Barrett

What is Apple CarPlay?

If you step into a newer vehicle and suddenly feel like your iPhone has been taken over by the car’s computer system, don’t freak out (like I did). There’s an explanation…

So I was riding as a passenger in a car, minding my own business. Except I wanted to top off the juice in my iPhone. I noticed a USB plug, and I had a Lightning cable with me. So I took the liberty to plug in and power up.

Then my father happened to call me. I put my iPhone up to my ear to talk.

“Hey, Dad! What’s doing?”

To my surprise, I heard my father’s response blare loudly through the car’s speakers!

I wasn’t too keen on publicly sharing our conversation.
(My 84-year-old father can sometimes be a little cranky.)

So I said, “Hold on for a moment, Dad…”

I checked my iPhone’s Wi-Fi connection. Had it somehow paired with the car’s speaker system?
No.

Maybe Bluetooth?
Nope.

Then how the heck was my iPhone connected to this mysterious ‘Car-Net?!’

Plugging into a Strange Car
Of course, I was missing the obvious connection. Remember, I had just jacked in my iPhone with the Lighting cable.

I looked at the cable and yanked it out to sever the connection as if I were taking an ax to a hive of cables powering a massive super computer that had just been hacked.

My iPhone took back its audio, and I had my private chat with my dad.
He needed some ‘tech support’ on how to mute and unmute the ringer on his own iPhone.
(Sigh)

Hello, CarPlay
So what the heck had just happened to me and my trusty iPhone?

Well, if you don’t own a newer model car, you may not know this, but I had simply experienced the iPhone capability called, ‘Apple CarPlay.’

Actually, it’s more about the capability of your car… if it has a built-in touchscreen that can ‘talk’ to your iPhone.
(The presence of a touchscreen does not, in itself, guarantee CarPlay compatibility.)

If your vehicle works with CarPlay, the touchscreen will display certain native iPhone apps like Maps, Phone, Messages, and Music, as well as other apps like Audible, Pandora and Amazon Music.
(It’s an easier and safer way to use your iPhone in the car.)

The apps have been reimagined for your car’s display.
(It’s not a mirror of your iPhone’s screen.)

Your car’s buttons and knobs can also be used, such as when you want to use Siri for voice control.

Newer Cars Only
Again, older wheels can’t play with CarPlay.
I love my older Toyota RAV4, but it only knows how to ‘CarDrive.’

Yes, I’ve got tech envy.
(It was clear there were tech stunts it couldn’t do when I had to MacGyver it to stream music from my iPhone via Bluetooth.)

Most auto manufacturers began integrating CarPlay in 2016 and 2017, and some are still ramping up.
(For example: 2018 for the Subaru Outback and Volvo XC60.)

Plus, CarPlay only works with iPhone 5 or newer models.

Some vehicles support CarPlay via a Lightning USB connection; others can do the trick wirelessly.

Aftermarket Solutions
But all is not lost… There are aftermarket CarPlay systems that you can install in your car’s dashboard. Apple lists Alpine, Carion, Kenwood, Pioneer and Sony for suggested systems.

The price tag ranges from $400 to over $1,000.
Zac Hall from 9to5Mac has this review of his favorites.

Add It to the Shopping List
So if you’re driving, CarPlay is clearly an important upgrade when you want to interface with your iPhone.

But if you’re simply a passenger in someone else’s ride and need to find the nearest USB jack… just remember your iPhone can become something of a more ‘public’ user experience.

Do you see CarPlay in your future…?

May 14, 2017

There’s a Tracking Chip in Our Adopted Kitty

Say hello to our newest family member! Our plan is to make sure she stays an indoor cat. But what happens if she gets out one day and disappears…?

Science fiction is filled with stories about secret microchip implants tracking unsuspecting heroes. Who knew that this vision of the future already exists today…?

Fortunately, there’s a positive twist here, because it involves finding lost pets and helping them find their way home.

New Family Member
Recently, we brought a kitty home from an animal shelter. She’s a beautiful black/white/orange tabby, and I think she’s got even more energy than our seven-year-old son can muster! Needless to say, it’s quite the match up.

Before we brought her home from the shelter, I noticed that part of her paperwork included a microchip ID number. Yes, she already had a microchip tracker the size of a grain of rice implanted in the back of her neck.
(Courtesy of the animal shelter)

Technology Can Be Your Pet’s Best Friend
It’s been a while since I’ve adopted a pet, but I think these little microchips are standard issue today.

Here’s how it works… Your pet pulls a Houdini outside of your home and gets lost. Then, someone finds your pet and eventually (hopefully) brings your animal companion to a shelter, veterinarian or other location that has a microchip scanner to pull up your pet’s microchip number.

Once that happens, it’s checked against a National Pet Recovery Database.

If you’re signed up with the database, your address and phone number pop up, and the rest of the story becomes a happy ending.

The trick is… you’ve got to be signed up for all of this to work!

HomeAgain
When you Google “pet microchip,” a bunch of companies pop up. The one our shelter had chosen to go with is HomeAgain.

When you take a look at the services offered, HomeAgain is actually a lot more than just a national database for lost pets…

They’ve got a call center number to speak to a human being.
They send out ‘Lost Pet Alert’ emails to the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Network in your area.
There’s an Emergency Medical Hotline.
They even offer ‘Travel Assistance.’
$500 towards airfare if your pet is found more than 500 miles from home.
(I thought this kind of thing only happened in the movies.)

Safety Comes at a Cost
There’s certainly a lot of support offered here when your pet has gone missing.

And no, it’s not free…

HomeAgain costs $19.99/year.
(As far as I could tell, there was no option to just sign your pet into the database without all of the other services.)

And remember, that’s twenty bucks a year over the course of hopefully 15 to 20 years. Let’s say 18 years… which means $360. And we’ll assume that the annual fee will creep up a bit over time.

So let’s call it 400 bucks.

Nobody ever said pet ownership was cheap.
Is this particular precaution worth it?

Absolutely!

So I signed up our kitten.

Pet Microchips are Cool
Pet microchip implants can also integrate into your ‘Smart Home.’

You can buy microchip pet doors that only let in your animals.
Or microchip food bowls that only open up for a particular animal.
(That can help cut down on one pet raiding another’s dinner.)

Who knows what other cool tech-enabled products will be developed in the future for your pets and their microchips?

Cyborg Kitty
So nefarious future tech in the movies isn’t always such a bad thing in reality.

In fact, it puts a whole new spin on the popular “Terminator” phrase….
“I’ll be back.”

But for now, I’m sticking with “Kitty stays home!”

May 7, 2017

Time for Wireless Headsets in the Family Room

A loud movie sound track can really inhibit your enjoyment if you can’t watch the movie. Time to move into stealth mode and enter your own personal multimedia bubble…

Not so long ago, I envisioned a shining man-cave, and I would build myself an immersive home theater with massive sound that would shake the core of my house. (and sooth my geeky soul)

Then, I became a daddy, and everything changed.

In fact, my son is about to celebrate his 7th birthday.
(Where do the years go?!)

Now, I’m in eternal stealth mode. It’s not about how loud…. It’s about how quiet.

Testing…One…Two…Three
On the few occasions when I’m consuming TV/video in the family room on my own, it’s usually at night, when our ‘not so little’ boy is sleeping.
So I need to wear headsets to maintain ‘Evening Zen.’

I’ve been using wired headsets for years, and I’ve got to admit… it’s a pain.
It’s definitely time to upgrade to wireless headsets…

Previously, I’ve addressed the same question for my home office and went with a relatively inexpensive solution using a long-in-the-tooth Sennheiser RF wireless model. (RS 120)

My “Rip-Van Headsets” (which you can now pick up for less than $65) have worked just fine in my home office, but I think I’m looking for something a little more current and cushy for our family room.

Sennheiser Wireless Headsets
As I look at the landscape today, there are a crazy number of choices out there. And honestly, I can’t possibly figure out the perfect choice at the most reasonable price for my particular needs.

That kind of research stretches even beyond the amount of time available at the world headquarters of ‘At Home with Tech.’
(I’ve got a little boy’s birthday party at the zoo to help plan!)

Plus, there’s really no one perfect answer…
(I know lots of solid choices exist out there.)

That said, I’ve decided to stick with Sennheiser (brand loyalty in action!) and see what they have going with more up-to-date, over-ear digital wireless models.

Here’s the current line up:

RS 165
$220 on Amazon

RS 175
$239 on Amazon

RS 185
$273 on Amazon

RS 195
$378 on Amazon

Time for a Decision
I’m sure the RS 195 would be an amazing choice. But for the amount of times I will actually be able to transport myself into a sustainable multimedia bubble within the family room and then maintain myself there for more than 48 minutes, I can live happily with one of the mid-tier models. For me, the financial sweet spot hits closer to $250.

So that points to the RS 175 model.
(Plus, the RS 175 is spec’d at almost triple the range of the RS 165… approximately 330 feet vs 100 feet.)

Even though the RS 185 really isn’t that much more expensive, the higher-end model is an open headphone design, which leaks more sound, potentially disturbing others in the same room.

I’d prefer to stick with the closed design of the RS 175, which will assist in my stealth media consumption plans.
(Just being practical)

I think the Sennheiser RS 175 is the one for me!

Any other suggestions out there for sub $300 digital wireless headsets?

Enjoy Your Personal Multimedia Bubble

How many times have you had to remind yourself to stop and smell the roses? Well, that should include being able to hear them rustling in the wind when viewing them on your big HDTV.

Great audio is important!

I wish you well in your quest to properly include it when you slip into your own multimedia bubble zone.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: