Techish

RECODE: What’s all this fuss about “digital detox” — and does it really work?

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This article appears on Recode.net: I'm sharing it here with you because it's a topic I've researched and written extensively about - and think it's incredibly valuable to have all of these resources in one place. If you haven't visited Recode.net recently - be sign up for their newsletter - and get the most important news from all over the news world delivered directly to your inbox! Too much tech can be bad for you. Here’s what happens when people are left to fighting their own devices. By Shirin Ghaffary Jan 28, 2019 I knew I had lost control when a good friend confronted me over coffee. In the 30 minutes we had been chatting, I had checked my phone about 11 times. I wasn’t ... Read more

What’s hot at CES 2019_Jenn finds robots, a car with legs, and not-so-tearable-tights

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf4jPR3yhlQ This is the year of the Robot Revolution. I’ve already run across more robots at CES, the Consumer Electronic Show, than I’ve ever seen here before. Some will help you tackle travel, others will get you where you’re going, and one, well, one of them just wants a little love. Lovot is the anti-robot. It doesn’t dominate a daily task with superhuman strength or skills, and it’s not even really meant to be helpful. What it is, however, is a fluffy, fabric-covered mechanical companion with the smarts of a toddler and the charm to match. It scurries over to you when you call it and begs to be held. It responds to touch and loves to be cuddled, and ... Read more

Boom boxes, mix tapes and instant cameras as hot new tech? Yes, it’s actually 2019

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A whole lot has changed in the gadget world since Philips launched the first consumer VCR for $900 at CES in 1970. So why then, I wondered as I trekked through the seemingly endless halls packed with every gadget imaginable at this year's CES, were there so many boom boxes straight out of the '80s everywhere? Turns out some of the most popular new tech launching this year isn’t so new at all. LENOVO SMART ALARM CLOCK Sure, the smart screen trend shows no signs of slowing down, but rather than continually going for bigger, more feature-packed displays, Lenovo looked to the past for inspiration. The Lenovo Smart Clock is a total rethink of the classic alarm clock – you know, the ... Read more

You’ve got to see it to believe it: A Jetson’s-like smart home of future in Nevada

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(This story first ran in USA Today January 7th, 2019) On the eve of the world’s largest consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, construction giant KB Home unveiled the first full-scale prototype smart home of the future – and gave us the very first peek inside. The home, called Builder KB Home ProjeKt, sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Henderson, Nevada, a 15-minute drive south of The Strip. The 3,200-square-foot concept house is the first-of-its-kind marriage of smart home systems and Jetsons-like tech, built from the foundation-up with over 400 gadgets working (mostly) in harmony. A smart speaker that controls living room lighting or a video doorbell that streams a live feed from ... Read more

Stop Porch Pirates: 5 pro tips to make sure thieves don’t steal your stuff

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Thanks to modern technology, we can buy just about anything online and get it delivered to our doorstep in a snap. Not only has that been insanely convenient for us, but it’s also created a giant window of opportunity for so-called “porch pirates” too. According to a recent report, at least 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their porches, mailboxes, and stoops, and with UPS delivering an estimated 750 million packages during the holiday season there's plenty of opportunity for thieves to pad their pockets. Lucky for us though, there’s a there’s a slew of new high-tech sheriffs in town to put a stop to these pesky poachers. Package Guard Package Guard (pre-order $49.99) ... Read more

HOW TO: Get great gift-spiration shopping your own social media feeds #giftideas

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I’ve found some of my favorite gifts scrolling through my own Facebook and Instagram feeds. It makes sense because social platforms are a natural extension of how we find the latest trends, learn about new ideas, and share all the things we're totally obsessing over anyway. Not-so-humble brag here: Several of my top picks from my social media shopping spree last year ended up on Oprah's top list this year. So I doubled down and did all over again this year. Here are this year's top tips for shopping your own social media feeds, followed by the juicy gems I uncovered for this year's second annual SOCIAL MEDIA SHOPPING SPREE: INSIDER TIPS: Number 1. ... Read more

Can you go a year without your smartphone for $100,000?

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New year, no phone? Cutting down on screen time likely tops many New Year’s resolutions lists, but do you think you could go a full year without a smartphone? It's a massive challenge, but you might have a real reason to consider doing so.  How does $100,000 sound? Would that be enough incentive to stop the mindless scrolling? That's how much beverage brand Vitaminwater is offering one lucky Luddite to go completely smartphone-free in 2019. Obviously you'll need to meet some criteria first, which is why they're asking you to share why you'd be a good candidate for the challenge in a post on social media. You'll need to post your plea on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags ... Read more

Here’s what we’re buying on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

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You might think that reviewing all the latest gadgets all year would make Black Friday boring for someone like me. Sure, I get to play with all of the most awesome gadgets and tech tools throughout the year, but I don't get to keep them. That means come Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I'm leaning over my laptop the same as you, fingers twitching, crediting cards itching to score huge deals on my favorite tech. Here's what I'm holding my breath to get this week, and how much it'll cost. Facebook Portal & Portal Plus One of the most controversial new gadgets (because ... it's Facebook) is also the best video-calling machine ever invented — and a look at the way landlines should evolve ... Read more

Is your gift secretly spying? Mozilla makes a naughty list of gadget gifts that aren’t secure:

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We already know the hottest holiday gadget gifts are cool but are they secure and trustworthy too? Mozilla — yep, the folks behind internet browser Firefox — just released a new report and shopping guide called *Privacy Not Included. The idea behind it is to help people shop for gifts based on price, performance, and on how well they protect privacy and security as well. In an email, Ashley Boyd, Mozilla VP of Advocacy explained that researchers reviewed 70 of the most popular gadget gifts across six categories: Toys & Games; Smart Home; Entertainment; Wearables; Health & Exercise; and Pets. For each product, Mozilla looked at a range of questions including Can it spy on you? Can ... Read more

HOW TO: Not get ripped off on Black Friday and Cyber Monday “Deals”

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TIPS TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER OVERPAY: 1. SPOT THE REAL DEAL What’s actually good deal this time of year versus a bunch of hype? Small appliances — like instant pots — and smart home gadgets. Also, good deals: some HDTVs, video games, and game consoles also see aggressive pricing during Black Friday, or the days before and after it. 2. BROWSING BASICS Add a browser extension to your internet search engine — Safari, Firefox, Chrome — and let them scour the web faster than any human ever could for discounts, coupons, and deals to make sure you get the best prices — for real. Browser extensions: InvisibleHand, PriceBlink, The Camelizer, Honey 3. PRICE ALERTS Some sellers ... Read more

eBay’s 8-Days of Holiday Deals Starts Now

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eBay just shared their hottest holiday deals with us. I dug into the info and see a few things I want to make sure you know about:  Overall:  expect to find some jaw-dropping deals here with savings up to 80%. Bargains to watch include hot gadgets from Sonos, Bose, JBL speakers and headphones — plus coveted fashion from Adidas and Michael Kors, and more.  To snag  hard-to-find gift on your wish list before it’s sold out: Log-on to eBay, and start browsing the Shop Deals Central page. Find your must-have’s and add the best gifts to your watchlist. You can also  ‘save’ your search — then eBay Bends you an alert each time a seller lists exactly what you want. You can use ... Read more

How to use Facebook to make sure friends and family are safe

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With wildfires still raging out of control in California, this seems like as good a time as any for a little refresher on one of Facebook's most useful features: Crisis Response. Crisis Response is Facebook's way of helping you and your friends and family keep tabs on each other and confirm that you're safe after any major disaster or ongoing crisis. Here's how it works: First, Facebook activates a Safety Check alert when it identifies an event that could put lots of lives in danger. Everyone in the Safety Check area gets an alert and can mark themselves as okay with an "I'm Safe" button. You'll see "I'm Safe" alerts from friends on your Facebook news feed, but you can also ... Read more

How to follow any runner during Sunday’s New York City Marathon, including me!

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The annual New York City Marathon kicks off on Sunday, November 4th, and it's expected to be yet another world-class race. Last year, over 50,000 people completed the entire marathon, taking an average of four hours and 39 minutes to do so, and this year I'm throwing my hat into the ring. After many weeks of whipping myself into shape I'm ready to tackle the streets of NYC with tens of thousands of others, and even if you're not participating in the event (or even physically here in New York) you can follow along with me or any other racer you want to keep your eye on, right from your smartphone screen. All you have to do is download the official NYC Marathon app on either iOS or ... Read more

New phone scam targets Social Security recipients, so be alert!

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Phone scammers will target just about anyone they think they can exploit, and the government is now warning that Social Security recipients are their newest target. This scary scam works a lot like those in the past, with anonymous callers claiming to be employees of the U.S. government, but shortly after you pick up the phone things take a dark turn. According to the FTC, callers use "spoofed" phone numbers that show up on your caller ID as the official number of the Social Security Administration. The callers identify themselves as Social Security workers and ask you to verify your Social Security number in order to talk about your benefits. If you hand it over, they'll use it to steal ... Read more