Getting Serious About Audio With JRiver Media Center 17

Mar 30, 2012 | Android, audio, software, video

JRiver Media Center 17 is a Windows program for music and video. You can try it for free for 30 days. It costs $49.98. Most of you don’t need it. There are some advantages to using iTunes, especially if you have an iPhone or iPad. It’s simple and you’re used to it. If...

3G, 4G, And Life In The Rural Slow Lane

Mar 26, 2012 | Android, iPad, mobile, phone, tablet, video, wireless

Sonoma County is a rural county. We look at Santa Rosa and our chests swell at our bustling urban metropolis (population 167,000), but make no mistake: to cell phone carriers, we are small-fry. In 2012 that has a very precise and painful meaning for your mobile...

Walled Gardens Postscript: Just Tell Me What To Do!

Mar 20, 2012 | Amazon, Android, Apple, audio, Dropbox, Google, iPad, laptops, Microsoft, mobile, tablet, video

Previously: Walled Gardens, Part 1: Apple Walled Gardens, Part 2: Google Walled Gardens, Part 3: Microsoft This is a transition year. There are no right or wrong answers. Buy whatever feels right and be prepared for some bumps and the possibility that you’ll replace a...

Walled Gardens, Part 3: Microsoft

Mar 18, 2012 | Android, Apple, Google, iPad, Microsoft, mobile, phone, tablet

Previously: Walled Gardens, Part 1: Apple Walled Gardens, Part 2: Google MICROSOFT Set your clock ahead by eight months. It’s the holiday shopping season in late 2012. Make two assumptions. Microsoft has delivered Windows 8. In its final form, the design is solid and...

Walled Gardens, Part 2: Google

Mar 15, 2012 | Android, Apple, Google, Google+, iPad, mobile, photos, tablet, web_services

Previously: Walled Gardens, Part 1: Apple Next: Walled Gardens, Part 3: Microsoft GOOGLE Far more Android phones have been sold than iPhones. In fact, in the fourth quarter of 2011, while Apple was riding that tidal wave of iPhone 4S sales (with all the attendant...

Walled Gardens, Part 1: Apple

Mar 13, 2012 | Android, Apple, Dropbox, Google, iPad, Microsoft, mobile, tablet, web_services

By the end of 2012, there will be three walled gardens shaping your technology world. Every device you buy will be in one of those gardens. If all of your devices are part of the same garden, you will have a peaceful time enjoying the rewards of a well-groomed,...