Piltch Point (Audio)

This week, Avram Piltch brings us a number of services offered by major companies that have zero benefit. Fortunately, these services cost a lot of money. Instead of using the services offered by these companies, Avram also brings us alternatives and solutions.

This week, Avram Piltch brings us some of the best apps available in the Android and iOS markets for toddlers. He discovered that, while most kids apps are appropriate for kids 5 and older, toddlers require a different set of features. For example, a simple menu structure and no reading make using the app possible for a 2-year-old.

Last week Avram Piltch told us about some of the best gadgets to purchase today . This week he's flipping it and talking about some of the worst tech purchases you could make today. From smartwatches and phones to wearables, he's got it all.

Avram Piltch often brings the world top 10 lists, but sometimes people just want the best of the best. That is what we have tonight. What is considered the best smartphone, laptop and tablet for what you are doing? Here are Avram and LAPTOP Magazine's choices.

Avram Piltch recently moderated a panel at CE Week in New York, presented by the Consumer Electronics Association. The panel was about wearable technology and its implications on our culture. He had 4 experts on representing both technology and culture (available on YouTube ). While doing a great job moderating the panel, he was inspired to write his own opinions on the topic. Tonight he discusses...

Avram Piltch shows off the new LG G Watch, as well as the Android Wear platform. As he shows, the platform might not be ready for a public debut, and the G Watch might not be worth the $229 pricetag.

Avram Piltch is never one to back down from a topic, even if it might be controversial. This one, it turns out, was not. He discusses the reasons why you should NOT get an Amazon Fire Phone; for example, the whole concept of a store disguised as a phone.

Avram Piltch discusses all of the interesting items he saw at this year's Computex in Taipei. From Intel's Llama Mountain to Asus, MSI and Intel, he has got tons of information. In addition, we discuss Samsung's Tizen event and Windows Phones.

Avram Piltch and the crew from LAPTOP Magazine and Tom's Guide will be traveling a lot this month covering events all over the world. Starting next week, they will keep us up-to-date on Computex from Taipei and Apple's World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco. After that they'll be helping us cover E3 2014 in Los Angeles and then Google I/O in San Francisco. With all of that going on this...

Avram Piltch discusses his recent piece about five freedoms we currently take for granted online that could easily be swept away if net neutrality is not preserved. Whether you want to start a business or a blog, shop from a particular store or use a particular service, your ISP could prevent you from accessing it, and there would be nothing you could do about it, other than switch providers.

Avram Piltch knows that bloatware is one of the dirty little tricks that manufacturers and carriers play on their customers, on computers, tablets and phones. He also knows that there are ways to remove this garbage and explain some of them right here.

Avram Piltch knows that removing your hands from the keyboard to interact with the mouse is one of the biggest time wasters. This is why he compiled a list of 15 keyboard shortcuts you're not using . Whether snapping Windows, selecting content in Word or Excel, or opening and closing tabs in your browser, Avram has you covered.

Avram Piltch talks about his experiences at Microsoft's Build 2014 developer conference. In particular, he talks about the pros and cons of the most talked about feature of Windows Phone 8.1: Cortana. Based on Cortana from the Halo series, Microsoft's personal assistant has a lot to be excited about, and a lot to be apprehensive of. In addition, he discusses the addition of a notification area in...

Avram Piltch discusses one of the most important features in modern technology: battery life. Whether it's a laptop, tablet or smartphone, a short battery life can ruin your otherwise happy experience. Which devices have the best and worst ratings from LAPTOP Magazine? Avram tells you here.

Avram Piltch has written articles that have received their share of negative comments, and he wears that as a badge of honor. In fact, he believes that, for someone to take the time to respond negatively, he must have hit a good topic. If that is the case, this week was a success with the 6 Reasons the iPhone 6 Has Already Lost , having received whole response articles from Network World and The U...

Avram Piltch discusses an interesting device he recently encountered: a smart vending machine that can use facial recognition and NFC to customize the experience for the customer. You can also use the connected machine to send gifts to the machine; for example, someone could purchase a pair of headphones remotely and you could pick them up at the machine. In addition, he discusses the rumors surro...

Avram Piltch talks us through some of the innovations he and his team discovered at this year's Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain. Drawing from the Best of Mobile World Congress lists from both LAPTOP Magazine and sister site Tom's Guide , he discussed the second-generation YotaPhone, the Samsung Gear and Samsung Gear Fit, the Rambus lensless camera and more.

Avram Piltch discusses the ethical dilemmas created by wearable technology, such as Google Glass. Having spoken with domain experts , such as human cyborg and University of Toronto Professor Steve Mann , Former New York Times Ethicist Randy Cohen and About.com Etiquette Expert Debby Mayne , Avram brings us a unique view of the dilemmas created by this new technology and how some have begun to deal...

Avram Piltch gives us a hands-on with Lenovo's new version of the X1 Carbon and gives his, as well as LAPTOP Magazine 's impressions of the device. Included is a discussion about the laptop's keyboard, screen and trackpad, plus battery life and, of course, whether or not it is worth the money.

Avram Piltch, inspired by a review of the capabilities of a modern smartphone compared to an entire RadioShack newspaper ad from the 80s, discusses how to duplicate some of our favorite 80s gadgets today. From the View-Master to the Atari 2600 - even a full MS-DOS PC - everything is possible on a modern smartphone.

Avram Piltch discusses some of the technological advances in the USB standard, including USB 3.1 set to debut this year. With the new technology comes new uses, such as 4K video delivered over USB, universal power delivery and USB C, a new tip to end the "which side is up" issue once and for all.