Amazon is rolling out a new feature for its Echo and Ring product lines called Amazon Sidewalk. The basic idea is that it will create a wireless local network that allows all of these devices to connect to the internet from just about anywhere, even if your personal internet is down. Sounds cool, but the
[updated: Dec 10, 2020 – also, podcast version – see affiliate stuff at the right] What a year 2020 has been… I have to say that I’m ready for 2021 at this point. But we’re not quite done yet – we still have to get through the holiday season. With COVID-19 spiking everywhere, the best
[LAST UPDATED 11/28/2020: See the additional notes below the original article. This story evolved quickly and there were several important new pieces of information, including an official response from Apple.] Apple released a big update to its Mac operating system: macOS 11, aka Big Sur. While this release has several new and interesting features, including
Zoom went from an obscure teleconferencing company to a household word (a verb) when the pandemic hit. Zoom wasn’t the best videoconferencing app by any means. It lacked many key features like true end-to-end encryption and had some serious data oversharing problems. But Zoom was dead simple to use and kinda fun to say. For
We’ve all heard the hyperbolic declarations that this is the most consequential election in modern history. While we do live in the age of clickbait headlines, I’m actually inclined to agree with this particular assertion. There’s a lot at stake here, regardless of your political leanings. During this pandemic, many people have decided to vote
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! This tradition started 17 year ago, and each year they have a theme. This year, the theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” Okay, that’s catchy but vague. For each week of this month, they have… sub-themes, I guess you would call them. I’ve decided to cover the highlights here
If the upcoming contentious election weren’t enough to put us on guard (given the foreign influence campaigns in the 2016 election), we now have a pandemic that has suddenly infiltrated the highest levels of the US government. In the next two months, you should fully expect to see concerted efforts by various people and groups
If you’re a Windows PC user, you know the term “bloatware”, or maybe “crapware”. Every consumer PC comes chock full of it. Free trials of games, cloud storage services and antivirus software. Half a dozen “helper” apps from the PC manufacturer. Pre-installed calling, chat, and shopping services. It’s a mess. But these unwanted apps aren’t
[NOTE: This contest is now over] The 4th edition is officially out!! You can order it here: Amazon Apress Barnes & Noble But I’m also running a contest to give away 15 free copies! Five top winners will receive a signed paperback copy of the book! Ten more winners will get a free digital (PDF)
