to both at the same time. And to make things worse, iMessage would show the message based on who sent it, not which device sent it. So, I would have two message threads that both had my wife’s name on them. It was really frustrating, and there wasn’t anything we could do about it. The problem was that on an iPhone, you signed into iMessage with your phone number, but on the iPad and iPod touch you signed in with your email address.
Then, iOS 6 came out, and you could sign into iMessage on any device with multiple sign-ins, including additional email addresses and your phone number. So, that was supposed to fix the problem. Now, all your iMessages would appear on all of your devices. Except it didn’t “just work.” Everyone that I’ve talked to that has multiple iDevices has dealt with this.
But, fortunately, it is fairly easy to fix.

TOM: So Ray, what do they do to fix it?

RAY: If you want to sync your iDevices across iMessage, open the Settings app on all of your devices and go to Messages, and tap Send & Receive. Then, scroll down to the heading that reads “Start new conversations from:” Make sure that whatever sign-in you are using for that, it is the same sign-in across devices. If you have an iPhone, I would suggest using your iPhone’s number, but otherwise, just make sure you are using the same email address.

Also, I made the assumption that you are using the same Apple ID on both devices, but just to be safe, check and make sure that you are. The Apple ID at the top of that page must be the same on both devices. If it’s not, tap on Apple ID and Sign Out, and then sign in to the same address on both. Also, under the heading “You can be reached by iMessage at:” make sure that you have all of the same email addresses and phone numbers. If you are missing a phone number or email address on one of the devices, you need to make them match. Either delete it from the device that has it, or add it to the device that doesn’t.
Then, you should be good, Alana. Test it out.

TOM: To hear more answers to questions like Alana’s, listen to our show at Deemable dot com, that’s D-E E-M A-B-L-E dot com. There you can listen to all of our previous episodes and, of course, subscribe to our podcast.

RAY: If you have a question for Deemable Tech give us a call us at One Eight Eight Eight, Nine Seven Two, Nine Eight Six Eight, or you can send us an email at questions at deemable dot com. For Deemable Tech, I’m Ray Hollister

TOM: And, I’m Tom Braun.

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!

Today, Tom and Ray were supposed to do another short mini episode, but they got way off the rails, and ended up recording a 49 minute episode!  They had tons of fun, and answered four of your tech help questions.

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-DEEM (3336), or send us an email to questions at deemable dot com. We’ll take the best questions and answer them on the show.

Episode 24: Holiday Minisode 2: The not so “mini” episode

Today’s Questions:

• Can I manage multiple email accounts from one web app like I can do on my iPhone?
• What are the differences between Windows and Android tablets, and which would be best for me as a writer?
• Why does Flash keep crashing on Chrome?
• How can I search my clouds?

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• Top 10 Handy iOS Tweaks That Don’t Require Jailbreaking
• See the Actual Signal Strength on Your iPhone or Android
• http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-ways-simultaneously-manage-multiple-gmail-accounts/
• Searching the cloud with Cloudmagic

Many public radio shows offer podcasts of their episodes. But what is a podcast, and what does it mean to “subscribe” to one? The hosts of Deemable Tech, Ray Hollister and Tom Braun, break it down in this week’s Ask Deemable Tech.

RAY: Hi, I’m Ray Hollister,

TOM: I’m Tom Braun,

RAY: and we’re the hosts of Deemable Tech. On the show, we answer your questions about computers, tablets, mobile phones and the Internet, like this question we received from a listener:

TOM: Hey Ray & Tom,

I have a question. What is a podcast? I listen to your show all the time on the website, and you keep saying to subscribe to the podcast. I hear other public radio shows talk about getting their podcast on the web too, but what is a podcast, and how do I “subscribe” to it? Are you going to mail it to my house or drop it off next to the newspaper? Forgive me for sounding stupid, but I don’t understand.

Thanks!

Subscribe me confused

RAY: Hey Subscribe me! Thanks for your email. Ooh, this is our first anonymous writer! Well, “Subscribe me confused”, you don’t need to be anonymous if you are embarrassed for not knowing what a podcast is, and you’re certainly not stupid for not knowing that. In fact, even your hosts here didn’t know what a podcast was only a few years ago.

TOM: In fact, podcasts didn’t even exist until as recently as 2005. A podcast is simply a broadcast to your media player. The term podcast is derived from the brand name, iPod, Apple’s MP3 player, but that doesn’t really matter now. Almost any device that can play music and/or videos can receive a podcast including most MP3 players, smartphones, and tablets.

RAY: Subscribing to a podcast means that you will automatically get the latest episode of the show that you listen to without you having to do anything. It works like On Demand works on your TV. You can listen or watch the podcast when and where you want to, and because it happens automatically, you don’t have to remember to check the website to see if a new episode has been posted.

To subscribe to a podcast you need a program or app called a podcatcher; the most popular one is iTunes. To subscribe to a podcast in iTunes you can either search for the name of the podcast you are looking for like “Deemable Tech,” or you can click a special link that takes you right to the podcast in iTunes, like Deemable Tech’s iTunes link.. Then, iTunes will pull up the podcast listing and you can click “Subscribe” to have the podcast automatically downloaded to your computer or your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

TOM: If you have an Android phone or a media player that isn’t made by Apple, you can either use a program like DoubleTwist to sync your device with iTunes, or you can use a different podcatcher like Pocket Casts or Stitcher for Android or Juice for Windows, Mac or Linux. Other podcatcher apps may not have directories like iTunes does. In that case, you may need to know the RSS feed address of the show that you are looking for. Ours is http://dmbl.co/pod.

RAY: If you love listening to public radio or talk radio, you will love podcasts. Almost all of your favorite radio shows on NPR, PRI and APM and most talk radio shows have podcasts, and there are a plethora of shows, like Deemable Tech, that you might not find on your local radio station. Also, subscribing to the shows that you love helps support those shows. The more subscribers that a show has, the higher up that show will be listed in the iTunes podcast directory, which means that more listeners will find the show and start listening! So, go subscribe to Deemable Tech’s podcast, and then check out all of the other shows out there.

RAY: To hear more answers to questions like this one, listen to our show at Deemable dot com, that’s D-E E-M A-B-L-E dot com. There you can listen to all of our previous episodes and, of course, subscribe to our podcast.

TOM: If you have a question for Deemable Tech give us a call us at 1-888-972-9868, or you can send us an email at questions@deemable.com.

RAY: For Deemable Tech I’m Ray Hollister,

TOM: and I’m Tom Braun.

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.

Deemable Tech – Episode 22 – Turkey and Pie Hangover

On today’s episode Ray, Tom and Sean (for the first time on the microphone) talk about their Thanksgiving festivities and Black Friday/Black Thursday experiences. We also tell you how to transfer business cards wirelessly with the phone you already have, how to upload an audio file to YouTube, how to transfer a big file to someone else, and whether you should be keeping track of your business’ widgets in Excel or Access.

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-DEEM (3336), or send us an email to questions at deemable dot com. We’ll take the best questions and answer them on the show.

Today’s Questions:

• How do you transfer a contact from your phone to someone else’s phone by SMS?
• How can you send a file to someone if it’s too big to email it?
• Why does YouTube say the video I uploaded is too big?
• Do I need to close my iPad apps or can I leave them all running?
• How do I transfer all of my files from my old computer to my new computer?
• Should I use Excel or Access to keep track of data?
• Is it cheaper to buy a modem, or is it cheaper to rent a modem from my internet provider?
• Can I block someone on Gmail like I can on Facebook?

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• Share Contacts for Android phones.
• Abbyy’s Business Card Reader available for Android (9.99) and iPhone (4.99).
• Yolu Card on Android, iPhone and Windows Phone 7 (Free)
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Outlook.com
• How to upload audio to YouTube using Windows Movie Maker or iMovie
• YouTube.com/my_videos_upload
• Windows Easy Transfer software
• How to migrate your data from an old computer to a new one
• Gmail
• Viber
• OnDemand.WJCT.org/DT

The Blue Screen of DEATH. Truly the most frightening monster to nerds.

You probably shouldn’t even listen to this week’s episode; it’s too much for you to handle. This week’s very special Halloween episode is the creepiest, grossest and scariest episode of Deemable Tech ever! If you dare, you’ll hear all about zombie computers, how to send tweets and Facebook posts from beyond the grave, what to do with your digital estate, how to recover passwords from our departed relatives, how your cell phone is probably going to kill you, or at least make you really sick, new high-tech grave markers, and folks who chose to commit virtual (social media) suicide and others who plan on living forever and are using the Internet to try to make it happen. All that, and Ray tries his best Bela Lugosi impression, on this episode of Deemable Tech!

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.

Subscribe to the show in iTunes by clicking here.

Subscribe to the show in another podcast reader or RSS feed reader by clicking here.

Deemable Tech – Episode 19 – Death and the Digital Afterlife

Links we mentioned on today’s show:

• My Father Sent Me a Facebook Message From Beyond the Grave | The Stir
• Deleting & Memorializing Deceased Facebook Accounts
• Deleting Deceased LinkedIn Accounts
• Deleting Deceased Twitter Accounts
• Accessing Deceased Gmail Accounts
• https://www.securesafe.com/
• http://legacylocker.com/
• http://www.assetlock.net/
• KeePass – http://keepass.info/
• LastPass – http://lastpass.com/
• RoboForm – http://www.roboform.com/
• EmergencyLink – www.emergencylink.com
• Mobile phones have more germs than a toilet seat | Mail Online
• Mobile phones can cause flu, pinkeye and diarrhoea
• Why Your Cellphone Has More Bacteria Than a Toilet Seat
• Ebola Phone Theft: Man Steals From Quarantined Uganda Hospital Patient, Contracts Virus
• Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones – Scientific American
• #BaldForBieber Hoax Teaches Kids to Fact Check Before Shaving Their Heads
• Digital Legacys
• Quiring Monuments Living Headstones
• All Things Considered – QR Codes For Headstones Keep Dearly Departed Close : NPR
• Web 2.0 Suicide Machine – Meet Your Real Neighbours again!
• LifeNaut
• iTunes Store: About authorization and deauthoriation
• Call waiting not working properly : Apple Support Communities
• While on a call on iPhone 4 the call waiting : Apple Support Communities

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?

Ever since the first time I saw the Brookstone Rover App Controlled Spy Tank, I have geekily lusted for it. That was even before I owned an iPhone or iPad. After I bought my iPhone 4S I thought about getting one, but I could never bring myself to buy it because of the price tag. At $149.99, as nifty it was, I couldn’t justify it. However, when I saw it on clearance at Target for $49.98, I suddenly found that a hole had burnt right through my pocket, my money fell out, and the cashier scanned the box and took my money before I could do anything about any of it. So, ever begrudgingly, I brought it home to play with it, eh, um, *clears throat*, I mean test it for our readers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7tKMw_jWzQ

After playing with it at my apartment a little bit,  I took it in to the studio at WJCT and really put it through its paces.

http://youtu.be/04L32cIsNW4

As you can see in the video, the Brookstone Rover App Controlled Spy Tank is relatively slow, but it is a tank after all. It’s not supposed to be a race car. I assume Brookstone chose the tank design to minimize the abuse that a remote control vehicle faces. The delicate hardware inside might not be able to take as much abuse as remote off-road cars and trucks deal with.

As the title of the product blatantly states this remote control vehicle is controlled by an app, specifically an iOS app. The app works on iPhones, iPod touches and iPads. The only real difference between the iPhone and iPad version is the size of the app resolution. There are no Android, Windows Phone or Blackberry apps at this time.

The Rover is supposed to reach 200 feet unobstructed and 100 feet through walls, but I lost connection with it in my 920 sq ft apartment. So, don’t expect to use this thing in a large building or from a car parked outside.

The controls are easy enough to use, but just like any touch screen controls, it’s easy to accidentally slip off the buttons without realizing it. The G Drive accelerometer based controls work well, but only moving forward, backward, left and right. You can’t spin left or right. Also the accelerometer cannot be calibrated, so you must hold the iPhone or iPad flat to remain stationary and turn it away from you to go forward. Someone wasn’t thinking there.

The camera is surprisingly decent. It only shoots 320 x 240 but it works well in all light. The colors can be off. We found that blacks show up as blues on camera and vice-versa. The camera angle can be adjusted, but only manually. So you have to drive the spy tank back to you to adjust the camera. Whoopsie again. The infrared night vision is surprisingly awesome. Even in pitch black darkness almost the entire view screen is visible  The downside is that the Rover has two bright LEDs in the top, one blue and one orange. So, there’s no chance of it hiding unless you apply some electrical tape or open it up and disconnect the LEDs.

The Wi-Fi connection is built into the Rover. This is great because you don’t need to have a Wi-Fi network setup to use the tank, but unfortunately it means that you can’t connect to your router either. Connecting to a router could allow it to be controlled across the Internet and allow for greater range. Also, you wouldn’t have to switch Wi-Fi connections to run the Rover.

Over all, the Brookstone Rover App Controlled Spy Tank is a fun toy. I was right to wait until it went on clearance. I would have been sorely disappointed if I had spent $150 on this. However, at $49.98 it was definitely worth the price. It’s regularly available at Brookstone for $99.99. It’s worth noting that Brookstone released the Rover 2.0 recently, and from the reviews at TUAW, it looks like Brookstone has fixed all the problems with the original Rover and gave it a bunch of new features. That might make it worth the entrance fee.

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!

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.