TekThing 16: Google Fi, Amazon Echo DIY Smart Home Control, Add More Memory, Stop Eye Strain!

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56K Modem's Aren't Dead Yet! An emergency run to pick up DDR3 for a desktop from BestBuy and we stumbled across a 56K modem for sale! (Turns out a lot of folks still use 'em!)
Google Fi: Woah... Google's started a wireless service, and dang, Google Fi's prices are right down there with Ting's! (Yes, Ting has been a sponsor in the past.)  It's the refunds!
Amazon Echo DIY Voice Control For Your Home: Shannon's Echo  arrived, and not only does it sit in a corner waiting for you you to ask it question, she's got it running with Belkin WeMo devices to get voice controlled smart home automation on. 
The New Screen Savers: @lonelymango tweets “@patricknorton If you're doing tss now, what's happening to Shannon and Tekthing?" Nada! We're excited that Leo's starting TNSS up at the Brickhouse... but Patrick's just a guest host, and we're gonna keep making TekThing as long as y'all want us to!
4K UHD GPU Recco for Home Theater: Byron writes, "I'm building a HTPC to connect to my Samsung 8500 4K TV. I'd like to know will 1 GPU be sufficient? At the moment the store I go to is telling me to buy a GTX970. Is it over kill or just nice? Will 1 be enough or do I need to consider getting 2?? I only plan to watch/download videos and web browse, so gaming for me is out of the question since I've bought a XBOX ONE." We've got answers in the video! 
Will Adding RAM Speed Up My Computer? It depends, but in Patrick's case, going from 4 GB of RAM to 8 GB made a huge difference. We show you how to look at the Resource Monitor to find out on your system... and, btw, we went with GamersNexus testing recco from "How Dual Channel Works vs. Single Channel" and, hey, a single stick o' RAM is running great! 
Minimize Eye Strain When Using A Computer: Nicolina writes, "I spend a lot of time in front of the computer (at home, at work ..,), most days all day long, and I know it's bad for the eyes especially. Could you guys speak a little about eye protection in a show?" We've been there... and we've got advice from a trusted source (the Mayo Clinic: (Symptoms of Eye Strain, Home Remedies, Prevention) to help minimize eye strain when you're spending hours staring at the screen! (PS - f.lux can help, too!)
Avast Chrome Extension: John posted on Facebook, "I've found that using Avast's chrome extension, Avast Online Security, provides a nice combo of adblocking and track blocking... I don't believe that it goes as far as to block scripts though... Also just disabling flash from running with out clicking on it (Chrome option) stops alot of ads in thier tracks even if they get a chance to load."Thanks, John!
ScriptSafe: Brent added on Facebook, "About the Chrome Extensions - I use ScriptSafe because it basically filters javascript based on domains I trust. I got that from Steve Gibson. I don't mind the ads so much as allowing strangers to run code on my computer, so I focus on the scripts. Thanks, Brent! 
Cheap Fiber & Field Report on Ubiquity Long Distance Wi-Fi: Joe writes, "Being an IT manager for a small city I am always looking to do more with less and this question I have resolved several times. I have used the Ubiquity (several generations older than the new ones) products you mentioned with great success at 1 mile. they are rock solid and a very good option. Recently replaced a couple close to 300 ft cat5 runs with pre-cut and terminated 315ft 2-pair single-mode outdoor fiber I got on E-bay for around $135 and a pair of GB media converters for $125. I use Ubiquity point to point and their Unify APs all over they are very rock solid install and forget products. As you can see fiber can also be a lot cheaper than it used to be." Thanks, Joe! 
How About Powerline Ethernet? Bill says, "This is in response to Dan's email about providing Ethernet to a building 300 ft, from his house.  I have a detached garage with Ethernet from my house.  Although it is much closer than 300 ft., I was able to solve the problem with Ethernet over power-line units." Find out more about where Powerline networking is a slam dunk over Wi-Fi in the video! Thanks, Bill! 
Do Something Analog! Shannon says go find yourself an Owl Cafe!