Tuesday, January 10, 2017

One Last Look at CES 2017

Best of CES 2017

The 2017 Computer Electronic Show in Vegas came in like a lion and left like a lamb…before anyone knew what had happened. It was here and gone in an instant. The only people who felt like it would never end were those folks who attended. Having attended CES’s predecessor, Comdex, many times, I know what that is like. Sore feet, long taxi lines, crowded restaurants and wall-to-wall people. Most tech reporters pray every year they don’t have to go. Most of the important news is on the Internet anyway.

Never-the-less, the show happened and some good information came out of it. Our first two articles will give you an in-depth look at some of the most important announcements. I will focus here on the two items that stuck me as the most interesting.

First, were all the new computers on exhibit. There were lots of them…more than were shown in the last few years. I talked about them in the last edition, so I won’t rehash it here. Read story #4 below and you can see the best of them for yourself. I am so glad they included my new laptop, the HP Spectre. It is a real winner.  

The other major story for me was Amazon’s Alexa…now being incorporated into more than 7,000 non-Amazon devices. I am sure you have seen Alexa advertised on TV lately. It is a small device that sits on the table and answers your verbal requests with astonishing accuracy. More than just answering questions, it can be used to add items to your calendars or ordering products and much, much more. Talking to your computers and devices is becoming a big thing. I find myself doing more and more.

Alexa is being incorporated into all kinds of devices from clock radios to automobiles. Although I know about the product, I did not know so many companies were incorporating Alexa in their products…especially as other companies like Apple, Microsoft and Google have similar technologies. You can read more about it in story #3.

Well, its time for me to shut up so you can start reading. Thanks for your attention. -JRC  

Tech News and Opinions

The Best of CES 2017

Among the countless gadgets and technologies at CES this year, these 23 matter the most.

 

CES 2017: The final word

Autonomous vehicles. Superthin TVs. Triple-screened laptops. And Alexa everywhere. Welcome to another year in tech from Las Vegas.

 

CES 2017: Alexa is the Word as Amazon's AI Comes to More Devices

So far, more than 7,000 companies have integrated Alexa into their products.

 

The most interesting PCs, laptops and tablets of CES 2017

The headline says it all. Some interesting new computers coming our way!

 

Looking ahead: For Microsoft, 2017 will be a year of work, play, and creativity unleashed

Microsoft continues on its mission "to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

 

CEO Tim Cook gets his pay cut as Apple's revenue declines for first time since 2001

Cook still did extremely well, with a compensation package valued at $8.7 million for Apple's fiscal year that ended Sept. 24.

 

Desktop and Laptop Tips and Tricks

Windows 10 Creators Update Arrives In April, Hardware Set For Refresh

Microsoft had previously stated that the update would arrive in the spring and now we know the exact month.

The Best Tune-Up Utilities of 2017

Reinvigorate your sluggish PC with one of these top-rated tune-up utilities.

 

10 things to tweak when setting up a Windows 10 laptop

Got a new laptop? Start out by checking or changing these settings.

 

MacBook Pro 2016 failed to impress? Check out these beasty Windows alternatives

The new MacBook looks fantastic but it might cost you a lot of money and yes it comes with MacOS. So, if you are a Windows, here are some MacBook 2016 alternatives which you should consider.

 

How to Back Up and Transfer Settings for Your Windows Programs to a New PC with CloneApp

How many times have you migrated to a new computer, or reinstalled Windows, and lost all the little settings in your Windows programs that you had finally tweaked perfectly?

 

Mobile Computing

Here comes the iPhone apocalypse and the end of Apple as we know it

Opinion: This week saw the end of Apple's 13-year meteoric rise, signalling once again the oncoming shift in the smartphone market. The next 10 years will be even more challenging as the company faces tough competition from Asia that will further erode its iPhone market share.

 

12 Mobile Photography Tips Every Photographer Should Know

Anyone can pick up an iPhone and take a photo, but it takes a more skilled photographer to create a truly great image.

 

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

Don't flake out this year. There's an app for every resolution.

 

Outlook for Android and iOS now supports shared calendars

Microsoft confirmed they have added support for shared calendars, a long-requested feature, in its Outlook app for iOS and Android. . The feature is also available on Microsoft's Calendar app for Windows 10.

 

Walmart finally rolls out its Scan & Go app to Android

What makes this experience different is that you then scan the barcodes of your items, pay within the app, and show the receipt to the exit greeter on your way out.

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