Author Topic: The Technophobe Reader - Technology Help (Read 213619 times)

LarryHanna · « **Reply #200 on:** August 01, 2011, 12:26:13 PM »

Welcome to The Technophobe Reader

Cartoon used by permission of the artist

Confused about Ihpones, Ipods, Ipads, Itouch, Androids, or anything else electronic? Don't know what a "text" message is? Don't have a Nook or a Kindle and don't know the benefits of an e reader? Feel left out of the rush of the new technology and wonder what all the shouting is about?

Have a new Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, Nook, Kindle, or I headache or are considering same?

Ask your question here! Other sufferers may be able to direct you to a source for help or help with their own experience.

This discussion has no "expert" moderator, we offer here no professional advice but we may be able to answer out of our own experience, like the cartoon above, the blind leading the blind,

or list places you CAN find help.

Ginny, doesn't your iPhone have the voice feature where you can dictate the words rather than writing them? I haven't gotten use to this feature on the smart phone but it works very well.

ginny · « **Reply #201 on:** August 01, 2011, 01:02:49 PM »

Yes and I love it, but I don't think it would do an hour lecture, that's what I'm saying,but I could be wrong. If they can do that they can do the other.

I love that and the one about calling a phone number, so fun.

Steph · « **Reply #202 on:** August 07, 2011, 10:51:36 AM »

PUzzle that maybe someone knows the answer.. I have an IPAD. I am going to Scotland in September. I am taking the ipad and of course the plug thing... Now I have the converter plugs for all of the countries.. Can I simply plug the IPAD into that plug and then in to the wall.. You can on cameras, etc, but I am not quite sure on this sort of gadget.. Cant seem to get an answer from Apple.. At least one that makes sense to a normal human.

ginny · « **Reply #203 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:55:01 AM »

Stephanie, I just did that with the i phone. You need another piece. You take the UK plug and put it in the socket, and then take the converter box, (the bigger piece in the set...if you don't have a set go look at them at a Mori's or something. That converts the current, they don't run on our current, and then plug the white I pad Apple plug and Ipad cord into the little box?

Steph · « **Reply #204 on:** August 08, 2011, 05:58:49 AM »

Thank you Ginny. Since we bought a set years ago and Tim always did it, I suspect there is a little box, but will get it out and check today.. I knew someone would know..

maryz · « **Reply #205 on:** August 09, 2011, 02:34:15 PM »

My daughter and I tried to use Skype today. First time for both of us. The programs are downloaded. I could hear her, but not see her - that problem turned out to be that her new-to-her-but-refurbished iPad didn't have a camera. OK - understood, and she'll try to find one to use.

She could see me (camera works okay), but not hear me. Is that problem in my computer? I have a Dell Inspiron 14, running windows 7. Do I need to have a plug-in microphone. I would have thought that one was built in. When I go to the Start menu and search for microphone, it tells me about plug-in devices. Is it that all it is - that my laptop doesn't have a built-in mike?

maryz · « **Reply #206 on:** August 09, 2011, 06:17:52 PM »

I've done some more investigating, and my laptop does have a port for a microphone jack - so I guess that means I have to buy some sort of plug-in mike.

ANNIE · « **Reply #207 on:** August 10, 2011, 12:55:11 PM »

Don't read this if I am repeating myself. I just don't remember. Tee hee!
We just returned from a family evening of celebrating the birthday of our oldest grandson here in Ohio. He turned 16. They do grow up so fast. He's a bass drummer in the marching band. He's trying to save enough money for an iPad 3 which is due out in the fall. He hopes to relieve his sore and tired back due to those full book bags that they have to lug around all day. Lots of kids are doing this. You can download your school books, do your homework on the iPad and email it to your teachers. Ain't technology great?? Wow! There are some schools applying for grant through the TARP program to help students pay for the iPad or something like it.

ginny · « **Reply #208 on:** August 10, 2011, 01:08:35 PM »

You did and I responded that I think that's fabulous! Thank you for letting us know!

Mary I am so sorry I have no idea. My laptop and desktop need a mike but my i phone seems to have one built in tho initially it seemed to say I needed one, but then started to work. Good luck with that and let us know?

I am astounded at the APPS for the I phone.

I just got Dragon Dictation. You speak into the phone, it types it. And it's accurate. Then you can send that in email. It seems that it's available for the desktop. It is absolutely amazing.

I noticed in Europe that the Map feature, the APP which comes with the iphone showing a map and an Interstate sign also works in Europe. In fact I have THE most beautiful map satellite view, buildings, street, rivers, with labels of Rome on it right now. I was not smart enough to bookmark this and save it so I have to leave it alone till I go back. Meanwhile I have downloaded a super GSP talking device which will get me anywhere and tell me where to turn, and is free for a while, the talking bit.

I have another GPS device from Garmin but this one is on the iphone.

I also have another super APP which, believe it or not, takes a photo of a sign in a foreign language and translates it into English. You won't believe it but it works. You just point and click the camera and the original picture shows and then one shows with the translation. Very helpful for a laundry or train station perhaps or street sign. At present the paid version has only Spanish. I hope it will expand to other languges. The concept is amazing. At present the free version will reverse letters which is quite interesting but not helpful for, say, Italian or Chinese.

The program Vicinity does work in the UK by the way but hesitated in Rome, I am not sure why. I MAY have been out of range and it just stopped. Vicinity will tell you where the nearest restaurant or gas station or 7-11 is, and a lot of other things. It's very impressive.

It IS a brave new world we're living in and it technologically keeps getting better and better.

ANNIE · « **Reply #209 on:** August 10, 2011, 01:26:43 PM »

Ginny,
The apps are just incredible for the iPhone/Iphone. Son, David, has one for not only finding a product at the store, giving you the names of the stores that carry it and then telling you where the best deal is. And its not just for grocery stores but dealers in electronics and other stuff.
Last night my DIL's Dad was telling us that there are over 220,000 or was that 220,000,000 apps available out there in space. Who has the time? Our 16yr old grandson and two of his friends are writing an app as we speak and will try to have it accepted at Apple??? well, somewhere!

ANNIE · « **Reply #210 on:** August 10, 2011, 01:41:53 PM »

DON'T MISS THIS!! ITS SO INSPIRING!

http://www.wimp.com/goingto/

maryz · « **Reply #211 on:** August 10, 2011, 02:17:36 PM »

I took my laptop to Staples with the intention of buying a small plug-in microphone. The guy who was helping me said that I did have a built-in mike, and got it turned on for me. Also, Staples was offering a laptop "tune-up" for $10.00 (check for viruses, clean out unneeded stuff, etc.), so I left it with them. The bad part is that it'll be Friday or Saturday before I get it back.

I'll have to make do with John's desktop, and find all my favorites manually (horrors!!!).

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #212 on:** August 11, 2011, 03:12:23 AM »

Ginny - I think I remember that you live way out in the country, and I just wondered what your internet service was like? Having lived in the city ever since I had a computer, it has only been on moving house that I have realised how patchy the service is here in the UK - even in East Lothian, the county east of Edinburgh to which we have moved, the signal is only OK-ish as BT have not so far upgraded the local hub. E Lothian is heavily populated and one of the main commuter areas for Edinburgh - hardly the back of beyond.

Parts of West Lothian are even worse, as we really wanted to buy a lovely house overlooking the Pentlands (but only 20 mins from the city centre) and found that it had no internet service at all. The only way you could get it was by a special satellite service at £100 per month. (This would be on top of the usual charges). As my husband does a lot of work at home, this was just not on.

So I just wondered how people managed in the remoter areas of the US.

Rosemary

ginny · « **Reply #213 on:** August 11, 2011, 11:26:48 AM »

Rosemary, you have a good memory. Yes, it's not as isolated as a lot of areas in the US are, tho. I've been through New Mexico and parts of Texas where there was no cell phone service or any tower or anything else, but here we are in some kind of a rural pocket and thus have nothing: no DSL, no cable. Everything is satellite.

Gosh what horrendous prices you have to pay, tho? The costs here, adjusted this morning for the current value of the US dollar against the British pound, start at 30 GBP and work up to 49 and 79 GBP. But those are the total costs and I thought THEY were high. haahaa

The house you did not buy sounds to me like a paradise! I absolutely love the UK, tho I have not spent enough time in Scotland, I loved it too when I went. Only spent 9 days, this time, mostly in small villages and not London so much, as I had a 9 day Brit Rail Pass and was determined to go everywhere I could. Came back just enamored of the British all over again with a serious addiction to the food including Maynards Wine Pastilles and a lot of other food I should not eat.

I ate better in England than in Italy (heresy!) Found a local source for Rountree's wine pastilles and a mail order source for Maynards hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa OH man. I really wish I had a house somewhere in England, wouldn't that be heaven, but one glance in the Estate Agent's windows was enough to let me know rental would be my lot. hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa And now riots! I can't believe it!

I bet I went thru Clapham Junction and changed trains there a million times in those 9 days. There were a lot of athletes visiting too, I guess for the Olympics, and everybody seemed so happy! And courteous. And I mean everybody. I just can't get over it.

nancymc · « **Reply #214 on:** August 11, 2011, 11:58:57 AM »

Ginny I am delighted you have found Rowntrees pastilles, I have lived on them for years, always have a packet in my handbag and beside my bed, if I am exhausted two pastilles eaten together will give me back my energy, I have felt for a long time that Rowntrees should be paying me I have got so many people addicted to their Pastilles.

I am glad you had such a lovely holiday, it is hard to beat the the lovely English villages, though I think the Irish countryside more beautiful not so controlled. My ideal place would be a lovely English village in the midst of the Irish countryside....Bliss

Nancy

JoanK · « **Reply #215 on:** August 11, 2011, 03:55:20 PM »

"I ate better in England than in Italy (heresy!)" Don't let any Italians hear you say that.

My SIL, who grew up in England, is addicted to English chocolates. Wherever he lives, he manages to find a store that sells them. There is one store in the Los Angeles area that specializes in English candy: maybe they have these Roundtree Pastilles that you mentioned. What are they like?

maryz · « **Reply #216 on:** August 11, 2011, 04:05:10 PM »

Great meals at local pubs in small towns. But the best for me was sticky toffee pudding. And there's actually some you can get in the US. Click the web site to find local stores that carry it.

http://stickytoffeepuddingcompany.com/

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #217 on:** August 12, 2011, 02:58:52 AM »

Ginny, I wrote an erudite

reply to you last night, then Madeleine's very temperamental laptop lost it....Now it's 7am and nothing I write will be sensible, let alone erudite, but here goes.....

I think before WWI people in the country "knew their place" - the workers accepted the wealth of the landowners as a God given right, and the landowners looked after their staff, provided the latter didn't get above themselves. Even before war broke out, people were beginning to question this arrangement (viz Downton Abbey). In the cities, things were different - there was terrible poverty, a huge social divide, and mass exploitation of the poor (viz The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist, a wonderful novel and my old Labour socialist FIL's all-time favourite book). My grandparents lived in London, had nothing - no benefits, no free or subsidised housing - but still believed that the wealthy were somehow entitled to be rich. Their children were brought up to think that they were not worthy of anything better, even though there was no reciprocity of care of the kind found on country estates - it was all exploitation.

As attitudes changed after the war, people saw their way out of poverty, in the cities, as through education. They did not, I think, covet consumer goods (after all there weren't so many of them then); they sought to "improve" themselves through night school, etc. Both of my parents did this.

What I feel is different today is that many people seem to see their only goal in life as the acquisition of status symbol consumer items. It is not enough

ginny · « **Reply #218 on:** August 12, 2011, 10:31:04 AM »

Rosemary, I am watching Upstairs Downstairs (from which viewpoint my question in the Library about WWI emerged), and was struck by just what you say. You've nailed it perfectly. Hudson talking about "your betters," and happy in this distinction, that was what I meant by "dated." This is such a good post! Can you copy it over to the Library too? It's plenty erudite, and makes good sense.

This really makes the point needed in that discussion, we are so glad to have you! (So you did get good internet access in your new home?)

Nancy, your willpower is much better than mine! 2 wine pastilles would last exactly 2 seconds in my bag or night table. I am delighted to find another enthusiast! If the bag is open (and the bags are not small) I am drawn to it like a suicidal moth to the flame.

Oh Ireland!! I've never been, can you believe that? Like the park bench says overlooking the Continent from Dover: "Some day, Ida." Every time I come there is so much to see I end up not seeing IT much less going farther afield. Some day I'd like to go back to Hadrian's Wall and Abbotsford, too. And I've never been to Glamis. Or Castle Howard, the list is LOOONG.

JoanK, the pastilles are like sort of gummy bear type things, similar to but yet not like Haribo, larger, in strange flavors but not so gummy (help me out somebody) but they have a coating of sugar, I guess it is. Or is there salt in it? I know that sounds beastly but it isn't. (Or maybe it is, who can stop eating them?) The Roundtrees are fleshier...and the Maynards are slimmer, they are strange shapes, not like gummy bears and extremely good. I just ate some yesterday which were obviously about 10 years old and they were still good. hahahaa

It's hard to describe, it's junk food which you can't stop eating. Nancy can, I can't!

One year I became addicted to Coach...some kind of little cake. Coach was sort of a maker of snacks and they were sold in train stations, sort of a layered bar (maybe I should do a book about British train station fare). hahaha At any rate it TASTED exactly like American caramel cake bars and I was totally addicted to it for years (they have quit making it, I think one tiny bar had something like 500 calories and heaven knows what trans fat etc.,) and Branston is it, pickle, which you can also get in the States... which is sort of one of their....er.....chutney type things? Tasted like a pickled mince meat which I also love and which no person, no person at all will eat but me when I fix it every Christmas. My oldest used to try some drowned in ice cream but nobody else will.

Cheese and pickle sandwiches. Would you believe Virgin Atlantic actually served a small Bacon Buttie made famous by Prince Harry after the wedding as part of the choices of the flight? Should have gotten it.

(In the interest of keeping up the theme here, the technical APP Vicinity will tell you in a heartbeat any food store you need locally in the UK and you can stock up on these items, at least till you get to American customs). hahaha

Mary, I've still got 2 in my freezer! Aren't they GOOD!

Another thing is nougat. I had never liked nougat till I had it at Port Isaac, Cornwall. There are very few shops there but one used to make candy and I have never before or since tasted anything like their nougat. It's fresh. Apparently I had never had any freshly made before and you can have your choice of flavors. This is a town with a restaurant on the water where you have to wait and watch the catch come in before the cook decides what to prepare that night, very few seats in the restaurant and mussels you have never before (or ever will) taste again.

The whole country is like this, never in my life have I seen such a place. I'm hooked. I admit it.

More Grab 'n Go Grub: Sultana. M&S has a Pro-biotic yoghurt with granola mixed with sultana. I did not know what sultana WAS! Do you all? I was shocked to discover we know it as "Thompson Seedless!"

And everything is about "free range," and "organic." Paradise.

We need a Joys of Eating Travel folder to follow up on the Travel topic in Talking Heads.

maryz · « **Reply #219 on:** August 12, 2011, 10:56:48 AM »

Ginny, I think you were the one who told me about being able to get the sticky toffee pudding here. I need to get some more.

JoanK · « **Reply #220 on:** August 13, 2011, 06:38:57 PM »

I just had lunch, and I'm so hungry after reading all this, I'll have to go get another.

salan · « **Reply #221 on:** August 14, 2011, 07:14:29 AM »

Just read a post on suggestions for future discussions. Did any of you also receive the post from Healthy209 about bikini swimwear?

What on earth was it doing on this site?
Sally

ginny · « **Reply #222 on:** August 14, 2011, 09:22:22 AM »

Thank you Salan. The spammer slipped thru our screening process somehow, but JoanP caught him/ her. If you ever see anything like that, feel free to report it by clicking Report to Moderator on the bottom right of the post.

We don't permit spammers to even register much less post, so that one somehow slipped thru because they were not a known spammer (Databases of known spammers are kept). We're a very vigilant site but sometimes things happen. We can be our own Community Watch if we're all looking out for these people so we can remove them immediately.

Joan and Mary,

I am ashamed to be talking so much about junk food when I ate SO many great meals and great food, but hey! hahahaa

I just can't get over Dragon Dictation. I have never seen anything like it. What a wonderful thing technology can be. I am toying with putting it on my computer and using it all the time, because it's amazing. And apparently what I was talking about to Ann above has already come to pass as a new commercial shows a student listening to a lecture which is then typed on his laptop as he watches. What a wonderful boon THAT would be and would have been when we were young!

WILL it replace the typewriter/ keyboard? Now we can all, like Gore Vidal, write that book we've always intended to write without typing or a secretary to take down dictation!!

What new APP have you found? Or program? Or something you really are excited about? Tell us, we need to know!

pedln · « **Reply #223 on:** August 14, 2011, 01:47:36 PM »

Ginny, regarding Dragon Dictate. Does the person who is speaking need only a mike? And would this mike be connected with wire or wireless to my laptop (Like the student receiving the lecturerer's words on his laptop) So would it be like getting captions -- from speaker to laptop?

Does this mean I can prance around town with a mike, an i-pad and dragon dictate and catch on to what people are saying?

maryz · « **Reply #224 on:** August 14, 2011, 03:23:36 PM »

pedln, I'd love to see you "prancing" about town.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #225 on:** August 15, 2011, 06:13:54 AM »

Ginny - Madeleine's laptop actually cut me off in mid-flow in that last post, and I thought it had been lost like the other one - that is why it appears to end with one word. However, I have no idea what the other words were going to be!

I was writing it at my parents-in-law's house, and they are total technophobes, so we were logging into someone else's internet, presumably a neighbour's. Back in Scotland now and have - AT LAST - got own wi-fi again. The signal is not brilliant but it's fine, and at least it works in all the rooms - for the first time in literally months I am able to sit at a desk and type instead of standing up next to the kitchen window!

Rosemary

ginny · « **Reply #226 on:** August 15, 2011, 08:19:07 AM »

Rosemary!!! You really have come to the right place, hahaaa I love that story, many here can tell similar ones of varying positions and places trying to connect to the internet. Maybe we should get up a book of them. hahahaa

I am so glad you are finally where you can sit down in comfort, and wi fi in ALL the rooms! You're light years ahead of me!

Pedln: Ginny, regarding Dragon Dictate. Does the person who is speaking need only a mike? And would this mike be connected with wire or wireless to my laptop (Like the student receiving the lecturerer's words on his laptop) So would it be like getting captions -- from speaker to laptop?

Does this mean I can prance around town with a mike, an i-pad and dragon dictate and catch on to what people are saying?

Oh man. I had NOT thought of that!!!

The only use I personally have tried is the iphone which has a built in mike which of course is tied in to the Dragon Dictation program. Yes, it would be like reading captions: it takes the words and types them on the screen!!! What the range of that built in mike is, I don't know.

If I were you I would look further into it, including trying to find out what program that commercial is using where the guy is sitting and reading the lecture being given in front of him.

Dragon Dictation seems to have different applications for different products. I use the i phone one, so there's no extra mike. I speak into the iphone and my words appear on the screen. BUT I can see you handing somebody the phone and them speaking into it and handing it back and you reading it.

I don't know how much text it will take. It's intended to send that in email but why on earth couldn't somebody use it to read what people are saying? The I pad the wireless the computer lecture are all things I don't know about but I DO know the iphone works in this context.

And if they can do that, and a commercial can show somebody watching a computer screen as the lecture he's listening to appears there in print, somebody is already doing it with a laptop. I did not see the professor talking into a mike connected to that individual computer, so your "wireless" idea may, in fact, BE working out there and somebody somewhere has this technology.

See what you can find here, there appear to be several different versions, including an expensive one for desktops, but that's not the use you're seeking?

http://www.nuance.com/for-business/by-product/dragon-dictation-iphone/index.htm

I don't know if you can prance around town (like Mary I'd love to see that!! hahaha) but it's entirely possible if the mike is sensitive enough, and close to the speaker, that you CAN see the current speech of the person talking!! It's certainly worth looking into because it DOES work on the i phone.

I wish I had seen this before everybody came over yesterday, I could have tested it out with range and speakers but I'll try later today and see what happens.

Do let us know if this proves viable for you?!?

pedln · « **Reply #227 on:** August 16, 2011, 12:20:20 PM »

The whole thing of Dragon Dictate could open up a lot of possibilities technologically for those who need assistance with writing, communicating, etc. I haven't seen that commercial of the student and the lecturer, but will be looking for it. I had thought there might be some connect between Dragon and captions, but there is ONE company (I forget the name) that supplies phone captions throughout the US and it is not DD.

We had a student with muscular dystrophy several years ago who had trouble writing, and he tried DD, which was then in it's early stages. It had to be trained -- to one voice and way of speaking, and as I remember, was very rudimentary. No doubt things have improved considerably. Training is also necessary for the phone captions (I don't know how the TV/Film companies do it) and an intermediary relays the caller's message to the software which then translates it into text for the person receiving the call.

Speech recognition offers a lot of possibilities, but has a long way to go before it can handle "you all," "y'all" and "allyu" in one full swoop.

ginny · « **Reply #228 on:** August 16, 2011, 07:56:12 PM »

Pedln,

Can you read that? I just this minute dictated it into my iphone.

To try you all and y'all, "allyu" tho I was not sure what that was, I simply said them into the phone.

Result:

I don't see a problem. This is what it does? There's no computer, no microphone, nobody kitted out like they are going on safari? But if it were two friends talking this is what you'd see. You could speak into the iphone and pass it over. One on one.

I think if a person had difficulty in hearing it would be a wonderful thing.

The free program is the one I have. I think it needs a good phone connection to work or wi fi, and I have neither out here, but on what I do have you can see the result.

This morning I tried a real test on it, waiting for the children at an auto shop. I talked into it and it typed what I said. I imagined passing it over to you. I then talked more, would you like to go to lunch? And then to the bookstore? And let's have dinner at six. It typed all that perfectly. I continued to add speech to it, and it continued to fill the page.

I was talking into it as a phone. There were no microphones and no long distances. It would be lovely for conversation between friends, who would pass it back and forth. It works. I don't know about the other thing, the guy watching the lecture unfold on his computer , or how to get that, but carrying around a computer and mike would be a bit cumbersome. The iphone is not. It probably has some drawbacks in a crowd or if you want to hear 3 or 4 people talking.

I'm going to find out? I'm going out to lunch on Friday and will try it then with a friend across the table in a crowded restaurant and we'll see what happens. We'll see what the range is. I can't imagine it would pick up something across the room, it's a phone.

I'll let you know what happens, but it works. The directions say it may take a while to recognize your own voice patterns, it seems to have my 'cut it with a knife" Southern accent down.

I just held it out the length of my arm and spoke loudly, and said "holding it at arm's length..." it typed holding at arms length.

See if you can find somebody you know who has an iphone? Ask them to dowload the APP Dragon Dication, the free one, just that title. Try it yourselves?

PS: I just tried "Pedln." It didn't know what to do with it. So it did nothing. And it also refused to type the rest. Lesson learned: don't start with a name. I then said "Ann." It wrote "an."

I laid it down on the desk and stepped back about 7 or 8 feet. I did speak loudly. It typed what I said: Can you hear me now can you hear me now can you hear me now.

ANNIE · « **Reply #229 on:** August 17, 2011, 03:40:06 PM »

Ginny,
I have a program upstairs in the office that I have never tried to use as it wasn't presented very well and I wasn't interested.
Now, Ralph tells me yesterday that I have a very similar app to the DRAGON DICTATE in that program.
I will try it tonight when I get back from visiting the ol'e man who is very likely to come home tomorrow afternoon. Without the IV but with the AirVAC. Will need a visiting nurse for awhile but they haven't given us a time it will need to be in place.
Yaaaaaaaayyyyyy!

ginny · « **Reply #230 on:** August 17, 2011, 09:25:02 PM »

Well give it a try! If it's an old program it may not be as good as Dragon Dictation but you never know.

I am glad your husband is getting to come home!! I hope he will soon be as good as new.

Let us know what the name of it is when you have time and if it worked?

pedln · « **Reply #231 on:** August 18, 2011, 10:47:36 AM »

Ginny, your pictures are great. They really show how accurate the Dragon is. My main question is -- is it a one-man program? Could Obama, Sarcozy, Merkel, and David Cameron all be understood on the same machine -- all speaking English, of course.

LarryHanna · « **Reply #232 on:** August 18, 2011, 12:18:13 PM »

Ginny, there is a built in microphone in your iPhone or you wouldn't be able to use the dictation program. It utilizes the built in capability of the device you have.

ginny · « **Reply #233 on:** August 19, 2011, 09:53:52 AM »

I don't know, Pedln. I think it's one on one, I can check that aspect Sunday a week at a full table, and this Sunday with a smaller group. It seems to have quite a range but I have a feeling it's definitely a one on one application. So if one were sitting at a table with three others it would not act like a mike for the whole group (tho I don't know that) but rather would want to be used with one person speaking at a time. However it's possible if each person spoke in turn it might work too. THAT I have no idea about. It's a phone so I would expect you would each need a turn.

I've found that it does better one sentence at a time too, it's quicker. Then you can keep adding to that sentence till you have quite a paragraph.

Like "I'd like to go see the new exhibit at the Met at 4, are you in?" Pass over. Response. Pass back: then I'd respond to whatever the answer is: "Sure, let's eat first at Pret?" and so forth.

You are right, Larry, when I said microphone I meant separate plug in microphone as we were talking about, it's pretty amazing too. I wonder if the IPad has a mike built in, do you know?

I'm off to test it out in a noisy restaurant application.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #234 on:** August 20, 2011, 04:32:54 PM »

I don't know if anyone can help me with my MacBook - when we moved we arranged new internet. At first my MacBook was working fine with it, but the last few days I have been repeatedly cut off, and today it is not connecting at all, even though the signal appears to be strong - I am typing this on our ancient desk top computer, which is connecting perfectly well, and my daughters' laptops (which are not Apple) are also connecting fine.

Husband told me not to buy an Apple laptop in the first place, so he is not too sympathetic

. I don't know what to do, because despite Apple being famed for its support service, this has not proved to be the case - the last time I went into the Apple shop to ask a very simple question, I was told that I could not speak to one of their so-called "geniuses" unless I had (a) purchased the laptop from them (I bought it from John Lewis because their general service is so good) and (b) arranged their special support thing at the time of purchase - this costs £80+ pa, and according to the very nippy salesgirl, I can't have it even if I want it now, because I did not comply with (a) and (b).

I am so frustrated by this - this laptop cost three times as much as my daughters', and now I can't use it for the internet at all. If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate them. Madeleine and I have tried googling this problem, and from what we found a lot of people have had the same issues, and have found Apple similarly unhelpful. One suggestion was to "change the channel" of your internet, but needless to say I don't know how to do that, husband is away, and if I mess up everyone else's service I will be so unpopular...

So please, if anyone can help, let me know!

Thanks lots

Rosemary

pedln · « **Reply #235 on:** August 20, 2011, 05:58:05 PM »

Rosemary, I'm so sorry you're having this problem (and would sure like to tell that snippy little salesgirl where to go.) If you google "change iternet channel" you get a raft of stuff, but it sounds complicated. Good luck, and I hope someone comes along here soo who can help you out.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #236 on:** August 20, 2011, 06:08:52 PM »

Thanks Pat - no dount I will have to wait for husband to come back - and he will have a lot to say about Apple

I wonder about calling one of those people who advertise their services locally as computer fixers. I will see what Anna thinks when she comes back tomorrow night. All so frustrating - but I keep reminding myself that it is really such a minor problem compared with what a lot of people have to put up with. As I am forever telling my children "Nobody died"

Rosemary

ginny · « **Reply #237 on:** August 20, 2011, 06:10:14 PM »

I do, too. I don't have a MAC, but I sent an urgent SOS to Marcie who knows all things MAC, maybe when she comes in she can help.

I would have said, based on my own experience that the internet service you are paying for should be of great techincal help in getting your MAC connected to their service? I know that every service we've had out here has been very helpful and would stick with the issue till it was solved.

They more or less owe you that, no matter what OS you use. I'd pester them . Shame on the snippy girl, report her to Apple!

marcie · « **Reply #238 on:** August 20, 2011, 06:13:28 PM »

Rosemary, I'm upset for you that the store clerk was so unhelpful. Maybe you could go back when someone else is there and try asking again.

Have you tried calling your Internet service to see if they can help trouble shoot with you?

I looked at the Apple Support Communities site (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1352518?start=1035&tstart=0), as you indicated you had, to see that others are having similar problems and the problem seems very inconsistent--hard to track down! Lately some of the members seem to be trying to figure out what hardware/software works and doesn't work.

Do you have the following info for your MacBook? I'm showing what one person filled in:

CONFIGURATION WHEN WIFI CONNECTION DROPS
Apple product: MBP 2011 - 13inch - default configuration (shop)
OS version: Snow Leopard 10.6.7 and Lion
Router: Sweex LW-055

Have you tried connecting to the Internet when no other computer/mobile in your house is connected?

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #239 on:** August 20, 2011, 06:19:15 PM »

Thanks Ginny!

I did think about reporting the girl when it happened, but if you go on to the Apple website they are very careful indeed to provide absolutely no addresses you can write to or people you can phone - all they want you to do is look at their FAQs, none of which is any help whatsoever.

From what I can see from our Google results, many people are equally fed up and particularly narked at being (as they see it) abandoned by Apple, who do not want to get involved at all once they have taken your money.

Husband and many friends have i-phones and love them, but this MacBook thing is a nightmare and I would not buy one again - am thinking of donating it to Anna and buying myself something straightforward!

Will be so grateful if Marcie can assist!

Thanks again

Rosemary

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