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A NEW SMART SPEAKER
After accidentally dumping a load of cinnamon on our Echo Dot, Alexa wouldn’t talk to us any more. No matter. We decided to get a better smart speaker: the Sonos One. The Sonos One (Gen 2), for $200,...
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DROPPING THE PASSWORD
One of the most annoying features of Windows is the sign-in. This is the so-called “default” setting, which is to protect you from someone else using your computer. Of course, you may know that you’re...
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WINDOWS 10 TO THE RESCUE
This part is going to get a bit techie, but you’ll be able to handle it. A reader told us about his unbearably slow, seven-year-old laptop. He wondered if he could make it like new again. Sure. His...
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FREE CALLS AND TEXTS
If you’re on a limited calling plan, you don’t have to buy more minutes when you run out. A free app called “Signal Private Messenger” lets you call for free using a WiFi signal. It beats the heck out...
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TOE TO TOE WITH ALEXA AND GOOGLE
A child asked me which was better: Alexa, the voice inside the Amazon Echo Dot, or Google Assistant, the voice inside the Google Home speaker, renamed “Google Nest.” Until recently, I would have said...
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HAVE YOU BEEN ‘FLoCed?’
There have been lots of complaints about Google’s new “FLoC” tracking system. You may be wondering what the fuss is all about. Here it is, in a nutshell. “FLoC,” which stands for “Federal Learning of...
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DO YOU NEED AN ANTIVIRUS?
A reader asked if the free Windows Defender is enough. Should he pay for an antivirus? After a lot of research on this issue, I say no. Windows Defender, which is part of Windows, is good enough. In...
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HIGH TECH COFFEE
The caffeine in a cup of coffee could blast me to the moon and back. I prefer tea. But when Kflow sent me a portable espresso machine, I had to try it out. High tech coffee! All you do is add water...
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ALEXA’S NEW CELEBRITY VOICES
Shaquille O’Neal and his mom Alexa has a new trick. You can change her voice to NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal or actress Melissa McCarthy for $5 per voice. Both of them can tell a joke or a...
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THE BEST PHONE
A friend and I have a continual tussle over whose phone is better. Motorola’s or Google’s. He thinks his Motorola is best because it can go three days on a single battery charge and works great....
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TRYING OUT ANDROID 12
What if smiling at your phone triggered a slew of actions? It can do that in Android 12, coming in September. To try it out now, do a web search on “Android beta,” then click to enroll. The list of...
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STORING IDS ON YOUR PHONE
I rarely carry a physical wallet. I prefer the digital kind, such as the new Apple Wallet. With this month’s update to iOS 15, iPhone’s latest operating system, Apple Wallet will store your driver’s...
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TWEAKING WINDOWS 10
I had no idea that there were so many things I should have turned off in Windows 10. CNET gave me a list. The worst one is the ability of every app to run in the background, even when you don’t have...
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THE NEW WINDOWS 11
What a bummer. My Windows 10 PC can’t handle the free upgrade to Windows 11. To find out if yours can, type “PC Health Check,” in the Windows search bar in the lower left of your screen. When the app...
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RUNNING OUT OF SPACE
Here’s something to consider when buying your next phone or tablet: Get one that has a microSD card slot so you don’t run out of storage space. These days, a $25 micro SD card holds a whopping 128...
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BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH PROVES DEADLY
Windows is famous for its startling “blue screen of death.” I got a lighter shade recently. Then my hard drive died. I could have opened my PC, removed the hard drive and installed a new one. Instead,...
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THAT DARN CAT
I might have said yes to the cat my neighbor offered me if I’d had “Leo’s Loo Too,” a robotic kitty-litter cleaner from SmartyPear that ships this month. It looks like a miniature dryer. Cat pooh can...
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SHOULD YOU GET 5G?
Do you feel pressured to get a 5G phone? If so, ignore the hype. “I’m told I have to go to a 5G phone soon,” a reader wrote. “What’s your best recommendation for an old guy who seldom makes more than...
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ONLINE PIANO LESSONS ROCK
Years ago, my mediocre piano teacher failed to show up for my lesson, even though we were meeting at her house. I heard she did it to others too. Phooey on her. I can get the best teachers in America...
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USING AN APP TO SAVE ON MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
I’m saving over $200 a year on magazine subscriptions with a free app called “Libby.” All you need is a library card. Once you sign in to the Libby app, available on a phone, a tablet or at...
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