• photo illustrating Parler review and anger
    Tech Life

    The Problem with Parler [REVIEW]

    Everywhere you go these days, people are talking about moving to Parler, described as a non censored alternative social media platform to Twitter. I first heard about it in late spring and signed up. But It didn’t seem very active or relevant so I left it alone. Then came the election and everywhere, it seemed, people were talking about dumping Twitter and going to Parler. So last week, I logged on to my dormant account and started monitoring the platform. This time, there was a lot of activity. A lot. But I have to say that after a week of checking the site numerous times each day, I find myself…

  • Tech Life

    Holiday Tech Tip: 6 Cool Pumpkin-Carving Websites

    Halloween is just around the corner and folks are shopping for their pumpkins. Why settle for the same old carved face this year? I’ve found some great places on the Web that can help turn your Jack-0-Lantern into a spooky work of art. Before you start carving that pumpkin, check out Extreme Pumpkins, a website that has photos on some pretty amazing designs. These folks take their pumpkin carving very seriously. They run an annual contest and there are photos of last year’s winners that are bound to give you some creative ideas. Plus there are videos by master carver Tom Nardone and step-by-step tips on carving it yourself. The…

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    Vigilance Trumps Vigilantes: Tips to Prepare You to Have Your Tech Stolen

    When my wife and I stopped for dinner just outside St. Louis, we never thought it would end up costing us thousands. But that’s exactly what happened when thieves broke into our RV and stole thousands of dollars’ worth of tech equipment, including laptops, camera gear, and my mobile recording studio (which is why we haven’t had a PC Mike podcast in the last two weeks). You can read and hear more about the actual break-in here: http://roadtreking.com/rt36-roadtreking-rv-burglary-weve-been-ripped-off/ Fortunately, I’ve exercised vigilance when it comes to taking steps to prepare for a tech emergency like this. As I continue replacing equipment and dealing with the aftermath of losing so much tech, here are some…

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    Cyber Monday beats Black Friday

    So you thought Black Friday was big. Consider it just the start of Cyber Monday. Yeah there were lines in stores. But consider this: An estimated 40 percent of all retail transactions from Black Friday to Cyber Monday are come from smartphones and tablets. On Thanksgiving Day alone, online sales rose an estimated  27% this year to hit $1.33  billion, in large part thanks to the earlier store openings and better co-ordination of e-commerce with store activity by retailers. By Black Friday itself, online sales over the two days reached $3.73 billion. The online surge actually started the day after Thanksgiving. Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 28, $32 billion has…