Alexander: How to move music among various Apple devices

Q: I used my PC to copy 2,500 songs from CDs, then transferred the songs to an iPod Touch. But now the PC doesn't work, so I can't transfer the same songs to my iPhone or iPad. Is there a way to transfer the songs directly from the iPod Touch to the iPhone or iPad without a computer?

PATRICIA MARTIN, Northfield, Minn.

A: Music transfers between an iPod Touch and an iPhone or iPad generally require a computer as an intermediary (the computer can make the transfer using Apple's iTunes program, or a Mac or PC alternative such as the EaseUS MobiMover (see tinyurl.com/j75u3s34) or AnyTrans (see tinyurl.com/uvr9wbvz). If you subscribe to Apple's iCloud backup service, you could transfer music to your other devices via an account with a sufficient storage level. For 50 gigabytes of data, iCloud costs 99 cents a month.

While Apple's AirDrop program would seem to be a workaround — it provides direct wireless data transfers between Apple devices — it won't transfer a song from one device to another. Instead, it sends a link to the song on Apple Music, a subscription music service.

One option is to see if your PC's hard drive can be salvaged. A repair shop may be able to copy the 2,500 songs from the old PC's hard drive and transfer them to a new computer. You can then use the new PC to load the music onto your iPhone or iPad.

Alternatively, you could get a music subscription app for the iPhone or iPad (such as Apple Music or Spotify) and listen to songs that way (for a list of subscription services, see tinyurl.com/64a5cfk3).

Q: My wife received an Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet computer as a gift. What kind of antivirus software would you recommend using on it?

JOHN MESSINA, Burnsville

A: You can get security software for the Fire HD tablet in the Amazon Appstore (see tinyurl.com/5366hacr), but there's disagreement about whether you need it.

For those who play by the rules, some experts say that the Fire tablet is safe without security software. But playing by the rules means that you use apps only from the Amazon Appstore and are careful what you give apps permission to do (see tinyurl.com/dsu696k3).

Other experts say that, even if you play by the rules, any device that accesses the internet might need security software. A Fire tablet itself might not be hurt by malware, they say, but it might carry malware back to your home Wi-Fi network (see tinyurl.com/wkatsxf8).

For those who don't play by the rules, security software is a must. Some people change settings on the Fire HD so it can download apps from anywhere, not just the Amazon Appstore (see tinyurl.com/mjjj57s9). That increases the number of available apps, but also increases risk.

Q: We like our multiroom Sonos Wi-Fi speakers until we use the "line-in" port to plug in devices such as tape decks or CD players. Then the sound cuts out. What can we do?

PETER KINDER, Dorset, Vt.

A: To avoid losing sound, make some speaker changes (see tinyurl.com/47utmx7k). For example, when playing "line-in" audio to several rooms, coordinate the speakers by using the settings for "audio compression" (reduces the amount of data) and "audio delay" (a time-delay.) You can fix signal interference by changing the Wi-Fi channel or relocating speakers.

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com or write to Tech Q&A, 650 3rd Av. S., Suite 1300, ­Minneapolis, MN 55488. Include name, city and telephone number.