5/13/2019: Google, Facebook, and privacy as PR
Plus: Google’s new phone, Alexa’s new tricks, and the case for shared reading lists
Google and Facebook would very much like you to know that they care about privacy.
Advisorator Archives
4/29/2019: A better way to bookmark
Plus: Gmail simplified, free music for smart speakers, and an important reader survey
If you’re anything like me, you probably come across lots of web pages that you want to save for later.
4/15/2019: The privacy issue
Plus: An email spam eliminator, easy document scanning, and a low price on a smart thermostat
Although no panacea exists for protecting your privacy from these tech giants, you can take some steps to limit what they know about you.
4/1/2019: The iPad decision flowchart
Plus: Apple’s subscription push, OfficeMax’s PC checkup scam, and make-your-own Chrome apps
Last week, Apple summoned the tech press to its headquarters to reveal a slew of new services, including a magazine subscription program, a foray into credit cards, and several new video offerings.
3/18/2019: Finding high-end phones for cheap
Plus: Dropbox’s new limits (and workarounds), new Fitbits, and a better way to look up recipes
Poking around the internet, you’ll find a cottage industry of sellers offering refurbished or like-new phones for far less than retail price.
3/4/2019: Don’t trash that old PC
Plus: Samsung’s new phones, the trouble with VPNs, and a new use for the Mac’s eject key
Every once in a while, I get an inexplicable urge to revitalize one of my old, forgotten tech products by finding a new use for it.
2/18/2019: Password protection, revisited
Plus: Easier switching between music services, cheaper fast charging for iPhones, and “undo send” for Facebook Messenger
I’m a bit more gung-ho about password managers than I was previously.
2/4/2019: Backing up without backing up
Plus: A neat app for your ideas, a warning on password hygiene, and free money for iTunes users
With a new phone comes an opportunity to start fresh and eliminate the years of cruft that your old phone built up.
1/22/2019: Tech to care about (and not) in 2019
Plus: Taming your subscriptions, more location creepiness, and good deals on Sonos speakers
The trick to covering the show is to figure out what’s really important and skip everything else.
1/7/2019: A different kind of Apple
Plus: A better weather app, bendy iPads, and the Facebook eavesdropping conspiracy
Even though Apple never attends the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company still found a way to make news from it.