Benjamin Patterson

Brooklyn, NY USA
Website: http://tech.benpatterson.net
Contact

Professional Experience

There are no dumb questions, especially when it comes to gadgets and technology. That's how I approach every tech article I've written in the past 17-plus years, in publications such as TIME, Wired, CNET, PC Magazine, PCWorld, Men's Fitness, Computer Shopper, All You, and Mobile magazine. After five years as an editor at CNET, three years as editor-in-chief of InfoSync World and another five years as a daily blogger for Yahoo! Tech, I founded "here's the thing," a site devoted to helping everyday users with gadgets and technology. At "here's the thing," I've written hundreds of articles and features aimed at everyday users trying to make the most of their iPhones, Android phones, Macs, PCs, HDTVs, and even vintage VCRs. In addition to my work at "here's the thing," I'm still actively freelancing—so if your readers are hungry for tips, tricks and advice about their gadgets, I'd be happy to help.

Expertise

Reporter
3 Years
Editor
17 Years
Writer
20 Years

Specialty

Government
3 Years
Technology
17 Years

Industries


Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines
1 Year
Newspaper - Local/Regional
3 Years
Online/new media
17 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

20 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Yahoo! (10+), PCWorld (3-5), TIME (1-2), Mobile magazine (1-2), PC Magazine (1-2), All You (1-2), Computer Shopper (1-2), here's the thing (10+)

Technical Skills

Light HTML, experience with major blogging platforms (Blogger, WordPress, Posterous, Tumblr), proprietary content management systems

Computer Skills

Mac OS X, Windows 8, iOS, Android, Word, Excel, Outlook

References

Available upon request

Showcase

General

Viruses from space! The living HD DVD dead! Shape-shifting SMS spies—in your bedroom! Attack of the "podestrians"! Steel yourself for ten blood-curdling tales that'll send shivers down your spine.
Who wants to pay $100 for a single pair of active-shutter 3D glasses? Good question—and maybe that's why 3D TV sets using cheaper, polarized 3D glasses are making such a big splash at CES.
For months, the rumor mill was buzzing about Magneto -- and no, we don't mean the plot of the new X-Men movie. Magneto was the code name for the latest version of Windows Mobile, the eagerly awarited update to Microsoft's mobile OS that was -- until recently -- the source of feverous web-based speculation.
Just think: a mere 12 months ago, many of us were still debating whether a consumer-friendly tablet like the iPad would make any sense. Today, the iPad is a certifiable hit, a new iPad is on the way, slates from the likes of HP, LG, Samsung, and RIM are in the pipeline, and come Thursday, a formidable new player in the budding tablet market—the Android-powered Motorola Xoom—will land in stores. Suddenly, it's raining tablets, a welcome development for gadget lovers.
Still pining for Blu-ray? With Blu-ray decks expected to sell for as little as $69 come Black Friday, there's a good chance you'll finally find one sitting under your tree this year. That's the good news. The bad news? Many of the most popular movies ever made—some of which may be among your favorites—have yet to go the Blu-ray way.
It's an exciting—and confusing—time for watching TV online. The big broadcast networks have finally embraced streaming video and digital downloads, and they're trying all kinds of strategies to get you to tune in, including free (but commercial-laden) Web-based video and for-pay downloads over iTunes and Amazon. Cool beans: but how you go about getting your dose of "24," "Survivor," or "Ugly Betty" can vary wildly—and in some cases, depending on your platform or player, you may be be able to get your favorite show the way you want it.
You think ghosts and goblins are scary? Please. Show me an overheated A/V receiver or an outrageously priced video cable, and I'll show you the true face of terror. Read on for five tales of home-theater horror—and how (in some cases, at least) to avoid them.
Android phones have a bad habit of beeping during important meetings or buzzing in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, iOS devices and the brand-new, Android Lollipop-powered Nexus and Motorola phones have it lucky.
Everyone oohed and aahed at the new iPods during their recent unveiling in San Francisco, but make no mistake—there are some formidable iPod competitors out there, and they've been quietly gaining ground on Apple's iconic players. Is it time to stray from the pack and grab a non-iPod MP3 player?
Confused by all the home-video terminology that's thrown around in your local TV store? Join the club. Between all your HDMI, DVI, Toslink, S-Video and component cables, navigating your way though the wilderness of different audio and video connections is a daunting task, to say the least.
So, is it time to call Apple TV a flop? That's what Forbes and CNET are saying, and they have the numbers to back them up: fewer than 250,000 boxes sold in six months. Not good. But Apple TV can still be saved: here are five ways to do it.
"Italian made Ray Bay, Oakley sunglasses :)" reads the Emoji-riddled iMessage sitting in your iPhone's Messages inbox. "Pick up Your New RayBan Sunglasses Here before they run out!" If you're using iMessage on an iPhone or iPad, there's a pretty decent chance one of these blaring spam messages has
Imagine that your car just broke down on the highway. It's raining, and you pull out your cell phone to a tow truck--only to hear a sad chirp as the battery dies. It's an all too plausible scenario, especially for those of us who aren't so conscientious about charging our phones.
Cutting the cord? These apps will stream hundreds of network or cable TV shows for free, no pay-TV subscription required.
Gone are the days when declining a call was a simple matter of, you know, just not answering the phone.
Wish it were a little easier to type in ALL CAPS on your Android or iPhone, or ever get stumped while looking for the em dash? What about typing letters with accent marks, or dealing with cumbersome URLs? Or maybe you're just hankering for an alternative to tapping on a slippery glass screen.
Did you know you could turn your iPhone's camera flash into a blinking alert light, or that you can shake your iPhone to "undo" a typo? No? You're not the only one.
Connie writes: I hid the ticker on Facebook when it was first introduced. Now, I want it back. I've searched online, but none of the fixes I found work for me. Just wondering if you may have a solution? Thanks for your help. Hi Connie! Yep, I did the same thing when the Facebook ticker first...
A year after revitalizing the once-sleepy, now red-hot tablet market with the original iPad, Apple surprised absolutely no one Wednesday by taking the wrapper off a slimmer, trimmer version of the wildly popular slate, complete with a front-facing camera for video chat (finally!) and a souped-up processor.
Wait — isn't it still summer? Technically, yes, but it's never too early to start prepping your arsenal of back-to-school gadgets for the fall. We've searched high and low for the perfect laptop, digital camera, cell phone and even toothbrush to make your academic year complete.
If the only change you've made to your iPhone or Android phone's home screen is to swap out the wallpaper and rearrange a few icons, you've barely scratched the surface of what's possible.
Haven't bothered to password-protect your smartphone yet? You might regret the oversight the next time you leave your handset in the back seat of a cab—or worse, after it's stolen by a pickpocket.
Here are some speedy ways to record strokes of genius on your iPhone or Android phone-and ideally, without having to unlock your handset.
Even though Windows 8 was designed with touchscreens in mind, there are still plenty of clever ways to zip around the new Windows using nothing but your keyboard.
So, we've already covered how to weed out unwanted Facebook posts. But what about the flip side-that is, stocking your Facebook news feed with gotta-see updates from your nearest, dearest friends and loved ones?
Learn how to split the iPad's keyboard in two, swipe from one app to another, change what the "side switch" does, turn the iPad into a digital photo frame, and more.
Now you can sling HD video a your local network to a nearby PC—or, theoretically, to a Net-connected laptop that's thousands of miles away. Sounds cool, but unless you've got megabit-level uploading speeds on your home broadband connection, you'd better keep your high-def expectations in check.
It's a bit raw, and the clunky hardware isn't too inspiring, but the Android-powered G1 is the first touchscreen handset I've seen that's a true iPhone competitor—and a good one.
Flip some switches deep in the Settings menu, and you'll be able to choose between six new functions that triple-clicking the Home key can activate.
If you're still going to the Google or Yahoo home page to do Web searches, you're missing half the fun--and you're unnecessarily exerting your fingers. Toolbar plug-ins make it easy and fast to look up Web references without having to type in another URL.
Looking to turn your home into the Taj Mahal of tech? We've scoured CNET and the rest of the Web for the most luxurious gadgets, from TVs and A/V receivers to hot-rod gaming desktops and a seaworthy sports car that even international playboys would love.
Consider yourself a suspicious character? The police might think so if you're snapping away with your camera.
Hoping to up the ante with your holiday celebration? Make an impression with the latest and greatest party gear. These eye-popping, ear-tickling and ache-relieving gadgets will turn your year-end event into a treat for the senses.
After years of hype, HDTV is finally reaching the tipping point -- but enjoying it in your home will still take some doing. Many high-definition TV sets won't decode over-the-air HD signals without an external tuner. Cable and satellite providers don't carry all of the available networks. And while almost all network TV dramas and comedies are in HDTV, you might find that your favorite show (Scrubs, anyone?) is still stuck in standard-definition limbo. Read on to learn what equipment you'll need to get HDTV into your living room.
The Malata DIVA-2 bills itself as an all-purpose "entertainment console," but this jack-of-all-trades is a master of none.
Ever visit your local coffeehouse and blithely surf the Web over its public Wi-Fi connection? Just remember that every website you browse, every unencrypted form you submit, and every e-mail you send is fair game for the hacker sipping a double mocha at the table next to you.
We all have a phrase, a number, or another string of text that we type over and over again: a lengthy street address, your office number, or any other common bit of data you wish would simply flow from your fingertips to your touchscreen.
The Apple TV competitor calls it HDX video, and indeed, it's the best looking over-the-Net video I've seen yet, rivaling even Blu-ray. And get this: It costs the same as Vudu's "standard" HD rentals. The catch? No instant viewing.
Simply put, 3G technology will bring wireless broadband to your mobile phone. Boasting speeds from 144Kbps (roughly three times faster than dial-up) to 2.4Mbps (close to cable-modem speed), 3G networks let you speed through Web pages, enjoy streaming music, watch on-demand video, and more.
Microsoft Outlook is the Jekyll and Hyde of the Microsoft Office suite. When Outlook is good, it's very good. But when it's bad, it's a horror show.
By turns brilliant and maddening, the original iPhone took the wireless world by storm last year, so it's no surprise that its faster—but power-hungry—successor feels like a bit of a letdown. While the iPhone 3G is a Web browsing speed demon, its half-baked GPS abilities disappoint, and its missing features—such as picture mail and video recording—stick out like a sore thumb. And yet ...
With all eight (eight!) seasons of the squirm-inducing "Full House" on DVD, you'd think just about ever movie or TV show worth watching would have made its way to disc by now. But some surprisingly worthwhile—or at least notable—films and shows ("Wonder Years," anyone?) have yet to emerge on DVD (much less Blu-ray). Check out some of the highlights (and lowlights, for that matter).
Sure, everyone pretty much knows what "LOL" means, and most of us have grown familiar with the "ROFLs," the "LMAOs" and the "<3s." But at the risk of showing my age (I haven't been 25 in about 20 years), I'm often scratching my head at the alphabet soup of acronyms found in more and more posts...
Safari is likely one of the most-used apps on your iPhone or iPad. But even if you are an experienced Safari surfer, it's possible you aren't aware of some of these time-saving gestures that can help you do things a little more easily or with fewer tabs.
The next time you flip open your cell phone while you’re behind the wheel, hoping to squeeze in a quick call on your trip to the supermarket, consider this: Blotto drunks might be doing a better job of driving than you are.