RichC | January 16, 2016
This is probably something I should have known, but the small Apple device chargers have such small printing that I’ve never eyeballed them close enough. The are only a 1A charging device so they do not power the Raspberry Pi computers approrpriately (just in case you needed to know). Instead, you’ll need to be looking […]
RichC | September 15, 2015
I snipped a few screen shots while watching the #AppleEvent last week as Tim Cook and team unveiled the new iPhones, iPads and AppleTV. All in all the surprises were “non-surprises” so really there weren’t any shockers … not necessarily a bad thing. The normal expectation in the month of September is either upgraded iPhones […]
RichC | July 17, 2015
The Apple iOS 9 pre-release has been dangled in front of me for a little while now, but since I’ve been traveling the last couple weeks, the temptation to install while away was not all that powerful, so I decided not tempt fate. That probably a good thing since a few tech people I follow, […]
RichC | July 11, 2015
For those aviation “nuts” who flock to Oshkosh each July for Airventure, EAA has a couple smartphone apps for you. I am told (thanks Bob) that version are in both iOS and Android so both major mobile operating systems are supported. I've just download myself so am not sure how helpful it will be, although […]
RichC | April 8, 2015
The spring thunderstorms are right on time now that we’re into April and decided to give the new LIVE broadcasting app called Periscope a try. Unfortunately capturing lightning on an iPhone is not as easy as one would think. Below is a file save from the short live broadcast stream.
RichC | April 3, 2015
Ok … so you’ve done your part and registered your phone numbers with the National Do Not Call List and you’ve done your best to keep phone numbers from undesirables … BUT you’re still getting annoying calls (and text messages!) Below is the new (1) iPhone (Settings>Phone>Blocking) method to block phone numbers from your smartphone […]
RichC | March 27, 2015
I wasted a couple hours on Thursday morning while “working” (cough, cough) from home and downloaded the Periscope app for iOS on the iPhone. To the novice “tech geek,” these live broadcasting social networking apps will soon have the Internet filled with video streams. Currently I’m seeing broadcasters like CBNC’s Julia Boorstin (above) jumping on the […]
RichC | March 17, 2015
Ran across and old story about cellphones that are Doomed to be Collectables … then I wondered, “Where is my Palm Pre?” Back before the smartphone market was narrowed down to two choices — Apple or Android — there was a phone company that sold a very compelling device beloved by professionals and consumers alike. […]
RichC | March 5, 2015
This months bill should be a interesting test for our Ting cellphone service. I will eventually add billing information to this post (below). With two iPhones on our account and a little more travel this past 4 week invoice, we used a few more minutes and megabytes than usual on our phones, but no matter, […]
RichC | February 20, 2015
I made the big 99 cent plunge a couple months ago in paying for more Apple iCloud space primarily to keep data on my iPhone and iPad safely backed up (although it is easy enough to do with and iTunes Lightening to USB connected computer). What I’m finding is that using iCloud is becoming a […]
RichC | December 26, 2014
Here’s a very short Apple iCloud iOS tip from a question that came up this past weekend. The question had to do with what size files can be emailed or messaged back and forth between smartphones. A large message may be undeliverable even if it’s smaller than the iCloud Mail message maximum of 20 MB […]
RichC | December 12, 2014
IFTTT = IF This Then That Think of it as a simple programming app where there is an “action” when a “trigger” is observed. It is set up on a mobile device and works with “channels” … like Facebook, Evernote, Twitter, Email and even WordPress and it will do something when a “trigger” is observed. […]
RichC | December 5, 2014
While traveling to northeast Ohio this past week, I finally tested the “free streaming music” available from T-Mobile on my 4G/LTE connected iPad Air 2. I streamed it for an hour driving on the interstate without a hiccup and glanced at my recently reset 200MB free data “meter” (screen shot left) and didn’t show any […]
RichC | November 17, 2014
Hard to verify since Ino long using the iPad2 (now Air 2), but Apple has released an update iOS called 8.1.1. The update claims to “increase stability and performance” for those using older iPhones and iPads. This was a big complaint with the iPad 2 and will hopefully return performance to at what lease was […]
RichC | November 7, 2014
Microsoft is offering standalone versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPhone, giving users a much better productivity suite for the mobile devices. Prior to the new mobile apps, users who wanted to use Office on an iPhone had to use “Microsoft Office Mobile,” which really only allowed users to view documents and input text. […]
RichC | November 1, 2014
Slowly but sure I’m corralling my carry and travel computing gadgets and getting a handle on wasteful monthly expenses associated with keeping them connected. Those who have followed my blog from a technology perspective have probably detected my economizing while still “trying” to remain in current century computing. This year our grown children are on […]
RichC | October 29, 2014
Since moving away from Sprint and finally down to two cellphones in the family …except for a couple of spare emergency “burner” phones (grin) –one with my overseas travel SIM and the other a Samsung Galaxy S2 total free wireless plan on Freedompop. The point is that we were able to travel comfortably with our […]
RichC | October 10, 2014
Sort of a timely website find if you are an amateur meteorologist or just enjoy watching and learning about weather. Check out MeteoEarth.com or their MeteroEarth smartphone app for $2.99. (explainer video) There are some pretty powerful features and the real time software offers stunning visual views of weather happenings — like the current Typhoon […]
RichC | October 6, 2014
After a few months of talking, we finally switch two of our phones to Ting. Hopefully the service won’t change and that with only two of us on the account we’ll be able to save a few dollars. As I mentioned before, my daughter made the switch a couple months ago after her move to […]
RichC | October 2, 2014
Finished spreading the last of the topsoil – then seeded and put the straw down just as it turned dark. Hopefully we won’t have to dig up drainage pipes for a while. Now it’s time to sit back and "slow" down … (playing with the slo-mo mode on my iPhone 5s)
RichC | September 26, 2014
As a iPhone, iPad and iMac Apple customer, it is challenging to know what products to upgrade and at what time. As much as I would like an iPhone6 or 6plus, I’ve opted to stick with the current iPhone 5s (and 5) in order to save a few dollars on our cellphone plan as we […]
RichC | September 25, 2014
One can help but chuck at the excessive talk and coined term #bendgate regarding damage being hyped in the media regarding bending iPhones (there were 6 user complaints officially reported to Apple). The video below has been used around the world on news programs … who does this with their phones? Anyway, after the 23+ […]
RichC | September 19, 2014
Apple’s much anticipated iPhone6 went on sale today as folks in line finally get a chance to own a blemish and scratch free smartphone their own … and here’s what happened to Jack, the first to walk out of the Apple store in Perth, Australia with one.
RichC | September 19, 2014
Ting.com sent out an email blast update letting interested potential customers know that the new “older” iPhone 5s and 5c will be supported on September 29, 2014. I’m still weighing leaving Sprint, but they aren’t doing much to keep their long time customers in their Framily.They change their plans, promos, CEOs and marketing slogans way […]
RichC | September 18, 2014
Most of Wednesday evening was spent backing up and cleaning up … and then downloading and installing Apple’s iOS8 release on a couple iPhones and an iPad (if full iCloud functionality is desired, then prepare for Mac OSX Yosemite install). Once finished, then the app update fun began and so as a reminder to those […]
RichC | September 12, 2014
While waiting on the discount cellphone carrier Ting (my daughter’s referral) to welcome my Sprint-based iPhone 5s, I’m also weighing Sprint’s new promos (iPhone for life, etc). Since Ting is only approved as a month-to-month reseller for non-current iPhone models, switching to them requires waiting a few more days or weeks until my second-hand “s” […]
RichC | September 9, 2014
Tim Cook lead another #AppleEvent in the age of social media and I both watched and "tweeted" along with the tech interested across the country and world. The event was "as expected" in that Apple launched the new iPhone6 and 6plus … larger phones. They will be offering up their new iOS8 on September 19th […]
RichC | September 9, 2014
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RichC | September 5, 2014
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook had a rough week on Wall Street as investors seemed a bit nervous ahead of next week’s “product offensive.” The tech giant will announce their updated iPhone 6 which will at minimum have a larger screen (rumored photo right). Secretly I’m more interested in what the operation software might bring to […]
RichC | August 22, 2014
After almost two year of using several different wraps and “powered cases” for my iPhones, I whittled my picks down to three … or 4 if you consider “no-case” as an option. In fact, using the iPhone without a case makes it very small and lightweight; slipping the tiny iPhone 5 and 5s in a […]
RichC | August 9, 2014
Ok … scratch this week’s Tech Friday post on setting up the iPhone to receive Gmail as if it were “push” rather than “fetch” (the only way Apple’s email client can receive free Gmail nowadays). Unfortunately my iCloud workaround was a convoluted experiment that wasn’t elegant or simple. I’ve toyed with the idea of switching […]
RichC | August 8, 2014
I am late to the game in addressing a workaround for a newer Apple iOS devices (recently updated my iPhone 5 to a “secondhand” 5s) and the changed Google Sync services. The changes happened in 2013, but since my old devices were still working it wasn’t a big deal … now it is! Initially, iOS […]
RichC | July 31, 2014
A couple of days ago I whined about my failed or failing charging/sync cables used on phones, tablets and electronic devices. I then started searching for the replacements but was discouraged with the delayed shipping for non-branded cables from China. Then after reading about the cheap quality, I revisited Amazon decide to find out if […]
RichC | July 15, 2014
I didn’t think I spent all that much time posting comments to Twitter, but over the years it does add up. I noticed that my Volkswagen Crossblue post Monday hit the 9000 mark (below). But then it occurred to me that those tweets don’t include the automatic notifications sent out by WordPress MyDesultoryBlog.com … add […]
RichC | July 4, 2014
For those of use experimenting with free wireless plans and wondering if it is possible to have free cellphone service WITH data, Freedompop is inching closer. So far my experience has been marginal with both the limited free phone service and wireless hotspot. Usually when using data I push my 500MB per month limit and […]
RichC | June 18, 2014
Lots of odds and ends in the news this Wednesday afternoon. First the Fed is not talking inflation and will be continuing with the expected $10 billion taper. Second, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezo introduced Amazon’s newest device called the Fire Phone … looks nice, but time will tell. It’s a 4.7” screen device with a […]
RichC | June 13, 2014
It will soon be time to replace the battery in my iPhone 5, and rather than drive to the Apple store and pay them the $80 to do it, it might be worth spending a few dollars on a tool kit and a battery in order to replace it myself. Wish me luck.
RichC | June 12, 2014
It is getting easier and easier to stream a variety of content while driving from my iPhone using BT to my car radio nowadays … even in my older Mercedes 300D (to a newer radio). At one time SiriusXM was the way to get uninterrupted news and content while driving longer distances with limited Slingbox […]
RichC | May 7, 2014
Posted this to Freedompop’s forum and thought I would archive it. If you are confused about Freedompop getting into the voice and text business, check out this clear as mud article in the Motley Fool. I’ve been running the Freedompop Voice and Text app for a few days before going "full in" with the Freedompop […]
RichC | April 29, 2014
Rarely do we talk about near monopolies, government agencies or utility companies in a positive way when it comes to servicing their captive market or hostage customer … where else can we go? We shouldn’t be surprised since where there is little competition, there isn’t the same motivation to excel with customer service as when […]
RichC | April 5, 2014
Although only one of my ears is truly working as it is suppose to due to Ménière’s disease back in the late 1990s, I still enjoy “an” earbud in order to listen to music, news or the occasional phone call on my iPhone. Unfortunately the newer Apple earbuds do not fit my ears as well […]
RichC | March 26, 2014
This morning in a discussion with a friend about the new Sprint HD Voice being rolled out, I mentioned that my LTE capable iPhone5 was not connecting to the 4G Sprint towers in the area that did service my Freedompop4G LTE data access device. I’ve yet to figure out why some areas are servicing Sprint […]
RichC | March 18, 2014
In wrapping up the “work trip” (cough, cough) down to Florida … I figured the trip would not be complete without at least a walk on the beach. Sunday afternoon sunshine made a good excuse to see how the sand felt on my feet – nice (panorama with the iPhone 5 above – click for […]
RichC | February 7, 2014
With data breaches in the news recently (Obamacare website, Target, Neiman Marcus) it was just a matter of time before someone archived the list of sites and collected a list of email addresses so that users could check their own. Check your email address with haveibeenpwned.com and see if your information has potentially been compromised. […]
RichC | November 29, 2013
Every once in a while we surprise ourselves with a “duh” moment. One where our eyes are opened to something we “should have” known about. A few weeks ago while doing some electronics calculations in my Amateur Radio studies, I needed to use a scientific calculator. Using the advanced mathematical functions on any calculator is […]
RichC | November 13, 2013
Busy day back at work, but noticed some pretty impressive Sprint LTE data service driving on rural I-71 near Wilmington, Ohio (between Cincinnati and Columbus). The LTE light has been popping on once in a while lately (previous posts), but this is about the fastest ping, down and up speeds I’ve seen. As the Mazda […]
RichC | October 31, 2013
Because I’m in the midst of studying the next level of amateur radio theory and hoping to gain access to more HF Ham radio frequencies (ARRL PDF chart), a recent WSJ article regarding Sprint’s gigahertz frequencies made complete sense to me. The gist of the article is that Sprint has a “giant trove of high-frequency […]
RichC | October 28, 2013
I arrived home Monday afternoon and realized my Freedompop 4G LTE hotspot was still turned on in the car (device I use to connect my computer and iPad to the Internet while traveling). When I picked it up, the “LTE connected” light was still on and I thought, "hmm, that can’t be LTE 4G in […]
RichC | October 4, 2013
One of my favorite apps on my iPhone is the NPR podcast app and I particularly enjoy listening to the in-depth stories on my time, rather than trying to tune in when they are live or reading the stories later. I also download other podcasts using iTunes or Stitcher, but in some cases have found either […]
RichC | September 19, 2013
Evening: After struggling to download the over-the-air install of Apple’s new iOS on both iPhone and iPad (should have installed iOS7 with iTunes), the new mobile operating system is finally up and running. My first impression was my usual “oh I miss my old familiar look and feel … and I want it back.” Now […]
RichC | September 11, 2013
With all the pre-event leaks and lackluster comments from technology journalists, it is difficult for even Apple fans to get wound up about the new “same sized” iPhones. The non-surprise by Apple was reflected in a 2% decline in $AAPL shares on Wall Street and many wonder if the magic is gone? On the plus […]
RichC | August 26, 2013
Wasteful government spending is nothing new, nor is the corruption and abuse by companies and recipients siphoning off our hard earned tax dollars. What is new is a much bigger federal government and the addition of bunches of new programs and the seeming disregard for responsible oversight that comes with a “bigger government.” It is […]
RichC | August 23, 2013
As a long time Sprint customer, I’ve been waiting for the LTE service to become in order to have better data connectivity for my iPhone 5 and with a wireless MiFi hotspot. Their service has been a painfully slow rollout in Ohio, but looks like it will soon be here. More importantly, I’m looking forward […]
RichC | August 12, 2013
A few years ago Facebook rocketed to popularity as a social network for the .EDU college crowd … or .edu to be net savvy (lc). This emerging adult crowd was the envy of every high school teen and "wanna be older" pre-high student and having a Facebook account was a coming of age milestone. Parents […]
RichC | August 9, 2013
A friend of mine (thanks Tim) mentioned that it looked like Sprint was testing their LTE setup along I-75 in and around Cincinnati. I’ve been trying to remember to check it when in West Chester after hearing it was on north of the I-275 outer belt. so, while in town this we I remembered as […]
RichC | August 2, 2013
Disappointing to say the least. The latest device available from Freedompop (low cost/ free wireless hotspot) is the Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro utilizing the Sprint 3G/4G WiMaxx network which I thought might be similar to their previous 4G only devices – Photon. Unfortunately the refurbished Overdrive Pros are all that impressive from the moment one […]
RichC | July 8, 2013
I’ve recently started to follow the product launch and shopping site called The Grommet as a few of the recent product introductions are intriguing. The One Log Fire and Sun Mullet were both interesting project ideas for the do-it-yourselfer and the Lazy Bunz for … well … just being lazy in the pool or while […]
RichC | May 11, 2013
EDIT: Attempted an iPhone5 panorama photo on Saturday and assume the photo size was too larger for the limited Sprint 3G service?)
RichC | May 2, 2013
Looks like there might be LTE service at the boat? The speedy expansion of Sprint’s LTE network continues with a total of 21 cities with speeds of 6 to 8Mbps with peaks of up to 25Mbps. Here’s the list of markets where Sprint will be offering LTE service: California: Los Angeles, Contra Costa County Florida:Palm […]
RichC | April 24, 2013
The Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone … not a “must have” upgrade for Android users. It has a bigger screen, higher-resolution camera, and good battery life, but Walt Mossberg tells us that the new Samsung Galaxy S 4 is "a good phone, not a great phone, and it’s not a game-changer." MORE