TRADING IN YOUR SMART PHONE FOR CASH
Posted on January 10th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
EVEN WINDOWS 7 HAS HASSLES
Posted on January 9th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
An alert reader wrote in to tell us she’s as annoyed with Windows 7 as some people are with Windows 8. Invisible menus are making it difficult to organize files.
Filed under: Windows | 1 Comment »
REVISITING THE ALL-IN-ONE
Posted on January 8th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
Tech writers have been praising the new “all in one” Windows 8 machines from companies like Hewlett Packard, Vizio and Apple. These are desktop computers with giant screens all in one unit. It’s quite compact because the computer part is integrated into the screen or its stand. There’s one problem: At $1300 and up, the new ones with Windows 8 or the latest Mac operating system are nearly twice as expensive as the equivalent Windows 7 all-in-one available on Amazon.
Filed under: computers | 2 Comments »
OUR FAVORITE FREE PROGRAMS
Posted on January 7th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
Our readers like free and so do we. Here are a few of our favorites. The free VLC Media Player from Download.com is great for playing back audio and video files that your computer can’t handle. The audio files Joy recorded on her new Android smartphone, for example, weren’t playable on the PC. But the VLC player handled them easily on both Mac and PC. To make and send the recording, she tapped “attachment” from the phone’s email window and then “Voice recorder.” She tested it by interviewing Bob about the stock market. Our two favorite free security apps have versions for Windows or Mac. Anti-Malware from Malwarebytes.org is a great program for blocking and getting rid of spyware. To […]
Filed under: free stuff, screen capture, security, virus | Comments Off on OUR FAVORITE FREE PROGRAMS
THE VILLAGE VIDEOT
Posted on January 6th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
Americans watch the most online videos but haven’t been buying Internet-connected TVs. According to NPD Display Search, only about 20 percent of TVs shipped in North America connect to the Internet. Ours doesn’t either, so we bought a Google box, which lets us watch PBS extras and plenty of other shows. It costs $150. If you feel like going big-time, LG sells an $1100 model that responds to voice commands: if you want the History Channel, you just say so.
Filed under: Google, TV | Comments Off on THE VILLAGE VIDEOT
NUMBERS REPORT: THE RISE OF TABLETS
Posted on January 5th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
As of October, nearly a third of Americans owned tablets, either Apple or Android, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. That’s double the number who owned tablets a year ago and doesn’t count the new iPad Mini.
Filed under: numbers, tablet, trends | Comments Off on NUMBERS REPORT: THE RISE OF TABLETS
GETTING THE EDGE
Posted on January 4th, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
We’ve tried many different wireless speakers for our iPad and the Android phone, but the first one we really liked is “Edge Sound” from CubEdge. It’s a black box shorter than a human hand and weighing just 9 ounces.
Filed under: Android, electronics, iPad, iPhone, iPod | Comments Off on GETTING THE EDGE
A WEBSITE FOR PICKY EATERS
Posted on January 3rd, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
We recently read about Kevin, a six year-old who was always getting sick, often going to the emergency room, where he got prescriptions for more pills. What finally made him healthy again was getting him to eat fruits and veggies. What his mother did was carve cute little animals, Charlie Brown figures, and other fun stuff out of veggies and fruits. Meal time became fun and he looked forward to eating nutritiously. Fortunately for the rest of us, she made a Facebook page to show off her creations. The page, at Facebook.com/FunMeals4Kids, now has over 1,000 “likes.”
Filed under: facebook, health, kids | Comments Off on A WEBSITE FOR PICKY EATERS
NUMBERS REPORT: WINDOWS 8 SALES
Posted on January 2nd, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
Windows 8 sales haven’t been doing any better than Vista did when it was introduced back in 2007. (Vista never did live up to Microsoft’s hopes, as users responded to its introduction with a number of pointed comments, like “Huh?”) Windows 7 was created to solve the problems of Vista. Someday there will be a Windows 9 to correct the problems of Windows 8.
Filed under: numbers, trends, Windows | Comments Off on NUMBERS REPORT: WINDOWS 8 SALES
WINDOWS 8 REDUX
Posted on January 2nd, 2013 by Joy Schwabach
Okay, Windows 8 redux. There’s a way out of this mess. There are many things that bug new Windows 8 users. For instance, they used to enjoy a nature scene or family photo on their screen as background “wallpaper;” now they have big colorful tiles. They can no longer close an application by clicking on an “X” in the corner, because there is no “X.” In fact, it’s hard to figure out how to close anything. And there’s no longer a “start” button or “start menu” on the desktop. Fear not: for a small fee you can regain control. A few companies are offering software to make Windows 8 look like Windows 7. One we like is RetroUI, for $5. […]
Filed under: troubleshooting, Windows | Comments Off on WINDOWS 8 REDUX