If you were expecting OS X 10.10.01 to fix your WiFi issues, I can safely say it hasn’t. All the symptoms that I have described in this post are still present. This is further confirmed by the fact that users are reporting in huge numbers the same thing. Apple has truly dropped the ball on this one. One has to wonder how long it will take them to fix this once and for all. One also has to wonder why Apple’s QA process has slipped so much. Clearly the need for Apple to make money is over-riding their need to put out quality products. That’s a shame.
Archive for November 23, 2014
Guess What? OS X 10.10.01 Does Not Fix WiFi Issues… Pity
Posted in Commentary with tags Apple on November 23, 2014 by itnerdMorpher: The First Collapsable/Portable Bike Helmet
Posted in Commentary with tags Morpher on November 23, 2014 by itnerdI’m an avid cyclist. So when this hit my inbox, it caught my attention. The number one reason people do not wear helmets when riding a bike, whether it’s to work or fun is that the helmet is too bulky to carry around all day. It’s inevitable that as more people take to the road on a bicycle, more people will have accidents. When head meets road, vehicle or pavement without a helmet on it’s generally pretty messy, and often fatal!
Enter the Morpher Helmet.
Morpher folds & unfolds quickly and simply so it’s perfect for cyclists who want to carry a helmet more easily. Patented worldwide, Morpher has been designed to surpass all relevant safety standards. Morpher believes in a greener planet, so they’ve ensured that the helmets and their components are completely recyclable. Morpher is aimed at all cyclists. Eventually it will also be marketed to other users of sports safety helmets (skiers, skaters, snow boarders, hockey players, horse riders etc). Morpher’s flat profile will allow innovative selling methods such as at vending machines placed by major bicycle hire points. The start-up company behind this helmet has already won several awards, including Popular Science’s Invention Award 2014. They launch their Indiegogo campaign igg.me/at/morpher on 11/20/14 to market the helmets in the U.S. If you’re a cyclist, consider supporting their Indiegogo campaign.
HYBRIDPLAY Takes The Fun Of Video Gaming Outdoors
Posted in Commentary with tags HYBRIDPLAY on November 23, 2014 by itnerdHYBRIDPLAY has developed a new video game system that blends two seemingly opposite entities: the alluring fun of technology and the great outdoors. A specialized wireless sensor, along with an app, changes ordinary playground equipment, such as swings, seesaws, or slides, into video game controllers that will get kids of all ages and abilities outside and moving. Twenty prototypes have already been created and tested extensively with thousands of children. The creators are now in the final steps of its creation. HYBRIDPLAY needs at least $80,000 by November 28, 2014, so it can improve game design and development thereby creating a device that meets its full potential. HYBRIDPLAY will be compatible not only with Android and iOS smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth, but also with Google-ware devices. In the future, iPhone watch compatibility is also planned.
Simply clip the wireless sensor to a chosen piece of playground equipment. It works with static elements such as slides or even equipment that rotates on an axis like seesaws and swings. Next, start the app. Then play. Yes, it’s really that easy. The playground equipment becomes the game’s controller. The actions that the users make on the playground, directly affect what happens in the game, thereby integrating the real world with the virtual world like never before. The customizable, weather-resistant HYBRIDPLAY also fulfills the requirements of Design for All (DfA) which means that it is designed to be used by all people— kids, adults and seniors— regardless of ability. As an added bonus, HYBRIDPLAY is an open project. It uses Gamesonomy so kids, parents and educators can code their own games for personal or educational use.
The limited $99 Early Bird HYBRIDPLAY level units have almost all been claimed, but the $124 units are still readily available. A Reseller Pack which includes ten units is available for $1100. All contributions are much appreciated, regardless of dollar amount, big or small. Please visit the campaign page or website for more information.
Poieo3D Printer For The Home Announced
Posted in Commentary with tags Poieo3D on November 23, 2014 by itnerd3D printing for the home is finally ready for prime time. The Poieo3D Printer aims to make an exciting new technology as commonplace and worry-free as a microwave oven. While not quite “Tea, Earl Grey, Hot” from Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Poeio3D Printer just might be the closest thing on Earth to home-based Star Trek tech. Currently featured in a high-profile Kickstarter campaign, the Poieo3D Printer is the first such featured device to offer a one-year warranty, FREE lifetime online education, and a family-friendly, child-safe design. The team behind this is based in Toronto and they have made safety a priority in all aspects of the design, beginning with the elegantly rounded, Polycarbonate-ABS injection molded case. There are no confusing and superfluous buttons or screens, no sharp edges or fiddly clamps, no hot plates or wayward lasers to burn tiny hands or damage inquisitive eyes. Instead, a large window illuminated by a cool-running white LED bulb showcases each and every 3D-printed creation as it comes into being, layer by paper-thin layer.
The Poieo3D Printer isn’t just user-safe, it’s environmentally-friendly too. The 3D printing process employs biodegradable print material derived from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugarcane. This material does NOT give off foul-smelling, toxic fumes when the printer is used, making it ideal for home or classroom use. Available in a rainbow of colors at a surprisingly low price, the material comes in the form of thin flexible filaments wound on spools for ease of storage. They’re offering a one-year warranty with every Poieo3D Printer (no other price-competitive product on Kickstarter or otherwise offers this) means they’re in this for the long haul. In addition, when you purchase a Poieo3D Printer you also gain access to FREE on-line education for life.
For more information on the Poieo3D Printer, please visit the home page at http://www.poieo3d.com/
Hey IT Nerd! Can You Really Save Money When Traveling With An Unlocked Phone & Local SIM?
Posted in Tips with tags Travel on November 23, 2014 by itnerdI’m catching up some things since my trip to the UK this past week and one of the things to do was to answer this question:
IT Nerd, I read about your trip to England and I do have one question. You used a SIM from a local mobile phone network and an unlocked phone. Can you really save that much money when traveling to England versus roaming with Bell, Rogers, or Telus?
Thanks!
Thanks for the question. The short answer is yes. You will pay way less than with Bell, Rogers, or Telus. The long answer goes something like this. I used a T-Mobile SIM from EE to get me the following for £10.
- 100 minutes of talk time.
- 400 texts
- 1GB of data
Later in the week, I got more of the same for another £10 for a total investment of £20. That meant that I effectively got the following:
- 200 minutes of talk time.
- 800 texts
- 2GB of data
At today’s exchange rate, that’s $35 Canadian for all of that.
Now let’s see what the big three telcos offer starting with Bell. According to this link you have two choices. Since the UK is in “Zone 1” you can pay these prices if you simply want to pay as you go:
- Voice: $2.00 per minute
- Text: $0.75 a text
- Data: $8 a megabyte.
Not exactly cheap. Our other option is to go with assembling a travel bundle for voice and data that aren’t cheap either and don’t come anywhere close to the cost and feature set of what I got from the UK.
Next up is Rogers. Now Rogers like Bell has two choices according to this link (make sure to choose Europe). The first choice is to pay as you go, and here’s what you will pay:
- Voice: $2.00 a minute
- Text: $0.75 a text
- Data: $9.99 a day for 20 MB of data
Your other option is to use a talk, text and data travel pack which range from $60 which gets you this:
- 40 minutes of talk time.
- 150 Sent texts
- 40MB of data
Or you can go for $100 for 31 days which gets you this:
- 100 minutes of talk time
- 150 Sent texts
- 100MB of data
So just like Bell, Rogers is not even close to what I paid this past week.
Finally, there’s Telus. If you choose to pay as you go, here’s what you’ll pay:
- Voice: $1.50 a minute
- Text: $0.60 a text
- Data: $5.00 a MB
Okay. That’s cheaper than Bell and Rogers. But still more expensive than what I paid. Now Telus does offer travel packs starting at $50 which gets you this:
- 50 minutes of talk time
- 150 Sent texts
- 100MB of data
Going up to $85 gets you this:
- 100 minutes of talk time
- 200 Sent texts
- 300MB of data
Finally, going to $150 gets you this:
- 200 minutes of talk time
- Unlimited sent texts
- 500MB of data
Now that’s still not anywhere close to what I paid, but these options are the best of the big three carriers. So if you must roam with Bell, Telus, or Rogers, it looks like Telus is the winner on that front. But if you really want to save money while traveling in Europe, take it from me. Have an unlocked phone (or get your cell carrier to unlock it for you seeing as they have to do it if you request it and are willing to pay) and buy a SIM from a local cell phone carrier in the country that you’re visiting. You will save lots of money and you will be able the use your smartphone the way you want to without worrying about running up a huge bill or running out of your voice or data allotment. To me, it’s a no brainer.
Craigslist Goes Down Sparking Mass Panic
Posted in Commentary with tags Craigslist on November 23, 2014 by itnerdAs I type this, Craigslist is down. This is prompting some to take to Twitter to vent in some interesting ways:
https://twitter.com/amandajaquin/status/536705297713491968
So it’s a safe bet that those who are looking to buy and sell stuff, as well as hook up with each other aren’t getting any action tonight. One has to wonder what they will do in the meantime. Or at least until Craigslist comes back up.
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