Tech in the News | At Home with Tech

June 1, 2014

How to Get Your Digital Download of “Frozen”

This disc shouldn’t greet you when you open up your new “Frozen Collector’s Edition” case. If there aren’t eleven alphanumeric characters slipped into the insert tab, you can’t get the digital download. But there is another way…

A few weeks back, my four-year-old son spontaneously started singing the Oscar winning, hit song “Let it Go” from the Disney movie blockbuster “Frozen.”

It was a something of a curiosity, because he’d not seen the movie.
(He must have heard the music somewhere.)

So I downloaded the peppy tune in iTunes while he was in the other room and conducted a little experiment…

I began playing it loud enough for him to hear, and sure enough, I heard him begin to sing along…

“Let it go…! Let it go…”

Yep… he really liked that song.

So I decided to buy the whole movie for him.
It felt like an obvious next step.
Plus, it won the Oscar for best animated feature film and
has become the top-grossing animated film in box office history.

(All that said, I was still a little concerned about “Frozen’s” PG rating.
Though I figured… hey, it’s Disney.
Plus, I’d screen it myself first…)

He hadn’t seen it when it came out in the theaters last year, because he wasn’t quite old enough yet to hit the movie multiplex.
(We’ll probably ease into that multimedia milestone with him later this year.)

Say “Yay!” for Digital Downloads
I still like buying Blu-ray Discs that also provide a digital download option from iTunes. That gives me lots of flexibility in choosing how I (we) watch the flick, and I’m willing to pay a little more for the packaged deal.

The problem is the movie studios are making it increasingly difficult to ‘own’ your digital copy and house the file within the confines of your physical kingdom.

Instead, they’d much prefer you park it in their ‘cloud.’
So they’ve developed their own cloud-based streaming services like UltraViolet.

I ran into this problem a while back when I was looking to buy
“The Dark Knight Returns.”

I didn’t want to open up a whole new complicated relationship with UltraViolet.
I just wanted to have “The Dark Night Returns” in iTunes and be done with it…

(I eventually abandoned my quest for a disc and just downloaded the movie on iTunes.)

Supersize My Movie
But when shopping for “Frozen” on Amazon, I noticed deep in the small print a vague ‘mention’ of iTunes as a download option.

I scoured the photo of the Blu-ray Disc box and saw no mention of UltraViolet.
(though there is ‘Disney Movies Anywhere’)

So I figured Disney hadn’t gone completely over to the Dark Side, even though they now totally own it.

So I took a chance…
I bought the “Frozen Collector’s Edition” on Amazon for 25 bucks.
Not such a great bargain… but at least it contained the Blu-ray Disc, a DVD, plus the coveted digital copy…

The file would also come in handy for pre-screening in bits and pieces while on the go.
(Not sure I would have 102 minutes to commit to this task all at once)

Where’s my Digital Copy of “Frozen?”
“Frozen” arrived in its non-descript Amazon brown box, and I eagerly slit it open, ready to extract the magic of Disney from the corporeal disc into my iTunes library.

Next, I snapped open the plastic case….

Inside, I saw an insert promoting the wonders of DisneyMovieRewards.com and how to get the original motion picture soundtrack for only $7 with the attached Magic Code.
(Okay… a little ‘upselling’… nothing wrong with that.)

I kept looking.
But it was not there.

There was no code for the digital download!
That insert was missing.

What?!
(That’s a real bummer.)

Hey, Disney…
How did that little detail get missed?!
For me, that’s as bad as forgetting to put the disc in the case!

Let it go?
NO WAY…!!

In Search of the Missing Code
You’re supposed to go to Disney’s Digital Copy Plus site to redeem your code.
So I figured there must be a help section somewhere.
And indeed I found an email address to send along my complaint and a specific page documenting what I needed to provide to receive a replacement code.
(I guess I’m not the first to encounter this problem.)

And believe me…It was no small task finding all the requested numbers tattooed all over the box and disc.
Here’s what you need to provide to legitimize your request for a code:

6-digit stock number
-Disc artwork number
-UPC number

So I wrote down all the digits, checked it all twice and sent off my cry for help to Disney…

“We are Happy to Assist You”
The next day I received what seemed to be an automated response.
“Thank You For Contacting Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment!”
The email was so perky, I half-expected Mickey Mouse to jump out of my screen…

But buried deep in Disney’s message were eleven random alphanumeric characters.

That was it!
MY CODE!!

But my joy was tempered by the next paragraph:

“Since Digital Copy activation codes are subject to expiration, we highly suggest using the above code as soon as possible.”

Understood.
Disney has giveth.
And Disney may taketh away…

I took the warning to heart.
No dillydallying…

Enter the Code
So I copied and pasted the code into the yellow box and waited.
I watched the next URL seemingly struggle to load.
It was as if I had activated some massive back-end protection protocol to ensure I was not scamming Disney.
I thought I sensed a black ops chopper hovering overhead and a thermal scan permeating the room.
(No, it was just the cat purring in the corner.)

But I had the code.
Disney gave me the code!!
This should be straightforward, right?

Guess what?
It was.

The next page finally loaded…
“Success! Your code has been redeemed.”

I was then directed to iTunes and “Frozen” began to download.
(deep sigh)

Don’t Let It Go!
The freeze had ended.
Order was restored in the Lester household.
(though nobody else really knew there was a problem)

And it was finally time to watch the movie!

I will say as annoyed I was with having to go through this unnecessary dance, Disney was pretty quick to resolve the problem.

And coincidentally, the closing lyrics to “Let It Go” seem a fitting end to today’s adventure at home with tech…

“Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on…”

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May 25, 2014

I Don’t Own a TV

Is the dream of a TV-free life still a dream? Not according to your 296 million neighbors.

If you’re about to chuck your TV into the recycling bin to be more like the rest of the crowd, I’d think twice…

Earlier this month, Nielsen reported there are 116.3 million TV homes in the United States.
That’s up .4% from last year.
And 296 million people reside in these homes.
(excluding babies)

So, it seems like everyone still isn’t that far away from a television set.
(even the babies)
This 20th century construct is still firmly embedded in our homes.

With all the talk of mobile media viewing and cord-cutting and second screens…
TVs are still alive and well in our former society of the future.

The Boob Tube
But remember not so long ago when people used to proudly proclaim they didn’t even own a TV?

They were so… defiant.
So… advanced.

It was a badge of honor for them.

They listened to NPR.
They read the newspaper.
That’s all they needed.

They had absolutely no use for the boob tube.
(And there was no Internet to complain about.)

They really annoyed me, because I knew… deep down they didn’t truly believe in a television-free life.

I would angrily ask, “How can you stay informed about world events without ‘seeing’ them on television?

They’d retort, “Don’t need it! A photograph on a newspaper page does the trick just fine, thank you very much.”

“Uh huh, Sir Galileo.”

But if I’d push long enough, they’d eventually say something like,
“Well, I do have a friend with a TV, who…”

Ah Hah!!!

But they never seemed phased by the loophole.
They remained defiantly true to their claim of a TV-free life.

And then suddenly one day, all these luddites sporting a higher consciousness… they disappeared.
Maybe it was the day all their friends found a higher calling and started buying iPhones…

Because that was way cooler than not owning a TV.

Can’t Cut the Cord
Today, when people say they don’t have a television, of course, it points to an entirely different trend.

What they mean to say is they don’t ‘need’ a television.

What is a TV these days other than a screen that’s so big, you can’t take it with you…
How inconvenient is that?!

With so much media available online, there isn’t much on television you can’t watch on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

And if you’re used to paying for the exclusive content of cable programming you can try joining the growing army of cable cutters out there and pay for content a la carte online.

This movement isn’t driven by a lifestyle choice.
It’s simply about practicality and power of technical innovation.

I admire these folks.

Because I’d like to get rid of my TV too.

But I find it’s still too difficult to do without the conveniences of its old-school distribution model.
(and apparently so do 296 million other Americans)

Disconnected by Choice
So I’ve still got my television.
The younger generations don’t need one anymore.
And everyone’s got a smart device to remain ‘informed.’

And what happens if you don’t have access to a connected device to the all-knowing
web?
Well, then you’re really cut off.

Or are you?
Let’s run through our little exercise again…

NPR is going strong, broadcast TV can be captured for free with an antenna, and there are still a few reputable rags out there, last time I checked.

Still, without access to a ‘connected’ computer, I think you’ve inevitably got to fall behind the awareness curve. The Internet provides so much access to immediate and ‘relevant’ information ranging from the global arena to every thought from your Facebook friends.

It’s the same argument I had against the ‘I don’t own a TV’ crowd.
If you’re not connected, you’re not connected.

And maybe for some, that’s okay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, 12.2% of households today don’t have access to the Internet, because they don’t want it.

Said another way, more than 10% percent of disconnected homes are web free by choice.

Really?

To me, this disconnect would eventually create a significant difference in how people live their lives as responsible and involved U.S. citizens.

Clearly, I’m not seeing the big picture for these folks.

Or maybe, I’m not as connected as I think.

Or perhaps you don’t really have to be as connected as everyone else to hold your own in today’s technology-infused world.

The Earth is Flat
At the end of the day, I still think it’s got to be challenging for the
‘Disconnect by Choice’ folks to tread water in today’s technology pool of infinite access to all information.

But not impossible.

I’m not sure if the Disconnected by Choice team is the same group as the ‘I Don’t Own a TV’ naysayers from yesteryear.

As long as disconnected… doesn’t mean disconnected,
I guess that’s okay.

I will draw the line by simply saying people need to stay informed.
(Choose your poison…)

I think we can all agree that on that.
…can’t we?

May 18, 2014

The Parking Warrior Finds Salvation with PayByPhone

How do you pay for parking when you’re running for the train?
PayByPhone has an app for that!

Parking garages are vertical Thunderdomes.
They’re all designed by some post-apocalyptic engineer, whose remaining goal in life is to ruin your day and destroy your car.

The confusing layout
The innumerable cement columns
Lots of blind spots
And those razor-thin parking spaces

And if it’s a parking garage next to a train station, add in the reality that there’s probably going to be only one spot left for the seven cars trolling the murky wasteland.

Now, to really lock in a stressful parking experience, make sure you’re rushing to catch a train. That means you’re running late, AND now you’ve also got to pay for your parking after besting Master Blaster for the last parking space.

Welcome to my parking gauntlet I’ve recently discovered on my new commute.

The Outsider is Never Welcome
The problem happens when I drive to a garage in a town where I’m technically an ‘outsider.’
And without a resident sticker, I only have access to a fraction of the spaces.
In fact, there are only a handful designated for ‘strangers’ on the very top of this seven-story structure.
So every time I enter the parking garage, I feel like I’m James Bond driving vertically to the roof to find my spot.

Beyond the anxiety of having to replicate a scene out of a high-speed car chase movie, this extra travel distance tacks on precious time to my commute. And when you’ve got a train to catch, that’s usually a problem.

Now add in one final step before you’re free to sprint to the platform to catch your oncoming train:

You need to pay for your parking at an automated kiosk.

What?!

Yes, gone are the more civilized days of taking care of this business transaction on the way out of the garage.

And if there’s a line to pay at the machine, you can kiss your first morning meeting goodbye.

I’ll Be Back
Thankfully, this is not my every-day commute, but I now have to go through this parking dance frequently enough to welcome some help wherever I can find it. (And please don’t ask, “Why don’t you just leave your house five minutes earlier?”)

The other day, I found my parking salvation in the form of an institutional-looking sign posted right next to the payment kiosks…

As I walked by, it said, “Lines too long?”
I looked around…
Nobody else was there.
So I ignored the remaining words on its weathered, metallic surface.

But my train was due to arrive in five minutes, and I still had to navigate the
‘T-800 Parkinator.’

Fortunately, three minutes later I was paid up, but really huffing to catch my train.

As it pulled out of the station, I sat back, perspiring in my seat, and decided to check out that eerie sign again when I returned.

Pay by Smartphone
Later that day, I walked back up to the Guardian of Forever.
It was like the deteriorating sign had been waiting for centuries to impart its wisdom on someone.
I focused on the rest of the crumbling words…

Its simple message promoted the wonders of paying for your parking fee via your phone.
(The service was aptly named PayByPhone.)

I had seen this kind of thing before, but had never taken the time to try it out.
Plus I wasn’t sure if I really trusted an automated phone call to pay for my parking.
(I imagine this fear is entirely unfounded.)

But tucked away on the bottom edge of the sign, almost as an afterthought, was the URL – ‘paybyphone.com.’

Wait a minute… what’s this?
Web functionality, too?

And then I also noticed the words, “Add Time Remotely.”
Huh…?

You don’t have to rush back to the garage if you’re running an hour late?
Now that could be really useful…

So later that evening, I jumped onto my computer and navigated to paybyphone.com to check it all out.

It was time to alter my future history…

The PayByPhone App
PayByPhone has really grown out of a phone call-based service.
Once you sign up online, you can pay using your smartphone via text or by using its mobile website- m.paybyphone.com.

And then I saw it… a PayByPhone app for my iPhone.
(Android and BlackBerry too)

And it was at this moment I actually think I heard angels singing.
How cool is this?!!!

The app easily lets you type in your garage and parking space numbers, and then it emails you the receipt for your parking fee.

This is a no brainer!!

So I quickly signed up for my own account, which does includes handing over your credit card and license plate numbers.
(The PayByPhone system tracks your payment through your license plate. So when Judge Dredd walks by, his ‘connected’ handheld device will display that you’ve paid up.)

In less time than it normally takes me to sprint, pull a ligament, and then limp to the train, I was prepared to face my next parking challenge… invigorated with my speedy PayByPhone shortcut.

The Best 35 Cents I Ever Spent
So where’s the catch?

Cost?

Well, PayByPhone has no subscription fee.
Though there could be service charges if you choose to receive text reminders that your parking ‘session’ is due to expire.
(another nifty feature)

And yes, in some cities, there’s a per-transaction service fee…
(35 cents for me… but aren’t a few pennies worth the peace of mind you won’t miss your train?)

The only real downside I see to using PayByPhone is it isn’t universal.
The service lists only 39 cities in the United States.
PayByPhone is also in Canada, the UK and Europe, bringing its reach to over 150 cities.
And it just took over 155,000 parking spaces in Paris.
(Vive La France!)

There are other companies like PayByPhone out there in other communities.
So if you come across one, I highly recommend you check it out.

No More Bad Parking Karma
I know I don’t have the data to back up what I’m about to say, but theoretically, paying for your future parking garage costs using this mobile payment technology will…

Save you up to an hour each day (estimated waiting time for the next train)
And return years to your life span (no more commuting stress over bad parking karma…)

And as a Road Warrior, who’s now graduated to Parking Warrior,
I say, “Amen to that!!”

Category: Tech in the News

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