Monthly Archives: August 2015

Another look at Chevy Volt

Chevy Volt Here’s my final update on the 2013 Chevy Volt I bought nearly two years ago. I’ve driven 12,800 miles and just took it in for its scheduled free maintenance — still no cost for any service. The car continues to perform well with no real mechanical or electrical issues. There are no rattles […]

Column of the Year

I’m pleased to announce that the following column was selected as Column of the Year by the San Diego Society of Journalists: Why can’t the US build consumer electronic products? I recently returned from a short trip to Shenzhen, the large Chinese city less than an hour’s drive north of Hong Kong. When anyone wonders […]

Pros and cons of new technology

We’ve seen some astounding developments in consumer technology since I began writing this column 12½ years ago, but also have had to put up with many of the issues that are associated with these advancements. As we near the final print edition of The Daily Transcript, I take a look at some of the important […]

Consumer technology: The good, the bad and the ugly

We’ve seen some astounding developments in consumer technology since I began writing this column 12½ years ago, but also have had to put up with many of the issues that are associated with these advancements. This week I take a look at some of the important developments in consumer tech, both good and bad. Among […]

Two clever gadgets advance the Internet of Things

I’ve been trying out two products that perform completely different functions yet have many similar elements. They represent the new wave of products called the Internet of Things, devices that use a wireless connection to the cloud to provide services in the home. Echo Echo is a clever product developed by Amazon that falls into […]

Two outstanding printers for home-office use

Printers can produce a love-hate relationship. We love the utility they provide and their low cost. But we hate the high cost of ink cartridges, sometimes priced at more than the printer itself. Epson WF-4630 I’ve been using the Epson Multi-Function Printer WF-4630 for about four months. The all-in-one inkjet printer scans, faxes, copies and […]