Now playing: Watch this: Instant smartphone printers 1:37 So you want to print photos from your smartphone. Right. Now. For that, you’ll need an instant printer. Since the Polaroid became more of a novelty than a household staple, a number of familiar brands have come in with replacements for the old standard, letting you print …

When you first start ordering Amazon Echo ‘s Alexa around, you might feel like something’s missing. At least, I did. Accustomed to the short confirmation tones of Siri and Google Now, the lack of a beep after saying “Alexa” felt lonely. Problem is, if you yell for Alexa from across the house or spew a command when she’s out of …

Alexa and I have a love-hate relationship. She always hears me, but sometimes, she just doesn’t get me. Like Siri in the early days, Amazon Echo is still learning natural language. As the user base grows and Amazon continues to collect and analyze voice data, Alexa will get smarter. But until then, there are a few things you can do …

The Amazon Echo speaker isn’t just for the few media libraries it currently stocks — Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. You can use Echo as a Bluetooth speaker for any media you have on your phone, including your personal music library, Pandora, Spotify, or even audio books. All you need to do is set up Echo as a Bluetooth speaker. …

Now playing: Watch this: Highlights of Tech West at CES 2015 1:21 LAS VEGAS — Tech West, the new expo space at CES, is where the quirky stuff lives. Away from big names like Intel, Samsung and LG, Tech West is where startups gather to showcase products you’ve likely never heard of. To tackle the sea of bustling up-and-comers, CNET …

If you’re here at CES in Las Vegas, you’ll quickly find out just how overwhelming the show floor can be — especially now that there are two locations. 4K TVs, curved screens, and smart home solutions continue to dominate, but don’t miss growing trends like robotics, medical tech, and 3D printing. There’s a lot to see, so we’ve made it …

It’s around this time of year — after more-than-intended gift spending and holiday travels — that bank statements tend to get more of an eyebrow-raise than usual. Mint.com, a free personal finance site, is one of the most popular choices for budgeting and record-keeping, thanks to its clean interface and long-standing reputation. Whether you’re new to the service or want …

Now playing: Watch this: Apple Pay vs. Google Wallet vs. PayPal 2:14 It’s undeniable — Apple Pay will be the thing that finally makes mobile payments go mainstream. But it’s not the only option. Google and PayPal are also major players, but if their real-world success rates to date are any indication of Apple Pay’s reception, it’s best we keep …

Josh Miller/CNET Ready to find out what makes you most productive? As mentioned in the CNET Magazine article, “How to hack the perfect workday,” boosting efficiency at work can be attributed to a number of lifestyle factors. Sleep, coffee intake, time spent walking the dog, and exercise can all make you more (or less) productive. The only way to find …

Now playing: Watch this: Upgrade RAM on your MacBook Pro 3:16 Welcome to Mac Mondays! Each Monday, the team at CNET How To will go in-depth on ways you can improve your Mac. We’ll talk performance upgrades (for old and new models), hardware hacks and workflow tips. This is where you’ll go to find out how to release your Mac’s …