All of your photos, in one place
from the desk of Rich on Tech
The weekend is upon us!
What a whirlwind: I was on the air Monday at KTLA, then hopped on a flight to NYC for a Tuesday morning cell phone launch, then it was dinner with my NJ family and back to the airport.
So many great things to tell you about that happened in tech, let’s get right to it.
Considering a Samsung? Check out OnePlus
OnePlus launched a new smartphone that is by far the fastest Android phone I’ve ever used. There is not a piece of bloatware on this phone yet it has more robust software features than Google’s Pixel.
The OnePlus 7 Pro has everything you need starting at a better price than most flagships. It’s just $669. Max it out with the most memory and storage (12 RAM, 256 GB) and it’s still only $749.
The selfie camera is better than Samsung and the pictures, while not as good as Pixel, are very good.
Watch my segment on the OnePlus 7 Pro here.
All Your Photos in One Place
If your digital photo collection lives in a bunch of different places, check out a gadget called ibi. It is basically a 2 terabyte hard drive that automatically goes out and collects your photos from your phone, cloud services, social media networks and even old hard drives you have laying around the house.
If you already have your stuff in Google Photos or iCloud, this is a good way to make sure you have a physical backup of your collection as well. It’s a super easy way to get all of your pictures on one place. The biggest downside I found is that it doesn’t do any de-duplication, so you might have multiples in your collection.
Watch my TV segment on ibi here.
Easy Ways to Go Paperless
I’ve been on a mission to go paperless for a few years now. It’s no easy feat, but I try to scan documents as they come in and get them organized in Google Drive. I’ve found the best method is to create a folder for the current year, then create folders inside for various billers, companies, cars and other items you might have papers for.
There are lots of ways to digitize, usually I’m using my phone but I was very impressed with some scanners I tried out from ScanSnap. The mobile one for $200 is really cool since it requires no computer. It can scan direct to the cloud. I also go over some ways to use apps on your phone, whether you have an iPhone, Samsung or another Android.
Listen to the Rich on Tech Podcast
I finally did it! I got my podcast to the place I’ve been trying to achieve for years. Good sounding mics. Viewer Emails. Live phone calls. All live streamed. This week it finally happened. You can watch the Facebook Live version or download the finished podcast here.
Either way, there’s a lot discussed:
A review of the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone; iPhone 7 recall; first ever 1 terabyte MicroSD card; Uber launches a "quiet mode" and faster pickups at airports; DJI's Osmo Action camera is great for vlogging; ibi Photo backup device; Apple's TV app gets a makeover; a new app takes an AI approach to robocalls; emails and callers talk about a business scam involving Google, finding the best home computer, switching to Spectrum Mobile and cutting down on robocalls.
Odds and Ends
Trader Joe’s launched a YouTube Channel.
Apple’s latest TV app is now available.
Uber is finally introducing a “quiet mode” for those times when you don’t feel like talking. It’s not available in the cheapest, UberX, option though.
School Visit
Santa Monica Charter Elementary School invited me to their career day to talk to a group of 5th and 6th graders. Wow, what a wake up call! It was a blast sharing with them my journey as a reporter, and learning from them how they use technology. (Hint: Fortnite and YouTube are tops)
A special thanks to all of the faculty there! Especially Jennifer Nishimoto, who invited me, and Toni Frear, who is retiring after many years in the LA school system.
Tweet of the Week
That’s it for now! Have a great weekend!
Rich