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Both Paul & Glenn were in the studio today.

Noting the he and Glenn are not early adopters of technology, unless it’s free, Paul said he still has an iPhone 3GS. Glenn has an iPad 4 that’s almost 3 years old, And his iPhone 4S is showing its age — its battery runs out in less than 3 hours after a charge.

For sponsoring today’s show, Paul thanked…
The Cell Phone Repair Shop
534 Brunswick Rd. in Grass Valley
They fix cell phones and other personal electronics. They also sell used phones and pre-paid cellular.
Website: thecellphone-repairshop.com
530-278-8864

Glenn had an issue with doing a backup of his Apple devices to iCloud. His iPad has not been backing up and Paul helped him discover that he had only 1.6gig of the original 5gig of free space available on iCloud — which isn’t enough to backup his iPad. He went to iCloud and under ‘Storage’ found out how much space was available. Many people who use Apple products find they can’t upgrade their mobile operating systems without freeing up memory. And they can’t off load their data to iCloud because there’s not enough room there either.
– If you’re using Photostream, You can turn it off to conserve space. BEWARE, you can lose the photos on your device and possibly on iCloud, too.
– You can buy more space on iCloud. “It’s not that expensive”. You can get an additional 20gig for $.99/mo.
– Remain aware of what’s being backed up or that extra 20gig will fill up quickly and you’ll be looking for even more space.

Assuming most listeners are using some form of Windows, Paul admonished those using XP to avoid using Microsoft’s anti-virus program and Internet Explorer. Get a third party anti-virus. And be aware that soon there will be no more Flash updates.

Windows 7 & 8 users may have noticed a blue icon in their system tray at the bottom of the screen that offers a free copy of Windows 10. If you click on it, it allows you to reserve your copy, which when available, will be download to your computer. It’s about 2gig in size but it won’t be installed until you decide. Paul said Win7 still has a lot of life left in it and will be supported for quite a while.
<Here are some Windows 10 article links I’ve collected in the past few months. I didn’t read them all but hope someone will find them useful.
You don’t need the Windows 10 free copy icon anymore

Can I Cancel my Windows 10 Reservation and Reserve Later

How to Clean Install Windows 10 using Windows 7, 8 License

Will Windows 10 Install Automatically; or wait for Windows 10 ISO

Windows 10 Upgrade: Can I choose 32-bit or 64-bit

How long will free Windows 10 upgrades last?

Which Version of Windows 10 Will I Get
>

Apple users are allowed to turn on or off the “Find My Phone” option. When it’s on, the GPS on the device will relay to Apple the current location of the phone. <Keep in mind the issue of privacy>.

If you lose track of your device, you can go to icloud.com and sign on with your Apple ID. One of the options there is to find your device — including a Mac, Mac Book, Mac Mini, iPhone and iPad, as long as it has wireless and logs on to iCloud.

Using this service, you can cause your misplaced iPhone to emit a sound to help you locate it. You can remotely lock the phone or wipe out all of its data. The phone can be in sleep mode but must not be off to do this.

James called. He tried logging on to a government website to renew a FA Medical and kept having his password rejected. He found out that they don’t support the iPad. He had the same problem at the “My Healthy Vet” website. At this point Paul pushed the wrong button and dropped the call. James called back later, see below.

Jeff called with more details about the Win10 upgrade.
– It’s coming out on July 29 (today). You can download it immediately or choose different time.
– It’s available free for a year, after which it’s $119.
– There will not be new version numbers (Windows 11, Windows 12 etc.) — Win10 will be perpetually updated.
– Paul suggested going to a local retail store (Best Buy etc.) and having a look at it before deciding to upgrade.
– The update is irreversible. You’ll lose the Win7 or Win8 you have now. So, reserve it now and decide to update later.

James called back and said the websites he mentioned only support Firefox or Internet Explorer. He couldn’t find Firefox at the Apple app store. Paul explained that Apple restricts mobile email programs and web browsers to using Apples webkit. Where such apps are available, they only change the appearance; underneath they all use the same webkit. He added that the Apple mobiles do not support Flash.

Paul noted that Apple Macs are more expensive that other brands with the same horsepower, even in the used market. However, things are starting to change because around 2006 or 2007 Apple switched over to using an Intel CPU. Now those older machines are showing up on the used market. He’s seen a 13″ Mac Book capable of running the Yosemite OS (version 10.10) for $229 with a 90 day warranty (extended warranty is available). It comes with version 10.6 and with the software it had on it the day it was originally sold new. He found it at macofalltrades.com. With a $5 adapter from China ($49 from Apple) you can use a DVI display with it. The hardware is PC compatible and you can install Windows on it.

Paul told us about his two favorite sites for used Mac computers: powermax.com and macofalltrades.com. They sell used reconditioned Macs, not refurbished, though macofalltrades uses that word. Refurbished means the computer went back to the manufacturer to be reconditioned.

Martin called to complain about the Magsafe power adapter for the Apple products. He thought they are pretty shoddy because the cord tends to fray. At $80 each, he expects better quality. He asked for some tips to deal with the problem.
– There was a recall of some Magsafe versions.
– Paul said suggested using Shoe Goo, either preemptively or after the fraying starts.
– Martin said, handle the adapter gently — no twisting or bending. They’ll go bad without any external signs of damage.
– Paul’s seen after-market adapters that are cheaper, but their magnet is not as strong.
– There are 2 types of adapters — 65 & 85 watt. It’s ok to use the 85-watt adapter on a machine that only requires 65 watts, but not the other way around.
– Search on the internet for the ‘pigtail’ (that’s just the Magsafe piece). Then you can resolder it yourself using heat-shrink tubing.
– Paul searched the net for the words: Magsafe pigtail fix. He found, on instructables.com, instructions to fix a Magsafe connector.
– Paul cautioned those trying their own repair against the possibility of shorting out the power supply or ending up putting too much current thru the computer.
– Glenn thought that the Maker Shed might have what’s called something like Sure Goo. It’s putty that hardens after you mold it around what you’re repairing.
– Listeners were asked to mail in better suggestions.

Matt called. He’s been using Windows 10 for a few months and gave his opinion about it. He said he really likes it.
– If you’re using Windows 8 or 8.1 then definitely upgrade. It’s much easier for mouse and keyboard users. Win8 and 8.1 were designed for the touch screen and are a bit tricky to use with mouse & keyboard.
– The Start menu is back and the ‘apps’ run in their own windows. They don’t take over the whole screen, as in Win8.
– The apps you get from Microsoft (some free & some not) are checked for viruses.
– Besides ‘apps’, you can run regular Windows programs. Matt hasn’t run into compatibility problems with older programs.
– If you’re a Win7 user who is a techie type, then you’re the right person to upgrade. If not, then wait a few weeks.
– If you plan to get a new computer, wait until mid August. Intel is coming out with a new CPU called Skylake. That will cause retailers to discount existing computers.
– Best Buy and Fry’s are a good place to shop, but Microsoft has their own stores — at the Westfield Galleria, for example (off highway 65 in Roseville). They can give demos of Win10. And the PCs they sell don’t have bloatware on them (pre-installed promotional programs). Microsoft’s online store is at microsoftstore.com.

Someone called to complain about the 2.1 amp limit for charging iPads. He asked if there’s a faster way to charge. Paul said that charging at higher rate could destroy the battery.
<Here’s a droid widget to keep track of charging and usage current: CurrentWidget>

Changelog
added Win10 article links here.

Last Updated 1:53 PM 7/30/2015