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Monday, June 8, 2015

Skype for Web Now Open to All Users

Skype has opened up the beta testing for using Skype for Web to all new and existing US and UK Skype users.

This new option allows users to use Skype from within a web browser without downloading and running the stand-alone Skype app.

And it's not just about video.

Skype for Web allows users to make and receive video calls, instant messages and audio calls with friends and family.

The new service supports the major browsers: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Firefox. A plugin needs to be installed before the first call.

To try the new Skype for Web beta, visit http://www.skype.com or http://web.skype.com and sign in with your Skype ID and password.

This new service is a great step in making video calls easier to use.

Source: Skype

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Sunday, June 7, 2015

Amazon Echo Now Reads Audible Books

Is there anything the Amazon Echo can't do?

We'll, yes. But it is learning new tricks all of the time.

Now Amazon Echo will read Audible books to you. And Amazon Echo also supports Whispersync for Voice so you can switch between reading and listening Kindle Unlimited books.

Listening to an audiobook is easy.

To listen to an audiobook, just say "Alexa, read <Audible Book Title>".
To pause an audiobook, just say "Alexa, pause".
To resume the current book you're reading by saying "Alexa, resume my book".
To control the playback say "Alexa, go back" or "Alexa, go forward"

Note, in these examples the <Wake Word> is "Alexa" but you can change it to "Amazon" by changing the wake word in the Echo app settings.

Source: Amazon

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Waze is Your "Must Have" Driving App

Do you Waze?

That's the question you'll want to ask your friends and family from here on out.

Waze is a smartphone app that is a community traffic and navigation app.

The Waze community allows you to join drivers who share real-time traffic information.

Now owned by Google, this community-based app gives you the best route to your destination based upon updates from your fellow drivers and data acquired by Google from local and state traffic systems. It even updates the best route while you are driving.

Waze Screenshot - Report Real-Time Traffic and Road Conditions to Improve Driving for All

Waze Screenshot - Outsmart Traffic with the World's Largest Coomunity of Drivers

Waze is a powerful app because of this constant updating of information.

Millions of drivers are updating road conditions such as construction zones, accidents, potholes and even police traps.

This real-time data means that it is much more than regular maps you can find on your iPhone or Android phones like MapQuest, Apple Map or even Google's Map app.

As you drive to your destination, Waze will pop up information and audibly alert you to upcoming conditions.

You'll know about that police car on the other side of the hill before you even see it.

It's easy to find and connect to fellow Wazers from your social networks. You can connect your Waze account to Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. Once connected, you can share ETAs and destinations. This is a great option if you are travelling to the same destination in separate vehicles.

I've found having a good phone mount on the dash works best to avoid distraction and I always use the voice reporting to tell Waze about road conditions that I encounter. This makes it easy to share information while keeping my eyes on the road.

You can download the free Waze app for iPhone from iTunes HERE and the Android from the Google Play store HERE.

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Thursday, June 4, 2015

Check Out Google's New "My Account"

Google, long a target for its omnipresence role in people's digital lives, has just released a new tool to allow you to better control your Google life.

Or at least the information you share with Google.

The new tool, My Account, is available at : http://myaccount.google.com/

The new My Account tool provides access to your Google settings and other tools to safeguard your data and help protect your privacy.

For example, you can manage the settings and the information for popular Google services such as Search, Maps, and YouTube.

As with anything in life, it's a matter of making choices, If you want Google to provide relevant information from its maps or Google Now service, Google needs to know your location history. That's the key data behind providing the service.

Some people want the service while others may cringe at the thought of so much information in the hands of a large technology provider.

But that's the value of the new My Account tool.

You can make better decisions about how much information you want to share.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2015

How Do I Get Windows 10 for Free?

It's true. Windows 10 is free*.

OK, it's Free but with an *.

Microsoft is making Windows 10 available as a free upgrade for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

It will be available to install starting July 29, 2015.

You can reserve your free copy today. But you only have until July 19, 2016 to take advantage of this offer.

To reserve your copy,

Click on the small Windows icon located at the lower right side of the taskbar.
Click "Reserve your free upgrade" when prompted

That's it. Microsoft will download Windows 10 to your device when it's available and let you know when your device is ready to install the upgrade.

To learn more about this offer, check out the Windows 10 FAQ HERE.

Source: Microsoft

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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Google Ending Calendar SMS Notifications

Starting June 27, 2015, Google Calendar will no longer send SMS text notifications.

This service, started before the advent of smartphones, provides text messages for calendar alerts.

It's the beginning of an end of an era where web-based applications communicate with mobile users thru SMS text messages.

On smartphones like iPhone and Android, the built-in alert function serves the same purpose.

You can download the free Google Calendar app for iOS HERE. And the free Goggle Android app HERE.

So, if you are on a "dumb" phone, now's the time to take the plunge and join the smartphone revolution.

Source: Google

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Monday, June 1, 2015

What Are Google Doodles?

We've all seen them on Google.com.

Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we smile.

And sometimes, we say to ourselves "I didn't know that".

But what are they?

Google Doodles are artistic representations of the Google logo that are displayed on Google's main page to honor events such as holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and even current events.

B.R. Ambedkar’s 124th Birthday

Some Google Doodles appear only on a specific country home pages while others appear globally across the world of Google.

But sadly, as the dawn breaks for a new day, the Google Doodle disappears.

But fear not for Google Doodles are safely stored online and are available in an archive.

You can view Google Doodles from around the world HERE. A full archive is available HERE.

Source: Google

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