Buying a gadget for streaming video to your TV by Kim Komando

Have you been hearing about the growing number of people who are ditching cable and satellite in
favor of streaming online video?

That’s what has fueled the growth of sites like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video.
Streaming video gives you more options than traditional cable or over-the-air broadcasts.

You can watch movies and shows whenever you want. There are both free and paid options, depending on the service you get. You can access Internet-only videos and news, music and other digital information. It’s just better all around.

Many new TVs, so-called “smart” TVs, can connect to the Internet and have built-in apps for streaming from most online videos services – iTunes being a big exception. However, not everyone has one yet, and many don’t want to pay a bundle to upgrade.

That’s why there are third-party streaming gadgets you can buy that will plug into your TV. Roku, Apple TV and Google TV are popular examples. Amazon has gotten into the act, too, with FireTV.
Caution: Not every streaming gadget supports every service. Before purchasing any gadget, you’ll want to make sure it has the content you want.

Amazon’s Fire TV
The latest streaming gadget comes to us from Amazon and it’s called FireTV. It’s a little black box that plugs into your TV via HDMI cable and sends high definition 1080p video and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.

FireTV has the most powerful hardware of any streaming gadget yet. It includes a quad-core processor, dedicated graphics system, 2 gigabytes of memory, and dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi. Early testing shows it’s very slick and responsive.

As you’d expect, it’s built to connect to an Amazon Prime or Instant Video account, as well as Amazon Music. It also supports the other streaming services you would expect it to have like Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora, Crackle and many more. However, it seems to lack HBO Go support right now.

The FireTV runs a modified version of Android so it can handle the same apps as the Kindle Fire and other Android tablets, including popular video games.

In addition, Amazon included some other cool features like an easy-to-use voice search through its remote’s built-in microphone. It offers a new feature called FreeTime that lets you create a profile customized for kids and will let you limit their screen time.

Not sure what you want to watch? It has a feature called ASAP that predicts what you’d like and starts buffering it even before you choose it. That way streaming is immediate and you don’t have to wait.

Best of all, the FireTV is only $100, the same as a Roku 3 or Apple TV.

Buy if: You want high-end hardware and software with all the bells and whistles
Pass if: You want to spend less; You want iTunes support; You don’t want another box cluttering up your entertainment center.

Roku
Roku is a long-time contender in the streaming market and for good reason. It combines solid hardware and software at affordable prices.

With Roku you have four model options: The Roku 1 ($50), Roku 2 ($80), Roku 3 ($100) and the Streaming Stick ($50). All of them connect via HDMI, but the Roku 1 and 2 also include a composite output, meaning those yellow-white-red connecting cables.

If you are short on HDMI ports, or want to stream to an older TV without HDMI, the Roku 1 or 2 are your best options.

The Roku 1, 2 and 3 are little stand-alone boxes while the Streaming Stick is about the size of a USB drive and plugs directly into your TV’s HDMI. If you’re after a clean look or trying to save space, the Streaming Stick is worth a look.

All four models output a 1080p high-definition signal and all the models support Wi-Fi for easy placement and simple connection to the Internet. The Roku 3 also includes a wired connection. That is great for streaming for those who can easily get an Ethernet cable to their TV set.

The hardware is excellent for the price, but just as good is the software. Roku offers one of the widest varieties of compatible streaming services.

More than 700 “channels” are supported, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, Crackle, Vimeo, HBO Go and more. It also supports Plex for streaming movies, music, photos and more from your computer.

Roku didn’t originally support YouTube, but a recent update added it. So now you can watch all the user-created videos you want.

Roku doesn’t just offer TV shows and movies. You can play games like Angry Birds, watch sports and check in on your social media. The Roku 2 and 3 come with a remote that has a built-in headphone jack so you can watch movies without disturbing anyone else.

For price and performance, Roku is one of the best choices. You’ll definitely want to put it near the top of your list of contenders.

Buy if: You want a large number of supported channels; You want a solid performer in the $50 to $80 range; You need something for an older TV

Pass if: You want iTunes support; You want to pay less than $50

Apple TV
The Apple TV has been around since 2007 and it has a well-deserved reputation for power and simplicity. Plus, at $100 it isn’t outrageously priced like some Apple gadgets.

On the hardware front it isn’t as powerful as some other gadgets I’ve listed, and the software doesn’t have as many bells and whistles. What sets the Apple TV apart, however, is its connection to iTunes. If that’s where you buy your movies, shows and music, then Apple TV is your only choice.

Apple TV can also handle popular sites such as Netflix, YouTube and Flickr. Plus, using AirPlay you can send content from other Apple gadgets to your TV with little hassle.

Buy if: You need access to iTunes; You have a lot of other Apple hardware
Pass if: You want more software features; You don’t use iTunes; You want to spend less money

Google Chromecast
As usual, Google was a bit late to the party but made a big entrance; its $35 Chromecast turned the streaming world on its head. This little USB drive-sized stick was the first to plug right into your TV’s HDMI so it stays out of the way.

Unlike the other gadgets that connect to the Internet and stream videos directly, Chromecast get its content from your computer, smartphone or tablet.

For example, you fire up a Netflix app on your smartphone or load up a YouTube video in the Chrome browser and then push a special button. The content is immediately sent to your TV. Your computer or gadget then acts like a remote control.

The best part is that you can still use your phone, tablet or laptop while it’s streaming. You can surf the Web or use another app while you’re watching your show. You can even start watching on one gadget and let another gadget take full control.

The Chrome browser compatibility is nice because you can play just about any Web video and stream it to your TV. On the other hand, it won’t work with any other browser.

Buy if: You want a low-cost streaming option; You need something for a second TV
Pass if: You don’t want to keep a smartphone, tablet or computer handy to stream videos; You want more streaming options

Google also has GoogleTV, which makes the Google Play marketplace and Chrome browser available on your TV. You’ll find it built into some streaming gadgets and even some TVs. The only real benefit is the Chrome browser for surfing the Internet. In the areas of price and other features, you’d be better off with another option.

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Ultimate Guide to Solving iOS Battery Drain

Click on this link for a troubleshooting guide to solving iPhone Battery Drain Problems:

http://www.overthought.org/blog/2014/the-ultimate-guide-to-solving-ios-battery-drain


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Windows 8.1 users: It's time to move to Windows 8.1 Update By Mary Jo Foley

Summary: As of April 8, Microsoft will make available to all Windows 8.1 users an update for the
operating system. In order to continue to get patches, 8.1 users need to move to it soon.

As of tomorrow, April 8, all Windows 8.1 users will be able to move to Windows 8.1 Update.

Microsoft will be making the Update -- formerly known by those of us who've been tracking it for a while now as "Update 1" and/or "Spring Update" -- available via Windows Update. This just in: It will be available starting around 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT Tuesday via the Control Panel, meaning users can manually obtain and install it. Automatic delivery of the Update will be throttled, so users may not see it show up until some time later.

The Update, designed primarily to make Windows 8 more palatable for mouse/keyboard users, will be designated as an "Important" security update when it's rolled out tomorrow. It's actually very important, as Microsoft is going to require all Windows 8.1 users to have Windows 8.1 Update installed if they plan to continue to download any security or feature updates to the operating system.

Microsoft's Premier Field Engineering blog, in an April 7 post outlining the update, makes this plain:
"Failure to install this (Windows 8.1) Update will prevent Windows Update from patching your system with any future updates starting with Updates released in May 2014 (get busy!)"

A Microsoft Springboard Series blog post from April 2 also emphasizes that Windows 8.1 users need to move to Update to continue getting patches.

This requirement does not apply to Windows 8 users who have not upgraded already to Windows 8.1, confirmed Mark Morowczynski, a Microsoft Premier Field Engineer. Windows 8 will remain supported by Microsoft until January 12, 2016, according to its lifecycle page. Users have until that time to move to Windows 8.1 and/or future Windows releases to remain supported by the company. (I have a question into Microsoft's Windows team to triple check that this is the case.)

The Windows 8.1 Update is cumulative and includes all previously released security and non-security updates. It also requires users be running Windows 8.1 as a prerequisite, so those still running plain-old Windows 8 need to do a two-step upgrade, the Premier Field Engineering folks note.  Update: Those running Windows 8 will be able to move to 8.1 Update without updating to 8.1 first, Microsoft officials said.

Microsoft made Windows 8.1 Update available on April 2 to its MSDN/TechNet subscribers. I installed those bits, courtesy of Microsoft, and am a lot happier with Windows 8.1 as a result. I use the mouse a lot, even with touch devices. I found the Update makes moving between the Metro-Style/"Modern" and Desktop environments somewhat less jarring.

As the Ask Premier Field Engineering blog notes, Windows 8.1 Update "will likely change your system's current behavior." Those using devices other than pure touch tablets will see their systems boot to Desktop by default, though users can change this setting and still boot straight to the Metro-Style/Start Menu if they prefer.

The Start Menu and windowed Metro-Style apps that Microsoft officials acknowledged were coming are NOT part of this Update.

Other tidbits worth knowing:
    •    The Windows 8.1 Update actually consists of several individual updates. The prerequisite for all of these is KB2919442, which Microsoft distributed in March.
    •    Windows 8.1 media/WIMs/TechNet ISOs/Store bits will be slipstreamed with this Update "in the near term," according to the blog post. That date looks like April 14 for volume licensees, based on last week's Springboard blog post.
    •    The Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) has been updated to accommodate the changes to Windows with this Update

By the way, it's not just Windows client getting this update; server is getting it, as well. Windows Server 2012 R2 Update. Microsoft began rolling this server-side update out to TechNet/MSDN subscribers on April 2.

The Windows Server version of the update includes all the previously-released monthly roll-ups, updates and security fixes since RTM; various bug fixes; Enterprise Mode for Internet Explorer (also included in Windows 8.1 Update) and more.

Windows Server 2012 R2 users also need to apply this Update if they want continued patches and fixes delivered to them.

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How to print Office for iPad documents by Joe Kissell

Microsoft’s recently released Office for iPad apps (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) have some great features.  Unfortunately, printing isn’t yet one of them. Microsoft says that printing will be included in a future update, but it wasn’t available at the suite’s initial launch.

But never fear: You can in fact print Office documents from your iPad right now. (Assuming, of course, you've already set up your iPad and printer appropriately.) All it takes is a few extra steps plus an extra app or two.

Microsoft's own OneDrive cloud-storage service, where Office for iPad apps store their files, provides the essential workaround. The trick is to get the file you want to print from OneDrive into an app that supports printing. Those apps fall into two categories: Those that connect directly to OneDrive; and those that print documents sent from OneDrive via the Open In command.

Here are some examples of each.
Print from a OneDrive-capable app

Numerous apps connect to cloud storage from multiple providers and also support AirPrint. A quick survey of the apps on my iPad at the moment turned up several in this category:

Documents 2 (Savy Soda, $4; free version available; supports only .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx formats);
Documents 5 (Readdle, free);
FileManager (TapMedia, free);
GoodReader for iPad (Good.iWare, $5); and
PrintCentral (EuroSmartz, $7).

You may already have one of these or other apps that support both OneDrive and printing. Although their details of operation vary, the basic instructions are: set up the app to connect to your OneDrive account (if you haven’t done so already); locate and download the document you want to print; and tap the Print icon (sometimes hidden in the Share popover).
features. Unfortunately, printing isn’t yet one of them. Microsoft says that printing will be included in a future update, but it wasn’t available at the suite’s initial launch.

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One thing you must do right now in response to the ‘Heartbleed’ bug by Kim Komando

In case you missed it, the big news of the week is the “Heartbleed” bug that’s been exposing sensitive

However, I’ve gotten lots of questions asking for more detail on a specific suggestion I made for staying safe. So, here it is, in more detail.

And this advice isn’t just for Heartbleed; every computer user needs to know how to do this one thing.

I am, of course, talking about the right way to change your online passwords. Even if you think you know how, read on to make sure you aren’t missing an important step.

Controversy: There is still some debate about when you should change your online passwords in response to Heartbleed. If you change a password before Heartbleed is fixed on a site, hackers can get your new password and you’ll have to change it again.

On the other hand, hackers might already have your information and could use it at any moment if you don’t change your password. So, it’s really up to you how you want to proceed. I think changing your password immediately is better, but I understand it makes things more difficult. Let’s be honest; Heartbleed is a very difficult problem, for all of us.

Fortunately, most of the major sites have updated their servers at this point, so it should be fine to change your passwords. Click here to see which major sites were affected. For smaller sites, you can check to see if they’re still a threat with these sites.

Before I talk about changing passwords, I should point out a password danger you might not know. Did you know that your browser is saving every password you type? And, even worse, did you know anyone can see them if they know where to look?

It’s true. I’ve talked before about this problem and even wrote up the instructions for where to look. Click here to find out what they are for your browser. Of course, these instructions are for you to check out your passwords; don’t use them to snoop on anyone else’s passwords.

This is also a good way to find accounts you’ve created online in the past that you forgot about. Given the scope of Heartbleed – up to two thirds of all websites, remember – you want to be as thorough as possible.

1. Create a list of sites

Start with a list of the websites where you have accounts. This is probably going to be a long list, but it can’t be helped.

2. Prioritize

Find out which sites Heartbleed affected from this list. That list sticks mostly to major sites, so for smaller sites use these tools to see if Heartbleed is still a problem.

Move the most sensitive sites, like email and social media, to the top of the list and work your way down to the least important.

Note: Major bank sites didn’t have a problem with Heartbleed. However, if you used the same password for other accounts as you did for your banking account, you need to change that as well.

3. Make new passwords

If you’re changing your passwords, obviously you need to make new ones. Be sure they’re strong and unique for every site. Click here for my steps to creating strong, unique passwords that are easy to remember.

Bonus tip: Don’t forget to beef up your security questions while you’re at it.

If you’re worried about remembering your passwords, you can use a password manager like KeePass. This will store your passwords in an encrypted file, and you only need to remember one password to open it. It can even make super-secure passwords for you.

4. Change your passwords

Visit the first site on your list and log in to your account like you normally would. The option to change your password is usually under the Profile or Settings section.

If you don’t remember your password or are having trouble finding where to change it, click the “Forgot password” link. This is usually near the sign-in area and will eventually land you on the page to set a new password.

Bonus tip: If the site is one you haven’t used in a while, think about if you actually need an account. If you don’t, close out your account or replace your information with junk information. A site like AccountKiller will tell you how to close your account on most major websites.

Once you’ve changing a password, cross that account off your list and move on to the next one. Once you’re done, keep the list handy for reference in case a site you might have forgotten pops into your head later. You can check to see if you already hit it.

5. Avoid scams

Scammers are going to use this Heartbleed situation to try and trick you. Lots of real sites are sending out email asking you to change your password. Scammers are going to try slipping some fake email into your inbox as well.

The ironclad rule is to never click on an email link to change your password (or for any other in an unsolicited email). Always go to the site yourself and follow the directions I gave above.

Links in fake email will take you to malicious sites, or a page that looks like the legitimate site’s login page. If you put in your password, hackers will have full access to your real account. So, be careful.
information on two-thirds of the websites on the Internet for the last two years. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds.

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Question even the smallest charges by Clark Howard

Have you seen a suspicious charge for $9.84, $10.37 or $12.96 on your credit or debit card recently?

In the past, I’ve told you about a criminal ring based in suburban Los Angeles that went to a bank and bought the credit card numbers of 2 million customers. The crooks put small charges of less than $10 on all the cards month after month. Eventually, they stole hundred of millions of dollars.

Only 7 percent of people ever noticed the bogus charges. We talk about balancing our checkbooks and carefully vetting our credit card statements, but apparently it’s just lip service.

And now in what’s shaping up to be a similar scenario, people around the country are reporting mysterious charges from an entity called BLS WebLearn, according to Consumerist.

No one quite knows what is behind the latest most common charges of $10.37, or $12.96, but Consumerist thinks they may be linked to a previous flurry of scams.

The most-likely theory is that these nominal amounts are being run to see if a credit card is active. If the charge goes through, the criminals know they can later hit those cards for larger charges.

Years ago this happened to me with my Diner’s Club card, which I used in Budapest during a staff dinner. Within hours a duplicate card was made and being used in Italy! The fraud division at Diner’s Club noticed I couldn’t possibly have been in Budapest and then Rome just a few hours later and they promptly shut the card number down.

The takeaway for you is that you’ve got to go through your credit card statement line item by line item. You must dispute any unrecognized charges — even if it is for only $9 or $10 and change.

If so, you’re not alone.

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Windows XP Users - Save $100 Instantly

Windows XP Users - Save $100 Instantly

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Here's $100 if you upgrade to a Windows 8 computer from XP by Kim Komando

I’ve been telling Windows XP users for months that you need to do something about that old machine.

Microsoft is going to stop doing security updates after April 8, and you’re going to be extremely vulnerable to hacks, malware and data theft if you keep using your old computer online.

As I’ve said before, many XP users may want to try to avoid Windows 8, which has been getting a lot of bad reviews, in favor of a Windows 7 machine. The Windows 7 interface is a lot more familiar to XP users. (For my story on good cheap alternatives, click here.)

In any case, though, you need to do something. If you’re ready to bite the bullet and get a Windows 8 machine, Microsoft is finally taking some substantive steps to make it easier.

This just in: a $100 credit toward a Windows 8 computer or one of the company’s top tablets. None of them is cheap; the $100 is good toward any that cost more than $599.

There’s also an older offer of $50 future credit in a Microsoft Store for XP upgraders.
It’s not clear exactly how the company is going to limit the offer to XP users; here’s the fine print:
Offer applies to customers who make online purchase(s) with a qualifying Windows XP device, or customer who present a qualifying Windows XP device during purchase(s) in-store only.

Microsoft’s full offer can be read here.

My advice on what the end of XP means to you can be read here.

More Windows XP advice from the Wall Street Journal can be read here.

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A new Windows 8.1 update tries to win back desktop diehards by Ed Bott

Summary: With its second major update to Windows 8 in less than 18 months, Microsoft is trying to

Microsoft is about to deliver an update to Windows 8.1, its second significant set of changes since the launch of Windows 8 less than 18 months ago.

Last week, someone in Redmond inadvertently left the final update packages available on Windows Update for anyone to install. I’ve had a couple days to use the newly updated Windows interface on a handful of machines.

Here's some background on why this update exists.

The biggest mistake Microsoft made with Windows 8 was to deliberately eliminate some of the touchstones of the Windows 7 desktop interface, while still leaving most of that desktop intact. As I wrote a few months after the original release of Windows 8:

That decision alienated many desktop users and created a wedge issue that has distracted from the many impressive accomplishments in Windows 8. I know some people (myself included) who have adapted to the new ways and even prefer them. Those who would rather stick with the old paradigms can't catch a break from Microsoft, though. They need to tweak the system extensively and use third-party utilities to achieve the desired result.

Windows 8.1 was a first, very large step on the road to rectifying that mistake. This update—let’s call it Windows 8.1.1—is a continuation of those changes, designed to make the new OS work more smoothly on conventional PCs driven by a keyboard and mouse.

A word of warning: If you’re a Metro hater, this update will do almost nothing to make you feel all warm and fuzzy. The Windows 7-style Start menu is not coming back. This update sticks with the fundamental design principles of the Windows 8 interface, and nothing in it comes close to restoring the Windows 7 desktop interface. It is still the Windows 8.x interface, evolved, with that evolution clearly driven by powerful negative feedback.

Many of the changes that are at the core of Windows 8.1 Update 1 won’t really be visible until we see new PCs with this version of Windows installed as the base operating system. For traditional PCs that are designed for use with a keyboard and a mouse, the new OS will be configured to go to the desktop by default. It will also be less of a disk-space and memory hog, making it possible for this version of Windows to run on tablets with as little as 16 GB of flash storage.

If you install this update when it arrives in April (via Windows Update, not via the Windows Store), the first thing you’ll notice is a series of changes to the Start screen. Alongside the picture and name of the current logged-in user are a new Power button and a Search button. Both of them are designed to reduce the need to play Where’s Windows? with the well-hidden Windows 8 Charms menu.

There’s also an option to right-click on tiles on the Start screen or in the more complete Apps view screen, which lists every installed desktop program and app. That option exposes a new, familiar-looking context-sensitive menu so you can resize those tiles or pin them to the Start screen or to the taskbar.

Oh yeah, that’s the really big change in this update: The taskbar is no longer just for the desktop. It can include Windows Store (Metro style) apps, so you can switch between desktop programs and Windows Store apps with one click. And the new, unified taskbar is available from the Start screen and from any Windows Store app, with a simple gesture.

Move the mouse to the bottom of the screen in Windows 8.1.1 and the taskbar appears. I’ve seen some complaints that the action is inconsistent. It works fine on multiple test systems here. I think what others are seeing is a deliberate design decision. If you move the mouse pointer casually to the bottom of the screen, the taskbar doesn’t pop up as a distracting element. If you really want to see the taskbar, you move the mouse with purpose, or move it to the bottom of the screen and then, after a very brief pause, move it down ever so slightly.

From the taskbar, you can preview any running program or Windows Store app, just as you can on the desktop, and switch to it with a click.

The other big complaint from early users of Windows 8 was that it was impossible to figure out how to close or switch away from Windows Store apps. The solution in Windows 8.1 Update 1 is a new title bar, with Minimize and Close buttons, which appears when you bump the mouse up against the top of the screen.

What’s noteworthy about all these changes is that they appear only when you use a mouse. If you use a touchscreen to navigate through Windows 8, you’ll see the taskbar only on the desktop, and you’ll only see the new title bars if you use a mouse.

There are a few additional usability tweaks in this update, including some welcome changes in Internet Explorer. There are also fixes you can’t see, aimed at improving security and performance and swatting bugs.

Will this update quiet the I-hate-Metro crowd? Probably not. Will it make Windows users on desktop machines more productive? Almost certainly.

ease the pain for Windows users who are befuddled by the Windows 8 interface on conventional PCs. Here's what you can expect. Will it be enough to calm the troubled waters?

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The next Patch Tuesday (March 10, 2014) will be the last one for Windows XP by Kim Komando

The next Patch Tuesday (March 10, 2014) will be the last one for Windows XP.

Are you running Windows XP?

If you are, you will start seeing the warning above from your computer.
Should you ignore it?

No! “End of Support” means that Windows will no longer send out security updates. That means if you are using that computer to do email or buy things online, your personal information will be at risk.

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Apple Drops Support for Windows 7 in Boot Camp for New Mac Pro by Leif Johnson

Windows 7 remains one of the most popular operating systems for Apple's rival Microsoft, but new support documents (via MacRumors), Apple's Boot Camp for the new Mac Pro no longer supports installations of the 2009 platform. If you want to run Windows on your sleek 2013 Mac Pro, in other words, you're going to install Windows 8.

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Beyond the Basics - Six Tips for Better Formatting in Microsoft Word by Walter Glenn

Beyond the Basics- Six Tips for Better Formatting in Microsoft Word by Walter Glenn

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LifeHacker: How to Find the Right Tablet For You by Eric Ravenscraft

In only a few short years, the world has gone from having almost no tablets worth owning to far too many. Between iPads, the various Android tablets, and Microsoft's not-quite-laptop offerings, how do you know which ones are worth your money? With our handy guide, of course.

Right off the bat, we'll mention one key thing: whether or not a tablet is useful is hugely subjective. For some, a tablet is a cheap and robust productivity tool with plenty of worthwhile uses, others might find it as little more than an entertainment device, and still others may have no use for them whatsoever. If you're content with your laptop and smartphone, this guide probably isn't going to change your mind. However, if you're in the market, there are a few questions you should answer.

Which OS Should You Use?

One could be tempted to think that whatever smartphone OS you use should be what you get on your tablet. While synergy between operating systems is great, you don't necessarily have to stay with a particular platform. Whether or not you have access to all the same services in just the way you want them is up for debate (and a bit too complex for this piece), but each operating system offers its own unique advantages and disadvantages:

iOS

At the moment, the iPad line represents the most overwhelmingly popular tablet operating system on the planet. The iPad was also the device that kicked off the modern tablet movement. As a result, it runs the most mature tablet OS of all the ones on this list. That doesn't make it the clear winner for everyone, but it does have its perks:

Advantages:

    It has the biggest app selection: From the moment the first iPad launched, iOS has emphasized development of apps specifically designed to make use of the extra screen real estate. Because of the way iOS handles apps, there are fewer apps overall than Android (a distinction we'll get to in a bit), but still more apps that are optimized for the tablet form factor.

    The hardware selection is simple and high quality: Outside of the iOS world, you can find garbage tablets as low as $100 or overpriced devices that can't do much for over $1,000. The iPad selection is comparatively simpler and you don't tend to find much junk. The iPad Mini and iPad Aire are both high quality and well-reviewed devices. You have to go out of your way to buy a universally bad iPad.

    iPads hold their value fairly well: One of the curses of mobile devices is that they iterate fast and update slow. A laptop purchased five years ago may be able to run modern software, but tablets—no matter the OS—tend to taper off in support after 2-4 years. With iPads, however, selling your old hardware can result in a higher return than other devices.

Disadvantages:

    iPads aren't cheap (unless you buy used or refurbished): Part of the reason you don't find junk iPads is because they're not cheap. The cheapest brand new iPad you can get is $400, which costs nearly twice as much as the benchmark cheap Android tablet, the Nexus 7. While you can buy older devices, as stated in the previous section, they tend to hold their value. Which means you could end up paying more for older devices that are closer to losing support or missing out on new features. Refurbished devices are a good way to get cheaper Apple devices, but you can still end up paying more for a refurbished iPad than you would for a brand new tablet from another platform.

    There are only two hardware choices: While both iPad models are high quality, that's also all you get. One 10" tablet and one 8" tablet are the only available options. No smaller devices, no in-between sizes, no tablets with styluses, kickstands, lasers, or portals to other dimensions.

Android

Google's darling operating system may have dominated the smartphone market, but the tablet side of things hasn't been quite as lucky. Apple still maintains its position as the tablet front runner. However, Android still has some exciting things to offer if you want to get a slate from the Google-ish camp.

Advantages:

    Android tablets come in a crazy variety of sizes: You wouldn't think that there would be a huge difference between a 7" tablet and an 8" tablet, but someone has a strong opinion about everything. If the Nexus 7 is too small for you, but a Note 10.1 is just superfluous, you can try out an 8.3" LG tablet.

    There are tons of unique features and options: Because Android tablets start with a common ecosystem, manufacturers have to find different ways to stand out. Samsung has the Note line that come with styluses and drawing/writing software. ASUS offers tablets that dock into keyboards to turn into makeshift laptops, as well as phones that dock into tablets for a single device that changes form factors. They're not all winners, but if you want to try something different, Android is where you'll find it.

    The OS is incredibly flexible: The biggest downside to using mobile OSes like iOS and Android for tablets is that they can't do as much as a laptop. Android gets the closest, though. Between native support for mice and keyboard accessories, floating apps, and remote desktop services, you can get the best of both worlds by having a tablet that can do almost anything a desktop can.

    Cheaper options are available: While some Android tablets can get expensive, there are a number of devices you can get that cost less than $250, without sacrificing quality. The Nexus 7 began the tradition, but a few other manufacturers have followed suit.

Disadvantages:

    Some Android tablets suck: There are a lot of good choices out there if you want to buy an Android tablet and get some bang for your buck. There are also a lot of junk devices. The race to make them cheaper and cheaper has resulted in a flood of crappy devices that aren't worth the cost of the box they come in. We'll come back to how to identify which ones suck later in the article.

    There aren't as many tablet-oriented apps: Android has a pretty robust ecosystem on phones and most of those apps can run on tablets without much modification to the code. That doesn't mean they're good, though. Even some major apps like Twitter and Facebook can technically be installed on tablets, but because they're not optimized for the extra space, they look crappy. While the situation has gotten way better over the years, it's still not perfect yet.

Windows 8

There are actually two different versions of Microsoft's tablet operating system. Windows RT is pared down version of Windows 8 that's designed solely to run on tablets. Meanwhile, Windows 8 proper is equipped to handle touchscreen input, but can still run regular desktop apps. Windows RT is typically used in cheaper Windows tablets, but Windows 8 is used in more expensive pro models and laptop/tablet hybrids. Windows 8 is also much better at replacing a laptop.

Advantages:

    Windows 8 has the most robust collection of apps: Not all of Windows 8's apps are optimized for tablet usage, but with a keyboard and mouse connected, you could install Steam, download Bioshock Infinite and take on Comstock from your tablet. No other platform boasts that level of compatibility.

    Pro tablets can have much more powerful hardware: Because Windows 8 has been written for x86 architectures, you can find Windows tablets or convertibles running on hardware that's considerably more powerful than the ARM-based tablets that mobile OSes like Android and iOS are built on.

    Microsoft Office: In addition to the existing library of software that Windows 8 tablets can share with desktops, both the regular Windows 8 and Windows RT have robust versions of Office available. This might not be the most exciting feature, but if you want to use your tablet to actually do any work, Office can be a huge benefit.

Disadvantages:

    Windows RT tablets are underpowered (and might be dead anyway): Windows RT tablets have a lot going for them, but app selection isn't one of them. The market is fairly sparse, at least compared to Android or iOS. On top of that, Windows RT hasn't performed very well and it's unclear if Microsoft even intends to keep RT as a long-term part of its OS plan.

    Some of the best Windows 8 tablets are as expensive as laptops: It's not impossible to find a Windows 8 tablet that's worth your money, but you start to run into the same problem you have with laptops: the ones that are cheap can be pieces of junk, while the ones that are worth the cost can cost so much that there's no price benefit over a laptop. If that's in your budget, great, but if you're looking at tablets as a way to save money over the alternative, it can be hard with Windows. Of course, if you're already planning to buy a laptop, that's one less thing you have to buy, so the expense may be worth it.

What Size Should You Buy?

What size tablet you want to get is mostly a matter of subjective opinion. Mostly. If you're looking for something to read books and browse the web on, a 7" tablet might be useful for you. If you want to get any work done or connect accessories and dock your tablet at a workstation, a 10" device or larger could be more appropriate. The best way to find out which size you prefer is to go to a store and try them out. Take care to note not just the screen size, but also the weight, as it will be putting a lot of stress on your wrists.

A Note About Android Apps

There is one area where the size of your tablet plays a huge role in how you use it that goes beyond personal preference. As stated earlier, due to the unique way that Android handles apps, a developer can change a single line of code and apps will scale to fit the display they're on. On 7-8" tablets that are designed to be used in portrait mode, this can result in what are essentially scaled up phone apps. When you get to 9-10" tablets or above, they typically start getting used in landscape mode instead of portrait. At best this results in horrible, unusable experiences for unoptimized apps (like Facebook), and at worst, apps that are incapable of displaying in landscape and force you to rotate the device to use them.

Android tablets get a bad rap but there are actually quite a few apps that have been designed or optimized for tablets.

This is both a blessing and a curse for Android tablets. If you don't mind apps that are less-than-perfectly optimized, you may not even notice the difference with a smaller, portrait-oriented tablet. However, getting a larger device is more likely to result in disruptive and annoying incompatibilities. You can check out our collection of Android tablet apps to get an idea of what the selection of tablet-optimized apps are like.

Which Tablets Are Worth Buying?

If you're looking into getting an iPad, you don't have any choice in which models and manufacturer you go with. However, in the Android and Windows world, there are certain criteria to consider if you want to avoid the junk.

    Read professional reviews: Reviews may not always be necessary, but when it comes to tablets, the best way to distinguish between trash and treasure is by professional opinion. Comparing specs isn't nearly as important as you might think, but a professional review can tell you that the LG G Pad 8.3 is only okay, but literally the same device in a Google Play Edition is excellent.

    Stick to devices with recent software: This is more of a problem with Android, but tablets should ideally last a bit longer than, say, your phone. For that reason, if you buy a tablet that's two or three versions behind the most current OS, you'll probably end up left behind in terms of updates sooner than you'd like. Nexus devices in particular are good about receiving timely updates.

    Pick your hardware features carefully: Both Android and Windows 8 offer some unique hardware features that are worth factoring into your decision. The Note line as well as some Surface models offer robust stylus support. The Transformer line of tablets also offer battery-boosting keyboard docks. However, these features should be evaluated independently of the tablets themselves.

When Should You Buy?

Due to the rapidly updating nature of mobile devices, there are good times and bad times to buy tablets. Apple tends to release tablets on a fairly regular schedule, but Android and Windows manufacturers launch new devices year round. While there's always something new right around the corner, there are certain seasons to watch out for.

When to Buy an iPad:
When it comes to when to buy any Apple device, iPad or otherwise, your one, best resource is the MacRumor's buyer's guide. The site will tell you how long it's been since the last refresh, when Apple usually updates the product line you're looking for, and whether it's a good idea to buy now. It couldn't be simpler.

When to Buy an Android Tablet:
Picking the right time to buy an Android tablet is a bit harder because Google releases new versions of Android roughly every six months, but they don't always come with new tablets. For the last two years, though, Google I/O—which usually happens around May or June—has seen a new Nexus 7 tablet. If you're looking for a tablet in the Spring, it's probably a good idea to wait it out.

When to Buy a Windows Tablet:
Windows is on a much, much longer OS update cycle than Android and iOS. The plus side is that if you're looking for a full Windows 8 tablet, you probably won't go too wrong. However, you can still follow some of the same rules you would for buying laptops. The holiday season is the best time to get a great deal on some hardware, while CES in January sees an influx of new hardware models. This means the Spring and the Fall tend to be better times to buy than Summer and Winter.

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3 simple secrets to save big on your cellular bill by Kim Komando

I don’t know about you, but for a long time my cellular bill was outrageous. For what I was paying, I

Instead, I was treated to AT&T’s “no bars in more places” coverage (not that any of the other carriers are more consistent between my office, home and other places I travel). While that situation is slowly improving, the cost isn’t.

Once you add up the voice minutes, text minutes, cellular data, service fees, the cost of the phone – it’s just too much. And as you add more phones and upgrade to 4G cellular, it only gets worse.

Sure you can get a basic phone with a basic plan – and for some people that works – although it’s still way more than it should be. But you shouldn’t have to forego a smartphone or fast on-the-go Internet if you really want them.

Fortunately, I know a few tricks to shave money off your cellular bill – and one “money saver” to avoid.

Free messaging

I’ll admit that for most people, this secret isn’t as useful as it used to be. And that’s a good thing!

Originally, the idea was that you could drop your carrier’s $10 or $20 a month texting plan and use a free messaging app like Apple’s iMessage, TextFree, WhatsApp or TextPlus instead.

These apps send messages using your phone’s cellular plan or over Wi-Fi. Given that text messages use so little data, these apps effectively give you free, unlimited texting to anywhere in the world.

The last time I talked about these, I pointed out that 17.6 billion texts are sent a year versus 19 billion messages using messaging apps. Obviously, people were tired of carriers overcharging for texting plans.

Since then the cellular carriers have taken notice. Unlimited text messaging is included in just about every plan you can buy – as it should be.

Of course, that’s still U.S. texting. International texting is still going to cost you extra, unless you use a messaging app. However, that’s changing, too.

On March 23, T-Mobile is upgrading its plans with unlimited international texting and data in 120+ countries. I’m sure the other carriers will eventually follow suit.

While this is good for consumers, it does mean you can’t quickly lower your bill by ditching texting. But it does mean you can drop your cellular plan entirely or switch to a no-data pre-paid plan and still have unlimited free messaging over Wi-Fi.

If you don’t travel much, or want to turn your iPad or old smartphone into a low-cost messaging center, it’s the perfect way to do it. Learn more surprising uses for old smartphones and tablets.

Next up: More on reducing your data use and switching to pre-paid plans.

When you’re choosing a cellular plan a big decision is the amount of data. Are you going to go for a few hundred megabytes, a gigabyte, two gigabytes or 10 gigabytes? The more data you get, the higher the cost.

First, you need to see how much data you’re really going to use. Most smartphones have data monitors built in under Settings. Or you can grab a third-party data monitoring app.

Most people will find that two to three gigabytes is enough. However, with a little creative management, you can probably drop that even further.

Grab the free app Onavo Extend. It compresses your cellular data, so can get up to five times more use out of your current plan.

We all know that we should try to connect to a Wi-Fi network before doing things like downloading or updating apps, transferring photos, streaming music or watching movies. Don’t we?

You can usually find free Wi-Fi wherever you are – click here to learn how.

In fact, using the messaging apps I mentioned above, along with calling apps like Skype and Viber, you can drop your cellular plan entirely and just use Wi-Fi.

Just be careful when using public Wi-Fi that you aren’t giving hackers information they shouldn’t have. Learn all about staying safe on public Wi-Fi.

Keep reading for the last money-saving tip – and a tactic you shouldn’t try to save money.
Take the long view

As odd as it sounds, sometimes you have to spend money now to save money in the long run. That’s the case with pre-paid and no-contract cellular plans.

You have to pay more upfront for the phone, but the longer you keep your phone, the more you save over a two-year contract. It isn’t for everyone, but you should definitely research it.

Click here to see my breakdown of the amount you can save with no-contract cellular plans.
Something to avoid

Cellular carriers know you want to save money, so they introduce new plan wrinkles that appear to save you money, but do the exact opposite.

One of those things is early-upgrader options like Verizon Edge, AT&T Next and T-Mobile Jump. They sound like a good deal at first glance – you can upgrade early without paying the full amount of a new phone, but it doesn’t quite add up under close scrutiny.
expected to be able to communicate with other planets.

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7 sites - some you've never heard of - to watch TV and movies for free online by Kim Komando

Gone are the days when you were hopelessly tied to high cable bills. Now there are plenty of options

But even non-cable options aren't completely free. And if you're not paying attention you could still rack up quite a bill.

So to cut out the hassle of finding places to watch your favorite movies and TV shows I've brought together some of the best sites that stream for free (legally). You'll find hours of entertainment for the whole family!

YouTube - Believe it or not, YouTube has more uses than funny cat videos and crazy dash cam footage. YouTube hosts plenty of free movies, and not just user-created clips.

YouTube Movies offers full-length feature films from Hollywood and around the world and many are completely free! You can also find classic films, independent films, and Disney movies. But remember, some of these movies are not suitable for all audiences, so be sure to surf for movies with your kids.

Internet Archive - When a film enters the public domain, it means that you and I own it! So where's your copy of the original Little Shop of Horrors? It's online at the Internet Archive.

This site collects public-domain works, so it's mostly classic films. Features, shorts, silent films, talkies and even vintage newsreels and advertisements are available. You can get your fix of classic noir and Charlie Chaplin right here.

Big Five Glories - During the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema in the 1930s and '40s, the five biggest production companies were Fox, RKO, Paramount, Warner Bros. and MGM. Four of them are still making movies, but Big Five has movies from all of them.

You'll be able to find many of the most glorious pictures made between 1903 and 1976 on Big Five Glories. All these classic flicks stream without commercial interruption.

Crackle - If you'd rather browse from hundreds of more contemporary movies, Crackle has plenty of popular options for television shows and movies. Many of them are recent blockbusters, but there are also a number of classic, underground and independent choices.

There are hundreds of films and TV shows from every genre. Crackle is supported by advertising, so each video will have commercial breaks. Again, not all the content is appropriate for everyone.

Hulu - One of the most popular sources for brand-new TV shows and movies is Hulu. Hulu hosts hundreds of shows, many of them recently broadcast on major networks.

Hulu is also supported by commercials, and you will be required to create an account and sign in to view content intended for mature audiences. But there are also plenty of movies for kids and the whole family to watch.
for watching your favorite movies or TV shows, one of which includes cutting the cord to cable.

Viewster - You'll find plenty of popular and contemporary movies at Viewster. Here's a site that collects tons of films from every genre that flew under the radar. Most of these films will be lesser known, but no less enjoyable.

Most of them are free, although some will give you a choice between watching advertisements or paying a $3 fee. Be careful when watching with kids: Many of these films are not rated and could include objectionable material.

Listen To A Movie - Audio books make a lot of sense for those times when you have your hands or your eyes full. The same is true when it comes to movies!

Listen To A Movie is a site that has hundreds of flicks - well, the audio from hundreds of flicks! There are also TV shows, radio programs and stand-up comedy. As with Viewster, there are no ratings attached to any media, so use your own discretion.

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February 2014 eNewsletter

News From High Tech House Calls by Carl Thorne

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Carl Thorne
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Don't panic, but that public Wi-Fi is coming from ... inside your house By Julio Ojeda-Zapata jojeda@pioneerpress.com

When Comcast asked Ronaldo Boschulte to swap out his malfunctioning broadband modem and Wi-Fi router with an all-new model late last year, he didn't know the Internet device was a high-tech Trojan horse of sorts.

Comcast fessed up a bit later in an email to the Maple Grove man.

The new Xfinity-branded modem and Wi-Fi router also works as a public Wi-Fi hotspot.

This means any Comcast subscribers within range can gain access to the Internet, via the router, simply by tapping in their Xfinity credentials.

"I didn't know it had a hotspot" feature, the accountant said. "That was pretty much a surprise."

Boschulte has plenty of company in this regard -- and not all are thrilled about it. Some Xfinity subscribers, when made aware of this public-hotspot feature embedded in their home routers, have reacted with a mixture of apprehension and suspicion. Others say they like it.

Comcast residential customers by the hundreds of thousands across the country now have the new Xfinity routers with this public-hotspot feature, which makes their homes rough equivalents of coffee shops and other public venues that have long offered free Wi-Fi.

Modems that Comcast sets up for its small-business clientele also are capable of broadcasting two separate Wi-Fi signals -- one for private use by the company staffers and visitors and another for public use by any Xfinity subscriber who happens to be nearby.

Nearly 200 Twin Cities businesses with such public Xfinity Wi-Fi are listed in a "hotspot finder" directory at hotspots.wifi.comcast.com. Comcast, based in Philadelphia, is the No. 1 cable and Internet service provider in the Twin Cities.

Xfinity neighborhood and small-business hotspots, when lumped together, are approaching the 1 million mark, Comcast executives said during an earnings call last week. That is up from about half a million over the past year.

And the Internet and cable-television behemoth makes no secret of its plan to raise that figure as it aspires to be a major U.S. Wi-Fi provider -- with the assistance of customers and their residential and business facilities.

Such customers aren't required to broadcast such public Wi-Fi signals, the company stresses, and they can easily turn it off.

But Comcast hopes they won't.

Comcast's grand plan to stitch together vast urban webs of overlapping and interlocking Wi-Fi networks is a major branding exercise, for one thing. Every such public hotspot has the same moniker -- "xfinitywifi" -- that is readily detectable by any Internet-capable laptop computer or mobile device via their Wi-Fi control panels. Xfinity also makes available apps for this purpose.

Comcast users log on to any such network with their Xfinity usernames and passwords.

Comcast hopes this might spur those who aren't Xfinity subscribers to consider signing up. To seal the deal, it offers a couple of complimentary Wi-Fi sessions, and then gives them the option of buying day passes to continue testing the service.

In addition, Comcast is positioning its rapidly expanding Wi-Fi footprint as a kind of public utility for its customers.

When they're away from their own Wi-Fi networks, they have any number of others available as they move about their urban areas. If one Comcast subscriber is visiting the residence of another Xfinity user, he or she can simply log on to the home's public wireless signal and not trouble the homeowner with any requests for private Wi-Fi access. This is useful because it does not incur cellular-data charges.

Comcast's broad scatterings of neighborhood and small-business Wi-Fi networks can function as a single network -- when someone logs on to one such network, they're automatically logged on to all of them, wherever they go.

For all its potential practicality, the public-hotspot feature built into residential Xfinity routers isn't being met with universal acclaim.

Some people have privacy and security concerns, even though Comcast insists the public and private Wi-Fi networks are entirely separate and shielded from each other. Others worry that the public network will affect the private network's performance. Comcast says this isn't so.

No amount of reassurance has stopped some from turning the public-hotspot feature off. That is what Anthony Domanico, a St. Paul-based technology journalist, did, partly because of performance concerns.

Ditto for Ehren Stemme, an information-technology worker who lives in St. Paul. He said he has data-privacy concerns, partly because his spouse works in the health industry and needs to be extra careful about data security.

Stemme also laments having little control over the public-hotspot feature, other than being able to turn it on and off.

And Stemme has trust issues. Of Comcast, he said he doesn't "trust their (customer-service) team to provide accurate info."

But Boschulte, the Maple Grove accountant, came to understand and appreciate the public Wi-Fi feature after getting over his initial surprise.

"I am fine with it," Boschulte said. "I think it is a great idea how to expand their service. I think it is a great way to make the Internet and Wi-Fi available to a large audience."

Xfinity public hotspots could someday proliferate to the point where tablet-toting customers could forgo pricey cellular-data plans and rely solely on Wi-Fi, Boschulte believes.

"You get access to the world without paying the extra bills for mobile and data plans," he noted.

In addition to neighborhood and small-business Wi-Fi, there is a third prong to Comcast's public wireless strategy -- extra-powerful Wi-Fi transmitters set up in major public venues, like transit stations, shopping malls and sports stadiums.

For instance, Comcast has been anointed the official Wi-Fi provider for the San Francisco 49ers and that team's new Levi's Stadium, now under construction in Santa Clara, Calif. The partnership was announced this month.

No Twin Cities public venues are blasting out this extra-powerful wireless access, which is able to accommodate many more simultaneous connections than typical Wi-Fi networks. But such public wireless networks are likely to start appearing in the metro area by later this year, the company has said.

Comcast also has seized on the coming Winter Olympics to promote its Wi-Fi capabilities. For the duration of the event, it said, its nonresidential hotspots will be available to everyone, not just its subscribers. Comcast owns NBC, which will be televising the games.

This, it hopes, will earn it the loyalty of legions after the Winter Olympics have faded into history.

Comcast isn't the only company promoting the concept of Wi-Fi sharing, though it is perhaps the

A variety of other technology companies are promoting similar wireless-sharing, via public Wi-Fi hotspots and other approaches, but are hampered somewhat at the moment because of smaller U.S. footprints.

Spain-based Fon (fon.com) is one such company. Hugely popular in European cities, such as Madrid and Paris, it distributes compact residential Wi-Fi routers that serve as public wireless hotspots, much as the Comcast variants do.

Fon's newest router, or "Fonera," is available for $49 on the Fon home page or on Amazon.com.

Fon has tried to cultivate a U.S. following with limited success. It is making another run by partnering with major U.S. wireless carrier AT&T and its tens of thousands of hotspots in this country.

Other companies with variations on this public-hotspot theme include Karma (yourkarma.com) and France's Free Mobile (free.fr).
most ambitious and successful in the United States to date.

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Martian Passport looks like a watch, acts like a smartwatch By Gregg Ellman - McClatchy-Tribune

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, there seemed to be an explosion of

I’d guess it will be like a game of musical chairs, with only a few lasting after the music stops, much like the explosion of tablets at the show a few years ago.

One I’m sure will last is the Martian Passport series, which they promote as “The World’s First Voice Command Smartwatch.”

This is a rare time that I did have to read the instructions, but they were clear and easy to follow; press this button, then that button, etc.

They do have an interesting item in the instruction book about how the average person checks their phone 150 times a day. I think that number is grossly understated, but I’m sure many of those 150 are to check the time for those with a watchless wrist.

Once you’re set up and make a Bluetooth connection with your smartphone, you get notifications of callers, email, social media, texts, calendar alerts and event-activated Siri on an iPhone.

You can respond with the watch and talk into it like you’re a secret agent or just use it as an alert to either take out your smartphone or ignore it.

If the contact information for the caller is in your phone, you’ll see that name on the watch display. If you don’t have the name entered you’ll see the phone number.

All the other information you are being alerted to is shown on the display running across the bottom of the front of the watch (96- by 16-pixel graphic OLED display).

The Martian watch also can be set to trigger your phone’s camera so you can get in the photo.

Once your watch is paired with a phone it will vibrate when you they get out of range of each other (Bluetooth range is about 30 feet), letting you know you left the phone behind.

An internal battery needs to be charged for 2 hours every few days via USB, depending on the amount of use.

I have to admit, it does take a little getting used to having your wrist vibrating for a phone call or message alert. While eating lunch with friends last week, my wrist starting vibrating and I said just that, which caused some odd looks from my comrades.

In addition to the smartphone capabilities, this is one good looking watch for keeping up with that old fashion thing of just checking the time.

Details: $299 in color combinations of black, white and silver; www.martianwatches.com

Eye-Fi Mobi

I’ve been familiar with the Eye-Fi SD media cards for years and had great success with them going from a camera to a computer, but a direct connection to my iPad has been cumbersome and involved third party apps, which never seem to work flawlessly.

All that came to an end past week when I tried the Eye-Fi Mobi WiFi Camera to Phone 8GB, SDHC Class 10 memory card along with the Eye-Fi app (free for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire).

The setup is simple and it worked from the start; just download the app and enter the provided activation code.

Inside the memory card is Wi-Fi, letting you make a direct connection from the memory card to your device, so this system works without an Internet connection.

Assuming you put the memory card in an Eye-Fi compatible camera you’re all set to start taking photos.

Images are captured on the memory card along with automatically downloading into my iOS (iPhone 5s) image library, where they can be sent to social media when you switch over to an Internet connection.

Since the images are still stored on the card you will be able to download them for archiving on your computer.

This system enables you to use a real camera for optimum image quality vs. using a cellphone, which provides instant access for social media but will not be the best quality for long term use for large prints, etc.

I tested it with large JPGs on a high-end digital SLR and a point-n-shoot camera and found both to work great for photos and video.

There’s not a lot to it, which makes for the perfect accessory.

The Eye-Fi Pro X2 16GB memory card has faster speeds designed for capturing HD video.

Details: $49.99 8GB, $79.99 16GB $99.99 32GB; www.eye.fi

Portable battery pack

Paick’s new portable battery called the Noble is only a half-inch thick but has a big time 6000mAh Li-ion battery of power inside.

The company has designed the pocket-sized battery with fashion in mind, featuring an aluminum alloy high-performance case.

A dust-proof pop-up slot opens to display two USB and one microUSB ports for charging.

The iPhone 5 series can get up to three charges before the battery needs a charge; other smartphones can get two charges and an iPad once.

Details: $64.99, but a promotion has it at $49.99 through March 20; www.paick.com

technology-enabled watches.

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The best and worst companies at protecting your passwords by Kim Komando

Until online retailers start implementing better methods, your password is still the single-greatest vulnerability in your security. Some websites do a better job making sure that password is as strong as possible. But others are so bad it's scary.

In a recent study by consumer advocate Dashlane, the top 100 online marketplaces were ranked according to password safeguards. These include criteria like refusing to accept weak passwords, length requirements, blocking login after a few failed attempts and more.

Here are the scores, ranked from best to worst. A perfect score is 100, but the worst of the worst have negative scores.

Apple 100
Microsoft 65
Chegg 65
Newegg 60
Target 60
Williams-Sonoma 55
CDW 50
Amway 45
Musician's Friend 45
Nike 45
Best Buy 40
WW Grainger 40
Walgreens 40
Express 40
Sony 35
Abercrombie & Fitch 35
Bass Pro Outdoor 35
CVS 35
MSC Industrial Supply 30
Hayneedle 30
Oriental Trading Co. 30
The Children's Place Retail Stores 30
OfficeMax 25
Nordstrom 25
Deluxe Corp. 25
Crate and Barrel 25
American Eagle 24
Ann Inc. 20
Sears 19
Dell 19
Neiman Marcus 19
Saks 14
Lowe's 14
LL Bean 10
Avon Products 4
DSW 4
JC Penny -5
Foot Locker -6
Costco -10
Gap -10
Green Mountain Coffee -10
GameStop -11
Chico's FAS -11
Gilt Groupe -13
Estee Lauder -15
PC Connection -18
HSN -25
Etsy -25
The Home Depot -25
Staples -30
Barnes and Noble -30
ShopNBC -30
CafePress -30
Office Depot -35
Macy's -35
HP Home/Office Store -35
Rakuten -35
Cabela's -35
Ralph Lauren -35
Build -35
Sierra Trading Post -35
Northern Tool -37
Amazon -40
Walmart -40
Kohl's -40
Fingerhut (Bluestern Brands) -40
Scholastic Inc. -40
Eddie Bauer -40
1 Sale a Day -40
Victoria's Secret -44
Overstock -45
Vistaprint -45
Fanatics -45
Urban Outfitters -45
Shutterfly -45
Wayfair -45
PCM -45
Groupon -45
REI -45
Blue Nile -45
Fresh Direct -45
RueLaLa -45
Zulily -45
1-800 Contacts -45
Disney Store -45
Net-A-Porter -45
Hulu -45
Shoebuy -45
Edible Arrangement -45
Restoration Hardware -45
1-800 Flowers -46
Vitacost -50
Nutrisystem -50
American Girl -50
J. Crew -55
Toys R Us -60
Aeropostale -60
Dick's Sporting Good -65
Karmaloop -70
MLB -75

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10 Must-Have Apps for Your iPhone Richard Szpin

The basic group of apps you need on your Apple device is a subjective selection. The perfect app for one person is a dud to another; the app one person uses daily may be a headache to someone else. Risking a barrage of disagreement and discontent, I pose the following list of apps as the ideal home base for any iDevice. After years of slogging back and forth, trying this app, rejecting that one, testing this one, discarding that one, the seemingly endless task is done. Here is the final cut, the apps I found I was using over and over, without complaint, lamentation, or griping.

I do not offer these apps as a list of “the very best,” no such list can be drawn, but these apps are the “rock solid” ones. They may lack pizzazz, but they get the job done, effectively and with minimal fuss.

Here it is, the ideal list of apps for your Apple device:

Simplenote (free). Use this basic writing app to write notes, short reminders, explanations, or descriptive paragraphs. It is easy to use, visually clean, and efficiently direct, and it has an excellent search system. This appropriately named note maker is simply the best note-making app out there.

Fantastical 2 ($2.99) is a great calendar app: simple, clear, easy to use, and very practical with its variety of views and events/tasks summary. It is the reigning champ of calendars at a reasonably low price! Saying more about this app’s outstanding features and simplicity in use would be gilding the lily.

Gmail (free) is one of the best email apps on any platform. It does its job cleanly and it does it well. Its generous use of white space keeps user attention clearly focused on the message being written. Cross platform universality means desktop modifications will reach your digital device app. Google updates the app periodically and each revision seems to be a significant improvement to what is already a solid email app.

Mailbox (free) is a notable contender for the email crown worn by Gmail. This app helps you maintain a "zero” mailbox with just a gesture or two. Swipe one way, the message is archived; swipe and pause, and it is deleted; swipe the other way and your email is filed for later action or viewing at a time of your choosing. One of the handiest email apps around!

Wunderlist (free). Every iDevice user needs a good to-do list manager and Wunderlist is one of the best. An added bonus is that the app syncs seamlessly across all platforms. Users can create folders with lists of tasks and/or to do’s. Though Wunderlist lacks glitz and glamor, it does what it is designed to do solidly, without flare or bombastic flash. It is the task/to-do list manager of choice

Errands (free). Apple users have reasons to gloat as Errands, arguably the best task/to do list manager anywhere is only available on iOS devices. This outstanding app is a great alternative to Wunderlist. It is colorful without overdoing it, clean, and effective, and it does it all in a simple, utilitarian way. Because it lacks the cross-platform connectivity of Wunderlist, the championship crown stays with Wunderlist.

Alarmed – Reminders and Timers (free). My favorite app on my iPod Touch, Alarmed – Reminders and Timers is a terrific alarm app which can be customized with the dates and times of your choosing. The app is also a timer which allows you to create individualized, custom-titled timers of varying duration. This wonderful little application belies its amazingly comprehensive nature and and surprisingly effective utility.

Evernote (free). Storage is essential to good record keeping. Evernote does it all and it does it everywhere across all platforms. The free version will satisfy most users; but for a reasonable price, the premium version will satisfy everyone. The power of Evernote is appreciated only after working with it a little. It permits quick short notes or hugely detailed ones and saving of audio, photo, and text files. And its built in OCR tool handily converts copy images to text. Finally, its lightning fast search capability and amazingly effective tagging system makes it the true champion of storage apps.

Photoshop Express (free). This very useful photo editing app will help improve photos in a variety of areas: lighting, contrast, focus, and even removal of extraneous subject matter. An excellent photo editing for nonprofessionals who want to modify photos with minimal effort and ease.

Last Pass (free). Every user should consider a password manager for their device and LastPass may very well be the best. The benefit of a password manager is that you need to remember only one password to unlock all your stored passwords. The premium edition at $1 a month is your best bet. Stored passwords are encrypted and decrypted locally thereby securely locking them on the commercial server. An added bonus is that LastPass can be used across the entire spectrum of devices.

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