Wired Vs. Wireless (Wifi)

I think most people with high speed internet (dsl and cable) consider getting a wireless network for their home. They are especially handy if you have a laptop with built in wifi. So lets look at the primary advantages and disadvantages of wifi.

Pros.
No wires to run. If your house is already built it can be a pain to run wires through the walls and either in the attic or crawlspace. Also, you need to know a few rules when running wires, such as distance limits and possibilities of electrical interference. Then, if you don't buy the wires that already come with the ends on you have to buy or borrow special tools to crimp the ends on and have knowledge of wire patterns (pin outs). So when you go to your local electronics store/department you can pick up a wireless router for under $100 (several models closer to $50), and it comes with the cable to plug it into your modem.

Disadvantages. 802.11 /b/g/n SSID TKIP AES WEP WPA=PSK Can I buy a vowel? Well basically here is a quick summary of all that:
802.11 is a nerdy way of saying wifi.
b/g/n are speeds for data transfer b is the slowest, g is common, n is pretty new and is fast. If you laptop is g compatible it will work with a b,g,or n router, but if it is a b router the laptop connection will slow down. If it is an n router the laptop won't work any faster than g speed.
The other stuff has to do with security. If you don't set up security (a password) Then your neighbors can jump on your network and use up your speed. Also, a hacker can jump on your network. So an SSID is basically a name for you network so you can tell it apart from your neighbors. It is a good idea to make a unique name and not leave the router the default name. When making a password choose WPA-PSK or WPA-PSK2 these are stronger and harder to hack than WEP. AES vs TKIP doesn't really matter. Also change the Administrator password, Linksys routers have sold by the millions and it is a common mistake to leave the password alone. In this case your password is the same as it is for everyone else who bought one.

How to Get Pictures Off a Cell Phone

Many people take a snapshot of something of interest with their cell phone. They are anxious to share this picture with their friends and family, but have no idea how to do that other than walk around with the phone and tell people to look at the screen. So lets look at the most common ways to get the picture out of the phone.We will begin by breaking it into two major categories: Wireless and Hardware.

Wireless: The options depend on the capabilities of your phone and the level of service you are willing to pay for.

1. Bluetooth. Most phones have bluetooth. If you browse around your menu (look it up in manual if you need help) you will probably find a setting to activate your bluetooth. Chances are your friends have bluetooth, too. So you can transfer the file once you have set up something called pairing. Usually, once you both have bluetooth turned on you will see the name of the other person's phone. (ie Amber's phone, or SamsungA707)It may ask you for a pin number. Typically you can make one up and tell the other person what it is. They type in that number then you are paired. Now browse to your picture and choose options (or similar). There should be a send via bluetooth option. There is no charge to bluetooth something. This is also a popular way to share ring tones. Many laptops and some desktops have bluetooth, so you can transfer them to your computer this way too.

2. MMS, or email. If you choose options, in addition to bluetooth, there should be some options like send, or send via email. These are other ways to send the file, but they usually charge your account, unless you have a data plan. MMS is basically a "text message" that contains more than text. To send an MMS message you type in the mobile phone number of the person you want to send to, like sending a text. Email is just email. Type in the address to send it to such as newcreationtech@gmail.com. Many people like to send their pictures to a place where they can be shared with an online community, rather than an individual, such as facebook, twitter, or flickr.

Hardware. This means that something will be plugged in to the phone. Many phones have a slot for a memory card. The most common type is microSD or microSDHC (HC stands for High Capacity). SD cards are commonly used a digital camera cards. The MicroSD is just a small version of the SD and usually comes with an adapter that can adapt it up to a normal SD card slot. So if you have a microSD card in your phone you can the picture to it. Pop it out and adapt it up to normal SD, then it can fit in your computers' SD camera card slot, or if you don't have one you can swing by your local photo developer (i.e. Walgreens) and they can print the picture for you or save it to cd.

USB. Usb is a common data transfer standard. Most phone manufactures make a usb cable that is compatible with your phone. You can connect this cable to your computer and transfer the picture across the wire.

What is 3G?

Many people have heard of the iPhone, and the iPhone 3G, or many cellular providers advertise the largest 3G network. So what the heck is 3G anyway? 3G stands for third generation. It is in reference to a communication standard for wireless communications. It allows for simultaneous voice and data transmissions, and the most noticeable benefit is higher data rates.

So how do I use it? Fist of all you have to have a 3G capable phone. Many of the phones made today are. Secondly, you have to have 3G service in your area. Unfortunately, I live in a rural area that does not have 3G. I notice the service indicator says 3G when I am near a large city. I am able to enjoy faster data speeds with no additional configurations.

So what phone do I have?
I am using an ATT Tilt smart phone. The newer version of my phone would be the ATT FUZE. Known as the Touch Pro by other carriers. My tilt allows me to receive my email, browse the internet, use MS Office, adobe reader, and many other applications. It also has a 3 mp camera. My favorite app is google maps. It is free, and since the phone has a gps receiver. I can use it as a gps unit when hiking or driving. It is really handy for locating restaurants, and you can pull up the information and tap call and the phone just calls the business. No need for a phone book.

That sounds nice...so what if I don't have a smartphone? Can I use something like google maps?

Try giving google 411 a call. 1-800-GOOG-411. It is a voice recognition service that works pretty well. Looking for a hotel? Call this number and follow the voice prompts. It can connect you automatically, or text you the information.

Hope this makes life a little easier. Please comment or email newcreationtech[at]gmail.com, if you are aware of better services, or have questions.

Thanks,

The New Creation Team

Grooveshark

Internet radio stations...iTunes...amazon...napster...pandora...where do you listen to music? I personally like to use grooveshark. It doesn't download anything and there is nothing to purchase. You can listen to what you want when you want it. No shady peer sharing. Of course this does not work with your mp3 player (iPod). I recommend buying music from amazon.

SLR vs. Point and Shoot

I often get asked if an SLR is worth it. That really depends on what you are taking pictures of. Let me ask you the following questions to determine if you need an SLR.

1. Can you spend over $600 on a camera?
2. Do you use photoshop or other similar software?
3. Does the term HDR mean something to you?
4. Do you plan on making your own prints larger than 8x10?

I think that there are many point and shoot cameras that take stunning pictures. One camera that I am impressed with is the Canon SX110 is. It seems to have a great feature set at a modest price. I personally would like to own an SLR and I recommend Canon and Nikon for SLR cameras. If you decide to go with an SLR be aware that they take special batteries. Also, most owners end up getting additional lenses and flashes. If you need a camera on a budget, canon, fuji, and kodak make good entry level point and shoots. A great way to test drive a camera is to use flickr.com and go to their camera finder. You can browse by brand and model.

My First Post

I am not really sure if this blog will take off. So please post comments on the topics you would like to know about and I will do my best to write something if I am knowledgeable about the topic. Until some comments or emails come in I will write about common topics that I get asked a ton of questions about.