How we watch TV – Now and in the future …

In my last column about remote television viewing, I described how using an Apple TV, connected to an HD TV set, content is delivered and displayed via the Internet. In the last paragraph I mentioned that another method of accessing some of the same content is with a Smart TV. What exactly is a Smart TV? According to Wikipedia, A Smart TV … is a television set or set-top box with integrated Internet and Web 2.0 features, and is an example of technological convergence between computers and television sets and set-top boxes.

 In laymen terms, a Smart TV is a regular HD television set with the added option of viewing additional content delivered over the internet through a WiFi connection. A Smart TV gives you a menu of apps (applications) that connects to various television and internet networks, although the number of networks offered are not as extensive as those available on the Apple TV. Every Smart TV brand features a different number of viewing apps, and currently Samsung is reported to offer the largest variety of apps. As with the Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast, the key ingredient to watching content through a Smart TV is the Internet connection. Without a fast, steady internet connection the system cannot work reliably. Here at Travelers Rest our only option is to subscribe to Centurylink DSL, and at a minimum you need the10 Mbps service.

 Smart TVs give you access to Netflix and Hulu Plus, which are both subscription services offering movies and television shows. We have subscribed to Netflix for many years, and while in Florida we watch it more than any other television offering. We particularly enjoy the opportunity to watch some excellent Canadian and British television series, most of which have never been shown on American TV. Both Netflix and Hulu Plus plans start at $8.00 a month, and each has a slightly different focus. Netflix is free of advertising, offers movies as well as TV shows, and award winning original programming (such as House of Cards). The only negative is that you cannot watch the current season of a TV show. Typically, shows on Netflix are one season behind their broadcast dates. Hulu offers mostly television shows, from many of the major broadcast and cable networks (including FOX, Comedy Central, FX, and the Food Network), and current season shows are typically available the day after they are first aired. However, even though Hulu Plus is a paid service, the lineup includes limited advertising. A TR resident with a reliable internet connection might find the subscribing to Netflix and Hulu Plus meets all of their television viewing needs and a manageable monthly cost.

 Of the broadcast and cable network offerings on a Smart TV (and devices such as Apple TV), few allow for free viewing. In order to access most of the content, you need to sign-in with a cable provider name, user name and password, to prove a current cable TV subscription. This allows you to view most, but not all, of your subscription package channels. This is changing with the advent of pay-as-you-go streaming services. CBS is the first major network to offer such a service. For $5.99 per month subscribers to the service, CBS ALL ACCESS, can stream past seasons of hit CBS shows on demand, with next-day access to some first-run shows. In some of the major markets CBS ALL ACCESS provides live-steaming, but unfortunately, Tampa is not one of the included markets.

 In 2015 HBO plans to offer a stand-alone on-demand subscription service, which will be the first time a premium cable network has offered a service that cuts the cable cord. Rumor has it that Showtime, owned by CBS, will not be far behind. How we receive television signals is rapidly changing, and as the computer is an integral part of this change, OnMouseClick will continue to keep TR Times readers up-to-date. Links — NETFLIX • HULU PLUS • CBS ALL ACCESS • HBO GO • SHOWTIME ANYTIME

Cable TV Alternatives …

As seasonal residents of Travelers Rest, Eddie and I regularly read the summer updates posted on the resort website. This past summer, we were dismayed to learn that, as expected, the TR cable had been replaced by an over the air antenna system. Two weeks ago, shortly after arriving at TR for the season, an antennas was installed at our house in the village. We may occasionally utilize the antenna to watch programs on the three major networks and PBS, but we sorely miss having access to CNBC, MSNBC, AMC (how does one survive without the Walking Dead?) ESPN and TNT.

By now you are probably wondering, what is the relationship of TR cable and computer technology, the major topic of the OnMouseClick columns? In this second decade of the twenty-first century, computers and computing devices are ubiquitous, and at our house we make extensive use of one such computing device connected to our television— an Apple TV. It is a small, WiFi device, a little bigger than a pack of cards, that when connected to a HDTV through an HDMI port gives access to streaming content from the internet. We purchased the Apple TV primarily to watch Netflix, the subscription streaming service that allows us to view hundreds of TV series and movies without commercial interruption.

However, Apple TV is more than just a conduit for Netflix. It also gives us access to an alternative streaming service, HULUPlus, as well as a variety of TV stations, including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ABC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, The Weather Channel, ABC News, CBS News, PBS, Lifetime, A&E, The History Channel, and more. Most of the programming is on-demand. Once a show has been aired for the first time, the episode is then available to view whenever you want. A full listing of the current Apple TV lineup can be found here.

Reading the previous paragraph, Apple TV sounds too good to be true, and, as with most things there is a catch. To view most of the content, you need to be a customer of a cable TV company, and the network you want to watch must be part of your subscription package. To watch a network on the Apple TV, you sign in with your cable company user name and password. Since we have a home up north with cable service, Apple TV allows us to watch in Florida most of what we are paying for back in N.Y.

Apple TV is not the only such device available. Other similar devices are the Roku and Chromecaste, and if you have a smart TV, you can access some of the same content directly through your TV. Naturally, all of the devices mentioned work off a WiFI signal, and you need to have a dedicated WiFi signal in your home. In our case, we have a  Centurylong DSL internet connection.
Both the Apple TV and ROKU list for $99, and the Chromecast lists for $35.

Getting from here to there …

Remember when planning a car or RV trip involved packing stacks of maps for every area along the planned route. Impromptu travel, or ventures into unfamiliar areas, often required stops at gas stations to ask for directions. How did we ever mange to travel by car before the advent of automotive GPS units?

Global positioning satellites (or GPS), were originally designed for the military. The satellites were available for public use in the early 1980s, but for security reasons the military interfered with the signals, rendering them useless for precise navigation. Ubiquitous GPS become a reality in 2000, when President Clinton signed a bill requiring the military to stop scrambling civilian GPS signals. 

We purchased our first GPS in 2005. The unit, primitive compared to the model we use today, was developed specifically for Rvers by Lowrance, makers of marine GPS devices. The voice-guided navigation was a computerized female voice we named Gertrude, and we viewed a route map on a cluttered, five-inch screen. The first Gertrude was replaced with a sleek Garmin Nuvi in 2009. It featured the same-sized screen, but made better use of the viewing area, and included real-time traffic alerts. Last December we purchased our third Gertrude, this time a Garmin Nuvi 2797 which features a seven-inch screen – easier viewing for our senior citizen eyes. 

We share a single device between our car and motor home, and we appreciate the enhanced features found in our newest Gertrude (we actually call this one Gertie). Traffic reporting is much improved, the quality of the electronic voice is more human sounding, and it responds to simple voice commands. A  smartphone links to the GPS speaker via Bluetooth, and included is a lifetime subscription for updating the installed maps. An extensive points-of-interest data-base makes navigating to all types of public places relatively simple. The accuracy of the unit is such that the voice will tell you to "turn left in 200 feet at the Shell Station," and when approaching a highway ramp the voice signals which lanes to use and the screen view is a 3-D picture including realistic looking road signs and exit lanes. For example, if their is a two lane exit, it verbally and visually shows the two lanes and demonstrates which lane you should be in for your specific route.

One thing using a GPS has not done is make our use of paper maps completely superfluous. We still carry state maps in the car and RV, and when navigating unfamiliar roads I use the maps to double check our location. More than once I have heard someone tell a story about how they relied exclusively on their GPS, and ended up at a washed out road or turned the wrong way into a one-way street. While the current system of global positioning satellites are excellent, mistakes do happen, and it is better to have a backup in place. 

I also double-check Gertrude's traffic alerts with two smartphone apps, Intrix and Waze. Both apps are available for iOS and Android, and while they can also provide turn-by-turn navigation, I use them exclusively for real-time traffic updates. Intrix's excellent road alert system includes live camera feeds and detailed information about delays. Users are encouraged to add information, and when driving past a reported accident you can send notification if a reported delay has cleared. Intrix traffic reporting is available in most major population centers of the country.

Waze, recently purchased by Google, is advertised as a "community based mapping, traffic & navigation app." The app relies on users to provide traffic information, and works best in more populated areas. While not as sophisticated as Intrix, the results are both accurate and useful. When we are driving in a heavily trafficked area, I use both apps, going back and forth to garner as much information as possible, and we have used the information to help circumvent major highway delays. One caveat to remember when using these apps is that they are data and battery hogs, constantly sending and receiving information, even when working in the background. My approach is to quit both apps immediately after checking for traffic problems. 

My navigational arsenal also includes the mapping apps on my iPhone; Maps from Apple (available only for iOS) and Google Maps. Both work equally well as voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation systems, and during our recent trip to Hawaii and California, my iPhone was our GPS. With two people in the car, a smartphone makes an excellent GPS, but it would be unadvisable to use when driving solo — looking away from the road to see the map on the small screen could prove dangerous – akin to texting-while-driving. 

For more information on the traffic alert app, visit waze.com or intrixtraffic.com. Until next week, visit onmouseclick.blogspot.com for the online version of OnMouseClick.

Keeping it Safe …

As promised last week, this week’s column is about protecting smart phones from damage, and what to do if accidental damage does occur.

Backing up data — The most important component of any computer is the stored data, and a smart phone (or tablet) is nothing more than a small computer. If your phone is lost, or stops working for any reason, a recent backup ensures that your data is safe and can be transferred to a replaced or repaired device. The operative word is recent – be sure to backup your phone on a regular basis. 

iPhones have a backup and restore feature built into the operating system. Using iTunes, the free software that runs on both Macs and PCs, you can choose to back up your device directly to your computer, or to Apple’s remote iCloud service. For detailed instructions on how to preform an iOS backup, visit www.support.app.com and search for iOS backup. 

Android smart phones are a bit more complicated to back up, as they do not come with a native backup feature. There are several backup methods that can be used, and which method you choose will vary, depending on the phone manufacturer and user preference. If your phone did not come with specific directions for making backups, I suggest a Google search for “Backing up Android Phones.” 

Protecting your phone from falls — Every phone should be enclosed in a protective case, and there are hundreds of choices in the marketplace. Most cases cover the back and sides of the phone, leaving the glass face uncovered. While the phones themselves are very durable, the glass screen can crack and shatter if dropped. As mentioned in last week’s column, a case with a bumper that wraps completely around the front edge of the phone offers the best protection. If the phone is dropped, the cushioned bumper will come in contact with the ground first, and in most cases will protect the phone from damage. If you do experience a cracked screen, one of the following may apply:

Most of the time a cracked smart phone will still work, and you can choose to keep using the phone until your are eligible for a new phone from your wireless carrier. 

Or if you purchased insurance for the phone, you will have to pay a deductible, typically between $50 and $200, to receive a new phone. Applecare, Apple’s extended warranty and insurance plan, costs $99 and can be purchased within 30 days of buying a new phone. AppleCare covers any malfunction for two years from date of purchase, including accidental damage. There is no charge for hardware malfunctions, and if the phone is damaged, it can be replaced twice during the two year period, with a cost of $79 for each occurrence. Most wireless carriers offer their own insurance, covering loss as well as damage. The coverage adds $7 to $10 a month to your wireless bill, and a replacement phone, for any reason including hardware failure, will cost between $100 and $200, depending on the carrier and phone model.

If you have an iPhone and did not purchase Applecare, Apple will replace a broken iPhone on a sliding scale, based on the iPhone model: $269 for an iPhone 5, 5s, or 5c; $199 for an iPhone 4S, and $149 for an iPhone 4.

Most computer repair shops also offer screen repair and replacement, with prices range of $150 to $200.  

Other types of damage — Water damage is another common disaster that can befall a smart phone. My daughter-in-law accidentally washed her phone in the washing machine, and it is not uncommon for smart phones to take a dip in a lake, a ride on a surfboard, or a fall into a toilet. In case of submersion, immediately remove the phone from the water and use a paper towel or microfiber cloth to dry the surface. Whatever you do, do not try to turn the phone on or press any buttons. Once the phone surface appears dry, empty a bag of rice into a large container and bury the phone in the rice for 48 to 72 hours — the longer the better. Rice draws moisture out of the phone, and with luck the phone will power on once removed from the rice. If the phone is working, be prepared for some residual problems. In my daughter-in-law's case, for several months after the incident, pictures she took looked as if they were taken through a rainy window. However, the camera lens eventually dried out and the phone is currently working normally. 

A Cautionary Tale …

This week's column is a cautionary tale of problems and mishaps that could easily happen to your smart phone (or tablet), and some advice on prevention. 

Earlier this week one of my neighbors knocked on my door to ask if I might be able to help with her smart phone, an older model iPhone 4. She had no idea how it happened, but when she turned the phone on, she was presented with a screen requiring a four-digit numeric passcode — without the code the phone remained locked and unusable. She arrived at my door after futile visits to both a Verizon store, where the phone had been purchased, and to a local Radio Shack. Both stores provided no help in resolving her dilemma. My only clue as to how this passcode lock might have occurred was that another neighbor had recently updated her iPhone operating system. I recalled that built into the newest iPhone/iPad operating system, iOS 7, is a feature that requires entering a four-digit passcode when it is first set up. The passcode can be disabled, but only after it has been entered for the first time. When asked, the neighbor did not remember entering a passcode of any kind during the install.

The only way to access the phone would be to connect it to a computer running Apple's iTunes software and preform a reset, which would wipe all data from its memory, including photographs, and return it to factory default. By connecting to iTunes you can also backup an iPhone (or iPad), and a backup can later be used to restore the device after a reset. Unfortunately in this case, the iPhone had never been backed up. 

Apple also provides all users free access to its iCloud remote storage, and when an iPhone is first set up, the user creates a unique Apple ID and password (not to be confused with the passcode). iCloud can be accessed from any computer, and photos taken with the iPhone are automatically uploaded to the iCloud. However, as my neighbor did not remember her user ID or password, and none of the possible combinations we tired worked, her photos were not retrievable on iCloud.

While we were sitting at a table on my concrete patio, I proceeded to perform an Internet search for possible answers to this dilemma. The phone was on the table between us. I reached to pick up the phone and it slipped out of my hand, landing glass first on the concrete. I wasn't initially concerned, as I have dropped my iPhone numerous times, even on concrete, and it has always been unscathed. Not this time; the front screen of the phone was covered with a series of hairline cracks. The phone was functioning, still locked, and now it was also in need of cosmetic repair. 

My neighbor finally decided that a visit to the Apple Store Genius Bar was her best option. After spending over an hour with one of the Apple technicians, she came home with her phone reset, the passcode inactivated, and an Apple ID and password for future use. She has also promised that she will backup the phone to iTunes on a regular basis. 

And my advice?

Whatever model of smart phone or tablet you use, make sure you back it up on a regular basis, because you never know what can happen. As soon as you bring it home, connect it to your computer for the first backup. 

Make sure you know your phone's user ID and password, and be sure to keep a copy in a safe location. And if the phone has a passcode (even if it is deactivated), write it down in case you need to use it sometime in the future.

As for preventing accidental breakage, when you buy a case for your mobile device, choose one with a bumper around the edges. The case on my neighbors phone did not have edge bumpers, and offered no protection in a fall. While there is no guarantee that a different case would have prevented the screen from cracking, it certainly would have provided better protection. 

In next week's column look for a review of backup procedures and advice on what can be done if you experience a cracked screen or any other accidental damage to your mobile devices. Visit onmouseclick.blogspot.com for the online version of OnMouseClick

note: while Password and Passcode have similar dictionary definitions, the word passcode is most often used when the code is solely numeric.

Going, going, gone …

We arrived home from Hawaii Thursday night, and I have to say I miss the Hawaiian weather. Perfect every day; even in the winter rainy season, the temperatures are comfortable, the rain is gentle, and the sun shines part of the day. As I said, perfect. 

Being away from home for so long made me more aware of the inherent battery drain problems on my iPhone smart phone. We used my phone as a GPS as we traveled around the island of Oahu, and earlier this week when we spent four days in San Diego, and the inevitable battery drain made me think about ways to mitigate the problem. 

No matter which type of smart phone you use, optimizing battery usage is something everyone needs. While the steps I am outlining in today's column are intended for the iPhone, they are applicable to the iPad, and most of them can also be used to optimize a Droid phone battery.

 Turn off Push Mail – When push mail is enabled, the phone is constantly checking for new mail, which is a major battery drain. To change the setting on the iPhone go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Scroll down to Fetch New Data and turn it off, then set the schedule for each individual email account to Manual. Finally scroll to the very bottom and set Fetch to Manually. With these settings the phone will only check for new email when the Mail app is opened. If you are using a Droid phone, you will have selected how often check for mail when you set up your email account. The longer the interval, the less drain on the battery.

 Limit the use of Location Services – Many apps need location services turned on in order to work, and in some cases when the service is turned on, the app is constantly accessing the web, even when the app is sleeping. To avoid possible over usage, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and scroll through your apps. Only leave Location Services on for the apps that you use all the time. For other apps you can turn the services on and off as needed. When you finish, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select System Services. You can comfortably turn off Diagnostic and Usage, Location Based Ads, Popular Near Me, and, if you don't travel out of the Eastern Time Zone, Setting Time Zone. Finally scroll to the very bottom and turn Frequent Locations off and Status Bar Icon on.

Diagnostics & Usage – the iPhone is preset to constantly send a steam of diagnostic information to Apple. To turn it off, and conserve battery use, go to Settings > General >About > Diagnostics & Usage and select Don't Send. 

 Close Out Apps – It is good practice, every couple of days for both iOS and Android devices, to close out apps that are not being used to avoid having them run in the background. In iOS 7, double tap the home button and swipe up on the running apps that appear. On Droid devices you may need to use an app that kills running apps – follow the link at the bottom of column for more information. 

 Shut Down the Phone Once-a-Week – A smart phone, or tablet, is a small computer, and when you turn it off and back on, several processes will reset and run more efficiently. For the iPhone, hold the button on the top of the iPhone for a few seconds, then slide the Power Off slider. To turn the phone back on, press and hold the same button. On a Android phone, use the power button to turn the phone on and off. 

 Turn Off Auto-Brightness – when Auto-Brightness turned on, the phone is using sensors to constantly evaluate the surrounding ambient light, which in turn uses battery power. On the iPhone, go to Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness and turn off Auto-Brightness. When you need to manually change the brightness settings, swipe-up the Command Center from the bottom of the screen (iOS 7 only) and make the necessary adjustments. On an Android phone, go to Menu > Settings >Sound and Display. Scroll down to Brightness and turn off Auto-Brightness. 

If you would like to read more about optimizing your smart phone battery usage, read www.payetteforward.com/why-does-my-iphone-battery-die-so-fast-heres-the-real-fix (iPhone) or www.payetteforward.com/why-does-my-android-battery-die-so-fast-heres-the-real-fix (Android). Until next week, visit onmouseclick.blogspot.com for the online version of OnMouseClick.

A deal to consider …

Ever wish you had better photography editing tools available on your computer? Do you feel envious when you see what can be done with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, but you have been put off by the cost? Photoshop and Lightroom provide more features than the average digital photography enthusiast will ever need, but for the few who want more, Adobe has now made having the software a whole lot easier. 

I have been using Photoshop since the mid-1980's, and Lightroom since it was released in 2006. Without either of them, my work as a digital photographer would be very arduous and less enjoyable. Most people know that Photoshop is the ultimate photo editing tool. With it you can work magic on any photograph, even creating realistic looking images that never were. Lightroom was designed for photographers, with tools for sorting, cataloging, and editing. Together, these two pieces of software give a photographer every tool they could possible need to create the ultimate digital darkroom. As I write this week's column we are nearing the end of our Hawaii visit, and by the time the TR Times is published, we will be back in Florida. Since I have been traveling with only my iPad, I am anxious to transfer the trip photos to my computer and begin working on them. 

In the past, the list price for Photoshop was over $600, with Lightroom costing another $200, not to mention the additional 18-month software upgrades costing more than $200. Beginning last spring, Adobe transitioned all of its products to a subscription only format, and after a rather bumpy start, the company designed a very attractive subscription package just for photographers. For a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 a month, with a one-year commitment, subscribers get the most recent versions of both Photoshop and Lightroom, with incremental updates available for download as soon as they are released. 

Originally available only to registered owners of previous version of Photoshop, now until March 31, anyone can take advantage of this offer. For more information on the Adobe software and the subscription program, visit creative.adobe.com/plans/offer/photoshop+lightroom. 

Another application that might be of interest to photographers who use either an iPhone and iPad is SnapPen. Available only for iOS devices, this exceedingly simple program allows you to write and/or draw directly on a photo. While there are other apps that perform the same function, SnapPen is exceedingly easy to use, and writing with a finger or stylus feels as if you are writing with a pen, a feature lacking in most writing apps. 

This is an example of a photo captioned with SnapPen.

Until next week, back on the mainland, Aloha.

Storage for the iPad …

Our visit to Hawaii has been perfect. Our granddaughters are so much fun, and have an abundance of energy. We've been spending every minute we can with them, and yesterday was the first chance I had to use the Kingston Wi-Drive (pronounced wee-drive) I wrote about in the January 24 OnMouseClick.

The drive provides portable, wireless storage for mobile devices, and is the perfect solution for an avid photographer, like me, traveling with only a tablet computer. It provides additional storage, allowing the user to free up space on mobile devices.  The Wi-Drive come in 32 and 64 gigabyte capacities, works with iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and the Kindle Fire, and creates its own wireless network. When accessed through an app installed on the mobile device, a pathway is created for photos, videos and music to transfer from the mobile device to the Wi-Drive, and from the drive to the mobile device. 

The actual wireless transfer of several hundred photos from my iPad to my 64GB Wi-Drive took only a few minutes. Before making the transfer, I looked through the photos on the iPad and deleted the ones that were not worth saving. Once the transfer was completed, I was able to go back to the iPad and delete the majority of the images to free up storage space, keeping only the photos I want as part of my iPad photo album. Once we get back to Florida I will be able to use a USB cable to transfer the photos directly to my computer for sorting and editing. 

The Wi-Drive drive is small and compact, and has a rechargeable battery that is good for up to four hours of continuous use. Included is a mini-USB to USB cable and an AC wall adapter. The drive can be charged by connecting it to a computer with the USB cable, or by plugging the cable into the AC adapter. 

Last summer I read a review of the Wi-Drive, and while I found it intriguing, I was put off by the $144.95 list price. However, I was able to purchase the 64GB drive from Amazon for a $84.99, with the 32GB model priced at $78.65. 

Aloha.

Lost connection in paradise …

I am happy to report that traveling with an iPad as my only computer is working out fine. I am able to do everything I need to do, including writing and submitting OnMouseClick to the TR Times. I've been downloading my photos to the iPad, and this weekend I plan to begin using the new, Kingston Wi-Drive storage device I wrote about in last week's column. 

We are in Wahiawa, Hawaii, at Schofield Barracks Army base on the island of Oahu. Hawaii is a paradise: beautiful scenery, perfect year-round temperatures, and our beautiful granddaughters live here. What more can anyone ask? Nothing I can think of, except maybe a stable internet connection. Our son and his family just moved into their house on Scofield Barracks, and as of our arrival date, cable had not been installed. 

When Eddie & I travel we carry a Virgin Mobile MiFi, a credit card sized device that acts as a WiFi router. It connects to a cellular data network, the same network used by cell phones, and creates a hotspot for up to five devices. Virgin Mobile uses Sprint's cellular networks, and our three-year old MiFi works on the 3G network – newer devices work with 4G and LTE networks providing faster connections. Similar devices are available from all of the major carriers, but we chose Virgin Mobile, because it does not require a contract. While most hotels and RV parks offer WiFi connections, our personal MiFi provides a safe, private connection, and as a bonus, we have  internet access while driving. 

Knowing that we might need to rely on the MiFi in Hawaii, I checked the Virgin Mobile coverage map before we left Florida. According the the Map, all of Oahu is covered by the Sprint G3 network, but reality was another matter. When the MiFi worked, which was not often, the connection was extremely slow, and would regularly drop in and out. The lack of a stable connection was harder on Eddie, because he uses the internet to handle all of our finances. For me it meant no email, Facebook, or blog posts. I couldn't keep up on the news with the New York Times and Tampa Bay Times, or keep up with the blogs I follow. We were only in Hawaii four days before the cable was connected, but having to do without a reliable internet connection was a big adjustment, and made me realize that in this inter-connected world, life becomes more difficult when you don't have internet available at the click of a mouse.  

Aloha.

A timely experiment …

Two years ago Christmas I received my first iPad from Santa. Up until then I thought that a owning tablet computer would be nice, but It wasn't a must have device. After using it for a few weeks I changed my mind, and if you've followed this column over the past two seasons, you will know how indispensable my iPad has become. While I use my computer, a MacBook Pro Retina laptop, for serious photo editing and graphic design, just about everything else I do on a computer can now be done on my iPad. Which brings me to my timely experiment. 

By the time you read this, Eddie and I will have left for a trip to Hawaii. Our son is in the Army, and has just begun a tour of duty on Oahu. We plan to spend three weeks visiting with him, his wife, and our beautiful granddaughters.  Normally, one of the items on my packing list would be my computer. I actually cannot remember a trip of more than one or two days time when I did not take my laptop . This time, however, I am actually planning to leave the laptop behind and travel with only my iPad.

With my iPad I can send and receive email, browse the internet, store PDF versions of our travel documents, and all of my recipe files (a grandmother cannot visit without doing some cooking). I also have apps (tablet and smartphone speak for applications) for reading books, word processing, using spreadsheets, keeping database records, watching Netflix and HBO, playing games, and editing photographs. My only concern is whether or not I have enough free storage on the iPad for all the photographs I plan to take in Hawaii.

As a photographer I'll be packing a Nikon DSLR, two lenses, a point and shoot Panasonic, and of course my iPhone. During the past year my photography workflow has been to download  photographs directly to the iPad using Apple’s camera connection kit. Using a specially designed app, I can then sort through my photos, selecting keepers and deleting not-so-good images, and then transfer the keepers to my laptop. I can preform all but the last of these tasks if I leave my laptop home, but what can I do about the lack of adequate storage space on the iPad? My iPad is a 64GB (gigabyte) model, and I have approximately 20GB free. It sounds like a lot, but I tend to take a lot of photographs, especially when I am around my granddaughters.

I have ordered what I hope to be a viable solution to the storage problem. It is a small, portable drive with wifi capabilities designed to work as both a standard USB flash drive and a storage device for smartphones and tablets. The drive, a Kingston Wi-Drive (pronounce wee-drive), is about the size of an iPhone and comes in 32 and 64 gigabytes sizes. I ordered the 64GB drive, which should be adequate for my needs. 

I plan to continue submitting my columns during our trip, and I will include updates on how I am managing without my laptop. I am very optimistic and the only potential problem I see is that I will have to share my iPad with my granddaughters — but being with them makes everything worthwhile.

A Clean Start …

At the start of the new year, the New York Times published and article titled Cleaning the Mobile Germ Warehouse; a topic especially relevant to my family as Eddie was sick with bad head and chest cold for the week between Christmas and New Years.  We were home in New York, and our house was probably full of nasty little germs, and some of those germs were probably hiding in our iPhones and iPads. 

According to Dr. Durbert Guerrero, and infectious disease specialist who was quoted in the article, mobile devices are actually a source of disease transmission, and the accumulation of germs on the devices can be worse that you would find on the bottom of your shoes. Dr. Guerra is the co-author of a study about the prevalence of bacteria on iPads that was published in the American Journal of Infection Control in November. 

How can we protect ourselves from this newly discover source of nasty bugs? Most manufacturers specifically warn users not to apply window cleaners or any other cleaning products. Instead, we are instructed to wipe the screens with nothing more than a dry, soft cloth. 

However, the Times article states that using a moist, microfiber cloth will eliminate many types of common bacteria, and the moisture is not harmful to electronic devices. To take the cleaning a step further, the article recommends mixing a 1:1 solution of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and distilled water in a spray bottle. Use the spray to moisten a microfiber cloth, and gently wipe down the screen and case of your mobile devices. It is perfectly safe method, as long as you do not spray the solution directly on the electronics. 

Keeping your mobile devices clean has secondary benefit, and that is of making it look like new when it comes time for a new smart phone or tablet. Most retail locations that sell smart phones and tablets offer trade-in on your old devices. There are also several online merchants that offer trade-ins for cash. In November, Eddie decided to trade in his three year old iPhone 4 for a new iPhone 5c. We visited Best Buy, and because the old phone was in excellent condition, he received $140. The iPhone 5c sells for $99, and there was enough left over to pay for a new case! Not a bad deal. Similar deals can be found at Walmart, Target, and the Apple Store. 

I recently traded a older model iPad for cash, through Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), an online company that buys Apple products. I submitted information about my iPad and received a online quote of its value. Gazelle then sent me a post-paid box for shipping, and once it was received and examined, I received payment via PayPal. You can also elect to receive a check in the mail. There are similar companies that take trades on most other brands of smart phones — a Google search for Smart Phone Trade In will produce a variety of web sites to visit.

I started writing this column the day after New Year’s, expecting to submit it for publication in the January 10 issue of TR Times. Snow was gently falling outside my kitchen window, and a full-blown blizzard was in the forecast. We had come north for Christmas, and because Eddie’s mother’s health was failing, we ended up staying longer than originally planned. Her not unexpected death last week changed our plans once again, and I put off submitting this column for another week. Tonight I will finally submit the column to my editors, and tomorrow we are driving south, leaving the frigid north behind.

The times they are a-changin' …

When Bob Dylan penned the lyrics to the song, The Times They Are A-Changin’, he wasn't thinking about technology, but the words are apropos. In kicking off the 2014 series of OnMouseClick columns, I have been thinking about how the use of technology has changed at TR since I began writing for the TR Times. In 2003 a majority of the residents had yet to buy a personal computer, and few of the computer owners used laptops. Microsoft was the dominate operating system, and only a handful of residents used Apple Macintosh computers. The term social media had yet to be coined, few computers were used for anything besides word processing and email, and landline telephones far out numbered cell phones. 

As 2014 dawns, things are quite different. Today, almost all households have at least one computer, most of which are laptops, and every year the number of Apple users grows. Tablets computing devices abound, and some residents have decided to make a tablet their primary computing device. The TR Information Directory lists many more cell phone numbers than landline phones, and I would hazard a guess that most of the cell phones are smartphones. 

What does all this mean for OnMouseClick? For one thing it makes me think that the title of this column is as out of date. If my speculations in the above paragraph are correct, then very few of us are using a mouse to control our computers, and a change of the column title is definitely an idea I will consider. Meanwhile, I am going to continue trying to help my readers navigate this brave new world of twenty-first century technology!

I was looking back at some of my past columns, and I came across something I wrote in 2005. I quoted Dr. Seymour Papert, the MIT professor and virtual father of educational computing, who coined the phrase "the computer as pencil." This idea was radical when he first proposed it over three decades ago, but his vision has since become a reality. In 1980 he wrote the following in the context of educational computing:

...Pencils are used for scribbling, as well as writing, doodling as well as drawing, for illicit notes as well as for official assignments. … I have shared a vision in which the computer would be used as casually and as personally for an even greater diversity of purposes. 

Papert, Seymour A.  Mindstorms: Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas. New York: Basic Books, 1980. Print

Computers and computing devices are ubiquitous in our daily life, and they have become the pencils of this new century. The times have truly changed, and it would be very interesting to know how computers, tablets and smartphones are being used by TR residents today. If you have a story to share, please email it to me at onmouseclick@digitalquinn.com for possible inclusion in a future column. 

Finished Products…

As a proud grandmother I love showing off photos of my two, beautiful granddaughters, but in this digital age I don't carry around an album of photos. Instead I share photos on my iPhone and iPad or upload them to my photoblog. If for some reason I want to alter these photos, I can easily edit photographs taken with my DSLR on my computer, and photos taken with my iPhone can also be easily edited directly on either the iPhone or the iPad. 

Enter the world of photo editing apps. Both iPhone and Andriod smartphones have  built-in photo album apps that allow users to adjust exposure and crop images. For a wider range of editing tools, there are numerous third-party apps from basic (exposure adjustments and cropping) to advanced (cloning, removing backgrounds, creating layers) techniques. There are probably thousands of such app for both iOS (Apple) and Android devices, and among the most popular are iPhoto (Apple only), Photoshop Express, Filterstorm, and Snapseed. 

In addition to cropping and adjusting exposure, most of the apps include features such as color correction, black and white conversion, sharpening, and red-eye correction. Another category of photo editing apps apply filters to images with one touch. An image can be transformed into sepia tone, high contrast, or made to look like an antique. Instagram, the most popular app in this category, has a companion website that boasts over thirty million users. For even more advanced editing, Photoshop Touch, for both platforms, has many of the features found in Photoshop, Adobe's flagship computer application. 

Photo editing can be done directly on a smartphone, or, as I prefer, on the larger screen of a tablet. When I take a photo with my iPhone, it is automatically saved to the built-in Photo app and simultaneously to Photo Stream, which stores the photos in Apple's, iCloud. Android images can easily be transferred between devices with Dropbox or other similar cloud storage services. 

What do I use for photo editing? My choice for quick and simple editing is either Photoshop Express or iPhoto. Both offer basic editing tools for adjusting exposure, cropping, fixing color balance, and sharpening. For more complex edits my choice is Photoshop Touch. Once I am happy with my edits I save the image back to the built in photo app, which simultaneously adds it to the Photo Stream. From there I can chose to display the image on both the iPhone and iPad, and I can upload it to Facebook or my photoblog. 

• Cnet reviews of Photo Editing Apps for Andriod
• Cnet reviews of Photo Editing Apps for iPhone & iPad

• Example of simple photo editing on my PhotoBlog
* Many of the photos on my blog were taken with the iPhone and edited on the iPad. Take a look!

Capture this…

As an avid photographer I like to have a camera with me at all times. On a "photo shoot" I use my DSLR (digital single lens reflex camera), but at all other times I carry a point and shoot in my pocket or purse. That is until last December, when I got an iPhone 5, one of the new breed of smartphones that support high quality cameras. I still use my point and shoot on occasion, but over time I find myself using the iPhone as my go-to camera for taking spontaneous photographs. 

As a side note, most smartphone cameras have a variety of high-end features in common. As I am not one of the paid technology columnist who receive demos from manufactures, I am limited to reporting first-hand on what I actually own, and on  research for competitive models. Last September CNET (reviews.cnet.com), an excellent website for all things technology, compared the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3 with the iPhone 5. The overall conclusion placed the iPhone first for overall photographic quality, followed closely HTC and Samsung. The features on all three phones include: an 8-megapixel, backlit sensor; large aperture; little or no shutter-lag and shot to shot recovery; an LED flash; HDR (high dynamic range) mode; digital zoom; and image stabilization for video recording. Both the HTC and Samsung also feature scene modes, a feature not found on the iPhone, but according to the review, one that did not make much difference in the overall quality of the photos. 

My experience is that the iPhone 5's five-element sapphire-crystal lens produces excellent photos. Taking a picture is as easy as pointing the camera at a subject and taping the screen. If the scene has uneven lighting, tap a dark area of the screen, and the light sensor will adjust the exposure for that area of the image. The camera includes a grid option which turns on a three by three grid to aid in image composition, and a digital zoom that works by placing two fingers on the screen and pulling them apart. 

The feature I use the most is HDR, or high dynamic range. With HDR photography, I can take three successive photos at different exposures – underexposed, overexposed, middle exposure – and combines them into one image that is closer to what the human eye sees. The three images are snapped in rapid sequence, and there is no noticeable shutter lag. The flash is automatically turned off when HDR is turned on, and I keep it turned on unless I am in an extremely low-light situation.

Panorama is a software-based feature that was added to the operating system update introduced with the iPhone 5. This feature, which also works on the iPhone 4S, combines together up to a 360° image when you hold the camera in portrait mode and turn slowly. The phone even tells you to slow down if you are turning too fast. While there are a variety of third-party apps available for creating panoramic images, the new, built-in feature produces excellent quality photos with the minimum of fuss. 

Finally, making videos is as easy as snapping a still photo. Simply swipe a slider from still to video and tap the screen to start recording. It is very comfortable to take video holding the phone in portrait mode, and at a 1080 pixel-resolution with built-in image stabilization, the results are excellent. In addition an added feature is the ability to snap still photos during video recording. 

I am sure by now you have noticed that I have not mentioned tablet devices. Most tablet devices, with the exception of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, feature rear-facing cameras, but my personal preference is to use my iPhone for taking picture. The image sensors on most of the tablets are of lower resolution than their companion smartphones, and I find taking photos with a tablet extremely awkward. I have also omitted discussing the front-facing cameras designed for video chatting (the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire do feature front-facing cameras). These cameras, in both smartphones and tablets, are of a lower resolution than rear cameras, but they adequately serve the purpose of live video chats. 

Using a smartphone camera is is easy and fun, but it is how the smartphone post-processes images that really demonstrate their excellent results. Next week in OnMouseClick I will write about how smartphones natively process images, and what apps you can use to make your images better. Visit my photoblog at www.digitalquinn.com/photoblog for examples of iPhone photography.

More information on the HDR mode on the iPhone & Android phones.

Hacked

Yesterday my TR neighbor, Anne, told me one of her email addresses seemed to have been hacked. Her daughter had just forwarded an email, purportedly from Anne, that contained a link to an unknown website. When Anne received the forwarded email, she knew she did not send it and she wasn't sure what to do. My advice was to immediately change her email password, but when she tried to log into her account, her password was not accepted – signaling that a hacker might have changed the password. After an extensive online session and several phone calls with her Canadian internet provider, she was able to get the password changed. 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one definition of the word hack is "…to gain access to a computer illegally." A recent article in the New York Times sited major corporations, such as Apple, Google, Intel, and even the New York Times itself, as victims of Chinese hackers. While hackers going after Fortune 500 companies are not interested in you and me, we are in the sights of spammers and spoofers, who are often one and the same. 

Spamming is the sending out of unsolicited emails for the purpose of advertising or for more nefarious reasons. If you use an email application on your computer, or you send email through a web based service, a spam filter will attempt to filter out this junk email. As these filters have gotten better at identifying spam, spammers have had to develop other methods of getting their email into your inbox. One of these methods is disguising the spam as mail coming from someone you know, and to do this they spoof, or hijack, legitimate email addresses. 

When a spoofed email is sent, it appears to be coming from a legitimate email address, often from someone you know. The  subject line might read something like "Great" or "Check this out," and the body of the email, with or without other text, will contain a link. The link might be totally unfamiliar, or it might be appear to be a link to a familiar website. Don' let that fool you, the visible appearance of a link can be very different from the webpage it really opens (an example appears in the online version of the column). 

What has really happened is that you email address, or sometimes just your name, has been captured and is put in the FROM: section of the spam email. In Anne's case her actual email account was hacked, and her address book was used. Several of these bogus emails appear to have been sent, but yet they did not appear in her Sent mailbox, as the hacker must have deleted the message before they could be traced. 

Another form of spoofing is using just a person’s name and their online address book. A few weeks ago I received an email message from a friend that did not appear to come from her. The From line showed her name, but the email address was not one with which I was familiar. Since then I have received similar messages from both my sister-in-law and my daughter-in-law. Both times the email showed the correct name attached to an unknown email address, they were addressed to me, and they included a link to a website. All three used online mail accounts:  AOL, YAHOO, and HOTMAIL, respectively. Since the address books for these services are maintained online, it is not difficult for a knowledgable hacker to get into the system and extract information without actually hacking individual accounts.

What to do? A good practice to follow is to never click on links in emails unless you are 100% sure of their origin. If you have any doubts, contact the person who sent you the email to find out if it was really sent by them. Also be very wary of unsolicited email from a business, even from one that you regularly do business with. If you think the email may really be important, visit the corporate website through your browser. Legitimate operations will never send you email asking you to enter sensitive information. Such requests are phishing schemes that direct email recipients to counterfeit websites that often resemble the real thing. 

It is not my intent to create paranoia, or make you afraid to send and receive email. Just remember that if you think your email account has been hacked, immediately change the password and contact your provider. If you receive an email that you expect is bogus, do not click on any links – your best best is to immediately delete it from your system, and empty your trash for good measure. 

Below are several links to websites that discuss email hacking and prevention. And as a final note — I followed the source of one of the bogus emails I received from my friend in New York, and it was sent from central Russia. 

Prevent Hackers from Getting into Your Email Account

How to stop your Gmail account being hacked

Five steps to prevent your email from getting hacked

What do I do when my email is being hacked?

Wikapedia — What is email hacking

Protect your email account from hackers

Let me count the ways…

The difference between an app and more traditional software is that apps are designed as specialized programs meant to do one thing quickly and easily, with the emphasis on easily. I was reminded of that this morning when Eddie gave me an article to read in the Wall Street Journal.  At the bottom of the article was a QR (abbreviation for quick response) barcode with the caption "scan this code to watch a video…"  Being curious I gave it a try. As soon as I scanned the code with ScanLife, one of the many scanning apps available for my iPhone, the whole process got me thinking about some of the simple, everyday smartphone apps that I use to simplify my life.

• QR Codes are a form of barcode designed to provide easy access to information through smartphones. QR codes appear everywhere these days: in newspapers, magazines, and on the grocery shelf. Use your phone to capture the code and you might open a video, read an expanded article, or find out more about a product. If you are out shopping, there are apps that will scan product barcodes for comparison shopping. 

• A slightly more complicated, but very useful app is Scanner Pro by Readdle. The app scans documents with the iPhone or iPad camera, and does an excellent job of making readable, reproducible copies that can be sent to a printer or saved as a jpeg or PDF file. Scanner Pro is a paid app, but the publisher just released a free version of the app, Scanner Mini. The Readdle apps are only available for Apple, but you can find out about similar Android apps here. 

• Another class of apps I regularly use are timer apps. As I write this column I am sitting on the veranda outside the Paul Ruth Room waiting for my laundry in the washer/dryer machines. To make sure I take my clothes out of the machines on time, I set a timer to let know when to go back inside. I also use timer apps when I cook.  Many of the apps let me set multiple timers at once, which is very helpful when timing a variety of dishes on the stovetop and oven. A timer is built into the iPhone Clock app, and there are a multitude of third party apps available for iOS and Android devices. 

• Weather apps are a must – everyone always wants to know about the weather. I use the iPhone's built-in weather app and The Weather Channel app for forecasts, but I really like Thermometer, a free app that only does one thing – displays the current outside temperature. It is especially useful when we are traveling and I want to find out the temperature where we are at that very moment. A free app with the same name and function, but from a different publisher, is available for android devices. 

• Keeping track of my grocery list was always a chore. How many times did I arrive at  the supermarket and forget to take my list, or I'd be out and remember something I needed, then forget to write it down when I arrived home? Since getting a smartphone I keep the list in an app, and my grocery shopping life has been easier. There are numerous grocery list apps, and the one I use is Grocery Gadget. It includes a very extensive database of grocery items, organized by categories, and as you shop you can chose to arrange list items either alphabetically or by category. There are both free and paid, ad-free versions of the app, and they are available for both Apple and Android devices. 

• Every smartphone includes an app for takings notes. In the past I kept a little note pad in my purse – and I was always looking around for something to write with. I now use the native Notes app built into my iPhone. When I want to write something down, I open the app, touch the plus sign for a new page, touch the screen for the keyboard, and begin typing. 

Twitter 101…

Before I delve into the topic for today, I want to thank everyone who came to the Macintosh Users’ Group iPad & iPhone Workshop on February 5. From the number of participants it is clear that tablets and smartphones are very popular with TR residents, and I hope everyone who attended came away with at least one question answered. A second, slightly more advanced workshop is being planned — date and time to be posted on the Computer Club bulletin board in Busch Hall. 

An attendee at the workshop mentioned that one of her friends uses a Kindle Fire, and would love to see a workshop offered on that device. My suggestion, to Kindle Fire users and users of other Android OS devices, is to find other like-minded users and form an informal users group. The best way to learn about technology is to use it, and sharing with others is a great way of expanding your knowledge.

In last week’s column I introduced Twitter, the free, social networking service that enables users to send and receive short,140 character messages, known as tweets, in real-time. Twitter is used by a wide range of people to share just about every aspect of their lives, and it is also used by many commercial enterprises and nonprofit organizations. While most of the tweets from organizations are advertising in nature, organizations also use tweets to disseminate vital information. This week I am going to cover setting up a Twitter account, using Twitter on a computer and mobile devices, and how to find helpful tweets to follow.

Creating a free Twitter account is a simple process — you can go to www.twitter.com on a computer or on a smartphone or tablet, use the official Twitter app or one of the numerous third-part alternatives available for both Apple and Android devices. After entering the usual, required information (full name, email address, etc.) you will be asked to create a username and password. The username is how you will be known on Twitter, and when you send a tweet it will be your username preceded by an at sign (@). For example, my Twitter username is @lindaslens.

Signing onto your Twitter account on either a browser or mobile app will direct you to your personal home page with a listing of your tweets. On a computer the left side of the home screen features a long list of suggested users to follow, with a search box located directly above. On mobile versions of Twitter the search icon is located at the top-left of the screen. Enter the name of a person or entity and you will be directed to their Twitter account.

A more direct method for selecting to follow a commercial organization is to visit the organization’s website. Somewhere on the home page, usually at the very bottom or very top of the page, you will see a small blue icon of a bird, or the words Follow Us on Twitter. Click and you will be linked to the company’s Twitter page, where you will see a Follow button. Click the button and you will begin receiving tweets on your home page. To stop following a user, click on the blue Following button next to the user’s name on your homepage and you will stop receiving tweets.

As I am writing this column a major snow storm is being forecast for the northeast. If I were flying home to New York over the weekend, I would immediately begin following my ticketed airline. Twitter users are usually the first to know about flight delays and cancellations and are ahead of the curve when it comes to rescheduling and rebooking.

For anyone who wants to know more about the intricacies of using Twitter, the service provides excellent help pages that can be accessed through the the drop-down menu under the gear icon on the home page. It can be accessed directly at http://support.twitter.com.

Indispensable …

I love books and I love beautiful paper. I like writing on paper, especially with a fountain pen. I like to draw with a pencil or pen, and I like creating artist's books with handmade paper. And yes, I like making handmade paper. As a young person I kept copious journals of my life, and over the years I have always kept notebooks to detail areas of both my professional and personal life. The problem, of course, is keeping track of all my notebooks of important information, a problem compounded by living in the small space of a motorhome for almost half the year. For me, using a tablet computer device has been a life saver, and using my iPhone and iPad in tandem makes it even easier.

Last week I detailed how I use Keeper to keep track of passwords, usernames, and other pertinent information. Capzule PHR is another app I use for record keeping. 

The app stores health data in separate charts for each member of the family. While its features are too numerous to cover here, the app includes sections for vitals and medical conditions, family history, current and past medications, doctor's visits, lab results, and medical procedures. Scanned lab reports and medical records can be imported, and when you enter an upcoming appointment the app will ask if you want to add the it to your Calendar app. 

I began using Capzule PHR on my iPhone before I had an iPad, and I found it very useful when filling out the paperwork that invariably comes with a visit to a doctor. I no longer had to remember dates of procedures or the strength of medication I had once taken. Now that the app is also on my iPad, it is a simple process to copy the data from one device to the other. The larger size of the iPad makes it more convenient for entering information, and the small size of the iPhone makes it easier to bring to doctor's appointments. Information on the app is available for Apple devices ($2.99) at http://capzule.com. 

While both Keeper and Capzule PHR are record keeping apps, I also use both my iPhone and iPad for note taking. Since I almost always have my iPhone with me, rather than jotting information down on scattered pieces of paper, I keep my notes in one place using Apple's built-in Notes app. 

Since the same app is a feature on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro laptop, notes are synced wirelessly between devices. 

I have also begun keeping a series of virtual notebooks on my iPad. There are many notebook apps available, and after copious research I settled on Noteshelf ($5.99, iPad only). Noteshelf is a feature rich app that let's you write directly on the iPad with your finger or a stylus. You can also enter text from the keyboard and images from photo albums. The virtual notebooks, which I keep on a variety of topics, can be organized into groups that are attractively placed on virtual shelves. Among the topics for my notebooks are notes on how-to instructions for Photoshop, settings for fine art printing, and copies of receipts (imported scanned images) pertaining to my business expenses. For more information on Noteshelf visit www.fluidtouch.biz/noteshelf.

The last app I am going to mention is Bento, a database creation app (only for Apple). I use it to create database files for maintaining records such as my most used recipes, a home inventory, an exercise log, my fine art photographic prints, camping reservations, and computer hardware and software. I could, of course, find apps that will keep track of all of these things, but I prefer to design my own records. Bento, one of the more expensive apps I use, costs $4.99 for iPhone and $9.99 for iPad. The app is also available in a computer version, and when connected to a wireless network, up to two devices can be synced with the computer. Read more at www.filemaker.com/products/bento. 

For Android devices, a Google search for  medical record keeping and database creation apps will produce a variety of choices.