Bree Fowler

Looking for a cool tech gift for a kid in your life? There’s no shortage of fun and fairly educational items these days. New toys for the holidays include little robot friends full of personality and magnetic blocks that snap together to teach the basics of computer programing. Here are some toys designed to keep kids entertained without sacrificing on education: HANDS-ON TECH Tablet screens and apps haven’t gone away, but they’re just not enough on their own. With these toys, kids can create and build with their hands, not just a tablet. Osmo. As kids arrange magnetic blocks or puzzle pieces, their creations show up on the...

Donald Trump said recently the government must work with “brilliant people” in Silicon Valley to keep violent extremists offline, even if it means shutting down parts of the Internet. But what he’s proposing isn’t possible with today’s technology. And even if it were, such a move would likely hurt more than potential attackers, and it would hinder the government’s ability to keep tabs on them. Here’s a look at Trump’s idea and why it won’t work: WHAT TRUMP SAID During Tuesday’s Republican presidential debate, Trump said that because the extremist Islamic State group is using the Internet to recruit, the tech industry needs...

Whether you’re shopping for a Trekkie, a tech-savvy fisherman or a paranoid chef, gadget gifts abound this year. They may be weird or wacky, but they are sure to be memorable as last-minute gifts for the geek who has everything. FOODSNIFFER ($130) ‘Tis the season for overeating, leftovers and food poisoning. Got friends who like to shove meat to the back of the fridge only to find it a little past its “use by” date? The Foodsniffer may be the gift you’re looking for. The device will “sniff” your slightly funky chicken, beef, pork or fish. It senses certain volatile organic compounds that are emitted when...

Visa and MasterCard are renewing a push to speed the adoption of microchips into U.S. credit and debit cards in the wake of recent high-profile data breaches, including this week’s revelation that hackers stole consumer data from eBay’s computer systems. Card processing companies argue that a move away from the black magnetic strips on the backs of credit cards would eliminate a substantial amount of U.S. credit card fraud. They say it’s time to offer U.S. consumers the greater protections microchips provide by joining Canada, Mexico and most of Western Europe in using cards with the more advanced technology....

Microsoft will end support for the persistently popular Windows XP on Tuesday, and the move could put everything from the operations of heavy industry to the identities of everyday people in danger. An estimated 30 percent of computers being used by businesses and consumers around the world are still running the 12-year-old operating system. “What once was considered low-hanging fruit by hackers now has a big neon bull’s eye on it,” says Patrick Thomas, a security consultant at the San Jose, Calif.-based firm Neohapsis. What Do You Do if You Still Run XP? Tech Tips: Some advice on how...

Microsoft Office fans who’ve spent the last nine months using the software’s suite of apps on their tiny smartphone screens are probably thrilled that they can finally create and update documents on the iPad’s significantly bigger display surface. The new version of Office for Apple’s tablet is not likely to be a big deal for anyone else. While the apps are beautiful, intuitive and include many familiar functions from the popular desktop version of Office, typing and maneuvering the cursor within documents remains awkward and inefficient. Microsoft released Office for the iPad on Thursday; nearly four years after Apple...

NEW YORK, N.Y. – There’s nothing I like more than getting some writing done at my favorite neighborhood coffeehouse. It’s relaxing, I’m more productive and the place makes a great cappuccino. But after I bought my iPad about a year ago, I didn’t want to go back to schlepping around my laptop, which suddenly seemed so heavy and clunky by comparison. We all know that tablets are great for watching online videos of frolicking kittens, updating your Facebook status and checking email. But can they really substitute for a laptop when it comes to doing actual work? To find...