Streaming Music Apps – Part 1

Posted on April 17, 2018April 23, 2018 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, Technology Tips

Streaming Music Apps

I’ve used Pandora for streaming music for years. Whether I’m on a road trip or just driving to Staples, it’s been easy and convenient. Recently though, I’ve been hearing more about Spotify. And that set me to wondering what other streaming music apps are out there. I wanted to find out what other options I have. Are these other apps free? How many commercials do I have to listen to? And what are my options for commercial free streaming? (Please note that some of the links included may be affiliate links. If you click on them, Geek For Hire may receive a small commission.)

Research:

c|net is a website that I’ve liked for a while as it gives good explanations to technical subjects. Naturally I looked to see if they’ve done any research on this subject as a place to start. In a recent article, they listed their top six streaming music apps:

Spotify
Apple Music
Tidal
Amazon
Pandora
Google Play

Pandora:

Since I’ve used Pandora for years, I already know what I like about it. Streaming music is free (as long as I listen to commercials every five or six songs). I’m able to choose songs I like or don’t like via the thumbs up/down buttons. I can search for and find music I like, even the first CD recording from a local band. While I don’t really like the commercials, I do like that Pandora will occaisionally give me the option to watch a longer video for an hour of commercial free play. I also don’t like that you are allowed only so many thumbs down clicks per hour. But all-in-all, it’s worked well for me, for years. Pandora Streaming Music

Google Play:

Of the other five that c|net mentioned, I tried Google Play first. Since it’s Google, I easily signed in with my Google login info. There are two options: the Indivicual plan for $10/month and the Family plan for $15/month for six people. Both come with the first 30 days free. I clicked on “No thanks” and moved on. There were a number of playlists available on the first screen. Since none of those appealed to me, I quickly typed a favorite band into the search box and clicked the play button.

I noticed right away that there are the same thumbs up and down buttons I am used to on Pandora. Once the music was playing, I switched back to the Notes app on my iPad, and continued listening as I typed. When the first song was done, another song, in the same genre but different band started playing. So far, so good. And also, so far no commercials! (We’re on song number six now with no commercials and only one earned a thumbs down so far!) Google Play Free Trial.

Conclusions:

Check back next week for my review of the remaining four streaming music options and my favorite choice.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet. I’ll try that next! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Spam Calls on Your Smartphone? How Can You Minimize?

Posted on January 16, 2018March 20, 2018 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, Tips

Over the past few days I have been absolutely inundated with fraudulent callers, telemarketers, and just plan old spam calls. But the good thing is that I know what they are and can choose not to answer!

I’ve been using a new app on my iPhone called Call Protect. It works with my AT&T service and it seems to work very well. Here is a list of the spam calls I’ve received today:

It’s pretty annoying to receive all of those Telemarketer and Spam calls while I’m trying to work! If you have AT&T service, you can head over to the app store on your Smartphone to download and install this app for yourself.

I’ve been looking to see if Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile have a similar app and haven’t had any luck. If you know, please provide a link to the app in the comments below.

Nature Apps to Help You Explore the Great Outdoors!

Posted on January 9, 2018October 11, 2021 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, Tips

When you’re wandering around on a hike, you’ll sometimes come across a tree, or a plant, or a bird that you can’t identify. There are nature apps for that!

Nature Apps for Trees:

Leafsnap is one of the nature apps for your mobile device – Smartphone or Tablet – that lets you identify trees from their leaves. Take a photo of a leaf, upload it to the app, and voila!, they’ll tell you what kind of tree it is! For now, it only identifies trees in the northeastern part of the US, but they are working on adding the rest of the country soon. Info is on their website: http://leafsnap.com/ (FREE)

Birds:

Sometimes identifying birds at the feeder or while on a hike can be challenging. This app lets you compare the bird in front of you to its photo on the app. There is a good written description of each bird and a sound file too. More info here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bird-guide-offline-bird-identification-app/id1122226312?mt=8 (FREE)

Mushrooms:

If you’re looking at mushrooms, want to identify them, and want to keep track of where you saw a particular species before, then Roger’s Mushrooms is the app for you. The app includes tutorials so that you can learn about particular species. More info here: http://rogersmushroomsapp.com/ ($4.99)

Noxious Weeds:

In Colorado, we have a lot of invasive species. This app helps you identify a particular plant with photos of the plant itself, leaves, and flowers. There is also a written description of each, including its height, habitat, and max elevation. More info here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/colorado-noxious-weeds/id833042035?mt=8 (FREE)

Clouds:

Did you ever wonder what kind of cloud you’re looking at? Is it likely to bring rain or are clear skies on the way? Coton is the app for you. It helps you identify the clouds you’re seeing, ventures a guess at your forecast, and gives you a little science lesson too! More info on their website: http://cotonapp.com/ ($1.99)

What are your favorite Nature apps for exploring? Let us know!

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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More Tips Here:

Are VPNs worth it? More here.
Are you interested in learning more about Extreme Privacy?
We have seen a lot of Facebook hacking lately. Here’s what you should do ahead of time to keep your account safe.
And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

Weather Websites and Apps for Traveling

Posted on November 14, 2017November 25, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, SmartPhones, Weather

The winter holidays are coming up and lots of folks will be on the road. I thought this would be a good time to revisit my list of favorite weather websites and smartphone applications.

NOAA – When you enter your city and state into the “Local Forecast” box, you can see just what is in store for your area. In addition, if there is a big storm coming, you’ll see a “Hazardous Weather Conditions” box across the top. I like the NOAA forecast because it is generally right on target. NOAA also has radar and satellite maps. By the way, NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is located right here in Boulder, Colorado!

Weather Underground – My favorite of all the weather websites is Weather Underground. I like it because I have several different weather stations to choose from in my town. In addition to the forecast, WU tells me what’s happening right now. When you click on the information from a particular station, you can also see if they have a webcam set up. Then you can see the snow and wind for yourself! Those webcams are especially helpful if you’d like to see the weather in a place where you are traveling to. You can also save favorite locations, so it’s easy to see what’s going on at Grandma’s house before you get there!

The Weather Channel – The Weather Channel has all the same information the other websites have. Because they consider themselves a news site, they’ve also got, what I can only call Weather Entertainment. Big Floods! Amazing Ancient Ruins! 20 Places Overrun by Animals! And More!! My favorite feature on the Weather Channel is their travel map found here. When you enter your starting place and destination, and the date you will be departing, the map calculates your route AND the expected weather.

NEXRAD – “Nexrad (Next-Generation Radar) is a network of 158 high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service” This website shows the radar for the whole US, or just your state.

WeatherTalk – is a Facebook page. Colorado Weather Analyst Greg Berman gained recognition when he accurately forecasted the extent of the rains and subsequent Front Range floods in September 2013. If you’re on Facebook, I’d highly recommend this page to “Like” and bookmark. His forecasts include most of the Colorado Springs and other Front Range areas.

Aurora Alerts – And if you’re looking to see if there may be an Aurora in your neighborhood, check out the NOAA sun activity page.

What is your favorite of all the Weather Websites? Share in the comments below!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

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4 Top Sports Smartphone App’s

Posted on November 7, 2017January 6, 2018 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, SmartPhones, Weather

For those of you who know me well, you know that if there is one sport I follow, it’s baseball. I like hockey too, but don’t follow the games and teams as closely as baseball. I really L O V E baseball! I love attending the Rockies games at Coors Field, with the smells, sounds, and excitement. And when it’s time for the World Series, well, I’ll be glued to a TV, or, one of the Sports Smartphone App’s on my iPhone to keep track of the scores! After baseball season was over this year, I started wondering how people who follow other sports get their info. As per usual, any question I have involving technology, however peripherally, gets explored here!

There are a bunch of Sports Smartphone app’s recommended by folks in-the-know. I’ve checked them out and found these four to be easy to use and very easy to customize so that your favorite teams are listed right up front.

Bleacher Report for Android or iPhone – iMore really likes the Bleacher Report. Here’s what they have to say: “If you prefer something with a bit more of a modern interface, then check out the Bleacher Report. Rather than providing its own coverage, the Bleacher Report curates all the best sources on the web so that you get all the news you can about your favorite teams and players. You can open a stream to get scores, stories, videos, and photos from local and national newspapers, blogs, Twitter, and more.”
ESPN for Android or iPhone – Tom’s Guide says: “The ESPN app brings users the latest and greatest sporting news and information worldwide. Whether you’re looking for updated scoring information, breaking news for various teams and leagues, or professional analysis, the ESPN app has got your back.”
theScore for iPhone – iMore rates theScore as their #1 choice. Here’s what they have to say: “theScore is the sports app. It’s simply the best. You can follow tons of professional leagues (even including NASCAR) and receive updates on scores and news from any and all teams you’d like to follow. You can even follow individual players, and you can customize alerts so that you only get pinged for what you want to know. theScore has a great-looking interface and setup is simple — just pick your leagues, pick your teams, and away you go.”
Yahoo!Sports for Android and iPhone – AppOlicious says: “Plenty of sports apps will give you the latest scores. Only a few will keep you up-to-date on every single play of the game. And even fewer will do all of that plus let you pick games, chat with other sports fans and set alerts for numerous game scenarios. Yahoo Sports continued to operate in a special stratosphere in 2017, making it a continued must-download for the sports fan who wants everything under one app.”

Which is your favorite sports smartphone app to track your favorite teams? Share in the comments below!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more at http://www.GeekForHireInc.com Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet, but I’m tempted! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

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My 7 Favorite Weather Websites and Apps

Posted on November 29, 2016November 25, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, SmartPhones, Weather

With all the snow in the forecast, I thought it was time to revisit my list of favorite weather websites and smartphone applications.

Weather Underground – I like Weather Underground because I have several different weather stations to choose from in my town. In addition to the forecast, WU tells me what’s happening right now. When you click on the information from a particular station, you can also see if they have a webcam set up. Then you can see the snow and wind for yourself! Those webcams are especially helpful if you’d like to see the weather in a place where you are traveling to.

WeatherTalk – is a Facebook page I’ve recently found. Colorado Weather Analyst Greg Berman gained recognition when he accurately forecasted the extent of the rains and subsequent Front Range floods in September 2013. If you’re on Facebook, I’d highly recommend this page to “Like” and bookmark. His forecasts include most of the Ft. Collins / Denver / Colorado Springs / Front Range area.

Storm Shield Weather Radio will send severe weather alerts to your smartphone.

Aurora Alerts – And if you’re looking to see if there may be an Aurora in your neighborhood, check out the NOAA sun activity page.

Do you have a favorite website for weather forecasts? Share in the comments below!

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Where To Turn, When You Don’t Know Where To Turn

Posted on August 9, 2016October 25, 2017 by Gail Eddy in Smartphone Apps, Tips

I received some bad news yesterday about a friend who lost his battle with depression. Whenever this happens, and it has happened too frequently in my lifetime, I wonder if there was something I could have done differently. In most case I know though, that people tend to hide their demons behind a happy face. They don’t want to burden their friends and family with their struggles.

That got me wondering: Are there apps or other online resources that a person could go to anonymously for support and guidance?

I did a little bit of research, and the answer is Yes, and No. Sure there are apps, but research is finding that those apps aren’t as helpful as actually talking to a trained counselor.

One app that is sponsored by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is MY3. MY3 lets you name three people you can contact in a crisis. You set this up ahead of time, and contact them when needed. These three people could be your therapist, your religious leader, a family member, a close friend, or even a neighbor.

If you know you have suicidal tendencies, by all means, get into counseling now. Many times the cost will be free, or on a sliding scale, so don’t let finances be a factor to not seeking help. You can find a competent therapist by contacting your County or State Department of Human Services or by calling the Suicide Prevention Hotline – 800-273-8255.

If you are wondering what some of the warning signs are so that you might be able to help a friend or family member, check out the list here. Some of the warning signs include:

Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself.
Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
Talking about being a burden to others.
Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.

Our society has two demographics that are particularly susceptible to depression and suicide: Teens/Young Adults and Veterans.

Teens, especially, have many resources. One message board that I found allows teens to “chat” with other teens about a variety of subjects from Gender Issues to Child Abuse to Eating Disorders, Suicide, and other topics. Remember that if you do join a Message Board to head over to gmail first and create a new anonymous email address.

I’ve recently become aware that an average of 22 Veterans are killed by suicide every day. Head to either one of these two websites for more info and assistance: Veteran Crisis Line or 22Kill.

Many of the websites I looked at this morning cite suicide as one of the leading causes of death in the US. Keep your eyes and ears open. If you see a friend showing any of the above signs, gently talk to them, and provide them with some of these resources.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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Olympics!

Posted on August 2, 2016September 8, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Entertainment, Entertainment Apps, Games, Smartphone Apps

Will you be following the Olympics? More and more people I know don’t have cable or satellite TV service anymore and are wondering how to keep up. Here are some suggestions:

If you do still have a TV with an antenna, tune your set to NBC. If you are near a large city that still broadcasts, you should be able to pick it up. (Unless you’re in Colorado’s Foothills!)
Your second option is to view it via NBC’s live stream: Note that I had to reload the page a few times before it would start playing. I’m guessing their servers are busy!
You can also try Sling.com. They have a one week free trial. Remember to cancel before the free trial ends though, or get ready to pay $25 per month.
You can also download the Olympic app on your phone: Note that it’s not very intuitive and takes a while to figure out how to navigate it. If you’re just looking for results, though, this is a good place to start.You can also get information about the upcoming Olympics in PyeongChang, Tokyo, and Beijing.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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5 Good Things to Know about Pokemon Go

Posted on July 26, 2016September 8, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Entertainment, Entertainment Apps, Facebook, Games, Smartphone Apps, Social Media

Have you downloaded the new Pokemon Go App yet? Are you playing it? It seems to be taking the nation by storm! You can find out all about it at the Pokemon website: http://www.pokemongo.com and you can download it from the iTunes store or, for the Android from Google Play.

If you are playing, make sure you appropriately manage your security settings. (In fact you should always be careful with how much you share from your phone with game developers.)

Pokemon sure has been getting some bad press though. Consider some of these stories:

Veteran Memorial overrun by Pokemon players
Pokemon Go players go mad.
Falling, tripping, and other mishaps.

The Good News:

But it’s not all bad news. There have been several good things to come out of this new craze. For example, people with anxiety, autism and Asperger’s are finding the Pokemon Go helps them get out and be more social. According to this article in Inverse:

“… the game is reportedly helping people overcome anxiety and other mental health issues, bringing an array of players together under one common passion. Such has been the case for a few parents of autistic children, who have been sharing stories about the game easing their children into incredible social interactions.”

Pokemon has helped people find things:

According to one story, two women found a toddler: “Looking for new Pokemon Friday night, as they’d done before, the two stumbled upon a little girl who looked to be no older than 2, crossing a busy street by herself.”

Another teen found a missing man who had recently died.

Businesses have realized they can use Pokemon to their advantage. In fact, this Forbes article is full of ideas that businesses can use to lure in more Pokemon players – and potential buyers!

“Instead, take a cue from this local indie clothing store, which got into the spirit of the game by saying, “come get your PokéBalls and previously rocked threads. Gotta catch ‘em all in style!” That’s bound to leave a positive impression, get people talking and, with the overwhelming media attention this game is getting, potentially get your local business some exposure in the press.”

And players are accidentally getting more exercise! One friend posted this on her Facebook a few days ago:

“I’ve walked 26 miles this week playing Pokemon GO. This is the weight loss plan I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”

In fact there’s even a guide for people who want to do interval training!

“Interval training … is a workout where you push yourself as hard as you can in short bursts, rest, then repeat. … This kind of stop and go activity is perfectly suited for the walk-and-stop play of Pokémon Go, and knowing that you get to play while you exercise can be a huge motivator. You’ll collect items at PokéStops (like eggs that only hatch if you walk or run), hatch said eggs with the massive number of steps you rack up, wear down rival gyms so you can take over, find wild pokémon to catch, and get fit all at the same time.”

Is it all just a mad scheme? How long do you thing this craze will last?

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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Q&A with Chris Eddy (iMac’s, PDF’s and Windows 10)

Posted on May 10, 2016May 18, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Apple, iMac, iPhone, Microsoft, PDF, Smartphone Apps, Tips, Win10

Question:

I’m currently running window 7 professional on my work laptop. Windows 10 want to upgrade computer software. I have office 2003 and ms project software 2010 and I’m wondering if windows 10 compatible with these programs? Also since I’ve been rejecting windows 10 computer seems to constantly upgrade software (daily) and is running slow. Any way that not upgrading to 10 can be causing this?

Answer:

I think you should decline the W10 upgrade because W7 works fine for you, I don’t think that W10 has enough new and different and better stuff that you should run right out now (metaphorically) and get it. Also, I’m seeing occasional strangeness with W10 becoming unresponsive or very disk intensive for long periods of time, and have seen occasional filesystem corruption after things like a graceless shutdown which causes the machine to require serious startup repair (not the automated one), but W7 would have recovered from that in stride.

Question:

An associate recommended PDFMerge as a great program to take individual pdf pages and be able to combine them into a document. I went to the website www.pdfmerge.com and downloaded it. …. Well now every pdf on my laptop is a soda pdf. This was not what I intended – will this cause me problems since they are no longer adobe pdf’s? Should I have you change it all back? Worried about this change. Recommendations?

Answer:

This is an easy thing to change. Go to the file using Windows Explorer, right click on the file name, go down to “Open With”, select the Adobe Acrobat Reader program, and make sure you put a check in the box to use this program for this file type in the future.

Question:

Do you have an opinion on the iMac all in one? The 21.5 ” most suitable for my space and I’d like to connect it to a TV and be able to watch TV at same time as using computer – is that possible or a pipe dream?

Answer:

In general, I like the iMac. And, in a nutshell, yes. But you’ll need an “Apple TV” device, which is a white hockey puck sized thing that connects to the house network and to the TV. More here: http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/appletv/can-i-use-apple-tv-to-mirror-my-imac-on-my-tv/QCFJP9Y472HAJP9YP

Do you have a quick question about your Mac or PC? Send us an email to support@geekforhireinc.com