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The Last Mile has been the challenge of industries immemorial. What, you say? Well, humor me, and I'll tell you. "Last Mile" -- usually -- refers to the last part of a network, the bit that delivers communications directly into a home. It's often the hardest and most expensive part, subject to nei...
If there's one area of complication in any direct-current, hobbyist tech project, it's wire. What gauge of wire should you use? How should you terminate it? How can you join wire on a budget? You'll encounter issues like this in any DC-current application project, whether you're working on audio amp...
A few weeks ago, I wrote about building a simple, home backup power system for charging phones during extended electricity outages. However, there's a limitation to any battery system, and that is that any battery power supply will eventually become depleted. I reckon to get a theoretical 13 days ou...
Facebook Graph Search is coming, and now -- before it hits -- is a good time to tweak your Facebook privacy settings. What is it? Graph Search is a new search function within Facebook. It's not yet been officially launched, but it is available in Beta. Graph Search differs from existing Facebook sea...
The United States Department of Homeland Security Computer Emergency Readiness Team has recently been advising computer users to update or switch off Java in browsers. Oracle's Java is a programming language that's used in browser plug-ins. It's used by vendors to make applications function across ...
Microsoft's latest version of its operating system, Windows 8, has more personalization options than any predecessor. Backgrounds, themes, colors, start screen, apps, picture passwords and more can all be customized. You can choose a new theme by opening the Search charm and typing "personalization....
With screen real estate, as with the dirt version, more is generally better. Like earlier incarnations of the OS, Windows 8 has external monitor functionality that lets you spread out. However, there are Windows 8-specific features -- like the snapping of apps that lets you use apps side-by-side to ...
"Normal connected lifestyle to resume in due course," could have been the tag line recently in New York and New Jersey. If there was one lesson learned from Hurricane Sandy, it was that even the most sophisticated of urban areas can experience an unexpected loss of essential services. One way to pr...
There are three big changes in Windows 8, the latest version of Microsoft's operating system. All three affect how you organize your computer. First, Microsoft replaces its Start menu search box with a new, always accessible Search charm. Second, the Windows Explorer file browser gains ribbon funct...
So you just got Windows 8 and you're missing the Start button? No problem, just add one -- for free. If there's one user interface design choice that has caused the most hands-in-the-air bewilderment in the tech industry during 2012, it's got to be the omission of the Start button and Menu in Micros...
A simple AM radio can keep you abreast of events during a disaster. However, a smartphone is ideal for two-way communications, as well as for news and government messages via text message and social networks like Twitter. I've been using a signal booster kit while backpacking around network-sparse, ...
Take a laptop or smartphone in addition to blankets and chairs if you're looking for a spot in the tent cities springing up outside your local big box store this week. Smartphone-driven on-the-fly research is proving to make it easier this year to find Black Friday deals on TVs, tablets and other me...
Easy sharing and streaming of media and other assets among computers at home or in the workplace is a good reason to get networked. Other benefits include sharing Internet connections. If you've been using email as a method for distributing files among family members or a small business, or are sim...
My first impression of the bargain-basement $39.99 Windows OS upgrade: To all outward appearances, Windows 8 is a vivid, visual, deeply rewarding and aesthetically pleasing skin to the 2009-released Windows 7 PC desktop OS. Big deal, you might say. However, digging in a bit, I found that this rathe...
If you're used to Microsoft's stratospheric pricing email program -- Outlook alone is $139.99 estimated retail -- take a look at the small print at Microsoft's Windows 8 website, and you'll see that a Windows 8 Pro upgrade can be downloaded for a limited-time at the measly price of $39.99. This i...
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