Podcast

PCM Techcast 18: Fish Tanks, Old Tech, Microwaves and Other Things Slowing Your Internet Speed

When it comes to connecting to the Internet, speed is king!

That’s why we wanted an expert on our show this week to talk about how you can eke every little bit of extra speed out of your connection as possible.

Michelle Gilbert, vice president public relations, Comcast Cable Heartland Region, gives us a ton of helpful tips to make it happen – and no, it doesn’t matter who your service provider may be.

Among other things, Michelle and PC Mike talk about:

– How most people aren’t aware of all the value-add features available to them from their video, Internet and phone provider. What are they and where can you find them?
– That your Internet service provider might already offer online security products at no additional charge. Are you taking advantage of them?
– Ways to ensure your home Wi-Fi is set up to give you the most robust signal strength and speed.
– The number of connected devices in your home and how you’re using them can impact your Internet performance.
– Figure out where in your house you use wireless most often and put the router within a clean line of site to that room.
– Avoid putting your router on the floor, in a remote corner of the house, or near a window or other electronics, as it could impact signal strength.
– Also, keep your router away from a fish tank. Wireless signals don’t pass well through water.
– If in doubt, conduct a speed test to ensure you’re getting the speeds for which you’re paying.

All this and more, plus tech news of the week about the delay in Apple watch shipments, how Microsoft has a goal of putting Windows 10 on a billion devices, and how a California assemblyman is worried about Smart TVs that can eavesdrop on conversation in your home.

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Shownotes from episode 18 of the PC Mike Techcast

Tech News and Trends: Apple Watch Part Problem, Windows 10, Eavesdropping TVs

Apple Watch delays may be due to a faulty part. We discuss if this will temper expectations and excitement of the new gadget.  (Read more)

Windows 10 will be on a billion devices soon – at least if Microsoft gets its way. (Read more)

California bill introduced to keep your TV from spying on you. (Read more)

Interview: Michelle Gilbert, vice president public relations, Comcast Cable Heartland Region

Michelle Gilbert, vice president public relations, Comcast Cable Heartland Region
Michelle Gilbert, vice president public relations, Comcast Cable Heartland Region

Michelle Gilbert, vice president public relations, Comcast Cable Heartland Region,  joins us to explain in “no geek-speak” terms how you can get the most out of your connection speed, regardless of who your service provider may be.

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Online Learning – Free Trial for PC Mike Listeners

I get asked a lot about finding online courses for learning how to use photography software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom CC, which are both on my recently updated list of tech gear. I talk about how I benefited from taking online courses as well as a special deal available only to PC Mike Techcast listeners at pcmike.com/lynda, where you can even try it free for 10 days and see if online learning works as well for you as it has for me. By the way, they have more than 3,300 courses to pick from – including more than 100,000 video tutorials – in subjects ranging from photography, video and audio to graphic design and web development. With Lynda, you can get:

– Unlimited access to all 3,314 courses – more than 100,000 video tutorials
– Learn new software and stay up to date

Listeners of the PC Mike podcast can get a free 10-day trial. Try any course. Start your trial now and see what you can learn. Just go to https://pcmike.com/lynda to get the free 10 day trial.

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As we begin a new podcast like this, it’s very important to get a bunch of reviews to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your rating and review.

Here’s how:

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Thank you!

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.