Rants and Raves: Is Amazon’s Echo a Big Deal? It Just May Be

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Is Amazon’s Echo a Big Deal? It Just May Be

If you watched the Super Bowl last Sunday, you probably noticed that Amazon had a few ads during the game. There were five of them, I believe…all promoting the Amazon Echo. This was the first time ever that Amazon advertised during the “Big Game”…and since each ad cost $5 million, you have to believe Amazon is serious about promoting and selling the Echo.

Now, I do not own one and do not see myself getting one in the near future. But listening to people I know rave about it…well there has to be something to it. It is a revolutionary product and has a good chance of being a major success…especially as Amazon keeps adding to its capabilities on a nearly daily basis. I suggest you read our first article to learn more about it. PS: Click on this link to see all five ads and some hilarious outakes.

In other news, you will notice that there are three stories today about hacking and security. If you are a Windows user, be sure and read the first story in the Computer Tips section and update your computers ASAP.

Well I am off to start my weekend. Our temps here in Tucson are in the low 80’s now. I hope your weather is improving also. Have a great weekend! -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

How to use the Amazon Echo and why you should get one

As Amazon regularly adds new functionality, the Echo continues to grow more useful. In fact, it's now the most-used gadget in my home.

Hackers are trying to steal our tax refunds...again

Online thieves were recently able to get their hands on taxpayer identification numbers before the Internal Revenue Service detected the attack and shut it down.

Sorry, But Your Facebook Friends Don't Care About You

You can only count on four of them in a real "emotional crisis.

Opinion: We Need to Kill Voicemail...Now

Voicemail needs to die. It's an archaic time-waster and nobody likes it. But it hangs on, undead, with bits and pieces falling off but still ready to bite your ear off and chew on the gristle.

Hacker leaks thousands of FBI, DHS employees' details

A hacker has gained access to a database containing names, job titles, email addresses, and phone numbers of tens of thousands of government workers.

Computer Tips and Tricks

Every version of Windows hit by 'critical' security vulnerability

Microsoft said in its latest monthly security bulletin that users of Windows Vista and later, including Windows 10, should patch immediately to prevent a serious flaw in how the operating system handles certain files.

6 tips to keep your Facebook clean, secure and private

Review your security and privacy settings, and get rid of acquaintances cluttering your friends’ list.

10 Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal

You want the strongest wireless signal you can get from your router, wherever you are in your home. Here are some quick tips for achieving optimal reception.

Microsoft starts providing release notes for Windows 10 updates

Microsoft is starting to provide users with information about what is in the updates it's delivering for Windows 10, as oficials promised last Fall.

Yes, Windows 10 runs great on old hardware

Can you run Windows 10 on a PC that's eight years old? Oh yes, and it runs spectacularly well.

Mobile Computing

Microsoft now has 74 hardware partners pre-installing its apps on Android devices

Apps included in this arrangement include Word, Excel, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Skype.

Almost no one is using Android Marshmallow, still

Launched in early October, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is on 1.2 percent of Android devices, according to the latest stats offered up by Google's Android Developer Dashboard. Of course, the fault lies with phone companies who don’t send out updates to their customers…the biggest reasons why the Marshmellow numbers are so pathetic.