Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss developing a mobile app, a timeout issue while watching YouTube videos, and more.

Mike in Ontario, Canada listens on AM800 CKLW and asked: "I've got an iPad that fell into some water and I can't get it to come on or anything else. Is there anything I can do?"

 

Mike, not really. The damage is probably already done.

If it had just happened we’d tell you to leave it alone, not plug it in, not try to turn it on, store it somewhere with a drying agent (or failing that, rice). However, if you’ve already tried to run it and it doesn’t turn on, there’s not that much room for preventive action.

Your best bet is to try to let it dry further and see if it happens to turn on in a few days, but be prepared for it to stay the way it is now.

If you’re so inclined, you can take it to Apple, but they probably won’t be of any help, since their warranty doesn’t cover water damage.

Replacing it won’t be inexpensive, so if you have anything like a homeowner’s insurance it may be worth getting in touch with the insurance company to find out if electronics are covered and if they’re willing to replace it for you.

Good luck!

Norman in Chattanooga, Tennessee asked: "I was wondering what's the best home security system I could use because I'm not home much. I'd like to know which system you'd recommend."

 

Norman, that’s a pretty hard question to answer. We’ve tried a few in our studios like ADT and Alarm.com, but luckily they didn’t have to get put through a real world burglary test.

We hear good things about Frontpoint, mainly because they don’t use proprietary equipment, which means that you can add features like cameras for a lot less, and you’re not tied to them for the rest of your life if they don’t meet your expectations.

Vivint has a lot of fans too, and it may be a good option for you if you’re a fan of home automation.

SimpliSafe is a popular option that does have proprietary equipment, but it tries to make up for that with a 60 day trial that includes that equipment, so if it doesn’t work out for you, you give the cameras and other hardware back. Their alarms don’t require a monitoring plan and will continue to work without one, which is not something that every company can say these days, as most try to hook you so you have to keep paying them a monthly fee.

ADT comes with a free professional installation, but that means you have to be there and wait for them to do it. You do however get ADT service for a competitive price, and ADT has been around for a long time and is trusted by a lot of people over the newcomers.

Ultimately, you may have to see what it may cost for your particular property, some work out ok for small places but are very costly to expand, so that may be a factor uniquely yours to look into.

When you participate on the show – anytime 24/7 – and we HEAR you with any consumer tech question, comment, help for another listener, tech rage or just share your favorite App these days … you could win prizes.

 

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