Education takes on all forms. There’s traditional K-12, college, corporate communication and training, specialized online resources, and even YouTube. In this back-to-school guide, I’m not going to limit my suggestions to one discipline of education. 

I’m also staying away from software recommendations because teachers need a lot of different types of software, but much of that is dictated by the school district. Teachers need students with access to computers and bandwidth, however, and there’s a big digital divide issue. Many school districts are requiring at-home teaching but are not providing an equipment allowance, so the things I’ve recommended will likely to be an out-of-pocket expense for you.

That said, this is a guide to help you up your game...

Philo, a skinny-bundle TV streaming service, is adding one of its most requested features: the ability to watch with Google’s Chromecast streaming devices. But the company is doing it with a bit of a twist. In addition to simply casting video onto a TV, Philo‘s Chromecast support was developed as a technological precursor for features like social viewing and watch parties between multiple users no matter where they are, the company said. 

Philo’s Android app adding Chromecast is the first step in what the company is calling Philo Connect. 

“Chromecast has been ...

Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire chip designer Arm from Softbank, according to reports — a move that would be sure to draw regulatory scrutiny. According to the Financial Times and Bloomberg, the potential deal could value Arm at more than $32 billion, the price at which it was acquired by SoftBank four years ago. 

Nvidia’s market value has already surpassed that of Intel, and purchasing Arm could give the GPU maker a much broader footprint in the semiconductor industry. The deal could elicit objections from companies that license Arm’s technology, including Apple, Broadcom or Qualcomm. 

While Arm’s technology is already dominant in mobile devices, the company has recently expanded its reach in several other areas as well...

Automakers plan to roll out numerous new electric cars over the course of this decade, but they won’t do much good if drivers don’t have consistent access to a plug. General Motors and EVgo will diminish that exact fear.

On Friday, the automaker and charging station operator said both will buddy up to build over 2,700 new fast charging plugs across the US. The construction will take place over the next five years, but the plan will see access expand to new areas to help boost EV adoption.

Suburbanites may have never seen a charging station in their lives, but GM said the suburbs will be target areas for this expansion...

Microsoft is continuing its march toward refocusing its Cortana digital assistant on productivity scenarios. Today, July 31, Microsoft is going public with dates for phasing out more consumer-focused entertainment and smart-home features via a new Support Article on upcoming changes to Cortana.

Microsoft has been transitioning Cortana from a personal digital assistant similar to Alexa and Google Nest to more of an embedded productivity aide tied into Microsoft 365 for the past few years. And with hands-free/touch-free scenarios becoming more important as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the importance of voice interaction to handle work tasks is only growing.

Today, Microsoft officials said that Microsoft will be ending support for all third-party Cortana...

Now that Samsung has officially announced that Unpacked 2020 will take place Aug. 5, the rumor mill has gone into overdrive. Samsung is expected to launch a slew of new hardware, including an extra-large version of the Note 20, called the Note 20 Ultra, the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 2, a confirmed 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip (in bronze!) and the Galaxy Watch 3. 

Following in the footsteps of Huawei, OnePlus and Apple, the unveiling will take place completely online. 

It’s been a strange year for Samsung and other phone-makers, whose plans to go big into 5G and foldable phones have been largely torpedoed b...

Microsoft has outlined dozens of new Microsoft Teams features that are designed to address key shortcomings that teachers and students have experienced in remote classrooms during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. 

The back-to-school season is usually about discounting Chromebooks and Surface laptops for students after the long summer break, but in this peculiar year software and online services are just as critical for Microsoft and its customers. 

Over the past few months Microsoft has been flagging new and upcoming features for Microsoft Teams, in particular around online video meetings, which simultaneously became vital for schools yet didn’t meet the needs of students and teachers involved in online classrooms. 

It’s made so many announcements in recent months that the company ha...

Google Search is celebrating the 20th anniversary of popular song and dance combo, the “Cha Cha Slide,” with a hidden surprise. 

When you search “Cha Cha Slide” on Google, a microphone appears next to the music video and prompts you to tap along to an interactive edition of the hit song. Google says the hidden feature is best experienced with your volume turned up.

The Cha Cha Slide was released in 2000 by American artist DJ Casper. The song spent five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the UK Singles Chart in 2004...

At its Unpacked event next week, Samsung is expected to unveil an updated line of Note phablets — namely the Note 20 Ultra, which will have a gigantic 6.87-inch Ultra-HD resolution screen. Samsung, however, is not alone in the ever-enlarging-phone department. In the fall, when Apple is slated to refresh the iPhone line, the 12 Pro Max is expected to gain an additional 0.2 inches (5.1mm) of diameter, bringing it to 6.7 inches.

Large phablet-type devices such as these —  merging the functions of a smartphone and a small tablet — were initially designed for a very mobile crowd needing an all-in-one device for content consumption and creation when on the road...

Amazon’s internet ambitions are getting a boost this week. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission granted the tech giant approval to “deploy and operate our constellation of 3,236 satellites,” the company announced on its Day One blog.  

Amazon says that when launched the network will provide “reliable, affordable broadband service to unserved and underserved communities around the world” with the FCC authorization allowing the company to begin work on delivering “satellite-based broadband services in the United States, helping expand internet access to households and communities across the country.”