The original “Double Rainbow”

In The News

• AppleCare: The iPhone 4 Update Won’t Solve the Antenna Problem – Apple’s tech support service is telling customers that the upcoming software patch will not fix the “Death Grip” problem. It will only make the signal bars more accurate.
• YouTube Leanback offers effortless viewing – This new feature selects a series of videos based on your preferences and displays them to you automatically.
• Google’s Street View ’snoops’ on Congress members – A watchdog group retraces the Google Street View routes and find federal officials and members of Congress who have unsecured Wi-Fi networks at their homes (which, of course, should have been secure in the first place).
• U.S. Plans Cyber Shield for Utilities, Companies – The federal program would detect cyberattacks on private companies. Is this something the government should be doing?

Feature: The Geek’s Guide to Vacation

• via Life Hacker
  

ROUND TWO: Social Media

• Life in a Day – YouTube, working with directors Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott, invite you to upload a video on July 24 for a documentary project called Life in a Day.

• 5 Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now – Use the contents of this article to fake it as a social media guru!

From the Bucket

Tim from Negaunee:

• “What the heck is Twitter?

To have your question featured, hit us up on one of our many contact options!

Totally Free App

• Fring

Fring is a free mobile application that lets users communicate with friends on popular networks over their mobile phone’s internet connection.

Fring users make free mobile calls, video calls, live chat & more, from their mobile phone with all their friends on fring & other internet services like Skype®, MSN Messenger®, GoogleTalk™, AIM®, ICQ® , Facebook® & Twitter, all through one central, integrated phone book.

The iPhone 4 was released, and another smartphone challenger has risen.  It’s the last Saturday of the month, and that means that it’s Back Up Saturday.  We’ll have tips & suggestions for your “personal confuser”, and be giving away goodies starting Saturdays at 9am!

In The News

• iPhone 4 comes out and the problems continue
  • Apple acknowledges antenna issue in iPhone 4
  • Apple responds over iPhone reception issues: you’re holding it the wrong way
• Verizon and Google answer the iPhone with DROID X
• eBook Reader Price War is a Go
• Google wins their case against Viacom
• Google Voice for everyone
• Mario Marathon 3 raising money for kids, one level at a time.

• Why Backup
• How NOT to Backup
• How TO Backup
  • 3-2-1
• Carbonite
• Free App Coming Up (SyncToy 2.1)

• Bob in Ishpeming – I had tons of pictures on my camera card from vacation.  My camera gave me a strange error, and now I can’t access the pictures.  The camera seems ok, but no matter where I put the card (computer camera etc) it won’t read. HELP!

• SyncToy 2.1

All jokes aside, the iPad drops this week, and we’ve got the skivvy on it.  Also, Scott explains the difference in multiple core processors, and JP has the round-up from this year’s April Fool’s Day internet invasion.  That and a whole lot more in Episode 48 of Computer 911 with PC Medic

In the News

• Here come the iPad
  • Early Reviews
  • App Prices to Drop?
  • Developer Support Soars
• Asus: iPad Rivals on the Way!
• Data sifted from Facebook wiped after legal threats
• Flash Player To Come Bundled With Google Chrome
• For Vast Majority, Driving and Cell Phones Don’t Mix
• April Fool’s Day Round-Up
• PC Pioneer Ed Roberts Dies at 68

Scott Puts You In The Know

• U.S. government taps the agency thet blew up two of their space shuttles to determine the safety of Toyota’s cars
• AMD develops a processor that actually get Windows Vista to run…..Barely
• Wanna fight that speeding ticket? There’s an app for that!
• Hey Apple, Ever hear of Karma??
• Downloaded a newer movie via torrent?, that’s a suing!

From the Bucket

From the Bucket is your chance to win a FREE hour of labor from PC Medic (a $60 value)!  Each week we will choose one question. If we read your question on the show, you’ll be that week’s winner.

Submit your questions via Email

OR drop us a Voicemail (906) 828-9183. Be sure to leave your contact info.

Mary in Harvey asks about some simple ways to help keep her computer running fast.

Totally Free App: Netflix for the iPad

Get Netflix on your iPad. Just download this free app and you can instantly watch TV shows & movies streaming from Netflix.

In the News

• Google Turns Off Filter in China
• Complete ACTA Text Leaked
  • We have the PDF HERE for as long as we can.
• Gmail to alert users to suspicious activity
• First 4G cellphone is a doozy
• Verizon Set To Launch Mobile Payment Service

In the Know

• Is that a USB port in your pants or are you happy to see me??
• Hey Sony, Is there something wrong with your balls? They’re glowing!!
• Toyota: once you start, you can’t stop
• Whaddya call the “@” symbol anyway
  

From the Bucket

From the Bucket is your chance to win a FREE hour of labor from PC Medic (a $60 value)!  Each week we will choose one question. If we read your question on the show, you’ll be that week’s winner.

Submit your questions via Email

OR drop us a Voicemail (906) 828-9183. Be sure to leave your contact info.

Greg in Ishpeming asks:

“Sometimes when loading MySpace, the full page doesn’t load.  Is there something wrong with my computer?”

Totally Free App: ZeuAPP

From the site:

Pick software that you want, start download and install it.  One click download the application you want to install, ZeuAPP in its list contains 82 applications.  All applications are freeware or open source, and you are free to download them.

As March rolls on, the NCAA isn’t the only group caught up in madness. Google, Viacom, Apple, and HTC are embroiled in lawsuit smackdowns. And we’re pretty sure Scott & JP aren’t quite all there either. That and so much more in Episode 46 of Computer 911 with PC Medic.

Contest

We’re looking for the voice of PC Medic’s new intro.  Get all the contest info at our Facebook Page

In the News

• Google denied the NEXUS name by the trademark
• Windows XP gets no love from Internet Explorer 9
• And you thought smoking was bad for you, look in this Pc!!
• Google saddles up with Intel and Sony… for Google Tv??
• Attn Facebook users: Gone Phishing……. The password that got away.

• Verizon delays Android 2.1 rollout to Motorola Droid
• Google may pull out of China on April 10
• HTC fires back at Apple patent complaint
• Hacker disables more than 100 cars remotely
• A Story that even makes JP like Facebook: Betty White to Appear on SNL

Virus Alert

Many users are becoming infected by “free coupon” sites.

From the Bucket

From the Bucket is your chance to win a FREE hour of labor from PC Medic (a $60 value)!  Each week we will choose one question. If we read your question on the show, you’ll be that week’s winner.

Submit your questions via Email

OR drop us a Voicemail (906) 828-9183. Be sure to leave your contact info.

This week, Kari in Harvey writes in to ask if her computer can be harmed by lightning even if there is a surge guard in place.

Totally Free App: Glide OS

Glide OS is a free online operating system.  Basically, you are given a virtual computer with some decent applications.  More importantly, Glide OS offers up to 30GB of storage at no cost!

Its the first of our new podcast format.  And while we may have some kinks to work out, we invite you to submit your feedback.  Just hit up the comments section below.

Oh, and JP promises full Show Notes will be back next week.

In the immortal words of George Costanza, “Baby, we’re back!”  We’ve got Buzz, we’ve got Superbowl tech, we’ve got Macworld, and we’ve got the bucket.  Its all in Episode 44 of  Computer 911 with PC Medic: Podtastic.

In the News

• Google announces Buzz, and listens to complaints.  So what the heck is it anyway?
• From the Orwell Dept: Google wants to be your ISP?
• Microsoft denies Windows 7 battery problem
• iPad hype drives away consumers, survey says
• And Macworld was this week…

Intel and Google in the Superbowl.

From the Bucket

Each week we choose one question “From the Bucket” that is Emailed to us.  If your question is chosen, you’ll receive a free hour of labor (a $60 value) from PC Medic!

Jane in Marquette asks:

I updated my computer this past week and now it will not start up. What happened, and how do I fix it?

Unforunately this is something that can happen.  Microsoft has the uneviable task of designing and supporting an operating system for near unlimited hardware configurations.  Every so often, Patch Tuesday will cripple your machine, and in that case all you can do is uninstall the patch.  First you will need to find out the updates that were installed, which can be found at Microsoft’s website.  In this particular case, Microsoft is aware of the issue, and has several comments up in their forums from users.

Totally Free App: doubleTwist

If you’re running one of the thousands of other MP3 players on the market that’s not made by Apple, be it an Android or Blackberry phone, or a $10 Big Lots special, you may have at times evied the ease at which iTunes users can sync their media.  The doubleTwist application enables users to send photos and videos to their friends and sync their media library to a wide variety of portable devices

While we can’t offer up Computer 911 with PC Medic on your radio this week, we can still get you educated with one from the vault.  We’re going all the way back to Episode 19, and its all about free alternatives to software you use everyday.  Enjoy, and keep checking back. We’ll be announcing something big sooner than you think.

You can check out the full show notes from this episode here.

The station owner has decided to no longer have us as part of the  programming. We found out ourselves this week when I received a letter by courier (written in the third person), explaining that due to a (let’s just call it a fundamental difference of opinion), that the station owner has decided to discontinue our show.

While the intellectual property belongs to JP and I (that’s funny on so many ways), we can’t share our information without the power of the airwaves. Computer-911 started as a thank you to our customers. You guys have done so much for us that we felt compelled to give something back. We did that with Computer-911.

We Met Cecil from the Copper Country, and C the Website Builder, along with countless other callers. And we had FUN!!

We’re currently talking with a few local radio stations with hopes that they share our passion for community. We’re pretty positive that we can find that here in the U.P. When we do, and we WILL, we will find a way to let you know.

For now, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll either get back on the radio, or introduce many or our listeners to live podcasting. One way or another JP and I will be back in your living rooms with our helpful hints, and what we think of as humor.

Thank you for your support, and please stay tuned…………………………

P.S.

I don’t even know how to explain the week we had here in the Big Blue Building. JP and Sam worked hard to get the workload manageable. My guys definitely get the spirit of PC Medic. I appreciate that greatly.

In the News

• Google phasing out support for IE6
• Amazon looking at buying Netflix?
• Microsoft roadmap has Windows 8 shipping in 2011
• After Three Months, Only 35 Subscriptions for Newsday’s Web Site
• Wikileaks temporarily shuts down due to lack of funds

iPad? So What?

After months of speculation, Apple this week, announced their “industry changing” device: The iPad.  And while it has many rallying support for their bros in Cupertino, more seem unimpressed. Even more so, there is dispute over ownership of the silly name.

How about you? Is this a must-have device, or a clunk not worth the hype?

Back-Up Saturday

Being the last Saturday of the month, its a great time to remind yourself to back-up all your important data.  Here’s some tips from previous shows:

• An external USB Hard Drive.  Generally around 500GB is more than enough for important documents, music, and casual photographers.  Consider a 1TB drive is you are an avid photographer or videographer.  External drives available at Pc Medic. Not sure what size is best, let us help you decide.

• If going the external hard drive route, try SyncToy from Microsoft to help you simplify your back-ups.

  • Synchronize the contents of two folders, either across your home network or on the same PC.

    Great for sync’ing files from your desktop to a USB drive or between two different computers on your home network

• Windows Backup. For XP, checkout the Microsoft How-To article: “Windows XP Backup Made Easy,” For Vista/Win7 its Windows Backup and Restore.

• On the Mac, Time Machine.

• Also you should consider keeping your files off-site like at the office, or a relatives.  If there is a disaster or break-in at your home, and on-site backup won’t do you much good. This falls into the 3-2-1 Back-Up Solution. What’s 3-2-1 Back-Up?

3 Copies of everything that you want to back-up.

2 Different storage media (CDs/DVDs, external hard drives, etc.)

1 Back-Up off site.

Totally Free App

For back-up of all your online media, we’ve got a great deal for you in Backupify. Backupify lets you back-up all your online accounts like Facebook, Twitter, GMail, Google Docs, Flickr, and so many more.  So get on over to Backupify and sign up today, because its only Totally Free until tomorrow (Jan 31, 2010)!