If you’ve ever wanted to keep better track of what you do every day with hopes of developing good habits, look no further than your smartphone. I have three personal productivity apps that can show you how you spend your time and where improvements can be made. The Reporter app runs in the background and logs […]
If you’re the kind of person who drives and is interested in saving money – and who isn’t – look no further than your smartphone for help. Specifically, one of several apps that will help you find the cheapest gas prices around. Here’s my three favortites: GasBuddy is an old favorite and gives you the […]
Waking up can be especially difficult on dark, cold winter mornings, but with the right alarm you won’t have a choice – for better or worse. I have three apps sure to get you out of bed. Alarmy brags of being named the “world’s most annoying alarm app.” It lives up to its name. The loud, obnoxious […]
Long gone are the days when you were limited to your favorite FM or AM radio station by physical location. And while some apps are backed by big ad budgets, I have three lesser-known free apps that can help you listen to your favorite radio stations just about anywhere. Simple Radio is a free app that gives […]
Whether you’ve overspent during the holidays or want to get finances in order to prep for tax season, our PC Mike Wendland says a number of apps can help. Here are three free ones to do just that. The Goodbudget app sets a budget for spending on specific categories like dining out and groceries. Easy-to-read […]
PC Mike is agonizing, as he gets ready to pick the Gadget of the Year. Will it be Apple’s new iPad Pro or Microsoft’s hot new Surface Pro combination laptop/tablet? Both devices are about to be released and are expected to be hot sellers this holiday season. Mike likes both and is waiting to get […]
Apple’s Tim Cook claims it is but as we point out in this episode of the PC Mike Techcast, the new Apple TV is indeed pretty cool, but probably a bit overhyped. But that’s okay. While it lacks a couple things it’s less expensive rivals have (like 4K), the remote for Apple TV is indeed […]
We hear a lot about “the cloud” these days but do your really know what it means? Well in keeping with our approach to tech – no geek-speak – we’re here to help with the answer. Bill Fisher, instructional designer, GCFLearnFree.org – which offers free classes on computer and Internet basics – joins the show […]
It is the best of times and the worst of times – at least when it comes to the constant flood of tech news inundating us consumers these days. It’s the best because our tech – like the new iPad Pro and Surface Book – just keeps getting better. It’s the worst because it takes a lot […]
Has Apple lost its Mojo? PC Mike thinks so. And Microsoft seems to have stolen it away. In this episode of the podcast, Mike outlines some of the problems and issues Apple has been having lately, many centered around a general lack of innovation. Mike is so disappointed that he’s actually thinking of changing his […]
You may be on the fence about using mobile pay with your smartphone, but consider this: Mobile pay is safer, can be used in more places now than ever, and can save you money. Still, you probably have a ton of questions about how mobile pay actually works – like what’s the difference between Apple Pay, […]
If you’ve ever wanted to keep better track of what you do every day with hopes of developing good habits, look no further than your smartphone. I have three personal productivity apps that can show you how you spend your time and where improvements can be made. The Reporter app runs in the background and logs […]
If you’re the kind of person who drives and is interested in saving money – and who isn’t – look no further than your smartphone for help. Specifically, one of several apps that will help you find the cheapest gas prices around. Here’s my three favortites: GasBuddy is an old favorite and gives you the […]
Waking up can be especially difficult on dark, cold winter mornings, but with the right alarm you won’t have a choice – for better or worse. I have three apps sure to get you out of bed. Alarmy brags of being named the “world’s most annoying alarm app.” It lives up to its name. The loud, obnoxious […]
Long gone are the days when you were limited to your favorite FM or AM radio station by physical location. And while some apps are backed by big ad budgets, I have three lesser-known free apps that can help you listen to your favorite radio stations just about anywhere. Simple Radio is a free app that gives […]
Whether you’ve overspent during the holidays or want to get finances in order to prep for tax season, our PC Mike Wendland says a number of apps can help. Here are three free ones to do just that. The Goodbudget app sets a budget for spending on specific categories like dining out and groceries. Easy-to-read […]
No better time than the beginning of the year than to organize and declutter your tech and set yourself up to be most efficient in 2016. I have three apps that can help do just that. Unroll.me is an app to help you get control of what’s flowing into your email inbox. It starts with an […]
Besides photography, the Internet, all things tech and my love of RVing, my favorite hobby for more than half a century has been amateur radio. And as this year winds down, I’ve got a new bunch of bucket list plans for my 2016 RV travels that combines that hobby with our small motorhome lifestyle and our love […]
Tens of thousands of apps come out every month, but far fewer are worth the effort. Some, like the Useless Button app for Android, even take a great amount of pride in being useless. Google Play Store stats show that it’s been downloaded 1,000 to 5,000 times so, hey, there’s a market for everything. Point […]
You know all of these remote controls? Yeah. They can get completely out of hand/lost in couch or elsewhere. Consider this: I have one for the TV, one for Blu-Ray/DVD player, one for Roku, one for the soundbar – even one for the HD receiver to get local TV transmisions so I can watch Under […]
A lot of weird things happen out there on the road and there also is some great scenery. So I’m now making a record of it all with a dashboard camera (dash cam). Use of a dash cam revolves on a simple concept: Documentation of your drive, be it across North America or to the […]
Spring break is upon many and depending on your phase of life, that can mean anything from a short road trip to flying across the country or to a foreign land. There’s no better time than now to consider these seven simple (and very important) traveling tech tips (spring break edition). Load up on the […]
Help me with this folks: I need a reason to buy the Apple Watch. Try as I might, I find no need, no real purpose, no compelling rationale to justify spending hundreds of dollars for a watch that really doesn’t do much more than look good. I’m trying very hard here to talk myself into […]
The number of health-related apps has increased to more than 165,000 and more than 100 percent since 2013 making one thing clear – we turn to our tech for at least some of our health-related needs. That’s according to a new report from IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, a health care information technology company. And […]
Despite widespread reports that Apple’s new iOS 9 has been problematic, chances are you will soon want take a chance and make the upgrade for your battery’s sake. That’s because such software updates often contain fixes that can improve battery life. Updating software, in fact, is just one of many ways you can extend your […]
Podcasts continue to grow in popularity and almost always listened to on smartphones, tablets, or computers, but Roku users have a simple way to get free iTunes podcasts on their TVs, too. Why would anyone want to do this? Because the number and quality of podcasts continue to grow. An estimated 27 million people listen […]
Don’t you just hate it when you are trying to describe your location to someone and you don’t know how to put it into words? Well, I can help you with a simple tip on your iPhone. In an iMessage that has already been composed, click on details on the upper right hand corner and […]
EBooks are popular – expected to grow from a $14.5 billion industry at the beginning of 2015 to $22 billion by 2017 – but that doesn’t mean you need fork over your hard-earned dollars for every single piece of digital literature you get. In fact, you can access thousands and thousands of free eBooks online. […]
If you’ve yet to receive notification from Microsoft that you can now download Windows 10, there’s a simple way to jump the line and download it now. Using the Windows Media Creation Tool, you can begin your upgrade to Windows 10 now. For the record, I was able to upgrade my version of Windows 8.1 […]
The beginning of the year is a great time to get organized and a number of great apps can help you make 2016 your best organized year yet! Any.do wins lots of praise for its ease-of-use and number of smart features, including the ability to simply add tasks with your voice. You can share lists […]
Donating to charity before the end of the year can reduce tax burden and help you feel good about help others in need. I’ve found a number of apps make it possible at the touch of a button. Pledgeling is an app that allows you to find and donate to thousands of verified nonprofits, make donations […]
If you have kids or grandkids anxiously awaiting the arrival Santa Claus, tracking the whereabouts of Big Man in the Red Suit can only add to the excitement and fun. As we head into holiday break for most students at the end of this week, you may want to consider one of these fun apps […]
We’re officially into the holiday shopping season and that means lots of money being spent on lots of gifts – and a need for a way to keep track of it all. Here are three apps can make gift-giving way less stressful. Santa’s Bag is one of the best with its ability to import recipients, set […]
Everyone knows the value of sleep but it can be especially tough to come by as we head into the holidays and one of the busiest times of year. With the help of some great apps, you can put worries about long, sleepless nights to rest. Sleep Cycle 5.0 wakes you when your body says […]
If you’re into politics, you probably already know that keeping track of candidates and issues important to you could be a full-time job. A number of apps can make it much easier, however, and deliver everything from clips of late night talk show appearances to debate analysis right to your smartphone or tablet. Inside 2016 […]
PC Mike Techcast: Productivity Apps
PC Mike Techcast: My favorite Gas Pricing Apps
PC Mike Techcast: Alarm Clocks Sure to Wake the Dead
PC Mike Techcast: Lesser Known Radio Apps
PC Mike Techcast: Financial apps
PC Mike Techcast: Declutter your tech
PC Mike Techcast: Task Managers and To-Do Lists for 2016
PC Mike Techcast: Apps for charitable donations
PC Mike Techcast: 2016 Santa Tracking apps
PC Mike Techcast: Gift buying apps for Christmas shopping
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