Would Someone Besides Microsoft Please Make Some Interesting News?

Microsoft seems to be the only company making news that is of interest to users like you and me. Late yesterday, they released the latest build of Windows 10. I downloaded it early this morning. It seems to be OK, although I tried to install the Microsoft blogging software I use to write this blogs and it would not install. It didn’t install in the last build either.

I think in the end, all will be fine with this new Windows, but we will all have to wait until sometime later this summer before we know for sure. Right now it is feature incomplete with programs like Edge missing many features. You can read all the gory details, good and bad (and ugly), in story #2, written by Paul Thurrott.

And speaking of Paul, he has a message for the handful of you using Windows Phone. If you have been tempted to download the beta version of the new Microsoft Windows 10 Phone OS…DON’T! It is an unmitigated disaster. Paul installed it on four different Windows phones and it did not work on any of them. He now has 4 worthless phones. Not only that, you cannot backtrack to the previous OS. It wipes it out. You have been warned!

The only other interesting news came from Apple who released a 15” MacBook Pro with Force Touch…and lowered the price $200 on the 27” iMac Retina 5K (the one I own). But I am not upset as I got a great deal on mine that was even cheaper than the new regular price. Oh yes, they also introduced a cheaper iMac Retina with less power for under $2,000.

So that is the big news for this day. You can read more below…and I hope you do. So until next week, stay well. -JCR 

 

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft Announces Major Changes Coming to Outlook.com

It should come as no surprise that the software giant is moving Outlook.com ever closer to Office 365. And today, Microsoft announced the first steps it will take toward this consolidation.

Hands-On with Windows 10 Build 10122

Having now actually gotten real work done in this build, I feel like I have an understanding of where we’re at as Windows 10 barrels towards completion. It’s mostly good news, but many bugs remain.

Apple polishes desktop, laptop Macs

The company adds the Force Touch trackpad to its 15-inch MacBook Pro and unveils a new, lower-cost version of its Retina-display-sporting iMac.

Five Best Streaming Music Services

If you’re looking for something good to listen to, you have tons of services, both free and paid (and both) to choose from. With Grooveshark now sadly departed, it’s time to take a fresh look at the world of streaming music, and see who comes out on top.

7 Hidden Roku Tricks for Streaming Success

Whether you just got a Roku or you've had one for years, there's more to know beyond the basics of watching Netflix and catching up with "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" on Crackle.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Five precautions for avoiding malware when you download and install software

Downloading a program—especially one from an obscure publisher without a positive reputation—is something of a leap of faith. It’s a bit like letting a total stranger into your home. But if you follow these five steps, you should be okay.

Windows 10 upgrades won't be free for everyone: Do you qualify?

Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 comes with an asterisk and some fine print. Most modern PCs qualify, but beware if you build or buy custom PCs or you want to run Windows 10 in a virtual machine. I've got the details.

When the time comes, you'll be able to make Windows 10 look like Windows 7

If you can’t recreate the Windows 7 menu in the final release, and that’s what you truly want, go with Classic Shell.

30 Tips Every Evernote User Must Know

Evernote is, quite simply, an online spot to store anything and everything you might find of interest, to read or utilize later. The more you add, the more useful it becomes.

Why I'm breaking up with Google Chrome

Using Safari on my 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, I can get five hours of usage. With Chrome, I can only squeeze out around two hours. That’s ridiculous.

 

Mobile Computing

Make the most of Mail for iOS with these 8 powerful tips

Nope, you don’t have to settle for plain text when you’re composing Mail messages on your iOS device, nor must you archive your Gmail messages when you’d really rather trash ‘em.

You can now view and create Wunderlist tasks in Sunrise Calendar

It’s nice to see two quality apps playing well together. The integration means you can also change due dates for Wunderlist tasks in your calendar by dragging and dropping.

The Best Cheap Prepaid Phone Plans You've Never Heard Of

Not willing to sign a cell phone contract? All of the major carriers offer prepaid plans, but so do some of the little guys, and you can find some serious bargains if you know where to look.

How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Plan

Does shopping around for mobile phone service have your head spinning? We've got you covered with this handy guide for choosing the right carrier and plan.

How to Delete Photos, Messages, and Songs on iPhone

iOS 8 is really great about helping you keep your device clean and free from unwanted data. Instead of packing your device to the brim, use these tips on how to clean up your photos, messages, and songs in iOS.

OneDrive Drives Me Crazy

Here is another example why I switched to Apple for my primary computer needs. If you are not familiar with OneDrive, it is Microsoft’s cloud storage solution. Its one of many on the market today…and I used to hold it in high regards as stated here in the past.

Back when I only used a PC and a Windows laptop, I switched to Office 365 for $10 a month and got unlimited OneDrive cloud storage. And it worked well on both devices. So far, so good.

Then, when I bought my iMac, I installed the MAC version of OneDrive. Instead of waiting for my files to download from the cloud, I copied them over from the to the MAC. After a while, I began noticing that OneDrive was running slow and was missing new files created on the MAC. One one occasion, I waited 3 weeks for files to move into the cloud, but it never happened.

Finally I used a browser connected to the cloud to drag and drop the missing files from my computer…that worked quite well. But that is not how OneDrive is supposed to work. It is all supposed to be automatic. It was on the PC, but not the MAC.

Last week, I used that same drag and drop method to send a new file to OneDrive. Then I turned my PC on to see how fast the PC would download the file from OneDrive. When I got it up and running, the new file had already been downloaded. That is crazy!

After doing some research, I found many, many other MAC users that complained of similar problems. My own son and a good friend are also having OneDrive problems. But, wait, there is more.

A couple of days ago, I noticed a great many of my photos had been duplicated in my OneDrive folder on both my PC and MAC. That was weird. After some investigation, I discovered hundreds and hundreds of duplicate photos, even in the folders that hold my quality photos from my Nikon and Sony DSLR cameras.

A little more investigation revealed how it all happened. I had my Windows Samsung laptop running for a few days to do some Windows updates and install some new software. Even though the MacBook Pro is my laptop of choice now, I keep the Samsung up-to-date.

Anyway, using OneDrive on the Samsung, it had downloaded many photos I had taken since the last time it was on. Fine, that is what it is supposed to do. But instead of stopping there, it sent all of my photos back up to OneDrive, thereby creating all these duplicates. Those duplicates, in turn, came back down to all my computers.

It took quite a while to hunt down the duplicates on both computers and get rid of them. But I also had to do it in the OneDrive cloud, so the duplication would not repeat itself. Thanks Microsoft for ruining my day. 

So here is what I am doing now. OneDrive is turned off on all computers for now. All my data is backed up on multiple external drives, with one of the drives kept off-site. But I do want a cloud solution also. I currently am trying a program called “CrashPlan”, free to try for 30 days. It is backing up all my data to the cloud and is supposed to continually update it as new files are created. We shall see how it works out.

Thanks for letting me rant on about this issue, and I hope you find it useful. But, lets get on with the business of the day. Here is the latest news plus some good computing tips to hopefully make your life better. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Opinion: Can Windows 10 save the PC?

New versions of Windows usually generate a new PC sales bonanza, but don't expect such a big bump with the arrival of Windows 10, due sometime this summer.

Microsoft will bypass carriers, push Windows 10 updates directly to phones

One of the biggest arguments against Android is the issue of fragmentation. And while the debate rages as to whether fragmentation is that big of a deal, it’s apparently an issue that Microsoft wants to sidestep entirely with Windows 10.

Microsoft reiterates no Windows 10 free upgrade for Non-Genuine users

The definitive statement is in: Microsoft will not be offering consumers who are running Non-Genuine versions of Windows 7 and 8.1 a free upgrade to Windows 10 for the first year the operating system is available.

Windows as a Service Requires More Trust Than Microsoft May Deserve

It’s about getting as many customers as possible up to date with bug fixes, security patches, and new features. It’s a laudable goal. The question is whether Microsoft has earned the trust it needs for individuals, businesses, and other organizations to put the fate of their personal computing devices in its hands.

A quarter million Europeans have asked Google to forget them

It’s been a year since the EU’s Court of Justice ruled that Google and other search engines must give Europeans the ability to request that information about them be removed from search results. The number of requests has been staggering.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Magical Chrome extension puts tabs to sleep so they don't kill your browser

One of users' biggest gripes with Chrome is its tendency to suck memory and slow down computers when tabs are left open. A new Chrome extension fixes this by temporarily suspending any tabs you're not using.

You should be using these browser extensions to keep yourself safe online

You might not know it, but every website you visit is using one or more “trackers” to follow your browsing habits around the Web and learn more about you — usually as a means to show you advertising or learn about your lifestyle.

I backed up 24,280 photos to Google Drive. What happened next blew my mind

Google reached into the depths of an overwhelmingly large photo library, identified some highlights, and put them together in a way that surprised and delighted me.

Flickr, Google Photos, Photobucket and more: Which photo storage service is right for you?

Find out which photo-sharing and storage site best suits your needs with this deep dive into the top online photo services.

CPU Showdown: Intel Core i3 vs. i5

Which processor is better, Intel Core i3 or Core i5? We drill down on the differences between the two CPU models, and what it means for you and your next PC.

 

Mobile Computing

25 iOS Secret Features You Likely Didn’t Know About

Nowadays iOS is feature rich, so much so that we’re willing to bet that there are quite a few things hidden within iOS that lots of people don’t know even exist.

Shuffle’s New iPhone App Lets You Create Disposable Phone Numbers…And Emails, Too

Instead of posting your private cell number to the web, or sharing it with others you’ve only just met, for example, Burner lets you set up virtual phone numbers that work with your mobile device so you can still call and text without giving up your privacy.

Wolfram has created a website that will identify any image you throw at it

Stephen Wolfram's latest search tool is impressive. It's designed to identify anything in a picture. You just upload a photo, and get a computer-generated guess just a few seconds later. And it learns as you do it.

The 7 best iPhone widgets you should be using

There are widgets to provide you with calendar information, games, and even tools to show you how much memory your iPhone is using.

7 best Android apps to transfer files from Android to PC

There are actually quite a few ways to transfer files from Android to PC (and back again) and we’ll take a look at them here.

My First Credit Card with an Embedded Chip

We are on the verge of a major change on how we use our credit cards. By 10/1/15, credit cards with only magnetic strips will be phased out and replaced with a card with a built-in chip. I got my first one today. Sadly, it is for a credit card I never use. But, all my cards, like yours will soon be replaced by the new ones.

Its funny to think that we are one of the last nations to use this kind of card. Many countries in Europe have been using this system for years. It is far more secure and less susceptible to fraud…although Apple Pay and Google Wallet are even more secure.

For retailers, the change is huge. Not only because they need to purchase new terminals…but if they stick to the old magnetic strip system, they, rather than the bank, become more financially liable for fraud. By the way, the new cards come with both a chip and a magnetic strip. But, if you try to use the new card using the magnetic strip on a new terminal, you will be instructed to use the card properly.

For complete information on the new cards and how to use them, be sure and read the first article. You need to know how this new system works. It’s important.

As always, there is more good info here so I will let you take it from here. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Chip Credit Cards Are Coming to the USA: Here’s What You Need to Know

After years of use in other countries around the world, chip-enabled credit cards are coming to the USA. Credit cards with only magnetic strips are being phased out ahead of an October 1, 2015 deadline.

Windows 10 editions: Everything you need to know

Microsoft's announcement of how it plans to package Windows 10 is yet another case where the lawyers and marketers turned a simple story into gibberish. Here's the spin-free version.

Bloatware Banished: Windows 10 Eliminates the Need to Ever Reinstall Windows on New PCs

Microsoft is changing the way Refresh and Reset works in Windows 10. Computer manufacturers won’t be able to pollute the recovery image with their own software and modifications. Manufacturer-provided software is stored separately.

The rise of the Internet police

For decades, the Internet has been like the Wild West, with anonymous users creating racist or hate-filled posts. Now the world's largest social networks are doing something about it.

You’ll Shudder When You See What Google Knows About Your Web Searches

There's an easy way to open your eyes to the scale of just what the world's most popular search engine knows about you, your interests and your peccadilloes.

Computer Tips and Tricks

Activate Windows’ hidden, master admin account

Windows’ built-in, separate Administrator account gives you unfettered access to virtually all parts of your system setup — once you know how to access it.

22 Tips Every Amazon Addict Should Know

These tips are here for one reason and one reason alone: to help you get the absolute best out of your shopping experience. Whether that's better prices, faster shipping, or abundant purchasing options, we've got them.

Best Free File Manager

While Windows Explorer provides a fair amount of simple file management activities, a dedicated file manager helps you to keep things unsophisticated and gives you various tools out of the box to manage a large number of files at a time

This month's Patch Tuesday list includes three Critical security updates

Microsoft's Patch Tuesday menu for May consists of another long list of security updates for Windows, Office, and more. Only three of the Windows updates are rated Critical, however.

Why your PC has two Program Files folders, and why one of them is (x86)

But although the vast majority of PCs these days run x64 Windows, a great many programs (quite possibly most of the ones on your PC) are still written for the older 32-bit version. For purposes of backward compatibility, Windows x64 needs to run both 64- and 32-bit programs.

 

Mobile Computing

Microsoft Updates Office Apps for iPhone and iPad

Key among the changes: you can use iCloud Drive for documents and Excel for iPad now supports add-ons.

37 iOS 8 Tips Every Apple Fan Should Know

We're up to the full 8.3 release, but the mobile operating system overall has a ton of upgrades from iOS 7 and tricks under the hood—things the average user may never notice or care about.

13 Things You Never Knew Your iPhone Could Do

The iPhone is a great product. But, there are certain things that your phone can do that you haven’t heard about. Here are those 13 things.

List of Google Now voice commands

You pick up your phone and say “OK Google”... and then what? Your phone is listening. 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

Nova Launcher 4 released with full Material Design makeover (Android)

The list of changes is massive, and there’s a bunch of good stuff in there. Besides the obvious Material Design visuals with new animations and layouts, there’s also the new Google Search overlay feature and a new desktop page editor similar to the stock Lollipop launcher.

News and Comments on the News

Every so often, I like to give my opinion on the news of the day, specifically those stories I run here. So here goes:

Story #1 – Verizon to Pay 4.4B to by AOL. My comment: Why? What has AOL done for us users lately? Another company that has more money than sense. But, like all my opinions, I may be wrong.

Story #2: NSA Collection of Our Phone Data Ruled Illegal. My comment: Do you really think that will stop them?

Story #3 – Apple Pay Creaming Wal-Mart in the Mobil Pay Wars. My comment: If you have not kept up with this story, Wal-Mart is leading a battle to create its own Mobile Pay system and members must promise not to use any other mobile payment system, like Apple Pay and Google Wallet.  Last week, I published a story about Best Buy breaking away from MCX to accept Apple Pay and the CEO of MCX resigned.

More and more vendors are installing Apple Pay because it works and customers want it. Over the weekend, I used Apple Pay at a bagel shop at UofA to buy coffee. Today I had lunch at Firehouse Subs and paid with my phone. Its so easy to use: just aim your phone at the terminal then press your finger on the fingerprint reader and you are done.

Wal-Mart’s MCX app is months away from completion and early testers say it is not very easy to use. Give it up Wal-Mart!

Story #11 – NY Times iPhone app is now free. After a year of trying to collect money for its subscriptions, they have given up and now offer it for free. I didn’t use it because I had to pay. However I did use the Washington Post app because it is free. I sure hope these great newspapers and survive. The state of legitimate journalism is not good.

Well it is time for me to shut up and you to read. I hope there are some good things here to help with your computer needs. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Verizon to buy AOL in $4.4B bet on mobile, video

The deal for the former dot-com luminary is all about trying to find a new path forward in getting digital content out to consumers and the advertisers who'll follow them.

N.S.A. Collection of Bulk Call Data Is Ruled Illegal

A federal appeals court in New York ruled on Thursday that the once-secret National Security Agency program that is systematically collecting Americans’ phone records in bulk is illegal.

Apple Pay Is creaming Walmart in the mobile payment wars

MCX’s biggest failure: The collective has thus far proved unable to get its app into the marketplace.

Microsoft opens Skype Translator preview to all Windows 8.1, 10 users

On May 12, Microsoft opened the testing program by removing the sign-up and waiting processes. To test Skype Translator, users need to download the test build of the Skype Translator application from the Windows Store.

Which 2015 Apple MacBook should you buy?

Between the new 12-inch MacBook and updates to the Pro and Air lines, it comes down to balancing battery life, connections and weight. JRC: I recently bought the 13" MacBook Pro. Love it! If you are thinking about a new laptop, this should help.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

The Best Tune-Up Utilities

There's a very good chance that your lethargic computer could have in it still a second (or third!) life with a relatively inexpensive tool: a PC tune-up utility.

Don't panic! How to fix 5 common PC emergencies

Don't panic! Panicking is counter-productive, because time is often of the essence. Don’t worry. While you can’t call 9-1-1, here’s what you can do to fix five common PC emergencies.

Five Best Streaming Music Services

If you’re looking for something good to listen to, you have tons of services, both free and paid (and both) to choose from. With Grooveshark now sadly departed, it’s time to take a fresh look at the world of streaming music, and see who comes out on top.

How to check if extensions are slowing your browser down

If you find your browser is slowing down, one of the first things you should do is see if the culprit or culprits are browser add-ons and extensions. Here's how to do that in Chrome and Firefox.

Secrets of the Windows Control Panel

With the Control Panel, you can add or remove software/hardware, administer users' accounts, take care of you security settings, change how Windows looks and acts, and a lot more. It's powerful stuff. And scary for non-techies.

 

Mobile Computing

Read the New York Times for free on your iPhone

Or some of it, anyway. After a year trying to make it as a subscription service, NYT Now is now free.

How to Use Your Smartphone to Make Boarding an Airplane a Breeze

These days, it’s easier than ever to board many of the most popular airlines using nothing more than your smartphone and a little know-how to boot. Today we’re going to give you a few tips and tricks to do just that.

37 iOS 8 Tips Every Apple Fan Should Know

We're up to the full 8.3 release, but the mobile operating system overall has a ton of upgrades from iOS 7 and tricks under the hood—things the average user may never notice or care about.

New features in Google Maps 9.8 on Android

Google Maps 9.8 has three new features that help manage location photos, details and your schedule.

How to Save Your Smartphone From the Brink of Watery Death

By following these steps right after the device gets dunked, you can minimize your chance of sustaining any serious damage, and have your phone back up and working again within just three days.

A Look at Microsoft “Improvements”

In the last edition, I promised you a quick look at the new Office 2016, now available to almost all Windows users for free. So far, I’ve only looked at two programs: Outlook and Word.

First, Outlook. In short, don’t waste your time. There are no improvements to this old and broken software. To put it mildly, it is still a piece of junk. Why would Microsoft put together a calendar app that won’t even see Microsoft’s calendar, much anyone else's?

Want a better quote? Here is what tech journalist and Microsoft watcher Paul Thurrott had to say about it: 

“I actually tried to use Outlook this morning so I could check out the attachment and clutter improvements and, my God is Outlook an old and tired application with zero understanding of Microsoft’s own services. What a disaster.”

As for Word, it looks good, but I don’t know how many more improvements they can pack into this excellent word processor. For more, I will let you read what Paul had to say about it in story #8.

Another Microsoft product that made news this week is OneDrive, the automated cloud backup program that can be good or bad, depending on your operating system. In the Windows World, it is excellent. But in the MAC world it is almost unusable. I’ve turned it off on my MAC as it is a resource hog and does very little. Microsoft has outlined improvements for it over the next several months (story #6) for both MAC and Windows. I will be watching closely.

There are some good stories in this edition as well as some good tips for your computing life. So, have at it! -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Win10 Latest Build: What’s new, what’s unknown

With the recent release of build 10074, Windows 10 Technical Preview should be nearing the feature-complete phase. But while there’s lots to see in the latest build, there’s also much that’s still unknown. Here’s a look at what’s new, what’s been killed, what’s likely, and what’s still obscure.

One in 20 web users infected with ad injection software

More than one in 20 web users are infected with ad injectors, a type of malware that puts unwanted adverts on web pages, according to new research from Google.

Tom Wheeler tells cable industry to stop complaining, start competing

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler spoke to cable companies at their annual conference today, telling them it's time to move beyond the net neutrality debate and start boosting competition.

Comcast vows to put customers first

Cable company is trying to shake its infamous reputation for providing the worst customer service on the planet with a new initiative it says will be focused on customer needs. JRC: If you believe that I have a bridge in Brooklyn that might suit your needs.

Next in Apple's crosshairs? Free music streaming at Spotify

A report says Apple's latest tactic to catch up in the streaming-music race is pushing labels to cut off free listening options at rivals like Spotify, which has the Department of Justice sniffing around.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Microsoft Outlines a Schedule for OneDrive Improvements

These changes will come after Windows 10 is completed mid-year, and some new features will likely not be implemented until 2016.

Need to Know: Microsoft Edge

Microsoft is getting a lot of attention for pushing Internet Explorer towards retirement and replacing it with a young upstart called Edge. So here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from Microsoft Edge, the new web browser in Windows 10.

Hands-on with Word 2016 Preview for Windows

So far, Word 2016 Preview seems stable enough for daily use—as does OneNote 2016 Preview, which I’m also using regularly—so I’ll keep going with the new and see how it goes.

3 free utilities to make your computing life easier

Get ready to work faster, smarter and better. These tools amp up your mouse, keyboard and clipboard.

How To Buy The Best SSD

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are speedy almost by definition. But how to choose the best one to buy? Check out the basics here and a list of recommendations.

 

Mobile Computing

AT&T finally ramps down throttling of unlimited LTE customers

Until now, AT&T customers who used 5GB of data in a single monthly billing period were throttled for the rest of the month at all times, receiving barely usable service, despite paying for "unlimited" data. The FTC is suing them over this practice.

12 Super-Useful iMessage Texting Tips for iPhone and iPad

The Messages app is probably one of the most frequently used apps on your iOS device. It's the most common place to send text and multimedia messages, and it’s also packed with advanced features for managing conversations.

Apple's new site shows how your life can change with an iPad

Apple has launched a new section of its website dedicated to showing off how to use the iPad in different aspects of everyday life.

3 alternative photo managers that are better than the one on your smartphone

Sure, your smartphone comes with its own photo management app–but that doesn’t mean it’s the best photo app for you.

Inside Firefox for Android

Mozilla's version of an open browser is one of your better options on Android, especially if you are into flexibility and choice.

More Surprises from Redmond

This week, Microsoft is holding a conference in Chicago for Enterprise users. Most of what came out of it doesn’t really affect us common folk. But there were four special announcements, two of which caught everyone off guard.

First, there will be no more Patch Tuesdays for Windows 10. This is not a big surprise as Microsoft plans continual upgrades and fixes to its latest operating system. That does not preclude the monthly patches for Windows 7 and 8 users.

Next, came the official announcement that Windows Media Center was officially dead. It is still being used in Windows 7, but was never included as part of Windows 8. You could get it for 8 in a special package but it was the Windows 7 version. So this official announcement came as no surprise at all.

The next announcement was a surprise and, after reading about it, I am still not sure I understand what is going on. Microsoft will kill off Outlook.com and replace it with Office 365. Outlook.com is a web-based e-mail program much like Google Mail.  I will let you read the story below. Maybe you can make more sense of it than me.

The big surprise is that everyone who uses Windows 7, 8 or 10, can now get Office 16 public preview for free. I downloaded it today into my Windows 10 Preview Build and it downloaded and installed quite easily. I’ve only had a a few minutes to play, but it looks quite good. I will have more in the next edition. 

But, before you install it, make sure you read the article below on how to get it and install it. It is very important that you do this right!

Well, I have talked enough. Time for you to do some reading. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft Is Sporting a New Attitude - It's Called Innovation

I try not to drink any company’s particular brand of Kool-Aid but it was tough not to be impressed by the direction underfoot at Microsoft as I watched its Build 2015 Keynote.

Microsoft kills off Windows Media Center

Microsoft stopped actively developing Windows Media Center in 2009. The software giant is planning to kill off Media Center in Windows 10, meaning any PCs upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will lose the feature.

Apple Pay Rival CurrentC is circling down the drain

Best Buy broke ranks with fellow MCX members and announced it would start accepting Apple Pay at its stores. JRC: CurrentC is one company that should disappear. Sorry Wal-Mart. This was just a bad idea poorly executed.

Tesla Energy Launches With 'Powerwall' Home Batteries

Tesla wants to get the world's consumption of power "down to zero carbon levels," Musk told the assembled crowd of press and Tesla enthusiasts. "With Powerwall, you can be totally free of the grid if you want."

Entire broadband industry seeks immediate halt to Title II classification

The petitions were filed with the FCC, which is unlikely to approve them, but the providers are required to petition the FCC before they can ask for a stay in court.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Microsoft delivers public preview of Office 2016 for Windows desktops

A new test build of Microsoft's Office 2016 suite for Windows 7, 8 and 10 users is available, ahead of this fall's final release.

How to download and install the Office 2016 Preview

Want to get an early look at the future of Office? Here’s how to install the Office 2016 Preview today. It’s dead simple—though note that you’ll need to be running Windows 7, 8, or 10 to use the new Office suite.

Microsoft's Outlook.com is being replaced by Office 365

The company is migrating all Outlook.com users over to Office 365 this year. Microsoft’s Office 365 service includes Outlook Web Access, and we’re told Outlook.com will start to align with this user interface and feature set.

6 Reasons to Try Microsoft's Edge Browser

Perhaps Edge's greatest asset is that it's not Internet Explorer, which, even after lots of improvements in speed and tightened design, was one of the most reviled pieces of software in history.

5 things you can do with a second internal drive

Hard drives and SSDs fall easily into the category of two is better than one. Not only do you have more room for storage, but you can use that extra room to speed up your PC or protect your system from a hard drive crash. Here are a few things you can do with a second internal drive:

 

Mobile Computing

The Best Android Tablets

For a long while, it was a challenge to find decent Android tablets to test. But as Google continues to refine its mobile operating system, we're seeing a steady flow of high-quality Android tablets.

Free Apps May Be Tracking Your Phone Without Your Consent

Free Android apps are getting a bit promiscuous. That, at least, is the conclusion of a group of security researchers, who find that poorly vetted apps on Google Play are connecting to a massive number of ad and tracking sites—without user being any the wiser.

Why you should avoid hotel Wi-Fi like the plague

The bottom line is this: use hotel Wi-Fi and you may be open to scams, hacks, viruses and malicious software attacks.

iPad or iPhone battery draining fast? Could be the Amazon Kindle app

Battery life on the latest iPads and iPhones is pretty good, but if you've recently noticed that yours isn't lasting as long as before, Amazon might be to blame.

T-Mobile tempts Verizon customers by lending them phones for free trials

T-Mobile will pay up to $650 in cancellation fees if you switch. Once again, T-Mobile is mounting direct assaults on its carrier competitors, and once again, reliably brash CEO John Legere is calling them out in public.

Microsoft’s Half-a-Week to Shine

It’s a good thing for Microsoft that the tech world was pretty quiet this week, at least for news anyway. Because yesterday, today, and tomorrow was the Microsoft Build Conference in San Francisco. Now, this conference is mainly for independent developers who make applications for the Windows environment.

And right now, Microsoft needs these people badly if they are to succeed with all they have planned. And, they just may have hit a home run. One of their big announcements was the release of coding applications that can take iOS and Android applications and easily convert them for Windows Phone. As you may know, the Windows Phone is a minor player in the smartphone world…at approximately 5% of the user base. Of course, Android and Apple own that universe right now, but Microsoft wants to be a bigger player.

The biggest complaint against Windows Phone is its lack of available application. This latest move by Microsoft may just change that. It is a big mountain for Microsoft to climb to become a player…and frankly I am not sure it is possible at this late stage. It will just take a lot of time.

For us consumers, there was not a lot of news. The biggest story is that Microsoft has finally given their new Web browser a name. It was called Project Spartan…now the new and permanent name is “Edge.” It will be part of the new Windows 10 when it releases later this summer. You can read this and other important bits from the Build Conference in our first story.

And speaking of Windows 10, I got a new Evaluation Build today, and sure enough, Spartan is now called Edge. As I have said here before, I like the Spartan…oops…Edge browser. It is simple and very fast.  As you might expect, every new evaluation build brings new features and you can read about this latest batch in story #3.

Microsoft has big, big plans for the future of Windows, and hopefully they can pull them off. More good information follows, so have a go at it! - JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

All the Important Stuff Microsoft Announced at Build 2015

On Wednesday, Microsoft held its (mostly boring!) developer keynote at Build 2015. If you’re not a developer, your eyes might gloss over during the presentation, but there are still some cool features normal users might find interesting.

Microsoft: Windows 10 will be on 1 billion devices in two to three years

The 1 billion figure encompasses all kinds of devices that will be able to run the OS in some flavor, including desktops, PCs, laptops, tablets, Windows Phones, Xbox One, Surface Hub conferencing systems, HoloLens, and various Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Microsoft releases Windows 10 build 10074

On the first day of its Build developers' conference, Microsoft has released a new preview of Windows 10, the third new version in 30 days. Here's what's inside.

Cut the cord and leave cable TV behind

Millions of consumers are now cutting the cord that provides television services while keeping the one that provides broadband internet. Replace traditional broadcasting with video streaming and downloading services so you can access the same television programs you love via the web.

The Best Private Roku Channels, and How to Install Them

As if the Roku didn’t have enough channels already, there’s a decent selection of “private” channels you won’t find in the channel store. Here are some of the best private channels worth checking out.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

30 Free & Beautiful Resume Templates To Download

"Making an impressively designed resume from scratch may be a bit of a challenge, especially if you don’t do design for a living. But if you want to give your resume a visually stimulating edge, grab any of these resume templates.

How to Manage Tasks With Evernote

There are a ton of tools that strive to help organize life and maintain productivity. The solution is finding the system that works best for you.

Google launches Chrome extension to thwart phishing on its accounts

Password Alert is a Chrome extension that will warn you if you're about to enter your password in a fake Google account page.

How to free up Google Drive space

Need more space in your Gmail inbox? Time to clear out Google Drive.

Spring cleaning: Should you use a cloud storage service to back up your PC?

Cloud storage or cloud backup -- which is better for backing up your stuff? PS: There are several good firms that can do this besides those mentioned in the article, such as BackBlaze.

 

Mobile Computing

Want a refund for AT&T's sneaky charges? The deadline is Friday

Mobile subscribers face a May 1 deadline to get reimbursed for "cramming" -- charges for third-party services without consent of a subscriber -- on AT&T phone bills.

Google Now Android app cards

Earlier this year, Google revealed plans take its popular Google Now mobile assistant to the next level by letting third-party apps generate Google Now cards. Google announced that another 70 Android apps can now deliver Google Now cards to your feed.

Ditch your phone's default calendar for one of these apps

Let's face it, the calendar app that came with your phone isn't always the best choice for managing your schedule. Replace it with one of these pretty and helpful alternatives.

Apple's plan to improve the iPhone camera: add another one

Apple is always exploring ways to improve the iPhone camera, and the latest report suggests doubling down on the sensor is the next step

Here's how Microsoft hopes to get Android and iOS phone apps into its Windows 10 Store

Microsoft is enabling Android and iOS apps to come to Windows 10 phones. Here's how this will work.

Survey Says: The Apple Watch is Ho-Hum

After reading and listening to tech experts explore the ins and outs of Apple’s latest tech product, almost to a man (or woman) they say the Apple watch is nice but not worth the money. It is a bit slow to load and run apps, finding the right app is confusing, it must be recharged daily, and who wants to read the news on a 1” screen.  And, of course, you must own the latest iPhone to use the watch.

Personally, even though I own an iPhone, I have no desire to own one of these watches. The bands for the watch go from $100 to $250 (not counting the gold ones). And this watch is the first iteration of a product that will be obsolete in no time. Still, they have managed to sell somewhere between a 1 and 2 million of them already. Face it, this watch is not very useful, but it makes a great fashion statement for those who care about such things.

And after looking at Apple’s latest earning reports and profits, (another record high, thanks mainly to the iPhone) the sales and profits for the watch division will never be more than a drop in the bucket. Just because someone is an Apple fan, it doesn’t mean they have to buy everything Apple makes.

There is more news here along with tips and tricks, so I hope  there is something here that will be of help to your tech needs. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

T-Mobile adds 1.8 million customers in Q1, becomes threat to wireless giants

T-Mobile continues to add customers at a rapid clip and most likely has become the No. 3 carrier in the U.S. At what point does T-Mobile start worrying Verizon and AT&T?

The Problem with Apple Watch in a Nutshell

What amazes me most about Apple Watch is the free press Apple gets for creating something with so many problems

Consumer groups dance on the grave of Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal

Consumer groups are cheering the news that Comcast abandoned its proposed US$45 billion acquisition of fellow cable and broadband provider Time Warner Cable, saying it’s good for customers and demonstrates the power of Internet activism.

Windows 10's New Mail: Is It Outlook or Isn't It?

Just what is it that we’re looking at: a part of the free upgrade that Microsoft promises Windows 10 will be? Or a peek into a more full-featured package that users may yet be prompted to purchase?

Bill Gates 15 predictions in 1999

In 1999, Bill Gates wrote a book titled “Business @ the Speed of Thought.” In the book, Gates makes 15 bold predictions that at the time might have sounded outrageous. His forecasts turned out to be “eerily prescient.”

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Intel Compute Stick Review & Rating

A PC you can fit into the palm of your hand? That's been a pipe dream for most computer manufacturers. But it looks like Intel is setting up to change the technology landscape with its Compute Stick 

Why Does Emptying Disk Space Speed Up Computers?

Good question. Find out the surprising answer.

3 tips for easier migration to a new browser

Switching between browsers never used to be a big deal, but that's just not the case anymore. We customize these programs with extensions, sync open tabs to our mobile devices, and, if you're using Chrome, run apps like they're native to the desktop.

Stop your flash drive from yelling about fake problems every time you plug it in

So you go through the motions, scan the stupid drive, fix it, and everything’s fine. Then the next time you connect it to your PC, there’s that darn message again.

How to install a new graphics card

Few upgrades add as much punch to your PC as installing a new graphics card. It can transform your PC from a system that chokes on lightweight games into a monster that churns through even the most visually punishing titles with ease.

 

Mobil Computing

Send Maps directions in Chrome to your Android phone

In a hurry to get somewhere but need directions? Now you can send the directions to your Android phone before you even leave home or the office.

One thing every iPhone owner should do to stretch battery life

While better than it used to be, owners of iPhones -- especially frequent business travelers -- have to keep an eye on battery life. One simple setting can help the phone last longer.

The 15 Best Android Games

What if, instead of being productive, you'd rather waste a few minutes, race a few laps, or slay a few dragons? For that, you need games, and for you, we have a list of our favorites.

The file manager that Android forgot: How to find photos and other data on your device

Although Android has a perfectly fine file system, it doesn’t come with a file management tool. The solution, of course, is to download and install one.

11 killer Android features you aren’t using, but should

Android is stacked with so many tools and configuration options, we often overlook some of its most useful features. Sometimes they’re hiding in plain sight. Other times, they’re buried deep.

Some Big Surprises This Week in the News

Sometimes the tech news of the week is downright boring…but not this week. Just look at the headlines:

Google announces their own cell phone service…Comcast abandons its bid to acquire Time Warner…the Defense Department will start their own cyber attacks against those who attack the US digitally…and Microsoft releases a new Windows 10 Build AND word leaks out that the final version of Windows 10 will be available at the end of July. You can get the details below.

I personally am surprised, but not shocked the Google will now have its own cell phone service. As with all tech beginnings, it may not tempt you to switch for quite a while and they definitely won’t be supporting iPhones. But it will interesting to watch their development.

As for Windows 10, I downloaded their latest build 48 hours ago, so have not had a great deal of time to play with it. But I can tell you that the voice commands application (Cortana) works much better.

But the highlight of the new release is their built-in mail and calendar applications. I’ve tried them out and so far they work very well. In fact, they work so well I can no longer see any use for Outlook. One can see calendars from Google, Apple, and Outlook.com, which you cannot see in Outlook for either Windows or Apple. Bottom line is that Outlook is a mess, but that is a conversation for another day.

I wish the Mail app would use a unified inbox like Apple Mail where e-mail from every service shows up in one inbox. Once you have that, anything less is unacceptable.

As for the final Windows 10 release date, the CEO from AMD in an earnings call, let it slip that Windows 10 will start shipping in late July and early August. Whoops! I don’t think she was supposed to say that. Oh well.

There will be more Microsoft announcements next week from San Francisco as their annual “Build” conference gets underway. And Apple has promised to unveil some amazing new technology in June. Exciting times ahead.

I will get out of the way now and let you read the news and tech tips for computers and mobile devices. Enjoy your weekend. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Google Launches Fi, a Low-Cost Cell Phone Service

Google has announced Project Fi, a new low-cost cell phone service that it is launching in the United States. Fi will ride on the backs of Sprint and T-Mobile and will seamlessly switch to Wi-Fi when available. But as you may expect, it comes with some serious limitations.

Comcast reportedly abandons acquisition of Time Warner Cable

The decision comes after recent reports that both the US Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission were preparing to turn against the deal after months spent looking into what it would mean for competition.

House passes bill allowing corporations to share your data

The bill is designed to prevent future cyber attacks by allowing corporations to share information with each other and the government. As you might guess, civil liberties groups don't agree.

US will use cyberattacks to defend against threats

In a change of strategy, the military has decided to start respond to foreign threats with cyberattacks, Reuters reported after seeing a copy of the strategy.

Microsoft releases Next Windows 10 Technical Preview Build

Microsoft released Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10061 on Wednesday afternoon with more substantive changes than the prior release, including new Mail and Calendar apps and a raft of improvements to the UI.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

OpenOffice development is looking grim as developers flock to LibreOffice

OpenOffice used to be the best free alternative to Microsoft's Office, but now it seems to be falling on hard times.

Best Free Online Applications and Services

This list of Best Free Online Applications and Services now includes 230 items in various categories. With these online or web apps and services, you do not need to download and install them into your computer for using them. Just use your browser.

3 easy steps anyone can take now to back up a PC

First I'll give you six great reasons to back up your PC. Next, I'll give you an easy, three-item checklist for backing up said PC.

How to defend yourself from ransomware

Despite the CryptoLocker headlines, ransomware is still a growing threat to both individual PC users and small-to-medium businesses. Though our malware defenses have improved, ransomware authors are finding new ways to infect our systems. Fortunately, we have options and solutions.

How to Add Wi-Fi to a Desktop Computer

The benefits of Wi-Fi are tough to ignore. With Wi-Fi, you can position your desktop computer anywhere you want in your home or office, as long as there’s a power outlet nearby. You can then connect it to your router without running an Ethernet cable.

Mobile Computing

How to enable Twitter's new Highlight feature on Android

Make sure you never miss an important tweet or conversation, by enabling Highlight alerts.

How to get emoji symbols on your Android phone

iOS has emoji built-in...but wait, so does Android!

How to Buy a Cell Phone

With hundreds of handsets to choose from, it can be tough to find the right one. Our ultimate guide gives you all you need to know to dial up the perfect mobile phone.

How to Reverse Tether an iPhone or iPad to Your PC or Mac

Standard “tethering” involves connecting your phone, tablet, or other device to your smartphone, sharing your smartphone’s mobile data connection with your other devices. But you may sometimes want to get your iPhone or iPad online via your PC or Mac.

List Of 38 Apple iOS 8 Features Every Apple Fan Should Know About

A complete roundup of the best new features of iOS8. Do you own an iPhone or and iPad? You will be surprised as some of the best features you do not know about

It’s Patch Tuesday…That’s Not Why I’m Excited

No…I am excited because Adobe has finally released the newest version of Lightroom. If you buy it on-line or in a store, it is called Lightroom 6. If you subscribed to Adobe’s Creative Cloud, it is called Lightroom CC…to match the Photoshop CC name. FYI: Creative Cloud for Photographers is only $10 a month…besides Lightroom, you also get Photoshop CC.

Frankly, that is an incredible deal. It also gives you the Lightroom apps for you cell phone and tablet…both IOS and Android. Those apps are not available if you buy Lightroom 6 without the subscription. The subscription also gives you updates to the latest features automatically.

I am not doing an Adobe commercial here. But if you are a serious photographer, you should think about a subscription.

In other news, there is now a roadmap on how computers running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will receive the free update to Windows 10 (Story #1). It looks like they will begin rolling out in late July and early August. The updates will be staggered to prevent server overload. So start thinking now about Windows 10. Based on what I have seen so far, I think you will like it.

As usual, there is more good info here, so I will stop talking now and let you read on. -JRC 

 

Tech News and Opinions

Get Windows 10: Microsoft's hidden roadmap for the biggest software upgrade in history

Beginning this summer, Microsoft will begin offering free Windows 10 upgrades to hundreds of millions of PCs. A recent Windows Update contains details about how the Get Windows 10 (GWX) program will work.

This month's second Patch Tuesday brings 34 Windows updates, all optional

The bad news: Microsoft just released 34 updates for Windows. The good news? They're all optional, none are security-related, and most fix issues you're unlikely to ever encounter. Here's a full list of what you'll see in Windows Update.

How to Watch Watch Downloaded or Ripped Video Files on Your Roku

Your Roku can do more than just stream from the web. Use it to watch video files you’ve downloaded or ripped yourself, or even play your personal music collection. You can do this with a USB drive or over the local network.

Google rolling out Chrome OS update now

Google announced that it is pushing out a big software update to Chrome OS computers that will add several new features to Chromebook computers.

Yahoo renews Microsoft search partnership with some changes

Bing will still power most of Yahoo's search results.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

The Art of Windows file search

At first glance, Windows’ search tool seems simple but underpowered. You open up Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 8), type a word in the search field, and files containing that word appear. But there’s really much more to it than that.

Google speeds up data transfers with Quick UDP Internet connections

Google is always looking to get information faster to people browsing the web and after nearly two years of experimentation, one of its new protocols is paying off in Chrome.

Ten Apps I Use Every Day to Help My Productivity

These pieces of softare are mostly multiplatform, which is important because I use both Mac OS and Windows regularly. Some are even free!

Flower Identification App

LikeThat Garden: Flower Identification is a free (yay!) app in the iTunes store that lets you snap (or upload) a pic and in a moment, they’ll tell you what it is.

Free eBooks And Audiobooks To Read Online Or Download

There are well over a million free ebooks and audiobooks at the sites listed within these pages. To the best of the writer's knowledge, all of the websites listed here offer only content that they are legally entitled to transfer to you and safe for downloads.

 

Mobile Computing

Give your iPhone or iPad a storage boost

The iPhone and iPad are wildly popular devices, but if you're one of those people who likes to carry a lot of data with them, you've probably at one time or another hit a storage limit. Here's how you can add more storage to your iPhone or iPad quickly and easily.

10 iPhone Apps You Need To Replace Today

The iPhone comes with a handful of stock apps right out of the box. A handful of them are pretty good, but there are plenty of third-party options that are perhaps better than some of the stock apps on the iPhone.

Google's Chrome just got better on your iPhone or iPad

These three new features might have you considering to use Chrome instead of Safari on your iOS device for faster browsing and easier navigation.

Office Lens for Android and iOS turns your phone into a scanner

Microsoft has just released Office Lens in both finished form for iOS and a preview for Android, letting you use your device of choice to turn photos into usable documents.

Google's Android Wear software will let you leave your phone at home (if there's Wi-Fi)

The search giant announces a handful of new features, including new capabilities that make a watch run independent of a phone.

Cloud Backup Firm Pulls 5,000 Seagate Drives

The above headline and following story explains why I never buy Seagate drives. I stick with Western Digital and have never been disappointed. Sometime ago, I ran a story showing that Seagate drives have the highest failure rates among cloud storage companies. They were higher than anyone, but not like like this latest batch…47% is over the top. Trust me, stick with WD.

I told you last time I had more Apple updates for you, at least for me. If you remember, I bought the 27” Apple iMac 5K Retina computer at the end of last year. A couple of weeks ago, while still suffering the affects of my nasal infection, I went to the local Apple store with a friend to check out their new Force Touch Trackpad…introduced with the new MacBook computer that just went on sale last week. And while I could not see that computer, Apple did put the trackpad on a new version of the MacBook Pro, along with a faster processor and faster SSD drive…and they were there on display.

I went to see it because one on-line company took $250 off of the MacBook Pro without the new track pad. To make a long story short, the Apple Store employee, after seeing the $250 sale ad, gave me a great discount and I walked out of the store with the latest and greatest MacBook Pro with Retina Screen. I truly did not intend to buy a laptop that day, but I did anyway. And I must say, I really like it and use it. PS: Great battery life…9-13 hours.

In case you didn’t hear about the Force Touch Trackpad, its another piece of great Apple engineering. The trackpad has no moving parts, but when you push down on it, you feel the click as if it did. Push even harder, and you will feel a double click.

Force sensors detect how much pressure you’re applying, and the new Taptic Engine provides a click sensation when you press anywhere on the surface. It fools your brain into thinking it felt a click. Turn off the power and you feel nothing. There are no moving parts!

So now I own a PC and a MAC desktop, and Windows 8.1 Laptop and a MacBook laptop. What’s a nerd to do?

Some interesting news and tips in this edition so have a gander and I hope you find something good to help out your computing life. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Backblaze pulls thousands of Seagates drive out of service

Backblaze, the excellent cloud backup provider, pulled almost 5,000 3TB Seagate drives out of service after the annual failure rate reached a startling 47 percent. Here is why you should think twice about buying a Seagate drive.

Target settles with MasterCard for $19M over data breach

The money will compensate financial institutions that had to cancel credit-card accounts and issue replacement cards with new account numbers following the 2013 data breach at the retail giant.

EU Formally Charges Google with Antitrust Violations

European Union competition commissioner formally accused Google of violating antitrust laws by abusing its dominance in Internet search. Additionally, the European Commission was investigating whether Google forces phone makers to favor its own services on the Android mobile OS.

Chromecast vs. Apple TV vs. Roku vs. Amazon Fire TV

Which has the most apps? Which has the coolest features? Which one is the best? The most popular media streamers all have their merits, so we'll help you decide which box is right for you.

Microsoft promises drastic cuts in disk space use for Windows 10

The increasing popularity of SSDs and flash-based storage have created a big problem for Windows, and that problem is getting worse as OEMs shrink storage on cheap tablets to save costs. To address the problem, Microsoft is making some radical changes in Windows 10.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

How to safely test file and image backups

Imagine this: You’ve lost important files, but when you go to restore them, you discover that your backups are completely unusable — and your next words are unprintable. Here’s how to ensure that your backup files are valid, complete, and usable.

The Best M.2 Solid-State Drives

SSDs are shrinking, thanks to the new "gumstick" M.2 format—and, in some cases, getting a lot faster. Here's how to buy one, with reviews of a half-dozen of the latest.

14 Google Calendar Tricks You're Probably Not Using

Take a look at 14 neat little tricks that you can do inside Google Calendar. There will definitely be some you didn't know.

5 ways to use Note Links, Evernote's secret weapon for getting organized

Note Links, available in the desktop version of Evernote, is a powerful way to impose structure on your unruly data dump. This function lets you hyperlink notes to each other so you can create relationships between them and link to notes from external applications for easy reference.

The Best Free Antivirus for 2015

Yes, Windows now comes with antivirus protection, but lab tests show that it's not enough. Don't worry, you don't have to pay to keep your PC safe.

 

Mobile Computing

50 Best Free iPhone Apps for 2015

Plenty of iPhone apps are worth paying for, but there are plenty of great free ones, too. Here are 50 of the best.

The Best Android Phones of 2015

Big, small, stock, or skinned, if you're in the market for a new smartphone, chances are there's an Android option to fit your fancy.

Lost Your Android Phone? Now You Can Just Google It

Google can help you find almost anything, but it’s no good if you’ve lost your smartphone – until today. The search engine now has the ability to look up your lost device directly from its homepage.

Android 5.1 Lollipop vs. Android 5.0 Lollipop: Everything You Need To Know

Android 5.1 Lollipop improves the overall stability, battery life and performance of Android devices compared to the previous release. Most of these changes are under the hood, but there are also several new features that Android 5.1 Lollipop brings.

How to opt out of Verizon's 'supercookie' tracking program

Here's what you can do to prevent Verizon from tracking your mobile activity.

Surprise!! I’m Not Dead

I know its been a long time since you’ve heard from me, but I am back. I’ve got a good excuse…I’ve been a pretty sick puppy. First came a very nasty cold and bronchitis, followed by the worst sinus infection in the history of mankind…four weeks of it before the meds started to clear it up.

The worst part was what it did to my brain. I could not concentrate or remember things and I couldn’t even look at a computer. During the time I was sick, I also had 20 straight days of company and had to do my best to entertain them. They come because March is the best month of the year in Tucson.

So it has taken a long time to recover…and I am almost there. The aftereffect was my ears filling with liquid so I could not hear worth a damn. But that is almost gone now, so I am slowly getting back in the saddle of a normal life.

I’m not sure you missed much by my absence. The big story lately has been the release of the Apple Watch. It went on sale last Friday and sold out in a couple of hours…or so Apple says. That seems to happen to them a lot. Anyway, I have no interest in one, but if you do, place your order now and sit back for two month until it is delivered. Educated estimates say they sold around one million watches this last weekend.

I have more to tell you about my adventures in the Apple world, but will save that for an upcoming edition. Its all good.

Meanwhile, Microsoft keeps sending out updated technical previews for Windows 10. As you know, I run Windows 7 and 10 inside Parallels on my iMac. The latest preview included the first look at Project Spartan, the browser that will replace Internet Explorer. Although I have not played with it much, for reasons enumerated above, I like it. It is fast and easy to use.

I may have been to ill to update this blog, but I did keep up with tech world as best I could. So I hope you are glad that I am back. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinion

Windows and Office get four Critical updates for Patch Tuesday

It's another Patch Tuesday, with this month's update including a slew of security fixes in a cumulative update for Internet Explorer. The most important patch on the list blocks an Office exploit that's already being used in "limited attacks" in the wild.

US declares cybercrime a 'national emergency', threatens sanctions against hackers, online espionage

An executive order authorizes a set of new sanctions against individuals or groups whose cyber attacks result in significant threats to US national security or economic health.

Premera Blue Cross hit by "sophisticated" hack, 11M affected

The multi-state health insurance company was attacked in January and is working with the FBI to determine the cause of the breach.

Here Comes Surface 3

Surface 3 is nothing less than a lower-cost Surface Pro 3. And that’s a good thing, as it will open up Microsoft’s “tablet that can replace your laptop” design to a much wider audience.

Windows 10 to launch 'this summer' with free upgrades even for pirated copies

Windows 10 is officially in the home stretch, with Microsoft's top Windows executive committing to a summer launch date and, in a surprise announcement, offering free upgrades on PCs running pirated editions of earlier Windows versions.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

9 Tips for Faster Wi-Fi Streaming

What actions can you take to increase your Wi-Fi performance and get your streaming speed back up to par?

Changing names again: ‘Metro’ becomes ‘Windows’

An obscure notice that ‘Metro apps’ are now ‘Windows apps’ leaves more than a few Windows observers confused. Microsoft has a long history of bungled product branding, but its latest decision plumbs new depths.

The Best Antivirus for 2015

These days, there's no question that keeping your computer safe from malware and other threats should be a top priority. We've tested more than 30 premium AV packages to help you choose the one that's right to protect your PC.

Removing admin rights would ease 97 percent of critical Microsoft flaws

Almost every critical vulnerability in Microsoft software published in 2014 could have been mitigated simply by removing admin rights from users, UK security firm Avecto has calculated after studying Patch Tuesday advisories for the year.

9 compelling reasons to keep your old computer instead of upgrading

Few can withstand the siren song of the latest and greatest gear, the deep allure of a new and shiny gadget—but that doesn’t mean that tossing your old computer in the trash and picking up a fresh PC is necessarily a smart idea.

 

Mobile Computing

4 ways your Android device is tracking you (and how to stop it)

You also have the option of turning your history off—or, at the very least, you can take a peek at what's being saved. Read on for four ways your Android device is watching you.

Best free Android productivity apps and launchers

Since Android lets app makers do certain things that Apple prohibits, there are a few exclusive options that stand out.

Apple Releases Major Updates for Both Mac OS X and iOS8

It's apparently patch day at Apple, and the Cupertino company has loosed major updates for both Max OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 out into the wild. Here are the highlights of each.

The 100 Best Android Apps of 2015, So Far

This list covers everything you need, from comic books, to finance, to secure messaging services.

How to Share Your Smartphone’s Internet Connection: Hotspots and Tethering Explained

Practically all smartphones can tether, sharing their data connection with your other devices. You can do this over Wi-Fi, a USB cable, or Bluetooth — if your carrier lets you. You might have to pay extra.

i5 or i7? Here is How to Choose

I am not going to say much in this issue as I am really under the weather and my brain and body are depleted of energy. Somehow I was able to coble together a decent newsletter with some good info, including how to chose between and i5 and an i7. My new iMac is running an i5, and I can tell you it screams. Of course having 24GB of RAM also helps.

So while you read on, I am going back to bed. Take care. - JRC

Tech News and Opinions

3 reasons Microsoft will become the most impressive tech company

Once a plodding behemoth, the new Microsoft is increasingly nimble, responsive to feedback and focused on mobile. James Kendrick is very impressed with Redmond's ongoing transformation of its products and services.

5 Things You Need to Know About the FCC's Net Neutrality Plan

Here's what you need to know about FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's plan for net neutrality and the open Web.

Lenovo promises to stop bundling crapware on PCs

Following on from the Superfish debacle the company found itself embroiled in earlier this month, PC maker Lenovo is promising to bring to an end to the practice of pre-loading crapware onto systems.

SanDisk's groundbreaking microSD card will stuff an extra 200GB in your MacBook, smartphone

It can move data at up to 90MB/s, which SanDisk says is fast enough to transfer up to 1,200 photos per minute.

Stardock to deliver a Windows 10 Start menu replacement

Stardock, the company that created a popular Start menu for Windows 8, is back with a beta of a Start menu replacement for Windows 10. JRC: Stardock made my Windows 8 computer usable. I just may get it for Windows 10.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Which CPU? Comparing Intel Core i5 vs. i7

There's a wealth of difference between Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 processors. We outline each CPU and explain what it all means for your next desktop or laptop purchase.

So long, Google+. Hello, Streams, Photos and Hangouts

Google+ is getting split into three different products: Streams, Photos and Hangouts. JRC: It makes sense.

 How to Delete Your Facebook Account

If you're ready for a Facebook break, you have two options: deactivate or delete.

The Best Password Managers for 2015

If you follow best practices and use a strong, unique password for every website, you absolutely need a password manager. These are the top performers in our tests.

Reading and Writing With Evernote

Reading strongly influences your writing whether you’re a knowledge worker, professional, or dreaming of becoming an author. Evernote provides many resources and tools for you to enforce your relationship to reading and writing.

 

Mobile Computing

How to Stop Checking Your Phone Like an Addict

Usage and adoption of new technology nearly always outpaces our understanding of how that technology will ultimately affect us.

How to save storage space on an iPhone without deleting photos, with iCloud Photo Library

Turning on iCloud Photo Library is fairly easy, but doing so initiates a synchronization process that ensures any photo taken on an iDevice is uploaded, in its original, full quality prestige.

Revealed: The apps that are draining your smartphone battery

Which apps are hogging space, consuming mobile data, and sucking the life out of your Android smartphone?

Six ways to make your iOS or Android phone easier on the eyes

Give your aching eyes a break. Read on for six settings that’ll make your iPhone or Android screen a bit easier to read, from boosting the size of text to zooming your display with your fingertips.

8 essential Microsoft business apps for Android phones

Who's the busiest developer on Android these days? Some of the most impressive business apps are coming from an unlikely source, with Microsoft's business apps appearing on the Google Play Store and getting rave reviews.