A Few Rumors worth Reporting

I dislike dealing with rumors in this blog. I would rather report just facts. If and when rumors become reality, I will report them. But, today I will make a few exceptions as these rumors come from usually reliable sources.

First, from Apple. Rumor says the next big Apple announcement will come on or around Sept. 19. They will announce new iPhones…a 4.7” model and a 5.5” model. The current iPhones are 4”. So millions of people (including me) can hardly wait for the new larger models. But the current rumor is that the 5.5” model may not be available until early 2015. Seems there may be production problems.

There are also rumors that Apple will finally release its iWatch that has been in the works for quite some time. With their recent hiring's of watch marketing experts, I think we will almost assuredly see it in Sept. 

And speaking of watches, the very strong rumor is that the proposed Microsoft watch is not a watch…rather it's a Gear Fit-style health tracker that happens to deliver phone notifications and timekeeping. Also, I was going to tell you about a rumor that Microsoft was going to lay off up to 15,000 people, but just a short while ago, the boys from Redmond announced that 18,000 employees will be given their walking papers (see story #4).

There is one rumor out of Amazon that is close to becoming reality: they will shortly introduce an all-you-can-eat book rental program…for $10 a month you can borrow as many books as you want for your Kindle devices. They will put over 600,000 e-books and audio books into this library. 

As for Google, Nexus rumors are out again and this time include new Nexus tablets including 6”, 8” and 9” models. If true, we shall see them, probably around the holiday season.

OK, that is enough stuff from the rumor mill. Let’s move forward now to what reality hold for all of us. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Move over, Windows; Google and Apple are movin’ in

With nearly infinite and virtually free cloud storage available, and with archrivals Google and Apple offering big ecosystems of apps and media, Microsoft seems to have the short end of the stick. Will Windows be able to compete in this brave new world?

DDoS attacks intensified in first half of 2014

The volume and intensity of DDoS attacks in the first half of the year reached new heights, according to research.

Microsoft launches a price assault on Chromebooks

Microsoft is aiming straight for Google's Chromebooks this holiday season. At the company's partner conference today, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner revealed that HP is planning to release a $199 laptop running Windows for the holidays.

Microsoft lays off 18,000, including a third of Nokia

As expected, the axe fell at Microsoft on Thursday, but the depth of the cut is surprisingly brutal: 18,000 Microsoft employees will find themselves without jobs over the next year, and the company is "moving now" to eliminate the first 13,000 positions.

The FCC Is a Symbol for a Corrupt, Broken American Government

The FCC somehow publicly lost 500,000 public comments on a petition they were mandated to create. It might not matter, anyway. Telecoms are outlobbying net neutrality advocates 3:1. That's all that matters in all of American government.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

14 Mozilla Articles to Help Make You a Better and Safer User of the Firefox Browser

Do you use Firefox as your Internet browser? It turns out that even regular users are often unfamiliar with the rich resources available at Mozilla.

10 Simple, Time-Saving Computer Tricks

If you don't know these 10 basic tips, you could be wasting a lot of your time. They're easy to learn, and the payoffs are big.

What Keeps Waking My Computer Up?

Sleep mode is great for when you are not using your computer, but what do you do when ‘something’ is constantly waking it up? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has some suggestions to help diagnose, and catch, the guilty culprit.

How to create an anonymous email account

This article is aimed at people who want anonymity, but the stakes if they’re found out aren’t at risk of death or imprisonment. Also keep in mind that no system is foolproof. But for most people, the instructions here should be good enough.

Chromebooks beyond the cloud: Everything Chromebooks can do offline

The basic complaint is that Chromebooks become nothing more than dumb, worthless, keyboard-equipped pieces of glass when your Internet is not working. Nothing could be further from the truth today.

 

Mobile Computing

Microsoft kills off its Nokia Android phones

Microsoft is planning to scrap its Nokia X Android efforts and replace them with Windows Phone in the future. The news comes as part of today's announcement that Microsoft is cutting 18,000 jobs in the next year. No surprise here.

The best calendar apps for iPad

We are big on making lists, organizing, and planning out our lives around here. One list is just not enough, especially if you use your iPad and iPhone for very different things. PS My favorite one is Calendars 5 by Readdle...it is fantastic and worth every penny.

The best weather app for Android

With smartphones, we can have insanely accurate weather reporting and predictions at our fingertips everywhere we go. Weather apps are a huge part of my daily routine

The best weather app for iPhone

Weather seems like a pretty mundane topic, so it may come as a surprise to some that the best weather apps are fun to play with and pretty to look at.

Lifehacker Pack for Android 2014: The Essential Android Apps

In just a few short years, Android has grown from a small project within Google to the most prolific mobile operating system on the planet. The app ecosystem has grown right along with it. In our annual Lifehacker Pack for Android, we chose the best, most useful and most essential apps you could ever need on your phone.

Apple Expects Lots of Upgrades When iPhone 6 is Released

Oops. I wrote most of this blog yesterday, but forgot to send it. Silly me. I won’t bore you with any additional comments since I am so late, so I will just send it as is. Sorry about the delay.

Tech News and Opinions

Apple's iPhone 6 upgrade cycle may be largest ever, say analysts

Pent up demand for a larger screen iPhone 6 is likely to drive a big upgrade cycle, but first Apple will have to deal with inevitable buying pause ahead of the launch.

How Apple and Google are merging the PC with the smartphone.

We are seeing the start of what I expect to be a long-term trend to make PCs look and act more like smartphones, and to bring to the PC some of the functions of the phone.

World Cup final sets records on Facebook, Twitter

Germany vs. Argentina proves to be the biggest sporting event in Facebook's history, while Twitter says the game generated the most tweets per minute.

Aereo keeps the legal war going despite Supreme Court loss

The streaming-TV startup's new legal tack embraces the ruling against it, arguing that the decision means Aereo deserves the same copyright license cable companies get.

Google Maps rolls out handy distance calculation tool

Rolled out Wednesday for desktop users of Google’s popular mapping tool, the feature allows you to see how many miles your planned road trip’s going to cover, or the distance you cover on your regular cycle trip around the neighborhood.

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to Install, Remove, and Manage Fonts on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Whether you want to use a new font in a Word or just change your operating system’s system font to give it a different look, you’ll first have to install the font on your operating system

AnyDesk Freeware

AnyDesk is a remote desktop software that makes it easy to connect to a remote computer and control the desktop as if you were sitting in front of it. Free!

Speed up your PC's boot time by finding the worst startup offenders

One of the pains of Windows is how long it takes for an older PC to start up. Sometimes this can be caused by hardware problems like a faulty hard drive, but more often than not the culprits are all those programs trying to activate at boot.

How to Bypass and Reset the Password on Every Operating System

On Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, you can gain access to a computer’s unencrypted files after resetting the password — the password doesn’t actually prevent access to your files. On other devices where you can’t gain access to the files, you can still reset the device and gain access to it.

A Simple Guide to Indexing the Kindle Books You Read for Evernote

Today, I want to share with you how I index the Kindle books I read for Evernote.

 

Mobile Computing

Apple Is Dumping Old iPhones for Cheap on eBay

Unlocked iPhone 5 models are selling for $200 less than their original price

iOS: How to use iPhone, iPad earphones in 13 tips

There's 13 handy functions available from the earphones you get standard with iOS devices -- you can even speak to Siri. Not only this, but many third-party headsets offer the same functionality. It makes sense to know what you can do.

New Wi-Fi standard is coming. 802.11ax could reach 10Gbps

The aim of the new standard is to quadruple wireless speeds to individual clients and not just to increase the overall speed of the network.

Quick Tip: Use iTunes to Transfer Files to Compatible Apps On Your iPad

As long as you have a computer running a recent version of iTunes, it’s fairly easy to transfer files to an iPad using the USB cable (30-pin or Lightning, depending on your device)

Best photo editing apps for iPhone

As the cameras in our iPhones get better and better, so do the editing tools that are available to us on the App Store. But what photo editing apps for iPhone are the best of the best?

The End of Windows 7 Clarified

In the last issue, I published a story about support ending for Windows 7. I think I should clarify what that means and how it might affect you. Microsoft  generally offers mainstream support for five years after the release of an operating system. This includes feature updates, security updates, and performance enhancements.

On January 13, 2015, this so-called mainstream support comes to an end. That means they won’t be offering any updates and you cannot call Microsoft for support without paying. But don’t panic. Microsoft will continue to supply security patches until sometime in 2020. That is what most of us care about at this point anyway.

In April of 2015 (or thereabouts), Microsoft will release Windows 9 (or whatever they call it). Supposedly, it is designed to woo Windows 7 users back into the upgrade fold. And if true to form, it probably will. By that I mean every other operating system that the company releases is a dud…followed by a real winner. Windows 8 was the dud after the success of Windows 7.

And according to Gartner, 2015 will be a revival year for the desktop and laptop PC’s (see story #3), just because it is time for lots of people and companies to upgrade hardware. In spite of what you may have read here and in other places, the PC is not dead. It is alive and well on millions of desktops (maybe billions). And if Windows 9 is a good one, that will definitely spur desktop sales.

There: Now you have a complete picture of what to expect in the future. There is much more to this edition than the future of Windows, so read on and enjoy. Have a great weekend! -JRC  

 

Tech News and Opinions

'We help people get stuff done': New Microsoft CEO dumps device and services focus, embraces productivity

Microsoft's focus going forward is on anywhere, everywhere productivity, be it Office-style work or less traditional definitions of the word. And yes, Nadella says Microsoft will leverage its web of devices and services to enable that.

Roku beats Apple TV -- again -- on usage, purchases

Roku is No. 1 for set-top-box purchases and usage, and the gulf between it and No. 2 Apple is widening, a study says -- but opportunity may rouse the sleeping giant.

The PC isn't dead, and OEMs need to get ready for the coming upgrade superstorm

This week analysts at Gartner predicted that worldwide PC sales were set to grow, and that much of this increased demand will come from upgrades.

Trouble with the curve: What you need to know about curved TVs

After a month living with a curved TV at home, and more time in the lab comparing it to flat TVs, the author learned a few things. Here's the short version.

Firefox web browser popularity wanes

There was a time when Firefox was the number two web browser, but those days may never come back.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Cloud storage vs. external hard drives: Which really offers the best bang for your buck?

Assuming your data will not be hacked, stolen, or burnt to a crisp in a house fire, which solution—cloud storage or an external hard drive—is more cost effective, byte for byte?

Google Drive 2.0 reaching desktop users

The new and improved Google Drive brings forth a much more user-friendly interface, simulating that of a regular desktop file manager.

Five Computer Security Myths, Debunked by Experts

We're no strangers to helping you secure your computer, but there are some computer security myths and stories that keep getting passed around, even though they're clearly not true.

What is the System Reserved Partition and Can You Delete It?

Windows 7 and 8 create a special “System Reserved” partition when you install them on a clean disk. Windows doesn’t assign a drive letter to these partitions, so you’ll only see them when you use Disk Management or similar utility.

Clip the web with me@onenote.com

Microsoft just made it easier than ever to clip the web - now, when you send an email with a URL to me@onenote.com, they will clip a screenshot of the webpage along with the email's contents into your OneNote notebook.

 

Mobile Computing

Mobile security: Apps to protect Android devices

There are hundreds of free and paid security apps for Android phones and tablets. But many of those offerings are of uncertain quality. Here’s a sampling of some of the best software for keeping Android devices free of malware, managing passwords, locking up your data, and more

iPhone or Android: it's time to choose your religion

Life will surely be sweeter once every gadget you own relates intelligently to every other, but to get there, you'll have to decide where your loyalties lie. Your smartphone preference will dictate your choice of tablet, TV, car, watch, and even fitness tracker.

Reduce the time it takes to charge your device

This quick and simple tip will help you charge your Android, BlackBerry, iOS, or Windows Phone device faster.

The 10 iOS Apps You've Never Heard Of (But Should Use)

With 1.2 million apps in Apple’s iTunes store, there are plenty of unsung heroes—apps that are worth your while, but most likely have escaped your attention.

Best airport companion apps for iPhone

From terminal maps to flight delays to lounge and parking information, these are the very best airport companion apps for iPhone!

Harry Potter Magic Crashes Website

More news, tips and tricks for your computer enjoyment. -JRC

Tech News and Opinions

J.K. Rowling Publishes New Harry Potter Story, Crashing Website

Potter scribe J.K. Rowling made millions of wishes come true on Tuesday morning when she penned a new short Harry Potter tale and posted it on the Pottermore website. Too bad that act of kindness crashed the site.

Microsoft Is No Longer Windows First

Redmond is now strongly focused on making sure all your devices play nicely with one another, no matter where you are or what OS you're running.

Microsoft warns of pending support deadlines for Windows 7 and more

Microsoft officials are beginning to sound the end-of-support warning bell for customers running a number of its popular products, including Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and more.

Ordinary Web users reportedly snared in NSA surveillance

In 9 out of 10 cases, account holders in a cache of intercepted communications were not the intended targets, according to the Washington Post.

Windows XP users left high and dry as Oracle ends Java support

Windows XP hold-outs pay attention. If you run the Java runtime on XP, it looks as if the current version is about as good as it gets. The next version, 7u65 and 8u11, due to ship in the middle of July, will not support or run on XP.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Patch Tuesday for July 2014

Things are fairly straightforward this month, with six bulletins, two of which are critical patches dealing with remote code execution holes.

How to Unsend a Gmail Message, Plus More Great Google Tricks

If you hit 'Send' too soon, you can still stop that Gmail email from going through—but only if you take these steps first.

Find Out What Your PC's Been Doing, With This Event Log Explorer

If you're troubleshooting a computer, or you simply want to learn about all the things that go on in the background, a browse through the event logs can be very revealing. This program is free.

How to Completely Delete Facebook From Your Life

Whether it's to alleviate privacy concerns or avoid digital distractions, more people are trying to figure out how to fully disconnect themselves from the social network giant that we live and breathe.

Download a Treasure Trove of 130 Free Ebooks from Microsoft

It has happened before, and it is happening again. Microsoft's MSDN blog has released a whole new batch of free technical ebooks that cover everything from Windows 8, to Office 2013, to SQL Server, and more.

 

Mobile Computing

US bans uncharged cell phones, laptops from some flights

The Transportation Security Administration says that security has been stepped up on certain flights into the US. This includes asking passengers to power up their devices.

iPhone Gets Extra Lenses Courtesy of Olloclip

This device helps the iPhone’s camera improve great optical quality, and with this better than ever Olloclip camera attachment, it combines better software and makes it possible to take truly amazing and stunning pictures.

How to get the most from a tablet on vacation

The tablet can be a good companion on summer vacation. Here's how to do it right.

Google Aims to Defrag Android Universe

As any Android user knows, the version of the operating system you're using can vary widely because it depends on parties other than Google. That's why nearly two-thirds of users are running a version of Android introduced in 2012 or earlier.

The Cost of Continuously Checking Email

Multitasking, as many studies have shown, is a myth. A more accurate account of what happens when we tell ourselves we’re multitasking is that we’re rapidly switching between activities, degrading our clarity and depleting our mental energy.

This and That

A couple of weeks ago, I recommended you look at a new program called Advanced Uninstaller Pro. It looked pretty good, and after further testing, I can tell you that it is better than Revo Uninstaller…a decent program that I have used and recommended for years. Over time, I noticed Revo missed finding a few programs I wanted uninstalled. AUP doesn’t seem to miss any and has found some programs installed that I didn’t know I had.

It also adds addition features that make it a more complete program. One caveat: It offers a nice feature called “Daily Health Check.” It is easy to use and does a nice job getting rid of junk files. However, I did notice that a couple of my programs started acting twitchy after I used it. Nothing major and I was able to fix them. So if you use the health check, just be aware of that. But don’t let that deter you from using this fine program.

If you ever used the latest iterations of Microsoft’s Office, you are probably aware of the Ribbon. Frankly I never liked it. If you would like to use an exact replica of Office without a Ribbon, check out the free WPS Office Suite (see story #6). This software is so close to being Office I am surprised Microsoft has not sued them.

I recently joined the Adobe Creative Cloud for photographers. Which means for $10 a month, I always have the latest versions of Photoshop and Lightroom. If you use either or both of those programs, do the math…it is definitely worth the money.

I took myself completely out of the Android world when I sold my Nexus 7 tablet.  I am much happier and life is simpler. My mobile computing life is all Apple now and my desktop and laptop computers are all Windows. And believe it or not, they all talk to each other. Android phones are pretty good, but their tablets leave much to be desired.

I must admit that I still don’t like my Samsung laptop very much (the computer more than Windows 8.1) and am thinking I might replace it with an Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Screen. But I won’t do anything until after the next Apple event in August or September. Those computers are expensive so will have to think long and hard. And we will see if the promises of the next Mac and iOS systems are fulfilled. I will let you know.

So that’s all for me, so let’s get to the stuff you might find interesting. Have a great 4th of July weekend. -JRC

 

News and Opinions

Windows 8 usage declined in June while XP usage increased

Net Applications says overall use of Windows 8 declined from May to June, reversing a long-standing trend of tiny increases

Windows 9: The empire's last hope

Microsoft looks to reboot the franchise with a morphing Start-enabled take on the troubled two-faced Windows 8

Sheryl Sandberg Stops Short Of Apology For Facebook Mood Study

Facebook’s chief operating officer said Wednesday she was sorry a controversial study that manipulated nearly 700,000 people's Facebook accounts was “poorly communicated. But she stopped short of actually apologizing for the study itself.

Internet Connection Speeds Are Up Globally, Lag in the U.S.

Although the U.S. did see a quarter-over-quarter increase of 10% at 10.5 Mbps, its growth is not on pace with the rest of the world, and it now ranks 12th out of the 98 countries surveyed.

Hackers Infiltrated Power Grids in U.S., Spain

Hackers operating somewhere in Eastern Europe have penetrated the networks of energy companies in the U.S., Spain, France and several other countries and may have gained the ability to carry out cyber-sabotage attacks.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Best Free Office Suite: WPS

WPS is ideal for those familiar with Microsoft Office 2003 prior to the creation of the 'ribbon' feature in 2007. It will let you feel perfectly at home. To say that it is similar to Microsoft Office would be the understatement; they are practically identical.

Outlook ties in Office Web Apps for document collaboration

Beginning Friday, Microsoft's Outlook Web App integrates features that allow saving changes in documents attached to emails-all without the hassle of downloading the files, saving changes, and emailing them back.

Digital independence day: Your guide to DIY, open-source, anonymous free computing

The Founding Fathers may never have considered digital independence, but you can. Technology's marching toward smaller, non-upgradable devices and oodles of free cloud storage threatens to chain you to specific services or platforms. Fight back with our tips.

Share a hard drive with everyone on your Wi-Fi network

Take advantage of your router's USB port with a little trick that lets you share a hard drive with anyone on your Wi-Fi network.

Maximize your Wi-Fi

Does your home Wi-Fi need some help? Here are some great tips for squeezing your network connection for all it's worth.

 

Mobil Computing

Early Android L tests show serious battery life improvement

Under tightly controlled conditions, Ars Technica managed a whopping 36 percent better battery than KitKat, without even using the battery saver mode.

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones

These top-rated headphones let you block out the world around you, and enjoy your music or the sweet sound of silence.

Make your Android Device Smarter with These Apps

The onset of powerful third-party apps spurred that progress into overdrive, so much so that most of what we do on our phones these days isn’t even possible on the full-size desktop computers they are derived from.

101 iPad Tips & Tricks

This list of over 100 iPad tips and tricks is broken down by tips to help you get started, use the keyboard better, surf the web on the iPad easier, sync your photos, data and calendars as well as get the most out of your iPad with entertainment apps and services

Find Saved Passwords on iPhone & iPad in Safari

The Autofill feature of Safari makes logging in to websites much easier in iOS, not having to remember and type in every single password for every website under the sun that you come across.

Facebook Crosses the Line: They are Now Just Plain Evil

The tech world and Facebook users are angry. The company crossed deep into the dark side of corporate greed and manipulation. Frankly, what they did was despicable. Briefly put, they tried to manipulate the emotions of nearly 700,000 of their users to see if it could be done. How?

For over 3 years, they manipulated their newsfeeds…half of the group got stories designed to make them feel good, while the other half got stories designed to depress. And they did it all without asking user’s permission. Those 700,000 people were just unwilling lab rats. Facebook quietly changed their terms of service after the experiment to include “research” to try and make what they did legal.

The scientists involved found, by rigging the users' news feeds, the ones who got less positive news were inclined to be more negative in their own posts while those who got less bad news were inclined to be happier. What a shock!

And to make matters worse, experts in psychology say the way they conducted their research makes the results nearly worthless with no real world meaning. In other words, people lives and emotions were toyed with for nothing! I truly hope that Facebook pays the ultimate price for this transgression.

Our first story covers their wrong-doings and contains links to other stories to give you the full picture. I hope you will read them. You need to know what these giant corporations are capable of (ie: all the large fast food places are adding wood pulp to their hamburger meat as filler).

The good news is that there are other stories here designed to be informative and helpful. So read on. -JRC

 

News and Opinions

Facebook: Unethical, untrustworthy, and now downright harmful

News of Facebook experimenting on its users' emotional states has rattled everyone. Worse, the tool used to perform the experiments is so flawed there's no way of knowing if users were harmed. What they did was dangerous.

Microsoft's new encryption makes it tougher to spy on your email

Microsoft said last year that it was tightening security to fend off the NSA and others who would scoop up your data, and today it fulfilled that promise with moves that should improve real-world security. The company now encrypts both incoming and outgoing Outlook.com email when it's in transit.

Windows 'Threshold': Microsoft's plan to win over Windows 7 users

One of Microsoft's main goals with 'Threshold,' (AKA) Windows 9) the next major version of Windows, is to win over Windows 7 hold-outs. Here's the latest on Microsoft's plan.

Twitter 'Buy Now' Button Appears for First Time

It looks like shopping within your Twitter Timeline isn't far off. A new "Buy now" button appeared on multiple tweets Monday, all of which included products that link back to a shopping site called Fancy.

Google kills off word-processor app Quickoffice

Mobile editing app Quickoffice, which lets you open and edit Google Docs and Microsoft Office files, is no more.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to reinstall Windows like a pro

By starting over with a clean copy of the operating system, you can remove bloatware, wipe out malware, and fix other system problems.

What You Need to Know About Creating System Image Backups

System images are complete backups of everything on your PC’s hard drive or a single partition. They allow you to take a snapshot of your entire drive, system files and all.

12 Advanced Tricks for Mastering iTunes

There was a time when iTunes was a simple little program for managing music and copying it over to iPod MP3 players. That was it, and it was good. Times have changed!

5 Ways to Access Your PC’s Files Over the Internet

Homegroups and network file sharing make it easy to access your PCs file from another PC on the same local network, but accessing your PC’s files over the Internet takes a bit more setup. There are many ways to make files available over the Internet. The real challenge here is finding a secure, easy-to-use solution.

The Demise of Aperture and iPhoto: What Does it Mean?

The shoe has finally dropped. Apple confirmed today that it’s ditching Aperture, its photo management tool, and iPhoto, its consumer photo editing app, in favor of Photos, a brand new desktop and iOS duo slated for debut in 2015.

 

Mobile Computing

Apple Releases iOS 7.1.2 With Mail Fixes, iBeacon Improvements

Apple today released iOS 7.1.2 to the public, more than two months after releasing iOS 7.1.1. It is a a minor update that focuses primarily on bug fixes and security improvements.

How to Manage Contacts for iPad and iPhone

The Contacts app and settings in iOS 7 make it easy to access and organize your address books. You can import details from various sources, then find people from any group, quickly create a correctly addressed email, and more. Getting it all organized can take some effort, however; but don't worry — we'll guide you through it.

10 iPhone Tweaks To Make Your Life Easier

You think you know your iPhone? Here are 10 iOS tips to optimize your experience you wish you knew about last year.

Android Simplelocker ransomware encrypts SD card files

Eset reports that the Trojan - called Simplelocker - targets SD cards slotted into tablets and handsets, electronically scrambling certain types of files on them before demanding cash to decrypt the data.

The Best Android Apps & Games: June 2014

Even though we had possibly the biggest Android related event in June, quite a few major apps and games were released on the Play Store.

Google Upstaged by the Supreme Court

Wednesday was supposed to be Google’s big day in the sun…the always entertaining and surprising keynote address at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco. But, they took second place in importance behind two important US Supreme Court decisions.

First, the court made cell phone searches illegal without a warrant. That is a big deal for protecting our rights from illegal search and seizures. Second, they ruled the TV re-broadcaster Aereo illegal, thereby probably ending the life of that company. Aereo rented antennas to customers for $8 a month so they could get local broadcast channels without cable. A clever idea with a bit of trickery involved to skirt the copyright law. However, it was ruled illegal, so the big broadcasters win again. This may have long term ramifications we can’t see yet.

As for Google I/O, I spent 2.5 hours watching it unfold and was mostly disappointed with what I saw. Remember a couple of weeks ago when people called the Apple Developer Conference “Pie-in-the-Sky?” Well that is what this conference was…all pie-in-the-sky with the only Smart Watches announced for sale now and no dates announced for other new products. Like Apple’s show, this was also for developers and we got to see a lot of code being written (yawn).

I find it ironic that they spent a lot of time talking about the next version of Android, code named, “L”. They have a lot of good things planned for it (read more about it in story #3). But the problem for most of you with Android devices is that you will never see it. Android is so fragmented with so many devices having different versions of Android and not getting the upgrades.

For instance, the most current version of Android, named Kit-Kat, is only being used by 19% of the people with Android products. Why? Not because you don’t want it, but cell phone carriers won’t upgrade your phones and some of the new Android operating systems are not compatible with your phones. Frankly, this is an absurd situation!

Apple iPads and iPhones only have one operating system…the same for Windows Phone 8. And people with those devices will all be upgraded when new versions are available…the exact opposite of the Android world. So if you want “L” you will have to buy a new phone or tablet with it installed.

When I sold off my Nexus 7 tablet, I left the Android world for good…and ironically, this device would get “L” when it is released. The main reason, as I stated here previously, is I found Android for tablets to be far inferior to Apple’s iOS on almost every level. It is a decision I do not regret.

A lot more happened at Google I/O but I will let you read about it in stories #3 and #4. Some of it was quite intriguing, like Android for cars and Android TV, and I look forward to seeing if it all comes true. Ironically, Google Glass and Google+ were never mentioned. Are they on the chopping block? 

I think you will find this edition to be filled with good information and tips and tricks for your computers and mobile devices. Enjoy! -JRC

 

News and Opinions

Supreme Court: Cell phones are protected from warrantless searches

The high court issues a decision on two cases related to police searches of mobile phones, calling modern cell phones "not just another technological convenience.”

Aereo ruled illegal by Supreme Court; must pay copyright fees

The future of Internet TV was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. And it didn't go in cord cutters' favor. It was a big win for broadcasters.

The 17 most important things Google announced at I/O

From a brand-new visual design to wearable's, this is Google's vision for 2014 and beyond. Here is a look at Wednesday's highlights from the Keynote Address.

Google spells out ambitious plan: Android world domination

The message to developers at Google's I/O fest this year was crystal clear: Android software will power everything from phones and cars to TVs and beyond.

FAA Bans The Use Of Drones To Deliver Packages

The FAA made it plain this week that Amazon, or anyone else for that matter, won’t be able to deliver packages using a drone in the near future.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Office Online versus Google Apps: Facts and FUD

Microsoft and Google are locked in battle over free-for-personal-use productivity applications. Each is fighting for your attention. At this time, there’s no one best online suite; both are quite capable and both have some important limitations.

17 obscure Windows tools and tricks too powerful to overlook

Beneath Internet Explorer and the Start button hides a universe of tools and tricks that are positively brimming with potential.

Get Organized: Clean Up Gmail Contacts

Google's Contact Manager isn't the most organized system by default, so here are some tips to help you get it under control, whether in Gmail or another app.

How to Make Windows 8's Start Screen Actually Useful

Windows 8's Start Screen gets a bad rap, but with the right tweaks and a couple downloads, it can actually be pretty useful. Here's how to make the Start Screen into something you might actually want to use.

The Best Photoshop Alternatives That Are Totally Free

Photoshop has become so dominant that you can use its name as a verb, but if you want to get your hands on it you need to shell out at least $10 a month. Don't worry! There are plenty of completely free alternatives to Photoshop; here are a few of the best.

 

Mobile Computing

How to get Android L's performance boost right now

You don't need the newest version of Android to get all of the performance benefits. Here's how you can speed up your Android device in one easy step

6 things Amazon's Fire Phone can do that your smartphone can't

From Firefly’s compulsive-purchasing features to Mayday’s instant tech-support tether, Fire Phone has a few tricks up its sleeve that we weren’t expecting. But will that be enough to convince consumers to buy one of the AT&T-exclusive phones?

Microsoft Updates OneDrive Apps for Android, iOS

Microsoft today released new versions of the OneDrive apps for both Android and iOS. These updates make it easier for users to get your phone-based photos (and videos) into OneDrive.

What Android Wear is actually like to use

Google officially launched its Android-based smart watch platform at its I/O developers' conference this week, and the first two devices are already on sale: the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live.

Adobe Photoshop Mix review: Not just another iPad photo app

The new Adobe Photoshop Mix, a cloud-based image editor and compositor that debuted as part of Creative Cloud 2014, will actually perform some processor-intensive functions — like content aware fill, lens correction and shake reduction — in the cloud and deliver the results to your iPad.

Today Microsoft Makes News…Tomorrow it’s Google’s Turn

If you use Microsoft’s Cloud service, now called OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) I’ve got some good news for you. Microsoft has increase your free cloud storage capacity from 7GB to 15GB. That’s right…it has more than doubled for no extra cost. And if you have more than that amount to store, you can add 1TB of storage for $1.99 per month. That’s a good deal for what I consider to be the best Sky storage right now for consumers.

It is so easy to use…your cloud is automatically updated every time you add or change a file. And, because OneDrive is a cross platform app, your files are available to you on all your devices. Not bad for free. And if you put OneDrive on your smartphone, you get an additional 3GB of storage for all the pictures you take. Trust me on this one…it works great.

For all the new Google features coming out, you will have to wait until tomorrow. The Google I/O Conference is on Wednesday, and they will lead off with the keynote address. That event alone has yielded a ton of new products over the years. We will have more on Google I/O in our next edition.

But, for now, I’ve got a ton of good information here that should keep you busy until the next edition. So, read on and learn. -JRC

 

News and Opinions

Microsoft OneDrive jumps to 15GB free, and 1TB for Office 365

Microsoft more than doubles its free cloud storage and goes deep for Office 365 users, saying what's most interesting is what goes on top of all that storage space.

More Secure Credit Cards With Chips Coming To The U.S.

By the end of 2015, 70 percent of U.S. credit cards and 41 percent of U.S. debit cards will have security chips — called EMV for Europay, MasterCard, Visa. Europe and other places have had these for years. They make Target-like theft of credit cards impossible.

What Google is working on before the big show on Wed

Before its big event where Google will launch a host of new products, we run down the list of current projects going on at Google HQ.

Canadian Court to the Entire World: No Links For You!

This is the latest of several instances of courts exercising dangerous jurisdictional overreach, where they have applied local laws to remove content on the entire Internet.

Head to Head Comparison of 13 Streaming Music Services

The streaming music market is crowded, and some independent services aren't making any money. But here is a list of the major players in this business.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to Take Care of Your Laptop Battery the Right Way

You probably know a few tricks for extending your laptop's battery life like dimming the screen or switching off Wi-Fi—but there are plenty of other ways you can and should look at. Here's how to get the most juice out of your laptop by following just a few simple rules.

Google Chrome Tips and Tricks

Here’s a collection of 15 most useful tips and tricks for Google Chrome that will help you work faster and do more with your favorite web browser and you don’t have to install any extensions.

How to stream media from your PC to your HDTV over WiFi

There’s actually an open standard for sharing media files across a home network. It’s called the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), and you probably already have everything you need to use it.

9 Hidden Facebook Features Only Power Users Know

"Facebook is a magnet for some of the top engineering talent in the world, so it stands to reason that the company would boast one of the world's most complex and multi-faceted websites. In fact, there are so many things you can do on Facebook.com that you probably don't know about them all.

Create Bootable USB Drives and SD Cards For Every Operating System

Creating installation media for your operating system of choice used to be simple. Just download an ISO and burn it to CD or DVD. Now we’re using USB drives, and the process is a little different for each operating system

 

Mobile Computing

Tip: Backup All of Your Smart Phone Photos to OneDrive

Using OneDrive across the board has made sense for a long, long time. But with the recent storage allotment improvements (see story #1 above), the best has just gotten better.

Seven common Android problems and how to fix them (pictures)

When they aren't running out of juice, they are slow, won't power on, or have problems connecting to the Internet. These are some quick fixes for some of the most common problems Android owners face.

Seven common iOS problems and how to fix them (pictures)

Let's face it, our phones aren't perfect. They can be slow, have trouble powering on, and suffer from terrible battery life. These are some quick fixes for some of the most common problems iPhone and iPad owners face.

Mynd makes your iPhone calendar better

Mynd is an advanced calendar app. Think of it as an overlay over iCal. It takes the information you enter on your computer, iPad, or iPhone (whether I enter it in Mynd or with the native calendar app) and makes it smarter and more beautiful.

The 100 Best Android Apps of 2014

Behold our list of the 100 best Android apps on Google Play. Everything you need to spruce up your phone and/or tablet and re-ignite your love affair with Android can be found within.

Amazon, Adobe and T-Mobile Give Us The Big WOW!

It was a triple header day in the world of hi-tech. Amazon gave us a brand new smartphone; Adobe gave us huge updates to all their major products; and T-Mobile gave us seven day free trials on their phones and music streaming that doesn’t count against your data caps. Now that is a good day.

The Amazon Fire Phone is a brand new entry into the world of smartphones. By that I mean it is not running Android, iOS, or Windows Phone operating systems. It has its own operating system. But that also means you don’t get as many apps as the others offer. But it does has some amazing new features never seen before (read our first two stories for all the new features).

But, like all their products, this phone is designed to keep you in the Amazon Ecosystem. Take the phone into any store, scan the barcode of any item, and Amazon will give their price instantly…and you can place the order for it right on the spot. That ought to make many retailers very unhappy. 

On the other side of the U.S., Adobe gave us a great show of upgrades for all their Creative Cloud products. Now, the majority of us don’t need most of their products…they are for folks in the design world. But, there are two products that interest us very much: Photoshop and Lightroom, designed for photographers…and there are more of us than there are designers.

As you may know, Adobe no longer sells their products individually…rather they bundle them into packages that you rent. The full Adobe Creative Suite, for instance, is $50 per month. However, the good news for us photographers is that the Photoshop/Lightroom bundle is only $9.95 a month. For this small amount, your software is continually upgraded to the latest version. When you take into account the former price of Adobe upgrades, $9.95 is a steal! So I joined right away. I already have the latest version of Lightroom, but now I also have the latest Photoshop with all the new bells and whistles. And it is impressive.

But for my $9.95, I also get Lightroom installed on my iPad and iPhone and a brand new product for the iPad call Photoshop Fix.  PS: You can currently download both those products on to your iPad for free for a limited time.

If you would like to see a replay of yesterday’s announcements, they are available on the Web at their respective Websites.

This edition is full of good information, including great tips and tricks for your desktop and laptop Windows computers. Be sure and read those! So I will shut up now and let you get on with it. Have a great weekend!! -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Amazon announces the Fire Phone, $199 with 2-year contract for 32GB

The phone's most-hyped capability, of course, is its motion-tracking screen—four cameras on the front of the device track your head as you move it around, along with infrared lights to make sure the feature works even in dark rooms.

Firefly is the Amazon Fire Phone's secret weapon

Analysis: With contextual search, price comparison, and checkout all rolled into one, Firefly is the key feature that brings Amazon's fight to the doorstep of every retail store.

Adobe unveils 2014 Creative Cloud updates

Adobe has announced a major update to Creative Cloud, updating all 14 of its applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign...and introducing us to some new products.

Former FCC Commissioner: “We Should Be Ashamed Of Ourselves” For State of Broadband In The U.S.

Since the 2010 net neutrality rule was vacated in February he has been urging the FCC to reclassify broadband ISPs as a common carrier service. He has also advocated against continued media consolidation and big telecom mergers

Why you'll keep getting hacked

Hacked companies have exposed the personal details of 110 million Americans -- that's half of the nation's adults. Here's why it keeps happening.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to upgrade an old PC: No-brainer improvements anyone can do

Your PC’s hardware isn’t actually becoming slower. Startup programs, junk files, and even clumps of dust are just weighing it down. If you give your PC’s software and hardware a quick tune-up, it should run like it did the day you bought it. Inexpensive hardware upgrades can even make your PC run faster than it ever did.

Top 10 fixes for common PC problems

Here are 10 Answer Line articles from the last two years that every Windows user should read.

Advanced Uninstaller PRO

If you need a robust PC cleaning tool for your machine, Advanced Uninstaller Pro is a must download. This free tool contains numerous tools that others charge for, uses minimal resources on your machine, and doesn't overwhelm you with ads or pop-ups, making it a perfect download if your PC needs a tuneup.

Review: The best password managers for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices

6 local and cloud-based password managers make passwords stronger and online life easier for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone users

Data-encryption alternatives to TrueCrypt

It seems as if everyone who kept sensitive files secure did it with TrueCrypt. Edward Snowden depended on it. So did I. But now that the popular disk-encryption app is effectively dead — at least for the foreseeable future — it’s time to look for a replacement.

 

Mobile Computing

T-Mobile goes nuts at today's Uncarrier 5.0 and 6.0 event

T-Mobile wants to make it simpler to test their network. They have introduced T-Mobile Test Drive, in which they allow you to “cheat on your carrier” for 7 days. John Legere is calling it a “7-night stand”. All for free! And, they announced music streaming will not count against your data pool. WOW!

Adobe Lightroom For iPhone, Photoshop Mix For iPad Released

Adobe has been busy preparing for a series of updates and new additions for iOS over the past few months, and today, has launched Photoshop Mix for iPad in conjunction with the roll-out of a Lightroom app for iPhone users.

20 Siri tips that'll make your life easier

There are so many ways Siri can make your life easier. But if you don't know the proper commands, you might get a lot of unwanted sass.

Stay Safe While Staying Connected to Your Tablet

Thanks to wireless technology, all-day battery life, and a bevy of useful apps, tablets give you the power to get online and stay productive from almost anywhere. But it only takes one security mishap to bring everything crashing down.

iOS 8 features already available on Android

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery -- well, many of Apple's "new" features are already available on Google's operating system and have been for quite some time.

Apple Throws in the Towel…Settles Anti-Trust Suits

This was something that should have happened a long time ago. When five of the largest book publishers in America settled with the the Feds for price fixing e-books, Apple refused to go along. The settlement by Apple’s co-conspirators all-but-proved Apple’s guilt, but they would not settle.

They vowed to fight on, but with the trial set to begin next month, they settled. The company had been accused of colluding with publishers to artificially inflate e-book prices in the iBookstore and, by proxy, other outlets like Amazon, in a class-action suit brought on behalf of US consumers in 2012.

When the publishers settled, the government tripled their damages amount to $840 million. The settlement terms were not announced. I and many others could not believe that Apple wanted to continue the fight. In fact, they are still appealing the original court ruling.

So that is just a taste of today’s tech blog. Lots more good things here so read on and learn. - JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Apple settles state AGs' e-book antitrust lawsuit

The settlement comes less than a month before the scheduled beginning of the trial, in which $840 million in damages was sought from Apple.

Internet “fast lanes” would be banned by newly proposed legislation

Democratic bill could force FCC to treat broadband as a utility. The bill would help prevent the creation of a two-tiered Internet system, as currently proposed by the FCC.

A Rare Peek Inside Amazon’s Massive Wish-Fulfilling Machine

The Amazon warehouse–known in company jargon as a “fulfillment center,” or FC–is a uniquely 21st-century creation, a vast, networked, intelligent engine for sating consumer desire.

Starbucks starts rolling out wireless phone chargers nationwide

Starbucks plans to install Powermat's wireless charging stations at its coffee stores across the US. After a small pilot run with these "Powermat Spots" — small circles that are seamlessly implanted in tables and counters.

Facebook turns user tracking 'bug' into data mining 'feature' for advertisers

Facebook announced changes to its privacy and advertising policies on its company blog, extending Facebook's ability to track users outside of Facebook. This counters 2011's position that [we] "do not track users across the web."

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Six clicks: OneNote tricks to make you an instant expert

OneNote is a completely cross-platform app now, which means it can go with you anywhere. In this gallery, I present six of my favorite OneNote productivity secrets to help you get your personal and work projects organized.

KORO File Shredder

KORO File Shredder enables you to securely delete your sensitive files by using one of 3 different deletion algorithms.

Browser bonanza: What's new in Firefox 30, IE11, Chrome 35, and Safari 8

A steady stream of often small but useful enhancements and tweaks may have escaped your notice.

How To Remove Google+ From Your Gmail Account

Got Gmail and don't want Google +? It can be particularly irritating if you are annoyed by the Google+ links, buttons etc that have started to clutter your account in the past year or 2.Stopping it can be very easy.

Google Adds Step-By-Step Instructions to Search Results

Google got a little smarter once again this week. Now, if you search for something that Google knows has a step-by-step answer, it will give those steps to you above the search results.

Mobile Computing

Create Quick Notes in OneNote using only your voice

Have you ever wished you could speak your thoughts to your phone, and they’re automatically filled into OneNote? Now you can, and it’s quick and easy to get started! Check out how to add Quick Notes on 3 different platforms: Windows Phone, iOS, and Android.

Five Best Android Keyboards

Finding the perfect Android keyboard is no easy task—there are so many to choose from, and most of them are great, depending on the type of typist you are. This week, we're looking at five of the best.

Get the most out of the Chrome browser on your mobile device

Google's Chrome browser is full of nifty features -- especially on mobile devices. But some of the stuff this little app can do might not be so obvious. Here you'll find plenty of guides to show you you get more out of Google Chrome on whatever mobile device you choose. "

Listen to Amazon Prime Music on your mobile device

Amazon's new music-streaming service has arrived. Here's how to take it with you on Android and iOS, complete with offline listening.

Best Android Apps for Kids

Anyone that has kids, or is around kids a lot, will know how interested they are in whatever phone or tablet you have.

Denial of Service Attacks Rule This Day

It was not a fun day for many IT guys at some big Websites. Why? Because several were hit with Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS)? What is that, you may well ask? Actually, there several ways that DDoS attacks are implemented.

One common method of attack involves saturating the target machine with external communications requests, so much so that it cannot respond to legitimate traffic, or responds so slowly as to be rendered essentially unavailable to legitimate users.

Such attacks usually lead to a server overload. In general terms, DDoS attacks are implemented by either forcing the targeted computer(s) to reset, or consuming its resources so that it can no longer provide its intended service or obstructing the communication media between the intended users and the victim so that they can no longer communicate adequately.

There are many ways to implement a DDoS attack, most are too complicated to go into here. But in the last 48 hours, DDoS attacks have hit Evernote, Feedly and several World Cup sites. In the case of the latter, they were warned some time ago by the hacker group “Anonymous” that such an attack would be forthcoming. And sadly, they lived up to their promise.

In the case of Feedly, they were also warned that an attack was imminent, but it would be called off if they paid a ransom demand. They refused and the attack took place. Actually there were two attacks…one yesterday and another one this morning. I am not sure why Evernote was attacked.

The attack on Feedly made it difficult to get this blog out. Feedly is the news aggregator I use to find stories used here. I comb through hundreds of sites aggregated on Feedly, looking for stories that fit my intended audience. Thank God, Feedly came back on this afternoon so I was able to finish up this blog in time. Evernote is also back on line, but I cannot tell you the current status of the World Cup sites.

Of course, it is against the law to do such a thing, but it is difficult to track down the perpetrators. Law enforcement agencies have been looking for “Anonymous” for years with no luck. The only good thing I can say about them is they don’t use blackmail as a weapon against sites…they are more politically motivated. Whatever!

In another story, Amazon quietly introduced their own music streaming business this morning. Currently it is for Amazon Prime members only (but its free), and as I am one of those, I had a chance to play with it. An updated application for it was installed on my computer today as well as on my iPad. It works as advertised, however I use the Amazon Music Player on my Roku Box to play most of the music through my stereo and it does not yet work on Roku. So I doubt I will use it much until it does.

There is much more info on these stories and others, so I suggest you give them a read. So until next time, I wish you a happy weekend. -JRC  

 

Tech News and Opinions

Feedly and Evernote hit with DDoS after refusing to pay ransom

Evernote's service is returning to normal after a DDoS attack hit yesterday, while Feedly has been knocked offline after refusing to pay a ransom and stated on its blog that it is currently "working with our network providers to mitigate the attack as best as we can". It is now back on line. Update: Feedly was knock off the Net by a second DDoS attack this morning.

World Cup websites struck down by DDoS attacks

Various websites associated to the World Cup have been struck by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack ahead of the tournament's opening match today.

Amazon Prime Music is no Spotify killer, but it doesn't need to be

Amazon is getting into the streaming music game. The company has officially launched Prime Music, a new service that offers Prime customers access to over 1 million songs and hundreds of curated playlists.

Hey, Apple! Don’t forget about the Windows users

The level of integration between Apple mobile and desktop operating systems looks impressive, but maybe Apple should be focusing on how to provide that level of integration for Windows users with iOS devices. Microsoft is integrating its apps for Apple users now.

Apple's Beats buy the result of executive ignorance

According to sources, many of the company's own employees have opted for Pandora and Spotify over Apple's streaming service, iTunes Radio. Those sources also said Apple's management failed to see Spotify or Pandora as threats, causing the company to "panic" and acquire Beats.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Download the ‘Windows 8.1 Work Smart Guide’ from Microsoft

Microsoft has released a new quick reference ‘work smart’ guide to help you get the most out of the latest update to Windows 8.1

Review: Microsoft Office Online vs. Apple iWork for iCloud vs. Google Drive

Online word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation apps can be surprisingly useful, or surprisingly lame, and not even Microsoft aces Office document compatibility

Firefox 30 Delivers 7 Security Fixes, Other Changes

The Mozilla Firefox 30 browser does not include major new features, yet it does provide users with security fixes and some incremental updates

How to Fix a Computer that Keeps Waking Up

Malware infections are sometimes the cause but more often it is some device that is waking the machine up. In this tip, I will describe several settings in your system that may keep waking up your PC.

Netflix Has a New Tool for Checking Video Quality

A new tool has been discovered on Netflix's website which lets users test their ISP's performance on the video streaming service in real-time

 

Mobile Computing

The best file managers for Android

There are a lot of good file managers for Android, but which one should you use?

The Android 'toxic hellstew' survival guide

Android itself is a strong operating system, but the way that the platform is delivered to end-users is critically flawed. This survival guide gives Android users the information they need to stay safe.

Fastest Mobile Networks

Which carrier is the best for fast mobile data where you live? We hit 30 U.S. cities to test speeds on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Here's what we found:

Siri tips and tricks that don't require iOS 8

Apple unveiled new features for Siri in the latest version of its mobile OS, but you don't need to wait for iOS 8 to find cool stuff to ask the voice assistant.

Skype 5.0 brings a taste of Windows Phone to iOS

Microsoft announced a big refresh to its Skype for iPhone app earlier this week, and it’s now starting to roll it out to handsets.

What’s New and Exciting? It’s Patch Tuesday!!

When it’s 108 outside day after day in Tucson, and there is not much going on because it is too hot, Patch Tuesday seems like a big deal. For 9 months, Tucson is a hub of activity, but it all goes away when the university shuts down and the temperatures sore to ungodly levels. But summer here is the price we pay for the good weather we have most of the year. It will soon get exciting again when the monsoon storms hit and we have high heat and humidity, along with massive rainstorms, thunderstorms and unbelievable lighting shows.

Sorry, don’t mean to be complaining as I really do like it down here. And I plan well for this time of year with personal projects that can all be done inside with the air conditioning blasting away. And, in about 45 days, I will take an extended vacation north and get out of this heat. So am looking forward to that.

Until then, I will keep you informed of all the goings-on in the world of high tech. Am looking forward to the new toys coming next week from Adobe and Amazon…should be interesting. But until then, you will have to be satisfied with Patch Tuesday and some other interesting news and tips in this edition. Enjoy. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft Patch Tuesday, June 2014

June's Microsoft Patch Tuesday contains seven bulletins, including two rated “Critical” and five rated “Important”. Make sure you patch!

What is Apple iBeacon? Here's what you need to know

The Bluetooth-powered location system that could shake up shopping (and more) forever.

Costco Preparing to Begin Selling iPhone and iPad as iTunes Store Gift Cards Return

Back in late 2010, Apple and warehouse club chain Costco parted ways, ending a relationship that had seen Costco carrying iPods and iTunes Store gift cards. The two companies now appear to have patched up their differences.

Google is as Google Does

If you're going to use Google's services, then you must accept that you are going to reside within that ecosystem and Google has the right to manage it and manipulate it as they see fit, in order to maximize revenue.

In Harm's Way: The Dangers of a World Without Net Neutrality

The Internet is one of the greatest things humanity has ever created, and who knows what we’ll be able to do with it next. Let’s make sure there will always be plenty of room for the unexpected, by making certain no new business or service has to make a special deal to be able to meaningfully connect to users.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to Create and Use Twitter Lists

The ability to create Lists in Twitter is a feature that's seriously underutilized. Lists help you organize your Twitter feed so you can see tweets coming from people with specific interests and expertise, or that you might for any reason categorize into a group.

Check Instantly Whether Your PC Is Infected By GameOverZeus

This particularly nasty piece of malware steals your passwords from a variety of web sites, including banks, in order to try to take your money.

30 Gmail Tips That Will Help You Conquer Email

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

100 Most Useful Web Sites

You would be surprised about the number of really good Websites you know nothing about. See what I mean for yourself.

Best Free Personal Finance Software

In my review of the best free personal finance managers, I found 8 products good enough to warrant recommendation with the best of these being as good as any commercial product. Some choices for online money management are also included in this article.

 

Mobile Computing

Apple's new iCloud storage plans: Cheap for consumers, even cheaper for developers

Apple has seen competitors wrest control of its users' data away in recent years, and the company is responding to the threat with a number of new features and pricing changes that are good for both consumers and developers

The Best iPad Keyboards

An iPad keyboard/case combo can increase your productivity and protect your precious tablet while it travels. Here are the top models we've tested.

The 100 Best iPhone Apps of 2014

What's an iPhone without apps? If your selection of apps feels tired and you need some new apps to invigorate your phone, this list of the 100 best iPhone apps will leave you with plenty of new suggestions.

Amazon integrates Audible audiobooks directly into Kindle mobile apps

Amazon announced that it’s integrating the Audible audiobook directly into the Kindle apps for both iOS and Android. After installing a free update landing today for the apps, users will be able to listen to Audible audio books without ever having to leave the app.

Catch The World Cup 2014 Fever With These 20 Great Android Apps

In order to stay updated on the latest news and scores, whether you're watching the games live or catching them while at work or after you wake up, you will need the help of some of these twenty apps on your Android phone.

Farewell Forever to Android Tablets and iOS8 Revisited

I finally did it! After months of frustration and waking up daily to a nearly dead Nexus 7 tablet…then trying to make it work the way I wanted, I sold it to Gazelle.com. I lost a fair amount of money on the deal, but I was never going to use it again…so what the heck!

Realize that the Nexus 7 was designed by Google and offered the best features of the Android world. Trust me…they can’t hold a candle to Apple. There are so many issues with Android that I swear I won’t even buy an Android phone in the future. I have talked with other people with Android tablets and phones and they all had the same issues as me.

The other big news for me was I sold my iPad-3 tablet to a friend and used the money from him and Gazelle to purchase the latest iPad Air. That is my only tablet now and I love it! It is light as a feather and offers the latest improvements in Apple Tablets. I was shocked how light it was, weighing in at one pound…about 35% less than my old iPad. What a pleasure to use!

Something else I did in the last couple of days was revisit the Apple Keynote address from Monday. This time I watched it with commentary from four Apple experts. Remember in my last blog, I said the developer portion of the keynote almost put me to sleep? Well, the experts gave me a whole new appreciation of what Apple was doing for developers.

The bottom line is that Apple opened up previously denied sections of iOS so developers can now make better apps than ever before. According to the experts, this is huge! Whenever iOS 8 is released, we will begin to see some incredible apps for iPads and iPhones as the developers now have all these new tools in their hands including a whole new developer language. Something definitely to look forward to!

In reading the above paragraphs, it sounds like I have become an Apple Fanboy. Nope…not a chance. I still run Windows on my desktop and laptop. Only my phone and tablets are Apple. That’s a lot, I grant you, but I have learned to integrate the two operating systems together quite well. And lest you think I am abandoning the world of Android in this blog, nothing could be further from the truth. I will continue to cover it as best I can as so many of you use Android products.

So that is my rant and rave for today. Now…on with the show. -JRC

 

Technology News and Opinions

On 6/5, 65 Things We Know About NSA Surveillance That We Didn’t Know a Year Ago

It’s been one year since the Guardian first published the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court order, leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, that demonstrated that the NSA was conducting dragnet surveillance on millions of innocent people.

Data problems could jeopardize 2 million Obamacare signups

That means one in four Americans who signed up for health insurance online may find their coverage isn't quite what they thought it was.

Amazon will announce 'amazing' new device on June 18th

CEO Jeff Bezos will unveil the new product at an event in Seattle on June 18th, and Amazon has begun teasing the new product with a video of people's reactions to using it. PS: Expert opinions say this new device is Amazon’s entry into smartphones.

Intel aims to eliminate all PC cables in 2016

Goodbye rat's nest! Intel says wireless power, docking and connectivity will form the basis of its post-Broadwell "Skylake" reference designs.

Inside the US government’s war on tech support scammers

PCCare247 allegedly collected millions in ill-gotten fees. But the FTC fought back. A very revealing story about a tech support company based in India.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Shortcuts for working with Win8 (Win7, too)

As with all preceding versions of the OS, Windows 8.1 includes many useful keyboard shortcuts and utilities for quick navigation and file management. You just have to know where to find them

Google Launches 64-bit Version of Chrome for Windows

"It’s worth noting that the 64-bit version is offered by default if you are running a 64-bit flavor of Windows, though the 32-bit version is still available. This suggests Google eventually plans to serve up the 64-bit version of Chrome as the default version for 64-bit Windows users.

Want to be forgotten by Google? Here's how you do it

Google has launched a form where those who want the search giant to stop linking to outdated information about them can file their request.

Go incognito when launching Chrome on Windows

Need to keep your browsing habits private or just trying to avoid cookies? Read on to find out how you can launch Chrome into incognito automatically.

Three free privacy add-ons for Firefox and Chrome

AVG PrivacyFix, Bitdefender TrafficLight, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Privacy Badger identify and block ad networks and other entities that track your Web activities.

 

Mobile Computing

Get Organized: 3 Easy Ways to Save Travel Info on Your Phone

In this edition of Get Organized, I'll share three super-simple ways to save your essential travel information locally on your phone so you're never without it.

List of Google Now voice commands

The microphone icon is pulsing. What do you say to your phone? What can you say to it? Google Now's voice function has become surprisingly robust over the years. PS: Many of these will work on iOS also.

Will Apple's Photos app solve 'photo bankruptcy'?

Apple's new app coming for iOS 8 and the Mac looks promising, with cloud backup for all your pictures. Is it the answer we've been waiting for?

Microsoft promises lower prices on Windows tablets, phones

Tablet prices will fall to the $100, $200, and $300 range, a Microsoft vice president tells the Wall Street Journal.

Samsung, Barnes & Noble team up on tablet design

The two companies announced they will launch co-branded tablets with a mouthful of a name: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. The devices will feature Samsung's hardware and customized Nook software from Barnes & Noble.

Apple Keynote Address: All Software, All in the Future

While I was hoping that Apple might give us a hint about new iPhones at yesterday’s WWDC14 keynote address, I didn’t really expect it. This was Apple’s conference for software developers…6,000 of them in the audience at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. What we got were in-depth looks at three product categories: The newest OS X operating systems for MACS, codenamed “Yosemite”; iOS8 Operating System for iPhones and iPads; and lots and lots of new developer tools to create new apps for both operating systems.

While I almost fell asleep watching the developer’s announcements, the first two interested me greatly. Although I don’t have a MAC, I do have an iPad and an iPhone. What I saw was the promise of greater integration between all Apple products. In this respect, I believe Apple is leading the way in this integration. Another way to look at is they have relegated tablets and smartphone to a high level than desktop and laptop computers. And if you look at their sales numbers, you can see why.

I was impressed with their new iCloud integration. For instance, if you take a photo with your iPhone, it will almost immediately appear on your iPad and MAC computer. I am really glad for that one. There is also a new iCloud Photo Library for all your native photos.

In another development, you can make phone calls from your iPad and MAC if your iPhone is nearby. You can do the same for instant messaging. There are several other new interesting features, most of which are detailed below in our News and Opinion section.  If you have an Apple product or are thinking of buying one, you would do well to read these stories.

Now the bad news, neither Yosemite or iOS 8 will be available for 3-4 months. Sorry. If Apple can deliver on their promises, it will be worth the wait.

But, as you might guess, there is more to this edition than Apple products, so read on! -JRC

 

Technology News and Opinions

The 22 most important things Apple announced

Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developer Conference with a glimpse into the future of OS X, iOS 8, and the developer tools that bring them to life. It's where Apple talks about everything it's bringing to customers, and to developers - the deeply nerdy and the user-friendly, all in one two-hour event.

Apple Unveils iOS 8 – Top New Features We Can’t Wait to Use

Here is a list of the best new features we will see on our iPhones and iPads.

8 huge new features in iOS 8 that Apple didn't talk about

From Wi-Fi calling to a new keyboard for the blind, sometimes the best things are hidden

Apple pledges to restore order to its oversized App Store

As impressive as having 1.2 million of anything on hand is, finding something specific amid that kind of volume can pose a bit of a challenge. Apple promises to fix that.

Half of American adults hacked this year

Hackers have exposed the personal information of 110 million Americans -- roughly half of the nation's adults -- in the last 12 months alone.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to tweak File Explorer and customize your Windows experience

How many of us bother to spend a few minutes to get File Explorer to work exactly how we'd like it? I'm guessing not many, so let's change that by getting into the "advanced basics" of File Explorer tweaking.

Top 10 Incredibly Useful Windows Programs to Have On Hand

Some apps are essential, and you use them every day. Everyone knows their names: Firefox, VLC, 7-Zip, and so on. However, there's another class of app that gets less attention: the apps that are insanely useful to have in your back pocket on the rare occasions you need them.

30 Gmail Tips That Will Help You Conquer Email

If Gmail has become a huge part of your life, then it's time you became a power user. These tips will get you there.

9 Tips for Longer Laptop Battery Life

Some of these techniques are for when you need to stretch your battery at that very moment, while others are preventative measures, best implemented before your battery life comes up short.

14 Google Search Tricks That Make Life A Whole Lot Easier

You think you know how to Google? You don't know how to Google. Even the most seasoned Googler might not know every tip and trick available. Consider this your instructions manual for the world's most popular search engine.

 

Mobile Computing

Best iPhone and iPad apps for May 2014

As usual, we have a full range of puzzles, action games, utilities, photgraphy apps, and just about everything else you could be using your iOS device for. There's also a healthy mix of both free and paid apps to check out here.

16 of the Best New Android Apps From May

From Foursquare spin-offs to whistle-powered selfies, we covered a lot of ground with new Android apps in May.

Nova Launcher updated, brings "Ok Google" hotword support

The latest version of Nova Launcher has arrived to Google Play bringing with it a few new improvements, chief among them is added support for the “Ok, Google” hotword.

What does iOS 8 mean for Android

With the announcement of iOS 8, my Twitter feed blew up with one common theme: How does iOS 8 compare to Android and what does this mean for Android? Let's take a brief moment to discuss these topics

SwiftKey keyboard will be coming to iOS 8

One of the major new features in iOS 8 just announced at WWDC 2014 is support for third-party keyboards and SwiftKey will be one of them. We've just received word from SwiftKey that in fact...they've already started. Other keyboards will be coming also.