Volkswagen Caught Cheating on Emission Tests

Can you believe Volkswagen used built-in software to cheat US emission standards? Read our first story to get all the gory details. The CEO has resigned and will probably be replaced by the president of Porsche. VW stock prices have plunged 30% on the news and are 50% lower than their highest point of the year.

Apparently the software was programmed to kick in when it detected the car was going through an emissions test. It would reduce certain chemicals in the fuel going to the engine when being tested, then kick them all back to normal when it detected the test was over. It was scientists at West Virginia University who discovered it.

Volkswagen said on Tuesday that 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with the same software that the Environmental Protection Agency said was used to trick emissions tests in the United States. About half a million of those cars are in the United States, and analysts say about 10 million are in Europe.

This cheating was only on the VW diesel cars. But was VW the only company to do it? As an indication that other European officials are growing wary, the European Commission on Thursday urged its 28 member nations to test vehicles on their roads and report the findings. France indicated its intentions to begin random testing.

The fallout from the Volkswagen diesel scandal is spreading fast to the company's other famous brands, including Porsche and Audi, and across the Atlantic to the U.S. The Volkswagen Group represents some of the most well-known car brands in the world, including Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and of course Volkswagen itself.

This scandal will cost VW millions, if not billions of dollars in repairs to existing cars, plus millions, if not billions of dollars in fines…not to mention lots of class action lawsuits. I think this scandal will get much worse before it bottoms out.

I hope you can get some good info from the rest of this newsletter…and hope you don’t own a VW diesel car. Have a great weekend. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Volkswagen Used Software to Cheat on Emissions

The software throttles back the emissions output of the vehicles so that they pass the stringent U.S. requirements. But when the vehicles are used normally, they emit up to 40 times the legal emission amount, placing high levels of pollutants into the air. Huge fines are on their way.

 

OPM Now Admits 5.6m Feds' Fingerprints Were Stolen By Hackers

The Office of Personnel Management admitted that the number of federal employees’ fingerprints compromised in the massive breach of its servers revealed over the summer has grown from 1.1 million to 5.6 million.

 

The case against Dropbox looks stronger with each passing day

Ben Thompson, the analyst and author of the Stratechery blog, calls Dropbox "probably the most fragile" of the 10 most highly valued private companies.

 

The MacBook Air is on a path to extinction

The Air has fallen behind other Apple laptops and Apple isn't helping it up.

 

Microsoft turns to Dell and HP to help get Surface into the office

Microsoft is trying to get the Surface Pro into more offices. To do that, it's starting a partnership with Dell that'll have Dell selling Surface Pro tablets and offering business services, like device setup and support, alongside them

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Firefox 41 arrives, adding instant messaging and personalization tweaks

The new release includes updates which allow users to personalise their Firefox account, so they can share web browsing data such as passwords, bookmarks, history, and open tabs across their desktop and mobile devices. It also lets users add a photo to their account

 

Google Adding Block and Unsubscribe to Gmail

Google has announced it will improve its Gmail email service with two very useful features, block and unsubscribe, on both the web and mobile clients.

 

How to Find Section Breaks in a Word Document

Section breaks in Word allow you to break up your document into sections and format each section differently. When you create a new document there is only one section by default, but you can add different types of section breaks as needed.

 

When will I get Office 2016 under my Office 365 subscription?

The answer is "It depends." What it depends upon is your Office 365 subscription level.

 

Win10 tweaks to improve computing work and play

If you’ve spent any time working with Windows 10, you’ve doubtlessly figured out that the new OS isn’t perfect. Fortunately, in the Windows tradition, Win10’s behavior can be changed to better fit your computing style. Here are six tweaks that you may find useful

 

Mobile Computing

Apple Releases iOS 9.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes

Apple today released iOS 9.0.1, a minor update that introduces several bug fixes for iOS 9. The iOS 9.0.1 update comes just one week after iOS 9 was released to the public on September 16.

 

26 iOS 9 Tips for Apple Fanatics

For anyone with the latest iPhones, the jump to iOS 9 is worth it. The following tips and tricks will help you make the most of it. Use this knowledge to become an iPhone (and iPad) master.

 

Apple iPad mini 4 Review & Rating

The Apple iPad mini 4 is a top-notch small-screen tablet with unparalleled build quality and app support, but it's still hard to justify the jump in price over the iPad mini 2.

 

Four mega popular messaging apps you've probably never heard of

Want to sell your goods while chatting to friends? China's got the app for you. Need a messenger with 10,000 emoticons? Line from Japan has you covered.

 

Tom's Guide reviews US carriers, finds T-Mobile to be the best all-around

The folks at Tom's Guide have spent countless hours researching and testing to see how the US carriers compare to each other. The findings reveal that T-Mobile is the best all-around carrier, with Verizon coming in a close second.

The New Office is Here!! The New Office is Here!!

It’s here! Well, at least it is supposed to be. I have not received my copy yet. Now, you know I am talking about Office 2016 for Windows. I already received Office 2016 for the MAC some time ago. Funny how they would get the MAC version out before the Windows version. Whatever.

Anyway, the Windows version has several new features which you can read about in our first two stories. And more new features will be coming  soon as Office is now in a continuous upgrade cycle, much like Windows 10. Of course, to get Office 2016, you need to subscribe to Office 365. That is $7 a month for one license and $10 for 5 licenses. If you don’t want to spend the money, there are some free Office clones that work pretty well…the best probably being LibreOffice.

OK, it is time for you to read the rest of this blog…I am low on energy today. So enjoy and I hope you learn something new. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Office 2016: The Empire strikes back

After a lengthy public preview, Microsoft released Office 2016 today. It might not look all that different from recent predecessors, but the latest version of Microsoft Office has a ton of changes under the covers, most of them aimed at playing catch-up to the collaborative strengths of Google Apps.

 

What's new (and still to come) in Microsoft's Office 2016 for Windows

Microsoft's Office 2016 suite for Windows 7, 8 and 10 PCs and tablets is generally available today. Here's what's new and what's still to come for Office users.

 

Hundreds of Legitimate iOS Apps Infected by Malware, Removed From App Store

The infection occurred when developers downloaded a counterfeit version of the Xcode software—used to develop iOS apps—from a Chinese server because it was faster than the primary US server.

 

Which Streaming Service Is Best for You?

If you want to cut the cord, these are the most popular services. Which one deserves your cash?

 

AVG releases transparent privacy policy: Yes, we will sell your data

The antivirus firm tells us in a crystal-clear way what user data is collected and sold in return for freebie software

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Mega-Guide: 10 Ways To Customize Windows 10

Windows 10's default settings are pretty smart, but here's a blow-by-blow guide to tweaking the new OS to work (and look!) the way you want it to.

 

Need A More Powerful File Manager? Look No Further

The file manager built into your PC (ie, Windows Explorer) does a pretty good job of helping you keep your computer neat and tidy. But sometimes it's nice to have an application with a bit more power and a few more features.

 

Google spruces up Drive apps templates

Google is rolling out a new collection of templates for its Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps to give you a running start on creating good-looking documents.

 

How to Disable OneDrive and Remove It From File Explorer on Windows 10

Windows 10 includes OneDrive, and Microsoft’s official party line is that you can’t disable it. That’s not true — there are several ways to disable OneDrive and remove it from File Explorer on Windows 10.

 

Windows 10's best tricks, tips, and tweaks

Windows 10, Microsoft’s back-to-basics re-embracing of the PC, is already brimming with handy new features, and with all the new goodies comes with a legion of new tweaks and tricks—some of which unlock powerful functionality hidden to everyday users.

 

Mobile Computing

50 apps to improve your smartphone

From lifestyle aids to productivity tools, travel planners to social media, here are the apps that should have a place on your homescreen (IOS and Android)

 

Apple's 'Move to iOS' app is now available on Android

Apple's first Android app is meant to help you leave Android

 

What's the difference between Android Pay and the new Google Wallet?

Google is giving mobile payments a second go with Android Pay, and that's somewhat confusing to anyone who used Google Wallet.

The 55 Coolest New iOS 9 Features You Didn't Know About

Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 9, may not be the huge overhaul that iOS 8 was, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of new features. In fact, there are a ton of subtle changes that you may not notice right away.

 

How to use Notes in iOS 9 like a boss

Notes in iOS 9 allows us all to keep all our photos, notes, shopping lists in the one place we’re most likely to find it: on our iPhones.

A Browser That Blocks Ads? I Sure Hope So

One the the ballyhooed features of Apple’s new IOS 9 (and the forthcoming El Capitan OS for MACS), is the ability to block ads of all kinds on Websites when using Apple’s Safari Browser. This is done by the browser in conjunction with special ad blocking software from third party vendors.

Blocking ads benefits users by speeding up Web performance and keeping ads from cluttering the screen. But advertisers naturally use ads to generate income, and many websites that are free rely on ads in order to bring in revenue. According to advertisers, If ad blocking becomes too prevalent, many websites might have to charge users to access content or perhaps even shut down.

Users feel that many ads on the Web are intrusive, annoying and infringe on privacy. Advertisements use video, animation and other in-your-face techniques to try to grab your attention. But the privacy issue is perhaps one of the strongest, with people increasingly concerned about the data collected by advertisers.their content or else shut down.

Today, I tried one of those new add blocking apps named “Crystal” on my iPad. It has received good early ratings from reviewers and it was easy to set up and install. It seemed to do a good job but it could not stop video ads attached to other videos like those found on ESPN. But I don’t know how that would even be possible.

One day of use is not a fair trial so I won’t make a judgment on it one way or the other. I also intend to try other blockers to see if one is better than another and since Safari on MAC’s will shortly have the same capability, I think that might be a fairer trial since I use the desktop more than portable devices. Will ad blocking change the nature of the Web in the near future. Only time will tell.

Time now for you to scan and possibly read today’s stories and I hope you find something useful her. Until next week, I wish you well and hope you enjoy your weekend. -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

Apple will ask the Supreme Court to hear its ebooks antitrust case

Apple appears ready to appeal its long-running ebooks antitrust case to the Supreme Court. In a filing from Wednesday, the company asked for a 30-day extension before filing its petition for a writ of certiorari, a request that the court hear the case.

 

Microsoft Windows 10 hardware event scheduled for 06 Oct 2015

It is expected that Microsoft will announce the new Surface Pro 4, new flagship Lumia handsets for Windows 10 Mobile and version 2 of the Microsoft Band.

 

Amazon launches a 4K Fire TV and a $50 Fire tablet

The all-new Fire TV is of particular interest: It’s one of the few media streamers capable of delivering 4K resolution, and it costs just $100. Amazon’s least-expensive tablet will also turn heads: A 7-inch model with an IPS display that will be priced at just $50.

 

Adblockers shoot up iOS 9 app charts on day one

Less than a day after the launch of iOS 9, Apple’s latest operating system, content blocking software is at the top of the app charts worldwide

 

Apple Joins Microsoft in Resisting Governmental Access to Customer Data

Like Microsoft, Apple is stridently resisting giving governments and law enforcement access to customer data through its technology products and offerings, such as phone encryption built-in.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

 

When your computer reboots itself over and over again

Something is rotten in the state of your Windows PC. Here's how to deal with a computer that keeps rebooting.

 

How to Configure Folder Options in Windows 10

Folder options may not have received the sexiest facelift out of everything we’ve seen in 10, but there are still enough new tweaks to talk about that a new user to the OS may not immediately recognize right off the bat.

 

Learn to use the Windows 10 Recovery Drive

Sooner or later, nearly every Windows user powers up the machine — and Windows simply refuses to start. Every current version of Windows lets you create and run a self-booting rescue disc, but Win10 takes that tool to a new level.

 

Master Windows processes for better performance

What you need to know about svchost.exe, Windows memory management, and the Task Manager.

 

33 Gmail Tips That Will Help You Conquer Email

As a Web app, Gmail is a work in progress, with Google occasionally adding new functions. The amount of under-the-hood power in Gmail is pretty staggering. That's what we're here to delve into: all the tools that lay below the surface of the Gmail inbox.

 

Mobile Computing

How to set up content blocking Safari extensions in iOS 9

iOS 9 brings Safari filters that can block ads, trackers, video, popups, and more. Here's how to choose a content blocker and set it up.

 

Hands On With Three iOS 9 Content Blockers: 1Blocker, Blockr And Crystal

The Apple App Store distributes applications that allow iPhone and iPad owners to install apps offering extensions for Apple’s Safari web browser that will prevent the browser from loading not just online ads and pop-ups, but also other content that slows down browsing and consumes resources.

 

One simple trick to speed up your old iPhone or iPad

Have you owned your iPhone or iPad for a couple of years? Is it starting to feel a little sluggish? Here's a tried and tested way to speed up an iPhone or iPad that's simple to do and only going to cost you some time.

 

The 11 Best Photo & Video Editing Apps for Mobile (And Why They're So Great)

There are a lot of great photo and video editing apps out there for mobile devices, and some of them even cost a few bucks. Which are the best free and paid apps out there? Check out our shortlist

Five tips and tricks for finding, sharing, and organizing your Google Drive on Android

Much of what you can go with Drive on your computer, you can also do on Android. Here's a guide to where all the new and important tools are.

More Windows 10, More Apple, & Bad News for Google

If you use an iPad or iPhone, the new IOS 9 will be available for download tomorrow (9/16/15). I for one am looking forward to it. Many of the stories in this edition are about Windows and Apple products. So, I will let you get started reading this edition without any editorial comments from yours truly. For once, I don’t have anything interesting to say anyway. -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

Russia Finds Google Guilty of Antitrust Violations

Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has found Google guilty of violating the country’s antitrust laws by requiring hardware makers to bundle Google apps and services on Android devices. The agency said it would announce remedial punishments for the violation within 10 days.

 

OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box: Which cloud storage service is right for you?

If you're ready to take the plunge into storing your files, photos and more in the cloud but need help deciding which service is right for your needs and wallet, we've got you covered with our in-depth cloud storage comparison.

 

Firefox is About to Become an Almost Complete Copy of Chrome

Mozilla Firefox is due for some big changes soon. By the end of 2015, Firefox will move to a more Chrome-like multi-process design. And, in a year to a year and a half, Firefox will abandon its current add-on system for one largely compatible with Chrome extensions.

 

Apple: iPhone 6S, 6S Plus preorders 'very strong' in opening weekend

Based on the number of preorders, Apple expects the new crop of iPhones to surpass last year's first-weekend numbers of 10 million units.

 

Windows 10 installer could be on your PC whether you want it or not

Microsoft is pushing the Windows 10 installer files to users who have not requested them just in case they decide to upgrade.

 

Windows 10 Roadmap – Fall 2015 Edition

With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft is moving to a new servicing model for the OS  that includes constantly updating the platform as well as introducing new tools.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to use Windows 10's File History backup feature

Windows 10's File History is an easy way to get started with backing up your personal files. The feature takes snapshots of versions of your files and stores them on an external hard drive.

 

How to cure Windows 10's worst headaches

These tips and tricks can help you overcome Windows 10's niggling hassles.

 

10 Quick Ways to Speed Up a Slow Windows PC

Windows PCs don’t have to slow down over time. Whether your PC has gradually become slower or it suddenly ground to a halt a few minutes ago, there could be quite a few reasons for that slowness.

 

Why You Should Use a Password Manager and How to Get Started

Password managers store your login information for all the websites you use and help you log into them automatically. They encrypt your password database with a master password – the master password is the only one you have to remember.

 

How to Get the Best Possible Price for Airfare Online

With so many different travel and hotel sites claiming to offer the best deals on airfare, how can you know which offers the best combination of discounts and ease of use? Here is a guide to finding the cheapest airlines accommodations online.

 

Mobile Computing

Four apps better than your phone's built-in address book

Built-in contacts app that comes with the iPhone or Android phones hasn't changed in years. It can be frustrating to edit, fraught with duplicates and lacking the most up-to-date information. Luckily, there are several address book apps out there that offer better

 

Apple's iPhone upgrade program: What you need to know

CNET's Marguerite Reardon looks into Apple's new program that lets customers upgrade their iPhone every year. How does it compare with similar plans from the big wireless carriers?

 

Apple adds individual voice recognition to "Hey Siri" in iOS 9

Nope, you can't run into a room filled with iPhones, shout "Hey Siri!" and cause a ruckus. Apple's personal digital assistant now responds to individual voices after a little training session.

 

Spring cleaning: Apps for getting stuff done

Getting stuff done isn’t always easy. Whether you’re procrastinating a bit too much, or forgetting about tasks altogether, it might be time to try out a productivity app on your Android or iOS device.

 

Google Street View App

Google has launched a handy app version of its groundbreaking Street View service. iOS and Android users will now be able to “tour immersive 360-degree imagery and instantly contribute your own — right to Google Maps.”

I am Back…And So is Apple Innovation

After 2+ weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am back in Tucson and ready to resume my blogging duties. I had a great time, highlighted by a weekend of Indy Car racing in Sonoma and a visit to the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco to see an exhibition of paintings by my very favorite painter, JWM Turner (1775-1851). His work is amazing for his time and the title of the exhibit was, “Painting Set Free”…absolutely the perfect title.

But enough about me and Turner. Apple held its annual September event, also in San Francisco on Wednesday, and some of it caught me and many others totally off guard. You can read about all the announcements and product updates in our first story. But what captured my attention was the new iPad Pro, a 12.9” lightweight iPad that is a direct competitor to Microsoft’s Surface. Like the Surface, it has an optional keyboard that attaches to the iPad to turn it into a laptop. But, wait, there is more.

Apple announced the Apple Pencil, a drawing tool similar to a Wacom Pen, but works directly on the iPad. The demo was amazing and if I didn’t already have a Macbook Pro laptop and a 9” iPad, I might consider buying this one. Apple and others claim this new iPad has the speed and power of a laptop, using its new faster processor the A9X. They claim it is faster than 80% of all laptops on the market today. I believe it after watching all the demos.

Also announced at the event were new Apple Watches, two new phones (the 6s and the 6sPlus), and a new updated version of Apple TV. While many new features on the iPhones are great (read about them below in the Mobile Computing section), the highlight was Apple’s new iPhone Update Plan, where you can get a new phone every year. With the demise of the current Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile phone contracts, this makes great sense.

As for the Apple TV, I saw no reason to switch from my current Roku boxes…but if you do not have any of these kinds of boxes, you might consider the Apple TV…although it is quite a bit more expensive than its competitors.

Maybe the biggest surprise of all was the appearance by a Microsoft exec on stage to demonstrate Office 2016 running on an iPad Pro. Not many of us saw that one coming. If you would like to see the entire event, just go to Apple.com. There is a good chance you will be impressed.

From here on in, it is up to you to read the stories below that interest you. So enjoy! -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Everything Apple announced at its September 2015 event

A couple hundred hints later, Apple has finally revealed what Siri had up her sleeves… along with a slew of other announcements.

 

Verizon will soon launch free on-demand TV service

You will soon be able to watch some TV shows on your smartphone for free, courtesy of Verizon. The company plans to launch a free on-demand video service, expected later this month, called Go90, Verizon confirmed.

 

Microsoft is using Bing to discourage Windows 10 users from downloading Chrome and Firefox

The first time Edge users search for “chrome” or “firefox” using Bing — presumably with the intent of downloading those browsers from Google or Mozilla, respectively — they are shown a serious-looking message at the top of the search results.

 

Office 2016 for Windows Set to Launch on September 22

It’s official: Microsoft will launch Office 2016 for Windows on September 22, with volume licensing downloads following on October 1. Additionally, Microsoft has revealed how it plans to keep the suite updated moving forward.

 

Hands On: the New, Siri-Enabled Apple TV

Here is Apple, launching an upgraded Apple TV with a new interface, remote, and plan to dominate your living room and grow its ever-expanding universe of technology and entertainment offerings. That new plan? Apps.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Microsoft fixes five critical flaws, including two hitting all versions of Windows

Every supported version of Windows should get an update, fixing two issues: one in Internet Explorer 7 and later, and the other in Windows Journal.

 

Make Google Book Searches Feel More Like Browsing a Virtual Library

Part of the magic of libraries and bookstores is stumbling upon great books you weren’t looking for. These tips can make exploring Google Books feel more like that.

 

Apple Announces New iCloud Storage Prices

Upgrading from the base plan to the second tier now will still cost $0.99 each month, but Apple will be providing 50GB rather than the previous 20GB

How to customize Windows File Explorer's details view

You spend a lot of time diving into the file system on a PC. Getting File Explorer organized just the way you like it is quick, easy, and worth it.

 

Word macros: Three examples to automate your documents

Use these step-by-instructions to turn complex procedures into one-click wonders.

 

Gmail will now automatically add Google Calendar events for emails with flight, hotel, restaurant, or ticket info

The new feature, which adds events to Google Calendar based on information in emails sent to your Gmail account, is rolling out this week to Google Apps customers on desktop, Android, and iOS

 

Mobile Computing

Google officially rolling out Android Pay starting today

The new Android Pay app completely replaces the Google Wallet app on your device and requires Pay Services 8.1.13 to operate. If you have an older version of Play services, Android Pay won’t work until you update.

 

First-ever monthly Android security updates start to roll out

Luckily exploit mitigation techniques in newer versions of Android stopped the Stagefright vulnerability from becoming a pwning free-for-all, but the bug shined a bright light on Android's sub-par security situation.

 

iPhone 6S and 6S Plus: Our Complete Overview

Despite it being just an "S" year, the new iPhone lineup was packed with interesting new features and improvements.

 

A closer look at Apple’s new iPhone Upgrade Program

In place of a subsidy, you’ll be able to take advantage of cheaper monthly phone plans. Add in the phone payment, and the costs are usually similar to what was found in the old structure.

 

T-Mobile Undercuts Apple's iPhone Upgrade Plan With $20 Per Month Deal

T-Mobile will be offering a pretty sweet deal on the iPhone 6s: $20 per month on its Jump upgrade plan. That’s cheaper than Apple’s newly announced offer, but is it a better overall deal?

 

8 things Apple didn't tell you about the iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is gargantuan. Its 12.9-inch Retina HD display dwarfs the iPad Air 2. Its Hulk-powerful, but still thin and light. It's basically Apple's version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.