Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss DARPA's neural interface project, Netflix and Moviepass stock problems, Google adding a notice that you're talking to an AI assistant, Macbook updates, a pledge to restrict AI weaponry, microphones and privacy, a robot security guard, and more.

Judith in Ridgecrest, California listens online asked: "The problem I have is transferring music files from an ancient iPad 4 to both my iPhone 8, X, and my iPad Pro. I have music dating from iPod 4. It's all legal, but some of it is ancient and I don't think I can even buy it anymore. I've tried all those little gadgets that you plug into one end, and then the other end. I tried it with my Toshiba with a cable. I've also tried to e-mail files, but I when I do, I can't open them. I'm really really getting upset, frustrated and confused and I'm sure you can help me."

 

Judith, is there a reason why the computer/cable combo didn’t work? Because that’s the main suggestion we could give you.

Normally, if you’re trying to sync an old iOS device with a new one, you have to involve iTunes.

If iTunes isn’t letting you extract the songs, there are 3rd party solutions that will find the files for you and let you copy them over to a computer. Apowersoft makes a well known one called Apowersoft Manager that may help.

Generally speaking, those tools are getting less and less likely to work with newer versions of iOS because Apple has tightened security, but they should at least work with older devices if not with all your devices.

After you use a solution like the one we mentioned to extract the files, you can copy them over to your various new devices using iTunes.

Apple has been serious about music-related copyrights from the start, so they do go the extra mile to make piracy a little harder. That doesn’t normally affect end users with legitimately purchased files, but it sounds like it may have hurt you in this case. Apple’s approach is not likely to change since iTunes was essentially what killed large-scale music piracy and it’s made Apple a significant amount of money over the years.

Irene in Belle River, Ontario Canada listens on AM800 CKLW and asked: "I have an Apple 6 phone. How does it work when you go to Maps and you download a map with direction to a place. I download the map on my Wi-Fi and with my cellular off, I am still able to navigate to my destination. I'd like to know what kind of data or what it uses to get me there. This is a question that has been going around my peer group and we do not know."

 

Irene, if you’re off WiFi, then it’d be using your cellular data plan.

If you downloaded at least most of the map over WiFi, it’s likely using fairly little data, but if the route changes for any reasons or if any part of the map needs to be downloaded it will use some.

Your location is determined by the GPS chip, that’s free. The way you get that is that your phone picks up the signal being put out by a constellation of military satellites and with that it can figure out where it is. So, that’s tax funded, no extra charges. You will have have to use a paid data plan or WiFi  for everything else though.

John in Smithfield, North Carolina listens on NewsRadio 680 WPTF and asked: "I have an RV that I want to do Internet in. We're going in ministry that we're going to need internet to use laptops. Do you have a suggestion of what to use and what's the best method?"

 

John, the preferred method among RVers seems to be to use a cellular plan and a signal booster.

Some of those signal boosters are specifically designed for RVs,