Larry Magid’s CBS News podcasts from Showstoppers @ CES 2018
Titan Platform’s Frank Trevino shows Larry the company’s cute little Google powered AI speaker that senses your mood, smiles at you and dances around — among other things ALex Santos of Fortress talks...
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CES 2018 dominated by voice along with the wacky and quacky
This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News For more than 50 years, tech professionals and journalists have been coming to what used to be the Consumer Electronics show, now known as just...
View ArticleAlexa For Your Car For Under $50
As I was driving down Las Vegas Boulevard last night I asked Alexa to play Elvis Presley and seconds later the King was crooning in my car, just as he did thousands of times on that very same strip...
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PCs that do it all in a tidy package
Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 520 all-in-one PC This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News There was a time when nearly every PC was a desktop and only “road warriors” spent the extra money to buy a...
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A dongle that makes MacBook or other USB C laptop more useful
USB-C Travel Dock from Other World Computing Sometimes little things can make a big difference. When I was at CES this year I had a problem. HP had loaned me a very cool (and small) EliteBook 1020...
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Online privacy day reminds us to stay alert year ’round
This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News by Larry Magid Sunday is “Data Privacy Day,” when a host of companies, nonprofits and government agencies remind people to take steps to protect...
View ArticleCall for Facebook To Cancel Messenger Kids Is Well-Meaning But Misguided
A coalition of organizations, led by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, have issued an open letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking him to “discontinue Messenger Kids, Facebook’s first...
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U.S. Safer Internet Day Celebration — watch the live stream Tuesday
by Larry Magid Tuesday, February 6th is Safer Internet Day. The big U.S. celebration will be in Austin, but you don’t have to come to Texas to participate. It will be live streamed starting at 11:30 AM...
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It’s a hoax. Facebook is not limiting your feed to 26 people
Call it a hoax, an urban myth or even fake news, but Facebook has not changed its algorithm to limit your news feed to only 26 friends despite what you may have seen from friends on Facebook. The...
View ArticleHow to watch the Olympics online
If you subscribe to a cable or satellite package that includes NBC (just about all do) then you can log into NBC Olympics and watch for free. The site will provide some free coverage for anyone, but...
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For many PC users, a cheaper PC is just as good
This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News I recently wrote a positive review about a $1,214 Lenovo All-in-One PC with 16 GB of memory and a 2 TB drive. But, at the end of the column, I...
View ArticleGoogle Chrome to block particularly annoying ads
Google announced that it is rolling out a feature for its Chrome browser that will block ads that are really really annoying. They won’t block all ads – that would be self-defeating for a company that...
View ArticleTax apps, software give CPAs a run for the money
The annual tax deadline is fast approaching. If you’re like most Americans, you need to file a return. You could hire a CPA or go to a tax preparation service such as H&R Block. You could even do...
View ArticleFacebook Now Includes Organizations and Businesses In Crisis Help
Facebook has expanded its crisis center to include information and help offers from businesses and organizations. Read the full post at Forbes.com.
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DOJ alleges Russians used VPNs to appear as if they were in US
The 37-page indictment (read or download PDF) from the Justice Department alleges that defendants and co-conspirators purchased space on U.S. computer servers and, says CBS News technology analyst...
View ArticleLocked vs. Unlocked phones — It can matter
CNET’s Maggie Reardon points out that Verizon is, once again, selling locked phones just like its competitors. And that means that a phone you buy from one carrier might not work on another carrier’s...
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Make your PC sizzle with a solid-state drive
This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News I recently reviewed a couple of all-in-one computers, and though I had good things to say about them, they both had a problem that plagues almost...
View ArticleThe connection between online safety and those amazing kids from Parkland,...
Like many, I have been deeply moved by the actions of student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shootings on Valentine’s Day. These teens – some who lost friends and teachers – have...
View ArticleLinks to articles about Facebook safety and well being
Larry’s recent posts Teens and Social Media: It’s a mixed bag Facebook beefs up safety staff
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Teens and social media — It’s a mixed bag
This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News The recent school shooting in Florida and the example of the remarkable teens who are responding through activism have caused me to revisit an...
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