We recently helped a local farm near Leesburg, Virginia, setup a Wineguard HD 8200U High Defintion Platinum VHF/UHF/FM Antenna
Verizon MiFi
The Verizon MiFi is a new device that provides Internet from Verizon’s cellular data network. What makes it so special is that it is also a small router providing Internet for up to 5 people. It can run off of a battery and is the size of a deck of cards so you can easily carry it your pocket, making you a walking WiFi hotspot.
Some people, fed up with the relatively spotty AT&T network, have even used the Verizon MiFi to use a better data netwok on their iPhone.
It costs $99 with a 2 year contract and a $60/month data plan.
This is a pretty good deal if you are a frequent traveler or even if you just are in a rural location that doesn’t get cable or DSL. It certainly is faster with better ping times than satellite internet.
Line for Apple Store in Arlington Selling iPhone 3GS
Because Apple and AT&T allowed people to pre-order for delivery, the line for the new iPhone 3GS at 7am today at the Clarendon Apple store in Arlington, Virginia, was about 10% of what we saw for the original iPhone and 3G.
In many ways, this was a less significant upgrade than the upgrade to the 3G. Key selling points of the 3GS include: faster speed (network and phone), video recording, better battery life, compass, and higher quality camera.
Several other upgrades are available to the previous iPhone through the recently released iPhone 3.0 OS. The new software includes cut and paste, photo messaging (available later when AT&T enables it), universal search, and a voice memo app.
I’ll probably buy the 3GS in several months when I qualify for the cheaper upgrade price.
Best TV Antenna For DC Metro
At Tech DC we have helped many people set up their TVs with antennas for digital over-the-air TV. This is a great way to get high quality digital programming without a cable or satellite bill.
Channels Available
Washington DC is mainly in the UHF spectrum, but channel 7 (ABC) is in VHF so an antenna should work for both UHF and VHF. This is a channel list for Washington DC from antennaweb.org, a great site for determining what kind of channels you receive and how far and what direction the towers are located.
Try An Old Antenna
We have experimented with many different types of antennas. If you have an old antenna, definitely give that a try before buying something new. Generally, you want an antenna to have as good a line-of-sight to the towers as possible, meaning that placement near a window can help. Rooftop or attic antennas are great. Old antennas capture the same spectrum (UHF & VHF) as is needed for digital TV, so don’t be fooled into thinking that you need a digital antenna. The antennas the same.
Digital TV Requires A Good Signal
The tuning difference between digital and analog is only that digital is less forgiving if you have a poor signal. With a poor analog signal, the image is snowy but still viewable. Digital signals will become jaggy and then quickly black out to nothing. This means that sometimes a better antenna is needed for a stronger signal in order for digital to work.
Best Antenna for DC Metro
Our favorite TV antenna for people in the DC metro area is the Winegard SS-3000 Amplified Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna
Augmented Reality Coming To Cell Phones
The concept of augmented reality is one of those cool techie ideas that has been around for a while. We see it in science fiction (Terminator cam), military headsets, and virtual reality helmets and glasses for some software demos. A new augmented reality aimed at regular consumers is displayed in this video of an application for the Google Android phone.
This is made possible because some new phones such as the iPhone 3GS not only have a built-in GPS and accelerometer, but also have a compass. This allows the phone to know where it is and what direction it is pointing.
This app is rolling out first in the Netherlands, but more of these types of apps will be arriving soon.