Christmas is almost here and I look forward to all the season’s merriment. I hope yours will be as good as mine. A personal thanks to the numbskulls at Verizon who sent me several e-mails informing me my son bought me an iPhone 5 for Christmas…then changed my voice mail password. NOT!!! But I will enjoy it anyway.
As you know, quality tech news stories are hard to come by this time of year…especially as many tech news sites shut down for the holidays. So, with that in mind, this will be the last blog for 2012. But I am coming back, for sure.
Still, for this edition I was able to find some interesting stories and tips you might find useful. If you have an iPad, this is the season for super-sweet deals on apps. I have downloaded several that were free for a short time, and some really good ones for 99 cents. Our last story will get you started.
As your editor, I face a serious dilemma for next year’s tech blog. For so long, this blog has been mostly about desktop and laptop computers, hardware and software. But those sales are dwindling as we see the rise of tablets and smartphones. And of course, we have technologies that are not compatible…Android, Apple, Windows, and Windows RT. And there are subsets of those…like Windows XP, 7, and 8.
The dilemma is: do I stick to desktop and laptop computing or try to cover it all? Any input you have will be greatly appreciated. But have no fear, I will figure all this out. You probably have noticed stores about some of these newer technologies already creeping in. Millions of people now own iPads, iPhones and Android Smartphone, including many of you. I just want to keep you current.
Any, so long until next year and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. - JRC
Threat of mass cyberattacks on U.S. banks is real, McAfee warns
A new security report by McAfee confirms that cybercriminals claiming to hack into hundreds of bank accounts next spring is a "credible threat."
Apple releases iOS 6.0.2 with Wi-Fi fix
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 6.0.2, an update aimed at fixing a Wi-Fi bug afflicting some devices. The whole of Apple's release notes for the update read as follows: "Fixes a bug that could impact Wi-Fi." The update applies only to the iPad mini and iPhone 5.
Forrester report finds US tablet ownership doubled this year
Forrester deduced from its nigh 60,000-strong survey that 19 percent of 'mericans over the age of 18 own at least one tablet
Putting Wi-Fi router’s security to the test
If your Wi-Fi router supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) — and most newer home/small-business routers do — it might easily reveal its passwords to a readily available hacking tool. You can use that tool to be 100 percent certain your router isn’t vulnerable to malicious WPS hacking. Here’s how.
The year in tech: Biggest fails, flops, and faux pas
Just like every other year, 2012 brought its fair share of mistakes, flops, and failures. Here are 20 of the biggest tech mishaps from the past year.
The eight best technologies of 2012
In praise of the iPhone 5 (with Google Maps), Workflowy, snap-your-credit-card apps, and more.
Best Apps to Increase Productivity
I’m always on the lookout for new apps that will tweak my productivity in a small but meaningful way. Here are some of my favorite apps as we look forward to a super-productive (and busy) 2013.
Amazon Spreads Its Ecosystem
Apple sells devices. Amazon sells the ecosystem. And that ecosystem is vast. It’s just not available equally everywhere...yet. Only Amazon can still win when you buy some other company's product.
Review: Google Music Offers Free Cloud Tunes
Another benefit is that Google will upgrade your lower-quality tracks to versions encoded at 320 kbps, which you can download to replace your inferior-sounding songs. Amazon and Apple offer this feature too, but not for free.
9 Windows Start menus for Windows 8
Some of you may get a new computer this Christmas with Windows 8 installed. These free and low-cost utilities bring a classic Windows Start menu -- and respite from Metro annoyances -- to Windows 8
Big Holiday iPad App Sales Already Rolling
Now is a very good time to be on the lookout for big bargains on great iPad apps and games. It looks like lots of iPad app and game publishers have not waited for a holiday weekend – they’ve already kicked off their price drops and holiday sales.
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