For every tech triumph in 2015, there was also a failure. A technology that fell to better competition (or bad luck). A company whose best products were behind it. A business model that simply didn't make sense anymore. Before we say hello to what 2016 might bring, let’s pause to remember notable products and services that died in 2015. (We define “dead” as a technology that ceased being produced or otherwise reached end of life. Rebrandings and “evolutions”—a la Google Glass—don’t count.) continued…
first published week of: 01/11/2016
It’s been nearly two years since we surveyed the best free programs for Windows desktops. Much has happened since then -- most notably the advent of Windows 10 and the explosion of tremendously useful applications and services in the cloud.
With Windows 7 and 8.1 usage still dwarfing Win10 usage, it’s clear that many of you have begged off Microsoft’s Win10 siren call, feeling fine with what you have.
If you’re one of the many sticking with Windows 7 or 8.1 for the foreseeable future, you should take a look at the following free-for-personal-use (and cheap-for-corporate-use) apps. I guarantee you’ll find more than a handful of them that are well worth the effort. They may even be enough to tide you over until Microsoft pries Windows 7 from your cold, dead keyboard. continued…
first published week of: 03/21/2016
Consumer Technology Association, United Parcel Service
The 3D printing market, which has grown by as much as 30% year-over-year in the past, is now set to triple in revenue over the next four years, according to a new report.
This year, the 3D printing industry, which includes machines, materials and printing services, will reach $7.3 billion. By 2020, it is expected to grow to $21 billion, the report said. The new study is called "3D Printing: The Next Revolution in Industrial Manufacturing."
Published by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and the United Parcel Service (UPS), the report revealed that the consumer electronics and automotive industries will represent a combined 40% of the coming growth in 3D printing, followed by medical devices with 15%. continued…
first published week of: 05/09/2016
There’s a strong case to be made that Silicon Valley and nearby San Francisco have become the center of the world, displacing even New York and London. That’s because the computer industry is centered there, and technology currently is the number one force that is changing the business landscape. Even if a business has nothing to do with technology, it is strongly influenced by the trends that emerge from the Valley.
Not only are the tools changing, so are the business processes as a result of new technology such as mobile, cloud computing and wearables.
Ever-evolving and adaptive technology is driving and transforming business every day. Businesses that want to thrive are in a constant race to adapt and take advantage of these technologies while they’re still relevant and useful, or otherwise these businesses eventually will fall by the wayside. Here are six technology trends that businesses will have to embrace to stay ahead of the game. continued…
first published week of: 01/18/2016
Arlington National Cemetary
Never here! Ever!
Everyone is playing the mobile smash, but some people aren't doing it right.
Most mobile games can be played quietly and anonymously in the privacy of your own home, cubicle, train seat, or bathroom stall—but Pokémon Go isn’t that kind of game. With physical movement as a primary gameplay mechanic, the Nintendo favorite is getting millions of people out and about and exploring their neighborhoods.
Obviously, there’s good in this: People are walking more, socializing with mostly-friendly strangers, and even overcoming anxiety and depression by leaving the house. All of those are tremendous benefits, and it’s awesome to see people getting so much out of the game.
On the other hand, some folks are completely blowing it. continued…
first published week of: 07/18/2016
If you believed the vendors, you’d think Wi–Fi was simple: Turn on your computer or other device, hop on the Internet and you're set to go.
But as we all know, life isn’t quite that easy. Your home or office network can have dead spots where devices can't seem to connect, or where the connections get slow or flaky. Public hotspots can make you prey for hackers and snoopers. And when you are at a hotspot, you might need to share your connection with your other devices, including smartphones and tablets.
While there is no way to immediately solve all the problems associated with wireless connectivity, there are applications that can make things better — and many of them are free. I’'ve rounded up nine free pieces of Windows software that can go a long way toward helping you solve your Wi–Fi issues at home, in your office or on the go. continued…
first published week of: 05/16/2016
This free tools will help you squeeze the most out of your Wi-Fi connection
If you believed the vendors, you’’d think Wi–Fi was simple: Turn on your computer or other device, hop on the Internet and you’’re set to go.
But as we all know, life isn’’t quite that easy. Your home or office network can have dead spots where devices can’t seem to connect, or where the connections get slow or flaky. Public hotspots can make you prey for hackers and snoopers. And when you are at a hotspot, you might need to share your connection with your other devices, including smartphones and tablets.
While there is no way to immediately solve all the problems associated with wireless connectivity, there are applications that can make things better—and many of them are free. I’ve rounded up nine free pieces of Windows software that can go a long way toward helping you solve your Wi–Fi issues at home, in your office or on the go. continued…
first published week of: 04/25/2016
Storage devices have taken many strange forms over history. We’ve seen everything from an old 19th-century loom to massive data centers that power companies like Facebook and Google. But along the way, some truly weird devices tried to change how we save our precious data bits. These technologies were either wonderfully weird, woefully misguided, or just behind the times, but regardless, they each have their own idiosyncrasies worth remembering. Here are 10 of the weirdest storage devices ever created.
Phonograph Cylinder
One of the earliest methods of recording and data storage—the phonograph wax cylinder—wasn’t so bad when it was dreamt up by Thomas Edison waaaay back in 1877. But man, was it weird.
These wax cylinders worked like proto-vinyl, which would eventually replace them. But the worst part is you could only really listen to the recordings a dozen times or so before it became completely useless. Museums are trying to preserve these fragile cylinders, and the ones that have been successfully saved for the digital age are nightmares to behold.
Apple Twiggy Drive
Although it’s a footnote in history, the Twiggy drive (which got its name from an extremely thin English actress nicknamed “Twiggy”) in Apple’s Lisa PC is now retro-computing legend. The story is that only the Lisa 1 features this unique storage system, and it almost came to the first Mac in 1984. The drive, however, proved to be too unreliable compared to the more popular 3.5-inch floppy disks of the time. continued…
first published week of: 07/18/2016
In the Google Transparency Report, the new segment has added that reveals that around 95.5 Percent Of Mobile Traffic is Unencrypted in North America. The new segment also provides the statistics of the encryption usage on Google's own websites.
The goal of Google behind this, to make the progress of one of the factors that can keep the Internet safe accessible to virtually everyone.
Rutledge Chin Feman and Tim Willis, HTTPS evangelists at Google, said that "Our aim with this project is to hold ourselves accountable and encourage others to encrypt so we can make the web even safer for everyone"
As it was mentioned in the report that 95.5 percent of unencrypted traffic is from mobile devices, so it means that the remaining 4.5 percent is from desktop devices.
But this statistics is not fixed it can change any time. continued…
first published week of: 03/21/2016
USB isn't perfect, but it replaced lots of ports we'll never have to see again.
Like all technology, USB has evolved over time. Despite being a “Universal” Serial Bus, in its 18-or-so years on the market it has spawned multiple versions with different connection speeds and many, many types of cables.
The USB Implementers Forum, the group of companies that oversees the standard, is fully cognizant of this problem, which it wants to solve with a new type of cable dubbed Type-C. This plug is designed to replace USB Type-A and Type-B ports of all sizes on phones, tablets, computers, and other peripherals. Type-C will support the new, faster 10Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2 spec with room to grow beyond that as bandwidth increases.
It's possible that in a few years, USB Type-C will have become the norm, totally replacing the tangled nest of different cables that we all have balled up in our desk drawers. For now, it’s just another excuse to pass around that dog-eared XKCD comic about the proliferation of standards. While we wait to see whether Type-C will save us from cable hell or just contribute to it, let’s take a quick look at where USB has been over the years, what competing standards it has fought against, and what technologies it will continue to grapple with in the future. continued…
first published week of: 01/11/2016