Advertisement Every device on a computer network has an Internet Protocol (IP) address. It’s just like a phone number, telling other computers how it can be reached.It’s the job of your router to assign a new IP address when a device joins the network and maintain a phone book of who has what number.Let’s see what types of IP addresses your router can assign.What Is a Static IP Address?A static IP address (also known as fixed IP address) is an unchanging number assigned to your computer or router.Your internet service provider (ISP) assigns a public IP address to your router, while your router assigns internal IP addresses to connecting devices.Your public IP address is one that the world sees, and every internet connection, website, or public-facing web-connected thing will have one. If you ask Google “What is my IP address?”, it’ll tell you what your public IP address is, as given to you by your ISP (note, if you’re using a VPN, this will … [Read more...] about What Is a Static IP Address? Here’s Why You Don’t Need One
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From AirPower to Zune, a decade of tech and companies that died
This story is part of The 2010s: A Decade in Review, a series on the memes, people, products, movies and so much more that have influenced the 2010s. While they inspire a bit of nostalgia -- and frequently skeuomorphism -- yesteryear's gadgets are the compost of technology, the old crap out of which new products grow. As part of the natural product cycle, it's hard to describe them as really "gone." Sometimes they just feel dead because a company doesn't update or even mention them for a while. The Apple iPad Mini, Mac Mini, MacBook Air, Mac Pro and iPod were on our endangered list for years before Apple surprised us with upgrades to all. On the other hand, the company's AirPort router line and Time Capsule backup drive also were on a long death watch until they finally landed on Apple's vintage and obsolete product list this year. You just never know. Other times, new products absorb their predecessors. As they became ever more powerful over the past decade, phones killed … [Read more...] about From AirPower to Zune, a decade of tech and companies that died
Windows 10 Upgrade – Free Doesn’t Mean It Won’t Cost Anything
Advertisement Windows 10 is a slick and smart operating system. I’ve been working with the Technical Preview (TP) since it came out in October 2014 and I’m a huge fan. I share the enthusiasm with all of you who anticipate the free Windows 10 upgrade Windows 10: The Dream Of A Cross-Device Operating System Is Becoming Reality & It's Free Windows 10: The Dream Of A Cross-Device Operating System Is Becoming Reality & It's Free Microsoft is boldly stepping into the future with innovative software and hardware. Windows as a service and mobility of experience were the major keywords from the recent Windows 10 briefing. Most importantly, Windows 10 will... Read More . And I would hate for your expectations to be disappointed.Let’s examine Microsoft’s motivation to offer a free upgrade and what it could mean for you.Why a Free Windows 10 Upgrade?Hypothesis 1: To Make People HappyIf people or security were the main concern, Microsoft … [Read more...] about Windows 10 Upgrade – Free Doesn’t Mean It Won’t Cost Anything
Facebook’s New Portal Device Lets You Place Video Calls on the TV
Facebook is moving deeper into the smart home space by refreshing its Portal products, and introducing a new device that can hook up to your TV. The social network is marketing Portal TV as a camera peripheral that can enable video phone calls via Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp on your television screen. But it's also a streaming device with access to Amazon Prime Video, CBS All Access, and Showtime, in addition to Facebook Watch, the company's YouTube-like service. Other unnamed partnerships are slated to follow. It arrives Nov. 5 for $149. Of course, existing smart TVs and streaming TV sticks already let you watch the top video-streaming services. But the Portal TV's camera and video-calling functions adds an online chat component. For now, this "Watch Together" feature will only be available on Facebook Watch when a call is made on Messenger. But it works like this: You and other friends with Portal TV devices can talk online, and then pick a video to view together. As you watch the … [Read more...] about Facebook’s New Portal Device Lets You Place Video Calls on the TV