Category Archives: Uncategorized

More and more consumer products are adding WiFi connectivity, but that often comes with unintended consequences. I know because I’ve often fell victim to having the latest, and have asked myself why didn’t I leave well enough alone. Typically whenWiFi connectivity is included in a product, it enables the device to do things remotely via […]

Look all around and we’re seeing a very different side of tech that we once admired. Overhyped AI, X in tatters, Facebook without moderation, Amazon breaking laws, and even AT&T taking credit for providing us what we paid for. As one that’s spent much of his career in consumer technology, including twenty years in SIlicon Valley, […]

We rarely give much thought to the location of a stop on a train line unless it’s one we’re using, but where that stop is located can have a big impact on a community. Solana Beach, where I’ve lived for more than twenty years, is a laid back coastal California community of about 13,000 residents, […]

I’ve been trying out a new bird feeder with a built in camera and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. The concept is simple: Stick a motion-activated camera on the front and capture videos anytime a bird visits. Think of it as a doorbell camera for birds. What makes it fun is […]

My wife and I spent twelve days in Sicily in October. It wasn’t at the top of our bucket list until we looked into it in more detail after our daughter visited and loved it. We are so glad we did. We learned of Sicily’s unique history, visited its ancient temples, ate its delicious food, […]

With our buying so much online and the choices so broad, here are some suggestions to be sure you’re getting the best value for your money. Ignore Amazon “regular” prices – If you shop at Amazon, ignore their former or original prices shown aside the current selling prices. I’m not sure how Amazon gets away […]

As we enter the last month of the year, I look back on a few things I learned this year. The news is broken – Regardless of political leaning, one thing I came to realize is how broken the news industry has become as so much of the mainstream media has lost its way. Too […]

There’s good reason why we dislike our wireless carriers. They are constantly trying to scam us with promotions that are not what they seem. It’s just in their DNA, beginning years ago when they increased our monthly charge whenever we made a small change to our account. With Black Friday sales in full swing, they’re […]

While AI products haven’t yet lived up to their expectations, travel planning is an area where AI shows promise. There are even some new products available that try to use AI to automate the more mundane tasks and replace some of the drudgery of travel planning. Imagine having a travel agent who knows your preferences […]

With a recent software upgrade, Apple has turned their AirPods Pro 2 earbuds into a hearing aid for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. It’s equivalent to an OTC hearing aid, a new category authorized by the FDA two years ago. To set it up, you simply open the systems menu on your iPhone, […]

With its recent expansion of international flights, San Diego area residents are now able to fly directly to Europe and avoid flying out of LAX or through another U.S. city. British Airways has had daily flights to Heathrow for a few years and more recently Lufthansa began non-stop service to Munich. There’s now nonstop service […]

I’m vacationing in Sicily and before I left home I looked at alternatives to using Verizon’s Travel Pass for International data, calls, and SMS. It was recently increased from $10 to $12/day. For my wife and myself, that adds up to over $300 for our 14 day trip, if we both used it every day. […]

If you’ve ever flown through San Diego on Southwest Airlines, you’ve experienced the infamous Terminal 1, one of the least inviting terminals in the country. Its two concourses each suffer from insufficient seating, poor food options, and no lounges. Each concourse, with its five gates, requires passing through a TSA security checkpoint to get to […]

How fitting for Elon Musk to debut his new robocab on the set of the Warner Studios where fake sets are the norm. This was where Musk was going to provide more details on his effort to deliver driverless cars for use as taxis, a promise he first made in 2016 that would launch in […]

Millions of Verizon customers lost their cellphone service this past Monday for about 8 hours. Nearly a week later we still have no idea of the cause because Verizon has not issued an explanation. It’s very strange that we’ve not seen stories in the press about this, raising the possibility that it might have been […]

Electric vehicles are revolutionizing transportation by offering cleaner, quieter, and more efficient alternatives to traditional gas-powered cars. Despite their numerous advantages, one of the main concerns for prospective buyers continues to be charging. And it seems to be an obsession with auto writers who can’t always relate to just how we use our cars. Questions […]

When ChatGPT was announced nearly nearly two years ago, it was described as one of the most significant tech products to come along in decades. It was bigger than the invention of the Internet, it would eliminate millions of jobs, and it might even be the end of mankind! Now two years later, we can […]

Last Friday I received an email addressed to me using my name and address in the subject line with a pdf file attached named phil.pdf. I rarely ever open an email from a suspicious sender, but this caught my attention, as it seemed to be personally addressed, unlike a mass mailing. I stared at it […]

Phones with folding displays from Samsung, Google, and several Chinese phone manufacturers have received a lot of interest, and there are even rumors that Apple is developing one. Many of the gadget blogs and review sites claim these are the future of phones. The concept seems like a great idea: a single device that’s both […]

It’s that time of the year when the phone companies want us to dig deep into our pockets to buy their latest phones. Apple is about to announce their new iPhone 16 phones, and Samsung and Google have just announced their new models with many of them costing $1000 to almost $2000. But there’s an […]