All posts by: Carl Laron

Citing survey, trade group pushes for an end to free TV

Electronics
By Carl Laron on June 19, 2011 in

Ending free TV

Cord cutting -- the practice of ditching traditional pay TV (i.e. cable, fiber and satellite) in favor of getting programming from lower cost and free sources -- has been getting a fair bit of attention of late. For example, we talked about some of the alternatives in this post. That said, the popularity of this trend is the subject of some debate, and often conflicting research. A recent report by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) that downplays the cord-cutting phenomenon is one example of that. However, another take-away from the CEA's research has touched off a bit of a firestorm in some quarters. Quoting the findings, CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro tells Multichannel News that while free, over-the-air (OTA) TV was once essential, "using huge swaths of wireless spectrum to deliver TV to homes no longer makes economic sense." Read more

A garage sale survival guide -- part 3

By Carl Laron on June 10, 2011 in

Garage sale shopping

In part 1 and part 2 of our garage sale survival guide, we laid out some of the ground rules for holding a successful and fun garage sale or yard sale. Now, it's time to take a look at things from the point of view of the shopper. Garage "sale-ing" is what you make of it. For many, it's simply a pleasant way to meet your neighbors while perhaps picking up a knick-knack. For those struggling to make ends meet -- and who isn't, these days -- it's a way to pick up gently used items (such as baby clothes) for a fraction of what they would cost new. For collectors and even antique dealers, it's a way to pick up an odd piece or two -- and once in a very great while, score the find of a lifetime. Read more

A garage sale survival guide -- part 2

By Carl Laron on May 27, 2011 in

Garage Sale

In the first part of this garage sale survival guide, we talked about the planning that goes into making sure your garage sale or yard sale is the hit of the season. But being prepared can only take you so far. This time around, we'll talk about what to do and expect on the day of the sale itself. Read on for some tips, and some cautionary tales. Read more

A garage sale survival guide -- part 1

By Carl Laron on May 21, 2011 in

Garage sale survival guide

While garage sales and yard sales can be found year-round, even in the coldest climates, for much of the country this is the month when things get into full swing. The weather is finally turning nicer -- well, in most years, anyway -- and families fresh off of a bout of spring cleaning have unearthed all sorts of things that they've decided they can live without. Most know that shopping at a garage sale is fun -- especially if someone's trash is literally your treasure. Holding a garage sale, on the other hand, can be hard work if you want it to be successful. But it, too, can be tons of fun -- and a great way to meet your neighbors, empty your home of clutter, and pocket a few extra dollars in the bargain.

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Google's Chromebook: Great idea or head in the clouds?

Computers & Internet
By Carl Laron on May 16, 2011 in

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook

The Internet has been buzzing with word that Google's promised Chrome-based netbook will become real next month. Dubbed the Chromebook, models will range from a $349 Wi-Fi only version from Acer to a $499 3G version with 100 MB of free data per month (for only two years, however) from Samsung. Schools ($20 to $23 per month) and businesses ($28 to $33 per month) will also have the option of leasing instead of buying Chrombooks. We'll have a full report on the Chromebook and its alternatives when we next update our report on netbooks. (Look for that at the end of next month, after the Chromebook officially hits the streets -- and the reviewers' desks.) In the meantime, here's what we know. Read more

Wee price on the Wii is tempting, but is it a good deal?

Electronics
By Carl Laron on May 10, 2011 in

Nintendo Wii

Fans and would-be fans of Nintendo's popular Wii gaming console have had a bit of news to chew on of late. Nintendo has confirmed that the second generation of the gaming console is on the way. While rumors about what's inside continue to abound (or run amok, depending on your point of view), expect the details to be fleshed out at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month, when a working prototype is promised to be on display. For those who can't wait -- or don't have very deep pockets if the high-price rumors are true-- Nintendo will soon be dropping the price of the current generation Wii to a tempting $150. Should you buy now or hold off for the new Wii? That depends. Read more

PlayStation Network hack exposes user information

Electronics
By Carl Laron on April 28, 2011 in

Sony PS3

On the heels of the Epsilon hack at the beginning of this month comes word that Sony's PlayStation Network, and Qriocity streaming movie and music service have suffered a significant security breach. While Sony's "slip up" might not be as massive as Epsilon's in terms of the number of customers affected, the breadth of the information breached -- including user names, passwords, email addresses, physical addresses, birth dates and more -- make it far scarier. Even worse, while it looks like the credit card information on file was at least encrypted, and Sony claims that there's no evidence that it was taken, the company adds that it can't completely rule out that possibility. Read more

Earth Day seeks to inspire A Billion Acts of Green

By Carl Laron on April 21, 2011 in

Earth Day

Born in the aftermath of a massive oil spill off the California coast in 1970, Earth Day can seem as relevant now as it did during the heyday of the hippies, especially when viewed through the prism of recent events. And while environmentalism can sometimes get tangled up in the heated rhetoric of today's political scene, it's important to remember that lots of individuals acting on their own -- and often in their own self interest -- can enact more change than any government or agency. That's something that the Earth Day Network is driving home this Earth Day through its A Billion Acts of Green campaign. Read more

The Flip is dead, but pocket camcorders live on

Electronics
By Carl Laron on April 19, 2011 in

Flip MinoPRO

Technology has a natural life cycle. Products are introduced, gain acceptance, mature, start to lose appeal as something better (or at least newer) comes along, then fade from view entirely (except for the occasional garage-sale sighting). That's what was so startling about the news that Cisco had decided to kill off the Flip camcorder. Sure, the Flip no longer had that new tech luster. And, sure, the proliferation of smartphone devices (with their ability to capture video footage, even in HD) has started to nip away at the Flip's reason for being. Still, as a category, there's lots of life left in pocket camcorders, most experts say. Read more

Security breach could give rise to fresh phishing expeditions

Computers & Internet
By Carl Laron on April 7, 2011 in

Security breach exposes user email addresses, names

Sometime this past Sunday, I got the first email alerting me to the fact that a security breach had exposed my name and email address to a hacker. Great, I thought, but I wasn't overly concerned since the email said that no account details had been compromised. A little while later, another email from a different company arrived in my inbox. Then another, and another, and by Monday morning every other email -- or so it seemed -- was spreading the same news. Of course, we now know what happened: A very successful email marketing firm (at least it was up to now) had its pocket picked, losing information entrusted to it by as many as 50 companies, many of them household names. The good news, experts say, is that the breach doesn't pose a direct threat to these companies' customers' most sensitive information, at least for now. The bad news is that the leaked information could give rise to all sorts of toil and trouble down the line via phishing expeditions that could increase in both frequency and sophistication. Which means that this is a great time to go over some email safety basics to help keep this little annoyance from turning into a big pain in the ... Read more

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