Windows and Apple…Some Good, Some Bad, Some Ugly

Our first story is a 6 month report card for Windows 10. Is it worth doing? I say yes it is. Read the story and see why Windows 10 is way better than its predecessors. One example…you may have read here about evil persons hijacking computer data, then demanding a ransom or it is destroyed. That cannot happen in Windows10. But there is more…some good and some not necessaril so. Still, in all, Windows 10 is worth doing. After all, it is free! And if you are so in love with the Windows 7 interface, read the story I published last week about how to make Windows 10 look like 7.

In the last edition, in the story about the failure of Windows Surface tablets on the Patriot sidelines (not the fault of the tablets) I gave some small praise to the devices as being quite good. Well I have to tone that down a bit. The device has some problems that are driving people crazy (some, not all). If you read article #5 below, you will get an in-depth report by one reporter who is experiencing those problems.

In other stories, Apple had another record revenue quarter, but tech reporters keep pounding the fact that iPhone sales have nearly ground to a halt. I hate that kind of reporting. In fact, they are selling millions of them and might remind you that 92% of all mobil profits are made by Apple. Other phone manufacturers can only wish that they had these kinds of sales and profits.

The stock market is so whacked out. It freaks out on some of the most ridiculous stories, like the Greek economy. In Apple’s case, common sense tells you that high volume sales can’t continue unabated. They have to decrease some time. They are still doing pretty good, but watch their stock price drop. Ridiculous!

All right, I am done with my rant. Time for you to take over. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Windows 10 at six months: Ready for primetime?

Windows 10 has been available to the public for six months this week. By the numbers, it's been a hit, with 200 million active users as of the first of the year. Here's my midterm report.

 

The FCC is going to war over set-top boxes

The commission is hoping to implement the long-delayed AllVid rules to open up the cable market.

 

Apple has another record quarter, but iPhone sales growth slows to a halt

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus didn't move the needle like their predecessors. But they are still selling millions of them.

 

Hate your cable company? Superfast, wireless Internet is coming

A startup called Starry hopes to roll out a nationwide wireless broadband network to compete with local cable and phone companies

 

Welcome to Surfacegate

Rather than publicly face the problems head-on, the software giant has retreated behind a veil of silence. This is a huge mistake, and it is undermining the credibility and viability of its hardware offerings.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to Make Outlook Display the Total Number of Messages in a Folder

By default, Outlook displays the number of unread messages on most Mail folders. That’s handy on the “Inbox” folder, but what if you want to know how many total messages (unread and read) there are in other folders, such as the “Deleted Items” folder or custom folders?

 

9 Much-Hyped Tech Features That Aren't Worth the Money

Tech companies are not in this for the love. They are not your family. They are not your friends. They are amoral, for-profit entities whose whole raison d'etre is to part you from your money.

 

Digital Detox: How to Break Your Bad Tech Habits

If you find that a fear of missing out (otherwise known as FOMO) is making you miss out

on more important things, perhaps it’s time for a little digital detox.

Brave new browser: Eich returns with Chromium browser that replaces ads

The former head of Mozilla has returned to the browser game with Brave, a Chromium-based browser paired with a private cloud that replaces ads found on websites.

How to really erase any drive -- even SSDs -- in 2016

You may already know that "deleting" a file does nothing of the sort. Securely erasing drives before you sell a computer keeps your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Good news: it's easier than ever to fully erase data.

 

Mobile Computing

Outlook for iOS gets a calendar widget as the end Sunrise's life approaches

Microsoft added another calendar feature to Outlook, after promising the end of Sunrise.

 

10 tips and tricks to make Siri work better

Apple's Siri is probably under-used on your iPhone and iPad even though it's a capable tool. These tips can easily improve what Siri can do for you.

 

Forget the Facebook App: Use the Mobile Site for a Less Annoying Experience

The iPhone app has had bugs that cause it to drain battery in the background, and Facebook once reportedly made its Android app crash on purpose, and even. And don’t even get us started on the Android app’s permissions.

 

Android users will be able to install apps directly from search

Simply type in a query and tap on the top result. Instead of taking you to the Play Store, a new windows pops up. When you click Accept, the Install window replaces it still within the search results.

 

How to sell, recycle, or donate your old Android phone

Protect and clear your data—and then sell, donate, or recycle your old phone.

Did Microsoft Cost the Patriots the AFC Championship?

If you watched the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, you may recall that the Microsoft Surfaces used by both teams, had a problem…at least for one of the teams. The Microsoft Surface tablets on the visitors sidelined briefly stopped working, which meant the Patriot coaches and key players could not review plays and formations. Oh-Oh!

It didn’t take long for the problems to be solved. The network feeding the info to the tablets had a glitch. Of course, the TV announcers kept announcing that the Surface tablets were having problems, implying indirectly that the Microsoft product was faulty…and they said it 3 or 4 times, if memory serves.

Well, it was not Microsoft’s fault. But they took the indirect hit for faulty tablets. They spent millions of dollars to have these tablets on the sidelines of every NFL game for the last two years, only to suffer the slings and arrows of TV scorn. But it is not the first time the company has taken a hit of some sort.

Last year, several TV announcers kept calling them iPad’s…providing Apple a lot of free advertising on Microsoft’s dollar. But they sure didn’t call them iPad’s at Sundays’s game. Oh no! They were clearly identified as Microsft Surface Tablets. It’s sad for Microsoft, especially since the Surface is an excellent product. Oh well. Still in all, the Denver/New England game was the best game of the day.

There are other excellent and informative news stories here as well as good tips for all your computing needs. So read on and enjoy. -JRC 

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft Surface (Wrongly) Blamed for Failure During NFL Playoff Game

On paper, the Patriots were the losers in this game. But Microsoft was the real loser: Its Surface tablet was repeatedly called out as the culprit during a technical glitch during which the Patriots could not review plays and formations.

 

Google Paid Apple $1 Billion to Keep Search Bar on iPhone

Apple received $1 billion from its rival in 2014, according to a transcript of court proceedings from Oracle Corp.’s copyright lawsuit against Google.

 

Facebook's Sandberg says a 'like' attack can help fight ISIS

Counter-speech, she said, is an effective method at fighting hate.

 

Ad blockers: Google reveals it now has over 1,000 staff just fighting bad ads

Blocking 780 million bad ads last year, Google has been detailing the scale of the human effort that goes into cleaning up desktop-browser and in-app advertising.

 

Firefox 44 arrives with push notifications that sites can send even after users close the page

Mozilla today launched Firefox 44 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Notable additions to the browser include push notifications, the removal of RC4 encryption, and new powerful developer tools

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to enter Windows 10 Safe Mode

Safe mode is like your bomb shelter when Windows 10 explodes, but it takes a few extra steps to get into it. We'll show you how it's done. (Video)

 

18 Things You May Not Have Known Google Photos Can Do

Google Photos bridges the gap between cloud storage, image hosting, and image sharing services, giving stiff competition to Flickr, iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

 

When replacing your Windows 7 PC: Should you switch to Windows 10 -- or a Mac?

If you're going to make a big operating system jump, should you stick with Windows, or move over to the Mac? Here are the factors to consider.

 

How to really erase any drive -- even SSDs -- in 2016

You may already know that "deleting" a file does nothing of the sort. Securely erasing drives before you sell a computer keeps your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Good news: it's easier than ever to fully erase data.

 

How to make a Windows 10 recovery drive

The time to make a Windows 10 recovery drive is before your PC dies. Grab a USB drive—you might need a big one!—and we'll show you how it's done. (Video)

 

Mobile Computing

The Best (and Worst) Free Android Weather Apps

You can't control the weather, but these free apps, many of which have capable iOS counterparts, can help you prepare for it.

 

Cubes organizes all your cloud-based files into one simple app

I didn’t think I had that many files living in the cloud.That is until I started testing Cubes, a new app that aims to organize all your cloud-based stuff into a series of navigable lists and tiles. For iOS Now...Android soon.

 

7 Android shortcuts for doing things faster

Many of Android's most oft-used features—everything from taking a picture to silencing alerts—are only a few taps, swipes or button-presses away.

 

Microsoft Garage Introduces News Pro for iOS

News Pro helps you search for news around your work every day. Fuel your unique interests with over a million topics to choose from.

 

Cool New App: Forevery Photo for iPhone and iPad

Forevery Photo wants to help you organize your library of precious pictures. It does so by automatically collecting your photos into themed groups.

How to Make Windows 10 Look Like Windows 7

In the last edition, I published a story about Microsoft only supporting Windows 10 on the newest high speed chips from Intel and others. That story needs some clarification. The original press release confused almost every tech journalist as it raised more questions than it answered. It wasn’t really clear what it all meant.

Well, thanks to Paul Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley on the Windows Weekly podcast, I can now clear it  up. This press release was really meant for businesses and enterprise users. It is these folks that often will not want Windows 10 (yet) because all their current computers all run Windows 7. What Microsoft really meant was businesses that buy the latest computers equiped with the latest processors have no guarentees in the future that they can install Windows 7 and have it run correctly.

When you and I, normal consumers, head out to buy a new computer, it will come with Windows 10…and we have no desire to wipe out the new computer and go back to Windows 7. It is only businesses that will do that.

However, if you really want to make Windows 10 look like 7, be sure and read the first story in the “Computer Tips and Tricks” Section. It can be done.  So you then have the latest version of Windows with all their under-the-hood improvements with an interface you like.So now you have no excuse not to upgrade. Hey, its free for 6 more months.

Well that is it for this week. I hope you all have a great weekend. I will be back next week, as usual. –JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Apple will start charging for iTunes Radio on January 28th

Apple just sent out an email alerting customers that iTunes Radio, the company's answer to Pandora, will no longer be free as of January 28th. Only Beats 1 station will continue to be free.

 

What's the best Windows 10 web browser? The benchmarks are in

In our tests of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, IE and Opera, the worst web browser for Windows 10 was easy to spot: Internet Explorer 11. But the best choice? That depends.

 

Facebook launches Sports Stadium, a hub for chatting about the game in real time

It’s a virtual area where you, your friends, and 650 million sports fans on the social network can talk about games, teams, stats, and more. It’ll also feature live play-by-play action

 

9 Amazon Prime Video Features You May Not Know

It may have started as a perk, but with the help of some award-winning content, Amazon's streaming video service is becoming a true Netflix competitor.

 

In Memoriam: Tech That Died in 2015

There's an old Buddhist proverb about the transitory nature of existence that goes "Everything is changeable, everything appears and disappears; there is no blissful peace until one passes beyond the agony of life and death."

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to Make Windows 10 Look and Feel Like Windows 7

But what if you like the improved performance and features of Windows 10, but you prefer the look and feel of Windows 7? While you can't make everything look identical to Win 7, you can change many key elements, including the Start Menu, wallpaper and task bar.

 

Monitor PC Health Right On The Desktop

Rainmeter is a useful program which displays tabs on items such as free disk space, free memory, programs that are using up all your CPU time, and so on.

 

Why you need a cloud backup service, and how to use one

Cloud backup is the easiest way to get the security of off-site backup for your important files. Here's how to choose and use one of these services.

 

How to Win 2016 with Calendars, Checklists, and Note Links

You’re already using Evernote on every device (if not, you should be) and it’s a tool that is flexible and incredibly powerful to structure all your goals this year.

How to Customize and Filter Your Address Book in Windows 10

Thankfully, the People app lets you search, edit, and link different contacts to keep it all straight.

 

Mobile Computing

Don't let your iPhone turn against you

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Installing Apple's latest patch will help you keep attackers out of your phone and your life.

 

10 new Android apps worth checking out

Every day there are thousands of additions to the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. Here are some new ones that do deserve some attention.

 

Organize your Android phone's home screen

Your Android phone is just as useful as you make it. Organize the tiles on your phone's screens so you can stop hunting for your favorite apps and find them just a tap or two away.

 

The Best Free GPS Apps for Your iPhone

If you have an iPhone, you also have a handheld GPS. Here are some of the best free navigation apps we've tested, many of which have equally capable Android versions.

 

5 steps to easy reading on your iPhone

Is your iPhone text too big or too small, the screen too dark or too bright? Find the Goldilocks settings that make your screen just right.

Great Tips and Advice Are the Stars of This Issue

The tech news is not very exciting right now and I don’t have much to say, but be aware there are some good tips for computers and mobile devices in this edition. So with that said, I will let you take over and read away. -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft updates support policy: New CPUs will require Windows 10

In a change to its longstanding support policy, Microsoft says PCs based on new CPU architectures, including Intel's Skylake chips, will require Windows 10. A list of preferred systems will support older Windows versions on new hardware, but only for 18 months.

 

Microsoft's 2016: More Hardware, Software and Cloud

t’s hard to believe that 2015 is now behind us, which means that with a new year, it’s time to take a look at what Microsoft is planning for 2016.

Apple Watch grabs half of smartwatch market, Android Wear just 10 percent

But smartwatches are still waiting for that big breakthrough to make them must-haves says analysts.

 

Top software trends of 2015

This last year we wanted to take control of our app and online experience. Here are the top 10 ways we did, including ad blocking, music and video streaming, mobile-desktop handoff, messaging, and more.

New zero-day flaw hits millions of Linux servers, and affects most Android devices

Because some of the code is shared, the zero-day flaw also affects more than two-thirds of all Android devices.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to Get Outlook Notifications for Important Emails Only

Microsoft thought they were being helpful when they set up notifications for new email. However, a constant barrage of notifications can also disrupt your train of thought. You can turn the notifications off completely, or–better yet–you can set up Outlook to only notify you about important emails.

 

How to build the best free PC security suite

Take some time this weekend to secure your PC without spending a dime.

 

7 steps to speed up Google Chrome

The other day I realized that Google Chrome had begun to get slow and bloated, and since there's no new streamlined browser I can switch to, I decided to see if I could speed things up a bit. Here's what I did.

 

13 Microsoft Word Tips You Need to Learn Now

Old veteran Word users like yourself probably think there's nothing left to learn. Oh, but there's always room for more knowledge

 

These are the 25 worst passwords of 2015

Look on the bright side! There’s one good thing that comes out of all those website breaches every year: Security researchers get to comb through all those lists of usernames and passwords to remind us just how bad most of our passwords are.

 

Mobile Computing

Burner Accounts 101: How to Get Extra Numbers for Your Smartphone

When you don't want to hand out your own phone number, you have plenty of options to still get communications.

 

What's the best phone to have when dumping your carrier?

Carriers have eliminated contracts and device subsidies, and we're all now paying full price for expensive phones. Does that mean we're free to move among operators?

 

How to Maximize Your Kindle’s Battery (and Really Get a Month of Reading)

Amazon advertises that their ebook readers only need to be charged once a month, but heavy readers will probably find that they need charge more often. Not anymore: read on as we show you how to blaze through your book collection without constant recharging.

 

7 Weight Loss Apps to Help You Shed the Pounds

Unfortunately, apps alone won't help you lose weight, but if you can't afford a personal trainer, fancy gym membership, or even a simple fitness tracker, they can definitely help you stay on track.

 

Your Android phone is too damn nosy

If given the choice, people say they would deny nearly one-third of all permissions currently required to download apps to their Android phones.

PC Sales Down Again…Here is Why

Computer sales may be down, but there is much more to the story. First of all, the industry did sell around 300 million PC’s. That is no small number to sneeze at. There are billions of PC around the world in use. So the desktop PC is a long way from being dead. Here are some other reasons for slower sales.

With the introduction of Windows 10, the life of current PC’s has been extended. Even though I use a MAC for much of my work, my PC running Windows 10 gets a lot of work…evidenced by this blog. My blogging software is Live Writer, which only works in Windows and I have found no MAC blog software anywhere near as good.

And as I wrote in my last blog, my Samsung laptop has new life thanks to Windows 10. Many folks don’t need to update their computers. As I said, Windoiws 10 has brought new life to them. It is the best Windows Operating System.

Now I did buy a new MAC and a new MacBook Pro last year mainly because of Windows 8. And maybe that reason is why MAC sales continue to outpace Windows PC’s in terms of percentages (You might want to read story #4 about the writer who switched to a MAC and stopped buying a Windows computer every 18 months).

The desktop computer also gets tough competition from smartphones and tablets. Now I have all those devices but the desktop still gets 90% of all my work. But look for PC sales to pick up next year.

There is a good collection of tech news and great tips for all you computing needs. So read on and enjoy your weekend. -JRC  

Tech News and Opinions

Windows 10 hasn't stopped the PC sales decline yet

With sales falling 10.6 percent this past quarter, the PC industry experienced the biggest drop in sales in its history, according to the market research firm IDC.

 

Apple boss Tim Cook clashes with US government over encryption

White House tech summit reportedly saw Apple’s CEO call for a ‘no backdoors’ policy when it comes to communications encryption

 

US intelligence director's accounts next on the hacking block

Personal email and phone accounts associated with James Clapper were hijacked, hackers tell Motherboard.

 

How the iMac broke my 18-month PC upgrade cycle

David Gewirtz eats PCs for breakfast. Every 18 months or so, he's needed to upgrade his main machine to handle his ever-increasing workload. But not now. This time, a mere iMac has broken the cycle. Read on to learn how.

 

The Weirdest Tech Stories of 2015

In 2015, we were never in short supply of the odd, astonishing, and just plain weird tech stories. Here are a few of our favorites.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Just Delete Me: How To Delete Your Accounts From 350+ Web Services

Just Delete Me makes removing yourself (or an account) from the internet a whole lot easier. It's a directory of links to delete your account from the web services it lists - at the moment, over 350 web services

 

3 email apps that will help you get to inbox zero

Fortunately, there a few mobile apps that can help you clean out the clutter morass of messages and reach the hallowed inbox zero. They don’t all use productivity methods to get there, but your inbox will be empty by the end of the day.

 

How to Add Contacts from Gmail, Outlook, and More to Windows 10’s Address Book

Instead of managing multiple separate address books, you can use Windows 10’s People app to bring together all your contacts into a single, centralized interface.

 

How to set up your new PC

But a new PC isn’t like a new car; you can’t just turn a key and put the pedal to the metal. Okay, maybe you can—but you shouldn’t. Performing just a few simple activities when you first fire it up can help it be safer, faster, and better poised for the future.

 

Manage your time, tasks, and life goals with these Evernote apps

Three third-party web apps leverage the power of Evernote to organize all facets of your busy life.

 

Mobile Computing

It’s 2016, and high time for Google to fix Android tablet apps

Android has been out for 8 years, a serious player for 6 years, and on tablets for 5 years. So why do Android tablet apps still suck?

 

Unclutter your iPhone's home screen

Find the apps you need on your iPhone or iPad and ditch (or hide) the ones you don't.

 

iOS 9 adoption rate continues to pick up steam

Apple’s iOS 9 has been adopted by users at a pretty rapid rate, one that’s faster than even iOS 8 enjoyed.

 

13 Malicious Android Apps Removed From Play Store, Check If You've Installed Any

At this point, Android and security problems tend to go hand in hand, which is a real shame for those that live on the platform. Check this list to see if you have any installed

 

Google Now Launcher update adds landscape mode

The Google Now Launcher received quite a few updates in version 5.8.45.19 of the Google app. The launcher, which resides within the Google app, now has landscape orientation and normalizes the size of app icons.

Last Warning!! Upgrade Windows 8 and IE 8-10…NOW!!!

This is no joke! Today is the last day Microsoft will issue patches for Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10. After this patch, those programs will no longer be fixed and you leave yourself vulnerable for every new kind of malware and viruses that come along. And believe me they will. The bad guys are already writing code to break into computers that use these old programs as many, many people will not head the message and leave them on their computers.

As for Windows 8, this warning only applies to V 8.0. If you have a computer running Windows 8.1, you are OK for now. But you really should upgrade to 10. As you may remember, my laptop was running 8.1 and I cursed it every time I used it. Since installing Windows 10, my laptop runs like a dream. I can’t believe the difference. It is finally useable. Hooray for that!

So upgrade to Windows 10 and upgrade to Internet Explorer 11. Its your final warning. As a footnote, the new Microsoft Edge browser that replaces Internet Explorer is installed in Windows 10 and it is very good…much better than IE. It is not quite a finished product, but I find it quite good…the best browser Microsoft ever built. Give it a try.

On another note, I hope this is the last time I run any stories about CES. It is over now and it was a very active show. Story #4 is an in-depth wrap-up that you may enjoy reading. You can easily skip over stories or products that are of no interest. I have also included an opinion piece that explains why CES will soon pass on to a distant memory.

Alright…that is enough from me. Time for you to move on down to the stories contained herein. -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft Patch Tuesday kills off Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10

Support for Windows 8 is over, as is most support for Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10. If you haven't done so already now is the time to upgrade.

 

Windows 10 activation accelerates past 200 million devices

Microsoft has been tracking user activity with Windows 10, so it knows how many devices are running the OS now--and how fast the adoption rate is growing

 

The Last CES: Gadget fatigue will be its undoing

Opinion: By the end of the decade the Consumer Electronics Show will be no more.

 

The Top Tech from CES 2016

After a full week in Las Vegas living and breathing the CES 2016 show, here's everything we discovered about the future of technology. This is a very comprehensive article divided into catagories.

 

Forbes forces readers to turn off ad blockers, promptly serves malware

What sets Forbes apart, in this case, is that it didn’t just force visitors to disable ad blocking — it actively served them malware as soon as they did.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Looking for a Laptop? What you Need to Know

Here's everything you need to know when shopping for your next laptop, along with our top-rated models in a range of form factors and prices.

 

How to Check for Dangerous, Superfish-Like Certificates on Your Windows PC

Dangerous root certificates are a serious problem. From Lenovo’s Superfish to Dell’s eDellRoot and a number of other certificates installed by adware programs, your computer’s manufacturer or a program you installed may have added a certificate that opens you to attack. Here’s how to check if your certificates are clean.

 

The Best Antivirus Utilities for 2016

In 2016, resolve to keep your PC safe from viruses, malware, and other threats. These are the top-rated antivirus packages we've tested.

 

Three ways to fix Windows 10 password problems

Change from your Microsoft login to another password, or set up a PIN or a local account.

 

Revealed! The crucial detail that Windows 10 privacy critics are missing

The usual suspects are trying to turn routine diagnostic information into another manufactured privacy controversy over Windows 10. Don't fall for it.

 

Mobile Computing

iOS 9.3 will turn down the blue light on your iPad to help you sleep

Apple has just unveiled all the features it's adding to iOS 9.3, and though the headliner might be the beginnings of multiple user support (at least for students), there's another feature that's going to please everybody else.

 

AT&T reintroduces unlimited data plan, but with a catch

You can only apply for the unlimited data plan if you already subscribe to – or are willing to subscribe to – AT&T’s DirecTV or U-Verse TV packages.

 

Best Android apps of 2016: 26 apps you must try

Searching for the best Android apps is a daunting task. Whether you're looking for a great weather app or perhaps a new browser, there are always dozens available. Here are the best of them.

 

Looking for a solid 7-inch tablet? Good luck; large phones have killed them off

The very devices that kicked off the small-slate category are now a second thought at best by most major hardware makers. I blame the phablet phenomenon.

 

iPhone Battery Life Tips, Speed Boosting Tricks For iPhone 6s And More

There are a number of different ways users try to speed up their phones and extend their battery life, and some things work better than others. In this post, however, we’re going to tell you about a few hidden tricks that might be just what the doctor ordered.

CES Rolls On…and on…and on…and on…

CES rolls on in Vegas and all I can say is I am so happy I am not there. And every reporter or commentator I’ve read or listened to who is not in Vegas says exactly the same thing. It used to be fun, now its just tiring. When will it end?

What about the show itself. Have I seen anything that truly excites me? Not really. The show emphasis seems to be on cars (including self-driving vehicles), wearable technology (but will anyone really wear them?), hi-tech refigerators (that few will ever buy), and the release of Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets ($599). Yes, there are some new computers on display, some interesting, most just rehashes of last year’s models (but .0001 thinner than last year). I will admit I am intruiged by the Razer Blade Stealth Laptop.

I think if you read the first article here, you will learn most of what you need to now about the highlights of the show. Just skip over the stuff you don’t care about. I do wonder if these trade shows are a dying breed as there really is no need to go. Everything there is already on the Internet.

One quick note: the first article in Mobile Computing section is about apps to help you keep your New Year’s resolution. But it missed a very good one. It’s called “Strides” and is available in the iOS app store. I don’t think it is available yet in an Android version. I am using it on my iPad. You set your own resolutions and your target goals so that it keeps you on track. I am told that after 30 days or so, your new resolutions, if kept up, become habits. Strides helps you do that.

See, you didn’t have to go to CES to get that tip. Enjoy. -JRC 

Tech News and Opinions

All that matters on the first Public Day of CES 2016

CES is open for business in Las Vegas and the news is coming fast. Here is what you need to know.

 

CES 2016 Day 4: Highlights from the show floor

With the news onslaught finally winding down, it's time to focus on the best, worst, and weirdest finds from the CES 2016 show floor.

 

Time Warner Cable says 320,000 customers may have been breached

The company said there are "no indications" its systems were breached, but pointed the finger at third-party firms that may have stored customer information.

 

Hackers shut down power grid in Ukraine

It's thought to be the first cyber attack to cause a blackout. The attackers gained access through malware-laden Office documents

 

Apple ad-blocking software scares publishers but Google is target

Apps that prevent ads making it to the screens of mobile phones topped the charts this year. What will the consequences be in 2016?

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Start 2016 right with a clean Windows PC

The old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure was never so true as when applied to computing. It’s time for our annual PC checkup. Taking an hour or so now to run through the following steps could save you many hours or even days of troubleshooting down the road.

 

New privacy-focused search engine promises to never sell or store your data

Oscobo, founded by Fred Cornell (ex-Yahoo) and Rob Perin (ex-BlackBerry), aims to capitalize on the growing concerns around how data is shared between services, particularly by advertisers

 

Can Unplugging a Portable USB Hard Drive Damage a Computer?

While many of us are familiar with the concept of improperly unplugging a portable hard drive causing potential data loss, is it also possible that your computer could be damaged as well?

 

How to Turn Off Recent Items and Frequent Places in Windows 10

All over Windows, you’ll see menus with the most recently used items for a given application. Here’s how to turn off recent items and frequent places in Windows 10.

 

10 Quick Tips to Fix Your Bad Photos

You don't have to be a professional to take top-notch photos. Follow these simple pointers to improve the quality of your snapshots.

 

Mobile Computing

13 Apps to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Whether you're the type who makes and breaks resolutions quickly or has steadily improved your life year after year, you're probably resolving to resolve something.

 

How to set up your new iPad the right way

Congratulations — you got a new iPad this holiday season! Whether it’s a beast of an iPad Pro, a perfectly capable iPad Air 2 or an iPad mini 4, you’ll want to set it up with the least amount of fuss.

 

50 best iOS apps of 2015

2015 saw a whole load of new apps hit the iOS app store. With standouts like Periscope, livestreaming became one of the biggest trends, as well as GIFs and of course, emoji.

 

10 best Android themes

One of the best things about Android is the ability to customize your experience. You can do so by downloading one of the many, many apps from the Google Play Store. You could also go another route and theme your device. We’re not talking about just changing your background, but real, awesome theming that makes your device look totally different.

 

How to hide app icons on iOS 9.2

Apple has said it's looking at ways to give users the option of removing preinstalled apps from iOS devices. In the meantime, Here is how to hide Apple's preinstalled apps that you may not want.

It’s That Time of Year: CES is Underway…Sort of

Unless you like huge crowds and overpriced hotel rooms, stay out of Las Vegas this week. The biggest electronic show in the world, CES) is on now. Actually, the show doesn’t officially open until tomorrow (Wednesday), but there are a ton of previews, press conferences and keynote speeches today (see story #1).

This is a big show…and I mean a really big show. It takes place in 3 large facilities in Vegas with show floor space totalling 1.87 Million square feet. It can cost a vendor up to $150,000 to rent an average sized space. The big booths can cost a lot more. Is it worth it?

Well, about 170,000 people from around the world are expected to attend. The technology press is covering the event in depth. Actually, the coverage is so great that there is no reason to attend. These days, products are announced or leaked over the Internet, so there are few surprises at the show.

Although I have never been to CES, I used to go every year to the Comdex show about this same time of year. It was just as big, if not bigger than CES. One year, the show was in five different locations. Some years ago, Comdex merged with CES so that computers and all electronic devices are now under one roof.

At Comdex, I saw thousands of businessmen and women nicely dressed, but mostly wearing sneakers. Early on, I found out why. Your feet will hurt bigtime without proper shoes as the show is so big. Even with sneakers, your are happy to get back to your over-priced hotel room to soak your feet. 

While I don’t miss these tech shows, and definitely don’t miss Las Vegas, I have many happy memories of my time at Comdex and I always learned a great deal. But, of course, that is before the Internet started announcing neat new products in advance of the show. Whatever, I will be covering more of the show (while happily ensconsed in my Tucson home) in the next edition. There are some interesting products be shown for the first time. But for now, you can get  a good overview from our first two stories. -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

 

Everything you need to know from CES so far

Though most Consumer Electronic Show attendees are still arriving in Las Vegas and the city's Convention Center remains a construction zone, CES Unveiled kicked off tonight to show us a taste of what the giant tech show has in store.

 

What to Expect at CES 2016

Ready or not, the annual Consumer Electronics Show kicks off next week. So what can we expect from CES 2016? Here are a few trends to look out for.

 

Windows 10 budges a bit as masses cling to Windows 7

Microsoft crows that its new software now has 200 million monthly users. Still, that hasn't moved the needle much when it comes to displacing older versions.

 

US internet speeds triple, but lag behind other countries

The US ranked 25th out of 39 countries in 2013, trailing behind the likes of Canada, Luxembourg and Japan.

 

The Tech Stories That Surprised, Shocked, and Amused Us in 2015

Every day, thousands of tech stories make headlines, but only a select few stir up a prolonged frenzy or keep our attention for weeks at a time.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Last chance to upgrade IE or switch browsers as Microsoft's mandate looms

Nearly 340 million people who run Microsoft's Internet Explorer have just a week to upgrade or switch browsers, or face a shutoff of the security patch spigot.

 

This gadget makes your $10 headphones sound like $200 headphones

What if those lame EarPods that Apple included with your iPhone could sound like top-of-the-line headphones?

 

How to Talk to a Live Person: All the Customer Support Numbers You Need

Websites may bury the 800 number, automated systems at the other end of the phone mishear words, and you spend most of your time either pressing buttons or shouting "Yes" and "No" at the phone. All this keeps you from doing the only thing you really want to do: talk to an actual human being who can solve your problem.

 

How to use Windows 10's Reliability Monitor to fix and fine-tune your PC

Whether you're troubleshooting issues or trying to push a Windows 10 machine to its highest level of performance, Windows Reliability Monitor can help in a big way.

 

Top Ten Chrome Apps for Windows, Mac OS and Linux

Chrome apps can launch directly from the desktop or taskbar and run offline with access to the local file system and storage. They run straightforward without opening up the browser and therefore not confined to the regular browser interface, no unwanted address bar and tabs.

 

Mobile Computing

13 Apps to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Whether you're the type who makes and breaks resolutions quickly or has steadily improved your life year after year, you're probably resolving to resolve something.

 

AT&T to ditch most two-year phone contracts on January 8th

Goodbye subsidy; you'll have to pay upfront or in installments for a new phone.

 

The 100 Best Android Apps of 2016

Got a new Android phone or tablet as a holiday gift this year? Let us help you pick the right apps to make your new hardware shine

Microsoft's new photo app lets you edit your selfies like a professional

Microsoft has released a new photo app designed to feel better about your selfies. It’s a simple service, really: you snap or choose a photo from your iPhone’s camera roll and then process it right in the app.

 

7 Must-Read Tips For Taking Amazing iPhone Photos

While it’s easy to use with a selfie mode and point-and-click capabilities, the iPhone’s camera also can be complex, yielding rich color and great detail. To get the best shots, you need to know how to use it right.