(CNN) — From Airbnb to GasBuddy to shopkick, lots of apps and websites help consumers save money.
But how do we spend less on technology itself — that digital drug we can’t seem to get enough of? How can we save money on electronic gadgets and services … so that we can buy more gadgets?
Here are 10 ways to stretch your tech budget this year: Continue reading…
Reporting for Fair & Balanced. :)
Thanks to cut-rate pricing and high user praise, Google?’s new Chromebooks have finally struck a nerve with savvy consumers. But they may go unnoticed this holiday as tablets still dominate wishlists. Continue reading…
I fell behind in updating my published works section this year (there’s always Google right?). In any case, here are a couple of recent stories I’m proud to have written:
NBC/KSL—Like AOL before it, Facebook is the latest in a long line of mainstream technologies to introduce a lot of new users to the power, utility, and network effect of the Internet.
At the same time, the popular hangout has negatively impacted the number of public comments taking place online. Case in point: The number of people making online remarks has dwindled from a record 15% five years ago to an estimated 7% last year, according to market research by Nielson.
The reason: “Conversations around stories are moving off the news page and onto social networks,” says Steve Rubel, a longtime observer of social media since 2004. “With time spent on social networks like Facebook skyrocketing, it leaves little left to engage at the source of the news.”
Is that a problem? (more…)
Recent things I’ve written:
Notable feature stories I’ve written recently:
Recent feature stories I’ve written:
Smooth Harold is the official blog of Blake Snow, a contributing writer, user experience critic, and content developer living the good life with a wife and kids. He can be reached by email. RSS here. For updates on Blake's new book, click here.
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