While we’re sheltering in place, the fact that kids can stay in touch with friends and family by texting, video-chatting, and gaming has been a lifesaver for many families.
The woodsy community of Wolcott, Connecticut, doesn't see a lot of crime. But when the police chief heard about an opportunity to distribute doorbell cameras to some homes, he didn't hesitate.
SPRING LAKE TWP. — “Can you hear me now?”
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Facebook is launching a major redesign of its app and website built around letting people connect with groups that share their interests — an attempt to shift its focus away from the untrammeled public sharing that has helped spread hate speech, extremism, misinformat…
The classic philosophical riddle is, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”
(AP) — Apple has disabled a group-chat function in FaceTime after users said a software bug could let callers activate another person's microphone remotely.
When I heard that Vitaminwater is giving away $100,000 in a contest where the winner has to give up their smartphone for a year in favor of a 1996-era app-free version, my immediate thought was: I could never do that. I couldn’t even handle the consolation prize of $10,000 for six months sma…
NEW YORK (AP) — Sometimes you can sense that tech products are striving to solve problems that are manufactured by their manufacturers. Smartwatches, for instance, have long been a nifty idea — but they've offered few tangible benefits for anyone but health and fitness enthusiasts.
The young men sit in chairs in a circle in a small meeting room in suburban Seattle and introduce themselves before they speak. It is much like any other 12-step meeting — but with a twist.
Children talk to their toys as if they’re really listening, sometimes confiding in dolls and stuffed animals.
WEST OLIVE — The first court greeter robot in the country, CORA, has become a familiar face at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven. A new robot with a different name will soon be assisting visitors to the county’s administrative offices on Fillmore Street.
LANSING (AP) — Michigan lawmakers on Thursday finalized bills that would ease the wireless industry's shift to next-generation technology, approving statewide regulations for the installation of a dense network of "small cells" on telephone poles, traffic signals and other infrastructure.
You were just getting used to your kid's obsession with Fortnite, and now, all you hear about is V-Bucks.
GRAND RAPIDS — There are now more ways to connect with the Gerald R. Ford International Airport thanks to a new mobile app the airport released earlier this month.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple and Google want to help you spend less time on their phones — really. Like that time you checked Facebook at 3 a.m. Stats don't lie.
As the parent of three millennials, I pride myself on knowing voice mail is out, texting is in. Small-talk texting is out. Getting to the point is in.
ANN ARBOR (AP) — Just how tiny is the world's smallest computer?
NEW YORK (AP) — Who knew connecting the world could get so complicated? Perhaps some of technology's brightest minds should have seen that coming.
Grand Haven residents have a new way of watching the goings on of city government, all from the convenience of their digital device.
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is closing a security gap that allowed outsiders to pry personal information from locked iPhones without a password, a change that will thwart law enforcement agencies that have been exploiting the vulnerability to collect evidence in criminal investigations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — After privately assuring senators that his company will do better, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is undergoing a two-day congressional inquisition that will be very public — and possibly pivotal for the massive social networking company he created.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Cellphones are still absent from most U.S. schools but new data shows them steadily gaining acceptance as administrators bow to parents' wishes to keep tabs on their kids and teachers find ways to work them into lessons.
If you can't trust a social network to protect your data, what can you do?
It started out for Sam Machado as a relatively low-effort way to get free pizza. In 2014 Machado was a 20-year-old junior at California State University, Chico, when he came across an app called Pocket Points. The app earned him rewards such as free slices whenever he shut off his phone duri…
WASHINGTON — Twitter loves lies. A new study finds that false information on the social media network travels six times faster than the truth and reaches far more people.
A JAMA Pediatrics study released recently revealed a rise in the number of young people under age 18 who engage in sexting, with approximately 1 in 7 teens sending sexts, and 1 in 4 receiving them.
There’s a bit of self-loathing that comes after you waste more than an hour scrolling through social feeds and comparing your life to the people online.
By now, you’ve heard that the Federal Communications Commission voted last week to repeal net neutrality.
Children are often found wrapped up in their devices, and topping many kids’ Christmas lists this year are electronics like the PlayStation 4.
Ottawa County Central Dispatch is making progress with its ongoing effort to roll out a new countywide emergency communications system.
On a color-coded map where blue equals slow internet, vast swaths of rural Michigan are a virtual ocean of that hue.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission next month is planning a vote to kill Obama-era rules demanding fair treatment of web traffic and may decide to vacate the regulations altogether, according to people familiar with the plans.
It's natural to get the phone-upgrade itch when the likes of Apple, Samsung and others keep coming out with newer models. And sometimes your old phone is just kaput.
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — A new billboard unveiled Thursday on the south side of Grand Haven is designed to encourage local officials to speed up efforts to close the city’s coal-fired power plant, as well as to “get the citizens excited about moving to clean energy,” its supporters say.
Ottawa County’s official website, miOttawa.org, was recently recognized by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties.
SAN DIEGO — The smart evolution has begun in our homes. More and more connected items are available to let you control your property from a single device, no matter where you are. Everything from lighting to heating and even making a cup of coffee can be at your fingertips.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Black-and-white-striped angelfish glide past Mary Spencer as she scuba dives for the first time in her 84 years.
Community development experts are looking at ways to cast a larger net to get more people connected to the internet in Ottawa County.
NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of countries were hit with a huge cyberextortion attack Friday that locked up computers and held users' files for ransom at a multitude of hospitals, companies and government agencies.
(StatePoint) These days, the average consumer needs to budget for a variety of tech-related expenses — from data plans to cable bills. These monthly expenses quickly add up.
The online world is a scary place — viruses and malware that steal information make their way onto computers, and hackers hijack devices and demand a ransom to get back stored information.
Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday signed legislation that aims to put Michigan in the driver's seat for autonomous technology, testing and deployment for self-driving cars. Proponents say the laws are important for the state's economic development and talent retention.
NEW YORK — TVs are so last century. News outlets are using Facebook Live, Snapchat, YouTube and other tools to offer live coverage of Election Day in ways not possible four years ago.
Apple's high-end Mac laptops are getting a touch control strip above the keyboard, part of a long-awaited update aimed at reviving interest in a product often overshadowed by newer gadgets like the iPad and iPhone.
Local resident Jason Baumgart hopes his new business will bring area residents a whole new realm of entertainment.
TIBURON, Calif. — Apple's new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are clearly improvements on their predecessors — even if the biggest change is actually an omission (of the traditional headphone jack). But are they improved enough to justify an upgrade?
WHITEFIELD, Maine — Peter Froehlich lives at the end of a mile-long dirt road in a part of Maine where pickup trucks share the right of way with wandering dairy cows. The local cable company won't run a line down the road, and his cellphone is useless because he lives in a wireless dead zone.
Can you save money if you pay only for the TV channels you watch?
CANON CITY, Colo. — Educators in a small Colorado town say they had no choice but alert police when they discovered that many high-schoolers were using a cellphone app to collect and hide hundreds of naked photos of themselves.
Becoming a parent includes a long list of to-dos: stockpiling diapers, building a crib, picking a name.
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