Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Chromebook - A Laptop With Its Head In The Cloud

  Many moons ago, there was chatter and speculation about "The Cloud". It seemed there was no getting away from all the countless discussions regarding Cloud Computing's pros and cons. In all honesty, during that time, I was highly skeptical. In fact, I have to admit, at one point I called the whole idea stupid, and a foolish security risk - especially to enterprise systems.

  Fortunately the world doesn't revolve around me, so "The Cloud" continued to grow and grow until it reached the point of normalcy that it is today. Along the way, bit by bit, I found myself embracing more and more of this "stupid idea". For me, it all started with Drop Box. I'm not sure why - maybe I was finally seeing a practical, day-by-day end user use for "The Cloud".  Drop Box seemed to be the trigger for me.

  I had already been wrapped up in GMail, and unable to survive without Google Calendar. But then Google dropped a huge bomb... Google Drive. This was huge for me because finally all of my Cloud solutions were going to be in one place. In the interest of time, and to try to bring the focus back to the true topic, I eventually got an Android phone and tablet - the rest is, as they say, history...

  You're probably wondering, "Brother, what does all of this have to do with the Chromebook?". The simple answer is - everything. I mention all of this to preface what I believe is absolutely essential when considering purchasing a Chromebook. Quite simply, you have to have at least a basic understanding of Cloud Computing in order to understand and use a Chromebook. I also wanted to point out my current state in The Cloud before reviewing this device so that you understand that I'm not speaking purely from a "Google Fanboy" perspective - I do most all things cloud-based. In fact, aside from  recent installations to achieve Cord Cutting, and a piece of music production software, it has been a few years since I've actually installed a physical PC application for day to day use.

  The Chromebook I am using is the Acer C710. Unlike most blog posts of this type, I'm not going to list all the specs here - you can simply click on the hyperlink to view them. In fact, this blog post really isn't about the model I'm using. It started off that way, but after speaking with some upset clients, reading negative reviews and comments online, I began to feel it that it was more important to clarify what a Chromebook is and isn't. One quick blurb about this Acer model - it's smooth, speedy, and has a beautiful display. I may do a full product review of it at a later date.

  First, what Chromebook isn't - Chromebook is not a Windows laptop. Chromebook is not a Mac Book. If your day-to-day depends on downloaded or disc installed applications, Chromebook will not run those applications. In fact, you cannot install Windows (.exe) applications on it. You won't be able to download Microsoft Office (though Google Drive offers a similar productivity suite). Chromebook is not Windows. Chromebook is not Mac OS. Chromebook is Chrome OS. You can download pictures, videos, documents and the like. You simply cannot download and install applications like you are accustomed to on PCs and Macs.

  What Chromebook is - as the title says, Chromebook is a purely cloud-based laptop. From office productivity (via Google Drive), to entertainment (Play Music, YouTube) and social networking (Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter) - everything is done online via cloud computing. I personally see this as advantageous. Remember the days of working hard on a presentation, spreadsheet or document, only to have your PC crash for whatever reason and you lost it all? Not with Chromebook. All of your pictures and music? All safe in the cloud. Even if, for some reason, your Chromebook died all of your work is stored safely in the cloud and is accessible via any PC with an Internet connection - simply log into your GMail account. No more computer running slow as it waits to load an installed application - all apps and extensions are run through Chrome itself.

  If you already are used to extensively using Google's cloud based services, either via a PC or Android smart phone or tablet, you are pretty much experiencing what a Chromebook experience is like minus a physical keyboard and larger screen. From a personal perspective, I have yet to come across anything that I do during my normal day-to-day on a PC that I can't do on my Chromebook. But again - I have not relied on installed PC applications for some time now.

  From a larger scope perspective, I have seen reports of school districts around the world adopting Chromebooks in the classroom. I think this is an excellent idea. Seeing as everything is web-based, a school with a well secured network and knowledgeable admin will have a better, more hassle free experience than a PC or Mac based environment in my opinion. From a security perspective alone, removing the ability to download potentially harmful pieces of software is well worth the switch to Chromebooks. Having all the apps the schools would use based in the cloud also eases the hassle of having them locally installed or based on an in-house server. I could go and on promoting cloud computing for schools, but perhaps I'll save that for another entry for another day as well!

  All said and done, would I recommend a Chromebook for someone looking to buy a new laptop? Most certainly! In fact I would encourage anyone to become more familiar with cloud computing, learn how to use cloud based productivity tools, familiarize themselves with uploading their music and picture libraries, and enjoy the many games and videos available. With this blog entry I hope to offer at least a bit more understanding as to what to expect when taking a Chromebook into consideration. Sadly, I've had clients tell me, "but, the sales person at ____ told me it's just like laptop x, but I can't get it to do...." It's this lack of understanding that I hope I've at least shed a bit of light on. Bottom line is, I love the Chromebook and I think others will too provided that they fully understand what it is.

12/10/2013: A date which will live in Cord Cutting Infamy

 Back in August, I blogged about  my first weekend with Chromecast, in which I shared my feeling that although Chromecast has a very attractive $35 price tag, the actual content left a lot to be desired. Sure - there were the usual suspects: YouTube and Netflix. But that was about it.

 Being a lover of pretty much all things Google, I knew that (based on Google's track record) it would only be a matter of time before this changed. Well that time came yesterday, 12/10/2013.

A date which will live in Cord Cutting Infamy

 In fact, there were 10 new apps announced on this day for Chromecast. But keeping in line with my continued support (and often trumpet blowing) of Cord-Cutting, the most significant of these is Plex.

 If you would like a recap, or if this is your first time viewing my blog, please feel free to check out The Truth About Cutting The Cord – Part 3: Suggested Software as well as The Truth About Cutting The Cord - Part 4: Optimizing Your Experience. These 2 entries will explain what Plex is as well as how to set it up to better optimize your Cord-Cutting experience.

 Now back to the matter at hand. Plex and Chromecast. Needless to say, I (like many) have been waiting and hoping for this. I've told many people that if Plex made its way to Chromecast, this would be a game changer in my opinion when it comes to endorsing Chromecast for Cord-Cutting.

 

 

   For the most part, provided that you follow my setup suggestion, I can most certainly endorse Chromecast with this welcomed addition that adds more choice and more content. As the picture above illustrates, with the Plex app installed on your mobile device, you are able to "cast" all of your Plex content.

 

   Unfortunately, however, at the moment you have to have a Plex Pass subscription, which costs $3.99 a month, $29.99 a year, or (the option I paid for some time ago) $74.99 for life. So if you're new to Cord-Cutting and you're looking into this option, be prepared to spend a little to get this to work.

 

  One other factor to consider is that the only way to use it with Chromecast, you will have to do so from a separate device. Unlike the Roku, and most other streaming devices, there is no physical remote control. This could present an issue if your household is similar to mine - simply put, I'm the only one in my house interested in the "techy" stuff. My wife and children simply need to be able to turn on the TV and select what they want to watch. My children are too young for mobile devices, and my wife has no interest in installing the Plex app on her phone. As such, when I'm not home, there is no way for them to use Plex via Chromecast.

 

 Perhaps one of the most awesome factors to consider is travel. If you're a business traveler, on vacation, or simply travel frequently for other reasons, you can take your Chromecast with you and have access to all of your content on your Plex wherever you go! (provided, of course, there is WiFi available and a TV with an open HDMI port).

 

 Overall, Chromecast is slowly but surely taking its place in the growing arsenal of Cord-Cutting gear.

 

Must Have App - 500 Firepaper

 I'm not a fanatic about it, but I must admit - I love a nice wallpaper on my mobile devices! So, I search and finally decide on a beautiful wallpaper that I love....for about a month or so. Then, I'm back to square one - looking for that ultimate wallpaper for my mobile devices.

500 Firepaper to the rescue! This must-have app does all the work for you. It pulls beautiful, high-quality photos from 500px.com at update intervals that you set (30 seconds, 1,2,5,10,15 or 30 minutes, or 1 hour) and automatically sets them as your wallpaper. In fact, there are quite a few cool settings included -

• You can display all images in black and white
• Change the categories of pictures to pull from
• Adjust the brightness

...and more!

What if a wallpaper shows up that you don't like? NO PROBLEM! Simply tap the wallpaper with three fingers and 500 Firepaper will load a new image!

 So, if you're like me and like to have a great wallpaper on your mobile devices, but want to have an easy way to keep it fresh, 500 Firepaper is a must have app! 

 One word of caution - I would strongly advise parents of children with mobile devices to proceed with caution with this one. Every available category may not be suitable for the kiddies (specifically, there is a "Nude" category). Not that any of these categories are distasteful in any manner, but I think it's worth a mention to avoid any shock or surprises.

500 Firepaper can be downloaded for Android devices via Google Play.

I Told Ya' It Would Make Sense (sorta)!

Today, Moto X users found out what the seemingly force-installed Motorola Spotlight Player is all about in a fun-filled, interactive short titled "Windy Day".

  This short was created by Jan Pinkava, co-director of Pixar's "Ratatouille". Simply put, a mouse discovers a pretty red hat and he simply HAS to have it. The only problem is the annoying gusts of wind that keep snatching it from his clutches - reminiscent of the squirrel from "Ice Age" chasing the acorn.

   And that's where the fun comes in - you move your Moto X (and your whole body at times!) around to keep your view on the hat and the mouse, seeing all things around you in this make believe world as if you were there! 

    There's all types of other woodland creatures, trees, and even a cool ending scene with a view from the sky.

   Overall, I think it's a cool and interesting Easter Egg type surprise with plenty of future potential. Windy Day did get a bit, well, long-winded (it lasts for about 4 minutes) so I'm not sure if maybe making the experience a bit shorter would be more enjoyable. 

   But hey - I like goofy and fun things and this certainly falls into that category! So I say "Good job on this, Motorola!"

  If you're a Moto X user, I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below about Windy Day, and the whole idea behind Motorola Spotlight Player.

You Get What You Pay For, But How Much Does It Cost?

It's one of the oldest of old school pieces of advice ever given -

You get what you pay for

  In fact, I've said it countless times throughout my life, and tend to follow it - especially when it comes to tech gadgets. And for the most part, it trends to hold true without fail. Recently however, I may have run into the all-important exception to the rule.

  In  The Truth About Cutting The Cord - Part 2: Equipment and Cost, I suggested the Motorola SURFboard eXtreme SB6141 (DOCSIS 3.0).I also mentioned that I had originally purchased a Netgear equivalent to this model, the CMD31T, but it kept periodically dropping the connection.

At the time, I purchased the SB6141 for $149.99 - not the most expensive modem on the market, but enough of a price that I expected top-notch performance with no hassles. In other words, I expected to get what I paid for. Unfortunately the SB6141 turned out to be anything but hassle free.

 From the onset, something seemed odd. Whenever I would log into the modem's interface, the log would have countless errors listed - some controlled, many others not. At first, this did not present an issue. But over time, many errors began showing up as critical, and the modem would reboot on its own. At first, it happened a few times so I didn't think much of it. But over time the condition got progressively worse.  Then, the oddest thing happened.One day, I was home with my sons - one taking a nap and the other on the couch with me watching a movie. It was raining pretty hard outside, but I didn't think much of it. But then, there was an earth-shattering BOOM! Yep - of all things, our house got struck by lightning. As you might imagine, there were a few electronic items that were lost. But that's what insurance is for!

  The SB6141 was still functional though, so I replaced all the other damaged items and in a day or so my network was back up and running. 


  Well, sort of....  The rebooting issue got worse and worse. The error log was multiple pages long. Finally, after day or so of hoping things would get better, and having Time Warner come out and replace the main run to our house and several inside, I decided to go ahead an replace it. Thniking it had to have been damaged by the lightning strike, I returned it and got another SB6141. Two days later, I got a text message from my wife telling me the Plex channel would not play. I established a remote connection and checked the error log of the brand new SB6141 - it was deja vu all over again...

   Fortunately, the Time Warner tech who came out was the kind of tech all techs in any industry should be - an honest one. He had told me that the SB6141 was actually known to have these issues. In fact, although it's listed in the top group of modems to buy on the Time Warner website, he said he would not recommend it. In fact, he had one at his home and had the same problems with it and got rid of it.

  Now, before anyone asks "didn't you read any reviews before you bought it?" - yes I did. However, the majority of the reviews were positive so I chose it. Plus, I'd had Motorola modems in the past that didn't give me any problems.

  So, as soon as I could, I took down the new SB6141 and headed to Best Buy for yet another warranty exchange. Oddly enough, while reading random reviews of other modems, I found one that seemed to consistently get 4 - 5 star ratings from users.- the Zoom 5341J. Better yet, this modem was only $74.

   The Zoom has turned out to be what a modem should be - a simple, working device. I've logged into the interface periodically to find what I should have found with the Motorola - 0 errors, 0 correctable, with 0 noncollectable. And, to this day, it continues to simply work, as a modem should.

   For the most part, "you get what you pay for" may ring true. But the exception to the rule is -

Higher price does not always mean higher quality

It Will All (probably) Make Sense Soon

 If you have the Moto X, and if you are like me, you're loving it. Smooth running, great battery life, etc. You may have also noticed that you got an "update" to an app you never installed and didn't even know you had - Motorola Spotlight Player.

That's because you didn't have it. There was no associated app icon or widget. When I first saw it in my notification drawer, I chuckled a bit and thought it had something to do with the recent SOAK. But then I tapped on it and immediately realized that something entirely different was going on.

  As Android Central's Jerry Hildenbrand puts it -

 "After installation (yes, you'll install it, too) you have a new 1 x 1 widget and three new activities in the software. Tapping the widget will show you two of them — the page that tells you Motorola can't wait to show you how all this works and that your Moto X loves you, and a page where you can opt in or out of the service — which Motorola swears will have no ads."

   Some people have freaked out about this. I'm not one of them. Some hate when apps force install. Me, not so much when it's an app that's installed on a device I already love, from a trusted company. Sure, it may end up being lame, but I can opt out and uninstall if I think it is.

   So sit back and relax, fellow Moto X'ers, and wait until the 29th to see what this is all about (or, "aboot" for my Canadian family and friends!). From what I've seen from Motorola thus far when it comes to all things "X", I'm banking on it being pretty awesome!

Advertise All The Things

 Today, you may have noticed an interesting banner in your browser, received an email from them, or (if you're on Google Plus) got a notification.

  Well, it seems Google is taking advertising to another level. As they put it, in simple terms, they might start including your picture and name.

From the Terms of Service update page -

• First, clarifying how your Profile name and photo might appear in Google products (including in reviews, advertising and other commercial contexts).
• You can control whether your image and name appear in ads via the Shared Endorsements setting.

  I've already seen some negative feedback about this. It seems to me that, in today's NSA paranoid society, anything that may even give the hint of personal information possibly shared without one's consent has many ready to call foul. However, as I tell people all the time - you're logged in right now, reading this blog, you've probably checked Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or what have you...guess what? You've already given consent. YOU have already made the personal choice to share "yourself" with the world. Of course you have, and deserve, an expectation of privacy when it comes to personal emails and messages, but the things you do out in the open (especially on social media sites), are pretty much fair game.

 The fact is, it's not like Google is simply doing this, or forcing you to participate. You have the option to choose not to participate. As for me, it simply doesn't bother me. In fact, I welcome it. I would love to research an item or device and see a picture or review from someone I actually know giving their review or rating of it, as opposed to someone I don't know giving the same run-of-the-mill review as every other web site. This, I feel, is a welcomed attempt by Google to make what we may be considering to purchase an even more personal experience. 

 Others may argue that, if I were included in an actual commercial from Google, I would be getting paid so Google is basically "pimping" free advertisement. But to me, this is like arguing against being a background extra in a movie - people volunteer for that sort of thing all the time, the movie makes millions, and the background extras get $0. Again folks, you don't have to participate in this and Google has made it very simple to tell them "no". 

To do or not to do. That is the task...

  I'm going to start this post off in the most cliche', worn-out way possible by saying:

Let's face it. We're all busy. We all have hectic lives with busy schedules, especially those of us with kids. From work to soccer practice(s) to PTA meetings(s) - our lives are so jam packed with activities that we often find ourselves wishing for at least 2 more hours in the day just to get it all done.

 Fact is, we all feel that way at some point, don't we? So we have to find ways to stay organized, on time and on task. As for me, I'm a calendar junkie. My Google Calendar is packed with monthly recurring events (bills, automatic withdrawals), appointments, meetings and simple to-do's.

 Which brings me to my question - do you use To-Do or Task Management apps like Evernote, Todoist, or GTasks?

 Over time, I have tried each of those 3 apps only to find myself ignoring them over time in favor of Google Calendar. Don't get me wrong - each of the 3 task management apps I mentioned are awesome in their own right - from the over-all completeness of Evernote, to the simplicity of GTasks. But the funny thing I've always been faced with - these apps aren't really doing anything that I can't accomplish by simply using my calendar. A quick reminder? Just jot it on my calendar - it has reminders enabled by default anyway. A recurring event? Calendar. Meetings? Calendar. Appointments? Calendar. But what about associating a document or file to a reminder? Yep, you guessed it - calendar.

 I would be lying if I failed to mention that I don't use calendar exclusively for organizing notes and tasks, or general day-to-day what not. For those types of things, I simply use Google Keep. But my question is really this - why download and use yet another application just to keep track of my "busy life" when I already have one? And isn't adding another thing to have to log into and keep track of only simply adding to the chaos, even if only in a minuscule way?

 The fact is, everyone's lives and experiences are different, thus everyone approaches handling things differently. I personally always try to find the most simplistic, organized way to keep it all together. The less I can add to my plate in an attempt to keep the kitchen organized the better. My mind functions on this logic - why have 2 or more apps to accomplish what I can do (and have been doing) in 1?

 Or maybe I'm just not busy. At least not as busy as some of you. But every day, week, and month when I look at my calendar I sometimes feel like I'm looking at a map of a foreign land through the eyes of a general preparing for battle, and I sigh... But could it be that I'm really not that busy? Could it be that you're really not that busy to warrant using a task manager app?

 Could it be that we all only think that we're busier than we actually are? When discussing this with a close friend, he said to me, "No one is as busy as they think they are."

Must Have App – Thuuz Sports

   I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a sports fanatic, but I love NFL football and MLB (Cincinnati Reds!). As I’m sure is the case for a lot of you, I don’t always have time to be plopped down on the couch watching games but I would like to know what’s going on – especially with my favorite teams.

I’ve used the ESPN Sports Center app and have been, quite frankly, thoroughly disappointed. Recently, the NFL launched their new app – this proved to be lack luster in my opinion as well.

               So my search was on for a clean, reliable sports app. What I found was Thuuz Sports. First and foremost, Thuuz offers one thing I’m always looking for in an app of its type – a clean, well-organized and intuitive UI. Thuuz is simple and to the point. Notifications are extremely easy to customize, as well as selecting which teams you would like to be notified about individually. And if you play fantasy football or baseball on any of the major platforms, Thuuz helps you track when your players are having great performances and when is the right time to tune in and see a great performance. Thuuz will even let you know if your players get injured.

  Other features included:

 My sports TV guide: Check in to see what’s on TV right now

 My on-the-go sports alerts: Know what’s going on when you’re not in front of the TV

 My Fantasy tracker: Get alerts when your players are going off or are injured

 My buddy system: Check in to a game and alert all of your friends to what’s going on

 My time saver: Life getting busy? Use Thuuz to optimize your sports viewing time

               And according to the developers, more is on the way!

    I think Thuuz Sports is a must have app for whatever level of sport fan you may be. Check it out and as always, if you feel you know of a better app of its kind please feel free to let me know!

Download from Google Play

Download from Apple App Store

              or

Visit the Thuuz Sports website

Must Have App - Dinamotxt Web and Tablet SMS

It didn't take long for me to notice since my first tablet purchase (a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1) that I spend more time on my tablet than I do my cell phone. In fact, over time, my cell phone has become more of what it was originally created to be - a phone.

 As such, over the past couple of years I've always wanted a way to be able to send and receive text messages from my primary device of choice - my tablet. Especially on those nights when I'm reading something on my tablet or playing a game. If I get a text message, I want to be able to simply view it and respond to it from my tablet. Not that I'm simply that lazy. It's really my linear way of thinking - I like things simple and streamlined.

 I know - First World Problem, right?

 Well apparently I'm not the only one who thinks along these lines as there are plenty of apps out there that will help facilitate this. Some are a bit quirky in my opinion. They require you to register and receive a randomly generated phone number that you now have to tell everyone you know about. For those types of apps, typically there is a free version that will generate you a different number over time, or you can buy a paid version to keep the original randomly generated number.

 Nah....not what I was looking for.

 Through trial and error over time, I did settle originally on Mighty Text. Mighty Text did exactly what I needed - allowed me to send/receive texts from my tablet using my cell phone number, and I could even send/receive from any desktop computer! However it seemed as though, as time passed, that Mighty Text got slower and slower with sending and receiving messages. And, as of late, it simply no longer seemed to function.

 Then I found Dinamotxt, and have not turned back! Dinamotxt offers exactly what I need - sending/receiving texts using my tablet while using my same cell phone number. Dinamotxt also offers the ability to send/receive via desktop like many others, but I've found it to be very slow when initially loading. But, I was only looking to use it for tablet texting anyway.

 Perhaps my favorite thing about Dinamotxt is that it's very fast! My phone and tablet send/receive text messages literally within a second of one another!

 Add to that the PopUp feature - you can enable incoming text messages to open in a small pop up window from which you can respond - and customizable theme!

 Yes there are countless other apps of its kind out there. Please feel free to let me know your favorite and I'll give it a try! In the meantime, it you're looking for a way to text via your tablet, I recommend Dinamotxt Web and Tablet SMS.

Download Dinamotxt Web and Tablet SMS from Play

My First Weekend With Chromecast

The dust has settled. The fan fare has subsided. The ticker tape has been cleaned off the streets. The reviews are in. Chromecast has (sort of) settled into its spot on the couch amongst the other streaming devices in the market.

 

When it was first released, everything I saw about it left me filled with a bunch of "but, what about?" questions. Sadly it seemed I couldn't get any concrete answers to those questions, so my only logical choice for answers was to get one for myself. Off to Amazing Prime I went to order one!

 

But alas, none available until August 15, 2013. That's OK... I can wait. Then came a couple of interesting emails from Amazon -

 

We have no estimated delivery date

         followed a few days later by

We now have an estimated delivery date of October 19th thru the 29th

 

Oh well. No big deal. I mentioned this on Google Plus, and a fellow Geek by the name of Tim Martin came to the rescue. Seems Tim purchased about 4 of them, using at least 2 to integrate at the office, and had one extra. Awesome - just give him the one from Amazon whenever it comes in. A quick H.I.R.L. (that's Google Plus talk for Hangout In Real Life for those of you who don't do Plus) with Tim to pick it up, and to talk all things Geek, then back home I went to see what this little powerhouse can do!

 

OK. Into the HDMI port, download the app, add to my network. Simple - in about 3 minutes flat the Chromecast was ready to go. But ready to go do what? Well, there in lies the disappointment in my opinion. Fact is, as of yet, it only does 2 things that can't be done on any other streaming  device. And one of those two things isn't really extraordinary.

 

 

The Netflix app is simply that. No real surprises there. Unless you are of the relatively small percentage of the population who've yet to experience Netflix, it is exactly what's to be expected.

 

The two things that are unique to Chromecast are Play Movies/TV and desktop casting. Yes it's cool that Google even has Play Movies/TV, but for me it begs the question - "if it already has Netflix, what's the point?" Maybe it's just me, but I have yet to find anything in Play Movies that I can't also find in Netflix. TV shows, maybe - Netflix is usually a bit behind when it comes to television shows.

 

To me, the not-so-extraordinary feature is desktop casting. Many people seemed pretty excited about this, but I personally see no "wow factor" in it. The fact is, if you have your PC (but more than likely laptop) with you in front of the TV, and cast your Google Chrome browser content to it, you're still sitting in front of the TV using your computer system. Only now, you're essentially looking at 2 monitors showing the same thing. You still have to look at your computer to point/click for the most part. I guess this is awesome if you want to share what's on your browser with the rest of the family in the living room. But, how often does that happen?

 

My afore mentioned friend Tim showed me what IS awesome about desktop casting though - using it in the office for presentations. Especially if you have multiple parties who have individual content to share at the same presentation. Each party can add their content to the Chromecast queue, and it will broadcast in that order. Now THAT is pretty awesome! But if Chromecast is to be your media streaming entertainment device at home, what good is this?

 

Look, I get it - this little $35 nugget is poised for the future of online streaming. And there is no argument that the price point is unparalleled. My problem is that it simply seems unfinished. Maybe that was Google's plan all along - release it now, bring developed apps later to keep the price down. I don't know. I don't work for Google. I just think that maybe they could have waited until there was more to it. After all, Ford didn't release his first car with no wheels with the promise that it was only going to get better as each wheel was added.

 

Would I recommend the Chromecast to someone looking to Cut The Cord? Probably not, especially if they are looking for a more robust experience. But again, the $35 price point is its saving grace.

 

As for my first weekend with Chromecast, I can't lie - it was more like a couple of hours. My wife asked, "so what's so special about this thing?" Sadly, I had no answer for her. But I did say the same thing many others have said in other reviews - Hopefully new content will get added soon...

Yes - your Roku CAN do that

 As I mentioned in the series "The Truth About Cutting The Cord", your Roku device can stream or "cast" content from your device(s). I mentioned an app called PlayTo in Part 4. However, to clear up some questions that arose about how to use it, I'd like to present a similar app called Twonky Beam.

Twonky Beam works essentially the same as PlayTo, but I find it to be a bit more stable. Please note that I'm not one to normally do video reviews and demonstrations, so this video is a bit clunky! But I wanted to offer a real-time demonstration, so please forgive my noob-ness!

Download Twonky Beam from Google Play

The Truth About Cutting The Cord - Part 4: Optimizing Your Experience

 Now we come to the final chapter in the Cord Cutting saga. In part 1, I hope I cleared up any confusion you may have had about why you or anyone else would want to abandon a cable or satellite subscription. As mentioned, although we all will have different reasons for doing so, I believe the greatest of all reasons is simply content. Specifically, the ability to choose what to watch, when you want to watch it and (in most cases) free of commercials.

 In part 2, I provided some insight into the type of equipment you will want to purchase to make it all work. As I mentioned in that chapter, you may find better, more robust, and faster equipment. I just wanted to present what I chose, especially from a cost-conscious perspective. The way I see it, at the pace of technological growth these days in the gadget-sphere, there really is no need to dip into your kid's college fund to have an awesome, Cord-Cut set up.

 Finally, in part 3, I gave you what I feel are the key apps to bring it all together. Once again - you may come across others that blow the ones I mentioned out of the water. If so, please feel free to share! As with all things tech-related, I'm always on the lookout for ways to do things better!

 In this final chapter, I'd like to offer some suggestions for getting the best out of your cord free lifestyle, specifically using the apps/services I suggested. I'm basically going to walk you through the setup steps I took to achieve the best television viewing experience for my family. Of course your family will have different viewing habits and tastes, but I think these tips will be helpful for you to get started - you'll just need to tweak them a bit to fit your and yours.

 A. Television Shows

**WARNING** - this section details the use of torrent downloads. Be sure  you fully understand any laws that may impact your individual downloading and use of torrents, as well as any impact on data usage these downloads may have on your specific internet plan with your ISP. If you are any way in doubt, the safest thing to do is to simply skip this section. I take no responsibility for any negative impact that may occur from following this procedure.

First, start by downloading/installing BitTorrent. Of course, there are other torrent tools out there, but I personally choose to use BitTorrent.

If you are hesitant about Cutting The Cord because there are television shows you simply don't want to miss, remember that I mentioned the website showRSS. Granted, showRSS does not have EVERY show available, but the list is pretty impressive.

The UI is pretty straight forward - simply select the show you want from the drop down, then select "Get the public feed address". You will then need to place this feed address into BitTorrent by selecting Add Torrent. The cool thing about BitTorrent is that you won't need to copy/paste the address from showRSS - it already recognizes that link once you select "Get the public feed address".

 It's a good idea to Add Alias to the feed that you add to BitTorrent to make it easier to recognize in your feed list. Once you have your feed entered into BitTorrent, you will also want to right-click on either the main "Feeds" header, or on one of the feeds in the list and select "RSS Downloader". From that screen, you will tell BitTorrent where to save your shows (as you see in my example, it's my external E:\TV drive), as well as select the alias you entered from the "Label for new torrents" drop-down. This helps keep things nice and simple to find, in case you need to go into that drive to look for something specific.



Also, I found that it's a good idea for organizational purposes to go into the "Preferences" menu and tell BitTorrent to save all torrents in my external media drive as well. Otherwise, you will find that it saves the torrents in your "My Documents" folder, and the actual shows in your media drive. This may not be a big deal to you, but I'm a bit picky about keeping things together! Once you have all of your shows set, you're done! As each show becomes available, BitTorrent will download them and place them into your specified location.

Next, simply launch your Plex Server, right click on the tray icon, and select Media Manager. Under "My Library", select the "Add Section" + sign. Select the type as TV Shows, then select "Add Folder". From the "Add Folder" drop-down, select your media drive and navigate to the folder you told BitTorrent to save all of your shows in (as mentioned above, mine are saved in E:|TV), then save.

Restart your Plex server, and that's it! From your Roku, launch the Plex channel, and enjoy! Of course, you may have also noticed the Movies section in Plex - you will follow the same procedure as you did to TV Shows to tell Plex where to stream your movie collection from. Plex has a beautiful UI which includes show art, complete descriptions, as well as show theme music.

B. Steaming From Tablet / Phone

 With the recent launch of Google's Chromecast, one of the most talked about features is the ability to "cast" video content from your tablet and / or phone. This is an awesome feature, but don't worry Roku faithful - you can do this too! There are several apps in the Google Play store to use to make this happen - I test drove a few and finally settled on PlayTo.

As you may also notice, this app also works for GTV as well as Apple TV. For Roku, simply install the PlayTo channel from the Channel Store. Then, download the app on the devices you want to stream (or "cast") from, and you're all set. So, how does it work? Simple!

 First, you will want to tell PlayTo where to stream (or "cast") to. Simply select the small, TV icon in the upper right corner. PlayTo will recognize your Roku (or, each on if you have more than one) on your network. Check the box to remember the device selection, then tap the actual device to save and close the menu.

 As you can see, you can also customize the name of the device you want to stream to in case you have more than one - just to keep things simple!

 Let's say you're watching a YouTube video on you're Nexus 7 and you want to watch on your Roku. As in any other situation in which you want to share a YouTube video (i.e. - to Google Plus), simply select the Share icon on your device.

From the share options presented, select PlayTo -

 Your video will stat to play through your Roku! And, without selecting the actual PlayTo Roku channel - it merely serves as the network connection between your device and the Roku. PlayTo also allows you to play any audio, video, or photos stored on your device through your Roku. It also includes an extensive online selection of content that you can stream from your device to your Roku. Have DLNA or any other devices containing media on your network? Select "Home Media" and PlayTo will recognize that device and the media that is able to be streamed to your Roku!

 Finally, don't forget about the Roku app itself. It serves as a remote, and offers a Play To Roku feature, but it only streams music and photos stored on your device.

 Don't forget to explore the Roku Channel Store. The usual suspects are there - Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon - but there are many more awesome channels as well.

 And, that's it! I hope that the steps I've provided from Part 1 thru Part 4 will help in your decision as to whether or not you will "Cut The Cord". Or, if you already have, I hope I've provided some information that may help better your experience. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to let me know!

 Happy Streaming!











Flipping back to Flipboard

 For as long as I can remember, I have been on a quest to find an application that allows me to view all of my social media streams/pages in one convenient location. I’ve gone through a few throughout the years – from the “ok” to “goodness – that’s awful!”. 

 During my quest, I came across Flipboard and had settled on it. At the time however, I always felt something was missing. Specifically, Google Plus. But, I lived with it. I’ve always enjoyed Flipboad’s layout, its cover page and beautifully smooth transitions.

 But over time I noticed I wasn’t using it as much, so I uninstalled it and just went back to opening social media apps individually. In fact, I actually forgot about Flipboard until recently when Flipboard’s Owen Thomas announced a new web interface. So, I decided to give it another shot. And I’m glad I did!

 Flipboard now has every social media outlet that I use – from Google Plus to SoundCloud. All packed within its beautiful UI. The display is especially awesome on my Nexus 7! There have been a few updates since my last use as well, namely faster feed updates and Flipboard launches very quickly. And of course, there is the ability to search and add new topics to your Flipboard. The read later function comes in handy, and the magazine creation feature adds an extra punch!

Many of you will read this and say, “well, duh!” But for those of you like me, who had abandoned Flipboard for one reason or another, I suggest you give it another look-see!

Download Flipboard from Google Play or iTunes

Moto X's Camera App Download

There have been tons of rumors and great anticipation of the Moto X. It seems that everywhere you turn, especially on Google Plus, there's a new nugget of info! But let's be honest with ourselves - we Geeks love this kind of stuff, don't we?

 

Just as it seemed Chromecast took all the attention away from the daily Moto X-ing, Android Police got their hands on the Moto X camera app and shared it with the rest of us! They're just cool like that!

 

  I've installed it on my Galaxy Nexus and must admit that, even with the current limitations, it's a pretty cool camera app. It won't over write your existing camera app as long as you're not using a Motorola phone (in fact, it won't install on a Motorola phone). It will create an app icon that looks exactly like your current camera icon, so you may want to separate them. Not everything works on it, such as Panorama, HDR, and Slow Motion mode, but it's still pretty cool.

I specifically like touching anywhere on the screen to take a single shot, or holding on the screen to take a burst of shots. Also, zooming in and out is a simple matter of swiping up and down on the screen.

If you'd like to give it a try, I've made the apk available here -

 

Moto X Camera App

 

Enjoy! Thanks once again to our friends at Android Police!

Must Have App - "Soundwave"

  

 Some time ago while doing my normal Google Plus socializing, I was asked by one of the devs of this app if I would be interested in beta testing. I asked “what is it?” and was told that it’s an app that lets you find music based on what people around you are listening to. Well, since I love music and I love apps, I said “sure!”

  I was pleasantly surprised from day 1! The UI is incredibly simple, but the app is packed with goodies for music lovers. You can follow people from all over the world who use the app and discover some really great music that you may not have heard otherwise. And the music you listen to is instantly shared – once installed and enabled, you don’t have to actually launch the app to share what you’re listening to. Just listen to your music as you normally do. When you launch the app and check out your own feed, you’ll see that whatever you have been listening to has been quietly shared in the background. Don’t want to always share what you’re listening to? The app of course allows you to turn sharing off – you can easily change your location and privacy settings.

 The app has a built in social aspect - it lets you follow profiles of people whose music you enjoy, and others follow you as well. Got a favorite song? Set it as your “Humdinger” to let the world know! Songs discovered can instantly be previewed, viewed on YouTube, streamed on SoundCloud and purchased directly from Google Play and 7Digital.

 I have discovered some GREAT music that I might not have ever heard thanks to Soundwave! If you love music as much as I do, it is a Must Have App!

  Download for free from Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.soundwave.soundwave

The Truth About Cutting The Cord – Part 3: Suggested Software

  So, you’ve got your broadband internet access, your new cable modem, your gigabit router, your HD antenna, a dedicated PC with extra storage, and your Roku(s). Your network is up and humming along.      You’ve gone through the Roku and have experienced its awesomeness – you’ve plowed through the Roku channel store and have added the ones that you like to your lineup.

  But it still seems like something’s missing, right? Although there’s Hulu Plus, Netflix and Crackle, you still can’t seem to find your favorite shows you’ve been watching. And when you do find them, it’s usually long after they’ve aired. Simply put, you don’t want to be almost an entire season behind while everyone else is talking about the latest episode of “Justified”.

 Or, what about your collection of movies you have gathered over time and have saved on your massive external hard drive? Sure - with the Netgear R6200 router I suggested, you could simply connect the drive to the router and access it via the My Media interface. But how about having your favorite NEW TV episodes and your movie collection in one place, accessible via one interface? Well, I’m glad you’ve asked! That brings me to the first (and perhaps most crucial) suggested piece of software – Plex

At first glance, one can’t help but note that Plex also offers its own channel store. There are many of the same channels that can be found in the Roku channel store. However, I have noted that over time as each of the official license owners of these channels launch their own official Rocku channels, the ones on Plex will stop working. Case in point – when PBS launched its official Rocku channels (PBS and PBS Kids), both of those stopped working in Plex. But alas – these channels aren’t the beauty of Plex, and not why I’ve suggested it. The 2 key sections of Plex are the My TV and My Movies “channels”.

 Plex is a media server that allows you to view your locally stored movies and TV shows via Roku. I won’t go into complete detail on its setup – simple step by step instructions are on the website: http://www.plexapp.com/. As the old saying goes, it really isn’t “rocket science”!

 Remember the dedicated PC I mentioned in Part 2? Now it comes into play! Download and install Plex onto that dedicated PC, and connect your external hard drive with your movie collection. On your external hard drive, create a folder called “TV” or “My TV” and if you don’t have one already, create a folder called “Movies”. If you’ve always simply downloaded movies onto that drive, move them all into the “Movies” folder. Following the simple directions on the Plex website, have it feed your movies for the My Movies channel, and your TV shows for the My TV channel. I suggest using a dedicated PC to get the most optimum experience. You can of course choose to install it on your main home-use PC. However, if you have other people at home actively using that PC you may experience some performance issues while viewing shows via Plex as that PC handles the streaming duties as well as whatever else the person using the PC is doing.

 As for your TV shows, there are a couple other pieces to the puzzle you will need. The first may be all-too-familiar: BitTorrent. 

 Once again – download and quick and easy setup can be found via their website: http://www.bittorrent.com/bittorrent-free

Download / install it onto your dedicated PC.

 But BitTorrent by itself won’t get you your TV shows. You will need to “feed” it. That is where the final, awesome piece to the puzzle comes into play: the website showRss: http://showrss.karmorra.info/?cs=feeds

 I would suggest bookmarking this site in the browser of your dedicated PC. It does not automatically “feed” BitTorrent. Rather, you select the “Feed for a show” dropdown to obtain the RSS feed for the show of your liking to add to BitTorrent. You will want to add the feed link to each of your shows to BitTorrent and be sure to tell BitTorrent to save them in your “TV” or “My TV” folder on your hard drive. What I have found is that new episodes for shows are usually available on your Plex server for watching in about 15 – 30 minutes after airing. The great thing about Plex is that as all of your shows begin feeding into it, it will organize them into their own folders with show art, episode descriptions, AND theme music! No fumbling though cryptically named file types. Simply select My TV and find your shows!

One final server I will mention that you may want to download onto your dedicated PC to access via your Roku is called PlayOn. But, I only want to MENTION it and not necessarily SUGGEST it. http://www.playon.tv/playon

 The reason being is that as of date, I have not found PlayOn to be living up to the claims found on their website. Many of the “live” channels they claim to have simply don’t work, or are in fact NOT “live” at all. In fact, the only “live” channel I can get to work on it is HBO Comedy This in itself may be worth it to you (I paid the $24.99 per year fee – may drop it at the end of the term). But hey – that’s YOUR call!

  Now you should have all the pieces in place! I know I’ve glazed over some steps to get this all up and running, but I will address that in the 4^th and final installment – Optimizing Your Experience. Of course, you may have gotten all you need to know in this installment. If so, HAPPY STREAMING and I hope I’ve helped with your decision to Cut The Cord!

Up Next – Part 4: Optimizing Your Experience

Must Have App - "YouTube Floating Player"

 Have you ever wanted to watch a YouTube video while you were doing something else on your Android phone or tablet? Well, there happens to be many apps in the Play Store that can do this.

I've tried out a few YouTube floating video apps, and like this one the best. The advantage this one has on others I've tried is that I can log into my YouTube account and access my playlists and videos. Maybe there's another out there that does so as well (please let me know if you have found one) but I couldn't find one.

What's cool about all apps of this type is they give you a resizable floating video, allowing you to launch other apps all the while still enjoying your video!

                                   Click here to download YouTube Floating Player from Play

 It's available for free in Play. It does have a few little quirks - it can be a little jumpy when re-sizing a video, and when switching to the floating window the large main page of the video does not close automatically. Also, whenever you move the popped-out video on your screen, there is a huge pause symbol that appears on top of the video along with the timeline slider at the bottom that stays there a few seconds too long. I've brought things to the dev's attention and hopefully they will be addressed.

 The UI is pretty simple and straight-forward. Upon launch, it resembles much of the official YouTube app in terms of layout. Once you load your selected video, you simply tap the "pop out" icon in the upper right-hand corner -

 Once the video is popped out, you can do other things, and it floats on top. Here I'm checking out my Google Plus stream while viewing a video by "The Collective" -

 As mentioned, you can drag the video all over the screen and leave it where you like! Or, you can simply close it.

 Like I said, I tried out a few of these before landing on this one. All of them share the same basic pop out and drag capability but this was the only one I could find that actually allowed me to log into my YouTube account and access my videos / playlists. If you happen to know of another that does, please feel free to let me know and I'll check it out!

The Truth About Cutting The Cord - Part 2: Equipment and Cost

In Part 1, I gave a brief rundown of the core reasons as to why I finally decided to Cut The Cord. Again, your reasons may be different or the same, or you may decide that sticking with cable (or satellite) is actually better for you. In either case, now I would like to explain some of the costs involved and detail the equipment I chose. Keep in mind that I'm not trying to say the hardware listed hereafter is the best or top of the line (in fact, I tried to keep equipment costs down as much as I could), but I feel it's at least a good starting point for most. Also, though I will list some pricing here, the good thing about technology is that it's always moving forward so the prices of already released equipment continues to drop as new things come out. Simply put – this is the stuff I bought, and it works great for me and my family and I think it will for you as well.

So, let's get started!

1. Digital Antenna
   

As many of you may remember, since June 13, 2009, all full-power U.S. Television stations have broadcast digital-only signals. Many mark this date as the dawn of the Cut The Cord revolution. I would also agree with some who say (I call them Cord Cutting Purists) that the only true Cord Cutting comes from getting rid of all ties to any cable or satellite provider. This would include losing internet access as well which, as you will see later on, will not work for the Cord Cutting I'm outlining.

If you want to get rid of the television service and still want to at least be able to view your local stations, you will want to purchase a digital antenna. I personally like to keep up with local news, so this was a no-drainer for me. The picture quality is amazing, as there is no signal compression from a service provider. And, as you will discover, I found there were channels floating around out there that I never even heard of that I now pick up!

There are many models out there – some indoor, some outdoor. I went with the RCA ANT1650R which I picked up 2 for about 25 bucks each on Amazon. I've seen the same model at Walmart priced at $30-$40.

2. Internet Access
   

As I've mentioned, the Cord Cutting I'm outlining is going to require internet access. It should go without saying that you're going to want broadband. When I first starting experimenting with this idea, I was paying my ISP for 20Mbps down, 2Mbps up. What I found over time was that this simply wasn't cutting it – especially considering we're running 2 Rokus (more on those shortly), a couple Android tablets, my phone and my wife's phone and 2 PCs. Not that all of these devices are always connected simultaneously at all times, but there are periods when that's the case. Also, with this speed, it seemed we would run into the dreaded Netflix “Loading” screen far too often while watching something.

So, I knew I had to beef that up a bit. Unfortunately, the ISP I had at the time could not offer more than that for my area, so I switched to Time Warner (whom I actually had before). I moved up to 30Mbps down and 5Mbps up, which has proven to be the perfect minimum speed. Time Warner offers higher speeds, but this level of connectivity works smoothly.

That being said, now would be the perfect time to explain what I mentioned in Part 1 -

“Surprisingly, even to me, cost actually wasn’t a factor as one might expect and as many people will blog or post about when they talk about cutting the cord. “

The fact is, the cable and satellite service providers want you to buy ALL of their services, not just one. As such, you will have to take into consideration when deciding whether or not this is right for you the fact that the connection speeds I've mentioned are going to run you somewhere around $70 - $75 dollars per month, or maybe even more depending on what market you're in. And, that's the catch.

Consider this -

The speeds I've described are what Time Warner refers to as Extreme internet. If you were to bundle and go with their Basic TV and Extreme package, you could get -

• Over 20 Channels
• Extreme Speed
• HBO® with HBO GO®
• Cinemax® FREE for 3 Months
• Home WiFi, TWC WiFi Hotspots
• Switch and get up to $50 Visa® Reward Card

^$79⁹⁹per Month for 12 Months

But remember, the devil is always in the details. Note the “Free for 3 months” and “$79.99 per month for 12 months”. And, not to mention as I explained in Part 1, you get what channels and content they tell you to get – you don't get to choose.

3. High Speed Cable Modem
   

If you're still reading this, that means I didn't scare you off with the ISP cost situation. Or, you're just curious. Either way, if you're still considering Cutting The Cable, and have decided to go with Time Warner's Extreme Internet or something equivalent, you're going to need a modem to handle the extra bandwidth bulk. You have a couple of choices here – buy your own or pay the ISP at least $4.99 per month to rent one from them. Well since we're trying to Cut The Cord the only logical decision would be to buy your own ISP-compatible modem. Be sure to check with your ISP about compatible models (they should list them somewhere on their website) and purchase accordingly.

I'm not going to go too deep into tech mumbo-jumbo here, but simply state that I decided on the Motorola SUFboard eXtreme SB6141 (DOCSIS 3.0). I had originally purchased a Netgear equivalent to this model, the CMD31T, but it kept periodically dropping the connection. Upon exchange, it was only logical to me to go with a Motorola model – all of the years I've been paying for internet and renting modems from the service providers, I would always have a Motorola modem and had almost no issues.

The SB6141 will run you about $100 at Best Buy.

4. Dual Band Gigabit Router
   

Just as you'll need a modem to handle the connection speeds coming in from your ISP of choice, you're going to need a router that can handle providing all the devices attached to your home network said speed. And frankly, that Wireless N router the kid next door told you to buy simply won't do. Even if you're not in the market to Cut The Cord, a Dual Band Gigabit Router should still be on your radar for a multitude of reasons, including: stability, network scalability, and speed.

Once again, I'm not going to go into too many technical details here (my fellow Cisco Academy friends can appreciate how lengthy detailing routers can be), but only mention that I personally chose the Netgear R6200 WiFi Router (802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit). True – it's not Netgear's ultimate offering, but it certainly gets the job done efficiently and smoothly at about $150 from the likes of Amazon or Best Buy.

5. Video Streaming Device (or, “How in the heck do I watch TV?”)

Finally, we come to the device that brings it all together. There are of course many devices out there. If you are an IOS faithful then you may already be familiar with the likes of Apple TV. As for me, I went with and recommend Roku.

Roku is that hockey puck sized powerhouse that can be found literally at any major retail chain worldwide, and works with pretty much every TV. When I first started looking into Cord Cutting, I began with a first generation Roku. Once I grasped the potential and learned some of the tricks of online content streaming (yes – this is my clever segway into Part 3: Suggested Software), I quickly moved up to the Roku 2 XS and Roku 3.

The Roku 2 XS resides in our bedroom because we still have an “ancient” TV there – no HDMI ports. The Roku 2 XS offers the option of both HDMI and A/V output, with included cable for A/V, so it works perfectly.

The Roku 3 comes with HDMI only, so it lives in the family room of our home. Each comes with the option to connect to the internet either via wireless or ethernet connection. I suggest, if at all possible, that you connect via ethernet. Although it rarely presents a problem, even with beefed-up speeds from your ISP, and a top of the line gigabit router, a direct connection will tend to be more reliable than a wireless one.

I could go on and on singing my praises of Roku. Personally I believe streaming content is the future television entertainment, and I have for some time. But instead I will just encourage you to check out Roku's website for yourself -

http://www.roku.com/

The Roku 3 currently retails for $99.99, while the 2 XS will run you about $74.99 - $79.99

6. Miscellaneous Hardware

Lastly, there were a few other things I had to pick up to bring this all together. You may need to do so as well so I think they are worth mentioning.

First off – remember the TV in our bedroom I mentioned that had no HDMI port? Well, that also means it's not an HD TV. So, in order to use the digital antenna for local channels, I had to also purchase a Digital TV Converter box. Retailing for about $40, I went with the RCA DTA 800BT. It has a pretty cool UI – looks much like a DVR box display, and comes with a fully programmable remote.

Secondly – as I also mentioned, I feel direct ethernet connections work better than wifi connections for your streaming device (Roku in my case). As such, I wanted to also connect the bedroom Roku directly via ethernet. Unfortunately, it's on the second floor of our house, facing the outside wall. I considered climbing in the attic and fighting with dropping a CAT5 cable, but decided instead to go with Powerline Adapters. These little gems allow you to plug them into your power outlets and use your home's electrical wiring as network lines from one point to another. Please keep in mind however that these work best in newer homes, as wiring standards have changed throughout the years, so they don't tend to work so well in homes built in the early '80s and older. I have run speed tests on the one connected in our bedroom and average speeds of about 19.5Mbps down, 3.5Mbps up through it.

Lastly – a PC to run dedicated servers. Specifically, Plex and PlayOn servers, and a bit torrent client. But, more on those in Part 3: Suggested Software.

 

Whew!! Trust me – all of that was the hard part! Once you get it all together (as overwhelming as it may sound), it will all be worth it and you'll never want to go back to cable again!

Up next - Part 3: Suggested Software