Do you really need gigabit to the home?
OK, I’m going to get in a little bit of hot water over at AT&T HQ. They’re in the midst of a big push to roll out gigabit fiber to homes they serve, following the lead…
Read MoreJanuary 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,…
FUN FRIDAY: Crazy Rubik’s Cube
Is it me or are Rubik’s cubes back in a big way? I’ve seen kids playing with them at least half a dozen times in the last couple of weeks. Is this some sort of retro…
THROWBACK THURSDAY: nytimes.com
Just a little over 20 years ago… one of the most important news sources in the world went online. The New York Times launched nytimes.com, which went on to become a pioneer in high-quality news online. According to their…
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…
FAIR IS FAIR: Time Warner Cable did pretty well last quarter
So, look, I pick on them a lot. But why shouldn’t I? Time Warner has some of the lowest customer satisfaction on the planet, their products are often out of date, and let’s not forget that…
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…
I spent a week using only Microsoft Edge. Should you?
I do this stuff so you don’t have to. As most people now know, Microsoft Internet Explorer is a dead man walking. While it is actually part of Windows 10, it’s hidden so successfully that…
Where can you get the new “Reverse DBS” (RDBS) LNBs for DIRECTV?
If you’ve been following this blog over the last year, you know that DIRECTV has launched two new satellites that give the company the ability to broadcast up to 50 new 4K channels. One key to…
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…
Which is better, DISH+Netflix or DIRECTV+On Demand?
If you thought the war was over, you’re wrong – it’s just begun. DISH and DIRECTV have been fighting for supremacy over the skies since the 1990s and the battles just keep getting bigger. The best…
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,…
Do you need a DIRECTV Genie to share programs throughout your home?
Sshhhhh. DIRECTV doesn’t want you to know this. They love to tell you how their Genie DVR does a great job of sharing programs from a central DVR to three other rooms in your home. And you know…