Articles by Mark Hawver
Car owner satisfaction hits new all-time low, Acura cited as worst
A new customer-satisfaction report for automobiles reveals that Acura, surprisingly, suffered the worst drop in owner satisfaction since last year and has fallen to last place in the rankings. The ACSI report also names Mercedes-Benz as the continuing leader in customer satisfaction.
Spidey-sense prompts Suzuki to recall 19K sedans
Suzuki's spider-sense told it to recall over 19,000 Kizashi sedans from the 2010 through 2013 model years. These vehicles may be infested with spiders that weave webs that can block a crucial fuel vapor ventilation line, possibly leading to dangerous fuel tank leaks.
Dropbox pumps up features, security while slicing storage pricing
Dropbox is making its move to stay competitive in the cloud storage wars, increasing the storage amount in its $9.99 per month Dropbox Pro plan from 100 GB to 1 TB. Dropbox Pro will also get additional features, including file permissions, expiring, password-protected links and remote wipe.
AT&T merging mobile, enterprise units under new leadership
AT&T has split its Mobility group into business and consumer units, and merged the mobile business unit with its general business group. The new combo group will be headed by former Mobility group CEO Ralph de la Vega.
Why the hype of Instagram Hyperlapse? It just makes video making more fun
Instagram's new Hyperlapse app brings video stabilization and time-lapse features to video shooting with mobile devices. It benefits from simple, easy to use controls, and quick uploading to Facebook or Instagram accounts.
NSA 'Google-like' search engine shares data across two dozen government agencies
The National Security Agency has created a search engine through which other government agencies can locate metadata collected by the NSA. The search engine is called ICReach and contains communication data.
Google docs update may have Microsoft a bit worried, and rightly so
Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are now available for iOS, upgraded with the ability to edit and create Microsoft Office 365 documents. The apps are downloadable for free, and are aimed at competing with Microsoft's for-cost Office 365 Suite of apps.
Amazon beats out Google to buy Twitch for $1.1B, yes $1.1B
Twitch.tv, the live video game-streaming website, has been acquired by Amazon.com for a cool $1.1 billion. Twitch, only three years old, draws 55 million viewers per month and appeals to the most valuable demographic groups.
Facebook aims to cut clickbait headlines like 'Kardashians found on Mars' to boost user experience
Clickbaiting is the 'gotcha' headline-writing practice that is a real Internet time-waster for unwitting victims. Facebook has a plan in place to kick clickbait to the curb in its News Feed, propping up legitimate stories of greater public interest instead.
Ford retooling plant for aluminum F-150, assembly line shuttering for two months
The 2015 Ford F-150 is beginning production this week for late-2014 delivery. The retooling process is unique in that most of the new F-150 will be made of aluminum, yielding a weight savings of 700 pounds per vehicle.
Android L may be a sweetie pie of an OS
Google will soon be introducing Android L, the next major release of the Android OS. Meanwhile, in the world of Very Important Things, speculation that the new OS will be tagged Lemon Meringue Pie is running rampant.
Google winning app download race, but it's nothing to boast about
There are over 2 million mobile apps available for download to smartphones, tablets and similar devices, but it's a tiny percentage of them that make the 'most frequently used' list. No. 1, not surprisingly, is Facebook.
LG smart watch will face off against Moto 360
What goes around, comes back round. The latest smart watches from LG and Motorola feature traditional circular faces, perceived by many as more elegant and less geeky than the squarish designs currently on the market.
China building own OS, take that Microsoft, Google and Apple
The Chinese government has banned Windows 8 from all government computers, with only the obsolete Windows XP to keep the machines humming. Their long-term preferred solution is the deployment of a home-grown OS, developed by Chinese tech companies.
Private browser network Tor has unexpected friends in unexpected places
The Tor Project is designed to improve privacy on the Internet, making it harder for government organizations to spy on citizens. So why are some employees of government agencies helping Tor squash bugs and leaks?
2015 Chevy Corvette Z06: Powerful and pricey, given $79K sticker
With 650 pavement-ripping horsepower underneath your right foot, the 2015 Corvette Z06 will be here before you know it. The cost of warp drive will begin at $79,000.
GM legal team under scrutiny over ignition switch recall, potential concealment actions
The feds are bringing down the heat on GM, asking new questions about what GM execs knew about deadly ignition switches. Is the cover-up worse than the crime, as is often the case?
2015 Mustang not the greatest on gas mileage as redesign packs on pounds
The 2015 Ford Mustang is a redesign that adds a more muscular yet flowing look to the iconic performance vehicle. But increased weight due to its larger size, improvements to the suspension and enhancements to vehicle safety have made it a thirstier car with lower fuel economy ratings than last year.
Sony's selfie camera is just for you girls, a perfume bottle design boasting Swarovski crystals
Sony rhymes with selfie, and the company's new DSC-KW11 Cyber-shot digital camera is a girl's best selfie friend, right down to its perfume bottle design. Its 180-degree swiveling lens and onboard image-manipulation features make taming the selfie an easy proposition.
Monkey selfies can't be copyrighted as monkeys have no rights under copyright law
In monkey business, a British photographer who witnessed an Indonesian macaque take pictures of herself with his equipment has had no luck getting courts to grant him legal ownership of the photos. So far, these photos are considered public domain, because monkeys have no rights under copyright law.
HP enjoys healthy revenue growth, but net income drops 29 percent
Hewlett-Packard released its fiscal third quarter earnings report, and despite some ongoing disappointing profit numbers, the company's rise from hard times seems to be picking up momentum. A stellar performance in PC sales helped the company reach a happy medium in its fiscal fortunes in the quarter.
Honda recalling 12000 Fit vehicles to bump up safety
Honda's introduction of the 2015 Honda Fit was marred by unsatisfactory crash scores from the IIHS. Honda has now decided to recall 12,000 early production 2015 models to retrofit them with a bumper that will bump up the Fit's IIHS scores.
Facebook offering cash bounty on Oculus bugs, Netflix creates Oculix service just for fun
Facebook is taking no chances with its debut product offering from its new subsidiary, Oculus VR. The company is offering a bounty to researchers and developers who discover bugs, flaws and vulnerabilities in its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset hardware and software.
UPS stores hit by hackers, customer credit card data at risk
The UPS Stores were hacked earlier this year via malware that attempted to spirit away customer personal information and credit card data found at 51 U.S. retail locations. UPS rectified the issue as of August 11, and no incidents of fraud have been reported.
Acer Chromebox desktop arrives next month, priced under $180
Computer maker Acer is launching the Chromebox CXI, its first desktop Chrome OS PC, and its latest Chromebook notebook. The Chromebox CXI will retail for $179.99 and includes a keyboard and mouse.
In Asia voice calls are coming to tablets but is it a feature users want or need?
Asia is leading the charge for using tablets to send and receive voice calls. Over 25 percent of tablets offered for sale in Asian markets feature voice call capability over both Wi-Fi and 4G networks.
Samsung, B&N offer a Nook that's also a tablet, plus $200 of free content
Barnes & Noble has breathed new life into the NOOK eReader by partnering with Samsung to bring NOOK features to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. The hybrid eReader/Android tablet will retail initially for $179 and includes $200 of free content and software.
NHTSA debuts online car recall search tool. Is your vehicle in the database?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching a searchable online database through which car owners can look up uncompleted safety recall campaigns on vehicles. The database covers models sold in the U.S. over the last 15 years.
Volvo aims to drive profits via deeper safety focus, luxury features
Volvo is beginning the long road back to world prominence with a new XC90 model that will feature styling, safety and luxury upgrades. Now under Chinese ownership, Volvo has already experienced tremendous growth in the Chinese premium vehicle market and plans to compete worldwide in that category.
Twitter will remove tweets, images of deceased under new policy
Twitter trolls and sociopaths have been feasting on the deaths of Robin Williams, Michael Brown and James Foley this week. In response, the company has suspended offending accounts and created a new policy for removing abusive messages and imagery.
