Orlando: Google Now is often compared with the Siri voice assistant on Apple's mobile devices, but its power lies in giving you information you need to know before you have to ask. It works best as a supplement to Siri, rather than a replacement, now that it has expanded from Android devices to iPhones and iPads. Both Google Now and Siri will respond to voice commands, whether it's to look...
05:01 PM, Apr 30, 2013
New York: I've seen Android phones get better and more powerful over the years, as Google and phone manufacturers pack devices with more and more features. There comes a time, though, when less is more. I'm afraid we've reached that time. Samsung's new Galaxy S4 smartphone is an excellent device from a hardware standpoint. Measuring 5 inches diagonally, the screen is slightly larger than that on its predecessor, the Galaxy...
02:36 PM, Apr 24, 2013
New York: When I got my first smartphone in 2010, I checked Facebook obsessively. But over time, the novelty wore off and opening Facebook's app to check photos, links and posts from friends turned into a chore. In a sense, I'm the ideal target for Facebook's new Home app. Those photos, links and posts I couldn't be bothered to check on the social network's app automatically come to the screen...
06:49 PM, Apr 12, 2013
Cambodia: Google's first high-end laptop, the Chromebook Pixel, is an impressive machine. It feels light and comfortable in my hands and on my lap. Its high-resolution display makes photos look sharp and video come to life. From a hardware standpoint, it's everything I'd want a laptop to be. But the Pixel isn't very practical - at least not yet - for most people. It works well when you have a...
10:02 AM, Apr 04, 2013
I never thought I'd be telling my phone what to do. But I often find myself talking to various digital assistants - Siri on the iPhone and Google Now on Android devices - to request driving directions, restaurant recommendations and answers to all sorts of nagging questions. ...
08:59 AM, Mar 07, 2013
Ways in which you can keep your password strong to ward off that initial intrusion. ...
06:49 AM, Feb 28, 2013
Longtime users of Hotmail, MSN and other Microsoft email services will start noticing a big change: When they sign in to check messages, they'll be sent to a new service called Outlook.com. ...
06:00 PM, Feb 20, 2013
The HTC DNA's display is 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, or 440 pixels per inch. That's among the best out there. ...
01:31 PM, Dec 14, 2012
Fremont: Apple's new maps app came out the day I started a 2,243-mile road trip through four states. As complaints about it trickled in and Apple's CEO apologised, I was left wondering whether people were using the same app I was. Although it's not flawless or as good as Google's maps app on Android phones, Apple's new offering on the iPhone got me where I needed to go - for...
01:51 PM, Oct 06, 2012
New York: I didn't need to spend a lot of time with the new Mac operating system to see that phones and tablet computers have won out over personal computers at Apple. Mobile devices are already responsible for the bulk of Apple's sales and profits. Now, Apple is making the new Mac system even more like the iOS software that powers its iPhones and iPads. It's also casually dropping the...
07:19 AM, Jul 26, 2012
New York: Shortly before the Harry Potter saga came to an end on movie screens a year ago, we were teased with more adventures about the young wizard through a website called Pottermore. One million fans who were able to solve riddles and find a Magical Quill have had a chance to try out Pottermore for nearly a year. The rest of us - the magic-free Muggles - had to...
03:17 PM, Jul 13, 2012
Oro Valley: The summer travel season has arrived, and with gas prices going down, it's time to plan a road trip. For a Memorial Day weekend trip to Arizona, I checked four free services that provide driving directions - Google, Yahoo, AOL's MapQuest and Microsoft's Bing. I made it from Phoenix's airport to a friend's wedding outside Tucson without getting lost, and I made several sightseeing stops along the way...
10:47 AM, May 31, 2012
Brandon: It took a return to the South to get me back on Foursquare. Months later, I'm still not sure why I need it, yet I can't seem to stay away. Foursquare, of course, is a social network that lets you tell friends and family where you are - whether it's a bar, a park or an airport. Through a smartphone app, you broadcast your whereabouts, or "check in" to...
11:56 AM, May 10, 2012
New York: I was skeptical, even horrified, when I first heard about the photo-sharing craze Instagram more than a year ago. As a journalist trained to reject alterations in words and pictures, I didn't get the concept of a social network built around modifying photos. I quickly warmed up once I gave Instagram a try this week, after Facebook announced plans to buy the free service for $1 billion. I...
10:24 AM, Apr 12, 2012
New York: Like it or not, your relationship with Google is becoming a lot more intimate. The company recently expanded its ability to combine data from its various services to create a highly detailed profile on you. Google says it's doing that to simplify its privacy policy and improve your experience on sites such as Gmail, Picasa, Google Plus and YouTube. But there's a business reason, too. Google gets a...
10:36 AM, Mar 15, 2012
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