I did more work this week than the list below suggests–oh, to think of the days when an article a day counted as a healthy, if not heavy, journalistic workload–but you’ll have to wait a bit to see those two longer features.
1/22/2012: Tip: Bluetooth not just for headsets, USA Today
I don’t know why more people don’t use Bluetooth to beam files between devices; it’s quicker than using a USB cable or a flash drive. So I used this tip to remind people of that–and to nag Apple for its continued failure to enable this feature in iOS. The rest of the column revisits a question I addressed in the Post two years ago: Can I get a smartphone without the expensive data plan?
1/23/2012: Galaxy Nexus and Nitro HD Get Torture Tested, Discovery News
I first intended to review Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus in December but then decided to try it alongside another LTE Android phone, LG’s Nitro HD. Then CES got in the way, and finally I had to figure out a glitch that kept the Nitro from using LTE. But the delays did contribute to a better-grounded review than usual. I also may have found an answer to the awful standby battery life I and others have seen on the Nexus: Turning off WiFi seems to allow the operating system to sleep properly.
1/26/2012: Eyeing Your Electronics Recycling Options, CEA Digital Dialogue
Speaking of revisiting old Post stories, this one returns to the familiar topic of “how do I get rid of this old TV nobody wants”? The piece notes some progress on this front–my county now does curbside pickup of electronics and Best Buy stopped charging to recycle TVs up to 32 inches–but criticizes computer vendors for failing to provide fact0ry-reset options on a par with those available on most smartphones.
1/27/2012: Your Privacy On Google: Don’t Panic, Do Think, Discovery News
Google neatly solved the problem of “what do I write about?” by announcing a change to its privacy policy (first written up by my old Post colleague Cecilia Kang) that apparently freaked out a large proportion of the Internet–even though it’s not that big of a change. I tried to point that out in this post, written with the benefit of a day or two to reflect on the news and gather some context. Google still doesn’t seem thrilled with the piece but declined my invitation to leave a comment on it, so I added one summarizing their objection and then cross-posted it to Google+. The discussion that followed on the latter site is worth a read.
Rob Pegoraro 
One of the biggest threats to our smartphone privacy isn’t Carrier IQ or any kind of malware but ourselves. We store countless pieces of personal and corporate data on our phones which, if lost or stolen, could be accessed and used by anyone. So how do you protect your smartphone’s data and your privacy? Threatscape’s MD, Dermot Williams, took us through how you can keep your data secure even if you lose your phone.