📶 Calling all RVers, travelers and campers: The new Starlink Mini dish gives you Wi-Fi anywhere, fueled by a power bank or solar generator. Price: $599 for the hardware, then $150 a month for unlimited data, or $50 per month for 50GB of data.
Your smart speaker can help in an emergency — here’s how
Medical alert systems ain’t cheap. There’s the price of the hardware ($50 to a few hundred), the charge to set everything up (set aside $100 for that) and a monthly fee of $20 to $40 for the ongoing service. All for a little button on a necklace? It’s highway robbery.
Here’s the good news: With the right settings and subscriptions, your smart home assistant can help you call or contact your loved ones in an emergency. Before you rely on one, though, there are a few things you need to know.
I researched the best emergency services for Alexa and Google Home — and what they’ll cost you.
Free: The “Drop In” feature on Alexa
It’s nothing fancy, but if you’re an Alexa user, you can call another Alexa-enabled speaker directly like you would with an intercom system.
- Cost: Free!
- Features: When enabled, the person on the other end doesn’t need to answer or accept the call for you to talk to them!
How to set it up:
- Open the Alexa app on the phone of the person who you want to drop in on.
- Tap Devices.
- Select Echo & Alexa, then select the device you want to Drop In on.
- Tap Settings > Communications.
- Select Drop In, and then select which permissions to enable or disable.
How to use the Drop In feature:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone and tap More > Communicate.
- Tap Drop In at the top of the screen.
- A list of devices will appear that you’re permitted to Drop In on.
- Tap the device you want to communicate with.
Affordable: Alexa Emergency Assist
With this home security feature, you can say, “Alexa, call for help,” and an urgent response agent will call for first responders.
Apple's new gear: An $800 watch and $1,200 phone
Set a reminder for Monday, Sept. 18. That’s when iOS 17 is dropping — and it’s the one thing Apple just announced at its big Wonderlust fall release event that won’t cost you anything.
I’ve been on the beta version for months and wrote up my favorite new features for the Daily Mail. Today, let’s take a closer look at the latest hardware dropping this fall.
Ctrl + Space + X is Musk’s favorite keyboard shortcut: You used to be able to break into Elon Musk’s Starlink with just a leaked username and password. Then, bingo — you’ve got yourself some pricey hardware with someone else’s credit card. Now, they’re finally adding a two-factor authentication pop-up if someone tries to change your account email address or phone number. About time.
20% reduction in printing
Compared to pre-pandemic times. That’s what HP boss Enrique Lores told investors. Yeah, things aren’t pretty in the print hardware division; revenues have been down nine quarters in a row.
The fascinating science behind optical illusions and perception
That image is playing tricks on you. It’s a classic optical illusion — and scientists finally understand what’s happening.
Above, you can see two gray bars between the black lines. They sure look different. But nope, they’re the exact same shade. So, why does the gray bar surrounded by black look darker than the gray bar with white on each side?
I wish I could help every one of you
That’s where the pros at my sponsor Dell come in. We use Dell gear at Komando HQ. Dell laptops, PCs and servers power my national radio show, podcasts, this newsletter and everything else we do.
If you’re shopping for your small business, side hustle or new venture, you can chat with a small business expert for free advice on the right hardware. No obligation to buy, either.
A Dell, rolling in the deep: A new data breach affects up to 49 million Dell customers. Names, physical addresses, Dell hardware and order information all were swiped. Good news: Financial deets, emails and phone numbers are safe. Stay alert for phishing scams and suspicious mail now that scammers know where you live.
Revive your old PC or Mac with this free download
Many computer users feel the need to keep their devices up to date with the latest hardware. After all, if you don’t have the latest components or accessories, your laptop or desktop computer might not be compatible. Tap or click here for seven laptop maintenance steps you should do regularly to keep yours happy.
Save space on your computer by disabling these 7 Windows 10 features
Your computer doesn’t come out of the box perfectly optimized. There are a few built-in features that might even slow your system down. Some exist to help you, like Windows 10’s Power saver plan.
This feature lowers your PC’s performance to save energy. If you don’t like it, change it by heading to Control Panel and clicking Hardware and Sound. Click Power Options > Show additional plans > High performance.
Computer on the fritz? Diagnostic tools every PC owner should know about
When you buy a brand new computer, it’s like Christmas morning. That sparkly, shiny new machine runs lightning-fast and puts the latest technology at your fingertips.
Everything is grand until it ages a few years and suddenly starts acting up. But don’t give up hope. There might be a simple solution. You just need to find it.
Review: Will this smart grilling hub boost your backyard barbecue skills?
Speaking from experience, it’s not always easy to grill backyard barbecue favorites like burgers and steaks to the perfect temperature, inside and out, every single time. Variables include what type of grill (gas, charcoal) you’re using, fine-tuning the heat and other factors.
This app is one of the biggest drains on your battery - Here's how to stop it
Even though mobile phones released in the last few years have larger batteries, there seems always to be something that drains them faster than before. A recent update to Apple’s operating system caused battery issues.
15 affordable products you didn't know you needed
There are tons of little ways technology can impact our lives. Get enough gadgets, and they add up to a significantly improved quality of life. With our list of affordable products you didn’t know you needed, you don’t have to worry about the little things anymore.
Still holding on to that old BlackBerry? It'll stop working this week
For a while in the early 2000s, BlackBerry phones were everywhere. At its peak, around 85 million people sported the popular devices. A company did try to revive the brand recently, but it hasn’t been a great success.
3 tech favorites Kim relies on that you should, too
As America’s tech pro and a small business owner for over 20 years, Kim has partnered with a few hardware and software vendors and companies.
These companies may sponsor The Kim Komando Show and Komando.com, but she honestly trusts their time-saving tools, security features and money-saving innovations. Kim only partners with companies she is proud to bring to you and uses herself, and she arranges special deals to make these products even more affordable.
Think twice about upgrading to Windows 11 - Here's what's going wrong
Windows 11 is here and rolling out to users everywhere. Depending on your hardware and its age, you may not be offered a free upgrade just yet, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
As with any other Microsoft release, Windows 11 has its share of problems. Early adopters are reporting issues such as slow internet, memory leakage and problems with the search bar in the Start menu. Tap or click here for more details about these problems and how to resolve them.
Google redesign: New features and tricks to know about for your next search
Whether it’s Amazon, Microsoft, Apple or Google, Big Tech likes to make a production out of its big announcements. Even when there’s no big stage production, the big boys make sure everyone knows that something is coming. Though we’re living in a time of social distancing, anyone can attend these events virtually.
You can probably install Windows 11 on your older PC - but you might have to sign this waiver
The next version of Microsoft’s operating system is only a few weeks away. Understandably many users are eager to download Windows 11 and install it as soon as possible. But as it turns out, many of those who want the OS can’t even run it.
Privacy pro tip: New way to see exactly which apps are spying on you
It’s September, and that usually means we’ll see both hardware and software releases from Apple. The tech giant recently put out updated versions of its operating systems, new iPhone 13 models, and some new entries in the iPad family. Look for Apple Watch Series 7 later this fall.