to Jim's Tips!
Hi! I'm Jim Barr, and jimstips.com is one of my little corners of the Internet--my voice for all things tech. I love riding on the bleeding edge of technology, and I love exploring new gadgets, services, Web sites, programs, and anything interesting! Here you will find all sorts of tips and information about those things that interest me. Thanks for visiting!
Recent Tips
The Pebble Time Smartwatch
I really like the Pebble Time Black. It provides everything I need in a smartwatch, and the long battery life makes it worth it. Why I Bought It I was having issues with my LG G Watch running Android Wear, so I bought a Pebble Time, and I have zero
The Kindle 3G+Special Offers edition
I just purchased a Kindle 3G+Special Offers ebook reader, and I have to say that it has far exceeded my expectations. To me, when assessing a device like this, it is always important to put into perspective just exactly what such a device can and cannot do. First, what the
Vonage: Revisited and loving it!
In an earlier post, I moaned about how though Vonage was a great service, it just didn’t fit our needs due to several significant shortcomings. Well times change, and so have my views about Vonage. We recently got a faster, more reliable Internet connection through Charter Cable, and decided to
CR-48 and eyeOS – a match made in Heaven?
Many years ago, I played around with an “online desktop” site called eyeOS. After playing around with the CR-48, it got me thinking that a virtual, online desktop just might be useful on the CR-48. Remember, the CR-48 is a completely Web-centric device. It is truly a “cloud computer” because
CR-48 Important Security Tip
I love the CR-48’s fast bootup, and I absolutely love its instant-on feature: Leave it powered on, close the lid, and when you re-open it, it’s instantly on where you left off. This standby mode is easy on batteries, and it is extremely useful to me. BUT… I just realized
Advanced sign-in security for your Google account
Posted by Nishit Shah, Product Manager, Google Security(Cross-posted from the Google Blog)Has anyone you know ever lost control of an email account and inadvertently sent spam—or worse—to their friends and family? There are plenty of examples (like…
Priority Inbox in Gmail for mobile
Posted by Nathan Bullock, Software Engineer(Cross-posted from the Mobile blog)If you’ve ever cursed a phone’s tiny screen as utterly inadequate for sifting through an overflowing inbox you’ll be pleased to hear that the Gmail mobile web app now s…
Two improvements to contact groups
Posted by Will Scott, Software EngineerOrganizing your Gmail contacts into groups can save you time when you’re writing messages to multiple people at once. For example, if you create a “Family” group, instead of addressing an email to your mom, …
CR-48 Verizon 3G Info and Tips
I was searching for some specific information about how the Verizon 3G data plan works for the CR-48. I found very helpful information at Google’s Chrome OS support pages. By all means, go through those help pages. There is much useful information to be found there. Here are some tips
CR-48 Verizon 3G Data Plans
In addition to Wi-Fi access, the CR-48 has 3G access capability through Verizon. Once activated, you get 100MB of free data per month for two years. You can also optionally purchase several plans: $9.99 day pass with unlimited data $19.99 1 GB (valid for 30 days) $34.99 3 GB (valid
CR-48 Keyboard Shortcuts
The trackpad on the CR-48 is quite useful with its (somewhat limited and quirky) multitouch capabilities, and a USB mouse can be a God-send for long sessions, but there are many keyboard shortcuts that can simplify or speed up your interaction with Chrome OS. Here is a pretty much exhaustive
CR-48 Channels vs Modes
One point that may not be obvious to both new and seasoned CR-48 users is the distinction between “Channels” and “Modes”. You may hear of people running in Developer mode, or you may hear of OS upgrades coming over the Beta or Developer channels. What are the differences, and why
Gmail News
- Gmail for Android now gets archiving interface tweak
- Gmail users can now finally change their passwords and edit account information via the Android app
- Journalist Nearly Banned from YouTube and Gmail For Posting Al-Qaeda Videos From Chelsea Manning Trial
- Google, YouTube, Gmail goes offline for brief minutes in India
- Gmail Meltdown: What Actually Happened On Tuesday Night?
- Boxy 2 is a Beautiful Inbox by Gmail Client for Mac
- Google suffers technical issues knocking Gmail, YouTube AND Maps offline too
- How To Clean Out Your Gmail Account And Start Again From Scratch
Chromebook News
- Is $1200 too much to spend for a Pixel-branded Chromebook? [Poll] | 9to5Google
- Google Pixelbook leak reveals a high-end Chromebook with stylus support
- HP’s touchscreen Chromebook aims to shrug off spills and deliver thrills
- HP releases its education Chromebook to the public
- School district scraps $213K of Lenovo Chromebook N21, N22 for fire concerns
- After laptops spark, Massachusetts school district scraps 1188 Chromebooks – valued at more than $200K
- Google Pitches Free Chromebooks to Microsoft Azure Cloud Partners
Raspberry Pi News
- Raspberry Pi Haunted Portrait Created By John Park (video)
- Eben Upton’s favourite Raspberry Pi project is an AI cucumber sorter
- ‘We were a community before the Pi’: CEO Eben Upton on five years of Raspberry Pi
- This Cardboard Google Home Only Costs $35
- 10 Game Servers You Can Run on a Raspberry Pi
- A Raspberry Pi-powered Rubik’s cube-solving robot
- ReSpeaker releases its 4-microphone Raspberry Pi software for voice applications
- Build your own robots with this Raspberry Pi 3 board and training bundle
Windows 10 News
- The Xbox One is getting the Xbox 1’s Duke controller (and Windows 10 too)
- The best Windows 10 apps to watch TV this fall
- Why the Windows Subsystem for Linux Matters to You – Even if You Don’t Use it
- How to manage wireless network connections on Windows 10
- How Windows 10 S is different from the Windows 10 you know
- 5 fundamental differences between Windows 10 and Linux
- Microsoft Adding Key Safety Feature to Windows 10
- Microsoft Is Adding a Potent Security Feature to Windows 10