Tech News – What We’re Watching

There sure has been a lot going on in the technology world.  Here’s some of the tech news I’ve been reading about:

Facial Recognition is back in the news.  Between China and Facebook, it is something we all need to be aware of.

• This article in the Sunday New York Times gives an overview of how facial recognition is being used in China.  From catching criminals to just keeping track of people, their system is pretty impressive.  “Beijing is embracing technologies like facial recognition and artificial intelligence to identify and track 1.4 billion people.”
• This article reminds us to stop taking selfies if we want to stay out of facial recognition databases.  “A 2016 Georgetown University study found that one in two American adults, or 117 million people, are in facial recognition databases with few rules on how these systems may be accessed.”
• If you want to turn off fingerprint or facial recognition on your smartphone you should read this article.

Next Monday is Amazon Prime Day and all the tech news outlets want you to know what the best deals are.  Remember to still check the internet to see if you can get a better deal on that coveted item from somewhere else – Best Buy, Target, etc.

• You do need to be a member of Amazon Prime in order to take advantage of these deals.  Check out this link to Try Amazon Prime for a 30-Day Free Trial. If you don’t like the benefits, remember to cancel before the 30 day trial is up!
• There are some tips in this article to help you take the best advantage of Prime Day.
• Then there is always eBay which is also offering great deals next week.
• And these 10 stores will price match Amazon all year long!

July and August are great times to travel.  Here are some Tech Tips to make international travel easier.

• Remember to check with your phone carrier before making an international trip.  They will probably be able to offer you special plans for the duration of your trip.
• Here are some tips to unplug from tech while you are on vacation.  My personal favorite is the nuclear email option!
• Remember to set your Dropbox so that it automatically uploads your photos to the cloud.  That way, if you’re taking the perfect picture at the ocean, and a wave destroys your phone, you’ll still have most of the photos saved.  (Dropbox does need wifi in order to upload any videos.)
• And, please don’t use all of your data!  Here are some tips to help you conserve your data plan.

Some of our favorite sites for tech news include Wired, Fast Company, arsTechnica, and C|Net.  Check them out!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet.  I’ll try that next!   Prime is normally $119/year ($59 for students!), but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Any links to products or services in this post may be affiliate links. If they are, we may receive a small commission when you click on it. Rest assured, your price will be the same!)  If you’d like to receive our newsletters in your email, please click here.