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Winter has finally come to Cleveland. Bill Wills and I discuss how to protect your gadgets from the cold. We also discuss this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Listen to #TechTuesday Tuesday mornings on Cleveland’s WTAM 1100 Newsradio.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – March 10th, 2015:
The end of Winter and return of warmer weather always brings strong feelings of change. It’s also a good time to introduce new products like Apple did at their Spring Forward event on Monday.
At the event, Apple re-introduced their Apple Watch ahead of its April 25th release date. While this is a new product category for Apple, there is already a wide range of smartwatch options available in stores. For details on Apple’s competition, visit the Best Buy Smartwatch Buying Guide.
While the Apple Watch stole most of the attention at the show, many Apple Mac users are excited by the new MacBook announced at the event. To make the device lighter and thinner, Apple removed all but a single USB-C port. As more users transfer data to and from their devices wirelessly, we may see this trend spread to Windows laptops and Chromebooks.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – February 3rd, 2015:
This week has seen a lot of Winter storms hitting the midwest. While we’re still digging ourselves out from yet another snowstorm, here’s a list of apps that can be useful for dealing with Winter’s wrath:
As the prime flu season continues, you may want to take a look at how clean is your mobile device. Smartphones are devices we handle every day, touching them with both our fingers and our faces. Studies do show that mobile devices are a common haven for pathogens, even though most are harmless.
While you could attack your phone with all sorts of cleaning chemicals, it’s important to note that many household cleaners have the potential to damage delicate electronics. However, researchers have found that you can strike an effective balance between cleaning and carefulness by using a mix of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. This combination is found in many screen cleaning kits available at your local Best Buy.
You can also make a mix on your own by using a 1 to 1 ratio of 70% or better pure isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. It’s important to use a purer alcohol along with distilled water to prevent minerals and other chemicals from being left behind as the solution evaporates. Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water can be found at most local groceries or drug stores.
For more tips on cleaning your mobile devices, as well as your laptop and smart TV, check out this New York Times articles on cleaning the mobile germ warehouse.
Emergency alerts on your smartphone often surprise people when they go off, but often they’re one of the quickest ways to get rapidly changing news out to a local public. Enabled by default, these settings can be checked or changed within the settings of your device.
Android: Open your Settings app, then look for the Wireless & Networks heading. Tap More… and scroll to the bottom. Finally, tap Cell Broadcasts.
iPhone: Tap your Settings app, then scroll to select Notifications. Look for Government Alerts at the bottom of the list.
Windows Phone: Open Settings, then Applications. Select Messaging, then Emergency Alerts.
These emergency alerts will help provide early warning about imminent danger, but what if you want more information about potentially hazardous weather in your area? The Red Cross Mobile Apps provide can help with everything from tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and wildfires. They also include general safety apps for first aid for you and your pets.