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Friday, March 22nd
Everyone’s a marketer these days and for anyone using Instagram to build their personal brand, hashtags are important. How do you find the right ones so your posts get views? The App of the day is “Hash-Me”, a cool app that scans your photo and using artificial intelligence finds just the right hashtags before you post.
Thursday, March 21st
Update 9:32 am A Kickstarter launched today for an app that will give away free movie tickets for watching a set of TV commercials. PreShow lets users pick a movie they want to see in the theater. They’re then asked to watch about 15-20 minutes of commercials that may be tied to products placed in the movie. It uses facial recognition to ensure the user is watching the screen. I’ll explain what PreShow is, how it works and when you might get the chance to use it.
I’ll do the Google Jobs story next week.
if you’re looking for a job, there are many places to go online for job postings. Monster.com, Career Builder, jobs.com. Those are all just fine but the best online job search isn’t one of those, it’s from Google and it’s free.
Wednesday, March 20th
MoviePass is bringing its unlimited plan back but there’s a catch. The popular ‘movie-every-day’ model nearly sunk MoviePass. When it changed the plans to stay in business, it angered fans and cost them millions of subscribers. MoviePass just announced it’s bringing back an “uncapped” plan. What is it? How much will it cost? What’s the catch?
Tuesday, March 19th
You can be a millionaire! There’s a very interesting community on Reddit that wants to make a millionaire. The idea: if 1 million people sent one person a dollar each… it’s been going on for quite a while.
Monday, March 18th
More people purchased DNA kits in 2018 than 2002-2017 combined! Police used one of the genealogy databases to catch a suspected killer in Alabama. Did you know even if you haven’t sent in a spit sample, you’re likely in the database too? You can still use the story from the news this morning about the Alabama case.
Friday, March 15th
The app of the day is “Just Watch”, an app that searches and lists everything playing on streaming services.
Thursday, March 14th
I feel the Facebook outage story will be old news by evening so I’m going to skip it and move on.
I’m likely going to do something on a big change in Google that affects every single person who uses the Chrome browser. Everyone knows Google tracks everything you look at and search for online. But there’s an easy way to protect your privacy now. The DuckDuckGo search can be used with Google Chrome.
Wednesday, March 13th
Why are new TV’s so inexpensive? It’s because manufacturers are selling your information to advertisers. You’re already seeing personalized ads show up in Facebook and other places online, get ready to see more TV commercials specifically targeted at you.
Tuesday, March 12th
Today, I’ll be doing the Netflix automatic downloads story today. If you download shows to binge on Netflix, it’ll now delete the episode you just watched and download the next one. It’ll be a favorite feature for anyone who watches a different episode of a show every day.
By the way I spent almost all of yesterday with Mercedes/insurance company/dealership where we bought the car, about our exploding sunroof. Turns out there’ve been a lot of reports of these things spontaneously cracking exploding. I’m just happy my daughter had the sunroof visor pulled shut or the glass would have been all over her driving down the interstate.
Monday, March 11th
By far the story that has gotten the most comments in the last 5 years. Netflix secret codes.
You now how you see the same 40-100 movies pop up on Netflix every time you sign in? Netflix actually has thousands and thousands of movies you didn’t know about. This story explains how to use secret codes to see everything you can watch.
Friday, March 8th
The App of the Day: if your fingers never seem to tap the right letters and numbers on your smartphone, this app is for you. Grammarly gives you a chance to get things right, whether it’s a text, tweet or notes.
Thursday, March 7th
Lots of folks are going to be going on spring break very soon or they’re thinking of a summer vacation. And they’ll be staying in an Airbnb. With all the smart devices on the market now you can hide a hidden camera just about anywhere and stream live video to a smartphone. I’m looking at a few ways you can discover whether you’re being watched by a hidden camera.
Wednesday, March 6th
It’s still flu season and research suggests your phone might be to blamed. Germs germs germs, if someone at work uses their phone in the bathroom then go back to their desk… gross. I mention this and talk about how to keep your phone clean.
Tuesday, March 5th
Are people really this bored? The big thing on YouTube these days is people watching people study. Similar to watching people eat, these videos are very popular. Why on earth?
Monday, March 4th
The new Pinterest. Maybe you’ve noticed things are changing on this social media. Your recipe pins and DIY pins are being crowded with companies that are allowed to upload their entire catalog. It’s going to look more like a shopping site than an idea site.
Friday, February 29th
The app of the day: Mvelope. Setting and keeping a budget is hard. Dave Ramsey (the ‘Total Money Makeover” radio guy, suggests people use cash and envelopes to see where your money is going every week and how much you have extra to spend.
I don’t know anyone who only pays cash and who uses the envelope method. But this app, “Mvelope” uses digital envelopes to do the same thing and save.
Thursday, February 28th
Update: i will do my best to get this story to you ASAP since I think it’s time sensitive. I have an interview with a counselor who’s talking to parents who’ve called. that interview is noon ET. I plan to have the story uploaded as close to 4pm ET as I can
Everything you need to know about Momo. The world went crazy yesterday about a scary YouTube meme that reportedly would tell kids to kill themselves. Parent shared it on Facebook, police and schools sent out warnings. Is it for real or another viral ghost story?
Wednesday, February 27th
Don’t you hate hate hate hate fake Amazon reviews? Millions of people choose products based on their ratings and reviews. The FTC is going after fake reviewers and just settled its first case. The FTC got a settlement from a company that employed people to sit around and write fake reviews for its clients.
Tuesday, February 26th
My money interview got cold feet and I won’t have that money segment ready today. If you’ve teased it, please let me know and I’ll have something for you. Jamey@whatthetech.tv.
The story about the woman teaching Chinese students will be ready Thursday evening.
Today I’m looking at another problem for YouTube. Some have reported an innocent video on YouTube can take viewers down a wormhole by ‘suggested videos’, until you seeing inappropriate videos of young girls. The comment sections for these videos have also reportedly included messages from pedophiles.
Monday, February 25th
Everyone has Hollywood and movies on their mind. So whatever happened with the two movie subscription programs? MoviePass and Sinemia are still around but are both very different. I’m taking a look at these plans now and if it makes sense to subscribe to them.
Friday, February 22nd
This is the cold and flu season and when it’s spreading, every little thing that hurts makes you wonder…. You could go to the doctor and sit in a waiting room with a bunch of sick people, or you can download an app. This app of the day is Ada. A bot that can give you a pretty decent idea of what ails you.
Thursday, February 21st
How much money do you spend on subscriptions? It’s probably more than you think. A study just released shows that most Americans underestimate what they sped each month and when you stop to think about what you’re paying, it’s shocking. I’ll explain that and show you an app to help get those subscriptions under control and save you money
Wednesday, February 20th
WOW, SAMSUNG’s big event is today and we’re going to see a foldable phone, a new line of Galaxy phones and some other cool things. This is a story you may want to run today. It’ll be a quick turnaround (i.e. it won’t be fancy ) but I’ll have something by 5p ET.
Tuesday, February 19th
Making money part 3. Part of making money is saving money and saving time There are countless ways to make money online and with apps, but are they a waste of time?
Monday, February 18th
“Hacker” has such a negative reputation. But some hacks are good and save time and money. Today I’m going to show a few “consumer tech hacks”, such as how to get your screen addicted kids to read (guaranteed) and how to create your first app in 2 seconds.
Friday, February 15th
The App of the Day is especially for parents of young kids. Montessori Academy is one of those names every one is familiar with and their app teaches pre-K children early math, spelling and reading skills.
Thursday, February 14th
Cord cutters are growing in number with millions of satellite/cable TV subscribers planning to switch to streaming over the next year. Before you make the decision, there are some things you need to know,
Wednesday, February 13th
Valentines Day tech. It’s more than swiping right or left. There are hundreds of apps in both app stores that do more than a partner. I’ll be looking at some of the best “Love Apps” in the stores. Including the dating app that protects you from weirdos you meet.
Tuesday, February 12th
Making $$ from home with the tech you have. This young woman started a blog a few years ago. She didn’t know anything about blogs. Today she makes over $100,00 a month while traveling the world. I interviewed her by Skype while she’s on her boat in the Bahamas. We talk about what she did to become a millionaire.
Monday, February 11th
Marie Kondo your Facebook profile. While the “Tidying Up” craze has people cleaning their closets, I’m going to talk about cleaning up your Facebook profile. Unexpected followers, annoying friends, strangers who are looking at your pictures, apps that have access to your account; I’m looking at ways to get rid of what you don’t need.
Friday, February 8th
With the Marie Kondo minimalist thing growing in popularity, I’ve found an app that helps you get rid of things you just don’t need. It’s the App of the Day: Get Rid of It
Thursday, February 7th
The one thing you’re doing to make your TV picture suck. Tom Cruise came out and criticized TV manufacturers for selling TVs with the wrong set-up that causes the”Soap Opera Effect”. What is that and how to make your picture better than ever.
Wednesday, February 6th
The new emoji are here! The universal language is getting some new words after the international Unicode folks gathered again and voted on which hieroglyphics to introduce this year. Wheelchairs, prosthetics and many other new emoji. How will people use some of these things?
Tuesday, February 5th
The first piece in our “make money with tech” series. I’m doing one of these every Tuesday. I am efforting to get them done a day ahead of time. There will be a tease available in the Dropbox on Monday.
Today I’m looking at a good way to make money when you’re doing just about anything else. Online surveys. How much can you earn? How are you paid? How long does it take?
Monday, February 4th
How much does it cost to stream a Netflix movie or browse the internet? You may have seen a commercial during the Super Bowl for a new pre-pay phone service called Mint. It’s cheaper than your current plan but you may only get 10gb per month. Is this enough, how much data do you need each month? I’ll do the math.
Friday, February 1st
Millions of people deal with the problem of falling asleep. For some of us, it’s just a matter of “turning off the brain”. How many times have is it hard to fall asleep because you can’t stop thinking about tomorrow, or today at work? The App of the Day is an app that makes you go zzzzzz. It’s Soothing Sleep.
Thursday, January 31st
How to keep your phone from dying in the cold. Today’s smartphones can deal with extreme weather better than they could 5 years ago, but there are still some things that you should know.
Wednesday, January 30th
This is the best time of year to buy a TV. If you’re going to take advantage of low prices what size do you need for the size room it’s going in. And the most popular size may surprise you. Even people with small rooms are buying a BAT. (Big A** Television)
Tuesday, January 29th
Update: I’m going to try to do a FaceTime controversy follow-up, to talk about the fear of someone listening in on us without our knowledge. This will not be a story only about FaceTime, so if you want to do something about what Apple is doing, that’ll work just fine.
Monday, January 28th
Apple will pay for your pictures. Apple recently opened entries to its annul “Shot on iPhone” competition. In the past Apple only gave out awards but claimed ownership of the photos, this year Apple has announced it’s going to pay the winners.
Friday, January 25th
Most people don’t know about the Chrome App Store. It isn’t for Android devices, it’s for anyone who uses the Chrome browser. I’m going to show what’s there, and focus on the App of the Day: Nope. A app to rescue you from annoying coworkers who won’t stop talking.
Thursday, January, 24th
Best places to book your vacation. This is the time of year people are planning spring break and summer vacations. I’m looking at which apps and websites do best at finding good deals.
Wednesday, January 23rd
Not much going on this week, so I’m using a story I shot at CES on new technology for video gamers. The future is here. If you saw the movie “Ready Player One” you’ll remember the cool haptic suit the hero wanted. It allowed him to feel what he was seeing or experiencing when he was in the game. One of this year’s big hits at CES was a similar haptic suit. I’m talking to the developer about how it works.
Tuesday, January 22nd
Everyone knows you need a keyboard of some kind of phone or device. Two companies have set out to try something different. One has developed a glove like device that you can use by drawing or typing in the air, and another has put the technology in rings you put on your fingers
Monday, January 21st
Update; I’m saving the story below for another day. Have you ever signed up for a free trial for something and forget to cancel before it starts charging you? MasterCard just announced protection for its customers when it comes to companies that practice that way. I’ll also look at an app that cancels free trials before they’re over.
Everyone knows you need a keyboard of some kind of phone or device. Two companies have set out to try something different. One has developed a glove like device that you can use by drawing or typing in the air, and another has put the technology in rings you put on your fingers
Friday, January 18th
The App of the day: Madefire Comics and Motion Books. Kids get stuck inside during cold winter weather and they either play video games or watch hours of YouTube videos. What if parents could find a way to make them read? (Gasp). Madefire Comics and Motion Books are the traditional comics of Superman, Batman, Archie, etc. and might be just what kids need to get reading again.
Thursday, January 17th
(I’m not sure why this didn’t originally post, but I’m sure it was user error, me)
The “Ten Year Challenge” currently going around on Facebook and Instagram. Can it be used to steal your identity? The answer is no, or at least 99.9% no. I’ll take a look at this meme and the questions it provokes.
Wednesday, January 16th
Netflix is raising rates, is this a sign of “cutting the cord” getting more expensive? Just because you can save money now by cutting cable, the Netflix announcement makes you think of what happens if all of the streaming services raises rates by a few bucks a month.
Tuesday, January 15th
Update: My previous story fell through and I don’t have enough video for the story I pitched this morning so I’m going to hold it and do something else. Robot suitcases.
Is walking through the airport hauling a rolling carry-on too much for you? Me neither, but there are apparently enough people who complain about this that several companies have built robotic suitcases. One just follows you through the terminal while you can ride another one. I’m going to look at both inventions and watch as one inventor rides away.
One setting may be making things on your TV look weird. Have you ever noticed that some things on your television look fine, while others (like ballgames) don’t look so good? Bad even. It’s because the TV makers and stores that sell them, change a setting to make them look good in stores. I’ll show you what that one setting is, and how to correct it.
Monday, January 14th
The best of CES. You’re not going to buy a $300,00 TV nor a $10,000 pair of headphones but you might want to run out and buy these gadgets. The three best things from the show that you’d want to have.
Friday, January 11th
CES wraps up today and this story looks at a robot. Not just another robot but one that plays ping-pong. Omron has developed advanced robotics that play games but will also do assembly line work.
Thursday, January 10th
TV’s. Just when you thought your 4k television is the best you’ve seen, now comes 8k. Who needs an 8K TV. What is it? And I’m looking at a new TV you can hide by hitting a button. It rolls up into a box on the floor. I’m talking with product specialists with Samsung and LG.
Wednesday, January 9th\
it’s the product everyone at CES is talking about. A tablet that folds into a smartphone. It’s not just a gimmick, it’s going to be released in the US later this year.
Tuesday, January 8th
Sorry for the delay in this pitch. Internet problems in the hotel so I may have to take the videos to another location and try uploading them there. I have a tease as well. Today’s story is about health care tech. And products designed to make us feel better.
Monday, January 7th
Day 1 of CES. The show doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow so I’m doing a package that describes CES then shows some of the oddest, or most ambitious products.
Friday, January 4th
The App of the Day. Fantastical. Think you need to stay more organized this year? Fantastical 2 is the best calendar app in the App Store. It is simple to use and syncs across your devices. You may not want to hold this for next week as I’ll be sending back look-lives on Monday from CES.
Thursday, January 3rd
If you want to see the latest fashions in active wear, just go to a gym. New Year resolutions mean some people who haven’t been in a gym in years are there trying to get in shape. Don’t try to exercise without an app to keep you honest and on track. I’ll look at a few to download.
Wednesday, January 2nd
Millions of people got Amazon Echo devices over the holidays and are wondering what Alexa can do. The millions of people who’ve had an Echo device are wondering that too. In this story I’ll show you some of the best Alexa skills you should install.
Tuesday, January 1st
Happy New Year! I’d like to go with this story from earlier this year, or last year. lots of people got DNA kits for Christmas. Is it a good idea to use them? Police used a consumer DNA kit to catch a serial killer who’d been on the run for about 50 years. I talk with an expert in DNA data and what it means to have your one-of-a-kind data in a database.
Monday, December 31st
It’s the new year and a popular resolution is doing better with money. Saving it, earning it, keeping track of what’s going in and going out of the bank accounts. Today I’m going to look at a couple of apps that’ll help do that. Easily.
Friday, December 28th
The App of the Day. The flu is on its way to being rampant. The CDC reports the spreading of Flu Type A and B. This app of the day is not from the CDC but it uses their information along with social media to show users where the flu is and how to avoid it.
Thursday, December 27th
So you got some electronics for Christmas. There’s one thing you have to do right away. Reset the password. I’ll show you how easy it is for hackers to take control of your gadgets and even see inside your home.
Wednesday, December 26th
Apps for the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch was a popular gift this year. I’m going to look at a few apps you should install first. I think this will be interesting to Watch owners and people thinking of getting one.
Tuesday, December 25th CHRISTMAS
I’ve got a story today about what you can do with gift cards you do not want. I ran the story last year around Christmas and thought it would work well this year on Christmas Day.
Monday, December 24th
Merry Christmas. I will have stories for you this week. Today’s story really needs to run today. It’s about an app that allows parents to take a photo of a room and put Santa there. They can show their kids a photo or video when Santa was bringing presents. Obviously, this will be an old story after Christmas morning.
Friday, December 21st
This app of the Day is for people who’ll be traveling over the holidays. It’s called “Sit or Squat” and it helps moms and dads who’ll be taking kids on a family road trip. It helps find clean bathrooms.
Thursday, December 20th
Best gadgets of 2018 part 3. It’s a grab bag of tech gadgets including a digital blood pressure cuff, wireless charger, Echo game buttons, a new digital lock, and a Google home mini.
Wednesday, December 19th
Best gadgets of 2018 part 2. I’ve narrowed down the list of great tech and today I’m looking at a few devices/gadgets to take your cellphone photography skills to the next level.
Tuesday, December 18th
There aren’t many shopping days left before Christmas and if you’re like me, you’re still looking for gif ideas. Over the next few nights, though Thursday, I’m going to take a look at the very best gadgets of the year. The best of the best in new technology.
Monday, December 17th
nearly 7 million Facebook users had their photos, even the ones marked “private” exposed without their permission. This story broke late Friday. Today I’m going to take a look at what people can or should do to find out if their photos were included in this glitch that allowed 1,500 apps to see or gain access to them.
Friday, December 14th
Sure your pet is nice, but can he do this??? The App of the Day makes your pet talk; sort of.
Thursday, December 13th
The ONE question I get every few days is about the Apple Watch. They ask if they should get a 3 or 4 and ask if the health features are worth the extra money. Today I’m going to look at what the watch can do when it comes to monitoring your health.
Wednesday, December 12th
I’m looking at more of my favorite gadgets of 2018 that will make someone a nice Christmas gifts.
Tuesday, December 11th
this is a story best run today. Over 52 million Google + users had their information stolen by hackers. This is the second hit in the past few months for Google. The company said it will shut down Google+ in April, but I’ll explain why you should do it right away.
Monday, December 10th
You don’t have to wait to let the kids know what’s up with Santa. Google and NORAD have updated their Santa trackers so kids can take a peek at Santa in the days leading up to Christmas. I’ll also show parents where their kids can see Santa feed the reindeer live at the north pole.
Friday, December 7th
it will be an App of the Day. I’m waiting to see if an app company is going to send a download code. I’ll update this page as soon as I know what the app will be.
Thursday, December 6th
How about some stocking stuffers? I’m looking at tech gift ideas small enough to fit in someone’s stocking. But any of these could be the best gift you could give.
Wednesday, December 5th
Many people may be stepping into the world of smart homes this Christmas. Today I’ll be looking at a few gadgets that are good to get started.
Tuesday, December 4th
Virtual reality glasses and gear are going to be popular this year. I know I’ve said that before, but this year there are lots to choose from. Which ones are you wasting money on? Which ones are worth the money? Which ones will make it past December 26th before they break?
Monday, December 3rd
One thing you absolutely need to do before the end of the month. Especially if you’re still using anything older than an iPhone X. Apple will replace your battery for $29. It’s usually a lot more. This stems from a problem iPhone users reported earlier this year that their phone was dying earlier and earlier in the day. I’ll show you how to check your battery’s life and what to do if it needs replacing.
Friday, November 30th
Have you made your list and checked it twice? I’ve found an app that’ll help make your Christmas list, keep you from spending too much, and make sure you don’t forget anyone. This is actually two apps, one for Android and one for iOS. They do the same thing.
Thursday, November 29th
We all look at reviews for items on Amazon and many of us, put some stock into what other customers think. But how do you tell the difference between a genuine review and one from someone who’s paid to say good things about it.
Wednesday, November 28th
Over the next several weeks I’ll be looking at some of the best tech gadgets of the year. I’ve tried dozens of things over the past year and these are the coolest ones. Today I’m looking at great gifts for people who love music.
Tuesday, November 27th
Is this the year of the smart watch? People have been putting off getting one but I’ve had more questions about which one to buy than ever. I’ve got the latest Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch for Android. What can you do with them?
Monday, November 26th
Cyber Monday! All those packages people are ordering today (and every day) will soon be delivered. And stolen. Around 30% of consumers report having a package stolen from their doorstep. How do you protect your purchases from porch pirates? This will be able to run anytime over the next few days. You’ll just have to change the intro.
Friday, November 23rd
A shopping app for App of the Day. Some popular Black Friday and Cyber Monday apps have come and gone but this one, Flipp, is the best of the best. Like other apps it gathers all the big discounts and allows you to make a shopping list. Why is Flipp better than all the rest? Because you can use it throughout the year for grocery shopping. Flipp is the App of the Day
Thursday, November 22nd
Happy Thanksgiving. If you’re like me, you’re getting lots of Amazon boxes. They pile up. Don’t throw them away! You can use them to send donations to Goodwill, and Amazon takes care of the postage. It’s called a “Give Back Box”, put stuff in the old Amazon box, print out a free shipping label and mail it in.
Wednesday, November 21st
** sorry, I didn’t hit the update button on this pitch last night**
Cord Cutting pt 4. If you don’t have Netflix (or even if you do) there are a couple of options where you can stream movies and TV shows. I’ll be looking at 3 of them. Tubi TV, Pluto and YouTube. All offer some of the movies you’ll find on Netflix for free. What do they have? How can you get them? And how can they be free?
Tuesday, November 20th
Last year 40% of online purchases over Black Friday/Cyber Monday were made using a smartphone. That’s up from 11% in 2016. I’m going to look at a few things you should keep in mind before shopping on a phone.
Monday, November 19th
Millions of people are shopping Amazon for Black Friday, those specials started last week. Here’s something only power-Amazon shoppers know about: if you’re patient Amazon will actually give you money. Why “no-rush shipping” is a no-brainer for Christmas shopping.
Friday November 16th
The App of the Day. People are thinking of Thanksgiving and helping other people. I have an app that makes it easy to do.
Thursday November 15th
If you haven’t signed up for the U.S Postal Service’s “informed delivery” emails, you should stop what you’re doing and do that. I told you about the Postal Service sending emails with photos of what’s coming in your mail. Now Homeland Security is warning people that bad guys could be signing up for your mailbox and if you’re getting something good, like a new credit card, they’ll take it right out of your mailbox right under your nose.
Wednesday, November 14th
Cord Cutting. How much will you really pay for Sling, YouTube TV, Direct TV Now? Is it really just $25? Is there a catch? I’ve tried them all to find out.
Tuesday, November 13th
Tonight I’m looking at the best tech gadgets for mom this Christmas. By the way, as a reminder, I will be doing something different every Wednesday on “Cord Cutting”. Tomorrow I will take a look at the #1 cord cutting service, Sling. What’s good about it? What might surprise you.
Monday, November 12th
I think it’s time to start looking ahead at some of this year’s top tech gift ideas. Cyber Monday is exactly 2 weeks from today. I’m kicking things off with some tech gift ideas for dad. A remote control you can control with your voice, a TV that looks like fine art, a locker for the gym that opens with your fingerprint, and a Bluetooth speaker with a radio built in. I’ll try to fit all those in a :90 story.
Friday, November 9th
It’s App of the Day Friday. Today I’ve got an app that’s perfect for planning and cooking a Thanksgiving meal. Project Foodie.
Thursday, November 8th
Christmas spending is expected to hit a record $1 trillion. A trillion!? I’ll be looking at this year’s hot gifts and why Amazon is making its customers feeling a little nostalgic. It’s sending out a Wish toy catalog, the same type their parents grew up with from Sears and JC Penney. I have one and I’ll show you what it looks like.
Wednesday, November 7th
Should you “cut the cord?” Ditching cable or satellite TV is a popular thing these days, but does it make sense for you? I’m starting a series of stories about cord-cutters. I’m likely going to do this every Wednesday so you can air them as a Cord Cutters Wednesday or Thursday. Today I’m going to look at questions you should ask yourself before cutting the cord.