Tech Fixes | At Home with Tech

February 21, 2016

How to Connect Your Wi-Fi GE Range to the Web

Behold, an oven that has Wi-Fi baked in! I must admit, I was excited and a tad scared to see the Wi-Fi icon pop onto my new GE range’s control pad. But it took a little work for my range to join the Internet of Things…

I must report I’ve obtained the power to burn down my house remotely using an app on my iPhone. Okay… calm down. That’s not really what this app is intended for… In fact, it’s an innocent app with the good intention to help me control my new GE oven when I’m not at home.

The idea is you can preheat your oven before you arrive home to get your dinner prep started. You can even start cooking that roast you popped in the oven before you leave for work.
(Example used for illustrative purposes only…I don’t know how well a raw holiday ‘Roast Beast’ would last in a cold oven.)

Observing from a Distance
So for those of you in the market for a new range, it’s a Wi-Fi enabled shiny
GE Profile 30” Convection Range. (Model PGB940ZEJ1SS)

And yes, my wife and I just bought one.
No… our decision was not significantly affected by its Wi-Fi capability.
(Secretly, I was pretty pumped.)

But the Wi-Fi value for me isn’t that I can cook dinner while I’m still at work.
(Though I know it theoretically sounds appealing)

What I really want is the ability to randomly check and make sure I didn’t accidentally leave the oven on when I’m not at home.
(The app doesn’t control the gas stovetop.)

Intentionally Disconnected from my Connected Oven
The GE app’s default mode is to simply monitor the status of the oven. You have to opt in to take over active control from your smartphone.

And that… I haven’t done…yet.

I feel a bit like Bruce Wayne in “The Dark Knight Rises.” He built a revolutionary energy generator, but was unwilling to turn it on, because he feared he couldn’t control its use.

And to quote another superhero franchise…
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
(Are we sensing a theme here?)

To be fair, the app has a safety setting, which automatically turns off the oven after it’s been cooking for six hours.
(Looks like the oven’s designers had some of my same concerns.)

So for now, I will observe my oven from afar.
And perhaps one day, I will summon the courage to control it from a distance as well…

How to Turn on the Wi-Fi Feature
You might be wondering how one sets up Wi-Fi on a GE oven.
(It doesn’t exactly operate like a computer.)

And as that’s the subject of this post, it’s probably time to get to the point!

I was a bit puzzled where to begin…
(The one-page instructions on “Connecting your Wi-Fi Connect Enabled Oven” wasn’t especially clear.)

GE calls the feature “Wi-Fi Connect”
and tells you to visit GEAppliances.com/connect to “download the appropriate app” on your smartphone.

On the website, you’re strangely greeted by advertising for more of GE’s Wi-Fi-enabled kitchen devices.
(Including refrigerators and dishwashers)

But in fact you’ve arrived at the right place. It’s the starting line to a process you need to go through if you want your range to join the Internet of Things. So after going through the exercise myself, here are the required steps to connect your oven:

On the webpage, click on “More About the Wall Oven & Range App.”
On the bottom of the next page you’ll see “What You Need- GE Kitchen App” and two links to download the app on Apple’s App Store or on Google play.

After you download the GE Kitchen App, you’ll need to first register the use of the app at accounts.brillion.geappliances.com.

Then, using your new GE Kitchen App…

Choose “Add an Appliance.”
Choose “Range.”
Then turn on the range’s Wi-Fi by pressing the “Remote Enable” button.
(Yes, it creates a mini Wi-Fi signal that your smartphone can connect to.)

Join your smartphone to the stove’s network using the password printed on the sticker on the inside edge of the warming drawer.

At this point, I ran into a little trouble…

I received the following message from the GE Kitchen App after trying to connect to my stove’s Wi-Fi signal…

What?!
My stove is brand new. It already needs a firmware update?
Why yes…. Yes it does.

So what’s the fix…?

If this happens to you, you’ll next need to download another app that has the power to update your stove’s Wi-Fi module.

This one is called, “GE Brillion App.” The GE Kitchen App is supposed to automatically direct you there, but my iPhone 6 Plus got stuck for some reason. So I navigated to Apple’s App Store, found the new app and downloaded it myself…
The GE Brillion App then went through the same early steps, but when it ran into the roadblock, it magically offered to do the firmware update.

And update my oven… it did!
(And while the update chugged along, the Brillion App displayed a muffin joke. Really.)
And then it said my oven was happy.
(How can you be mad after that kind of proclamation?)

Once the Brillion App was done bringing my oven back to the future, I successfully connected my iPhone to the oven’s Wi-Fi. Then I got my range onto my home network’s Wi-Fi and finally finished the setup to connect the oven to the app.
(Quite the little dance)
Next, the GE Brillion App offered to run my oven like the GE Kitchen App, but as it appeared to be an older app, I successfully switched back to using the GE Kitchen App.
(And as I’ve already said, I haven’t yet fully activated the app to ‘control’ mode.)

And I was on my way…

Adding to My Virtual Presence
The whole Wi-Fi setup took about half an hour. And though the firmware update wasn’t a huge roadblock, I’ve got to say the process wasn’t especially intuitive. You’ve really got to pay attention to the twists and turns…
(Though I must admit, the GE Brillion App’s light banter did take the edge off of my growing annoyance.)

So now I have yet another connected device to help me know that my home is healthy when my house is on its own:

My Foscam Wi-Fi BabyCam has been repurposed to give me a remote view into my house whenever I want.
I can control the temperature at home via my Nest Learning Thermostat app.
The same app gives assurance my house isn’t burning down via my
Nest Protect smoke and CO sensor.

And for now, my Wi-Fi connected GE range will simply reassure me wherever I am… that all is cool…

Happy Oven.

Happy Home.

Happy Barrett.

4 Comments

January 31, 2016

How to Give Your HDTV More HDMI Inputs

Regularly switching around the cables behind your aging HDTV because you don’t have enough HDMI inputs can be hazardous to your health… if you’re prone to lower back pain. Instead, it’s time to get more HDMI inputs with a multi-input switch!

These days, my HDTV often sits quietly in my family room… like a lonely, dark monolith, aching to be found. The Big Game is the one moment each year that specifically reminds me there’s a big, hulking Guardian of Forever I should be visiting now and again.

Distant Man Cave
Once upon a time, I invested a great deal of time and energy setting up my own home theater. It was once a source of great pride that I had a respectable AV set up. But as more of my media consumption moments have become fragmented onto smaller, mobile platforms like my iPad and iPhone, I haven’t really focused lately on keeping my multimedia ‘shrine’ up to date.

The major exception is my recent addition of a new Apple TV to my old 42” Panasonic Plasma. As invigorating as that move was, I realized during my installation that I had unfortunately run out of available HDMI ports on my aging TV. So now, my tech toys have to compete for which ones get to stay on the island.

And that’s not so fun…

Buy an HDMI Switch
But short of purchasing a new TV, the only Franken-fix is really to buy some type of HDMI splitter or switcher.
(Also known as a switch)

The good news is I’m not alone with this problem. There are lots of HDTVs out there with insufficient HDMI inputs.
(Mine has only two.)

As a result, there’s a myriad of HDMI switch solutions available on the market to solve this problem.

The other problem is figuring out which one to get…

Convenience is Overrated
The pricing for an HDMI switch ranges from twenty bucks to a hundred dollars or more. It’s already a pretty mature market. So you should only pay for what you really need.

One major variable is how many inputs the switcher can handle. It’s typically from two to five, but you can easily find switches up to eight inputs.
(It just costs more.)

Many switches today have automatic sensors, which detect when one input is active verses another. Lots of folks out there run into problems with this feature especially with inputs that are always ‘on.’ As for me, I really don’t need this ‘intelligent’ detection. I’m just fine walking over and switching the switch manually.

The same goes for remote controls that come with many of these models. That’s just another remote I’m going to lose. Again, I don’t mind pressing a button on the main unit before I sit down.
(As much of a hardship as that apparently is for others…)

Passive is my Preference
The other major consideration is whether you’re going to get a powered unit with its own AC plug or a passive, unpowered unit that draws minimal power from the HDMI cable and its source.

I really like the idea of a passive switch without its own power supply, because I simply don’t want to plug in yet another power-sucking phantom device into my media center.

That said, there are reviewers out there saying that you should beware of passive switches, because they’re less likely to work out for you, depending on the specific AV source combinations you’re using.

Of course, others say you’ll be just fine with a passive unit.

I say take the chance to avoid having to plug in something else.
(And keep your receipt just in case.)

There are plenty of reasonably priced choices out there with decent reviews.
Here are three options…

The Efficient Option

KanexPro 3×1 HDMI Switcher – $29.95
It can handle three inputs, which is one more than I need.
It’s a passively powered box with ultra-low power consumption that doesn’t require an external power supply.
(The designers thoughtfully allowed for a USB power option, if absolutely necessary…)

The KanexPro can also handle up to a 4K signal… not that I’m watching anything close to that today.

The Cheap Choice

Alternately, there’s the Comprehensive 2×1 HDMI Switcher – $19.95

It’s as bare bones as they come with only two inputs, and it essentially looks like a bulky splitter.

The Safe Zone

If you still feel a little queasy with the idea of your AV sources not providing enough juice to run a passively powered switch, then I suggest buying a switch with its own plug is your way to go…

Kinivo makes a popular 3×1 powered switch (301BN) for $29.99 on Amazon.

This box has its own power cord and lots of blinking lights to tell you what’s going on.
(Overkill for me… but to each their own.)

Fully Functional
If you haven’t already guessed, I’m going with the KanexPro Switcher.

Click.

My home media center now is ready for Super Bowl Sunday…

Game on!

January 24, 2016

Don’t Lose This When Organizing Your Family History in Photos

When was this picture of my grandmother taken? Good question. I’m not really sure. You shouldn’t let this partial answer cross over to future generations when it comes to your family’s history…

I never knew my paternal grandmother. And my father barely remembers her, because she passed away when he was just a young child. We’ve only got a few photos of her, but even with this limited view, it’s clear to me what a vibrant, beautiful and interesting woman she was…
And that’s all I’ve got… a few photos from the 1930’s and some stories from my father that others told him as he grew up. I’d like to know so much more about her, but sadly… her life is mostly lost to me.

My Grandmother’s Story through the Lens of One Undated Photo
I look at my grandmother’s pictures and try to use every detail to generate more of her story. They’re still in remarkably good condition, having been stored in a shoebox in the back of my father’s closet for decades. Unfortunately, these pictures aren’t dated, and there’s nothing written on the back. That’s a huge gap.

As I’ve digitized the photos and archived these priceless moments into my family photo collection on my iMac, I’ve had to ballpark their creation dates.

This is only one of two pictures I’ve got of my grandmother with my father. It actually reveals a few clues as to when it was taken. You can guess that my dad is about two years old here… so that tells me this is approximately May 1935. (That car in the back would also help with dating if baby dad weren’t there…)

Based on this one picture, I’ve tried to figure out the dates from the other pictures of my grandmother based on whether she looks younger or older…

The Problem of Exporting Photos Out of Aperture
You can imagine how frustrating this has all been for me… which is why I’m particularly interested in maintaining accurate dates in my larger digitized family photo collection.

That’s supposed to be a no brainer as that kind of metadata is baked into every digital photo you snap. But as you may have been following, I’ve been struggling to move the timeline of my old photo library in Apple’s Aperture over to Adobe’s Lightroom. Sure, I’ve figured out how to move all of my favorite edited ‘versions’ over. But when I tried exporting a couple of these versions, the dates on the exported files shifted from the creation date of the original photo to the export date.
(That’s understandable, since the new file’s creation date should obviously be the moment of the test export.)

But that’s no good.

The prospect of losing all of the dates on thousands of photos was a significant dilemma as I considered my photo transfer project. The passage of time is a key part of any family’s history. And I didn’t want to lose that. Having to eyeball my pics to figure out the date was not an option.
(Grandmother taught me that…)

Sure, I could place these photos in correctly dated folders, but future OS and software upgrades might one day corrupt the organization, and I’d be left with thousands of rescued photos representing the past hundred years… dated January 2016.

How to Save the Creation Dates when Transferring to Lightroom
There’s got to be a way to bring your edited photo versions from Aperture into Lightroom 6 and retain the original dates.

And in fact there is…

Are you ready?

So the answer is…
You don’t have to do anything.
(Huh?)

Believe it or not, the creation-date metadata is actually ‘secretly’ retained in the exported photo version from Aperture…

No, Apple’s “Preview” app can’t read that metadata in the photo.
And yes, the file itself has a different date, which “Preview” displays. And that’s where I got stuck.
But when you open the photo file in Lightroom, the origin date is still there!

Wow.
(Don’t I feel silly…)

But seriously, I found no documentation out there by Apple, Adobe or anyone else to explain this simple but somewhat hidden fact.

How did I figure it out?
I finally decided to ignore my incorrect assumptions and simply complete the test photo import, hoping I might somehow get closer to figuring out a solution.
(And I certainly did!)

Prepare Your Pics for Time Travel
The good news is the timeline of my family history in digital pictures is safe.
(For now)

But whenever I print out a photo at home on my Epson printer, I still make a point to quickly write the date on the back. My grandmother’s photos illustrate what a critical detail that is, as my current collection of physical pics will likely travel through a future timeline spanning many years.

In the back of my mind, I know if these pictures happen to survive more than the next couple of generations, someone may one day be in my shoes… trying to sleuth out a captured moment in time.

You may scoff at the value of an ancient physical photo surviving into the twenty second century. One can only imagine what photo management and archiving will look like in the distant computerized future.

On the other hand, if moving between photo management apps continues to be so challenging over and over again into future decades, it’s not hard to imagine how lots of digital photos may not survive the cold march of OS upgrades.

Throwing a printed family photo with a date on the back into a shoe box, hiding it in a closet and then forgetting about it for a hundred years isn’t the worst idea when it comes to a back-up photo-archiving plan.

It worked for my grandmother…

Category: Tech Fixes

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