Yes, Christmas lights can screw up your Wi-Fi, but not how you might think

By chriscota@atlcomputerdude.com (ATLcomputerdude) Image: Kelly Redinger/Design Pics/Corbis Yes, Christmas lights can have an effect on your Wi-Fi. No, Wi-Fi isn t waging war on Christmas. Ofcom, an independent UK regulator of communications, released a Wi-Fi Checker app Tuesday. In its press release, Ofcom notes that Christmas lights are one of many things that can affect Wi-Fi signal performance. Image: Kelly Redinger/Design Pics/Corbis Yes, Christmas lights can have an effect on your Wi-Fi. No, Wi-Fi isn t waging war on Christmas. Ofcom, an independent UK regulator of communications, released a Wi-Fi Checker app Tuesday. In its press release, Ofcom notes that Christmas lights are one of many things that can affect Wi-Fi signal performance. Wi-Fi — like cellular signals, radar and television broadcasts — is a radio frequency (RF) signal operating within a specific range on the electromagnetic spectrum, making it susceptible to interference by other devices operating within the s
http://realchriscota.com/ccota/tech-news/yes-christmas-lights-can-screw-up-your-wi-fi-but-not-how-you-might-think

Ed Sheeran and Rihanna are Spotify UK’s most streamed artists of 2015

By chriscota@atlcomputerdude.com (ATLcomputerdude) Rihanna performs at the 2015 We Can Survive Concert in Hollywood. Image: Rich Fury/Invision/AP/Associated Press LONDON — Streaming giant Spotify has released UK and global data for the site s most streamed artists, albums and tracks of 2015. UK data shows that the Top Male Artists in the country are Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd and Drake, who take Rihanna performs at the 2015 We Can Survive Concert in Hollywood. Image: Rich Fury/Invision/AP/Associated Press LONDON — Streaming giant Spotify has released UK and global data for the site s most streamed artists, albums and tracks of 2015. UK data shows that the Top Male Artists in the country are Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd and Drake, who take first, second and third places respectively. Rihanna, Beyonce and Ellie Goulding make up the top 3 for the Most Streamed Females. Earlier this year, Sheeran s Thinking Out Loud became the first song to hit 500 million streams on Spotify. His number one pos
http://realchriscota.com/ccota/tech-news/ed-sheeran-and-rihanna-are-spotify-uks-most-streamed-artists-of-2015

Make a video call or take a selfie from the comfort of ‘Minecraft’

By chriscota@atlcomputerdude.com (ATLcomputerdude) Watch out, Minecraft players: selfie sticks are invading. Minecraft s creative players have built everything from battle arenas to replicas of Westeros inside the game s blocky confines. Now they ll also be able to text selfies of their Minecraft avatars to their friends and video call real phones using their own in-game phone. It s all part of a Watch out, Minecraft players: selfie sticks are invading. Minecraft s creative players have built everything from battle arenas to replicas of Westeros inside the game s blocky confines. Now they ll also be able to text selfies of their Minecraft avatars to their friends and video call real phones using their own in-game phone. It s all part of a Verizon-created Minecraft server that puts working cell phones (and the towers that power them) into the game. From these giant phone screens, players can browse the web, video call cell phones in the real world, and send text messages and pictures.
http://realchriscota.com/ccota/tech-news/make-a-video-call-or-take-a-selfie-from-the-comfort-of-minecraft

New Chrome update can save up to 70% of your precious data

By chriscota@atlcomputerdude.com (ATLcomputerdude) Image: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan Carefully managing how much data you use on your phone so you don t exceed your bandwidth cap can be real hassle if you don t have an unlimited data plan. To ease that stress, Google has updated its Data Saver feature for Chrome on Android to reduce data consumption by up to 70%. With Data Saver switched on, Chrome will Image: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan Carefully managing how much data you use on your phone so you don t exceed your bandwidth cap can be real hassle if you don t have an unlimited data plan. To ease that stress, Google has updated its Data Saver feature for Chrome on Android to reduce data consumption by up to 70%. With Data Saver switched on, Chrome will automatically load websites without images — leaving only text — when it detects a slow connection. Users can then load images on a per-tap basis. Android users can turn this on within Chrome by going to Settings > Data Saver > On and iOS u
http://realchriscota.com/ccota/tech-news/new-chrome-update-can-save-up-to-70-of-your-precious-data

Nokia’s $60,000 virtual reality camera is now available for pre-order

By chriscota@atlcomputerdude.com (ATLcomputerdude) In July, Nokia announced an interesting new direction for the company in the form of the Ozo, a ball-shaped, virtual reality camera aimed at professionals. Well, now it s available for purchase, and at $60,000, it ain t cheap. This is because — unlike some other VR cameras, like the $399 360fly — Nokia Ozo is not meant for the casual user; in fact, In July, Nokia announced an interesting new direction for the company in the form of the Ozo, a ball-shaped, virtual reality camera aimed at professionals. Well, now it s available for purchase, and at $60,000, it ain t cheap. This is because — unlike some other VR cameras, like the $399 360fly — Nokia Ozo is not meant for the casual user; in fact, Nokia calls it the world s first professional virtual reality camera. So what does the Ozo bring to the table? It records 360 x 180-degree spherical video using eight 2K x 2K image sensors at 30 frames per second (fps) as well as somethin
http://realchriscota.com/ccota/tech-news/nokias-60000-virtual-reality-camera-is-now-available-for-pre-order