This and That

Tech News and Opinions

Cyber Monday sales break record, with $7.9 billion spent online

Though foot traffic at some malls and stores was down over the holiday weekend, more and more shoppers have been turning to the internet to hunt for deals.

Roku's home screen is going to get an overhaul (and you can already take a peek)

Roku is planning to replace its home screen with a different interface, one you can already find if you know where to look.

Roku Free Movies: The Best Channels for Streaming Movies for Free

There are hundreds of free Roku channels, including free movie channels that rival anything the subscription services provide. When you’re streaming on a budget, Roku has your back.

Apple Updates iCloud for Windows 10 Version 1809

After identifying an incompatibility between iCloud and the latest version of Windows 10 (that we reported last week), Apple this week quietly issued a fix in the form of iCloud 7.8.1.

Microsoft lifts Windows 10 1809 block after Apple fixes iCloud for Windows

Microsoft unblocks the Windows 10 October 2018 Update for one group, but several other blocks remain in place.

How to reset or restart your Kindle

Like any device that runs software, however, it may occasionally become unresponsive, sluggish or unable to act the way that it should. In instances like these, resetting your Kindle could set things right.

Desktop and Laptop Tips and Tricks

New cumulative updates land for Windows 10 April 2018 Update and more

The April 2018 Update, Fall Creators Update, Creators Update, and Anniversary Update are all on deck.

You don't need your password to sign in to your Microsoft account

More than 800 million people who use a Microsoft account can now securely log in without having to remember a password, the company has said.

A closer look at the new light theme in coming to Windows 10

Are you a fan of light user interfaces? Microsoft is building a brand new one into Windows 10 and it looks good. Let's take a closer look.

11 best keyboard shortcuts for Windows PC

There are so many keyboard shortcuts out there that could be making your life even better.

How to Maximize Your Browsing Privacy Using DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo, a 10-year-old web privacy company, offers a tracker-free alternative to Google search, and web browsing utilities that minimize the number of sites and companies tracking you across the web.

How to edit PDFs in Microsoft Word

While previous versions of Word let you save a document as a PDF, Word 2016 allows you to open an Adobe formatted file, modify it and then re-save it back to the PDF format without using Acrobat.

Best cheap laptops: Amazon and Best Buy top sellers rated

Your job is to find the one that checks off the most boxes for your needs. We’ll show you what to look for by highlighting which budget laptops among the best-sellers currently listed at Amazon and Best Buy are worth buying.

Mobile Computing – iOS Only

How to use IOS 12 Shortcuts

iOS 12’s powerful automation tool makes it way easier to get stuff done on your iPhone or iPad–once you’re up and running.

Here's how Fitbit, Apple Watch are bringing lab-style analysis to our wrists

Smartwatches are ushering in functions to monitor medical conditions and potentially save lives.

Google Assistant just got much better and more convenient on iOS thanks to Siri Shortcuts

Siri is so ingrained in Apple’s platform that competing virtual assistants can’t quite match its convenience or the speed of accessing it, but Google is taking advantage of every tool at its disposal to get closer.

12 awesome iPhone camera tricks anyone can do

Of course you’ll know how to take snaps with your iPhone, but there are all sorts of oft-forgotten little features that you can use which unlock a whole range of tricks for getting photos that are more accomplished, more creative, or just plain more fun.

The One Mistake You’re Making That’s KILLING Your iPhone Battery

Did you know there’s one simple mistake we’re making every night that certainly isn’t helping much either? What is it?

Mobile Computing – Android Only

Microsoft's Android launcher now tracks your digital health

Install the Microsoft Launcher 5.1 beta release and you'll see a "digital health" section that tracks aspects like your total screen time, number of unlocks and session lengths.

Android Apps With More Than 2 Billion Total Downloads Are Committing Ad Fraud

“Why isn't Google immediately dropping such apps from the Play store and advising users to uninstall them?” one analyst asked.

10 new Android apps worth checking out

New apps need lovin’ too, right? Every day there are thousands of additions to the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve.

Top 5 most popular Android apps from last week

Read on for the five most popular Android apps from last week. These apps are ones that are most likely new and haven’t appeared in the top five list more than three times.

Project Fi is now Google Fi and officially supports more Android phones

Google’s Project Fi is now officially known as Google Fi, and the MVNO now supports a host of new devices from manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus. And yes, even Apple’s iPhone lineup is supported as well.

Black Friday Tech Deals Abound!

Tech News and Opinions

Black Friday 2018: The best tech deals worth waiting for

We've gone through popular retailers' Black Friday advertisements to find the gems arriving Thursday and Friday. With this knowledge, you'll be able to compare prices and more accurately judge when to grab an early deal and when to wait a couple more days.

Once again, Facebook has a lot of explaining to do

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for Facebook, The New York Times has come out with a bombshell exposé of the company's tumultuous last two years.

How to delete your Facebook account in wake of latest scandal

a New York Times report detailed Facebook's mishandling of Russian interference on the platform in the 2016 election, as well as the employment of the Republican opposition research firm Definers Public Affairs to discredit a liberal financier.

Apple's Tim Cook says regulation of Silicon Valley is 'inevitable'

The head of the world's biggest publicly traded company may not be a fan of regulation, but he says the tide is turning for the tech world.

Apple cuts production orders for all three new iPhone models: WSJ

A lower-than-expected demand for the new iPhones and Apple's decision to offer more models has made it difficult to anticipate the number of components and handsets the company needs

Desktop and Laptop Tips and Tricks

56 Best Writing Websites of 2018

We have put the best writing websites of 2018 in one single place for your convenience. They’re also organized alphabetically and by categories, to make them easier to find. Enjoy!

Best Laptops 2018 | What Laptop Should I Buy?

If you tell us what kind of person you are, we’ll tell you the new laptop that is most likely to bring you joy. Or at least a convenient way to watch YouTube.

macOS vs. Windows: Which OS Really Is the Best?

When it comes to performance, security, specific tasks, and more, which of the two leading desktop operating systems reigns supreme? We break it down feature by feature.

Apple and Microsoft working to resolve iCloud for Windows bug

Microsoft says it is blocking users with the app already installed from updating to the Windows 10 October 2018 build.

Faster new Intel AI brain sticks into the side of your PC for $99

The Neural Compute Stick 2 uses a Movidius Myriad X artificial intelligence chip and is geared for prototype projects.

How To Find Microsoft Windows Product Keys

All versions of Windows keep copies of the product keys used to install them in the Windows Registry but newer versions also encrypt them, meaning that finding them involves both knowing the location and how to decipher them.

Mobile Computing – For Both iOS and Android

How to scan documents with your iOS or Android phone

Yes, you can take a normal photo with your phone, but often these are hard to read and just look, well, rubbish. Luckily, we’re here to show you how to get professional-looking scans on your phone.

Landscape Photography Apps You Can't Live Without

One look at the App Store or Google Play and you'll find thousands of photography apps - some good, some bad, and some in between. Here are the best ones

The 6 Best Walkie Talkie Apps of 2018

Missing good old two-way radios? Make your phone a walkie talkie instead!

Traveling for the holidays? Here's how not to get hacked

Here are some tips on keeping your personal data secure while on the road this holiday season.

One of the best podcast apps, Pocket Casts, just got a big redesign

Version 7.0 brings with it a revamped design and a handful of new features that I’ve really come to appreciate in the couple weeks I’ve spent testing it.

Mobile Computing – iOS Only

Apple Black Friday 2018: The Best iPad, iPhone, MacBook Deals

The ad scans from Best Buy (52-pages), Target (47-pages), Walmart (32-pages) and T-Mobile (6-pages) have predictably good savings, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.

The 12 best Apple Watch apps for 2018

Hardware updates might steal the headlines, but its Apple's legion of apps that really make the Watch stand out from the competition.

Best Third-party Apple Watch Bands in 2018

Check out these third-party options, keep the bank unbroken, and go forth in style!

Which iPhone should you buy? Ranking the iPhone XS, XR, 8, and 7

At this point, I've tried all seven of Apple's current iPhones. And although the iPhone XS is gorgeous and powerful, it's not the phone I would recommend to most people.

Apple and Amazon's new partnership comes to fruition just ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

What makes this even better is that now Amazon will be competing with retailers like Best Buy and Target, and able to match some of the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Mobile Computing – Android Only

Amazon has five Prime Exclusive Android smartphones on sale for Black Friday

You won't be able to check out prices unless you're a member of Amazon Prime, and if you're signing up for the first time you'll get 30 days free.

Best Black Friday smartphone deals

All the major releases for the year are done and the big discounts available will you allow you to get the latest and greatest phones at more affordable prices.

26 best new Android games released this week

This week's list includes Beamdog's fantastic enhanced edition of Neverwinter Nights, a solid pixel-based platformer that's reminiscent of the NES era, and the latest yearly release of Truck Simulation.

16 new and notable Android apps from the last week

This week's more interesting releases include a DNS app from Cloudflare, a Feedly beta release, and an alarm clock app from Yahoo.

Best of Android: best cameras

This year more than ever, it’s harder to do camera assessments justice. The year of AI in camera processing has led to some really cool developments in mobile photography, and the future is looking bright for diffraction-limited systems.

Windows October Update is Finally Here…Again

Tech News and Opinions

Windows 10’s October Update Returns, Promises Not to Delete Your Files

Microsoft has finally re-released Windows 10’s October 2018 Update—in mid-November. All those file deletion bugs should be fixed, and Windows Update will soon automatically install it on your PC.

You'll soon be able to buy Apple's products on Amazon

But, don't expect any crazy Lightning Deals. Macs, iPhones, iPads, and everything else...except HomePod.

Windows 10 activation bug baffles, angers users

Mystery bug is telling Windows 10 users that their legitimate license is no longer activated. Microsoft is working on a fix.

Here's What the Quantum Internet Has in Store

Physicists say this futuristic, super-secure network could be useful long before it reaches technological maturity

Windows 10’s Next Release Will Let You Uninstall More Built-in Apps

Windows 10’s next update, due for release sometime around April 2019, will let you uninstall more of Windows 10’s built-in apps with a few clicks. Don’t want 3D Viewer, Groove Music, or Paint 3D? Uninstall them!

Here's how Microsoft can fix its Windows 10 update issues

ZDNet's Ed Bott and Mary Jo Foley make some proposals that could help Microsoft solve its Windows 10 version 1809 issues in the future.

The lost art of concentration: being distracted in a digital world

We check our phones every 12 minutes, often just after waking up. Always-on behaviour is harmful to long-term mental health, and we need to learn to the hit the pause button.

Desktop and Laptop Tips and Tricks

Windows 10 October 2018 Update review: Little refinements make a big difference

The latest Windows 10 feature update brings with it lots of refinements and a few new features. So is it any good? Check out our in-depth review for answers.

How to Create a Professional Résumé in Microsoft Word

We’re here to show you how to create a résumé using Microsoft Word and provide a few tips on getting you through the résumé screening process so you can press that send button with confidence.

Microsoft To-Do for Windows 10 picks up new sorting options for smart lists

Microsoft To-Do is giving you a little more control over your smart lists in its latest update.

Use Excel's DATE, WEEKDAY, IF, and IF/OR to make weekly schedules

Using Excel as a scheduling tool is a great skill to have under your belt.

Use PhotoMove to Organize Your Photos

The free version does a thorough and speedy job of analyzing wherever it is you keep your photographs, reading any and all EXIF data, and automatically creating and moving (or copying) your pictures into folders.

Photopea is a Free Photoshop Clone That Runs In Your Browser

Want a Photoshop-style image editor without paying any money and without downloading any software? Check out Photopea. It’s a free Photoshop clone that runs right in your Web browser.

5 privacy settings you should change in Windows 10

Taking back the operating system, one privacy setting at a time.

Mobile Computing – For Both iOS and Android

How to stop Google from tracking your location and activities

Don't want the search giant to track you anymore? Just follow these simple steps.

This incredibly simple privacy app helps protect your phone from snoop

You can throw a wrench in the schemes of ISPs, or snoopy governments or hackers, with a new, incredibly simple, and free app that encrypts the identity of the servers your mobile apps access.

Microsoft: These new OneDrive features on iOS, Android, web, are headed your way

OneDrive gets new sharing prompts and fields to add metadata to scans.

Thieves want to steal your gadgets—use these tips to thwart them

There's no sure-fire way to prevent theft, but even if someone manages to swipe your electronics, a little advance preparation can protect the personal data within, keeping your information safe and accessible only to you.

Mobile Computing – iOS Only

How to Use Apple’s iOS Shortcuts App to Automate Your Life

Apple’s Shortcuts app can quickly and easily run a host of tasks on your iOS device or Apple Watch. Here’s how to create and use shortcuts for Siri.

How to force your iPhone or iPad to load the desktop version of a website

Most of the time using a mobile-friendly website is just fine -- until it's not, and you need the full desktop version of a site.

iPhone quick tip: Quickly find apps that want your attention

Most of the time iOS apps are very good at letting you know they want your attention, but if you use folders to organize your app, things can get a little bit confusing.

Hidden iOS 12.1 iPhone shortcuts and tricks you need to know

Here are a selection of the most useful iOS 12.1 shortcuts and tricks. Many use the 3D Touch feature, and this is present for all iPhones from the iPhone 6S to the latest iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but is not available on the iPhone XR.

New for iOS 12: How to Set Up Screen Time Parental Control on iPhone & iPad

OS 12 features Screen Time controls that make parental control not only easy, but also free, whereas in the past you might have to pay for parental control apps to make sure inappropriate content wasn't getting through on your kids' devices.

How to Eliminate Duplicate Passwords with Apple's Password Manager

If you're worried about reusing the same password for multiple accounts, Apple's iCloud Keychain password manager now has a tool to strengthen your password security.

Mobile Computing – Android Only

Microsoft Launcher for Android now syncs with your Windows 10 Timeline

You can see and open the same web pages and Microsoft Office documents on your Android phone and Windows 10 PC.

Top 5 most popular Android apps from last week: Persephone, Files by Google

Read on for the five most popular Android apps from last week. These apps are ones that are most likely new and haven’t appeared in the top five list more than three times.

This week in Android: It's all about the foldables

Here are the top Android stories for the week

Top 10 Android app updates this week: AP News, Kobo Books

Here are the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs

Google confirms dark mode is better for battery life

The most power-hungry component of all is the display. While the relationship between screen brightness and battery life is well known, there’s also a significant impact caused by what’s on your screen.

Just Revealed: Samsung’s Foldable Smartphone

Tech News and Opinions

This is Samsung’s foldable smartphone

Samsung has been teasing its foldable smartphone for weeks, and now the company has unveiled it for the first time today. Samsung calls its foldable phone technology the Infinity Flex Display, and the phone itself has a tablet-sized screen that can be folded up to fit into a pocket.

Supreme Court rejects industry challenge of 2015 net neutrality rules

Much of the current FCC's argument [against net neutrality] depends on ignoring or contradicting the DC Circuit's earlier findings, but now that these are firmly established as binding law, the Pai FCC's case is on even weaker ground than before.

Flickr will end 1TB of free storage and limit free users to 1,000 photos

But it’s offering big improvements to the paid Flickr Pro service

Amazon drops minimum purchase requirement for free holiday shipping

The promotion comes as Target last month introduced free two-day shipping in an attempt to capture more of the market during the holiday shopping rush.

Sen. Mark Warner on breaking up Facebook and Congress’s plan to regulate tech - The Verge

Over the summer, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) put out the most comprehensive plan yet for how Congress might regulate Big Tech: his white paper laid out 20 different suggestions.

Here comes the next wave of cord-cutting

Cord-cutting has dramatically transformed TV, but the biggest changes are coming up next.

Microsoft claims Windows 10 file-deletion bug has been FIXED, but it hasn’t released new update

But despite claiming the latest patch resolves the deletion issues, additional glitches are preventing Microsoft from releasing the new update to the public.

Desktop and Laptop Tips and Tricks

5 Chrome extensions to block out distractions and stay focused

There are a multitude of sites that distract you from the task at hand. Here are five Chrome extensions that can help you stay focused and on the ball.

The Best Free Apps for Creating a Digital Photo Collage

Sure, you could manually create your own using photo editing software, but specialized apps that automatically handle resizing photos to fit in a predesigned template make it much easier. Here are some of our favorite free options.

Best USB 3.0 Hubs in 2018

Whether it's charging devices, transferring photos, or connecting peripherals, almost everything seems to need a USB port.

10 killer PC upgrades that are shockingly cheap

Looking to put more pep in your PC's step? These surprisingly cheap PC upgrades and accessories do the trick without breaking the bank.

How to Boot Into Safe Mode on Windows 10 or 8 (The Easy Way)

The good news is that getting into Safe Mode is doable. The process is just more hidden now.

How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows

Instead of using Safe Mode, you can perform a Clean Boot on Windows 10 by temporarily disabling non-critical services and startup programs. You can then enable them again one at a time to see if any are causing trouble.

What It Means When Microsoft Stops Supporting Your Version of Windows

Microsoft only supports each version of Windows for so long. For example, Windows 7 is currently in “extended support” until January 14, 2020, after which Microsoft will no longer support it. Here’s what that means.

Mobil Computing – iOS

How to cancel an App Store subscription

Do you want to cancel a trial subscription before time runs out? You can do it right on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV!

iOS 12.1: Tips and tricks to help you get the most from your iPhone or iPad

There are a lot of new and updated features buried in Apple's new iOS 12 update, so if you are feeling confused, overwhelmed, or just want to see if you've missed something, you've come to the right place.

New for iOS 12: How to Add a Free Thesaurus to Look Up on Your iPhone & iPad

With iOS 12, though I'll no longer need a thesaurus app, because we can now add a thesaurus to Look Up on iPhone and iPad, for free!

Best iPad apps for new users

Did you just get your first iPad? Looking for the top apps to download next? Here they are!

Apple iPad Pro review 2018: the fastest iPad is still an iPad

The new iPad Pro with an eight-core A12X processor is faster than 92 percent of portable PCs sold today!

Apple's higher iPhone, iPad Pro prices are the new normal

They have to raise their prices to keep reporting the kind of revenue growth Wall Street expects. And consumers, faced with the choice of either cheaper devices or the latest and greatest, are increasingly buying those pricier products.

Mobil Computing – Android

The best Android smartphones you can buy right now (Winter 2018)

We've compiled a short list of the best Android phones you can buy, from low-end budget devices to expensive flagships.

The best Android VPNs to keep your data private and secure

Whether you go free or paid, an Android VPN is an important component of your online protection kit.

Top 10 Android app updates this week: Waze, Starbucks

We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs.

Top 10 New Android Games This Week: Golf Battle, Toppl

This column is dedicated to new games that you can start playing right now.

Best Large Screen (Phablet) Android Phone in 2018

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9… Its 6.4-inch display is the best in the business, and it wraps around a beautiful metal and glass exterior.

Best Unlocked Android Phones of 2018

The Google Pixel 3 XL is far and away the best phone Google has made, and that also makes it the best unlocked Android phone.