Articles by Jerry Hildenbrand

How weird is it when the best phone from Motorola is one that was released last year?

Android enthusiasts have a long and storied love/hate affair with Motorola. In the beginning, Motorola released very underpowered phones with convoluted changes to Android (remember MotoBLUR?) that morphed the company into what looked like a Verizon Wireless subsidiary in the United States.

Then Google swept in and bought the important bits that make up a Motorola phone and we loved the company. Phones like the Moto X looked great, had great hardware (for the time), and were quick to get both important and feature updates because Google was basically in control. That’s the exact recipe for success if you want to cater to the hardcore Android crowd, and it worked.

Apparently, Google didn’t love owning the Moto brand as much as we loved Google owning the Moto brand, though. Welcome to the Lenovo era, sometimes known as Motonovo or Lenoverola. Now, we really don’t know what to think because Moto mak…

Acer is doing Ryzen right with its new Chromebook Spin 514.

It’s the middle of the afternoon on a Friday and I’m typing this out on my back deck using a Chromebook. I love the darn things and any time I can get away from a desk during the workday I try to do it, and always with a Chromebook in tow. To me, a really well-built mid-range Chromebook with plenty of power and plenty of storage is just right.

No one Chromebook is perfect for everyone.

Of course, the best Chromebook for me might not be the best Chromebook for you. But if you’re like me and want a modestly priced Chromebook that outperforms and out delivers, I think Acer has just what you’re looking for in 2021 with the new Chromebook Spin 514.

It’s not sleek and light as a feather. Not all of them have a backlit keyboard, nor do any have a glass-covered trackpad. But what it does have makes up for it — a beautiful 14-inch display, a very tough build of anodized aluminum, the best hinge system you’ll find on any mo…

Everyone who works for Google deserves to have a voice.

Everyone who works for or at an Alphabet-owned property now has a union they can join. Dubbed the Alphabet Workers Union, it’s open to full-time staff, part-time and seasonal staff, and contractors like the folks who provide security or work in the cafeteria. It’s not a union in the traditional sense — there won’t be a committee that bargains for vacation hours or benefit packages, but is instead a group that has a singular goal in mind: make sure every single worker at Google has a voice.

Parul Koul and Chewy Shaw, executive chair and vice executive chair of the newly-formed AWU make things very clear in a New York Times opinion article:

We are the workers who built Alphabet. We write code, clean offices, serve food, drive buses, test self-driving cars and do everything needed to keep this behemoth running. We joined Alphabet because we wanted to build technology that improves the world. Yet time and again, company lead…

No person or company is perfect. Here are some things Google could do better in the coming year.

Google isn’t the same feel-good company it was 10 years ago. But while the “Don’t be evil” motto has changed and fewer people think of Google as a benevolent overlord, the company isn’t actually any more terrible than any other. It’s just fun to argue about tech on the internet.

But there are a lot of places where Google can do better. Whether it’s how it makes the best Android phones even better or how the company handles pressing social issues, all of us can think of a few ways Google needs to get better at doing.

1. Pay its fair share of taxes

A little back story is in order here, but I started with this because it’s something all companies doing business in the U.S. need to start doing. Or start getting sued for.

This particular Dutch sandwich only tastes good to mega-corporations.

For a long time, Google used what’s called the “Dutch sandwich.)” tax strategy. Google used …

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to get started with Raspberry Pi, it only makes sense to snag one of the best Raspberry Pi kits. These kits include almost everything you need to get started, with most kits even including the best Raspberry Pi accessories that you can find anywhere. The only thing you might need after getting one of these kits is the best Raspberry Pi controller, especially if you plan on creating a unique and awesome retro-console.

The New Model

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Basic Kit

Staff Pick

The new Raspberry Pi 4 is a significant improvement over the 3 B+, and this kit from CanaKit has what you need to get up and running right away. This kit features 2GB of RAM, along with three aluminum heat sinks, and a USB-C power supply designed specifically for the Pi 4. You’ll just need to get a case on your own when the time comes, or even if you want to.

From $55 at Amazon
From $70 at Best Buy

The true portable computer

NEEGO Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Complete Ki…

The problem with a lot of the best Raspberry Pi kits is that while you’ll find a lot of the essentials, you’ll miss out on the best Raspberry Pi camera. Camera modules are available for the Raspberry Pi, or you could even grab a plug-and-play USB webcam to supe up your mini-PC adding even more versatility. But after you find a new camera, make sure you grab one of the best Raspberry Pi 4 SD cards, so you have enough storage for your footage.

HD and simple

AUKEY PC-LM1 1080p Webcam

Staff pick

This USB webcam from AUKEY is plug and play for the Raspberry Pi and can take record videos in 1080p at 30FPS. The “fold-and-go” design makes it easy to pack up and roll whenever you need to move the camera elsewhere. Plus, the PC-LM1 features fast autofocus, so the subject is never blurry, even it’s close to the camera or moving around.

$50 at Amazon
$70 at Walmart

From the source

Raspberry Pi V2 Camera Module

The second-generation Raspberry Pi Camera Module works great with th…

When you get a new Raspberry Pi 4, you’re going to want to make sure you get one of the best Raspberry Pi 4 cases. This will help keep debris out and away from the keyboard as well as provide protection against static shock. Even if you have a case with one of the best Raspberry Pi 4 kits, there’s nothing wrong with grabbing something else that fits your needs.

Package deal

Miuzei Raspberry Pi 4 Case

Staff Pick

A wonderful acrylic enclosure, a cooling fan, heat sinks, and a 3A power supply make this case deal a steal. You’ll have access to all the ports and pins so this one works with any project, too. If you’re not sure what to buy, buy this.

$17 at Amazon

Supercooling

Vilros Raspberry Pi 4 Clear Case

This acrylic case from Vilros is easy to assemble, has a mount for a camera, and cut out channels underneath for maximum airflow. These case channels, combined with the pre-installed fan, will keep your Pi nice and cool no matter what you’re trying to do with it.

$10…

If you paid for something in full you still might not be allowed to repair it if it becomes broken. The right to repair movement wants to change that.

Everything we own will one day stop working the way we want it to work. That goes for our cars, our appliances, our computers, and our phones, too. But you probably didn’t know that some of the repairs that may be needed aren’t lawful for you to do if you live in the United States; that’s right — anything with its own firmware onboard is covered under the DMCA and is subject to copyright law. The right to repair movement wants to try and fix this.

Software powers everything now, so almost everything is covered under the DMCA.

This goes deeper than you think it does, too. The phone you just bought might have an in-screen fingerprint reader because that’s become a thing. What that means is that there is software involved with replacing the display and the whole mess is covered under the DCMA. The same goes for something like you…

Figuring out what’s wrong isn’t going to be easy. Getting it fixed isn’t, either.

So a thing has been happening on Apple computers, and apparently, the Chrome web browser is behind it all. Depending on who you ask, this is either a new thing or a thing that’s been happening for almost 10 years, but in any case, it is a thing. It’s a real problem that is happening right now to plenty of people who use Chrome on a Mac.

Google isn’t trying to purposely break every MacBook, but there is an issue at hand.

Without going too deep, what’s happening is that the part of macOS that creates and manages application windows, called WindowServer, is going off the rails and using way too much processing power, and for some reason, the automatic update utility Google has built into Chrome is causing it. Users experiencing this — and not every user does, which makes it harder to find and fix — can simply delete Chrome and the problem is fixed, or they can dig into the command line and stop…

Analysts expect Verizon to bid its way into 100MHz of midband 5G wireless spectrum.

What you need to know

The FCC is auctioning 280MHz of C-band spectrum starting this week.
The spectrum spans 5,684 licenses between 3.7GHz and 3.98GHz valued at up to $51 billion.
Verizon plans to bid on 100MHz of the spectrum to acquire valuable midband 5G spectrum and bolster its 5G network, according to industry analysts.

What may turn out to be the FCC’s biggest spectrum auction ever kicks off December 8, and analysts expect Verizon to come out as the big winner. The huge swath of the C-band spectrum is valued between $35 to $51 billion and could give smaller telecom companies a big boost to a fledging 5G network as well as provide much-needed midband spectrum for Verizon and AT&T.

The list of companies bidding includes names like Comcast, Charter Communications, US Cellular, and Dish along with the big 3 U.S. telecom giants. Estimates say Verizon will win 100MHz (valued at $16 billion)…