Give Me Tech

It's been a busy October for product launches, particularly on Apple's end. The Cupertino tech giant recently unleashed its iMac with Retina 5K display, iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2, the latter of which earned a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in our Laptop Mag review. Fresh off of this review, Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer is ready to tell you why the iPad Air 2 is the perfect tablet -- if you need a tablet, that is.

In the wake of big announcements from Apple, Samsung and Intel, it's time to talk tech.   The industry is still buzzing over Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which introduce bigger screens, faster processors and better cameras than we've ever seen on an Apple smartphone. Is the iPhone 6 worth the hype, or is Apple simply catching up to its more powerful Android rivals? Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer was on the ground in Cupertino, and has the early verdict on Apple's new phones as well as the long-awaited Apple Watch. While Apple stole the show last week, Intel quietly debuted a variety of nifty innovations at its annual Intel Developer Forum. Our very own Avram Piltch was in attendance, getting a taste of the way Intel technology can change the way we compute and even what we wear.   We also reflect on our time at IFA 2014 in Berlin, Germany, where we saw huge new innovations from the likes of LG and Samsung. The show was huge on smartwatches and big, curved TVs, but are those two trends here to stay?

Another week, another security leak. On this episode of Give Me Tech!, we bring back our security experts, senior editor Paul Wagenseil and senior writer Jill Scharr to discuss the latest security news and how you can protect your precious data. First up, in what might be the biggest security breach to date, Home Depot has announced that it may have been hacked. If the popular home improvement hub's security has been compromised, at least 400 million customers' credit card information could be at risk. However some customers  might have more to lose than others. Is your data safe? Due to the work of unscrupulous hackers, over 100 celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence's nude photos have been leaked to Reddit. The fallout has been swift, including cease-and-desist orders, plenty of hand-wringing and not a small amount of victim blaming. We discuss the best ways to keep your photos secure, and why not taking nude pics isn't the answer.

Hide your kids, hide your phones, hide your tablets and hide your laptops! On this episode of Give Me Tech!, we're joined by our security experts, senior editor Paul Wagenseil and staff writer Jill Scharr, as we discuss the best ways to protect your tech.  We start off by discussing smartphone security. With a new malware story breaking seemingly every week, we discover how safe all your pictures, snapchats and texts really are. Is a good antivirus program enough to stave off the growing wave of digital attacks, or are you better off downgrading to a feature phone? For those really worried about their precious cat videos being hacked, we discuss the Blackphone, the world's so-called "most secure smartphone." But can this device deliver the goods, or is it all hype? Also, folks looking for secure email and file sharing should stick around for our critique on DIME and Demonsaw.

We’ve officially made our first voyage into podcast land with Give Me Tech!, a new series focusing on the best, worst and strangest stuff that the world of consumer tech has to offer. Kicking off our inaugural episode is a discussion about 16GB smartphones, and how they might be the biggest rip-offs in tech. It only costs manufacturers a handful of extra bucks to go from 16GB to 32GB, but you have to pony up an extra $100. Our editor-in-chief Mark Spoonauer already spoke out about the subject in his in-depth column, and now you can hear him deliver the rant it deserves. We also touch on Nvidia’s new Shield Tablet, which brings a high-fidelity gaming experience to an 8-inch slate. Is this the ultimate tablet for gamers, or does the extra cost of essential accessories weigh it down? Senior writer and resident gaming expert Sherri L. Smith has the verdict.