Home items get ‘smarter,’ like it or not
One day, finding an oven that just cooks food may be as tough as buying a TV that merely lets you change channels. Internet-connected “smarts” are creeping into cars, refrigerators, thermostats, toys and just about everything else in your home. In January, CES 2019 (the gadget show in Las Vegas) showcased many of these products, including an oven that coordinates your recipes and a... READ MORE
How to keep your data safe in the cloud
You probably got the memo ages ago that you need to back up your computer’s files religiously. Otherwise, they could disappear into the void should your computer’s hard drive implode or your machine fall victim to hackers. Today, much of what you do on your computer, tablet and smartphone — from accessing email to streaming music and movies — relies on “the cloud” (referring... READ MORE
Robots may put U.S. workers’ jobs at risk
Robots aren’t replacing everyone, but a quarter of U.S. jobs will be severely disrupted as artificial intelligence accelerates the automation of existing work, according to a new Brookings Institution report. Last month’s report from the Washington think tank says roughly 36 million Americans hold jobs with “high exposure” to automation — meaning at least 70 percent of their... READ MORE
Grocery robots coming to Giant
A robot named Marty is rolling into nearly 500 grocery stores to help employees. Badger Technologies CEO Tim Rowland said its camera-equipped robots stop after detecting a potential spill. Then, humans working in a control center in the Philippines review the imagery before triggering a cleanup message over the loudspeaker. Rowland says 25 robots are now operating at certain Giant,... READ MORE
New service offers free local TV stations
The Internet’s abundance of video — on YouTube, Netflix, etc. — has pushed millions to cancel cable TV and diminished the appeal of live television. Some people (the young) barely watch TV, except for special circumstances like the Super Bowl or the Oscars. But many are still dedicated to the nightly news and as much NFL football as they can get. If you have canceled cable, and... READ MORE
How to spot common tech support scams
Don’t be fooled by a scammer who calls you claiming to be from Microsoft or Apple. Despite warnings that come year after year about tech support scams, fraudsters continually find new and more effective ways to trick consumers into giving up their personal and financial information. Microsoft recently reported that tech support scams were up 24 percent between 2017 and 2018.... READ MORE
Technology 2019
