Just as the Holidays End, CES Begins

A very Happy New Year to you all! I hope your holiday season was a good as mine.

The biggest electronics show in the world, CES, opened today in Las Vegas. And, of course, we will cover it here for you…actually others will cover it and I will just provide the links. But if you are into tech, this show will tell you what is coming your way soon.

I was reminded the other day that while CES used to stand for “Consumer Electronic Show,” it now longer does. Now, CES stands for…well, nothing actually, according to show officials. Still, a rose by any other name…

When we last spoke, the hard drive on my new iMac had just died and I had taken it in to the good folks at the Apple Store in Tucson. They fixed it and I got it back the day after Christmas. As I mentioned the last time, I used Apple’s Time Machine to back up my data, but was not sure how much it would restore. I just clicked on the “Restore” button to see if it would work…and low and behold, six hours later, my iMac was up and running exactly as it was before the hard drive died. Time Machine worked as advertised!

So my suggestion to you is if you ever get a MAC, the first thing you should do is set up Time Machine to back up to an external drive. It is simple to do: just set it up and forget about it. It saved me hours and hours of restorations.

My MAC is working great and I’ve loaded additional software on it. And guess what? For the first time, this entire blog was written on my iMac, using Windows Writer running in Parallels…with help from my browser running on the MAC side. I love it!!

OK, enough about me, let’s see how I can help you with your computer needs. –JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

CES 2015

Here is arguably the best site to see all the new goodies being unveiled at CES. It is constantly being updated and you can search by the types of products that interest you the most.

Microsoft reportedly working on brand new web browser for Windows 10

A new 'lightweight' browser that isn't Internet Explorer

Top Tech Predictions for 2015 from PC Magazine

Our expert analysts whip out their crystal balls to tell you what's in store in the next 12 months.

Ireland sides with Microsoft in email privacy case

The country files a friend-of-the-court brief asking the US to respect its sovereignty and not go over its head by seizing emails stored on Microsoft servers in Ireland.

Dish's new Sling TV Internet TV service starts at $20, features ESPN, CNN, TNT, and other channels

Targeting millennials and people who don't want a full pay-TV package, Dish offers up a cheap live TV service that's viewable on a variety of streaming video devices.

 

Computer Tips and Trick

10 tips for organizing your Gmail

There are myriad ways to tweak Gmail for a more efficient, organized and less painful email experience. Here are 10 tips to help you get closer to the elusive dream of Inbox Zero.

How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys

If you’re planning on doing a reinstall of Windows but can’t find your product key, you’re in luck because it’s stored in the Windows Registry… it’s just not easy to find, and it’s impossible to read without some help. Luckily, we’re here to help.

10 Best privacy tools for staying secure online

A number of free and open-source projects exist solely to protect your identity and online activity. Here are just a few to make you more secure in the new year.

Take Control of Your Finances in the New Year

As the year comes to a close, now's the time to get a grip on your finances with these tips, apps, and services.

Start the new year with a clean Windows PC

A little time spent now on preventive maintenance can save hours of PC troubleshooting later — and provide better computing allyear long. Use the following steps to give your PC an annual checkup — and ensure it starts 2015 as healthy as possible.

 

Mobile Computing

How to Get Photos Off Your iPhone (or Any Smartphone)

Are your photos trapped on your phone? Here's how to get them onto your PC for storing and sharing.

The 100 Best iPad Apps of 2015

The battle for tablet dominance is waged on two fronts: pricing and app variety. Though iPads aren't the cheapest tablets on the market, Apple absolutely slays the competition when it comes to apps.

The 100 Best iPhone Apps of 2015

Whether you're rocking a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus or still have faith in your trusty 4S, your phone can't be its best unless it's stocked with the best apps. Here are 100 of our favorites.

The 100 Best Android Apps of 2015

Rekindle your love for your Android with this monumental list of our favorite Android apps.

17 Hacks Apple Doesn’t Want You To Know About Your iPhone

We've compiled a list of what we think are the most handy tips and tricks to get even more out of your iPhone -- and some of them may actually astonish you.