This week on Ask Lifehacker we're talking about the new iPad and Apple TV, Google's rebranding, a creative new Android keyboard, and an awesome iPhone camera app. We'll also be showing off an incredible charging cable and answering questions from you.
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Here's what you'll get:
00:37 The News
00:47 Google Play
06:24 The New iPad
15:49 Apple TV 3
20:32 iOS 5.1: Does It Actually Do Anything?
22:57 Questions and Answers
23:02 Question #1: What Can I Do with an Old Smartphone (Besides Sell It)?
26:03 Question #2: How Can I Get a Summary of Lots of Information in the Morning?
29:21 Question #3: Should I Lie on a Job Interview if I Have No Experience?
31:10 Question #4: How Can I Copy Data from a Dying Laptop to a New Drive?
34:34 Question #5: Should I Buy a DSLR Camera for Video or Stick with a Traditional Camcorder?
39:15 Show and Tell: The Dexim Visible Green Charger
41:34 Downloads of the Week
41:44 OSX: Wake Up Light
43:04 Android: Siine
45:46 iOS: Camera Awesome
For more detail and links, read on!
News and Discussion
This week we discussed Google's rebranding of the Android Marketplace and other media services to the new name Google Play. For the most part, nothing has changed but some Android devices might have some problems with the latest update.
This week's news was certainly dominated by Apple, however, with the release of the new iPad. It features the retina display most Apple fans have been waiting for, but there has been some controversy over the quad-core processor claims as the CPU is actually dual-core and only the graphics processor is quad-core. Apple also announced the third-generation Apple TV with 1080p and a more iOS-like interface. iOS was also updated to version 5.1, but with little information about what it actually does. The update brings a few minor features to general users and supposed fixes for iPhone 4S problems, but overall the update only really matters if you're in Japan and are looking forward to getting Siri on your iPhone 4S.
In an aside, we also discussed how you can add handy multitouch and button shortcuts to your jailbroken iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using Activator. Here's our Activator how-to guide so you can start adding some of your own.
Questions and Answers
Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's an overview of this week's problems and solutions:
What can I do with an old smartphone (besides sell it)? Turn it into a retro game arcade, use it as a music/media remote (iPhone / Android), keep it as a backup phone in case your phone breaks, load it up with media and keep it in your car, use it as a recipe book in the kitchen, try these iPhone repurposing options, or get some advice from your fellow readers.
How can I get a summary of lots of information in the morning? Sounds like a good start page is in order. iGoogle is still a popular one for many people. You can put a lot of helpful information on your desktop using Rainmeter (Windows), GeekTool (OS X), or Conky (Linux). Whitson loves NetVibes. Pash thinks Flipboard, although not necessarily a single-page information hub, would actually work pretty well. Dachis wrote an Adobe AIR application to do this, but it's limited in its functionality.
Should I lie on a job interview if I have no experience? No. Just pull from work experience you have that wasn't necessarily an official job. Some tips from this post may help.
How can I copy data from a dying laptop to a new drive? Remove the drive, then get yourself a drive dock or SATA to USB cable like this one and copy the data over manually. You can use CloneZilla to do this, but if you're on a Mac you may prefer Carbon Copy Cloner.
Should I buy a DSLR camera for video or stick with a traditional camcorder? If you've already got a traditional camcorder, mixing its video with video from a DSLR may look a little weird. It'll also cost you a bit more to record with the DSLR, because you'll need to get accessories (like this Beachtek audio adapter and a microphone). The video you'll get from the DSLR will look a lot better than a standard consumer camera, it'll operate better in lower light, and you'll have greater control over depth of field, but it's a bit more work and a bit more expensive. It's worth getting the DSLR if you're up for putting in the extra work. We use one for the podcast, but we'd be using a standard camcorder if the option were available. DSLRs are really a lot better for shorter clips and narratives. If you decide to go the DSLR route, however, be sure to read our guide on getting great video with you HDSLR.
To learn how to ask a question yourself, just scroll down to the bottom of the page for instructions.
Downloads of the Week
Each week we talk about our favorite downloads. Here are our picks for this week:
Wake Up Light ($4) - An app for OS X that simulates a sunrise to wake you up in the morning so you can do so gradually. Just in case the light doesn't cut it, standard alarm features are included as a backup.
Siine (Free) - A new type of keyboard for Android that aims to make typing easier by reducing certain words, phrases, and notations to one tap.
Camera Awesome (Free) - A great camera app replacement for your iPhone. It adds several new composition and photo editing tools plus neat effects like vintage coloring and frames.
Show and Tell
Occasionally we have a cool new gadget or tool to show off. This week it was the Dexim Green Visible Charger ($20-30). It's a device charger that comes in iPhone/iPod/iPad and standard USB varieties and provides two awesome features. First, it lights up to show you its currently charging and you see the lights move quickly, simulating a flow of electricity, during the charge. The flow slows down as the device's battery is almost finished and the lights shut off when charging is complete. Second, the charger only draws power from your power source (computer or the wall) when necessary. When your device is charged, it won't sip any energy it doesn't actually need.
How Do I Submit a Question?
There are three ways to send in your question:
Record a video, upload it somewhere, and send a link to [email protected]
Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!
Email your question to [email protected].
Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!
Newspaper, Computer, and Clock (by Brandon Hopkins) provided by the Noun Project.