Blogs

• Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant duke it out at CES 2018 -

  CES 2018 had more than its fair share of wacky items and compelling gadgets, but one of the biggest trends to emerge, once again, from the popular tech expo was voice-enabled devices. And, of course, it was all about Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

  
  

• The weirdest tech of CES 2018 -

  Here are seven items at CES 2018, some of which address legitimate use cases and some of which may be closer to mad-scientist territory.

  
  

• Sennheiser co-CEO: Why we're betting on AR and VR with 3-D audio -

  At CES 2018, Sennheiser announced two new products that focus on recording or playing back 3-D audio.

  
  

• Honda wants to prove robots can help you, not kill you -

  Honda wants to change your perception of robots. And it's hoping to do so with four new concept robots.

  
  

• Ford will begin testing self-driving cars in an unnamed city -

  At CES 2018, Ford announced it is working with a city in which it will operate its self-driving cars. The automaker wouldn't identify the city but did say how autonomous vehicles can change the way people live.

  
  

• Intel wants this drone to fly you around -

  Intel is betting that Volocopter 2X will be one of the first passenger-carrying drones to operate in the U.S. A prototype of the pilotless two-seat helicopter-like drone was shown off at CES 2018 in Las Vegas.

  
  

• AMD CEO on chip security flaws: ?We're absolutely all over this? -

  AMD CEO Lisa Su told Yahoo Finance that the Austin, Texas-based computer and graphics chip company is quickly working to resolve and address a recently-discovered security flaw that affects AMD computer chips.

  
  

• Nvidia went all out for PC gaming at CES 2018 -

  Nvidia rolled out a slew of updates for its GeForce line of gaming products at CES 2018 including massive computer screens and cloud game streaming.

  
  

• What a security expert thought of a few new smart-home devices at CES 2018 -

  It's hard to figure out which of the connected household devices on display at CES 2018 is worth buying, but it's even more difficult to know if they are secure from hackers. A security expert visits exhibits and tries to help.

  
  

• Mother Angry After School's Robocall Keeps Mispronouncing Daughter's Name As A Racial Slur -

  Nicomi Stewart, a mother in Rochester, New York, is ?disgusted? after an automated call sent to her phone from the city?s school district mispronounced her daughter?s name as a racial slur.

  
  

• Twitter tests longer character limit -

  You may soon get to say a lot more on Twitter. The social media giant announced it is testing a longer character limit. The change will extend the current 140 characters to 280 for all languages except Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Users won?t see this change right away, though. Only a small percentage will be testing it at first, and according to the company, it is just a test and there is no guarantee this change will be available to everyone. Via Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider. ...

  
  

• Mac OS High Sierra makes the Mac a teeny, tiny bit better ? for free -

  Mac OS High Sierra (macOS 10.13). As the new name suggests, it?s just a refinement of last year?s Mac OS Sierra. In fact, you could sum up what's new in an article about as short as this one.

  
  

• Pogue's Basics: Access YouTube's free music and sound effects -

  Want to add some cool sound effects or music to your YouTube video (or any video)?

  
  

• Apple's wireless charger may not ship with the new iPhones at launch -

  Apple is expected to include wireless charging as a core feature in the iPhones it launches on...

  
  

• The top 8 features we expect from Apple's next iPhone -

  Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone is nearly upon us. Here's everything we expect from what could be Apple's most important product in years.

  
  

• Apple's App Store is about to get a lot better with iOS 11 -

  Apple's App Store is getting a major update in iOS 11, and it's going to make finding new apps far better.

  
  

• Why Equifax needs to give up some details about how it got hacked -

  Equifax was hacked and lost the information of 143 million Americans, and they need to tell us how.

  
  

• The best alternatives to Apple's new iPhone -

  Apple's iPhone 8 is nearly upon us, but not everyone is psyched. Here are the best alternatives for Apple's upcoming iPhone.

  
  

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review: A big phone with bigger expectations -

  Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is a wonderful smartphone, but its high price is a tough pill to swallow.

  
  

• Pogue's Basics: Link to a Facebook post -

  Yahoo's David Pogue has a sneaky way you can create a universal link to a Facebook item so that you can send or post to anyone.

  
  

• 4 amazing new gadgets you can't get in the US -

  There are some gadgets that are just too cool for us Americans.

  
  

• Why you might not want a laptop with a 4K display -

  More laptop makers are pushing the limits of design and performance, but high-resolution panels are hurting their batteries.

  
  

• The most important iPhone features ever -

  Apple's iPhone is one of the most important consumer gadgets ever made, and it has a lot to do with these simple features.

  
  

• Fall games guide 2017: Your free time is history -

  Hope you had a nice outdoorsy summer, because for the foreseeable future, you?re going to have a hard time leaving the living room. The fall video game season is just about underway, and the 2017 edition is keeping with tradition by slinging enough massive games your way to tax both your wallet and your eyesight. From Mario to Marvel, here?s what the next few months have in store. ?Destiny 2?

  
  

• 'Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle' review: An insane mix of strategy and absurdity -

  "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle" offers a ridiculous strategy experience with surprising depth and a pinch of toilet humor.

  
  

• Hate and violence around the globe? There?s an app for that. -

  The plague of ?fake news? may be news to Facebook (FB), but it?s a familiar foe to a small non-profit in Washington that?s trying to use mobile apps, big data and social media to promote peace and accountability in places like Iraq, Kenya and Mexico where those technologies have often been abused to spread lies and hate. The PeaceTech Lab aims to develop ?technology that can be applied to tackle the triggers of violence,? president and CEO Sheldon Himelfarb said in an interview at the lab?s Washington headquarters at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

  
  

• Samsung challenges Apple Watch with its new Gear Sport smartwatch -

  Samsung's new Gear Sport is a fitness-centric smartwatch aimed squarely at the Apple Watch.

  
  

• The 5 best new features of this week's YouTube redesign -

  This is a big week for YouTube. It?s getting a new design and new features?all of which have been in the works, carefully and methodically, for a very long time, and all of which, as far as I?m concerned, are welcome!

  
  

• Microsoft's mixed reality headsets could save VR -

  Microsoft is bringing VR to the masses with its low-cost headsets.

  
  

• Facebook says it will ban businesses from advertising if they share fake news -

  Facebook is taking its crackdown on fake news even further.

  
  

• Fitbit's Ionic smartwatch is here to take on the Apple Watch -

  Fitbit?s all-new smartwatch is designed to do battle with the Apple Watch.It?s no secret that Fitbit (FIT) has been working on a smartwatch ? Co-founder and CEO James Park said as much during the company?s Q2 2017 earnings call earlier this month. This is the Fitbit Ionic, the company?s first ?true? smartwatch.

  
  

• Meet Uber's pick for its next CEO -

  Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is expected to take on the role of Uber CEO.

  
  

• Pogue's Basics: YouTube transcripts -

  Believe it or not, YouTube creates a written transcript for every single video. Just click More and Transcript and boom!

  
  

• Galaxy Note 8 preview: Samsung's big bet -

  Samsung is bringing the Galaxy Note brand back from the brink with the Galaxy Note 8. But can it bury the ghosts of the Note 7?

  
  

• The Essential Phone is a beautiful alternative to Apple's iPhone -

  The Essential Phone is the first handset from the father of Google's Android, and it's a solid alternative to Apple's iPhone.

  
  

• Norton's Core wants to be the ultimate watchdog for your home tech -

  The Norton Core is a Wi-Fi router designed to protect all of your connected devices.

  
  

• Your next smartphone's camera could get a huge improvement -

  Qualcomm's new depth-sensing camera technology could improve smartphone's and virtual reality headsets.

  
  

• How companies leave your data online without your knowledge -

  Your private data could be freely available online and there's little you can do about it.

  
  

• Google drops neo-Nazi site out of ?immediate concern of inciting violence? -

  The Google logo is pictured atop an office building in Irvine, California, U.S., August 7, 2017. Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is cancelling the domain for the white supremacist site Daily Stormer due to a ?specific, immediate concern about inciting violence,? a spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. The search-engine giant, which hosts website domains through its Google Domains service, made the decision to cut the cord to the hate site after GoDaddy (GDDY) told the Daily Stormer it had 24 hours to move to another domain hosting service.

  
  

• Pogue's Basics: Alexa reminders -

  Amazon has added the ability to add names to timers with Alexa.

  
  

• NFL player lives on $60,000 a year thanks to what he learned from this book -

  An alarming fifteen percent of NFL players end up declaring bankruptcy. Wide receiver Ryan Broyles, who was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2012 and is currently a free agent, is making sure he won't fall into that category.

  
  

• How the iPhone 8 and iOS 11 could make you a better photographer -

  Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 and iOS 11 should take your iPhone photography to the next level with these new features.

  
  

• Motorola's Moto Z2 Force has an unbreakable screen, but it isn't flawless -

  Motorola's Moto Z2 Force has an unbreakable screen, but it's got its drawbacks.

  
  

• The best back-to-school tech deals at Amazon, Apple, Best Buy and Target -

  If you or your kids are heading back to school, these are the tech deals you'll want to check out.

  
  

• Building a Lego robot can help you understand coding basics -

  Lego's new Boost kit helps introduce kids to the basics of coding.

  
  

• A massive EU privacy rule could bring an unexpected benefit for US consumers -

  A new European Union regulation could impact how social networks handle your data in the U.S.

  
  

• Pogue's Basics: The secret Start menu in Windows 10 -

  Windows 10?s Start button harbors a secret: It can sprout a tiny utility menu. To see it, right-click the Start button in the lower-left corner of the screen, or (on a touchscreen) hold your finger down on it. There, in all its majesty, is the Start menu?s secret utility menu.