The Computer Guys & Gal

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2010-11-02/computer-guys-gal
The Computer Guys & Gal

It's the first Tuesday of the Month - and you know what that means...

They're back! The Computer Guys & Gal are here to update you on the latest from the world of technology. And to answer your questions.

Guests

John Gilroy

WAMU Computer Guy; and Director of Business Development at SolutionsDevelopers

Allison Druin

WAMU Computer Gal; Director of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab and Associate Dean for Research, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland

Bill Harlow

WAMU Computer Guy; and Hardware & Software Technician for MACs & PCs at Mid-Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

Allison's Turkey Tech Tips

We know we can count on Allison to find us the fun tech news and products for every season. Here are her two picks for Turkey Day:

  1. Eatturkey.com

How could I miss a holiday without finding a website to amuse us by? Eatturkey.com is a site with some interesting recipes: Asian-style deep-fried turkey, turkey artichoke and tomato tapas, and poached turkey Normandy. There's chef cooking demos, virtual menus, and more. But beware - it's sponsored by the National Turkey Federation (yes, they want to sell you more turkeys!)

  1. iPhone Turkey Timer

This app keeps track of your turkey's cooking progress, reminds you when it's time to baste the bird, and alerts you to take your bird out of the oven. It takes into account your turkey's weight and it sells for 99 cents (a deal, since last year it cost $2.99).

Allison's Nook Vs. Kindle Summary:

Nook Color pros:
1. It’s got color, Kindle doesn’t
2. It’s got a touchscreen, and Kindle doesn’t
3. Titles for the Nook- whatever is in Barnes and Noble (over 2xs as many titles)
4. The Nook can handle video- it’s based on Android
5. The Nook has 2 times the storage
6. Barnes and Noble LendMe option—you can lend a book to a friend for up to 14 days (at the moment—may change soon) You can only do this once per book.

So why are people still buying Kindles?

The Kindle pros:
1. The Kindle screen is much better for reading in direct sunlight (though Nook has "full lamination screen film" for reducing glare)
2. The battery life is much better for Kindle (30 days vs. 8 hours for Nook)
3. The Kindle is a smaller size and weight (almost half the weight)
4. With the international-edition Kindle you able to purchase new content and receive periodical subscription updates while outside of the US
5. Books for Kindle are priced cheaper and the device itself currently sells for $60 less than Nook
6. The Kindle has a simple web-browser and a text to speech feature

These lists are based on a few articles and my using both devices. Here’s a good article on the differences.

Items Heard on Today's Show

Mac News

  1. Office 2011 for Macs

  2. MacBook Air

  3. Are we living in a post-PC World?

iPads, Tablets, & Apple News

  1. Are iPads computers?

  2. T-Mobile Android Tablet

  3. Steve Jobs' Criticisms of Competitors

Facebook News?

  1. Facebook Announcement for Mobile

  2. Farmville Privacy Concerns

iPhones

  1. No White iPhones from Apple

Technology for People with Disabilities

  1. iPad Opens New Possibilities for Those with Disabilities

Geo-location

  1. Now Your Apps Know Where You Are

Scheduling Meetings by Poll?

  1. Doodle

  2. Voting Options in an Email Message

Comments

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chungaw wrote:

are there any upcoming competitors to the macbook air?

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 12:20pm
DawnB wrote:

When are they going to come out with a version of Microsoft Access that runs on a Mac? I'm a frustrated Mac convert who doesn't want to run windows but needs an easy database capability.

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 12:29pm
Kim Leighton wrote:

Hi Kojo

I know this is not on topic, but I wanted to drop you a note:

This is my first year living in DC when there was a general election for Congress going on across the nation. I did vote in the last Mayoral election here, but being unable to contribute my vote to the ongoing shifts on the Hill feels, well, sad and undemocratic. Are there any demonstrations going on to raise awareness of DC's status? While the rest of the nation is busy at the polls, we here in DC are put in the passive position of merely waiting for the country to speak it's mind. Today is a day to bring home to all: DC citizens have no voice, though we have plenty to say!

Thanks.

Kim

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 12:29pm
kbgrose wrote:

Rose_
What would you recommend for a MPG 3 player>
Ihave an old I pod and it's battery is not keeping a good
charge.
Can you recommend any for music and books on tape.
I do not need the most expensive model.
Can you make any recommendations.?

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 12:36pm
karen wrote:

MAC mail question:

I have the latest Mac OS, but notice that after I send a mail it shows up in my draft folder. (I check and it is in the sent folder also). Sometimes it comes back after a few hours.

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 12:38pm
dick wrote:

Can you recommend an email backup software program for use with Microsoft Outlook?

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 12:48pm
fleet8 wrote:

I missed the show but have this question which I cannot get answered by H-P: I have a Dell Inspiron running Windows 7. When I hooked up my HP Laserjet 3030 to the new computer, only 2 of the 3-in-1 features works. I cannot scan and am told that HP has not written the code for this printer to be compatible with Windows 7.

How can I find out when/if HP will correct this glitch. I need the scanner!
Thanks so much. Love the show.

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 6:09pm
The Kojo Nnamdi Show is produced by member-supported WAMU 88.5 in Washington DC.