10/13/2020: My most-improved gadget
Plus: Prime Day deals, Microsoft’s easy rebates, and Apple’s next big event
Over the last year, the Echo Auto has evolved from one of my most-despised gadgets into one that I actually like.
Advisorator Archives
10/6/2020: A tale of two sleep trackers
Plus: Google’s new gear, Facebook-free birthday reminders, and an epic score for work
Not to boast or anything, but I’ve been sleeping pretty well this past week.
9/29/2020: Theming your phone
Plus: Amazon’s new gear, more fun with iOS widgets, and mobile PDFs made easier
After hearing about how all the cool kids are customizing the look of their iOS 14 home screens (just Google “iOS aesthetic” to see what I mean), I decided to dive in.
9/22/2020: Must-try iOS 14 tricks
Plus: Apple’s new gear, IFTTT’s ugly upgrade, and battery preservation tricks
iOS 14 feels like Apple’s most substantial software update in years, in large part because it makes the operating system feel much more customizable.
9/15/2020: An obscure but awesome Google Photos trick
Plus: Answer calls with Alexa, Android’s big update, and Poolside’s “cellular” app
As a fan of Google Photos, I’m always happy to have my pictures show up in more places.
9/8/2020: The music you’ve been missing
Plus: Simplified scheduling, Samsung device deals, and a trip back in music time
Look around, and you’ll find lots of unsung musical apps and tools for putting you in the right mindset.
9/1/2020: A healthier way to read
Plus: Ubiquitous video calls, new Chrome tricks, and cheap smart speaker bundles
Taking some time off work has a way of putting things in perspective, and in my case, it was the amount of time I’ve been frittering away on Twitter.
8/18/2020: Let’s fix your Wi-Fi
Plus: Google’s music promises, a smarter webcam, and better Dropbox backups
Whenever someone sends me a question about how to fix their Wi-Fi, I wince.
8/11/2020: The joys of running a music server
Plus: Samsung’s pile of gadgets, a fix for iPhone app review pop-ups, and new Google Home tricks
Last week, Google delivered an ultimatum to folks who rely on Google Play Music to stream their own music collections.
8/4/2020: The netbook is is back
Plus: A new Pixel phone, a way to reclaim Google storage space, and headphone deals galore
Back in 2009, when I was just getting started as a tech journalist, my laptop suddenly died from a fried motherboard, so I bought a cheap netbook to keep my young career going.