Verizon’s 4G LTE Network is down nationwide, forcing those with an HTC Thunderbolt or a 4G hotspot to suffer along with near dial-up speeds. According to Verizon’s twitter feed, the Thunderbolt is able to do voice calls, but data is running at 1xRTT data. The outage comes just one day before the DROID Charge, Verizon’s second 4G phone, hits the network. Verizon has said they are hard at work to fix the problem. Verizon’s 4G network went down late last night, and though it doesn’t affect 3G devices, the Thunderbolt has been booted down to extremely slow speeds.

When asked via phone and an onsite visit, Verizon had no comment about the outage and no time was given until service would be restored. 

There is a fix, however, that will allow the Thunderbolt to get back up to 3G at least.

Here is the fix to get the Thunderbolt up to 3G:

Dial ##778#
Press Call button
The password is 000000
Choose Edit Mode
Go to Modem Settings
Choose Rev A
Switch from eHRPD to Enable
Press OK
Commit Modifications

Keep in mind you’ll likely need to change this back to get your phone back to normal after the nationwide Verizon 4G LTE outage is fixed.

Below is a reposting of a great article on how to clean your LCD.  Enjoy!

-Jonathan

——————————————————————————

What Is the Proper Way to Clean an LCD Screen?

By Mel Frank, eHow Contributor

LCD screens are used on anything from computer monitors, to television screens to portable DVD players. These screens use a liquid crystal display mechanism to give off the crisp, high-definition look that many electronic appliance owners strive to achieve. The LCD screens are made from a heavy plastic or resin, so cleaning the screen with safe cleaning tools is the only way to care for the screen, because harsh cleaners will completely destroy the LCD screen within seconds.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

· Microfiber cleaning cloth

· Screen cleaning spray

· Screen cleaning wipes

1.

Turn off the LCD screen, and mist a microfiber cleaning cloth with screen cleaning spray. Never mist the spray directly onto the LCD screen.

2

Wipe the cloth gently over the LCD screen, using very little pressure.

3

Let the screen air dry before using it again.

This is a reposting of an article by Lee Mathews and was posted on Download Squad.  In a nutshell is shows you how to use Microsoft’s SkyDrive and its 25GB of free space to everyone, to backup or store files to an online location.  If you have ever used dropbox then just think of this method as dropbox on steroids.

-Jonathan

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Use Office 2010 to map a local drive letter to your free 25GB Live SkyDrive

by Lee Mathews

FILED UNDER: web, internet, storage, Microsoft

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Live SkyDrive is an awesome service. 25GB of web storage for free? Yeah, that sounds good to me. Sure, the 50MB per file limit is a little bit of a downside but it’s still a great place to store documents, music, and photos.
Heck, if you tell an app like 7zip to chunk big files up into 50MB pieces you can store whatever the heck you want. If only there was a way to access your SkyDrive storage like a local hard drive without an app like Gladinet or SD Explorer…Why, that’d make it like a free Dropbox account x 12.5!
As it turns out, there is a way to do that — and it’s pretty darn easy to do now that Office 2010 is here.
Here’s what you’ll need to to turn your SkyDrive into your Z: drive (or whatever letter you choose):

• Office 2010 — a trial version or unexpired beta is fine
• a Windows Live account
• …the ability to follow directions

That’s about it. Let’s go!
Fire up PowerPoint and create a new blank presentation (file -> new). Next, head back to the file menu and click save & send then choose save to web from the submenu.

Choose to save to SkyDrive. After logging in, you’ll be able to choose a save location. Click it, then note the location which appears in the save window’s address bar:

It’s all downhill from here. Click at the end of the line (after Documents, for example) to highlight the path. Copy it to the clipboard.
Now right-click Computer on your start menu and choose map network drive. Select a drive letter, paste in the path, and choose to reconnect the drive. For reconnection to work, you need to have the Windows 7 online ID provider for Windows Live installed and your ID linked to your Windows login.

Now just click OK, and you’re done! If everything went well, a new Explorer window (like the one at the top of this article) will appear with the contents of the folder you mapped. You’ll have to repeat the process if you want access to multiple folders — just save & send again and pick a different location!
Drag and drop files to SkyDrive…sync from your desktop to the cloud with SyncToy, you name it! Hopefully your upload speeds are a little better than mine, because 30KB/s just doesn’t cut it.

It has been said that 2010 is the year of the tablet.  Well this is partially true it can also be said that 2010 is, at least in my opinion, the year that computing changed into an interactive process and not one of “hunt” and “peck”.   Much is yet to be known of the impact that these and other devices will have.  2011 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for both retail and commercial technology.

I have been following the tablet market for at least the last 5 years.  I am the owner of the IBM X61 and a former owner of the iPad and Viliv X70.  So when the market began to open up to include tablets that really worked well for both fun and work I started to get excited.

Here is my list of the top tablets to watch out for.  I prefer the top 7 just so I can be a little different.  

1. HP Slate 500 – click here for more
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab – click here for more
3. Viewsonic Viewpad 7 – click here for more
4. Adam Notion Ink – click here for more
5. Apple iPad – click here for more
6. Dell Inspiron duo – click here for more
7. Blackberry PlayBook – click here for more

Some, like the Galaxy Tab, Viewpad, and iPad are available now.  The others are in the process and should be release in the next 3-6 months.  As a business owner my favorite, even though it is not available, is the Dell duo.  It offers the best combination of flexibility and design, hopefully Dell won’t mess it up.

Choosing the right tablet hinges on a few key features: size, operating system and price. Tablets are designed for portability, so length, width and weight matter. The iPad’s 9.7-inch screen is a good fit for a backpack, but is too large for many purses and handbags. A number of companies, including Samsung and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, are betting that 7-inch screens will be more appealing. Other vendors, such as Dell and France’s Archos, offer tablets in even smaller sizes, ranging from 2.8 inches to 5 inches. Some of these devices look more like MP3 players or smartphones, but have the advantage of sliding easily into a pocket.

Likewise, consider whether you will mostly hold your tablet in one hand, on the go, or use it while reclining or sitting. Some people consider the 1.5-pound iPad unwieldy for one-handed use; Toshiba’s 10.1-inch Folio 100 is even heavier. Mid-size tablets, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook, weigh about half a pound.

A less obvious but equally important consideration is the operating system. Some tablets, such as HP’s Slate 500, are specifically geared toward business users. The Slate, accordingly, runs Microsoft’s Windows 7 and has a USB port for connecting to printers. It went on sale in October; reviews so far have been lukewarm. A number of other tablets are based on Google’s Android mobile platform. In general that means they can connect to Google’s mobile applications store, the Android Market, though the way in which this is implemented varies by manufacturer.

In some cases companies are developing special operating systems for their tablets. Rather than port the software that runs its BlackBerry smartphones to its PlayBook tablet, RIM created an operating system based on outside technology it acquired earlier this year. This new "BlackBerry Tablet OS" is said to be better-suited to touch commands and rich Web applications–so much so that it may eventually power regular BlackBerrys.

Price, naturally, is another major factor in selecting a tablet. With tablets, as with netbooks, price comes with a twist, since most versions can be purchased as wi-fi-only models or with 3G cellular data subscriptions. The 3G versions usually cost less up front but add up to more money over the length of their contracts–which, like cellphone plans, often run two years. Some 3G tablets, such as the iPad and Galaxy S, can be matched to different types of plans, so users should estimate how much bandwidth they think they will consume.

In comparison, wi-fi tablets can be a bargain, but also less useful on the go because they require proximity to a hot spot. A recent survey from Sybase and Zogby found that 56% of respondents preferred to buy tablets at a lower cost with a data package than at a higher cost with no contract.

Computer giant Acer is expected to be launching tablets in late November. The pace will pick up again in January. PC maker Asus is expected to launch several tablets–some running Windows, some running Android–at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. Two cellphone giants, Nokia and LG, are anticipated to come out with tablets in early 2011. Motorola and HTC also may have tablets in the works.

No matter what gets introduced, the basics will remain the same. When it comes to tablets, keep an eye out for the size, operating system and pricing plan that best fits you.

The iPad is coming, the iPad is coming….wait a minute- it is already here! Yes, we did go out and join the other early adopters of the latest device from Apple.

Apple claims this device to be, “A magical and revolutionary product and an unbelievable price.”  Maybe in fantasy land! Yes, that’s what we are claiming.  Realistically, the iPad is a bit overpriced more evolutionary rather than revolutionary.  What Apple did right, as they’ve done with most of their products post 1999 (the year in which the iPhone development was started), was design a simple to use, easy to operate, good looking device. 

One of my favorite lines from a movie is, “Explain this to me like I am a two year-old.”  Well Apple definitely made a product that a 2 year-old could pick up and start using.  Even 99 year-old Virginia Campbell can use the iPad, which has given her new-found freedom.  So let’s begin the review. 

In an effort of full disclosure, I love my iPad.  But don’t be misled. The iPad is not a laptop and is not a replacement for your home computer, though there are some exceptions for mobile business owners.  In fact, if you decide to run out and try to buy an iPad today, 2 things will happen. One, you will not be able to buy an iPad as most stores are sold out, and two, you will need to sync this baby to your home computer and then activate it using iTunes.  “Did I just hear you correctly? You mean I have to activate my iPad, which is a computer, to another computer in order to use it??”  Yes, that’s correct! 

If you own and iPhone then you will be familiar with this process.  If not, it might seem unusual but it’s the way Apple rolls.  Simply plug in your iPad, using the included cable, to another computer and Apple will walk you through the process.  After that, just charge it up for about 4-6 hours and you can start surfing, reading emails, or whatever else you feel the need to do- there is sure to be an app for it. 

Here is the low-down dirty truth about the iPad – its great, but again, it’s not a desktop replacement and should only be considered as a compliment to the computer system that you already have.  In other words, it is a luxury item- but a very useful one at that.  I have been using mine non-stop for the past week and have really tried to abuse it.  So far, the worst things I can say is that the position of your body that you end up in while using the iPad is very bad on your posture and, some websites do not work properly.  If you have not heard, as with other Apple products, the iPad does not support Flash.  Flash is used by over 75% of all sites on the Internet.  Sites like hulu.com, netgear.com, and fox.com all use flash to show you dynamic web content.  No flash=no fun. 

I opted to buy the 32 GB version and decided not to wait for the 3G model, which would allow the iPad to connect to the Internet, since I already have a MiFi-2200- a device that allows me to connect up to 5 computers to the Internet simultaneously to the Verizon Mobile network for Internet access.

As I begin to use it more I will post follow-ups to this blog. More to follow…..

I purchased a new MacBook recently and although it is very quick and responsive, I needed a more durable solution for the hard drive.  I am tough on my machines and don’t always have time to follow my own advice when moving them.  It’s always best to turn off your laptop when moving around or at the very least, put the computer into hibernation.

Do you toss your laptop around and not think twice about what could happen?  I see the effects of “abused” equipment all the time and it’s not pretty.  What is the answer?  Reducing the moving parts in your computer is one way.  The primary and most critical component that can be replaced is the hard drive as it is the heart of the laptop.  Regular hard drives have tiny moving parts inside, and if the laptop is writing to the hard drive, and the laptop gets jolted, it can cause errors to occur and could render your laptop inoperable

Off I go to the local computer store to purchase the best SSD – only took 1 week of research time – anyone who knows me knows that was quick.  But why am I going to the local computer store? Doesn’t CUI sell parts?  We do and I will get into why we buy local later.  So as usual I try to test the local computer sales person’s knowledge.  First question for the Apple representative at Micro Center was, can I upgrade my MacBook to an SSD?  The answer from the sales person, “No”.

I decided to purchase an Intel X15 drive from Micro Center and as I mentioned earlier the sales person told me that I could not upgrade my MacBook.  So being the average home owner wanting to buy some parts I ask, “can I change the hard drive in my MacBook to an SSD?”  The saleswomen stumbles a bit and finally tells me that Micro Center does not sell a drive that will work in my MacBook.  I asked twice to be sure and she confirmed that it cannot be done

Why an SSD?  What is an SSD?  SSD is short for solid state design and is the latest in hard drive technology.  There are no moving parts in an SSD.  It uses similar technology to the flash memory you use in your camera.  There is very little heat and best of all the response time when reading from the drive is incredible. 

Going to the local computer store has the advantage of instant gratification as well as an easier return policy.  More importantly I was headed out of the country and needed to do this quickly.  But I digress.  So I was off to the hard drive section to buy what I was told would not work.  I am always trying to buck the system and prove them wrong.  To be fair I had already read the instructions from many other users who had replaced their MacBook hard drive with an SSD.

Back at the office I begin the process.  First thing I needed to do was back up my current hard drive and make an image that I could put on the new SSD.  Seems easy enough but having never done this on a Mac before I was a little skeptical.  Jason, CUI tech extraordinaire, had already done this but for me it was the first time.  At this point I took some time to review the Apple forums and then narrow down my choices of programs to copy my data from the old drive to the new drive.  After what seemed like an eternity, actually about 5 minutes, it was clear the winner was SuperDuper! Next I downloaded and installed the program.  In no time it was ready to go.  As this was a test I did not read the manual and turns out that was not a problem.

Finally I was ready to unpack the SSD and connect it to the MacBook, allowing me to make an exact copy of my current hard drive on the new SSD.  For this I used my Cables to Go USB to SATA adapter.  Plugged in all the pieces and nothing happened.  Why?  Simple answer – no power.  So off to the Computer Umbrella tech bag and retrieve the power source for the adapter.  Once I set up the power the MacBook recognized the new SSD drive right away.  Started SuperDuper!! and selected the new hard drive as my target drive and selected back up all files.  Now the waiting.  Wow was I surprised.  A mere 15 minutes later my new SSD was ready to go and best of all SuperDuper!! made it bootable.  All I needed to do was install the new SSD in my MacBook.

Flip over the MacBook to find 8 screws that needed to be removed to get access to the current hard drive.  I then removed the current drive which was held in by 2 screws.  So of all the things I did so far the hardest part was the next step.  The original MacBook hard drive had 4 posts that screw into the side of the drive.  They needed to be removed so I could use them in the new SSD.  I have just about every tool for computers and nothing was working.  In the end I used a small pair of pliers to remove each post.  Now that I was back in business I installed the new SSD into the MacBook and closed up the bottom.  Flipped it back over, plugged in power and turned it on.  Nothing happened.  Was this failure?  No.

I just needed to wait a little for the new drive to be recognized by my Mac.  Once it did the speed was great.  Instant startup of any program.  It has been 3 weeks now and all is good.  I traveled to our office in Vietnam and back and was very rough with the MacBook.   No problems and speed is still great.  I made the right decision.

On March 10, 2010 on the second floor of the Wegman’s in Sterling 4 of Northern Virginia’s computer met to discuss the latest in technology.  The topic of conversation was centered around our agenda consisting of:

There have been significant changes to hardware platforms and technology and much more to come this year.  CES (consumer electronics show) 2010 has wrapped up and our very own tech reporter Aaron is back with us in VA and ready to give us the inside scope.

Our plans are to discuss the following:

• CES 2010
• New Pinetrail processor
• Latest UMPC’s
• Tablet breakthroughs (and I do not mean the iPad)– ever heard of this one? KRT Tablet Notebook 10.2” with Windows 7

Discussion Items:

• Lenovo IdeaPad S10-t3 Multi-Touch Convertible
• Viliv S10 Blade

The meeting started with a video of a rather unusual product packaging.  Click HERE to check out the most unusual unboxing of any device we have ever seen.

After that we had a great review of what’s hot at this years Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Aaron provided a stimulating report and will post his information shortly.  Thanks Aaron.

Next we discussed what is going on the Netbook and UMPC market space.  See previous post for examples.  The Apple iPad will be released soon.  But there are alternatives.  One such device is the KRT Tablet a 10.2′” fully functioning Windows 7 multi touch device with a starting point of $599.  This is just one of many tablets available worldwide.  Yes its true that here in the USA we get the short end of the stick when it comes to cool new technology devices.  If you want this one you will need a friend in China or a some extra green laying around for a round trip ticket to Asia. 

Lastly we discussed several of the latest and commercial available in the USA devices.  Both the Lenovo S10-3 tablet IdeaPad and the Viliv S10 Blade.  Personally I am fan of Viliv and so my loyalties are to the S10 Blade.  It has been getting mixed reviews.  See Chippy and JK’s joint review here.

The evening wrapped up with a last chance grab at the treats, sponsored by Computer Umbrella, Inc and a reminder that Techtoys will be meeting 2 times per month with our new starting time of 6:30 PM. 

This is my first blog and in this post I will discuss the devices that I use daily and how they benefit or hold me back.  Knowing what I use and how I use it will hopefully help you to understand the mission behind the man.  I love gadgets and having the latest technology helps me be a better business owner and better technician.  With that said let’s dive right in.

Mobile Phone

The device I use every day for both talking and some emailing is the mobile phone.  My current mobile device is the Motorola Droid.

First off let me say that I am not a fan of Verizon, however their network is superior to AT&T when it comes to doing the one thing all mobile phones should do well, talking.  I do not experience dropped calls nor frequent disconnects that I did when I was using my iPhone.  OK enough soap box.  The Droid has great battery life, good keyboard, 5 megapixel camera, and a really loud speaker phone.

I am also an owner of the iPhone, a great device that is just on the wrong network.  I traded up for it when I found that I needed to be able to make calls and I was looking for a faster and more responsive mobile device.  Sorry Apple fans but waiting even 3-4 seconds for an app to open or respond is too long.  Now I use it primarily to make Skype calls (yes it does work fine with no SIM chip).  I also take it overseas and use with no issues in my second home of Vietnam. 

Mobile Internet

Being able to surf the Internet is key to the success of my business and my sanity.  So the guys over at Novatel made the MiFi 220 just for me.  Well, OK, they made it for Verizon – and you know what a fan of Verizon I am.  

So this little buddy goes with me and allows me to connect up to 5 devices wireless to the Internet using Verizon’s data network.  I can drive and stay connected, stop in a parking lot, or even be in the woods camping – wait that just too much connectivity.  Only catch is that it needs to be in the Verizon coverage area for data (is there a Map for that?)

Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC)

As the name implies this is a device that I can carry with me but still use as a full computer.  The UMPC is becoming more crowded as manufacturers rush to “one up” the competition either in size, weight, or battery life.  Click here to check out one of my favorite websites where Chippy reviews with great detail the latest UMPC’s.  A similar category of mobile computers is the Mobile Internet Devices or MID.  Both the UMPC and the MID offer mobile flexibility while allowing the user to work in an environment similar to their desktop.  But wait can’t my smart phone do that?  The answer is yes but the UMPC and MID devices do it better and allows me to run Windows based applications.  Here is a break down of the 2 types of devices. 

UMPC

• Business-class device for enterprise users
• Runs a "heavy" OS like Vista
• Optimized for office-use applications like Excel, Word, etc.

MID

• Consumer-class lifestyle device
• Runs a ‘lightweight" OS with quick startup like Linux
• Optimized for things like media playback and web surfing
• In 2009 (or so) Moorestown-based devices will be classed as MIDs only

Thanks to Engadget.com for this information.

The UMPC I am currently using is the Vilv X70.It has the a 7” WSVGA touch LCD, 30 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM (not upgradeable), and it all runs on a Intel Atom 1.33Ghz CPU.  It also has WI-FI, Bluetooth, audio port, and lasts about 5 hours of video play back.  I used this on my recent trip to Vietnam and enjoyed several recorded TV shows.  I removed Windows XP and installed Windows 7 Ultimate.  The touch screen is better then most I have used in this class of UMPC

A good look at the size of the 3 smallest devices I use.

Netbook

The next device I use frequently is my laptop, or these days, my Netbook.  I have several, but don’t most geeks?  (The one I tend to use the most these days is my Netbook.)  The Netbook is my personal choice these days.

I am using the Toshiba NB205-N330BN.  It has a 10.1” screen running the Atom 1.6 Ghz processor and 2 GB RAM (I replaced the 1 GB factory with a Crucial 2GB chip).  Mine has the 250 GB hard drive and not an SSD.  It also has a convenient SD card slot in the front, which is helpful to more pictures from my camera to my computer.  So far battery life has been between 7-8 hours of usable time (using WI-FI and surfing the Internet).  Great keyboard for those with big fingers.  Each key is spaced apart (chiclet style) and that makes it easier to type.  My netbook is very light and fits easily in my bag or even to carry.  It runs Windows 7 Starter and for all my trying, there is nothing that this version of Windows cannot do for me.  I loaded Office 2007 full Enterprise version and have had no problems running any of the office software.   

Full Laptop

Yes I did go over to the “dark side” (sorry Jason).  Although I have been an Apple owner for many years I just did not incorporate its use into my daily life.  Recently and thanks to a $200 discount I purchased an Apple Macbook.  Great laptop and thanks to Sun for developing the free virtual PC software, VirtualBox.  Now I can have the best of both the ease and less virus attacked Mac OS X and still run my favorite Microsoft programs.  A good example is Windows Live Writer.  Without that “gem” from Microsoft this blog would be a lot harder to write.  Check out what Microsoft gives away (yes I did say FREE), http://download.live.com/ Well that is my gear for now.  As I find, buy, barter, borrow new devices I will post and look forward to your comments. Here are 2 final pictures that just did not need much text.

My testing work space.  (showing off a little)	The CUI supercharged mobile service center.

These posts and discussions are intended to foster the information relevant to the latest technology within the tech community.  Our intention is to present the "gear" we all use and discuss the pros and cons as well as the real world application of these devices.