Yet another feature of Google Now was unveiled recently. It’s the “Let’s Go Caroling feature,” which I describe in the video below.
December 17, 2013December 16, 2013A Descent Down Memory Mapped LaneI’ve been playing Descent.
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December 15, 2013Robot TrollingThe robots are getting good! In fact, the person you may be talking to on the other end of the phone might actually be a clever AI program. How clever? The topic is robot trolling, or trying to determine whether the bright and cheerful person selling you whatever is real. The link (below) contains some audio clips that are quite telling, but also chilling in how real the interaction can be. You’re seeing the dawn of this type of tool. It will get better. In fact, in a few years (or even months), you may not be able to determine whether the conversation you’re having is with a human being or clever software.
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December 13, 2013Word’s Fertile FieldsOne of the most powerful features in Microsoft Word is the field. It’s a topic on which I don’t go into detail in my book, Word For Dummies, mostly because I don’t have the pages. Still, you gain a lot of power from Word once you understand how useful fields can be.
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December 12, 2013If You Could Only See the Wi-FiIn some of my books, as a joke, I write about Wi-Fi and cellular signals everywhere, “Don’t duck!” Despite my jocularity, the visual representation presented in this article is pretty stunning. If we could see the wireless signals, and providing they didn’t look like rainbows, my guess is that environmental groups would protest. And it does make me wonder whether any long-term harmful effects to this radiation exist. Remember, when X-Rays first came out they were considered a harmless novelty. Time will tell.
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December 11, 2013Apple’s Siri v. Google NowThe grades are in, and they both . . . could stand some improvement. I really believe voice input is the future of mobile devices, almost to the point that the wrist device won’t see any success until it’s sports a completely audio interface. The two giants Apple and Google are marching in the right direction, but still have quite a ways to go. Biggest question: Where the heck is Microsoft in all this?
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The Android OS Update PhilosophyOn Planet Windows — and even Planet Macintosh — upgrades to your computer’s operating system are deliberate things. You obtain the upgrade, you install it. The operative part of the phrase is “you.” Yes, you are the doer. With your Android device, you are merely a passive observer.
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December 9, 2013The Perfect TabletAs time marched on, the tablet manufacturers were under more and more pressure to service the needs of the typical tablet user. The list of items requested was lengthy.
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December 6, 2013Know Your Ancient ComputersYou’ve heard the names, but do you know how they’re relevant? Join me for a trip down mainframe memory lane . . .
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December 4, 2013SEO OptimizationWhen I write a book, I write it to a reader, some individual who will benefit from the information contained in the book. Apparently my publisher now believes that when I write a book, my goal is to fine tune the information for something called SEO.
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