This week on the eHow Tech Podcast, we talk about GPS-enabled smart shoes that tell you where to go as well as the controversial Spritz Reading App, which boasts the ability to let you read up to 1000 words per minute (about 5 times faster than average).
Dave and Nikole chat about things you can do to take control of Facebook, like clearing your search history and blocking certain kinds of sites from appearing in your news feed.
Finally, we’ve got friend of the show and tech expert Rick Broida on hand to discuss smart TVs — and talk about the brand new Roku Streaming Stick. Is it better than Chromecast? We’ve got the scoop.
Finally, Rick takes a TV-themed Geek Trivia Quiz on behalf of podcast listener Nathan Sanzone-McDowell, from Denver, Colorado. The prize: ThinkGeek Geeky Scented Candles. You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form.
This week, on the eHow Tech Podcast, Dave and Nikole chat about Apple’s new move into automobiles — Apple Car Play.
They’ve also rounded up a slew of apps you can use to track and manage your calories and nutrition. Here are the apps mentioned on the show this week:
Lose It
Restaurant Nutrition
MealSnap
Livestrong MyPlate
DietBet
GymPact
And finally, we talk about one of the oldest examples of gaming technology: The venerable pinball machine. We’ve got Gary Stern, owner of Stern Pinball on the show. Stern is the oldest remaining pinball factory in the world, and Gary talks about the history of pinball, why it’s still cool, and takes the Geek Trivia Quiz for listener Ann Lenzini.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form.
This week, Dave and Nikole talk to one of our favorite actors, Greg Grunberg. He’s appeared in Heroes, Lost, Hawaii Five-O, and Star Trek, and he talks about growing up with JJ Abrams, what it was like to whisper in Felicity, making his new film Big Ass Spider, drumming in Band From TV, and how he came to create the location-aware couponing app Yowzaa!!That's a lot of stuff, but we pack it all into one podcast.
Greg also takes the Geek Trivia Quiz and amps up the stakes by throwing a signed script from Heroes into the prize pot.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
Also in the show: We talk about gaming news -- Titanfall is the first next-gen shooter for the Xbox One, and it arrives this week. And Nikole shares her favorite apps for taking control of your chores – just in time for spring cleaning season.
Did you notice the Take Back the Internet event recently? No matter how worried you are about the NSA, hackers, and privacy, you might want to find ways to better protect yourself and your identity online. This week, we’ve got a handful of tips for enhancing your anonymity on the Interwebs.
Before we get to that, though, Dave and Nikole talk about new Apple rumors. An iPhone with a bigger screen? A new gesture-controlled Apple TV?
And this week we welcome pro skateboarder Jamie Thomas to the show. Not only did he attempt the formidable 2-story jump known as the Leap of Faith, but Jamie is a phenomenal photographer who has captured some breathtaking shots with nothing more than an iPhone. We talk about skateboarding and how to take better pictures with your iPhone.
Jamie on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamiethomas
Jamie's Leap of Faith video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdoADutGZg
Jamie also takes the Geek Trivia Quiz for Nancy Hockerman – a Society 6 gift certificate hangs in the balance.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
We’ve got Flappy Bird Fever this week – Dave and Nikole discuss the most unlikely iPhone game controversy of all time, and explain some ways you can still get your Flappy Bird fix now that it’s no longer in the App Store. Spoiler alert: Despite what you might have heard, you probably can’t buy it pre-installed on a phone on eBay.
We also discuss the Comcast/Time Warner merger and what it means for you.
The big news this week, though, is that we’ve got musician Terri Moeller on the show. Terri was the face, voice, and songwriting talent of Seattle band The Transmissionary Six, and has recently released an EP on vinyl via Kickstarter. So many questions: Why vinyl? What was it like using Kickstarter? What’s a cassingle? Listen to the interview to find out.
Terri also takes the Geek Trivia Quiz for Dean Petrelli of Aurora, CO. Does she answer three Beatles-related questions and win a set of Geeky Scented Candles for Dean? Listen to see.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
This week on the eHow Tech Podcast, Dave and Nikole tell you about burrito vending machines. They’re real, and they might be coming to your hometown. If you’d rather nom something healthier from an automated food dispensery, they’ve got the line on salad vending machines as well. Made, in fact, from actual barn wood – or, as Dave puts it, his “hipster nightmare.”
Want to experience more of your favorite TV shows? They also talk about how to get into the Second Screen craze. There are apps you can install on your phone or tablet that extend your favorite TV shows with additional details in real time, as you watch TV.
Our guests this week: Cracked.com’s Dan O’Brien and Soren Bowie. They talk about how they came to be at Cracked, what makes the site distinctively funny, and they explain in detail what’s wrong with fellow Cracked editor Michael Swaim.
Be sure to listen to them take the Geek Trivia Quiz. Spoiler alert: It kind of flies off the rails.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
The eHow Tech Podcast says "Happy Valentine's Week!" To celebrate, Dave and Nikole talk about dating apps like Tinder and How About We.
In tech news, they discuss some interesting developments in the world of wearable tech -- especially the news that Google is now offering a "Titanium Collection" of prescription frames for Google Glass.
The big news this week, though, is that we chat with Bethany Keeley-Jonker, founder and editor of the "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. We talk all about everyone's favorite site that catalogs the way people misuse quotation marks on "signs." She also takes the Geek Trivia Quiz for Dean Travers, of Austin Texas. Will Dean win the $25 gift certificate to Society 6? The only way to find out is to listen to the show.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
Valentine’s Day is coming, so Dave and Nikole talk about the oh-so-sexy merger of Google and artificial intelligence company DeepMind. They also discuss the Kickstarter campaign for Flag, a service that would let you get free prints from your iPhone photos. There’s still about a week to go, so go here to back it yourself:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1306413684/flag-the-app-that-prints-and-mails-your-photos-for
Friend of the show and CNET Cheapskate Rick Broida joins us for his monthly visit, this time making recommendations for techy gifts for your sweetheart. One of his suggestions is quite contentious.
This week’s main event: We talk to Mike Bender, best known for his fabulous gift to the Internet, Awkward Family Photos. This blogatory celebration of embarrassing photos from your childhood is one of the best spots on the Internet, and Mike talks about how the site got started, why it’s popular, and how to avoid making your own awkward photos.
He also takes this week’s Geek Trivia Quiz for listener Shelby Purvis, from Dorchester MA. Shelby stands to win a set of ThinkGeek Geeky Scented Candles.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
And you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ehow-tech/id715093684?mt=2
This week on the show, Dave and Nikole talk about the scariest of subjects: losing your phone or laptop to theft. They talk about the proposed California legislation that would require all smartphones to have a "kill switch," which would make stealing phones far less attractive to criminals, but did you know that all iPhones and many Android phones already have a kill switch and anti-theft tech built in? Dave explains.
They also talk about the fact that Google has acquired Nest for $3.2B. That's billion, with a B. Why goes Google want to know the temperature of your bedroom? Dave and Nikole discuss. That, and Nikole is jazzed about the new Steam Machine.
Our guest this week: Mark Grace from Absolute Software -- he has scary stats like the fact that 63% of people have no protection on their devices, and that 600,000 laptops disappear in North America every year (oh, and less than 3% are recovered). After terrifyiung us with gadget theft statiustics, Mark plays the Geek Trivia Quiz. This week, Charles Duff, from Glendale AZ, might win the Think Geek Tactical BBQ Apron.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
It’s time for a New Year’s resolution check-in: Nikole admits that she just ate two dinners becuase she was bored, while Dave reveals that he is boldly reinventing his entire wardrobe.
But on to more important things. Dave and Nikole discuss the recent Net Neutrality news. How are you affected by the courts striking down an FCC attempt to regulate ISPs from throttling bandwidth for different customers? And is it fair if Dave and Nikole pay the same amount for Internet access but use vastly different amounts of bandwidth?
We’ve also got Rick Broida on the show this week. He’s taking some time off from his Cranky Old Gadget Nerd persona to share some great deals with us. He talks about how to get 50GB of free cloud storage for life, as well as a great, free Office suite — and more.
The main event: Dave and Nikole talk about how to get and stay in shape using fitness montors like FitBit, Fitbug, Nike FuelBands, and Basis. And they talk to a Basis user who has, in the space of just a few months, gone from being unable to run more than half a mile to completing a 5K run in 25 minutes. And he takes our Geek Trivia Quiz for Holly Chernoff, from Danville, Washington, who stands to win a copy of Corel Paint Shop Pro X6.
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/ehow-tech/blog/#ixzz2r48IpKof
In lucky episode 13, Dave and Nikole talk about “cutting the cord” – how to get rid of your cable service and get all of your TV viewing from the Internet. You’ll hear about Netflix, Hulu Plus, Chromecast, Roku, and more. Nikole reveals that Game of Thrones is the number one most pirated show ever… and that she chose her current eyeglasses to looks like Orphan Black's Kassima.
Before we get to that, Dave and Nikole talk about the big news from the week before: the Consumer Electronics Show. Dave has just returned, and he’s filled with news about the biggest tech show of the year. Nikole is also eager to chat about Vegas’s other big show last week: The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo – which, to be clear, we don’t cover on eHow. As Dave mentions on the show, be sure to check out eHow Tech for our post-CES coverage:
http://www.ehow.com/ehow-tech/
On the show this week: Chris Herbert, co-founder of Phone Halo, talking about TrackR, which uses Bluetooth to help you locate objects around the house via your smartphone. Nikole loves the fact that she can "ring your cat and find it immediately."
And be sure to listen for the Geek Trivia Quiz this week. Chris takes the quiz for Meilsaa Ray from St Helena Island, SC, who might win a ThinkGeek Build on Brick Mug
You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y.
A dozen episodes ago, we kicked off this little podcast. This week, we usher in the New Year with our look at apps designed to help you keep your New Years resolutions. Nikole and Dave talk about a number of apps, including:
http://www.livifi.com/learn_more
http://www.43things.com/
http://aherk.com/
Nikole is also excited to talk about news out of China: They’re using supercomputers to combat their smog problem. And Dave brings up DoctorOnDemand [http://www.doctorondemand.com/], an app for consulting a physician via your phone.
On the show this week is Tina Haskins, an oceanographer who talks to us from Palmer Station, Antarctica – literally the most remote, far-away place on earth. She talks to us about caring for her dog, Kona, who stays behind in New Jersey when she does her work at the bottom of the world, via a Whistle [http://www.whistle.com/] activity tracker (sort of a Fitbit for dogs).
If that’s not enough excitement for you, we give away a Whistle activity tracker in the Geek Trivia Quiz. You can enter to have a guest play the quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y.
As you get ready to go out to holiday parties, be sure to check out this week’s podcast for tips on how to get there and home again safely with the help of your smartphone. We tell you all about apps like Taxi Magic (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/taxi-magic/id299226386?mt=8) for summoning and paying for cabs. And have you heard about services like Uber and (https://www.uber.com/) and Lyft (http://www.lyft.me/)? We have the scoop on those as well.
Also, be sure to listen to our warning about online pranks that have gotten out of hand: You can seriously destroy your Xbox One or iPhone by following the wrong instructions online.
Our resident Crank Gadget Nerd, Rick Broida, is on hand to tell you all about how you can get a cell phone plan almost for free.
On the show this week is Richard North, the founder & president of WOW! Stuff. He’s on hand to talk about Combat Creatures (http://www.combatcreatures.com/), a very cool combat robot “toy” that Dave and Nikole can’t get enough of. Check out some video of them in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiP841BlO1k
After the interview, Richard graciously hangs around to take the weekly Geek Trivia Quiz – he’s playing for podcast listener Jane Dorherty, who just might win a set of ThinkGeek Geeky Scented Candles (http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2a1/). Listen to see if she can make her house small like a "retro arcade."
In this sad episode of the eHow Podcast, we bid a kinda-fond farewell to Blockbuster, which closed its doors forever last month. Nikole reminisces and Dave and Nikole talk about more modern alternatives.
This episode is all about “smart homes,” so Dave discusses many of the most interesting connected devices you can purchase today to make your house smarter and more science fiction-y:
http://www.sonos.com/
http://nest.com/
http://www.build.com/kwikset-925-kevo-db-l03-lifetime-polished-brass-kevo-single-cylinder-bluetooth-deadbolt/p2239111?term=kwikset+kevo&source=msn_ch_kevo%2520kwikset_3247854173&s_kwcid=TC-1026982-20448825729-be-3247854173&s_kwcid=TC-1026982-20448825729-be-3247854173
http://www.netatmo.com/en-US/site
https://www.ismartalarm.com/
Our guest this week is Jamie Siminoff, inventor of DoorBot, the first doorbell Wi-Fi-enabled video doorbell that lets you see and speak with whoever is at the doorstop from anywhere in the world via your smartphone. Jamie talks about smart home technology and, of course, takes the Geek Trivia Quiz. Jamie played for ehow Tech podcast listener Joyce Mason, and the prize was a copy of Corel Paintsho Pro.
You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
If you pay $100 or more each month for your cell phone bill, you’ll want to check out this week’s podcast, which focuses on saving money on your mobile phone bill.
First up, Dave and Nikole talk about inexpensive cell phone plans, including refurbished phones and no-contract plans from companies like:
https://republicwireless.com/
http://www.virgin.com/gateways/mobile
https://www.textnow.com/wireless?ref=textnow
On the show this week is Dawn Mauricio, a Montreal-based yoga and meditation instructor who has boldly abandoned her traditional cell phone in favor of a Wi-Fi-only phone. Check out the interview and see what it’s like when your phone depends upon Wi-Fi hotspots for all of your calls.
Dawn takes the Geek Trivia Quiz in hopes of winning a set of ThinkGeek Geek Scented Candles for podcast listener Lisa Raymond.
We ‘ve also got a rundown of the Xbox One – find out what all the hype is about, and what Nikole’s favorite game is. You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
The holiday shopping season is about to start, and so this week we’ve got you covered with tips and tricks for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Not only do we recommend some smartphone apps to help you shop, but we’ve got Rick Broida, the official Cheapskate at CNET dispensing holiday buying advice as well.
Some of the apps and sites we mentioned in the podcast this week:
Black Friday
http://blackfriday.com/
Amazon
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazon-mobile/id297606951
Red Laser
http://redlaser.com/
Speaking of spending money, Nikole and I talk about Coin, the electronic universal credit card that contains all of your other credit cards (and gift cards). Should you invest $50 to take your wallet fully digital? Listen and find out.
Rick plays this week’s Geek Trivia Quiz for eHow Tech podcast listener Len Udes, from Huntington Beach, CA, with a copy of Corel Paintshop Pro X6 hanging in the balance. You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form:
http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/VF3aN3Qf69wTe0EmLu6Y
In episode 7 of the eHow Tech Podcast, we go one-on-one with a veritable icon of the geek universe: Popular Mechanics magazine.
This week, we chatted with Jerry Beilinson, Deputy Editor of Popular Mechanics. It’s time for the annual Breakthrough Awards, and so we talked to Jerry about the technology that made the cut in the 9th annual awards.
Jerry handled the Geek Trivia Quiz with poise and cunning as well. He answered questions about tech urban legends, chainsaws, and the arctic in hopes of winning a Think Geek Build on Brick Mug for podcast listener Jeremy Stewart. You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form.
Also on the show, we talked about tablet PCs. With the holidays around the corner, you might want to pick one up as a gift. We compare and contrast the major models, and even give you the skinny on a few good sub-$150 options. For more, check out Under-$150 Tablets That Are Actually Good.
News: The new Nexus 5. Dave and Nikole talk about the phone and why you should consider Android, whether or not you currently carry an iPhone. Also, Panasonic exit the plasma TV market – what’s that mean for your next TV?
The hot topic this week is how to take better holiday photos. Dave explains how to capture high quality night photos of lighting displays, and suggests a way to capture better family and group photos. Specifically, Dave talks about the Photo Fuse feature in Microsoft’s Photo Gallery.
Rick Broida joins us for his monthly Cranky Computer Geek rant – this time about why he claims to be abandoning Windows 8 once and for all.
Our guest this week is Michael Paul Smith, miniature photographer extraordinaire. Be sure to check out his photos for a sense of why his work is so impressive: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/
As usual, we subject our guests to the weekly Geek Trivia Quiz. This week, Michael played for podcast listener Joseph Goode, and the prize is a Think Geek Megastomp Panic. You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form at http://tinyurl.com/ehowquiz
In the news this week: Apple unveils some new products, including a pair of new iPads. Dave and Nikole discuss what's to like, and what's not to like, about these new tablets. Also, Nikole runs down the most important updates the latest patch to iOS7.
This week we talk about computer maintenance -- specifically, what simple steps you should take to keep your PC and Mac healthy and running efficiently. Ever need to connect remotely to take a look at your mom's PC? No problem: Dave has a painless, free, and easy way to do that as well.
We talk to Ryan and Andrea Eldridge, founders and owners or Nerds on Call, a tech support service. They give us some advice and talk about some of the more interesting tech support calls they've had to deal with. And as usual, we subject our guests to the weekly Geek Trivia Quiz. This week, Andrea and Ryan played for podcast listener Tom Miller, and the prize is Corel Paint Shop Pro X6. (You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form.)
This week is (mostly) all things Halloween. After discussing what’s new in Windows 8.1, we talk about the tech you need to make your house and your phone more spooky.
We also interview Ed Terebus, owner of Erebus Haunted House in Pontiac, Michigan, a member of America Haunts, a chain of 30 haunted house attractions across the US. Ed talks about what it’s like to run a haunted house, and recounts some hilariously terrifying tales of customers who bit off more horror than they could handle.
Ed also takes the Geek Trivia Quiz so a random listener can win a Think Geek Mega Stomp Panic. (You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form.)
We interview Steve and Jay Novella from The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast. Steve and Jay talk about their favorite examples of magical thinking and how ordinary people can discern science from fiction.
Steve and Jay also play the Tech Trivia Quiz in an effort to earn a copy of Corel Paint Shop Pro X6 for an eHow listener. (You can enter to have a guest play the Quiz for you during a future episode by completing the entry form.)
Dave and Nikole talk about the Lit Motors C1 electric motorcycle, tactile touchscreens, and how to detect online hoaxes and how to train your mom to stop sending you email forwards about Nigerian princes.
This week, it's all about music. Well, we start with some news: You'll soon be able to use your Kindle during takeoff and landing. Also: A nasty privacy bug in the new Apple iOS 7. Cranky Old Computer Nerd Rick Broida then complains about the new iPhone. "Apple just played us all for suckers," he laments (probably while shaking his fist at the sky).
Radio might be dead (or at least dying) but that's okay, becuase we talk about Internet radio apps for your iPhone. And our guest this week is none other than Kristin Hersh, chief architect of legendary alt rock bands Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave. Kristin talks about the new record, music, and the Internet. If that's not enough excitement for you, she takes the Geek Trivia Quiz, with a pair of ThinkGeek's fuzzy unicorn slippers hanging in the balance. You can enter to win the Quiz during a future episode at tinyurl.com/ehowquiz.
It's the very first episode of the eHow Tech podcast! We discuss the new iPhone 5s and 5c, as well as the coolest features in iOS7 that you need to try. Cranky Old Gadget Nerd Rick Broida complains about Bluetooth-controlled water bottles (yes, that's a real thing), and we talk to Jerry Irvine (CIO of Prescient Solutions and a member of the National Cyber Security Task Force) about the iPhone's Touch ID fingerprint reader security. Jerry plays the eHow Tech Geek Trivia Quiz, giving an eHow listener the chance to win a $25 gift card to Society 6. You can enter to win the Quiz during a future episode at tinyurl.com/ehowquiz.