January 2016

Will LTE mess up your TV reception?

What you call LTE, I call UHF. Let me explain. Before the 700MHz band was allocated for high-speed cell internet, it was used for UHF television broadcasting. LTE sits right between UHF channels 52 and 53,…



BUH-BYE: Java finally fades away

Well, at least it will. Java, once the darling of programmers all over the world, is finally planning to leave the browser. Three years ago, I spat on Java, calling it a “must-miss.” I took some flak for…



PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: The outlet center of your dreams

Think of it as a 21st-century update. This Tech Choice 3 Outlet Power Surge Protector Wall Tap gives you everything you could possibly want in an outlet. Plug in three power bricks using the widely spaced outlets, then…


AT&T reports subscriber increases

Late yesterday, AT&T reported its fourth quarter earnings and things are looking rosy. Earnings per share were up and income, while not quite meeting expectations, was also quite good. If you’re interested, the entire presentation, including…


The FCC wants new rules for cable boxes

This could be a mess for so many reasons. Several sources including Engadget and The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) are reporting that the FCC plans on taking another swipe at the growing problem of expensive cable box rentals. I…




Bad Wi-Fi coverage? Take care of it!

Not everyone is lucky enough to have great wi-fi coverage throughout the house. The chances are you’ve got a corner that doesn’t get great service. That hasn’t been a problem for you, since your smartphone can…



FUN FRIDAY: Best way to defrost

Yep, winter’s here. And that means fogged up windshields for most of us, although if you’re in the southeast you probably deal with fogged up windshields all year round and if you’re in the desert southwest,…



THROWBACK THURSDAY: DIRECTV THR22 TiVo

There was a time when TiVo meant DVR. It wasn’t that long ago that the company had a virtual monopoly on good solid DVRs that worked well. The first DVRs for DIRECTV ran TiVo software, and when DIRECTV…