Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

Why does my Samsung Galaxy S III keep rebooting during phone calls?

Watch Suzanna from Los Angeles, CA Comments

This can happen with a smartphone if it's a faulty unit. Leo advises taking it back to Verizon and asking for a new one. It's under warranty and Verizon should replace it for free. She was wondering if she should have gotten the warranty on it, but Leo says it should already be covered by a warranty. Purchasing anything additional would merely extend that warranty. So she should be able to get that phone replaced without having to purchase any additional warranty coverage.

What tablet should I get for my wife?

Watch Richard from Poway, CA Comments

Richard bought a Toshiba Thrive tablet for travel. Now his wife wants a tablet as well.

Leo says that while Richard may like the Thrive, the Google Nexus 7 is fabulous, or he could get the 10" Nexus through Google Play for $399. The chatroom is split over how fast it really is, though. Leo says the Nexus 7 is fast, high res, and powerful, so he would advise Richard to get her that.

What version of Linux should I put on my old computer?

Watch Scott from Springfield, PA Comments

Scott has an 8 year old Pentium 4 computer with almost 1GB of RAM, and wants to know what version of Linux would work best on it. Leo recommends Xbuntu or Puppy Linux. Both of those operating systems are designed for use on older machines.

What accessories should I get for my new TV?

Watch Josh from Dana Point, CA Comments

Josh has decided to get a Panasonic Viera ST-50 series plasma TV. He's wondering whether he should get a Roku or Apple TV streaming box. Leo says he might not need one at all! The Viera has great apps, but in Internet mode there are ads. Even with that, it's still one of Leo's favorite TVs.

For speakers, ideally a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound home theater system would be great. He doesn't have to invest in that right away, though. Some think that a sound bar would be good, but Leo isn't convinced. If he spends a little more money, he could get a "home theater in a box", which would work far better than a sound bar.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

Should I get a splitter for my TV to get more HDMI ports?

Watch Craig from Ontario, CA Comments

Gefen makes good splitters, but they can be a bit of a pain.

Leo says if he has an A/V receiver, he'll get extra HDMI ports anyway. Leo likes Onkyo and Denon Home Theaters in a Box (HTIB).

How can I capture old videos to my computer? (Part 1)

Watch Bill from Los Angeles, CA Comments

Bill has some old video in various formats and he wants to get them into his computer to edit and burn to DVD. Leo says because Bill has so many different formats, it's probably best to use a service. They'll not only do a better job, but they can actually clean up the image as well. They will be able to send it back to him on DVD and then he can edit it down from there. Leo likes Scan Cafe. It's $14.99 per tape. They also do stills and 8mm movie film.

If he wants to do it himself, it'll probably end up costing him more as he tries to find all the players to play back the tapes. He'll need a video capture card. Pinnacle Systems makes some good items. Grass Valley's ADVC110 is a great one.

Why are links that I paste in Chrome only showing up as text instead of a link? (Part 2)

Watch Bill from Los Angeles, CA Comments

This isn't a problem with copying and pasting. It has more to do with where he's trying to paste the link. The place he's pasting it has to recognize that it's a link and automatically convert it. Otherwise it will show up only as text. He's trying to paste it in Yahoo within Google Chrome. Pasting the link using Internet Explorer does convert it.

The chatroom says to try dragging the link over instead of copying and pasting it, and then it should turn into a hyperlink automatically.

What's the best outdoor projector?

Watch Shell from Temecula, CA Comments

Shell wants to get a projector to show movies in his backyard on a budget of $300-400. He'll want a projector designed for home theater, not presentations in a board room. Leo likes the Epson Home Cinema like the Megaplex 50. It has 3LCDs and is very bright. He can connect a smartphone or tablet to it, too.

Is it possible for me to fix my Sony Ericsson smartphone?

Watch Lisa from Westminster, CA Comments

Lisa's Sony Ericsson smartphone won't hold a charge and wants to know if she can easily repair it herself. Leo that phones are so cheap now, that it would be a better idea to just get a new phone for $1, or even free. It isn't worth blowing up the battery by trying to wire a different charger to it.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

How can I get iTunes to sync my photos to folders?

Watch Gary from Claremont, CA Comments

Leo says that ever since the iPad got wireless sync, he stopped using iTunes for it. Frankly, iTunes for Windows is a "bag of hurt," and just doesn't work right. He could try and reinstall iTunes, as some in the chatroom think that'll restore the capability to save to folders.

Using DropBox is an easier idea, and it's free. iCloud is still the easiest, however. The chatroom has found an Apple technote that will help Gary sync specified folders. Check it out here.

Are there apps available for my Android phone to monitor data usage?

Watch Greg from Anchorage, AL Comments

In Android 4.0 (ICS) and above, Greg can set limits to data usage or monitor what he's using. The chatroom suggests Data Usage Defender and Watchdog.

How can I rip only audio from a DVD?

Watch Tim from San Gabriel, CA Comments

Tim would like to listen to DVDs on CDs. Leo says there's a program called DVD Audio Extractor that'll do it. VLC Media Player will also do it.

What's the best way to Skype with elderly parents?

Watch Jerome from Orange, CA Comments

Jerome needs a "Dick Tracy device" to talk to his elderly mother. Any tablet would work, as long as it has a camera in it.

She'll need internet access, so Leo says an iPad with LTE data would be perfect. They'll have to decide which carrier to go with - Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T, depending on what has the best service in her area.

Why don't carriers update Android phones more often?

Watch Steve from Malibu, CA Comments

Steve likes HTC One, but the only phones at Verizon that have Jelly Bean (4.1) are the Galaxy SIII and the Note II. Leo says that's an ongoing issue for Android as each carrier and manufacturer gets to decide when an update gets pushed out, and what phones will get it. The reason is that carriers charge manufacturers for the bandwidth to update it. If they can afford to avoid it, they will. Samsung does allow updating the OS via WiFi and an application.

Are sound bars a good purchase?

Watch Robert from Idylwild, CA Comments

Robert bought a Bose sound bar, but is wondering whether that was a good decision. Leo says that they simulate surround sound, and the advantage to them is that they're easy to set up. If he's happy with the sound, he should keep it.

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