You may have noticed that the dialer shortcut on your Android 6.0 lock screen has been replaced with a shortcut to Google Now. The lock screen has been evolving for a long time, and many of the changes have happened to provide a better experience to the user. However, Google doesn’t always know what you …

Using split view on an iPad running iOS 9 means you can view and use two apps at the same time. The feature is a big boost to productivity Apple’s tablet, especially on the iPad Pro. The only problem is, you can’t view two Safari browser tabs at the same time using split view. Up until a few days ago, …

The world has the Star Wars bug once again, and not even Google is immune. The tech titan published a Star Wars website on Monday that lets users choose their side in the battle to control the Galactic Empire and that transforms their Google apps to suit their allegiance. The Google Maps app, for example, will show your location not …

The heavily sought-after OnePlus 2 smartphone just got a bit easier to get — but it won’t last long. Usually, the Chinese-based mobile manufacturer implements an invite-only system for interested buyers to purchase the unlocked device. But from November 27 to 30, the handset will be available for purchase online without an invitation. Currently, the OnePlus 2 costs $330 and …

Roku makes the best smart TV software, and now it’s available on TVs from the second-largest television manufacturer worldwide. LG is second only to Samsung in TV sales, and is easily the biggest name to offer a Roku TV. The 55-inch LG 55LF5700 ($549) and 65-inch 65LF5700 ($999) are on sale now at Best Buy, both in-store and online. They’re …

Fitbit is making its Charge HR and Surge fitness trackers smarter, with a new software update available now. A new feature, known as SmartTrack, will be able to automatically recognize activities when wearing either tracker and upload your workout information to the Fitbit app. By default, activities are recorded when you’ve been active for at least 15 minutes, but that …

Your lapel pin should be this smart. Inspired by the sci-fi ingenuity of Star Trek, engineers at Google have worked up a one-of-a-kind prototype wearable device to test out the possibilities of a real-life communicator. It doesn’t connect to any starships, though. Instead, it’s meant to suggest new ways to tap into the vast knowledge banks of Google search. The …

The holidays are the perfect opportunity to sit around and do as little as possible. But what will entertain you or your loved ones during this relaxation period? The answer is your favorite online videos streaming onto your big screen television. Choosing a gadget to give those videos a theatrical presentation is more complicated than ever since there are so …

The Internet was built for procrastinators, which I believe describes all of us. It is all too easy to go down a wormhole where you follow one link to the next, only to resurface a hour or more later with that pile of work you were avoiding still sitting there. If you, like the rest of us, need help reining …

As we all expected, the big news at CES this year was Ultra HD 4K displays. It seemed that every TV manufacturer had one, ranging from massive LED LCDs to midsize LED LCDs to midsize OLEDs. We’ve talked about this before, but now with more info, and definitive product announcements, let me explain in exacting, excruciating detail why 4K TVs …

SAN FRANCISCO — Lynette Shaw, the self-proclaimed “godmother of marijuana dispensaries,” is thrilled that tech is helping bring cannabis into the mainstream. “It’s fabulous,” the 61-year-old said here Friday at the inaugural New West Summit, a two-day conference on the budding billion-dollar convergence of pot with technology, business and media. “I’m honored to see my godchildren creating all of this.” …

Village Roadshow will be one of the first rights holders to put new site-blocking laws to the test, confirming it is preparing an application to the Federal Court under the Government’s anti-piracy legislation. While the site-blocking laws came into effect in June, rights holders have held back from using the laws to shut off access to websites that “facilitate” piracy …

Savvy shoppers already know that buying generic brands of products such as cold medicine and cereal will save you big bucks. Could the same be true for wireless service? In this edition of Ask Maggie I explain the pros and cons of using “off-brand” prepaid wireless services, which are owned by the national carriers themselves. Dear Maggie, I’m an AT&T …

Last month I posted “The Audiophiliac’s top 10 (full-size) headphones for 2015” list of the world’s best and most expensive models, this time it’s an affordable headphone list. I’ve limited my selections to just one model from each brand, and I’ve spent many hours listening to each of these headphones, they’re listed in alphabetical order. All of them are full-size …

The Force will awaken in less than a month, so now is the perfect time to revisit the classic Star Wars movies and once again take the journey — or introduce some younglings — to a galaxy far, far away. “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” is the first film in the legendary series in a decade, continuing the …