Turning ordinary small appliances into smart ones
Like many households, my wife and I have a fair number of small appliances like room fans, space heaters and kitchen appliances including an air fryer, microwave and indoor grill. …
Larry Magid
Using a personal computer to read and send texts
I’ve been using a smartphone with an onscreen keyboard since June 29, 2007, the day that Apple released its first iPhone. In my initial hands-on report, published the next day, …
Using ChatGPT for holiday gift ideas and cards
This is the week when I typically write a column about how to shop for holiday gifts. I wrote previous holiday gift columns based on my personal experiences and a …
Survey sheds light on parent, teen feelings about GenAI
We hear a lot about Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), including gloom and doom scenarios about its potential dangers. As an internet safety advocate, I worry about all technologies’ impact on …
White House order provides guidance on AI safety
On October 30, President Biden issued an executive order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. As expected, the nearly 20,000-word document committed the federal …
Larry Magid: Beware of ‘smishing’ scams
The first few times I got a text message from a stranger that appeared to be directed at someone else, I politely informed them that they’d reached the wrong number. …
Smartphone essentials for traveling abroad
I just returned from two weeks in Japan, a combination business trip to speak at the UN’s Internet Governance Forum in Kyoto, followed by a week of touring some of …
UN Internet Governance Forum focuses on AI
Janice Richardson (left), Larry Magid and Zoe Darme – in-person speakers at AI panel I spent five days last week in Kyoto, Japan, at the 18th annual United Nations Internet …
Pixel Watch 2 adds health features, improves performance
Google is best known for its search engine and other services, but it’s also a hardware company with a growing range of products including phones, tablets, smart speakers, smart displays, …
Polly Klaas tragedy changed how we look for missing children
Poster depicting Polly Klaas and sketch of suspect Just over 30 years ago, on October 1, 1993, 12-year-old Polly Klaas was abducted from her home in Petaluma during a sleep-over …