At Home with Tech

June 3, 2018

How Does Waze Work without a Cellular Connection?

We all know that navigation apps on your smartphone need to be online to function in your car. Or do they? Even with no bars, Waze can still get you where you’re going. Here’s how…

Yes, I must report that I’m still using my portable Garmin GPS in my Toyota RAV4. It’s admittedly difficult to defend my ongoing allegiance to this expensive older tech. My Garmin simply can’t compete with the more flexible user experience of navigation apps on smartphones.

But the good news is I’ve recently taken a big step forward… These days, I’ve been using Waze on my iPhone. All of the real-time traffic and hazard updates provide a nifty virtual view a few miles up the road. That’s hard to beat.

My Garmin Vs. My Waze
I shouldn’t admit this, but I often have both my Garmin and Waze operating simultaneously to see if they agree on the fastest way to go. And more often than not… they don’t. But that’s another story…

One advantage that I thought my Garmin Drive 50LMT still had over smartphone apps was its almost bullet-proof ability to maintain its GPS connection vs my iPhone’s uncertain cellular data tether while driving through dead zones. Navigation apps can’t survive that kind of hiccup, right?

But on a recent vacation road trip, I experienced what seemed to be impossible…
Waze was working without a cellular connection!

Offline iPhone GPS
My family and I were driving through some backroads in New Hampshire, and I looked at my iPhone, which was mounted to my dash via my Bunker Ring. I realized that while Waze had indeed lost all cellular connectivity, it still appeared to be functioning normally. As we drove, it continued to correctly display our location and the distance to our next turn. But it had no signal!

How was that possible?!

The Little-Known GPS Chip
After doing a little research after we got home, I realized that my iPhone was able to pull off this trick by using its built-in GPS radio. Yes, my iPhone has its own GPS functionality as do other smartphones! Its GPS chip operates independently of cellular data, and that’s why Waze was still able to see in the digital dark.

Sure, my Waze app was hobbled without its connection through AT&T. It couldn’t provide crowd-sourced traffic and hazard updates or recalculate my route. But Waze wasn’t entirely down for the count either.

I imagine at some point, Waze would have needed to connect back to its servers to download more map data, but for the fifteen minutes or so that I was driving offline, Waze was able to keep up with the twisty road ahead!

Impressive… most impressive.

Your Smartphone is at Home with GPS
There are actually lots of folks out there taking advantage of their smartphone’s GPS chip in places where cell coverage is nonexistent. They’re using apps designed to download maps ahead of time, before the trip begins.
(Waze can’t do this.)

But for me, I’m just exceptionally pleased knowing that Waze can survive for a while in a data-free zone using my iPhone’s GPS radio.

And if that can’t reverse my irrational allegiance to my Garmin Drive, I’m not sure what else will!

May 27, 2018

4 Ways to Handle the Mess of Taking Too Many Pictures

Irony is everywhere… especially when it comes to taking pictures. If you’re having a hard time managing and sharing all of your disorganized digital photos, you’re not alone. I’ve got a few tips to help you get back on track…

Now that summertime has unofficially begun, I’d like to share a little warning… Don’t fall for what I call the “Quadrotriticale Paradox.”

Remember that “Star Trek” episode titled “The Trouble with Tribbles” where those cute furballs found their way into a poisoned storage bin of quadrotriticale? All of the tribbles had a big feast, but many ended up starving after eating the poisoned grain.

What does this have to do with all of those summer photos you’re going to be taking…? If you’re snapping hundreds of pictures, your family and friends may still feel like they’re starving to receive a few images that show what you’ve been up to.

What’s the Plan?
We all want to share our best summer moments, but the “Quadrotriticale Paradox” can get in the way. The truth is the more pictures your take, the lower the odds you’ll actually find the time to go through, organize and share your top photos.

Short of taking fewer pictures…
The best way to reverse the effects of the paradox is have a good plan on how to unlock and release your photographic treasures.

Here are four ways that help me get the job done…

#1
Rate Your Photos to Find the Gems
There is no magic bullet. You have to review each photo.
(I prefer using the larger real estate of a computer screen vs. a smartphone or tablet.)
Use the 1-5 numbering system.
(Both Adobe Lightroom and Apple’s Photos allow you to do this.)

Here are my rating rules-

Total failure. Give it an immediate appointment with the trash bin.
Really bad photo. Trash it unless it’s the only shot of something special.
Just okay. Decide whether to trash it another time.
Good photo, but there’s a better version of it
The better version or simply a great picture

Then, organize your photo album to display in descending order based on the rating numbers.

Give your 2’s another look and see if any of them should be a 3.

Then move the 1’s and 2’s into the trash, and DELETE!
Your worst photos are now gone forever.
Now it’s time to focus on the pictures you want to show off.
And those are your 5’s.

#2
Share Your Photos Quickly
I know I’ve said it before, but it’s always worth repeating…

Your family photos have an expiration date! Nobody is really interested in last month’s photo. Last week is already yesterday’s news. Yesterday’s pics are okay, but today’s photos are even better.

So, you don’t have a lot of time before your amazing photos are old news.

If you want to tweak your best pics before sharing, that’s fine, but don’t let that delay your process. You can always take the time to crop and adjust the colors and brightness when building your archival photo albums.

#3
One is Better than None
Sometimes, when time is really working against you, you’ve won’t have the luxury of evaluating and rating your photos.

Instead, just ask yourself this question…
“Which one or two pictures tell the story?”

You’ll need to rely on your instincts here, because remember… you won’t have the time to go back through all of your photos.

If you start practicing this technique regularly, you’ll begin to recognize ‘the shot’ when you take it.

Then, you’ll be able to quickly find it again and share it with your world.

#4
Don’t Fall Behind!
After the firestorm of immediacy subsides, you may return to your more organized process.

But there’s never really more time to handle yesterday’s photos, because tomorrow’s are just around the corner.

And if you fall behind and develop a backlog of pictures to review… you may never get to them.

You’ll find yourself sitting on thousands of photos from months and years past that nobody else ever had the chance to enjoy.

It’s Time to Deal with the Mess
The reality is we’re all faced with the likelihood of having to manage thousands more pictures in the years to come.

The Quadrotriticale Paradox is a beast that needs to be kept under control.
Or else.

Now go tame your photographic jungle and hunt down your best pictures to share. And if you come across a wild tribble or discover a way to stretch the fabric of time, please let me know!

May 20, 2018

4 Reasons Why I’m Excited to See “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

“Solo” is taking advantage of its 20th century analog origins and using those original limitations to make the past look wicked cool. Here’s how…

I have to admit that I had a really bad feeling about the concept of a Han Solo prequel movie. Who could possibly do Han better than Harrison Ford? But then I got to thinking about the success of the recent “Star Trek” flicks with Chris Pine. We somehow made it through just fine in a post-Shatner alternate reality. Of course, all of the characters were recast (though we did have two Spocks). And this new ensemble worked great together… just like the original cast.

And then I saw the two movie trailers to “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and something clicked.
I finally got it…!

Here are 4 reasons why I’m now so excited to see “Solo…”

#1 – New Ensemble
First, off… “Solo” sets itself up as a rollicking ensemble piece with appealing characters we already know (Chewbacca and Lando) and some new ones (played by well-known talent) who fill out this origin-story band of smugglers.

So, whether I really buy into Alden Ehrenreich as Solo is less critical. After watching the two trailers, I’m totally on board with this new team of renegades. Emilia Clarke? Donald Glover? Woody Harrelson? Thandie Newton?
Bring it on!

#2 – The Humor
“Solo” clearly has a much lighter tone. And who knew Chewbacca could so effectively play the straight man on a comedy team? In fact, Chewie, (Joonas Suotamo) steals all his scenes in the trailers with laugh-out-loud moments.

Let me tell you… I’m so ready for a respite from all of the depressing and tragic story developments coming out of the last three “Star Wars” movies. I just want to have fun. And this flick seems ready to deliver!

Plus, I know that Han, Lando and Chewie make it through.
(I hope that’s not a spoiler… You’ve had decades to watch the original trilogy.)

#3 – Ron Howard
As you’ve probably heard, Ron Howard was brought in more than half way through the filming to take over as director.

Problem?

No… I’m ecstatic. I love Ron Howard’s work.

He also ran the entire post production phase… so I’m confident that we’re going to get a ‘Ron Howard film.’

#4 – Creaky Switches
I’m a little giddy seeing some deliberate focus on analog technology.

Did you feel the clicking of those switches in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit?
I mean… did you feel it?
I sure did..

The manual flicking of those little switches… rocketing the ship into overdrive. I found that moment simply thrilling… and reminiscent of the golden age of the Apollo space program.

When George Lucas made “Star Wars” back in 1977, it was, of course, about a futuristic civilization. But much of the gear reflected 1970’s hardware. So, there were plenty of physical switches that snapped and clicked.

But now, it’s four decades later. Analog is mostly dead. Yet, it’s still fueling some of the thrills in “Solo.”

I’ve always found something extremely satisfying about manually pressing a button to activate a machine. That’s entirely different than just tapping around on a touchscreen.

You can really feel the connection to your tech… that more intimate relationship between a person and the power of machinery.

While some might view those switches on the Millennium Falcon as dated or at best retro, it connects me back to that more physical experience that today’s digital world has mostly discarded as irrelevant. How ironic that digital is faster and better in every way, and yet sometimes we still yearn for our old tech…

It’s a fact that the Millennium Falcon can outrun the progress of technology over decades. That’s a testament to the enduring value of a well-made and repairable machine that can keep its edge over mass-produced, disposable 2.0 tech that’s limited by lower cost and quality.

She is indeed a survivor. And a pioneer. And I look forward to learning more about this newer Millennium Falcon in this flick…

The Future is Yesterday
It’s ironic that “Star Wars” today continues to wow us by not only channeling the elegant future possibilities of technology, but by also reminding us of our clunky technological past.

So raw, frustrating and often unpredictable… yet also so satisfying.

Even though those analog switches need to be there on the ship for continuity, they don’t have to be front and center. And yet… they are.

Clearly, the future in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” resides comfortably in yesterday. Sure, it’s taking some of its spirit from the DNA of all of those black and white westerns that launched a genre.

But in more ways than one, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is happily time traveling… backwards.

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