Dust Bunnies Could Be the Problem

Recently I heard of three people who were having issues with their smartphones and all three were able to fix the problems without a costly repair.  While the issues were different, the root cause of all the malfunctions seemed to be same.  In all three cases, all the phone required was a thorough cleaning and the removal of some debris and dust that had accumulated under the protective case.

Many smartphone owners have wisely invested in cases that protect the phone from breakage when dropped.  Some cases are even water proof, encasing the phone in a sealed compartment that can keep a phone from drowning if it should fall in a swimming pool or some other less sanitary receptacle. (A recent survey found that about ½ of all phones suffering water damage were dropped in toilets.)

Once they attach the case, many people never remove the phone from the case.  I have a case for my iPhone, but, geek that I am, I take it apart monthly and clean out all the gunk that has collected inside the case.  I keep my phone in my pocket and in so doing the phone collects dust and lint, especially around the speakers and microphone. 

Two of the recent issues that I came across had to do with the owner not being able to hear clearly.  A close inspection found a build-up of lint and dust virtually covering the microphone and speakers.  The other problem that was reported was due to a major build-up of dust, lint and dirt surrounding the buttons. Some buttons were so impacted with dust they stuck in the on position.

So the solution for many problems with your mobile phone may not require an expensive trip to the repair shop.  Just give your phone a good cleaning.  It does make you wonder how many people paid a premium getting their phone fixed as the repair person just dusted it off.

Some Digital Help With Everyday Math Problems

There was a new report last week about how a young man who had been trapped under his car while he was fixing it used Siri to call for help.  Siri and other speech recognition devices and software can provide some truly extraordinary things but there are other more mundane tasks that can be made easier with their help.

If you are like me, you often need to use a calculator when working on financial projects.  I began using spreadsheets back in the days of Visicalc and Multiplan so I don’t have any problem with complex math models in Excel.  Where I have problems is using the key pad on the computer to enter simple addition of multiple multi-digit numbers.  A combination of my fat fingers and lack of touch typing skills really slows me down.  So I was delighted to learn that there are several options available that allow me to just speak the numbers.

If you have an iPhone with Siri, you can perform a plethora of math calculations just by speaking the numbers.  Let’s say you have a column of five multi-digit numbers that you want to sum.  Just say “Siri, what is 123 plus 234 plus 567 plus 899 plus 5678?”  Siri will display all the numbers and give you the total.  This saves you from having to enter all the numbers by hand.  This works with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and dollars and cents.

Siri can do simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as more complex calculations such as square roots and cosines.  Again, not only will you get the answer, Siri will even show the work.  Siri must have had the same math teacher I had in 8^th Grade.

If you don’t have Siri you can do many of the same calculations using Google.  You must be sure to turn on the “search by voice” function within Google.  Just like Siri, as you speak the problem, Google will show the numbers being spoken on the screen in the search box enabling you to check to make sure that you have all the correct information before accepting the answer.

Often we look to our smart devices to perform very complex tasks like using a GPS to find the fastest route to our destination. Sometimes just a bit of help balancing our check book is all we need.

Is Big Bird the Modern Canary in the Mine?

Those who have been reading my musings over the years know that I have often opined on the changing electronic media landscape.  The announcement last week that Sesame Street would be moving to HBO may well be the tipping point that will accelerate sweeping changes in what we watch and how and where we watch it.  

If you missed the announcement, it related that new episodes of the iconic children’s TV program would first be released on pay TV, i.e. HBO, and after a period of time be released to PBS for free broadcast.  As one would imagine, many media pundits have been lamenting this development as taking away the birthright of millions of American kids unable to access HBO.  While this observation may be valid, the switch by the producers of Sesame Street is also about a shift in how most of us will consume our daily fix of TV.

A closer look at the TV industry, especially the broadcast TV segment, shows that over the air and cable, once the mainstays of the business, are flagging.  Some of the most watched and critically acclaimed programs never get broadcast.  Rather, they are streamed on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Plus.  Appointment viewing, i.e. waiting for the time the broadcaster decides to show a certain program, runs contrary to having the “what we want, when we want it” mentality.

In the announcement regarding Sesame Street it was made clear that among the reasons that they were moving to HBO was to take advantage of the streaming capabilities.  Children’s programs like Sesame Street are ideal for online on demand delivery as parents look for suitable fare to offer their young children unwilling to wait for the time slot chosen by the local PBS stations  

We are just beginning to see the ramifications of this sea change.  The economic models for local TV stations (both commercial and public TV) have changed.  Once immensely profitable, running a local TV station in the black is now very difficult.   Stations in Ohio and other swing states have been buoyed by political ad spending, but that is not going to be enough to sustain stations in the long term.

So Big Bird may well be that canary in the mine.

Don’t Leave Home Without It!

I think I have found one of the most valuable tech devices ever. It is small, inexpensive, simple to use and can keep you connected.  I recently returned from a bike trip. Each evening we were camping at a different location and sometimes access to electricity was either non-existent or very inconvenient. This could have made keeping my smartphone charged up a real problem if I had not brought along my portable charging device.

There are many brands but all are essentially the same. The device consists of a rechargeable battery, some control circuitry and a variety of plugs. Once charged up the device can recharge most all smartphones and tablets. The one I have can recharge my iPhone twice and my iPad once before it too needs to be recharged. 

I have carried one in my briefcase for years and honestly have not used it much since under normal circumstances I have adequate electrical power to plug in if I find my phone running out of juice. On this trip things were different.  Either was had no access to electricity or several of my friends were in need of charging their phones and often we had more phones than outlets.

I was able to both charge my phone and at the same time keep it on so I could get email, text and even use the clock and alarm function. I just connected the unit to my phone and placed it next to my sleeping bag having no need to connect to an outlet which if it was available was not near my sleeping area.

You can find various models on line from $10 to over a $100. The big difference is in the number of times the device can charge your phone without needing to be recharged.  Unless you have many devices that you need to keep running, I recommend the small pocket size units. They are easy to carry in your pocket or purse and you are more likely to actually bring it with you. The larger high amperage models are nice, but if you are a light packer they may be a bit overkill.

I have seen these for sale in big box stores and on line.  You will often see them sold from kiosks at the mall.  To review several examples just google “portable power chargers.”  It may be the best 10 bucks you spend this summer.

Digital Divide OK Says Local Expert

You know you are getting old when you read an extremely articulate article about educational technology published in a respected British journal and find that it was written by a kid that you once coached on the soccer fields around Harrison.

Justin Beck, once an exceptional soccer goal keeper is now Vice President at Kaltura, an international leader in online education.  He recently authored and published an article that discusses the frustration some of us experience, especially teachers, as we try to keep up with the new technologies.  For teachers, having kids in the classroom who often are more comfortable and knowledgeable about technology can be disconcerting.

In his paper, Beck discusses how some experts thought that this disparity would eventually go away as new teachers entered the classroom.  After all, these teachers were once the kids that were more digitally adroit than their teachers.  They use smartphones, tweet, and participate fully in the digital world.   Beck goes on to say that… “while it is true over the short term that the gap may close, the rapid and continued pace of innovation will consistently ensure a chasm between students’ digital comfort levels and those of their (older) teachers.”  He concludes that it may be the difference in age and maturity than any innate facility with all things new that is the root cause of the differences.

The article concludes by suggesting that educators will always feel less confident, familiar and comfortable with the latest digital technologies than the student. Beck says that he is … “unsure if teachers will ever say they feel confident and comfortable in teaching digital literacy, precisely because technology is always advancing. By accepting that educators will always be behind on the digital literacy curve compared to most students, we can focus instead on using their well-honed teaching skills to inspire students to think out of the box for digital-led assignments.”

You can read the entire article on line at http://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/dont-mind-the-gap  It is a short but interesting read.