Author Archives: Phil Baker

Each Friday morning I receive a notification on my phone telling me that my personal security report is available for my neighborhood. It presents a map with pins where there have been criminal incidents over the past week. It’s one of the “benefits” I get with my Ring doorbell, along with being able to review […]

It’s becoming a very nasty and dangerous world and Apple is taking one small step to protect its users with an unprecedented move to allow its phones, tablets and computers to be protected from dangerous intrusions with its new Lockdown Mode. (I am freely quoting below from Apple’s press release, since the feature is not […]

Just when I congratulated myself for avoiding Covid, it finally struck. It was due to carelessness on my part, dining out with a friend. We had asked for outside seating but when we arrived only indoors was available. The next day my friend called to say he tested positive. I tested negative for the next […]

As a photo enthusiast I’ve owned all sorts of cameras from full size Nikon and Canon film SLRs to digital Leicas and, most recently, a 24-megapixel Sony full-frame mirrorless (Alpha 7III). As I prepared for a recent trip to Paris and Bordeaux I considered taking no camera at all and just use my iPhone 12 […]

For years, technology companies have tried to come up with a product for electronic notetaking to replace paper and pen. The benefit, proponents say, is you could digitize handwritten notes and sketches, convert them to text, store them on line, and share with others. Digital note taking also allows more flexibility using different templates, pen […]

One of the great business stories of our time is the rise of Apple to become the most highly valued company in the world and the inventor of some of the most desirable consumer products ever created. While much of the credit goes to its co-founder, Steve Jobs, the company only reached its height years […]

Our first international trip after a two and a half year hiatus was to Paris via a British Airways nonstop flight between San Diego and London. My wife and I then took the high speed Eurostar Chunnel train to Paris. Traveling on the Eurostar was a great way to avoid flight connections at Heathrow’s infamous […]

With this announcement, Apple announced the end of an era, the discontinuation of the iPod after 21 years: “Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, […]

I discovered an online store about seven years ago that’s unique in so many ways and a model for customer-focused on-line retailing. They offer products unavailable elsewhere and provide a wealth of information to help you make intelligent buying decisions. It’s a great example of how a small company is able to compete with the […]

When my wife was shopping for a new car a few months ago, she refused to consider a Tesla, even though several friends love them and they’re one of the best cars being made today. She wanted an eco-friendly car and the Tesla seemed like a great choice. But she wouldn’t even look at a […]

In earlier columns, I described my decision to move from cable TV to streaming TV from cable service. Now after using streaming for two years, much has changed and I’ve learned a lot more. While I’m glad that I made the move, I’m paying more, mostly because I’m accessing many more streaming services while watching […]

One of the benefits of world traveling is shopping for products that are unavailable or less expensive than they are here at home. With the popularity of online shopping, it’s now possible to shop internationally without travelling. I’ve found many retailers that I’ve visited while traveling now have online stores that ship worldwide. Many of […]

I just experienced a product from Apple that’s incredibly well-designed. Everything worked perfectly with all of the elements meshing together flawlessly. But it was not a physical product that Apple sells; it’s their customer service support machine that’s a combination of many elements. Let me explain. Element 1: Website help I discovered late last week […]

In spite of promises from cellular companies and threats of fines from the FCC, spam calls and spam texts continue to grow with no relief in site. As an aside, I’ve always been convinced that a candidate promising to eliminate these scourges would do better than running on most any other platform, and would unite […]

Apple has just introduced a digital driver license in Arizona. It’s the first state where drivers can add their driver license to their iPhone and not be required to carry a physical license. Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, and Utah. are currently working on doing much the same. […]

Apple ranks at the bottom of a recent analysis of product repairability, earning a 3 out of 10. The analysis, conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, rated companies producing laptops and cellphones. They looked at how well their products were designed to be repaired and whether the companies supported right to repair policies […]

Business flyers are a funny sort. We’re intensly loyal to our favorite airline, hotel chain and rental car company, and we love to relate our experiences to other business travelers. As business people, we can recognize innovation, competency and how we’re being treated, and we expect some recognition in return. But, alas, that’s a fanciful […]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is being impacted by technology more than any previous war. Technology brings the war to the screens as well as being used as a weapon to retaliate. Ukrainians with cameras are sharing their experiences with millions around the world over social apps, all in real time. That enables us to […]

What are the best phone cases that incorporate a wallet? I look at the options. Like self-driving cars, eliminating the need to carry a wallet has been a long held dream. Using our phone to replace a wallet has been a work in progress for years. The U.S. has been behind other countries, notably China, […]

The Oura Ring is a tiny device designed to discretely monitor some of your basic health signs. While it looks like a simple metal ring, it’s packed full of microelectronics. The company recently introduced their 3rd generation product, the Oura Ring 3 with more capabilities than ever before. Oura, founded in Finland in 2015, has […]