Consumer Tech Radar
Articles by bsnyder
Consumer Tech Radar
The latest Windows 10 PCs are slim, powerful and pricey
Better battery life, less weight, faster processors and sleek designs are a few of the reasons to consider retiring your long-in-the-tooth Windows 7 PC.
Consumer Tech Radar
Sprint sells Apple Watch, but beware fine print in ‘iPhone Forever’ deal
Sprint announced it will sell the Apple Watch starting Friday, and it also has a good deal on the new iPhone 6s. However, consumers should be aware of a huge loophole in the offer before signing new contracts.
Consumer Tech Radar
Consumers increasingly dissatisfied with PCs, tablets
Junkware, poor support, and slow processors are among consumers' top complaints about desktops PC, laptops, and tablets, according to a new survey that placed Apple at the top and Acer at the bottom of a consumer satisfaction ranking.
Consumer Tech Radar
Netflix thinks its customers are too dumb to download video
Amazon Prime subscribers can now download select movies and TV shows for offline viewing, but Netflix says it won't enable downloads because the option will confuse its customers.
Consumer Tech Radar
Surprise! Best Buy prices often on par with Amazon
Best Buy closed the price gap on electronics and tech gadgets during the past years, and its in-store prices are often just as low — sometimes lower — than Amazon.com, according to new research.
Consumer Tech Radar
Good riddance to bad U.S. wireless service contracts
Verizon and Sprint recently joined T-Mobile in the movement to kill wireless service contracts, and AT&T is likely to follow in the near future. For most consumers, that's a good thing, but a lack of contracts means you'll pay more for new smartphones.
Consumer Tech Radar
9 signs your computer’s hard drive is about to die
Losing data can be a real disaster, but thankfully hard drives often show warning signs before they die. If you observe any of these nine signs of impending failure, back up your drive immediately and prepare for the worst.
Consumer Tech Radar
Verizon nabs another speed crown as low-cost carriers lag far behind
A new series of network tests in six major U.S. cities proves that when it comes to wireless service, you can have speed or you can have low prices, but you can't have both.
Opinion
How the lack of U.S. broadband competition costs you every time you use an ATM
The feeble state of broadband competition in the United States leads to costly services and even increased ATM fees. The Competify coalition wants to change the landscape, and it's petitioning the FCC for help.
Opinion
Verizon shines in extensive U.S. wireless speed tests
All four major U.S. carriers improved the speeds of their wireless networks during the past year, and while Sprint made the most gains, Verizon came out with the fastest average downloads nationwide.
News Analysis
Attention Samsung Galaxy Users: Your phone has a big security flaw
Samsung readies fix for a security flaw that may have compromised as many as 600 million phones, including the Galaxy.
Opinion
Smartphone ‘kill switch’ effectively thwarts thieves
A report suggests that Apple's introduction of a smartphone 'kill switch' resulted in a significant drop in phone thefts across America. That's good news, but the report also shines light on another issue: The tendency to forgo phone locks for convenience.
Opinion
Surprise! Consumers loathe ISPs and cable providers
Comcast and Time Warner are at the bottom of a new customer satisfaction index, while AT&T and Verizon fared much better.
Opinion
Comcast pledges $300M to fix its terrible, horrible, no good, very bad customer service
Comcast wants to clean up its notoriously messy act, and the telecom company plans spend $300 million and hire 5,500 new employees in a bid to improve its awful customer service.
Opinion
Mobile ads take center stage as smartphone becomes leading search tool
More Americans now use smartphones for Web searches than PCs, according to Google, and advertisers are dreaming up new types of ads that fit the mobile experience.
Opinion
AMD exec spills beans on Windows 10 release date
If recent claims from a chip executive regarding the Windows 10 release date pan out, life will soon get easier for Windows users thanks to the return of the classic Start menu, new voice-powered search, and the death of the crazy Windows 8 interface.
Opinion
Sprint’s international calling plan is full of gotchas
Using your smartphone overseas can be very expensive, but Sprint’s new roaming plan isn’t much help.
Opinion
That old smartphone is worth more than you think
It's not difficult to find online buyers for your old smartphones, and these three sites can help you get the best prices.
Opinion
Research says online password meters are unreliable
Those handy password meters that test the strength of proposed passwords when you create new accounts are often inaccurate and misleading, according to a new study.
Opinion
Why .sucks domain names really suck for businesses
In June, .sucks domain names will go on sale, and companies that want to buy them to thwart trolls or critics will have to pay an absurd $2,500 per site address.
Opinion
Sprint’s ‘Family’ Data Plan Is Cheapest Option for SMBs
Sprint's latest "family" wireless data plan features 12GB of high speed data that can be shared across as many as 10 lines for $90 a month. It's a great option for small- and medium-size businesses, but Sprint's network generally isn't as fast or reliable as its competitors' networks.
Opinion
U.S. Wireless Carriers (Finally) Agree to Unlock Customer Phones
The major U.S. wireless carriers this week agreed to unlock customers' mobile devices for free. Unfortunately, there's no legal way to enforce the agreement, according to CIO.com contributor Bill Snyder.
Opinion
iPhones Retain More Resale Value Than Samsung Handsets
A new report from online mobile-device marketplace NextWorth says Apple's iPhone retains significantly more resale value than other high-end smartphones, including Samsung's popular Galaxy S phones.
Opinion
Fuming TurboTax Users Force Intuit to Issue Rebate
Intuit removed key features from its popular TurboTax software without telling customers. In response to waves of criticism, countless angry posts on social media and piles of poor online reviews, the company backtracked and offered a rebate.
Opinion
Cord-Cutting Calculator Shows How Much You Can Save by Ditching Cable
'Cord cutting' offers TV viewers more choices than ever before, but is it right for you? Slate.com's online calculator shows exactly how much you can save, and it can help you decide whether or not it's time to ditch cable for good.
Opinion
The Top 5 Consumer Tech Trends of 2014
The year 2014 was a good one for consumer technology. These five consumer tech trends made life better, and they all have far reaching implications for the new year.
Opinion
Why It’s Time to Start Using a Password Manager
No one can remember dozens of strong passwords, and thanks to the plethora of password managers available today, nobody has to. Here are two easy-to-use password managers that can help you stay safe online.
Opinion
Verizon is Tops in U.S. Wireless Network Ranking, Sprint is Not
RootMetrics performed more than 5 million network tests in 125 U.S. cities to determine which carrier offers the best overall performance. Hint: Verizon is the big winner; Sprint, the loser.
Opinion
Not Reading Your Wireless Bill Could Cost You Money
Wireless customers who don't carefully check their monthly phone bills are sometimes ripped off by carriers that 'cram' unauthorized charges.
Opinion
Verizon is Tracking Mobile Users Online, Researcher Says
Verizon Wireless is using cookie-like tokens that let advertisers track customers on the Web so they can serve targeted ads, according to an Electronic Frontier Foundation researcher.
Opinion
Why You Really Shouldn’t Worry About In-Store Beacons
In-store beacons push advertisements and other content to your phone using Bluetooth — but only if you let them. Beacons don't automatically track your location or movement, but they do communicate with apps that could collect sensitive data.
Opinion
HBO Will Make it Easier to Cut the Cable Cord
HBO plans to offer its programming as a standalone Internet-streaming service in 2015, and that's great news for cord cutters.
Opinion
5 Things You Need to Know About VoLTE
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) means better sounding voice calls and the ability to use voice and data at the same time, among other things. Here are five facts you should know about the next-generation wireless network technology.
Opinion
In-Flight Phone Calls Could Spark High-Altitude Brawls
Following a recent European ruling to let passengers access wireless networks throughout flights, a group of U.S. Congressmen told regulators that in-flight cellular calls are both annoying and dangerous.
Opinion
Consumers Increasingly Dissatisfied With New PCs
A new survey of 1,400 recent PC buyers suggests consumers are less than satisfied with the majority of new PCs — including PCs from Apple.
Opinion
FTC Fines Tech Giants for Violating Kids’ Privacy
Yelp is the latest tech heavy to admit that it violated federal policy by not screening kids when they register for the site, but it's hardly the only company with questionable privacy practices related to children.
Opinion
Amazon Sells Fire Phone for $1, but It’s Still Not Worth It
A mediocre product and AT&T exclusivity are a couple of reasons why Fire phone sales have been weak, according to Bill Snyder. In response to sorry sales, Amazon cut the price of its first phone to a single dollar.
Opinion
How (and Where) to Get the Most Money for Your Old iPhone
CIO.com contributor Bill Snyder lists a handful of ways to get some new money for your old iPhone.
Opinion
How to Help Block the Comcast/Time Warner Merger
A combined Comcast/Time Warner Cable could limit and control what you can watch on TV and how you use the Internet. If you care about that sort of thing – and you should, according to CIO.com contributor Bill Snyder – here's how you can act now to block the merger.
Opinion
How to Get a Brand New iPhone 5c for Less Than $1
Apple is about to unveil a new iPhone, and retailers are clearing the shelves. As a result, last year's iPhones have never been cheaper.
Opinion
‘Just Say No’ to Sprint’s Latest Wireless Offer
Sprint’s new family data plans looks good on the surface, but the reality is its network is painfully slow and you probably don’t need 20GB of data a month.
Opinion
How to Extend Your Home Wi-Fi Network
If your router is one room and your TV is in another, your home Wi-Fi network might not be strong enough to reach it. Here are four ways to solve the problem.
Opinion
Instant Complaints: Here’s a Wizard that Will Help You Make a Point
Writing a letter of complaint about bad service seems so old school. But it actually works. Here’s a way to make it even easier.
Opinion
How AT&T, Verizon Make Smaller Carriers Keep Prices High
Sky-high data roaming charges from AT&T and Verizon help the carriers line their pockets and keep competitors from offering truly unlimited data plans, according to a new collection of consumer advocacy groups.
Opinion
TekDry Will Revive a Soaked Smartphone for $100 (UPDATED)
Denver-based startup TekDry says it has a wet-smartphone recovery rate of 75 percent, and it will refund a portion of your money and pay for return shipping if it can't fix your phone.
Opinion
Facebook, T-Mobile Owe Customers Sincere Apologies – but Don’t Hold Your Breath
Both Facebook and T-Mobile recently admitted mistakes and apologized to their customers...sort of. CIO.com columnist Bill Snyder says tech companies should at least act sincere if they're going to say they're sorry.
Opinion
So Long, AT&T! T-Mobile Free Trial Convinced Me to Switch
Lower prices, no contract, free streaming music and better voice connections convinced CIO.com columnist Bill Snyder to switch from AT&T to T-Mobile after a seven-day trial.
Opinion
Aereo Deserves to be Put Out of Business for Stealing Content
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that startup Aereo can't sell broadcast TV content it picks up from the airwaves, effectively killing the small company. CIO.com blogger Bill Snyder, ever the consumer advocate, says the decision was the right one.
Opinion