Steve Alexander

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Steve Alexander

Columnist/Reporter | Technology

Phone: 612-673-4553

Steve Alexander follows consumer and business technology trends, and writes a weekly question and answer column for consumers. He also is a general-assignment reporter for business news.

Alexander: Better tablets won't replace small laptops

QA computer salesman told me that small netbook computers are going to go away, and will be replaced by tablet computers. I thought this wasn't good news for me because I travel and need a computer that's lighter than a laptop but can handle more standard PC software.

Updated: May 22, 2012, - 06:52 PM

A tablet PC made for emergencies

SafetyPad, made by Open Inc. of Edina, is the constant companion of Hennepin County ambulance paramedics.

Updated: May 19, 2012, - 05:13 PM

Arctic Cat beats estimates, then takes a beating

Shares fell 10 percent Tuesday after the snowmobile and ATV maker lowered its guidance for fiscal 2013.

Updated: May 15, 2012, - 10:15 PM

Alexander: Worldwide video chats not always a reality

QMy son lives and works in Bangkok, Thailand, so a video connection between us is important. When we use Skype video, it disconnects after a few minutes and never resumes. Both of our Internet connections and speed are OK. What can I do?

Updated: May 15, 2012, - 04:01 PM

Target to try on its first all-sportswear store

The retailer's C9 Active Apparel will open in San Francisco in October. But don't call it a test.

Updated: May 08, 2012, - 10:24 PM

Why it's hard to find apps for other tablets

QWhen are companies going to start writing apps for tablet computers other than the iPad? I own a Pandigital tablet, and when I try to download apps I'm told they're either for the iPad or iPhone.

Updated: May 08, 2012, - 04:47 PM

Digital River stock continues its slide

Investors have been selling Digital River shares since Friday based on disappointing second-quarter projections.

Updated: May 07, 2012, - 09:41 PM

Precision tooling for traveling robot

Andrew Tool & Machining of Plymouth got the contract of its life when it hooked up with NASA to make joints for a robot arm.

Updated: May 05, 2012, - 04:21 PM

Target to stop selling Kindles from rival Amazon

The retailer is dropping the popular brand of e-readers just as a deal with Apple heats up.

Updated: May 02, 2012, - 09:11 PM

Alexander: Music on a flash drive will play a long time

QI recently bought a new car with a digital music player. I can plug a 4-gigabyte flash drive with recorded music into the USB port and get good sound quality. Even though I have recorded about 20 hours of music, I'm still using only one-third of the flash drive's capacity.

Updated: May 01, 2012, - 04:28 PM