Jeff Porten
Jeff Porten provides consulting services on Mac, IT, and productivity, and is a freelance writer in Philadelphia. His most recent book is Take Control of Your Productivity.
Jeff Porten had overlapping conference responsibilities this year, but he checks in from Europe with his usual coverage of what was new, notable, and laughable at this year’s CES.
Our roving reporter Jeff Porten heads into CES 2020 with coverage of the annual Trends to Watch presentation, which focused on (surprise, surprise) 5G, AI, streaming video, augmented reality, and well, a bunch of other things that seem less likely to become real.
Roaming CES reporter Jeff Porten reviews three products he picked up at 2019’s CES: a battery that can charge an iPhone or MacBook, an audio equalizer app for the Mac, and a cheaper alternative to Apple’s AirPods.
Apple’s forthcoming Apple Card and updated Wallet app promise innovative features and consumer-friendly particulars. But Jeff Porten thinks Apple Card will have a farther-reaching impact.
If you’d like to use another screen with your MacBook while traveling but can’t figure out how to arrange and support it, Jeff Porten has found a simple clip that attaches an iPad to a MacBook for use as a second display.
Thinking about dropping cable TV? Cord cutters may want to check out Locast, a Web site and mobile app that lets you watch your local TV channels for free, provided you’re in one of the nine cities where it works.
The CES section for startups shows its usual creativity: portable insulin fridges, STEM education for girls, a wearable subwoofer. and a giant relaxing egg. Which you sit in, not on.
Itty-bitty MacBook chargers, chocolate-based art, and batteries; backpacks; and toy cars with seemingly magical powers were all found on the main floor at CES.
Jeff Porten’s visit to the CES Home and Health show floor included a smart mailbox for your deliveries, a battery accessible to the blind, a smartwatch you never charge, and news of an embarrassing moment for the CTA.
OmniFocus, the power user tool of choice for Mac task management, has reached version 3 on the Mac, the iOS version has caught up in features, and a Web version is in beta. Jeff Porten discusses task management in general, what’s new and great in OmniFocus, and where the trouble spots still are.
One company lights the world, another proposes to cook for you, and Apple teases Google over privacy while an open-source voice assistant ups the privacy ante.
As CES continues, our roving correspondent Jeff Porten covers the Pepcom Digital Experience, another of the breakout shows that offers a somewhat curated collection of gadgets, gizmos, and pie-in-the-sky services.
Jeff Porten starts the CES tornado with a mere gale force wind at the kickoff press-only breakout show, CES Unveiled.
Our roving correspondent Jeff Porten is once again attending CES, and his first report comes from the Consumer Technology Association’s annual predictions of what’s coming for the year.
Google's Project Fi phone service has become Google Fi, with official support for using the iPhone you bring to the plan. But the iPhone experience isn't the same as for Android phones using regular Google Fi. So for now, Google Fi is worthwhile only in select circumstances.