Alan Buckingham

Amazon Prime is a good deal to begin with, bringing two day free shipping, video streaming of movies and TV shows, as well as original content, music streaming and even a Kindle lending library for those books you've been meaning to read.

For all of that you pay an annual fee of $99, which is not considered high by many users, given the benefits. However, some people still are afraid of the price because it's all at once -- they can't space it out in small monthly fees as the likes of Netflix offer. It doesn't mean it's bad, it's just bad perception for some customers.

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It's been two months since I acquired Amazon Echo, the voice controlled device that can do a surprising amount of things. That feature list is always growing as well, with an increasing amount of partnerships and developers writing "skills".

Has the novelty worn off? Well, somewhat, but I still use it every day. It has become a tool that works for me and there are many features that come in handy.

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The smartwatch is the latest technology darling these days with Pebble, Android Wear and, most recently, Apple. But technology can fail, sometimes badly. Just this morning my home automation left me sitting in the dark (again). Worse Amazon, who's Echo device controls it, was down making a reset impossible and leaving the only option as switching to manual control and using that old-fashioned switch thing on the wall.

According to the Register, Amazon wasn't the only one out of luck, as it's own AWS service took it down, as well as Netflix, IMDB and others.

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Music streaming sevices need to differentiate in order to stand out and hold market share. Features, as well as the song offerings, matter. Spotify is in a tight race with opposition from Google, Rdio, Apple and others. That means innovation is key.

The service has updated its "About" screen, bringing new features for its customers. Included are biographies with full screen browsing, global rankings based on monthly listeners, letting customers know where people are discovering the most popular artists, and even which city the artist is most popular in.

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Care to go on a safari? It's a childhood dream for some, but sadly, few will get there. Eastern Africa is a long trip for most people, not to mention a pricey one. Fortunately, there's no need to break the bank for a lengthy flight and a bumpy ride in a Land Rover. Google Maps Street View can get you there for the low price of free.

This is the first time Google has released imagery in the nation of Kenya. Now the Street View team has trekked the Samburu National Reserve to bring the wildlife to your desktop. This release is specifically elephants, and was done in conjunction with the Save the Elephants research camp.

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Almost a year and half ago I said goodbye to my long-time satellite provider. It was nothing personal, I always had good service, but I simply decided I was paying too much for the amount of TV I watch -- or don't watch, which is more the case.

Since then I've got by just fine with a compilation of Sling TV (with the sports pack), Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime. That hasn't stopped DirecTV from trying to win me back, though I'd steadily ignored the offers. But one was different.

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The Internet of Things is everywhere these days, and has become almost unavoidable. Reaction can be a bit mixed, ranking from calling it SkyNet to embracing the technology. It doesn't always work as planned -- I'm reasonably certain that one of my colleagues here could turn off my lights (don't get any ideas guys).

Now MivaTek aims to fix those problems with new solutions for both home and business. Included are security cameras, water leak sensors and monitoring for disruptions to the alarm system. More importantly, it can keep track of health and send help if needed.

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Whole house audio has come into vogue and systems abound, if you care to pay the price. But none will work without content, and that's where services like Rdio come into the picture. The streaming music sevice has turned into a thriving ecosystem that competes with the other big players in the market.

Now it gets a little more capable as the company announces new whole-home audio compatibility and enhancements to Smart TVs.

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The old adage about how children grow up so fast can easily be applied to many things. The tech world is littered with things we take for granted, and these would once have felt like science-fiction to us. Streaming music is one of those things -- who would have thought you would one day have all of the music you wanted with no vinyl, tapes or CDs?

Pandora is now celebrating ten years in the business. It's hard to believe the little service, created by by Tim Westergren and powered by the Music Genome Project, managed to crack the code and bring music that suits a particular taste, even introducing artists you may have never heard before. Create a station based on an artist, or multiple ones, and Pandora will cook up something to keep you interested.

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Email danger isn't new, and we've all been (hopefully) vigilant for years. Don't open attachments is the general rule, though there are some obvious exceptions -- the person confirms they sent it to you. Otherwise, a message from someone you know may very well not have not been sent by them -- I got one a few days ago from a company contact and it had a file attached. Don't open it! When I inquired she replied to me that the address had been hacked.

Absolutely nothing I've just said will protect my kids or parents -- they will happily click away. The problem is, these things seemed to go away, at least mostly, but now they are on the comeback trail according to a new report.

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We worry about our children, or at least we should. Stranger danger is everywhere in today's world, unlike the one we grew up in. You may have wondered around town on your own, rode in a car with no seatbelt and probably asked the question "what's a bike helmet?"

Well, things are not that safe anymore, and in fact they can be downright scary. Websites and apps are trying to sell things to kids (it will be your money that they spend). But worse, predators lurk in the shadows looking for information for potential targets.

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Google Calendar is used by many people to track (seemingly) their every activity. That's a good thing, as it keeps users organized and calendars can be shared with family and co-workers so they also know what's going on. But what about its security? It doesn't seem a huge issue, given the nature of the service -- it isn't your bank, after all.

Google is ever vigilant, however, and has been thinking this part through and is now making some changes. The update brings a new URL, but it's really about security.

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The wireless mouse and keyboard is not a new concept; it's been around for quite a while. Bluetooth connectivity came along a bit later, though it still isn't cutting-edge anymore. Now we work from multiple devices from PCs to laptops to tablets, even phones and these thing have become necessary.

Now Logitech is unveiling its latest Bluetooth keyboard, the Logitech K380, and mouse, the M535. Neither is dependent on the other; it isn't a set. Both have a compact design that's easy to pack up and travel with.

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Hulu has previously come in two varieties, both free and "premium". The premium contains limited ads, but also provides access to all content available from the service. The trade-off is, of course, paying per month for this. The $7.99 fee isn't bad, but most services remove ads in exchange for premium service.

So how do you rid yourself of those ads? Well, previously you didn't, but that changes today as Hulu rolls out an ad-free plan. That's the good news, the bad is that you'll be paying a bit more per month. To be precise, you'll be upping your monthly expenditure from $7.99 to $11.99.

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Sir Isaac Newton famously said that "If I have seen further, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants". Newton referred to the scientists who came before him, but Charles Darwin could have uttered a similar phrase. The explorer and scientist visited the islands of Galapagos and saw literal giants in the form of turtles, or tortoises to be precise. In fact, Darwin brought one home to England, though Harriet eventually resided in Australia before she died at the age of approximately 176.

Now you can see these famous, and seemingly ageless, creatures on Google Maps. No need to board the HMS Beagle and set sail, just look on your computer.

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